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.
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).
Carrots? Has anyone seen any carrots? The plot bunny attacked and well, you all are going to reap the benefits. NEW STORY! I've been writing some pretty heavy stuff lately and well, I'm going to lighten it up a bit. It's not going to be a humorous story (though there will be some funny bits) but it will be romantic. Some drama…some light angst (there needs to be some sort of conflict or it wouldn't be worth reading, kids).
Up next will be Edward and his return to the island. Some blasts from the past will be making their return. Do you think that Edward will reconcile with his father?
Chapter Thirty-One: Isle of Craziness
EPOV
"What crack was I smoking leaving her?" I grumbled from my seat in first class. We were somewhere over Central America. My chest was hollow and empty. I wanted to beg and plead with the pilots to turn the plane around so I could go back to my fiancée. For certain a U.S. Air Marshal would arrest my ass and I'd be sent to Guantanamo Bay for suspected terrorism. I tugged on my hair, shifting in my seat again and staring out the window. When are we landing? I need to call my girl. I could have used the satellite phone, but decided against it.
"Sir, do you want an extra pillow?" asked a busty flight attendant. She was looking at me like I was dinner, licking her lips and undressing me with her eyes. I felt strangely violated.
"A blanket would be great," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. Don't look at me, skank. She smiled, standing back up and walking to a closet. She arched her back, giving me the 'come-hither' stare as she grabbed the blanket. Then, someone came out of the bathroom and smacked her right in the ass. I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing hysterically. The flight attendant glared at the patron, an elderly gentleman who had obviously eaten something that did not agree with him. It wafted all through first class. She slammed the door shut and handed me the blanket in a huff, walking to find something to clear the air.
I wrapped myself in the blanket, leaning my head against the window. I had to get some sleep. As soon as I arrived on the island, it was straight to work for me. But, I couldn't get my mind to stop working. So, I just let myself stare out the window, watching as the miles of clouds and darkness drifted by. I never fell asleep. I eventually took out my laptop and wrote Bella a letter. Our emails back and forth during our initial separation really made things easier. Nearly five pages later, the captain said that we were on our final approach for Rio's airport. I saved my letter, sending it via email once I had internet access. I put my computer into the bag and prepared myself for the next two and half months of insanity.
I don't know if I can do it. Bella grounds me and she makes me want to be a better man. With her being up in Seattle, I was afraid of losing myself in work and being an ogre. I knew that I wasn't going to fall back to my old habits with women. The mere thought of being with someone other than my future wife made my stomach turn. The flight attendant was staring at me hungrily from her perch in the galley. I gave her a murderous glare before covering myself with the blanket and ignoring her while we made our approach to Rio. Once we pulled up to the gate, we were allowed to get our shit and deplane. I booked it out of there. I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed Bella's number.
"You made it?" she whispered, sounding so lost and broken.
"I'm here. I'm safe," I said, leaning against the wall. "God, I wish you were here with me."
"Me, too," she sniffled. "I'm working from home this week. I just want to be here so I can at least smell you. Is that weird?"
"No, love," I said, rubbing my chest. "I grabbed some of your shirts and a travel sized bottle of your perfume. Bella, I know that this sucks. I want to fly back up there and hold you in my arms, but you understand why I have to do this."
"I do, baby," she said. "I'm proud of you and the work you're doing down at the resort and trying to repair your relationship with Carlisle. It just sucks that you're there and I'm here. I hate being an adult. Stupid responsibilities."
"I hear you," I snorted, hating my job at the moment. "I'll call you once I get to the island. I love you with every ounce of my being, my Bella."
"I love you more," she said, her voice sounding impossibly sad. I heard her sob just before the call disconnected.
"Damn it," I snarled, banging my head against the wall. Heaving my body down the hallway to baggage claim, I picked up my three large suitcases and somehow managed to get through customs. I called Emmett, who was picking me up from the airport.
"Douche!" he bellowed as he picked up.
"Asswipe," I snorted. "You here?"
"Yep. I'm waiting for you by the exit," he responded. "I'm under one of the World Cup posters."
"That doesn't help, Em," I said. "There's World Cup posters up everywhere."
"It's the lone United States soccer poster in the baggage claim, Edward," Emmett laughed. "See you in a bit." I rolled my eyes, pocketing my phone and going in search of my goofy older brother. It didn't take long since he was holding up a sign saying 'Welcome back, Cullen!' I walked over to him and we hugged tightly. "I told you you'd find me."
"Yeah, yeah," I snickered. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good. Rose is about ready to pop. She wants our baby to be born already," Emmett chuckled. "My beautiful wife looks like she swallowed a jumbo beach ball. She's all belly."
"When is she due?"
"Beginning of May. Dad is prepared if he has to deliver his own grandchild, but I'm certain he'd rather leave it to our doctor on the mainland," Emmett said, leading me out to the parking garage. We loaded up my bags into the Hummer and clambered inside. "How are you doing?"
"Miserable. I know why I'm doing this. I need to be here, but I just called Bella. She sounded so…"
"Lost? Forlorn? Miserable?" Emmett offered.
"Worse than that," I muttered. "I shouldn't have left. My fiancée should not be crying because of my freaking sense of duty. This is crap. Turn the car around. I'm going back…"
"No, you're not. Edward, we really need you," Emmett said, his eyes serious. "Alice is amazing, don't get me wrong, but you ran the resort like a well-oiled machine. Dad made a huge mess of the ordering and we need you, Edward. Only you can fix the fuck up that is going on in your office."
"Do I even want to know?" I asked, grimacing slightly.
"You'll find out soon enough," Emmett sighed. "Business is doing great. We've got a ton of reservations and returning clients, but we're not making as much money as we used to. I think it was due in part to Dad's snafu with the ordering and Alice's overspending for decorations and such for the themed parties."
"We have an entire closet filled with decorations," I said while Emmett parked the car. "For every single themed party that we host."
"She came up with a few more. Plus, she's buying a ton of stuff for your wedding, going with the peacock theme," Emmett explained.
"Oooh, I'm so reimbursing the resort for all of that," I said, freaking out at what my sister could have bought for our wedding. "That's not right." I got out of the car and pulled my bags from the back of Emmett's Hummer. "Are we in danger of losing the resort, Em?"
"God, no. We just need to tighten up the reins. We had an awesome winter and the summer is looking to be even more lucrative. People are excited about the new luxury villas we're adding," Emmett said.
"How is the construction going?" I asked, rolling my bags to the yacht.
"Excellent. We've got two almost finished, plus two more that are ready to go. Victoria's villa has been scoured, stem to stern and a smaller villa near yours was ready to go as well. In regard to the other villas we're constructing, we're just waiting for the furniture to be delivered," he explained. "Oh, and Mom found you a perfect, secluded spot for your new villa."
"She did?" I asked, smiling widely.
"Yep. It's on the southwest corner of the island, away from everything," Emmett said. "You'll definitely need to use the motorcycle to get to work in the morning." I beamed at that prospect. "At least it's still getting used. Rose pretty much threatened my manhood if I even looked at a motorcycle." I chuckled. Together, we loaded up my baggage into the cargo hold of the yacht. "She went ahead and broke ground, digging out the foundation and arranging for the exterior of the house. Mom does know what you want, right?"
"Yeah. We talked about it when I was here in January," I said. "I drew the layout I wanted and she said she'd handle the rest. I want to have it finished by the time Bella comes down here before we get married."
"Awesome," Emmett smiled. "Now, make yourself useful and untie the boat. You have to shower and get ready to work."
"All on less than an hour's sleep," I snickered.
"Welcome home, Eddie," Emmett bellowed, running up to the cabin.
xx AIDA xx
By the time I was done reorganizing my office to my standards, I was barely coherent. I dragged my exhausted ass to crew quarters, falling into bed and wanting nothing more than to call my girl. I did call her once I got settled on the island. She sounded a little better. She had just come back from a late dinner with Paul and Becca. I unpacked my belongings in the small apartment that I was residing in until the new villa was completed. On my days off, I would empty out my current villa of my personal effects, storing them in the large garage we had here on the island. It wouldn't take long and it would be another villa to sell for people to use for their vacations.
I stripped off my clothes and was going to lay down when I heard someone knock. "Noooo…" I grumbled, getting up. I tossed on a pair of shorts and opened up the door. "Alice, you better have a good reason for disturbing my time to call Bella and the sleep I so desperately need."
"I'm only here to drop off those files you asked for," Alice said, handing me the past six months of expense reports. "I know you're running on fumes. We can talk more later." She turned on her heel and started to walk away.
"Alice, what is it? You could have left these on the desk," I said, dragging her back into the apartment and closing the door. "Talk to me."
"I think Mom and Dad are getting a divorce," she hissed. She plopped down on the couch and curled up into a fetal position.
"Why do you think that, Alice?" I asked, sitting down next to her. "Mom and Dad have been together for over thirty-five years."
"He's been sleeping on the couch in the house. Mom won't let him sleep with her. A lot of it has to do with you, I think," Alice grimaced. "Mom's pissed at his behavior of you. I don't blame her, really, but you would have thought that they got over it. You know?"
"Have you ever heard Mom say, 'Carlisle, I want a divorce,'?" I asked.
"No," she said, sniffling slightly and looking at me. "But they haven't been all sweet and cuddly like they were before."
"Dad's sleeping on the couch because he felt the need to bring up my shortcomings," I deadpanned. "Like I don't know what they were or are. Whatever. I'm trying to change."
"Not trying, Edward. You did change," Alice said, leaning her head against me. "It's all because of Bella. I never thought that I'd get my brother back. You're still handsome and cocky, but you have this vulnerability and sweetness that I never saw before."
"Regardless, Dad still sees me as a womanizing, douche canoe that is more prone to find the next available pussy than to do my job," I sneered. "Prior to Bella, that was true. I was a prick. I had one thing on my mind besides the resort and that was getting laid. Now? The idea of making love to another woman besides Bella makes me physically ill. She's everything I've ever wanted, Alice. Everything I'll ever need. We can make the sweetest love or fuck each other until our eyes cross. We both know that we love each other and that will never, ever change."
"Are you going to try and talk to Dad?" Alice asked.
"I am. I wanted to talk to him today, but considering I'm not firing on all cylinders, it probably wouldn't be a wise decision. I probably would have gone off on him, giving him more ammunition to prove that I'm a fuck up. I'm jet lagged, missing my girl and all I want to do is talk to my fiancée, shower and the crash until I have to go to work tomorrow," I said, scrubbing my face.
"Well, I'll let you be, then," Alice said, getting up from her perch on my queen-sized bed. "I can only imagine what you're feeling right now. Talking to me is the last thing you want to do…"
"Alice, I always want to talk to you. I'm just fucking exhausted," I said, giving her a grimace. "Let's have breakfast tomorrow and we'll catch up. I missed you, Tink." I hugged her and she melted in my arms.
"I missed you, too, Edward," she murmured. "Say hi to Bella for me." With a peck on my cheek, she scampered out of my room, closing the door behind her.
Crawling back onto the bed, I found my cell phone and dialed my girl. It was around nine at night here, meaning it was just before three in Seattle. She would still be working. She picked up after one ring. "Hello?"
"My gorgeous girl," I sighed.
"Edward, you sound bushed. Are you okay?" she asked, immediately worried for me.
"I'm exhausted, honestly. I couldn't sleep on the plane and since it was early in the morning when I arrived, I just went straight to work," I said, yawning widely.
"So, you've been up for how many hours?"
"I don't know, forty-eight-ish?" I responded. "As soon as I get off the phone with you, I'm sleeping until eight tomorrow. I should be fine to function and finish reorganizing my office with that."
"Then, go to sleep, Edward," Bella admonished. "I don't want you getting sick…"
"Bella, if you think I'm going to go a day without talking to you, you're crazy," I deadpanned. "I'm lost without you. I want you here, but I know you have commitments up in Seattle. So, get used to me calling you, skyping you and mailing you. Did you get my email?"
"Yes, Edward," she purred. "Perhaps, you should be the novelist. You've got quite a way with words, baby. I had to relieve some pressure after reading all you wanted to do to me…it made me so wet."
"Keep in mind, I wrote that on the plane. I had quite the boner when I was done," I snickered.
"So, we kind of had airplane sex. We joined the Mile High Club," Bella laughed.
"Bella, we are so joining the Mile High Club for real. Perhaps on our honeymoon?" I suggested.
"On our way back. I do not want our first time as husband and wife to be in a tiny, smelly airplane bathroom," Bella said. I could just picture her, arching her brow at me and giving me the stink eye.
"Our first time as husband and wife will be exactly as I described it in that letter, my gorgeous girl," I smiled. "And it will not be in a tiny, smelly airplane bathroom. I'm thinking more along the lines of a king-sized bed with mosquito netting, candles, you, me and our love."
"Yeah, that was cheesy, Edward," Bella giggled.
"Work with me, Swan. The last time I slept was Sunday night," I snorted. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay, I guess. I miss you something terrible. It's weird sleeping in the bed without you there, hogging most of it," she chuckled.
"I do not hog the bed. I just want to get as close to you as possible," I argued.
"And you do. I miss it," she sighed. "Okay, Cullen. I've got an article that I need to finish. Miranda needs me to post this before six tonight. It's a follow up article to the school testing one I did last month. As much as I would love to continue talking to you, I have to get my work done. I miss you. I love you and let's set up a Skype date for Friday?"
"Done!" I said, pumping my fist. "I love you, my Bella."
"I love you more," she murmured. "Talk to you later." With a few more utterances of adoration, we hung up. I pulled out Bella's t-shirt, cradling it to my body and within seconds, I was down for the count.
Unfortunately, my sleep was not restful. I was plagued with nightmares. Ghosts of hookups past tried to finagle their way into my life with Bella. The most predominant ghost was Victoria, followed by Lauren, but most of my dreams ripped Bella and I apart, shattering my soul. Get a grip, Edward. You're not Skankward anymore. You're Bella's Edward. I tried, in vain, to go back to sleep but ended up watching some infomercials in Portuguese. When my alarm went off at seven, I dragged my body to the bathroom and washed off the sweat and grime from my troubled sleep. Dressing in a pair of khakis and a light weight linen shirt, I went to the buffet. Alice was already there with my very pregnant sister-in-law.
"Emmett was right. You do look like you swallowed a beach ball," I chuckled, kissing Rose on the cheek. "You look beautiful."
"Fuck you, Edward. I'm sore. I'm cranky. I'm horny. I have cankles and I want to meet my baby," Rose said, rubbing her stomach.
"Cankles? What the hell are cankles?" I asked.
She propped her foot on my leg. "My ankles have disappeared, morphing directly into my calves. Cankles," she said, leaving her foot there. "Rub."
"Rose, I love you and I love my future niece or nephew, but I'm not rubbing your feet while I eat my breakfast," I deadpanned.
"No, my calf. I've got a cramp and I can't bend down," she replied. "Please?" I nodded, massaging her calf and earning some pretty pornographic moans from my brother's wife.
"Okay, I'd like to keep my dick intact. If Emmett heard you, I'd be a eunuch," I shuddered, patting her leg. "No sex sounds, Rosalie."
"Sorry. Your piano playing fingers are much better at that then Emmett's," Rose said, lowering her leg. She looked at me, sipping her tea. "You look like shit, Edward. Did you sleep?"
"Yeah, Edward. I thought you were exhausted," Alice said.
"I was, but I had some freaky nightmares," I cringed. "Ghosts of my previous life…"
"Ahhh," they both replied.
"I need to get some coffee. Do you want anything while, I'm up?" I asked. Rose handed me her 'order' from the buffet. She had the weirdest cravings but I'd get them for her, along with my own omelet and coffee. Walking back with a tray with a coffee carafe and our meals, I sat down, digging into my breakfast. "I forgot how good Jorge's omelets were."
"They are the nectar of the gods," Rose said as she dug into one of her two omelets she requested. One had corned beef hash, cheddar cheese and red peppers. The other had all sorts of mushrooms and anchovies. I wrinkled my nose as she slurped up an anchovy. "Don't be giving me shit, Edward. I love my omelets."
"It's just an interesting combo," I said, digging into my own veggie omelet. "Anchovies?"
"Great for constipation," she answered. "Alice, do you have that information for Edward's wedding?"
"Yep," Alice said, pulling out a four inch binder from her bag on the ground. When she put it onto the table, the entire thing rocked.
"Alice, what is that?" I asked, pointing to the binder.
"Everything for yours and Bella's dream wedding," Alice chirped, pushing it toward me. "It has your floral-scapes, dinner menu, decorations…"
"Is Bella's dress sketch in there?" Rose asked, shifting in her seat. Alice squeaked, finding a section of the binder and removing a sheet from a plastic sleeve and stuffing it into her bag. "You can't see that."
"I gathered that," I said, my eyes widening at the massive book in front of me. "Okay, Alice, how much of this has been purchased and by whom?"
"Um, most of it," she said, wrinkling her nose. "I bought it through the contacts with the resort."
"Did the resort pay for this?" I questioned. Alice blushed and nodded. "Ali, I realize that you want to help out with the planning of our wedding. I love you for it. Both of you, but you can't spend the resort's money on this. Bella and I are paying for our wedding." I flipped through the binder, looking at the various invoices. My trust fund was going to take a beating this year with the purchase of the new house in Seattle, the construction of the house here on the island and reimbursing the resort for the cost of Alice's spending for our wedding. "The money that was spent will be reimbursed once I access my accounts. Though this shit is cool, Alice. I think Bella is going to love this."
"I know she will. We've been emailing back and forth. She's been sending me pictures and links from Pinterest. That site is amazing for finding ideas for weddings and such!" Alice said, smiling softly. "Okay, you keep this. I need to do some work on Bella's dress."
"You're making it?" I asked.
"No. A friend of Esme's is making it for her from the mainland. I just need to finish the sketch and confer with your fiancée about measurements and such. I'll be by the office in the afternoon to talk to you about the new way that Dad wanted to do the reservations. I'm pretty certain you want to go back to what you were using, but he was insistent that it was much more efficient," Alice said, rolling her eyes. "Love you, Edward." She kissed my cheek and darted off. Rose was still sitting with me, appraising me.
"What?" I asked.
"Are you sure you're alright? I mean, we can handle a few more days without you, Edward," Rose said quietly. "You look really tired."
"I need to focus on fixing this place. I didn't realize how much damage could be done in nine months or so," I grumbled. "I still have this year's reports to go over and finish reorganizing my desk. It's a mess."
"You're not going to go back to that Doucheward, right?" Rose asked, glaring at me. "It would kill…"
"Rose, I can't. I get sick at the thought of it," I said. "My dreams are of my past life coming back to bite me in the ass. My fear is that Victoria is going to crash my wedding, claiming she's the mother of my illegitimate love child or Lauren comes back, saying that she never stopped loving me and that she wants to get back together. Or that, I don't know. I'm just afraid."
"Edward, Bella loves you. She knows your history and despite your skankiness, she's with you," Rose snorted.
"Thanks for the unpleasant reminder, Rose," I said flatly. "I realize that I'm a moron…"
"A reformed moron," Rose offered. "Look, you have every right to be afraid, but Bella is in love with you. You're getting married and moving down here to the island. Just enjoy it."
"I miss her, Rose. I'm afraid that this was a mistake. Me coming down here," I muttered.
"You may think so, but we don't. We need you, Edward. God bless Carlisle for trying, but he's not you," Rose said, squeezing my hand. "Now, I've got to take a shit and then work on the last few weddings before I give birth to this bowling ball."
"TMI, Rose," I chuckled.
"Be grateful you haven't smelled what has been coming out of my ass," she snickered, kissing my cheek. "I'll swing by with the invoices for the weddings sometime this morning." She waddled away, farting with each step. Rolling my eyes, I finished my breakfast and left a few Real on the table for a tip. I grabbed my binder, shocked at how heavy it was, and lugged it to my office so I could pay the resort back the money that Alice had spent.
My morning was spent trying to make sense of the invoices. My father had definitely been swindled for our supplies and Alice did overspend on the new decorations. I also checked the inventory for the bars, food and spa. We should have had more based on the amounts we were receiving. Either the invoices were incorrect and we weren't getting the correct amount of supplies or we had another person stealing from us. Based on the security checks I had in place for the hiring process, I doubted it was another employee. They were all freaking out after Huilen was taken into custody. I started making phone calls, checking on our orders and got nowhere until I spoke with one of our new liquor distributors.
"Oh, Senhor Cullen, we are under new management now," the woman said. "I thought Dr. Cullen told you. Zafrina has bought our business along with a silent partner."
"Really?" I asked, deadpan. "Did Dr. Cullen know of this change? This new management?"
"He knew that we were bought out by a competitor, but not by whom. Is this a problem, Senhor Cullen?" she asked.
"I think it might be. I need to speak with your new management," I said tersely. "Have a good day." I hung up the phone, pinching my nose. Zafrina was hiking up the prices. Nahuel couldn't deliver. Zafrina was expensive as fuck and that left this last company, owned by Senna Zoni, to purchase our booze. Obviously, Zafrina gave Senna an offer she couldn't refuse. Fuck.
I dialed Zafrina, only to discover her phone number had been disconnected. I called back the warehouse for the phone number of their new boss and they gave it to me, reluctantly. I called the new number, asking for Zafrina. I was immediately patched through. "This is Zafrina," she said, her voice rough and breathless.
"Since when do you have an interest in small business, Zafrina? Senna Zoni's place is definitely not in your wheelhouse," I said coldly.
"Well, well, well. Cullen's back," she said, her accent purring. "Senna was having difficulties meeting the demands of your resort. She was falling behind in her payments to the government. I offered her relief. Besides, I can now say that I screwed you, Cullen."
"You wish, Zafrina," I growled. "Your prices are insane…"
"But, I deliver and you need that delivery service," Zafrina chuckled. "No one will willingly come out to your island, Edward. It's not convenient for the seller. So, you have a choice. Stay in business with me, or find someone inland who will screw you even further with their prices."
"Looks like I'll be doing some research, Zafrina. I'll be in contact with you," I snapped. "When I have a new liquor distributor." I slammed the phone down and started searching for someone who had decent prices and were willing to make the trek out to the island. The remainder of the morning was on the phone, trying to find a company with competitive prices. I found one, but they were based on Sao Paolo. They'd deliver the alcohol to Rio but not out to the island. Striking out with that, I decided to contact the liquor companies themselves. I hoped that in exchange for advertisements and whatnot, they'd be willing to deliver their booze to us.
Shockingly enough, I managed to work out a deal with most of the major beer companies and top shelf liquor. They had heard about the resort and loved the idea of it. I had twenty contracts with twenty different companies, for buying liquor, at cost, in exchange for advertisements, comped rooms and a partnership with a resort on the mainland. I wasn't going to cut ties with Zafrina yet. I had to send over the contracts to my attorney, Jenks, for perusal but by the end of the week, we'd be in business.
I was placing the new contracts into a file after I had sent them off to Jenks. There was a knock on my office door and my mom poked her head inside. "Hello?" she called.
"Over here," I said, slipping the file into the cabinet. "Making deals with liquor companies to get our booze delivered at a cheaper price."
"Were we not getting a good price?" Mom asked.
"Initially, when I left, yes. But, Senna's business was bought by Zafrina's and for the amount we were paying, we got half of the booze," I grumbled. "Anyhow, I have to check the food deliveries and see if we're getting screwed with that…"
"Oh my," she frowned. "I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner later? I saw you for a like a nanosecond yesterday and not at all today."
"I want to get this all squared away," I said, gesturing to the mess on my desk. "We have a theme party tonight and Alice asked if I could be the DJ. I'm breaking out my line dancing boots and cowboy hat."
"How about tomorrow?" Esme asked.
"Skype date with my fiancée," I said, feeling badly about my now crazy schedule. "How about this? We have a mother/son date on Saturday. I'm scheduled to be off that day. Alice insisted. We can hang out, go out to dinner, and chat. I do have to do some work in my villa to pull out the personal stuff, but other than that, I'm free."
"I can help you. I missed you, Edward. Besides, I want to go over everything for your new house, plus show you where we're building it," she smiled. "I want to make sure that you're happy with the design and location. You and Bella will hopefully be here a long time. How is my future daughter-in-law?"
"Good. Missing me. Just like I'm missing her," I said, sitting down on the couch. "How are you? How's Dad?"
"I'm fine. Your father, on the other hand, has a permanent back ache because of his rude behavior toward you," she said, arching a brow. "He said that he's going to try and talk to you, but I don't know."
"I want to talk to him. I need to prove to him that I'm not a fuck up, like he believes," I shrugged.
"Edward, you have never been…a fuck up." Mom blushed at the use of the 'f-bomb.' "Just lost. But you found your way."
I nodded. "I'm just afraid that he'll always see me as the red-headed step-child, black sheep who can't keep his dick in his pants. He alluded to it when he dropped me and Bella off at the mainland."
"That is why he's sleeping on the couch. I love your father, but I gave birth to you. You are my blood, Edward. What Lauren did to you, that caused you to put up those walls, was horrific. I understand why you did it. I questioned your sanity, but I get it. The one thing you craved was to be loved. You were such an affectionate child, always wore your heart on your sleeve. You wanted to be in love so badly and when Lauren shattered that, my sweet, adorable son died. A shell of your former self reappeared and you didn't truly heal until you met Bella. She gave you the love that you craved, after a swift kick in the ass." My mom took my hand and brushed my hair from my face. "Edward, you are a brilliant, amazing and driven man. You love with your whole heart and soul. You would give the shirt off your back to a stranger if they had nothing and it was raining. You're like your father that way. He's got the same drive and ambition as you do. I know your relationship will take time to heal, but I hope that it does."
"Me, too," I said, enfolding my mom into a tight hug. "I love you, Momma."
"I love you more, my Edward," she whispered, kissing my cheek.
"Now, I have to ask. Alice has me freaking out. Are you and Dad getting a divorce?" I questioned, looking at my mother.
"No, but he's got some major ass to kiss if he wants back into the bed," Esme smirked.
"Why not let him sleep in one of the many guest rooms?" I asked.
"Because, he fucked up," Esme laughed, kissing my cheek. "I'll meet you at your villa at eleven on Saturday."
Dear God, my mom's got a potty mouth. She's gone to the dark side…
xx AIDA xx
My Skype date with my fiancée went by way too quickly. I couldn't keep my eyes open when we got in front of the computer. Bella insisted that I get some sleep due to my apparent jetlag. My nights were filled with nightmares and my greatest fears were exploding in my head. Bella. Walking away. Shattering my heart as she tossed my ring in my face. I couldn't stop the nightmares from coming. I was exhausted each night when I went to bed and even more tired when I woke up in the morning.
When I went over to my old villa, I was freaking zombie. I had several large boxes, some old newspapers and rolls of tape. I began in the kitchen, packing up my plates, glasses, pots and pans. As I was working, I had my iPod playing. I was singing along with the pop music that was being piped through the speakers, trying to keep myself from crashing. My mom arrived promptly at eleven. She was dressed comfortably in a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and her long, caramel hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. We emptied out the kitchen, talking about the resort, Rose's pregnancy, and Alice's relationship with Jasper and her marital woes with my father. The next stop was my bedroom. We worked in relative silence as I went through my clothing, choosing several things to donate and packing everything else up to leave in my small apartment in the crew quarters.
"Edward, I don't understand why you're staying in crew quarters," Esme said, folding up some of my bathing suits. "You could stay with your father and me."
"I don't feel comfortable with that," I said, tossing another shirt into the donate pile. "We haven't spoken yet. Well, not about his behavior. We've had a few conversations regarding pool chemicals and towels, but nothing substantial. I'm fine in the apartment, Mom. It's all I really need until the new villa is ready. Besides, I've already booked my villa for the week after next."
"How did you do that?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"I went to one of those sites that sells unused suites and hotel rooms at a fraction of the cost. I posted it on there. We have sixteen empty suites and villas. If we sell them for a fraction of the cost, we're still making money," I said. "In the past three days, I've saved the resort a hundred thousand dollars with the new contracts with the liquor companies, partnering up with a mainland resort and that website. I also paid for the decorations that Alice bought for my wedding."
"You are so smart, Edward. I would have never thought of that. Your father and Alice didn't," she mused.
"I'm also trying to get some new vendors and possibly a small mall on the island," I said, dragging my mom back to the kitchen. I pulled up the website on my tablet. "We've got the land here, right along the northern shoreline. We can lure some local jewelers, clothing stores, shoes, swimwear and have them set up an open air mall along this beach."
"That sounds lovely," Mom breathed. "Have you made any queries?"
"I've got a few people on board. I have to do some work on this part of the island, get electrical, water and some sort of shelter, but once that's figured out, it'll be ready to go."
"Are you thinking actual buildings or really open aired?" she asked.
"That's all dependent on who comes. We can lease the land, provide the electrical, water and internet service, but they'd have to build what they wanted," I shrugged. "Possibly for our next winter season?"
"Any other bright ideas?"
"I'm renegotiating with all of our vendors for excursions, possibly adding more options for that. Emmett mentioned that he wanted to add zip lining and a kayak expedition. He'd be willing to lead those since he's the expert. Jasper suggested horseback riding along the western trails and adding parasailing," I said. "A lot of that is going to cost money up front, but in the long run, we'll do much better financially. I'd like to meet with everyone to discuss these plans before I set them into action. You know? This is a family run resort."
"First thing. Monday morning," Mom said, hugging me close. "Now, if you're villa is going to be used, we better finish up." I nodded and we worked until the sun went down. I spoke with Bella, telling her about my ideas for the resort and she seemed excited. However, she was worried about me since I was still yawning a lot while we were on the phone. I knew, at some point, I was going to have to tell her about my dreams, but not tonight. I just wanted to hear her voice, tell her that I loved her and just relish the moments I had with her on the phone.
On Monday, I went over my proposed changes and whatnot with the family. Everyone was excited about the new amenities we were adding. I even went so far as creating Bella's job description. It was a modified version of what Rose did, but she would essentially be in charge of planning the excursions and helping with the planning of the theme nights in addition to working with Alice as the wedding planner. I included her on an email with the information, asking if she was okay with her new job. After the meeting, I sent off the contracts to the liquor distributors, our new partner on the mainland and left a voicemail for Zafrina, terminating our professional relationship and the relationship with Senna's business as well.
Life blurred by. I woke up, usually after some hellacious nightmare, dragged my ass to work, taking care of the everyday business of the resort and whipping it back into shape. My father still avoided me like the damn plague and as a result, he was still sleeping on the couch. He had yet to even acknowledge all of the hard work I had done for the resort, turning it around within two weeks of my arrival.
Early the third week after I came back, I was going to meet with our new partner on the mainland. Alice was going to join me since she would be taking over for me while I was on my honeymoon. It was unilaterally determined that while Carlisle was a fabulous physician, he was not a good business manager. Alice was better, when she had clear guidelines. Don't spend money unnecessarily. Alice rolled her eyes at that and I told her that there would be reminders everywhere while I was gone.
Dressing professionally, Alice and I rode to the mainland. We drove to the Hotel Fasano, which was where we stayed when Bella came last year. They were going to be our mainland partner. Today, we had to finalize our terms of what we were doing, the cost of the partnership, and how the reciprocal rooming situation was going to work out. As we used the valet parking, Alice grabbed my arm. "Something doesn't feel right," she said, looking at me.
"About the meeting or in general?" I asked.
"In general. The meeting, I think, will be okay. But, something is just not right, Edward. I mean, Zafrina, the bitch that she is, would not give up a profitable contract like us without a fight. You know? And who is her new 'silent' partner?" Alice asked, using air quotes around silent. "Something's going to happen with her. I just feel it."
"Well, let's not worry about that now," I said, getting out of my Volvo and giving the valet my key. "We've got to make sure we get a good deal out of this arrangement." Alice nodded, slinging her bag over her shoulder and teetering into the main lobby. We spoke with one of the men behind the counter and waited for the hotel manager. A tall, regal man named Joham came out and we went back to his office to discuss terms. He was reasonable and even had some other ideas to make our working relationship even more lucrative. We shook on it, signing a contract with him and sharing some brandy in celebration. I extended an invitation to him to see how we worked on the island. Joham said that he'd come out on his next day off, which was Thursday.
With another handshake, Alice and I left, feeling on top of the world. I hugged my sister and was excited about everything that was lining up for us professionally. We decided to go out for a late lunch at a restaurant nearby. Finishing our meals, we went back to the marina, texting Rose, Emmett, Jasper and Esme the good news. Removing my suit coat, I also texted Bella.
Just signed a great deal with Hotel Fasano…bring back memories, my gorgeous girl? It's where we had our first date…Love you ~ E
Perhaps we'll have to go back…have some fun on that king sized bed we shared, Edward. I miss you and I love you to the moon and back ~ B
You are my sun, my moon and all of my stars. My world revolves around you, my love ~ E
Edward…don't make me all weepy ~ B
I don't mean to. I just speak from the heart, Bella. I'm heading out to sea…call you in an hour? ~ E
I'll be waiting. Love you ~ B
Love you more ~ E
Arriving back at the resort, I docked the boat and went directly to my office. Alice went to check on Rosalie, who wasn't feeling well this morning. I loaded up Skype and pinged my fiancée. She immediately answered, looking gorgeous as usual. "Hello, my love," I purred.
"Edward," she breathed, reaching to touch the screen. "You still look like shit…but wearing a suit? Sexy…"
"I feel like a damn penguin," I chuckled, loosening my tie. "I like working on the island because it's khakis and loose shirts. Yes, I can wear a suit with the best of them, but ugh...I hate the ties."
"Well, you look very good," she smiled. "Did you get my email?"
"If you sent it yesterday or this morning, then no. I was out early due to the meeting with the hotel manager at Hotel Fasano," I said, opening another window on my second screen. I checked my email and saw Bella's note. It was about the Newsroom Awards.
"I need to let them know how many guests I'm bringing," she said, frowning slightly. "Do you think you can make it?"
I grimaced, looking at her on the computer screen. "I don't think so, Bella. I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I wanted to make it work. I barely had time to do the Skype session for that gaming conference in Leipzig and that was done right here…in this office." Her face fell and I could see tears form in her deep, brown eyes. God damn it. You suck, Cullen.
"I get it," she sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I saw the emails. You've been doing a lot of work and making a lot of changes. Everything looks awesome."
"I had to do a lot of damage control," I grimaced. "But, enough about the resort. How are things at the paper?"
"Good. Miranda is giving me some fairly challenging assignments. She said that she wanted to get the most out of me before became a freelance writer," Bella quipped sadly. "Look, I've got a phone interview coming up in a few minutes."
"Bella, are you mad at me?" I whispered, my voice cracking.
"I'm not happy and I need to cool off. I really do have an interview. I don't want to be all weepy when I'm on the phone with the damn mayor," she said, giving me a half-hearted grin. "I love you, Edward." I didn't get to respond because she clicked off the screen.
"FUCK!" I groaned, thrusting my hands in my hair. "Can I suck anymore?"
"I wouldn't go that far," my father said from the doorway. "You do not suck."
"Tell that to my fiancée. She's hating me right now," I said, closing out Skype. "She got nominated for this award and emailed me about being able to go to the ceremony at the end of May. I just told her that I wasn't able to attend. Suffice it to say, Bella's upset with me."
"You could go. By then, things should be evened out," Carlisle said, sitting down across from me. "I know I made a mess in here…"
"With all of the proposed changes, I don't want to up and leave, having Alice make the decisions," I sighed, tugging on my hair. "I want to prove myself to everyone that I'm not a fuck up but the one person who supported me more than anything in the world is getting shafted."
"Edward Anthony, you are not a fuck up. If anyone is a fuck up, it's me," he said, leaning forward. "I am so sorry for treating you the way that I did, Edward. I never realized how much you did for the resort and how smoothly you did it. I'm in shock that you were able to turn everything around in such a short amount of time and come up with marketable and profitable ideas. I just made a mess. A huge mess. Of everything, really. The resort, our relationship and my marriage."
"How's the couch working out, Dad?" I teased.
"I need to see a chiropractor," he grumbled, shifting uncomfortably. "Look, I'm going to be honest with you, Edward. You are a brilliant and level-headed businessman. The way you run things here is nothing short of amazing. The workers respect you; your ideas bring in insane amounts of money and you do it without even having to think about it."
"Dad, I do think about it, but I went to school for this. You're a doctor. How would I react if I was thrust into a situation where I had to operate on someone?" I said, arching a brow. "It wouldn't be pretty."
"I know that I have a long way to go in regard to making amends for my hurtful and spiteful words, Edward, but my advice to you is to go to Bella's award ceremony. You'll regret it if you don't," he got up and smoothed his pants. "Also, I wanted to let you know that I'm so proud of you. I've always been proud of you. I just never showed it because in my mind, I expected so much more and your actions clouded that. As a father, I should have known that your behavior was a cry for help. Instead, I just passed judgment, never giving you the help that you needed. I love you, son. I hope that at some point, you can forgive me."
He turned on his heel and left my office. His words left me in a lurch. So many things got my mind reeling.
He was proud of me?
He loved me?
Of course he loved me, he's my father.
I couldn't sit for very long. Alice called me out to the pool deck regarding some drink snafu that apparently needed the boss's attention. Really?
xx AIDA xx
The next two weeks were filled with work, sleep and short, clipped conversations with my fiancée. She was still pissed at me about the ceremony. I was still pissed at me. Why did I say no? Oh, because I have a sick, delusion that my family can't handle a week without me. In a way, it was true. I left for nine months and my resort was in shambles. Okay, not really, but it wasn't the smoothly run resort I left in September.
After a long day of running excursions since Rose was on the mainland, getting checked out by her doctor, I crashed almost immediately. I was still plagued with my nightmares and seeing Bella's dead eyes on Skype made it even more real that I was fucking things up. My unrestful sleep was interrupted by the obnoxious ring of my cell phone and the blaring sound of fire alarms. Picking up my phone, I barked, "What?"
"Edward, your old villa. It's on fire," Jasper panted. "The security guards noticed something was wrong and caught three people sneaking away from your old place…Get over here!"
"Is everyone alright?" I asked, pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
"No one was inside. I think they were staying on the mainland at Fasano. I remember I took the group to Rio for an all-day excursion at Sugar Loaf Mountain and Botanical Gardens. They had bags with them," Jasper explained. "Just, get here!"
I put on a pair of sneakers and grabbed my helmet from the top of the dresser. Dashing down the stairs, I hopped on my motorcycle, driving over to my old villa. It was completely engulfed in flames. My eyes widened at the destruction of my old home and I felt violated. Yes, we were using it as another luxury villa, but I had lived there for roughly eight years of my life. We had several employees who were firefighters on the mainland, working to strike the fire out. Parking my motorcycle, I walked around the property, finally reaching the beach where Jasper, Emmett and two security guards were holding three people on the sand. I recognized two of them immediately.
With a snarl, I sucker punched James/Jimmy. "You fucking asshole," I growled. I started kicking him and my brother pulled me off him. "You couldn't leave well enough alone, hmmm? First you fuck up my sister, then you fuck my fiancée's friend and now you're fucking up my life?"
"I was going for the trifecta," James responded, spitting out blood and what looked like a few teeth. "I needed to finish what I started with this bitch…" He gestured to Alice, who was glaring at James. "I should have killed you when I had a chance. My sister, Victoria, said that this was your villa."
"I never said that you, idiot," Victoria sneered. "All I said was that revenge is best served hot and I know exactly what we needed to do. You fucked with the wrong family, Cullen!"
"And how did you get involved with this mess?" I snapped at Zafrina.
"I'm pregnant with James' baby," she said, her demeanor defeated. "He threatened to kill the baby and kill me, if I didn't help these two get on the island."
"You could have hurt someone, gotten someone killed!" I screamed. I looked back at my brother. "Please tell me you called the police?"
"They're on their way," Emmett said, sneering at the trio of assholes sitting on the white sandy beaches of my home. "They'll probably deport James and VictWHOREia back to the U.S., but Zafrina is in for a long jail term." I scoffed, walking away from them and sitting down along the shoreline. I could hear the sounds of the men snuffing out the fire. Zafrina was crying and Victoria and James were bickering.
"Will you shut up?" Alice shrieked. "You got caught, you fucking animals. Neither of you will ever, nor I mean ever fuck with my family again. I hope that you get your balls cut off and shoved up your own ass in jail, James. And you? I'm shocked you're able to walk with all of the fucking you do. Both of you are the scourge of the universe, preying on the weak and broken. Well, I've got news for you. You are now the weak and broken." Alice reared back, kicking James in the balls. He groaned, collapsing on the sand in agony. With a sneer, Alice took out a pair of scissors. She gathered Victoria's curls in her hand, cutting them crookedly and tossing them in her face. "I'd pop your fake boobs, but I don't like blood." With a backhand to Victoria's face, Alice turned and joined me on the beach, putting her head on my shoulder. "I told you that something would happen."
"Never bet against you, Tink," I said, smiling sadly. I hugged her closely and we waited for the Rio police to come and arrest the intruders on our island. Once they arrived, we gave our statements. Zafrina told the police everything and they were hauled off to the Rio police station. James was going to be extradited back to Seattle for his attack on Becca and Victoria was going to be thrown in jail locally, along with Zafrina. They were being charged with arson, destruction of private property, attempted murder, attempted assault and trespassing. James, once he was done with his jail time in Seattle, would be charged with the same.
Seeing the craziness of those three made me yearn for my girl. Our relationship was strained and I hated that. I hated that it was my fault. Alice nudged me, handing me my cell phone. "I know you want to go. We'll handle everything…"
"But, Alice, with this…" I said, gesturing to the now smoldering fire.
"We'll handle it," she said. "Call Marcus. He can make it happen."
"What about the island? Rose is about ready to pop…" I said, my eyes turning crazed.
"Edward, don't make me kick your ass," Emmett said, tossing some burning wood into the ocean. "This type of thing is a reminder of what could happen in the matter of a few moments."
"Go to her," Carlisle said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "You've got the ball rolling. I'm certain that Alice can take it from there."
My entire family was in front of me and Alice. They were all encouraging me to fly back to Bella. With a gulp, I nodded and got up from my spot on the beach. I found Marcus's phone number, dialing it. Gruffly, he answered, "It's the middle of the night…what?"
"Marcus, it's Edward. I need a huge favor…"
A/N: Cliffie…but of the best kind. We're getting close to the end, folks. I'm thinking two, maybe, three more chapters? Plus an epilogue. The good news is that James, VictWHOREia and Zafrina are now finished. James will be someone's prison bitch and the other two will just rot in a Brazilian jail.
Now, pictures of the Hotel Fasano and the fire are on my tumblr and blog (links for those are on my profile). You can also find me on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation or on twitter: tufano79.
Up next will be the Newsroom Awards and the surprise of a lifetime. Not to mention one hell of a huge lemon warning. Just sayin… This chapter needed to happen and I knew that it was only going to be one chapter. These guys are together from now until the end of the story. Anyhow, please leave me some!