A/u: Again - a huge kick ass thanks to Cullen Cousin for being my beta and making sense of my writing. She makes it sparkle more than Edward.
The Difference Between Us
Chapter 2
EPOV
In the lounge, I paced the dark mahogany hardwood floor with my iphone pressed to my ear waiting for him to come back on the other end of the line. I didn't know what to do with her. The girl up stairs, Isabella.
Like I had offered to do, I was keeping her here. I just didn't know how I was supposed to do that. How do you tell an adult, no. She had her damn rights. I was taking them away from her by keeping her captive. And the thing was, her father was agreeing to it.
Having her here wasn't the issue. It was to try and keep her here that would cause a hassle. I knew she would try and leave. She would think I was lying. But I had to let her see, that as messed up and crazy as it sounded, the only place she could be was here, where no one could find her.
She was some coffee waitress that worked in an independent shop. The place was always busy and in the short time I knew of her, she was working there constantly. To go along with learning to take flack from gobby customers, she grew up with a cop dad. She had attitude and she had balls. I could tell. I could sense it from her. Her stay would never be easy.
She wasn't a complete cow, I knew that and I had seen that too. She could stand on her own two feet, but give her puppy eyes and a sad face, she would do all she could to make your day that much better.
But she had never made mine better.
She didn't know who I was.
Hearing the small creak on the stair case, I was alerted to Jasper's presence as he walked into the lounge, joining me. He was mad at me. It was us two in the house. Well Alice, too, but she was only beginning to stay more and more with the fact that it appeared Jasper had moved out of their apartment to be with me. Alice would have came with him instantly, if it was anyone else but me.
Alice couldn't stand me, and honesty, I couldn't blame her. I struggled to look at myself in the mirror too.
Raising a brow at him, as I waited for some response. Some answers as to what had happened last night.
He was in charge of tapping Bella for information. He was the diplomat where as I was just a wanker. I snapped at the slightest hesitance on other peoples part.
I was learning.
I had learned.
I just needed to do it better.
Isabella's father was convinced he knew who was behind the attempt last night, therefore, he wanted me to keep her with me.
If I was honest and truthful, I had been the one to make the offer; in fact, I practically begged for him to let me keep her.
I wanted her here. And I really didn't know why.
So he agreed. She had spent the night unconscious in the the spare room and Jasper had kept a constant eye over her as she slept. Alice was here too. The only reason she stayed, was to help Jasper watch the girl. When she found out I was going to keep the girl here against her will, Alice proceeded to tell me what a "fucking monster" I was and decided I couldn't be trusted with her. Alice was feeling very protective of Isabella.
But now I was just beginning to realize what I had offered to take on. She was never just going to agree to this.
"She's awake." He confirmed and I let out a sigh of relief that she was okay, that she got through whatever they had drugged her with. I was worried that after the tumble to the ground and the drugs that they fed her, she might never have woken up. I couldn't believe I had lost my grasp of her when that guy had came at me.
I heard the thud of her head hitting the ground and I only hoped to god that she would be okay. And now it appeared she was. Thankfully. Least I wasn't lying to the chief any more.
"She wants to talk to you." Jaspers face was apologetic, but I knew she would want to see me at some point. It just wasn't that point right now. I couldn't face her right in that moment. She was scared enough as it was; if she was to face me now, god only knows what her reaction will be. She would most likely try jumping out of her two-story bedroom window, just to escape.
I silently ordered him to take a seat, with the point of my finger, knowing that he was going to have to listen to what I had to say and relay it to Isabella.
She wasn't leaving here. It wasn't safe. That's what I had to keep remembering.
"Edward..." His gruff voice called back down the line. Charlie.
"Still here, sir." I called back to him. I owed my life to this man. This man meant more to me than any other creature in this world, with the exception of possibly Jasper. This man was completely lost in the police service. In reality, he was a god damn saint.
"I need to try an keep this as a covert operation for your own safety, as much as Bella's. If they link me to you, they will link you to Bella also. I'm not putting you in any more danger than necessary. We do this my way, okay? Only call my cell and I'll only contact you on yours. But I need to know if we have the right people. I'm going to fax you some pictures of this pair and see if it's the same guys from last night. I'm faxing them because I don't want them to be able to trace anything on the computers if they decide to try and hack into them for any reason. If they are even able to do that. I know, lately, attempts at hacking have been made."
I listened to him, understanding completely. "Do you have a number I can fax too?" My eyes jumped to Jasper. He could help me. "Yes, you can fax my friends works line. It's in his office." I clarified that it was safe. I trust Jasper with my life.
Jasper frowned at me, moving himself to the edge of the couch. He was clearly pissed at me, but I had to know who those men were and if their connection was to Charlie or just a random coincidence at grabbing a girl.
"Edward, I remember Jasper, but can you trust that no one else will see these?" He asked a little worriedly.
"He'll call me when he's at his office so he can get them instantly. No one else will see them." I promised. Who ever it was last night, they weren't stupid. It seemed organised and planned, only they had never expected me, it was just pure luck that our paths had crossed and I had been watching her. If they wanted her back, I had to keep this as quiet as possible. No one was to know about Isabella.
He sighed down the phone. "Okay, kid. Just been careful." I nodded but I never actually answered him. My mind raced at what I would need to do.
Jasper only looked more enraged as I called out his fax line number. He whispered 'no' to me constantly, but the truth of the matter was, Jasper didn't understand yet. He didn't know who Isabella was and he didn't know why I had her, other than the reason, I had saw someone attempt to kidnap her.
Charlie hung up the phone and I threw mine to the side, it bounced off of the black leather couch that I sat on.
"Want to tell me what the hell is going on?" He snapped at me.
"Yes." I told him sharply. "I need you to listen and I need you to listen real good. Isabella...She's chief Swans daughter." He looked at me confused. Of courses he wouldn't remember him. "He was with me. He was the first..." I trailed into the air as the thought of that night coming flooding back to me. I shuddered at the memory. The thought of that night tormented me constantly; it still did, it was all still so fresh in my mind.
"She has to stay here." I told him frankly. "There was no where else for her to go. I have to keep her safe."
"For how long?" He looked completely bewildered at my words.
"I don't know yet. But she's in danger. Her father thinks that the people who tried to pick her up, have ties to a drug dealer. He needs us to keep her here and out of sight. The two guys from last night got away. There's no crime scene. No one knows what they look like except me and Isabella." I rubbed at my head with my fingers, struggling to think of them getting up and escaping. They would be looking for her again, and me, possibly.
"You can't keep her." He blared at me. "You can't just do that. She a person, not a pet." he reminded me.
"I need to. He's a good guy, the Chief, we need to do this for him." I urged. Jasper knew as much as I, how much the chief was one of the good ones. I couldn't have some criminal put his hands on his daughter. He didn't deserve that loss or even the possibility of it ever happening.
I knew what she meant to him. I had seen it. The old man was awkward and struggled to show her any real connection, but it was there. I knew it was.
Really, it was sad situation. They were both happy to be around the other, but they just couldn't express it. I suppose I could understand it.
I was a stranger looking into their world from the outside and with my job and life gone, I had nothing else to do but sit there and watch them live out theirs.
Jasper stood up and towered above me, "When do you want me to go?" To his office he meant. "I need to talk to Alice and try to make sure that she doesn't try to strangle you while I'm gone."
I shrugged as I stood up to face him. "I can handle her. Can you just go as soon as you can?" I asked. I was desperate to see those pictures.
His eyes closed before quickly opening them again and rolling his eyes at me. "I'll just speak to Alice, then I'll go."
With that he left me alone in the lounge and nothing but my thoughts and my rattling mind to occupy me.
"Why couldn't you do it?" She nipped at me for the third time in the space of half an hour. Her fiery violet eyes looked at me in disgust.
She had never, ever liked me.
I groaned as I played with the string of my hooded top. "You know why I can't," I growled at her. "Just do what you're told or leave."
"I'm going to call the police." She threatened.
"Alice, when are you going to see that the police know about this. She's the daughter of the Chief. He knows she's here. He knows where I live. There is nothing stopping him from coming in here and taking her home. He told me to watch her." I shrugged in my small lie.
"Now let me get this straight, some cop asked you to watch over his daughter?"
"Yes he did." Trying to keep my voice from giving me away. "He helped me when I needed it, so it is only right that I return the favour." I wasn't sure if she was buying into it or not. "He asked if I would help him out. So, I offered to keep here here until he knew what was going on. Who ever that was last night...there smart and they were out to get her. Do you want to put her in danger?" I asked seriously.
Alice was good, she was a good person. She would never set out to hurt a soul. To her I was bad, and I knew that she only saw, whatever this was, as something dodgy that I was up to. Something to gain from. But that wasn't the case, it was far from it.
Her eyes turned to face the floor as she was clearly surprised by my words.
"I just don't get why she cant go somewhere else. She must know someone..." She concluded.
"Yeah, I'm sure there is. But we don't know who these people are, or what their even up to.
So until we know, we are keeping her out of sight."
"For how long?" She asked in shock, her voice getting louder. "She can't stay here. Not with you." She snarled at me.
"Jasper is here, too." I reminded her.
"Because you took him from me. He left our house to be with you." She shouted with the fury that she had been keeping on that particular matter.
"I need him." I screamed back. She wasn't talking to me like that. She knew without him I would have been lost.
"No, you needed someone that you could use like your own little puppet." Her fiery temper was only growing and I prayed that Jasper would be back soon. "You have your hand so far up his ass he will run around and do anything for you. He always has and you have been the worst friend ever to him."
"I have not." I tried to fight my case, I knew I wasn't the greatest of friends, but I wasn't that bad. Was I?
"You think your such a fucking big shot. You always have. You think if you say something, that everyone one should jump to that tune."
She smirked at me, her last bite dying to get out. "Just remember karma is a bitch and she took an awful big swipe at you last time. Don't think it can't happen again."
That was it. I had it with her.
I reeked with the anger that coursed my body.
I lunged at her and threw her over my shoulder. She wasn't staying another second under my roof. She was out. I'd never hurt her, but I had no qualms about removing her. Not from my house at least.
Her hands hammered into my back and I felt a sharp pain in my side. "Let me down, you prick." My breath stuttered and once again I felt another blow at my ribs.
Agony flared up as I collapsed onto the ground with Alice on top of me, crushing me even more.
I roared out in agony, clutching at my side and struggling to move.
Alice was quickly off me as she complained about me hurting her shoulder in the fall. But I couldn't care. I could barely concentrate on the cold marble floor that my face had smashed into. The pain on that too was horrendous.
There was some other noise before I heard a gasp. "Oh my god." Her words were a whisper, but I knew it wasn't Alice's voice. It was Isabella's.
"Edward you are such an ass. This is what you deserve!" Alice shouted down at me as I lay there in a crumpled heap unable to move.
"What...what's she doing out of her room?" I gasped in panic, my breathing erratic with pain and fear.
I felt her hands on me, Alice's, as she began to try to move me. I pulled at my hood, hiding myself from the view of Isabella. "Get her out of here." I ordered to Alice. "Go back up stairs." I told Isabella, as the pain racked through me at Alice's attempt to move me again.
"Leave me alone, Alice." I screamed at her, my voice was a mix of high and low notes, the anger and pain mixing together.
I felt like a joke. How I was to keep this girl here, when I couldn't even keep Alice in line or get her out my door.
If Isabella was to challenge me then I was gone. I was still way to weak to fight.
"Just go." I screamed once more. "Both of you." I clutched at my ribs, trying to ease the pain.
Both of them rushed past me, to the front entrance and I screamed at them again. "No. Upstairs. Both of you. Now."
I kept my face down, hidden from there sight. I had the front door locked. Neither of them could get out, but I didn't want them to get a chance to leave when Jasper got back.
I had to keep Isabella safe. She still didn't understand why she was here.
Pulling myself up off the floor, I gasped for air once more. The pain was unbearable and I knew that my healing ribs had taken a great beating, not only by Alice, but also me and my feeble attempt to throw her out of the house.
With my palms flat on the floor and my arms shaking, I begged the two of them to wait and listen. "Your dad knows your here, Isabella. He wants me to keep you safe until he knows what's happening." My eyes studied the floor, following the fine white lines that ran freely thought the black granite.
"He knows I'm here?" She asked disbelieving. You could hardly blame the girl, it wasn't as if she recognised me. And after last night...
With a deep groan, I let my hand reach for the seat of a stool, that sat at the island in the middle of my kitchen. The house was beautiful. I knew it was and I knew how much money I had spent on it, but I also knew how worthless it all seemed now.
Alice was actually nice to me. I felt her hand reach out for me and I took it without complaint because the truth of the matter was, I was wrong. I should never have man handled her like I had.
I looked up at her, silently passing her my thanks to her; when my ears were met with a horrific gasp from Isabella.
Instantly my head shot up to her, instinct taking over. Realizing my mistake, I ducked my head back down as Alice helped me to my feet and steadied me onto the stool.
I was still in pain as I reached for the bottle of pills that lay on the counter; as Alice skipped off to the fridge to fetch me a bottle of water.
Isabella hadn't moved. Not an inch. I was to afraid to look back up at her and scare her any more.
Alice wasn't wrong, I was a monster.
I tugged at the hood of my top once again and sheltered my face from her gaze. Alice only looked at me as if she knew something I didn't. She was still silent. She never often had words to offer me, not nice ones anyway.
Alice's head turned back to Isabella, her short black spikes waving ever so gently at the back of her head.
She was pretty cute. I could see why Jasper had went for her. The two were due to get married, with the two never actually separating for any length of time. The only real time that had separated them, I had caused and I hated myself for that. One for being the prick I was and demanding of Jaspers time; two, the time he spent with me because no one else could be bother with me. Well, with the exception of Charlie.
Reaching for a second bottle on the island, I opened it up and scattered a few of the pills into my palm and knocked them back. The hit of relief slowly consuming me as I still felt Isabella's eyes on me.
"You've already had enough of them today." Alice chided me as per bloody usual.
I rolled my eyes at her and looked up. "Trust me, this full bottle couldn't take it all away." I promised her.
The pills weren't magic. They couldn't go back in time. They couldn't make me any less of a prick.
I could of happily swallowed them all and just let it all go.
But I never had.
All because of the two brown eyes that bore into the back of my hood from across the room – Isabella.
The front door went and I let out a sigh at finally not being alone and the hope of Jasper giving my injuries a check over.
You could hear his footsteps coming up the hall and I squirmed knowing that he never took off his wet shoes off at the door, but I wasn't going to bitch.
"In here Jasper." Alice sung out to him. Her twinkling voice covering any signs of bother, as if nothing had happened.
He walked in to the kitchen and I hoped that he remember to lock the front door.
His steps stopped and I looked up at him, standing behind Bella with the look of shock across his face.
"I thought you weren't letting her out?" He asked surprised.
She jumped at his voice and snapped her head around to meet his. She still wore her t-shirt from the coffee shop where she worked at, since she had just worked the late shift, before her life was turned upside.
She worked a lot of late shifts. I never liked it when she did that.
"He can't keep me hostage." She shouted at him and that ballsy girl I knew she could be, came shining out of her. It was rare to see, but right now she was getting her money's worth of it.
"I'm not. I'm keeping you safe." I told her, turning to face the back of her head. I realized what I was doing and turned back to face the matching marble of the surface of the island, that covered the kitchen floor.
"Safe?" She questioned me, her tone full of venom as she turned to me and took a step forward "I can keep myself safe-"
"So what about last night...An off day was it?" I asked sarcastically as I turned to face her.
Her eyes narrowed at me, full of spite. If it was possible, she hated me more than Alice did.
"I don't need some Frankenstein to think he's doing me a favour. My dad would have found me. He's a cop." She fired off the last sentence as if it really meant something.
In the grand scheme of things just now, sadly it didn't.
"Frankenstein?" I bit as I jumped up from my stool. Straight away I regretted my move as I once again clutched at my ribs letting out a groan.
"Whoa." Jasper came between us, gliding me back to my seat, gently.
"I know your dad's a cop. I have a lot of respect for him, seriously, I do. But last night I saved you from those guys and he's asking me to keep you here with me. There is no connection. Your dad helped me out in the past and that is it. No one will connect the dots." I sighed deeply, the breath of my words struggling to get out.
Jasper lifted my Calvin Kline under shirt, inspecting my side. "What happened?" He asked tiredly, knowing something went down.
"I was trying to throw your girlfriend out. She was being her usual bitchy self." I snapped.
He sighed. "The pair of you need to stop this." he ordered, like he had done so many other times in the past six weeks. "Alice, he knows okay. He sees it now. Let him adjust." It was Jasper's weak way of telling her off. He never really could, and she never listened to a blind word that he said, but he had something over her, something that seemed to calm her.
I looked at him, wondering just exactly what he meant. "What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped at him, grabbing him by the front of his khaki G star jacket.
He pulled on my hand, and I let go of it. "Don't start this shit, Edward. I'm here helping you." Jasper was never afraid to confront me, he just rarely did it. It had just been us two since we were eighteen and in the past twelve years, we had grew pretty damn close to one another.
We started college together when we were eighteen and both were now surgeons. Jasper had always been a good man, the kind of guy that watched something devastating on the news and picked up the phone to donate as much cash as he possibly could or even help with relief himself if he was able. He had a good heart, so that's what he went on to do; help others and make their heart's better again. He was a cardiologist.
Me on the other hand. I was vain, shallow, self absorbed and easily swayed with money. And with my father already owning his own business in the field, I followed in his steps. I became a plastic surgeon. Not the kind that helps to rebuild a face after they have been mauled or burned. No, no, that would involve dealing with normal surgeons in normal hospitals. I wanted to be elite and make more money.
It had been the only thing I could see, the only thing I could pay attention to. Well, that and someone that was in need of a boob job.
So that's what I did. I took advantage of the girls that had low self esteem and I made a living out of that. A pretty fucking profitable one at that too.
Inner beauty?
What the fuck is inner beauty?
I never quite understood it. Beauty was something to be created. It was a work of art. I was the artist. It shone to the public, to the people of the world. It was what separated the world. Jealousy, hatred. It all poured out from the need to be something else – someone else.
Who didn't want the perfect face?
Who didn't want the perfect body?
It really was my belief that beauty was what kept the world spinning and in a sense I was right.
I was beautiful and I had everything.
Now I wasn't and now I had nothing.
"That's him." Confirmed Isabella as she looked deep into the eyes of the man who had called himself James.
It was only a picture on the paper but I could see her shiver at the thought. I couldn't blame her. I under stood her – and I was going to be watching my back for a long time because of it.
"Yeah, the other, that's him too." I agreed. The two were the same guys from last night. There was no doubt about it. I had a clear look at both of them and Isabella had a good look at the other as she walked and talked with him.
Jasper sat back into his stool as Alice pulled herself into his side from her stool. "You need to call the Chief." He told us seriously.
"Can I go home now?" Isabella asked with some desperation as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
I shook my head, refusing her. "Nope, it looks like your staying." It wasn't safe for her right now and her being here, no one would find her.
"But..but if they know its them, they can go and arrest them." Se looked at me desperately before quickly averting her gaze. "There is no need for me to stay here." She told me with a little bite to her tone. Like I had thought, this was never going to be easy.
"Isabella, they already have warrants out for there arrest. Kidnapping is a misdemeanour to what your dad had said about these guys." Pulling up the collar of my top a little with nervous fingers I looked at her in the eye. "They will get you before the police can get them."
Her brows furrowed and I could see the storm brewing in her, the argument that we 'can't stop her'.
Truthfully, I really couldn't stop her from breaking down my door and leaving, or jumping out the damn window. But I had secured her in the house and there was no way she was escaping without breaking something first. Be it a window or her leg.
She chewed on her bottom lip and shook her head, turning to Jasper. "I have a life." She shouted. "You can't keep me here. I have a job, I have responsibility." She sighed frustrated. "I have school." her last sentence showed her emotion and Jasper put a calming hand on her, trying to sooth her.
She shrugged away from him and walked up to the window, looking out onto the small garden out back.
When was she to start school? I never knew she was going to try and get a degree. I thought she worked.
It wasn't important and I wasn't mentioning it. She seemed upset at the prospect of missing out on that chance. But hell, there was always next year. I'm sure missing another year wouldn't hurt if it was taking her until now to start.
Quietly, Jasper reminded me again. "You need to call the Chief."
His face was sorry, but at his words, Isabella's head snapped around to face us. "I want to talk to him. He can't do that. Who will look after him?" Her words were loud and erratic, as if she was still panicking.
"Isabella...it's okay. He will be able to take care of himself, you being out there will only cause him more worry." Alice danced off of her stool and glided across to Isabella, placing caring hands on her arms.
"I'll be here. I won't let that ass near you." Alice motioned to me and I felt my anger bubble once again.
"Fuck sake, Alice. I know you think it, but I'm not some monster. She's fine with me." My eyes glanced to Isabella's but she quickly averted her gaze once again. I still directed my words at her, even if she wasn't wanting to look at me.
"You don't have to be alone around me. Stay in your room for all I care." I gritted my teeth so hard I was sure I was causing permanent damage. "Just remember, I'm doing this for your dad."
Her eyes shot to me at the mention of her dad. "How do you know him anyway?" She looked at me, as if I was lying.
Jasper cleared his throat and began to speak for me. I wasn't explaining myself to her. "I know that James lied to you, but Edward does know you father. He helped him out." He shrugged. "He's just returning the favour."
I glared at Jasper. I knew she deserved some explanation but I didn't want her asking any more questions.
"How did he help you out?" Her eyes traced along my face and I tugged at my hood and and collar, trying to hide myself from her a little more. She knew part of it, just by looking at me. But I wasn't about to sit her down and begin to tell her my life story.
As much as I knew about her; she liked lattes with one sugar, she never ate crusts, even on her pizza. She was a little unsteady on her feet and she liked old music, going by the small fractions of sound that I had heard from her headphones in passing. I knew her, I had watched her, but yet, she knew nothing about me; I intended to keep it that way
"It doesn't matter, but you can talk to him if you want." I told her as I began to shuffle through the contacts on my phone, reaching Charlie's.
The line began to ring and he was quick to answer it, knowing it would be me who was calling.
"Edward?" he answered.
"We matched the faces. It's them." I told him quickly knowing how desperate he was to hear it.
The phone was quiet and for a moment and I wondered if we had been disconnected.
There was a sigh and I knew that he was still there, he was just trying to think of what to do next.
"Can..can you still keep her?" He asked a little warily.
My eyes glanced down to Isabella's and she once again looked away from me, appearing disgusted. "Of course." I replied back and thankful that she was going to be staying with me. "You might want to talk to her though, she doesn't trust me too much."
He laughed a little at that one and ordered me to pass the phone to her.
She looked at it and me as if we had just fallen from the sky.
"He wants to talk to you." I prompted with pushing the phone forward a little more in her general direction.
She took it, holding it up to her ear. "Dad?" She checked, as if I had been lying to her.
There were faint mumbles across the line but I couldn't make out what he was saying to her. All three of us watched her intently as she took the call.
Her eyes began to well up slightly and I hated that she had been put into this situation, but at the same time I was grateful.
I had wanted to know everything about this girl. Now was my chance.
"I'll be fine." She promised with some desperation and I took it she was resigning to the idea of having to stay here. "I don't need all of this. Just let me come home. Tell him to let me leave."
There were words from Charlie once again and she wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her bare hand, before turning around to face the window, trying to have as much privacy as she could. I wasn't letting her out of my sight with my phone. She never had hers and wouldn't be getting it back any times soon either.
"I don't know these people." She cried down the phone. "I'll go away for a while. I'll take a trip." She argued some more.
It was clear this was a battle she was losing and even though I knew she wanted to be nowhere near me, I also knew it was her best option.
If what Charlie said was true, these guys had men all over the city. It was too high a chance for her to be recognised, even if it was only to leave town.
Besides, I didn't want her going somewhere that I couldn't watch her.
"Fine." It was all she said as she growled down the phone. She hung up on him before turning around and handing me my phone back with her eyes to the floor.
The room was quiet as I took my phone back and we all kept a close eye on her.
Her voice was low but it was sure. So, so sure. Her eyes still looked down to the floor as she began to speak. "You can't keep me here, and you can't make me. You can't make me do anything."
This was going to be a living hell.
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