I need to address something again. Yes, I know this is dragging on. No, I don't like it either. It's not my thing but since this is based off of a soap opera (soap operas are notorious for dragging crap out), I really have no choice. I've already cut out things I didn't deem important. Yes some of the conversations seem repetitive. I know this, you know this. I need y'all to stick it out two more chapters then we can move on.

Speaking of moving on...

Thank you to Team Harpy. Thank you to all who read and review. I appreciate you all.

Chapter 32

"Oh look, there's a concert in the park tonight," Angela exclaims.

"That's nice," I remark, looking at the newspaper. My tone suggests otherwise.

"What a lovely idea. Why don't we go?" Her tone suggests she's not merely suggesting.

"Go where?" I play stupid. It works for me most of the time.

"To the classical music concert of course. We can have Waylon pack us a picnic basket with caviar and champagne."

"Um, I think you're forgetting something." Besides the fact that I hate caviar.

"What?"

"It's a public place. They'll let anyone in." I try to appeal to her snobbish side.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't tell me that Angela Weber Cullen wants to hang around with any ole riffraff that might wander in off the streets. I thought you made it your life's mission to remove yourself from all that."

"That is a nasty thing to say."

"I'm sorry…" I'm not.

"Why don't you just stop pulling the punches. You're ashamed of me. You're embarrassed to be seen with me in a setting other than business or eating a meal. I am sorry but I won't have it. You will take me to this so you might as well resign yourself to it." She storms out and while I'm thankful, I could have probably handled that better.

I look back towards the doorway then grab my second cell from my front pocket. I walk over towards the patio doors and wait for an answer.

"BAR Music Management."

"Yes, I'd like to speak to the B of BAR, please."

Her tone drops from professional to sultry in a split second.

"May I ask what it's regarding?"

"Yes, I'd like to tell her just how much I love her and to see what she's doing tonight so I can keep that imagery in my head during what promises to be a very boring business meeting."

"Well, Mrs. Whitlock is going to be extremely busy throughout the night. She's going to be editing the melodious tones of her much adored husband all by herself in a lonely old studio. Want to come and watch?" I take the phone from my mouth and mutter a curse. I can't keep doing this to her much longer.

"Oh, I wish I could."

"Then make your wish come true. You said yourself it will be boring."

"I would love to but unfortunately…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Have I ever told you that you are the most patient and understanding wife that a man could possibly ask for?"

"Maybe you should."

"I just did." I smile.

"Call me later if you get a break."

"I will. I love you." I choke out.

"I love you more." She says softly before hanging up.

I sigh then resign myself to an evening of Angela.

***B***

I look up as the door opens hoping it's Masen. It's not.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask Ali and Jasper.

"We are here on official kidnapping business." He says.

"What?"

"You're coming with us." Ali tugs me out of my seat.

"Wait, where am I going?"

"To the concert in the park. It's scientifically proven that if you limit yourself to one type of music your brain cells start exploding in your head." Jasper tells me.

"It's not a pretty sight." Ali agrees.

"And the only way to avoid it is to broaden your musical horizons with one dose of culture, which means you're coming with us."

"I can't because I am working all night long." I protest.

"I'm pulling rank."

"You don't have any rank." I laugh.

"Sure I do. I'm your new artist and I can't have my manager's brain cells exploding." He smiles.

"It might be dawning on you that we aren't leaving without you so… let's go."

"Okay! Sheesh. I'd love to go, alright? But first I've got to change so why don't you guys go without me and I'll meet you there." I head towards my room. "Ooh, do you think there will be fireworks? I love fireworks."

"We're waiting on you so hurry!"

"Okay, okay! Keep your pants on!" I rush to change and we are out the door in fifteen minutes. We chat about this and that as Jasper drives us in Ali's fancy car. We arrive and see there is a massive turnout for this event but luckily we find a spot midway back and center. Jasper puts down a soft blanket and sits down a picnic basket. I'm glad I wore a jacket cause it's a little chilly for late August. Such is the Pacific Northwest.

"I am really so psyched you two dragged me out of the house for this, you know? I just wish Masen was here."

"I wish he was too. I'd love to meet the guy."

"I know. It's like you two have missed meeting each other so many times. I guess that's what being busy does to you."

I notice Ali is wide eyed.

"What's wrong, Sister?"

"Nothing! I'm fine. Let's see what's in this basket."

"You don't know? Who packed it?"

"I had Mac's cater it for us. There's turkey sandwiches, ham sandwiches, chips, fruit, water. Nothing big."

"Sounds great to me." Ali starts passing out food and we eat as the symphony begins to play. I notice her eyes keep trailing behind me but everytime I go to look she's talking to me about this and that. This goes on about an hour before she suddenly sits up and grabs her head. "I think I need some water. I don't feel so good. My head…" Then she passes out and I screech her name cause girlfriend is pale as all get out. Jasper and I rush to help her.

"Maybe we should call 911?" Jasper suggests.

"No, I think it's just a migraine. She gets them sometimes. Look, she's coming around." Ali struggles to sit up and we help her, making her drink water. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just feel really weird."

"Okay, let's get you home." Jasper helps Ali and I rush to gather up all our things and trail them to the car. I throw the stuff in the trunk and Jasper drives me home then goes with Ali. I tell him to call me to let me know how she is. He assures me he will. I get inside and shuck my coat off. Well that break was short lived.

I get back to work and after checking on Ali, I try to call Masen. It goes to voicemail as per usual. I leave him a message telling him what happened so he can check on her himself. I finish editing the tracks Masen laid down the other day and then move on to Jasper's. He only has two down so far but is scheduled next week. It's almost one in the morning after that so with one last look at my phone, I go to bed.

***E***

I knock on Alice's apartment door the next morning. I don't see Jasper's car so I'm hoping she's alone.

She opens the door and her mouth twists. Okay, she's irritated. Nothing new there.

"Can I come in?"

"You mean, you're asking? You're not just gonna barge in and tell me all the things I did wrong?"

I hang my head. "No."

"Then yes, you can come in." She walks away leaving the door open. I follow her inside and stop short of the living room. She's already settled on the couch.

"So why the drop by?" She asks.

"I wanted to thank you for last night. Bella told me she was staying home so I gave in to Angela's demand that I take her to that concert." I laugh bitterly. "I didn't even notice Bella was there until I heard her voice."

"Yeah, I gathered that much. I kept trying to catch your eye and when that didn't happen and Bella was starting to wonder what I was looking at so intently, I knew I had to act fast. I couldn't very well have her see you and that thing sitting there together."

"Thank you again."

"I didn't do it for you, Edward. I did it for me because I'm not prepared to answer for my sins just yet. Especially in a public place where there are so many witnesses to see her kill you and me helping her on principle."

"Alice…"

"No! You are going to let me finish. That girl loves you to distraction. When she talks about you, she lights up and her voice gets all gushy and her accent even more pronounced."

"I know."

"And that light is going to extinguish when she finds out. Whoever tells her will get front row seats to her undoing. And she doesn't deserve it. And this needs to be over now because as selfish as this sounds, I can't take it! I'm anxious and moody and Jasper probably thinks I'm bipolar with all the mood swings. I'm healthy then I'm passing out at a park. I'm happy then I'm furious. I'm light then I'm dark. You are fucking with my happiness and Bella's happiness and for what? Huh? She is walking around living your lie and she doesn't even have a choice about it."

"You think I don't know all this? Fuck! You're like a broken record. I get it. I'm the devil. Have you ever thought about what this is doing to me?"

"Who the hell cares about what it's doing to you? You did this. No one forced you to create this catastrophic web of deceit so thick that several lives hang in the balance. That's all on you."

"Bullshit Alice. You were all 'this is so romantic, I'll help you keep her'."

"That was before Angela hopped on the crazy train at the Cullen Express. Then it was a whole other matter. Now, it's illegal and I'm an accomplice. Not to mention that I love Bella."

"I love Bella too, damnit!" I yell.

We're both quiet then as we glare at each other. Finally she sighs.

"I know you do but I don't think she's gonna care."

I thrust my hand through my hair and huff. "There's a birthday party next week."

"Whose?"

"Angela's."

"Oh, I don't care about her." She waves me off.

"Neither do I but this is an important event."

"Why?"

"This will be the last event she will ever attend as my wife. I'm hoping that shortly thereafter, Mac will have what we need on her. Then I can kick her ass out of my life and I can come clean with Bella and we can work it out."

"So another week, two tops? And then it's all over? We can move on with our lives?"

"Yeah. I can throw myself on Bella's mercy and hopefully she'll forgive me and understand why I had to do this."

"You're delusional."

"It could happen…"

"Did they teach you to be this stupid in boarding school?"

"I thought we were done with the insults."

"Never. It is one of those things that make life worth living."

"Are we good here?" I indicate between us.

"For now. Until shit blows up and then, I don't know."

"Okay, I'm going to go see my wife."

"Which one?"

My answer comes in the form of my middle finger as I let myself out. I get what Alice is saying. The anxiety and pressure is taking its toll. I pull up to the cottage and park in the back, hidden from view like always. This time I enter through the laundry room door. I sniff and know she's making lasagna. I hear her voice and I follow my ears after grabbing a bottle of wine and two glasses. She's on the phone booking someone or something. I haven't had a gig in a few weeks and I miss it. But I hear her say Jasper's name and I deflate just a little.

Just as well, I didn't need to perform yet anyway. Not until this is over and I'm free.

She notices me and smiles, holding up a finger for me to wait. She nods approvingly at the wine so I move to the dining room table and pop the cork and set it aside, letting it breathe. I settle in to watch her in her element, wheeling and dealing. I feel for whoever is at the other end of that line because she is like a steamroller. I should know.

I let the past ten months roll footage in my mind and I smile as I think of how happy she makes me. Then it dims because in about two weeks, I'm gonna tear her heart out for no reason other than she's collateral damage. I just hope she loves Masen enough to listen to Edward's explanation.

She hangs up. "Guess who just booked Jasper into Seattle's hottest nightclub?"

"I have no idea. Can I have a hint?" I smirk.

She rolls her eyes.

I reach over and pour us some wine then I lean back and pat my leg. She enthusiastically settles in and sighs in pleasure once she takes a sip.

"This is the life, ya know?"

"Hmmm." I breathe her in.

"Just you and me drinking wine after a day of you making real estate deals and me booking gigs and making music. You make me so incredibly happy, Masen."

Tears prick my eyes and I blink them away before she can see them. Cause to Bella, her husband crying would be alarming. But the closer I get to this being over, the more emotional I am. Fear is clawing away at my gut, at my throat. I struggle to breathe sometimes the more I think about it. I'm in so deep that I'm gonna need a backhoe to get out.

"Babe, you okay?"

"I'm with you, so I'm perfect."

"You sure? You have a weird look on your face."

"It's been a long day and I foresee a couple of long weeks but after that, things should hopefully settle down."

"Is this when your double life might be over?" She's so full of hope.

"Yes. My double life will be over and we can spend every night together."

"You're gonna move in?"

"If you'll let me."

She squeals and throws herself further into me. "Of course, I'll let you. Oh, Masen, this is gonna be so great. We can make music during the day and make love during the night. Just like it's supposed to be."

"There is nothing I want more." Finally a truth I can speak.

The oven timer goes off and she jumps off to finish preparing our dinner. My primary phone rings and I see it's Angela. I hit ignore and turn it off. I'll deal with her later.

Right now, I'm going to enjoy my wife while I can. Because once I tell her the truth, she's gonna need some time to process everything. I hold no delusions that she will fall into my arms and tell me everything is fine. My wife is passionate and with that passion comes extreme anger. I've seen it first hand and I'm a little scared for my life but I think once I explain why, she will eventually hear me out like she always does when I screw up... which is often.

She sets a plate in front of me. "Are there anchovies in this?" I eye it dubiously.

"No. It's italian sausage. Shut up and eat it."

"Yes, Dear."

We eat and finish up with a movie. She falls asleep and I carry her into her room and lie her gently on the bed and cover her up. I kiss her on her forehead and lock the door behind me as I leave. I switch out rings and turn on my phone.

Twelve missed calls. Eight voice messages. I clear them off without listening and head back to my massive prison a mile down the road from where my heart lives.

Just a couple weeks more...

Playlist:

Over and Over- Tim McGraw and Nelly (LOL)

Can't Help Me Now- Rob Thomas

Daylight- Maroon 5

But one week more for y'all. Thank you to all who are still reading.