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I Should Go copyright 2013 nikkipattinson
I Should Go
Chapter 25
I awoke on my couch… alone. It was dark outside and Bella was gone. The towel with the ice in it wasn't on my face anymore and I didn't see it anywhere in the living room. I did see a note under the remote control on the coffee table. I reached out and plucked it from under the remote.
Edward,
It's getting late, so I'm going to go home. If you need anything, call me.
Bella
She had written her phone number after her name. I wondered if just wanting her with me fell under her definition of a need. Not seeing her in my recliner made my chest hurt.
I was staring at her phone number and debating on calling her 'just to talk', when my cell phone started vibrating across the coffee table. I picked it up and saw Alice's name on the caller ID.
"Hello," I said as I answered.
"Hi, handsome. How's that chin?" Alice asked.
I reached up and gingerly touched the spot where Jasper had slugged me. "Um, it's tender, but I think I'll live. There's going to be a nasty bruise for a few days. I'm so fair skinned; it doesn't take much to leave a mark."
"I'm sorry that Jasper hit you. I don't know why he acts like that sometimes."
"He cares about you, Alice," I replied. I really wanted to tell her that I suspected that he was in love with her, but it wasn't my place and I really had no proof.
"Yeah, well, he has a funny way of showing it," she muttered.
"He's just a guy. We're all idiots. We all do idiotic things. I'm not saying that he had any right or reason to hit me, but sometimes our animal instincts kick in and we do things that we wouldn't normally do."
"Like punch one of your best friends?" she asked.
"Like react to a stupid comment in a stupid way. I'm not that mad anymore." I didn't want to admit to Alice that my lessening anger had more to do with Bella showing up at my door this afternoon than my actually forgiving Jasper.
"You're a lot more forgiving than I am. I told Jasper to not speak to me for a week either. I'm so mad at him. I'm tired of him butting into my life. He needs to either put up or shut up."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I… I don't know. Nothing I guess. It doesn't matter. The important thing is that you're okay. I'm about to leave the diner. Do you want me to bring you anything for dinner?"
"Thanks, but I think I'm just going to take a shower and hit the sack. It's been one of those days. How about we try for dinner tomorrow?"
"Okay!" she replied, enthusiastically. "I'll cook us something."
"Sounds great. I'll see you about six then?" I asked.
"Sure. Sleep tight."
"You too. G'night." I ended the call. I looked at the piece of paper I held in my other hand and then back at my cell. A text wouldn't hurt, right? I could text her. I'd thank her for staying with me. That was harmless enough.
Hi. It's Edward. Thanks for staying with me. I apologize for going to sleep on you.
I hit send and waited anxiously for a reply. After several minutes, I decided that she wasn't going to reply, so I went upstairs to take a shower. I tossed the phone on the bed as I went into the bathroom.
I took a longer than usual shower. I found a few more bruises. I could only guess that they happened when I hit the floor at the diner. I had a nice one on my hip and another on my shoulder. I got angry with Jasper all over again.
I finished my shower and dried off. I was drying my hair with my towel and walking through my bedroom to put on my pajamas when I heard my phone vibrate. I stopped what I was doing and stared at the phone. With the towel still on my head, I reached for it. I had a text.
Happy to do it. BTW, you snore.
I laughed. I dropped the towel on the floor and sat down on the bed to reply.
I do not snore!
I hit send. Within seconds, Bella replied.
You most certainly do snore. It's not sexy.
Her reply threw me for a loop. I didn't really know how to reply to her. Did she think that I was sexy when I didn't snore? Wait… I don't snore!
I don't snore! Anyway, I wasn't trying to be sexy. You'll know when I'm trying to be sexy.
She didn't reply right away and I thought that I might have gone a little too far. I waited, but finally gave up and stood to put on some clothes. I was pulling on my pants when the phone vibrated. I sat back on the bed and read the text.
You have to TRY to be sexy? That's sad, Ed.
I laughed again. She was teasing me… as usual.
Let me rephrase that. I'm a sexy beast and I'd be sexy, even if I snored… but I don't snore.
This time she replied almost immediately.
Next time, I'll record you. Then I'll have proof that YOU DO SNORE!
I stared at her text. What was she inferring?
Next time? You plan on Jasper knocking me out again?
She waited a while again before she replied.
Yeah, that's what I meant. I just love it when men fight. It's a real turn on.
Before I could think of a reply, she sent another message.
I'm glad you're okay. I was worried. I didn't know if I should let you sleep, but you looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you.
I smiled. I felt my stomach do a flip.
I wish that you had stayed. I missed you when I woke up.
I hesitated before I hit send. I took a deep breath and thought 'what the hell' as I touched the button.
She didn't reply right away. I held onto the phone and waited somewhat patiently. Finally, she replied.
I needed to get home. Again, I'm glad you're okay. I'll talk to you later.
I realized that I had gone too far. She was pulling back. I didn't want her to pull back. I wanted her to ask me to come over so that she could record my snoring that night. I wanted to ask her to come back over to my house. I wanted… her.
I was in deep shit.
I wanted to say so much to her, but none of it was appropriate and I sure as hell didn't want to do it in a text. I finally just replied.
Okay. Thanks again. Later.
"Fuck my life!" I yelled as I collapsed back on my bed.
I didn't sleep well that night. I couldn't get Bella out of my head. Now that she was officially available, I was beginning to doubt my budding relationship with Alice. But I didn't want to hurt Alice. Then again, I had a sneaking suspicion that Jasper would be more than happy to console Alice on more than a brotherly level should I end it with her. But would Alice want that? How 'vested' was Alice in our relationship?
I was confused to say the least.
I walked past Bella's house on my way to the office. Her car wasn't out front. I assumed that it was her week for carpool.
The accountant's office wasn't open when I got to work. I wasn't surprised. It was a truly rare occasion for Jasper or his father to beat me to the office. I got the key from the flowerpot and let myself inside.
I was playing solitaire, something very unusual for me to do during working hours, when I heard the front door open. I closed the game and stood.
"I meant what I said, Jasper. I don't want to talk to you," I yelled as I walked out into the hallway. That's when I recognized Mr. Masen's signature shuffle.
"Why the hell ain't you talking to Jasper?" Mr. Masen asked as he limped toward me.
"Shit," I muttered as I walked toward him. "Sorry about that, sir. It's a long story."
He motioned for me to follow him into his office. "I got time. Spill it." He turned and looked at me. "Goddamn, boy. What the hell happened to your face?"
I touched my chin and said, "Jasper."
"High-as-a-Kite Whitlock did that to you? How does he look?" Mr. Masen asked as he fell into his desk chair. "What the hell happened in here?" he exclaimed.
"Which question would you like me to answer first?" I asked as I sat opposite him.
"Where are all my files?"
"In the filing cabinets. I also scanned the most recent ones and the pending ones into the computer and created a folder for them so that we can quick reference them without having to get up and pull the hard copy file. I created a secure document exchange so that you can access the information from home. I can email you the log-on information and password… if you'd like."
"Hmm, you might be more useful than I first thought. You're kind of a neatnik, aren't you?"
"I like to be organized. I can pull everything back out and pile it all on your desk, if it would make you more comfortable."
"No, no, this is good. So I can do some work from home? On my computer?" I nodded. "That will just tickle the living shit out of Elizabeth. She won't have to listen to me piss and moan until she agrees to drop me here for a few hours if I can look at everything at home and then just call you with instructions."
"Is that why you're here today? Are you here to give me instructions for the hearing tomorrow?"
He smirked. "Yes. And I couldn't be in that house anymore. That woman is driving me insane. I'm not helpless. I had a stroke, but I'm doing better. I'm still me. I wish she'd quit treating me like an invalid."
"Your wife loves you, sir."
"I know that. Love is a crazy thing and it makes you do crazy things."
"Don't I know it," I mumbled as I touched my chin.
"You're messing with Jasper's girl… that pretty brunette. That's why he hit ya."
"Uh, no. He hit me because of another brunette."
Mr. Masen looked confused. "You have completely lost me. He hit you because of a woman, but not the one he's seeing?"
"Yes. He hit me because of the one I'm seeing. He isn't seeing anyone anymore."
"You're going to have to start from the beginning," he said.
I sighed. "I'm telling you, it's a long, convoluted story that I'm not even sure that I understand."
"I'm smart. Try me."
"Okay," I said with reluctance. "You know that Jasper was dating Bella, right?"
"Yep, Chief's daughter; got it."
"Well, when Mom threw that party for me, Jasper brought his friend Alice to introduce to me."
"She that real cute, bouncy, funny one that works at the diner sometimes?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's her," I replied.
"And you date her?"
"We've been out once and I've had dinner at her place a few times. I'm taking her to the banquet this weekend."
"So that's a yes. Why did he hit you over her? Aren't they related?"
"No, she just grew up with him. Her mom and his mom are close friends or something. That's a whole other long, convoluted story. How many times are you going to interrupt me?"
"Probably more than you'd like, smartass," he said. He motioned for me to continue.
"Anyway, Bella broke it off with Jasper this weekend. He was acting strange at the diner Sunday morning, so Alice called me to come to the diner to check on him."
"Was he high?" Mr. Masen asked.
I shook my head. "He really wasn't and he wasn't that upset about the break-up."
"It always was a weird coupling. Charlie would've killed him if he'd known that he was still smoking that shit."
"How do you know he smokes marijuana?"
"The walls here are not that thick. I've smelled it. So he wasn't high and he wasn't upset. Why are you bruised?"
"Emmett," I replied.
"This just keeps getting better," Mr. Masen muttered. "What did your idiot cousin do this time?"
"He implied that Alice and I are… how do I put this?"
"Having sexual relations?" Mr. Masen asked with a smirk.
"Yeah," I replied.
"And this made Jasper angry enough to punch you?"
"Apparently.".
"Okay, let's analyze this. Your buddy, who is no longer dating the beautiful Bella, punched you because someone else, your dumbass cousin, implied that you are sleeping with his friend, the cute and funny Alice, whom you are currently dating? Do I have the events that led to your injury correct?" I nodded. "And you don't know why this implication, made by a third party, made Jasper angry enough to commit battery?"
"I have a theory."
"That theory better be that he's in love with Alice or I'm going to doubt that you're as intelligent as everyone professes you to be."
"That's what I think. It would explain why the break-up didn't really faze him. It would also explain something that Bella said to me Saturday night."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You were with Bella Saturday night?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"It really doesn't have anything to do with why Jasper hit me," I replied.
"Humor me," Mr. Masen said as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk.