Note: This chapter is split in two parts. It had to be. It was +20, 000 words (Part 1: +9,000 words and Part 2: +11,000). Author's Note at the end of the section.
In the previous chapter: Alice and Jasper had their wedding and afterward Bella and Edward stayed together. They danced around the subject of marriage, saying that they each wanted forever with each other. Edward returned to work with the promise of returning in two weeks to see Bella.
Chapter 21 "A Long Time"
Part 1
From Edward's Beautiful Playlist
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
"Everlong" by Foo Fighters
Eight weeks.
Eight weeks since he parted from her at the airport.
Time passed differently in the lab.
He shuffled through some papers, sorting through the data from this morning. The results had not been good lately, but based on this morning's results, things were turning around. He double checked the figures on paper with what he had on the screen.
When he turned to look, his screen was filled with the image of him and Bella at Alice's wedding. It was a candid shot the photographer took. He remembered how she jumped when he came up behind her and lowered his mouth on the curve of her neck where her shoulder met. Then she blushed when he told her he could think of other things he'd like to do from behind her.
Edward stilled his hand over his mouse. He was supposed to call Bella at ten this morning. He looked at the clock on the wall and let out a string of curses because it was already noon.
He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and called Bella. It went straight to voicemail.
He left a brief message and hung up.
They had been playing phone tag for the past week. Time was suspended in the lab and it was always just out of his grasp. He was about to try again when there was a short knock on the door.
"Come in," he said. He cut off the music playing and then shut down his computer.
His intern Collin popped his head in the door. "Foo Fighters?"
Edward shrugged. "What's up?"
He cleared his throat. "I'm going out to pick up lunch. Want me to bring anything back?"
Edward shook his head. "I'm good." Then he looked at the time again and swore. "I need to go talk to Dr. Prusiner about the new data from this morning."
Collin nodded. "I could go in if you need."
Edward waved him off. "No. After we go over the data, we have a conference call with the CDC."
Collin made a face.
Edward smiled. Something he hadn't done often lately. "Don't worry. You don't have to sit in again."
He had a look of relief on his face. "Thanks." Collin hesitated. "Did you get a chance to talk to Bella?"
Edward got up from his chair and stretched. "No." Then he began gathering his things.
"She seemed really sad that she missed you again."
Edward's head shot up. "What do you mean?"
Collin slipped. He treaded carefully. "I. . . I might have spoken to her this morning."
Edward's eyes narrowed at him. "This morning?"
He swallowed hard before he said, "While you were using the ELISA."
Edward tipped his head back and closed his eyes. There was no reception in the lab room that housed the ELISA machine. He rubbed his forehead and then said in weary tone, "She called you again?"
"No." He didn't want to tell him, but knew he should. "She was on Skype this morning."
He looked back at his computer that was already shut down. "How long did she wait?"
Collin made another face.
"How long, Collin?"
He let out a short breath. "Half an hour."
He cursed again and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Maybe you could try again. She said she'd be home today." It was the wrong thing to say.
The expression on Edward's face was a mixture of anger and hurt.
Collin held up his hands. "I'm sorry. I just. . ."
Edward's expression softened and it was replaced with a resigned one. "It's pretty sad that my intern knows more about my girlfriend's whereabouts than me."
"No, Edward. I'm just relaying a message."
He waved him off. "I know. It's just. . ." He looked back at the computer, willing it to somehow turn on and have Bella's face occupy the screen.
"Why don't you call her? You have a few minutes."
Edward looked at Collin and then at his computer. Then he took out his phone and held it in his hand. He was about to call Bella when his office phone rang.
Edward groaned and put his phone back in his pocket. "Tell Heidi I'm on my way." He left before Collin could say anything.
Collin answered the phone and sure enough it was Dr. Pruisner's assistant, asking if Edward was ready with the data. Collin told her Edward was on his way and then he hung up.
He left Edward's office and shut the door behind him. The other interns tended to be nosey especially since they found out how hot Edward's girlfriend is.
"Oh man, did you get to talk to her again?" Max asked, following at his heels.
"No."
"What was she wearing this morning when you talked to her?" Another intern Riley asked.
"Clothes."
Max and Riley let out a disappointed groan.
"It was just that one time and technically she was wearing clothes, so get over it," Collin said.
Riley said, "I don't know. I heard there was definite cleavage showing."
Collin rounded on the younger intern. "Don't ever talk about Edward's girlfriend like that."
"Oh come on. How did he end up with a girl like that?" Riley scoffed.
Collin narrowed his eyes at him which caused Riley to back up. "Edward Cullen is a fucking genius," he paused, looking at Riley and then at Max for emphasis, "Of course he'd end up with someone like Bella because unlike you two asshats, Edward Cullen deserves someone like her."
Riley shook his head and walked off, muttering prick in a low voice.
Collin turned to leave, but Max followed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect," Max said.
"Whatever," Collin said, walking through the exit.
Max kept up with Collin's pace. "So, is Edward leaving?"
Collin made his way to the Student Union. "No."
"I thought-"
"Well, you thought wrong."
They walked in silence together. Riley was a douche and the only reason he was there was because of his connection to Victoria. Apparently, she and Edward were good friends and she had called in a favor. He didn't think that whatever Edward felt he owed Victoria was worth the aggravation of having Riley in their lab, but he wasn't about to argue that point.
Max made his way into their lab on his own merit. He was bright and hardworking which was good considering how hard Edward was being on everyone. It was unfortunate that Max hadn't arrived pre-Bella Edward because he was a lot more easy going then.
Max said, "Dr. Pruisner is going let him see his girlfriend, right?"
Collin cocked his head toward Max. He had a sincere expression on his face. "Why do you care?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I think it'd be nice to have a break from him for a while."
Collin couldn't help letting out a small laugh. Edward had been difficult to be around. His music was a good way to gauge what type of mood he was in. When he got back, his office was filled with some classical piece that he found out that Edward had written and then MGMT's Electric Feel. Edward had even put a picture of that cartoon character Dexter in his office which was really weird because Edward didn't seem like the Dexter type at all.
"It hasn't been too bad lately," Collin said.
"True. He's started playing music in his office again."
Collin cringed. He hadn't realized that the others had picked up on the music as clues to Edward's moods. Edward hadn't played any music in his office for two weeks. No music was very bad.
"So you noticed?" Collin asked.
He nodded. "I know not to go in his office if he has Smashing Pumpkins playing. It's too bad Riley doesn't realize that yet."
They both exchange knowing smiles and then laughed. Good. He didn't like Riley either.
They entered the Student Union and picked up some sandwiches.
"Are we going back to the lab?" Max asked.
Collin shook his head. "Edward is going to be with Dr. Pruisner for a while."
They sat and ate their lunch. Well, Collin ate while Max did most of the talking.
"Is it true that we're all invited to Edward's place next Friday for the housewarming party?" Max asked.
Collin shook his head and swallowed his food. "Yes, but it's not his place. He moved in with his sister. She and her husband bought a new house."
"So, Edward lives at his sister's house now?"
"Not exactly. He said his sister and her husband bought a house with a guest house on the property. I guess he's really close with his sister and so he moved in to the guest house."
"That's cool, but anything's got to be better than living in grad housing."
"Yeah." Edward had lived in the same building as Collin.
"So, does Edward have any other sisters?" Max asked.
Collin laughed. "No. Just the married one."
"Figures." Max stuffed his mouth with half of his sandwich.
Collin shook his head. "Nice. And you wonder why you don't have a girlfriend."
Max stopped mid-chew and mumbled, "What?"
Collin laughed. "Come on. We should head back."
Max stuffed the rest of his sandwich back in his mouth and they walked back to the lab.
When they got there, Riley ran up to them. "Shit, you guys. Things are not good right now."
Collin's brow furrowed. "What's going on?"
"Dr. Pruisner is doing his pissed off, but silent brooding thing. Edward. . ." He looked over his shoulder. "He's in his office, but the door's shut." He lowered his voice. "I heard the CDC wants him to fly out to Atlanta this week."
Max smiled. "But that's a good thing, right?"
Collin gave him a small smile. "Yeah. It's good."
Riley's eyes widened. "He's moving to the CDC? Who's he taking?"
Collin shook his head. "Look, we don't know everything yet. It could be nothing. Just calm down."
He walked away from them and headed toward Edward's office. He heard it before he even reached the door.
Smashing Pumpkins.
He turned around and planned to talk to him when Smashing Pumpkins wasn't playing anymore.
It could only mean that there was some truth to what Riley had said. Edward worked so hard to get ahead on his research which is why the CDC was so interested.
But Collin was the only one who knew why Edward worked so hard.
He didn't do it for the CDC or even Dr. Pruisner.
The reason was tucked away in Seattle, waiting to hear from Edward.
Collin let out a frustrated sigh and decided he had to man up and talk to Edward. He would face his wrath and then help out his friend figure out what to do.
* * * * *
Emmett was a simple man. If something needed to be fixed, you assessed the damage, retrieved the necessary tools, and fixed it. Sometimes when you fixed something, it was better than before. There wasn't anything that Emmett couldn't fix.
And for the first time in his life, he couldn't fix this.
This wasn't like the last time. Last time Bella seemed fine, but there was something not quite right. He couldn't place his finger on it at the time and now that he knew the reason, it made sense.
This time, however, Bella tried to put on a brave face again, but it was quite apparent that she was unhappy. She didn't cry or hide in her room about missing Edward. In fact, she carried on like usual. The difference before was that she tried to pretend she was happy and now she did not even hide it.
At first, she was fine when Edward left. They talked all the time and when he went to bed, he saw a dim light peeking from under her door. No doubt she was online talking to Edward.
But as the days passed, she was anxious and inattentive. Then finally when Edward was supposed to visit, it was like her body and attitude had become incandescent.
Then something happened at the lab at the last minute. Emmett still wasn't sure what exactly happened.
Bella hadn't been the same since.
She still went through the motions of day to day interactions with him and Rosalie, but she was on autopilot. She would be gone all day and he didn't know where she would disappear to. She stopped working at the library and as far he knew, she hadn't decided on a job yet.
He tried talking to her about her job situation, but all she would say was that she wasn't sure what she was going to do. He had a feeling that she wasn't just talking about her career choice.
He suspected that she stayed away from the house so much because Rosalie had moved in with them and maybe she didn't feel comfortable around them anymore. Emmett had brought it up with Rosalie and she pointed out that Bella probably didn't want a reminder of what she didn't have.
Emmett wondered what was happening with Edward. Several times he wanted to call and ask him what the hell was going on, but Rosalie stopped him. She said they needed to work things out on their own and that he shouldn't get in the middle of it.
She was right of course, but it still hurt to see his sister so out of sorts.
Emmett sat in his car for a moment. He saw Bella's car parked out front as well. She was actually home this time. He hoped that today was a better day.
Two nights ago when they were having dinner together, Emmett tried to get her to join in the conversation. She did, but only when she was asked a question. After dinner, they all decided to watch a movie. Right before the movie was going to start, Bella changed her mind and went out for a run. He got worried when the movie ended and Bella hadn't returned. He checked her room and there was a note stating that she was going to stay at Angela's place.
He couldn't help feeling a little hurt about it. Why was she avoiding him?
Emmett scrubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands and then got out of his car. He made his way through the house which was filled with the aroma of a slow cooking pot roast. Hope immediately prickled in his chest that maybe Bella was doing better.
When he entered the kitchen, a tall blonde looking the picture of a modern house wife was bent over the stove, tasting sauce from a pot.
"Oh, I thought-"
Rosalie held up her hand. "Don't worry. She did start dinner, but told me what to do. She's in the garage."
He made his way to the door that led to the garage. "The garage? Laundry?"
"No, she's beating the crap out of her punching bag."
A wide grin broke across his face. "That's my girl." Emmett would rather have Ass Kicking Bella any day then Mopey Bella.
Rosalie shook her head. "I wouldn't get too excited. Smashing Pumpkins has been playing."
His grin became bigger. "That's excellent."
Her brow furrowed. "I thought you said it meant-"
"It does. It also means that she's not moping around anymore."
"Oh." She gave him a small smile, but then it faltered. "He wasn't around again when she got on this morning."
His jaw flinched, but he reined himself in. "What the hell is going on with him?"
Rosalie wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "Alice says that he spends all his time at the lab. She doesn't think he's even been home all weekend."
"What? Does he live at the lab now?"
She shrugged. "He goes in really early and comes home even later. He's not messing around or anything like that. He's working all the time."
Emmett scratched his head. "Well, he's got to eat and sleep. I mean, he needs to take a break sometime, right?"
"You'd think." Rosalie looked at the door, making sure it was still shut before she said, "Alice said that he's not doing too well either."
He rubbed his forehead. "Well, what the hell is going on with them? I still don't understand why he didn't come out when he said he would."
"It was work."
"I know that, but he even had a plane ticket too."
Rosalie sighed. "From what I can gather from both Bella and Alice, when he was supposed to come visit, there was a problem with the data. Alice said that weekend he was supposed to be here, he spent it all at the lab."
Emmett shook his head. "Whatever. I'm going to check on Bella." He walked over to Rosalie and gave her a kiss before he went into the garage.
Bella's back was facing him when he opened the door and stepped into the garage. Instead of Smashing Pumpkins, she had Incubus playing. It meant it was somewhat safe. He waited for Circles to stop playing and watched while Bella unleashed a barrage of punches. He couldn't help smiling at the thought that if Edward were here now, no doubt he would get a beat down.
When the song ended, the mellow strumming of a guitar filled the room, and I Miss You echoed through the room.
Bella stopped. Her brow pinched and she stood in front of the punching bag. Emmett figured the mellow music threw off her momentum, but instead, Bella let out a long sigh when someone is resigned to the situation. Then she threw her arms around the punching bag.
Emmett shut off the music and stepped toward her. "Bella?"
She was quick to straighten up. "Emmett? How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough, Bella." He took another step toward her, saddened by the weary look on her face. He held his arms out.
She hesitated before she threw herself at him.
"He wasn't there again."
"I know. Rosie, told me."
"I know he's busy with work, but. . ." She rubbed her forehead. "God, I want to kick his ass."
He couldn't help laughing. "You should. He deserves it."
She stayed in her brother's arms.
In an attempt to distract her, he asked, "How was Miami? And Mom?"
"Good. The interview went better than I thought and Mom. . . is Mom. She and Phil are doing okay."
"That's good. Do you think you'll take the job?"
She shrugged. "I'm still waiting to hear from the one in New York."
"Which one do you think you'll take?"
She pulled away from Emmett and looked up at him. "I haven't heard from either one of them. Isn't it kind of premature to think I got them?"
"You got the one here."
She couldn't help smiling. "Yeah, well that was a fluke."
"No, it wasn't. And you know it. Any of those places would be lucky to have you."
She lifted one shoulder up and then down. "I guess."
He hesitated before he asked, "Have you told Edward?"
She shook her head.
"He doesn't know that you might be moving across the country?"
"Nothing's definite."
"Bella, you have to tell him."
She threw her hands up. "When, Emmett? He's never available. I could probably email him and he'd get it, but that doesn't seem right, does it?"
He thought for a minute before answering. "No."
"I just. . . I feel like if I could just talk to him, I'd get an idea of what's going on. If he even. . . cares anymore."
"He cares, Bella. He's just. . . so busy." The excuse even sounded lame to him.
"I know." She felt guilty. "His work is really important and I'm trying to be understanding about it."
"But?"
She took in a deep breath. "I. . . I'm not sure what else I can do."
He cupped his sister's face. "It'll work out."
She stepped away from his touch and returned her attention to the punching bag. "You don't know that."
Emmett stood behind the bag, spotting her. "I do. This is just a temporary glitch. Once things settle down-"
Bella pulled back her arm and let her fist connect with the bag. "It's never going to settle down. His research is too important. Once I decide where I want to work, I'll have to move, find a place to stay. . ."
"This is what growing up is about. Moving on and-"
She swung her leg for a roundhouse kick.
Emmett widened his stance and braced himself against the punching bag. "I know you don't want to hear that, but maybe-"
Bella jabbed and followed it with an upper cut punch.
"Okay." Emmett leaned into the bag, taking the hint. "So, then what do you want to do, Bella?"
She stopped and looked at him with bewilderment. Her breathing was unsteady. "What?"
"Forget about the jobs for a moment. What do you want to do?"
She looked away. "I. . ."
Emmett stepped away from the bag and came face to face with his sister. "Its' okay. You can say it."
She looked at her brother, feeling her eyes moisten. It took her a minute, but she said, "I want to be with Edward."
"Then do it."
She rolled her eyes. "It's not that simple."
"Why not?"
"The jobs."
"I said forget about that for a moment."
She shifted in her spot and said, "I don't even know if he still wants me."
This time Emmett rolled his eyes. "Really? Are we going to do this again?"
Bella opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He was right. "No. I just. . . I haven't talked to him in a while, so I don't know what's going on."
"Let's say that the idea of you guys spending time together is very appealing to him on the off chance," he smiled at her and she could help returning the smile. "What other reasons are holding you back?"
She fidgeted with her gloves.
It only took one of his hands to cover both of hers to stop the fidgeting. "Come on, Bella. What's holding you back?"
Her voice cracked. "I'm scared."
His eyebrows shot up. "Scared? Why? You're not really that worried about Edward, are you?"
She shrugged. "A little. I don't know." She turned away and undid the velcro on her gloves.
Emmett followed her and laid a hand on her shoulder. He pulled her to face him. "Then what are you scared of?"
She kept her eyes trained to the ground. "I. . . I want to go see him."
Emmett waited for her to continue.
She took a deep breath and let it out. "This feels like the first time when he left. I tried everything to get in touch with him. He ignored me and no matter how many times I called or emailed, he never returned any of it." She blinked back her tears. "It hurts more this time because I know he's not avoiding me, he just. . . he's too busy. I figured if I went to see him, I could at least see if things have changed."
He nodded. "It sounds like a plan."
Her eyes widened. "You think I should-"
"What? Go to him? I'm surprised you didn't leave sooner."
Her face fell and a few tears escaped.
Emmett blinked several times. Did he say something wrong? He thought about what he said and couldn't find anything offensive. "What's the matter?"
She looked at her brother, a fat tear drop escaping down the side of her face. "Just like that? I thought you wouldn't like the idea."
He was so confused. "Why wouldn't I?"
She tried to collect herself and after a moment she said, "Because I'd have to leave. I didn't think you'd like that."
He gave her a small smile. "Of course, I don't, but if that's what you want, I'll help you."
Fresh tears fell from her eyes. "Emmett." She threw her arms around him.
He caught her, surprised by the outburst. "Sweetheart, I don't understand why you're so upset. Is it okay that I help you? I promise we can fix this."
She sobbed again, overwhelmed by her brother's words.
He held her tighter, unsure of what else to do.
After a moment, Bella's sobbing stopped. She still had tears in her eyes, but she pulled back and looked up at him. "I didn't want you to think that I was choosing Edward over you. You've always been there for me and. . ." She swiped at the tears on her cheeks. "You're my brother."
"Oh, Bella." He took her into his arms and held her tight. "Jesus, are you saying you've been staying her because of me?"
"I'm scared, too."
He pulled her away and looked at her. His eyes were moist and he said, "You have no reason to be scared. I'm sure the minute Edward sees you, he'll fall over himself, trying to get to you."
She couldn't help smiling.
He continued, "In fact, I'm sure once you go see him, he won't ever let you go."
Her smile grew, but she couldn't help the tears again, but they fell for a different reason.
"Do I like the idea of losing my sister? Hell no. But this isn't about me and if it means your happiness, then I'll help you get it." He blinked back the tears and swallowed. "And if Cullen doesn't have a lick of sense to fall down on his knees when he sees you, then I'll kick his ass myself."
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She whispered, "Thank you."
He pulled back. "Don't. Not until we make sure you get what you want."
She laughed again. Then when the realization set in that she was going to see Edward, her face lit up. "Crap. What should I do? Should I call him and tell him I'm coming? Where should I stay? When should I go?"
They heard a noise of someone clearing their throat. They looked up to see Rosalie standing in the doorway. "I might be able to help you out with that part."
Bella grinned. Then she rushed to her and hugged her.
Rosalie returned the embrace, but immediately pushed her away. "Ugh. You need a shower."
"Oh! I'm so sorry. Right. I'll go shower. But what are we-"
Rosalie held up her hand. "Shower first. We'll call Alice and figure out what to do next."
"Okay." She ran out of the garage and rushed upstairs, tripping on two steps.
Emmett couldn't help laughing. "Christ, she's so happy that she's clumsy."
Rosalie gave him a simmering look.
His eyebrows shot up. "What's that look for?"
She walked toward him, keeping her gaze locked on his. "I'm so hot for you right now."
He grinned. "Really? But aren't you always?"
She smiled. "Not every man would be willing to go out of their way to make their sister happy."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh. You saw that?"
She nodded and slid a hand up his chest. "Emmett Swan, I can't wait to have your babies."
He let out a small laugh. "We should get some practice in first. You know just to make sure we get the technique right."
"Definitely." She covered his mouth with hers and shut the door.
"In the garage, Rosie?"
She pulled him toward the washer and dryer by the wall. "I'm not going to make it upstairs."
He shook his head. "Alright. I'll see what I can do." He lifted her and placed her on top of the washer and nestled himself between her thighs.
Rosalie laughed, but it was quickly silenced by Emmett's mouth on hers.
* * * * *
It was done.
True to Rosalie's word, she did help. She and Alice worked everything out so that all Bella had to do was show up.
She had hoped to talk to Edward that morning about their situation and to also tell him about her potential job offers, but instead she got Collin.
Again.
He was a nice guy and every time she spoke to him, he was friendly and amusing.
But he wasn't Edward.
Collin had told her how things were going at the lab and from what she could understand, the CDC had been very demanding of what they expected from Edward. She felt a little sorry for Edward, but not by a lot. She also felt resentful.
Edward had warned her that when he worked, he was a different person. She thought she understood that, but now, after nearly two months of not being able to see him, she readily believed it.
Now with the prospect of seeing Edward again, Bella was filled with so many mixed emotions. The first and foremost was that she was eager to see him. However, there were underlying feelings of hurt and disappointment.
She tried not to dwell on it, knowing how important his work was, but a small part of her wished that Edward would put her first. That he would put them first.
Bella shook her head, clearing it from those thoughts. It was so easy to wallow in what could've been. She had to focus on the present.
She was going through a mental checklist of what to bring and looking through her closets and drawers. Alice and Rosalie had tried to make suggestions, but she waved off their advice. She knew what Edward liked and what drove him crazy. She didn't need help with that.
Bella had doubts in the plans she had when she saw Edward. She hoped that Edward would be receptive, but she couldn't be completely sure. Emmett had said that she shouldn't doubt Edward, but that was easy for him to say. Rosalie moved in and they were around each other all the time. It was easy to be reassured of something that was already there.
She had music playing in the background while she packed, but when Pretty Handsome Awkward came on she turned it up and she was reminded of soft hands on bruised knuckles.
This was it.
As Jacob had said, she was worth fighting for.
And so was Edward.
* * * * *
Edward did not even bother turning on any of the lights in the bungalow style guest house. The already interminable flight also had delays with the connecting return flight. All he could think about was getting home.
But once he was home, home wasn't really what he wanted.
Bella.
He stumbled in the dark toward his bedroom. He pushed the door open and then dropped his bags by the door. Edward scrubbed his face with the heel of his hands and trudged to the bed.
When his face hit the pillow, he let out a tired sigh. He was drifting off to sleep, but the distant sound of a rhythm with a heavy bass beat pulsed through his house. He cracked one eye open and saw the glowing numbers on his alarm clock. It was after ten at night and someone was having a party.
A party.
Edward groaned and covered his head with one of his pillows. His mind was foggy, but shining through was the detail that he wanted to keep shrouded.
Alice's housewarming party.
He had gotten to the guest house through the back gate, so he didn't have to walk past Alice's house. Since he hadn't alerted anyone to his presence, he hoped he could just sleep through the party.
His pocket began to vibrate and he swore to himself. He lay in his bed contemplating if he should answer it, but then it stopped. He dug it out of his pocket and looked at the screen.
It was a text from Collin. He wondered if everything was alright at the lab. He opened it and immediately regretted doing so.
Where are you? I thought your flight landed an hour ago.
Edward had texted Collin when his plane landed only because when he opened his phone, Collin had left several texts about when he was arriving and to let him know if things with the CDC went well.
Not even thinking about it, Edward texted him back and said he'd come in the morning to debrief. When Collin said that it was Saturday the next day, Edward texted back when did that ever matter?
The days blended all together. He had no weekends or evenings. Time was seamless and measured by data and phone calls to the CDC.
He just wanted a few minutes to himself. He wondered what Bella was doing. He had not really talked to her while he was in Atlanta. They texted a few times, but that was the extent of it.
Suddenly he was overcome with the need to hear her voice. He picked up his phone again and proceeded to scroll through his contacts. He was about to press the call button when he got another text.
Man, you didn't go to the lab, did you? Did you forget about your sister's party?
He let out a short breath and then texted Collin back.
I'm not at the lab. I didn't forget about the party. I'm just tired.
He barely sent off the text when he got another one.
Brother dear, where are you? A little birdy told me that your flight came in an hour ago. I'm hoping you're just being fashionably late.
He groaned and flipped onto his stomach to text Alice back.
If you love me, you won't make me come to this party. I'm really tired. I'd like to get some sleep.
He sent it off and lay back down. Edward didn't want to be around a bunch of people he couldn't care less about, talking to them about things that didn't matter.
There was only one person who he wanted to talk to. He pulled up Bella's number and pressed the call button. It went straight to voice mail. He didn't bother leaving a message.
He didn't want to talk to her voicemail service. He was tired of not seeing her, not talking to her, not touching her.
It was at that moment that Edward realized that it had been over two months since he saw Bella and nearly a month since he really talked to her. How could that be possible? He thought about her all the time.
He had told her that they would keep in touch and that they would talk no matter what. Yet, he hadn't really made the effort. She had become an after thought when he was done for the day and that realization disturbed him.
Edward was then seized with a grip of panic. He made another realization that Bella probably felt he was ignoring her and that he no longer wanted a relationship which was far from the truth. He wanted it more than anything, but he had let the opportunity slip through his fingers like sand.
He was supposed to be proving to her that he was serious about having a relationship with her and he pretty much abandoned her. She must feel hurt and disappointment.
He sat up on his bed and cradled his head in his hands. In the dark, he contemplated what he would do while the music from the party played. His first impulse was to go see her, but he had doubts. Would she welcome him after all this time? He was so unworthy. This would be the second time where he messed things up. Could anyone have so much tolerance for another person?
Edward searched for his phone on the bed. He wanted to try calling Bella again, but got an alert that he had a text message.
Dude, where are you? I'm at your sister's party. I really think you should come over.
He couldn't help letting out a small laugh at Collin's text. Collin would never admit it, but Edward suspected that he had a crush on Alice. It was harmless, but Edward was sure Alice knew and would often use Collin to get Edward to be more social.
I'm at home. I'm good. I'm just going to catch up on some sleep.
He was about to get up and to go use the bathroom when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and shook his head before he answered it.
"Alice, I'm tired. I'm going to bed." He held the phone away from his ear. The music was much louder at the house.
"Don't you dare. Besides, I laid out some clothes for you, so you wouldn't have to worry about picking them out yourself."
"How thoughtful," he said in a deadpanned tone. He looked behind him, noting that he was sitting on them and had been lying on them earlier.
"Come on, Edward. You've been holed up in Atlanta for the past week and before that at the lab. You do realize it's been weeks since I've seen you and you live next to me."
Leave it to Alice to know exactly what to say to pack on the guilt. He let out a tortured sigh. "Fine. But I'm not staying long."
"I'll see you in a few minutes. Oh, you might also want to shave."
"Alice."
"Maybe even comb your hair."
"Why does it matter?"
"This is a party. You're supposed to look your best."
There wasn't anyone he wanted to impress at that party. "Whatever. I'll be there in a while."
He ended the call before Alice could add any more demands. He leaned over to the lamp on his bedside table and switched it on. Edward stood up to get a better look at what Alice had laid out for him and scoffed. There was no way he was going to put all that on.
Then he caught a whiff of himself and conceded that he should at least change his shirt since the current one had been on for several hours while he was flying. He pulled the black t-shirt over his head and slipped on the charcoal colored button down shirt. He ignored the matching slacks and black jacket and stayed in his dark jeans.
He texted Collin back that he was on his way. He had just shut his front door when he realized that he probably should've checked himself in the mirror, but shrugged and continued up the bricked pathway that lead up to Alice's house.
The music got louder and so did the noises of the party. There were voices carrying through the yard. People were talking and laughing. Normally, Edward would catch on to the mirth and the exchanges going on, but he didn't. He walked past the infinity pool and entered the double French doors. He nodded to people he recognized, but didn't stop to talk. He just wanted to make an appearance and go back to his place to sleep.
He walked into the kitchen and the polished dark granite tops were covered with platters of food. Edward scanned the area, finding Jasper opening a bottle of wine.
After Jasper opened the bottle, he looked up and saw Edward approaching him. He gave his brother-in-law a warm smile. "Hey! Look who's here." He gave him a hug and Edward couldn't help laughing at Jasper's affectionate display.
"Jasper, I live in your backyard." They parted and Edward said, "You act like I'm a long lost relative or something."
"You are. We hardly ever see you. We started thinking that maybe you moved without telling us."
Edward had the decency to look guilty. "Sorry. Work has been-"
Jasper held up his hand. "I know. Collin has been your champion and has been defending you all evening to Alice."
He looked around the kitchen, but didn't see his intern. "Is he still here?"
"Yeah, he's around here somewhere." He passed him a beer. "But first, you've got to meet some people."
Edward took the beer and then groaned at Jasper's words. "I just wanted to make an appearance and go back home. I need to get some sleep in before I go into work tomorrow."
Jasper raised an eyebrow at him. "Tomorrow's Saturday. You don't think it could wait?"
"I've got to debrief Dr. Pruisner on what went down in Atlanta."
Jasper studied him for a moment before he said, "Well, I'd keep my weekend open if I were you."
Edward was about to ask him that he didn't have time for anything else this weekend, but Jasper clasped his shoulder and said, "Come on. You'll like these people."
Jasper led him into the living area. It was spacious and had a few ceiling to floor windows that gave the room an open feeling.
Edward followed Jasper through the throngs of people. Edward was thinking about how quickly he could excuse himself so he could catch some sleep. He decided that he'd forget about seeing Alice and just go once he met Jasper's friends.
Once they got closer, a hearty, booming laughter echoed in the room. It was no small feat considering that the room was full and other people were chatting and having fun. It was contagious and all too familiar.
Wonderfully familiar.
Jasper approached the group. "Look who I found."
Alice's face lit up and she threw her arms around her brother. "About time!"
When Alice pulled away, Rosalie hugged him as well. "It's good to see you."
"Good to see you too, Rose." He gave her a warm smile and meant what he said.
Then he was greeted by Angela and Ben and soon Jacob and Carlie.
"I didn't know you'd all be here," Edward's eyes studied each face not finding the one he hoped for.
Angela said, "Alice had been talking about her new house so much that we had to come see it for ourselves."
Jacob chimed in. "We're all here for the weekend."
Edward couldn't keep the smile off his face. He hadn't realized how much he'd been secluding himself until now. His smile widened when he saw his best friend hanging back.
"Emmett?"
His smile was hesitant, but he gave one to Edward none the less. "It's good to see you, man."
They hugged and when they parted, Edward said, "It's really good to see you too."
Emmett threw a heavy arm around Edward's shoulder. "We need to talk."
"Emmett," Rosalie warned.
He held up a hand. "We're just going to catch up. That's all."
Rosalie narrowed her eyes at Emmett before relaxing them when she looked at Edward. "Just remember that this is Emmett and you can tell him to mind his own business."
Edward's brow furrowed and he looked at Emmett who grinned. Before Edward could say anything, Emmett's arm around his shoulders tightened and he almost had him in a headlock while he dragged him away from the group.
They stepped out onto the patio in the backyard where there weren't as many people. Emmett withdrew his arm and said, "So, how's it going?"
Edward dragged his fingers through his hair. "It's been crazy. Work has been. . ." He waved his hands in the air. "Keeps me busy."
Emmett raised an eyebrow. "So busy you can't call?"
Edward opened his mouth, but was quick to shut it. He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "She talk to you about that?"
"She didn't have to."
He let out a short breath. "Is she here?"
Emmett nodded.
Edward felt his heart speed up. He took a deep breath to help regulate it. "Does she want to see me?"
A corner of Emmett's mouth pulled up. "Yeah."
He studied his friend's expression for a minute. "She's pissed, huh?"
Emmett smiled and then said, "Maybe."
He threw his head back and sighed. Then he looked back at Emmett. "I messed things up again, didn't I? I'm such an idiot. I wouldn't blame her if she hated me. I don't deserve her. If she came here to break up with me, I'd understand. She deserves better-"
Emmett held up a hand. His brow was furrowed. "Whoa, wait a minute. I'm not going to claim to know how Bella feels or what she wants, but I'll agree with you on one thing." He gripped Edward's shoulder. "You are an idiot."
"Em." His shoulders slumped and he looked down at his shoes.
"Hey, I'd kick your ass myself if I knew it would knock some sense into you, but Bella would be pissed and Rosalie would turn around and kick my ass right back."
Edward let out a short laugh.
"If it were any other guy, I would, but. . . you're my best friend."
Edward nodded.
"And I'm trusting you with my sister."
"Em, I-"
He held up his hand. "So you better fix this." Emmett shot him a serious look. "And if you end up breaking Bella's heart again, best friend or not, I will break you in half."
Edward could only stare at his friend with his mouth partly open.
Emmett, pleased that his point was made, smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll see you later." And then he walked away, rejoining Rosalie.
It took a minute for Edward to recover and when he did, he gulped down the rest of his beer. After his shock wore off, the realization that Bella was here jolted him out of his place in search for her.
He spotted his friend Collin on the other side of the patio with the other intern Max. Edward was just going to wave at him in acknowledgment, but Collin gestured for him to join them. He really wanted to find Bella, but he also couldn't ignore his friend.
He scanned the yard and didn't see Bella. He figured she must be inside somewhere. He planned just to say hello to his work mates before heading back in the house.
When he got closer, he caught the tail end of the conversation they were having.
"So, you've known Edward since you guys were kids?" Collin asked.
"Yeah, he's my brother's best friend. I used to follow them both everywhere."
Edward's pace quickened at the familiar voice.
"Did you guys get into a lot of trouble back then?"
She laughed her gorgeous laugh which made Edward's heart soar. "All the time. There was this one time when-"
Edward said, "I don't think you should be sharing any embarrassing stories about me with people I work with."
Bella's face lit up. "I wasn't going to share anything too incriminating."
He couldn't help laughing. "You were going to share the hair spray story, huh?"
She laughed, but shook her head. "I was going to tell them about the time you and Emmett tricked me by teaching me the-'I love you'-gesture."
Edward groaned. "Don't."
Bella ignored him and proceeded to tell Collin and Max the story of when she was seven and they were nine, Edward and Emmett taught Bella that if you want to tell someone you loved them, you stuck up your middle finger. Then if you really loved them, you stuck both of them up.
They thought it was really funny until Bella decided to tell her dad that she really loved him.
The Chief did not appreciate getting the bird from his seven year old daughter at all.
For their punishment, Edward and Emmett had to wash dishes for a month. By hand.
Collin and Max looked at Edward with surprise.
Bella gave Edward a sweet smile and then gave him the bird using both hands. "I really love you."
Collin and Max erupted into laughter.
Edward shook his head with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You know, they'll never take me seriously after this."
She lowered her hands, but she still had a smile on her face. "Collin, don't you think Edward takes himself too seriously sometimes?"
"Uh. . ." Collin looked at his boss, whom he revered, and at his boss's girlfriend, whom he was enchanted by, and decided that he did not want to get in the middle of this. "I. . . uh. . . need another beer." He gave Max a pointed a look.
It took a second for Max to catch on. "Oh, me too."
Collin turned to Bella. "It was nice to finally meet you in person."
She kissed him on the cheek. "Same here." She held her hand out to Max. "It was nice meeting you, too."
Max took her hand and nodded. "Nice meeting you, too."
They parted and Edward and Bella were left standing together.
After a moment, Edward said, "I guess I deserved that."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You guess?"
He let out a small laugh. "It was probably kind of stupid to expect you to throw yourself into my arms when you saw me, wasn't it?"
Bella pretended to think about it for a second. "Yeah, it kind of was." Then she started to make her way back to the house.
He followed her, but touched her elbow before she stepped back inside. "Hey."
She turned to look at him and waited for him to continue.
He raked his fingers through his hair a few times before he said, "Bella, I-"
Her expression softened and she placed a hand on his chest. "Tell me about it later."
He nodded, but had a conflicted expression on his face.
Bella took his hand and said, "Let's go back inside. Our friends are waiting." Then she led him through the doorway to their friends.
And just like that, with his hand in hers, Edward felt his world shift back into place.
Chapter Note:
I have to give props to Mr. jennlynnfs for the 'I love you' gesture story. It was actually him who taught that gesture to a poor unsuspecting kid. He was ten and the kid was seven.
Chapter Playlist:
From Edward's Beautiful Playlist (in his office):
Everlong by Foo Fighters
Zero by Smashing Pumpkins
From Bella's Mr. Dazzling's Playlist (in the garage):
Circles by Incubus
I Miss You by Incubus
Pretty Handsome Awkward by The Used (Yes, again. This is Bella's ass kicking theme song.)
Great Companion by Landon Pigg (This actually is Emmett's song not necessarily on Bella's playlist, but definitely used while writing the scene between Bella and Emmett in the garage.)
From Alice's House Warming Party:
Crawl by Kings of Leon
Today by Smashing Pumpkins
After Party at Jimmy's by Anya Marina (This was way before I knew how annoying she was.)
You Picked Me by A Fine Frenzy
I Kicked A Boy by The Sundays
The Girl Got Hot by Weezer
Author's Note:
So, yeah. We're getting near the end. Again, if you skipped the note at the beginning, the last chapter is split in two parts. It's actually +20, 000 words total.
Thank you for not giving up on this story. So many of you reviewed and PM'd me, asking if the story was finished or if I had given up. I was working on having all of this ready to post consecutively so you didn't have to wait so long.
Thank you to those of you who have been rec'ing MBBF. I don't know where you're all coming from or who's been pimping this story, but thank you. I wish I knew. I would totally make out with you right now. ;)
Thank you to the ladies on the MBBF twilighted thread. I love it when people come by and show their love for the story.
Thank you to the ladies on twitter for putting up with all my random tweets about this story.
Thank you to sherylaf, spotzle, and vjgm for pretty much being the best betas. Ever.
And now to head off any questions about when I'm going to post next:
Chapter 21 Part 2 "A Long Time" will be posted Friday.
The Epilogue "Every Time" is written, but going through the beta process.
The Outtakes and Edward's outtake will be posted after the Epilogue, but will be posted separately.
I'd also like to pimp a few stories. (All of these have M ratings.) These own me right now:
A Rough Start by ItzMegan73 http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5319052/1/
Bad Press by HappyWanderer http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5417343/1/
Edward Wallbanger by feathersmmmm http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5072648/1/
Fourteen by crimsonmarie http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5475912/1/
It Isn't Stalking If You Don't Get Caught by JustForkIt and LittleMissWhitlock http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5270723/1/
Late Night Encounters by kyla713 http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5253229/1/
Living Backwards by ciaobella27 http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5074723/1/