This was always going to be a significant chapter where I needed input from my three incredible women. There are no thanks big enough for Nic, VampyreGirl86 or Hadley. The time you have given me, the advice, has been everything. Love you girls so much! Mwah!
Reviews last chapter were wonderful and I thank you for every one of them! They encouraged me so much! Thank you to everyone who is still reading, too. Love you!
Chapter 21
"I'll make tea?" Mom offers, with hopeful eyes.
"No, Renee," Dad responds. "It's late. Go to sleep."
After giving Edward a smile of encouragement as he leaves with Dad, I turn to my mother.
"Why is Dad doing this?"
"He cares about you," she answers, running her hand over my arm. "Of course he's inquisitive about Edward. Just go to bed, and leave him to it."
We hear Dad's low voice, and both of us listen intently. I desperately want to hear what they say, but the sounds are muffled, the words indistinct, so I stand and go to the doorway.
"Bella," Mom whispers to call me back. When I put my hand up, she sighs and pulls the covers around her. Quietly inching down the hall, I'm almost at the top of the stairs when I can finally hear.
"How old were you then?" Dad asks.
"Eighteen, maybe nineteen."
Dad hums—a sound he makes when he doesn't approve. "Old enough to serve alcohol in Florida but not drink it. When did you suspect illegal activity?"
"I had to make some very dubious late night deliveries. Look, I just did what I was told. When it started to feel dangerous, I came up with an excuse and found a new job."
"Like the one on the island where Bella was working?"
"Eventually, yes, and I stayed there because I found ways to make extra money on my own."
"What exactly does 'on your own' mean?"
I hate Dad treating Edward like a suspect. He's already admitted there is no criminal record, and Edward is exhausted, in no state to confess his past like this.
"You probably know we were isolated. To leave the island, we either had to take a boat or a plane. Living in that kind of isolation, the staff still needed lots of personal things, and I provided a service where I left every couple of weeks to fill all their orders. They got to enjoy their days off, and I saved them money in transport and accommodations, so they didn't question the price."
"What kind of things did you supply?"
"Anything... as long as I could carry it."
It goes quiet for an eternity of seconds, and I peek out, seeing Dad scratch at his moustache.
"Give me an example."
"Toiletries, candy."
"Uh huh. What else?"
Suddenly, a feeling of panic fills my chest, and I want to scream out to Dad not to go there. He's going to wear Edward down sooner or later, and someone will mention drugs, when none of this is important in the big scheme of things. All Dad needs to know is that Edward loves me and will take care of me. I have to defend my man against this bullshit.
Before I know it, I'm down the stairs with my arms around Edward's shoulders.
"I got a second-hand television."
Edward chuckles and squeezes my wrist. "That was another way I made money. As soon as someone was leaving, I'd offer to buy their heavy items, and then I'd sell them to one of the new staff. Sometimes people only stayed for two months and dragging televisions and stereos onto a boat is a pain. Anyway, I never asked you to pay," he says, kissing my cheek. "Bella wasn't speaking to me at the time."
"Oh?" Dad asks, staring at me.
"She was disgusted with me."
I jump in to explain before he brings up the real reason I wasn't talking to him. "I thought I caught Edward stealing. He was going through the rooms after checkout and taking bottles of booze they left behind."
"I sold them at the staff bar for my own profit. You can make money from a fifth of Jack Daniels."
Dad is playing with his moustache again, only his eyebrows are now drawn in a tiny frown. "How about marijuana? Ever sell a little hooch?"
"Dad," I say as my pulse rate skyrockets.
"Yes," Edward answers, and I sit down beside him, feeling beaten.
"I already knew about the drug raid on the resort, Edward, and that there were no arrests. I also knew you left that day. Who was supplying you with the drugs?"
Edward sighs but keeps eye contact with Dad. "A cop… narcotics unit…"
"Oh, God." Dad closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "How much money were you sending home?"
"Not that much really… two hundred here, five hundred there, but it was enough. Dad didn't sell the house. Look, I haven't done anything illegal since then. I haven't even had a smoke."
"And you, Bella?" Dad asks. "Do you smoke?"
"No," I answer with a huff. "I've never tried it."
"At least you never corrupted my daughter," Dad says, with an eyebrow raised to threaten. "That would have been a big mistake."
With the tiniest nod, Edward agrees. "I know that. When I first met Bella, I thought I was trapped, but she never saw me that way. She kept encouraging me, taking me closer and closer to the way out. When I found it, I was determined to make her proud of me."
Dad leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and threading his fingers together, looking at them while we wait.
"You were what I call an opportunist, Edward—just one mistake away from getting caught. I understand life dealt you a lousy hand, and at that young age, you weren't making wise decisions. What matters is you learn from your past and leave it there. Frankly, it makes me sick a police officer took advantage of you, but I wouldn't ruin your future by blowing that up. For what it's worth, I admire your honesty tonight, and the fact you left that world behind. You may think Bella was the influence you needed, but you've still done this on your own."
"No," Edward corrects him, taking my hand. "She was with me all the time, even though we were on different continents. I love her. I've never been more sure of anything in my life."
I squeeze his hand right back and lean against his shoulder. For the first time, Dad smiles.
"Wouldn't be the first time a man did the right thing for the love of a good woman."
"He is a good man," I add, kissing Edward's cheek.
Dad nods, then sighs as he looks at his watch.
He's losing interest! Have we really survived by telling the truth but not the whole truth?
"Well, I'm going to bed," Dad says, groaning as he gets up. "Don't stay up too late, you two."
We look at each other as he goes upstairs, and Edward holds his chest as if he's steadying his heart.
"Come here," he says, pulling me into his lap. "I need you."
The warmth of his body is so comforting, I'm already calming down.
"It's going to be okay. The fact that he went to bed is a very good sign. He would have kept you up all night until he was satisfied."
"Jesus," Edward whispers, resting his cheek on my head.
It's going to take him a while to get over this because he doesn't know Dad like I do. Dad won't bring it up again. Mom might, but she will only ask me what happened, not Edward. As I rub Edward's back, it's a good feeling to know we've crossed over what I thought was an insurmountable hurdle. In all fairness, Dad has handled it well. I wonder how someone else's father, who doesn't know the world like mine does, would have reacted. He probably would have kicked Edward out without a second thought.
Coming out of sleep, I don't know where the dream ends and reality begins. Edward's chest is against my back, but I open my eyes to the blue walls of my teenage bedroom. Registering the weight of his arm over me, I turn around and meet his beaming smile.
"I'm on vacation," he announces, like he doesn't have a care in the world.
Running my fingers through his hair, I ask, "What are you doing in my bed?"
"I'm not in your bed, I'm on it. There's a difference."
"Where are my parents?"
"Downstairs, having breakfast. Are you going to get up now?"
"Sure. Are you hungry?"
"Well… yeah."
"And you don't want to go join them on your own?"
He starts to laugh, shaking his head. "I'm scared," he mumbles into my hair. I rub his head, enjoying this wonderful feeling. After last night's tension, we really are going to be together, one way or another. We're going to be married!
"You wouldn't be here if he didn't approve of you."
"I know," he says, hugging me and rocking us back and forth, then he lifts his head and smiles. "I love you."
The adoring look in his eyes makes me melt. "Oh, I love you too, so much."
After a disappointingly chaste kiss, he gets up and asks, "How long does it take to choose an engagement ring? Are we talking hours or days?"
Now I'm laughing, hardly able to believe what I'm hearing. "I don't know."
"Where do we go?"
"Mom will know. She's the queen of diamonds."
"Yeah, I noticed. She wears a lot of rings."
"Dad's not very creative with presents, but she doesn't mind."
"Okay, up you get." He lifts me until I'm kneeling, then he bends down to kiss me. His hands slide over my ass, and the kiss changes. The feeling of bliss is brief, ruined when a noise makes me aware we're not alone, and one of them may appear in the open doorway.
Pushing on his chest, I say, "Let me get dressed, and we'll go down together."
With a sigh and one more kiss, he leaves me with blood pounding in places that only react when he's near.
Dad gives us a nod when we appear downstairs and goes back to his newspaper. Telling Mom not to fuss, I cook us bacon and eggs. Edward takes advantage of the time to quiz Mom about her rings.
"Five years, ten years. They're all milestone anniversaries or birthdays." As Edward listens to her describing their history, I notice Dad glancing up occasionally. I wonder what Mom has said because yesterday's constant questions have been silenced. He might be a strong and obstinate man, but he bends to her wishes to keep her happy. "You should go to the Northgate Mall. There are several jewelers there, and you must go to Alana."
"Mom's best friend," I add, placing Edward's plate down in front of him. He smiles and touches my back in thanks.
"She is not," Mom says defensively. "They're reputable, that's all. What do you have in mind?"
Mom has directed the question to Edward who looks lost. "I don't know. You buy a carat, don't you?"
"Don't go to Tiffany's, then," Dad offers quietly, and Edward glances at each of us for guidance. Mum gets up and walks away, so I encourage him to keep eating, suspecting what's coming. She returns with her card that lists the differences in cut, color, clarity and carat, attempting to educate Edward. I've heard this same spiel many times when she's been showing off one of her new rings, but I've never retained it. Edward acts like he's impressed and wants to get going as soon as we can.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Mom asks, eager for a positive answer. Edward looks at me with a strange sort of smile that leaves him open to the suggestion while deferring to me. This is something personal I would prefer to do alone with Edward, but I'm her only daughter getting married, and to say no would be heartless when she's done everything for me.
Saying yes turns out to be the best decision I ever made.
Alana greets Mom with an embrace, gushing over Edward and me like we're family, relating her own grand stories of trips to London. She gives us her personal attention, offering suggestions and overloading me with choices while Edward leaves to buy himself a wedding band. Alana buys and sells estate and vintage jewelry, so everything is secondhand. Each of these rings has a story, a reason they parted company with their owner, but Mom keeps telling me to forget that and focus on the right diamond, imagining it re-set in a style that suits me.
It's hard to do when they are all too something—too elaborate or old-fashioned, so Alana brings out something different, a recent acquisition. It is a set, a plain engagement ring with a round solitaire diamond and a wedding band, half of the circle set with delicate round diamonds. It is so pretty and sparkly and huge that I don't want to ask the price when the engagement ring alone on the Tiffany's website is over $12,000.
She must see my yearning look, because she takes it out and checks the tiny tag attached. "$3,400."
We haven't discussed a budget, but it doesn't seem excessive for something I'll have for a lifetime, so I try them on, finding they actually fit me. I fall in love instantly, not caring there must be something wrong for a ring like this to be abandoned. Mom studies the certificate while I play with the rings, turning my hand over and admiring the simplicity of the plain bands underneath.
"I'm all set," Edward announces, placing his bag on the counter. "How are you doing?"
I hold out my hand, and he takes my fingers to get a close look, then smiles. "It's beautiful. Wedding ring too?"
I'm still mesmerized by the ring when Alana speaks. "The solitaire is just shy of the full carat, which is not as popular, and therefore cheaper. The man made the mistake of buying the set without consulting his future fiancée. He told me she rejected the engagement ring, refusing to try it on when the carat didn't meet her magic number. Very sad, because it's a beautiful classic."
"What do you think, Renee?" Edward asks, and Mom shrugs.
"$3,000, Alana."
"Renee, you know what a good deal this is."
"Yes, but the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary is coming up soon."
After a sigh and a chuckle, Alana agrees.
"Is it too expensive, Edward?" I ask, my eyes begging him to say no. I never thought this experience would be so thrilling, so important. It's something I'm going to write about one day soon.
He puts his arm around me and answers, "As long as you're happy, I'm happy."
"I am happy. I love this ring as I love you."
"Then let's buy it," he says, handing over his card.
I have to take the rings off to be polished and placed in their velvet box. As Alana prepares to wrap them, Edward opens the box, takes the engagement ring, and gets down on one knee.
"Marry me, Bella, and not because of the visa. Marry me because I'll go crazy without you. Marry me, and let me prove what you did for me was worth it."
With tears trickling down my cheeks, I nod and say, "Yes, I'll marry you, but you don't need to prove anything to me, Edward. My heart held you all the time we were apart, and after everything I've learned about you since then, I couldn't be more sure you were worth it."
We beam at each other, and he stands, slipping the ring on my finger. After a kiss and a huge hug, we turn around, and every person in the store is staring. Mom looks like she is going to cry.
With the ring on my finger, things seem to change. Suddenly, there are people coming for dinner on Saturday night, friends of the family I haven't seen in years. When Dad introduces Edward as my fiancé, I have to hold it together, looking at Mom for support. Her warm smile says she knows how important his blessing is to me. I have to say, it feels good when people say they are jealous of the adventure we're living. They should be. I know it's going to be incredible.
Dad invites Edward to join him for golf on Sunday, so Mum takes me to buy a new dress. The golf is a success because Dad wins, even though he says Edward shows promise. We meet them at Dad's club for drinks and a meal where my parents ask about Edward's Italian heritage and the place Alice is currently vacationing. Edward's descriptions of the last time he visited Stresa have Mom swooning for a vacation of her own.
The discussion turns to dinner on Thursday night, and I suggest the Goldfinch Tavern at the Four Seasons Hotel. We'd been there before and loved it. I think Edward is surprised by the word "tavern," but the view alone is worth the visit. He will die for the food and probably be inspired for the pub.
Edward books us a room for our honeymoon night, some last minute deal he gets for the Hotel Sorrento, which is walking distance from the Four Seasons. With that detail finalized, all we have to do is get married.
Monday morning we're at the Shoreline Community Service Center early to submit our form. Edward has checked and double-checked every detail, so they issue the license without any problems, telling us it's active on Thursday. Once we book the Municipal Court of Seattle on Thursday at 4:30 for the marriage ceremony, we smile at each other, knowing we can finally relax.
I try to forget about the visa approval by taking Edward sightseeing in the city. He's so happy and carefree, I spend more time looking at him than my hometown's attractions. The ring keeps drawing my attention, too, and I'm aware it's there every minute, reminding me he really is mine.
During the day, we stop and try different foods around the city, without wasting time on a sit-down meal. I want him to experience other things from his life in a pub bistro. Tired from the day's walking, I drive us to the Westward Restaurant, where we spend sunset feeding each other oysters and gazing across the water at the city. After we eat, we grab a couple of chairs outside and sit quietly, holding hands by the open-air fire. I feel so content, I'm surprised when Edward suggests we get out of here, wanting to know if there's somewhere we can get a view of the city lights.
I offer to drive up to Kerry Park, honestly believing he wants to see the skyline by night, but it soon becomes obvious he has other things on his mind. He picks me up and plants me on the car's hood, kissing the hell out of me, only stopping when a family of five gets into the car right next to us, and the woman gives us a filthy look.
Once we're in the car, he's squeezing my thigh and kissing my neck. "Do we have to go home tonight?"
"Do you want to go to a hotel?"
"Somewhere, anywhere. I want you naked in bed with me."
I rack my brain as he's driving me wild, trying to come up with a solution, and everything seems sleazy—finding a hotel so late, calling my parents and having to explain why we're not coming home. This will spoil all the good we've achieved in the last few days.
Fighting every natural urge I have, I peel him off me. "No, Edward, we can wait a few days."
He frowns and then pouts, taking my hand and kissing it to show me he's not angry. "It's probably the oysters. I don't have them very often."
"Well, we'll have more on Thursday night."
"Okay." He sits back in his seat, and I lean over and cup his cheek, kissing him softly, loving him more than ever.
I wake to the sound of the garage door closing and see Mom backing out the driveway. Creeping downstairs, I know she will have left a note.
"Errands to run then lunch with the girls. Call if you need anything. Love you."
Full of nervous energy, I come up the stairs as quietly as possible and find Edward asleep. After going to the toilet, brushing my teeth, and taking the fastest shower known to mankind, I'm shaking slightly as I dry myself and brush my hair. The only thing I'm wearing is the engagement ring—no deodorant or perfume, hair loose, the way he prefers me. Just thinking about what's about to happen is arousing.
Standing in his doorway, I think he might be the most delicious thing I've ever seen. I climb in with him and kiss his neck. As he stirs, I slip my hand down the front of his pajama pants. When he sighs and pushes back onto me, I purr in his ear. "Good morning."
He covers my hand with his own and squeezes his cock, already growing harder by the second. Then he flinches, fully awake, and I giggle when he asks, "Jesus, where's your mother?"
"She went out," I answer, biting his ear. I feel him relax and move his hips as I squeeze a bit harder. "You want to join me in my bed? It's bigger."
"I may fall over," he says, kissing me softly. "All the blood just rushed to one place."
"Yeah, I noticed." Getting up, I sashay out the door and hear him groan as he gets up. As soon as I'm in bed, he's naked and next to me. Running my hands from his shoulders to his cock I say, "I love the first feeling of skin on skin in bed like this."
"The best," he responds, silencing me with his mouth and tongue.
What a creature he is, so sensual in his movements, so passionate without crushing me. I can't get enough of his kisses or the feeling of his thighs flexing, even when the familiar ache between my legs grows into something that won't be ignored. He knows what I need without me ever having to direct him. He seems to lose his mind the moment his tongue touches my breasts, moaning like he wants to consume me. He sucks almost to the point where pleasure becomes pain.
I cry out when he moves lower, his breathing and sounds just as potent in bringing me to orgasm as his fingers and tongue. His enjoyment is a big part of my pleasure.
Edward is the kind of lover every woman should have, a man I like to fuck without losing eye contact. I want to see every expression, every battle he fights against his release. I slow down and kiss until he has to take over and pound me because I love it. I love everything about sex with this man.
He is still very young, but he astounds me how quickly he's ready again. I only need to nestle myself between his legs for his eyes to grow as fast as his erection. One lick and he's mine to do with as I please. I take him to the edge and then stop, smiling as he awaits my next move. I get him to sit up so I can kiss him madly while I ride him. I bend over and let him do whatever he wants.
Edward is singing in the shower while I'm lazing in bed when I hear a car out front. Peeking out the window I cannot believe who I'm seeing getting out of the car.
Rosalie. Fucking. Hale.
As I'm scrambling to throw on some clothes, she bangs on the door. I think about hiding and letting her leave, but I know she'll be back. At least this way, my parents won't have to hear how much she has changed. I sing out that I'm coming, and she stops knocking. When I open the door, the look of surprise on her face is alarming. Do I look freshly fucked? Maybe I should have checked before I went downstairs.
"Hi," I say as if I was expecting her.
She wraps her arms around me effusively, "I read the blog and saw you were back. I got in yesterday. It's so great to see you." With a couple of pats on her back, I release myself from her ambitious embrace.
"You didn't let me know you were okay, Rose."
"Oh, you knew I'd be fine."
"Did I?" I ask, without interest.
"Of course you did. Now, are you going to invite me in?"
"Yeah, invite her in, Bella."
Turning, I see Edward already dressed, rubbing his head with a towel.
"What's he doing here?"
I answer by showing her my hand. She looks at the ring for a solid minute with her mouth gaping before she says anything. "You can't be serious."
"I'm very serious. We're getting married on Thursday."
Edward smiles and drapes his arm loosely over my shoulders. "Thursday."
"Are you pregnant?"
Scowling at her, I'm not going to dignify that question with an answer. Edward leaves it alone, too, seeing she's just as despicable as ever. Pushing her way past us, it's like she's unravelling, holding her forehead, unsure where to stand.
"Your father! He'll never permit this."
"I played golf with him Sunday. We seem to be hitting it off pretty well now. No pun intended."
"So he doesn't know about your past?"
"Yeah, he does, Rose, and he knows those days are over."
"You're full of bullshit, Cullen."
"You don't keep up, do you, Rose? It's Masen. You know, even though you hurt everyone important to me, I can't find it in my heart to hate you. If it wasn't for you, I don't know what would have happened. When Bella was so aloof I didn't think I stood a chance, you invited her to the beach that day. If you thought you were making her look uncool when you omitted telling her we'd all be naked, then it didn't work because she really got my attention in that sweet blue bikini. When I saw the way she looked at me, I got a boner in public, and it had nothing to do with the naked girl lying next to me. In a way, you thrust Bella in front of me and made me pursue her. Lucky for me, the more I got to know her, the more I wanted to go straight."
Edward wears the cheekiest smile, but Rose can't look at him. Her eyes are darting from the couch to the window as if her mind is racing.
"Then there's my best bud, Emmett. He would have done anything for you once, but you shit on him too. Lucky for Emmett, Tanya moved to London just as you dumped him, and even better, she was single. You do know they've been together since you left? I don't think I've ever seen him so happy. You're really quite the matchmaker, Rose, and once again, I get to benefit because Emmett's agreed to join me in London as my manager. He wants to stay with Tanya. We're all going to live together and have so much fun! My life couldn't be better, and it's all because of you."
I want to cheer and high-five him, but I'm nervous about Rose's silence and her lack of fight. She looks broken, smoothing her hair and clothes.
Coldly, she looks at Edward. "You know Bella had someone else in Europe." I gasp, seeing the vicious way she looks at him.
"You mean the snowboarder guy? I know about him."
Feeling like I need to sit down, I steady myself on the back of a couch. "Edward?"
He turns to me calmly. "It doesn't matter, baby, really."
"He meant nothing to me. It was just a fling," I plead.
"You were under no obligation to me. I was the one who left, remember?"
"His name was Jake," Rose continues, staring at Edward. "And she was with him for weeks."
"How long have you known this, Edward?" I ask.
"I think you were in Greece when I saw him. There were photos on Rose's Facebook wall, parties in Davos where he was with you, snowboarding events."
I'm confused, unsure how he saw the posts. "Were you friends with Rose on Facebook?"
"Nope."
"They were public?"
"Guess so. I saw them."
I glare at Rose who picks up her phone and keys. "You knew how I felt about photos like that in public."
"I gotta go." She straightens up as if she's steeling herself to go outside. There's no apology, of course. She has no remorse, one of the traits of the sociopath she is.
"Come on, Rose," Edward offers, opening his arms. "Aren't you going to give us a hug before you go? We might not see you again."
As soon as he takes a step toward her, she walks through the front door, then turns and stares at me. It's the kind of stare that should accompany something profound from her lips, but she just snorts and walks down the path.
Edward wraps his arms around me, and I watch her for a minute, feeling nothing for the girl I once thought was my friend. She doesn't even glance back at us, getting in her car and driving away.
Thanks for reading xo
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