Thank you to Team Harpy. And to everyone still reading.

Chapter 37

*B*

I'm sitting in the dark when he arrives.

"Bella? It's me."

"Me who?" I work to control my voice but I hear it falter.

"Well after a crazy day like today, I wonder." He closes the door but leaves the light off. "What are you doing sitting in the dark?"

"Thinking 'bout you." Isn't that the God's honest truth?

"Ah, tell me more."

"Whatcha want to hear?"

"How much you love me?" He shrugs his coat off and tosses it on the armchair.

I pat the cushion next to me. "Come on over here, Babe."

He leans over and kisses my cheek, then my neck, breathing me in like he likes to do.

"Remember when we first met?" I'm abrupt in my delivery and my tone and he notices, leaning back for a moment.

"The hotel bar in Port Angeles." Then he goes back to flirting with my neck and I do my best not to react cause it's all so familiar and damnit, oh so welcome.

"My first impression was less than favorable." I plow on.

He chuckles humorously and settles in beside me.

"I insulted Peter."

"My first impressions are usually right on the money."

"You thought I was some bozo who didn't know one end of the guitar from the other." He laughs and makes a move on me again but I practically leap from the couch to put some much-needed space between us. He sighs but doesn't complain choosing to keep his seat next to where I just vacated.

"But then, I thought that daring you to get up on stage would be good for a laugh. But something happened when you started to sing. You… uh… became someone else."

"That's a fact." He agrees. You ain't lyin', Buddy.

"And I fell for that somebody."

"I almost didn't go to the bar that night. Just think. I wouldn't have met you. I wouldn't be in the Idle Rich. We wouldn't be married. I would've missed out on this roller coaster of life we have. Remember that metaphor for life?"

"Oh, I remember everything. I remember the first time I ever told you how much I loved you and you told me you loved me and I believed you and it was so easy, ya know? I was so surprised at how easy it was to trust you."

"It amazed me too. I mean you were right out there. You just laid it out on the line. So I wanted to be able to do the same."

"Have you?"

"More than you know."

"I think I know." I know everything.

"Yeah, I think you do. You always see right into my soul." But do you know that I know what I know? That is the question. I can feel him searching me out, trying to get a feel on my mood. He's cautious tonight.

"Not all the time."

"Yes, you keep me honest. You keep me reaching for the stars. And I'm not just talking about rock n roll, just being with you. I'm able to do more, be more, dream more. I honestly didn't believe I was capable of this."

"Neither did I." Understatement of the freaking century.

He gets up. "You didn't think me capable of what? Marriage?" He puts his hand on my back and I retract ever so slightly.

"Well, you weren't real big on commitment. I couldn't book your gigs way in advance, you'd show up at my place out of the blue sometimes gone before dawn. If I asked questions, you'd just make jokes. You didn't even want me to be part of your other life, you know? It was almost like I could only have a piece of you and nothing more."

"Bella…" He puts his arms around me but I shrug them off and walk around him.

"And then all of a sudden, out of the blue, you want to get married. I mean you didn't even want to wait." He wraps his arms around me again from behind.

"I woke up because I realized that I was taking you for granted and I don't want to lose the only woman in the world for me." He kisses my neck again.

"But you're still making jokes when I ask questions and you're still comin' and goin' and I still only have a piece of you."

"Sometimes life can be complicated."

"Yeah?"

"And then things can become even more complicated."

"Yeah?" Just tell me what I already know to be true.

"Like meeting you in that Port Angeles bar."

I pull away and turn to face him. "So, I was a complication?" Now we're getting somewhere.

"A very welcome one but I wasn't prepared and I thought that come Monday morning it would all be over but it wasn't because I fell in love with you, with the music, with it all. And Bella, there were things I should've told you right then and there but I didn't. I just went on living this double life and it became harder and harder and then I was asked to make incredible sacrifices."

"By me?"

"No, never by you. But I made some choices that were wrong."

"Like what? Like marrying me?"

"No! Sweetheart, that is the one thing I do not regret."

"So what do you regret?"

"Well, I regret having not been completely honest with you for starters."

"Honest about what, Masen?"

"The real reason I couldn't quit my day job…"

"I'm listening." Please tell me. I want to understand.

"You see, I'm… um… I'm not just a real estate scout. I'm… well, I'm important in that world and I really like my job and I don't think I can give it up completely and that is what I was scared to tell you. I want it all, Bella. I want you and my music and I want to keep my day job."

No… please don't chicken out now.

"You want it all," I reply flatly. I take a seat at the desk because all this confrontation is making my knees weak. I look up at him, my eyes imploring him to just tell me.

"I knew you'd be disappointed and I know I kept asking you to hang in there while I turned my back on all this while I could and maybe I was lying to myself but I don't want to lose the music and I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you because nothing in my life is as important as you are. And as crazy as our marriage has been, nothing has made me happier. It's a miracle really. It's something I don't understand and can't explain. I just know it is. No matter what. Please believe me that my commitment to you, to us, is total." His words come out in a rush.

"That's a crock." Keep it under control, Bella. Let this play out.

"I swear to you that everything I just said was the truth."

"Well, then you're still lying to yourself, and me. Nobody can have it all. Life just doesn't work that way."

"Bella, I figured it all out and everything will be okay as long as you can accept the fact that I'm not exactly who you thought I was."

"Really?"

"The only reason I lied about being a scout and quitting my day job if the Idle Rich made it big was because that seemed to be what you wanted to happen."

I can't help the look I give him and he backtracks immediately.

"Okay, okay, that's a poor excuse. But I promise you I'm getting it together and things are about to happen that will make all the difference. Everything is going to be okay, you'll see."

I make a noncommittal humming sound and when he goes to kiss me again, I leap up making an excuse about working on Jasper's promo posters. He quickly follows me and kneels beside me when I'm seated again.

"Bella, I love you. With all my heart and all my soul. And the fact I even have a soul is probably all your doing. I can't make it without you." He pleads.

I ignore him.

"If there was something else bothering you, You would let me know, right?"

"Oh yeah, definitely."

He moves in to seduce me. "Not now."

"Tell me I haven't lost you because I can't be a full-time musician."

"You haven't lost me because you can't be a full-time musician." I repeat monotonously. It's the truth after all. He's lost me for so many other offenses.

He seems satisfied so he stands up and gets ready to leave. Then he looks back at me.

"Tell me I won't come back here and find you all packed and gone."

"I'm Mrs. Masen Whitlock, right?" I look up at him with what I hope is trusting eyes.

"Now and forever." He smiles at me. " And when you give this some time to think about it you'll realize that all the important stuff is still the same." He hesitates again. " Are you okay?"

No, I'm not okay!

"Oh, I'm fine. It's like you said. I just need time to think." I fake a smile and he buys it, kissing my cheek once more before leaving me to the thoughts that threaten to consume me.

One thought that stands out to me more than any other… I need to pay a visit to the other Mrs. Cullen. And I do just that the very next morning when I see him drive past on his way to his office.

I find her sitting court in the Cullen's den with a stack of papers in her lap and a coffee au lait sitting in front of her on the coffee table. I greet Victoria and Esme with a smile as they set off to their daily activities, such as they are.

She still hasn't acknowledged my presence so I just dive right in.

"Isn't it amazing? Here we are living on the same estate yet we hardly see each other. You'd think someone was tryin' to keep us apart."

She looks up at me. "I mean, we do live very different lives." She scoffs.

"Tell me about it. I mean, you're up here playing lady of the house while I'm in the cottage doin' my rock 'n roll thing but we have a lot more in common than you might think."

"Is that so?" I take a seat next to her now that I know she's going to engage.

"Oh yeah, yeah. Take my Masen for example."

"The singer you married?"

"Mmm hmmm. You want him? You got him."

"I beg your pardon?" She looks affronted. Try being me, Lady.

"I came up here to offer you my husband."

Her eyebrows raise straight up into her dye job. So she doesn't know… interesting. What kind of game are you playing, Cullen?

"You do PR for Cullen, Inc, right? So you probably have to do jingles and things for ads. Well, I'm just trying to help you out. Masen has a great voice and an even better body."

"His body is your business."

"Oh, no, no. It's all part of the whole package. He's exactly what you want."

"It's a very interesting idea but I'll need to think about it."

"Of course, so tell me how is married life treating you these days?"

"Wonderful actually." A small smile comes to her face.

"Yeah, marriage is grand. My Masen is full of surprises."

"How fun for you." I see her roll her eyes discreetly.

"He reminds me a lot of Edward. Although in other ways they are like night and day."

Her eyes narrow."That's right, I keep forgetting. You used to be with Edward before he married me. I hope he didn't break your heart."

Shattered it, actually.

'Hey, easy come, easy go."

"Well, we had such a whirlwind romance. He's so impetuous. I mean he proposed one week and married me the next."

"The week after Masen married me."

"Well now isn't that a coincidence? I hope your singer and you are as happy as we are. My dear husband can't do enough for me. As a matter of fact, he is planning this extravagant birthday party for me in a few days. You and Masen should come."

"To your party?" I sit up straight with that one.

"Absolutely, you know I am putting you down."

"Well , I…"

"Mr. and Mrs. Masen Whitlock." She says as she updates her invite list on her phone.

"Yeah but you know I don't know if we have plans or…"

"Why don't you check with him and let me know."

I stand up. "Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks for the chat."

She smiles and waves me off so I head back to my home to think over all the possibilities I've been suddenly given. And this idea hits me suddenly and I rush to the computer with my newfound Googling abilities and take an hour to order two very pertinent things to help me.

Thank you, Angie.

*E*

I'm looking out towards the cottage, lightning illuminating it every few seconds as this storm rages on. Something is wrong with Bella and this sense of foreboding isn't going away. Maybe it is the storm like Alice said.

"Edward. Are you listening to anything I am saying?" Angela whines.

"No, I'm not. How much can I spend for you today?"

"This party is as much for you as it is for me."

"How so?" I scoff.

"Some of your friends still don't quite accept me yet and I find that parties can go a long way with bringing people together."

"That and copious amounts of alcohol."

"And I really don't want this to be a focus on me. I even told everyone not to bring a gift for me and I really hope they don't."

"Which reminds me, I have a present for you."

Her eyes light up. "Do you really? When do I get it?"

"After the party.."

"Oh, I really don't want to wait that long. Any hints?"

"Well, it's something you deserve." Boy, do you ever deserve it.

"Animal, vegetable, or mineral?"

"I'm not telling."

"My own racehorse? No, my own jet? Wait, don't tell me. I love surprises."

"That's good because this will be one you'll never forget," I assure her.

Just two more days until I kick her ass to the curb and I tell Bella everything.

Just two more days.

Playlist: Wicked Games- performed by Grace Carter.

Babe- performed by Jennifer Nettles, Taylor Swift

Who wants an invite to Angie's birthday party? I promise front row center seats to the fireworks.