A/N Big thanks to my awesome beta, Robzbeanie and my wonderful prereader CShepherd91. You guys are the best! Thank you to everyone who has been recc'ing The Ranch out there – I really appreciate it. xoxo
The Ranch
Chapter 10
The next few days at the Ranch passed quickly and without anything overly exciting happening. After Jake's half-assed apology, he kept his distance from me. He and Quil had been kept busy repairing the busted-up old truck they'd been working on forever, as well as a few tractors and other pieces of farm machinery.
Sam and Embry were particularly busy – the fall was harvest time, and the guys were working around the clock to harvest the wheat. Apparently snow and frost was not unheard of this time of year this far north, even though the weather had been mild, and exposure to the elements could mean poor values on the crops. Jasper and I even took a few shifts running the combine to give Sam and Embry a much-needed break.
The week had shot by so quickly, that I hardly had any time to think about my plans with Bella. Friday snuck up on us. Bella and I had hardly seen any of one another. Aside from a few moments here and there in the kitchen and at meals, we were running in opposite directions.
Emmett and I were assigned to clean out the stables, which meant a morning full of shit-shovelling and scrubbing. I was using my sort-of-date with Bella as motivation to get through the dirty job. On my schedule for the day I had also noticed a block of time in the late afternoon marked "Bella – horses" that I was curious about, but really looking forward to.
"Holy crap, Eddie – look at this one!" Emmett laughed as he dumped a pile of horse shit the size of my head into the wheelbarrow with his pitchfork-like shovel.
"What are you, thirteen?" I chuckled at him, shaking my head.
"At heart, I'd say so," he smirked. "Being around all you fools keeps me young."
"You always been here? At the Ranch? " I asked. Aside from my drive in to the Ranch, Emmett and I had yet to hang out one on one. I knew that he was Bella's cousin, that he lived just off the Ranch, that he was engaged to Rosalie and that he worked here – but I wasn't really sure of anything else.
"No, not always," he replied. "Charlie is my uncle – he's my mom's brother. Mom raised me all on her own – Charlie was the only real guy in my life. She sent me to live out here with Charlie when I was seventeen."
"Why?" I asked, scraping at a wet spot in the bedding with my rake. Emmett had explained how important it was to the horse's health to have a clean stall – I wanted to show him I could do a good job.
"To be honest, I was a lot like you," he said, as he pushed the wheelbarrow into the next stall. "Minor trouble, goofing off. I didn't know what to do with myself. I was in my last year of high school and Charlie was just getting this place going. Mom thought he'd be able to set me straight – she was right."
"What changed you?" I asked.
"Well," Emmett paused, leaning on his shovel, "Charlie helped me to see what I was capable of. Showed me what I could accomplish. He made me feel important – like I was competent."
I thought about that for a minute. I had accomplished a lot myself already. The work was hard, but it was gratifying. If someone had asked me a few weeks back if I'd have been able to do all the things I'd recently done – cleaned chicken coops, built fences, ran machinery, groomed a horse – I'd have looked at them like they had two heads.
"When I finished school, I already knew what I wanted to do," Emmett continued. "I wanted to help others out the way Charlie helped me. I went into teaching – Charlie had brought in tutors before, but it was hard to find someone consistent. It felt like the right move. I met Rosie at university – the rest is history."
"Huh. That's cool though," I replied as I raked the bedding back in place in the stall and replaced it with fresh stuff. Emmett seemed genuinely happy. Knowing that he started out much the same way I did was kind of reassuring.
Emmett stood his shovel up against the wall of the neighbouring stall, and leaned against the wall nearest me. "I've gotta ask you something serious, Eddie. This might be sort of a conflict of interest, but I can't help it, I have to."
"Ok?" I replied curiously.
"What's up with you and Bella?" he blurted out.
"Um, what do you mean?" I stalled.
"You like her – I can tell. And from what I see, she likes you, too. I normally wouldn't even stick my nose into this – I know you're both old enough, and I'm not here to give you "the talk," but dude, she's my cousin."
"Yeah?" I replied carefully, giving him the side eye.
"What I'm getting at, Eddie, is that I don't want her to get hurt. She's a good girl – if you're just in it for a hoorah or two, make sure she knows that. Don't drag her along. We all know you're only here for so long," he said. "If this is because she's the only girl here, man, just quit now. I'm not trying to be a dick, but just don't."
I hadn't really given much thought to my return home lately. I was so caught up in my thoughts of Bella at the moment, that I hadn't even thought that far ahead. But Emmett was right – I was eventually leaving. Bella was a sweet girl, and I didn't want to hurt her. On the other hand, she knew that I was eventually leaving, too. Was it wrong to enjoy one another's company for the time being?
"I do like her, I'm not gonna lie –" I started. "But I don't know – we're just hanging out, having fun. You've got nothing to worry about, I promise," I replied, looking him straight in the eye. If it meant taking a bit of a step back – reining in some of my feelings to prevent hurting Bella, I would do it.
xoxoxoxoxox
The ringing of the phone in my ear was driving me nuts. Esme had programmed the answering machine to pick up after seven rings. She was always running for the phone and would just barely miss it. I was beginning to think no one was home, when on the second call, sixth ring, someone finally picked up.
"Hello?" a breathless Carlisle answered. "Edward? Is that you?" He must have just glanced at the caller id.
"Hey, yeah – it's me," I replied with a grin. It felt weird – good weird – to hear his voice. I'd sent a few texts to both Esme and Carlisle since I'd been here, but this was the first time I'd called.
"Esme!" Carlisle yelled, muffling his voice by covering up the receiver. "It's Edward! Yes! Hurry!"
The rustling sound of another phone picking up came over the line. "Oh my goodness, Edward!" an equally out of breath Esme squealed. "I'm so glad you called!"
I chuckled, "What were you guys doing?"
"Well we, um –" Carlisle stalled.
"Your uncle's been on nights, so we, uh," Esme quickly interrupted.
"A movie –" Carlisle stammered. I was beginning to wish I'd never asked.
"Who cares about us though," Esme cut in, "How are you, Edward? It's been so quiet around here. We miss you so much."
"I'm good, actually, and I miss you guys, too. I kind of even like it here."
"That's a surprise!" Carlisle chuckled. "But I'm glad, son. I figured you would."
"Have they been feeding you well, Edward?" Esme asked, concerned.
"Yeah, Esme – the food's great, most of the guys are great – it's actually alright up here."
"Charlie have you working pretty hard?" Carlisle asked. "Is his daughter around now, too? Isabel, was it?"
I thought about that for a moment. "Yes, long days – lots of hard work. And yeah – Bella's here. How'd you know about her?" I asked, curious.
"Oh, um, Charlie didn't tell you?"
"No," I said slowly, dragging out the "o."
"Huh. Well, next time you have a chance, ask him how he knows me," Carlisle replied.
"Oh for crying out loud, we aren't related or something stupid, are we?" I asked, annoyed. It would be just my luck that Bella would wind up being my distant cousin or something.
Carlisle and Esme both laughed. "No, son – nothing like that," he chuckled. "I'll just leave it for Charlie to explain. He's better at the storytelling then I am, anyway."
After a good ten minutes of catching up – I filled them in on all my recent accomplishments – we said our goodbyes. A weepy Esme told me over and over again how much she missed me, while a calm and collected Carlisle told me how proud he was. It felt good – really good – to finally be doing right in their eyes. I hung up with a promise to call back soon, and a new feeling of pride. I was really curious about Charlie's connection to Carlisle, and made a mental note to follow up on that as soon as I could.
xoxoxoxox
After grabbing a couple sandwiches from the platter in the dining room and washing them down with a giant glass of milk, I made my way to the barn to find Bella. My schedule said "Bella – horses" but not much else. I was curious and nervous – both about the horses and about our evening plans.
Bella was standing with her back to me, brushing Eclipse just outside the barn doors. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she was wearing another one of those plaid button downs that looked like it belonged in Charlie's closet. This time she had on a pair of tight, dark jeans and cowboy boots in place of the rubbers. I recognized the big white horse, but the difference today was that a dark leather saddle was resting on her back.
"Hey!" I said, hoping not to startle her or the animal too badly. Bella turned to me with a grin.
"Hey – you ready?" she asked.
"Ready for what?" I nervously replied, arching one eyebrow. If she thought I was getting on the horse today without a fight, she had another thing coming.
"Your first ride! It'll just be a quick one – we'll go for a little walk. Eclipse is easy, I promise you'll be fine." She looked at me with a little pout. I didn't want to look like a total coward, and I just couldn't argue with her. The term "whipped" popped into my head, but I let it go.
"Ok, fine – but if I fall off this horse and break my neck, who's gonna take you to the dance?" I asked, wringing my fingers out trying to contain my nerves.
"Puh – lease. You're being a tit. Come put your foot in here," she motioned towards a stirrup, "And grab on here," she said as she grabbed the bump on the front of the saddle. "Just hoist yourself up and over. We don't have all day."
I moved closer to Eclipse and grabbed hold of the saddle. I stuck my foot in the stirrup, and hopped up with ease. Eclipse started shifting and wiggling beneath me.
"Whoa, Bella, what the hell," I cried, nervously. Now that I was completely at the animal's mercy, my fear was getting harder and harder to hide.
Bella just giggled and stroked at the horse's neck. She picked up the reins in her hand. "She's just getting used to you, trust me, ok?"
"Easy for you to say. You've got both feet on the ground!" I hollered. The desire to bail was getting stronger and stronger, and Eclipse was getting even more fidgety.
"Remember what I told you when we were grooming? She can tell when you're nervous. Just try and relax." Bella's hand grasped my knee gently and squeezed. She looked up at me and gave a little grin. She started brushing at Eclipse's mane again and cooing softly to her. After only a few moments, Eclipse had relaxed and so had I.
"Ok, I'm good," I said as I shifted a bit in the saddle to get comfortable. My thighs were getting stiff, my junk was feeling squished and we hadn't even moved a foot.
"Alright – we're just gonna take a bit of a walk. It seems so dead around here. Did you see Jake and Quil before they left?" Bella asked.
"No – didn't even know they'd left already," I replied. Bella had started moving forward, her pace slow and steady. For such a large animal, Eclipse followed her lead with grace and smoothness. It wasn't half as bumpy of a ride as I expected.
"Well, they were pretty excited to have the day free. I'm surprised Charlie let Quil go, to be honest," she said. Quil had picked up a handful of new chores after the incident with the joint in town, but that was the end of it. I had also expected more fallout.
"Aren't they going to some party first? You sure you didn't want to check it out? I could go with you if –"
"No," Bella interrupted, "Those guys are idiots. It's just not my thing. Since I got back from school, I've stayed away from the local party crowd. You doing ok up there?"
"Yeah," I chuckled, shifting around again in the saddle, trying to get comfy. "Just um, a little uncomfortable, but I'm good." I'd relaxed considerably – talking with Bella helped. "So, were you ever much of a partier?" I asked.
"A little," she replied, her voice soft. "I mean, I'm not a total wet blanket. With my medication and stuff now though, I don't drink much. The odd beer here and there, but that's it. I don't mind though – I prefer it this way. I like doing smaller group stuff – camping trips are my favourite."
"Camping? Like, in a tent?" I asked. Carlisle and Esme weren't the camping type – we did a road trip once in a rented RV the size of a decent apartment. It even had satellite TV.
"Yes, a tent! Have you never been camping, Edward?" Bella shook her head and chuckled. "You've gotta come with us. Next week maybe – before it gets too cold. It's a date, k?"
"Sure," I groaned, readjusting myself again in the saddle. Eclipse was a sturdy ride, but the pressure between my legs was killing me. There had to be a better way. "Um, is this supposed to hurt?" I asked, embarrassed.
Bella looked up at me with a curious expression, her eyes widening when she realized what I meant. "Oh, um, well –" she stalled. I could see her ears and cheeks turning red. "What kind of underwear are you wearing?"
"Me? Um, boxers. Wanna see?" I teased. Bella rolled her eyes and scoffed at me.
"You need some nut huggers – tighty whiteys, or boxer briefs even. Something with some support." Bella was trying to keep her voice serious, but she looked up at me and we both burst into laughter.
"Ok, good to know," I chuckled. I certainly wouldn't make that mistake twice.
"We should probably head back," Bella said, peeking at the thin watch on her wrist. "I've got to get ready for the dance and get Eclipse back. You did good up there, Edward. How do you feel?"
"I feel pretty good – it wasn't as scary as I thought," I confessed. "I'm excited for tonight, too – should I meet you at your cabin?"
"Yeah," Bella replied with a wide smile. "That'll be perfect."
xoxoxoxoxo
All day long six o'clock had seemed so far away, but as I frantically threw clothes around my room at 5:30, it seemed much too soon. I'd finally decided on a pair of dark jeans and a dark grey dress shirt. My hair had gotten longer, so styling it was a disaster. I didn't want to look like I'd been over-thinking things, even though I totally had been.
The sun had already started setting in the sky as I approached Bella's cottage. The breeze in the air was cool, which was a relief, as I was sweating bullets and was as nervous as hell. Just as I reached my hand up to knock, Bella pulled the door wide open for me.
"Hey," she said softly, taking a moment to look me over. "Wow – you look great."
"Thanks, so do you," I replied, stunned. Bella looked amazing – she had on a dark blue knee-length dress that swished around her legs when she moved. It had a v neck, hinting at just a little cleavage. Her hair was down and loosely curled. Her feet were bare, her toes painted a soft pink. She was stunning, and it all looked effortless.
"Come in for a minute, k? I've just gotta pack up my purse." I nodded and made my way inside. I noticed a shoe rack just inside the front door. Bella had already rounded the entryway into what I assumed was the bedroom, but called out at me, "Oh yeah – take off your shoes! You Americans!" she trailed off. I slipped my shoes off and busied myself with exploring.
The cottage was small, but had everything a person would need. The living room, kitchen and dining area were all in one big room, with two doors off the back which I assumed were the bedroom and bathroom. It all looked cozy – a fuzzy blue blanket was tossed over the arm of an overstuffed couch in the living room. A stack of books rested next to an empty coffee mug on the coffee table. I could picture Bella curled up there. It was welcoming and comfortable.
A collection of picture frames atop a bookshelf caught my eye. From across the room I could see the same picture Charlie had in his office of Bella and Eclipse. Beside it was a smaller picture of a baby girl – presumably Bella, and a much younger Charlie dressed in the traditional red Mountie gear. A picture of a toothless Bella sitting atop a younger, skinnier Emmett's shoulders grinning like a maniac made me chuckle to myself. I picked up a larger collage frame leaning against the wall – inside were pictures of Bella and a pretty native girl at various ages and places.
"Whatcha looking at?" I jumped at the sound of Bella's voice.
"Oh, sorry – " I said. "You were just so cute, I couldn't help it," I teased.
"No fair!" Bella whined. "I don't get to see any embarrassing stuff of yours!"
"Not true," I replied, my mind instantly fixing on the picture tucked safely in my wallet. "I do have something I can show you, but not now. Next time though, ok?"
"Deal," she nodded, resigned. "Let's get going though – don't want to be late!"
xoxoxoxoxo
What the Swan Crossing Community Hall was lacking in appearance, it made up for in space. The place was huge, and people were everywhere. Multicoloured strands of patio lanterns hung along the wide front porch and all around the large open room inside the hall. There was a gigantic open dance floor, filled with couples of all ages. It was a sea of plaid and Wranglers.
The DJ had set up camp in the back corner, complete with giant antique speakers and a flashing disco ball above his table. Couples were spinning around the dance floor to both new and old country songs, and a full potluck buffet was stretched out along the far wall of the space.
It was crowded, and I used that fact to my advantage and took Bella's hand in mine as we made our way through the crowd to an empty table. Everyone that passed seemed to know Bella – old ladies stopped and asked how her father was, older men stopped and asked how her horses were doing.
Across the dance floor, I spotted both Emmett and Rosalie. Emmett was leading Rosalie around the floor, twirling and spinning in time to the upbeat song. Her face was set in a giant grin as they moved together with ease across the room.
"Hey, look," Bella's voice snapped my attention back. "There's Alice. Have you met her?" she asked.
"Yeah, she was working at the diner that day," I answered. Alice looked quite different from the day at the diner – in place of her uniform, she had on a black dress with tiny white polka dots, and a black ribbon tying her shorter hair off her face. She was cute – I could definitely see what Jasper saw in her.
"Hey Bells," she called out as she approached us. "I haven't seen you forever!" The girls embraced in a squealing hug. "Wait a sec – you're that guy!" she said, pointing right at me. "Is he, Bella?"
"That guy?" I asked Bella, raising my voice over the music. Bella had her mouth open, shaking her head at a loss for words.
"Yeah," Alice shouted over top of the new song. "The one Bella was texting about – she told me to look for you at the diner!"
"You did?" I asked Bella with a smirk. I was ecstatic – if she was getting her friend to check me out, that had to be a good sign.
"Whatever!" Bella retorted, rolling her eyes at me and Alice, clearly embarrassed.
"Well, nice to actually meet you, Edward," she said, reaching out and giving my hand a really firm shake – something I didn't expect from her tiny grasp. "Did he come?" Alice asked, a hint of sadness in her eyes. Bella shook her head no.
"I'm sorry, Ali – he didn't. Why don't you come out camping with us though? I'll make Jasper come – that's more his department," Bella bellowed.
"K, call me! Have a good night, you guys!" Alice called out, as she disappeared back into the crowd.
"You know how to dance, Edward?" Bella asked, elbowing me in the ribs.
"A little. Do you?" I asked, for once in my life grateful for the dance classes that Esme made me take when I was thirteen. She had signed Carlisle and herself up, but Carlisle got stuck working night shifts so I wound up filling in more than once.
"Also a little." She smiled up at me coyly.
"Is that a hint?" I asked with a wink.
"Yes," she replied, as she thrust her hand out at me. "Do me the honour, Edward."
We walked hand in hand to a clear spot on the dance floor. I carefully guided Bella in place at my side, and placed my palm on the small of her back. It took us a few tries to get a rhythm going, but once we fell into stride, we were moving along doing the two-step effortlessly.
"Don't try anything fancy on me here, Edward," Bella joked. "We're doing just fine like this. Emmett always tries to throw me all around – freaks me out!" she laughed. As much as I wanted to tease, I felt it better to not – having Bella close to me like this was nice and I didn't want to ruin the moment.
"Is country the only music you people listen to?" I asked, leading us in somewhat of a circular pattern amongst the other couples. "It's driving me nuts."
"Well – yes and no. At my place I've got some good stuff – if you need a break, just come listen."
"I'll be taking you up on that for sure," I smiled. "So much that you might regret ever offering it."
"I doubt that," she said with a smile, pressing her fingertips a little firmer into my waist.
We made our way around the floor, weaving in and out of the other couples until the song came to an end. Just as we started heading back to our table, I spotted Quil storming through the main doors. He pulled out a chair in a huff and slumped down in it, his arms crossed across his chest. Sam and Embry followed in after him and grabbed chairs at the end of the table. They had their heads close together and were talking excitedly back and forth.
"Hey, you wanna go outside and cool off a bit?" Bella asked. "It's getting kinda warm in here."
"Sure, lead the way!" I replied, taking her hand in mine again. She gave me another big smile and started leading us to the door. Just as we were about to head outside, we ran right into Charlie. Bella instantly let go of my hand.
"Dad!" she said, startled. "How, um, how are you?" Charlie was linked arm in arm with a tall, older native lady with long dark hair.
"Bella, Edward," Charlie said with a nod. "You kids enjoying yourselves?" he asked, giving us each a quick once over.
"Yes, Sir," I replied. "We're just going out for some fresh air."
"Well then," he nodded, "Have a good night. See you at home." With that, Charlie quickly led the lady he was with to the dance floor.
"Who was that? Charlie's got a lady friend?" I asked, elbowing Bella playfully in the ribs.
"Pft. That's Sue. You remember the picture frame you were checking out at my place? That was me and her daughter, Leah. She's my best friend. Charlie and Sue are friends – they exchanged 'girl raising' stories for years."
"Right," I teased, dragging the word out. "Charlie's gonna tap that."
Bella slapped me jokingly on the arm and dragged me around the corner of the hall where the crowd had thinned out. The sound of yelling and hollering drew my attention to the parking lot.
Surrounding an old beat-up car was a group of guys and a few girls – a few of them I recognized from the diner. They had music blasting, the car vibrating with the low shitty bass. Apparently, they'd caught Bella's eye, too.
"Shit, Edward. That's Jake," Bella said, pointing over at the crowd. Sure enough, it was him – and he was shot gunning a beer while the rest of the group cheered him on. He and another guy were having a race – from what I could tell, the other guy was James. "He's not supposed to be drinking," Bella said, looking up at me, nervousness written across her face.
"What should we do?" I asked. I reached into my pocket and felt around for the almost empty pack of cigarettes I had stashed there. I'd barely smoked any since I'd arrived at the Ranch, but the stress of the situation was making me desperately want one.
Knowing the way Jake had behaved with me in the past, I knew that a drunk Jake could only be worse. I didn't need him fucking up the progress I'd been making – on myself or with Bella.
"We should go tell Charlie," Bella said quietly to me, eyeing my hand rooting in my pocket. "And don't smoke, please?" she asked.
I nodded at her and turned to make my way back inside, my hand low on Bella's back again, but it was too late.
"Bella, baby!" Jake's deep voice rang out from the parking lot. "I've been waiting for you all night. Damn girl – you look good!" he said, lewdly looking Bella up and down. Bella paused in her tracks and looked down at the floor, swallowing hard.
"Jake, we're just going –"
"That's cool, Eddie – I'll take her from here," he sneered at me. He was a few feet away but I could smell the booze on him from where I was. Bella looked up at me, worry written all over her face.
"Why don't we dance, Jake," Bella suggested, her voice soft. She locked eyes with me and gave me a pleading look. "Stay close," she mouthed at me.
It took every ounce of strength in me not to rip Jake's giant arm off of Bella's shoulder. As he led her inside, I watched from very close behind as he leaned in to Bella's ear and murmured something that made her slightly cower away. She glanced over her shoulder at me, presumably to be sure I was still close.
I parked myself against one of the supporting beams alongside the dance floor. I had a clear view of Bella – there was no way she was getting out of my sight. I admired her idea and composure – moving into the public room with the obviously intoxicated Jake made sense, and Bella was holding it together well.
I clenched and unclenched my fists and tightly crossed my arms across my chest. I didn't like this – not even a little bit. I was mentally willing Charlie and Emmett to show up and figure him out before the song ended. If by the end of the shitty tune no one had caught on to him, I was planning to find Charlie myself.
As I watched Jake and Bella dance, I noticed how he didn't stop talking at all. I tried to make out the words from his lips, but nothing made sense. Bella just nodded her head and smiled a weak smile at him – the type that never reached her eyes.
Just as I reached out to crack my knuckles, Jake's head snapped in my direction, his stare locking right on me.
"He's fucking looking at you!" Jake yelled, startling the couples promenading nearby. "Stop fucking staring at her, you piece of shit," he slurred at me. "She doesn't fucking want you, city boy. Go home," he yelled, his arms still planted around Bella's waist. People close by had all stopped to stare.
I looked him right in the eye, and shook my head.
"That's it," he fumed, dropping his arms from Bella and lunging in my direction. Bella reached out her hand to stop him but he roughly swatted it away. "It's fucking on!"
The music came to a sudden stop as Jake stomped over to me. Adrenaline was pumping through me – I stood my ground, waiting to see what he had planned. He picked up two chairs that were in his path and flung them carelessly out of the way.
When he reached me, he puffed his chest up and put his face right up in mine. He was sweating like crazy and his pupils were wide. I continued to meet his stare, my nonchalance clearly driving him wild.
"Hit me, bitch," he seethed through his teeth.
"No," I calmly replied. I was vibrating. People were starting to gather around. I could hear someone calling Jake's name through the crowd.
"Jake!" Charlie bellowed as he pushed his way through the bystanders, breaking us from our stare down. "Outside. Now!"
Instead of following Charlie's orders, Jake quickly drew his hand back and landed his fist right beneath my left eye. A disgusting crack filled the air, and I felt a warm blast spurt from my cheek. I stumbled back a few steps, and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
The sounds around me went fuzzy, and I watched as two guys – one of them definitely Emmett – tackled Jake to the ground. Even while the two men were holding him, Jake was still putting up a fight and struggling back. I could make out gasps and screams and a lot of people shuffling around and being led from the hall.
The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a chair just outside the main doors with a dishrag pressed up to my face. Bella's sweet voice was the first thing to snap me out of my daze.
"Oh my God, Edward – that's bleeding quite a bit. Are you ok?" she asked, her voice small. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were watering – she was definitely upset.
"Where did everybody go?" I asked. The music had just resumed inside, and most of the people had disappeared.
"Well, Jake's around the other side of the hall with Emmett and Charlie. I think Sam's there, too. They're talking to the cops – he's getting booked. I'm so embarrassed," she sighed.
I nodded at Bella, still confused and a little disoriented. "Don't be embarrassed," I mumbled, trying really hard to form a coherent sentence. "I didn't even get to hit him back."
"Don't worry about that – it's for the best," Bella said sadly. "The cops were called before he even hit you. I guess he's been causing trouble around town all night. They were on their way to check things out anyway."
"Should we go over there?" I asked. My cheek felt mostly numb, but was starting to sting a little right on the apple of my cheek.
"Yeah, actually. They wanted to talk to you once you snapped out of it."
Around the corner, an RCMP car was parked with its lights flashing. Charlie and Emmett were huddled closely with two officers who appeared to be taking notes. Quil was sitting close by on the bottom step, Sam and Embry sitting just behind him a few stairs back.
"Edward, I'm glad you made it over here," Charlie said, his eyes tired. "Why don't you have a seat. We've got some things to figure out here." The police officers followed Charlie over to the staircase where the other guys were seated.
Quil moved over and made room for me without saying a word. Bella stood just off to the side of Charlie. Emmett stayed close to the police car, speaking softly through the window. I assumed he was talking to Jake.
"I need answers, boys, and I need them now," Charlie started, his tone more serious then I'd ever heard it. "Either someone starts talking, or I'll have my boys here take you guys in for question time. What's it gonna be?" he asked, pointing with his thumbs to the uniformed men on either side of him.
"He's high," Quil said softly.
"What do you mean, Quil," Charlie prompted.
"He's high. And drunk. Fuck –" Quil swore, kicking at the gravel and hopping up from the step. "He told me everything at the party tonight."
"Go on, son," Charlie said softly. "We need to know – you know that, right?"
Quil stuck his hands deep in his pockets and nodded. "I know. I met him at James' place tonight. I knew he wasn't right when I got there. He told me everything – how he's been using a little again, how he wanted me to smoke up with him. How he thought that if Edward was getting in shit around the Ranch that the pressure would be off of us. How he scored some coke off of James. All of it."
"Did you touch any of it, Quil?" Charlie asked, his face stern.
"No, man. I swear I didn't. I was so pissed at him that I called Sam to pick me up early."
"Is that true?" Charlie asked Sam. Sam just nodded, staring at the ground.
"Ok, that's all we need to know then. Edward?" Charlie said, looking right at me. "You know that you can press charges if you want to. It's up to you."
I thought about that for a moment. As much as I wanted Jake to get everything he deserved, it just didn't feel right. "No, Charlie. I'm good," I replied. "Just get him some help."
Charlie looked me in the eye for a moment, and gave a small nod. "Alright – I want you all to head back. Rosalie and Emmett will be meeting you boys in the kitchen. Edward, you see that Bella makes it home alright. I'll meet you all there later."
xoxoxoxox
The truck ride back to Bella's was quiet. Bella drove while I held the dishrag up to my busted-up cheek. Even though it bled a lot, I wouldn't require stitches. Bella told me that she had some butterfly bandages back at the Ranch that would work fine to close it up.
When we arrived back on the property, Bella pulled up in front of her cottage, but paused before getting out.
"I um, I can take you back to the main house, if you'd prefer. I'm sorry – I should have –"
"No!" I quickly cut her off. "I'd like to come in, I mean, if that's ok –"
"Of course!" she replied. "Our time kind of got cut short. God, Edward. I'm so sorry –"
"Please, Bella – don't apologize for him," I said sincerely. I didn't want her to feel that she had any part in the fuckery that made up the latter part of the night. "I was having an awesome time with you – it's no one's fault but his."
Bella nodded and unlocked the power doors. I followed her up the step and held the door open for her.
"Make yourself comfy. I'll get you a bag of peas. Do you drink tea?" she asked as she started rifling through her freezer.
"No, but just water would be good," I answered.
"Ok, I'll be right back."
A few moments later, Bella returned with a bottle of water, a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel and a wet wash cloth.
"Let me take a look at that, k? I'll clean you up just a little." She carefully sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of me and took the bloody rag I'd been using from my hand. She then delicately traced my cheekbone with her index finger.
"What's the damage?" I murmured. It was starting to sting more and more, but having Bella in such close proximity was taking my mind off of it.
"It's pretty ugly," she giggled, as she started dabbing gently at the wound. "You're probably gonna have a shiner, maybe a little scar, too."
"Chicks dig scars though, right?" I smirked, then winced a little as she applied more pressure.
"Thank you for doing this for me, Bella," I said genuinely. "You make an excellent nurse."
"Why thank you," she replied sweetly, while she leaned in even closer to wipe at the dried-on blood that had run down my neck. If I turned my head just a fraction of an inch, I could have kissed the spot right behind her ear. The thought alone made me shiver.
Bella pulled back slightly, and before I had the chance to think it through, I reached out and quickly grabbed her wrist, drawing her to me. The tip of her tongue peeked out between her lips, wetting them slightly before her top teeth pressed firmly into her bottom lip.
I looked up from her mouth and straight into Bella's eyes – she was watching me watch her, and the corners of her lips were beginning to pull up in a grin. My opportunity was now, and I was taking it.
Bella's hand made its way from my shoulder up the back on my neck, and with gently pressure, she started guiding her face to mine. I took over in an instant, hurrying the moment. I couldn't help it – I needed to touch her. The emotionally charged evening aside, I'd been wishing for this since I first laid eyes on her.
Our lips crashed together, with pressure gentle but firm. I reached my hand up and cradled the back of Bella's head, pulling her to me, as our mouths moved together. Her warm lips parted slightly, allowing me deeper, closer. I had never in any of my experiences felt so much from something as simple as a kiss.
Bella pulled back first, a soft sigh escaping, followed by a slightly embarrassed giggle. I ran my fingers up and down her arms, knowing that this was it for the evening, but wanting so desperately to touch her, to feel more.
"Everyone's probably wondering where I am," I said softly.
"Yeah, you should probably get back," Bella sighed. Her breath was heavy – it matched mine.
"I'll work on that camping trip, okay?" Bella said. "We should do this – well – not quite like tonight, but you know, this...again, maybe?"she asked, again with the nervous questions.
"We should. As soon as we can, please," I chuckled, lightening the mood. I picked up my bag of peas and made my way to the door. "Goodnight, Bella," I said, stepping in to the doorway. As I walked down her front steps, I glanced over my shoulder. Bella was peeking out her curtains at me. I gave her a small wave and headed back to the main house.
When I made my way through the main door, I walked in quietly. I wasn't sure what I'd be walking in on. I didn't know when or if Jake was coming back, and I had no clue how the other guys would respond to the evening's events.
I tiptoed through the main hall and stopped just outside the dining room doorway. I could hear both Rosalie and Emmett talking, but it was muffled. Phrases like, "nobody's fault," "brotherhood," "responsibility for one another" and "we're a team, we're here for each other" were clear.
Just as I was about to round the corner, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Jasper had caught me.
"Dude, look at your face!" he whispered.
"Shh!" I said, not wanting to be called out for eavesdropping. "What's going on?"
"Well," Jasper said, "Wanna be the first to know? I just got off the phone with Charlie."
"And?"
"Jake's gone. Charlie's going with him. He's on his way back to rehab."
Thanks so much for reading! I love to hear your thoughts. The next chapter will be up in a week or two. =)