Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.
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Chapter 29 – Reunited And It Feels So Good
Friday, June 27th
Masen's nervous excitement could be physically observed through his fingers drumming against his thigh as he waited his turn to disembark from Galeos. He was as anxious to get back to the house as he'd been reluctant to leave it—so much that he wasn't even questioning his odd behavior at all.
With Wednesday being a scrap, Thursday had found the team with double the work in front of them. They'd worked so late into the night that Edward hadn't been able to talk to Bella and he'd found himself unable to rest at all last night from how strongly he'd felt her absence. It was one of the reasons he hadn't put up a fight this morning when Whit had suggested heading for home early. He'd admitted to missing Alice and wanting to get to her sooner so Masen had seized the opportunity with a claim of helping his friend out. He would have admitted to missing Bella if Whit had pressed but his friend had been too excited to start home to bother with playing the part of nudger.
"I can't wait to stretch out in my big bed and sleep hard and long," Lee announced, continuing the conversation he was only half-way listening to.
"You're going to waste your day off sleeping?" he asked as she tossed her duffel bag down to Gopher.
"You bet your sweet ass, my friend," she assured him. She planted her fingers across the MMR hat sitting backwards on his head and gave him a shake. "You can enjoy Guppy all to yourself for a bit."
Masen grinned, a few ideas of enjoyable activities playing through his mind. Maybe he could even get Bella to go for a swim with him in that red bikini of hers.
"And we have green," Lee called out, her hands framing her mouth to amplify her voice. "I repeat. We have code green."
He gave her a push forward to shut her up quickly but really only succeeded in making her laugh. He grabbed her by the waist and then lifted her into his arms. "That's it. You're smart ass is getting tossed overboard."
Gopher's warning was clearly heard over the sound of Lee's cackling laughter. "Careful with her, Mase."
Whit was at his side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Gopher. Mase has man-handled Lee plenty of times over the years and he hasn't dropped her yet. At least not when it wasn't on purpose."
"Shouldn't you two be all excited to be seeing your own women instead of picking on mine?" Gopher questioned.
"She started with me," Masen argued.
"I did," Lee admitted. She followed it up with a loud kiss to his cheek and then wiggled her way out of his arms. "Let's get home and see what kind of shape Guppy's in after three days alone with her sister. Then I'm gonna enjoy the hell out of my bed."
They managed to stuff most of their gear into the trunk of a cab and the rest filled their laps. As soon as the cab pulled up to the house, Masen jumped out with his duffel and slung it over his shoulder, making a beeline for the front door. The closer they'd gotten to the house, the harder he'd found it to keep still and now that he was actually here he wasn't going to wait another second to see his kapu.
"Where do you think you're going?" Lee called out. "We have a trunk to unload."
"Let me know how that goes for you," Masen replied, not even slowing his pace.
He found the front door locked and quickly dug into his jeans pocket for the spare key. In his head, he was already inside and Bella was in his sights. In reality, the weight of his duffel was making him lean too much into the door which in turn was making it harder to fit the key into the lock.
The door finally opened and as much as Masen wanted to drop his bag right there and bolt for Bella's room, he knew Esme would kick his ass for leaving his bag where it could be stepped on or tripped over. He waited until the couch was in sight and then threw it, hitting the back of the furniture and making more noise than he'd intended.
Smiling wide, he kicked his shoes off outside of Bella's room and then pushed the door open, planning to crawl into bed beside her and see how long it would take her to wake from his kisses.
But the bed was empty.
Not only was it empty, it was perfectly made as if Bella hadn't slept in it for days.
Even more telling was the darkened bedside lamp.
He swallowed down the bile trying to rise up in his throat. I should have called. I never should have let all of yesterday pass without calling her. That daily report must have gotten to her more than I thought and Alice finished her off.
He suddenly found himself standing in front of her closet, a flame of hope burning in his chest and making it difficult to breathe. His hands trembled on the doorknobs. If he did this, if he pulled these doors back to find the space inside empty—
Please. Please, kapu.
He wrenched the doors open and was greeted with a mess. Clothes haphazardly dangling from hangers, shoes piled up next to Bella's trunk and suitcase, and a mess strewn out across the upper shelf. Normally he would have rolled his eyes at such a disaster but right now it was perfect.
"Shame on you, Edward Masen."
He spun around, his face going beet red as he met his mom's fiery gray eyes.
"There's inexperience and then there's just plain lack of trust. Want to guess which one you just displayed?" The look of disappointment on her face hurt more than her words and after all these years he suspected that would always hold true.
He yanked his hat off and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I just … The bed's all made and the lamp's off … With her having been so upset the other night and Alice wanting her to go home …"
Esme's hands went to her hips and her eyes narrowed slightly. "I hope you don't think any of that is an excuse."
"No," he admitted, sinking down onto the corner of the bed.
"That bed is made because Alice made it. She couldn't sit still waiting on Bella to be ready to go. They volunteered to go to Cape Town to pick up supplies for this morning's breakfast. They wanted to make something special to welcome the team home."
Masen's head hung so low that his chin touched his chest.
Esme sat down beside him, putting a comforting hand on his back. "Kid, you can't let your insecurity get the best of you like this. You have to put your trust in Bella and trust her word because if you don't you will ruin your relationship. And not for nothing, but with as many times as I've heard you ask her to put her trust in you, you should be damn ashamed for not trusting her."
"It's not …" He sat up straight and looked at her. "It's not her I don't trust. It's me."
"Lame," Esme replied, resting her forehead against his and looking into his eyes. "And you know it."
"I don't feel like I know anything anymore. I wasn't excited to leave, I missed her every day, and I couldn't wait to get back to this house."
"The experiences are new, I'll grant you that. But this heart …" She tapped her finger against his chest. "This heart is the same and it knows better."
"Are you going to tell her about this?"
"Not my place. But I strongly suggest you do. She can't help you fix what's wrong if she doesn't know there's a problem."
"The problem is mine, though."
"Not anymore." Esme pressed a kiss to his forehead and then stood. "Work it out, Edward. Or you're going to have a self-fulfilling prophecy on your hands—you're going to fuck it up."
She left him alone in the room and though he probably should have stayed there and thought about his actions, he couldn't get away fast enough. He didn't want to think right now—he just wanted things to be the way they were before, when everything made sense. Especially his own behavior.
He walked out the room and spotted Gopher stretched across the couch. "Where are Lee and Whit? I wanna go surfing."
"Lee crawled into bed. Not sure where Whit wandered off to. And the only surfing I'm gonna do is the channel kind."
"Maybe he's looking for Alice."
"Nah, he noticed right away she wasn't here. Soon as he saw your truck was gone. That's what your eager ass gets for coming back early."
"My truck's gone?"
Gopher snorted. "Blinded with visions of Guppy in your head, huh?"
"I'm gonna find Whit."
"He's probably gone to bed too. Why don't you take a nap yourself? Get some fresh Bella scent from her pillows. Then you can be rested up for when she gets home."
He didn't respond to the man's baiting; he headed for the stairs instead to go down and look for Whit. He rarely ever complained about their rule of no one being in the water alone but today was one of those rare days when he briefly considered breaking it. But the idea of upsetting everyone for a little time in the water was always enough to keep him on dry land.
Masen found his best friend splayed out across an air mattress and snoring like a Mack truck. The only reason he didn't wake him was because he'd had the last shift at the helm.
If he couldn't surf to clear his head, then Masen figured he'd run until it cleared out. He headed back upstairs and changed into his running gear.
He hadn't made it very far down the beach when he got some unexpected company.
"This spot taken?" Esme asked with a grin.
He slowed a little to make it easier for her to keep up with his pace. While he wasn't at all opposed to her company, he was in no mood for another lecture. "No offense, but I'd rather not talk right now."
"Would you mind listening?" She tried to smile but it was so far off from her usual perkiness that it was a waste. "I came down on you too hard and didn't really give you a chance to explain yourself. I'm sorry for that, Edward.
"But in my defense, you shocked the hell out of me, Kid. You're typically pretty damn predictable and I just … I never would have believed you'd have so little faith in Bella."
"Mom, that's what I was trying to tell you. It's not Bella that I don't have faith in. It's me. I look at her options, at staying here with me and MMR, or going home. And I see more reasons for her to go home."
"You don't really believe that."
"I don't want it to be true. There's a difference."
"Edward, how can you think so little of yourself? You're smart and talented. You have friends who are just as brilliant as you are, and just as loyal and loving. You have two—two moms who support you and have the utmost confidence in you. You have a college degree. You run a successful company. How is it that you still believe you have nothing to offer a partner?"
"I'm not any good at it, at being a partner. I don't have the natural instincts everyone else seems to have. I can't understand half the reactions that I produce in others or feel myself. I'm not meant for this, Mom. I'm only ever going to fuck it up."
Esme gave only a single nod at first, but then she started to silently cry. Since she was still keeping pace with him, he wasn't sure what to do, if he should stop or keep going until she stopped. And that just made him feel more certain that he'd always fail Bella in the end—he couldn't even be a good son to his mom so there was no chance he'd be a good partner to his kapu.
It wasn't long before Esme grabbed his arm and had him stop. She looked up at him, using her hand to shield her wet eyes from the sun. "I'm sorry, Edward. For whatever I did or didn't do that caused you to feel this way. I'm sorry I screwed up. Beth would have been so much better at all of this. She'd probably even know what to do right now to fix things. But all I can offer that she would is this … I will never give up on you. I will never stop supporting you, dreaming for you, and doing all I can to help you achieve every goal you set for yourself."
Masen pulled her into a hug and set his chin on her head, pushing away his anger with himself in hopes of finding a way to comfort his mom. "It's not your fault. It's mine. Something's not wired right in my head. That's all there is to it."
"I don't believe that. Not for one second."
"Why not? We've got plenty of proof. Just look at all the stupid things I've done since she got here."
"Your head isn't where you feel love and devotion. Your head is the logic and the bright ideas. Your heart holds the love and devotion you give to us. And, Edward, you have so very much to give. More than enough to be a great partner to Bella. You just have to stop letting your head get in the way."
"I'm not."
"You are, son." She looked up at him, placing her hand over his heart. "In your heart, you know Bella would never leave without talking to you, without sharing one last goodbye with you.
"But your head—your head is what caused you to misinterpret what you saw when you came home. You saw a bed made and a lamp off but you completely missed your truck not being out front and your puppy not running up to greet you. Your head immediately latched onto your worst fear and you just went with it. You didn't let your heart have any input at all."
He sighed and pulled his hat off to run a hand through his hair. "Even if you're right, at my age I think it's pretty impossible to change."
"Age is a number, not a limitation." She grabbed his hand to keep him from sinking it into his hair again. "Listen, Kid, I know this is all really new to you and maybe that in itself is bothering you, that it's just now happening for you. But that's the beautiful part, Edward. It is happening. Don't let your insecurities ruin something so wonderful."
He said nothing, not wanting to give either of them any false hopes.
"I can see you don't trust yourself, and I suppose you're going to feel that way for a while to come. But I have every confidence that if you'll trust Bella, she'll help you be the partner you want to be for her."
"You really believe that?" he asked. He didn't want to get his hopes up but he really wanted her to be right. "You're not just trying to make both you and me feel better that I finally found something I'm a complete failure at."
"Kid." She paused to smile and frame his face with her hands. "Beth's special boy and the son I love with all my heart. You will never be a failure. So long as you never give up.
"So tell me … You going to throw in the towel and give up your kapu to some loser guy out there who won't understand her or appreciate her half as much as you do? Or will you conquer your head and fight to be the partner you want to be for her?"
He grinned, loving how his mom could take the impossible and make it seem obtainable. "If I've gone through all the trouble to let her become kapu, I might as well see this through, huh?"
"She loves you for you, Edward. Trust that and you'll learn to trust yourself."
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"But what if he won't actually eat the food?" Alice questioned.
"You're being ridiculous," Bella replied while juggling a bag of groceries and a wiggling Lizzy. The puppy had been alternating between barking, whining, and trying to jump out of her arms since she'd parked the truck back in its spot in front of the house.
"But what if?" her sister pressed.
"Alice, for the last time, Edward is not going to think you poisoned his breakfast. Now get over here and open the door. Lizzy's freaking out and I don't want her to fall and get hurt."
As soon as the door was open, Bella set Lizzy down and the puppy tore down the short hall toward the bedrooms.
"Wonder what that's all abo—AH!" Her cry of surprise sounded loud in the small kitchen area.
"I'm gonna take that as a happy scream, Guppy," Gopher said as he chuckled at her.
She patted his stomach in hopes he would move aside. "I wasn't expecting to run into a wall."
Once she had the grocery bag sitting securely on the counter, she turned to face him. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be home for another forty-five minutes?"
"Yeah, you're ruining our surprise," Alice told him.
He lifted his hands palms up, his gesture for the team's saying of 'no harm, no foul'. "Don't look at me. Blame it on Frick and Frack. They couldn't wait to see you two so they drove us home early."
"That explains Lizzy freaking out," Bella said with a laugh. "I'm sure she's attacking Edward with puppy love."
Lizzy came into the kitchen just then and sat down beside Gopher. She looked up at him and let out the saddest whine Bella had ever heard.
He knelt down beside the little dog and gently scratched behind her ear. "It's okay, sweet girl. Your Mase will be back soon." He looked up at Bella and added, "He went for a run on the beach with Esme."
Alice lifted up on her toes and looked through the kitchen opening. "Where's Whit?"
"Downstairs sleeping off his helm duty. And Lee's having a nap of her own."
"How come you're wide awake?" she asked, her head tilting back and her eyes following him as he rose to his full height.
"Once I'm up, I'm up. Been that way my whole life." His lips turned up in a playful grin. "My momma didn't enjoy it much during my formative years."
"Does she worry about you?"
"No, not really. I think she was maybe a little concerned my first time out with the team but after all this time, she trusts me to be careful. And she trusts Masen even more to make sure I'm careful."
"Have your parents gotten to meet him?"
"A few times," he answered while nodding. "My whole family gets along great with him. 'Course my little sisters having huge crushes on him doesn't hurt."
"So it's just me he doesn't like then?"
Gopher snorted. "No offense, but you kicked the bull while wearing red. You own the horns after that."
Alice turned to Bella. "What did he just say?"
Bella just barely managed to succeed in holding her laughter in. "Basically, you got back what you dished out."
Gopher clapped his hands together and then rubbed them quickly. "So! What can I do to help?"
"You can go sit down," Bella said, smiling up at him. "We are treating the team to breakfast."
Gopher reached over and snagged the bunch of bananas. "You're part of the team, Guppy, even if you weren't with us this last stint. So as your teammate, I'm helping. Now, I'm an expert here, so don't correct me if I'm wrong," he joked. "But this spread on the counter looks to be the ingredients for crepes."
"You're good," Alice said, her tone and expression showing he'd impressed her.
Finally, Bella thought as she listened to Gopher explain to her sister why crepes were an amazing dish. Now if I can just get her to warm up to Edward and Lee.
The ensuing laughter and carrying on between Alice and Gopher was contagious and Bella quickly found herself giving up on policing the two "big kids". She felt a little guilty when Lee and Whit appeared, certain they'd been woken by all the noise, but it didn't last long since they jumped right into adding to the racket.
"Well you lot certainly seem excited to be together." Uncle Carl was standing just behind Whit and Lee, peering into the kitchen opening with them.
"We're making crepes!" Alice's excitement had always been catching and it was a relief to Bella to see it happening here after all of the initial turmoil.
"What's your poison, Carlisle?" Gopher asked. "Banana or strawberry?"
"Oh, I try to stay away from crepes. I have a sweet tooth that gets out of control rather quickly."
"Explains Esme," Whit mumbled just loud enough for Bella to hear. She snapped a dishtowel through the opening and caught him on the elbow.
"Come on, Uncle Carl," Alice pleaded. "You're sort of on vacation."
He wasted no time in giving in. "Excellent argument, sweetheart. Gopher, I'll have a strawberry crepe drizzled in honey and lightly sprinkled with cinnamon. If that's possible."
Gopher grinned wide. "Done and done. Might I also suggest a dollop of fresh whipped cream? I make it myself; it's pretty damn fantastic."
Her uncle's eyes crinkled as his smile grew. "It would be rude of me as your guest not to try it."
"Did you ring Esme on her run?" Lee's eyes seemed to be checking Uncle Carl for the shape of a hidden phone.
"No. Why?"
"'Cause you just ordered your crepe the exact same way she does."
"Lucky guess."
"Or sneaky phone caller."
"No, sorry. In addition to doubting she has her phone with her, I wouldn't interrupt her time with Edward."
"How do you know she's with Edward?" It was Bella who asked but she was definitely not the only one looking at Carlisle and waiting for his answer.
"Simply making a deduction. She's not here and neither is he." The others all took that as an acceptable answer but then again they probably hadn't noticed the slight flush of his cheeks. Bella would let him have his reprieve for now but she'd get the truth out of him before the morning was over.
"Guppy, this is the last batch going in," Gopher announced. "Why don't you set the patio table?"
"Good idea," Lee told him. "We can put Mase downwind since he's not back yet and won't have time to shower first."
"He probably won't eat anyway," Alice replied.
"I will kick you," Bella warned, scooting past her sister with an armful of plates.
"What are you gonna do when I'm right?" Alice called after her.
Bella was halfway done with putting out the plates when Lee showed up with glasses. "Do I wanna know what your little sister was talking about?"
Bella snorted. "She thinks Edward will think she put poison in the breakfast and not eat it. I'm pretty sure what she's actually worried about is him taking back his offer for her to stay now that she's finally made up her mind."
"She's staying then?"
"Seems like it."
The wind carried the sound of laughter to them and they both went to the railing to look out on the beach.
"Think that's them?" Bella asked.
"I'd recognize that wonky gait anywhere," Lee said with a snort. "He still hasn't completely grown into his legs." She cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Get a move on, Sharkboy! Breakfast is just about ready."
"Sharkboy?" Bella asked, her brows lifting in disbelief that Lee could get away with calling Edward such a thing.
Lee grinned. "He let it slide yesterday because of how disappointed he was that we couldn't work with the sharks so I wanna see what he does with it today."
"I thought he was okay with the change in plans. The daily made it sound like he enjoyed the seals." She saw the question in Lee's eyes. "I didn't stay up to wait for it. I knew if Whit found out he'd have a fit. I had Alice read it out loud on our way to town this morning."
Lee smirked at her. "First of all, it wasn't Whit's reaction that had you going to bed before the daily arrived. And secondly, Masen absolutely enjoyed it. But he wouldn't be him if he wasn't disappointed when a plan failed. That's the perfectionist in him."
"Make way! Crepes coming through!" Gopher's booming voice had them quickly rounding the table to get out of his way. He set an oval platter down in the center and then stepped aside to let Alice put down a jar of honey and a bottle of syrup.
Gopher came around the table to get behind Lee and wrap his arms around her. "Any sign of Esme and Masen yet?"
Lizzy's sudden burst of barking had all three of them smiling, certain that the puppy was welcoming them home.
Bella moved toward the doorway to get a look at the happy reunion. Edward was down on one knee with both hands scratching behind Lizzy's ears, making her tail thump against the carpet. Between his goofy grin and the puppy's look of pure adoration and pleasure, there was just no holding back Bella's giggles.
Edward's eyes immediately locked onto hers and even from this distance she could tell they were green. He crossed the length between them in three long strides, coming to a stop so close to her that she could feel the heat of the sun seeping from his tanned skin. There didn't seem to be a dry spot on him and the patches of sand sticking to him sparkled in the swatch of sunlight covering his left side.
"There you go getting in my personal space again," she teased, her eyes once again meeting his.
"You gonna let me kiss you? Or make me wait until I shower?"
"You gonna make it a good kiss?"
"All my kisses are good."
"By your standards, sure. I'm talking about mine." She had to bite her lip to keep from bursting into laughter at the absurdity of the conversation. How could he ever think she could wait any length of time for a proper hello?
His hands sunk into her hair, his fingers disappearing into her silky tresses and eventually settling against her scalp. He hadn't even kissed her yet and already her body was buzzing and her heart-rate was climbing. She had to roll her fingers into fists to keep from grabbing him; she had the strangest surety that she had to let him to take the lead on this one.
The first touch of his lips to hers wasn't a kiss so much as a moment of rest. With just that one small connection, she could feel his relief and his joy. It happened so quickly that someone else probably wouldn't have noticed. Then again, someone else wouldn't know how much his body language gave away when his mouth stayed silent.
He pulled away slowly but returned quickly, his second barrage leaving her breathless and with the surety that she would have hit her head had there been anything solid behind her. She was also sure it was his grip on her head and neck keeping her standing—it damn sure wasn't her jelly legs. The tingling sensation created by his lips moving hard and fast against hers was like nothing she'd ever experienced before and she knew with absolute certainty that this was it felt like to have been truly missed.
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Masen could feel the tremor beneath the surface of his skin, sliding up his arms and down his legs in sync with his quick-fire heartbeat. He was rapidly running out of breath but had zero desire to resolve that issue because it would mean he'd no longer have contact with Bella's soft, warm lips. Not to mention he was a little busy trying to keep some sanity and not dig his nose completely into her face. It just felt so good to finally be with her that he'd temporarily misplaced his self-control. If this overwhelming, crazy mix of emotions was what it would always be like to see her after an absence, he doubted he'd ever want to board the boat without her again.
It was only for her sake that he ended the kiss. He extracted his fingers from her hair and put his arms around her waist just enough to be touching without his sweaty chest pressing against her dress. Then he forced his lips to pull away from hers, though they only got as far as her cheek and then the shell of her ear. So gently, with hardly any real pressure, he nipped her ear and enjoyed the little whimper she let loose. He wanted her to know a great many things in that moment, and even wanted to be able to say some of them himself and not have her just pick it up through some form of emotional osmosis. But the word dancing around in his head to the beat of his heart was all he could manage to get out. "Kapu."
She turned her face into his neck and hugged him to her with her arm braced against his sweaty head; he hadn't realized until just then that his hat had fallen off.
"I'm writing about this 'hello'," she said in a breathy whisper.
He hardly had enough air in his lungs to laugh, but he definitely had strength to hold her tighter now that he was fairly certain his sweat didn't bother her.
A distinctly male throat was cleared—Masen and Bella both went rigid and almost immediately her blush became strong enough for him to feel it against his skin.
"Damn, Mase. That was one hell of a missed-you kiss," Lee joked.
Masen looked up and found Gopher's jaw hanging open. He had just enough time before the next comment was let loose to notice everyone else standing there … Esme proudly displayed two thumbs-up to him while Carlisle looked about as red in the face as Bella felt. Alice had a smirk on her lips and both hands on her hips—he wasn't sure what to make of that since Lee's smirks were typically fun and Esme's hands on her hips was bad news. Speaking of Lee, that fucking nudger was busy using her hands to tell him "lay another one on her". He couldn't see Whit's expression because he was standing behind Alice with his forehead on her shoulder. But from the way his body was moving, Masen was pretty certain his best friend was laughing at him.
Gopher's declaration shattered the brief silence. "That was not a kiss." His hand darted forward with an accusing finger pointed right at Masen. "That was a face battle! I don't know who won, but it was epic all the same."
"Just swallow her face whole next time, Mase," Whit suggested. He'd picked his head up just to show off his nudger grin—Masen was sure of it.
"Shut up. It was just a friendly 'hello' kiss," Masen said, speaking to them all and knowing they weren't about to end the teasing so quickly.
Whit snorted. "Where I come from, friends don't chew on each other's earlobes. And since I grew up with you, I know damn well you know that kiss had nothing to do with being Guppy's friend."
"If I had to choose between a kiss like that and friendship, I might have to go for the kiss."
"Alice!" Carlisle's surprised shout had Bella groaning and Masen chuckling. In his defense though, the smile on the little sister's face compared to the look of horror on the uncle's was pretty priceless.
He felt Bella fidget in his arms. "Guess I should probably let you go, huh?" he whispered.
"Not if being in your arms has any potential at all to make me invisible."
He really wanted to laugh but he didn't think that would help with her embarrassment. "Nope. Makes you more of a target."
"I'm dead anyway."
This time he did laugh. He also kissed her on the forehead and let go of her.
He snatched up his hat, smoothed back his mess of sweaty hair, and fitted the cap over it with the bill once again at the back. His arm didn't make it to his side before he felt her fingers slip through his. He turned his head to look at her and see if she was blushing, but he never got past her eyes. Deep, caramel eyes—eyes that he could actually read without any help. Love and trust, and amazement that she was his. She obviously didn't see things clearly because otherwise she'd know that the only amazing thing here was her wanting him. She was kind, loyal, smart, and could even be funny when she was relaxed. She had her demons too, but they were far fewer than his own.
"Edward? Didn't you hear Gopher?" Bella asked, rubbing his arm gently. "Strawberry or banana?"
He smiled at her and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead before giving his attention to Gopher and choosing both types of crepes.
They were about halfway through with breakfast when Esme nudged Masen's knee under the table. Of the many things they'd talked about during their run together, Alice had been near the top. Esme thought the best way to induct her into the fold was to hold a nickname vote. Though his mom had laughed at his idea of "Hummer", she'd also immediately vetoed it, citing that if a mom couldn't hear that name without thinking adult thoughts, then no one else would.
A couple quick taps of his fork against his glass captured the attention of everyone at the table. "Alice has committed to coming along with MMR and being an observer. As such, she'll be subject to the rules, requirements, and traditions that we observe.
"Alice, you're first task with us is to be fitted with a nickname. Anyone can propose a name they feel fits your personality, and then I'll call for a vote. Majority rules and nicknames stick whether the recipient likes it or not.
"To get us started, Esme has proposed 'Thumper' and I second her on it. Everyone take a couple minutes to think on it and decide if you like it or want to suggest another name."
Bella crooked her finger at him. Between her smirk and the look of pure mischief in her brown eyes, it was damn hard not to laugh at her. He settled for smiling and leaning in close to give them a little privacy in the midst of their loud group.
"I know Esme came up with that name because of my sister's foot-tapping, but why are you backing it?"
He gave her his shitty grin and then an equally shitty reply—honest, but shitty. "'Cause she made me want to thump her upside the head the first day we met."
Bella swatted him on the arm a couple times while he laughed at her poor attempt to hide her smile. Mock indignation looks pretty cute on her.
"As much as it pains me to suggest yet another name better than mine …" Gopher sighed and shook his head before finishing. "Since she's pretty fast on her feet, and in causing a disruption, how about 'Flash'?"
"Tasmanian Devil is more fitting." Lee was sitting beside Bella so Masen knew if he'd heard his friend, then Bella certainly had.
And Esme had definitely heard his snort because she smacked him in the back of the head for it.
"Hey, she said it," he defended, pointing at Lee. "And don't think I don't see your smirk."
"Nope. Not me, Kid," Esme said, smiling wider.
Masen shook his head at her and then turned his attention back to Bella. He'd expected her to say something to Lee and take up for her sister but she was once again trying to hide a smile. It made him feel all the more foolish for thinking she would fold to her sister's demands and ignore her own desires and needs. He would have to find a way to make it up to her but for now he had a vote to finish.
He sat up straight and addressed the table. "Any other suggestions before I call for the vote?"
Alice waved her hand and he nodded for her to go on. "I'd be totally a-okay if we skipped this and you guys just called me Alice."
Even Carlisle laughed at his niece's naivety.
"All those in favor of 'Thumper', hold it up high," Masen said as he raised his hand.
Esme's hand shot up next and was quickly followed by Bella's. Lee gave a shrug before lifting hers. Gopher kept both of his hands on the table, foolishly holding out for his suggestion.
Masen turned his eyes to his best friend, half-expecting Whit to be torn on the vote since this was his dream girl. But Whit surprised him like usual—he had both arms high in the air as if he was calling a field goal attempt on a football field.
"And it's 'Thumper' by a mile." Whit's excited announcement had everyone laughing.
Masen smiled at Alice and for a second he was positive she was going to poke her tongue at him. But then something shifted in her face and she smiled back. He stood and leaned toward her with his glass held out.
Once she finally stood and pressed her glass to his, he told her, "Welcome aboard, Thumper."
The ensuing roaring cheer and round of applause sealed things up nicely in Masen's opinion.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Alice's POV:
Alice had been waiting all morning for a chance to talk to Whit privately but it didn't seem like that was going to happen. Breakfast had been far too busy with way too many ears. She'd thought she would have a chance while cleaning up the dishes with him but Lee and Gopher had stuck around to help. Then Lizzy had needed to go out and with Masen in the shower, Esme nowhere in sight, and Bella doing something with Lee, it had fallen to Whit to take the puppy out. She would have gone with him but Gopher had already announced he was going.
And now she was in the backseat of Masen's truck, sandwiched between Gopher and Whit. Even worse, she was all out of patience.
Maybe if I keep my voice low, she won't hear, Alice thought as she snuck a glance at the back of Lee's head. She was sitting in the front passenger seat, arguing with Masen about what music to listen to on the radio. They both seemed oblivious to the fact that Bella had already picked a station and was singing along with Gopher.
After one last stealthy glance in Lee's direction, Alice turned her attention to Whit. She tugged at the side of his shirt and he immediately tilted his head to the side, putting his ear near her lips.
As loud as she dared, she asked, "Can I ask you something about Lee?"
"Can't hear," he replied, pointing toward the front seat. "What was that?"
Alice licked her lips and tried again, hoping she could find that magic volume level where he would hear her and no one else would. "Can I talk to you about Lee?"
"What about her?"
"Well … What's the story with her and Masen? She's supposed to be in love with Gopher but she sure seems involved in Masen's life. Should Bella be worried?"
Whit tipped his fedora off his head and covered his face with it. She wasn't sure what he was doing until she realized the shaking she felt was coming from him and not the truck.
"Are you—" She clamped her mouth shut, hoping her cry had gone unnoticed. After a quick glance around to make sure no one was paying attention to her, she grabbed hold of the hat and fought with Whit until he lowered it enough for her to see his eyes.
"You are!" she seethed. "You're laughing at me!"
He was still laughing when he pulled her into a hug against her will. "I'm sorry but it's your own fault for being so much like your sister."
"What do you mean?"
"She jumped to the same conclusion when she first joined up with us. We don't even notice because we're so used to each other, but to an outsider we can see where they can give that impression. What Mase and Lee have, they are one hundred percent siblings, just without having the same parents. She thinks she's the big sister in charge of keeping him safe from everyone but her, and he thinks he's the protective brother who has to keep an eye on her at all times, especially around guys."
"Is that why she compared me to a Tasmanian Devil this morning? Because she thinks I'm a threat to Masen?"
"Partly. But mainly it's just Lee. She doesn't warm up to new people easily. On the plus side, she hasn't completely written off the chance of liking you. If she had, she wouldn't have said anything. With her, silence is the time to be very, very afraid. As long as she's making her sarcastic comments, you have a chance to win her over. Just ask Guppy," he said, tipping his hat toward Bella. "Her friendship with Lee wasn't an instant thing but now that it's developed, it's damn solid."
Alice took a moment to digest everything he'd said. "So basically I've got two people to win over."
Whit lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "Alice, you don't have to impress them. You just have to be yourself. Be the tolerant, caring woman you are and everything else will fall into place."
"We're here!" Lee announced, looking back at them with an excited smile.
"Where is that exactly?" Alice asked.
Masen was the one to answer her, seeming to take extra pleasure in using her appointed nickname. "Thumper, this is Boulders Bay Beach. We've got a surprise for you and Guppy."
"What kind of surprise?"
His grin turned wicked. "The kind you have to get out of the truck to find out about."
He opened his door and got out of the truck with everyone else following suit. Even Bella took his hand without question and slid out.
Obviously it can't be anything dangerous, Alice thought. And yet I can't help feeling nervous. What if this is some kind of test or some way to make me change my mind about staying?
Whit poked his head back in and offered his hand to her. "You coming?"
Even if I can't yet trust Masen, I have every confidence in Whit, she told herself as she reached out and put her hand in his.
"Great parking lot," Bella teased, hugging Masen around his waist and smiling up at him.
"Keep it up, smart ass," he warned, smiling too much for even Alice to believe he was serious. "I won't let you have a turn with the camera."
"Yes, you will," Bella replied, sounding and looking completely confident.
He only smiled, and then he kissed her soft and quick. "Everyone ready?" he asked, surveying the group.
"Lead the way," Esme told him.
He led them down a couple streets filled with strolling groups, many of which seemed to be made up entirely of tourists from the look of their cameras and colorful beach towels. Their own group crossed the same main road they'd been driving on just minutes ago and then they were on a small beach adorned with massive boulders.
"Are those—" Alice stopped herself, certain she couldn't be right.
"African Penguins," Bella squealed. "Edward!" She threw her arms around him and he laughed as he hugged her back.
"Way to ruin the surprise, Guppy." He looked over her head and right at Alice. "We wanted to show you we study more than just sharks. These are African Penguins. They settled here in 1982 so they're pretty used to humans being around. They were drawn by the shelter this beach gives them. It's made up of inlets trapped between these granite boulders, making the water completely safe for penguins and humans. You can't swim with them, but you can get pretty close."
"And our swim spot is just behind those boulders there," Lee added, pointing to their right.
"You really picked this activity for me?" Alice asked Masen, surprised by how much she wanted it to be true.
"Not just me," he answered. "Lee, Gopher, and Whit were involved."
Gopher smiled at her. "We all want you to feel welcome, Thumper. We know it's not an easy choice for you to stay and we respect you for it. Plus, who doesn't love penguins?"
"Thank you." Alice looked at each of them, hoping they saw her sincerity. Though I'll be totally a-okay if they don't notice my blush. I'm still not completely sold on Masen but overall, I haven't given them a fair chance to show who they are and I feel bad about that.
"Alright, Thumper," Masen called, immediately getting her attention. "You get first dibs on having your picture taken with penguins in the background."
Now would probably be a good time to give him a chance and earn some points with Bella, she thought as she considered his offer. She smiled at him and said, "Only if you and Bella will be in the picture with me."
The smile on her sister's face and the surprise on his were proof to Alice that she'd made the right choice. She just hoped she'd feel that way about staying when this was all done.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
"What are you snapping a photo of now?" Bella asked with a laugh. Edward had hardly put his camera down since they'd arrived.
"You mean besides the 540 million year old boulders?" His smile was just barely visible from behind the camera.
"Yes, besides those."
He lowered the camera and looked at her. "I've gotten a few of you."
"You did not. I've been with you the whole time."
"Your point?"
"I'd have seen you taking my picture."
"Gopher wasn't joking. I am a ninja photographer."
"Yeah? What kind of pictures have you gotten of me?"
"Well … There's one where you have a look of pure joy on your face with a group of penguins just a few feet in front of you."
She blushed under his gaze. "I could see where I would have been too distracted to notice you taking my picture."
"Were you also overly distracted when I captured you biting your lower lip and watching over Alice and Whit?"
"Of course. It's a big deal to see my little sister falling for a guy. She's dated a lot, and she's had a few boyfriends, but I've never seen her look the way she does with Whit."
"And how's she look?"
"Happy. Excited. A little nervous too. But mostly happy."
"I just hope she's still happy when he tells her about his leg. That she doesn't write him off as a crazy shark person and run home."
"She does make rash decisions at times, but she's also just a kid. She's eighteen and everything seems like the end of the world to her still. But I also know she doesn't let go easy so if she can just digest before reacting, I think she'll be okay."
"Whit won't tell her until he feels pretty certain she can handle it."
"I know." And she did—she trusted Whit with Alice implicitly. She shook herself to shake off her worry and get back into the moment with Edward. "Did you get any other pictures without my knowledge?"
"One more," he said with a sneaky grin. "I think it's gonna be my new favorite but I have to print it first to make sure."
Bella groaned. "What horribly embarrassing thing am I doing? Was it when I tripped and fell against Gopher?"
"Nope."
"When I took my hair down and the wind immediately blew it into my face?"
"No, but that would have been a funny one to get."
"So then what is it?"
"Come here and I'll tell you."
"I'm right here. I'm like a foot away. Just tell me."
"Come here."
She groaned again but did as he said, planting her feet in the sand and setting her toes on top of his. "This good enough for you?"
He slipped an arm around her and lightly pressed his chest to hers. "You're pretty damn cute when you're annoyed. You remind me of Jolly when he was a kitten. All feisty fluff and positive he was a scary lion."
"What's the photo?"
His grin widened. "Patience, kapu. I'm trying to compliment you."
"I'd rather you tell me about the picture."
He gave her the answer she wanted, but he did it slowly with pauses that he filled with soft kisses. "The picture … is of you … and you're smiling … You're watching me."
"Why did you take a picture of that? What was so special about me looking at you?"
"These eyes," he said, kissing the apple of each of her cheeks. "They're so expressive when you're not controlling yourself."
"And what—what did you see in them?"
His smile held more warmth than the bright sun above them. "That you love me."
He had obviously reached the end of his comfort zone because he spun away from her and lifted his camera back up. "Oh and by the way, I have a few of my mom holding hands with your uncle."
"Let me see," Bella cried, momentarily letting him off the hook for pulling back.
He handed the camera to her and there in the lens was the possible couple in question. They were about waist deep in the water, laughing together. And there on the surface of the water lay their intertwined hands.
"Yep. Those hands are locked together." She snapped a couple pictures before passing the camera back to him.
He turned it off and hung the strap around his neck, letting the camera rest against his bare back. He'd yanked his shirt and shoes off pretty much the moment they'd hit the beach. Not that she was going to complain one bit about getting to admire his chest. Or his happy smile. Or his green eyes.
Her admiration was interrupted by his question. "Want to do some hand-holding with me?"
She smiled as she locked her fingers around his. "Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share on seeing your mom holding hands with my uncle?"
He looked toward Esme and a small smile curled his lips. "I don't have a clue what they're doing but I like seeing her happy."
"Same for me with Uncle Carl."
"What about your sister? Think she's enjoying this place?"
"I think so. She's been sporting a huge smile since we got here."
"Yeah, but she's also keeping a good five feet between her and the water's edge. This water is basically a pool and yet she still won't even attempt it. Just confirms what Whit and I both assumed—she's far more afraid than you are."
"Well …" Bella trailed off, biting at her lip and replaying her thought in her head. The team did their research and this water is shark-free. Maybe if I go in, she'll go in. But even if she doesn't, I'd like to say I was brave enough to trust them and go in.
Edward took hold of her other hand and turned her to face him. "What is it, kapu? What are you thinking about?"
She looked out at the water and the people happily swimming and playing in it, her friends and uncle included among them. Her stomach turned a little but not enough to make her change her mind.
She smiled up at him. "Think Whit would keep an eye on your camera so we can go in the water together?"
Edward tried to hide his excitement but she could see it in his eyes and feel it in his fingers. "He would do that, sure. But are you sure you want to go in? You don't have to, you know. We can just walk the beach together."
"I'm sure. I wanna go swimming with you." Her smile widened and took on a wicked edge. "But if you need some incentive to go in, I've got the red bikini on under my t-shirt and shorts."
His arms enfolded her, one below her shoulder blades and the other a little below her waist, pressing her against him just enough for her to feel him without it being obvious to everyone around them. "You're going to get yourself in trouble playing with me like that, you know."
"It's only fair that I get to pull a reaction from you once in a while. You do it to me every single day."
"Kapu, if you really think I'm any less affected by this, then you're not nearly as smart as I thought."
"Oh, I know you are. I just don't understand why you're still freaking out over it. I can see it feels good, that being with me is something you enjoy. But then all of a sudden you pull away, like you did just now after telling me why you took my picture."
"I guess I'm having trouble trusting. That's not an easy thing to say, especially since I don't consider myself distrustful of people."
"You might not want to consider it, but it's true. Just look at the bar that night and how you immediately assumed I had tricked you to mess with your company. That's a textbook example of distrust."
"That was one time," he argued. "Look at our work with Brent and his crew. I didn't have any issues with anyone on that boat."
"True, but you also felt connected to them, that you understood them. You never say you don't trust a person. You say you're confused by them. But the way you handle it, the way you push them away, it amounts to the same thing."
He leaned his forehead against hers, the bill of his cap shading their eyes from the sun. "So what do I do about that? Because I can't imagine I'll ever completely understand you. And I don't consider that a bad thing. I think it just means I'll always find you interesting."
She pressed her palms against his stubble, knowing he enjoyed the feel as much as she did. "Don't push me away. No matter how confused you feel by me or by how you feel about me, don't hide from me. Because I can deal with you being confused, but I can't take being locked out now that I know how it feels to be let in."
His lips melded to hers in a sweet kiss of relief and gratitude. And then they shifted to produce his shitty grin. "So what's it gonna take to get you out of your clothes?"
She used his own hat against him, smacking him in the shoulder with it while he laughed and made a half-hearted attempt to block her blows. She hit him once more and then handed over the cap. "Go give your camera to Whit before I change my mind."
"Promise you'll wait for me?"
"Always." She mimicked his shitty grin perfectly. "As long as you don't take too long."
It was his turn to use the cap—he gave her one quick rap on the butt with it, producing a shocked squeal from her, and then he jogged off toward Whit.
Bella stood there soaking up the sun and hoping the man she couldn't take her eyes off of would find a way to trust her before his confusion got the best of him. She had no doubt that he loved her—just that it would be enough to keep his dark side from breaking free and rising to the surface.
As tough as he was, she knew he wouldn't be able to stand the loss of their relationship, especially if it came at his own hands. Even worse, while she would find a way to recover and move on, to give love another chance, he would just lock his heart away again—for good this time. She hoped she was wrong, that she was just making assumptions. But her heart and her gut seemed to be in agreement on this and she'd never been wrong when that had happened.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
A/N: We've got pictures on the blog! And not just any pictures! But cute penguin pictures! Enjoy!
Thanks so much to tinaconner for her idea of having the team bring Alice to visit the Penguins on the beach!
