Chapter Three. (Sorry it's taken so long to post! Spank me later.)

Two hours later he woke with a jolt. He was trembling and his mouth was dry. He sat up and looked at his watch, then he fished his phone from his pocket. She still hadn't called. She should have been there an hour ago. He didn't expect her to call while she was driving, of course not. Hell she was a terrible driver at the best of times. But she should be there by now. He ran his hand through his hair over and over.

He should call her. Yes.

But if she was still driving it would distract her. Oh hell! He was pacing around now. He picked up one of her pillows and hugged it to him. It was too early to call the hospitals or the police. Maybe he'd called Esme? He was just starting to punch in his mothers number when his phone went off in his hand. He jumped and nearly dropped it. The screen lit up. It was Evie.

'Thank fuck! What the hell?' Edward managed to stammer out.

'Hello, Edward. I arrived safe, thanks for asking!'

'I'm sorry. I was starting to worry. I thought you'd have been there ages ago.' Edward fell onto the bed and took a few deep breaths.

'I would have been. But I needed fuel and then decided I'd eat to save messing about when I got here. Sorry I should have called you then.' She was smiling and shaking her head. Dear Edward. She had a lovely warm glow knowing he had been worrying.

'I wish you had. But you're there now. Have a good time and call me when you leave, ok?'

'I will. Now go enjoy the peace without me there.' She laughed softly.

By ten thirty that night Edward was bored. It was way too quite. How was that possible when they would often spend the evenings just sitting watching a movie? She wasn't a loud or noisy person. And yet without her around there was a silence that was almost disturbing. He'd have gone to bed, but he wasn't tired. He pulled out his phone and called Victoria. A half hour later she was on the doorstep with a bottle of champagne in her hand and a very welcoming smile.

Evie put the paperback down and then picked it up again. The last time she had been at the Cullen cottage was for New Year. She had the flu and Edward had taken her there to recover. It had been just the two of them for a week. They had seen in the New Year on the garden swing with her wrapped in two blankets and cuddled up with him. They watched the stars until she got too cold and he carried her back indoors.

She went into the closet and fetched the red wool blanket and took it out to the garden. She wrapped herself in it and curled up on the swing. She decided she would give Edward a call and say goodnight. He would like that.

The phone rang and Evie started to smile as she waited to hear his smooth, velvet voice.

'Edward's phone.'

Evie froze. It was the Barbie doll. She would recognize that high pitched squeak anywhere.

'Umm...Hello? Is Edward there please?'

'Oh is that Evie? Hi! It's Victoria. Um no he's taking a quick shower. He..needed it.' Victoria giggled.

Evie felt her head spin. She pinched the top of her nose and closed her eyes.

'It doesn't matter. I'll call him another time.' And she pressed end call. She took the red blanket from her shoulders and threw it to the ground.

When he woke Edward could hear movement in the kitchen. For a split second he felt complete peace. He rolled over and caught a whiff of Victoria's perfume on the pillows. Of course. It would be Victoria in the kitchen. Evie was at the cottage two more days. He sighed and sat up.

Victoria came breezing into the bedroom looking like the front cover of Vogue. She was beaming at him. He must have been good last night. He didn't really remember. But he smiled back.

'Good morning.' He ran his hand through his hair and tried to clear his head. He had got to stop drinking so much. He was living with a permanent hangover.

'Hey stud.' Victoria perched elegantly on the edge of the bed and pecked his cheek. Then she giggled. 'Umm last night. Wow.'

Edward cringed but kept the smile on his face. 'Good huh?'

Victoira nodded and giggled again.

'So are you working today?'

'I am, lover. I have to go out of town for the rest of the week.' She pouted and frowned. 'Otherwise I'd still be in bed with you.'

'I wondered why you were dressed and looking so perfect this early.'

'I got a call after you'd passed out last night. They need me out of state for some meetings.' She leaned over and kissed him. 'I'm sorry. Will you miss me?' She winked and grinned at him.

Edward chuckled. 'Of course I'll miss you. But you have to put your work first, it's important.'

'Shall I call you when I get back?' Victoria cocked an eyebrow.

'If you'd like to. I expect I'll be here.' Edward gave the best smile he could.

Victoria beamed at him and kissed his cheek. 'I'll call you when I'm back next week. I have to run, my cab will be here any second.'

Edward nodded. 'It's ok, go. Thanks for last night, it was great.' He took her hand and kissed it.

'Such a gentleman.' Victoria sighed. 'I'll call you.'

Edward watched her collect her bag and disappear. When he heard the door close he flopped back against the pillows. Her perfume was everywhere. He got up and stripped the bed. Then he went for another shower.

Standing under the water he finally felt calm. He closed his eyes and rested his hands on the tiles. Evie would be making tea and toast about now. Maybe he'd give her a call when he was dressed. That thought made him smile and he hurried to finish up and dress.

Except his phone wasn't where he'd left it. What the hell? It had to be somewhere. It was on the kitchen counter. How had it got there? When he flipped it on he saw the call log. Evie had called last night? No she hadn't, he'd have remembered that. He looked again. It was defiantly not a missed call. Oh fuck! Victoria. She must have answered it. That's why it wasn't where he'd left it. He groaned.

Evie was stood at the bedroom window nursing a cup of tea. She was looking out over the back garden. In a heap on the ground by the swing was the red blanket. It had rained over night and it was now a soggy and dirty mess. She turned away when she heard her phone. The display said it was Edward. Her hand hesitated over the phone before she grabbed it and tapped answer.

'Good morning, Edward.'

Edward frowned. She sounded as distant as she physically was.

'Morning. How's the cottage?'

'It's still here. It's lovely. Very quiet. How are things with you?'The red blanket was staring at her from its lonely place under the swing.

'It's quiet here too. Nothing much going on.' Edward shrugged.

'How's Victoria?' Evie poked her tongue out at the blanket and turned her back on the window.

'Oh..um. She's fine. Out of town for a while. Not sure when she'll be back.'

'Oh dear, what a shame.'

Edward frowned. 'I'm sorry you don't like her.'

'I don't not like her. I don't know her. And it's none of my business anyway.' She shrugged.

'Well I doubt I'll be seeing her again. I mean she's nice, but...'

'But?'

Edward shook his head. 'I don't know. She's not the one, you know?'

'I know. Not that I think there is such a thing. Not in real life.' She sat down on the edge of the bed and traced circles in the carpet with her toes.

'That's a depressing thought. I know she exists.'

'But how would you know? What if you never get to meet her?'

Edward shook his head. 'Maybe I already have or maybe I never will. But I'm sure she's waiting for me.'

'Such a romantic.' Evie sighed and smiled to herself.

'I try. So what are you plans till you get home?'

'I'm going to try and tidy the garden a bit I think. The leaves are starting to fall and the lawn is a mess.'

Edward laughed. 'I'm sure the YARD will thank you.'

'Oh hush up!' She laughed. 'Just because you lot don't know how to speak English properly!'

'You're in America now, baby. You gotta learn the lingo!' He put on the thickest New York accent he could.

'One is from England, so one will speak correctly.'

'Oh my God you sound like the Queen!' Edward burst out laughing.

When she put the phone down she was smiling again. She hurried out into the garden and scooped up the red blanket. She shook the dead leaves from it and put it in the washer.

As soon as it was dry she wrapped herself up in it and settled down in the arm chair by the fire.

Edward finished cleaning the kitchen. Then the bathroom. She should be home soon. God, why on earth did he have butterflies? How stupid, it was only Evie.

He went back into the kitchen and put the flowers in a vase. He set them on the coffee table and then went into her room to change her sheets. She loved fresh linen and he wanted everything to be right for when she got home.

He wasn't snooping, he really wasn't. But when he took the pillow case off a piece of paper fell to the floor. He couldn't help seeing what it said when he picked it up. It was a note he had left her a few weeks ago. She had gone home to England for her mothers birthday and he'd slipped the note in her handbag the night before she left.

You need to come back safe to me.

He smiled as he ran his finger over the words. She had kept it. And kept it under her pillow. When he'd changed her sheets and smoothed them down he put the note back where he had found it.

Evie locked the cottage up and pocketed Edward's set of keys. She really hoped that Esme wouldn't mind her taking the red blanket home with her. It was sat on the passenger seat. In a few short hours she would be back home. Edward would be waiting for her. The thought of him in their apartment made her smile all the way home.