Beauty Takes on the Beast
Chapter Ten—Friends?
After spending the rest of the day and well into the next morning, I made a quick drive by Bella's house. I had to know if Alec remained in town, and the guys were not talking about what happened after I called Tyler. I knew she hadn't been happy to hear from me so soon.
Somehow, before I even pulled onto her street, I knew she wasn't home. I didn't take the time to understand why the fact upset me, but I called Jasper.
"I'm working in Woodbury today, or did you forget?"
I was aware of his schedule, and he was the only one not on top of a roof or scaffolding at the time. "Bella is not home and there's no sign of Alec's car. What's going on?"
Jasper's sigh was a warning I wouldn't like what he was about to tell me. "She wants you and the rest of us to continue working on repairs and renovations."
I still had keys to the house. "I'll handle that; don't worry about it. Now cut the shit and tell me where she's at, Jasper. Did she take off with Alec Did she go back to that Axe-smelling fuck?"
"Damn, Bella's right. You don't think highly of her at all, even after all the stories we told you."
She wouldn't go back to him, I knew deep down in my gut. I couldn't explain it, but I needed confirmation. "Cut. The. Shit."
"No, I don't think I will. She's not home. She'll be gone for about a week or two. She will be home in time to do the finish work on the house and Emmett's return."
Jasper ended the call before I could tell him off for acting like a child.
He's not the only one.
"Fuck me." I drove away from Bella's house determined to go by later and finish the work I promised her brother. It had nothing to do with my Beauty.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, asshole.
.
.
.
A part of me thought she was running away from the problem, but I also understood the need to escape. My friends were keeping her whereabouts from me, only telling me she was getting some TLC from some friends she knew from Back East.
What bothered me the most was the fact that Alec had also disappeared.
Did she go somewhere with Alec to meet up with Marcus despite what he'd done? I didn't know Bella well enough to be sure, but something told me he lost any chance of reconciliation.
Business continued as usual. As the days passed, the crew and I were up at the crack of dawn and home by four in the afternoon if there wasn't an inspection the following day. It left countless hours to think too much, but I needed to do something. Working on Bella's house was about the only thing I could do to keep myself busy.
She haunted her house, though, because being in her house, where I first had a taste of her seemed like a punishment I earned—at first. She hadn't spent much time there before leaving again, but her scent lingered in the corners of every room. It teased me to follow where it was the most concentrated, in her bedroom. The air mattress I used had disappeared, and in its place was a sleigh bed that dominated the room. The bedding was a deep blue that I had no doubt would complement her skin, and where she'd look incredible all spread out and flushed. Something I'd likely never get to experience.
Torture. It was torture to be in the house. I had a job to do, a promise to her brother I had yet to fulfill. I fucked up any chance of having her in that bed, but I wasn't about to ruin my relationship with one of the first friends I made when I moved to the area.
It had been much too long since she left, and I decided to work in the living room again. Upon Bella's initial homecoming, she had wanted the fireplace to become a focal point instead of the giant flat screen on the adjacent wall. That first day after waking hungover and having breakfast, we worked together on how to achieve it by adding tile all the way up to the ceiling, and beef up the mantel.
One by one, I packed away framed photos on the dusty mantel so I could work on it; much as I had the day that we met. Many of them had a group of boys that ranged in all sizes, laughing or making goofy faces. Often, a tiny Bella would be on someone's shoulders, all smiles and dark curls. There was a face I didn't recognize among her brothers, but a familiar face, too.
Alec. What the fuck?
I called Jasper; he was the only one who would give me a hint of what was going on with Bella. Maybe he'd answer a few questions.
"Yeah?" Jasper sounded groggy, which made sense since his new neighbor apparently had a set of twin boys. A few sleepless nights made him a cranky asshole.
"Did you all know Alec before he got mixed up with Marcus?"
I heard his sigh then grumble of the lack of caffeine for this conversation. "He was their neighbor growing up, and he was only a year older than her. He was her best friend until he confessed he had romantic feelings for her. They had a falling out and he joined the Marines, but was badly injured and discharged. He felt he'd failed and wouldn't come home, no matter how much Bella begged him. He found a place in Vegas, doing security for a hotel, moved up the ranks pretty quickly. One night, he saved Marcus from getting offed, and being a grateful asshole, Marcus hired him on the spot."
I cursed several times, wondering how I missed their connection. "Bella met Marcus because of Alec, didn't she?"
"Alec wanted us to come down for her birthday one year, offering VIP treatment for our little sister. We couldn't resist such an invitation. He knew he fucked up the moment Marcus introduced himself and she nearly melted in front of him."
My hand tightened around my phone, not wanting to picture what he described. She hadn't melted when we first met; she'd scoffed after hearing my awful pick up line I'd given to someone else when she'd given me the cold shoulder at the bar.
She melted when you first kissed her, though.
"I find it hard to believe she would end up with Marcus, knowing Alec had feelings for her."
"Yeah, well, Alec did everything he could to convince her otherwise. Paraded women in front of her, made sure she caught women walking out of his room in the morning, or even answer his phone if she called. She thought he moved on, and he made it clear he was okay with her dating his boss. Not sure if he still had feelings for her then, but now, I think he only wants her to be happy—which is probably why he offered his cabin."
"What the fuck? What if he tried to make a move on her? She's fucking vulnerable right now. Why would you let him take her away?"
"First of all, this really isn't your business. The only reason I'm telling you is that you've been unbearable since she left. Second, we didn't let him take her. Tyler went with them and got her settled, and we already checked in with a friend, Alec is back at work in Vegas."
None of that explained why Alec was at the bank. "He wasn't taking out money to pay off Bella?"
"We still talk, Edward, so no, the fucker owed me money. He lost a bet on a game last month."
I exhaled sharply, tugging on my hair. "Can you just tell me she's okay?"
"Yeah, she'll be fine. By the time she gets back, it'll be like none of that shit between you two ever happened."
Too bad, I wasn't good at pretending.
.
.
.
Bella arrived late at night a week later, at the point of a huge storm, making it almost two weeks since I last saw her. She hadn't informed anyone she was coming either, or else I would've made myself scarce. For hours, I'd been working on the fireplace, but the last thing I wanted was to make her uncomfortable.
I did a lot of thinking since her disappearing act, but was I ready to put it out there? One look at her made that ache in my chest lessen, which I hadn't expected.
Rain lingered in her lashes as she shed her jacket and hung it up, shaking out her wet hair, and placing her laptop bag on the couch. She wasn't the least bit surprised to see me elbow deep in a bucket of water and offered me a smile. "You kept working."
I had to look away, because two weeks hadn't been long enough for me to forget what her lips tasted like. "Yeah, I made a promise to a friend. Remember?"
Did you forget all about me, Beauty?
"True, true. Emmett called me yesterday. He's looking forward to coming home soon." She walked toward the kitchen, her hand sliding along the granite countertop on the island I built. "We have about fifteen days before his return." She turned to face me, her head cocking to one side as she looked at the fireplace I was working on. "That looks amazing." The smile looked genuine, but it didn't meet her eyes.
That shit pissed me off. "Stop fucking pretending, Baby Bella."
She fucking growled in frustration. "It's not fucking fair that you of all people can read me easier than people who have known me for years!" She waved her hands around and stomped that foot of hers, her shoulders rising almost to her ears with tension. "I have to pretend. It's been...what? Thirteen and half days since I last saw you, and one look at you and I remember what it feels like to have you inside me."
I cursed and tossed the sponge in the bucket of water and stood. "You can't say shit like that, because I'm going to react to that dirty mouth of yours. We'll never convince your brother that we're just friends if you talk like that."
From the clench of her jaw and hands, it looked like she wanted to punch me. "That's what we are, or at the very least acquaintances, Edward. Friends mess around like that, right?" She shrugged when I only stared, words caught at the tip of my tongue. A dark laugh filtered through her lips. "Okay, so obviously friendship is out of the question, it seems."
She tugged on her hair, looking around the living room. "That's fine. One day I'm going to learn to ignore that feeling I get right here when you're near me." She held a fist to her stomach; anger mixed with desire lit her fire-whiskey eyes.
That was it. I couldn't ignore the pull any longer.
She was cold when I tugged her against my chest, my hand going behind her neck to cradle her closer, enough for my lips to linger over her tempting mouth. I watched as her lashes fluttered; the pulse along her neck just as quick.
"Don't."
"Don't what, Bella?" She smelled like heaven and hell all at once, a cock hardening combination. "Kiss you like I've wanted to since I woke alone in Vegas."
She threw back my words at me. "You can't say shit like that to me."
Our bodies were stiff against each other, at an impasse. Her delicate hand on my side, the other on my back pulling me closer.
My fingers itched to wander over every inch of her body, to sink into her once again. "I'm sorry."
She shivered, disbelief in her eyes. "No, you're not."
My grip on her neck tightened, bringing her mouth closer to my own. "Let me show you how sorry I am."
"Sex isn't the fucking answer, Edward." She scoffed. "But what are you sorry for exactly?" She wiggled out of my grip and took several steps back, not giving me a chance to answer. "If nothing has changed, then fuck me right now. One last time. Before we put an end to this shit between us once and for all."
I took a step toward her, then stopped when her words sank into my thick head. She wanted one last fuck before we ended it for good. One last ride.
"And if everything has changed?"
She settled her hands on her hips. "Then you're going to have to work for it...Beast."
AN: Before I get any shit about how quick Bella is "forgiving" him, please let me inform you, it will not change how I write MY story. Bella is a grown woman, she's not perfect, but she knows what she wants. Does it mean she'll make it easy for him to have her? No, no she won't. Thansk to my beta MC for all your help, you've been amazing as I filled your inbox with so many words!