Sorry for the slight delay, but thanks for still being here! I appreciate each and every one of you, and I love to hear your opinions and feedback.
Planning on also updating Choices this weekend, if not tonight, so stay tuned if you're interested! Also I've been a little MIA on facebook lately but hopefully I get out of that funk. If you don't have me on facebook and would like you, my fanfic profile is Cynosure Fanfic. See you there!
… …
"This is the happiest I've ever been," Bella said quietly, looking over her shoulder at me bashfully while she checked on the cookies she had in the oven. "Thank you."
I smiled, wishing that things could stay this way forever. But our three weeks alone together was quickly coming to a close, and I think we both knew that things had to change. We couldn't keep up with how we'd been living once Mr. Hunter returned to the estate.
"You're welcome. But a thank you isn't necessary, Bella. I've really enjoyed the past few weeks as well. It's been so great spending time with you. You mean a lot to me," I said honestly. "I'll miss this."
"So will I," she replied sadly, turning around to face me. "Really, Edward…I don't think I could do this without you. Your support…and your friendship, mean everything to me."
"Bella…" I swallowed thickly, wondering if now was the right time to get this off my chest. "You mean everything to me. I hope you know that." I held eye contact with her, feeling like my heart was about to explode right out of my chest. "I'm more than happy to be here for you, because there's nowhere I'd rather be. Really. I mean that. And just as an employee, or even just as a friend...I hope I'm not completely out of line, but you're more than that to me."
She stared at me for a moment, but she didn't look confused. She looked…sad. It made me feel even worse.
"I…I think you know how I feel," she finally said, her voice barely a whisper. "At least I hope you do. But Edward…I'm…I'm married. And not just to anyone, I'm married to him and you have to understand that he will never let me go. I won't ever be free."
"Let me help you. If you want me to, that is. Just say the word, and I'll figure something out. I swear to you."
… …
"Edward, can I see you in my office?"
Mr. Hunter had already been home for an hour, but I hadn't seen him until now because his first order of business upon coming home was to disappear into the master bedroom…with his wife.
Now, he stood before me, an expectant look on his face.
"Yeah, sure," I replied, pushing my work to the side and getting up from my desk. "How was your trip?" I asked as I followed him out of my office and down the hall into his.
"Very productive, thank you," he answered, gesturing for me to take a seat across from him at the desk. "I'm going to need you to look over the contracts we secured and type them up into a report. "Riley will send you the information you need. I'll want that done by the end of the week. And I'll also need you to sit in on my meeting with one of my real estate brokers on Wednesday."
I just nodded, waiting for him to get to the point- the real reason he had wanted to talk to me. I had a feeling that it wasn't about business.
"Did everything run smoothly while I was gone?" He asked, and ah, there it was.
"Perfectly," I answered. "No problems."
The corner of his mouth curled up in what was probably supposed to be a smile but just looked like a sneer. "I find it hard to believe that Mrs. Hunter didn't give you any problems, but okay. "Let's go over what she kept herself 'busy' with while I was gone."
I shifted uncomfortably, wishing that 1) this man wasn't my boss and 2), that he wasn't married to someone as wonderful as Bella.
"Edward," Mr. Hunter said sternly. "Don't forget that you are my employee, not hers. You owe her nothing, and protecting her won't do her, or you, any good. I know my wife. I know how she is- believe me, that woman has already given me a lifetime of trouble. You can tell me. What kind of trouble did she get into this time?"
"None," I said firmly, but then quickly realized that wasn't the way to get him off my back- or hers. "She did a whole lot of nothing," I added. "Sat around and tried to sweet talk me into giving her one of the credit cards so that she could online shop. She said it was for the baby, but…"
He laughed, and I felt sick. "Well, you were probably right not to trust her. She's always up to something, that one. I swear, she would spend me into the poorhouse if I let her." He chuckled again, but then leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. "Give me a rundown of what she did do," he demanded.
I did so, trying to be honest while also trying to protect Bella. He seemed satisfied with my answers, even when I admitted that I had brought her with me to a neighborhood block party. He didn't seem to care about anything that I told him- he just seemed like he was obsessed with control, desperate to know every detail of what had gone on in his absence.
I had meant it when I had promised Bella that I would help her. I just didn't know how yet.
… …
Frustrated, I slammed the door to my apartment shut behind me.
I was stuck. Mr. Hunter had been home for three days, and I'd only see Bella once in that time. And that one time, she had unsuccessfully been trying to hide a split lip.
It made me want to destroy him. When I first got this job, I had thought that I would come to idolize James Hunter. He was a genius businessman, and had accomplished so much before he had even turned fifty. But then I came to know the man he really was, not the false reputation that the business world had bestowed upon him. He wasn't a man. He was a coward, one who hid behind his reputation and abused his wife- the woman who was carrying his child.
And he obviously felt that he was above the law, based on what Bella had told me before. I had been pouring over information on the internet, trying to figure out how I could go about this. It was dangerous to point a finger at someone like James Hunter without proof. And without Bella's cooperation, I didn't really have any proof to give. I didn't want to take away her choice in the matter and force her into something that she didn't want to do.
Things would be a lot easier if James Hunter would just drop dead.
… …
The next few weeks passed slowly. Mr. Hunter had given me a lot of work to do, but it didn't escape my notice that Bella was being more reclusive than before. When our paths did cross, she smiled at me and made me feel like she still cared. But she spent most of her time in their bedroom, because Mr. Hunter had been conducting all of his business from home.
We caught a break when he was asked to speak at a presentation for the business school that I had just graduated from months before- a presentation that would take up most of his day.
As soon as he left the house, I took the stairs upstairs two at a time, and quickly found myself at the doorway to the master bedroom.
I knocked, but there was no answer. I pressed my ear to the door for a moment, but heard nothing. And when I cracked the door open, all the lights were off and the room was uninhibited.
A hunch struck me, and I hurried down the hall and towards the room that had been designated as the nursery. Sure enough, the door was open and there was Bella, sitting in the rocking chair by the picture window. She looked lost in thought, and didn't even seem to realize that I had stepped into the room.
"Bella," I said quietly, hating the way she jumped in shock, and maybe fear. "It's just me," I said soothingly, stepping towards her. "He's gone for the day. Won't be back until four."
She was up out of the chair and into my arms in an instant, and I felt tears wet the front of my shirt. "Shh," I murmured. "It's okay."
"I can't do this," she cried, not letting go of me. "Edward, I can't do this."
"Yes you can. It'll be okay. I promise," I said. "We'll figure something out."
She pulled away slightly, and I saw that her split lip hadn't even healed properly- if anything, it looked even worse than before. "Now," she begged. "I can't…I can't bring a child into this world. His world."
"Can I call the police?" I asked quietly, and she looked more conflicted that I would have thought. I thought that she'd be more than eager to turn her husband in and let me help her through it. But she didn't look so sure.
And honestly, I didn't entirely blame her. She'd been with him for ten years. She was pregnant with his baby. And he was James Hunter
"I'll try and figure something else out," I promised, not waiting any longer for her to answer. "But if something else happens…Bella, you have to call the police. I won't stand back and watch him hurt you. God, Bella, he could…he could kill you."
She cried even harder, and while I knew that hadn't been the right thing to say, I didn't regret it. I needed her to realize how serious I was, and now serious this whole situation was. And then, I realized something. She didn't even have to say it. The baby, her first pregnancy…she hadn't lost it from natural causes. That's why she was so afraid, and rightfully so.
And then I knew. I would kill James Hunter if I had to.
… …
Dun dun dun.
Hoping to update again this weekend- keeping my fingers crossed!
Also, side note. So although Bella's relationship with her husband is obviously horrible, and he's a psychopath, romance between ExB isn't going to heat up until she is no longer in that marriage. Just wanted to give you all a warning about that if you're wondering where the romance is right now. It's coming, I promise. And again, I'll promise that there is HEA in the future for these two!
One more note- JxB is an abusive relationship. Emotionally, verbally, and physically. As a student of psychology, I've had the opportunity to learn a lot about the psychological implications of such a relationship. It's not normal, and it's not easy to walk away from. Bella is the victim here, and she's dealing with a lot. And it's not just the abuse- she's also pregnant by the man who is abusing her and is dealing with that and natural pregnancy hormones. End rant. Just wanted to point that out again : )
