Edward had patched up my cheek which required three stitches. He said as long as I took proper care of it it shouldn't scar. Like I really gave a shit about a tiny half inch scar. I was more concerned about our unknown marriage and the even bigger mystery of the unknown fiancée.
We drove Tyler home and I walked him to his door making him promise me he'd talk to his mother when she got home. I would be calling her tomorrow to follow up. Edward drove me back to the school so I could get my car and he followed me the fifty some minutes home to my apartment.
"I wanted to thank you for today, Edward. You didn't have to help out like you did and I really appreciate it." I said as I poured two glasses of iced tea. It was already eight in the evening and somehow alcohol didn't seem like a wise decision. Hmm, wonder why.
"You don't have to thank me, Bella. I'm just sorry I wasn't there sooner. I really thought you were hurt. I couldn't breathe for a second." He replied as he took the chilled glass from my hand.
"No worries, I'm fine. Just another day at the office." I offered a small chuckle.
"There is nothing funny about that, Bella. You could've been really injured. What the hell were you thinking trying to separate two boys...no…two men while they were fighting? You're lucky you didn't end up with any broken bones or a concussion."
"Edward Cullen don't you reprimand me. It's my job…my duty to make sure those kids don't get hurt. I got a scratch on the face and hopefully that will be reminder enough to those kids to stay out of trouble. I will not stand by and wait for a knight in shining armor to save me."
As soon as the words left my mouth, his eyes met mine and I cringed on the inside. My knight in shining armor…my Edward. His stare became too intense; I had to look away. And change the subject.
"So, tell me about your fiancée. What's her name, what does she do?"
While the topic made me nauseous and want to curl up into a tiny ball and sob like a fucking baby, I acted cool as a cucumber.
"Before we go down that path, I want to throw out a standard disclaimer. The arrangement Kate and I have is complicated to say the least. We're both under pressure from our families to settle down. It's a marriage of convenience, however inconvenient it is for us."
"Did you tell your family about our little predicament?"
"I told my mother. She was elated. She promised not to tell anyone, not even my father. I didn't know what to do. Kate was no help to me at all. In fact she thought it was hilarious. Carlisle wouldn't understand, I don't think. He's very old fashioned; believes when you marry, you marry for life."
"What did your mom tell you?" I asked pressing further.
"She told me I should try and find you. Work things out, see if we're compatible. I had never been so heartbroken. When I woke up the next morning expecting to feel you next me and was sadly disappointed when there was nothing but air and a bull shit note, I was crushed. I had never felt so strongly about another person until that night.
No one has ever entranced me like that, had that kind of effect on me. I was devastated. At first I thought it was something I did; I hurt you or offended you in some way. But as the weeks passed I got angrier and angrier with you.
In April my father approached me about settling down. Kate's parents talked to her a few weeks prior. She works with me at the hospital, she's a social worker. Her family owns a fishery in Maine. I'm sure you've heard of Gordon's. Kate's the heiress to that fortune.
We had lunch one day in the cafeteria and got to talking about our situations. We decided then we would marry each other to placate everyone. We were going to have a quick wedding at the justice of the peace. When we applied for our marriage license I was beyond shocked to get a letter in the mail telling me I was already married to one Isabella Cullen."
Edward finished his story with an audible sigh and I sat there dumbfounded as tears filled my eyes and I sniffled like an asshole.
"Bella, please don't cry." He cooed as he placed his hands over mine.
He just broke the mother fucking damn.
"I-I'm so ::hiccup:: fucking sorry ::hiccup:: Ed-Edward." I cried uncontrollably.
He scooted closer to me on the couch, wrapping his arms around me in a comforting grip. His hand smoothed my hair away from my hot, snotty, tear filled face and I just sat there and let it all out all over his shirt.
"I didn't want to leave you that night ::hiccup:: I was so fucking scared and I didn't know what to do! I kept telling myself over and over that it was some kind of dream and you'd wake up and tell me to leave and I can't handle another broken heart ::hiccup:: I never meant to hurt you I swear. I'll sign those papers and I'll never bother you again."
Just the very thought of the shit-head ex-boyfriend of mine made me want to puke. And then break something.
"I would never have told you to leave Bella. I thought it was a dream too, that you were too good to be true."
His kind words made me cry even harder and I wished that he would've yelled at me. God knows I deserved it for being the bitch I was.
"Where are you going?" He asked as I pulled myself away from him and stood up.
"To sign those papers so you don't have to stay here with an emotional jack ass."
I walked over to my briefcase and opened it. I rummaged around for several minutes until I realized that they were still on my desk at work.
"Shit Edward, I forgot them on my desk. I won't be able to get in til Monday."
"Why Monday? Today is only Wednesday, you don't have school the rest of the week?"
"Nope. It's a summer program. They go to school Monday through Wednesday from ten to four."
"I see. Well it looks like I'll be back on Monday."
"How far away do you live?"
"I live in Boston. That's a little over two hours away from here."
"Edward it's late. You must be very tired from the ever eventful day we had. I insist you stay here or at least crash at a hotel. The couch folds out into a bed. You can leave in the morning. I'm not up before ten on my days off so you won't even have to see me if it's too awkward."
He stared at me for a second, as if contemplating his next move. I swallowed hard, realizing in that moment how desperate I must look.
"Are you sure Bella? I don't want to put you out."
"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it."
"Alright then. Thanks. I need to call Kate and let her know I'll be home tomorrow."
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed ten digits to a woman who would be his wife. A woman that wasn't me.
"Hi sweetheart. I'm sorry I woke you up. No, everything is fine. Look I won't be able to get those papers til Monday. I've had a very long, exhausting day so I'm going to stay in Hanover for the night, I'll be home tomorrow. Yes, I am staying with Bella. She was nice enough to offer her couch. Alright darling, go back to bed. G'night."
It was wrong to listen to his phone conversation but I couldn't help but feel a combo of jealousy, anger and hurt. I'm fucking stupid I know. It's not like he was mine. I pulled out what I needed from the hall closet and walked back over to Edward as he placed his phone and watch on my coffee table.
"Here are some pillows and blankets. Feel free to watch t.v. and help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Kitchen…oh shit! I'm so sorry Edward, I didn't even think about feeding you! Are you hungry?" I said as I smacked my hand to my head. It was a total Homer Simpson "duh" moment.
"Now that you mention it, I am famished. But Bella, it's almost 9:30. You've had just as long as I day as me, I don't want you cooking on my behalf. Perhaps we can just order some take out?"
"There's a sushi place a few blocks away. We'd have to go get it but it's only a ten minute walk."
"Sounds like a plan."
Edward asked to use my bathroom to freshen up. While he was in there doing God knows what I placed our orders for vegetable stir fry, California Rolls, Avocado Rolls and Spicy Salmon Dumplings. My mouth was watering just thinking about it. I walked into my bedroom; my intent was to change into something more comfortable for our walk. I still had on my pencil skirt and ripped blouse. After Edward had fixed up my face, I was able to find a safety pin in my desk drawer which came to use as it prevented the ladies from popping out. I felt lazy so I grabbed a pair of flats and a plain fitted blue tee and called it a night.
"You ready?" Edward asked as I walked back into the living room.
"Yeah, let's go. I'm starving! I could eat the ass end out of a moose." I whined as we walked out of my apartment and down the stairs to the front door.
The weather was nice; warm with a refreshing breeze. There wasn't a cloud in the starry sky and the moon shone brightly above us. Edward and I walked in a comfortable silence down the semi-busy street.
"Wanna play twenty questions?" He asked.
"Seriously?"
"Well…yeah. Why not! I'd like to know my wife…before I divorce her." He laughed at his ill-tasted joke.
I didn't think it was so funny.
"Aw Bella I'm sorry. I just meant I know nothing about you and we're married. I'd at least like to try and be friends after this all blows over."
"Alright then…what's your favorite color?"
"Up until six months ago I didn't have one. But after I saw this extremely gorgeous brunette in this beautiful blue dress, I'd have to say I'm quite partial to blue now."
He was talking about me. Holy shit, I'm having a myocardial infarction. Call a fucking doctor! Oh wait…there's one right next to me.
"What do you like to do for fun?" Was my next question.
"I play piano. I originally wanted to be a concert pianist. But when my mom got sick and passed away, I decided I'd follow in Carlisle's footsteps and help people."
"Wait, how long ago did your mom die? Didn't you just say you told her about us?"
"Elizabeth is my biological mother. She was a teacher, just like you. She worked with the same type of kids you do. Only difference was she worked in a horrible part of Detroit. So much crime and violence and burned out abandoned buildings. The city was nothing but an industrial wasteland. I hated living in Michigan. Anyways, my mom had come home one day complaining she had a horrible headache and just wanted to go to sleep. The next day she developed a dangerously high fever. She was hallucinating and going into shock. Carlisle tried everything; antibiotics, second opinions, re-doing tests. But he couldn't figure out what was wrong until it was too late. She had contracted Meningitis from one of her students. She died two days after she came home with that headache. I was seven when she died. Carlisle still blames himself. He met Esme at a medical convention in St. Louis when I was ten. She's really the only mother I've ever known."
"Oh shit, Edward I'm so sorry. I had no idea." I said.
I stopped walking and turned around to give him a hug. It felt…right.
"Thanks for the compassion Bella but that was a long time ago. I really don't remember too much of her which makes me sad. I have pictures and some of her jewelry that I remember her wearing. Her wedding ring for example. I remember one night when I was about six she had come to tuck me in and read me my bedtime story. At the end of the book she told me that when I fall in love and ask a girl to marry me, she would give me her wedding ring. Of course at six years old girls still had cooties so that idea was absurd."
"That's beautiful Edward. It really is. My parents drive me insane but I'm very lucky to have them. It's amazing what we take for granted. Renee is such a modern day hippie, she'd probably tell me to make my wedding ring out of flowers and vines and Charlie…is complicated to put it mildly."
We walked into the little café and picked up our order. As we started our walk home, the questions resumed only this time it was my turn answer.
"Alright Isabella, you got my poor Oliver Twist story from me, now it's my turn. How old were you when you got your first kiss?"
"Thirteen. It was my first birthday party with boys and girls, well aside from when I was like…five. Anyways, we were all downstairs in the basement of Jessica Stanley's house. We thought we were top shit because all the parents were upstairs or outside so we were unsupervised. Jessica pulled out a glass Coke bottle and we played spin the bottle. Mike Newton picked me. It was horrible! My braces got stuck with his and he ended up drooling all over me. Mrs. Stanley couldn't believe what she saw. Jessica blamed it on me saying it was my idea. They called Charlie and he told me if I ever kissed a boy again, he'd use the Jaws of Life to untangle my metal mouth."
I looked over at Edward who had remained quiet the whole story. I could see why; the asshole was trying to hold in his laughter.
"It wasn't funny! I got grounded and I had to give up my New Kids on the Block Ken dolls for a week. Not cool! I was in love with Donny!"
At this point Edward was doubled over in uncontrollable fits of hysteria. As we walked up the steps of my apartment I was considering leaving him out here and taking the food all for myself.
"I'm sorry Bella, I didn't mean to laugh. It's just…your funny. That was funny."
"Well I'm glad my pain brought you pleasure. I got made fun of the next day in school! They called me 'Spit Bubble Swan'. That fucker Newton told everyone what happened except he said I was the one with the problem keeping the spit in my mouth. I kneed him in the balls and made him set the record straight."
We sat at the table in my kitchen, eating and laughing and drinking iced tea. It was almost 11:30 before we were going to call it a night. That was until there was a knock on my door.
"I'm not expecting company." I said to Edward as I walked over to the door. He followed right behind me, his hand around my waist as I unlocked it and pulled it open.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I yelled as I saw the one prick on the face of the planet who I'd wish would just fall off a cliff already.
"Pleasure to see you too Bellarina."
"Ugh, don't call me that. What do you want you shit head? It's almost midnight." I groaned.
For the first time in the last three minutes Edward finally spoke up.
"Bella, do you want me to call the police? Is this man bothering you?" He asked as he eyeballed the fucktard out in the hall.
"No, I'm fine. Eric was just leaving, weren't you?"
"Aw come on Hells Bells, I missed you."
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Edward asked.
"I'm Eric, Bella's boyfriend. I keep asking her to marry me and she keeps turning me down. One of these days she'll come around." He smiled at me.
"I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem like Bella wants you here so why don't you run along before I help remind you where the front door is."
"Who the fuck are you, some overpriced pimp?"
Edward pushed me behind him standing board stiff as he took a step out into the hall, obviously intimidating the shit out of Eric.
"I'm Edward, Bella's husband and you have five seconds to remove yourself from here before I cram your foot so far down your throat, your ass hole will need Lotrimin. Come near my wife again and you'll be finding yourself in a cedar box, capishe?"
AN: There's a pic of Bella's dress from Ch 1 on my profile. I'm an idiot and forgot to mention that last chapter. For those of you who don't know, I'll save you the Google look up; Lotrimin is an anti-fungal cream used to relieve athlete's foot. Press that little green button and make my day Please? Until next chapter…happy reading!
P.S. I'm on the prowl for some good FF rec's. I like mobward, darkward, copward, fedward and other related professions. Kinda going for the badass character. Leave it in a review or PM your suggestions.
