Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews for last chapter and to those of you who dropped in to say, 'Hi.' A few of you suspected the reviews might have dropped off because the pace of the story had slowed to the equivalent of 'molasses moving uphill in the cold' as one reviewer put it. LOL! I wish I could disagree. I'm a bit of a 'details' person, but I may have gone overboard exploring the many issues that needed to be addressed. Thank you for your patience and for sticking with me. We've finally reached the 'dinner party' chapter, and I'm working hard to move the story along a bit more quickly from here. I'm not going to rush the last third of the story, but ten chapters to cover one day, albeit one 'heck of a day' was probably excessive. ;)
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to SunflowerFran, Sunshine1220, and NKubie for helping me with this story. Any tweaks, and consequent errors, are all my responsiblity.
xx Elise
~GV~
Gone Viral - Chapter 20
I felt self-conscious walking to the elevator to travel up to Alice and Jasper's apartment with Seth beside us. The presence of the tall, somber security provider hadn't bothered me when we'd arrived home earlier in the afternoon, but I put that down to having felt overwhelmed at the time. If someone had approached us, I think I might have snapped. Now that I was calmer, and feeling decidedly more optimistic, I wondered if we were overreacting having him escort us while we were inside my building.
"Are you sure this is necessary?" I asked Edward in a low voice while gesturing with my head to the dark-clothed figure walking ahead of us. "I'd understand if we were going out, but there's no one around in the hallways this time of night."
"True, but I didn't want to take the chance of you being bothered again today, no matter how slight." Edward murmured.
Seth's hearing must have been exceptional, as he joined in our conversation while we waited for the elevator to reach my floor.
"This building isn't overly secure, Miss Swan, and Mr. Cullen mentioned you were accosted by a resident this morning while descending in the elevator. So the threats are just as likely to come from within as from without."
"Threats," I said dumbly. "Um . . . We are just talking about people taking photos and saying stupid things? Not actual physical threats?"
Edward released my hand and drew me to his side. "Of course," he said with a smile, though in the shadowed hallway, I couldn't tell if it reached his eyes.
"It's best to be prepared for any eventuality, ma'am," Seth said once we were in the privacy of the elevator. Ignoring Edward's wide-eyes and not-so-subtly shaking head, he added, "It only takes one deranged fan getting too close to potentially do serious damage. Plus, we don't want to be taken unawares if the Hunts become apprised of the situation, as it's hard to say how far they might go to keep things quiet."
I'd pushed aside my concerns regarding the possibility of James or Tanya causing problems, as there were so many other issues to deal with. Seth's warning brought it to the forefront, and the air entered my lungs in a rush.
"Seth! I'm trying not to worry Bella," Edward rebuked him, but the stoic security provider's expression remained unchanged.
"You've charged me with keeping Miss Swan safe, along with Miss Denali and yourself. Ignorance is not conducive to making wise choices. They need to know what we're dealing with, so they'll take my instructions seriously and won't disregard any safeguards we may implement."
"Seth's right," I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. "It doesn't take a genius to know that if the story gets out, the reputations of Tanya and James will be ruined, and who knows what they'd do to prevent that from happening. Katie and I need to know what's going on, so we don't accidentally stumble into a dangerous situation. She's already wary of James, and she already figured out you were worried about him causing trouble this afternoon in my office."
"True," Edward said, his jaw tight. "That bastard frightened her and got away with it. If he tries to hurt her in any way, so help me . . ."
"That's what I'm here to prevent," Seth said, his confidence at least somewhat reassuring.
We walked the rest of the way to Alice and Jasper's apartment in silence, Edward and my fingers weaved together. While I cared for all my students, I couldn't deny I felt an extra bond with-and sense of responsibility for Katie now that I knew of her connection to Edward. I could only imagine how heavily the unexpected mantle of fatherhood must be weighing upon his shoulders.
Jasper opened the door after the first knock, and while he shook hands with Edward, I found myself engulfed in Alice's arms.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she whispered while pulling me all the way into their stylishly furnished apartment. "I still can't believe the day you've had."
"Me neither," I said with a brittle laugh. "But I'm good . . ." I caught hold of Edward's hand and drew him to my side. "We're good, aren't we?" I looked to Edward.
"Very good," he said before he turned to my best friend. "Hi, Alice. It's nice to see you again. Thanks for looking out for Bella. I wouldn't be surprised if you're now having second thoughts about helping arrange for us to meet, but I promise, I'd never do anything to hurt her."
"Not intentionally," Alice said, one hand moving to rest on her hip. "Sounds to me like you're both in for a world of hurt once the media gets wind that you're the father of a thirteen-year-old girl."
"Alice," I muttered, giving her the eye. "You said you'd be supportive."
Her stern expression crumpled. "I know, and I will. I just . . . It's a lot to get your head around, and I'm your best friend. Can you imagine what the reaction from the world at large is going to be?"
"Yes, we can," Edward said, putting an arm around my shoulders and drawing me against him. "That's why we're hoping you and Jasper might help us brainstorm ideas on how to deal with this in a way that will cause the least stress to Bella and Katie."
I squeezed Edward's waist but did my best to hide a smile. He didn't know it, but enlisting Alice's help was the best move he could have made. She was a born organizer and fixer, and she thrived on solving problems.
Despite the initial tension, dinner was a surprisingly relaxed affair. The four of us came to an unspoken agreement to leave the difficult subject of protecting Katie until after we had eaten. Our only concession was that Edward placed his phone on the table so he wouldn't miss any calls or texts from his daughter.
"I promised her," he said, sounding sheepish.
"Aww . . . You're just like any other first-time dad on his first day of fatherhood," Alice teased.
"Except my daughter is a teenager instead of a few hours old."
"Does that bother you?" Alice asked the question I'll admit had crossed my mind. "That you've missed out on so much?"
Edward shrugged. "Of course, but I believe it's a woman's right to choose what happens to her own body, regardless of the circumstances. It would have been nice to know about Katie from the beginning, well, apart from the drama and upset that would have caused my family. Plus, I don't know what sort of a father I would have been at fifteen. But if Tanya had terminated the pregnancy, or if Katie had been adopted by some other family, I'd have never known about her."
Edward paused and took a shuddering breath, making me think he wasn't as unaffected by the possibility as he was saying.
"At least she's in my life now," he added with a shaky smile. "I'm determined to be the best dad I can be from here on out."
"I'd say you're off to a good start," I said, and Edward reached for my hand beneath the table and squeezed it.
He replied to one text during the main course, giving Katie another promise; that he'd call to say goodnight later. For the rest of the meal, the four of us shared stories from our varied childhoods, college and workplace experiences. When Alice asked Edward to 'share the dirt' on his fellow Olympians, we were all ears, oohing and ahhing at the stories he had to tell.
"Michael Phelps didn't really do that, did he?" Alice asked, her eyes agog.
"He sure did," Edward said, sitting back with his arm stretched along the back of my chair. "He's given millions to charity through his foundation. We've worked together on a couple of projects, and he's a great guy."
"Wow, I can't believe you're friends with such famous people," Alice said, before she giggled. "That's right. You're famous, too, but you seem so normal."
It was Edward's turn to chuckle, while I rolled my eyes at my tactless friend.
"You're also friends with someone famous," Edward said, looking to me with his own, starry-eyed gaze.
Typically, I would have made a self-deprecating comment about my fame being unearned and unwelcome. But for once, I was grateful for those embarrassing memes, as they'd brought this amazing man into my life.
"She's going to be even more famous when her autobiography becomes an international bestseller. Not to mention that series the two of you are going to collaborate on," Alice said, her hands moving, as she tended to talk with them when she was excited. "I'm glad you guys have some good things happening amongst all the angst and drama."
"Oh, there's been lots of good things happening," Edward said, his voice dropping low and his gaze moving to my face. His mouth curved into what I could only describe as a panty-dropping smile, and the breath caught in my throat. I barely reacted when Alice whacked Jasper with her napkin, and he yelled, "Ouch! What was that for?"
"For not looking at me the way Edward is looking at Bella. I'd like to be adored like that, thank you very much!"
"I do adore you, babe. It's just we've been together six years, so you can't expect-"
"If you finish that sentence, I promise you will regret it, Jasper Whitlock," Alice cut him off, her voice a low growl.
Dragging my eyes away from Edward's admittedly mesmerizing, gaze, I suggested we move to the living room and start our brainstorming session. Jasper shot me a grateful look, one I returned with a raised brow. I foresaw some serious groveling in his future if he wanted to 'get any' anytime soon, as Alice was known to cut him off in other ways when she was feeling neglected.
"Help me out, B," he murmured, as we quickly cleared the table of the remaining plates and cutlery and loaded them in the dishwasher.
I whispered the name of a lingerie brand Alice had been drooling over recently and added that she'd love a night or two away in a romantic bed and breakfast. Jasper was earning good money and could afford the occasional indulgence, so I knew I wasn't suggesting something out of his reach. He nodded his thanks and then told me to go join Alice and Edward in the living room, as he would finish clearing up and then make us all a hot drink.
Once I was comfortably nestled against Edward's side with my legs tucked up beside me on one of Alice and Jasper's loveseats, my thoughts turned to Katie and the future. I sighed heavily, and Edward nuzzled my temple.
"It's going to be okay," he murmured, and I leaned back to meet his gaze. His eyes were bright, and a smile curved those highly kissable lips.
I wanted to believe him, but I suspected he was naturally far more optimistic by nature than I was.
"It'll be an adventure," I offered.
"A good one," he insisted, clearly detecting my hesitancy, though his smile faded when he added, "As long as we can keep Katie safe."
"Do you guys have any ideas on how to accomplish that?" Alice asked as she helped Jasper distribute the decaf coffees and herbal teas we'd requested.
Between us, Edward and I recounted the ideas we'd come up with so far, which basically comprised of hiding out on a ranch while homeschooling Katie and asking his parents for their opinion. We had a bit more to offer when we talked about our hopes regarding Katie's innate resilience and ways we could help strengthen it and support her.
"My biggest concern is the online backlash," I said. "Kids are so dependent on social media nowadays, and it's where they take their cues. Katie's friends are a good group, and I'd be surprised if they didn't stick by her. It's the other students I'm worried about, and the people she'll come across outside of school. Not to mention what she'll read online."
Alice sighed. "I hate to be a downer, but I'm worried this will follow her wherever she goes; she'll be forever known as 'the girl whose mother, er . . . took advantage of her father, when he was just a kid.' Sorry, Edward. I'm not trying to be insensitive-"
"No, it's okay," he interjected. From his downcast expression, I feared his reserves of optimism might have taken a hit. "You can call it what it was. If you're right, she'll be known as the girl whose mother raped her underage father. I need to face reality if I have any hope of protecting her."
"We," I reminded him, and he shot me a grateful look.
Jasper, who'd been listening quietly, chose that moment to speak up. "I've been giving this a lot of thought, and I agree with Alice. Controversial or scandalous stories are rehashed by the media whenever a famous person's name is mentioned, even years after the original event. They refuse to let the past lie."
All our faces fell at his depressing statement, even though it was hardly a revelation.
"On the bright side," Jasper continued. "Public figures have been hounded for as long as the news has been recorded. I could name a dozen politicians, make that presidents, who've done embarrassing, even illegal stuff, and been found out and reported on. It's the same for movie stars, musicians, high profile athletes, TV presenters, you name it. We're talking affairs, addictions, stints in rehab, hiding their sexual orientation, even changing gender. You've got celebrities fronting cults or being caught out committing various types of fraud. Then there's the really dark stuff where you get pedophiles or abusive misogynists hiding behind their fame. When those guys get outed, they're looking at prison time, and the court cases make headlines."
"Your point?" Edward asked, his tone curious rather than insulted at the idea Jasper was lumping him in the same group. I, on the other hand, was feeling upset on Edward's behalf. Before I could say anything to defend him, Jasper continued, and his words diverted my attention.
"My point is, most of these people have kids. Kids who have to live with the whole world knowing all the crazy, embarrassing, possibly even illegal stuff their parents have done. Same goes for the partners and other family members of well-known people."
"But those children would have grown up in a world where that's all they've known," I said.
"Not necessarily." Jasper shifted his long, lanky frame forward to the edge of the loveseat he was sharing with Alice. "Sometimes, people already have kids when they become famous. Other times, the kid might have only experienced the good side of fame—the money, the opportunities, getting to meet other famous people. But then, the celebrity parent gets caught up in something, and opinion swings from positive to negative. Like the saying goes . . . fame is a double-edged sword, and the kid has to live with it either way."
"What are you getting at?" Edward asked, leaning forward.
"Just that Katie isn't the only kid to be faced with something like this. I'm not saying it will be easy for her, as the fact is some kids of famous people don't handle the situation very well."
We exchanged somber looks, the four of us in silent agreement.
"But some do okay and even flourish," Alice said, her face morphing into a smile. "And, as you've said, Katie is smart, resilient, and she's not alone."
Her words lightened the mood, and Edward and I exchanged soft smiles. Katie was amazing, and we would do everything in our power to support her.
"So, where to from here?" Edward asked, his tone musing. "The consensus seems to be that there is no keeping this quiet . . . It's going to come out, at some point. What should Bella and I do? We can try and keep it a secret, but I don't know how long that will last with the way the spotlight is aimed at us at the moment."
"I'd go public," Alice said, surprising me. At my disbelieving look, she added, "No, seriously, can you imagine the hype that will surround you guys if you try and disappear? The paparazzi will go into a feeding frenzy trying to find you, and every fan with a camera phone will be on the lookout. Once they get a load of Katie, and someone notices her similarity to Edward, the story will blow sky high."
I'd shown Alice a couple of pictures of Katie that she'd sent to our phones, and she'd been shocked by her resemblance to Edward. Like me, Alice said she probably wouldn't have thought of it off the top of her head, but once you knew about the relationship, it was unmistakable.
"Do you remember that young couple in those teen vampire movies that kept denying they were dating?" Alice continued while we all listened attentively. "The interest in them was intense, and the press hounded them wherever they went . . . for years. Which is probably just what the producers wanted. If they'd just admitted they were dating, answered a few questions, and had some photos taken together, the mystery would have been solved. They would have been like any other celebrity couple . . . cute and interesting to their hardcore fans, but no longer the most hunted people on the planet."
"I never thought of it like that," I murmured. Alice had mentioned, several times, that once my job security wasn't an issue, I should stop acting as if I'd done something wrong and tell my side of the story. I'd thought doing anything to encourage the media was a terrible idea, but now, I wasn't so sure.
"I think Alice has a good point," Jasper said, earning some much-needed Brownie points with his wife, who snuggled into his side. "If you pre-empt this, address it head-on, then you'll have some control over what is reported and by whom. You can get it all out there in one go. I'd have an exit strategy in place, so you have somewhere safe to go until the worst of the attention dies down-maybe find a ranch to stay at for the summer, like you mentioned, or go traveling for a while. You could head somewhere exotic, where English isn't a first language, and people won't care so much. If you are recognized, it won't matter, and you'll be no worse off than any other famous family."
My heart lurched at Jasper's description of us as a family, but I stayed quiet and keep listening.
"I'd go the whole hog and do a photoshoot since Katie's face is already known," he continued. "That way shots of the three of you together, hopefully, won't be so sought after. What do you think?" Jasper addressed Edward, who'd been nodding his head.
"It goes against the grain, but I think you're right . . . you're both right," he said, including a now beaming Alice. "I got the name of a Seattle PR firm from my publisher earlier today, but I wanted to wait to contact them until after I'd spoken to my parents. I reckon they could help us set something up. What do you think, Bella?" Edward turned to face me, and I hastily wiped tears from my eyes. "Hey, Sweetheart," he murmured, and reached to pull me against his side. "We don't have to go public if you're against it. It's just an idea."
"No, I think it might be a good one," I said, embarrassed by my sudden teariness. "I'm just being silly."
"What's bothering you?" he asked.
The compassion on his face was nearly my undoing. I took a steadying breath and then laughed at myself before saying, "I was just taken aback, in a good way, when Jasper called us a 'family.' It's all happened so fast. Two and a half days ago, I was wallowing in self-pity, thinking how unfair it was that my jerk of an ex-fiancé got to be happy and in love, while I was alone, broke, and soon to be unemployed. Now, I'm with you, and we have Katie to care for, which I'm actually really excited to be a part of. I have an amazing career opportunity ahead of me, and we might go traveling together . . . or stay on a ranch for the summer. Either possibility sounds like heaven to me," I finished on a half-laugh, half-sob. "I don't mean to downplay the seriousness of going public with all of this or the obstacles we'll have to overcome, but . . ."
"I get it," Edward said, wrapping his arms around me. "It's like a fairytale . . . and a bit of a horror story . . . all rolled into one."
Alice and Jasper joined in with our laughter, and when I looked up, I saw Alice's eyes were shining with unshed tears.
"I'm just happy for you," she said, flapping her hands in front of her face to ward off tears.
I smiled my thanks from where I still sat, cuddled in Edward's arms with my head resting against his chest. With a sigh, I drew away, entwined our fingers, and sat facing forward.
"You sure you're okay?" he asked. "I do understand how overwhelming this is. I'm feeling it, too."
"Me, three," Alice said. "And I'm just the best friend and surrogate auntie. By the way, when will we get to meet Katie in person?"
"Soon," I said with a chuckle before answering Edward's question. "I'm good, but I'm curious. What exactly would we say in an interview? Would you want me with you, or would it be better if it was just you, alone?"
Edward shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I imagine the PR person will help us work out the details. I'd prefer it if we could do it together, though they might want to interview us separately to start with and then together once we've told our individual stories."
"Would you come out and tell them that Tanya is Katie's mother and what she did?" Alice asked before looking at Jasper. "Could she sue for slander?"
"She'd be foolish to, as a judge could order her to submit a DNA test, and her maternity—and guilt—would then be established. She'd be opening herself up to the potential for prosecution. While she could dispute the circumstances by saying Edward was willing, his injuries tell a different story, and his age at the time makes any defense she mounts irrelevant. It's more a matter of reputation, I suppose. Hers will be damaged, if not destroyed, when this comes out, but she could try and harm Edward's to deflect attention away from her."
Edward sighed. "I'm not interested in ending up in a 'he said, she said' court battle. Most of the story has already been outlined in my autobiography. I've already said I had drugs and alcohol forced on me, and I was tied up against my will. I'll just be adding, that, while I was restrained, I was taken advantage of, and that act resulted in my daughter's conception. I'll explain how I've only just discovered her existence, as she was being raised by adoptive parents. Now, I have custody, and I'm very happy to have my daughter in my life. I'll say I don't want to talk about Katie's biological mother, and I'd appreciate it if the press and public would respect our privacy and leave us in peace. How does that sound?"
We were all silent for a moment before Alice said, "I think they'll want a few more details, but maybe you'll be able to distract them by talking about your relationship with Bella? You could tell the story of how you got to know her through reading her articles and then came to meet her in person. Bella could talk about the hard time she's had this last year dealing with the crappy side of fame. Then she could explain how she's become so much stronger because of it, and now you two are going to write books together and help a lot of other people. You both have a lot of positives to share. I just hope they let you skim over the negatives," she finished with a shrug.
It seemed unlikely we'd get off that easily, but at least we had the beginnings of a plan—one we'd need to share with Katie and get her input before we came to a final decision. I was also looking forward to planning the exit strategy, but I was tired and ready to head home. It wasn't that late, but I had another big day ahead of me the next day, and Edward still needed to call Katie to say goodnight.
We thanked Alice and Jasper for their hospitality and their help with coming up with a possible plan for how to handle the situation. I'll admit, the thought of going public and being interviewed on national TV was frightening. I just hoped it meant we'd eventually be left alone to get on with our lives without harassment and constant commentary. As to the future, I liked the idea of traveling with Edward and Katie. How we'd make it work, I wasn't sure, but it was something to consider.
"What's the smile for?" Edward asked after we'd bid Seth goodnight and let ourselves into my apartment.
"I was just thinking it's nice to have options to explore."
He returned my smile. "Yeah, it is. I like the sound of the three of us making decisions together."
He didn't add, 'as a family,' but I was pretty sure it's what we were both thinking.
"Me, too," I said, reaching up to give Edward the first of many kisses I planned on sharing with him once he'd made his call to Katie. We might have had a long, emotionally draining day, but we wouldn't be ending it alone, and I fully intended on showing Edward I was 'all in.'
~GV~
What do you think of their plans? Do you think the press would have backed off Robsten if they'd been less secretive? If you've got any different ideas for how E and B (not forgetting K of course!) could handle this, I'd love to hear them . . . as well as your thoughts on this chapter, of course.
xxx Elise