FALLING INTO YOUR ARMS.
Edward's POV
Chapter One: And So Her Tears Fall
"What is evil? Killing is evil, lying is evil, slandering is evil, abuse is evil, gossip is evil: envy is evil, hatred is evil, to cling to false doctrine is evil; all these things are evil. And what is the root of evil? Desire is the root of evil, illusion is the root of evil.""Mr. Masen?" I heard my secretary, Lauren, say as she opened my office door. "I know you said no interruptions and that is way I am not using the intercom but Mrs. Cullen is here to see you."
"Which one?" I asked, removing my glasses and placing it onto the file I was reading.
"The young Mrs. Cullen, sir. Mrs. Isabella." She responded with a small smile on her face.
"Bella?" I said softly to myself as my mind ran through the millions of reasons why she was here. Visits like this from Bella to my office were not unheard of but at the same time they never occurred frequently.
"Sir?" I heard Lauren's voice again pulling me out of my musing.
"I apologize, Lauren but my thoughts ran away with me. Please show Isabella in." I said as I stood up from my desk.
With no more indication that she heard me, she walked out to get Isabella Cullen.
I had known Bella for the better part of five years now, ever since she became the wife of my best friend and God-brother Jasper Cullen. She was undoubtedly the most perfect creature I had ever seen but she was never mine to want; to yearn for. However that never stopped the dull ache that always remained; it never stopped the want.
"Thank you, Lauren and make sure you take care of that little boy." Bella said kindly as she walked into my office.
Like always, she looked like a goddess. She stood immaculately dressed in a simple olive- colored dress that reached slightly below her knees. Her hair, like always, flowed in soft waves down her back. In her right hand, she held her purse tightly while she opted to drape her coat over her arm. What caught my attention, though, was the pair of large sunglasses she was wearing. Knowing that Bella always frowned upon wearing sunglasses by saying they were an accessory she did not need, had me in turn frowning. But even with them, she still looked like an angel; an angel I can never possess.
"So Bella, my favorite person in the world, what can I do for you today?" I asked gesturing towards the couch opposite to where I had now settled myself.
"You can't help me, Edward. Honestly I have no idea what I am doing here." She whispered in a broken voice as if she was fighting to hold in her own tears.
"Bella, baby," I cooed like I had done on many occasion throughout our friendship, "what is it?" I asked gently. "Come on sweetheart, you know you can tell me anything."
I do not know what came over me but something in my gut just told me that I needed to give her the reassurance that what was said would never be repeated and would remain between the both of us.
Without a further word, she raised a shaking hand and slowly removed her sunglasses revealing her beautiful brown eyes to me that reflected only sadness as well as a large black bruise.
"Bella!" I gasped and without a single thought, I was instantly in front of her gentle probing the bruised skin.
"How did you get this?" I asked gently as she winced in pain. I did not know how my voice sounded so gentle and composed while my insides where engulfed with white, hot rage.
"It's nothing." She replied softly, again trying to keep her tears at bay and her pain out of her voice.
"No, it's not nothing. Bella, please, tell me what happened! I am begging you. Please talk to me!" I pleaded cupping her cheek in my hand.
From my observation, she was hit pretty hard. Even though the blow to her face was not enough to cause her jaw to break it still would cause a lot of pain. Whoever hit her did so with a lot of force and with the intent to hurt her,
"Edward, seriously, it's nothing. You know how clumsy I am. I just came to see you."
"Bullshit Bella. Don't you dare lie to me! This is not a social visit. You and I both know that. There is no way any act of clumsiness that your mind could have unknowingly created could have caused this kind of damage." I said, grinding my teeth slightly in an attempt to keep my anger at bay.
Patiently, I sat at her feet, with my forehead resting on her lap as I awaited her response. However the only answer or response I got that she had heard me was when she started to gently run her fingers through my hair; a gesture she normally used to signify that she was not speaking further on the matter at hand and it was with this gesture that I finally lost my patience.
"Fine," I said heatedly, "if you won't talk to me then maybe you will take to your husband."
Instantly, her hand stilled its movement and I heard a sharp intake of breath.
Shocked by her action, I gently pulled her hand from my hair, keeping them in my own. As I raised my head to see her face, I felt all the wind being forcibly knocked out of my system.
She sat still, unmoving. Her eyes were wide with fear no doubt and tears flowed like never-ending streams down her delicate angel-like face.
"Bella," I whispered, taking a moment to wrap her stiff and frightened form in my arms as her sobs began to shake her frame. "What happened?" I said more to myself than anyone else.
Without warning, the door to my office opened and both my father, Edward Sr. and my God-father, Carlisle Cullen walked in.
"Edward, son," my father started absentmindedly as Carlisle showed him something on a file in his hand. "We need to discuss these figures for the Bernard account." He stated still engrossed with what he was looking at that both he and Carlisle did not notice the speed at which Bella covered her eyes again with those ridiculous sunglasses. I was seriously tempted to rip them away from her face and call both my father and Carlisle's attention to the large mark on Bella's face but I knew that it would not end well, after all the names Cullen and Masen was almost synonymous with royalty and if word got out of this then both of the families as well as the company would suffer. So, like all personal matters, this problem would have to be dealt with privately and discreetly.
"One minutes, dad." I said in a cold and distant tone, hoping that my father would hear the hidden message in my voice and like a truth father, he did.
Instantly, my father's head snapped up drawing the attention of Carlisle who too followed my father and also raised his head. Both men smiled slightly as they took in the scene but more so at the person who was present. However, both their smiles soon turned into frowns when they realized that Bella had been crying since her sunglasses did not cover her tear tracks.
"Hello Bella." My father greeted warmly, much like how a father would greet his daughter.
"Hello, Papa M. you look quite handsome today." She responded in a cheerful tone that still showed her unhappiness, a tone that both Carlisle and my father read like a book.
"So what no hello for your father-in-law," Carlisle said with a slight laughed.
"She only loves me Carlisle. Get over it." My dad jabbed good-naturedly at Carlisle who responded by maturely pouting.
"Oh my word!" I heard Bella huff as she stood, "You never would honestly belief that you, Papa C, are the president and CEO while, you, Papa M, are vice president of a multi-national, multi- billion dollar company." Bella says sweetly as she walked up and kissed them both on their cheeks.
"Bella?" Carlisle said softly pulling his daughter-in-law back to him, "Is everything ok?"
As soon as those words left Carlisle's lips, Bella's back instantly stiffened and her body tensed. Through the corner of my eye, I saw my father's eyebrow rise up as he took in Bella's reaction to such a simple question but even though the question was simple, she gave no answer.
"Bella," Carlisle called again a little more forcefully, no doubt pushing Bella a little harder for an answer.
Carlisle's voice seemed to have triggered something within Bella because in less than ten seconds, Bella had pulled out of Carlisle's arms, grabbed her belongings and was making her way to the door, stumbling over both her own feet and her words as she made a hasty retreat out of my office; away from her father-in-law, my father and myself.
"I'm sorry Papa C and Papa M, but I'm a bit under the weather. I'll be fine." She said as she opened my office door. "I'll just be on my way. I don't want to waste any of your time." And with those words she was out of my office faster that I could blink.
"Edward," my father started softly, "You know you can't hide anything from your mother and myself, right?" He asked moving to stand next to me on the couch.
"Yeah. I know, Dad." I said as I rubbed my face and loosen my tie, my mind still thinking about Bella.
"Then, do you care to explain to both Carlisle and I way the woman we both consider to be our daughter, ran out of this room like the devil himself was chasing her?"
"Not to mention the black eye." Carlisle chimed in as my father nodded in agreement.
"I don't know." I sighed, not even taking a moment to wonder how they knew about Bella's bruise.
Little did I know that we were all about to get the answer as Rosalie Cullen stormed into my office dragging a terrified woman with her.
"Did I just see Bella leave?' Rosalie asked, as anger oozed out of her.
"Yeah, she said she wasn't feeling well." Carlisle responded giving Rosalie a hard look no doubt warning her not to say anything in front of the woman she had brought. On any other day, Rose, would have nodded and held her tongue but today she surprised us all when she started to laugh.
"Don't worry, dad. You can say anything in front of Alice." Rosalie said still laughing as we all looked at her like she was insane.
"Rosie," I started cautiously but my mind was wiped cleaned as Rosalie continued like I had not just attempted to interrupt her.
"Dad, Papa M, Edward, please meet Alice Brandon who graduated high school and never made it through her first year at college. She started working here as a Temp but eventually she was given a permanent position as Jasper's secretary." She said almost too sweetly as the woman, Alice bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Rosalie, behave yourself. You are being rude." Carlisle scolded his daughter.
"Why should I be nice to her after all she is the woman who has been sleeping with Jasper behind Bella's back for the last seven months?"
"Oh God!" Was all I could say before Carlisle exploded.
"JASPER CULLEN! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"
