Ready for You
Beta-Kitchmill (who did this even though she's sick)
Prereader-Dawn
21
To my surprise, the house is impeccably neat when we enter, only a few things out of place. Ellie seems occupied and content, and Jacob looks a bit too happy to have Sophie and me back.
Sophie wakes when I carry her in, but shies away from Jacob when he comes close to us—such a different reaction than she has to Edward.
"You have another hour with them," I say, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Do you want me to leave and come back?"
"No, you can stay. Maybe I can order pizza or something for dinner," he offers.
"Whatever." I shrug. "I'm going to go give the girls a bath. Sophie is all sandy from the park." Ellie comes willingly because she loves her tubby time.
"Did you play with Edward at the park Mommy?" she asks as we enter the bathroom.
"Um..." I stall. "Yes, baby. Edward played with us a little bit," I answer uncomfortably.
"Who is Edward?" Jacob asks, following behind.
"He's our friend," Ellie answers matter-of-factly. "He's funny."
"A kid you met at the park?" he questions.
"No, daddy." She laughs. "He's big...like you. But he runs around and plays with us."
I don't add to Ellie's commentary, nor do I make eye contact with Jacob. Instead I focus on getting the girls clean. However, I can feel the tension in the room and his eyes on me. I'm counting the seconds until his time with the girls is up and he leaves until next weekend.
After a few long minutes of uncomfortable silence between us, Jacob walks out mumbling something about pizza. Once he's left the room I can breath more freely and I begin to be more present for my girls.
Moments later and too soon for my liking, he returns and offers to dry off Ellie and take her to her room to get her into her pajamas. I take Sophie and do the same. From Sophie's bedroom I can hear Jacob and Ellie chatting . When I've got Sophie in her pajamas, I head toward Ellie's room to see if they need anything, but I stop short when Jacob says Edward's name. He's speaking in hushed tones, and I only can catch bits and pieces of what he's saying, but what I do hear concerns me. "...it's our little secret...I want you to tell me when you see Edward."
Before I get to hear much more, Sophie, who is in my arms, makes noise alerting them I'm near. "Do you need any help in here?" I ask in a cheery tone, entering the room like I'd just walked from down the hall. Jacob jumps, his expression guilty, but I don't let on to hearing anything. In fact, I pretty much ignore him, eyeing the ticking clock until he leaves. The pizza arrives, and eating together while sitting around our old table like a happy little family making small talk is just bizarre.
"I'm glad you and Ellie had a good day," I say, trying to pave his way out of the door.
"Yes, it was good. Right, Ellie?" he asks. She nods and smiles with pizza sauce on her lips and chin. "Next time Sophie can join us." He leans into Sophie, and the scowl she gives him is almost comical. It's hard not to laugh, but I refrain.
When the time for him to leave comes and goes, I'm at a loss. If Ellie were in bed I'd just tell him to leave, but she's so aware of us and what we are saying that I hesitate. Instead I plot how to end this visit.
After a few minutes, I say, "The girls are really tired, Jacob. I think I'm going to get them to bed early. So you can go. I've got it from here. Say goodnight to daddy, Ellie."
"Oh, I would love to put them to bed with you. Can I stay until they are asleep?" he asks.
"Yeah, Daddy, stay. Read me a story," Ellie says enthusiastically.
Between the two of them, I can't win. So I concede and allow him to put Ellie to bed. I kiss Ellie goodnight and go into Sophie's room to nurse her and put her to sleep.
Sophie takes longer to settle, so by the time I make it back out into the living room I expect it to be empty. Seeing Jacob stretched out on the sofa watching Sports Center startles me and then pisses me off.
"What are you still doing here?" I ask with irritation.
"I-I wanted to talk to you," he says, sitting up and turning off the TV, which he never would have done in the past. When we were married I had to talk over the TV, fighting for his attention.
"About what? I'm tired," I say flatly, moving about the room to straighten up.
"I, um…Can you just sit down so we can talk?"
Although I owe him nothing, I sit in the chair farthest from him, my arms still full of misplaced toys.
He watches me closely, making me feel bare. "You've got your old body back."
"What is this about, Jacob?" I ask, ignoring his comment.
Sitting up straighter, he clears his throat. "This isn't easy…" he pauses, "Kate's pregnant."
Inside I'm a bundle of anger and questions and anxiety. When I don't react outwardly or say anything in response, he continues. "She says it's not mine, that it's her husband's baby. She's back with him, playing the happy couple, but I don't believe it's his. We can't do a paternity test yet because she's high risk or something. Once the baby is born we can do a DNA test to see who the father is."
"Okay. Good luck with that," I say, getting up I drop the toys in the toy box and walk toward the door.
"I miss this, Bella. I miss us, you know, before things got so complicated."
That comment pisses me off further. "You mean before we had kids? They are not a complication—not now, not ever. Unless it involves the girls, your problems are not mine."
"I'm not done yet. Can you sit back down? This does involve the girls and you."
Seething but curious to hear him out, I sit back down, but my patience is wearing thin.
"I'm not making as much money as I was. My new position doesn't get commision
or anything."
"And why is that?" I ask.
"I wasn't lying when I said Kate was a co-worker. I was the sales rep for her company, I mean the company she and Garrett own. When he found out about the affair he terminated our contract with them." He pauses. "It was our largest contract. The company lost a lot from it. But it's Garrett's fault. He's so insecure that he made her cut all ties with me, even the work ones. It's really ridiculous."
"So, what are you doing for work now?"
"Aro has me working behind a desk. It's ridiculous. I'm his best salesman and I have been for years. One mistake and I'm pushing papers. I have a mind to quit, but I think when Aro gets over his temper tantrum I'll be his golden boy again," he says, puffing up his chest.
"How does this affect the girls and me?"
"Um, I might not be able to pay the full child support and alimony until Aro gives me my job back," he says with no remorse.
"That is unacceptable. The girls and I depend on that money; you know that. What I make barely covers the rest of the bills with nothing to spare," I say, both angry and scared.
"It's only until Aro pulls his head out of his ass," he says, leaning back, putting his hands behind his head and his feet up on the coffee table, all relaxed like he owns the place.
Just that single arrogant move is the straw that breaks the camel's back. In a split second I'm standing over him, so fast that he flinches. Good.
"Because of the girls I have been calm and I've swallowed nearly every snide comment and truthful statement that should have been said long ago. But this, Jacob," I whisper-yell, gesturing wildly, "is it."
"You are the one who had an affair with someone you worked with, someone who had the potential to put your job at risk." Each time I say "you" or "your," I emphasize with my finger pointed in his face but careful not to touch him. "You had said affair, in this house, in our bed. You got demoted in your job because of your behavior and bad decisions. You are no longer living here with me and the girls because of your choice. We are in the middle of a divorce, for god's sake. Hell, you even named our daughter after your girlfriend. Just for that alone you should suffer. All of this, every single shitty thing that is happening you, you brought on yourself, and it is well deserved and it's called Karma, asshole. Now get up and get your lazy ass out of my house. Figure out a way to pay your court-ordered child support and alimony. I don't care how. Because if you don't, my attorney will be so far up your ass you won't know your own name. Am I clear?" I finish, out of breath and shaking.
He swallows hard and nods and then stands and walks to the door. Opening it, he turns in my direction. "Fiesty Bella. I like it. I've missed that girl." He smirks before closing the door behind him.
I take the nearest thing and throw it at the door. Unfortunately it's the TV remote, which breaks into pieces and leaves a dent in the wood door. The result of my temper wakes Sophie, so I take a few calming breaths before I face my daughter, one of the two reasons the remote suffered and not Jacob's face or dick.
A/N
Bella finally blew...about time. Does Jacob want her back? Or does he want his cake and eat it too? Are you hating Jacob even more now? I am.
Thanks for reading. Loved your reviews to the last chapter. Sorry no Edward in this one, but this confrontation was a long time coming.