Chapter 28 – Little Fibs Big Consequences

28.

BPOV

"So, now we agree that brothers are stupid, how come you're sitting in a tree in my backyard in the middle of the night?" I laughed.

"Is there much point answering that?" Alice giggled. "He dropped me in it and I don't need to be psychic to know it."

"Yeah, he did. Stupid brothers." I said again. "I don't suppose you want to tell me what it is you're actually out here standing guard over me for?" I squinted at her hoping she'd tell me something without me having to ask Edward about it.

"Ahh, you see dear sister," She said condescendingly while patting me on the thigh, "You are about thirty feet away from that tiny little part human body asleep there in that god awful excuse for an abode, and it's just far enough that I can see your future as clearly as if it was showing on a movie screen. Questions like that one need to be asked of your mate, you won't trick me into that." She scoffed and I seethed.

"Fine." I spat impatiently. "And it's not that bad in there." I tried to sound offended.

"You are the worst actress Bella. You hate it there, Nessa hates it there, Edward thinks you might be the first ever vampire to catch some evil socially unacceptable disease simply be breathing the air in there and Carlisle is beside himself that Nessa might actually grow accustomed to living like your neighbours do." She screwed up her dainty little nose and sniffed in the direction of the apartment building.

The snort of laughter that broke its way out of my mouth was not something I could, or wanted, to contain. "Oh my god Alice, you're a snob!" I used my index finger to point at her.

"So what?" She laughed along. "Maybe I am. Yeah, I probably am, but you can't like living here, can you?"

"No, I don't." I admitted sadly. "But I can't go home to the cottage either Alice."

"I know sis, I know." She patted my thigh again but this time she did it lovingly, soothingly. "Hang in there, you're doing great."

My eyes flew open in surprise. "What do you mean?"

She laughed again, "Well, it's obvious you're only staying here to make him suffer. Hey, don't worry about it, I'm with you on this, so's Rose. Is he grovelling like he's your bitch yet?" She giggled.

I couldn't believe it. They thought this was funny? They thought I was doing this to prove a point and to make Edward grovel? This was my life, my future and Nessa's. I saw red.

"You think this is a game? You think I'm doing this to torture him?" I hissed this out over my clenched teeth. My legs certainly weren't swinging back and forth now.

"Calm down Bella." She rolled her eyes. She fucking rolled her eyes like this was about some high school crush who liked another girl better than me.

"You have no idea what's going on for me and you're part of the fucking problem!" I bellowed, making her wince. I slipped off the branch and hit the ground with a slight thud. "Fuck you Alice Cullen. Go home, go home and tell them all to stay the fuck away from me and from Nessa." I spun on my heel and made to run back to the apartment. I took two steps and rounded on her as she too slid off the branch, "And another thing, just for your information. I'm not doing 'this' for fun. I had no choice but to leave him. And you. All of you. You all know what's going on and not one of you told me anything. You voted to keep it from me for Christ's sake. My whole life was a lie. He lied to me, repeatedly, for months. He withdrew everything of himself from me. He stopped touching me, stopped making love to me. He made a lie out of our wedding vows Alice! How could he do that? To me? He's the only one I'm ever going to love and I'm going to have to spend eternity without him. He told me he loved me, he told me we'd be equals. He, he made me what I am and then he threw it all away. He betrayed my trust, he broke my heart Alice." I fell to my knees and let it all come spilling out of me. Every last ounce of pain and anger, it all came out of my body in a rush. I heaved and heaved onto the ground. Giant dry, hacking sobs rent the air as Alice came to sit beside me.

She cradled me in her arms and held me tight while the ache let itself known to me and to her. "Shh darling, shhh." She cooed into my ear as she stroked my hair. "I know sweety, I know." She sang over and over as I cried for Edward. "Well I guess that answers that question then." She whispered, kissing my hair as she held me.

"What?" I mumbled, trying to steady myself so I could go back inside.

"Oh Bella, you should know by now that I'm the evilest of all the Cullen's. You've just admitted to me that you love him, only him and that you'll never love anyone else. That's all I needed to know sweety." She kissed me again and I slumped against her shoulder, needing every ounce of her strength and the hug she offered.

"I do Alice, I do love him. But I can't go back. Nothing's changed." I sobbed, though a little more quietly now. She'd played me much the same way Edward used to play me. I felt pretty stupid for walking into it headlong but I just couldn't raise the energy to care all that much. She had what she wanted; I wanted her help to get what I wanted.

"I know that too." She agreed. "But so does he, Bella. Please give him, and us, a chance to put it right. I'm so sorry we kept things from you Bella, we all are. Everyone will tell you that in their own time I'm sure, but you need to know just how sorry I am. It was wrong and it wasn't fair. Just give us another chance, please." She sighed.

"I don't know." I mumbled. I pulled out of her arms and stood to brush the leaves and dirt off my jeans. I hugged her to me for another moment and when I pulled away I gave her a kiss on her cheek. "I have to go Alice."

"I know. Talk to him Bella, really talk and make him really listen. It's the only way." She gave me a brief nod and then she swung back up onto her branch. "I love you Bella. And not just because you're my sister now. I've always loved you because you're a beautiful person."

I smiled. "I love you too Ali, and not just because you're my sister either. I guess I have to go make a call?" I cringed because she was planning to stay and she'd hear every word.

She tossed me a grin, "I won't listen, honest. Besides, Mike Newton's got a headset on chatting to some girl in Spain. Well, he thinks it's a girl." She nodded towards Mike's house a few doors down and sure enough I could hear the feint sound of him talking. 'Oh baby, that's so hot. Yeah...I'm a doctor you know...yeah, really...what are you wearing?'

I shuddered and shook my head. "Gross but enjoy Alice. See you in the morning." I waved once more when I got to the edge of the fence but she was already engrossed in what was going on at Mikes, I don't think she noticed.

I ran back to the apartment and unlocked the back door. I checked on Nessa who was still sound asleep and then I went into my bedroom and got under the covers. I buried my nose in Edward's shirt, that I was still wearing, and as I drank in his scent I dialled his cell.

EPOV

Let it ring twice, at least, I told myself then answered before the end of the first ring. Shit.

"Hello love." I answered.

"Edward." She said breathlessly.

"Are you alright?" I asked carefully. It was such a loaded question.

"I will be. Tell Carlisle to call off the containment forces. Alice is fine and happily listening to Newton Skype sex." I swear I heard her shudder.

"I don't want to know about that last part but I'm glad Alice is okay." I chuckled. Newton was going to have to be dealt with, he was so disgusting.

"She's fine. We just talked. Well, she talked, I yelled for a bit, but we're okay now." She giggled. It was the most beautiful sound.

I walked with the phone back to our bed and lay down on top of the covers. "You yelled huh?"

Bella sighed, long and heavily. "Yeah, I yelled. She tricked me into it. She's evil." She was trying to be flippant but I could hear the pain in her voice.

"Do you want to tell me about it, love?" I asked.

I waited while she thought on it. "Is there much point? You'll pick it out of her head when she gets home anyway." She sounded unhappy about that.

"I don't have to pick it from her head if you and I discuss it." I was about to put my head under the guillotine blade and only time would tell if she let it drop. "I'd like us to share Bella. I know I haven't been, and I'm paying a steep price for that, but I want us to be able to share."

I put the handset between my shoulder and my ear and laid on it. I pulled her pillow up to my face and inhaled deeply, smothering myself in the feint scent still clinging to the cotton. She still hadn't responded but I knew she was thinking hard about how to reply.

"I didn't stop sharing with you Edward, it was you who pulled the plug on that." She was angry and hurt and she was one hundred percent right.

"I did. I'm so sorry I did, but you're right, I did." I agreed. "I'm trying to make up for it, give me the chance to try, please." I begged.

She huffed, "Alice tricked me into admitting some things by making it sound like her and Rose were enjoying me torturing you for fun." It came out in a rush and I had to replay it in order to understand what she'd actually said.

"Fucking hell." I mumbled. "Oh, um, sorry." I stumbled over the words while I tried to assemble some actual coherent sentences in my head. "Ahh, I can see why that would make you yell." I hedged. "So, you're not torturing me for fun then, that's a relief." I tried a hesitant chuckle.

She echoed it, thank god. "Are you tortured Edward?" She scoffed.

"Of course I fucking am, aren't you?" I tried to keep the question light-hearted, in the same vein as the conversation we were having, but the answer was much more important to me than mine was for her.

"I'm miserable." She whispered, making my heart clench and a hiss escape my lips. "Edward?" She asked obviously having heard it.

"Yeah." Was all I could say.

"Do you really want to share with me?" She asked quietly, the serious tone back in her voice.

"I do. I honestly do, I swear I won't keep things from you again. I've learnt that lesson Bella, I really have. Please, let me." I was rambling but I didn't care.

"I have some questions and I'd like it if you answered them honestly for me?" She asked.

"I swear, no more secrets, no more lies. Ask anything you want, I'll answer it, I promise." I said firmly, meaning every word despite knowing what she wanted to know.

"Ok Edward. I believe you. But, just because I've admitted to you that I'm miserable doesn't mean I'm coming back. Okay?" The words cut through me like a knife but I knew they were coming.

"Okay. Ask me anything." I tried to remain calm despite the ache that was slowly making itself known in my brain.

"Who's coming?" It was a simple question.

"The Romanians and probably their guard. Stefan and Vladimir and their henchmen more than likely." I answered evenly.

"Is it because she's half human half vampire or because he's a wolf?" She asked astutely.

I blew my held breath out over my lips and ran a hand through my hair. "Jesus Bella. I kept this all from you because I thought I was protecting you, but you knew, didn't you?" The realization stabbed me right in the gut.

"I'm not stupid, despite you treating me like I am. I saw things, I hear really well Edward. I am a vampire, after all. So which is it, her or him?" She asked.

"Him." I told her. "The Romanians have issues with werewolves, always have had. They want to wipe the pack out and because Nessa is bonded to Seth, her too." I told her. Actually saying it was freeing. I'd dreaded having to do it for so long, I'd built it up until it was this massive black cloud hanging over my head. When in reality it was just one more thing that Bella and I should've worked through together.

"They aren't werewolves though. Why doesn't someone just tell the Romanians that?" She asked.

"Well fuck me!" I bellowed. "Bella you're a fucking genius. Why didn't I think of that? Fuck it. Bella I have to go real quick. I'll call you back, oh, um, I'll see you in a few hours anyway. Um. I love you my beauty. I have to find Carlisle. Love you." I hurriedly flipped the phone shut and threw it on the desk as I ran out the door and down two flights of stairs and began pounding on Carlisle's door.

He was already dressing, thinking about what I must have just learned. He opened the door, still pulling on his pants. "What is it? Is it Bella? Nessa? I knew they'd get hurt living there." He hissed.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. They aren't werewolves Carlisle. They're just wolves, shapeshifters, not werewolves. The Romanians are waging war on an assumption." I shouted into his shocked face.

He scrubbed his face with his hand and when he withdrew it his eyes were sparkling and he had a brilliant smile on his face. "Well I'll be damned. She's fucking amazing. Sorry Esme." He called over his shoulder.

BPOV

Edward might have rung off in a hurry but it was what he'd said as he'd hurried that got me through the morning.

"I love you my beauty." I copied his words and hugged his shirt tighter. With his scent swirling around me I could almost imagine his face as he said it. Almost.

I opened my cell phone and dialled Alice.

"Have you seen it yet?" I asked.

"I'm already running." She answered. "I don't know why we didn't think of it before. Thanks Bella, you might have just solved our problem."

"Yeah well, I hate to say I told you so, but, had someone told me the problem earlier I might have been able to share this little insight earlier too." I grumbled.

"Touché sister of mine, touché. Listen, Seth's on his way to keep an eye on you guys, call if you need us yeah?" I could hear the wind as it caught in the microphone on her cell, she was really flying through the forest.

"We'll be fine Alice." I held my phone away from my face and saw that it was already 3am. "I'll see you in a couple of hours anyway. Go have your meeting."

"Love you Bell's." And with that she snapped the phone shut.

I got up out of the bed and went into the little bathroom to wash my face. It had been a long day and a very, very long night. But I didn't feel quite as lost as I had when I got out of the bed this morning. Surely that was progress?

"Lay some lip on me sweet thing." Emmett swung Nessa up into his arms and she kissed him soundly, with a loud 'thwacking' noise on his cheek. "You give good lip little one." He chuckled.

"Daddy likes to kiss mommy on his name." Nessa said matter of factly.

A whole room full of Cullen goldfish – and one Clearwater goldfish - turned to look at first Nessa, then me, then Edward. "What do you mean?" Edward asked our daughter.

She jumped down out of Emmett's arms and walked to where I was leaning up against the counter. She held her arms out so that I'd pick her up and when she was settled on my hip she pulled the collar of my shirt aside, exposing my tattoo. "You like to kiss your name daddy."

Then she wriggled out of my arms and went back to sitting in Emmett's lap.

Alice began twittering and soon Rose had joined in.

Seth was doing his best to look anywhere other than at Edward and I.

The two boys fist bumped each other and whispered 'nice' and 'he's such a playa'.

Edward was staring at me as if I was the last Godiva chocolate in the box. He closed the distance between us in two strides and took hold of my hand. "A private word, if I may?" And then he led me out the backdoor. We walked the length of the fence and out into the trees. "Run Bella." He whispered.

I put my hand in his and let him lead me away from my house. Two miles to the west he came to an abrupt halt, ground his heels into the dirt and turned to face me. He was panting, his shoulders were heaving and his nostrils were flared as he took in the swirling scents around us. I could smell the venom on his tongue.

"She's only a child Edward, she doesn't know that what she said was rude or inappropriate." I hoped his anger would abate now we were far enough away from both Nessa and his siblings.

He spun on his heel and stalked back towards me. "I'm not angry." He growled. He looked down at his hands as though he was contemplating something and then he put them on my arms. I sighed as his skin came in contact with mine. "You feel that too, don't you Bella?" He whispered, stepping closer. He ran his hands up and over my shoulders, up my throat and let them settle on my cheeks. I could smell his sweet breath now. I closed my eyes and let his scent flood my senses. His venom was floating on the air between us, I sucked in a breath and tasted its feint hint in my mouth. I couldn't help but sigh. "She's right. I want to kiss my name."

My eyes flew open and I stared into his black eyes. "You aren't angry with her?" I mumbled, confused.

"I couldn't care less what she said." He whispered, his mouth hovering so close to mine that if I darted my tongue out I'd be able to swipe the shimmer of venom off his bottom lip. My entire body shivered, from head to toe, as I thought it. "May I kiss you Bella?" He whispered against my lips.

"Please Edward." I sighed, not hesitating.

And then his lips were on mine. They were so soft, so warm, and so hungry. The first swipe of his tongue across my bottom lip made my knees buckle. He let his hands fall from my cheeks and ran them down my arms again. He slid them around my waist and held me at the small of my back. He kept me steady while his tongue licked once again across my lip. I couldn't help my moan of pleasure as I parted my lips and allowed his tongue into my mouth.

His venom was intoxicating. And there was a lot of it. Desperation and desire did that to us.

I ran my hands up his sides and laced my fingers behind his neck, hoping to turn this soft, gentle kiss into something more intense. But he wouldn't have it. He shuffled his feet so we were still a few inches apart, no other part of our bodies touching other than our hungry mouths.

I wound my fingers into his hair and stroked his neck. He purred into my mouth and I drank it down along with his venom.

As quickly as we began he was pulling away from me. I tried to hold onto him. I was stronger than he was and when I locked my fingers through each other I knew he had no chance to break the embrace.

He let my lips go and moved his face a little further back from me. "Please Bella." He whispered. "We have to stop." He said softly, letting his forehead fall to mine until we were both staring into each others eyes. "We shouldn't do this, not when there is so much unresolved between us."

His words made sense but my body wanted him. It was that simple. My mind knew he was right but my body thought he was a fucking idiot.

"Okay." I whispered in reluctant agreement.

He kissed me ever so lightly at the corner of my mouth and took my hands down out of his hair. He pulled my left hand to his lips and kissed my wedding rings. "Run with me." He said.

We covered the same distance in seconds and went back into the apartment to rejoin the others.

Nothing was said but we were watched intently once we returned to the flat. When the others left for school and work it was Alice who hugged me tightest. "Progress." She whispered and let me go.

I nodded.

"We'll see you tomorrow little one." They all shouted as they got into their cars and sped off waving right down to the end of the street.

The three of us went back into the dingy little hole I lived in. "I can't go hunting Bella." Edward said as soon as I'd closed the door behind us.

I looked at him, shocked. I was about to protest, hell I was about to beg him to come along when he held up his hand and shook his head. "Okay." I said meekly, not understanding why and beginning to feel hurt because of it.

He bent down to Nessa who was standing between us looking up at him with a sad pout. "Daddy has to go home now Nessa. I'll come hunting with you and mommy tomorrow morning, I promise." He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "Will you go and straighten your room for mommy please Nessa?" He asked her.

"Okay daddy." She kissed his cheek and ran off to her room.

Edward stood and came to where I was standing. He reached for my hand and kissed my fingers again. "I want to come along, you know I do. But I can't. Not with Nessa along. Please say you understand Bella." He pled with sad eyes.

I didn't understand. "Why Edward? I'm sorry I tried to kiss you harder, I mean, I'm not sorry obviously. But I shouldn't have done it, I know that."

He smiled, a heartbreakingly gorgeous smile. He kissed my temple and chuckled lightly. "I'm not sorry you did that either. Never." He laughed. "I can't go hunting because I won't be able to control myself Bella. Remember what I taught you about bloodlust and lust, love?"

"Oh." I was shocked. He was telling me he couldn't hunt with me because he didn't want to have to fight 'having' me with our daughter in tow. "Oh." I said again. "Right."

"I have to go, now." He said the word 'now' quite firmly and now that I was on the same page as him I understood why. "Can I see you tonight Bella?" He asked.

"Um, I don't know. What about Nessa?" I asked, stepping away from him and going to lean against the counter again.

"Bring her to the house. Will you go out with me tonight Bella? We could go dancing?" He asked.

"I'd like that. Okay, I'll bring her to the house, if it's okay with Esme. She's coming over today, I'll ask her and let you know."

He came to where I stood, planted a soft kiss at my jaw and rubbed his hand up my arm once more. "You know she'll do it. I'll see you at seven Bella. I love you."

He scooped the Aston keys off the counter and then he left. I stood still and listened as the car roared out the drive and sped off up the road towards town.

I had another date with my husband.

EPOV

Driving away from her was the worst kind of torture. I could smell her arousal the whole time I'd been in that abysmal flat with her and it clung to my clothing even now.

When I stopped at the traffic light I closed my eyes and concentrated on the taste of her still in my mouth. Her venom had saturated my senses from the very moment we'd come to a stop in the trees. I was still hard, impossibly hard.

The honking of the horn on the vehicle behind me woke me up from my daydream and I drove home as fast as I possibly could after that. I screeched to a halt in the driveway and ditched the Aston, leaving the keys in the ignition. I ran down beside the house, through the forest and towards the cottage. When I got there I kicked the front door in and flew down the hall and into our bedroom. Her scent was still here, it had been trapped inside when I'd shut and locked the doors the day she'd left me.

I pulled the covers back on the bed, toed my shoes off and slipped between the cool sheets. I buried my nose in her pillow and moaned. I unbuckled my jeans and slid my hand into my boxers. "Fuck!" I roared at the first delicious stroke. I closed my eyes and licked my palate. I could taste her, smell her and hear her as she gave me permission to kiss her. As I came into my hand all that was missing was her touch.

"Can you replace the front door on the cottage or not Em?" I asked sourly.

"Of course I can. I just want to know why it needs replacing, that's all." He laughed.

I held the cell phone away from my ear and cursed. "I was pissed." It was enough of a reason and once he figured it was the only answer he was going to get from me he promised he'd fix it when he got home in the afternoon.

I pushed what was left of the old door into the cavity it had vacated and ran back to the big house. Esme was already gone, a note pinned to the backdoor for me saying she had gone to Bella's and would be back when Nessa went for her nap.

I went into the living room and stared at the piano. While it was true that I felt better today than I had in nearly three weeks, I still wasn't sure if I could play. I opened the lid and ran a loving hand over the gleaming surface and sighed. It felt wrong to want to play, to get pleasure from something when I knew that Bella had nothing of her own to make her happy. It was as though my happiness was dependant on hers. And I came to believe, as I stood there staring at the keys, that it was.

I wouldn't be happy until she was.

I left the lid up but went upstairs and turned on my laptop instead. An hour later I had the address and details of a dance club in Port Angeles tucked into my jeans pocket and a plan to give Bella a nice evening out.

I took my overflowing satchel downstairs and sat on the piano stool. I spread my notes out onto the music stand and stuck a pencil behind my ear. I played and wrote for three hours solid. I couldn't stop. The music flowed from my brain and through my fingers faster than I could reasonably write it down. Four songs, each as dark and as desperate as the last, burst out of my soul as I sat and played.

I got each of them down onto paper and when my cell phone beeped to let me know I had a message I was happy with my days work.

~The flowers are lovely, thank you. Chocolates though? It's sweet but they made me gag ;) B xx ~

I couldn't help but laugh.

When the florist had suggested sending chocolates as well as flowers I'd agreed, even though I knew she couldn't eat them. It's what men did. We sent candy. It had seemed sweet and a little bit silly at the time and I was glad she got the joke.

I composed my reply and hit send before I could talk myself out of it.

~Glad you liked them. You're lovely too, much more so than the flowers. Can't wait to see you tonight, we'll dance the night away. Love you, E xx ~

I turned my attention back to the piano and set about making corrections to my new compositions. They were good, very good, but they always needed tweaking. And it would while the hours away in a more productive fashion than moping would.

BPOV

Esme studied the flower arrangement that had been delivered earlier and fingered the petals of the pink flowers. "Pink Camelias means that he is longing for you. The heather means protection and the jonquils, well let's just say that my son is missing your, um, womanly charms." She giggled.

"I see, I wonder what the chocolates mean then? He wants me to throw up?" I laughed.

"Who knows, with Edward it's probably some long and complicated idea that even he can't explain without the use of a dictionary." She laughed.

"Probably." I mumbled as I opened my phone to read the message he'd just sent me. "Sweet." I whispered, rereading the message a few times.

"That's a lovely smile." Esme put her fingers under my chin and lifted it so she could see my face. "Edward?" She nodded towards the cell phone in my hand.

"Yeah." I giggled. "We're going dancing tonight. Well, we're going dancing tonight if you'll agree to look after Nessa for me?"

She smiled, "Of course. Anytime, you know that." She went to where Nessa was sitting on the kitchen floor mixing her pretend cake mix with the wooden spoon. "Your grandpa Carlisle will be so pleased to see you little one." She said to Nessa who smiled up at her angelically.

"Don't be fooled by that smile." I laughed. "She emptied two full bottles of shampoo into her bath this morning, little devil." I scowled playfully at the little girl whose cherubic cheeks were aflame.

"Bubbles!" She shouted on the top of her lungs.

"Yes Nessa, there were lots of bubbles." I said, taking the bowl and spoon from her and putting her at my hip. "I think it might be time for your nap."

"Not tired mommy." She complained, and then yawned widely.

"I can see that." I stroked her rosy cheek and felt the heat radiating from it. I put the back of my hand to her forehead and felt heat there too. "Do you feel okay little one?"

I took her with me to the sofa and sat her in my lap.

"Not sleepy." She mumbled and snuggled into my chest.

"Okay then." I laughed at the yawning baby, "How about a kiss for Nana-Ne and then I'll tuck you up into bed with Frank for a little while?"

She reached for Esme and was kissed and hugged and handed back to me. I took her to her bed and put her on top of the covers seeing as she was a little warm already. I tucked Frank under her arm but she was already asleep. I kissed her curls and pulled the door half closed behind me.

Esme was putting away the now dry dishes and bowls in the cupboards in my awful kitchen. "Those are yours." I waved my hand over everything she was putting away. The only kitchen items I owned myself were a single coffee mug and Nessa's stainless steel bottles that she no longer needed anyway.

"They're yours now. She'll never eat human food if you don't make any for her to try." She admonished. "So you keep these and I'll come round and we'll bake again and see if we can't tempt her."

I smiled. "I'd like that."

When it was all cleaned up again, and the dishes stacked away, Esme came to stand beside me at the kitchen bench to admire the cooling rack filled with cookies. "They're beautiful, makes me wish I could still eat."

"Not me, they smell disgusting." I laughed.

"So, dancing?" She quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah. It'll be nice." I told her.

"I am sorry, you know that don't you, dear?" She put her hand on my arm and closed her eyes for a second.

"I know Esme. I am too." I told her, putting my hand over hers and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Oh hush, you've nothing to be sorry for." She let me go and sat down at the kitchen table, patting the space beside her. I slid into it and waited for whatever words of wisdom she wanted to impart. "You know, men are basically stupid. Oh sure, they're strong and stoic and they act as though they rule their domains, but in reality they fall apart without us."

I laughed. "Edward seems to be doing just fine."

"He's a good liar." She whispered.

"Don't I know it." I mumbled. When I saw her grimace I was sorry I'd said anything.

"We all are Bella. We have to be. But we shouldn't lie to our mates, or our families. But we did, with you. I'm so sorry. I voted not to tell you twice, and for that I'll be eternally sorry." She dipped her head.

"It's done now. You did what you thought you should, I get that. Who knows, I might have done the same thing given the same choices. Hard to say from where I sit now." I cringed.

"Well. Enough of that. You have a date later so I should get out of your hair. It's been lovely seeing you Bella." She stood and hugged me tightly. "I love you so much sweetheart, everything will work out, I just know it." She whispered against my hair.

I was just coming out of the apartment when I heard my name being called. I turned, Nessa on my hip, and saw Mike Newton running down the street calling and waving at me.

Shit.

"Mommy is going to tell a little fib now Nessa. I need you to be quiet as a mouse, okay little one?" I pretended to lock my lips and throw away the key and she nodded and giggled softly. I transferred her to my other hip and put her bag on the ground beside the Guardian.

I took a long, deep pull of the clean air around me and held it in my lungs. He would be the first human I'd been anywhere near for three full days, no matter that he was Mike Newton he was going to smell delicious.

"Hey Bella. Looking good girl." He simpered as he came towards us. "And whose rugrat is this then?" He tried to reach out and touch her but she cringed away.

"Hi Mike." I was seething, how dare he speak about her that way. "This rugrat is my cousins little girl." I hissed at him. "She was killed a few months ago, I was listed as her guardian." I lied smoothly. I'd have to remember to tell the family about this so they'd back up the story if asked.

He let his eyes travel from my face to my feet and back again. He actually licked his lip. Gross. "So why are you living here with her and not with Mr Wonderful?" He smirked. Then his eyes flew open wide and he started to chuckle. "Oh, I get it now. He bailed huh? Mr Wonderful wasn't so wonderful when it came to having to raise someone else's kid huh? Tough break, always knew he was a jerk." He shrugged.

I wanted to punch his smug face in, but I had Nessa on my hip and there was no way I'd be able to control myself enough to not kill him. So instead I smiled but said nothing. If I didn't confirm or deny his assumption it wasn't a lie, sort of. "I have to go Mike." I told him, moving back away and towards the Guardian. I slid Nessa into her seat and whispered to her to please stay quiet a little longer while mommy got rid of the nasty boy.

I closed Nessa's door and was moving around to the driver's side when Mike ambushed me midway. "If you get lonely at night I'm only a few doors down darl." He must have thought the endearment was, well endearing, but it was just creepy. "I don't care about you having to look after someone else's ruggie." He must have thought he was being charming, or that he was getting one over on Edward, but in reality he just sounded awful. "You knock on my door any time Bella." He winked and began walking back to his own car.

I shuddered and got into the Guardian as fast as I could. I had the car started and was pulling out of the driveway before he even had his door open. "It will be a cold day in hell before I knock on your door, douche." I laughed, using the nickname everyone at the school used for him.

"Momma, what's a douche?" Nessa asked from the backseat.

I laughed all the way to the Cullen house.


A/N: Thank you for reading. I would love to hear what you think of my story so far, please review even if you find it dull and boring.