Hey there! :)
Thank you for the awesome reviews; LexiLeothegreat909, Porcelain-Shadow, xostaybeautiful, Mouse555, Rosaa, Missrain, Mrs. M Cullen, Emma, Golden Perception, Lizzy, Xtina316, Clara Fonteyn, Josefa and my fans at the hospital, Thari, AutumnUrie, Marijne, Sara Lautner, Jrow1107, Sprinter1, Et1141412, Bella'Swan'22, Lizzie, SkyBluee, Lisa and Silke112!
Since everyone seems to like my Edward so much, he's going to give all of you a free, digital hug today! Isn't that thoughtful of him? :p And everyone gets a virtual, chocolate Easter egg from me, to wish you all a Happy Easter! :D
Also; Thanks for the clovers, LexiLeothegreat909, thanks for the Emmett, Rosaa, and thanks for the Easter egg, Lizzie!
To Mouse555; No, it wasn't Tanya. :p That wouldn't be realistic, it wouldn't really fit into the timeline, seeing as Tanya had no idea that she would find Edward there with Bella. This was just bad luck, as Bella mentioned. Someone spotted them and recognized Edward, snapped a picture, and saw an opportunity to make some easy money by selling it to the tabloids.
To everyone at the hospital: Patience, my dears. :p He will act on it, eventually. xD
To Thari: I have to make him agree? :O That's your job, girl! xD
To Bella'Swan'22: Sure, have your own free, digital Edward! :D
To Lizzie: Aahw, I'm so sorry to hear about your granddad. :( *Gives a big hug*
To Lisa: A virus? That sucks, hope it's fixed now! :O But I'm glad you liked it. xD
To Silke112: Nee, ik heb 'Remember Me' nog niet gezien, maar ik heb wel gelezen hoe het einde is, en ik kan me voorstellen dat je daar om moest janken. :p Dat zou ik vast ook gedaan hebben want het is echt totally sad. xD Dat is ook de reden dat ik die film waarschijnlijk dus niet ga kijken, ik ben meer van de happy endings. xD Ik werd al triest toen ik alleen de samenvatting las, dus ik vind het niet vreemd dat je er droevig van werd. ;) Als ik hem ooit al ga kijken is dat alleen om Robert Pattinson, want ik ben niet zo van dat soort dramatische films. xD
Okay people, let's move on! What can I say… Some drama, some fluff… Enjoy!
Break
My hands trembled as I flipped through the pages, looking for the article. I didn't have to look far; it was on page three. Apparently this was considered breaking news, and it made me shudder in disgust. What was so important about putting peoples' personal lives on display for the whole world to see? Even if those people were actors, pop stars or royalty… Where was the fun in spreading lies about them?
Edward's arms were still around me, locked in an iron grip. It was the only thing keeping me from collapsing to the floor.
"You don't want to read that." He hinted flatly, just as my eyes landed on the rather lengthy text next to the picture. "It's mostly lies, made up by pathetic people who don't have anything better to do." He added, resting his head on my shoulder as he read along.
I blinked, unsure if I wanted to follow his advice or not. I was still shocked, since it had never even crossed my mind that something like this was likely to happen at some point.
"I just don't get it…" I mumbled.
"What don't you get?" Alice asked, smiling comfortingly at me.
"We didn't see anyone taking pictures, that night at the restaurant…"
Emmett's booming laugh sounded from behind us.
"That's the thing with the paparazzi, Bella, they're sneaky bastards. It's their job." He said, mocking my naivety.
"I know, it's just… All lies. Stupid lies, Edward didn't do anything wrong. I never should've gone out to dinner with you." I blurted out, turning my head, glancing back at him.
Edward's hold on me tightened even more. "Don't say that, you're not the one to blame here, Bella. This happens all the time, I can't go anywhere with anyone if I want to stay out of the magazines. Why do you think I picked dreary, old Forks as my getaway place?"
"But still, they're making it look like you're some jerk who's cheating on his girlfriend." I said, my voice no more than a whisper.
"And I'm used to that. I'm only concerned about you. Don't worry about me, please, I've learned to ignore things like this a long time ago." Edward answered, his lips right at my ear.
I turned around in his arms, facing him completely, and I decided that I wasn't going to stir up my anger even more by reading that stupid article. With a headline like that, it wasn't hard to guess what the story was about. Edward had cheated on his beautiful girlfriend, with none other than plain, boring Bella Swan. Yeah right, who were they trying to fool anyway?
Edward softly rubbed my arms, never taking his green gaze away from me.
"Can I make you some tea?" Alice offered.
I nodded infinitesimally.
"Come, sit down." Edward suggested, releasing me and holding out one of the bar stools for me.
I sat down, and he did the same, sitting down next to me, keeping minimal distance between our chairs. The kitchen was silent, except for the buzzing sound that the electric water boiler was making.
Emmett sat down across from us, and Alice was getting some mugs from the cupboard over the sink.
The silence went on, but I didn't mind, seeing as I was too busy with my own emotions. Too busy feeling guilty. Of course Edward had said that it didn't matter, and that he was used to things like this. But despite his indifferent view on this whole situation, I felt horrible. I didn't want the entire world to think bad things about Edward because of that one, stupid picture. This never would've happened if I hadn't interfered with his life…
"Please say something, Bella. You're not beating yourself up over this, are you?" Edward murmured, lightly placing his hand on my arm.
"I don't want people to think that you're a heartless jerk." I said, placing my hand on top of his.
Emmett snickered suddenly. "Too late for that, sis. Most people already thought of him as a heartless jerk before this little accident."
"Emmett!" Alice scolded her brother, smacking the back of his head.
"That hurts!" He complained.
"Wimp." Alice sang.
She placed the steaming mugs in front of us, and sat down next to Emmett. I sipped my tea, still deep in thought while the Cullen siblings quietly chatted with each other. I didn't pay any attention to their conversation, but I did look up when the kitchen door suddenly swung open.
A beautiful, blonde haired girl walked in, eyeing us curiously. She looked like a model, and my self-esteem instantly dropped to zero.
"Hey guys, how's it going here?" She questioned, glancing around the table.
Her eyes rested on me for a second, and understanding flashed across her face. She was clearly in on the story, so this had to be Emmett's girlfriend.
"Ah, look who decided to come out of the shower after thirty minutes." Emmett teased her.
"That's not true, I had to dry my hair!" She protested, glowering at him.
Edward noted my slight confusion, and confirmed my assumption by introducing the girl. "This is Rosalie, Emmett's girlfriend."
"Yes, he mentioned that in the car… It's nice to meet you." I said, shyly looking up at her, intimidated by her looks.
I knew I was being judgmental, misled by her amazing looks, but I half expected her to give me the kind of look that Lauren loved to direct at me. It never came. On the contrary, she proved me wrong by returning my smile with a kind smile of her own.
"It's nice to meet you, too. Bella, right?" She spoke to me in a friendly tone.
I nodded. "Yes, that's right."
She grinned and walked up to Emmett, swiftly pecking him on the cheek before sitting down next to him.
The conversation continued like it hadn't been interrupted at all, and I was thankful that I had a few more minutes to organize my thoughts. I did hear some parts of their talk, and found out that Rosalie in fact was a professional model, which didn't surprise me at all. Edward's hand stayed glued to my hand the entire time, and his fingers were mindlessly playing with mine, sending tingles through my arm.
Suddenly the doorbell rang, and Alice and Edward exchanged a wary look.
"Are you expecting someone?" She asked him.
Edward shook his head. "Not really, but I suppose it's alright. Surely no journalists, Joe would've stopped them."
Ah, the bald security guy was named Joe.
"I'll get it." Emmett said, getting up from his chair and walking out of the kitchen, taking large, heavy steps.
"Feeling better?" Edward quietly asked me, his green eyes concerned.
I cracked a smile at him. "Yeah, I think I'm calmer now."
"No better medicine than a cup of tea." Alice said, grinning at me.
I snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure it's the tea."
"Trust me, it won't last long. One week until some other celebrity does something stupid, and everyone's forgotten all about it." Rosalie assured me.
Emmett stepped back into the kitchen, his face straight as he directly addressed me. "It's for you, Bella."
"Me?" I asked, surprised.
"Do you see another Bella?" Emmett joked. "It's your stepmother. Or a woman who claims that she's your stepmother, that's also a possibility." He announced in a more serious tone.
My heart stopped beating for a second, and I felt how Edward's hand tightened around mine.
"Regina?" Edward nearly growled her name.
"Yes, how did she get past security?" I wondered out loud, my calmness evaporating abruptly.
Edward gave me an apologetic smile. "It would make sense for Joe to let in your family. After all, that's what she is."
I felt another wave of panic. "What the hell is she doing here? I don't want to talk to her! I'm sure she knows what's going on by now, and I bet she's furious. I'm dead meat!"
"Do you want me to tell her to leave?" Emmett offered.
I sighed, shaking my head. "Thanks, but I'll have to face her eventually. Shooing her will only make things worse, she'll just attack me as soon as I get home."
I got up from the breakfast bar, making my way out of the kitchen and into the entrance-hall. My feet were feeling heavy, but I suddenly noticed that Edward was right behind me, following my every step.
"It's fine, Edward." I said without looking back, letting him off the hook.
"No, it's not. I'm going to stay with you the entire time, and if she makes one wrong move, I will take her down." Edward replied in a low, menacing voice, not bothering to hide his thoughts about my stepmother.
"Thanks." I muttered, briefly looking back and smiling at him before I stepped up to the front door.
I swallowed loudly, clearing my dry throat before I opened it. I could sense that Edward was standing right next to me, and it made me feel a lot braver.
Regina's eyes widened as soon as I opened the door. The purple dress she was wearing was at least one size too small, and the orange purse that she was carrying didn't add anything to her outfit.
"Isabella! I want you to come home with me, now!" She spat at me.
Edward did a step forward, and I grabbed his arm, stopping him, letting him know that it was alright.
"No, Regina. I promised that I would be home in time to make dinner, and I don't intend to break that promise, so I'm not breaking any rules." I reminded her.
"Don't start with me. You've already broken enough rules." She hissed at me. "Hanging out with Mr. Pretty Boy here, and in the meantime telling me that you're working! Too bad that your head is all over the newspapers now, isn't it?! I can see now why you like this job so much!"
"She was working." Edward suddenly interfered in a strained voice.
"Sure she was, because she's secretly also a waitress at that restaurant in Port Angeles! You know, the restaurant where that nice picture of you two was taken." Regina retorted sarcastically, glaring at Edward. "And by the way, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Isabella."
"Then talk to her in a civilized way." Edward hinted in a bleak tone.
She raised her eyebrows at him, but soon focused on me again.
"So, what I was trying to say before your boyfriend rudely interrupted me, is that I want you to come home, right now! And that's not a request." She snapped.
"He's not my boyfriend, Regina. It's a story that the press made up. I'm only working here as his housekeeper." I replied icily.
That shut her up for a split second.
"Oh… So you're not… dating him?" She asked bluntly.
"No! I've told you the truth, I'm only here to earn some money. He's my boss, I'm his employee. The dinner in Port Angeles was nothing more than me doing him a favor." I blurted out my quickly made up excuse that wasn't even a lie.
She didn't truly believe me, I could see it in her eyes, but she did seem a little defeated, and I could guess why. Edward was acidly glaring at her the entire time, and she knew that this wasn't the moment to speak freely.
"Look, I'm going to finish my cleaning here, and after that I will come straight home to do my chores." I said tiredly.
She merely scowled at me.
"Please let me keep this job. Two hours a day, that's all." I muttered.
The scowl stayed in place, but she rolled her eyes in defeat. Good. She gave up. For now, at least.
"We will talk later. I'm going home now, assuming that I can get past all those annoying reporters that are camping in our driveway because of your little adventure! I expect you to be home somewhere before six!" Her icy, gray eyes bored into mine, as if trying to communicate something vitally important.
It was a promise. It was obvious what she was saying: Don't delude yourself into thinking that you're safe, something will be waiting for you at home.
"Sure. I'll be there." I vowed.
"You'd better." She said flatly.
She turned around, not giving me a second look and completely ignoring Edward. We watched her as she wobbled away on her high heels, aiming for her black Audi, which was parked next to my truck. I slammed the front door shut, effectively banishing her from my vision, and turned to face Edward.
We were silently looking at each other, neither of us making a move to get back to the kitchen.
"This is not good…" Edward concluded darkly.
"I know… I think I should go." I whispered, looking up into his smoldering eyes.
"You've still got two hours…" He remarked.
I sighed. "What's the point in putting it off, Edward?"
He raised his perfect eyebrows at me. "The point? The point is that you need a break from all this, Bella! The cleaning, the angry stepfamily, your stepsister's homework! You hardly have time to sleep, let alone to have… fun."
He had started off firmly, but his voice became softer towards the end of his rant, sounding almost sad by the time that he spoke the word 'fun'.
"A break? Where are you going with this?" I challenged him. "If I stayed, it would be to clean your house, so that's hardly a break."
"I don't want you to clean!" Edward exclaimed in frustration.
"Well in that case I'm sorry, because that's what housekeepers do! They clean!" I enlightened him, bringing him back to reality.
"That's what you've done your whole life! Did you ever have time to do something for yourself?" He asked, running his hand through his tousled, bronze hair like he always did when he was nervous or agitated.
"Not since I was ten." I confessed.
His green eyes turned wary, disapproving. "That's not right…" He said softly.
I bit my lip, not knowing what to say to that. I knew that it wasn't right, but that was just how life was for me.
Edward also remained silent for a second, but when he spoke again his sad tone had turned more optimistic.
"Listen. If you didn't have to mind work, or school, or your horrible stepfamily… What would you be doing right now?" He asked out of the blue.
I frowned at the sudden change of subject. "What kind of a question is that?"
"Just answer it, please." He pressed in a gentle tone.
"Okay…" I began slowly, giving myself another second to think about that. "I guess I would do what most girls do after they've had an extremely bad day... I would hide in my bed, watch some brainless chick flick, and eat loads of chocolate. Come to think of it, I don't even know if I like girly movies, seeing as I've never really watched one before…"
I'd expected Edward to laugh at me, but he didn't. Instead a smile spread across his glorious face. "I think that can be arranged…"
xxx
I was sitting on Edward's huge, soft bed, my back resting against the headboard as I looked up at the flat screen on the wall. The movie playing was 'Confessions of a Shopaholic', something that Alice had picked out for me. Edward had just left with the message that he had to take care of something, but that he would be back soon.
I watched the movie until Edward darted back into the room, distracting me. He sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled sweetly.
"Comfortable?"
"Very." I said, smiling back at him.
"Good. Look what I've found." He said in a playful tone, handing me a large bar of chocolate.
"Edward! You really don't have to do all of that." I complained, feeling a bit embarrassed because of all the attention.
"Sure I do. Milk chocolate good enough for you?"
I beamed at him. "Absolutely."
He smirked as I eagerly started to remove the wrapping. I broke off a small piece and popped it into my mouth, smiling in satisfaction. This chocolate was good!
"Do you want me to go?" He asked, never taking his eyes away from me.
"No. Actually, I'd rather you stayed here and watched the rest of that silly movie with me. If it's not too much to ask." I said innocently, the blood rushing to my face.
"You're seriously asking a guy to watch a chick flick with you?" He quirked an eyebrow at me, but a smile played around his lips.
I moved further to the centre of the bed, making some space for him and giving him my most pleading look.
"How does she do it..." He mumbled to himself before he started to pull off his shoes.
I smiled in victory.
He fell down onto the bed and he scooted closer to me, mirroring my position, also resting his back against the headboard. He kept a tiny no-contact space between us, and I didn't like it one bit.
"I don't bite." I shyly repeated the words that he had used yesterday, when we'd been sitting on the couch.
He glanced sideways, smiling crookedly. "Are you trying to tell me something, Bella?" He teased.
I rolled my eyes, stubbornly moving my gaze back to the flat screen, not in the mood for his teasing. But then I felt how he scooted closer to me, closing the distance between us. I sneaked a look at him, and he was smirking at me.
"Thanks." I mumbled, unsubtly snuggling against his side.
He draped his arm around me, making it easier, and I made myself comfortable.
"Better?" He asked once I had stopped moving.
I sighed in contentment. "Yes."
"Alright then. Now watch the movie. Knowing Alice, she will quiz you on it later. And let me tell you, she will be deeply disappointed when she finds out that you didn't watch closely." He joked.
"Hmm, I'll watch." I said, really making an effort to focus on the movie this time.
I had to admit that it was difficult to pay attention with Edward being so close to me, but I tried. Unfortunately, I got distracted every now and then. Although I couldn't deny that the distractions were very nice… His mere scent was a distraction, and so were his subtle touches. First it was his hand, gently rubbing my arm. Then it was his warm breath, tickling my hair. And halfway through the movie, it were his lips… He gently pressed them against my forehead while one of his hands stroked my hair.
My heartbeat became abnormally fast, and my breathing stopped for a second.
"I wish I could do more for you, Bella." He murmured against my skin, his tone deeply sincere. "You deserve to live like a princess, not a servant."
Thanks for reading! :D New update tomorrow!