Sorry for the delay. It might be like this until I get some control over my life. One kid with COVID, a sister/coworker who is out because her daughter has COVID which leaves us shorthanded. Life is crazy right now. So any errors are mine and I'd appreciate it if you could give me a pass and NOT review with them. Thank you.
Thank you as always to Team Harpy.
Chapter 52
Edward
I escort the client out but ask Grandfather to sit. He does so without argument. Clearly, he must be sick.
"There's something we need to discuss pertaining to my position here at Cullen, Inc."
"Now if you think you're gonna ask for another raise, I won't have it."
"I'm taking a three month leave of absence." I announce over his tirade.
"You're taking what?"
"I need to take some time off for myself and for Bella."
"Did she ask you to do this?" He asks suspiciously.
"No she doesn't even know yet."
"Then to what purpose?"
"I have a legal obligation to BAR."
"Oh please if you really wanted out of that we could litigate them out of business so fast it would make their heads spin."
"The truth is I can't do it all. I want to but I can't. And it's costing me any chance I have of saving my marriage."
"So you're just gonna toss this company aside while you become a rock 'n roll performer?"
"No to prove to Bella I mean what I say."
"This is a huge disappointment to me, Edward. I can't believe you care so little about this company."
"It's because I care so much about this company that I put everything else at risk. For instance, I was forced to stay late the other night to close the deal with the Tamagotchi people."
"I should hope so! It was a fifty million dollar deal!"
"Exactly and because of that I missed a very important gig and I nearly killed myself getting there. And I think I may have blown my last chance with Bella."
"But really, Edward, rock and roll?"
"Forget the rock and roll. I'm trying to save my life." I plead.
"So you think that by taking six weeks off from the company you can convince Bella?"
"Three months." I correct.
"Six weeks and not a minute more."
I sigh. At least he's giving me something. "Alright, I'll agree to six weeks if you don't try to usurp my position here."
"You are presumptuous to think you can make any demands."
"I'm just making a personal request as your grandson. This is about the woman I love and my future with her. Now if you care anything about my happiness…"
"I'll tell you something I don't understand. Say you go out there and you do your music thing and you make her fall in love with you all over again. Then six weeks pass and you come back to the real world, what happens then?"
"I'll worry about that later."
"Either the woman loves you for who you are or she doesn't. Going around and pretending to be Masen Whitlock is not going to fool anyone."
"I'm not pretending. I love doing it." I admit.
"Go on ahead then and have your fun and clear your head of all this nonsense. But you are the Chief Executive Officer of this company and this is where you belong and the sooner you come to terms with that the better off you'll be."
With that being said, he makes a dramatic exit. I don't care either way, cause I'm right behind him.
I arrive at Bella's and see she is looking at my gift. I smile but wipe it off because that won't do any good.
"A chocolate teardrop." She mutters.
"I have a proposal for you." Her head snaps up.
"You have to stop this, you really do. This is so unfair."
She faces off with me.
"We can make it fair. I'll make it right again."
"You're killing me, you know? By inches." She extends the necklace to me. I look at it but make no move to take it.
"This is yours."
"Edward…"
"LIsten to me. I've taken a leave of absence from Cullen Inc."
Her eyes widened. "Why?"
"Because this is important. Forty two days, free and clear of any obligation but you and BAR. Will you at least give us that time?"
"SIx weeks doesn't even scratch the surface of what we need to accomplish. You can't call that a commitment."
"I can call it a beginning. We can go on the tour from hell, promote the CD and be together. Just like you always imagined. Bella if you allow yourself to work with me we can accomplish so much and we might even reach a decision about us."
She looks at her hands. "What are you trying to prove here?"
"That your very first instinct about me was right. You can trust me. We can be together. Maybe not all at once but piece by piece until it adds up to the rest of our lives."
"I have to go over this with my partners. They don't have a lot of faith in your promises."
I can recognize when she wants to retreat so I decide to retreat first. "But you'll run it by them?"
"I'll get back to you."
"Okay I'll be in my office. See you later." I leave and head back to the office to finish this day out then I'm gone for six whole glorious weeks.
Bella
I call an emergency meeting and my partners are confused when they show up.
"It's about time. We have some major league decisions to make here."
They are both understandably baffled.
"Okay so here's the thing. Edward just came to see me. He is taking six weeks off to do the tour. Six weeks to do nothing but singing and promoting. So what do you think?"
"I think this is exactly what you have been wanting." Alice says.
"And we need a tour." Rose pipes in.
"Yeah, we do. I don't know though. It really makes me feel really weird cause I don't know what it all means."
"Well maybe it means you're finally getting what you want and it scares you."
I side eye Rose. "No, it is a trust thing."
"I don't think he's gonna mess with you after all you've put him through. I can't even believe he's coming back for more." She muses. She catches my expression. "Hell, I don't mean it that way. What he did to you was unforgivable. All I mean is that this is all murky and complicated and forgiving him would solve most of our problems." She pauses. "I'm gonna shut up now."
Alice shoots her a look. "Probably for the best. What Rose is trying to say and failing miserably is that we know we keep pushing you together but if you don't want to do this then absolutely don't. Even if he goes through on that weak threat to sue us, we can probably still come out unscathed. I mean, he is a bigamist who hasn't even been brought up on charges which is weird since it was publicized."
"I imagine it's because he has money." I point out. "Not that I want him to go to jail. He's no use to us behind bars so… whatever. So we go for it. This is what we've been waiting for. Alright!" I stand up and clap my hands. "I'm going to go tell him."
I drive straight to his office and stalk in, ignoring the protests of his assistant. He looks up at my abrupt entrance but smiles when he sees me.
"Okay, Cullen, you've got yourself a deal." Then I walked back out the way I came.
***B***
It's a few days later and I am taking care of all the last minute details for the first leg of the tour. Port Angeles is first up which almost makes me want to throw Alice back on it but I won't do that. I can do this. I can be professional. I look over her notes and see she booked up in the same hotel I met Masen at. That makes me a bit nauseous, not even gonna lie. But I take a deep breath and make sure The Metta Room is in order. With him having played in PA before, he has a small following. I'm hoping that since Peninsula College has mostly local students they are still at home and on Christmas Break and willing to spend their money on tickets and merch. I make a note to follow up with them to see how sales are going later today. I walk into the studio and count the shirts and other items we are taking with us and I am satisfied we should have enough but know we need to restock after this show.
Alice, Rose and Jasper are sitting this one out which means only the band will be there to act as a buffer and they suck at it. Let's just pray there is no bloodshed.
I hear a knock on the door and walk out in the living area and smile when I see Jasper.
"Good morning!" I say.
He raises an eyebrow. "Someone seems chipper this morning."
"Well, we had a breakthrough a couple of days ago. Professionally speaking."
"Alice told me. Something about Edward taking off for six weeks to devote himself to his singing career. That's great, Bella."
"Yeah. So what can I do for you?"
"I ran this by Alice but she said to run it by you. There is a benefit concert for a family here who lost everything in a fire and I was hoping I could perform."
"Oh that's so sad. Of course you can. Let me know when and where and I can make sure it gets promoted by BAR."
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me. I'm all for charity."
"So while I'm here, do you mind if I use the studio for a half an hour or so?"
"Nope, have at it." I wave him off and continue with my task.
I finish up about an hour later and so does Jasper.
"How did it go?" I ask as I stretch my back. I should've sat on the sofa.
"Good. I can't show you yet but when it's ready I will."
"I'll be waiting."
He shrugs on his coat but lingers by the door.
"Are you staying in tonight?"
"Probably, why?"
"You want to come to Mac's with Alice and I?"
"No. I'm good here. Lots to do and we leave tomorrow afternoon for our Saturday gig."
"Suit yourself. You'll be missed."
"Have a great time." I shoot him a warm smile.
I work a little more but am having trouble concentrating. I mean, it's all done. Alice did an impeccable job putting it together. I'm just OCD. I decide to heat up some pasta and call my Ma to chat. We do but she is called away when Jake and Nessa pop up.
I look out the window and can vaguely see the Cullen house all lit up, their Christmas lights still up. I feel sorry for whoever has to take all that down.
Maybe I should make sure Cullen is still planning on showin' up tomorrow or if we will have a repeat of the 23rd.
I decide to take the car this time and when I knock on the door, Lonnie greets me with a warm smile and I wave at James and Victoria who are headed up to the second floor. We wish each other a Happy New Year and I follow Lonnie who is waiting patiently.
"Mrs. Cullen to see you."
"My Mrs. Cullen? Bella?" He asks.
"Oh, how many other Mrs. Cullens do you have?" I pause. "Never mind. Don't even answer that."
"I'm just surprised to see you. Very pleasantly surprised."
"I don't know why? We have business to take care of."
"Yes we do and you've been on my mind."
"Business first. Here is your itinerary for this weekend."
He looks it over and plasters a smile on his face. "Seems the only downtime I have once I get there is when I am sleeping. Which is exactly how I want it."
"If you can't handle this, let me know. I don't want a repeat of last time."
"Bella, this doesn't feel like business. This feels like freedom. I'm all yours and I couldn't be happier."
"That better be the truth because if you mess this up…"
"I won't. I promise."
I roll my eyes and have a seat on his couch while he continues to look over the weekend schedule. I'm smug. I know this.
"You're about to see what happens when I focus all my energy. I am now fully committed to you and my career and I don't think you see all the possibilities."
"But I'm willing to find out."
"Good, because the next six weeks you will see a changed man."
"And after the six weeks?"
"I can't guarantee anything that far ahead but I do have a plan and I know what I'd like to see. But I don't think there is any point in telling you what it is because I don't think you'd believe me. Just promise me you'll stay open minded and give me a chance and I swear I will give you everything I got and you'll tell me if it was worth waiting for."
"Worth all of the angina and the heartache and the embarrassment and humiliation and the anger…"
"Yes."
"This I gotta see."
"That's what I was hoping for."
"It's a pretty tall order, Cullen."
"Can we lose the Cullen business? Call me something else, anything."
"Masen is just too painful. And Edward is someone I just don't know."
"That sad state of affairs is about to change and you are about to find out everything there is to know about Edward Cullen."
I nod then reach to grab my coat that I abandoned on the couch when I arrived.
"I won't blow this."
"No?"
"No. I don't deserve you."
"No."
"Thank you for giving me another chance."
I nod then turn away. "Bella?" I raise my eyebrow expectantly. "Happy New Year." He whispers.
He then leans ever so close and I can't help but tilt my head. I hold my breath until his lips brush over mine and I pull away before I can get carried away like before.
"Happy New Years, Edward." I whisper before I grab my coat and leave.
God help me through this weekend. Cause if that happens again, I might lose more than just my pants, I might lose my heart and I don't know if I can risk that again.
No playlist today. I'm lucky this got done.
Short chapter is short. Hopefully the next will be longer. About ten chapters left. Thank you all for your continued support.
