Disclaimer: Anything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer
Chapter 33 – Call To Arms
"We should go talk to Renee." Edward sighed, coming to the decision that if he couldn't keep Bella safe, she had the right to know what he'd got her daughter caught up in. As much as he didn't want to face up to it all, it wasn't just about him anymore so it was time he stopped trying to pretend everything was ok and actually dealt with it.
"I can talk to her later." Bella suggested instead since he was already upset and she didn't want to make it any worse. He didn't need to be there, she could explain it just as well once he'd gone home so he wouldn't have to relive it all.
"No, I should be there. I've put you in danger; she should be able to ask whatever questions she wants." He said as he pulled out of her arms and she could see the resolve in his eyes but it didn't convince her.
"I can answer her questions. I know how hard it is for you to talk about. You really don't need to do this."
"I do." He countered, running a hand through his hair, "I can't just keep hoping it'll all go away. Not now it involves Lucy and there's the possibility they'll pull you into it as well."
"That still doesn't mean you have to tell Renee about it. I bought you here for a break from it all. Just let me talk to her once you're home." Bella tried again only for Edward to shake his head and frown.
"No. No matter how much I'd like to just forget about it all it's time I faced up to it. It's my mess. She's going to want to know everything and I understand that. There's nothing I can do to change things so the least I can do is explain it myself." He responded stubbornly.
"Edward you really don't have to do this." Bella argued but his mind was made up and nothing she said would change it. It was his fault Bella was in danger and Renee had every right to be furious with him for it so it had to be him who explained what was going on. He wasn't going to let Bella take the blame for the situation she was in and he knew she'd try to if he wasn't there.
"Come on, we better do it now before I have chance to change my mind." He mumbled, moving to his feet and forcing Bella to take a step back as she continued to stare up at him uncertainly.
"Are you sure?" She asked one last time and when he nodded she sighed and gave in with a mutter of needing a minute to sort out her hair. Grabbing the towel from her head she let her damp hair fall down around her shoulders before going over to the mirror that hung on the wall near the door. She picked up a bottle off the top of the bookshelves there and sprayed a little on her hair before running her fingers through it.
"Let's go then." She muttered, satisfied that her hair wouldn't dry into a frizzy mess but still unsure that Edward talking to Renee was a good idea.
Opening her door she waited for Edward to reach her and then took hold of his hand as they made their way downstairs. Once there Bella looked into the living room and seeing the girls settled on the floor with dolls scattered around them and a Barbie movie playing on the TV she caught Renee's attention and nodded towards the kitchen. Renee got the idea and followed them through after checking with the girls that they'd be ok and telling them to call if they wanted anything.
"So...are you going to tell me what's going on?" She asked once they'd settled down around the table each with a mug of tea. Bella's glare didn't faze her as she concentrated on Edward who looked distinctly uncomfortable but determined at the same time. He started to speak, beginning right from the night of the party as he relayed everything that had happened since. Bella was stunned as he went through it all in detail, not missing anything out as she'd never heard him talk about it so smoothly before. Looking at him closely she could tell he'd somehow shut himself off from what he was saying, so it was almost like a story, something that had happened to someone else that he was just repeating. It was disconcerting and slightly horrifying and not just for how detached he was. What he was actually saying was just as bad. So far they'd only heard it in little parts, one at a time. Hearing it all put together was so much worse and she started to feel sick. She really didn't want to hear it anymore but as he continued to talk she reached out to take hold of his hand and gripped onto it. Whether she was offering him her support, or looking for support herself she wasn't quite sure.
When he got to the end of everything he knew Edward finally looked up and though he didn't know what he'd expected from Renee in response the blank stare he received certainly wasn't it.
"Well that's quite a rough time you've been having." She eventually said calmly and unsure what to make of the comment Edward glanced to Bella to see she was looking at Renee like she'd grown a second head. Obviously she hadn't been expecting such a calm reaction either.
"Mum...what?" Bella spluttered. Level headed was one of the last things she had ever thought Renee to be and though she'd been all set for a fight when it came to her continuing to see Edward, Renee's actual reaction had totally thrown her.
"Edward I appreciate your openness and honesty and I can see that there's very little that can be done. While I don't like the fact Bella is mixed up in this, it's obviously not your fault and I want you to know I don't blame you at all. If there is anything we can do to help, let me know. I know this probably goes without saying but I want you both to be careful. Don't go anywhere on your own and Bella I want to know where you are at all times and make sure you always have your mobile phone with you and fully charged." She stated just as calmly before she smiled a little at the shocked expression on Bella's face.
"You're not going to try and stop me from seeing him?" Bella finally asked stunned that all she had asked was for them to be careful which was hardly a deterrent as they'd both already been planning that.
"I don't see what the point in that would be. By the sounds of it he's been watching Edward for so long he's going to know exactly what you mean to him whether you're actually together or not. Since it won't make a difference to your safety now, I'd rather see the both of you happy. I've always liked Edward, I've got no problem with the two of you being together, I was just worried about you." Renee responded with a shrug, "Just keep me informed with what's going on."
"Thank you. I'm so sorry I got Bella caught up in this." Edward said quietly, feeling the need to apologise again even though both Bella and Renee had told him it wasn't his fault. He couldn't ignore the fact that if he'd kept his distance from her right at the start there wouldn't have been any reason for James to take notice of her.
"It's really not your fault. When you first met Bella you didn't even know it was a personal attack. I don't want to hear you apologising again." Renee said sternly as she stood up from the table and on her way past him, leant down to wrap an arm around his shoulders in a brief hug. "You're a good man and I hope things get better for you soon. You don't deserve all this trouble."
The rest of their afternoon went a lot better after that. Renee made everyone sandwiches for lunch and after they'd played with the girls for a little while Renee shooed Edward and Bella off to spend some time together. As going out by themselves wasn't a good idea and Edward was reluctant to leave Lucy anyway Bella just took him back up to her room and they spent the afternoon cuddled up on her bed, listening to music and talking when they felt like it. It didn't take long for Bella to notice Edward's curiosity as his gaze kept being drawn to the photos attached to the walls so she spent a good deal of time telling him about some of the more memorable ones and explaining who all the people were.
Once she'd finished recounting her memories of when Anna was first born Edward confided that he didn't really have many photos from his years with Lucy and that he'd always wished he'd been there for her first few months. He'd never seen her as a new born and it was something he'd always regretted even though he'd had no choice in the matter. He promised to show her the photos he did have the next time she was at their flat though and his spirits were lifted considerably when Bella announced she could add to their collection before pointing out a group of photos he'd missed earlier on the wall behind them. Smiling back at him from the wall was a picture of himself, wearing the plastic tiara from Anna's birthday party with Lucy sitting on his knee and he was so happy to be a part of her wall of photos that he didn't even care that he looked totally ridiculous.
"I'll get you some copies printed." She told him and instead of responding he pulled her into a heated kiss which was interrupted when Renee knocked on the door.
Bella quickly scrambled out of Edward's lap but not quite quickly enough as Renee opened the door and looked in, smiling in amusement at their flushed faces as she informed them Lucy was asking for Edward.
"Is she ok?" He asked, running a hand through his hair in attempt to flatten it back into its' usual disarray rather than the chaos Bella's hands had left it in.
"She's fine, just tired I think." Renee answered.
"Guess its time we were heading home then." Edward commented as they both got up from the bed and Renee smiled wider watching them straighten their clothes, a clear sign of recently wandering hands. "I'll text Emmett."
"You sure? I could drive you." Bella offered, glaring a little at Renee who was obviously trying to not laugh at them. Getting the message, she turned and left, telling them they'd all be in the kitchen when they were ready.
"It's safer if Emmett comes here." Edward responded reluctantly. Although he had a slightly new outlook on things and he knew he was going to have to accept more of Emmett's help it still grated on his nerves. He'd put more effort into trying but he was certain it would take more patience and forgiveness than he had in him to get things back to a friendly relationship between them.
"Hmm I guess but he might be busy, Rosalie asked me to give him her number this morning. I think he was planning to do something with it today." She commented taking Edward by surprise before he sighed and shook his head.
"Well he's the one who keeps saying he wants to help. If that's true he'll come get us." Edward replied and as he did so his phone bleeped with an incoming text which he showed to Bella stating that Emmett was on his way. "Thanks for having us over."
"No need to thank me, it was for purely selfish reasons really." She responded, tugging him closer by his t-shirt so she could kiss him again.
"So it wasn't for taking my mind off things?" He commented, his eyes sparkling as the corner of his mouth twitched up into his crooked smile, just the way she loved.
"That was just the excuse to get Emmett to let you out the flat." She replied, "I think he's all for locking you in there until they've found some way to sort everything out."
"Ah...well please feel free to kidnap me whenever you want." He said not at all joking as if that really was Emmett's plan he was going to go crazy if he didn't think of a way to get out of there. He really hoped they'd let him go back to work.
"I'll see what I can do but I do have college work to do at some point." She answered seeing the seriousness in his light hearted comment.
"That doesn't matter...I can just sit quietly while you work, I promise." He assured her with a grin making her laugh as she shoved him through the door so they could get downstairs.
"Sure you can...that won't be distracting at all..." She retaliated so he turned to look at her with a pout and big sad green eyes, the same sad eyed expression that got Lucy whatever she wanted.
"That is so not fair...you can't do that!" She complained, successfully snapping him into a grin as he laughed so she lightly slapped his shoulder as she followed him down the stairs.
"Hey...you can't hit me...I'm hurt!" He teased, clutching at his ribs and trying but failing to look sad again as he couldn't quite wipe the smile off his face.
"Yeah...but that was nowhere near your ribs and you keep telling us all you're fine. You can't have it both ways!" She countered and he laughed again before pulling her into his side and kissing her temple as they hit the bottom of the stairs. He let go of her just as quickly as he'd grabbed her, heading for the kitchen but he turned and grinned at her before entering it and she could do nothing but smile stupidly back at him.
As soon as Edward entered the kitchen Lucy dropped the biscuit she'd been eating and held her arms out. Knowing exactly what she wanted Edward went straight to her and lifted her up, letting her wrap herself around him as he kissed her head.
"Tired sweetheart?" He asked quietly and she nodded against his shoulder. "Uncle Emmett's on his way to take us home."
"Don't wanna go." She murmured making him smile as he took a seat at the table so he wasn't holding her weight as although he'd been joking with Bella, his ribs actually were hurting as the painkillers had worn off a while ago.
"Me neither baby but you need a nap and Bella has college work to do." He told her before smiling distractedly at Bella as she walked past them to an empty seat, stroking a hand down one of Lucy's bunches as she passed.
"You can come back over soon Luce." She promised and Renee nodded along although she was focussed on Anna who was watching Lucy and Edward cuddle. She'd brightened up a lot during the day, Lucy's appearance had certainly helped but now Renee was beginning to wonder if part of her bad moods was related to her being jealous of them. She'd never liked Phil being away but she'd definitely been getting worse the closer they'd been getting to Edward and Lucy. It looked like they needed some bonding time. Phil was going to have to take a holiday.
Emmett arrived not long after and though Edward tried to persuade Lucy to walk out to the car she refused to let him put her down so he had to work on controlling his expression as his ribs protested strongly. He didn't think he'd fooled Bella though as she kissed his cheek and said goodbye to Lucy before whispering something to Emmett as he stood by the door waiting for them.
"I'll see you on Monday. Lucy, look after your daddy for me." Bella called after them as they made their way to the car. Lucy waved over Edward's shoulder and once he'd got her buckled into her car seat he turned around and waved to her as well as she stood in the open doorway watching them.
"Did you have a good day then?" Emmett asked as he drove hopeful that Bella had improved his mood enough for them to talk even though Edward had climbed into the back of the car alongside Lucy rather than taking the front passenger seat.
"Yes." He answered bluntly but Emmett took that for progress considering he'd been ignoring him completely on the drive to Bella's house.
"What did you do?" He tried again to be met with Edward's agitated sigh.
"Talked to Renee and hung out with Bella. Lucy played with Anna." He answered shortly and though Emmett wanted to ask what he'd talked to Renee about he guessed it would be better to wait until they were home and Lucy was in bed. Edward may have been answering but he didn't sound happy to be talking and he really didn't want to push it in the confines of the car.
Edward persuaded Lucy to take a nap once they got in as although it wasn't something she usually needed, her excitement in the morning had obviously worn her out and he didn't want to have a grumpy, tired Lucy for the rest of the night. Unfortunately that meant he was left on his own with Emmett who he could just tell was itching to ask a million questions. He still wasn't sure how he felt about Emmett and really didn't want to talk to him yet but sinking down into the sofa he was already annoyed by Emmett's fidgeting.
"What?" He snapped, startling Emmett and making him stare at him wide eyed rather than saying anything which only further irritated Edward. "You want to say something, so just say it."
"What did you talk to Renee about?" Emmett blurted out the first thing that came to mind, still a little shocked by Edward's abruptness and when Edward groaned and grabbed at his hair he really wished his mind could act before his mouth for once and that he'd asked something a little less intrusive to start with.
"She wanted to know what was going on. What I'd got Bella caught up in so I told her." He muttered letting his hand fall from his hair as he leant back into the sofa and closed his eyes. It may have done him good getting it out like that but he really wasn't up for repeating it all again to Emmett, especially as he already knew it all anyway. Still, with his new resolution to face things he was resigned to answering Emmett's questions. He just hoped he'd let him keep the answers brief and leave him in peace for the rest of the day.
"How much of it did you tell her?" Emmett asked warily seeing from Edward's expression and posture that something had changed while he was at Bella's to make him more open but he could also tell they were in a very fragile truce and it wouldn't take much to bring Edward's anger back full force.
"Everything."
"Everything? " Emmett queried and when Edward nodded it brought a wave of hurt over him as he realised that Edward seemed so determined to shut him out yet he'd happily talk to someone he didn't even really know. They'd had to fight for every little bit of information they'd got out of him yet all she'd had to do was ask. It should not have been like that. "I don't get it, why can you talk to her about it so easily but not me?"
"She needed to know. Bella's her daughter and I got her into this whole mess so explaining it all was the least I could do and it wasn't easy so I'd rather not go over it all again right now." Edward answered tersely finding it hard to keep his temper with Emmett asking stupid questions.
"We needed to know too! How do you expect us to keep you safe when you don't talk to us." Emmett asked frustrated and at a loss as to what to do with his brother.
"That's the thing...I don't expect you to keep me safe. Nothing is going to stop James, doesn't matter what you think you know."
"You don't know that!" Emmett countered beginning to have trouble controlling his anger with Edward showing he had already given up before they'd even tried.
"Oh I do. All that can be done is to try and keep other people out of it so if that means letting you stay here for Lucy and telling Renee so they can all look out for Bella then I'll do that." He responded with a strange sense of calmness that only riled Emmett up further.
"So you'll make the effort to keep other people safe yet when it comes to yourself you won't even try?" He asked totally flabbergasted as it became apparent just how little Edward actually cared for himself. It was starting to sound like he didn't think he was worth caring about, that James could do what he liked to him and it wouldn't matter.
"Of course I'll try, which is why I want to go back to work by the way but I'm not fooling myself into believing a little talking will solve everything." Edward shot back.
"How is going back to work going to help? Bella told me about your coughing fit this morning which reminds me you still need to take your painkillers by the way. If you go back while you're still ill you won't need to wait for James to put you back in hospital, you'll put yourself there."
"That was a one off, I've been feeling a lot better and Garrett would be there at work, and the rest of the staff, surely that's safer than sitting in here on my own every day." Edward argued really wishing Emmett would listen to him for once rather than just writing of the idea straight away. He'd thought about it a lot on the way home from Bella's and he was sure it was the best place for him.
"And how are you going to get there? There is no way you're walking around by yourself. They've already attacked you on your way to work once." Emmett pointed out but Edward had no intention of walking, he knew that would be asking for trouble and whether Emmett believed it or not he really didn't want to be an easy target. Knowing there was nothing that could be done to stop James did not mean he was just going to roll over and let him do what he liked.
"Well Esme's giving us a lift every morning to Lucy's school and picking her up each night. Garrett's is on her way and my shifts are when Lucy's in school so I was going to ask if she could drop me off there. It'd be easier for her than needing to drive me back here in the mornings." He answered quickly, stunning Emmett once more since he was actually thinking of asking for help and willing to accept it for once. Put like that it didn't even sound like that much of a bad idea and it was encouraging to finally see a sign of Edward trying to look out for himself for a change.
"Oh, I guess that make sense then but you need to let Carlisle check you over and talk to Garrett first." He commented unable to think of any other reasons to disagree with him. It did actually make sense the more he thought about it and he knew Garrett would keep an eye on him for them. In a lot of ways it would actually be better than him staying home so long as he didn't overdo it and someone drove him to and from the shop. Between them all they ought to be able to make it work.
"I'll call him later." Edward easily agreed to Emmett's condition as he'd already expected he'd have to get the ok from Carlisle and he was happy that Emmett was going to go along with it. He really hadn't wanted to have to fight everyone over it but he couldn't have stood spending another week cooped up in the flat. Aside from going crazy from boredom he was certain he wouldn't have fared too well from the paranoia by the end of the week either. Working was definitely the better option.
"Good. So how did Renee react to everything?" Emmett asked, going back to their original conversation since there was nothing else to be said about him going back to work until they'd spoken to Carlisle.
"Surprisingly well." Edward answered still finding it strange that she'd taken it so calmly. He certainly hadn't been able to do the same when Emmett had put Lucy in danger.
"How so?" Emmett asked since he was doing well at getting answers for once and his curiosity was peaked.
"She wants Bella to be careful, and to be kept informed and that was about all she said."
"I guess that's good then." Emmett commented a little surprised that was all she'd had to say before they lapsed into an awkward silence that lasted until Lucy sleepily stumbled into the room an hour later announcing she was hungry.
When Edward went to bed that night the first thing he saw when he entered his room was the t-shirt he'd leant Bella neatly folded up on his bed. It put a smile on his face after the tense, awkward evening spent with Emmett after Lucy had gone to bed. Their brief truce before her nap hadn't lasted as although Edward wasn't quite as hostile, seeing Emmett playing with Lucy and chatting to her happily just reminded him that he'd put her in danger so by the time Lucy had fallen asleep any lingering ideas of being pleasant towards him had drifted.
Picking up the t-shirt he lifted it up to his face and inhaled deeply, instantly being swamped with the unique calming scent of Bella. He couldn't even identify what it was, whether it was a fragrance she wore, just her natural scent or a combination of the two but whatever it was he loved it. After swapping it for the t-shirt he had been wearing and pulling off his jeans, he climbed into bed on the side Bella had slept in the night before and nuzzled into the pillow there, finding an unexpected peaceful sleep almost instantly when being cocooned in her scent allowed his mind to go straight back to the night before, giving him dreams of sleeping with her in his arms.
For the first time in the last few weeks Edward was reluctant to wake up from his dreams. When he awoke to the grumble of the heating turning on and the slam of the bathroom door suggesting Emmett was up it was with a groan that he opened his eyes. On a night when his nightmares should have been more vivid than ever after the detailed description of everything that had happened to him he had given Renee Bella's magic ability to make his concerns vanish had come into play and he'd dreamed of her all night instead.
The dreams had started innocently enough, replaying the way they'd fallen asleep together but they'd soon turned into a type of dream he'd never had before as it deviated from what had really happened and developed into what he'd wished would have happened and they'd woken up wrapped in each other arms. Their good morning kiss had turned heated and with his memories all too willing to provide fuel for his dreams they'd seemed so real. He'd been able to feel the way she'd felt settled against him as if she'd been there and in his dreams neither of them had felt the need to pull back.
Intoxicated by her, his inhibitions seemed destroyed as their tongues had fought for dominance and their wandering hands grew in boldness. Where Bella's hands had started out in his hair, just as they usually did, they had soon fallen to tickle beneath his t-shirt exactly as they had in reality only when she'd hit his ribs instead of pulling away they'd continued their path to explore his chest. He'd felt more alive than ever before, like everywhere their skin touched, she pulsed electricity through him.
Unable to stand the intensity of it and in search of a way to relieve it, he'd broken away from her mouth to attack her neck which just made it worse when she moaned and leaned her head to the side to give him more access before her hands had fallen from his chest to grab hold of the bottom of his t-shirt and tug it up forcing him to stop his attention on her neck as she brought it over his head. He'd sat stunned and incapacitated as she'd then quickly pulled her own t-shirt off revealing her to be bare underneath it. His imagination made her appear as perfect, smooth, porcelain skin although he was sure it wouldn't be anywhere close to the real perfection that hid beneath her clothing.
In his dream he'd been just as inept as he thought he would be as she'd had to lift his hands and press them against her breasts to break him from just staring at her in wonder. With whispered words of encouragement she'd squeezed her hands around his to tighten his grip before letting go and returning her hands to his hair as she'd pulled him into a kiss more ferocious than any they'd shared before. That had distracted him from his stunned thoughts as he'd fallen even further under her spell and his hands had started to move on their own, exploring the unbelievably soft skin underneath them and learning where and how to touch as Bella moaned and arched into his hands before starting to move her hips against his. His body had reacted accordingly and he had matched her movements, pushing himself against her before he couldn't take much more of it and he'd stopped his hands' explorations so he could crush her against him in an unstoppable urge to be closer.
It was as Bella had snaked a hand down from his hair and in between them, pressing against his erection that he'd woken and as he thought about it now, he realised it wasn't the heating turning on, or Emmett closing a door too loudly that had woken him.
Just thinking about the dream had caused his body to react and as he stared down at himself in disgust it was apparent that even in his dream he hadn't been able to ignore the feelings that had been imprinted on him from his encounter with Jessica. His body may have been excited and craving more but the feel of it evoked the notion that it was wrong, dirty, unwanted. Even the dream was tainted now and he felt disgusting to have been thinking of Bella like that. Deep down he knew that was ridiculous, that it was normal for guys his age to have dreams like that, that it was normal to want to act out the dream and that Bella probably wouldn't even object but right then that didn't seem to make a difference. It still felt all wrong to him. He hoped in time it would change but he knew it would be a while yet before he'd be able to let Bella touch him that way.
Shaking his head to try and dispel those thoughts and hang on to the happier feelings he'd initially woken up with he decided to get out of bed. At least the fact he was even having dreams like that and was able to think about them while awake suggested he was making progress. Things had been going really well with Bella so he tried to focus on that rather than what was still to be worked on. It was all part of the positive way of thinking Bella had tried to install in him and it seemed to be working as he managed to maintain a smile throughout the morning even when Emmett started pestering him to find out what was making him so happy.
They spent the morning finishing up the homework Lucy had from Friday then Carlisle and Esme visited in the afternoon. After checking Edward over Carlisle agreed that going back to work could be a good idea and promised to ring Garrett and let him know which pleased Edward. Emmett used the rest of the afternoon trying to persuade Edward to let him get the internet installed in the flat since he was in such a good mood he wasn't even glaring at him. It took a while but he eventually gave in when Emmett promised to make sure they weren't bound to a contract so it could be cancelled at any time and assured him that since it was purely for his benefit, he'd be paying for everything it involved. That turned out to work in Edward's favour when Emmett spent the rest of the day trying to sort it out as it kept him from asking Edward any more questions.
When Bella called just before Edward got in to bed she was pleasantly surprised to find he was in a good mood when he happily informed her he was allowed to go back to work. He wasn't sure when his first shift would be but he was hopeful it would be Tuesday. Carlisle had promised to call Garrett as soon as they got home so he was really hopeful Garrett would ring him the following day. Laughing at his excitement she asked how the rest of his day had been and they spent over an hour just chatting before they both started yawning and Bella forced them to hang up with the promise of seeing him the next day.
Standing at the school gates Edward was bubbling with excitement which had rubbed off on Lucy and was amusing Bella as they waited for the bell to ring. Garrett had phoned just before they'd left the flat to say that he would be visiting once they got back as he had some good news for him. That combined with the fact Esme had asked Bella if she'd be able to pick Lucy up that afternoon as she'd got an unexpected work meeting that might run late she could do with attending and Bella had agreed, saying she and Anna could even stay for an hour or so had resulted in a very giddy Edward.
He'd been chasing Lucy around threatening to tickle her when Bella and Anna had arrived at the gates and then Lucy had kissed his cheek and dragged Anna into the playground. They were now watching the children playing the game of tag Lucy had managed to rope her class into and Bella was left feeling sorry for their teacher as her hyperactivity seemed to be rubbing off on a lot of the other children. She didn't dwell on it for long though as Edward wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her back into his chest before resting his chin on her shoulder.
"I feel sorry for their teacher. You've created a monster." Bella commented as they continued to watch the children play.
"Nah, she'll be good as gold as soon as they go in." Edward responded knowing that just the running around would be helping Lucy calm down and she was always well behaved in class.
"She might be, not sure about the rest of them." Bella laughed before turning around in his arms to look up at him. "It's good seeing you look this happy though."
"It's good to feel it too. I know there's still a lot going on that needs sorted out but it feels like things are finally getting back on track."
"Well I'm glad; you're doing so well with everything." Bella praised as she was happy to see he was managing to concentrate on the good things rather than dwelling on James and the problems he caused.
"That's mostly thanks to you, you know." He commented with his uneven smile. She shook her head at that before reaching up on to her toes to kiss him quickly as the school bell rang behind them.
"I better head off. I need to drive Poppy home before Jasper picks me up for college." She said as they reluctantly broke apart.
"Renee's making you stick to the whole not going anywhere on your own thing then?" Edward asked a little awkwardly with the reminder of the danger they were in bringing his mood down although he was glad to hear she was being careful.
"Yup, unless I'm driving she was serious about it. I don't trust Poppy in the college parking so its lucky Jasper doesn't mind picking me up." She responded with a small smile in an attempt to take away the slightly haunted look that had come across Edward's eyes.
"Good, he'll keep you safe." Edward replied, dropping a kiss onto her forehead before unwrapping his arms from around her. Bella just rolled her eyes feeling like everyone was being a little paranoid since James hadn't actually threatened her yet but happy to humour them anyway.
"I'm sure he will. Keep yourself safe and I'll see you tonight." She said before quickly kissing him once more and running over to where she'd parked Poppy.
Edward watched her until she was safely inside the car. He'd seen no sign of anyone suspicious but the ever present feeling that someone was watching him was still there even if he was doing better at ignoring it than normal. Bella drove away unhindered though so he turned and headed to where Esme was waiting in her car for him.
She seemed a little agitated as she started the car up which made Edward wonder what her meeting at work was about as she'd been fine until she'd mentioned it. As soon as Bella had agreed to pick Lucy up she'd gone back to the car and pulled her phone out. Whatever it was seemed to be stressful and he hoped she'd get it sorted out that afternoon. He didn't like seeing Esme anxious like that.
After walking him up to his flat and reminding him to lock the door behind her and make sure he knew who was behind it if anyone knocked before opening it Esme left in a hurry. Left to his own devices Edward made himself a cup of coffee and turned the TV on as he waited impatiently for Garrett to arrive. Excited and slightly anxious he was curious as to what Garrett wanted to talk to him about. He'd assured him it was good news, but if it had just been to tell him when his shifts were he could have done that over the phone. Luckily he didn't have to wait long as it was barely an hour before someone knocked on the door.
Edward shot off the sofa and almost ran to the door before coming to a halt and eying it a little suspiciously as he called out, asking who was there. Hearing Garrett's familiar voice answer he hurried to unlock the door and pulled it open.
"It's good to see you looking so well." Garrett greeted him as he locked up again. The last time he'd seen Edward was in the hospital and he looked like a different man now. The bruises were gone, his figure filled out a little and his eyes were bright and happy. "I'm sorry I haven't visited before now. I've been busy with the shop and I figured you'd probably have enough people fussing over you with Emmett, Carlisle and Esme."
"You're right there, I can't wait to get back to work for some peace." He answered cheerfully as he led Garrett through to the living room. "Would you like a coffee or anything?"
"A coffee would be good thanks." Garrett responded but instead of staying in the living room like Edward had intended, he followed him into the kitchen. Looking around he could see the influence of other people in the flat now. From what he could see as Edward made the drinks the cupboards and fridge were a lot better stocked than when he'd last been there. He was glad to see they'd all been taking good care of him.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Edward asked the moment they were settled in the living room with their coffee. Garrett smiled at his eagerness and hoped what he had to say would go down well and not be met with stubborn pride.
"Well while you've been off Adam handed in his notice so I was wondering how you'd feel about a promotion." He told him and watched as Edward just stared at him, obviously taken by surprise. Adam had been his assistant manager and had been with the shop since just before Edward had started there. He was well liked and had done a good job but Garrett hadn't tried to talk him out of leaving them as he'd known exactly what he wanted to do with the opportunity it opened up. He'd wanted to give Edward a pay rise anyway but with his stubbornness he wouldn't have accepted it without a good reason so now Garrett had one. The shop had also always been a family run business and although they were only distantly related, Carlisle had always been more like a brother than a cousin even if they had lived on different continents for most of their lives and having known Edward for so long, and having always been fond of him he figured that meant he could adopt him as a nephew. He was hoping Edward would accept the offer and he'd be able to train him to eventually run the shop although he knew he'd have to ease him into that one. He was also positive that out of all their current staff Edward would be the best suited to being assistant manager. He might not have had the qualifications that some of them did but he was smart and by far the most enthusiastic about the job and now he'd got support around him that could help with Lucy the extra hours it might require wouldn't be a problem like they would have been before.
"Why me?" Edward eventually managed to ask and Garrett could see he'd gone straight to the conclusion that he'd hoped he wouldn't.
"Because I think out of everyone currently at the shop you'd be the best one for the job. You've been there the longest and I know you'd be great at it." He answered carefully and hoped the frown on Edward's face wasn't a sign he was going to turn him down.
"This isn't just out of pity is it?" Edward asked warily. It was a great opportunity but there was no way he could accept it if that was the reason behind the offer.
"Definitely not. I really think you're the best one for the job." Garrett repeated and watched Edward mull it over for a while as he came up with his next question.
"You're sure I could do it?" He asked unsurely.
"Yes, I know you can. I'll be training you, so it's not like you're expected to just know exactly what to do straight away." Garrett assured him but he still didn't look any happier.
"Wouldn't it be more hours than what I do now?"
"Probably yeah but I'll give you plenty of notice when I need you in longer or on the odd weekend. I didn't think that would be much of a problem now with Esme and Carlisle around, I know they love looking after her. More hours and a pay rise...that's got to be good right?" He answered trying to tempt him into saying yes as he was still looking doubtful making Garrett sure he was going to have a fight on his hands to convince him. "Please say you'll accept this, I really need the help and I want it to be you. If you don't, I'll have to advertise for someone and you know how much I hate having to interview people."
"Guess I can't make you do that." Edward answered, a small smile playing at his lips as he remembered all the moaning Garrett had done the last time he'd had to hire new staff. If Garrett was sure he could do it then he could at least give it a go, he was right about the extra money being good.
"You'll take the job?" Garrett asked, surprised he'd given in so quickly but glad that he had as he wasn't quite sure how else he could have argued his point.
"Yes, if you're sure I can do it." Edward confirmed, liking the idea of it a little more each minute.
"I am. You'll be great. Now Carlisle told me you're fit to work again so how does starting back tomorrow sound?" Garrett asked quickly before Edward could try changing his mind.
"That would be great, I'm sick of being stuck in here all day." Edward responded as now the idea was beginning to sink in he really wanted to get started with it. It would be good getting to learn something new again.
"Ok then, we'll start off with your usual shifts and see how we go. We can do the training whenever it's quiet." Garrett suggested as Carlisle had already warned him to make sure Edward took it easy for the first week or so.
"Ok. Thank you for this." Edward said sincerely. A promotion hadn't been what he had expected their talk to be about but it was nice to hear Garrett had enough faith in him to give him the extra responsibilities and he was very grateful for it.
"You're more than welcome. Now that is all sorted I think that's enough about work. Tell me how you've been doing. I hear there's a girlfriend around now." Garrett said enthusiastically, settling back into his seat and wanting to hear all about the changes in Edward's life. He'd heard bits and pieces through Esme and Carlisle but he was curious to hear it from Edward's point of view. He suspected it would be quite different to the way they all described it.
Edward got them both another mug of coffee before he sat down again and told Garrett what he wanted to know. It was nice to have company that wasn't Emmett so he told him about everything that had happened since he'd come home from hospital although he concentrated more on the good things than the bad and he was just describing how brilliant Bella was when Garrett's phone rang. Apologising for the interruption, Garrett quickly found his phone in his pocket intending to cancel the call but a glance at the screen told him he had to take it.
Edward watched Garrett's expression go from happy and relaxed to stressed in seconds and had a bad feeling about who was on the phone. It certainly couldn't have been good news which Garrett confirmed as soon as he ended the call.
"I'm sorry, I have to go. That was Ben. Something's just flown through the shop window. He thinks it was just a piece of debris off the road that a bus kicked up but I need to go in and get it sorted." Garrett told him as soon as he'd put his phone away. "You'll be ok here on your own right?"
After Edward promised that he would be fine and encouraged Garrett to go get the shop sorted he showed him out before deciding to make himself some lunch. Stuck with just the TV for company once more, he flicked through the channels before he found a half decent cookery show and watched that for a while. Once it finished there didn't seem to be anything on other than terrible day time soaps so he turned it off. He tried putting some music on to break up the silence in the flat but that reminded him of being at Bella's house and it just made him restless as he couldn't wait for Bella to bring Lucy home so he could tell her about the promotion. They weren't due for another couple of hours though so since sitting still wasn't going to help he decided to do the mornings washing up in the hope that keeping busy would make the time go faster.
He was halfway through the dishes when he heard the rattle of keys in his front door. With his hands buried in soapy water and knowing that Emmett was the only other person with a set of keys to his flat he wasn't too concerned with going to meet him at the door so he continued with what he was doing. The front door slammed shut and he waited a couple of minutes but when he didn't hear anything else over the music that was still playing he wondered what Emmett was up to. He shouldn't have even been home until dinner time and the lack of any kind of greeting seemed odd. Assuming he was just there since he hadn't wanted to leave Edward on his own for long he called out, figuring he ought to let him know where he was.
"You didn't have to come home early you know. I'm sure I would have been fine on my own for a couple of hours."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." A voice, that certainly wasn't Emmett's, answered from right behind him and before he even had chance to turn around and see who was in his kitchen his left arm was grabbed and forced behind his back while a damp, sweet smelling cloth was clamped over his mouth and nose. He struggled, but his weak shoulder protested the angle his arm was at limiting his movement and when he tried to use his free arm to prise away the hand holding the cloth in place his soapy wet fingers couldn't break the strong grip that was being used.
All his struggling achieved was forcing him to breath in the toxic fumes faster and as he started to get light headed he knew it was over. As the darkness claimed him he hoped Lucy and Bella were safe.
AN - Once again thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited or added to alerts. I love spending my Saturday nights and Sundays watching my email for the notifications and I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to read this. I wasn't entirely sure about this chapter so I hope it's ok.