20
Laurent's closing was everything we suspected it would be. He took every single difficult thing in Bella's life and blamed her. He called her a femme fatale, a spoiled child that didn't like to live under someone else's rules, and even said she offered to carry a baby and fell to punish the Swan's for loving it. I tried not to interrupt too much, because I wanted the jury to notice the contrast between both closing arguments.
He took the entire day and I was happy for the night to tweak some of my remarks. Bella spent the evening with my mother and it was difficult to keep my excitement it was coming to an end contained. I laid in my bed and stared up at the ceiling, daring to hope my future resided with Bella.
When I arrived in court the next day, Bella was wearing a dress for the first time. She wasn't wearing makeup and her hair was in a ponytail, but she looked pretty none the less. "Did you pick that out?" I asked with a smile.
"Yeah, your mother said I should dress how I want and not to worry about what other's think."
I grinned and hoped she didn't suddenly want to look like Alice dressed her. I would have to intervene if that happened. I settled with, "You look very pretty."
Alice walked in and immediately started talking to Bella about her dress. I headed into the courtroom to get settled in. I was going over my notes when Laurent approached me. He smiled and said, "This is your last shot, I hope you make it count."
"You know she didn't do this," I said, and then wanted to smack myself for responding.
"It doesn't matter what I know, it matters what the jury knows," he laughed.
I turned away and he laughed as he headed to his table. A few more days, I kept telling myself and the nightmare would be over.
When I began my closing argument I stood directly in front of the jury. I smiled softly and said, "The prosecution was able to spin quite the tale, but unfortunately none of it is true and there isn't a shred of evidence to say otherwise."
"Bella grew up by herself. Her intellect alone saved her. Her mother came and went for days at a time, always complaining about her responsibilities. Why would Bella assume her mother wasn't alive? She did what she had done her whole life…she continued on. The school officials testified Bella was meek and submissive. She wasn't demanding or obstinate with any adult she ever came into contact with. Are we supposed to believe she suddenly decided to become difficult? Where was her teenage rebellion? Did she sneak out of the house? Did she steal liquor from the cabinet? Did she run with a bad crowd? No, she remained in her room, alone, quiet, and tried to be inconspicuous."
"The Swans never welcomed her into their home, they held her captive there. Then, when she had an accident and failed to deliver to them what they really wanted, they tossed her aside. Bella cleaned their home, not in hope they would love her, not to repay the financial cost for her care, she cleaned out of sheer boredom. An eighteen-year-old woman, cleaning the light fixtures just to have something to do. The accident was just that, a horrible accident. The real crime was forcing a young woman into carrying a baby when she wasn't emotionally stable enough to do so, and then blaming her for a horrible accident. She would have been a wonderful influence in that baby's life. She would have loved him, protected him, and taught him, all as his loving cousin. Charlie and Renee were not the only ones who lost something that day. But, Bella lost him twice. Once, when she was told the child would have no contact with her, and then after the fall. Imagine how painful that would be!"
I saw a couple of the jurors got tears in their eyes and I paused to let them think about it.
"I want you to remember Bella's words at that point, 'they gave me to Jake.' She didn't know she was free to leave. But, where would she go? She had no money, no friends, she couldn't even drive. Where would she go?" I asked again.
"Jake offered her a place to live, because the Swans had rejected her. But, Jake wasn't doing it out of the kindness of his heart. He didn't help her develop a life of her own, he held her captive, too. He needed someone to take care of his father so he was free to pursue his dreams. The situation helped him be able to come and go at will, not Bella. When Billy died, Jake decided to keep Bella with him? Why? He wasn't sleeping with her, he wasn't defending her to the complaints of others. Why would he want to keep her there?"
Laurent cleared his throat in preparation to object but I didn't say anything further, I let my question hang there.
"Jake decided for some unknown reason to watch his friends have sex with Bella. Not only did he watch, but he filmed it. Who was he going to show the film to? Who would watch the film if it was in Jake's possession? He didn't give it to his friends to share with everyone. He kept it, why? We all heard, Ladies and Gentlemen, what Jake had to say during the filming. 'It looks delicious.' 'I wanna put it in there.' Let me ask you again, why did Jake film it?"
"Objection," Laurent said angrily.
"Overruled. It is in evidence and this is closing arguments so I'll give him latitude," Judge Hale said, and then nodded for me to continue.
"When Leah came to find Jake, she wasn't going to speak to Bella. She was stunned Bella answered the door. It was obvious by Bella's reaction and behavior on the 911 call she had no idea what Leah was screaming about. Bella had to use Leah's phone, because she didn't have one. The house didn't have a land line. Leah had to instruct her on how to use it because Bella has never had a cell phone. The first phone she has ever possessed came from me, so I would have a way to contact my client. If Bella was the femme fatale the prosecutor would have you believe, don't you think she would at least have a phone? How would she contact these men that never interacted with her? These men who supposedly didn't want her living on the reservation? These phantom men who never bragged to buddies about sleeping with her? The only men she slept with were the men Jake wanted there. The ones he wanted filmed."
"Objection," Laurent said loudly.
"Sustained," Judge Hale ruled.
"Let's look at the crime scene," I continued. "Jake was a very tall man, but the prosecution states the blow to his head came first. How could Bella offer that blow? Was she standing on a ladder? Did he lower his head for her like he supposedly assisted her in placing his body in the truck? Where is the evidence? Jake was hit with such force it split his skull five inches. Does she look like she is strong enough to do that?" I asked, while pointing at Bella.
"Does she look like she can pick up a 200 pound man and place him in his 4x4 after cutting him from his neck to his pelvis? Then walking away without any blood on her at all? Bella Swan did not commit this crime, because she is physically incapable of doing what was done to Jake."
I walked over to sit on the bar in front of the jury box and spoke in a very soft voice. "Everything that has been done to Bella Swan over the years was criminal, don't add to it by convicting her of something she couldn't do, something she didn't do. Don't judge her for things she didn't understand or because she didn't respond in a manner you would have. Bella's life was not anything remotely similar to yours. Bella is sweet, compliant, kind and giving. She isn't mean, hateful, vindictive or brutal. If you lived her life, what kind of person would have you turned out to be?"
I stood and walked over to where Bella sat. "I'm not asking you to give her back her freedom. I'm asking you to finally free her from the life she was forced into. Give her freedom for the first time and let her life begin."
I thanked the jury for their time and then sat in my seat.
Laurent had the last word and I sat down with worry about what shocking revelation he would want to make. I heard Bella let out a big breath and turned to smile at her.
Laurent didn't disappoint. He pointed at Bella and said, "The defense would love for you to pity Ms. Swan. They want you to see her as this tiny, demure woman incapable of anything physical. So let's take her at her word. This tiny woman fell down a flight of stairs and didn't break a bone or have one serious injury. Only the baby died, does that make sense?"
"Objection," I yelled, as I stood in anger.
Rosalie hesitated and then said softly, "Overruled."
"She gave birth on the hallway floor without medical assistance and never lost consciousness or cried out for help. Do I think she could hit a man over the head while he possibly kneeled? Absolutely. Do I think anger and rage could make it possible for her to pull him into a vehicle? Absolutely. This man was not simply murdered, he was butchered. This was a crime of passion, and the only person who didn't think Jake was a vital, wonderful asset to his community was the woman living in his home. The only person Jake had contact with after leaving Sam's bar was the defendant. The only person emotionally unstable was Bella Swan."
I mentally cussed at myself for using the term 'not emotionally stable' and allowing Laurent to use my words against her.
Laurent walked over to the defense table and pointed directly at Bella. "Jake made the mistake of trusting Bella Swan, don't you make the same mistake."
He walked back to his table and said, "I'm asking you to find her guilty and lock her up for good." He sat down and the courtroom was silent.
Judge Hale took a deep breath and then gave instructions to the jury. Bella was being charged with First Degree Murder without the possibility of a lesser charge. We all sat stoically as instructions were being read. It had been a long day and I wanted out of the courtroom badly.
When the jury left to go home for the night and begin deliberations the next day, I felt my stomach lurch. This was it, in a matter of hours or days Bella would be free. I walked out the front of the courthouse for the first time and was stunned to see people picketing. They held signs calling Bella a whore and a murderer and began screaming profanities at me and Alice.
I was tempted to run so I wouldn't lose my temper, but Alice remained composed and smiled when the reporters asked questions. She said, "No comment," and kept walking
I stopped and turned to speak to a lone reporter. The woman looked stunned that I actually stopped. She held the microphone out to me and I said, "As soon as the verdict is rendered I would be happy to sit down and discuss the case with you."
She nodded and soon I was swarmed by reporters. I saw Emmett's Hummer drive past and smiled that the reporters were attacking me, not Bella. I made my way to my car and drove off, anxious for deliberations to begin.
We spent the evening playing monopoly with Alice, Jasper and Emmett. We ate pizza and pigged out on brownies and ice cream. Nobody mentioned the trial and I was grateful. I stayed the night at my parents' home and planned to keep Bella occupied through the first day of deliberations.
My father had a colleague who had a bowling alley in his basement. I took Bella there and taught her how to bowl. She was terrible, but she was laughing and happy. After two games, my phone rang. I saw it was Alice so I answered without any worry.
"Hey," I said. "I found someone who bowls worse than you do."
Bella reached over and slapped my free hand and smiled at me. Alice was quiet for a moment and then asked, "Have you heard?"
"Heard what," I asked.
"The jury is in."
My heart fell and I turned around so Bella wouldn't see my reaction. "Are you sure?" I asked in shock.
"The court called me," she said, right as my phone beeped. "Okay, see you soon."
I switched lines and was told the judge wanted everyone in her courtroom in an hour. I had to sit down as I processed the impact of the information. There was no way they could have worked through all the testimony. I didn't know if that meant they never believed she was guilty or never believed she was innocent.
I finally looked up at Bella's terrified face. I tried to smile but it wouldn't form. "We have to be in court within the hour," I told her.
"Why?" she asked softly.
"The jury has a verdict."
She began to cry and then asked me, "Does this mean good news or bad?"
I had to be honest and answered the best way I could. "I have no idea. It could mean either way."
21
Bella dressed as simply as possibly, telling me she didn't think she would be coming home. I put on my suit and tie and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was second guessing myself on everything. I didn't feel confident anymore, and hoped Laurent was feeling as insecure as I was.
Alice walked in with a stunned expression and it was in complete contrast to Laurent's overly joyous demeanor. He was strutting around the room as if he had already won. The courtroom slowly filled to capacity and I wondered how so many from the tribe made it to Seattle in such a short amount of time.
I leaned over and said to Bella, "If it is not guilty, you can walk out with me. If it is guilty, they will take you back to the jail to await sentencing." She nodded and turned her eyes back to the empty jury box. I finally added, "Whatever the verdict, remain calm. If it is guilty, we still have options open to us."
I glanced at Alice and she took a big breath but I could tell she was shaking. I wondered how I appeared to people.
Judge Hale entered and called us to a sidebar. She looked at us all and said, "I want the courtroom to remain professional. I won't allow any celebrating." I nodded but Laurent only smiled. "Did you hear me?" she said angrily to him.
"Of course," he replied, and patted me on the back.
Without thinking I threw his hand off me angrily. Alice grabbed my arm as if I was going to hit him and she needed to stop me. Rose gave me a stern look and then said, "Edward, keep it together." I nodded and she leaned closer and asked, "Do you need a few minutes?"
"No, let's do this," I said.
We sat nervously as the court was called to order and the jury was brought in. I tried to see how they appeared, but some looked at Bella and some didn't. We were asked to rise and I took hold of Bella's elbow to assist her. The judge looked at the verdict and I noticed how her jaw tensed. She handed it to the bailiff and I began holding my breath.
The jury forewoman took the verdict back and spoke clearly. "We the jury, find the defendant, Bella Swan, guilty of murder in the first degree."
I felt like the air had been sucked from the room. My heart was beating quickly and I couldn't catch my breath, but I stood completely still as if in shock. Laurent turned to lift his hands in victory as the gallery cheered loudly. I saw the officers' move toward Bella, so I snapped out of my daze and called for jury validation.
We sat quietly as each juror was asked if they concurred with the verdict. One by one they all answered, "Yes."
The officers walked up to Bella and I grabbed her arm. "They are only taking you to the holding room. I'll be there soon." She nodded and stood to walk away with the two men. They dwarfed her small frame and she looked like a child being taken away. I glanced at Alice and saw tears in her eyes, so I looked away. I couldn't chance falling apart just yet.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the gallery. I turned to see three young men standing in the aisle. Sam Uley had his arms wrapped around one of them as they tried to come forward. People were yelling and I thought they wanted to get to Bella. My hands pulled into fists and I called to Sam, "Let them through." I was ready to tear them apart and quickly glanced to see Bella was safely in the holding room.
The gallery was nothing but loud pandemonium and Judge Hale was banging her gavel in an attempt to gain control. When it quieted a bit, she yelled from her bench, "I will not put up with this. Sit down this instance."
One of the young men cried out. "No, stop. Bella didn't do it. We did, we killed Jake."
I fell back to lean against the table and heard Alice say, "Oh my God."
Judge Hale quickly instructed the jury to leave. They filed out with stunned expressions, three of the women were opening crying. Then she cleared the gallery.
Sam looked at me with a panicked expression and said, "He's my son." I motioned for the man to come forward and kept him with me at the defense table. The room cleared, although it remained chaotic until the very last person had left.
The boys tried to all talk at once, but I was able to make out what one said. "We'll tell you everything." Judge Hale quickly put up her hand to stop them. She growled in frustration and finally said in anger, "Where have you been for the past three years?"
The boys looked at each other and then finally one offered, "We didn't think they would convict her. She couldn't have done it, hell it took all three…"
"Stop," Rosalie yelled again. She then turned to the officer and said, "Get a detective down here and notify the La Push department." She looked back at the boys and said, "Don't say a word until you've been read your rights."
They followed the officer and Sam turned to look at me. I spoke to the judge and said, "He's the father of one of the boys."
"Go," she said, as she waved her hand to where the officer was taking the young men. Sam rushed to his son's side.
I shook my head and tried to think clearly. I looked at Judge Hale and said, "Are you going to overturn the verdict?"
She looked at me with regret and said, "No, she was found guilty and for now the verdict stands. We need to check out the validity of the confessions. This will take a few days to straighten out."
"Judge," I yelled, and even took a step toward the bench. "At least keep her bail intact."
"I object to letting bail stand," Laurent said passionately.
I spun around and screamed at him. "Shut the fuck up or I'll knock you on your ass."
"Your honor, I demand you take action and…."
"Both of you shut up," she yelled, and sat back in her chair as she tried to calm down herself.
Alice spoke up in a calm manner and I couldn't love my sister any more than I did at this moment. "Your Honor, Bella is unaware of what happened in here. May we speak to her?"
I suddenly remembered she was on the other side of the door just feet from me. As soon as Judge Hale gave her permission Alice turned to me. "Go talk to her. I'll work on things here."
I almost sprinted from my spot and when I entered the room Bella was sitting at the table, completely composed and totally still. She turned to look at me and tried to smile, but it wouldn't quite form. I walked to where she was sitting and took her hand to pull her up. I brought her into my arms and when I tried to speak only loud sobs came out.
She ran her hand up and down my back and said, 'It's okay, Edward. It won't be so bad."
My arms tightened as I hung onto her and struggled to speak. Her acceptance of such a horrible fate made me more emotional. I finally took a deep breath and backed up to look at her face. She placed her hands on the side of my face and said, "Edward, please don't cry."
I shook my head back and forth and said, "You don't understand." A smile formed on my face and more tears fell. "The real killers came forward. Three young men just admitted to killing Jake."
She stared at me as if she heard incorrectly. I could tell she was trying to understand my words but they weren't penetrating. "Bella," I said, and picked her up around her waist to twirl her around. "You're going to be free."
When I sat her back onto her feet she looked at me warily. "I can go?"
I nodded to the table and pulled out a chair for her. She stared into my eyes trying to see if my words were a trick or some form of deceit. I finally told her the bad news. "They need to look into the boys claims first, to make sure this isn't some ruse. But, as soon as it checks out, your verdict will be overturned and the charges will be dropped."
"How long will it take?" she asked, thinking it could take years.
"Two, three days, a week at the most."
She nodded and chewed on her cheek for a moment before asking, "Why did they kill him?"
"I don't know. The boys are being interviewed now."
She sat quietly and a sadness took hold. I took her hand into mine and said, "What's wrong?"
Her eyes turned to mine and then quickly looked away. She looked down and finally said, "I'm not trying to complain, because I am very grateful, but why would they make me go through all this? Why would they make me go through the humiliation and let everyone hate me?"
"I can't speak for them, but I'm willing to bet Jake had done some pretty bad things."
There was a knock on the door and the officer opened it to speak to me. "Dr. Cullen is here to see you."
"Send her in," I said, and noticed how excited Bella became. When she saw my mother, she ran into her waiting arms and sobbed loudly. It was the response I had expected when she saw me. My mother held her softly and let her cry out her heartache.
She eventually looked at me and said, "Son, give us a minute."
I wanted to protest and tell her this was my client and my case, but if Bella needed her I wouldn't stand in the way. I went back into the courtroom and found Alice and Laurent still at the bench. Judge Hale stood when I walked up and told me Alice would fill me in.
Laurent walked away without saying anything and Alice led me back to the defense table. "We have a hearing in three days. It should be just housekeeping, but you need to get on the air as soon as possible."
"Why?" I asked, thinking she wanted me out of her hair.
"People need to hear from you that Bella is innocent. Regardless of what happened here, she was still found guilty. You need to clear up any doubts."
I pulled out my phone and called Heidi. She answered after the first ring and began talking before I could say anything. "What in the hell happened? We're being overwhelmed by calls and Aro is actually speechless. What should I tell everyone?"
"Start setting up media appearances. I want the biggest networks first. Ignore Aro, it wasn't his case. I'll be in the office soon to help out."
Alice gathered up our records and followed me out the door. She turned to look at me before heading in to see Bella. "So, do we celebrate or not?"
"We celebrate when Bella is free. Why don't you set up a release party for her? Anyone who worked on the case should be invited. Not Laurent, but anyone who was supportive. Oh, and invite Judge Hale, too."
I spent the next few days giving interviews. I flew to New York to make the rounds on any show that would take me. I made sure to point out the strong points of the case and tried my best to keep salacious details to a minimum. Everyone asked me the same question, "Why did the boys do it."
I assured them I didn't know, but I assumed Jake had done something to the boys or someone they loved. It was as far as I would speculate. On the final night in New York, Alice called to tell me Bella was being released the next day.
She filled me in on what the boys had told investigators. They had all been molested by Jake. One of the boys found out Jake began messing with his younger brother, so they came up with a plan to jump him in his garage. They even turned over the murder weapon.
"What time is Bella being released?" I asked, knowing I had an interview the following morning.
"She'll be out before breakfast. The state doesn't want to pay for an extra meal," Alice laughed.
"Are you having a party?"
"Yeah, dinner at moms. Can you be here by five?"
"I should be. How's Bella holding up?"
"Good, mom's been with her every day. I think she has some plans in place."
"What plans?" I asked in surprise.
"I don't know, moms been with her." Then she quickly changed the subject. "You've done a great job telling her story. People have been less adamant about wanting her dead."
"As soon as the boys' story gets out, everyone will forget about hating Bella."
"Yeah, you're right."
"Allie," I said with emotion, "Thank you, for everything."
"You're welcome. I think I want to get pregnant now, so you'll never ask for my help again."
I laughed along with my sister and then said goodbye. I felt so alone in the hotel room and my thoughts were in Seattle with Bella. Tomorrow night I would tell her how much I loved her and ask her to consider me. I was terrified and excited at the same time.
Just as my luck would have it, my flight was delayed twice. It was already close to five when I landed and I drove as quickly as I could to my parent's home. Cars were lining the driveway and I was surprised so many people came.
I made my way into the house and everyone from the office greeted me. I searched the rooms for Bella and found her in the living room surrounded by people. She was standing with a man in a military uniform and when I made my way toward her my mother grabbed me by the arm. "Edward, can I speak with you?"
"Not right now," I said, and pulled away from her.
Bella saw me at that point and rushed over to hug me tightly. I inhaled deeply as I buried my face in her neck. She was laughing and I could feel the excitement in her body. "Edward," she said, "Come meet someone."
I raised my head and loosened my hold on her so she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the man in uniform. "Edward, this is Captain Biers, my recruiter." The man held out his hand to shake but I looked at Bella in confusion. She smiled widely and said, "I joined the Air Force. I'm going to become a nurse."
22
I stared at her as if I didn't understand English. The room grew quiet as everyone watched for my reaction. I finally chuckled, certain everyone would break into loud laughter, but they remained quiet. Bella looked nervous and her head fell so she wouldn't have to see my face.
"This isn't funny," I managed to say.
Captain Biers stepped forward and said, "Bella scored extremely high on her aptitude test. We are happy to have her."
My head began moving back and forth as my anxiety rose quickly. I refused to listen to this nonsense any longer. I pointed at Bella and said, "You are not joining the fucking military. Do you hear me?"
"Edward!" my father called from the other side of the room.
I spun around to face him and saw my mother standing next to him. I grew exceedingly angrier and felt betrayed by her. "You," I yelled to her. "You are responsible for this." I searched the room for Alice and accused her, too. "You knew what was going on and left me the dark. You did this to me on purpose."
"To you?" My mother questioned.
"Don't," I yelled at her, "Don't pretend you like you didn't know what this would do to me."
At that point, Emmett stepped forward and I looked at his determined expression and his huge body that could easily beat the shit out of me. He remained calm and said, "Edward, come take a walk with me."
I was close to hysterical as I looked around at all the faces staring at me. "Is a walk supposed to make it better? Is a walk going to fix the fact she just flushed her life down the toilet?"
My father took a step toward me and said with a very stern voice, "Son, I suggest you take a walk with this man, right now."
I looked back at Bella, wanting her to beg me to stay and help her out of this mess, but maybe she didn't know there was an out. "Bella, I can help you get out of this. I can file papers to…."
"No," she said firmly. "You are not my lawyer any longer."
I took a step back, stunned and hurt by her words. I looked at Emmett and he nodded toward the door so I followed him outside. I made my way to the fountain on the front walk and put my hands on the cement to stay upright.
Emmett stood next to me and said, "Edward, the military is a respectable career and it will provide stability for her."
"You don't understand," I said, as I struggled to breathe.
"It's not for me to understand, or you either, this is Bella choice."
I finally stood upright and tried to find the words to make Emmett help me. I needed him to understand she had another choice, a better choice, and I would provide her with anything she needed.
Emmett looked past me with a confused expression and mumbled, "What the hell."
I turned to see Judge Hale coming down the walk, dressed in tight jeans, stilettos, with her hair down, and looking incredibly sexy. "She presided over Bella's case," I said casually, and wanted to warn Emmett to stay away from her.
He walked around me and when she noticed him she stopped in her tracks. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a shaky voice.
Emmett just stood there in confusion and Rosalie wasn't saying anything either. So I decided to introduce them. "This is Emmett McCarty, he was Bella's bodyguard."
He looked back at me and then to Rosalie again, "You're a judge?"
Her face grew angry and she said, "You told me you were a personal trainer."
I stared at the two of them and finally put it all together. They were seeing each other during the trial and had no idea who the other person was. I laughed and they both turned to look at me.
"Emmett is with The Sentinel Foundation, they put up the bail. Yes, Rose is a judge, and she denied bail when she knew damn well Bella was innocent."
Rosalie gasped and began walking backwards. "We can't be here together," she said, and turned to run, which wasn't very fast because of the stupid heels she was wearing.
Emmett stood firmly planted where he was as he tried to work everything out in his head. I finally pushed him and said, "Go after her." He bolted from his spot and I chuckled. I turned around to return to the house when I saw my mother standing on the steps.
I reluctantly walked over and sat, so she joined me. We sat in silence for a moment and I finally asked, "Why, mom?"
"Because you are not good for Bella right now. And, I had to think of her needs, not yours."
"How am I not good for her? I would have given her anything she wanted."
"Really?" she pressed. I looked at her with surprise and she put her hand on my knee and said, "She wants this, will you give it to her?"
I felt tears sting my eyes so my mother wrapped her arms around my shoulders and said, "Edward, Bella will have a place to live, food to eat, and a paycheck to make her independent. The military breaks you down to build you up again, stronger than before. Bella has been beaten down already, let them build her up."
"I'll lose her," I said sadly.
"She's not yours to keep. She knows how to reach you if she wants you," she pointed out.
I tried to imagine what Bella's life would be like. She would live on a base where she would develop friendships and learn to lean on others as they lean on her. She would be trained, and attend school, working toward her own goals. I would be a painful memory. A reminder of her past secrets.
"Honey," my mom sighed. "You have to make choices about your life, too. Are you happy with your decisions so far? Is this who you want to be and is Tanya still part of your life?"
I looked out into the dark and couldn't answer her. I had no idea what I wanted now Bella was no longer a possibility. I had the urge to go get drunk, but I knew that wouldn't solve anything. I slowly stood and walked to my car, alone. I had held so much hope for this night and it was all dashed. I couldn't pretend to celebrate when I couldn't find it in my heart to be happy.
The next morning, I got a call I never expected. It was Sam, asking me to take his son's case. I knew the ins and outs of this case better than any court appointed lawyer, but I would have to take the case with limited pay. I could only imagine what Aro would say.
I thought about the offer throughout the day and had to admit getting out of Seattle held a lot of appeal at the moment. I finally drove to La Push to talk with Sam. My first question was, "Did you know about this?"
"No," Sam said forcefully. "If I knew, I would have killed him myself."
"How old was your son the first time?" I pushed.
"Ten," he said, and tears filled his eyes.
"How old is he now?"
"Eighteen."
"What about the other boys, how old are they?"
"They are all eighteen."
I nodded and wanted to get the case put in juvenile court, but I wasn't sure a judge would go for it. Sam finally got to the discussion of payment. "I'll mortgage my bar to pay you, and I'll let you stay in the small apartment over the place while you're here."
My mind immediately moved to Bella, and how nobody wanted her living on the reservation. I looked into Sam's eyes and asked, "Will it be an issue having a Caucasian man living here?"
He shook his head and said, "I think we've all learned a lesson on judging too quickly."
I agreed to take the case and the first call I made was to Emmett. I wanted to see if his foundation would offer the same deal to the boys, although they wouldn't need a bodyguard. I made my case and asked if he could plead with those in charge.
He finally admitted something that stunned me. "My family runs the foundation. We are the ones who make the decisions. I'll do this for you, Edward, nobody else, just you."
"How's Rose?" I asked, wondering if he was able to keep his woman.
He laughed loudly and it made me smile. "Now that she isn't hiding her vocation as a judge, she pretty much bosses me around."
"I'm happy for you both," I offered.
He turned the subject to a painful one and said softly, "I saw Bella off today. She's really excited."
"Where will she be?" I asked, since I knew I would never hear from her again.
"Lackland Base, in San Antonio."
"She got to fly in a plane," I sad sadly, wishing I could have been there with her. He remained quiet and I ended the call.
I moved into the small one bedroom apartment over Sam's bar and buried myself in the trial. I didn't end up using Emmett's services because the boys were denied bail. But, I pushed hard to have them tried in Juvenile court since they were fifteen when the crime was committed. It took three years of my life before the trial came to an end. They were found guilty on manslaughter and would be out before they turned thirty.
I had run into the Swan's a couple of times while I lived in the area. Renee refused to acknowledge me, but Charlie would shake my hand and ask how the boys were doing. I also saw Quil and Embry often, but they were smart enough to stay away from me. When I moved back to Seattle I was broke, without a job, and not sure what direction I wanted to head.
I liked being out from under Aro's thumb and making my own decisions, but in reality, my two big cases both ended with guilty verdicts. I finally joined a small firm and took on cases most people refused to try. I didn't view them as winnable or not. I looked for cases other people were afraid to touch. I lost a lot of judgements, but the ones I won brought me more joy than I thought imaginable.
I was content with my life when I ran into Tanya one day. She was working toward her own run for the State Senate. She was living the life she expected me to provide. I had on jeans with a suit coat and my tie was crooked as I left a meeting with my client. Tanya had on a designer dress and expensive jewelry.
"Edward," she said in shock, and then a big smile came across her face. "What have you been up to? You look very…blue collar." She laughed loudly like her remark was funny.
"It's nice to see you," I responded, refusing to share details of my life with her.
"I saw Alice a few months ago, her son is adorable."
"Yeah, she's expecting again later this year," I informed her.
She moved closer and placed her hand on my neck. "How boring," she teased.
I stepped back and out of her reach so she pouted her lips and acted offended. I didn't buy it and she knew I wouldn't. I finally asked, "How's Aro?"
"Oh God," she laughed, "That old soft-dick has been old news for a long time." She took a step toward me once again and I backed up. This time she looked angry. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching and then said, "Let's go for a drink."
I could easily admit I was lonely and sex with Tanya would be amazing, but I wasn't that guy anymore. Her attitude was offensive to me and I wasn't about to let her use me as a pawn, something I willingly did years ago. I gave her a courteous smile and shook my head. "I don't think that is a good idea. Have a great day," I offered and walked away.
She called out my name and ran to catch up to me. "Come on, Edward. You know I don't want a relationship, just a night with you, what do you say?"
"I'm not the guy you remember," I told her honestly.
Again, she laughed and shook her head. "You are the guy pining over the girl from the trial. You are the guy burying yourself in work to keep it together. You are the guy who goes home each night alone when it isn't necessary." She looked at me cautiously and then said, "Come on, Edward. You don't need to remain faithful to a ghost."
Her remark hurt because it was exactly what I was doing. Bella didn't want me. I hadn't heard a word from her in over five years. But, I was living my life as if she would come rushing back, begging me to love her.
I didn't want a relationship with Tanya but she wouldn't want one. She would fuck me hard and move on without thinking of me again. I finally nodded and said, "Okay, a drink."
She locked her arm in mine and I headed to my car. She never asked where we were going and when I drove to my small, rundown apartment she tisked and shook her head. I ignored her and pulled her into my arms. I kissed her passionately, but my thoughts were not on her, they were on Bella. I took out my anger on the woman in my arms getting more and more aggressive, but she stayed with me in every move.
I didn't take her to my bed, I moved her right onto my floor as she tugged on my pants. I rolled for her to have better access to my zipper and at that moment my doorbell rang. Tanya looked at me in anger and said, "You better not answer that."
The bell began to ring over and over again so I knew whoever it was saw us enter the place. I sat up and tried to steady my breathing. Tanya moved off of me and I staggered to the door feeling the pain of being so aroused and suddenly denied.
I opened the door in anger and saw my own mother staring back at me. I let my head fall in shame and stood back to let her enter. She looked over at Tanya and then said, "I came over to discuss Thanksgiving, is now a bad time?"
"Hello, Mrs. Cullen," Tanya said with amusement. "Edward and I were just catching up."
"Yes, I see," my mother said softly.
I felt sick to my stomach and realized this was not what I wanted. I needed to put forth the effort to find a real relationship and let go of Bella forever. I looked at my mother and said, "I'm doing a deposition in Canada over Thanksgiving, so I won't be home. Can you do me a favor and give Tanya a ride back to her car?"
Tanya began to protest but my mother held open the door as I walked down the hallway away from her.
23
I made the five hour drive to Merritt, Canada and waited for a person who never showed. I was pissed and angry that my holiday had been ruined and I ate from a convenience store. I got back to Seattle at 7pm and decided to go past my folk's house to see if they had any leftovers. I saw Jasper's car and another one I didn't recognize.
I didn't want to ruin their evening, so I snuck in through the back door. Alice's son Jackson was sitting on the floor playing with a train. He looked up and smiled when he saw me. I picked him up and tossed him in the air. "Where's your mommy?" I asked him.
"They're having cofsee," he said, and pointed toward the dining room.
I put him down and wondered if my attire would be okay. I peeked around the corner and saw three women I had never seen before. One looked right at me, so I stepped fulling into the open. My mother came over to hug me and said, "Edward, what a surprise."
"I just got back," I admitted, and turned to look for Alice. I never made it to where she was sitting. My eyes went right to a familiar face, Bella. She looked totally different, but not in appearance. She stood tall, she was dressed in stylish clothing, and her hair was modern and styled.
I took a step toward her and she quickly made up the difference and jumped into my arms. I held her so tightly her feet were hanging, unable to gain purchase on the ground. I was laughing onto her shoulder and she was crying into the air. I finally gathered enough awareness to move us into the hallway and away from everyone watching.
When she finally pushed me away I stepped back and held her face in my hands so I could look into her eyes. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I've been assigned to the Veterans Hospital. I'm moving back here."
"Are you serious?" I gasped, finally feeling like the nightmare of her trial was truly over.
She grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the dining room. "Come meet my friends."
I looked at the three women as Bella introduced them, but I honestly didn't get their names. They were all starting work on the same day at the same facility. I turned my attention back to Bella and asked, "How did you get assigned to Seattle?"
I wanted her to tell me it was because I was here and all her dreams were now fulfilled so she came to be with me. But my hope was dashed when one of the women said, "It will be easier now for her to plan her wedding since she is in the same city as the groom."
Bella looked at me with a big smile and held up her hand to show off an impressive ring. I stared at it as if her finger was somehow deformed. I looked over at my mother and she shook her head, telling me she didn't know about the engagement.
Alice finally gave me the information I needed to explain why Bella was standing in my parent's dining room. "Bella and her friends are staying in the pool house until they can move into their apartment this weekend."
I nodded and Bella grabbed my hand again. "Edward, I want you to meet Bryan," she said with excitement. "He's a Radiologist at the Veterans Hospital." I suddenly looked around, expecting to see some man I hadn't noticed before. She observed the motion and explained, "He's working tonight."
I couldn't speak and I wanted out of the room. Jackson rushed in crying loudly as he held up the broken train. Alice and Jasper tried to comfort their upset son and I backed out of the room as everyone was focused on the child.
I rushed to the back door and just as I was about to it Bella called out for me. "Edward, are you leaving?"
"Um…yeah, I have some work to do tonight," I lied.
Her smile fell and she nodded before saying, "Can we all go to dinner so you can meet Bryan?"
"Sure," I said, and then rudely walked out the door.
Alice called later that night and informed me Bella had asked her and Jasper to dinner, too. I refused to sit socially with another man who was going to marry the woman I love. Alice told me to finally man up and tell Bella everything, but I couldn't stand the thought of her looking at me with pity.
"At least meet the guy and see if he is decent. If the guys a jerk wouldn't you want to know? I know I would."
I eventually agreed simply out of curiosity, but I also did something to save my wounded pride. I called Tanya and invited her to come along. She was delighted to have dinner with a physician from the Veterans Hospital and hoped to make some advantageous connections. I was grateful Alice and Jasper would be there to keep the conversation moving if I couldn't.
We showed up two nights later to a lively Mexican restaurant. Bella ran toward me when she saw us heading to the table. Her enthusiasm seemed to dampen when she saw Tanya. She instantly began messing with her own hair. I wanted to tell her she didn't need to worry about competing with Tanya, because there was no competition. Bella was everything good and when Tanya's beauty eventually fades, there would be nothing worthwhile about her.
Alice and Jasper followed behind us and we all turned to meet the man of the hour. He was older than I expected, balding and very thin. My own egotistical nature took comfort in that. We shook hands and I noticed how Bryan kept looked at Tanya.
When we finally sat down he offered the chair right next to him to Tanya and she ran her hand down his arm as she thanked him for being so attentive. I looked to see if Bella was watching, but she was chatting with Alice.
I sat down next to Tanya and put my arm on the back of her chair as I stared accusingly at Bryan. He quickly looked away from my stare. Alice turned the conversation to him and asked, "Are you from Seattle, Bryan?"
He smiled at her and shook his head. "No, I'm from Ohio originally."
"Ohio," Tanya chuckled, "How random."
He turned to smile at her and she began asking him about his position with the hospital and what he thought about some recent political rulings. He was mesmerized by her and never addressed Bella at all. When it was time to order Bella asked if he wanted to share a meal. He didn't answer and then ordered a steak for himself. Bella's smile faded and she ordered a burrito.
I interjected and said, "Make it a meal and I'll share it with you."
She lit up and quickly order the full burrito meal. I smiled at how easily she was made happy. I sat my cheek on my hand and stared across the table at her. She blushed a little but laughed and said, "Edward Cullen, what are you thinking?"
"You're a nurse," I stated plainly.
"Yeah," she nodded. "I actually did it and I love it."
Bryan finally turned to join the conversation at the table and added, "She wipes asses and says she loves it." He shook his head as if it was a deplorable job.
I hated his attitude and his attempt to belittle her in front of us. I looked directly at him and said, "You take pictures of asses, what's the difference?"
Tanya laughed aloud and tossed in, "Edward defends asses."
Bella let her head fall and I grew angry. "Tanya is an ass," I said without humor.
Bryan turned to her and said, "A beautiful ass I might add."
Jasper put an end to the petty sparing by introducing a new subject. "Bella, tell us about your military experience."
Bella sat a little taller and launched into an excited summary of what she had been doing and how she had blossomed and grown in the Air Force. She spoke until our drinks arrived and at that point she totally lost Bryan's attention. He began whispering to Tanya but I didn't listen to what he was saying because that would mean my attention would be off of Bella.
We all asked questions and I finally noticed Alice looking at Bryan with a furrowed brow. She was bothered by his obvious flirting with Tanya. She finally stood, showing off her large stomach and asked Bella to go with her to the restroom. Bella stood and then Alice asked Tanya to join them. Tanya refused and went back to chatting with Bryan.
I watched them walk away and then turned to confront Bryan. "Hey, asshole, what's going on?"
Tanya laughed loudly and waited for Bryan to respond.
He raised his hands in innocence and then laughed along with Tanya. "What do you mean?"
"Are you engaged to Bella or trying to fuck my date?"
His eyes grew wide and he finally cleared his throat and said, "I'm being hospitable to Bella's friends."
Jasper jumped into the conversation and said, "You are being rude to your fiancé by openly flirting with another woman."
Bryan smirked as if he found the whole thing amusing. I looked at Jasper and he only shook his head in disappointment. I regretted bringing Tanya and only hoped like hell Alice was setting Bella straight in the women's room.
When they returned to the table the food arrived. I held the knife over the burrito and smiled at Bella. "Tell me where to cut," I instructed as I moved the knife slowly down the length of it.
When it got to about 60% she suddenly said, "Stop there. Give me the large piece and you can have all the rice."
I raised my eyebrows in amusement and said, "You want to make a deal with a lawyer? I thought I taught you better than that."
Her smile widened and she said, "I know hand-to-hand combat, I don't think you should bargain with me."
I laughed and quickly made her portion larger. She held out her plate and as soon as I put her portion on it I suddenly pushed some rice on, too.
She screamed in jest and quickly picked up some in her fingers and tossed it at me. "Bella," Bryan said harshly. "Stop being crass."
She stopped her horseplay and picked up her fork to eat. The tension filled the table so Alice quickly pushed conversation again. I knocked Bella's foot with mine and winked at her. She smiled, but remained composed throughout the rest of the meal.
When it was time to leave, Tanya and Bryan were whispering and I wondered if they were setting up a rendezvous. I took hold of Tanya's arm harshly and pulled her away from the man. Alice had hold of Bella's arm and talking quietly to her.
We all walked onto the sidewalk as we adjusted our coats and stood in a circle to say goodbye. Bella stepped forward and hugged Alice and Jasper first. When she got to me she smiled widely and pulled me tightly to her. I whispered into her ear, "You owe me 40% of a burrito."
She squeezed me tighter and said, "I owe you way more than that." And then she pulled away, taking Bryan's hand in hers. We all walked away and when I opened the car door for Tanya she asked if I was going to drop her off. I was terrified she would meet up with Bryan if I let her go, but I wasn't about to spend the night with her.
"Let's go dancing," I offered, and she quickly took me up on it, stating which currently popular club we should check out.
We headed in that direction and after twenty minutes, Alice called my cell phone. As soon as I answered she exploded into how appalled she was that Bella would marry someone like Bryan. "You have to do something, Edward. You can't let this happen. Kidnap her if you have to."
"Can we talk later?" I asked cryptically.
"Oh God, you're with Tanya," she said angrily. "Maybe you and Bella are too stupid for relationships."
"Tanya and I are going dancing. Can we talk later tonight?" I was trying to show her I didn't plan on spending the night with Tanya and hoped we were in sync enough that she would know what I was trying to tell her.
She sighed heavily and finally said, "Call me tomorrow."
We hung up and my mood became brooding. I walked into the crowded club and felt instantly out of place. The music was too loud and not my style. Tanya pulled me onto the dance floor but she had no interest in me. She just wanted to be seen. I began to think my plan wasn't worth it, I didn't care if she slept with Bryan, and hopefully she would break them up.
I thought of Bella and knew I couldn't let Tanya hurt her. Tanya had no interest in Bryan and only wanted his contacts. I wanted Bella to end it with him because she deserved better, not because Tanya came between them. I began to worry that Bella would now have another reason to resent me and even our friendship would end.
After an hour, I told Tanya I was taking her home. She acted offended and then suddenly began snuggling up to me, touching me in a suggestive way. We walked to the sidewalk and I led her to a cab parked on the side of the road. I handed the driver some cash and walked away to a flourish of swear words.
I got home and looked around my dank apartment. I honestly did not spend much time there, but I needed to find some way to brighten it up a bit. I showered to get the club smell off me and then fell into my bed in despair. I kept imagining that horrible man making love to Bella and it was making me sick.
I finally got up and made my way to the liquor cabinet. I heard a loud knock on my door and walked over to look though the peephole. I was stunned to see Bella standing there. I knew something horrible must have happened with Bryan so I opened the door to let her in.
She didn't move to come inside. She looked at me with a tear-stained face and shook her head back and forth. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, as more tears fell.
I thought she was talking about Tanya and I took a deep breath and groaned loudly. She added more and said, "Alice just told me. Did you really love me?"
