A/N: I stopped doing my happy dance long enough to post this chapter. Thanks to you lovelies, I made the Fab Five on TLS. I'm truly honored!
We're over 1500! Yeah! I know you're all anxious to see how things are going to play out, so let's get right into it.
SMeyer owns…I don't infringe.
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Chapter 18. The Fickle Finger of Fate
##
I pulled into the Brandon's driveway not seeing any cars other than Alice's Corolla. I hopped out of the truck and rang the doorbell. When Alice opened it, I saw the panic on her face.
"Hi, Little One. Can we talk?" I asked.
"Mr. C…Edward, I'm not sure what we have to talk about. I was just doing schoolwork," she told me nervously.
"It's a nice morning. Come sit out here on the porch with me. We have plenty to talk about," I told her as I walked over and sat down on a wicker chair. She walked out and sat down, leaving the door open. I knew she was worried about why I was there, but enough lies had been told, and enough people had been hurt. I was all too familiar with it, and it was time to change the course of events.
"What, um, would you like something to drink, sir? Mom and Dad have coffee in the pot and I haven't turned it off yet. I don't drink it, but…"
"No, honey. I'm fine. I want you to tell me why you lied about the fact the baby you're carrying is my grandchild."
Before she answered, she ran into the house with her hand over her mouth. I knew that look far too well. I needed to talk to Bella about it because we were going to be grandparents.
"How far along are you?" I asked her when she returned with a ginger ale and saltines. They never worked for Bella, but I hoped they worked for Alice.
She looked down. "Twelve weeks. TJ and I started…"
"Ah, so after JC got back from camp. I know TJ Crowley isn't the father, Alice. He's as gay as the day is long, kiddo. I just saw him with his boyfriend at the bakery. What's your plan?"
She started to cry, so I placed my hand on her back. I remembered how emotional Bella was during both pregnancies, so I waited it out, handing her a handkerchief.
She finally calmed down and looked at me. "Mr. C, I never, ever planned to trap Jasper. I had grand plans of the two of us going off to college together and having a wonderful life. I found out I was pregnant just after school started, and I planned to, uh, terminate it without tell Jazz anything about it.
"TJ and I became friends over the summer because we worked together. Carlie, a girl at school, caught TJ and his boyfriend in an argument, and she came to me and asked if I knew TJ was gay. I did, but I also knew how afraid he was with coming out to his parents, especially his dad, so when I found out I was pregnant, we decided we could help each other and I wouldn't have to take a step I definitely didn't want to take.
"I'd say he was the father of my baby to give him cover, and if anyone asked him, he'd say yes, we'd been together. I never cheated on Jasper, I swear. I couldn't ever do that. I love him." She wiped her eyes, and it dawned on me why she'd done it.
"You didn't want to screw with his scholarship chances. You lied to everyone and told them you'd cheated with TJ Crowley and you were going to move during Christmas break so no one would see the baby. What was the plan after that?" I asked.
The tears started again, so I sat patiently for a few minutes. After she composed herself, she looked at me again. That child had the biggest grey eyes I'd ever seen. She reminded me of Bella when she was the same age, and it tugged at my heart.
"My aunt's best friend wants to adopt a baby, so my aunt arranged for me to meet her and see if I was okay with giving her ours. The lady offered to pay for my medical care, and after the adoption, I'm going to move to the East Coast and go to school. I'd never want to interfere in Jasper's future, sir. He deserves good things to happen, and I'd never, ever want to make him do something he doesn't want to do," she told me quietly.
I took a deep breath and let it out, trying to remain calm. "Do your parents know JC's the father?"
"No. They're very disappointed in me right now for cheating on JC, and when I told them everything and said I wanted to give the baby up, they helped me work things out with Aunt Brenda. They don't want to see the baby, and my aunt won't tell anyone the baby's not bi-racial. This way, nobody gets hurt, and JC never has to know how much I almost messed up his life.
"The couple in Wisconsin is very wealthy, and they'll give the baby a good life, Mr. C. It's the best way to handle it, really," she reasoned before she broke down again.
I was stunned, and my mind was racing. I knew in my heart that my wife…almost wife…would lose her mind if she found out the truth, and there was no way I couldn't tell her. "Alice, you didn't cheat on JC, right?"
Her eyes got wide. "Oh, no, Mr. C. I love him far too much to ever do anything like that to him. I'd rather lose him and have him hate me than mess up his life. When you told us about how hard it was for you and Bella in the beginning, I just knew I couldn't put JC through that. He has such a bright future, and I want him to have a happy life," she told me with more tears.
God, I'm such a fucking idiot. I thought, at the time, I was giving them sound advice, but she was already pregnant. Clearly, this whole thing was my fault.
I rested my elbows on my knees and scrubbed my hands through my short hair. It was such a fucked up situation, but it wasn't hopeless, or not in my eyes anyway.
"Honey, it's admirable that you wanted to keep all this away from Jasper, but do you want to give up your baby?" I asked.
"God, no, but there's no way I could be here with his baby and not have him find out. If he did, he'd change his plans, and I just couldn't live with myself if that happened."
"Are you…is the baby in good health? Are you okay?" I asked.
She smiled a little and rested her small hand over her small bump. "The baby's fine. It's a little bigger than most, but JC's a big guy, so I'm not really surprised. I'm taking very good care of myself, Mr. C. I might not get to raise this baby myself, but I'll make sure it's as healthy as it can be when I give it to the people who will give it a good life.
"I know this is a lot to ask, but please don't tell anyone. Mr. Crowley was pissed at TJ when he told him I was pregnant, and the night I had car trouble, I was on my way to TJ's house because his dad was upset. We were going to tell him we were giving it up for adoption so it won't affect TJ for the rest of his life, and then I ran out of gas," she explained.
Well, that explained why she wouldn't tell Jasper where she was going and why she was on that road that night. My head was swimming, but something kept coming to the forefront, and it was pretty fucking hard to ignore.
"Have you signed any papers with these people? Are lawyers involved?" I asked.
"Not yet. I want to meet the couple before I sign anything. I'm sorry, Mr. C. I'm sorry for disappointing you and Bella, and I'm sorry for hurting Jasper. If I didn't think it was in his best interests, I'd have never hurt him. I miss him so much."
I took a deep breath because I knew I was going to upset her, but she was trying to handle everything on her own, and in my heart, I knew I'd hate myself for not stepping in. "You remind me of Bella so much. She came up with the same sort of plan initially before we talked to her parents. She was going to move to Arizona to live with her aunt. She was going to have the baby and give it up for adoption, and she wasn't easy to sway.
"I got so pissed off because she wasn't even going to consider my feelings on the matter. That's what you're doing to Jasper. You're not giving him the choice, Alice. I know it's your body and all of that business, but that baby is part of Jasper…part of our family. JC deserves a say in this, and I can't say he won't agree with your decisions, but he deserves the chance to have an opinion.
"He's heartbroken, Alice. He just can't fathom you'd cheat on him. Why didn't you tell him the story yourself?" I asked.
She looked down for a second and looked up at me with those big eyes. "I can't lie to Jasper, Mr. C. He knows me too well, and he can see it immediately. The only time I've ever tried to lie to him has been when I've had surprises for him, but he figured it out immediately. If he was going to believe I was unfaithful, my dad had to be the one to tell him, and Daddy had to believe it as well."
I was floored, to say the least, but I couldn't dwell on it. My son was involved, and I had to look out for his best interests. "Look, I'll let you get back to your homework, but I'm going to demand you tell JC the truth. You don't have to tell your parents yet because I'm pretty sure your father will come after my son when he finds this out, and I'm not looking forward to that, but there are a lot of options you haven't considered.
"I need to talk to Bella, Alice. I have to tell her the truth and get her opinion on this before any decisions are made that can't be undone. Things might…well, it might not be as bad as you think, okay? Give me a couple of days, and I'll come by.
"Please, do not disappear on me, Little One. You helped me with a lot of things over the short amount of time I've known you. Give me a chance to reciprocate. Maybe we can make this a blessing for all of us," I offered.
I stood from the seat and hugged her, rubbing her back as she cried again. When I got ready to leave, I turned to her and smiled, "Please drink plenty of water. You cried buckets, honey, and I know for a fact dehydration is a bad thing for a pregnant woman. Take care of my grandchild."
She smiled and walked back inside the house as I went to my truck. After I left the Brandon's place, I went home and began to formulate a plan because I needed to concentrate on my family and not the business I was trying to put together. Some things were more important than business, and this was one of those things.
##
I stopped at a store in town and walked inside, seeing Mrs. Farmer standing behind the counter. "Edward, how are you?" she asked. She was the woman I'd bought our small bands from when Bella and I got married the first time, and I couldn't see taking the next step without paying her a visit.
"I'm doing very well, Mrs. Farmer. I'm here for a reason," I told her. I explained myself, and she offered things that weren't right.
"I appreciate those, but they're not right. She deserves something very special," I told her.
"I'll be right back. I have some things that aren't in the case," she teased with a wink. I nodded.
"Stay right here." She went to the back and she walked out with two boxes and a huge smile on her face.
She flipped them open and smiled. "This one has sapphire trillions. That one has emerald baguettes. One is her birthstone, but the other one…well, I'd say they're the color of your eyes. Either would work," she told me. Of course, she knew Bella because everyone knew Bella, so I appreciated her insight.
I picked one, and she put in a temporary sizer until I could bring it back to have it sized properly. I put it in my pocket and walked out with a broad smile on my face, quite happy about my choice.
I thought about going to the school, but I was afraid I'd run into JC as he was headed to practice. They had a game the next day, and I didn't want to tip him off something was wrong because the status quo was the best way to proceed for the time being.
I went to Bella's house and let myself in because she'd mentioned a leaky faucet, which would justify my presence when she got home from school. I went to the back of my truck and pulled out my tool box, and I went inside, finding two plates in the sink. I rinsed them and loaded the dishwasher, seeing it was full. I started it and turned my attention to the sink.
I was working on it when I heard the front door open. I couldn't hold the smile. "Hot stuff?" I heard from the front hallway.
"Oh, baby, flattery will get you everywhere," I responded as I took off the faucet, seeing the washer was shot.
She walked into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around my waist, cupping my rapidly growing cock, which never hurt my feelings. "Love, how was school?"
"You remember how it was before a holiday, right? Nobody was paying attention to anything, so it was like a damn free day. I assigned homework and gave them class time to work on it because when I said the word 'Shakespeare', well, I lost them.
"You didn't have to work on this tonight. It could have waited until the weekend," she told me as she kissed me between my shoulder blades through my sweatshirt.
I dropped the tools on the towel I had in the sink, and turned in her arms, looking into her beautiful face. "Bella, I've put too many things off in the past. You have something you need and I have it in my power to give it to you - I'm going to do it as soon as I can."
She giggled a little and pulled my head down to kiss her, which I did without hesitation. I tilted my head and swirled my tongue with hers, enjoying the feel of her soft lips against mine. My head was swimming with everything I'd learned that day, but when I had her in my arms, everything seemed to fall into place.
I slowed the kiss and pecked her lips as I pulled back to look into her eyes. "Did you talk to JC today? Where's his head at regarding the game?" It was a safe topic while I gathered my thoughts.
"I saw him between classes. He's all cocky right now. He and Emmett were prancing around like they owned the place," she laughed.
I swallowed down my fear and went into the breach. "How about TJ Crowley? Is he getting a lot of shit? Is JC harassing him?"
"No, but the other members of the team are. I found him hiding in the library today. He's in one of my AP classes, and he's really smart, Edward. That kid had a scholarship wrapped up at a lot of schools, but he's just letting it go to hell because of the harassment. I feel bad for him," she told me.
I took her to the table and sat her down. "Beer? Wine?"
"Do I need something to drink?"
I opened the fridge and grabbed two beers. "I do," I announced as I held up a beer toward her.
She nodded, so I opened it and handed it to her, taking a seat next to her. I took a deep breath and grabbed her hand. "I love you, Bells."
"Okay, now you're scaring me," she told me as she took a healthy swig of her beer.
Immediately, I abandoned my plan to ask her to marry me again, because I didn't want it to be because of an unplanned pregnancy, even though it wasn't our pregnancy.
"We have a bit of a problem on our hands. Alice is pregnant." I let it set for a minute, and when she smiled at me and said, "Honey, that's not new news," I drained my beer.
"No, it's not. But, I found out…Bella, she lied about TJ Crowley being the father. I went to her house today and confronted her. She admitted to me she lied."
She looked at me with confusion on her face. "She lied? Why would she lie?"
"Well, honey, it seems we're going to be grandparents in June."
She started coughing and looked at me as if I was crazy. "I'm not joking, love. I had the unfortunate opportunity to stop by the bakery this morning to buy donuts because I needed to go talk to Riley, and TJ was in there with his boyfriend. I went to the Brandon's and confronted Alice. She came clean.
"It's Jasper's. She's planning to move to Wisconsin and give the baby up for adoption to a friend of her aunt. She set it up so JC would think she cheated, but she didn't do it. She wanted to keep it from him because of his scholarship. Even her parents don't know the truth, Bella.
"I asked her not to sign anything after I pointed out she needed to tell JC the truth because you remember how pissed I was when you were planning the same thing? He needs a say in this…he has a say in this."
She looked at me with wide eyes. "What's your plan, Edward? They should get married and then divorce like we did?"
I was immediately pissed, but I took a breath which wasn't like me at all. "No. What I thought was she should have the baby, and I'll take care of it. She can start college in the fall, just like Jasper, and I'll get them to appoint me guardian. I can work it out because I can find a babysitter to help out when I need to be at the garage, but I'll do this because I just can't stomach our grandchild being raised by someone else."
She hopped up, completely pissed. "Oh, you're suddenly going to take on an infant? You do remember how hands off you were when Rose and JC were babies, don't you?"
I felt the guilt again because she was right, but I was prepared to do my best. "Yeah, you're right, but let me ask you something. You'd be okay with knowing we had a grandchild out there in the world we knew nothing about? You'd be fine with someone else raising our grandchild?"
She sat down for a minute and contemplated my words. "No, not at all. God, I just knew she'd never cheat on him. Okay, let's think this through."
I finished my beer and had another, pulling one for her as well. "Where's JC, by the way?"
"Practice. He'll be home in an hour. How about this? Alice moves with her aunt to Wisconsin like she planned. Then, after she has the baby, you and I say we've decided to move in together and adopt. You'll move in with me, and we'll raise the baby together. JC will leave for training camp in late July, and Alice can start college in September as planned. She'll know it's his, but he doesn't have to know anything about it.
"He can go ahead and have the life he wants, and instead of the two of us having another baby, we'll raise our grandchild as our own." It was tempting, and I knew she was trying to protect our son, but I knew in my gut I wouldn't have liked it if my parents had done the same thing to me.
I sighed in exasperation. "That's one avenue, but Jasper deserves…no, Jasper needs to know it's his child, Bella. I'm all for him and Alice both going to college just like their friends, and I have no problem with the two of us raising that baby, but if my parents' would have suddenly come home with a baby they were going to adopt and I ever found out it was mine? I'd have never forgiven them or you.
"I was there when Posy was born. I was there for doctors' appointments before I went to basic. I got to hear Rosalie's heartbeat for the first time as I held your hand and we were both excited because it was real. I wasn't there all the time when she was a baby, and it's a huge regret I have. I don't want JC to miss those things either. If we lie about it to him, he'll never forgive us when he figures it out. He's not stupid, Bella. He will figure it out," I reiterated.
She sniffed, and when I looked up, I saw her crying. I took her hand and pulled her onto my lap. "Bella, I know it's not what we wanted for him, but remember what I told you when we went to tell Charlie and Renee? They did an adult thing, and they need to step up to the plate," I told her as I kissed her cheek, stroking a hand up and down her back in comfort.
Just then, there was a key in the front door. Bella hopped off my lap and walked to the counter, grabbing a napkin to dry her eyes.
"Mom? I'm home," we both heard Rosalie yell down the hall. She was wrestling something, so we both walked to the hallway, seeing her with a huge bag of laundry and her book bag.
"Hey, Posy," I greeted as I took the laundry bag from her and carried it down the hall to Bella's laundry room. When I returned, Bella and Rose were hugging with bright smiles on their faces.
"I'm glad you're both here. I want to talk to you," Rose told us. The look on her face had me worried.
"Do I need a beer for this?" I asked as I took another swig from my bottle.
"Maybe something a little harder?" Rose suggested. God, our shoulders are broad, but how much more can we take?
Bella rose from the table and grabbed a bottle of Jack, two tumblers, and ice, setting everything on the table. I poured the two of us a drink, and held my glass up. "Here's to the calm we had not twenty minutes ago." Bella giggled and touched her glass to mine, both of us taking a sip.
We set them down and looked at Rose. I took Bella's hand and held it, bracing both of us for what was to come. "Okay, Rose. Lay it on us."
"Well," she began as she settled in looking very nervous, "you both know I've had a hard time settling on a major. I'd like to ask your permission to take a semester off to consider my options. I'll finish this semester, and then take off next semester. I'll go back in September after I have some time to figure out what I want to do. It'll put me a semester behind on graduating, but I think the time off will be productive."
Bella damn near broke my hand, and I could see her gearing up to blow her top, so before she opened her mouth, I opened mine. "What do you think you're going to do since you're not going to school?"
She seemed to get a little excited at my question, and I was kinda worried. "I was thinking I could help you open the garage. I mean, you taught me a lot, and I could help you get things set up and I could do oil changes and stuff until you get into a rhythm. Cullen and Daughter, maybe?"
I looked at Bella, and before I could open my mouth, she hopped up from the table, clearly pissed. "No, Rose. Do you know how long it took me…wait a minute? This has everything to do with Emmett, doesn't it?"
I saw Rose bristle at her comment, and I knew Bella was likely right, but my daughter was just as stubborn as her mother. If she'd made up her mind, she'd do something drastic to ensure she'd get her way.
"I won't lie and say I haven't considered the fact Em is here and I'm in Seattle, but he's going to sign his letter of intent to UW, and we'll both go to school in September, just like I said. I miss him, Mom," she pleaded.
"Rosalie, you and Emmett have only been seeing each other…" Bella yelled. It was quickly getting out of hand, and I needed to step up.
"Whoa! Whoa! Let's ratchet this down a few notches." I turned to Rose. "You do understand that we want you and your brother to go to college, right? It took your mom a long time to get her degree, and without a degree, you'll have a hard time getting a job where you'll make any kind of money," I pointed out.
Rose smiled at me. "I know, Daddy, and I do want a degree, but here's what I was thinking. I'll help you set up the business and get it going. I'll go back to school in September and declare a major…business management maybe. That way, when I graduate, you and I can be partners. I can take care of the business side and help you in the garage. Maybe we could strike a deal with Mr. Biers and I could manage the whole thing, taking care of the books, appointments, stuff like that. That's what I want to do, really."
"Posy, you wanna work with me and then come into the business? Like a family business?" I asked, thrilled at the prospect.
Bella threw up her hands and stormed off. Rose looked at me with pleading eyes. I smiled and took her hand. "Look, your idea isn't a bad one, but your timing sucks. Let me talk to her, but I want some assurances from you before I step into the lion's den. You will finish college, right? If you'll get your business degree, I can see this working out a lot better, Posy, but you can't base this decision solely on being here because of your boyfriend," I told her.
"Daddy, it's not, I swear. I just need a break from school. I mean, I went straight from high school to college, and last year was a lot of adjustment. If I can walk away from it for one semester and do something I want to do, I think I'll go back in the fall with a better perspective and attitude," she reasoned.
The front door opened and JC sauntered in. "Hey, Rose. Glad you're home," JC told her as they hugged each other.
"Me, too. How's school?" Rose asked. I went back to work on the faucet, and after it was fixed, I went upstairs in search of Bella, prepared to do battle with her because she was gearing up to punish Rose for JC's situation. If this was the kind of shit Bella had dealt with while I was busy living a separate life, I had a new level of respect for her. She was quite the trooper.
##
I woke up at my house on Thanksgiving morning alone with a pounding head. Bella and I had a full-on battle after I went upstairs to find her.
"I…cannot… fucking…believe you'd entertain her decision to drop out of college, Edward," she complained.
"Bells, honey, she's not dropping out. She's taking a semester…"
"BULLSHIT! She's going to fuck up her life, and Jasper's fucking up his. Goddammit," she cried, sinking onto the bed in tears. I sat down and touched her back, trying to calm her down.
Unfortunately, my wife…ex-wife…became the spawn of Satan once a month, and apparently the fates were conspiring against me. When she turned to look at me, I swear I saw red eyes and heard her in stereo. "Get out. Just go. I can't believe you think you know what's better for them than me. You weren't even…"
She lowered her head and began crying again, and I was so pissed off, I did as she asked. I walked downstairs, packed up my tools, and I left. I didn't know where the kids were, so I left them I note I'd see them the next day at my parents' place, and if they needed me to call.
I knew it was a lot for her to take in, but we should have done it together, not separately. I was beginning to wonder if she even wanted to try to work things out between us. Maybe it was too late?
I got up to piss and looked in the mirror, seeing dark circles and scruff. I hadn't shaved the day before because I was in a hurry to talk to Riley, which ended up being Alice, and other things had taken precedence over it. I still needed to call him but I had remembered to call the moving guy and postpone the delivery of my equipment for the garage for a couple of weeks.
I hopped in the shower and cleaned up, and after I got out, I shaved and brushed my teeth, trying not to gag because I felt like shit. I knew I was going to hear it from my parents, but they'd get over it. I had drowned my sorrows like a fucking moron, and it definitely showed on my face.
When I opened the bathroom door, I was shocked to see Bella sitting on my unmade bed. "If you came here to yell some more, could you please do it in a low volume? My head is fucking pounding," I complained as I walked to the dresser and opened the drawer, grabbing a pair of boxers. I pulled off the towel and tossed it to the hamper as I pulled on my underwear, not looking at her.
"Here," she offered as a hand came around my body with a bottle of water and two ibuprofen.
"Thanks." I took the pills and drank the water without looking at her.
"I'm very sorry," I heard her whisper as she wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head against my damp back. I finally exhaled.
I grasped her hands and held them. "I might not know what to do all the time, Bella, but I'm really trying. It hurt my feelings because you didn't listen to my reasoning. I'm not advocating Rose dropping out of school, but if she's not doing well right now, we need to consider maybe she needs a break.
"If she wants to work with me and then get her business degree, it's a direction for her, Bella. She said more than once she had no idea what she wants to do with her life. If she's found something, it seems we should support her. I know I haven't always been there, but I can't continue to apologize for it. All I can do is try to be here now."
She took a deep breath behind me. "I know. I just don't want her to make decisions based on what Emmett's going to…"
I felt my entire body flush with anger. I pulled away from her and went to my closet, grabbing a pair of jeans and a dress shirt. I tossed them on the bed and faced her, trying like hell to rein in my temper. "I know you don't want her to follow Emmett like you followed me. I get it, Bella. I ruined your life by dragging you and our kids all over the world. I'm sorry I gave you such a horrible fucking life. I won't bother you anymore.
"I won't open the garage with Riley, and I won't stay here in Forks. You want me out of your life then I'm gone. I mean, we're nothing to each other now, right? I fucked up your life and you're done? Fine," I snapped.
"NO! That's not what I meant, Edward. Please, please, we're just getting back…" she began before she started crying.
I dressed and sat down on the bed next to her. I didn't know what the hell to do. Everything was too overwhelming. I thought we had a clear path, but apparently, we didn't. I lay back on the bed and pulled her down with me, pulling her into my body where she sobbed.
"That's not what I meant at all. God, I fucked this up. Please don't leave me again. I love you, Edward. I've missed you so much, and I know I can be a bitch, but please…"
I pulled her on top of me and looked into her tear-filled eyes. "You have got to understand how much I love you, Isabella. You also have to let go of some of the control you want to have over everything in the kids' lives.
"I talked to Rose, and she has a goal. She wants to get her business degree, but she wants to do this with me. It's what she wants, Bella. You have to allow them to grow up, sweetheart.
"JC's in a mess, and we'll deal with it, but love, you can't try to control every aspect of their lives. They're going to end up resenting us. We have to allow them to grow up," I reasoned.
"I know. I know, but if they don't need me, then what am I left with?" she whispered.
I pulled her chin up and smiled at her. "Oh, baby, they'll always need you. And when they go off and start their own lives, well, you're stuck with me. I'm sorry about what I said earlier, and please know I could never follow through with it. I love you too much to leave you." I pulled her down to kiss me and I rolled us so I was hovering over her.
I pulled away after tender kisses and dried her tears. "No more crying over me. From now on, just happy tears. We will handle all of this together," I told her as I unbuttoned her blouse.
After we were both naked, I took my time with her body to reassure her I wasn't going anywhere. She gasped my name when I brought her to climax with my tongue because she hadn't started yet, and as I kissed my way up her body, I settled between her legs…my favorite place in the world.
"I love you, my beautiful girl," I told her as I slowly pushed into her body. Not having to use condoms was heavenly.
Fast and slow. Hard and gentle. "More, please," she pleaded. It felt so fucking good I had to bite my lip until I tasted the coppery taste of blood to keep from ending it too quickly. I kissed across her chest and sucked on her nipples, never stopping my stroke. I couldn't stop.
"I love you," I whispered as I pulled her from the mattress and settled us in the middle of the bed with her on my cock and her legs behind me. It was a new position for us, and it was pretty fucking great.
"God, I love you, too," she gasped as I circled her clit with my thumb, not moving inside her. I wanted her to come first because I knew if she did, she'd take me with her.
I kissed her neck. "I dream about being inside you like this," I told her as I sped up my stroking of her clit, pinching a little and thrusting as best I could from our seated position.
"Oh, fuck! Yes, do it…fuck, Edward," she whimpered as her sweet center clutched around me, taking me with her just as I knew she would. Feeling her climax around me would always take me with her. The teasing we'd done while we were still and the eye contact made it very intense, and I fucking loved it.
I kissed her as we both rode out the high. When I pulled away, I saw the smile I loved on her face. "I love you, sweetheart. Please don't shut me out again."
"I won't, I promise. I thought about stuff last night. JC made this baby with Alice, and he needs to know it. His game is on Friday afternoon, so Friday night, we need to have her over and tell him the truth. He needs to know, and he has decisions to make. I can only protect them so much, just like you said.
"You're a very smart man, Sarge," she told me as she kissed me while I slipped from her body.
"Well, finally the recognition I deserve. So, Rosalie?" I asked as I held her flush to me.
She let go a deep breath. "If she needs the time, I won't fight it. I know I didn't listen to her, and I'm sorry about it. And for the record, Edward Anthony, I would let you drag me all over the world again. I didn't hate the time we were in the Army, baby. I grew up a lot, and well, when it was good, it was very, very good," she told me before she kissed me passionately.
Yeah, when it was good, it was very, very good.
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E/N: As a parent, I can tell you, when things begin going downhill, it snowballs...JC getting Alice preggers…Rose wanting to take a semester off…Bella realizing her kids have grown up on her and she's not ready…Edward finally figuring out he doesn't need to continue to apologize for the past, he just needs to do the right thing in the future. A lot to pack in, but that's how life works, isn't it?
Can't wait to hear from you. How do we think JC's going to take the news?
Thanks for reading. Voting is open until November 3 over at twificfandomawards dot blogspot dot com. I'm nominated for Fav Veteran Author, and I'm truly honored.
Thanks for reading.
Till tomorrow…xoxo