A/N: Welcome back! So, this chapter is where things will start to get rather turbulent. No trigger warning needed just yet though.

I LOVED all the love Garrett seemed to get after the last update. He really was being sincere with every word he spoke to Bella, so it's okay to be feeling some warm fuzzies for him ATM.

There were a few people who left guest reviews, or had their PM's turned off so I was unable to send them the outtake. If you were one of those people, or if you'd still like the outtake, please let me know via a review for CH 28 if you hadn't left one already, or a PM if you had, before I post chapter 30 and I will still get that to you ASAP. There was something within the outtake that was a bit of a preview clue for things to come. *wink*

Major thanks to my beta, myonlyheroin. She just started posting a new story, Stricken; You should most definitely check it out if you love yourself some heavy angst and an older Edward in need of fixing.

Alright then, I think that's all for now… Let's get to it then.


Less and Less Okay

Chapter 29

.)(Bella)(.

Days seemed to be flying by now… but the nights, those had remained long.

Especially last night.

Having Garrett back had proven to be exactly what I'd needed, though, to help speed things along until Edward returned home. Mostly because he rarely left me alone long enough during daylight hours for my mind to start to wander, or for my thoughts to begin to pile up.

The only thing troubling me was that I hadn't spoken to my husband in over twenty-four hours, hence my bad night.

The last time we'd talked was early yesterday afternoon, and he hadn't sounded himself from the moment I'd answered his call.

He'd seemed preoccupied the entire time we'd been on the phone. When I'd tried to question him about it, he immediately got defensive, which was not at all like him.

Then, out of nowhere, he'd asked me what my plans were with Garrett that day, right in the middle of our argument, which had nothing at all to do with him.

It was his tone that had bothered me, and triggered my rage.

In that moment, for the first time ever in our relationship, it had seemed as if he were actually accusing me of not being one-hundred percent faithful to him.

That was what pushed me over the edge.

From there the conversation just spiraled out of control, and I'd ended up hanging up on him. He didn't call me back, and he never called last night at his normal time, even though I'd stayed up until almost three in the morning waiting for him.

My pride, and stubbornness had paralyzed me; so I refused to be the one to dial his number.

Truthfully, I'd initially felt it was probably better we not talk again that day, but I was definitely starting to regret that decision now that we'd gone a full twenty-four hours without speaking. I was also beginning to obsess over why he would even insinuate something might be going on between Garrett and I.

It just didn't make sense.

I knew the truth though, and I knew deep down Edward had to know the truth as well, so because of that, I was doing my best to not over think any of it.

This wasn't our first fight, and it certainly wouldn't be our last. The only logical explanation for his bizarre behavior was that he was feeling homesick, and a bit sexually frustrated due to it having been so long since the last time we'd truly been intimate with one another.

We were now in a single digit countdown for Edward's return though.

Because of that glorious fact, even if I was still a little mad at him, I was finally starting to feel like I could breathe again. I refused to let one silly argument get in the way of that silver lining.

My eyes instantly looked up from the drawing I had been working on when Garrett came into the room jingling his keys in his hand.

"Hey, I'm going to run out for a little bit. I have to meet some friends who are in town for a few days, and then I have to pick up something for Edward. I'll be back in time for dinner, or I could bring something back with me if you don't feel like cooking."

Upon hearing his words, my eyes got wide.

This news about 'friends' visiting had definitely peaked my interest, and it also sounded like the perfect kind of distraction.

"Wait, friends… here in L.A. visiting from Tennessee?" I questioned, feeling surprised that he was bringing this all up so nonchalantly, and that he hadn't mentioned anything about having friends in town up until five seconds ago.

"Yeah, we all grew up together. Our parents are best friends. Small town living and all. They didn't believe all my stories when I was there last week, so I guess they had to fly out to try and sniff out any bullshit for themselves."

I stood up from the couch and began to follow him out of the living room towards the front door. He seemed to be in a hurry and also trying to avoid any follow up questions I might have.

"Why don't you invite them over tonight? They don't have to come over for dinner, but I could set up the bar and we could all hang out after the kids go to bed? You can let them see where you're currently squatting, and tell them all about how I'd literally be lost without you these days."

I couldn't help but tease him a little. It was nice to see him squirm for once.

My head was of course already wondering if maybe one of these 'friends' was a one time love interest of his, and if perhaps this was an opportunity for me to play match maker.

At the very least, I could possibly get an idea for what his taste actually was when it came to real women who were not obnoxiously famous movie stars who pogo-sticked from penis to penis like she was playing hopscotch.

"I can offer, if that's really something you would want to do? There's three of them. Kate, Marc, and Alec. They're cool, you'd like them, and they'd love you."

I nodded my head and smiled, feeling strangely excited by the thought of having the house full of strangers who knew nothing about me, or my life, for the very first time in a very long time.

"Alright then, I'll text you and let you know what they say. I won't be gone too long. Three hours tops."

And then it happened.

We could hear them before we could see them, signaling that nap time was officially over, and in record time.

Within seconds, the twins came running into the room just in time to latch themselves onto Garrett's legs before he could open the front door to escape.

"No-go!" Maddie proclaimed. I smiled looking down at them, then kneeled down to extend my opened arms and pull them away from Garrett's kneecaps.

"Aw, come on guys! What am I chopped liver? He will be back later. How about if we go do some finger painting?" I suggested, earning a cheer of excitement from the both of them.

I quickly scooped them both up into my arms and shot Garrett a wink, "Now scram, you only have about five seconds until they change their minds." I warned with a smirk. He smiled and nodded his head, but remained still in the opened doorway for a few more seconds before turning himself around to finally exit and lock the door behind him.

Once he was gone, I brought the twins into the kitchen with me and began to lay out some newspaper onto the floor to set up our fingerpainting stations. I'd actually given Mrs. Coupe the day off today. She seemed like she could use one after our half day at Disneyland, and then a full day at the park yesterday.

James had sent me a text earlier, just before lunch.

He was going to stop by tomorrow afternoon; I was, 'to be home- no excuses'.

Garrett was to be present as well.

The tone in his text was not at all warm, or friendly so I wasn't looking forward to seeing his weasel like face, but I was prepared to endure it nonetheless.

I, of course, already knew he blamed me for his agency losing out on a 'hell of a lot of money', and name recognition. There was nothing I could do about that now, though, and avoiding James was impossible once he set something in motion and demanded your audience.

I was just about to set down the blank canvas' and plastic bowls of paint beside the twins when my phone dinged from my pocket. I instantly found myself hoping it would be Edward, but my face fell the moment my eyes began to scan the screen.


.Jake.

I know you're home and I know your babysitter is gone.

You have to stop avoiding me.

Especially now.

If you don't reply I'm going to just walk over there.

I'll keep knocking until you come to the door to break my arm.

(1:16 PM)


I let out an annoyed huff, and for a moment, considered dropping my phone into the sink's drain and turning on the garbage disposal.


.Bella.

Here is my reply:

Read the below message slowly 3x.

Upon reading the below message 3x delete my number from your phone.

Ready?

Here we go...

-I don't want to see you.

-I don't want to talk to you.

-All I want is for you to,

Leave.

Me.

ALONE!

3) Reminder; Now delete my number.

(1:18 PM)


It was now abundantly obvious that I really should have just gone with my husband. If, for no other reason, than to get away from here so Jake wouldn't be able to hound me and stalk my every move from next door while I was still trying my best to forget his existence entirely. He was the very reason why we'd barely been home the last couple of days, and I was really beginning to resent him all the more because of that.


.Jake.

You're REALLY not being fair.

The least you can do is hear me out.

Just 2 min.

That's all I need.

Please just trust me.

Or if you know already- just tell me you're okay and handling it.

(1:19 PM)


...And now he wasn't even making any sense.

If Jasper would just come home, he'd be able to keep Jake wrangled in, and he'd also be able to force him to find his own place, but unfortunately he wasn't due back for another couple of days and I didn't want to stress him with more drama while he was away visiting Alice. I considered calling Emmett, but then I knew if I did that, he'd likely just go over there and get physical with Jake before calling Edward to fill him in, and I didn't want that either.

The last thing I needed was something fresh for Edward and I to argue about.

I glanced at the calendar beside the fridge and saw that my husband would be in Miami in a few short days. I could surprise him and meet him there, then fly with him for his last stop in the city. That could be doable, but until then I had to cut Jake off completely.

I just couldn't keep doing this with him.

Not now.

Not over, and over again.

Not with everything else I already had going on.


.Bella.

I have nothing left to say to you.

I would appreciate it if you'd just continue to give me my space until you've decided to be a responsible adult again and return to the mother of your child who is due to deliver ANY day.

Your excuses are nothing more than excuses, and I have literally heard them all before.

I already know all about you and Jane.

I think "it" is disgusting but I'm handling "it" just fine and now I'm blocking your number.

(1:21 PM)


On impulse, I went to reach for the bottle of wine that was still sitting on the island in the middle of the kitchen. I pulled the cork from the top to pour myself a small glass before sitting myself down onto the floor with the twins, then let out a huff from between my lips before taking a sip.

I refused to let him ruin our afternoon. I'd made far too much progress over the last couple of days to allow that to happen.


.Jake.

You should know by now getting rid of me would never be that easy.

You're going to hear me out.

This is about YOU.

NOT me.

But since you brought Jane up, I guess I should remind you I'm a newly single man and I am free to hang out with whomever I wish.

I'm coming over now.

(1:23 PM)


I looked down in fear that he actually meant what he'd said. I was far from ready to actually have to look him in the face again, or hear his pandering voice.

Without giving it a second thought, I snatched the kids hands and pulled them up from where they were still sitting patiently, waiting to finger paint.

"Change of plans guys. We're going to go out for a quick adventure instead."

I grabbed my purse and keys from the countertop, then quickly guided them with my freed hand into the garage to get them into the SUV and buckle them into their seats. They both stared at me silently with confusion clearly on their faces.

"I'm so sorry. Everything is fine. Mommy is fine. We're just going to go for a little drive. Mommy forgot to get something from the grocery store for dinner tonight. We're just going to go real quick, then come right back to paint." I lied while I forced my best fakest smile.

After closing the car door with a little too much force, my legs carried me around the front of the car so I could get into the driver seat. I reached my arm up and hit the garage door button as soon as I'd slid myself inside and buckled my own safety belt.

As the door began to lift my eyes found the rear view mirror. I let out a loud gasp when I saw Jake already standing in the middle of the drive way with his arms crossed in front of his chest in a menacing stance.

My life now felt like a scene from a bad horror movie.

I clenched the steering wheel and paused for a moment, but then looked away and turned the key to start the car. I didn't even give it three seconds before I began to quickly back out, forcing Jake to leap out of the way, onto his hands and knees over the lawn.

"Seriously, Bella?! What the hell?!" I heard him shout, but I didn't dare look in his direction. I'd seen him miss the back bumper of my SUV, and he was clearly able to speak, so there was nothing else for me to worry about.

My phone buzzed in my lap just as I pulled up to the stop sign at the end of our street. I hesitated to look at it. I already knew it would be from him. He was mad now. Not just upset, annoyed, or bothered. Mad. Because of that fact there was no telling what kind of attack he would unleash upon me.


.Jake.

This is total bullshit.

I'll still be here when you get back.

I'm not going anywhere.

I tried to be nice.

I'm trying to warn you but you're refusing to listen.

You might want to go ahead and Google your husband's name.

Interesting stuff in the news today.

You're going to need your friends.

Good luck out there.

(1:28)


I pulled the info screen up on his number and hovered my finger over the block button. After counting to three, my eyes closed and I took in a deep breath, then tapped the button on the screen and slowly exhaled.

Upon doing that, I dropped my phone onto the passenger seat next to me and reached back to scratch at the tops of Maddie and Aidan's heads.

"How about some ice cream at the pier?" I asked while looking over my shoulder. Both their tiny arms and legs began flailing around after they'd processed my words, and I felt my shoulders relax themselves a little thanks to their elated little voices yelping out in excitement.

Pushing that block button alone had already brought me so much solace, and relief. I could hardly believe how liberating it had felt, and now only wished I had done it sooner.

I considered sending Garrett a text to let him know what had happened, just in case he went back home and saw Jake actually sitting there, but I decided to give it some time.

As I pulled out onto the busy road that would take us a few miles down the street to the pier, I suddenly found myself wishing more than ever that I still had my best friend here to turn to.

My adrenaline rush was obviously already starting to subside, because now all I felt was complete and utter sadness beginning to surround me.

Alice had always been my buffer during my times of distress, brought on by clouds of Jake. So it made sense that my head would instantly go to her once things had started to slow down long enough for me to truly take a step back and review everything that had just happened.

This was the first time ever where I couldn't just run to her, and she would know exactly what to say, or what to do in order to help me feel sane and in control of my life again.

I felt the tears beginning to well up in my eyes and quickly raised my hand up from the steering wheel to brush them clear from my face.

I missed my best friend.

I missed my husband.

I missed the simple life we all had half a year ago.

More than anything, what I wanted and wished for, was that we could go back in time and change the different directions we all had set out on at the forks in the road that intertwined our existences.

Paths that were chosen without ever stopping to pause and really consider where our choices might eventually take us.

Jake choosing to push Leah away.

Leah choosing to run away.

Edward choosing to become an actor overnight.

Jasper choosing to cheat on Alice.

Alice choosing to turn to designer drugs to help her numb the pain of betrayal.

Then there was me... The only thing I'd chosen to do was champion my husband's life changing decisions without ever publicly blinking an eye.

… And in the middle of it all I'd become pregnant, but was inevitably unable to protect the life I'd had growing inside of me, likely because I'd been too busy worrying about everyone else's problems.

My hands turned the wheel and I pulled into the long row of parking spots that lined the busier section of the boardwalk. I was surprised when I found an empty spot to pull into right in front of the pier. Things were already starting to look up, but the tears that were now falling down my cheeks we're only becoming heavier with every passing second as all the bad memories came tumbling down like dominos in my head.

The words from Jake's last text began to circle around me… him suggesting I google Edward's name, and that something had happened that he'd wanted to warn me about.

I shook myself in my seat forcefully side to side, sending my hair everywhere, and sticking strands of it to my dampened tear streaked face.

After taking in three deep breaths and slowly exhaling between each one, I rubbed the palms of my hands into my closed eyes and cleaned my face with the napkin that I'd pulled out from my bag beside me.

Once I got my breathing back under control, I removed myself from behind the steering wheel and mechanically got the stroller out from the back of the SUV to pop it open. It was chilly, windy and overcast. Ice cream would not be a popular hotspot by the pier today, but that in itself was probably a good thing. After getting the twins jackets onto their little bodies, I strapped them into their double stroller and began to make my way towards our favorite ice-cream spot.

As we neared the booth, I once again allowed all of my less than pleasant memories to take hold of me, replaying all the big events that had transpired over the last six months when so much had changed.

It wasn't just Jake refusing to take no for an answer.

No, It was all of the ups and downs… moments that didn't even involve him.

Moments like that night when Emmett's texts on Edward's phone had woken me up, and I'd cried hysterically over seeing photos of him with Maggie in his car captured by paparazzi... Memories of Edward shooting a sex scene on film for all the world to see, and who could forget our fun filled night when I'd gotten to watch Victoria hang all over my husband at the director's party while he'd acted as if it were just another day in the life of Edward M Cullen... Persistent flashbacks of my birthday when I'd learned I'd lost the life I'd had growing inside of me.

All of the less than joyous moments, and disappointing unplanned let downs… Everything all at once was pulling me under, and I suddenly felt like I was drowning in a sea of it all.

It hardly seemed fair that I'd only gotten to experience two short years of bliss before bullshit rooted itself back into my life again.

BTW you might want to Google your husband's name.

Interesting news…

Those words would not stop swirling around me now.

I glanced down at Madison and Aidan, and took in another deep breath to try and calm my emotions.

Now that we were in public, I knew I needed to hold it together, or I'd risk drawing attention to myself.

That's when I remembered I'd tossed my sunglasses into my bag yesterday for our day at the park.

My fingers quickly reached into my purse and began to feel around for the designer plastic frames Edward had bought for me last Christmas.

Edward.

By the way you might want to Google your husbands name.

Interesting news…

I pulled the stroller over to the side of the walkway and began to frantically search my bag, hoping, no, needing a shield to hide the emotions that were seriously beginning to drag me back under.

"Bella?"

I froze.

"What, you couldn't go more than thirty minutes without me, huh?"

I turned to look up and instantly lost all motor function to enunciate a proper sentence.

"I, we… he sent a text… then he-he was coming… so I… we, we left…then Edward… he said…did something happen with Edward? Do-do you know if something happened? We-we had a-a fight yesterday, and then he didn't ca-call last night. Is-is he okay? " I stuttered between my arrhythmic sobs, wishing now more than ever that I'd found those stupid pair of sunglasses ten seconds ago.

Garrett's face instantly lost its smile once he realized I was in actual distress and having a hard time catching my breath.

"Jesus, what happened?" He pulled me into him to hug me tightly against his chest to try and calm me down. I looked down and saw both of the twins looking up at us, no doubt trying to understand why we'd stopped moving towards the ice cream booth, and why their mother was now crying into someone's chest in the middle of the boardwalk.

That's when I noticed the three strangers standing close by, watching, but not watching.

"No, I'm fine. Go. I just need a minute. God. I'm so embarrassed. Forget you saw me. I- I'll be fine. I just had to get away. I needed to get out of that house."

"It was Jake, wasn't it? I'm going to kill that son of a bitch. He must have literally been sitting by a window waiting for me to leave, just waiting for his moment."

I nodded, because I knew trying to form words was once again pointless.

Garrett was now busy on his phone, but I couldn't tell what he was pulling up. I saw his face go blank though, and then his eyes got wide for a few seconds before he quickly stuffed it back into his pocket.

He reached out and took my bag from me to pull my own phone out without even asking, then opened its screen to check my text messages. I watched his eyes scan the words Jake and I had shared, left to right, then top to bottom and saw his face turn more red with every second that passed.

"You really blocked him, right?"

I nodded again, slowly this time, then took my phone back from him to slide it into my pocket, not wanting to see Jake's words on my screen again.

"Okay good. Listen, I know you don't want me to, but I'm going to have to call Edward. I need to speak with him-"

"No!" I shouted, quickly interrupting him, "What did he mean I should Google his name? What happened? Please, just tell me."

Garrett looked past me towards his friends and shuffled his weight side to side a few times while avoiding my stare.

"What happened, Garrett?! Is he okay?" My voice was shrill, but I didn't care.

"As far as I know, he's physically fine. Let's just get you home. We can talk more there."

I was so confused.

"No! Ice-cream!" Maddie yelled out, obviously having heard Garrett suggest we leave.

"We're not going home."

"Fine. We'll go first. My buddies will be with me just in case Jake is still there looking to start anything. I'll call you when everything is quiet, and then you can come back. Go get them their ice-cream. Let's keep things as normal as possible for them. I'm going to have Kate stay with you though. I don't want you to be alone right now."

My eyes went wide.

The idea of having a stranger babysit me was not at all what I wanted.

"Garrett-"

"You'll like her. I promise. Kate, come here!" I watched him wave his friend over and noticed right away how tall and pretty she was with her snow white skin, and wavy dark black hair. She looked apprehensive to join us, but within seconds she was moving herself in our direction.

"Kate, I'd like you to meet my friend Bella."

"Hi, Bella, I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to finally meet you in person."

I forced a smile and nodded my head, unsure of how to respond without sounding like a fake Hollywood type.

I mean Garrett had never once mentioned her name until about thirty minutes ago on his way out the door.

"Something happened back at the house. I'm going to head over there with the guys to evaluate the situation. Can you stay here with Bella and the kids?"

I felt like such a child standing there staring at my feet while Garrett took control of my life.

"Yeah, sure. No problem. Just um, you know… don't get into too much trouble. We don't have bail money with us."

He laughed at her statement and reached out to give my hand a tender squeeze. "Everything is going to be fine. We will talk more when you get home. Don't start thinking the worst, because it's not the worst. Okay? Go get the kids chocolate wasted, and try to not over think any of this. It's all going to be okay."

I took in a deep breath and forced myself to nod obediently while I avoided his eyes. He let out an impulsive huff and slowly bent down to address the twins.

"You guys enjoy your ice-cream. Be good for your mommy, and my friend Kate."

"Yes, Garr-farret!" Maddie proclaimed without missing a beat.

I felt a small smile spread across my lips, but quickly cleared it before anyone else could notice.

It felt wrong to smile right now.

So wrong.

… And I still wasn't entirely sure why that was.

He rubbed the tops of their heads with his hand, then stood up to give my upper arm one more squeeze before leaving Kate and I behind to join his buddies across the board walk.

I remained still, watching him talk things over with his friends for a few seconds until Kate casually cleared her throat beside me.

"Um, so the ice-cream place, is it this way?" she asked, forcing my attention back onto her. I nodded, but said nothing. Garrett turned one more time to look in our direction and offered us a nod from his head before him and his two male friends began to walk towards the parking lot.

"Yeah, this way." I mumbled, then repositioned myself behind the stroller to begin pushing it before me.

We walked in silence, but we didn't have far to go.

I left the kids with her at our usual bench while I got them both chocolate ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry on top, then quickly returned to hand them each one of the cups, so that I could take my own seat.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked if you wanted anything."

She smiled and shook her head, "I'm fine. We'd just eaten lunch. Garrett was showing us where he'd gotten his big break out here." She redirected her gaze over towards the spot where I myself had first met her friend, and for a moment I found myself able to smile again.

"Yup. That's where James found him. Pretty crazy how something as simple as being in the right place at the right time can totally change a person's destiny."

My words obviously held more meaning to me than she would ever understand, but there was no way I could ever explain that to her.

"It is crazy, but also entirely believable. Garrett said he'd come out here and make something of his art. People laughed, but I knew he'd do it. When he sets a goal, he never fails. He will force doors open if he has to, or even break through windows. Whatever it takes to get what he wants."

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I quickly pulled it out, finding Edward's face smiling on its screen. I frowned for a moment, contemplating on whether or not it was a good idea to actually answer.

I don't know why, but I felt like I needed to be both prepared, and also alone when we spoke the next time.

… I already knew I was far from being prepared.

"Um, do you think, do you think you could answer this for me? Just tell him who you are, and that I'm in the bathroom with one of the twins."

She looked surprised by my request, but ultimately extended her hand out to take my phone from me.

"It's my husband. His name is-"

"Edward, yeah, like I said, Garrett has told us a lot about you. No need to explain anything else."

I narrowed my eyes, instantly wondering just how much Garrett had actually told his friends about my husband and I.

"Hi, Edward… yes, she's fine. No my name is Kate, I'm a friend of Garrett's, we're here visiting from Tennessee. Yeah, we're having a great time, thanks… well, she took your daughter down to the bathroom to clean her up… yeah, we just had some ice cream by the pier. I have your son here… would you like to say hello?"

Wow, she's actually really good at this.

"Oh, okay, well, I will tell her you called, but it looks like her phone's battery is about to die… oh yeah, look at that, five percent left, so she might have to call you after we get back to the house."

Like, really really good.

"Yup, nice talking with you too. Ciao!"

I almost laughed.

"Did you just say 'Ciao'?"

"What? I could hear people speaking Italian in the background." she laughed, and I felt my shoulders relax a little more.

"Thank you."

"No worries. Everyone needs a break from adulting from time to time."

I instantly remembered Garrett using that same phrase with me more than once.

"You and Garrett are close, huh?"

She smiled and nodded, but said nothing else. I could already tell there was a lot more to their story, but I didn't want to scare her away from sharing it all with me too soon, so I backed off.

"Momma, na-kin!" Maddie requested, bringing my attention back down to her. I quickly pulled a wet wipe from my purse and leaned down to wipe her chin and hands after taking her empty ice cream cup from her hand. Aidan was still working on his… although half of it seemed to be on his face and shirt rather than making it all the way to his mouth.

I was so tempted to pull up my Google app and type in Edward's name.

So, so, so very tempted.

My fingers were actually twitching, begging me to do it.

"How exactly did you two even meet? He never told us that story. I mean I know you're doing a show together, but he's alluded that he'd actually met you before all of that had fallen into place."

I smiled and nodded my head. "We also first met on this pier, right over there where James found him a few weeks later actually. I'd brought my stepdaughter here for ice cream, and he was drawing portraits for money. I'd brushed him off that day, thinking he was just some creep, looking for a quick ten bucks, or my phone number, but then the universe insisted on making our paths cross once again a second time, then a third, and now here we are."

"Wow, if you weren't married, I'd say all of that sounded rather romantic."

I laughed and shook my head, "Garrett's become one of my best friends. Nothing more, but most importantly, nothing less. He seemed to step into our lives at just the right time, to be totally honest."

She smiled and nodded her head again, then redirected her gaze back out towards the ocean. "He's said the same about you. Being his newest best friend, I mean. I'm glad he was able to find someone out here to help keep him grounded. He needed that. His mom has been so worried."

I frowned hearing her admit that his family had been concerned, and apparently for quite sometime.

Especially, since his mom was so sick now.

"He really has been doing well. I'm not just saying that. Sure, he hasn't gotten his own place yet or anything, but that's been because he's made friends who have wanted to help make things easier on him, so he'd be able to really pursue his dream out here. Our show is going to open so many doors for him. I truly believe that."

"Sounds like our Garrett. I'm just glad he's doing okay, and it wasn't all talk when he was back home last week trying to make his parents happy, and proud of him. He's certainly lucky to have found you, and landed in your lap."

I laughed again, but this time a bit more apprehensively, not really understanding what she'd meant by that last part exactly.

Just then, Aidan tossed his empty ice cream cup on the ground, so I leaned over to pick it up, then kneeled down in front of him to clean his face and hands with a fresh wet wipe. My eyes casually glanced up to catch Kate staring down at me, but she immediately looked away then coughed into her hand nervously.

"We could probably go ahead and make our way to the car. He should be calling any minute. The house is right up the street, so it shouldn't have taken them too long."

She remained silent, but stood up to follow me back down the boardwalk towards the parking lot once I'd thrown our garbage away in the nearby trash can.

"How long are you guys in town for?" I asked, wanting to break the awkward silence we'd been sharing for the last twenty yards.

"Two more days. We're going to head up to Portland before flying home. I was hoping to talk Garrett into joining us, since it took us three days to finally get him to come meet up with us."

I let an impulsive frown escape across my face, but quickly redirected it.

"That sounds like fun. Leave it all to me, I'll insist that he go."

She smiled in response, then pulled her phone out from her small leather hip bag, so I decided to check mine as well. It began to ring almost as soon as I'd grasped it in my hand.

It was Garrett.

"Hey,"

"Hey, he's not here. I went over there, but he didn't answer the door. He's not going to bother you as long as I'm here, though, so I just won't leave your side 'till Edward gets back. I could think of worse ways to spend the next week of my life."

I laughed nervously, and shook my head as if he could see me.

"No, you won't need to do that. I'll go get the restraining order reinstated before Jane drops off Bree for the weekend. That way I can personally tell her to let her booty call buddy know he can't come within a hundred and fifty feet of me again."

I saw Kate's eyes go wide and found myself forcing a nervous smile to match her own.

"Okay, we'll talk more when you get home. I'll be outside incase he's waiting for you to get back."

I agreed to what he'd said, and quickly put my phone away, then filled Kate in that we could head back to the house. She silently helped me buckle the twins into their car seat, and every once in awhile, I'd again steal a glance her way only to catch her watching me, almost as if she were studying my every move.

It was honestly starting to creep me out a little, to the point where I was on the verge of calling her out on it.

"Do you have kids?" I asked, looking for a way to refocus her attention.

"Me? No!" She laughed, "I do have a lot of brothers and sisters, though, and I am the oldest."

I considered continuing the conversation by commenting on how nice it must have been to grow up in a big family, but once the car was moving, my thoughts began traveling at a much faster pace, almost as if it were trying to keep up with every palmtree we passed by… pairing each one with another uncomfortable memory I was currently trying my best to forget.

I could only imagine what Garrett's friend must have been thinking... I mean, her first impression of me was beyond embarrassing. I was also sure there had to be at least a small part of her that blamed me for Garrett not meeting up with them sooner, and now once he finally did, here I was getting in the way of their vacation, and time together.

"Wow, this… this house is amazing."

We'd arrived, and I hadn't even realized we'd pulled onto my street.

That in itself was just a little bit terrifying.

"You actually live ON the beach!"

"Yeah. Home sweet home. My best friend lives next door with her husband, my ex is currently staying with them, but they're out of town and he's still over there, hence the fresh drama in my life, which you've accidently been forced into. I am so so sorry for all of this. An hour ago, I never could have imagined I'd be sitting here with you like this."

She raised her hand, signaling for me to stop my randomly rushed outburst.

"Don't apologize. Any friend of Garrett's is a friend of ours, and we always help our friends. It's a southern thing."

I forced a smile and turned the SUV off, then took in another deep breath.

Garrett, had been sitting with Marc and Alec in the garage having a beer, but he'd leaped up the minute I'd pulled in to open my car door for me.

I slid myself out of the seat and kept my eyes at the ground as I walked past him to pull Maddie out from the back. He took her from my arms and then silently nodded his head for me to come inside with Aidan.

After getting in the house, my son wrapped his arms around my neck and planted a kiss onto my cheek, eliciting the truest smile I'd felt all day.

"I already called Mrs. Coupe and asked her to come over. She's going to take the kids down to the guest house for a little while." He casually stated, as he set Maddie down onto the ground in the middle of the living room.

This news upset me, "Garrett! I gave her the day off."

"And now you need some unplanned time off. She understands, and she is more than happy to help out. This is the exact reason why Edward had her come over and stay down in the guest house, so relax, Bella."

His take charge tone caused me to cross my arms in front of my chest. Just then, the back door opened and Mrs. Coupe's smiling face was passing through the threshold as if it were any other day of the week.

"Hello dear, are the twins all ready for our big sleepover party?"

"Sleepover? What sleepover?"

Now, I was feeling annoyed, and confused.

"Just, please trust me. This is best." Garrett gently whispered, with a worrisome expression sneaking across his face.

My phone began to buzz.

I pulled it out from my back pocket, and for the first time since his initial call, I saw Edward's smiling face looking back at me on its screen. My index finger hit the ignore button, and I felt my heart rate begin to accelerate once again. Before I could return the damn thing to my pocket it began to buzz a second time. I quickly hit the ignore button but again, but his name instantly popped back up on my screen before I could even start to put it away.

I suddenly felt the need to sit down.

"Coupe, I'll bring them down with you, then drop off their PJ's and other stuff a little later with some pizza. Bella, why don't you go wait for me in Edward's office. Guy's, just give me five minutes. You can wait for me outside if you'd be more comfortable."

I'd totally forgotten we had a small audience on the other side of the room.

I glanced over at Garrett's friends and saw Kate messing around on her phone with a serious expression on her face.

My phone buzzed, stealing my attention, again but this time it was a text.


.Edward.

I love you.

Above all else, remember that.

I need you to answer.

I need you to talk to me.

(2:28 pm)


My hand began to shake as it held my phone in place before my eyes. Four short sentences. He didn't say too much for a reason. He wanted me to hear what he had to say, from his lips directly to my ears.

It was that important.

I didn't think I was ready to hear anything from him yet… no… not until I knew what it was that had happened to bring on all of this random chaos.

I needed to process it all for myself, and then I'd be able to listen and reflect after hearing his words.

Without saying anything to anyone, I bent down and kissed my kids at the tops of their heads, then gave them each a tight hug before lifting them up into Garrett's waiting arms with a low grunt escaping past my lips.

"I'll come find you in a few minutes. Go."

I nodded obediently and began to make my way towards the back of the house, then down the long hallway that would take me into the master bedroom, so I could splash some water on my face and take something for the heachache that was starting to develop at my temples.

My phone wouldn't stop going off.

Literally, every ten to fifteen seconds it would start to vibrate again.

I tossed it onto the bed and quickly threw every pillow I could find in the room on top of it, then went into the closet to pull out my big comfy sweatshirt that I'd had since I was a teenager.

Still to this day, it was used as my security blanket when no one else was around to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay.

After washing my face in the bathroom, and popping two pain relievers for my head, I found myself staring at my reflection in the mirror above the sink. When I could take no more of the sad broken girl who stared back at me, I turned myself around and went out into the bedroom, then walked over to the window to glance across the yard towards Alice's house.

It looked quiet.

Normally this time of day, Jake would be out on the porch working on a song.

Today was not a normal day.

I'd learned that about an hour ago, and now found myself wishing I could go back in time and reboot to set things in motion a little differently.

There was a light tap at the door.

For a moment, I considered running into the walk in closet and barricading myself inside. When I said nothing, the knob began to turn and out of the corner of my eye I saw the door slowly crack open.

"Bella, it's me. Can I come in?"

"Go ahead." I replied, still not turning around from the window though. "Let's just get it over with, Garrett. Like ripping off a bandaid, right? What did he do this time?" I asked just above a whisper, once I could feel him standing behind me.

"Why don't you come sit down with me?" he carefully suggested, after placing his hands over my shoulders and giving them a light pulse. I let him guide me towards the day sofa in the corner of the room, then slow sat myself down while keeping my eyes set on my hands in my lap.

"Have you talked to him yet?" I questioned, just as Garrett took a seat beside me with an ipad now in his hand.

"I did just before you got here. I didn't tell him about Jake yet. He seemed to already have enough going on. He didn't need to know Jake had been the one to try and throw all of this at you as soon as it hit the internet."

I shifted my weight nervously and leaned myself back to sink my body further into the cushions of the sofa. I already knew it would be something that involved Maggie. I could tell just by the way Garrett was handling it. He seemed to be just as bothered as I was, but he was doing a better job at still functioning like a human being.

No matter how many times he'd tell me he was totally over Maggie, I could always see through him.

It was a typical male defense mechanism after having your heart broken by a woman.

Deny, deny, deny.

"Well, let's hear it. Are there pictures, video, both?"

He let out a sigh and then tapped the screen of the ipad he was now holding over his knee.

"I went ahead and asked my friends to leave. They took my van. I'll get it back later. I just thought it be best."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I think I did. No worries, though, they understood."

He paused his fingers over the internet bar and leaned back beside me, "Okay. So, apparently, last night Edward, Maggie, Ben and the rest of the traveling crew went out for dinner and had some drinks at some underground club afterwards. A couple of American tourists snapped some pictures and got some short video clips of them at dinner and sent them to the typical celebrity news outlets… so this stuff is going to be hitting the mainstream media circuit tonight… there are some photos where Maggie is… well-"

"Spit it out, Garrett."

"She's sitting in his lap, whispering in his ear and playing with his ear lobe and his hair almost obsessively. The media already knows about her weird habit with ears, so they're of course running with the story that it's a sign they're hooking up off screen. Some people also sent in statements that they overheard them talking at their table, and that Edward said you'd forced him to drop out of the Arno Smith film because of his prior relationship with Victoria."

I looked up into his eyes for the first time since we'd arrived home. So far, what he'd told me didn't seem so bad. I was pissed, sure… it opened up the opportunity for people to whisper and question things, but still… it just sounded like Maggie was being Maggie, and Edward was stuck in the middle of an awkward situation. I knew better than to believe he would ever actually say I was the decider when it came to him quitting the Smith movie.

He would never do that, even if it was true.

"Something new happened though, about two hours ago, and that's what I think Jake was referring to, and it's why Edward is trying so desperately to get a hold of you now. The other stuff, was nothing, typical buzz to get more chatter going about the film… but then this came out and well, it basically gives them plenty to write and talk about, because there's some real video, but I don't think you need to watch it-"

"Play the video, Garrett."

"Bella, I don't think,"

"I don't care what you think! Play. The. Goddamn. Video!" I shouted, louder than I had meant to.

"Okay, but before I do, I want you to remember, this is still just two minutes and thirty seconds of a brief moment. There's so much more we don't know or get to see. You still need to hear Edward out."

I nodded my head and placed my chin into my cupped hands where I had propped my elbows over my knees. My eyes remained frozen on the screen in Garrett's lap. When he still didn't move, I impulsively reached out to tap the damn play button myself.


A/N: And that's where I'm leaving you. Don't be mad… the next chapter is already with my beta so you can expect another update within the next week or so.

There's still so so much to learn, so don't jump on Edward just yet.

Jake sure did spring into action, though, didn't he?

What are we thinking so far? Are we still feeling the Garrett love?

I'd love to hear from you.

*Reviews make me smile!*

*As thanks for making me smile I will pay it forward with an outtake of Bella and Edward's actual argument on the phone from the night before all hell broke loose.*