The Last One – Chapter Seven
Bella tossed her keys on the table by her front door, immediately heading for the bottle of tequila in the upper cabinet of her kitchen. Her son was supposed to call her soon, which meant she'd have to talk to Victoria.
Jared's stepmother had the scare of her life when she accidentally fed him something with peanuts inside the product a few months earlier. The call Bella had received on the way to pick him up after a week with his father had scared her, too. Since the incident, everyone had a difficult time trusting Victoria. She couldn't trust herself, either. She constantly texted or called, asking if something was okay or if she heard any rumors about a certain product containing nuts. Victoria went as far as to have a laminated list of foods on the No-No List and the questionable food items in her purse. Bella knew Victoria was trying hard to build a stable foundation for them to trust in her again, and she appreciated it.
But it had been a long day.
Deciding it wasn't a good idea for a drink yet, she went for her chocolate stash instead. She found the stool under the sink, headed toward the linen closet, reaching up to the top shelf to find the box with the good stuff inside. She groaned when all she found was a note from her son.
You'll thank me for this later. ;)
"He is so grounded when he comes home." Every time she thought she had the perfect hiding spot, he found the chocolate. Call Me Maybe started to blare out from her purse. "Right on time."
"Hi, Victoria." Bella checked another spot she had some Ding Dongs hidden, finding them also gone. She was ready to cry. "How's it going?"
"Good, I think. He's been sleeping off a sugar high from the classroom Christmas party at school. Thanks for the cookies again."
"No problem. How are you feeling?"
"Better than last week," Victoria said. "We just came back from the doctor. We got some good news." Bella held her breath, silently hoping for the best. Other than the incident, Victoria was sweet and good to her son. "I'm in remission."
"That's so good to hear."
"Thank you. Oh, James is cooking that chicken gyro recipe you gave me." Victoria listed off all the ingredients and brands to ensure they were Jared-safe.
"Sounds good. I'm pretty sure you're safe. Can I talk to J?"
"Uh-oh. Did he steal the chocolate again?"
Bella snorted. "Yes, the little devil. Can you grab him for me please?"
"Sure thing." Victoria called out for Jared, returning to the line. "We'll see you before we leave tomorrow, right? I'd like to give you a few gifts we picked out for you this week. Jared is pretty excited about one of them."
Bella tried hard not to get misty-eyed, but this was the first Christmas she would have without Jared.
"I'll be there with some coffee and bagels."
"Thank you. Here he is."
She heard some whispering before her son came on the line. "Did you get the book?"
Bella glared at the wall as if her son was standing there. "Oh, hi, Mom. I missed you, I love you. How was your day? I bet you look beautiful today." Bella paused, hearing her son sigh. "Oh, son, I missed you, too. I love you so much. My day wasn't all that great, but yes, I do look beautiful today."
"Ha, ha. You're hilarious, Mom. You should be on a TV show making millions of people laugh."
"Jared, where's my chocolate?"
"Is that the kind of greeting I should be expecting when I get home in two weeks?"
"Did you not hear the 'my day wasn't all that great' part I said moments ago? I need the chocolate."
"The last time you ate too much chocolate, you said your thighs were going to hate you in the morning. I'm saving you from yourself, and your thighs will thank me."
Bella tapped her foot, saying nothing at all. Jared coughed up the information in forty-five seconds. A new record. Her son was growing immune to that mom trick.
"Fine, the loot is under my bed, in the box spring."
Bella cackled, running to Jared's room. "I knew you hid stuff under there." She shimmied under the bed, finding the box of fancy chocolates and a few other things. "I knew I didn't lose my favorite movie." She grabbed the copy of Pride and Prejudice, realizing she really needed to dust under there.
Jared groaned. "Sorry, but there're only so many times I can watch a movie."
Bella laughed, loving how alike they were. "What do you think happened to the third Transformers movie?"
"I knew it!"
They talked for a while more, making sure he had everything ready for the flight, before Jared brought up the book again.
"Yes, I technically got you a book."
"What do you mean 'technically'? Is that your way of saying, you got me the book, but I won't get it on time? Or you got one, but you lost it?"
"One time! One time I lost something I just bought and I can never live it down."
"Mom."
"Alice held me a copy, but my boss bought it for you, for me. Whatever."
"You saw your boss outside of work." Jared's voice disappeared, but then she heard whispering again. "Victoria asked if he was hot, but don't answer that. I'm ten years old. I don't need to know that information."
"No, you don't."
"Is he the reason you had a bad day?" Her son was protective of her, even at such a young age. "If he is, then I don't want the book."
"He's not the only reason I had a bad day, and he's trying to make up for it."
"Are you sure, Mom?"
"Yeah. If he gets out of hand, I'll let you know."
"Good."
"I miss you."
"I miss you, too, Mom."
.
.
.
Bella returned to her apartment from seeing off James, Victoria, and Jared feeling more alone than ever. Why had she agreed to this? Oh yes, because James's grandfather was turning a century old and Jared hadn't seen him in over three years.
"There will be other Christmases," she whispered to herself, suffering from a chocolate induced semi-coma. A knock on the door had her staring at it, mentally sending signals for whoever was on the other side of it to go away. The knock continued every thirty-two seconds.
Her mental powers of persuasion were seriously lacking.
It wasn't until the Imperial March started to play from somewhere in her massive purse that she realized who was on the other side of the door. She answered her phone. "It's not a good time, Edward."
"Jasper called me when Alice said she was really worried about you, but she's stuck working until tonight because they're so busy."
"You're the last person I want to talk to right now. My spawn is gone for two weeks."
"I'm sorry you're having a difficult time with him leaving."
As disconnected as she felt with the world now, she heard the sincerity in his voice.
"I should warn you, I look hideous right now." She walked slowly to the door, not in any hurry to let the man inside her sanctuary. Humming the Imperial March, she finally opened the door wide enough to peek at her unwanted pest…guest.
Oh shit. Gray T-shirt, dark jeans, black leather jacket. Abort! Abort! Remember the spawn comment.
"Hi."
Edward wasn't sure in what condition he would find Bella after having to say goodbye to her son for such a long time and over the holiday. The hideous comment she made wasn't possible with her classically beautiful features. However, he wasn't expecting for her to look so young, adorable, and cute. Her dark brown hair was up in buns around her ears, a black cap with #1 Mom embroidered in purple on it. The gold and amber were more noticeable within the warm brown of her eyes, brighter too from lingering tears. The oversized sweater she wore was torn and threadbare along the waistband of her leggings.
"You're speechless," Bella grumbled, rubbing her eye with her middle finger. "I don't look that bad."
"You really don't." And now he was reduced to talking like a child. "You look fine, Isabella."
She eyed him, her gaze focusing on the fact he was holding out a drink of some kind for her. "If that is something absolutely swimming with calories, I'll freaking kiss you." She made grabby hands, taking it and humming after a few sips. "Thanks."
"Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine. He's been gone before."
"But not over the holidays, I'm guessing."
"No," she muttered, leaning against the doorframe. "What are you doing here, Edward?"
"This is all part of my plan to make it up to you."
"By going out of your way to be nice to me?" Bella held up her drink, motioning for him to follow her inside.
"It's the least I could do, and it was on the way." He ran his hand through his hair, feeling out of place in her cozy home. Though the apartment was small, it was well lived in, looking not only comfortable but inviting.
"On the way?" Bella asked, offering him a seat in a comfy chair.
"I have all my shopping done." Edward shrugged, but groaned in disgust. "But completely forgot to grab wrapping paper, boxes, and other gift wrapping supplies." How could he forget something that should be a no-brainer?
"You want to go shopping for that kind of stuff on Christmas Eve?" She snorted, laughing into her cup of coffee. "It's going to be insane."
"I deserve it, I guess." He rose to his feet. "I should go; besides shopping for supplies, I also have to wrap all forty-three presents before morning."
Bella laughed. "I'm going to put you out of your misery, Edward." She headed toward her bedroom.
He seemed unsure about following her, but after she called him, he stood nervously outside of the room.
"This probably isn't a good idea."
Bella huffed, kneeled on the floor, trying to pull out something from under her bed. She stopped when she saw he was still by the door. "Huh, now I'm wondering why you think that and if it's for the same reason I said that yesterday."
"Probably."
"Good to know. Now, give me a hand please."
"What exactly are we doing?" He walked over, helping her pull out a long storage container. "If you need help disposing a body, I should call my sister and Emmett. There's a possibility they got rid of his former secretary."
"I can't believe it," Bella said, shaking her head and laughing. "You have jokes. I thought the stick was too far up—"
"Ha, ha. You're hilarious."
Bella stood up instantly, her eyes wide, and for the first time, Edward noticed she had freckles across the bridge of her nose and along the apples of her cheeks. Forget cute, she was breathtaking in all her natural beauty.
"What's wrong, Isabella?"
"Nothing, I mean, my son said the same thing to me yesterday." Her eyes glazed for a few moments; the memory seemed to make her smile instead of upset.
"You miss him."
"So damn much," she whispered, returning her attention to the box. "Okay, I have wrapping paper I've hoarded over the years. The Christmas stuff is on the top. You're welcome to it all. I'll even throw in a few rolls of tape, and there's another box with boxes inside." She snickered at herself.
Edward watched as she started to show off her collection, in awe of her. Upset about missing her son, still angry about the things he had said the previous day, and she still chose to be helpful, kind, and generous. Some people would see this trait in her personality as a weakness or flaw, but others, the ones that really pay attention, would see it as her biggest strength.
"What the heck did I use this for?" Bella picked up a roll, waving it around. "Oh, Michelle's bachelorette party. I dare you to wrap a present for your brother in this." She handed it to him, diving into the box again. "You'll have to give it to him without your nephew around."
In his hand, he held a long tube of wrapping paper with dildos of all sizes and colors all over it. He doubled over, laughing, telling her that one of his gifts for his brother would be perfect for it.
She looked up at him, shaking her head. "Stop making me like you."
He smiled and helped her pick out several more rolls; all the while, he told her repeatedly how much he appreciated it. She helped him carry it all down to his car, ending her goodbye with a kiss on his cheek for the coffee and a promise to check in later.
He drove away, wondering for the hundredth time, how he managed to live without the enigmatic but beautiful Isabella Swan in his life for so long.
AN: I tweaked quite a bit, so any mistakes are as always mine. Thanks to Midnight Cougar for all your help. As I mentioned in the last chapter, I'll update again on Jan. 2nd 2017, and being the horrible person I am, this will go on a little longer than Jan. 5th as previously mentioned. These pesky characters need a few more chapters than ten. Thanks to everyone recommending or sharing this fic on blogs, Twitter, A Different Forest, and Facebook.
Happy New Year, let's slay 2017 and make it our bitch!