Stephenie Meyer, beachcomberlc, JulieToo and ipsitac77 are the women to whom I owe a great deal of thanks and admiration.
Chapter 19
In the present…
The large bouquet of flowers hid the card addressed to the recipient, but the card on the box of chocolates had a different name written in a bold, looping script. Against her better judgement, Bella opened the card addressed to her. A single sheet of folded paper fell to the floor and she stooped to pick it up.
Bella,
Thank you for meeting with me yesterday. It was wonderful to see you again. But I'm sorry. Yet again, I didn't listen to you, I just reacted to my own misguided thoughts and ruined everything. Please give me another chance to see you. I promise this time things will be different. But I will respect your wishes if you say no. Just think about it, please. You have my contact numbers if you need to find me.
I really enjoyed meeting Heidi. She's a very sweet girl and she sure does know a lot about me and the band. I was really shocked at her knowledge. I hope Angela doesn't mind my sending her flowers. Thank you for introducing me to her. I've arranged to have your seats upgraded for tonight's concert and for a backstage tour for Heidi so she can meet the band.
I look forward to your reply,
Edward
Bella scoffed at the card and looked at the folded sheet of paper. It was instructions for the backstage tour passes. She gave the flowers a sniff before taking them next door to Heidi. She gave the paperwork to Angela because she was the only one who would need it, Bella did not need or want a pass..
If it hadn't been for Heidi being so entranced by the band, Bella wouldn't be here, about to go to an Uncovered concert. Not at all. Heidi had begged and pleaded to go when she heard that they would be performing nearby.
Not that Bella didn't love the band and enjoyed their music. She did. But there was always a little twinge of heartache that accompanied hearing them, in name or song. You never forget your first love, especially if your first love fucked you over so badly it made you reluctant to try again.
Bella had lied to him yesterday, slightly. There hadn't been anyone else in all those years. Mind you, she had been very busy with school, Angela and Heidi. She hadn't the energy nor the inclination to open her heart to another man, or her legs for that matter. She had a special, bedside drawer with contents that made her so satisfied, she didn't really feel the need to date.
It was the way she found out about Heidi that made her feel responsible for the entire situation. It might have been the culmination of the past few months with Edward and the band that helped make her decision to leave town and transfer schools. Or it could have been the money that was the tipping factor. It's hard to tell. But whichever reason it was that led her away, it ultimately brought her back to him through Heidi.
When she woke up on the couch early that New Year's Day, starving, she didn't know where Angela was or why she wasn't back with food yet. She grabbed her phone and listened as Angela's own phone chimed happily across the room. The Thai place couldn't have been that busy, even on New Year's Eve, although they didn't answer when she tried them. She left a note on the table and jogged the three blocks to the restaurant. At 2 A.M. they were still packed with half-drunk partiers. Bella checked through the crowd but couldn't find Angela. The harried man at the counter couldn't remember seeing her either, it was just too busy to remember anyone. Bella walked slowly home, checking all around for any sign of Angela. There wasn't any, so she went home to wait. Bella paced her apartment for three hours before her phone rang in her hand, making her jump. A very tired sounding nurse told Bella that Angela had been in an accident and was being admitted to University hospital. Angela had been awake long enough to give the hospital Bella's name and number, as well as permission to discuss the situation with Bella.
Bella grabbed her emergency twenty dollar bill and called a taxi. The trip to the hospital was horrid. The cab smell like pine cleaner and vomit. The driver talked too much and managed to hit every pothole on the road. Bella tried very hard not to let her panic escalate and imagine horrific scenarios involving Angela's injuries. An eternity later she arrived at the hospital and rushed in to find her friend.
A very kindly and helpful desk clerk pointed her in the right direction. Angela was still in the emergency room which was packed with New Year's Eve injuries. Bella was able to snag the attention of a nurse who showed her to Angela's bed. Angela was sleeping with her head tilted to one side. There was an angry scrape across her forehead and cheek, a dark red mark through her upper lip. Her left leg was propped up and in a snowy white cast. Her right leg was covered by a blanket, but looked at least twice its regular size. There was a large bandage covering Angela's right hand. She was hooked up to several machines beeping quietly and rhythmically. It was all Bella could do not to cry out at the sight of her friend in such a condition.
She took off her coat, lay it over the back of the chair at Angela's side and sat to watch over her until she woke. Bella let the tears fall as she came to the realization that Angela would not be in this condition, she wouldn't be hurt and in the hospital if it weren't for her. Her breakdown, her broken heart that caused Angela to be out crossing the street by herself to get comfort food for them. If she hadn't let Edward affect her the way he did, Angela wouldn't have been hit by a car while crossing the street. She allowed the self-serving irrational feelings of guilt to overtake her until Angela began to stir. She knew Angela wouldn't blame her, but she permitted the shame to wash over her.
Nurses came and went, checking on Angela frequently. Each had a small smile for Bella but went about their work with grace and precision, taking care not to wake the patient. One of the machines started to beep a little louder and faster as Angela's eyelids fluttered. Bella tried to calm and soothe her. When Angela was fully awake another nurse came in to assess her status. Angela was going to be moved to a bed in another department for further observation. With Angela's permission, while they waited for transport, the nurse filled Bella in on Angela's injuries.
The car hit her left side, dislocating her right knee and breaking her left tibia. Her concussion was mild, the scrape to her face was superficial and wouldn't leave a scar. The gash in her hand was minor although it would most likely leave some scarring. Overall, there was nothing serious or life threatening but with the pregnancy being in the early stages, there was very little they could give Angela in the way of pain relief.
Bella's head whipped around to see tears form in Angela's eyes.
"Oh honey, you're pregnant?" Bella whispered.
Angela nodded.
"They told me I'm about 10 weeks. I didn't know." Angela broke down in sobs. The nurse slid out of the room. Any other information about Angela's injuries could wait until she had been comforted by her friend.
Angela cried on Bella's shoulder for a long time. It took her a while to pull herself together enough to voice her concerns. They talked about her fears, her options and her wants. Her main concern was financial. With school-aged twins at home, her parents were tapped out. Angela's scholarship would most likely be rescinded because of the semester she would have to take off. With two injured legs, hospital fees and then rehab, there was no way she could keep her part-time job or get a new one. Ben's family was not wealthy. His college education was being paid for by the military and he made a commitment to serve after he earned his degree. Due to the timing, the baby would be only a few months old when Ben would be leaving for extended training. Angela didn't want to get married just because she was pregnant, although Ben's medical benefits would really be an asset. There were too many problems to face and not enough solutions. Ben was driving in as soon as he could and they would work out the details together. Angela just needed a willing ear to express all her concerns. Bella stayed as long as she could without getting in the nurse's way. She was back first thing in the morning with a sheaf of previously forgotten papers, a vitamin-rich smoothie, a plan and a big smile.
Bella's reminiscing was interrupted by Heidi screaming her name through the closed door. It was time to go to the concert. It was time to see Edward and the band perform her words for the first time. She had seen them in rehearsal a few times before she moved, but never in a real venue with lights and staging and fans.
Heidi was as excited as could be. She chattered on and on about meeting Edward yesterday and what songs they might hear during the concert. She squealed when they arrived and were met by security. She jumped up and down when she was given her backstage pass kit. She was so excited she didn't even notice that Bella wasn't wearing one, just her mom and her.
The venue was small, but there was an electric feeling buzzing about the room. They were shown their seats in a box off to the side. Heidi settled into the middle seat and bounced until the band took the stage. They played all the fan favourites plus a few of the covers that helped get them noticed. Edward glanced at their box often, but always kept the melody going from behind his keyboard. Jasper strutted around the stage as Rose and Emmett played their hearts out with smiles on their faces. Heidi sang along for the entire concert, an hour and twenty minutes, screaming and cheering during the breaks. As the concert wound down, Jasper led the band in thanks to the crew, the venue and the crowd. They had barely stepped off stage before the cries of "Encore!" started. The crowd shouted for seven minutes before the band took the stage again, minus Edward. Rosalie took Edward's place at the keyboards as Jasper placed a stool in front of her and called for silence. Emmett took Rose's place behind the drum kit. It was highly unusual, while they all sang, they didn't switch instruments.
When Jasper got the quiet he wanted, he sat on the stool and addressed the audience.
"We tied Edward up in the dressing room so Rosie and I could sing a little something for him. I hope you don't mind. Now, we didn't write this but it's been striking a chord with us lately. This is Let Her Go, Jasper smiled into the microphone.
The audience cheered, screamed, and stomped their feet. Rosalie began softly playing a tinkling, lilting melody. Jasper joined in by singing a song of regret, loss and poorly-timed realisations. Rosalie had her eyes closed as she played. Jasper watched the audience, paying special attention to the box seats. The audience sang along as it was a popular song they had all heard before, just not sung like that with single piano and different pitch.
'You see her when you close your eyes
Maybe one day you'll understand why
Everything you touch surely dies'
Out of the corner of her eye, Bella could see Edward standing in the wings, his hands clenched into fists at his side. The pained look on his face reminded her of the anger he used to show her. She had reached her limit. She gave Heidi a kiss on the top of her head, whispered goodnight to Angela and made her way out of the box. While waiting at the coat check, she jumped when a hand was placed on her shoulder. Reluctantly she turned.
"Why, Bella?" Alice demanded.
Bella was taken aback. She hadn't anticipated this kind of questioning and definitely not from Alice.
AN: Song lyrics taken from Passenger's "Let Her Go", written by Michael David Rosenberg
Let Her Go lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
So, I'm sorry I gave many of you the impression that Angela was attacked, I had toyed with the idea but there is already too much icky in the world. Angela is such a good, kind character, a hit-and-run is about the worse I can bring myself to do to her (in this story). Bella's response to Edward asking if he was the father was meant to be flippant, because there is no way he could be. Heidi is Angela and Ben's daughter. I promise.
Thank you for reading.