So, not so new story ... I'm reposting this. This story was pulled years ago by FFn. That decision (without any sort of warning, really) forced me to move from just posting on FFn to Stars (then The Writer's Coffee Shop), AO3, and FictionPad. After doing some thinking, and FicPad turning into a for-profit platform, I've decided to repost this here. I may also repost A Ilha Do Amor, too ... we'll see.
This is ALREADY COMPLETE! PREWRITTEN
I will be doing some editing for content, but this is written in its entirety on Stars, AO3, Wattpad and FicPad (when it's not being a pain in the butt).
I'm back, kids! I got so much positive reinforcement from the last chapter. You all loved that lemon…tee hee! Not to mention, you all thought that Garrett was awesome. I agree. He's fantastic! Up next will be the addition of some new attendings at Cook County Hospital, Bella's move into Edward's brownstone, Garrett's welcome to Chicago party and the return of Jasper. This chapter will take us up to Bella and Edward's vacation in Hawaii. I'm warning you all that after the vacation, things are going to turn angsty. Just saying…
Now, this story is based in a hospital. My medical training comes from…WebMD. I'm not a doctor, nor do I claim to be. I'm a music teacher who has a wild imagination and a penchant for all things Twilight (and with this story, added in a mix of ER! I loved Luca Kovac…) Which brings me to my disclaimer: None of this is mine. I'm not, nor ever will be, Stephenie Meyer. If was, I'd be rolling in the dough from her insane imagination that gave us Bella and Edward. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter Twenty-Two
EPOV
"Thank you, Dr. Ferguson. We'll be in touch," I said as I shook the hand of the doctor sitting across from me, interviewing for one of the three attending positions at Cook County.
"I appreciate the opportunity, Dr. Cullen. Thank you again," she said, nodding toward me. With a seductive grin, she smiled at Garrett. "I hope to hear from you soon." Garrett gave her a tight-lipped smirk and got up, ushering her out of my new office. Once Dr. Ferguson left, Garrett slammed my door.
"If I get another flirty look today, I'm seriously going to cut a bitch," Garrett growled, sitting down on the leather sofa in my office. "I know that I'm single but some of these female doctors are like cats in heat! This last one? She kept pawing at me like I was a dog or something."
"She was pretty bad," I chuckled. "Perhaps you should put on your old wedding band to get the desperate doctors to back off."
"I flushed it," he said. "I couldn't bear to keep a ring that said 'For all eternity, all my love, Kate.' Fucking lies! All fucking lies!"
"Sorry, bro," I sighed, sitting down next to him. "If it's any consolation; that was the last interview for today."
"Excellent. I want nothing more than to go home, shower and crash. I'd rather be dealing with patients than these moronic candidates for the attending positions," he sighed.
"Even though that was the last interview, we need to discuss them. Are any of them a possibility for another interview?" I asked, flipping through my pad of paper filled with notes on the six people we interviewed today. Two of them were definitely okay. The other four, including Dr. Ferguson, were not even on my radar.
"The first one, Dr. Singh, I liked him. His resume was pretty impressive," Garrett replied, glancing at his own notes. "Plus, he's board certified in pediatrics. It would be nice to have a doctor for all of the kids that come through here."
"I agree. How about Dr. Vanderwulf?" I questioned. "She may have just finished her residency but her letters of recommendation are glowing and her interview was the most professional out all of them."
"I liked her, too. She's a little green and where she had her residency concerns me. Peoria isn't very urban and she probably didn't have to deal with some of the shit we see, day in and day out," Garrett said.
"Do you think she can be molded?" I asked, putting my feet up on the small coffee table in front of the couch.
"The bones are there," Garrett replied. "I think she'd adapt pretty well. So, thumbs up on Dr. Singh and Dr. Vanderwulf?"
"Yep. Now, do you want to call them and I'll call the other folks?"
"Please, Edward. I have a sneaking suspicion that Dr. Ferguson may want to meet up for some sympathy sex because she didn't get the job," Garrett cringed. "I'd rather be the barer of good news."
"Pussy," I snorted.
"What? You be bad cop. I'm good cop," he laughed. "The staff will know to come to me when you say no."
"Garrett," I chuckled. "We're not parents to the staff, you asstard."
"I know," he said. "Sometimes, it feels like it. Anyhow, I'm going to go to my office and make these phone calls. I'm off tomorrow but back the day after. When is your girl moving in, officially?"
"This weekend. We're putting her furniture into storage until we can get a bigger place," I answered. "When's your party?"
"Two weeks. Right before you leave for Hawaii with a certain sexy nurse," Garrett smirked. "She's so good for you, Edward. You were never like this with Tanya."
"Like what?" I asked, arching a brow.
"Swoony and giddy in love," Garrett replied. "With Tanya, it was always so forced and formal. With Bella, I'm seeing you. Not Tanya's husband or that stressed dude from medical school. I've always liked you, Edward, but now, you're so much more because of Bella."
"She makes me want to be a better man," I murmured. "I thought Tan was the love of my life and I know that was not the case. Bella is. She's my reason for being on this earth. I love her more than I could ever imagine and I can't wait until I propose."
"Hawaii might be the perfect place," Garrett suggested, waggling his brows.
"Nah…she'd expect it then. I'm thinking maybe for her birthday or on the anniversary of our first date," I said. "But, enough about me. What about you and a certain nurse? How are things with Alice?"
Garrett blushed and he ducked his head. "Good," he said, nervously tugging on his tie. "She's a real firecracker."
"And?"
"We're taking it slow," he huffed. "We've been out a few times but I don't want to fall into a physical relationship with her really fast. Plus, she's been hurt deeply by your brother. Jesus, what did Jasper do to this poor girl?"
"Jasper hates Bella. He can't see past her weight," I sighed.
"What weight? Bella's gorgeous," Garrett replied, arching a brow.
"Bella's lost a great deal of weight since I've met her. She's down nearly thirty pounds," I said.
"You didn't make her lose the weight, did you?" Garrett snarled, glaring at me. He obviously thought that I forced Bella to lose the extra pounds. His loyalty to his little sister was shining through his glare.
"What?! No! She did it because she wanted to be healthier," I explained. "I loved her even while she was heavier. I personally think those skinny Minnie's are disgusting. It's like dating a prepubescent boy, minus the penises."
"And on that note, I'm going to call Dr. Singh and Dr. Vanderwulf," Garrett laughed. "That is a visual that I did not need to imagine." He shook his head as he left my office, closing the door quietly. With a huff, I walked back to my desk. I shuffled through the resumes that we effectively said 'no' to and grabbed their phone numbers. I called each of the four candidates that didn't meet with our standards, saying thanks but no thanks. Dr. Ferguson was the most distraught and begged for another chance. I explained to her that flirting during an interview wasn't the best way to get a job. She was confused and said that she didn't flirt. I further explained that Dr. McGovern would disagree. She huffed, hanging up on me.
I called the next set of candidates, verifying their interview times for the day after tomorrow. I was hopeful that these interviews would be better than the ones we had today. Dr. Singh and Dr. Vanderwulf were qualified candidates but weren't very dynamic in the interviews. We'll see.
I dragged my tired body home at ten that evening. Bella was staying at her apartment so she could finish packing all of her stuff for the big move this coming weekend, a few short days away. I spent some time rearranging my closet so Bella could fit her clothes inside. Then, I walked to my office and surfed the real estate websites for any new listings for a house for me and my girl. I found a few listings of houses that I liked. Would Bella like them is the question? I favorite them and logged off my computer.
I was padding back to my bedroom when my cell phone shrilled in my pocket of my shorts. It was Bella and I eagerly picked up. "Hello, love," I purred into the phone.
"Hey, baby," she said, her voice sounding sad.
"What's wrong, sweet girl?" I asked, hearing the despondency in her voice.
"Just bummed that Ang and I aren't going to be living together by this weekend. I mean, I'm excited at the new roommate I'm getting," she snickered.
"Who would that be?" I asked as I flopped down on my bed.
"Garrett," she guffawed.
"You're hysterical, Swan," I deadpanned.
"Sorry," she giggled. "I'm thrilled to be moving in with you, but Angela is my best friend besides you. It's going to be weird on Sunday to wake up and not talk to her, you know?"
"It's not like you're moving out of state, Bella. She's moving in with Ben in Wrigleyville and you're moving in with me. You'll still see each other at work," I said.
"I know," she sighed. "It's just really hitting me now. Our apartment is pretty much packed up except for the bare necessities. I've got work tomorrow and Friday, then Saturday, Emmett and Garrett are coming with their trucks to load up my bedroom set to put into storage. The rest of my stuff is going to be in your place."
"Our place," I corrected. "It's no longer just my house. It's yours, too, Bella." Little did she know that I had her name added to the deed to the home when she said she was going to move in. I was ready to make any changes if we couldn't find a house that we both liked. I wanted her to feel at home and comfortable in our house.
"It'll take me awhile to feel like it's mine. I mean, I still feel like a guest in my apartment at times. Almost all of the stuff here is Angela's with the exception of my bedroom and bathroom stuff."
"Well, soon, you'll be here and you can make any changes that you want to our house. You hate the bedroom, we'll change it. You want to paint the kitchen neon green, we'll do it. This is your house as much as it is mine."
"You paid for it, Edward," she chided.
But your name is on the deed, love. "Be that as it may, it's our house. Capische?" I asked, arching a brow knowing full-well that she couldn't see me.
"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. "How were the interviews today?"
"Garrett hates being an administrator," I snorted. "Honestly, on days like today, so do I. I did not go to medical school to interview mediocre doctor-wannabes. We found two doctors who showed promise. The other four were pitiful and I even had to give the last applicant tips on how to interview. Do not flirt with the interviewer."
"Someone was flirting with you?" Bella growled.
"Not me. Garrett," I laughed.
"I bet he loved that," Bella said dryly.
"Not really," I chuckled. "Anyhow, we've got eight more interviews in a couple of days, then the round of second interviews. I'll be so happy once these positions are filled so I can go back to my regular duties of being a doctor and shit."
"Edward, you're an amazing doctor and a very fair, strict administrator. You and Eleazar made a great team," she said genuinely. She was quiet for a moment.
"Bella, everything okay?"
"Kind of. I've been thinking," she said.
"About?"
"Well, Garrett mentioned something to me when I had my mini-breakdown on July Fourth about medical school," she began.
"You want to go to medical school?" I asked, secretly pleased at her revelation.
"Not necessarily to medical school but perhaps get my masters, become a nurse practitioner. It would be good for the ER to have someone who could triage the less severe injuries and conditions but still be able to write out prescriptions," she rambled.
"That sounds wonderful, baby. However, I have to ask, why not medical school?" I pressed.
"I'm thirty, Edward. By the time I finished, I'll be forty. I would rather be able to spend time with you and our family, if God is gracious enough to give us that, then spend time in school, completing my residency and such," she explained. "This is all talk right now, Edward. I am just thinking about this."
"I'm glad you're thinking about it, Bella. Whatever you decide, I'm here for you. I want to support you in any decision you make, sweet girl," I said, curling to my side, gently rubbing her side of the bed.
"Thanks, baby," she murmured. She yawned and giggled quietly. "I'm exhausted, Edward. I just wanted to talk to you since I hadn't all day."
"I'm glad you called, sweet girl," I smiled. "But, you've got an early shift tomorrow."
"Yeah," she yawned. "You work tomorrow, right?"
"I've got some meetings in the morning and then I'm in scheduled in the ER from noon until seven," I replied.
"Kay. I love you, Edward," she mumbled sleepily. "Only a couple more days until you get me living with your permanently."
"I can't wait," I smiled, putting my head on her pillow. "I love you, so much, sweet girl. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, baby," she purred before clicking off the phone. I hung up and sighed. Before I knew it, sleep claimed me and I was out like a light, curled around Bella's pillow.
xx APFL xx
The next two days flew past in a blur. The meetings were tedious and boring, talking about budget shortfalls and the drug scandal in the ER. The board was in the process of writing a new drug dispensing policy for all new hires plus the joys of random drug testing. I was ready to strangle Jacob, Crowley, Newton and Jessica. They did this and ruined it for all of us who made the right choices.
The interviews that were held on Friday were slightly better than the ones on Wednesday. Out of the eight people Garrett and I spoke with, four of them were qualified for what we wanted. We set up second interviews with them for the following week with hopes of making our final decision before I went on vacation with my girl.
After my shift on Friday, I went over to Bella's and helped her with any last minute packing. When I walked into the apartment, I was surprised at how empty it was without their personal touches on the walls and everywhere else. Angela waddled up to me and held out her hand. "Key, please?"
"Jesus, Angela. Blunt much?" I snorted. I took off the key from my keychain and handed it to her.
"I'm just collecting all of the spare keys. I have to get the one from my old roommate, too," she sighed. "That's a conversation I'm not looking forward to."
"Don't get along with her?"
"Not really. We just shared the apartment because money was tight," Angela shrugged. "Anyhow, what time is Emmett and Garrett coming over tomorrow?"
"I'm not sure. Bella would know," I said. "Is she here?"
"We ran out of tape and she went to the store to get another several rolls," Angela replied. "We're ordering Chinese food for dinner. Just write down what you want on that sheet of paper, kay? I'm going to try and attack my closet. I have way too many pairs of shoes, many of which do not fit my fat feet. Fucking super atomic sperm." She waddled back into her room, blasting the music. I quickly jotted down my order for dinner and placed it, putting it on my credit card so the girls wouldn't have to worry about paying for it.
I walked into Bella's bedroom, finding it devoid of everything that was her. The only thing that held any personality was the sheets on her bed. Her shelves were empty. Boxes were piled up near the window, marked in her feminine handwriting: books, bathroom items, shoes, CDs, photos and journals. I sat down on her bed and noticed that there was one picture not packed away. It was Bella and me, completely oblivious to the camera and looking completely in love. Her eyes were trained on me while I held her face in my hands. I picked it up and smiled at the couple standing in it. My heart burst with love for the woman I knew I was going to share my life.
"Hey," Bella said as she walked into her room. She was still in her scrubs from earlier. "When did you get here?"
"Ten minutes ago," I said as I held my arms open for her. She walked to me, cuddling into my embrace. I nuzzled her hair with my nose, kissing the crown of her head. "How are you doing, baby?"
"Okay. Tired. Today was not pleasant in the ER," she grumbled.
"I know. Garrett had to go and help out for a few hours while I ran interviews on my own," I said. "What happened?"
"Just a shit storm of little cases. We had like ten cases that required sutures, fifteen broken bones, a couple random homeless that needed some assistance due to heat exhaustion, not to mention Betsy who sunk her talons into Garrett's rear-end and some minor car accidents," she sighed.
"So, that's why Garrett high-tailed it back to the interviews," I snickered.
"Oh yeah. Betsy got him good. I walked in as she grabbed more than a handful! Garrett squealed like a girl, giving her a look of utter shock," Bella giggled. "He finished her treatment and said that he needed to head back to the interviews. He practically sprinted down the hallway to your office, rubbing his left butt cheek."
"That's why he sat on a pillow," I bellowed. "God, I love Garrett but what a flipping pussy."
"Need I remind you that you did the exact same thing?" Bella asked, poking my ribs.
"She got both of my cheeks," I argued. My phone rang and it was a number I didn't recognize. "Cullen."
"This is delivery for apartment 507," a heavily accented voice said. "Chicken fried rice…"
"Right, got it. I'll be right down," I said. I hung up and kissed Bella's lips. "Food's here."
"Money," she said as she hopped up, reaching for her purse.
"I've got it, sweet girl," I smiled as I strode out of her room. She scampered and jammed something in the back pocket of my jeans. "What did you do?"
"Tip money," she purred, nipping at my ear before heading to the kitchen.
"You just wanted to feel my ass, didn't you?" I snickered.
"I didn't need to put money in your pocket to do that, Edward," she laughed. I rolled my eyes and went downstairs. A short Asian man was standing, holding the bag of food. I handed him the tip that Bella placed in my pocket before I went upstairs with the bag of Chinese goodness. Back in the apartment, two bottles of beer and one bottle of IBC root beer were on the cocktail table in the living room. Angela was on the couch while Bella was scurrying in the kitchen.
"Did they remember the extra soy sauce?" Angela asked.
"There's a whole bag of soy sauce, Ang," I snorted, tossing it to her. "I was very explicit when I put the order in."
"Okay, good. I don't want to go and kung fu their asses," she said, placing her hand on her belly. Bella came back into the living room with several bowls and plastic utensils. She sat down on the floor, divvying up the food and such. "Everything there, Bells?"
"Pretty much," she said. "They forgot the white rice but it's no big deal."
"They always manage to forget something," Angela grumbled. "First it's my soy sauce and then it's the damn rice!"
"I ordered pork fried rice. We can share," I said as I put my container in the middle of the table. Angela swiped the container and poured a majority into her bowl. She slammed it down, shoveling the food into her mouth.
"Wow, Ang," Bella said as she stared at her friend. "When was the last time you ate?"
"An hour ago," Angela replied, sending her rice flying across the table.
"Say it and don't spray it, Angela," I chuckled, wiping my shirt off. She flipped me off and continued inhaling her food. "Slow, down, Ang. You'll get indigestion and that's not good for you or your super atomic sperm child."
"God, you must think I'm a pig," she said, putting the bowl onto the table. Her eyes filled with tears and she began sobbing. "I'm going to fat and undesirable! Ben's going to break up with me!"
Bella and I shared a look. Her eyes were wide with shock while I was panicking at the emotional, very hormonal Angela sitting on the couch. Bella scrambled onto the couch, putting her arms around her friend. "Angela, Ben loves you immensely. And you're not fat. You're pregnant. Huge difference," she said, brushing her hair from her face.
"What if I can't lose the weight after atomic baby is born?" Angela sniffled, wiping her nose with her hand. She grimaced, seeing the snot on her palm, wiping it on my shirt.
"Thanks, Ang. I can feel the love," I said dryly, plucking at my shirt.
"It was you or the couch. Your t-shirt is more washable than my couch," she said. "Seriously, though. What if I can't lose the weight, Bells?"
"Angela, if I can lose weight, so can you," Bella said as she laced her fingers with her friend's. "Don't worry about that now. Just focus on moving in with Ben, keeping the atomic baby safe until he or she is born and be happy." Bella picked up the bowl and handed it to Angela. "Okay?"
"Yeah," she said, giving Bella a watery smile. "Sorry about losing it." Angela gave me a frown, ruffling my hair. "My hormones are driving me up the wall."
"It's okay, Angela," I said. "Just remember who you snotted all over when you name your child."
"I'm having a girl, Edward. Naming her after you wouldn't sound too hot. Edwina isn't a very popular name. I don't want my child to be tortured," Angela snorted. She finished her meal and heaved her pregnant body off the couch. "Leave the dishes. I'll do them. I'm going to tackle my bathroom while you all finish up. How much do I owe for dinner?"
"Nothing, Angela," I said from my spot on the floor. "You just bake atomic baby and we'll call it even."
"Wait, Ang. The fortune cookies," Bella said as she tossed her a cookie. "Read it."
Angela opened the cookie and took out the tiny piece of paper. "Every exit is an entrance to new experiences…in bed," Angela snickered. "I guess that's the fortune cookie's way to say that I should try anal sex?"
"Ewwww," I groaned.
"Read yours, Edward," Angela said.
I picked up a cookie from the table, cracking it open. "When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out. It's what's inside," I read, arching a brow. "That's lame."
"And the 'in bed' joke doesn't really work," Angela said. "Bells, your turn."
"Do or do not. There is no try," Bella said flatly. "Apparently, my fortune cookie was channeling Yoda."
"I want a refund. These fortune cookies are stupid," Angela laughed. She nibbled on her cookie and waddled back to her bathroom. Bella and I finished our meals. Despite Angela's insistence that she would do the dishes, Bella and I made quick work of the plastic bowls and garbage. We spent the rest of the evening finishing packing up Bella's things and whatnot. We went to bed early since Emmett and Garrett were coming at eight to load up her stuff.
Now, we went to bed early. That didn't mean we went to sleep. We made love to each other in the bed and room where she finally realized her freedom. I cherished my girl with all of my heart, lavishing her with kisses, love and devotion. As I entered her warm body, I uttered my promise and vow of being with her forever, until my dying breath.
The next morning, Bella was up early. She had gone to a local bakery, picking up a ton of donuts, coffee, pastries and other goodies for the guys helping out with her move to my place. My fingers were moving toward a cream-filled donut when Bella smacked my hand. "Fingers away, Cullen. Those are for Garrett and Emmett. They're moving my shit."
"So am I," I pouted. "You think those bookcases are going to move themselves? Garrett will piss and moan if he has to do manual labor."
"You can have a donut. After Emmett and Garrett," she said, poking my belly. "Oh, and Rose is coming, too. She says that she wants to scope out her house because she just knows that we're only in there temporarily."
"I've been favoriting houses that could work for us," I said, kissing her lips. "Once you get settled, you can have a date with my computer and find one that you like."
"Let's get me moved in first, okay?" she giggled. I nodded and wrapped my arms around her frame. I held her closely until the phone rang. It was both Emmett and Garrett. Bella buzzed them in and propped the door open.
A few moments later, Emmett bellowed, "Let's get the party started!"
"Emmett, inside voice," Angela grumbled, smacking his belly. "I've got neighbors. Crotchety neighbors."
"Someone moved into the stoner's place?" Emmett asked.
"Yeah," Bella replied. "An older couple that complains about everything. The neighbors are too loud, the heat's too hot, the air's too cold, there's a dog barking, they can smell cat piss…ugh! The list of complaints is endless."
"Sounds pleasant," Garrett snorted.
"There's donuts and pastries if you want them," Bella said, indicating to the two large boxes on the counter. "Plus coffee."
Emmett and Garrett smirked before fumbling over each other to get a donut. I rolled my eyes and snickered. "Like overgrown children."
"Oh, please. Like you haven't already tried to sneak a pastry," Bella joked, elbowing me in the ribs. I blushed before blowing a raspberry into her neck. Bella squealed and gave me a hard look.
"God, you two really are nauseating," Garrett said with his mouth full. "But, I love ya both!"
"Anyhow, Garrett and I came up with a plan of attack. The boxes are going to go in his fancy schmancy Range Rover and I'm getting the furniture in my truck. Rose will be at your place, reorganizing your closet so Bella can put her clothes inside."
"My sister is so going to throw away some of my clothes," I growled, narrowing my eyes.
"What do you mean?" Angela asked as she inhaled her third donut.
"I've got shirts and pants that I've owned for several, um, decades, that I don't want to get rid of. I'm determined to fit back in them," I replied, running my hand through my hair.
"You still have your shirts from when you were in high school," Garrett laughed. "Let me guess, you were a twig and a 'medium' dwarfed you." I blushed and glowered at my friend. "Edward, my brother, you will never, ever fit in those shirts again. You went through puberty. You're a man and sad to say, you've got a gut."
"He does not," Bella snarled, putting her hands on her hips.
"Fine, fine. You don't have a gut, but you won't fit in those t-shirts, my friend. Cut 'em up and use them as dust rags," Garrett said. "Where's your stuff, Bells? I want to start loading up my car."
"This way, Garrett," she said as she led him to her bedroom. I swiped a few donuts before heading into Bella's room. With three able-bodied men, it was dismantled and carried down to the cars within an hour. Rose had texted, saying that she had cleared out two-thirds of my closet for Bella's clothes. How much did my baby sister throw out? Once we were done, Angela and Bella spent nearly a half hour crying and hugging each other. Well, Angela did most of the crying but they did hug each other.
Angela was moving next weekend. Her family and Ben were available then to move her into Ben's apartment. So, Bella felt guilty leaving her roommate in a big apartment all by herself for a week. Angela said that Ben was going to stay with her and help her pack up. It placated Bella slightly, but the guilt was still there.
The first stop was the storage facility that my mom uses for her clients. We got a good deal for a space for Bella's furniture. All of her furniture was placed inside the storage facility and we drove to my brownstone. Rose was waiting for us, pulling Bella into the house before the car had stopped.
"What? No love for me?" Emmett asked, frowning slightly.
"Sorry, Em," Rose giggled, dancing into his arms. With a smile, she kissed his lips softly. He held her close, murmuring in her ear. Rose took his face in her hands, kissing him once more before running back to Bella. They darted into the house, leaving the unpacking for us guys. We made quick work of lugging the boxes, suitcases and bookcases into the house. I went into my bedroom…wait, Bella's and my bedroom and saw the destruction my sister caused.
"ROSALIE!" I bellowed. "What the hell did you do?"
"Edward, your taste in clothes is sadly lacking," she said as she sauntered out of my closet. "All of the clothes on the bed are too small and quite frankly, too old. They're being recycled. The clothes on the floor are just trash and are going to be thrown out. Finally, the clothes in the guest room are being donated to Good Will."
I narrowed my eyes and flew into the guest room. Several of my nicer suits were on the bed along with ties and dress shirts. I growled when I saw my Armani suit that I wore to ask Bella to move in with me. I swiped it from the bed and with a flourish, put it back in the closet. "I'm scouring over what you did, Rosalie Lillian Cullen. You almost gave away the suit I wore when I asked Bella to move in," I snarled.
"Sorry," she said. "It's several years old."
"It's Armani! It doesn't really go out of style," I said, arching a brow over my glasses.
"Rose, what you did was helpful for me in fitting my clothes, but you should have consulted Edward first," Bella said as she walked out of the closet. "Though some of the clothes on your bed are quite dated, Edward." She walked to bed and plucked a plaid shirt that I wore in high school. "Grunge was so the nineties. Based off the brand, that's when this was around."
"Memories," I pouted, swiping the shirt from her hand. "I…I…bought my first guitar wearing this shirt."
"You lie. You can't play the guitar," Rose snorted. "It's going away, Edward. Yes, you lived in Seattle. Yes, you liked grunge music. But, you're a successful doctor now. This," she dangled the shirt in Edward's face, "does not scream successful doctor. It screams bum. You are not a bum!"
"She's right, Edward."
"EDWARD! WHERE'S YOUR BEER?" yelled Emmett. "We performed the manual labor. Now, we want to drink ourselves silly!"
"You go. I'll fix this," Bella said, gesturing to the mess in our room. "I think I know what you want to keep." I nodded, kissing my girl before heading downstairs. Garrett and Emmett were in the family room, shoes off, beers in hand, watching the Cubs on my flat screen.
"Make yourselves comfortable," I deadpanned.
"Awesome," Garrett said. "Can you make us some food? Steak, maybe? Perhaps some baked potatoes?" He chugged his beer. "Fucking Marmol! Throw a god damned strike, asshole!"
I smirked and went to my pantry, grabbing a bag of chips. Leaning in my fridge, I swiped a jar of salsa and tossed both of them to Garrett. "Enjoy," I snarked.
"You're not even going to open it?"
"You've got two hands," I laughed. "I have to help my girl unpack while you two slackers drink my beer and eat my chips and fancy salsa from Whole Foods. That jar is expensive shit!" I turned, heading back upstairs to help Bella and Rose. We organized my closet, putting a majority of the clothes in the guest bedroom back inside. Afterward, the girls went downstairs and decided to cook some dinner for all of us guys. Shortly after dinner of hamburgers and pasta salad, Garrett left. He had a date with Alice, who had to work today. They were going to some comedy club.
Emmett and Rose helped Bella put her books and such in the bookcases that we set up in the music room. I also brought down my laptop so Bella could look at the homes I favorited. She and Rose poured over them, gushing at how lavish they all were. After a few hours, Rose and Emmett left. Bella was still looking at my computer, searching through the houses.
"You're awfully quiet, sweet girl," I said as I plopped down next to her.
"A lot has happened today, baby," she said, putting the laptop on the cocktail table. "We're officially roomies and looking for a new house."
"Did you see anything you liked?" I asked, jutting my chin at the computer.
"They're all lovely, Edward."
"But…?" I quipped, pulling her close to me.
"They're so big. Not to mention expensive," she chided, looking at me with wide brown eyes. "Also, they're all in the city. Do you want to stay here or move out to the suburbs? Schools in the suburbs are much better than Chicago Public Schools. Neither one of us is religious and well, I don't want to send our children to a private, church school if we aren't even practicing."
Children? With Bella? Yes and please! Sign me up!
"Okay, we can look in the suburbs," I said.
"Can I look?" she asked, picking up the computer. "Please?"
"Sure, love," I replied, kissing her head. She giggled and began searching online for our dream home.
xx APFL xx
I was driving home after a very stressful night in the ER, following a very violent workout at the gym. I was sweaty. I was grumpy. All I wanted to do was sleep, preferably with Bella, but she was at work covering for a very run-down and sick Angela. She had moved in with Ben and it was all perfect until Angela caught a very nasty summer cold. She was laid up at home with a high-grade fever, sniffles, hacking cough and a wonderful disposition.
Ben feared for his life.
Anyhow, because Angela was sick, Bella was called in and I was forced to stay home. Alone. After the shitty night I had. So, I decided to beat the crap out of the poor unsuspecting punching bag. I was worn out but I didn't feel like I was going to hurt anyone. That was until I pulled up to my house, seeing my brother's beat up Subaru sitting in my driveway. I was so not in the mood for his brand of bullshit. I was almost tempted to turn around and drive back the hospital. I could sleep in my office until my next shift.
Unfortunately, he saw my car and he hopped out of his Subaru. He looked awful. His hair was long and stringy. His face was covered with a long, nasty beard and he looked so sad. I parked on the street and walked up to him. "Hi, Jasper," I said, regarding him carefully.
"Hi, Edward," he said, his voice quiet. "Can we, um, talk?"
"If it's to belittle Bella, then, no," I said sternly.
"No, it's not that," he said, looking at me. "Please?"
"Fine," I replied, nodding to the front door. He scuttled behind me and didn't look surprised when he saw Bella's belongings melded with mine. "You want some coffee? I need some since I just got off an overnight shift from hell."
"Sure," Jasper said and he followed me into the kitchen. He sat down on one of the stools, looking around the room. There were subtle differences: a bouquet of flowers on the counter, placemats on the kitchen table that was replaced after my last run-in with Jasper, fresh fruit in a bowl, decorative towels on the stove and a love note on the dry erase board from Bella.
I'm sorry we're not off together today, baby. I'll be home by five! I took out chicken if you want to grill it for dinner. I love you so much! Get some rest and I'll see you when I get home. Love, B xx
"She moved in?" he asked.
"Yeah. A couple of weeks ago," I answered as I measured out the coffee. "Angela, her roommate, is pregnant and moved in with Ben, her boyfriend. Their lease was up at the end of July, anyway. So, I asked Bella to move in with me."
"That's awesome," he said, giving me a wistful smile. "When do you think you'll propose?"
"I don't know," I replied. "Soon. Probably before the year is out. I was thinking her birthday. I don't know." I looked at my brother and he was idly playing with a string on his sleeve. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Jasper? You're like a pod person or something."
"I'm not a pod person," he snorted. "I've just done a lot of thinking. A lot of thinking." He ran his fingers through his stringy hair. "I've been awful, Edward. To you. To Bella. To everyone. I was acting like a spoiled brat, trying to make everything be about me." I blinked at him, silently agreeing at everything he had said. He let out a shaky breath, looking up at me. His green eyes were tired and sad. "It's not about me. Not anymore. Because of my close-mindedness, I lost almost everything: Alice, my relationship with you and Rosie, and my happiness."
"What are you going to do about it?" I asked him, unsure where he was going with this.
"Well, first off, I'm coming here, begging for your forgiveness," he said simply. "I'm so sorry for being such a douche. I know the words mean nothing to you but I had to say them. I also have to say them to Bella. I was so hateful towards her and she did not deserve that."
"No. She didn't," I said as I poured myself a cup of coffee. I walked to the liquor cabinet and swiped some Kahlua and some Bailey's Irish Cream from the fridge. I poured a healthy dose of each in my coffee before taking a sip, letting it burn my tongue. "Why did you say those things about her?"
"I don't know. I was hurting and I wanted you and her to hurt, too," Jasper said as he sipped the cup of coffee I put in front of him. "The fact of the matter is that I was a colossal idiot and I want to make it right. So, I want to apologize to you and to Bella. Then, I'm going. I've applied for a position at Rice University in Houston, teaching several history courses and I got the job. I'm moving to Houston at the end of August. I'll be there for your wedding, if you want me there, but I'm starting fresh. Besides, I hate the cold and Houston is gorgeous."
"What about the job here in Chicago?" I asked, vaguely remembering his teaching position he was offered at University of Chicago.
"I turned it down when I got the thumbs up from Rice," Jasper replied.
"Have you talked to Mom and Dad?"
"I have. They've accepted my apology," he said with a frown. "Mom reinstated my trust fund."
"I bet you're thrilled," I said flatly.
"Not really," he replied, shooting a defiant glare at me. "I understand why Mom did it. I shamed her. I shamed my family because of my pigheadedness. So, I'm using some of my trust fund money to move down to Houston and the rest is going to invested. It's time I grew up. I'm twenty-nine years old and I act like I'm still in high school." I arched a brow. "Seriously, though. I'm sorry. I just pray that you can forgive me."
"Is this authentic, genuine and sincere?" I asked. "The last time you apologized, you took it back because you lost your trust fund."
"Yes. This is sincere, Edward. I know that our relationship will be strained for awhile, but I had to try," he said, his green eyes filling with tears. "I've missed my big brother. I've missed my family and I want to make it right. Do you forgive me?"
I sighed, putting down my coffee mug. "I forgive you, but with reservations," I said. "You've got some groveling to do. You hurt Bella and subsequently, hurt me."
"I know, Edward. I want to talk to her but I'm hesitant to do so. I don't even know how to approach it," he said resignedly.
I scratched my head. "How about this? Bella and I are both off on Sunday. Come over for lunch or something," I suggested. "However, one sour remark, one comment about her or something that makes her cry, I will pummel your smelly ass. Haven't you ever heard of a shower? You smell like a hippie commune."
"Like you're all rose petals and sandalwood, Edward. You're pretty rank, too," he said, pointing to my gray shirt that was still covered in sweat from my workout this morning.
"Working out," I snarked, pointing to myself, "Being a lazy ass," pointing to him. "See and smell the difference?" Jasper rolled his eyes. "Shower and get a haircut before you come over. I don't want to dry clean my couches because of your nasty ass. Maybe shave, too?"
"Fine," he grumbled, before giving me a crooked smile. "Thank you, Edward. For giving me a chance to trying to right my wrongs."
"Thank you for wanting to be a better man," I replied. "I really didn't want to hate you."
"Me neither, big brother," he said. "I hated not talking to you." He took a deep breath and heaved his body up from the stool. "I promise to make it right. The only tears you'll see will hopefully be tears of forgiveness."
"If not, there will be tears of pain," I threatened. "Clear?"
"Crystal," he nodded. "I'll see you Sunday." He got up and left my house. I finished my coffee before padding to my liquor cabinet, opening a bottle of whiskey and downing a few slugs of the potent liquor. I leaned heavily against the wall and mentally berated myself. Bella is going to kill me. She hates surprises.
How is she going to react with a surprise visit from my brother who made her feel like she was not worthy of my love?
My balls are going to ripped from my body.
Crap.
A/N: I wanted to have Garrett's welcoming party in this chapter but I wanted it to be in BPOV. Also, we have to address the Jasper issue. He seems to have turned over a new leaf. Do you think he's sincere? Anyhow, up next will be the lunch with Jasper, Edward and Bella. I'm thinking Rose and Emmett will be thrown in there for good measure, too. We're also going to have Garrett's welcome to Chicago party with the solidification of his and Alice's relationship. Finally, we're flying to Hawaii. If you have any suggestions on what our lovebirds should do in Hawaii, let me know. They're going to Oahu, in case you're wondering. I also mapped out the rest of the story. Once we get back from our vacay, it's not going to pretty. Angst is coming. The elusive it is just on the horizon.
Anyhow, pictures from the chapter will be on my blog. There are a few. Link for my blog is on my profile. You'll also get teasers and such there, too. Find me on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation or on Twitter: tufano79. Leave me some loving…it'll make me very happy.