Author's Note:
So I know neither of our boys are in the right here, but neither Of them are perfect they each have their baggage and issues, what they have in common is that they lack communication skills.
Although I love this pairing, it would be too cliche or predictable if they were to just fall into each others arm's and ride off into the sunset. Additionally, real life is messy and other things tend to get in the way and I want to convey that in my writing.
Originally, I was only going to write four or five chapter's for this sequel but there is so much more to expand on before Edward and Jacob get their ending. Plus I wanted to expand on my frankly shoddy writing in MDLS.
I hope I haven't put any of you off with this bit of a rant. In fact thanks for reading, especially those of you who have stuck with me from the begining. I love you all and to sound totally sappy, your reviews are like warm hugs on a cold winter's day.
So here it is the next instalment and the lemon I promised you, enjoy!
Chapter Eleven - An Attempt to Tip the Scales
Edward POV
It felt like it had been ages since I had felt Jacob's lips on my own, so I was almost hungry and needy in the way that I kissed him back. My teeth scraped against his lips and I gripped his shoulders so tight, I probably left bruises. Neither of us cared though, soon we were panting hard kissing and touching each other like we would never see other again.
"Jake" I moaned as his hands drifted down my back to undo the buttons on my jeans, he kissed me hard growling and pushing them down. I was aching all over for him, I needed him and I knew it was the same for him judging by the way he quickly got rid of our clothes and pulled me towards the sofa.
His lips barely left mine for a moment, he pushed me back so I lay on my back as he straddled me. I could feel every inch of his body pressed against mine but I wanted more, so I lifted my hips grinding them into his and creating some much needed friction.
"Ah, fuck" he moaned, his head falling against my shoulder. Moving my hand lower, I gripped him and myself slowly moving my hand up and down causing Jacob to moan louder and nip at the side of my neck, his moans only slightly muffled.
I was very close and so was Jacob as the sounds he was making got much louder, his lips found mine again. "Stop" he said against my lips. "I need to be inside of you" I just nodded and stopped, running my hands up his chest to grip his hair and pull him in for another kiss.
We went to the bedroom and lay down on the bed or rather fell back onto it, our lips barely breaking apart, I gasped into his mouth as one of his hands massaged my balls before he liberally coated a finger in lube. My head fell back as his finger teased my puckered hole, my eyes fluttering closed until he pushed in the digit which had me gripping his shoulders and swearing loudly, somewhat uncomfortable at first.
Working the single finger in and out, he added another and going deeper he curled his fingers and stroked that sweet spot.
"Oh Jake!" he smiled into the side of my neck as the thrusts of his hand got faster, stroking that spot every time. I clung onto him just as hard as he gripped my hips, lining himself up with my prepared entrance before entering me in one swift movement.
"Ah god, that feels so good Edward" he stilled for a moment, letting me adjust before he started to move his hips slowly. He didn't keep that pace for long though, his thrusts became faster and harder, with each thrust he managed to angle his hips so that he kept stroking my prostate with his dick.
We shouted each others names loudly, one of my hands fisting the sheets the other was tangled in Jacob's hair, keeping his lips on mine.
"I'm s-so close" he rasped out, reaching between us to jerk me off, his movements were a little clumsy and we were now covered in a sheen of sweat but I was close myself.
"Jake" I moaned out, needing just a little more to go over the edge. So I kissed him again and as he closed his eyes, I flipped us over smling into the kiss as he made a sound of surprise.
Now I was straddling him, pulling my mouth away I sat up and he put his hands on my hips. I ground down on him, my hands on his chest I heard his deep growl as he grabbed my ass, parting my cheeks slightly and lifting his hips up to mine in quick movement. I got the message and with a smirk at him, I started to move up and down quickly, our beathing getting quicker and shallower and our movements more and more sparodic.
"Jacob!"
"Edward!"
When we had come down from our mutual climax, we were left feeling awkward as our rapidly cooling spunk created a new problem. Jacob pulled away first, sitting up and turning away before standing and getting the two towels hung on the back of the door, handing one to me and turning away.
As the tension hung between us, I cleaned myself off and sat up too, with both of our backs to each other. i cursed myself, though I had missed him and had loved his touch after what felt like months I knew it was a mistake. He probably did too, if his tense silence was anything to go by.
We dressed in silence, our backs to each other as we did so. After a while we slowly turned around, neither one of wanting to break the awkward silence first.
"Edw-"
"Ja-" we spoke at the same time and stopped, I guestured for him to go first.
"Edward, this wasn't appropriate. It was too soon"
"Shall I go?" he looked conflicted and for a moment I thought he would say no, but then he gave me the briefest of nods and my shoulders dropped.
"I'm sorry, I got carried away"
"I wasn't exactly complaining Jake" he almost blushed at my comment, he looked down rubbing the back of his neck as we walked back into the living room.
As we did I noticed the AA phamplet on the coffee table, I raised my eyebrows and looked back to Jacob who had seen where my gaze landed.
"Your going to a meeting, that's good" his expression turned snarly as he stomped round to the table and picked up the phamplet, screwing it up in his hands and chucking it accross the room so it landed in the bin next to the bookshelf.
"I'm not going"
"Why the hell not?" he shook his head angrily and I walked round the couch to face him properly.
"Because I don't need it! I'm f-" I held up a hand to stop him.
"If you value my sanity you will not say you are fine. Beacuse that's a lie, you were in a coma Jake! How you possibly think that you're okay after that?"
"That was an accident"
"It still happened and I, we could have lose you don't you get that? I know I am the last person you are likely to listen to but don't you owe it to yourself to go? To go before something else happens?" he shook his head and grit his teeth, clenching his fists as well.
"You should leave Edward"
"Will you hit me again?" his fists unclenched a fraction and his gaze lowered to where he had punched me in the face, his glare softened a tiny bit too.
"I didn't, I shouldn't have done that...sorry about that" I sighed and shook my head.
"It's okay, my bruises will fade but I saw your family Jake. The minute they saw you in that hospital bed, it broke them. I know I have no right to tell you what to do, but don't be selfish. If nothing else you might want to think of what would happen to them, if you drank yourself into another coma or worse" he frowned and the anger seemed to be gone, for now.
Now, it was time for me to go. "Bye Jake"
"Edward" I stopped when I turned away, turning my head round. "There was a stack of letter's by the door, but everything's been cleaned so do you know where they are?"
"They were probably taken care of or disposed, I guess" I shrugged and this time he didn't stop me from leaving.
~X~X~X~
Getting to the hotel, I was about to walk in when I got a call. Pulling out my phone I saw Emmett's name flash on my screen, I hit the answer button and put the phone to my ear.
"To what do I owe the pleasure Emmett?" I entered the hotel and went to the elevators.
"Hey Ed, so how is the whole lawsuit coming along?" I sighed and crosed my arms.
"Not good, it looks like I'm screwed if I can't get this money" he went silent then. "Emmett what are you not telling me?"
"Er...well...you see...dad knows" he blurted out and I made a sound of disappointment.
"Really? What the fuck Emmett?" I got to my room and shut the door behind me, going to sit in the chair by the desk.
"Sorry bro, he didn't find out through me. Apprantly he has some connections in London who told him about the case, well you see this call was a warning"
"A warning?" at that point there was a knock on my door and I stood up. "What do you mean?" I opened the door.
"Dad's in London" his warning was now quite redundant.
"Cheers for the warning, Emmett but I'm going to have to call you back later"
"What is it?"
"Our father is standing right in front of me" I said trying to sound casual, before hanging up on my brother.
"Hello Edward" he said in greeting, he was impeecably well dressed as usual and his expression and voice gave nothing away. So naturaly I didn't trust him at all.
"Hello Father" we stood there for a few moment, mentally sizing up this situation I had seen him or heard from him in months and then he just pops up in London, there was some sort of agenda.
"Can I come in?" he raised an eyebrow and waited for my response.
~X~X~X~
Sat downstairs in the hotel bar, we each had a glass of wine in front of us which we had ordered and since then barely touched. I sat up in my chair, deeply aware of my bad posture and slightly rumpled clothes that not too long ago, had been strewn across the apartment floor.
I was completley unprepared to see my father and I felt like a kid who had rolled around in the mud whilst wearing his sunday best. We had not spoken at all since I left for London to be with Jacob and I wondered at all if he knew about my failed relationship with the man he so vocally disapproved of.
"Edward" he broke the awkward silence first after taking a smll sip from his glass and then putting it down. "I heard about your recent court case"
"Emmett told me you knew, thank you for the warning by the way. It was nice to hear that after nearly eight months you saw fit to just drop in on me" my voice was brittle and a tad too sarcastic, his eyebrows scrunched together in disapproval a look I knew all too well.
"That isn't quite fair, you did move all the way to London. Although, I hear that you are no longer seeing Jacob?" he raised an eyebrow, that answered my earlier question of course he knew.
"I am not 'seeing' him currently" though I did see a lot of him recently...oh, shut up! "Father as much as I am enjoying this rather stimulating chat, I am sure you didn't travel nine hours on a plane, just to ask me about my ex fiance and court case" I secretly enjoyed how the vein in his head tensed when I mentioned Jacob as my ex fiance.
"You are right, I didn't come here for small talk" waiting for him to elaborate, he paused to take another sip of his drink, taking his tie and probably getting a kick out of agitating me by being so slow to get to the point. "It is about the court case, I was told you are being sued"
"Yes" I said tersely, crosing my arms and resisting the urge to roll my eyes at him or walk away from him.
"I want to help you" he said finally getting to the point. I scoffed at his statement, shaking my head and leaning forwards as uncrossed my arms.
"I've already had my lawyer look at the papers, its pretty solid I can't get out of this one"
"You had a cheap law school drop out look at it, let me have my lawyer look at it" there it was; condsencion with a side order of ego, just what I ordered. What he was really saying was: 'I have an a small army of expensive lawyers at my disposal, let me make you feel like you owe me'.
"No matter how much you pay your lawyer I'm screwed"
"I'll take care of it and if all else fails, we can settle out of court and keep the press out of our business"
"Our business?" I replied incredulously.
"Edward" he started and I felt like I was about to either be lectured or fed a load of bullshit. "You are a Cullen" Whether I wanted to be one or not, it seems. "We may have had our differences and I may not agree with some of your life choices, but you are still a Cullen. A lot of people know our name and our family, so I have a certain duty to protect that image...to protect you" so it was a bit of a lecture on my mistakes, bad choices along with a little bit of bullshitting for good measure then.
"That was a nice little speech father, but I have things to do today" I stood and shook my head slowly. "Sorry you wasted your time coming here"
"Edward" he said as I was about to turn around and walk away. As much as I wanted to storm off like a stroppy child, I couldn't so I looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "Edward, I know that I have not been in your life recently however I must admit I was very shocked by your admission" clenching my jaw, I remained standing.
"It wasn't easy for me either"
"I know, I'm still trying to understand" with a deep sigh, I sat back down taking a gulp of my wine and then crossing my arms.
Jacob POV
"Hello, I'm trying to sort out some kind of payment plan as I recently lost my job" I winced at having to say that to some stranger on the other end of the telephone.
"Can you give me your customer reference number, sir?" I reeled off the number, hearing the typing as I did.
"Well, Mr Black it looks like your utilities bills have already been taken care of"
"What!"
"Just two days ago we recieved payment" two days ago I was still in hospital, so who had paid my bills? I knew who it was, it had to be Leah.
"Can you tell me who paid?" there was a brief pause, followed by more typing.
"It was paid by the credit card of a Mr Edward Cullen" my jaw dropped, the son of bitch.
"Well, thanks for that" I hung up and called the electricity company, but I got the same thing. All of my bills had been paid by Edward fucking Cullen.
~X~X~X~
After taking Charlie for a walk, I got back to my flat and put out some food for him and had my own breakfast looking across the room at the AA leaflet Leah had left behind. I didn't pick it up to read it, but as it got nearer to noon I found myself thinking about what Edward had said.
Despite being a major jackass for trying to take care of me, when he didn't have the right, I couldn't deny that what he had said made sense.
My phone rang and picking it up, I heard my sister's voice greet me.
"Hi Jacob"
"Hey Rachel, what's up?" Charlie looked up from his spot under the table, as I went to the sofa sitting down and patting the sofa cushion beside me. Edward had hated having Charlie on the furniture, but since he moved out I didn't mind and so my dog bounded over and jumped up, snuggling into my side as I held the phone to my ear.
"We were wondering if you wanted to have lunch with us?" scratching Charlie's chin, I then looked to the coffee table where the leaflet still rested, sighing in resignation I looked down at Charlie.
"I'm sorry Rach, but I have...a meeting to go to" she caught the reluctance in my voice
"A meeting? What kind of meeting?" she replied in disbelief, her voice suggesting that she didn't quite trust what she thought I was going to say next.
"I'm going to an alcoholics anonymous meeting this afternoon" there was a long silence on the other end of the line which had me just a little worried.
"You are?" she said finally.
"Yes, I am" I said resigned to that decision.
"I didn't think that you'd go"
"Neither did I" I remarked honestly.
"So, what changed your mind?"
don't be selfish. If nothing else you might want to think of what would happen to them, if you drank yourself into another coma or worse
"I don't know"
After a few more minutes, we hung up and I glanced at the clock. Giving Charlie a final pat on the head I stood up and went to shower and change, so I would be ready by the time Leah came round.
The time went so slowly, when I was changed I still had over an hour left and I cleaned the flat. But as it had been cleaned recently, that didn't take long at all. So then I was back to twiddling my thumbs until Leah arrived.
I heard the horn go as a car pulled up outside, I looked out the window and saw Leah get out of a cab and ask the driver to wait for her before heading to the door.
Opening the door for her when she pressed the buzzer, I saw her glance when I let her in.
"So, are coming to the meeting of have you got somewhere else to be?"
"I'll go, but I'm not making any promises okay?" she nodded and waited for me to continue. "I am trying but it's not for me I am out of there" she bristled a bit but gave me a curt nod and we left the flat.
The meeting was held in a community centre not too far from the hospital, it was a sad looking grey building with graffiti on the outside of the building and the inside didn't look much better. Our particular meeting was held in one of the conference rooms, the walls a plain white colour and the floors a grimy grey linoleum.
With tables pushed to one side of the room, half of them stacked atop each other, there was a circle of black molded plastic chairs. In the chair opposite the door I came in, I made Leah promise to wait outside, was a tall blond woman who looked like she should be gracing the cover of some fashion magazine than in a cramped, stuffy room with a group of sad alcoholics. She was clearly the social worker or mediator or what ever that was there to control the meeting.
For one she had a lanyard round her neck and a serious looking ID card attached to it, furthermore she had a clipboard which she was currently scribbling on.
There were five men and one other woman sat on the chairs, taking a seat next to the woman I looked at the men and inwardly cringed. They all looked like they had seen better days, one man had a long disgusting looking beard and thin greasy hair to his shoulders. Another was bald with yellow broken teeth and a long scar on his right cheek. I didn't belong here, I had nothing in common with any of these people, I should just leave right now.
I was prepared to run out the door and make my excuses to Leah, but then the blond lady cleared her throat and smiled at us.
"Hello everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful week" she spoke slowly, carefully as if each word she spoke was important. Not that she seemed vain or anything, it was more like she was trying to convey importance by choosing her words carefully. "This week we have a new member" she looked to me expectantly and I realised that she was waiting for me to introduce myself when the others leaned in to look at me as well.
"I'm Jacob Black" she smiled and leaned back.
"Welcome, Jacob. I am Carmen Kendrick" she turned to look at the man on her left the bald guy, with the same look but he cottoned on quicker.
"I'm Johnny Davis" he said in deep voice.
"Roger McIntyre"
"George Milne"
"Freddie Pearce"
"Lisa Marsh"
"Andy Stanton" as each person introduced themselves I gave them a nod and now turned to look back at Carmen, who was still smiling brightly at us.
"Right then, Jacob would you like to tell us something about yourself?" hell no.
"I don't know" I said uncertainly and she continued to smile at me as she nodded.
"That's okay" she then addressed the whole group. "Remember that this is a safe place, we are all here to help one another without judgement" she shot another smile at me and then turned to the man on her left once more.
"Why don't we start with telling Jacob how we got here to make him feel more comfortable?" Johnny nodded and began to speak.
"Once when drunk after a night out with the missus , I was driving home when I had an accident. I walked away with a broken arm, but me wife didn't" the almost intimidating man started to sniffle and Carmen handed him a tissue with a sympathetic look when he accepted it. "She was dead before the ambulance got there" Carmen looked to Roger as Johnny dabbed his eyes.
"Well, I had passed out on the sofa forgetting that I had the gas on. When I woke my flat was on fire" he stopped as he went into a coughing fit. "Me and my daughter barely got out alive"
On it went, each person had tragic tales of how their drinking had cause some horrific accident or harmed their loved ones. But that wasn't me, I hadn't hurt anyone else or been the cause for an accident.
The more they talked more certain I was of it.
"After I lost me job, me 'usband left and then me mam took away the kids. I felt like I 'ad nuttin left and tried to kill meself"
This wasn't for me, I was nothing like these people.
Lisa sobbed into a tissue and Andy patted her shoulder sympathetically, at that point I stood up abruptly and shoved my chair back.
"Jacob, do you want to share something?" asked Carmen hopefully.
"No" I looked round at the faces looking at me like I had grown a second head. They looked old and tired, I was barely thirty, I didn't belong here. It was a mistake to come, I was an idiot. "No, I shouldn't be here"
With those words I turned around and left the room, seeing Leah outside she was sipping a cheap cup of coffee as she flicked thorough an old gossip magazine. She spotted me as I marched out and she dropped the magazine, hopping to her feet and following me out as I lit up a cigarette.
"What happened?" she asked as she caught up with me, outside the community centre main entrance doors.
"Its not for me" was the only answer I gave, she threw away the half drunk coffee away and crossed her arms looking unhappy, but I looked away and took a deep puff.
"You weren't even in there long, you barely gave it a chance, Jake" she complained and I shook my head, taking another puff and tapping the ash off the end.
"Leah, they were a bunch of sad, lonely people talking about how they fucked up their liives. That's not me"
"But it could be" I scoffed which seemed to anger her.
"Because you're the expert right?" she didn't say anything and what I felt I needed was a coffee, an irsh coffee. "Thanks Leah, but this isn't for me"
"You need help" my response was to flick the cigarette butt onto the ground and light up another.
Edward POV
Changing into a pale yellow shirt and dark jeans, I looked in the mirror and attempted to flatten my hair not that it ever helped. I left my hotel room and went to my car, driving to the pretentious and overpriced restaurant my father had picked.
My father was already seated at the table, of course he had arrived early, he was perusing a list of wines and ordered a bottle as I reached the table. He was dressed in a dark suit, with a white shirt and navy silk tie. I had foregone a suit and tie, partly because I wanted to see his reaction when he saw me dressed on what he called casual, and partly because I wasn't in the mood for dressing up and pretending to be civil to him.
Plus I had rebelled against him in a big way, so why stop there?
Taking in the lack of a tie and the jeans, he sighed and leaned back a bit in his chair. He smoothed down the front of his tie and cleared his throat, we both remained silent until the ordered wine was brought over to us.
"I have had my lawyer look over the case"
"That was quick" I muttered under my breath.
"And it seems the best way to settle it would be out of court" he remained stoic as he spoke, as if merely doing a business transaction and not talking to his son.
"Father, I can't afford to do that" he remained composed as though that was of little significance.
"Yes, but I can" I shook my head vehemently.
"No way!"
"Edward, keep your voice down" hearing my outburst, several people on the nearby tables were turning around to see what was going on.
"Still, I'm not letting you just sort this out for me. This is my problem, it's one thong having your lawyer look at the case, it's another thing entirely to have you wave your money around" I hissed at him, the people eventually getting back to their own meals.
"Edward, it is money you are entitled to. Your trust fund that hasn't been touched by you, so it is your money" I shook my head not seeing around his logic.
"The way I see it that is your money and I will not use it to solve my problems. I have paid my own way since I left college and it will stay that way. I intend to pay back the money you and mom gave me and Bella" he shook his head like I was being unreasonable.
"Be realistic here, there is no way you can find the money for your case and pay me back. Not unless you accept my help"
"Are you ready to order?"
"No!" the waiter looked a little startled and my father shot me a disapprovingly look, but the waiter recovered quickly.
"I'll give you some more time" with a smile he left and Carlisle Cullen gave me a withering look but I held my ground.
"You were always stubborn, in fact you remind me a lot of myself when I was younger"
"Is that why you are just letting mom go?" his lip twitched and I felt a twinge of guilt for my low blow. He looked down and took a sip of his drink, taking his time before answering me.
"What happened with me and your mother is something I deeply regret, however that is not what we came here to discuss"
"End of discussion father. I will not accept your money and I will find a way to deal with this...situation on my own" I stood up and his eyes followed me. "Bye"
I left before he could respond.
Author's Note:
So I have gotten quite a few reviews on either Jacob or Edward not being in the wrong. I love hearing your thoughts and I would love to hear who you support.
Not to sound cheesy, but Team Jacob or Team Edward? Personally, I love both of them and so I would have to say I'm Team Switzerland, not a proper answer I know but I couldn't possibly choose between them!
Thanks for reading and until next time, bye!
