Chapter 10
End of June 2000
Bella is 16
Edward is 22
Jacob is 20
Jacob walks through the lush long grass towards the lake.
Bella smiles expecting to see Edward. "Hey, what are you doing here?" She stands up from sitting against the grand tree.
"Coming to see you"
"Oh, hi" She smiles at him. Normally Jacob keeps back when Edward comes home, for the first few days. Then things are back to normal with the hanging out.
"He is not coming" Jacob headed 'home' for the summer a few days ago. He spent some time with friends before headed to Masen Manor. He is really enjoying school.
"Did he miss his flight?" Bella wonders. The Masen's went up for his graduation, and she was/is so proud of him. They barely…if even, spoke this semester. It was his last she knows he must have been so busy finishing this stage in his life up, so it was okay the lack of speaking. But it is summer now, she is excited to see him and find out what has been going on. Just talk to him about any and everything. He will be back at school in the fall so she will soak this summer with him up. She can't wait to see him.
"No, he has a guest"
"A what?" Bella smiles from confusion.
"A guest"
"Oh, that's strange, are you sure?"
"Hmm"
Bella looks at Jacob funny, he is acting weird. "What is it?"
Bella enters the main house through the service door, one she normally uses. "Sue, have you seen Edward?"
"I am getting staff ready to serve them lunch"
"Who?"
"The Masen's"
"A welcome home lunch?"
"Yes"
"He didn't come to the lake to meet me"
"Oh honey, he is just busy, I barely got to speak to him or his girlfriend"
"His what?" Bella frowns right in the middle of her face at Sue.
"Could you grab that tray there?"
Bella pulls the silver tray down and rests it near Sue. "His what?" She repeats trying to keep her voice cool.
"Girlfriend Bella" Sue says in a slightly irritated voice, only because she is busy.
"And you two will be going to Europe then?" Mrs. Masen questions over the dinner table.
"Yes" Charlotte says with a smile to Esme Masen.
"Wow" Esme looks at her son with wide eyes, pretty much telling him this is kind of big. Big for just meeting in January and now spending a summer in Europe together. She cocks and eyebrow up at her son, he quickly lowers his eyes.
"Well son" Edward Sr. says in a hearty voice. "This is a big step" He is thrilled, he is not too happy this girl is not Tanya, but she will do. She comes from a good family as far as he knows.
"It is going to be a relaxing summer, a summer away" He says very pointedly to his father, only the pair of them knowing the meaning of it.
Esme looks between her son and husband. "Have you seen Bella yet Edward, she has been excited as always of your return"
Edward glances at his father.
"She is the help" Edward Sr. states mainly for effect and Charlotte.
"She is not help" Esme defends.
"Nor is she your daughter Esme" Edward Sr. says slightly bitterly to his wife.
Esme forces a smile. "Have you spoken to her?"
"I have been busy with Charlotte" His answer sounds almost as bitter as his father's did to his mother just now. He cringes at how he just answered his mother. He shouldn't have spoken to her like that.
"Right, of course" Esme lowers her eyes to her plate.
"Who is Bella, should I be worried?" Charlotte laughs a bit.
"No, not at all my dear, she is our handyman's daughter, Edward and her were good friends once upon a time" Edward Sr. speaks up.
Esme frowns. "January you seemed to still be friendly with her" She is confused. 'were?' She thinks.
Edward clears his throat. "I don't want to talk about Bella" He says looking at Charlotte and smiling leaning in he presses a kiss to her mouth.
Esme finds Edward alone. "What is going on?"
"Nothing" He makes a face as she is touching his face lightly all over with both hands. "Mother" Edward scolds her a bit.
"Tell me what happened between you and your father" She knows something has happened, she can feel it.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Where is Bella?"
"How should I know?"
"You two are best friends that's how…how do you not know, how have you not spoken to her?"
"Mother she is a child, we grew apart"
"Oh" Esme says just a little shocked, grew a part of a few months, she isn't buying it.
Bella stands in the hall, she shouldn't just be there, but she is. He has been home all day and hasn't even come to see her. She has not seen him. It is so strange. She goes to his shut door and really wants to see him, and hug him. Biting her lips she turns away and heads back towards the cottage. The walk is a good one, she needs to clear her head of whatever that is brewing inside.
Walking slowly with her towel slung over her shoulder she is in a short dress with her suit underneath. Jacob is nowhere to be found, Edward… Bella just is deep in and out of thought as she walks. She is not sure where he is. Touching her warm cheek she watches her feet lift up and down as she walks through the long skinny grass towards the lake.
Edward smiles sitting on a checkered blanket. It is something right out of a movie. The set up, the plan, the idea, certainly thought through. His green eyes settle on Charlotte. She looks beautiful and she really is. No one can dispute her beauty. His eyes scan over her face, though beautiful certainly it is still not everything.
"Do you bring all the girls here?"
"No" The answer is honest. He has never brought anyone here; this is not a place for dates or other beings really.
Stopping short in full view, in return she has full view. Bella's mouth falls ajar. Her eyes go back and forth between Edward sitting sort of feeding this woman. And woman looks like a movie star. Well her back looks like a movie star. A pain in her stomach finds its way through her body as she looks at this person in a place she has come to think of as a special place. A place which is really just between herself, Edward and Jake.
He notices her right away, he almost felt her coming. She is so grown up since January. Since he left her after Christmas. His eyes flicker and meet hers for a moment. "Excuse me" He says to Charlotte.
Charlotte turns and sees a young girl standing not far off, but back enough. Not sure who it is she looks at Edward stand and her head and eyes follow him as he walks towards the young girl.
Bella watches him come over. Her eyes run over him. She has to bite her lip to keep from running and jumping into his arms from the sheer excitement that has been building in her. She forgets the fact that he brought someone…girlfriend? To this place.
"Hi"
"Hi" She says softly. "What is going on?"
"Having lunch"
Her head shakes a bit, back and forward.
"What?"
"You haven't seen me"
"It has only been a day"
"I know, but" She looks to the woman turning to look at them. "Who is that?"
"Charlotte Barnes"
"Who is she?"
"I just told you"
"I mean" Bella blinks and tips her chin more up to him. "Is she your girlfriend?"
"Yes"
"Oh, I" Lowering her head she pauses a few moments. When she finally lifts her head she finds his green eyes to be drug like.
"We are going to Europe for the summer"
"What?"
"To spend some time together, travel a bit"
"This summer?" Everything seems like it is too much right now. Just speaking to him, it's not like he has been home for a week, but they see each other within the hour of him returning home. And right now it seems strained and she doesn't understand why. Things felt so good when he left, now this. She shakes her head because she really is confused. Maybe this is how she is supposed to feel, at 16, confused about everything.
"Of course this summer"
Sucking in a breath Bella frowns still confused. "Did I do?" Last time they spoke it seemed like…it seemed like there was… "Are we?"
"Bella you should go, I have to get back to"
"I-I should go…from here, the lake?"
"Yes"
"You are asking me to leave this area?" This is her place, well it is his families but she, she and Sam, and it's hers.
"No I am telling you" The look on her face is being burnt into his memory, and it hurts.
"Wha-I-I" She feels confused. "What about, what about us?"
"Us?" He says incredulous to her, almost in a mocking disgusting tone.
"Edward?"
"There is no us"
"I don't understand"
"What don't you understand, you are a child to me, there will never be an us, ever"
Bella shuts her mouth quickly and holds her lips tightly to stop them from quivering. He is being horrible and she doesn't understand.
January 2000
'Do you want her to succeed?'
'Yes, of course I do'
'Then you know what you need to do'
June 2000
"Go"
We will still get to what was on the tape & all of this reasoning…don't fret!
Next Chapter will be a movement, time jumps around, back and forward. I'll keep up with the months/year/ages etc…
Thanks to all still interested in this!