What´s up guys? I´m so blown away by the response to this story... you guys RAWK! The reviews and all the alerts make all of this so worth doing! Stephanie may have Twilight, but I´ve got you guys, and that´s a hell of a lot better! Just saying! Well, we´re getting closer and closer to the big showdown. Hope you guys like the little twist I threw in this chapter! It´s another long one folks!
DISCLAIMER: YEAH... YEAH... YEAH STEPHANIE MEYER, THE NEW AGE WILLY WONKA, OWNS IT ALL. THAT WAS EVIDENT LAST NIGHT WHEN I WATCHED THE PREMIERE FROM MY BEDROOM, INSTEAD OF THE BLACK CARPET IN LA. DAMN YOU STEPHANIE, YOU JUST HAVE TO RUB IT IN DON´T YOU!
Un-beta´d, so read at our own risk!
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?
Chapter 25
EPOV
Now I lay me down to sleep…
I chuckled softly to myself, as the children´s prayer I recited to the twins nightly came to mind. Looking down at the sleeping angel in my arms, I thought it very fitting.
The prayer that is…
I want nothing more that to protect my sweet girl from everything, especially from me!
The look of sheer terror in her eyes when I declared that it was time for me to come clean, damn near shattered my heart!
Laughing bitterly, I tightened my grip around Bella´s sleeping form. If anyone should be worried, it should be me!
I was the one who stood to lose everything!
If Bella didn´t let me explain to her about Tanya and the twins, then I don´t know what I´d do.
Living without her is not an option!
Inhaling the sweet strawberry scent of her hair, my mind reverted back to Ms. Cope and the night that she called me on my shit!
"Who is she, Edward," she demanded sternly. "I will not allow those babies to be put through any more hell! I don´t care what you say, if I find out that your letting your crotch do the thinking instead of the head on your shoulders, I won´t hesitate to bring Esme and Carlisle into this!
Had Bella been anything less than the perfect, beautiful, loving young woman that she was, I would have been nervous. But the fact that Esme would kick my ass, if I let someone like Bella get away, confirmed what my heart already knew…
Bella was perfect for me!
She was perfect for us!
Needless to say, once I got started, I sang like a canary!
I spent well over an hour telling Ms. Cope all about my brown-eyed beauty.
Impressed with my description, and declaring you to be perfection, she demanded that I bring home to meet the family at once!
Feeling an overwhelming sense of shame, I mumbled, "She doesn´t know."
"What´s that boy?" she asked cocking her head to the side in an effort to hear better.
"She doesn´t know," I repeated a little louder. "None of it… the twins… Tanya… She doesn´t even know my real name," I let my head drop in defeat at my confession.
Hands of their own volition tugged nervously at my too long hair.
Here it comes! I thought.
She´s definitely going to let me have!
Tell me what a real fuck-up I am!
Well you know what… I deserve it!
That, and then some!
"What are you waiting for son?" She questioned in a motherly tone, reaching over to halt my movements, "it´s as plain as the nose on your face how much you love this girl, so why all the secrecy? Do you think she´d have some type of aversion to the twins?"
The air left my lungs in a whoosh.
He words were anything but judgmental.
In fact, she gave me something else to consider… our age difference.
Bella was a young woman with a very bright future ahead, I wasn´t sure she ready for an instant family.
"But how will you know, if you keep making the decision for her?"
Shocked, my hand went to cover my mouth, when I realized that I´d spoken my thoughts aloud.
"Listen to me Edward," Ms. Cope pleaded in a soft tone. "Don´t make the mistake of ruining your happiness before it has a chance to grow. Give her the option to chose, then trust that she´ll make the right decision."
That turned out to be one of many conversations the Shelly and I had about Isabella. In fact, she was the one who gave me the ultimatum. "This nonsense has gone on long enough! Either you man-up and talk to Isabella, or I´ll sick your mother and sister on her. And you know if Esme and Alice get involved it ain´t gonna be pretty!"
"Oh hell, no!" I bristled at her threat. "All I need was for my meddling sister and my overprotective mother to get involved, coming in and scaring the poor girl off before I even had a chance to explain myself. That of itself would have her running for the hills!"
"Don´t take that tone with me young man, and you will mind your language when speaking to me!"
I hung my head and mumbled, "Sorry," feeling thoroughly chastised.
Don´t get me wrong, my mother and my sister were two of the most caring and generous people on the face of the earth, but they could be a handful; especially, when it came to their uncontrollable need to play matchmaker.
Recently, my sister had me this mysterious new friend that she was keeping a secret from everybody, claiming that the girl was shy or some bullshit like that. She swore that this girl was my true soul mate!
I scoffed at the ridiculousness of her suggestion.
My soul mate… pfft… I had already met my soul mate months ago in the VIP lounge of the Seattle airport!
Oh if only knew how wrong you were baby sister!
Each time I saw her I gave the same answer, "No Alice! I´m not interested in dating right now; I´m focusing on my children!"
Well, it wasn´t a complete lie!
"But Edward," she whined petulantly, "just meet her. You´ll see I´m right about her!"
"No Alice, now stop asking me or I´ll take the twins to Emmett and Rose´s for the weekend!" It was a bitch move on my part, but I knew how much she enjoyed spending time with the kids and it was about the only thing I could use as a bargaining chip.
Let´s just say, the subject didn´t come up again!
I couldn't wait for the day the day that I could bring Bella to one of our weekly family dinners and show her off to my family.
"Soon, my love," I whispered as I pressed my lips into her hair.
I was rewarded with a soft sigh as she burrowed deeper into my chest.
Sleep wouldn´t come so I spent my remaining hours memorized every little detail of the woman in my arms. I counted the light dusting of freckles on her cheeks and shoulders. I traced the contours of every inch of her naked body with the tips of my fingers.
I smiled as she dreamed and her impossibly long lashes fanned against her cheek when her eyes fluttered. My heart skipped a beat each time the sighed my name and mumbled that she loved me in her sleep. It was in that brief moment of voyeurism that I vowed to not stop until she was Mrs. Edward Cullen!
Earlier in the day, Jenks had delivered my divorce papers declaring me a free man. I only prayed that Tanya remained MIA, so that I could continue with the process of having her parental rights terminated.
That would mark the last step of ridding our lives of Tanya once and for all!
Goodbye Tanya… hello Bella!
Cheesy, but true!
Over the past four months, before I had the number to the condo changed, Ms. Cope had intercepted a few collect calls, but never were they accepted. My office extension as well as my cell phone number had both been changed as well, so there was no way that she could reach me.
Judge Mathis wasted no time granting my petition for divorce, since she had been gone for more than three months. Felix had been keeping an eye on her and at last report she was working as a prostitute to support both her and James´ habit. Apparently, he didn´t like the fact that Tanya no longer had me as her cash cow.
What a fucking waste!
Oh well, `good riddance to bad fucking rubbish´ I say!
Bella and I had spent most of the night making love, so I didn´t expect her to see me off this morning. Untangling myself from her body, I chuckled as the snuggled up to my pillow and rolled into the spot I had just vacated.
I prayed silently that this was the last time that I had to leave her guessing. Hopefully, the next time I had to go away for business, she and the twins could come along with me.
Once I was dressed, I headed over to the desk in search of a sheet of paper and a pen so I could leave her a note. I hated the thought of leaving her alone for the weekend, but she assured me that she was going to hang out with a friend she made since coming to Chicago.
I´d yet to meet this mysterious girl, but I didn´t want to risk being recognized. The Cullen´s were a very well-known family in Chicago and I didn´t want to take the chance of my secret coming out before I could explain everything to Bella myself. I was just glad that it was a she, and not some hormonal college boy, trying to get his hooks into my girl.
Gee Cullen, jealous much!
Damn straight I am!
Leaving Bella´s note on the nightstand, I placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. My throat constricted, and lump the size of a golf ball formed; it was physically hurting me to leave her.
Sliding my hand in my pocket, I rubbed against the small velvet box that seemed to be a permanent part of my wardrobe these days. The feel of the soft material served to calm me.
I repeated the mantra, "Bella´s mine," in my head over and over as I made my way to the elevator and back to my condo.
Well, how the hell did I do? I hope I did it justice! Leave me some love! Nightie... night!
Krazi
xoxo