A/N: Hi and thanks for coming back. I'm really grateful to you all for your wonderful support. I hope you all got replies to your reviews and comments. I love them all, but sometimes I'm not sure if I overlooked one while sending out replies.
Again, I couldn't have beaten this chapter into shape without the great help of my team: EdwardsMate4ever, evelyn-shaye, LaPumuckl and Midnight Cougar. I couldn't imagine better and nicer ladies to work with.
Okay, most of the reviewers guessed that the surprise visitors are Bella's parents. Seems like I'm becoming predictable :-/. Anyway, enjoy. See you at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight …
******TBL*******
Chapter 24 – Invasion
… I couldn't see who was standing in the hall, but the voice squealing a loud "Surprise!" was one I'd know in my sleep.
Edward's shock was unmistakable when he greeted, "Oh, hi, um, we weren't expecting you. Come in."
Shit! …
EPOV
As I came face-to-face with Renée and Charlie, loaded with blue balloons and a giant teddy bear, my mind started racing, going through all the little details in the condo that could tip them off Bella and I weren't actually in a relationship. I knew Bella had planned to eventually tell them we'd had an amicable break-up, but I was sure she hadn't intended to do it now, right after our son's birth. Why were they here anyway, without giving us the heads-up?
Renée jumped up and threw her arms around me as Charlie patted my shoulder approvingly. Of course, after I invited them in, they didn't waste a second to push past me and shower Bella with their congratulations and praises.
When I was about to close the door, I noticed two suitcases in the hall and thought it was safe to assume they belonged to Bella's parents. With a sigh of resignation, I grabbed them and set them inside next to the entrance. I really liked the Swans, and I was sure Bella was happy to see them, but I didn't think the day we came home from the hospital was the best time for house guests.
As I turned back around, I found Renée already gushing out compliments over the bassinet by the window in that high-pitched voice women use when excited over a baby, while Charlie made funny faces at his grandson, who wasn't able to see any farther than maybe ten inches. Shaking my head in amusement, my eyes met Bella's, which held the same shock I felt about the invasion of our home. Her gaze wandered to the luggage by the door and her eyes widened, but before either of us could say anything, Renée's voice made both our heads turn her way.
"Oh, I can't believe I'm a grandma at forty."
Charlie snorted, earning him the bitch brow.
"Okay, forty-five," she amended.
The amused expression on her husband's face made it obvious that wasn't her real age either, but the topic was dropped.
"When did you make the decision to come?" Bella asked to change the subject. "And how long are you staying?" The way she said it made me suspect she wasn't completely happy with her parents' surprise visit.
"Oh." Renée walked over to the couch and sat down right next to her daughter. "When Edward called to tell us about the baby, there was nothing holding us back. I booted up the computer and booked us the first available flight. We thought we might help you a bit while you get settled in." She pulled Bella into a fierce hug, then let her go and continued with an apologetic shrug. "But your dad has to be back at work on Friday. So we'll have to leave again Thursday afternoon."
I wasn't sure what exactly they had planned, but Renée hadn't mentioned booking a room at a hotel, so I assumed they wanted to stay with us. That would mean a lot of unplanned changes for Bella and me. Of course, they were under the presumption that we shared a bed, which wouldn't be an issue if we were in an actual relationship. As it was, the room they probably thought served as a guest room was in fact mine.
Renée's words stopped my worrying for a moment. "You have a very nice home." Her gaze wandered around, taking in her surroundings for the first time since their arrival.
"Yeah," Charlie chimed in. "Bella told us you bought this place?" His voice sounded a bit suspicious, probably wondering where a medical resident got the funds to buy real estate.
"I did. My grandparents left me a trust fund, and I figured buying a condo would be a good investment."
Charlie nodded contemplatively but seemed to agree, while Renée squealed.
"Oh, Bella, sweetheart, he looks like a model and has a trust fund. You really hit the jackpot."
Bella cringed at the word "jackpot," probably because she was reminded of my father's visit months ago. I knew she wasn't after my money, and I was sure Renée wasn't insinuating it either, but the way she phrased it fed right into her daughter's insecurities. In her defense, she seemed to notice Bella's unease and quickly changed the subject.
"So, where's this guest room we'll be sleeping in?" she asked with a smile that was a little too bright.
Right on cue, a wail sounded from the bassinet by the window. Grateful for the short distraction, I strode over and picked up our son, carrying him over to his mother for his meal. After watching Bella get into a comfortable position, I gestured for her parents to join me for a tour of the condo so Bella and Christopher weren't disturbed. Reluctantly, they followed me as I led them toward the nursery because that was the most innocuous place to start.
"Oh, Edward, this is so lovely," Renée cheered as she stepped into the colorfully painted room. "And our old crib. It's just perfect!"
I'd sent them a few photos after Christmas, but had to admit you could only get the full atmosphere of the room if you were actually standing inside.
"The mural is exquisite." Renée lightly ran her fingers over the paint on the wall. "You said your sister did it?"
I nodded in affirmation. "Alice. She's a fashion designer. She always had a talent for arts."
"That she has," Bella's mother agreed appreciatively. "So, will we meet her while we're here?"
I hadn't talked to my sister since the previous day when she left the hospital with the rest of the gang. Considering the way she fussed over her nephew, though, I was sure she'd turn up at our doorstep within the next twenty-four hours; even more so if she found out Bella's parents were here.
"I guess so," I answered, leading them through the connecting door into Bella's bedroom.
Before I could give any explanation, Renée shared her thoughts with us.
"Oh, how convenient this is. You only have to walk a few steps into the nursery. I remember I had to rush across the hall every time Bella cried. Luckily she was a model baby and mostly let me sleep at night." She shrugged as she inspected the room more closely.
I wasn't sure if she noticed there was no evidence of me living in here or if she had her own ideas about that. Charlie remained as quiet as he'd been since we'd left Bella to nurse Christopher.
With a knot in my stomach, I led Renée and Charlie into my bedroom, speaking a quiet prayer in gratitude because Alice had come over and changed all the sheets the day prior in preparation for our return from the hospital. At least it didn't look like I'd just slept in the bed that was supposed to only be for guests.
Regardless, there were clothes of mine thrown over the back of the chair near my desk, and the whole room emanated a male touch. Renée studied every detail with a curious look, but it was Charlie who commented on the obviousness of it being my room.
"Oh, son, will we be robbing you of your man-cave?" he asked with a chuckle.
Man-cave? Huh? "I use the room for studying mostly." I gestured toward the shelves filled with medical textbooks. Then I remembered I needed to give a reason for all my clothes being in this room instead of our alleged bedroom. "And we decided to make it my dressing room as well, so I won't wake Bella or the baby when I have to get dressed and leave early for work."
"Edward!" Renée beamed at me. "You're so considerate. I wish my husband had thought of that twenty-five years ago." She shot Charlie a death glare.
If I'd shared Bella's predisposition for blushing I would have been beet-red at her mother's comment. Luckily, I didn't, so I hurried to finish the tour by showing them the half-bath and our bathroom; glad that, at least, there was nothing too out of the ordinary there since we actually used it together.
When we returned to the living room, Bella was sitting up on the couch, a — for once — wide-awake baby lying on her thighs.
"Are you full, cutie-pie?" Renée asked Christopher, picking him up with a broad smile.
Bella watched like a hawk as her mother placed his little head in the crook of her elbow, only slightly relaxing when he appeared to lie securely in her arms.
Renée was completely oblivious to her daughter's scrutiny. "Oh my. His eyes are the same shade of green as Edward's." Her voice sounded awestricken as her gaze seemed to be glued to her grandson's face.
"Why are you so surprised?" Charlie chuckled. "After all, he's his father. You weren't surprised when Bella had my eyes."
She looked at her husband as if he wasn't getting the most obvious thing. "Your eyes are dull brown. There are a million others like those. But Edward's eyes are the most unique green. Well, not so unique anymore." As soon as she was done correcting a baffled and slightly offended Charlie, she redirected her attention to the baby.
My gaze met Bella's, locking into her eyes that were anything but dull to me. My memory flashed back to the first time I looked at her, losing myself in the beautiful deep brown. Right now, she seemed to be torn between amusement and irritation, but it seemed as though amusement won out when she shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
****TBL****
Since Bella was supposed to rest, and I still wasn't worth shit in the kitchen, I decided to order pizza for dinner. Although Renée insisted she could make us something, she was our guest and, propriety said, not supposed to wait on us. Plus, she wasn't able to stay away from the baby for much longer than it took Bella to feed him, so pizza was the best option.
After a nice meal with chit-chat about the good people of Forks, Bella looked exhausted. To be honest, I was kind of beat myself. Although she had to bear the brunt of the work with our son, I had tried to show her I was there and more than willing to do as much as I possibly could. So the past few days had been tiring for both of us.
Charlie and Renée assured us it was okay to leave them to their own devices and wished us a good first night home as a family. Since their arrival, Bella and I hadn't had a moment alone to discuss how we were going to handle the sleeping arrangements. I let her go first so she could get ready for bed, and since she hadn't objected, I assumed she was okay with playing the happy couple the way we had done in Forks.
A little reluctantly, I picked up my sleeping son, careful not to wake him, then carried him into Bella's room. As I walked in, she had her back turned to the door, wearing nothing but pajama pants that hung low on her hips and a black bra. Although her belly was, of course, still swollen, from my point of view, she looked as slim and sexy as the girl I'd met at the bar ten months ago. The added curves only enhanced her appeal.
With rapt attention, and an immediate hard-on, I watched as she reached to pick up her pajama top and slowly pulled it over her smooth, creamy skin. Oh, how I'd like to run my hands all over that delectable body. Only then, the baby in my arms began to rouse himself, startling me out of my daze.
At the noises of the fussing baby, Bella whirled around and blushed her usual crimson. "I didn't hear you come in. Have you been standing there long?" Her teeth caught her bottom lip and started gnawing.
"Um …" I had to clear my throat and shake the fog out of my head. "No, we just came in." There was no need to make her feel unnecessarily awkward.
"Well, um, okay then." She made a step toward me, then stopped and started to approach again. "Um, you want me to take Christopher so you can change for bed?"
I scrunched up my forehead in bewilderment before I registered what she was saying. "Of course. Thank you."
I handed the baby to Bella, and she walked over to the bed, lying down on her side with her back turned to me, before I heard the tell-tale noises of my son drinking from her. Realizing I wasn't being watched, I quickly stripped out of my jeans, boxers and shirt and put on my flannel pajama pants and gray t-shirt.
Just when I was done putting my clothes in a neat pile, Christopher must have fallen asleep again. To save Bella from having to get up, I walked over, picked up the peacefully slumbering baby and carried him to the bassinet a few feet away from Bella's side of the bed. I couldn't suppress an amused smile at the thought of her side of the bed. It was her bed where she used to sleep alone, so technically it was all hers, but just like when we'd stayed in Forks, Bella had taken the right side, leaving the left half for me. A nagging little part of my mind wondered if it was where Riley used to sleep, but I tried to push it aside before I could dwell on it.
As I turned back around, I found Bella's eyes on me, staring at me speculatively. "You, um, coming to bed?" she asked shyly.
"Yeah, of course."
With a little frown I circled the bed and slid under the covers on the left side. Lying down on my back, my gaze straight up to the ceiling, I was in heaven and hell at the same time. Every night for the past six months, I'd longed to share a bed with the woman I loved. Now that I was here, it was purgatory; she was so close and yet so far away. I only had to reach out a short distance and would be able to pull her into my arms. But I couldn't, because she wasn't in the same mindset I was in. While I knew she was The One for me, she was still protecting herself from possible pain by refusing to admit there was anything more than friendship between us.
I lay there, contemplating the mess we were in, trying to come up with a way to convince Bella to give us a try as the breaths beside me started to even out and slow down. Although I was tired as hell, I couldn't seem to find peace to fall asleep. While my mind was going through various scenarios of me confessing my love for Bella, only to make her run from me, all of a sudden, I felt a weight on my shoulder and an arm draping itself across my middle as Bella snuggled up to me.
During daytime, she could deny all she wanted, but every time she fell asleep close to me, she unconsciously sought physical contact. Even though I still hadn't come up with a solution for our differences of opinion, the way her subconscious assured me of her feelings put a little smile on my lips. As I wrapped my arms around Bella to pull her impossibly closer, I was finally able to drift off myself.
****TBL****
We awoke around eight in the morning to the smell of pancakes. Since Bella was still securely tugged close to me, it could only have been Renée who'd taken it upon herself to cook breakfast. I didn't learn much from my mother, but it felt wrong to have our guest do maid services for us.
I was more than reluctant to leave Bella's warm embrace, considering I only had the chance to have her that close to me without the fear of her pulling away while she was sound asleep. As I was still warring with myself about getting up, I heard Bella sigh, then felt her startle awake. I knew she was embarrassed and felt the need to move away from me, but I wasn't having any of that.
"Morning, Becky. How did you sleep?" I asked, holding her securely to me.
I didn't need to look at her to know that she was blushing pink.
"I slept well. You?" she answered in a small voice.
"Fantastic."
Apparently, little Christopher was on his mother's side, because he began to wail just then, forcing the two of us apart. Stifling a frustrated sigh, I let go of Bella, rolled out of bed and picked up our son.
"Morning, sunshine. You want breakfast? Okay, buddy, here you go."
With a smile, I placed him on the bed next to Bella, and after sharing a quick look with her, I left the two of them so my little man could feed uninterrupted.
As I walked into the living room, I spotted Charlie on the couch with the morning paper, nodding at me, while Renée was in the kitchen waving me over with a smirk.
"Good morning, Edward. How was your night? I didn't hear my grandson once."
I plopped down on a stool at the breakfast bar and silently thanked Bella's mother for the steaming coffee mug she placed in front of me.
"He woke twice. Once he was hungry and once he just needed his binky. But both times, I was there before he actually started crying."
Each time I'd had to get up I mourned the loss of Bella's warm body in my arms, but she always came right back as soon as she'd fallen asleep again. Why couldn't she be like that while she was awake?
"Oh." Renée swooned while flipping the batch of cakes in the pan. "My daughter is so lucky to have you."
Mulling over her sweet words, I remembered my discomfort at her cooking for us.
"Um, you didn't have to do this," I told her self-consciously.
"Do what?" Her question came out in a confused tone.
My hand went up to scratch my neck as I tried to find the right words to not offend her. "You're our guest. You don't have to cook for us."
She whirled around with an indulgent smile on her face. "Oh, silly. I'm not a guest. I'm here to help and take care of my daughter while she recovers from giving birth to my grandson. I'm planning on cooking, cleaning and even doing laundry. It's not like I wouldn't be doing all that anyway if we were at home. Only here, I have the added bonus of spending time with the three of you."
I had to try and swallow the lump that had formed in my throat as I, once more, realized how different the woman in front of me was from my own mother. Where Esme had always been cold and distant, Renée had a hands-on approach to everything. She thought her daughter needed help, and she jumped on a plane, flew halfway across the continent and played maid. Was that how a mother was supposed to act? I honestly didn't know.
Sensing my inner turmoil, Bella's mom strode around the kitchen island, and without a word, pulled me into a motherly embrace. We remained like that for a short moment, before Bella emerged from the bedroom, holding the baby against her chest.
Upon spotting her daughter, or rather, her grandson, Renée quickly let go of me and rushed over to snatch the kid out of his mother's arms while throwing a quick "Good morning," at a stunned Bella. After shaking her head with an amused grin on her beautiful lips, Bella strolled over and took a seat next to me, leaning over to take a whiff of my still-steaming coffee. The moan that resonated from deep within her throat made my dick stand at attention in a fraction of a second.
"Oh, what I wouldn't give for a cup of that." She pouted to herself as I stared at her, spellbound. Her sigh brought me out of my daze. "Seems like Mom's busy with our son now. Well, I'm famished."
With that, I jumped up from the stool, hurrying to set the table for breakfast. If I couldn't cook for her, I would at least do everything else in my power to make sure she was well taken care of.
****TBL****
It was early afternoon and Bella had just returned from taking a nap in her room when there was an impatient knock. Having a good idea who could be beating down the door like that, I opened to see my excited-looking sister who — surprisingly — was accompanied by an annoyed-looking Rosalie.
"Hey, ladies. To what do we owe the honor of your visit, without any kind of warning, I may add."
I wasn't even done speaking when Alice pushed past me, followed by Rose, who shrugged apologetically.
"Alice is here to see her nephew, and I wanted to see how Bella's doing."
Although her words said something else, she was craning her neck to see something behind me; supposedly our baby. You had to be blind to have missed the way she'd longingly stared at him when they visited us at the hospital. I'd never pegged her as the mommy type, but apparently there was more to her than met the eye. I wonder if Em knows ...
Alice had already hugged Bella hello and acquainted herself with Bella's parents when Rose and I joined the group.
"Oh Rose, it's been so long," Renée greeted her daughter's friend with a warm embrace, then stepped away to take her whole form in. "Damn, girl, you look great. Is it a man who makes you glow like that?"
Never before had I seen Rose blush, but the fact made me curious to hear her answer.
"Um … no. I'm not seeing anyone."
Then she and Em damn sure either switch off the lights or he blindfolds her. I knew for a fact they were at least having sex on a more or less regular basis. The look on Bella's face told me I wasn't the only one who knew or at least suspected as much.
Making use of the distraction of Renée greeting Rosalie, Alice quickly snagged her nephew out of Bella's arm and went over to the window to coo at him.
In the meantime, Charlie had finally pulled his gaze away from the game on the flat screen and strode over almost shyly to greet Rose as well. After all hellos were said, I went into the kitchen to get the tea I'd started to prepare before our guests arrived. I carried the pot and an assortment of cups, as well as the cookies Renée had baked earlier today, over to the coffee table where Bella, her mother, and her friend were chatting away.
Just as I set the tray down, there was another knock on the door. The women were so engrossed in their conversation, Charlie's attention being solely on the TV, that it seemed as though I was the only one who noticed there was another visitor.
Shaking my head, I went to see who was about to join our little impromptu party when I found Emmett in the hall.
"Hey, man, how's it going?" he greeted, his hands shoved into his pockets and his head slightly bent.
"Hi, Em, come in." This is about to be fun. I couldn't wait to see the Swans' reaction to him and Rose going at each other's throats.
As soon as he entered the condo, his built-in radar seemed to alert him to the presence of his nemesis/fuck-buddy. This resulted in his eyes zeroing in on the gorgeous blond on the couch sitting between Bella and her mother. All three of them turned their heads to look at my friend with varying expressions. While Bella looked amused, Rose alternated between glares and frowns and Renée eyed him with a mixture of admiration and open friendliness.
"Renée, may I introduce you to my friend, Emmett McCarty. He went to college and med school with me, and we even worked together until I transferred to pediatrics. Em, this is Bella's mom, Renée Swan, and her dad," I motioned over to a Charlie who briefly waved a hand, returning his attention to ESPN, "Chief Charles Swan."
Renée rose from the couch and extended her hand to a bashful-looking Em. "Hello, Emmett, it's nice to meet you."
In the periphery, Rosalie narrowed her eyes as he took Renée's hand in both of his and moved it up to place a fleeting kiss on the back of it.
"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Swan. Now I can see where Bambi gets her great looks."
The full-on attack of Emmett's charm had Renée blushing even brighter than her daughter usually did, while Rose rolled her eyes theatrically.
"You don't have to charm her pants off. She may be one woman in the metropolitan area you haven't bedded yet, but she's married, for God's sake." Rose's chastising words came with pointed meaning.
Bella closed her eyes with an exasperated expression on her face, knowing the games were about to begin, but for once, Emmett didn't seem to counter the attack. He slowly let go of Renée's hand and just flashed a good-natured smile. "Don't listen to her. She's just jealous," was all he said before he looked around as if to search for something. "Where's Triple C? I came to start the CUE program."
It took me a couple seconds to remember what "CUE" was supposed to mean when Charlie's voice, which I hadn't heard in hours, cut into my train of thought.
"Triple C?"
Emmett chuckled. "Your grandson, Christopher Charles Cullen. Damn, that's a mouthful. So I shortened it to Triple C. Sounds much cooler anyway."
Charlie furrowed his brow, and from the corner of my eye I noticed Bella worrying her bottom lip. For a moment, the room was silent apart from Alice's chattering at our son before Bella began to speak intently to her father.
"Dad, um, I hope you don't mind that Christopher's last name is Cullen?"
I was surprised myself when she so freely offered that to me a few months ago, but I hadn't thought about how her parents would take our decision.
Before Charlie could open his mouth to answer, Renée waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not, honey. It totally makes sense. So you don't need to change the name once you two get married."
I felt my heart skip a beat at Renée's words, while Bella seemed to swallow dryly. I'd admit that, in the farthest corner of my mind, I'd been thinking just that, but I knew even if Bella entertained the same thought, she wouldn't have admitted it to herself.
The whole room was dead quiet, this time even Alice seemed to have frozen in shock. After several minutes, Bella grumbled an "um, yeah," before Emmett saved us from further embarrassment.
"So, where is my little buddy?" He scanned the room until his eyes landed on my sister in the far corner. "Oh, little guy. Has Auntie Tink chewed your ear off already? I see you're in desperate need of a little man time."
Tenderly, for a man of his build, he took the baby from Alice's arms and started to speak to him animatedly. Rose's eyes were glued to him and Christopher the whole time.
Quickly, after we'd all had tea, Emmett excused himself to get to his shift, and just as he was about to leave, Rose suddenly remembered she had to be somewhere, as well. Bella and I shared a look, knowing, without a doubt, what was about to happen as soon as they were out of sight.
Not long after, Alice had to go home to make it to dinner with Jasper, but not without exchanging numbers with Renée, whatever for.
****TBL****
Thursday came faster than I'd thought. On the one hand, I was glad to have our home back to ourselves. On the other, I knew once they'd left, I'd have to go back to my own bed; something I wasn't actually looking forward to.
Although I'd been shocked by their sudden appearance, it had been nice having them here. Renée was a big help. She did all the chores Bella would normally do, and with that, gave her daughter time to recover, and the two of us time to bond with our son. And I thanked God for sending her here when Bella started to get overwhelmed by her changing hormones two days after we got home from the hospital. I wanted to hold her when she started to cry over the silliest things and I did, but it was difficult for me to see her so sad without a legitimate reason. Renée, having lived through all that herself, knew how to handle Bella, and the crying stopped after a day.
Charlie's silent presence, either reading a paper or watching sports, was calming in a way, and I couldn't stop wishing my father was more like him. We didn't talk much but his unconditional acceptance and silent support of everything concerning Bella had me longing to have that myself.
After Renée had left us food in the freezer that would probably get us through the next two months, we said a teary-eyed goodbye — well, Bella and her mother cried while Charlie and I shared a wordless one-armed man hug. Then we watched them climb into a waiting taxi. I'd tried to convince them to let me drive them to the airport myself, but they insisted on taking a taxi and not disrupting my time with my family.
It was strange to be just the three of us for the first time really; no ESPN on, no chattering from Renée, only Bella, Christopher and me. The bed had already been stripped and remade, and we spent the rest of the day lounging around the living room; reading, watching the myriad of fascinating expressions on our son's sleeping face and eating some of the dinner Renée had put in the fridge for us.
Eventually, it was time to go to bed. Not only was it the first night I wouldn't be sleeping in the same room as Bella, but it was also the first night ever I spent with my son being separated from me by several walls. There was no use fighting it, though.
Each of the three nights in Bella's bed had been more difficult than the previous one. The temptation to kiss her lips goodnight, spoon her in my sleep or rub my morning wood against her warmth grew exponentially every day. As much as I'd enjoyed the closeness, I was afraid to accidentally give into my desire and push her when she wasn't ready.
Around ten, Bella started to yawn, and reluctantly — or at least that was what I hoped her stalling meant — she picked up the sleeping baby and awkwardly stood to bid me a good night. With a heavy heart, I watched her walk into her room and close the door behind the two of them.
That was the moment I knew it could only be a matter of time until I'd make my way back in there to be with my son and his mom.
********TBL*********
A/N: So, you were right. The doting grandparents were at the door. How did you like the visit? Was it a good thing Bella and Edward had to share a bed again? Any ideas what's going on with Edward's parents?
I think those were enough questions for one chapter. On to the next? Teaser? Here you go:
… Her general appearance wasn't much different from the last time she'd surprised me with her visit at the old apartment. …
Who's the visitor this time? And what do they want? Tell me here or on Facebook in my group Payton79's Fanfiction.
As for this week's recs …
WIP:
The Man Next Door – RobzBeanie
When Edward Cullen is released from prison, 18-year-old Bella becomes fascinated by her new next door neighbor. But is this strong young woman strong enough to handle his past? ** MAY TO DECEMBER ROMANCE CONTEST ENTRY **
Edward is damaged from his years in prison, but Bella's a strong young woman fighting for him and herself to have a future. Totally worth reading!
Complete rec:
Stolen Secrets and Shattered Dreams – FoxxyJ
A NYC barman views his mind reading as an isolating cancer, until he meets a lonely 28yr old trying to escape her sad reality. His life is full of harsh lessons. Hers an uphill battle, so she never complains when a beautiful boy pushes her away time and time again. EXB AH
This story is really refreshing. It has a very interesting approach to the idea of mind reading and I think the most unique lemon I've ever read. It has some angst, tragic events but I promise a wonderful HEA.
Enjoy the recs. See you in two weeks.