A/N: Sorry for the wait, our household got sick, we adopted a 7 week old puppy, and I had my favorite cousin visit for a few days—so basically life happened! This chapter may have gotten away from me…enjoy!
Just keep moving forward and don't give a shit about what anyone thinks. Do what you have to do, for you. ~ Johnny Depp
Chapter Six
"Has Carlisle's lawyer sent you anything?" I questioned my friends as we met at the courthouse on Tuesday morning.
"Not a thing. I'm hoping that he isn't going to pull something today that gets this all delayed. If he does try to claim you forgot a possession of his or something was ruined or broken, how do you want to proceed? If I were you, I would tell him to fuck himself since you've been more than fair already," Alice told me.
"Let's just come up with a number if that's the case and I'll pay him for whatever it is within reason. Consult me first, but it's not worth dragging this out for a miniscule amount of money," I reasoned with a sigh.
The judge was already seated behind the bench when we entered the small courtroom. He appeared to be in his sixties and his hair was grey with a few streaks of black remaining. His skin was so pale that it looked almost translucent. He was shuffling papers in front of him and we took our seats at one of the tables facing him. A court reporter sat off to the side of the judge's bench, ready to transcribe the proceedings, and a clerk sat next to the reporter.
A couple minutes after we arrived, Carlisle and a young, nervous looking man entered the courtroom. They sat at the other table and Carlisle's lawyer took a thick folder out his briefcase. As he tried to place it on the table, he dumped its content on the floor. His hands shook as he tried to gather all the pieces of paper and get them back in order. The judge tilted his head to the side slightly and watched the man fumble. As soon as the papers were in order, he opened his laptop, hitting the back of it into the pitcher of water on the table. He reached out and caught the pitcher before it spilled everywhere but missed catching the two empty water glasses and they fell off the table. He ran around the front of the table, picked up the glasses, and placed them next to the pitcher.
"Is everything in order now?" the judge questioned. The lawyer turned bright red and gave a brief, shaky nod before he sat down in his chair next to Carlisle.
I studied Carlisle as he sat in the leather rolling chair. He looked like he had aged ten years since I had last seen him. His eyes had light bruises around them from the re-breaking of his nose in order to set it. He seemed to sit just fine, so I assumed that he wasn't in pain from his surgery at that moment. He had managed to wear a suit; but since he had never learned how to iron his clothes, his shirt and pants were wrinkled. He looked exhausted and miserable. A part of me pitied him, seeing the shell of Carlisle rather than his normal outgoing, put-together appearance.
"Alright let's begin. Everything said today will be recorded for the court's records. I am the Honorable John Aro. We are here today to settle the divorce between Petitioner Isabella Marie Cullen and Respondent Carlisle Joseph Cullen. I've read the petition and I was given the reply from Mr. Cullen this morning. Apparently there is no contesting the divorce, just the terms of the divorce; is that correct?" Judge Aro asked Carlisle's lawyer.
The man cleared his throat twice before he replied in a squeaky voice, "That's correct Your Honor. My client doesn't agree to the amount of money that the petitioner is asking for, we believe it is excessive. And there is also the matter of some of my client's missing possessions."
Alice narrowed her eyes at the man and stood up at our table. "Excuse me Your Honor. My name is Alice Whitlock and this is my co-counselor, Rosalie McCarty. We were not aware of any contention to the petition. May we have a moment to look over the respondent's reply?" she asked professionally. The judge nodded and gestured for the lawyer to give Alice a copy of the reply.
Alice, Rosalie, and I studied the reply. We learned the nervous lawyer's name was Eric Yorkie. Rosalie pulled his information up on her laptop and whispered to me that he had just passed the Bar and this was most likely his first case. Carlisle claimed I still had his favorite t-shirt, a card table, and a camera.
"That's the card table Emmett broke like five years ago when he tried to stand on it, right?" Rosalie asked me.
I nodded and said, "Yeah, and his favorite t-shirt was thrown away when he spilled mustard all over it and stained it. The camera was in one of the boxes and we have a picture of it in the box. Offer him a hundred dollars. That's more than fair since he knows both of those items have been gone for years and he probably just didn't look for the camera." Alice nodded and started to flip through the paperwork of his possessions to find the listing and picture of the camera.
Rosalie picked up a pen and started to make notes. "He can't contest any of these amounts. He signed the prenuptial agreement. He wants the amounts reduced because it practically will bankrupt him and he still needs to provide child support for two children and have living expenses. It also states that he doesn't currently hold a job and will not have income until he can find other employment. He's also asking for a lengthy payment plan for whatever amounts he will owe."
I looked at the paper and then at Carlisle. His head was in his hands and his shoulders were slumped. I bit my lower lip and tried to think of what I wanted. "I don't want to give him too much time or else I have a feeling he'll be broke and never pay; but I'm willing to allow a reasonable payment plan. Absolutely no reduction in the amount though. He doesn't deserve a break," I said firmly.
Both Alice and Rosalie nodded and then Alice stood up to speak to the judge. "Your Honor, if you, Counselor Yorkie, and Mr. Cullen can turn to page four of the possessions list and also reference picture number two hundred twenty, you will all see that the camera was in fact transferred to Mr. Cullen. Dr. Cullen stated that the card table was broken years ago and the t-shirt was disposed of after being stained. She stated that Mr. Cullen knew about the disposal of both items; however, she is willing to allow a $100 concession for those items. We believe that is more than fair in this case."
The judge and Eric pulled up the picture of the camera and we watched Carlisle nod in confirmation that it was in fact the one he said was missing. Judge Aro made a note on the papers in front of him and said, "I will consider the missing camera issue resolved and award a $100 credit for the table and t-shirt. Moving forward, regarding the amount of money the respondent owes to the petitioner, how does Dr. Cullen respond?"
Alice sat down and Rosalie stood and said, "Your Honor, Mr. Cullen knew the terms of the prenuptial agreement when he signed it. He violated the agreement during the second year of marriage; and therefore, owes our client for each year the marriage continued after the infidelity occurred, as set forth in the agreement. Dr. Cullen fulfilled her part of the agreement and has given him the marital property that is rightfully his from the first two years of the marriage and has even given him property that she was not required to give him. The amounts of money owed to Dr. Cullen are not arbitrary numbers; they are the specific amounts as set forth in the document Mr. Cullen signed. Our client is not asking for any additional funds. She simply wants what is owed to her with no reduction. Dr. Cullen has agreed to a reasonable payment plan if necessary."
Judge Aro said, "Thank you Counselors McCarty and Whitlock. Counselor Yorkie, do you have anything else to add or refute?"
Carlisle looked at his lawyer and shook his head. His lawyer stood up and said, "No, Your Honor."
Judge Aro nodded his head said, "Please give me a few minutes while I go over things and I'll make a judgment shortly."
Rosalie turned to me and asked, "You're doing okay, right?"
I nodded and replied, "I'm fine, Rose. I was worried Carlisle would throw a curveball and do something to delay this; but now I know it will all be over soon."
"You will definitely be a free woman for your date with Jake on Saturday," Alice added quietly.
"I'm falling in love with Edward. We spent all of our lunch yesterday talking about how I want Edward, not Jake. We were supposed to be talking about this court case and we barely said ten words regarding it. You know how I feel Alice; and I'm cancelling the date with Jake. I never should have accepted it when I was out with Edward. At the time I was happy to see an old friend and even though I knew I was accepting a date, it was an impulsive move that I never should have made. I never thought of it as a romantic date, but rather a chance to catch up with a friend. It's Edward that I want, and I'm not being stubborn and I'm not jumping into this too soon. I don't want to get into this again, especially not here and definitely not now," I hissed at her. I knew that my friends had my best interests at heart; but they weren't listening to what I wanted and I was frustrated with their interference.
Before she could reply, the judge cleared his throat. We all became quiet and turned to face him.
He sighed heavily and began to speak. "I looked over this petition before today and had pretty much made my decision based on what I read. The fact that Mr. Cullen isn't contesting the divorce and only the amount of money owed to Dr. Cullen makes it easy to decide. Now, regarding the money owed. There will be no reduction except for the $100 concession we discussed a few minutes ago. Dr. Cullen agreed to a reasonable payment plan and I believe that reasonable means four payments within the next four months. In addition to the amounts listed in the prenuptial agreement, I am ordering Mr. Cullen to pay for all court costs and to reimburse Dr. Cullen for any expenses she has incurred in this divorce process. That includes her lawyer fees, filing fees, and the costs to have Mr. Cullen's possessions carefully moved and stored. I have looked over the bank statements that were submitted and the money is currently in your accounts. If the money is not paid in full after four months, you will be in direct violation of a court order and your future wages will be garnished. Do you have any questions Mr. Cullen?" Carlisle shook his head without speaking.
Judge Aro glared at Carlisle and then said, "I've heard thousands of divorce cases over the years, some amicable, many unpleasant, some downright ugly. It's sometimes difficult to decide who gets what and what's actually fair. Normally this is a long, drawn out process of mediation and fighting. Your case is by far not the worst I've had to settle; however, Mr. Cullen, the way you treated your wife was despicable. If you had wanted to be with other women, you should have had the decency to divorce her eight years ago. If you had done that, you would not currently be in the position to owe her a quarter of a million dollars. I hereby grant the divorce as asked for Petitioner Isabella Marie Cullen. Dr. Cullen I wish you the best of luck in the future. Mr. Cullen, I believe you need to reevaluate your life and hopefully your future decisions will be better ones. This case is dismissed; please sign the divorce decree before you leave; the final copy will be mailed to you." Judge Aro stood from his seat behind the bench and disappeared through a door in the back of the courtroom.
Alice and Rosalie hugged me as soon as the judge was gone. While they gathered their papers and laptops, Carlisle signed the divorce decree. He glared at me as he scratched his name onto the document with more pressure than was necessary. After he threw the pen down, he grabbed his jacket and the forms handed to him by the court clerk, mumbled something to his lawyer and stormed out the door. Eric Yorkie shook as he gathered his own papers.
Alice walked over to him while I signed the decree. I overheard her ask, "You knew this was a case you couldn't win; why did you try to fight it at all?"
"I, I didn't want to fff…fffight it. But I'm, but I'm new to the firm and my boss assigned this to me. I, I told him you were the best and we, um, we wouldn't win. I never wanted to go against you and Counselor McCarty. I, I've been so nervous about facing you. I'm glad that, that he didn't have a leg to stand on, because I know that if I had to actually debate either of you, I wouldn't have stood a chance. I, I hope I never come up against you again. I, I think I should go now," Eric stuttered before picking up his briefcase and running out of the courtroom.
Alice turned toward Rosalie and me with a confused look on her face and asked, "Are we really that scary, Rose?" Rosalie nodded her head while laughing. Alice's face broke out into a broad, evil looking grin and she answered, "Good!"
"Let's go get a late breakfast. We need to celebrate!" I exclaimed.
That night, my first night as an officially single woman, I had my date that I had postponed with Ben and Jerry. We did everything I told Edward we were going to do. We placed the disgusting pint of Cherry Garcia on kitchen counter and went into the living room. We curled up on the couch under a fleece blanket and watched the newest Star Trek movie. A pint of Chocolate Therapy was consumed in the first half hour of the movie. When the movie was finished, Ben, Jerry, and I slowly poured the melted Cherry Garcia down the garbage disposal and took delight in the grinding noise it made when a chunk of chocolate fell into the spinning death trap. As the last pink swirl of melted cherry ice cream disappeared down the drain, I felt like I was washed completely clean of Carlisle.
I had just gone back into the living room to do some channel surfing when my cell phone rang.
I answered and said, "Hey Jake!"
"Hi Bella. How are you doing? I thought I'd wait to call you until today. Your divorce was final today, right? How did it go?" he asked sounding a little unsure.
"Yeah, I'm a free woman as of 9:30 this morning," I said giddily.
Jake laughed and said, "Wow, it sounds like it went well. I wish I had left my divorce sounding that happy; but that's neither here nor there. So, I have a confession."
"What do you mean?" I questioned, clearly confused.
Jake sighed heavily and I imagined him running his hands through his black hair. He paused before he said, "I met a woman this past Saturday and I think I'm falling in love with her."
"That's wonderful Jake!" I exclaimed.
"Are you sure you're not upset? I asked you out for Saturday night and now I'm dating someone else. I feel like the biggest asshole in the world," Jake told me. I could hear the anguish in his voice.
"Stop Jake. I'm really happy for you. I've been feeling horribly guilty about our date. I accepted your invitation while I was out for dinner with another man. At the time I thought it was a casual date with a colleague; but it turned into so much more. The only reason I didn't cancel with you right away was that Alice and Rose convinced me that in order to figure out if my feelings for Edward were real, I should see if I had any for you. They think I was just caught up in the excitement of being free from Carlisle; but I wasn't. Every moment that passes just convinces me more that he isn't a rebound and he's the right man for me. I'm pretty sure I love Edward, Jake."
"Edward, as in Edward Masen? The kicker at Northwestern? I thought I saw him at the restaurant that night. Man, I haven't spent time with him in a few years. His ex-wife Kate and Vanessa were sorority sisters and used to get together occasionally. He and I used to get along pretty well. Instead of cancelling this date completely, what do you say we make it a double date? I can call and change the reservation."
I smiled and answered, "Sure Jake; I think I'd like that, well as long as Edward isn't working. So, tell me about this girl that's capturing your heart."
He laughed and answered, "Her name's Angela and she's a high school math teacher. Rachel and I were at the children's museum on Saturday and I turned around for a second and she disappeared. I was frantically trying to find her. I was yelling her name and looking over and under everything I could find. I turned a corner and ran directly into a panicked woman. She was yelling for her son Marcus. Have you seen a brunette five year old boy wearing a bright orange shirt, jeans, and bright green shoes? she asked me. I told her no and asked her if she had seen a brunette four year old girl with pigtails, red leggings and a red and white polka dot shirt. She hadn't. We started to search together since we were moving in the same direction. We found them both holding hands and sitting on the floor listening to one of the museum's volunteers that was reading a story in one of the side rooms. Relieved to find them safe, we let them finish listening to the story and talked while we waited. Rachel and Marcus go to the same preschool and had run off to play together when they saw the other there. Angela and I spent the rest of the museum visit together and then she and her son joined Rachel and me for dinner at Rainforest Café. Then they came over to my condo afterwards and stayed until eleven. We spent Sunday together again and then she and I went out alone last night. It was an instant connection and it's like I've known her for years."
"You sound happy Jake," I replied.
"I am Bella; I really am happy," he laughed while he was talking.
We talked for a few more minutes before the conversation turned to our jobs.
"So, you're an anesthesiologist, right? And you work at Northwestern Memorial? How do you like it there?" Jake questioned.
I smiled and said, "I am, I do, and I love it. I work a lot and have some crazy shifts, but it's always different. You're in insurance, right? Where do you work?"
Jake mumbled his answer and I laughed. "Did you just say what I think you said?" I teased him.
"Yes," he answered sheepishly.
I snorted quietly as I asked, "What are you wearing, Jake from State Farm?"
"Oh fuck," Jake swore.
"What?" I asked in between the quiet giggles that were escaping.
Jake sighed heavily and said dejectedly, "I'm wearing khakis...and a red polo shirt." I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing. I was gasping for air as I pictured Jake looking exactly like the guy in the commercial. Before long, Jake joined in my laughter.
"Laugh it up; but I'll have you know, I am rocking the khakis and red polo shirt today. I look so good that I may just have to wear this outfit again on Saturday night," he teased.
"Oh, please no. I won't be able to look at you all night without laughing if you do. Please wear something else," I begged as my laughing faded slightly.
Jake gave me an over-exaggerated sigh as if I was really putting him out and said, "Fine. If you insist. I have to go now, Bella. Rachel's yelling for me from her bed. I'll text you the name and address of the restaurant and Angela and I'll see you and Edward there at 7 on Saturday. Good night, Bella."
"Night Jake," I answered before the call ended.
Shit, shit, shit, I thought when I turned off the alarm on my phone after it sounded Wednesday morning. The notification on the screen read, Mystery Date 10 am. I had completely forgotten about the coffee date I had arranged from the dating website I had joined. I had arranged the date a couple of days after I signed up for the site and a week before I went out for pizza with Edward and I had been extremely tired at the time I replied to the message. After my date with Edward, I had focused only on him and put the other meeting completely out of my mind. When the alarm rang, I had two hours to get ready and arrive at the café. I didn't want to go; but it was way too late to message the guy to get out of the date. I didn't want to take the chance of him arriving at the café only to be stood up because I forgot to contact him earlier. I didn't know who he was; but I knew that he didn't deserve to be treated that way by me.
That first message he sent, the one that made me want to take a chance with meeting him, made me realize that I had to show up if only to prove to him that not all women were going to treat him poorly. I got ready quickly and traveled to the café across from Alice and Rosalie's office. I chose a corner table in the busy café, ordered a coffee from the waitress, and then displayed a sign with my login name on it and sat there nervously. Only five minutes passed before I chickened out, flattened the sign on the table, and pulled out a pad of paper from my briefcase to write him a note. I signaled to my waitress and when she came over, I explained to her my situation. She was more than willing to help me. She took the note from me and I continued to sit at my table with my back to the door. I pulled out a book to read as I waited. I was going to wait in the café until the waitress told me he was gone and then I would leave too. I was curious to see if he would actually come or not. As I sat there I thought about how I got myself into that predicament.
Almost two weeks had passed since I had received the first message from him. I had worked a long shift and was exhausted, but decided to check my email before I went to bed that night. There were two emails alerting me that I had messages on the website where I created the dating profile when I was trying to figure out what I wanted in a relationship. I signed into the website and read the two messages.
Dear Bellissimo_Cigno,
I've been registered on this site for two years and have gone on one horrible date. It has been almost as long since I last logged in and I forgot about it until a colleague mentioned dating sites. I came online today to delete my profile. When I started to unsubscribe, I got a message that tried to entice me to stay. It was my latest match…to you. I almost clicked the x in the corner of the window to close the message; but I paused. Your profile wasn't boasting your accomplishments or begging for a date. You didn't have a scantily clad picture showing; but rather no picture at all appeared. You weren't asking for adventures; but rather looking for honesty and friendship.
I'll be honest with you, beautiful swan, I'm divorced and in my mid-thirties. I have no children, though I definitely want some. I love my job and even though I work long and sometimes odd hours; I wouldn't trade a minute of it. I've never contacted anyone on this site before…that one horrible date I went on nearly two years ago was with a woman that aggressively pursued me based on my profile picture. I thought I would give her a chance and the date was over in less than ten minutes. That must make me sound like a loser. What it came down to was that she lied to me and we had nothing in common. Because of her I removed my picture from my profile.
I could list everything I like; but that's what my profile is for. If you're not completely turned off by me yet, please read my profile. I'd love to meet for coffee if you're at all interested. I'm still planning on unsubscribing from this site; but I'll wait for your response before I do.
Taking one more chance,
JR1234
I smiled after I read JR1234's email. I looked through his profile and he seemed like a nice guy; a guy I might actually like. The second message was sent not long after the other one.
Dear Bellissimo_Cigno,
Your profile came up as a match for mine. I've been burned before by women that are supposedly my perfect match; but I keep trying to find a woman that I will like. I'm divorced and 35 years old; I have no children and I'm not really sure if I want any. I've had the opportunity to look at your profile; but you don't have a picture. Can you send me one so I can know if you're someone I want to date?
MyNameIsBond
I immediately replied to the second message and said that I wasn't interested, that I didn't want to date someone who would judge me worthy or not based on my picture. It's like judging a book by its cover and I hated people that did that.
The first message though? It seemed so honest that I couldn't help but reply in kind.
Dear JR1234,
Thank you for your message. I was never actually expecting anyone to contact me on this site. I joined two days ago hoping it would help me to figure out what I was looking for in a relationship, rather than to find an actual date. Your response intrigued me though. I looked over your profile and I have to admit that we seem like a great match. I like the mystery of not knowing what you look like before a date; as you've obviously noticed, I also have no picture on my profile. I want you to know that looks don't matter to me. It's all about making a connection. I hope that doesn't make you think I'm hideous and avoiding sending you my picture just so you won't run for the hills. I'm not a model or anything; but I like to think I'm relatively pretty.
I'm nervous about meeting someone I don't know; but I'm not afraid to take a chance. I have a lot going on in the next couple of weeks; would you be willing to meet Wednesday the seventh at 10 am at Espresso Café downtown? We can each have a sign with our login names displayed so we know who we're meeting.
Sincerely,
Bellissimo_Cigno
The reply came the next morning and simply stated, I'd love to meet you on the seventh, Bellisimo_Cigno. ~ JR1234
I fiddled with the corner of the sign I made and hoped that JR1234 wouldn't come looking for me before he got my note. I tried not to look toward the door as it opened and closed repeatedly with the change of customers. I didn't want to seem like I was waiting for anyone. I attempted to read my book; but I couldn't focus.
I worried my lip as I thought about the note I had just written and I wondered if it had been delivered, or if it would remain with the waitress.
Dear JR1234
I didn't stand you up, I swear. I'm here; but please read the rest of this note before you look for me.
Since I value honesty above all else, I need to be completely honest with you. I went on a date the other night with a man I've known for years and he made me feel things I didn't realize I could feel. My friends told me that I owed it to him to make sure my feelings for him were real and not impulsive; they suggested I go out with someone else. At first I agreed with them because I didn't want to hurt Edward; but the more that I've thought about it, the more I've come to realize that everything I'm feeling for him is real. I'm telling you this not as an excuse to avoid meeting you; but rather to let you know that my heart is already gone. I'm in love. I completely forgot about this date until this morning and it was too late to message you to cancel. I'm sorry that your one last chance on the site was taken on me; and that by not contacting you sooner, I'm probably confirming in your mind that all women are horrible.
I'm sorry I wasted your time today and had you travel all the way here just to find out that there would be no date. I wish you the best of luck in finding the one meant for you; you seem like a nice, honest guy and some woman out there will be lucky to find you. Don't give up on love because of two bad online dating experiences.
Sincerely,
Bellissimo_Cigno
The waitress appeared beside my table with a carafe of coffee in order to refill my cup. She slid a letter in front of me and walked away without saying a word.
I picked it up and without glancing around first, unfolded it and began to read.
Dear Bellissimo_Cigno,
I'm a jackass. I've fallen in love with a woman I've known for years and I forgot all about our date until last night. I deleted my dating profile after arranging this meeting with you, forgetting that it was my only link to you. Once I realized that I could no longer meet you, I was unable to tell you. My account wasn't retrievable and I didn't have the time to subscribe again just to find you and message you. I felt I owed it to you to at least show up and let you know that not all guys are jerks and that online dating might still be right for you. I didn't want your first date to be as horrible as mine was; but by not even giving you a chance, I'm pretty much ensuring that it is as horrible as mine was.
I hope you're able to find love with someone else. I'm sorry that it won't be me, but my heart belongs to another cigno.
Sincerely,
JR1234
I smiled and folded the note in half again. I sighed in relief and picked up my coffee cup. I took a sip and set it down only a second before a piece of cardstock with the name JR1234 slid in front of me. My breath hitched when I read the name. My eyes darted up as a man sat down in the chair across from me. He stared at me with a soft smile while my hand flew to cover my mouth and my eyes started to fill with tears. He reached across the table and cupped my cheek in his hand. I leaned into his large, warm hand and moved my hand from my mouth to grasp his. "Do you really?" I managed to whisper.
"Yes, my beautiful swan. Yes, I love you. Do you really?" he whispered back to me.
I nodded my head. His other hand found my other cheek and before I had time to blink, he leaned across the table and his lips were on mine. I once again I lost all track of my surroundings as I got lost in Edward's kiss. It was the sound of a chair from a nearby table scraping loudly against the floor that brought me down to earth again. I pulled back from the kiss and stared into Edward's green eyes. "Yes, I love you Edward," I was finally able to say.
He settled back into his chair; but his hands remained clasped in mine. "Is it too soon?" he asked with an uneasy look on his face.
I shook my head and then told him everything I had been thinking. "Just over a month ago I was married and ignorant of the biggest problems in my marriage. I wasn't happy though. Then I found out that not only was I unhappy, but I was also being screwed over by the man that was supposed to be everything to me. But he wasn't everything to me and he hadn't been for a very, very long time. I never felt for Carlisle what I feel for you Edward. Rose and Alice keep trying to tell me that I need to be single to figure out what I want. I've already figured out what I want and it's you. You're not a rebound. To me a rebound relationship is a relationship that comes too quickly after a divorce and is used as a distraction to avoid the pain that came from said divorce. There is no pain from my divorce. It's in the past and I'm moving forward.
Time-wise, yes, it's fast. But whose timeline are we supposed to follow? Are we supposed to dance around each other for six months and then go on a date so that it appears I've healed from my divorce? After that date, are we supposed nervously wait a week to do it again? Then after that second date finally kiss? Then maybe after another four or five months it might be okay to admit we have strong feelings for one another? Then wait another two years and finally get married? Who gets to tell us when we can and cannot do something in our lives?
Moving fast doesn't mean that it's wrong or that it won't work. My parents met, dated, and got married all within two months. They were happily married for thirty-two years when they were killed in a car accident four years ago. I don't know if you remember that accident but you showed more honest sympathy for me than my own husband did. You were with me when I got the news and you held me while I cried until Alice and Rose arrived. Granted you called me Dr. Cullen and not Bella; but there was compassion that Carlisle never offered me. Sure he was there for me; but he wasn't the person I ran to when I was upset and he should have been, instead it was Alice and Rose.
We know each other Edward and we've known each other for years. We have similarities and we have differences. We practically wrote the same letter to cancel this date with who we thought was a stranger. We work well together and we enjoy spending time together. We don't know everything about each other; but I want to learn. Is it too soon? For another couple, maybe. For us? No, I don't think it's too soon. Do you?"
I held my breath after my Hamlet-like soliloquy. The right corner of Edward's mouth lifted in a sexy, easy smirk. "I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks about the timeline of our relationship. I love you. I'm all in, Bella."
I gave him a huge smile in return and said, "Me too." We sat and stared at one another quietly until I asked, "Why was your login name JR1234?"
Edward smiled sheepishly and answered, "I wasn't that creative when I made it. My father is Edward Sr. so I chose Jr. and some numbers. I didn't want anything that actually identified me. I liked your name Bellissimo_Cigno, beautiful swan. It is so fitting. I want to take you out; but I'm on for the next forty-eight hours starting at one. I should actually get going; I have some paperwork I need to do before my shift. Do you have to work today?"
I nodded and replied, "I have the same schedule. Maybe we can spend our down time together. How would you feel about a double date with Jacob Black and his new girlfriend? I was supposed to go out with him on Saturday; but we both canceled on each other. I told him all about you and he told me all about Angela. There's this new Japanese restaurant and he asked if we wanted to join him and Angela. I was planning on asking you today at work if I saw you."
Edward tipped his side to side as he thought about it and finally answered, "Yeah, I guess that will be okay. I'd like the night alone with you; but it's been awhile since I've seen Jake."
"Great! Well, I need to run across the street and see Alice before I go to work. She said she had some files for me and something I needed to sign. Are you scheduled to do the spinal fusion at four today?" I asked.
Edward nodded and said, "Yeah, I have the last pre-op appointment right at one. The tumor she had was removed three days ago and she's having some scans done this morning to ensure that everything was removed. She's choosing to do the bone graft since she's young and the donor bone will likely be the best chance she has to help stimulate the growth of healthy bone. The surgery should be relatively easy. Maybe I can buy you dinner in the cafeteria afterwards." He added a wink at the end.
"That sounds like a plan Edward. This morning has been so different than I thought it would be and I'm incredibly glad that it was. I never imagined that you would be the one I was meeting today. Alice is going to go crazy when I tell her this story. Hopefully I'm not late for work. I'll see you at the hospital," I said as I put some money on the table to pay for my coffee and tip and then stood up from my chair. Edward helped me with my jacket and then walked me outside the cafe. He gave me another toe-curling kiss and then walked down the street to the parking garage where he had parked his car.
I watched him walk until he blended into the crowd on the sidewalk and then I crossed the street to go to the law office. I had barely stepped inside the door to the building when Alice flew into the lobby and practically tackled me with the force with which she grabbed onto me.
"What the hell was that Isabella? I happened to glance out my window and I saw you wrapped all around a man. You're supposed to have a date with Jake on Saturday, you swear you only want Edward, and now I see you making out with some guy in the middle of one of the busiest sidewalks in Chicago. In the middle of winter no less. Are you trying to make up for lost time by dating anyone that's male with a pulse? I'm glad Rose and I told you not to commit yourself to Edward because obviously you aren't ready for that kind of commitment. Rebound relationships aren't good Bella. Maybe you'll get some hot, sweaty sex out of it, but that's it. How many guys have there been? Did you even know his name? You've always thought through your decisions; you've never been impulsive. When you make a choice, you commit yourself to it completely. Throwing yourself at random men isn't you Bella. Are you trying to get back at Carlisle somehow?" Alice was practically yelling at me and we were getting a lot of stares from the others in the lobby.
I glared down at my best friend and crossed my arms across my chest. "Alice Whitlock! You're the best litigator in the city; you come in this tiny, unassuming package and steamroll over everyone you go up against. But right now, you're forgetting the first rule you ever learned…the one that saved our asses when we were children and our parents would accuse us of something. Innocent until proven guilty—you need to gather all of your facts first and then make your accusations. You and Rose have been telling me that I need to date to figure out what I want and to see if I really want to be with Edward.
Do you want to know what you just witnessed Alice? Before the best date of my life last week with Edward, I set up a blind date through a dating website. I knew nothing about him other than that according to the website and a few messages we sent to one another we were a perfect match. I completely forgot about the date until this morning. I've fallen in love with Edward and I came to the café to gently let down the man I had arranged to meet. I wrote him a letter that the waitress delivered to him. He had written me a letter also; and they both practically said the same thing, that we had each fallen in love with someone else and wished the other the best of luck. Imagine my surprise when the man sat down in front of me. It was Edward, Alice. He's the man I've fallen in love with, he was my perfect match blind date, he was the man you saw me kissing, and he's the only one I am dating right now.
Jake canceled on me, much to my relief, because he too has met someone. I don't want to see anyone else. Dating him is not a decision I made on whim; Edward is not a rebound. And my relationship with him has absolutely nothing to do with Carlisle. Carlisle is my past and Edward is my present and my future. You can either be happy for me and support my new relationship, or you can choose not to. But if you choose not to support me, I don't want to hear a negative word about my life; because it is my life Alice," I seethed at her. I had managed to keep my voice low enough that the other people in the lobby had moved on from witnessing our exchange.
Alice stood completely still in front of me. Her jaw had dropped open and her eyes were wide. The look on Alice's face told me that she knew she had made a mistake and that she was in shock. "We support you. What you just said proves that you know what you want and we're just meddling. We want you to be happy, Bella. And I can already see how happy Edward makes you. You're passionate about him in ways that you never were with Carlisle. Every time you say his name, even if it's in the middle of reaming out Alice, your face lights up. You really are in love," Rosalie said from my left. I hadn't realized that she had arrived in the lobby, probably right after Alice, and had heard everything. Alice was still frozen in front of me. I continued to start at her and her eyes filled with tears as she finally thawed.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "of course we support you. I didn't mean to jump all over you like that; I'm just trying to protect you. I don't want you to get hurt again and I was worried that was going to happen. I'm sorry."
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. I gestured to Rosalie and she joined us. I kissed both of their foreheads and took a step back. "Thank you both. Edward and I know everything is happening fast; but it works for us. We've known each other for years, we're good for one another, and we both want the same things," I told them.
"Alright, that's enough emotional crap for the day. Let's go upstairs and take care of business so you can get to work on time. Carlisle apparently arranged a payment plan with the court for what he owes you and the first check was delivered today. We have some paperwork for you to fill out so that future checks can be direct deposited," Rosalie said with a wink. We all went upstairs and within ten minutes, I was walking to my car so I could make a stop at my bank before I went to work. Even after a stressful start to my day, everything had turned out for the best and I was looking forward to the future.
A/N: So most of you had some really strong opinions against a Bella/Jake/Edward triangle—I loved the passionate response! I guess I did something right to get a reaction! I'm sure some of you will have some problems with Bella moving on to Edward so soon after her divorce. Stephenie Meyer created a Bella that fell in love with Edward quickly. My Bella has known Edward on some level, (acquaintance, friend, colleague) for even longer than she knew Carlisle. Edward will not be a rebound relationship. For the most part, the drama portion of this story is finished!
I love hearing from you and love getting feedback—it helps me write a better story for you! Once again, in order to help you review I will give you a multiple choice survey and all you have to do is type the letter you like best in the box below (yes you can pick more than one)!
My favorite part was:
A) None of it: Bella should have called off the divorce and given poor Carlisle another chance.
B) Eric Yorkie stuttering in fear of Alice and Rosalie.
C) Cherry Garcia's definitive disposal.
D) "What are you wearing, Jake from State Farm?"
E) JR1234 and Bellissimo_Cigno's cute meet.
F) Bella standing up for herself against Alice.
G) None of it: Bella should give up on relationships and get a few cats.
H) (Tell me your favorite part!)
Thank you all so much!
