All normal disclaimers still apply.
Chapter 9
The weeks of November has passed by swiftly, with Emmett and Bella now going between both of the houses. I'm not able so see as much of Bella as I'd like. My feelings for her are still increasing and I miss her terribly. Often I have asked Emmett to ask her to come to dinner, just so I can see and talk to her.
Emmett's always pleased when I ask, and has often let it slip that she has been looking and sounding down. Knowing it is big headed of me to think that I'm the reason for her sadness, but I do in fact think she's missing me.
In Bella's absence Emmett and I have been able to spend quality time together which is the only positive thing to come out of Bella withdrawing herself from me. Feeling as if our father and son bond is almost back to where it was before Bella entered our life.
As for Tia, we have gone out on four more dates since Halloween. Where I've had a good time—a great time in fact—I'm certain that all Tia and I have is a friendship between us and nothing more. It's a shame as Tia is a very nice woman, and If Bella wasn't in my life, I know she would've been the type of woman I'd settle down with.
"That's fifteen for my team, your team is still on ten," Emmett says sounding a little out of breath.
Smirking at him a little, I can't help but taunt him back. "Em, my team is twice your teams age, so being down by only a touchdown is nowhere near being a bad thing ... well not for us anyway."
Most of Emmett's old class are all back for Thanksgiving, which is tomorrow. As a surprise I arranged for some of them and their father's to meet up at the school field for a game of dad's versus son's football.
"That's half time," the game referee yells and all the fathers let out a thank God as we make our way to the benches.
"Fuck these are so good," Paul claims before he stuffs another one of Bella's muffins in his mouth.
"I can't believe Bellyflop made these," he carries on, making me narrow my eyes at him. "And as for you dating her, I am shocked!"
I glare at Paul's head before my eyes go to my son, giving him to the count of five to set this little asshole straight.
"Paul, don't talk about Bella that way or else," Emmett growls out.
Paul mutters something and Emmett's head drops.
"I know that, just don't call her that anymore."
Paul rolls his eyes and hold up his hands. "Whatever, dude. You do know Kate's still pissed. She really thought you two would hook up now that you're here for another year. I mean before she was two years below you, but now she's only a year below you."
"I know she did, but she's too young, and I'm not talking about her age. I would choose Bella over her over anyone, she made me see the light, and made me want more."
Swallowing, I'm proud to see and hear how grown up Emmett sounds, but gets pulled out right away as the rest of his friends chuckle.
"Seen the light, huh? You sound like my dad," Keith says still laughing and Emmett shrugs.
Before anyone else can talk, we get called back to the field for the second half, where the dads even the score.
Once the game is over and the field is cleaned up, we put everything away and I walk with Emmett to his car.
"Sorry about Paul and that," Emmett says looking down.
"It's okay," I say still not pleased with them.
"It's not okay," Emmett stop talking and sighs, "I'm so grateful that I fucked up, because she changed me."
Swallowing once more and nodding at him in agreement, because I know he's right.
"Well, I best get to her place, I promised I'd stop by and help her do a few things for tomorrow," he says. Waving as he gets in his car, I watch him leave feeling happy but sad at the same time.
~MSG~
"What do you need me to do, Dad?" Emmett says as he bounces through the kitchen door.
I point to the potatoes that are waiting to be peeled.
"How was your night last night?" I ask Emmett as he peels the potatoes.
"It was all right."
Raising my brow and only turning my head a little, so he knows I'm listening and he should keep talking.
"She was getting herself worked up, because her parents were due back," Emmett lets out a snort. "Her mom was supposed to be back yesterday morning, but took another shift on. She didn't even call to tell her. Bella didn't find out until she called her mom's work in a panic thinking something had happened to her. Bella was upset, but she never showed it or even told her mom she was upset."
Letting out a soft sigh as Emmett talks, it's clear he's as upset at Bella's parents as I am.
"Bella was already in a tizzy cleaning up the house, which to me didn't need it. At eight o'clock last night she started to get stuff ready for the dinner she's making tonight, just so she could spend an extra hour with them."
Emmett is quiet for a few seconds, but I know something on his mind, so I stay silent.
"It sucks, Dad, she's been getting left on her own since she was sixteen."
Turning I look at him, no longer concentrating on what I was doing.
"In the past two years her dad has had twelve weeks off, a whole eighty-four days, but Bella's only seen him about fifty of those days. Hell if you work out the actual hours he's spend you'd be lucky if it works out to ten days total."
Closing my eyes, because I hate to hear just how alone this girl has been.
"Her mom's worse. She works in Seattle, and I know she works hard, and has two jobs and all, but fuck ... You have no idea how many times she's supposed to have come home on her weekend off, but decided last minute that she would rather go out with her work friends."
Placing my hand softly on Emmett's arm, knowing he's getting too worked up about this.
"Don't you start the same shit her parents say. You know the whole, it's fine because soon she'll be off to college and then it'll be her that doesn't turn up to see them. She spent her eighteenth birthday alone, they didn't even call her. She got nothing because ... because we just started to know each other and I didn't even know it was her birthday."
Frowning I look at him, seeing the hurt he feels for her on his face.
"I'm sure they made it up to her," I try to reassure.
Emmett just snorts, shaking his head. "They still haven't said a word, not even a fucking "sorry we missed your birthday," which would be the least they should do."
Rubbing my head, not knowing what I can say to Emmett to help him with this.
"Just be there for her, talk to her, let her talk to you. Show her you love her and that she's special. And for the love of god, take her out on dates. If you don't have the money, then I'll give it to you. That's about all you can do."
Emmett looks at me confused and then nods at me.
Getting busy, back to making the dinner, we seem to fall into silence. We have just got the dinner into over not sure what to put here for the last half hour, when everyone arrives.
"You look P ..." I quickly clear my throat knowing its wrong to tell a girl that you are dating that she looks pretty, "Beautiful," I say helping Tia out of her jacket.
Tia bites her lip looking at me. "Thank you, Edward."
"Nice save," Rose says in my ear grinning. "Why are you not telling the poor girl that you don't feel anything for her?" Rose asks quietly as she keeps her eyes on Tia's body as she walks into the living room.
"You don't know what I do or don't feel, Rose," I snap at her. The anger I feel for Rose right now is more due to the fact she can read me so clearly.
Rose hands me her jacket and stands crossed armed as she looks at me humming. Before I can ask her what her problem is, she starts to walk away leaving me to put the jackets away.
"Edward," Alice says as she taps my arm making me remove my glare from Rose's back.
"Everything okay?" she asks with a grin. "Are you feeling guilty about having the girl you love sitting in the same room with the girl you're using?" I roll my eyes at Alice and just smile at her.
"Not even close," I growl out taking her jacket.
"Mm, sure," she clicks her tongue "This is going to end with her being hurt—both of them—and then you'll feel like shit. End it now with Tia," Alice says before walking away.
"She never gonna drops this Rose and I being soul mates thing, is she?" I ask Jasper and he shrugs.
"More than likely no, at least not while she sees you unhappy and acting as if you already belong to someone else each time you look at Tia."
I sigh taking his jacket. "So not for an ass long time, but fuck when do I look at Rose like I am in love?"
Jasper just laughs as he helps me put the jackets away.
"You and Rose have always had a heated hate between you. Even in college there was a mutual dislike, but respect for each other."
Again rolling my eyes at him I give him a nod. "Rose may have had her head up her own back side, but I will admit she's loyal, and has been there when I need her. But that doesn't mean I am in love with her or think of her in anyway shape or form other than co-worker and friend."
"Have you ever been in love?" I shake my head, but Bella's face pops in my mind making my heart beat so much faster.
"Then how do you know what it feels like?" Jasper counters and my thoughts stay on Bella.
"Can I call Bella?" Emmett says making me jump, as I come out of my inner thoughts.
Seeing I'm now sitting in the living room next to Tia.
"Uh, yeah, sure," I say checking the time to make sure I haven't been spaced out for too long.
"I can't believe you're going to be in New York for Christmas," Rose gushes and I frown looking at her.
"Who's going to be in New York?" I ask and everyone just looks at me.
"Tia is, haven't you been listening?" Rose snaps out in a catty tone.
"Sorry, I must have dozed off. The sound of your voice does that to me, Rose," I snap back.
"Really?" I nod as she gets that bitchy glint in her eyes.
"Dad, can you come here!" Emmett yells stopping Rose in her tracks.
Getting up, I move quickly seeing Emmett is pulling at his hair as he paces back and forth in the kitchen.
"What's wrong?" I ask moving to him.
"I don't think Bella's parents have come home. She sounds like she has been crying, but wouldn't tell me why," he says looking pained.
"Okay then tell her to come here?" I tell him quickly, but he shakes his head.
"She'll thinks she's intruding, that's why she's been staying away from here. She's worried you'll get sick of seeing her all the time."
My heart drops as I feel a crushing pain, knowing she really thinks I don't want to see her.
"Fine, you stay here and keep an eye on dinner. I'll be back," I say grabbing the car keys and walking straight out of the door.
It takes me under ten minutes to arrive at her house. The whole way my mind is in full fight mode knowing they hurt my girl. No matter how often I repeat that she's Emmett's girl my mind just dismisses it. She's my girl, and with the thought of her home alone crying it's too much to bear.
Knocking on the door, no one says anything or even acknowledges the door has been knocked. But I can feel Bella standing on the other side. 'Because she's mine,' my mind tells me.
"Open the door, sweetheart," I say pressing myself close to it.
The door slowly opens and my heart breaks right away seeing Bella so broken and hurt looking.
'Mine!' Pulling her into my arms, she lets of a soft sob. Walking her back into her home, before kicking the door shut with my foot. Pressing my lips on the top of her head and holding her close to me, as I breathe in her scent.
"They wanted some time together, I'm just being selfish."
I kiss her again as I clasp the side of her face with my hand, making her look up at me.
"No, sweetheart, no, you're not. You're not selfish to want to spend time with your parents."
She snorts a little. "It is, they work hard all time, most of the year, and they hardly see each other. They are a couple and need time together just the two of them," Bella argues.
"But it's at the expense of their daughter's happiness?"
Bella shrugs. "When I have my own family then where will they be?"
Kissing the top of her head again, knowing she's again showing just how old she is for an eighteen-year-old.
"So when we get married you won't invite them over to visit us on Thanksgiving?"
Bella looks at me puzzled and I replay my words in my head, hearing my clear slip up, I said we and us instead of her and her husband.
"Of course I would, why wouldn't I? I love them, I want them to be a part of my family always."
I let out a soft breath when Bella seems to just move on from what I said without acknowledging it.
"See, they're cutting you off for no reason, baby." Swallowing at my unfiltered mouth, slipping up yet again, in regards to her. "That's wrong, they should be here for you."
Bella shakes her head and moves away from me. "Let's just pretend that I'm right and as a couple they need time."
Frowning at her as her eyes start to water, I feel helpless.
"I really just need them to have a reason for not wanting me there."
In that second I know she knew her parents are not doing the right thing and she's trying to protect herself by pretending she's okay with it.
"Oh, baby," I say not caring, as I pull her to me and sit us on the sofa. "Any time you're alone—feel alone—I want you to call me. I don't care what time of the day it is, just call me," I command of her. "Swear to me that you will?" I beg, pulling her face to mine.
Her eyes flicker to mine and she nods. It's clear in her eyes that she's confused, but I know she'll call me, so that's good enough.
"Come on, I have a lovely dinner almost ready to eat."
Without waiting for her to say anything I pull her up.
"I made a cake that will not keep, can I bring it with for us?"
Grinning, I nod at her and walk with her to the kitchen. My heart breaks again when I see just how much work this girl has done for today with them. So much work that will go unnoticed by her fucking parent's who treat her as if she doesn't exist.
Sending Jasper a quick text, I ask him to take the roast out of the oven, for me, and then I get busy helping Bella clean up the kitchen.
"Get an overnight bag together for yourself," I tell her after we're done picking up.
Watching her walk upstairs with her head down, it's clear she's still hurt. I just hope I can show her without hurting her or Emmett that she is wanted. Closing my eyes as my mind chants mine over and over again.
"Edward."
I turn to see Bella is ready with her jacket on, bag in one hand and the cake in the other.
'Mine,' my mind screams again.
"Okay let's get home, Mina," I say taking her bag from her.
"Mina?" Bella says in a confused tone.
"Yes, I think I like that nickname for you."
She looks at me shaking her head, but I know I'm right the by calling her Mina, it is after all Italian for mine.
A/N: So Edward has laid a bit of claim in regards to our Bella, calling her MINE and all. How do you suppose Thanksgiving dinner will go? See you Saturday and we'll find out.
