Lost Loves of Meadow Lane
Chapter 37
September 15, 1911
Edward wore a black suit and stood in the middle of the yard, waiting, with Riley next to him. It was the mid-September. The heat and humidity played havoc with his hair making it look curlier and messier than normal. Garrett and his mother stood too when the front door of the house opened. Edward's shoulders lifted when the sunlight captured the white fabric of Bella's dress as she made her way down the three steps. Within a few strides, she was next to him and they held hands.
"Dearly Beloved..." The preacher began. Edward and Isabella had planned to wed in the church, but the priest had frowned upon the marriage as Isabella was supposed to be still mourning the loss of her husband, arranged or not. So, they contacted another pastor who was willing to perform the ceremony for a fee. Edward knew there were things Bella wanted to tell him but he had pushed her to accept whatever it was that she needed to tell him, it would wait. He wanted to erase the sadness in her eyes
Before Edward could catch his breath, they had both said, I do, and were locked in a kiss that had been a long time in the making.
Edward had proposed the same night they had received official papers granting her custody of Riley. Bella had said yes and if Edward had had his way, they would have been married the same day.
"Okay, you two. May I introduce, Edward and Isabella Masen," the preacher said before laughing at Isabella's remark.
"I told you, Bella... Bella Masen."
That night, Elisabeth Masen, and Riley Masen stayed with someone who soon would be joining the Masen clan-Garrett Trueso. That night would be the first for the rest of their lives. At the beginning of the new year, 1912, Edward had made arrangements for them to board a ship bound for Italy so that Edward could meet his wife's father and introduce their son. Riley.
2011
Alice was distracted by the physical contact Jasper had maintained while she read and confused about his contemplation of how they might have been related. Was it possible that Emmett was right? I know we have chemistry, but I thought it revolved around his childhood home. Could Jasper like me, like that? Alice thought to herself, dividing more of her concentration as he spoke.
"Alice! You didn't hear a word I said, did you?" Jasper asked suspiciously.
"Um, no," Alice replied as she tried to shake herself free from staring at his lips-and her thoughts. "Not really. What were you saying again?" Alice hated the smirk that changed the shape of his lips, triggering her own devious smirk as she glanced at his knowing blue eyes.
"Never mind. I think we need to get you something to eat," Jasper said, his head making a no gesture. "We'll talk about it then."
"Okay, I guess," Alice said as her thoughts of something more between them returned. She was grateful the physical contact didn't end when he placed his hand on the small of her back and led the way to the car.
Alice blushed when Jasper commented before putting the car into drive, "seatbelt." The pink of her cheeks intensified when he quirked a sideways glance that caused her to fumble with the buckle as she locked the restraint.
"I think you're right, I need sugar and food," Alice said as she adjusted the strap across her chest. She hoped that Jasper wasn't going to question her over her embarrassment as he started the car, put the car in reverse, and drove from the parking lot.
"Alice, are you coming?" Jasper asked startling her. Alice looked around realizing she hadn't paid attention to anything before they arrived at some dinner he'd chosen.
"I'm sorry sir, we don't have vanilla Pepsi," the waiter replied to Jasper's request.
"Root Beer?" Alice asked, surprised that Jasper seemed to know her so well. "and a hamburger," she added after the waiter nodded a yes.
"So, what has you so distracted, Alice?" Jasper asked after the waiter had finished taking their order.
Emmett's words about how strong Jasper's feelings may run rattled in the back of her mind. Alice thought about telling him the truth, or asking in this case, but she didn't trust herself, so she changed the subject.
"Please explain to me how you thought we were related. I still don't understand,"
"Well, I've believed that my great-great grandparents were Edward and Isabella Masen and my Grandfather was Riley Masen. I've always known there was a story about my family history, but no one's really talked about it after he died. Then there are these letters that are cryptic and make no sense written by Isabella Whitherdale slash Masen. And you show up out of nowhere. You look so much like the only picture I have of Bella Masen. It can't be a coincidence that your family has a connection to them. Now we know that Isabella and Edward may have had a daughter, not a son. . . It's like there is some evil plot against everything I thought I knew. I don't know who I am anymore. Add throw this Victoria Suthers to the mix, and Thelma Marzak..." Jasper said, rambling off the details he had been thinking about since Alice had fallen into his life. When he looked up and saw the strange look plastered on Alice's face his rant dissolved. "What?"
Alice melted into a fit of a laughter. She had never heard Jasper talk. His ramblings touched closer to home than she realized at first but as she digested his words, the parallels between his life and hers-Identical if you thought about it.
"Welcome to my world. I've felt like an alien living inside my own body for the last two years. I've been questioning everything I know and don't remember. Who am I? Where do I come from? Are these people really my parents? At least you remember growing up. It's kind of nice having some company in the confusion department."
"I guess you have a point there. You do realize that we may never find all the answers to how things turned out the way they did, don't you?" Jasper asked.
"It's kind of a sad story when you start putting the pieces together. This may sound really corny, but the answers are out there. . . somewhere."
So, there you have it, sort of. Yes, I am being a wicked person. Thoughts? Feelings? Let's hear it because I know that a lot of you are going to want to kill me before this story ends.
My goal is to finish posting chapters before classes resume because you all know that once classes start I have my head in textbooks (not my arse) lol.
Thank you for the love this story has received. You have no clue how much each and every review means to me and everyone else that has put so much into helping this story find its way to you.
This is chapter 37. That means there are 6 more to go after this one. Aren't you excited to know that you will be able to finish reading this story that by the 12th of January?
It has been a long 4 years of posting and another year of writing, but we are almost to the end it.
Don't forget the 3 R's of Fanfiction. Read, Review, and Recommend. See you in a few more days. Monday or Tuesday.