Chapter Six
Around noon, I decided to make myself useful. I showered and got dressed in the clothing I wore yesterday, and right when I wanted to help out Edward by vacuuming the living room, my phone rang again.
Must be his lunch break.
"Hi," I breathed, biting back a smile.
"Hey there. I just wanted to check up on you. I haven't had much time, but I'm on my break now. You okay?"
My insides melted. He could be so fucking sweet.
"I'm okay. Do you think it would be okay for me to stay a bit longer?"
"I would love to have you around, I thought I told you."
I could hear the guys in the background make kissy noises. Clearly, they had no idea Edward was talking to me. They probably thought he was calling Irina.
"Mike is working today until six, so I thought I could just drive home and pick up some stuff that I need. Is there a key or something I could use to lock up here?"
"Yeah, there's one in the pantry on a little hook. I'll be home kinda late though, around eight. Just so you know."
"No problem, Edward. This is your home after all. I'll make us some dinner for when you get home, to thank you. Again," I chuckled.
"See you later, sweetheart." His voice was warm.
"Good luck this afternoon, Edward."
I put down the phone and raked together all my courage to go back to my car and drive to Mike's apartment. Eventually, I found myself on the driveway of our building with my heart racing.
I rushed upstairs to the second floor and let the front door close softly behind me. I grabbed a big duffel bag out of the coat closet and sped to the bedroom. The sheets were rumpled and thrown over the bed haphazardly, and from what I could tell with the open door, the bathroom was an absolute mess.
Such a pig.
I resisted the urge to clean up and hoped he wouldn't notice my things being gone. I grabbed my backup stuff from the bottom of the closet along with my makeup bag, and stuffed as many clothes as I could find into the bag. I rummaged through my nightstand, picking out my birth control pills and some other random things. My fingers brushed through some satin and lace, and I let out a defeated sigh. I bought the satin and lace babydoll the day I found out about Mike's cheating and the tags were still attached. I loved the piece of sleepwear lingerie, but I could never bring myself to wear it. I took it and put it in the duffel anyway, because maybe I could just throw it in the trash later. Plus, it would remind me of what a piece of shit my boyfriend was whenever I felt nostalgic and like I might give him another chance. That ship had sailed for good now, there was no way in hell that I would come crawling back again. After taking the time to think everything through, I'd realized that there was no way I could stay with him. I wouldn't do that to myself. I needed to respect myself for once. I needed to stand by my choice.
I used the bathroom mirror to do my makeup and fix my unstyled hair before I left again. There was no way I could take all my stuff with me today, but at least I got some of the content out of my closet.
On my way back to Edward's I noticed it was almost noon. My stomach was growling and I made a quick stop at my favorite bakery. I picked up some donuts and a few croissants, remembering Edward's preference for plain, glazed donuts. I grinned to myself as I walked back to my car, my phone in hand. I shot a message to my mom, asking if she'd already had lunch. She said she planned on running out for a salad, but hadn't had the time for it so I played the helpful daughter card and drove over to bring her some baked goods. I tried not to think about the real reason for my little side-trip.
My heart was pounding as I drove up to the dealership, even though I'd been here countless times before. The glass doors slid open and I smiled as I noticed my mom's head pop up through the window of her office that overlooked the showroom.
"Oh, Bella. You're truly a godsend. Thanks so much, honey. Let's go to the breakroom, the guys are just having lunch."
Mom got up and smoothed her coral-colored shirt before leading me through the back. There was some music playing from the radio, mixed with laughter and deep voices. One stood out to me, and I gripped the bag of donuts closer to my chest.
"Look who I found," mom announced. Edward's head whipped around and the wide smile on his face made my heart sing. His overalls were dirty, and his hands were stained from motor oil.
The rest of the guys said 'hey' to me and got back to their conversations. I sat down next to my mom and unloaded the food I got.
"Well, this is much better than a salad. For sure."
She feasted her eyes on the variety of pastries and took a croissant out of the bag. I did the same and picked at the loose, crispy bits that were going to fall off.
"I went to Mike's and picked up some clothes," I blurted out. Mom looked at me mid-bite, her eyes wide before she smiled.
"Honey, I know this is hard for you. But I'm proud of you. Because you deserve better than that cheating pile of dirt. I always thought you could do better than him, and well, call it mother's intuition but I knew you'd come to your senses. You can't just let him walk all over you."
I nodded because I knew she was right.
Edward stood up and walked to the coffee pot, filing up two mugs before he walked over to our table and placed them in front of me and my mom.
"Oh, thanks." I looked up and once again was met by his warm smile. I could tell he wasn't expecting me here today.
"Sit down and grab a donut. I brought plenty!" I said, shoving the bag in his direction. His eyes sparkled as he held up his plain, glazed donut and took a bite.
"Best thing ever," he mumbled through his chewing.
Adorable.
"You're not going to tell me where you're staying, are you?" Mom asked.
She didn't seem to care that Edward was here. She probably told him anything, anyway.
"She's safe, Renée. You can count on that," he chimed in, taking another bite and staring at me. I could feel my cheeks redden. He didn't tell mom a single detail, yet I could see her putting two and two together. She smiled secretly at me and looked at Edward.
"Oh, I see," she responded, the smile never falling from her face as she sipped her coffee.
"Mom, I need a favor," I said, desperate to change the subject.
"Anything, sweetie."
"Could you go and pick up the rest of my stuff from the apartment? I don't want to see him, and I know you don't take shit from him."
"Of course. w\When would you like me to do that?"
"I have to look for a place of my own, but without a job at the moment that won't be very easy."
I rubbed my forehead, suddenly struck by everything I had to get done. Maybe it wasn't the time to move out after all.
"I'm sure you can stay at your friend's house as long as you need. Can't you just put your stuff in storage for the time being? Just until you get back on your feet?"
I looked at Edward and he winked, assuring me that yes, I could stay at his place for as long as I needed.
"You can put your stuff in my garage, hun. We only need one spot anyway, and there's always the driveway for Sue's car. I really don't mind," Mom offered.
"Well, if you're sure. It's not like I have a lot of stuff anyway. After all, I moved in when he was already living there, and had no furniture, only a bunch of crap."
Mom nodded.
"Okay, sweetie. Don't worry about it. Now, I'm sorry I have to cut this short, but I'm going to take this to go back to my office. I have a bunch of phone calls to make so I better get a head start."
"Okay, I'll text you later."
"I'll go pick up your stuff on Saturday if you give me the keys."
I unclasped my house key and handed it to her.
"It's gonna get better, hun, I promise. Everything's going to be alright."
I watched her walk off as I sipped my coffee.
"You basically told her I was staying at your place, you know. She's a bloodhound, she figures out just about anything in a matter of seconds," I joked, keeping my voice low as I addressed Edward.
"She'd figure it out on her own soon enough. Plus, she worries about you. This will get her off your back for now."
Getting to my feet, I held his gaze for a moment, enjoying this moment with him.
"I'll be waiting when you get home. I'm going to let you get back to work."
"I love hearing you say that actually. Giving me something to look forward to and not letting me come home to an empty house."
He grinned, looking like an excited boy. My breath caught in my throat. Was he flirting with me? God, I hoped so. I loved how easy and natural this was.
"Glad I could help, now enjoy your donuts. I know you love those."
I nodded to the bag, walking to the end of the table to leave.
"You seem to know exactly what I love, yeah."
"I know a lot of things, Edward Cullen." I winked, turning to say goodbye to the other guys.
