Chapter 8
"Do you own this building?" Bella gets out and looks around standing outside of the car.
"Yeah…sort of"
She smiles moving to the back to get Chris out and all of his stuff.
"I'll get him" Edward tells her opening the back door.
"How do you sort of own a building?" She questions. "Thank you" She says of him handing her Chris's bag and for taking him. Her arms are not as…sculpted as his. Licking her bottom lip she stares at him lost for a moment.
Holding Chris in his carrier she looks at her. "I don't know" Edward admits, he doesn't like to talk about everything he has. "Let's go to the restaurant"
"This is amazing" She sips her wine. Chris is really being well behaved. "I am a bit shocked to see you out of the suit"
"I get down and dirty…hunting?"
"Oh how could I forget" She rolls her eyes.
"I don't know" Edward laughs. "I am rather musical also, so I hunt and can sing"
"Really?" She chews; her eyes widen to look at him.
"Yes, I am a man of many talents.
"It seems so"
"Have you been singing to him?"
"No, I can't sing, I can however dance" Bella sticks her finger at him.
"Well"
"No I won't dance for you, that is between Chris and I"
Edward laughs a hearty laugh. "Well I only sing to my dog, but I do dance, with women"
"You have a dog?" Bella frowns, she didn't expect that, or the singing really. Totally ignoring his dancing comment.
"Yes, George"
"Oh" She didn't peg him as an animal man, just really an animal killing man. Well not really that either.
"You will meet him, we are going up after lunch" Edward tells her.
"To your apartment…you live in this building?" This building is amazing, just amazing. They passed a few shops in the lobby area, underground parking, this restaurant, it is very posh she imagines it is crazy expensive to live here. But since he owns the place not so much for him.
"Yeah, top floor, but the main stop will be floor 6"
"And what is on the 6th floor?" Bella questions checking Joe in his carrier in the chair next to her.
"My older sister Alice's apartment"
"Am I going to be meeting her?"
"You will like her" Edward says after nodding indicating she will be meeting Alice.
"Why"
"Why will you like her?" He plays coy. Laughing a bit he rubs his chin.
"No" Bella makes a face at him. "Why will I be meeting her?"
"She manages the building; she lives in the building mangers apartment but is moving to the 8th floor with her fiancée…today"
Bella knows what he is saying.
"So her place will be empty until I find a new building manager"
"If you are saying I should move in there Edward, I could never, no" She shakes her head.
"Aren't you looking for a place to live?"
"Yes, but look at this place, I could never afford to even think about living here"
"We will find a number you can work with" He assures her.
"No Edward" Bella shakes her head standing her ground.
"Come see the apartment with me, talk to Alice"
"But you live here, right?"
"I do"
"I don't want to feel like I owe you anything"
"First off I don't need to flaunt my building to get women, or dates or whatever you are slyly implying, and secondly this is between you and Alice"
Edward carries Chris's carrier up in the elevator.
Getting off she is taken back by the really amazing looking décor of this building right from the outside. This floor, she imagines all the floors, looks amazing, it is so posh and classy.
He knocks twice to the apartment door.
"Hi, you made it" Alice opens it and smiles at her little brother.
"Hey" Edward and Alice share a cheek kiss.
"You must be Bella, come in, come in"
Bella is taken back by this welcome; she is almost pulled into the apartment.
"Is this Christian?" Alice looks at the baby. "Give that carrier to me, you are shaking him"
Edward looks down and continues the little jig he has going on. "He likes it"
Alice gives Bella a look.
"This is my bossy sister Alice" He wraps an arm around her shoulder.
Bella can see the similarities between them. Dark hair, fair skin, blue eyes slender nose. The only difference is the height; Edward is very tall and slender. Alice is slender but short. "Hi" Bella smiles and looks around it is right out of a magazine. "It is nice to meet you" She extends her hand. Which is the most wrong thing to do to a Cullen.
"Oh no hands" Alice smiles, a cheeky smile. "We are huggers; didn't you tell her we are huggers?" She steps out of the arm around her shoulder embrace her brother has on her and hugs Bella with both arms.
"Didn't come up in conversation, with all the 'no meat' talk" Edward gives Bella a smile as she widens her eyes over his sister's shoulder.
"Edward did fill me in" She pulls back and smiles. "It is wonderful what you are doing here for your sister"
Bella smiles because she doesn't know what to say. "Thank you" Bella says the only thing she can think of.
"So I have read up on you Bella Swan, you are an amazing writer" Alice says. "Would you like a drink?"
"Yes, please" Bella glances at Edward, it is almost like a support thing, which is funny because she doesn't need support from him. "This place is decorated beautifully" It is very rich looking, vibrant even.
"One of my best friend did it, it likes to use colour and focal pieces" Alice says. "Mango tea or peach raspberry?"
"Mango" Bella says glancing at Edward who sets a sleeping Chris on the short coffee table in his seat.
"Edward?"
"Do you have any tea flavored tea; you know I can't stand that flavored stuff"
"No" Alice grumbles and gives Bella an eye roll.
Smiling Bella sips her glass of mango flavored ice-tea.
"All of my brothers don't think the couch is big enough"
Bella remembers from her Google of the Cullen family. Emmett, Alistair, Alice, and Edward Cullen.
"It's not" Edward comes up standing next to Bella who is on a bar stool at the island counter. "It's not" He says this time looking at Bella.
Bella smiles at the small quibble between siblings.
"They don't think the couch is big enough unless it is the side of a flat bed truck" Alice points out. "Have you been up to his apartment?"
Bella looks at Edward it is sort of an awkward moment. "No" There is again no reason for it to be awkward, but it is. "I really love teas" Bella throws in.
Edward looks at her profile as she rubs her hands around her tall thin glass of cold tea.
"Do you?"
"I am a collector; can you be a tea collector?" Bella says making a face.
Alice laughs. "I am sure you can, do you have a fancy little holder?"
"It is actually big, I have over 70 types of teas in there"
"Really, I would love to see it"
"It is in LA unfortunately"
"Where you normally live?" Alice questions, she does already know.
"Yes, I will be going back in three months"
Edward shares a look with his sister that Bella doesn't see. He sort of feels that this could be longer than a three month situation.
"Well for the time being, Edward tells me you are looking for a place for you and Chris"
"Alice, if you are suggesting" She sort of already knew from Edward. "Chris and I stay here; I couldn't, let alone afford it"
"Here is the deal, I never paid a dime for this apartment since it came with the job" As it was part of her deal with Edward, she manages the building and lives there. "So I would never ask you to pay anything, as it will go empty for a while"
"I couldn't" Bella shakes her head. "I wouldn't feel right"
"I am moving upstairs with Jasper, my things are already there, so we still have an empty apartment, you and Chris should stay here for the next few months, just taking care of your own utilities" Alice says with a shrug like 'it is as simple as that'
"I couldn't take it for free" Bella says.
"I don't need the money, so anything you pay me would be a symbol gesture, use that money for Chris" Alice again as 'it is as simple as that'
Bella nibbles her lower lip.
"She is very persistent like you" He points out getting a semi-glare from Bella, which only makes him smile.
"Why don't you turn it into property revenue?" Bella wonders why not just make it a rentable apartment.
"We have thought about it, when Jasper and I get married we will want to start a family"
"A man who actually wants a child" Bella grumbles a bit, her own situation rearing its ugly head.
Alice just smiles before continuing. "So we will need a new building manager, therefore this unit will need to be free, SO in the mean time you take it!" She insists again with a grin.
Bella lowers her eyes for a moment and looks over to Chris on the table sleeping in his carrier. She is tired, and doesn't want to have to go and look for a place, paying another night in the hotel, or more than one. "I can't believe you are willing to do this for a stranger"
"You aren't a stranger" Alice smiles. "We have hugged, now you are practically one of the family"
Bella smiles and shrugs her shoulders. "I guess I have to stay now"
"Finally it is settled" Edward says hitting his hand on the counter top.
"Not long ago, I was in a tough spot" Alice admits, very serious now.
Bella stares at her.
"And Edward helped me, giving me a job and a place to live"
"I needed cheap labour" Edward comments.
Alice just rolls her eyes. She knows he is trying to lighten the mood or gravity of the situation that was, and that's okay. "I want to keep the good karma flowing"
Edward looks at Bella.
"I'll leave you two to lock up" Alice moves around the counter/island and kisses Edward soundly on the cheek, before turning to Bella. "Great meeting you neighbor"
Bella smiles watching her leave.
"You don't get help usually do you" It was not really a question, more of a statement; he can see she was completely uncomfortable with all of this.
"No" Bella admits. "I am independent and self sufficient"
"I see this; it is not a bad thing to get help, to ask for help"
Bella stares at him. "I really like Alice" Bella informs him.
Smiling he licks his lips. "I knew you would"
"What happened to her?"
"Her last boyfriend was an asshole, it was bad, but she is out of that, moved on Jasper is a great guy, for her to her" Edward nods really to himself assuring himself in some way that it is over.
"Good, she seems really wonderful"
"Great older sister" Edward says.
"This is" She looks around the lavishly furnished apartment. "Not my life, I don't fit in here, I don't belong here"
"Where do you belong, back in LA with Jacob?"
"Yes"
"It seems he doesn't think so" He knew before it left his mouth that wasn't a fair shot to take at her.
"That was a cheap shot" Bella says before turning her head away from him and looking forward.
"The people in the building are like everyone else, some are nice, some aren't, and some are smart some aren't"
She turns to look at him.
"You will get on just fine, and make friends"
"I won't be here long enough to make friends" She is sticking on her guns and that is that.
"How are you going to get your thing from LA?"
"I guess I could ask Jake to box them and ship them up, I don't have much"
Chris starts to cry. Both of them turn and look at the tiny baby in the carrier.
"Food and diaper time" Bella says sliding from the stool.
"You stay here and sort him; I will go to the hotel and check you out"
"The car" She tells him.
"I will have it dropped back at the rental place"
"I need a car"
"I have a car you can use while here"
"No Edward" Bella lifts Chris and shakes her head.
"Well are you going to rent a car for three months?"
"No, but" She frowns.
"I have a car; I will have the keys sent up to you when I get it dropped off in the parking downstairs"
"Edward" She moves to get his formula.
"Help when needed"
Sighing softly she looks at him as he opens the formula for her and sorts it out. She holds Chris and watches him get the bottle ready. "Thank you" She is speaking for lunch, the apartment, the car.
He says nothing while finishing fixing the bottle. He lets her sort out heating it. "I will be back, after I check you out and sort out the cars"
"Thank you" She tells him again as he heads out of the door. Looking at a calm Chris she sighs. "He is like an angel" Bella mutters to the baby.
