I'll be offline this weekend to finish the last two chapters, and once I get the last batch of chapters back from Lisa, I'll post a couple a day until it's all done. :)

Beta'd by HollettLA :)


Secrets & Wishes


"So he just left?" Rose asks incredulously.

"He just left." I nod and sip my cocktail through the straw. "I was so friggin' frustrated."

She snorts and flips her hair over her shoulder. "I probably would've kissed him. He clearly wants you."

I'm still not sure. I'm not convinced he doesn't; I'm not blind to the signs, but if he's not… "It would get too awkward if he doesn't. Our boys are thick as thieves."

God, it feels good to talk about this. It's been a crappy week since Edward left my apartment with all that tension around us. And I see him every day. Often because Masen and Anthony are playing, or they're meeting up with Riley, and Edward and I pick up our sons from Riley's mom at the same time. Or when I'm at work and Edward's bored and showing up with lunch. Or in passing since we live so close.

"Can I get you another drink, ladies?" The bartender stops in our corner to refill the peanut bowls.

The pizzeria isn't new in Forks, but the part where it's also a bar is. I didn't know about it until Rose suggested we go out for drinks tonight.

"Same for me, thank you." I smile politely.

Rose orders another GT before excusing herself to go to the bathroom. It gives me time to people watch, and I'm as relieved as I am disappointed Edward hasn't shown up yet. Carlisle's in town, and the two made plans to head out for a beer, according to Mom. Again, I get to hear about Edward's personal life from someone else. Mom and Carlisle talked, and she told me when I asked her to watch Masen.

I guess that means Anthony is with Aunt Kate.

"Here you go, hon."

I face the bar again and pay for my drink. While Edward isn't here, several others are, and I don't feel like catching up with old schoolmates at the moment. They're mostly jocks, anyway. Mike and a few of his friends are huddled around the pool table, while a handful are occupying the other end of the bar where there's a drunken dart competition going on. Smaller groups of people fill the six or seven tables, and there's always someone by the jukebox.

When Rose returns, she takes a swig of her drink, then launches right back into the conversation. "I forgot to ask. Has he been acting differently this week?"

"Not really." I think about it, specifically the morning after when we sat the kids down and hashed out everything that went down on Saturday. "Maybe he's a little more formal?" Formal's the wrong word, but…less casual. Although, that could've been the leftover worry from the bear encounter.

The boys had just been walking Chance, as we knew, when crap went downhill. And before chasing after Chance, Masen had run up to grab his backpack, where he'd had "some stuff." A Nintendo, a kitchen knife he definitely didn't have permission to borrow, and waste bags for Chance.

The boy needs some serious education on what to bring on a hike.

"Interesting." Rose hums and taps her chin, grinning slightly. "Edward Cullen… It's still a surprise to know you're into him."

Oh, here we go. She's been saying this since I told her the other day. She literally squeaked when I said I'd crushed on him in school. But I just had to tell someone. And I've grown closer to Rose lately. I have to admit I like her. She's nothing like the popular cheerleader she was in high school.

"Come on, Bella," she chuckles. "Even you have to admit it's strange. Back in the day, we all said your uncle was your teacher."

I wince and drain half my drink, only to cough. It's not the type of drink to guzzle. "I definitely never felt like he was my uncle."

Rose shrugs lightly. "It's your aunt he's divorcing, isn't it?"

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

"Let's talk about you instead." I grin and place my chin in my palm, elbow resting on the somewhat nonsticky bartop. "Masen told me when we had dinner last night that Riley says you visit his dad's sometimes."

She sits up straighter, clearly not having seen that coming. "Alec and I have coffee sometimes. That's it."

"Uh-huh." I smile smugly. "Coffee. I know how that works. It was how I tried to get Edward to stick around. Only, it didn't work on him."

She laughs, blue eyes sparkling. It's a far cry from the tired-looking woman who moved in next door. Much like me, she's made an effort to reconnect with people from school, and she's had lunch with Jessica and Alice so far. Maybe the results weren't what she hoped they'd be, but we're both trying. I'm still gravitating toward guys; I met up with Emmett after work the other day, and that was nice. He's a funny guy. He's the one who's in touch with most people from our childhoods. Emmett never really left.

He's also the only one I can't discuss with Rose, and it's starting to bug me. Something must've happened between them at some point. Rose gets upset when he's mentioned, and Emmett's signature grin was wiped off his face when I told him I'd connected with Rose since moving back.

I'd venture to guess they were together, but Rose had been with Royce for as long as…well, until recently.

"Okay, we slept together," Rose confesses in a rush.

My gaze snaps to hers, and at first, I think she's talking about Emmett. Then I replay our conversation and realize she's referring to Alec. And, holy shit.

"You slept with Riley's dad?" I can't hide my surprise.

"Keep your voice down," she hisses. Oops, I didn't know I'd raised my voice. "It's just casual. It's like the entire town is going through a divorce epidemic. We don't want anything serious."

Yeah, there really are divorces everywhere you look.

"He seems sweet, though," I say. "You never know about the future."

She tries to hide her smile. "Shut up."

I chuckle and take another sip of my drink.

Moments later, Jasper and Ben show up, and we exchange nods and brief greetings while they order beers. They're here to hang out with their buddies, so it's soon just Rose and me in our corner again.

New drinks are ordered, and I receive a text after paying for mine.

It's from Edward.

How's the bar?

Not as fun without him, I want to say.

Like a class reunion with less catching up. I thought you'd be here.

"Who are you texting?" Rose teases.

"My not-uncle."

She finds that funny.

Edward's reply is decidedly not funny.

Renee invited us over for dinner and drinks. Masen just beat me in Battleship, and now he's being sent to bed so the grown-ups can break into the whiskey bottle.

As sweet as I think it is that he enjoys spending time with Mase, it's deflating to realize Edward is more likely to see my mom as a friend than me. They're closer in age and have friends in common.

Nice. Have fun sipping whiskey with Carlisle and my mom.

I turn my phone to silent—and no vibrations—and slip it into the pocket of my too tight skinny jeans. My shiny purple top with plenty of cleavage is going to complete waste in this place.

My third drink disappears in a minute.

"Whoa, there." Rose raises a brow. "You okay, hon?"

"Yeah." I wave it off and slide off my stool. "Order me a new one? I'm gonna go to the bathroom, and then we're gonna socialize."

~oOo~

Alcohol is my friend. I have to remember that.

"Okay, Bella's on my team next round," Mike declares.

I laugh and shake my head, happy to play on Jasper and Ben's team. Handing over the pool cue, I move over to the wall where Rose is holding our drinks and chatting with Eric and his little brother.

"Can I just say how much you've changed, Bella?" Eric hollers over the music.

"I know, right? She was the baby in our class." Rose grins and gives my cheek a smacking kiss. "Now she's Isabella Swan, DVM. Gorgeous, too."

I snort into my glass and elbow her slightly, a bit embarrassed by the attention.

"No argument from me." Eric smirks lazily.

They're crazy. I wave them off and finish my drink. "Are we gonna play again or—" A commotion cuts me off, quickly followed by a handful of the guys hollering, "Hey, Mr. Cullen!"

It makes me spin around, and my heart sort of gets caught in my throat. Edward's here. He smiles politely, albeit stiffly, and walks closer.

"Evening, everyone." He nods at the guys before facing me. "This is why I prefer to go elsewhere on weekends. The majority of the crowd here is former students still referring to me as Mr. Cullen."

I grin, wanting to hump his leg.

Some of the guys chuckle, and Ben speaks up in his drunken defense, "Hey, you're just a colleague to me."

"Me too," someone else says. I guess he's a teacher as well.

"Sometimes you're Mr. Cullen to me," I admit. Edward lifts his brow in surprise, so I shrug. "It's your fault—when you use that grown-up voice."

That causes his eyes to flash with amusement, and I get laughter from Rose and a few others.

What I failed to mention was how hot those moments are. When he gets all strict, I want to kneel and suck—er, do stuff. I want to do stuff. My cheeks flame, and I move to finish my drink, which of course is empty already.

Damn.

"Oh, good, you're finished." Edward steps even closer and takes my glass. "I worried I'd be interrupting something, but you're ready to go home, yes?"

Uh. I don't know, am I? I'm having a good time. It's not very late, either. Ten-thirty is nothing!

Edward stares at me expectantly.

I scrunch my nose. Am I missing something here?

"Psst." Rose leans in and speaks quietly for only me to hear. "Maybe he wants you alone. Go get some, girl."

I highly doubt that's it, but…well, if there's a chance…

"I guess so." I nod and turn around, running a hand through my hair. "Okay, I'm gonna go. Mr. Cullen and I have important kid business." It's the best excuse I can come up with.

"You aiming for a better grade?" Jasper guesses with a smirk.

I arch a brow, then stand up on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. "I had straight As, hon. But thanks." I pat his cheek playfully before grabbing my clutch from the nearest table.

"She got you there, man," Ben tells Jasper.

Jasper merely chuckles.

After five minutes of goodbyes and phone numbers exchanged with old classmates, I exit the bar with Edward, and I shrug on my cardigan. But I don't close it because, cleavage.

The town is quiet, the streets dark, and the air a little chilly. Once on the other side of the street, we fall into a comfortable silence, one I know will linger until we get to our apartment complex. Unless I say something.

"I didn't know I had a curfew." That's a good place to start, I think.

"You don't." He seems to be struggling with something, hands in his pockets, eyes on the asphalt. "Kate messaged me," he admits. "She was supposed to have Ant over the weekend, but she told me she dropped him off at Seth's house. A friend of his."

"Okay…" I'm not following. Other than knowing I really wanna confront Kate sometimes. In the weeks since I've been back, she has barely seen Anthony. And the one weekend he's with her, she hands him over to a friend? Christ.

"So she could go out with the friend she's currently staying with," he adds. "The only place I can think of is the bar."

Ah. Well, now I'm glad he came to get me. I wouldn't want to run into her tonight.

"Is Anthony okay?" I ask.

"He is now," he sighs, side-eyeing me. With a frown, he removes his sport coat. His look tells me not to argue, and then I'm wrapped in his delicious scent. "He was a bit upset at first, but Sue—Seth's mother—cheered him up, and I promised to pick him up early tomorrow morning."

I shake my head, irritated. I'm also getting wary of how much I care for Anthony. My first instinct is to jump in and protect, and I don't have that right. I've known him a few weeks. Kate has been his mother for eight years, no matter how she's shouldered that role.

"If you don't mind Masen and me tagging along, maybe we could take them out for pancakes?" I suggest. That's innocent enough, isn't it?

Edward's posture seems to lose some tension, and he sends me an appreciative look. "I think that's a great idea, Isabella. We could make a day out of it. Take them to Port Angeles or something."

I can't help but beam. "I'd love that."

He smiles and nods, as if sealing the deal, and the next silence is even more comfortable. Okay, so he didn't show up at the bar for me, specifically, and he wants to hang out with me tomorrow because we have the boys. I'm a mother more than a woman in his eyes, but at the very least, there might be a friendship on the horizon.

So far, ninety percent of our interactions are about our kids in one way or another. I'm interested in getting to know the man he is, because I already have a fairly good grasp on the dad he is.

Farther up this street, there'll be one more street to walk down, then a turn before we get home. Within five minutes, we'll go our separate ways.

"Your text message earlier…" Edward tilts his head at me, hesitating. "I read something between the lines that I'm not sure was my imagination."

My mouth twists up, and I'm sure I know what he read between the lines. "You mean my slightly disgruntled comment on you having fun with Carlisle and my mom?"

He exhales. "So it wasn't in my imagination." He chuckles and shakes his head.

"I'll be honest," I say and blurt out the rest before I can stop myself. "I worry that you might see me as your friend's daughter—and that you and I aren't peers."

His gaze snaps to mine in a flash, and I see his shock, even as his expression remains fairly closed.

"Isabella, that's—I…Christ." He blows out a breath and furrows his brow at the ground, walking in silence for a minute. Whether he notices or not, he's speeding up a little, his legs far longer than mine. Then he falters when he sees I'm a few feet behind. "I don't know how to word myself, but you're a dozen things before a friend's daughter."

Okay. Okay, good. I don't know how to respond, but I'm relieved.

We take the last turn, ending up in the residents' parking lot. The nip in the air has taken care of most of my tipsy state, which, to be honest, wasn't very impressive. I've had fun tonight, but I'm wondering if the bartender waters down the drinks.

The yard encased by the four buildings is dark, except for the two lights by the little playground. A few windows are lit here and there, blinds drawn.

I open my clutch to dig out my keys, and Edward's murmured, "Let me" breaks the silence. He takes my keys and gestures for me to walk up the stairs before him, and I just do as told.

Outside my door, I turn and awkwardly remove his warm sport coat. "Thank you for letting me borrow it."

He accepts it and nods with a dip of his chin. It's too dark up here, so I can barely see his features.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he wonders.

I nod and peer up at him, my eyes adjusting slowly. "Did you?"

He smiles faintly. "I'm fairly certain I was the third wheel."

The confusion is probably all over my face.

He chuckles under his breath. "Carlisle and Renee were…almost flirting, I'd say."

"Holy shit. Really?" Wow. Wow. I mean, good for Mom; Carlisle's a nice man, and they deserve happiness, but wow. "I…huh. I didn't see that coming." I lean back against the door and fold my arms over my chest. Cleavage, please work for me. "I assume Carlisle and Esme really are getting divorced, then."

"They are." Edward takes a step forward and inserts the key in the lock, but he doesn't twist it. "You didn't hear that from me, though. About your mother and him, I mean."

I raise a brow. "I never do. Especially if you're involved. I always hear it from Mom."

He narrows his eyes at that. "You actually have doubts about my not viewing you as a peer."

I lift a shoulder in a shrug. Truth be told, yeah.

He stares at me intently, his gaze eventually dropping. His Adam's apple shifts in a swallow, and I grow self-conscious. He drops his stare farther, then looks up again, and I don't know what to think.

Goose bumps rise all over as he touches my cheek, his knuckles brushing over my skin much like the night on my couch. I suck in a breath and can practically feel my pupils dilating. Is this finally happening? Can I be less of Renee and Charlie's little girl and more of the woman Edward took so possessively in Seattle?


-cara