My loves! It's been so long and I have so much written! Here is some that is long overdue xoxo
Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight but I will love it forever.
EPOV
Horses fed and exercised. Check.
Their blankets cleaned and fastened. Check.
Bedding replaced, saw dust and shavings replenished, any excess stored. Check, check, check.
Winter weather is in full force - early this year, I'm told - and winterizing the stable is a must. The stable air holds a slight chill but nothing that an extra sweater for me and an extra blanket for my buddies can't keep out.
"It snowed again last night," Embry announces, stating the obvious. If I remember correctly it was me out shoveling the driveway at five-thirty this morning.
He trots Beau back into his stall and latches the door.
"Well, that's it. I'm off for the holiday," he says, clapping his gloved hands together. "Got all my chores done. Gonna catch the bus to Portland to see my grandma and sister for the week. Happy Thanksgiving, Edward."
This would be the part where he asks me what I'm doing or where I'm going for the holiday, but he doesn't, because he knows the answer to that.
"Same to you," I smile sincerely. He's a sweet kid and a hard worker so I'll save him a sarcastic response. "Have fun with your family."
"Thank you. Thank you, I will," he replies, apparently taken aback by my tone, and extends his hand for a polite handshake before leaving.
...
It's late afternoon and I'm up in the loft reading a book and nursing a stuffy nose when I hear the creak of the stable door letting in a gust of bitterly cold air.
"Shut the fucking door, for Christ sake! People live here!" I holler hoarsely, pulling the wool blankets up to my chin.
"Edward?"
It's Carlisle's voice and since I'm in such a good mood today I decide to save him the trouble of climbing the ladder. I pull my boots on without lacing them and wrap a blanket over my shoulders.
"What's up?" I ask once I reach the stable floor.
"Esme told me of your Thanksgiving plans."
Ahh, yes. I should have expected this visit. I sit down on the bottom rung of the ladder and look up at him inquisitively.
"And?"
"This is a very dangerous thing you're considering doing, Edward. I must advise strongly against it."
"Yeah well you don't have to live my life, do you?" Carlisle's forehead creases. His tired eyes flit away for a split second before returning to my face.
"Edward –"
"Carlisle," I interrupt. "The one person that actually matters to me is three thousand miles away. Every night I sleep in this fucking barn and dream about her. I'm tired of dreaming. I appreciate your concern but letters aren't enough anymore."
"I understand, and I feel for you I do but...it would mean a lot if you asked the boss's permission."
"You are my boss, and I'm asking you to look the other way for a few days."
"I mean the big boss."
"Swan?!" I snort loudly. "Are you insane?"
"Do you want to be with Bella or not?" he proclaims, pacing the row of stalls like a prosecutor making his closing argument and I am the witness on the stand.
"Of course I do."
"On a permanent basis?"
"Yes."
"Then it's time to start setting things right with her father, don't you agree? I think it would go a long way with him if you were to ask his permission. The worse he can say is no."
...
It's a long walk to the gas chamber - I mean, to Boss Swan's office. Esme lets me in the side door first thing in the morning with a stern look on her face.
"He's in a mood," she warns. "Be polite and brief."
As if I know any other way to be. I roll my eyes and kiss her on the cheek. She blushes and points to the end of the carpeted corridor that leads to Swan's office.
Less than twenty paces to go and already I can hear his voice booming off the walls.
"Your business? My business is this ranch, Marcus! And my business is taking a hit I can't afford. You get those feed prices under control or I'll find a distributor who will! ...Give my love to the kids. Right. ...Cullen, come in! I can hear you eavesdropping in the hall."
He's wearing a well tailored suit and standing behind his massive desk leafing through a stack of manila envelopes. He doesn't look up or ask me to sit down.
"Mister Swan, sir, I was hoping I could have a few moments of your time."
"Make it quick. I'm about to leave town for a conference in Lake Tahoe. I have a car waiting."
"Yes, sir. It's about Thanksgiving -"
"Dinner will be provided for the staff in the main hall of the lodge as it is every year. It's quite delicious I'm told. You will have the evening off. Work resumes in the morning, although, I have been known to look the other way if some minor chores don't begin until later in the day."
"That's very kind," I stammer, trying in vain to hold his attention. "Sir, I was hoping I might have the next few days off. Personal days off site."
That gets his attention.
"Are you ill?"
"No, sir."
"Then why would you need time off?"
"With all due respect, sir, I am an employee and aren't employees allotted a certain amount of personal time off?"
"Don't play games with me, Cullen. You are not an ordinary employee. And what, may I ask, is so pressing that it needs your immediate attention off-site?"
"Please, sir, can I…I'd like to keep that private."
"You have no family, no friends. How do I know you're not out to cause trouble somewhere with the riff-raff you were involved with when I found you? I'll ultimately be responsible for the consequences. ...No. It's out of the question. To say you are on a probationary period is an understatement. You are not to be trusted outside of The Promised Land grounds. That is all I have to say on the matter."
...
The knock on Emmett's cabin door is a somber one. I'm glad he's staying on at the ranch this Thanksgiving. As long as he and Rose can keep the PDA to a minimum, I might not throw up at the dinner table.
Emmett's hulking frame appears and immediately pulls me into a bear/bro hug.
"I can't believe you asked Swan's permission, dude. Carlisle told me, hope that's ok. You sure got a huge set of balls. I bet Swan was impressed, right?"
"Doubtful," I grumble, pushing past. "He said no."
"Oh no. I'm so sorry, Edward," Rosalie says sweetly, putting her arm around me like a comforting big sister and leading me to the couch. She smells like warm apple cider. "You stay here with us. Bella will understand."
"For a minute I thought he might actually let me go. What an idiot, huh?"
"Maybe he thought you were leaving to go see Bella. He's pretty smart."
"With the meager cash I make here, Em? I've barely saved up enough to put a dent in what I owe let alone buy a new pair of boots from the clothing outpost. He just doesn't trust me, doesn't like me, hopes I shrivel up and die here..." I trail off feeling sorry for myself.
Rosalie rises without a sound and glides between us, gently commanding our attention. "If I may say something - I know it's none of my business, but as an outsider looking in - and this is just an observation - if Mr. Swan is being tough on you, making you work off a debt, watching closely over you and not wanting you to be put in situations where you could get into trouble - perhaps he does care for you. On some level, anyway."
"But he doesn't want Bella anywhere near me."
"He wants what's best for her, too."
"And you think what's best for her is to be away from me?"
"I think you should be with the one you love," she answers, her gaze turning lovingly towards Emmett. "But he's her father. He's had her best interests in mind since the day she was born and he's doing it all without the help of Bella's mother. That may explain why his priorities for Bella's life don't line up with yours. Or hers, for that matter."
"Damn, babe, you're sexy when you talk all psychologist-like."
Our therapy session is interrupted by a loud thump on the cabin door. There's a low rumble of voices and a swirl of activity as Esme rushes in and practically pulls me onto her lap like a newborn calf.
"I heard. I was eavesdropping in the hall. I'm so SO sorry, sweetie! And here we went and got you those nice shirts from the surplus store, you were going to look so handsome for her. Well you always look handsome but OH it was going to be such a lovely surprise when you showed up on her doorstep. Just like the movies, RIGHT, Carlisle?!"
Carlisle appears meekly out of the shadow like a scolded puppy.
"I told him it was a bad idea. Didn't I? Yes, I did. Carlisle, don't you have something to say to Edward?" She raises her eyebrows in his direction and Carlisle clears his throat.
"Yes. Um."
"Welll?" Esme prods.
"Get your hair cut before you go. You look like Oliver Twist."
BPOV
Campus is a ghost town now that everyone has left for Thanksgiving break. Except for a few faculty members and university staff I can go hours roaming the grounds without running into another student.
It's actually kind of nice to have the entire suite to myself. No nosey Irina being literally the loudest snorer in history. No Lauren and her constant need for attention. She does have the cutest shoe collection though and if we were the same size I'd totally be rocking all of them while she's gone. I do miss Angela. She's friendly and likes good books and is the most like me. Semi-normal.
A knock on the suite door scares the crap out of me. It's the loudest sound I've heard all day.
"Happy Turkey Day!"
It's Garrett and usually I'd be happy to see him but right now I'd like to slam the door in his smiling face.
"Wanna watch the parade downstairs in the student lounge? Free coffee!"
"Ugh not even a little bit. I'm not in the mood for life today."
"Is that girl-speak for 'he's not coming'?"
"Whatever. It doesn't matter." I flop on the couch in the common room and curl up in a tattered blanket leaving Garrett to stand awkwardly in the doorway.
"Did you call home this morning?" he offers.
"I left messages for everyone if that's what you mean. Even Alice didn't answer her damn phone. Everybody sucks!"
"So you're gonna stay up here alone all day and pout?"
"I'm not pouting. Ok I am. So yes."
"Why don't you come to Spanksgiving dinner tonight at the caff?"
"Do I even want to know what that is?"
"It's all of the left-behinds getting together and having turkey sandwiches and those creepy tins of cranberry sauce." He waggles his eyebrows as though he's saving the best for last. "There may be board games."
EPOV
"Alice, slow down, my flight doesn't leave for another three hours."
"You know what morning rush hour traffic can be like. Better to get you there early."
"Better to get me there alive. That was a red light you just went through!"
"Nah it was still totally yellow."
"Thanks for driving me, Alice. And y'know, for not telling Bella."
"It completely goes against the ethics of girl-code, but you've been looking so pitiful lately. Plus it's my good deed for the holiday season. I'm just jealous that you get to see her and I don't. Make sure you give her a big hug for me."
"Oh I'll be doing more than that. If she lets me."
She ignores my attempt at perviness but I see her smirk out of the corner of my eye. The long drive to the airport has given us the time we needed to air a few things out. I think I've finally got her to understand that nothing happened that night with Victoria. We've now moved on to easy chatter about the ranch.
"If I work really hard I'll finish my degree in January and be able take the assistant to the supervisor position at the lodge full-time. Doing both and running the laundry is killing me. But once I have it under control I'm definitely going out to see Bella. It's been way too long. I need my girl."
"She'll be coming home before that though, right?" Something about Alice's tone says otherwise.
"Dunno. She hasn't said. She seems to really like it there."
She takes the ramp for the domestic departure gates and the sign for my airline appears.
"We made great time," she says, pulling over to the curb and putting the car in park.
"I can only idle here long enough to get your bags and see you off."
"Got everything right here," I say, pointing to my trusty rucksack. "Thanks again for the ride."
She leans over and gives me a peck on the cheek.
"You look great, Edward. That haircut suits you."
"Not too short?" I rub the back of my neck self-consciously.
"No it's perfect. Just enough to grab onto. Bella's gonna cream when she sees you. Now go!"
BPOV
"Here ye here ye, fellow left-behinds! Before we eat this lovely meal of soggy turkey sandwiches and what I think is Stove Top stuffing, it is time to go around the table, introduce ourselves and say one thing that we are thankful for!"
Garrett is holding court on a folding chair at the head of a long table in the middle of the empty caff addressing seven of the sorriest looking left-behinds this side of the Mayflower. I'm still wearing the same U Penn sweats I've been wearing for three days and my hair is in the same droopy ponytail. Next to me is a teeny sprout of a girl I've never seen before who introduced herself to the group as Bree Tanner before bursting into tears and spending the next hour banging her head on the table.
"Now I know we're only a handful and most of us don't know each other but we're all here together so let's not wallow in our alone-ness! Instead let's band together in our...uh...togetherness!"
His genuine enthusiasm is met with a smattering of timid claps. "Who'd like to go first? How about you, Eric?"
Poor Eric looks like he's just been pulled over by campus police, but he stands and does as he's told.
"Uhh, ok. My name is Eric Yorkie. I'm a freshman and I'm thankful for meeting Angela Weber. She's not here, so I can say that," he smiles brightly.
"Aww very sweet, very sweet," Garrett applauds. "Who's next? No one. Alright, I guess I'll go. I'm Garrett Denali and I'm grateful for so many things this year. Getting accepted to UPenn, for one, but equally as grateful for NOT getting accepted into Harvard. Go figure. I'm also grateful for the friends I've made so far." His eyes shift to mine and I quickly look away.
"Alright! Next? How about the lovely Miss Swan?" His gaze lands on my face and is met with a sneer. Public speaking? Not my thing. Even if it's in front of seven losers. But fine, I'll play. I'm one of them, after all. I rise and wave awkwardly to my people.
"Um, hey guys. I'm Bella. I'm a freshman aaaaaand I'm thankful for, I dunno, these awesome sweats cuz you can buy them at the campus bookstore and use your UPenn points and they're like five dollars." My little crowd of losers laughs at that as a gust of cold air whips through the caff.
"I'm definitely not thankful for the heating in this place, though! Did you guys feel that? Ugh it's freezing in here all of a sudden." I know I'm rambling but this is what happens when I start, so suck it Garrett.
"Umm, what else? I guess I'm thankful that I got accepted here." It's true, I am. It's a great school and I have met some amazing people so far.
"Everyone's really nice. I just wish...I guess...I dunno...I really miss my -"
And that's when I look up and my heart truly stops beating for a full second, because standing in the doorway with the double doors slowly closing behind him is -
"Edward."
