Chapter 26

Songs:

If You Could Only See, Tonic
Eye of the Storm, Godsmack
Attrition, Soundgarden

*Link to playlist in chapter one.

*Fiddling was had and tweaks were made. All mistakes are mine.

Edward

"Yeah, that's fine." Angela sounds tired, even though it's close to eleven in the morning. "What time do you think you'll have him back?"

"Depends on when Mom and Pop get back home." I flip my lighter through my fingers, end over end on the table, fidgeting while Bella gets their swim stuff together.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning they're gone for the day, and when they get back, I'd rather not be there."

She sighs. "Is she giving you grief about being back with Bella? I swear, that woman needs to get over herself. Can't she see that you're actually happy for once? Why would she be against it? I just don't understand."

I smile at her perceptiveness. "Your guess is as good as mine." A noise coming from down the hallway reminds me I have one more thing to take care of before we can leave, so I wrap it up. "Look, I'll be there in an hour or so to get Seth."

"He'll be ready."

"Thanks. See you in a little while."

I end the call and place my phone down on the table, thrumming my fingers against it. Hesitating. I'm reluctant to do what I need to do, but I know if I don't, I'll miss the opportunity. Seeing Sam camped out in front of the television and completely distracted, I know now is the time to have this conversation.

Reluctantly, I get up and make my way toward Bella's room. Leaning against the doorframe, I watch as she folds towels, stuffing them in a giant duffel. There are pool toys, sunscreen, and her suit spread out on the bed. Softly humming a tune to herself, she's lost in her own head, and I know what I'm about to tell her will spoil her good mood.

"Hey," she says softly, looking up at me. "Was Angela okay with Seth coming with us?"

"She was. I told her we'd be there in about an hour."

"An hour? Why on earth would it take us an hour to pick him up? I'll have us ready in another ten minutes, tops."

I step towards her and reach for her hand, stilling her movements. "Because we need to talk about something before we go." I try to convey some calm as I look down at her, but I know I'm failing miserably when her eyes narrow.

She pulls her hand from mine. "What's wrong?"

I sit on the bed and pat the spot beside me. "This might take a minute."

"You're not making me feel any better," she says as she reluctantly lowers herself to sit.

"Shit," I mutter. I exhale quickly and rub my hands over my face. "Okay, let me start with the easy stuff. I called Pop, and they're out for the day. So unless they come home early, you probably won't have to see them."

"Okay," she says, drawing out the word. "What do you have to tell me that would make me feel better about not seeing them?"

"It might help us avoid a poolside homicide." I crack a grin at my poetic phrasing.

"You're really not that funny," she says, a single brow raised.

"No, you're right," I say with a sigh. "That was pretty bad."

Her shoulders slump, and I know she's losing patience with me. "Can you just spit it out? You're killing me here."

I reach for her hands and pull her closer until she's practically in my lap. As pissed as I am with my mother, I'm more worried about how Bella's going to react. I know she's going to be angry. Hell, I'm angry. But maybe my touch will soothe her the same way having her close helps calm me. I wrap an arm around her and kiss the top of her head. "Before I tell you what I found out, I want you to know I've already set things in motion to take care of it, okay?"

She doesn't respond out loud, only nodding her head.

"Remember that box of paperwork we found in storage?"

"Yeah. And you seemed really upset about something you found." She looks up then, her troubled eyes meeting my own. "Is that what this is about?"

"It is." I take a deep breath and blow it out, readying myself for the fallout. "I figured out Masen wasn't being paid what he should have been."

Her brow furrows and she scrunches her nose. "So, you're all in a tizzy because Mase missed out on a raise?"

"Not a raise. Masen wasn't being paid what he should have been ... for years."

"I don't understand. Why would I be upset about that? I always knew he was low man on the totem pole. I figured he wasn't making as much as some of the guys."

I heave a frustrated sigh. "No, Bella. Masen was hired in a year after me. He should have been making what I was, what everyone was who's worked there for almost ten years. He was being paid thousands less a year than the rest of us."

"Thousands?"

"Yeah."

She pulls away and stands, going back to putting her shit in her bag, only this time she's shoving it in. "And let me guess. Esme is responsible?"

"As far as we can tell. When I went to Pop with it, he said he had no clue."

She jerks her head in a nod. "I see."

I don't dare touch her. I've seen her like this a time or two in the past, and I know it's best to leave her alone while she works it out in her head. She buzzes around the room. She snatches her suit off the bed and disappears into the bathroom. I watch through the open door as she changes into her bikini, putting her clothes back on over it. She pulls a brush through her hair so hard I'm afraid she's gonna yank it out at the roots.

When her hair is sufficiently tamed, she twists it up into a knot on top of her head and walks back into the bedroom. "You ready to go?"

"Um, yeah," I say cautiously. "You gonna be okay?"

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

I rise from the bed and pull her closer, my hands resting on her hips. "I'm worried that you haven't really ... reacted yet."

She looks up then, her eyes blazing. "I'm actually trying to control my reaction. If I reacted the way I'm feeling ..."

"Which is what?"

"I can't remember the last time I was so angry, Edward. I want to—" She screams out in frustration and pulls away from me. "I know she's your mother and you love her, but I'm not sure I can ever be in the same room with that woman and have a civil conversation."

"After this and every other stunt she's pulled, I don't expect you to."

"Good," she says as she begins to pace. "I want to ... to ..." Another frustrated growl comes out of her. "I want to cry, you know? It's so fucking unfair that she's had so much control over my life when I never did anything to her to deserve it. Never. For reasons I will never understand she made it her goal in life to make Masen and me miserable. First it was the way she treated your brother. Even when Mase was a child your mother treated him like shit. I could never understand how she could treat an innocent little boy that way. And then she made it hard for me to stay close to Ali after you and I broke up, which worked in its own way. She and I were never as close after that. She also made it nearly impossible for your dad to get close to Sam, which made shit tough for me, you know? I was doing my best back then to keep the peace, and she was hellbent on making it difficult for all of us."

"I know, baby. She's had you in her sights for years, and I've never understood it either."

She continues pacing and pretty much ignores what I've said. "She's a bitch and a horrible excuse for a human being. I can't understand how—" She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, her voice dropping to not much more than a whisper. "I can't understand how she thinks she could do shit like that to someone who only wanted to belong."

"You feel better?" I ask cautiously, wrapping my arms around her.

Her eyes open and she looks up at me, a sad smile on her face. "Not really." She nuzzles her head into my chest and takes several breaths before speaking. "You're sure she won't be there today?"

"Pop said they were going for a long ride, just the two of them. He said they were making a day of it, so they probably wouldn't be back until dark."

She nods against my chest. "Good. I want to take the boys swimming, but I don't think I could face her right now. I'm too pissed. It would probably come out as angry tears." She looks up then. "And crying in front of your mother is the last thing I want to do. I can't let her think she has that much power over me."

I smile and peck her lips. "She doesn't have any power over you, babe."

Again, she nods but doesn't otherwise respond to my statement. Instead, she changes the subject. "Think Seth will be ready early if we go now?"

"He should be. Come on." I grasp her hand and tug her toward the door. "Let's go spend the day with our boys."

"We might grab dinner before I bring him back," I say as I stand on Angela's doorstep, watching Seth climb into Bella's SUV. I turn back to my son's mother. "Is that okay?"

"It's fine." She leans against the door and closes her eyes. A sigh escapes her. "I'm not feeling too great anyway. I could use a break."

I take in her appearance—her paler than usual skin that seems to have a green hue to it, her obvious exhaustion—I know something is wrong. "You're not sick, are you?" My instincts kick in and I take a half step back, afraid I might catch whatever bug she might have.

A small smile plays on her lips. "No, I'm not sick. Well, it's nothing you'd ever catch." Her eyes flutter open, and even though she obviously feels like roadkill, I see contented happiness. And it all clicks.

"No shit? You're pregnant?"

She laughs softly and nods. "We just found out," she says quietly.

"When?"

"Right after we got back from Cali, so we're not out of the first trimester yet. And Seth doesn't know, so can you keep it to yourself for now?"

"Yeah, of course," I say with a nod. A strange feeling bubbles up in my gut. The last time she told me she was pregnant, there was no we, no soft smiles and friendly banter. No, last time was definitely different. "Congratulations. Tell Ben I said ... uh ... yeah."

"I will," she says with a laugh. "Have fun with the boys today. Seth was really looking forward to spending time with Sam again."

"They're kind of inseparable."

Her smile falls just a little. "Yeah, they are." She opens her mouth to say more, but Seth hanging out of the rear window of the car calling for us to "get a move on" drags me away.

"I'll call you about getting him back."

Angela nods and waves at our son before closing the door. I hightail it back to Bella's car.

"Sorry," I say as I climb in behind the wheel. "She was feeling chatty today."

"'S okay," Bella mumbles, staring out the window.

"Are you? Okay, I mean."

She turns to me, smiling, but I know it's forced. "I'm fine."

I reach across the console and squeeze her hand. I turn around and look at the boys. "You two all buckled in?"

With two "yes, sirs," I back out of the driveway and head toward my parents' place.

As promised, they're gone, which is a relief. Pop said they would be, but I wasn't sure Mom would stay gone if she knew we were coming over. Bella is quiet as we head out back, sitting in one of the chaise lounges while she helps the boys get ready.

With sunscreen sprayed and pool floats inflated, the boys and I get in the water. It's more than a little distracting when Bella shimmies out of her shorts and tank top, leaving her in her swimsuit. I've seen her in a bikini probably a dozen times over the years, but this time, my gaze lingers, especially since the memory of what lies beneath it is fresh in my mind.

When she pulls a book from her bag and settles back onto the chaise instead of coming into the water, I'm disappointed. "You're not swimming?"

She looks up from her book and shakes her head. "I'm not feeling it today."

With shouts of "catch me" and "watch this," my attention is needed elsewhere, so I focus on the boys. I play catch and release as Sammy jumps from the edge into my arms over and over, and Seth is constantly asking me to count how many seconds he can stay under the water. It goes on for what feels like hours. They've got far too much fucking energy, and it doesn't take long for them to wear me out.

"Okay, you two, how about we take a break?"

With grumbling and complaints, they climb up the stairs and into the open towels Bella holds out for them. But when she mentions an early lunch, they're a little more cooperative. We snatch up Bella's bag so its contents don't bake in the afternoon sun, as well as t-shirts and Bella's shorts to ward off the biting chill of the AC in the house, and head inside. I get the boys settled in front of the TV with a movie while Bella heats up a batch of chicken nuggets and fries in the air fryer.

Lying on their stomachs on the family room floor with their feet in the air, they're happy little fuckers as they chow down. It also gives me a reprieve from keeping an eagle eye on them. I find Bella back in the kitchen making sandwiches with the rest of the food we've brought.

"You're being quiet today." I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her back to my front and kissing her neck.

She turns her head and looks up at me. "Kind of in a funk."

I turn her around and bring her arms up and over my shoulders, giving her a quick kiss. "I'm sorry I had to shit on today."

She shakes her head. "Don't apologize. You didn't have much of a choice. I understand why you told me when you did. I'd have been even more upset if you hadn't told me and they showed up." She sighs and her gaze travels around the room before coming back to mine. "This place hasn't been all that welcoming to me the last ten years, but now it's even less so." She shrugs her shoulders. "Guess I don't feel comfortable here anymore."

"I'm sorry," I repeat. My hands settle low on her hips, my fingertips tracing along the top edge of her suit bottoms, and a slow smile spreads across my face. "Maybe it's time I look into getting a pool at my place. Then I could see you in this getup all the time."

I get the reaction I was hoping for, and she laughs softly, her rarely seen blush pinkening her cheeks. I lean forward and capture her lips with mine, and just as I begin to deepen it, the door leading to the garage opens. Startled, Bella pulls away and gets behind me, shielding herself from whoever the fuck is intruding on us.

"Edward!" Mom says as she walks through the door, shock written all over her face. "I didn't know you were here. I didn't recognize the car in the driveway." Her eyes flit to Bella and back to me. "Did you get a new car?"

My joined hands drop to cover my rapidly deflating semi, and I clear my throat. "It's Bella's."

"Oh?" Mom questions. "I didn't realize you were able to afford a new car, Bella." She looks at me and back to my girl, and her expression changes before my fucking eyes. I know something spiteful is about to come out of her mouth. "Unless you're doing more than keeping the books for Rose over at McCarty's."

Bella tenses behind me. The grip she has on my arm tightens as she moves to step around me, but I hold her back.

"It's a used SUV, and you know it. Don't act like it's a brand-new car." I lower my voice so the boys can't overhear me. "You just couldn't pass up the chance to take a fucking shot at her, could you?"

Ignoring my mother's shocked expression, I turn around to face Bella and hold her cheeks in my hands. "I want you to take the boys home."

"They won't want to leave," she says under her breath, her eyes trained on my mother.

"Then take them for ice cream or something. I really don't give a fuck what you have to bribe them with, but I need you to get them out of here." I nudge her chin so she looks at me. "I don't want them to hear what I'm about to say to her."

It's like watching a switch flip, seeing the anger build in her eyes. She's so pissed, her teeth grind together when she speaks, her words coming out in a growl. "I need to tell her—"

"No, you don't," I say quietly but with conviction. "I need to handle this, Bella. It's time I stood up to her and for you."

Bella nods and takes a half step toward the patio door, but I grab her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Leave it. I'll get their toys and shit later." I reach across the kitchen counter and snag the keys from where I tossed them when we got here. I place them in her palm and kiss her forehead. "Just get them and go."

With no more than a nod, she grabs her bag and leaves the kitchen, heading into the family room. Her voice echoes down the hallway, and it's full of forced enthusiasm as she lures the boys with the promise of ice cream. My eyes never leave my mother, even as I hear Bella and the boys heading for the front door. When I finally hear it latch closed, the door leading to the garage opens.

My father steps inside, stopping a foot inside the door when he sees the standoff Mom and I are locked in. "Shit," he murmurs, closing the door behind him.

"I didn't expect to see you two today. You forget something, or did you want to come join in the fun?"

"What are you talking about?" Mom asks, looking between Pop and me. "Carl? Edward? What's going on?"

"We got about 50 miles out and I got a call from Tank," Pop replies, ignoring my mother. "There's something I need to handle down at the clubhouse. It slipped my mind to call you." He looks between his wife and me. "But I think it can wait for a bit."

"What? Was I not supposed to be here when my own son and grandson were in my house?" When we both ignore her, she loses her patience. Clearly frustrated with us, she shouts, "Can one of you tell me what the hell is going on?"

"You tell me," I say, leaning against the counter and crossing my arms.

"What are you talking about, Edward?" She breezes past me, tossing her jacket over a barstool as she walks toward the fridge. She pulls out a bottle of water and turns to face me. "Well? What's with all the suspense?"

I grind my teeth together, trying to keep a leash on the anger I'm feeling for the woman standing in front of me. "Mind telling me why you felt the need to attack Bella like that? Basically accusing her of fucking for money?"

She shrugs a shoulder as she sips from her bottle of water. She replaces the cap and places it on the counter, crossing her arms defensively. "She's a big girl. I'm sure she can take it."

"She shouldn't have to!" I drop my flexing hands to my sides. "There was no goddamn reason to say that shit to her. You can spot makes and models from a mile away, so you know damn well that car is almost ten years old. You said that shit just to hurt her."

"I'm sorry, all right? I couldn't help myself."

"Just like you couldn't help yourself when you wrote Masen's paychecks?"

The silence that follows is deafening. It's so quiet I can hear the hum of the refrigerator. Mom just stands there, staring me down, and the longer we're locked in a standoff, the longer she stays silent, the more my anger and frustration builds.

"You know, as shitty as it is, the money isn't even half of it. You've been gunning for Bella for years. What's your fucking problem with her, huh? Not only did you insinuate she's working in front of the cameras down at McCarty's, but you offered her money to leave town, too? What the fuck is wrong with you, Mom?"

"Nothing is wrong with me," she snaps, practically throwing down her water bottle. She grits her teeth and gets in my face. "I'm just trying to protect my son from getting hurt again. That bitch should've—"

"Esme!" Pop barks.

I whip my head around and look at Pop then back to Mom as she takes a step back. My gaze bounces between them before settling on her. "Should've what?"

She pushes her hair behind her ear and stands a bit straighter, clearing her throat before continuing. "Bella's been bad news for this family for a long time. I saw an opportunity to get her out of our lives, and I took it."

"But why? What the hell did she ever do to you?" My frustration with her swells inside me to the point where my chest physically aches.

Her eyes flash to her husband where he stands behind me, and they stay there.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" I growl.

"Watch it, Edward," Pop demands. "That's your mother you're talking to. Show her some respect."

"Respect," I spit, wheeling around to face my father. "I'll show her some respect when she's earned it." I ignore her gasp, still facing Pop. "Did you even confront her about the money?"

His eyes flit to her and back to me. "We talked."

I laugh, but I'm not at all amused with the situation. "You talked? Well, that's just ... super." I turn to my mother. "And what did you have to say to defend yourself?" My voice rises with every word. "How did you explain away the fact that you basically stole from my brother for ten goddamn years?"

"That's enough, Edward!" Pop shouts over me. "Don't speak to your mother like that, no matter what she's done. She's already agreed to pay back the money."

Ignoring him, I take a step toward Mom, my fists still clenched at my sides. "You're going to pay back every fucking dollar you kept from them. Do you understand me?"

"I've already agreed to—"

"Every goddamn dollar, Mom." I shove a finger in her face, my eyes narrowing. "And you're gonna apologize to Bella. And when she tells you to piss off, you're gonna grovel at her feet. You've done nothing but make her life difficult for the last ten years, and it's about time you start making up for all the shit you've put her through." I drop my hand and take a step toward the patio doors.

"Wait! We should—"

I turn around when I reach the door, ignoring her desperate plea. "Otherwise, we're done. You got me? Bella and the boys are all that matter right now. You keep this shit up, and you're gonna lose me and Seth." I take a breath. "I'd threaten that you're gonna lose Sam, too, but I doubt you'd give a fuck about him."

I turn to my father then. "Same goes for you."

Pop holds up his hands. "Hey, I never—"

"I know. And that's the problem. You never looked out for your other son. You never made sure your wife was doing the right thing where he was concerned."

"Look, I did my best for our family." He looks at Mom and back to me. "I couldn't change what I didn't know about. If I had, I would've—"

"Don't even start with that shit, Pop. You never did your best where Mase was concerned. And if you'd opened your goddamn eyes, you would've seen what your wife had been doing to him his entire life. And the saddest part of all this is that my brother died trying to prove himself to people who didn't really give a shit."

I shove the patio door open and step out into the sun, closing it with as much force as I can. I find my discarded cell under a towel and send Bella a text, asking her to come get my sorry ass. And as I gather up the boys' things, I wonder if this is the last time I'll do this here.

Bella was right about one thing; this house isn't as welcoming as it used to be.

A/N: Was that what you expected? Do you think Esme will play nice now that Edward threatened to keep Seth away from her? Do you think Edward will follow through with it if she doesn't? Was he hard enough on her? I know more than a few of you are out for blood. ;) I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I keep forgetting to mention that I've started a new "story" for outtakes from Clutch and Shift. You'll find it on my FFN profile. So, if you want to know what Buzz was thinking the night Bella shot the guy in her trailer or what, if anything, Edward overheard when Bella met Seth, check it out!

I've got a nasty eye ... issue going on right now, and I may not be able to update Shift on Friday for the simple reason that I'm having an incredibly hard time looking at a screen. That doesn't bode well for working on edits. But I'll update if I can. Thanks so much for being understanding. Xoxo

A giant thank you to the ladies who joined me Saturday evening to chat! It was such a great time, and I loved answering your questions. For those of you wondering, xXTailoredDreamsXx won the one shot giveaway, and I'm anxiously waiting to see the prompt she gives me. I'll keep you all posted.

***The fundraiser for Carey is ongoing with authors scheduled through October, with more being added all the time, so please check it out if you haven't yet. See the Facebook group, Author's 411, for more details. A schedule listing the participating authors and times is posted in that group as well as my own.

Remember, you can come chat with me in my Facebook group, Sunshine Fics. I also share teasers and chapter pics there every week. And you can follow me on Twitter at CSunshine1220, and on my blog sited in chapter 1. Thanks so much for reading!

Be kind.
Stay safe.
Stay well.

Lots of love
~Sunshine