Thank you as always to Team Harpy.
Chapter 32
"Thank you for the invitation to brunch, Mrs.C."
"It's my pleasure, Bella. Would you like more tea?"
"Sure, if it doesn't cause Lonnie any trouble." I smile at the butler.
"None at all, Mrs. Whitlock… Bella." He amends when I shoot him a look.
I grin at him as he leaves the room.
"You do have a way with people, don't you dear?"
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone I've seen you interact with leaves your presence with a smile."
"Well, not everyone." I laugh. "You should see my husband when I get in one of my moods. He travels alot and I don't deal with it well… thank you, Lonnie." I say as I take my tea. I sip on it then continue. "But I like conversing with people with none of that technology crap that gets in the way of human interaction."
"I know exactly what you mean. Everyone with their heads down looking at their phones complaining about neck pain and such. It's like trying to talk to a brick wall."
"I knew I liked you for a reason, Mrs. C."
"I like you too, Bella. You bring color and warmth to this home."
"You know my husband said almost the same exact thing to me the other day. Must be true if two of you are saying it."
"Now, how is your recording studio going? I have so enjoyed the shows that Alice's young man has put on. Even Ed enjoyed them and that's saying a lot."
"He does seem rather… selective with his music." I try for tact.
"You can say it, he's an old stick in the mud."
We're still laughing when the topic of conversation comes in. He kisses Mrs. C's cheek then greets me with a smile. "You come to your senses yet, young lady?"
"About what?"
"My job offer."
"Not today." I grin.
"Well, I'll keep trying."
"You do that, Mr. C."
"What are you up to today, Dear?"
"I'm going to my office for a few hours and meeting Edward and a couple of others to talk about that California hotel line Edward has finally secured. We sign on it next week. But they're not here yet so I'm going to join you if nobody minds."
He has Lonnie bring him a cup of coffee and a croissant. Esme and Victoria join us briefly for their own coffees and start talking about their husbands and how what it's like being married into this crazy rich family while Mr. C scoffs and rolls his eyes. I laugh at their antics and find myself really enjoying spending time with people who are obviously way above me, financially speaking anyway.
"Good morning, Everyone."
My head turns toward the sound of a voice I know well and I beam at Masen. I never get to see him much during the day so this is a treat.
"Hi!" I greet him.
He halts a little when he sees me but adapts his face quickly. His eyes are darting back and forth behind his tinted glasses though as everyone else greets him.
"Have you met Bella?" Mr. C asks.
"Yes, Alice's friend. It's good to see you." His smile is stiff.
Alice's friend?
He says to everyone else. " If you'll excuse us, I have to discuss something with… Bella, that she asked me to look into for her recording company." He gently takes my arm and pulls me out of my chair and into the foyer, looking both ways before leading me out the door.
I pull my arm away.
"What was that about?"
"What was what about?" He plays innocent but I know better.
"Don't play me. You just pulled me out of brunch and called me Alice's friend. What the heck was that?" I cross my arms. Too bad Mrs. C can't see the mood I was talking about earlier. Masen is definitely not gonna leave me smiling. "And your hair is all weird. And what is with those glasses? Do people even wear tinted eyewear indoors anymore?"
He looks at me like he doesn't know where to start.
"The Cullen's are my main employers and they are conservative so I dress the part. My regular glasses broke this morning and I only wear them on a big paperwork day like today. All that fine print. These are my back up glasses for driving." He explains.
Okay, sounds somewhat legit. I know how he's all hung up on appearances.
"What about that whole Alice's friend thing?" I ask softly, trying not to let him know how hurt I am.
He doesn't answer so I do it for him.
"I don't fit into the conservative part of your life." I surmise.
He hangs his head in answer.
"You'll give them my apologies for leaving abruptly?" I ask though it's rhetorical. I turn to leave to go back to the cottage.
"Bella." He pleads.
I turn to look at him.
"What?"
"I love you." He says fiercely.
I smile but it's sad.
"I know you do but you have to make a choice because I refuse to be a wife to only half your life. I'm sure I'll see you later."
This time I don't look back.
***E***
I watch her leave with a muttered 'fuck'. Last night was perfect. I spent most of the night sleeping with her in my arms leaving at four in the morning to sneak back under the cover of darkness only to be met with a fuming wife sitting on the couch in my suite asking where the hell I'd been all night. At work was not the answer she was looking for or an answer she bought. She threatened to pull Cullen Inc's cameras before I told her that I went to my penthouse through the back entrance and spent some time alone. That I was used to living by myself and now I am sharing a house with nine people who are always at each other's throats. I finally had her calmed down after a couple of hours and then it was time to get ready for work. We left separately to her chagrin but I reminded her I had to come all the way back here to go over the contract for the Japanese hotel chain. She made me promise to take her to dinner at Mac's for all the trouble I have caused her lately. Then she kissed my cheek in front of my family and I am sure my expression mirrored theirs.
And now I've hurt Bella's feelings. I panicked when I walked in and saw her chatting with my mother, grandparents, and aunt. Maybe when I am at Mac's I can quietly approach him about his investigation. I need this to be over yesterday.
I steel myself for the questions I am sure are coming about my business with Bella but am pleasantly surprised when they accept my answer that Bella had to get some work done. I hurry through the meeting with Grandfather then head back to work until I have to have dinner with the barracuda. I send a text to Alice to make sure Bella doesn't go to Mac's tonight. She sends me back an eye roll emoji next to a middle finger.
Guess that's a yes.
I drive to Mac's and am pleased I get here before Angela. I approach the bar and gesture to Mac that I need to speak with him. He pulls me over to a corner table.
"So, how's the investigation going?" I ask, inserting confidence in my voice that I am sure everything is just fine.
He looks at me with pity.
"I only have a little and so far it doesn't look good, Edward. I need you to be prepared for what I might find."
"I'm prepared. It really won't matter in the long run, Mac. I just need to know."
"And if your family isn't happy?"
"I'll handle them."
"Okay well I'll be heading to New York next week and I'll get back to you soon after that."
I hide my sigh of relief then I spot Angela so I get up and whisper a 'thank you' before playing my part as the doting husband taking his lovely wife on a date.
"So I have an idea." She says.
"No."
"You haven't even heard it yet. Really Edward."
"The last idea you came up with I had to marry you. Forgive me for being apprehensive."
She shoots me a look.
"As I was saying, There is a very special event coming up and your presence is not only requested, it's required."
"What society event are you trying to drag me to this time?"
"I want a birthday party. And I'm not talking just any old run of the mill party, I am talking about a gala event."
"Gee, I didn't realize your birthday was coming up."
"I didn't think you would. I don't recall you ever asking."
"I'm sure I was getting to it." I take a drink trying not to smirk.
"That's not even the point. It's been a banner year for me and I anticipate another. I want to celebrate in a major way."
"Should I order another drink for this?"
"Think big. Gargantuan. I want a party people will be anticipating for weeks to come. I want a party that will splash on the cover of all the society pages. I want a party befitting the wife of Edward Cullen."
"Sounds… big. Angela, I don't mean to rain on your parade but what you're describing sounds, for lack of a better word, tacky. Now, wouldn't you prefer having something smaller and private, intimate?"
"At your family's home?"
"Yeah."
"Forget it. I want out of this gilded cage. You have been holding me up there long enough. One of the reasons marrying you was so appealing was the opportunity of moving around the Tacoma society. Well, that hasn't happened. This party will announce my arrival."
"How about we go away, just the two of us." I try not to grimace at the thought but I'm desperate here.
"So you can ignore me the whole time? You're not listening. This is not negotiable. You are not keeping up your end of the bargain. Not only am I still an outsider, but I'm also an outsider in my own home. You can just consider this party compensation for the shoddy treatment I've been receiving around here. As a matter of fact, you can consider this a wake up call. You will treat this marriage with more respect, voluntarily or kicking and screaming." She snatches her purse up and stands. "I'll see you at home later. Though it had better be sooner."
That went well, though a day pissing off Angela is a day worth living. It's my other wife I need to talk to now. I do a mental Catholic crossing of myself and say a quick prayer that I come out of this with all my appendages intact.
It's quiet when I let myself in and I cock my ear to see if I can pinpoint her location. The bath running indicates she will be a little while. I decide to let her be and let her soak her day away before pleading my case. I enter the studio instead. I'm scheduled next week but I'm itching to get some lyrics down. I've been playing with a song but with Angela around, I haven't been able to rehearse at all. I test out the piano sitting in the corner of the room. It's tuned, not that I expected any differently. I take off my suit jacket and sit down on the bench. There isn't any sheet music but I can see it all in my head so I start.
I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me
This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy
I need somebody to heal
somebody to know
somebody to have
somebody to hold
It's easy to say
but it's never the same
I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain
She appears in my peripheral, leaning against the door frame with a robe on and a cup of her nightly tea, her hair in wet strings down her shoulders and back. Her expression is unreadable.
I keep on.
Now the day bleeds, into nightfall
and you're not here, to get me through it all
I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug
I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved
I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to turn to
This all or nothing way of loving got me sleeping without you
She walks over to me and sits down beside me on the bench, her tea abandoned on a table by the door.
I don't stop letting the feeling of the music fall around us.
I move on to the bridge.
And I tend to close my eyes when it hurts sometimes
I fall into your arms
I'll be safe in your sound til I come back around
For now the day bleeds, into nightfall
and you're not here, to get me through it all
I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug
I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved
But now the day bleeds, into nightfall
and you're not here, to get me through it all
I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug
I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved
I let my guard down and then you pulled the rug
I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved
I finish the last piano chords and my fingers hover a moment before they fall into my lap.
She sighs then puts her head on my shoulder, the wetness seeping through my thin shirt. I rest my head on hers and we just sit there, on the precipice of an impasse, all the while knowing she shouldn't have to give at all.
"We should put that on the new album. It's good."
She's the first to speak, her voice raspy, and I know she's cried today. Over me and that guts me because I never should have started this but ending this would be the end of me.
However, that might be what I have to do in the end.
But until then, I'm going to soak this up for the memories for that may be all I have later.
Songs
Someone You Loved- Lewis Capaldi
Memories- Maroon 5
See you Sunday.
