Bitter Chapter 2, a twilight fanfic

Chapter 2

BPOV

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and all of its characters belong to the awesome Stephenie Meyer. I just get to have my way with them…especially Edward. No copyright infringement intended.

BEEP!

I turned my head and looked at the beeping alarm clock, although I already knew what time it was 4:00 a.m. on the dot. I reached over and quickly turned it off as gently and quietly as I could, so not to disturb Mike.

I had two different alarms, one was for four o'clock in the morning, and the other was four thirty in the morning. The first was the one for me and the other was for my husband. If he was to be woken up before 4:30 there was for sure hell to be paid. At four every morning, I wake up, and go straight to the kitchen and prepare breakfast for Mike. Every morning he had the same thing, 4 hard-boiled eggs, 2 slices of softly browned toast, half a cup of orange juice, and 2 cups of hot black coffee; unless he specified differently, and that is usually the night before.

At 4:30, like always, I wake him up so he can shower, dress, eat his breakfast and be out the door by 4:45. While he showers I fix his lunch and thermos of lightly sweetened tea or ice water. During this time of the morning there are usually no words spoken. Moving like awkward robots around each other, unless there is something that he feels needs his critiquing.

I sit at the table while sipping on my coffee making mental notes of all the things I needed to do today. Groceries, cleaning supplies, dog food… "Bella.., Bella…" the baby's medicine. "Bella! Damn it, pay attention!" Mike snapped at me. I looked up at his face, distorted with aggravation at my not paying attention to him.

"Sorry, what?" I stuttered confused.

"Are you going to get the kids and put them in the car, or are you going to sit there looking like a damn fool staring into space?" he retorted.

"Sorry, I just had a lot on my mind at the moment."

"Ha, you had a lot on your mind? Well I know that wasn't much, and since when do you have a lot on your mind?" he began asking sarcastically, "Do you work five to six every day, pay all the bills, pretty much foot the bill for everything?" he demanded.

I sat there looking, because I know if I had said something he would have reached across the table and given me a good smack.

"No, I didn't think so…so don't sit there and say you have a lot on your mind. I'm the one who should be saying that, not you!" He looked at me, daring me to saying anything. I sat there stock still, my eyes getting blurry, and me willing them to not release any tears.

"Now go get the kids and put them in the damn car so I'm not late to work." He said to me without looking at me, mostly staring at the food he was trying to finish.

I left the table and put my coffee cup in the sink, and walked out of the kitchen and partially into the living room to go up-stairs to get the kids so I could take Mike to work. They were so young and I hated having to wake them up this early in the morning, I wish that they were old enough to stay home alone.

Mike works at the local plant with a whole bunch of other men in town, building parts for high powered machinery, like Big Cat Tractors and what not. At twenty-five dollars an hour, thirteen hours a day he makes pretty good money, but you wouldn't know that by the way we live. At the moment my old and trusty beat up Chevy is not in the working condition, and we're down to one car. This means there are some mornings when I have to drive him to work, much to his dismay. It's a seven minute drive to the plant and another seven driving back home. After I get the boys dressed and put in the car, we pull out of the garage and head down the street, taking a left onto Main Street then keeping straight for the next six and half minutes, then taking a right turning onto the plant's grounds. I could make that entire drive blindfolded.

Mike pulls up to the curb and gets out of our small sedan, I get out as well and walk around the front of the car. When I reach my hand out for the keys he snatches them away and gives me his icy blue stare.

"Where are you planning on going today?" he asks.

"I need to go to the store for groceries, dog food, and Mikey's prescription. His ear infection is starting to flare up again." I stated.

"My God, if I had known he was going to be this expensive I would've suggested putting him up for adoption…or ending it before you got too far along." Mike said so coldly, as if he was commenting on the weather or something. I coughed to hide my painful gasp from hearing him speak about his own child, our child, that way.

"You should get going, you don't want to be late."

"Why so quick to rush me off? Planning on doing something you shouldn't be doing?" he asked skeptically

"No, I just said that because I know you like punctuality. That's all."

"Uh-huh…just remember I know how far the grocery store is away from the house. So you better not go anywhere you're not supposed to, because you know I'll check the mileage on the car." He warned me, "and if the mileage doesn't add up you're going to have a problem you don't want. Understood?"

I nodded my head yes. He handed me the keys and eyed me as he walked into the building. As I got in the driver seat and put the car in gear I took a big breath and released it, as if to release the tension flowing through my body. You'd think after preaching that to me every single morning for the past two years he'd say, 'I think she gets the point, she's not going to do anything.' I looked in the rearview mirror at my sweet boys, Mikey Jr. and Ben, 1 and 7 months old, sleeping quietly in their car seats. Must be nice and peaceful, to be oblivious to all of the wicked things that go on in the world. They were the only things that kept me going. If I didn't have them I don't know where I'd be.

I pulled into the local grocery store/pharmacy, found a close parking space, got a buggy and put my sleeping bundle in there. This was my favorite time of the day for food shopping for two reasons. One, its early and people are still in bed, so I don't have to weave in and out of people, and two, because if I have any fresh or old bruises the cashiers are hardly awake enough to notice, pay attention, or care. So it's a win-win for me. Thankfully my last set has healed up enough that I only have to dab a small amount of concealer on the hide anything.

I got my list out, made my way throughout the store getting everything I needed, and made my way to the pharmacy to pick up MJ's prescription and before I knew it I was on the road back home, to cook and clean until it was time to pick Mike up from work. Unless he called to say that he would catch a ride with one of the guys from work.

I was so caught up in my work while the boys were taking their nap I hadn't realized how much time had passed by. It was 5:54 and Mike got off at 6, I didn't want to wake the boys up, hustle them into the car to get to the plant, that would take up more time. And I just knew that each minute that I was late was each degree higher his temper would rise.

'Nice going Bella.,' I chastised myself, 'all you had to do was two things...take care of the home things and pick Mike up from work.' I muttered.

'This is one ass beating you definitely brought on yourself.' I thought.

I ran upstairs and checked on the boys, they'd already had their dinner and bath and were in such a deep sleep I didn't even bother them, I figured if they were OK alone for fifteen minutes while I was down stairs they'd be OK for fifteen minutes while I picked up Mike from work. It's not like he cared enough to ask.

I grabbed my purse and keys, shut off the the stove and ran to the car, speeding like a mad woman out of the driveway and down the street. "SHIT!" I exclaimed. There was a small fender bender holding up traffic, not a big deal for them but it was a big deal for me because I knew how much trouble I was going to be in. By the time everything cleared up, and I had made it to the plant it was 6: 15.

I pulled up to the curb where Mike gets out at every morning and he was standing there stoic, not moving, just looking across the lot not really looking at anything. After a few seconds he opened the door and got in, not saying anything, silent as the dead. I could by the way he was tightly holding his jaw he was angry. I stayed silent, knowing better than to say anything. I got ready to put the car in drive but he put his hand over mine to stop me, looking straight ahead. Slowly turning his head he looked me dead my eyes...

Authors Note: I know, I know, CLIFFY and its been a while since I've updated anything. But I'm going to make an honest effort to do updates on a weekly basis. Just so everyone knows this story has VERY dark undertones and it somewhat based on what I saw when I was growning up. If this is something you can't handle reading please walk away now. I dont know yet if this story is going to have a happy ending, I haven't really had time to think that far. But I promise that I will try my best not to go MIA for weeks or months at a time with a update or an Author's Note. I should be updating again soon in the a week or less. MORE REVIEWS MEAN MORE UPDATES, SO REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!