Author's note: So, the consensus was goodbye and good riddance, Marcus. Thanks for all your reviews and encouragement. I'm lucky to have so many of you still with me :)
*Chapter 40*
It feels like Edward has been gone for hours, and I lose track of time while we anxiously wait for any news. Both Nanna and Esme urge me to get some rest, but I wave off their concerns. It would be pointless going to bed now because I'm wide awake, and my mind is in overdrive. All I will do is worry, toss and turn, and drive myself mad.
Instead, I stay up with Rosalie - both of us constantly checking our phones, awaiting news. Waiting is tortuous, but I'm glad to have my best friend beside me, for comfort and distraction. If she plans on staying with Emmett, which I hope she does, Rosalie needs to be prepared for last-minute canceled plans and other dramas that come with being part of this family.
It's almost 2 a.m, and my eyes close a couple of times as the tiredness hits. I've made myself comfortable on the sofa, and I'm half asleep when the front door shuts, and heavy footsteps can be heard in the hallway.
The boys join us immediately; Edward is at the front of the group. I barely contain my gasp when I see his face. He looks so exhausted, but his anguish runs deeper than that. His usually warm, emerald eyes are dark and stormy. He looks haunted ... in shock.
I'm immediately on my feet and rushing across the room to meet him, throwing my arms around his neck. Edward pulls me against him, so my chest presses against his, and I melt into his embrace. My heart is pounding against my chest - Edward's is too. He's holding me tightly, almost to the point of it being uncomfortable, but I'll take the slight uneasiness - whatever he needs to reassure him I'm okay. I need the same from him too - that he's here … that we're okay … that this is finally over.
A few moments pass, words are exchanged; barely audible whispers and declarations, both too absorbed in each other to consider anyone else who may be around us.
When he finally has a hold of his emotions, Edward pulls back slowly, resting his forehead against mine. Reaching out, he tenderly takes my face in his hands, his expression again serious. Whatever happened tonight, it's bad; I'm sure it is.
I search his eyes, waiting for him to say something ... anything. But it quickly becomes apparent that he's not going to. While I'm desperate for Edward to talk to me, I don't push. He needs time, so I stay silent, giving him what he needs.
"It's over now," he says finally. The relief those three words bring is staggering. I can finally release the breath I've been holding.
"That man can never hurt us again, Bella. It's over," he whispers, kissing my hair.
"I would never have forgiven myself if anything happened to you. I swear, no one is going to get close to you again." His words have a desperate edge to them. Something must have happened tonight to set off his protective side. I just don't know what, exactly. Edward lifts his eye to meet mine; he looks deeply troubled … devastated - far worse than when Garratt died. I know whatever happened deeply affected him - traumatized him, maybe.
The silence is once again painful, but I wait patiently for Edward to confide in me when he's ready.
"It was true ... all the things we suspected. He murdered my parents," his voice is small … broken.
"Oh, Edward," I breathe. My arms instinctively curl around his shoulders, trying to comfort him from this devastating revelation. I feel his body relax - the tension slowly draining out of him as he holds me tightly against him.
When he pulls back, I struggle to read his expression.
"I'm so fucking sorry, Bella. Sorry, you got dragged into all of this because of me," he tells me, his voice filled with guilt.
"I don't know why you're saying this. What happened tonight? What are you not telling me?" I ask, barely above a whisper.
His silence doesn't inspire confidence, and I'm pretty positive I won't like whatever he is about to say.
"Talk to me, Edward, please," I urge.
He looks around, and realizing we are not alone, then urges me out of the room.
"Not here," he says before taking my hand in his and leading me to our bedroom.
Upon entering, a few uncomfortable, frankly awkward moments follow as I wait for my husband to speak.
"Marcus told me his plan ... It was far worse than we could ever imagine." His voice is pained like he has to force out the words.
"What did he tell you?" I encourage, though I suspect I'm not going to like his answer.
"I can't tell you all of it - it's too disturbing, but he wanted to make me suffer ... you, too, in the most disgusting of ways," Edward said through gritted teeth. He looks absolutely livid.
"After all the family was out of the picture … dead, he planned to take our baby to another country ... to be raised by another family."
All the air leaves my lungs. I can't speak; my voice is trapped in my throat, but even if I could, I wouldn't know what the hell to say. I stare at him in complete shock, trying to process and come to terms with this new revelation. It was a lot to take in. I knew Marcus was fucked up - a maniac, but this is insane. I can't comprehend how messed up you would have to be to come up with something so barbaric.
Edward isn't handling it very well either. I can't imagine what he's thinking, but when his eyes snap to mine, I see the anger, the fury, the desperation, and despair there.
"I was so sure I got closure from Marcus' death but being here with you … it's suddenly hit me how close I was to losing you. I can't even think about what would happen if he'd been successful. I can't imagine my life without you in it," he whispered, closing his eyes to compose himself.
"Edward, look at me," I whisper as I drag my fingertips up and down his back, trying to comfort him in any way I can. Slowly, he opens his eyes and looking down into mine; I can see the guilt there - completely unfounded guilt.
"Hey. You can't think like that; they didn't succeed." I tell him again because I can see he needs the reassurance. "I'm here ... I'm okay ... we both are." Taking his hand in mine, I place his palm against my stomach, hoping to calm him. It usually does the trick, but this time it has little effect. "You said it yourself- it's over now. We can move on with our lives; move forward from this."
"I swear I'll never let anything happen to you or this baby. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I will protect you." The conviction in his words, combined with the fierce look in his eyes, makes me believe him.
"I believe you. Nothing is going to happen to the baby or me," I reassure him.
The baby kicks as if responding to us, and I reach for Edward's hand - placing his palm over my belly again, letting him feel the movement, hoping it will ease some of his sufferings.
"See, the baby agrees."
Edward chuckles, pressing his lips to mine. Pulling away, he gazes at me thoughtfully for a moment before he nods his head in agreement.
"I should have seen this coming. I can't believe I was so stupid."
He's so hard on himself, and I tell him so.
"Edward, how could you have possibly known your uncle and cousin could have ever acted this way? After all these years of living a lie … of false pretenses, they chose now to show their true colors. They waited so many years to strike. They thought I was your weakness. But guess what. You beat them at their own game. Was it terrible, yes? But we're here now, safe, and they're both gone." I state this all patiently and calmly, though I am anything, but.
"Tonight was hard enough without you beating yourself up over something that never even came to be. None of those awful things occurred because you protected me. You found me ... you kept me safe." I reassure him, trying to get through to him. Some of his anger diminishes, but he isn't letting it drop so easily.
"Yeah, cos I did a great job of keeping you safe. I almost lost you, Bella."
His eyes are downcast, focused on the floor- he won't meet my eyes, which won't do, and I reach up, running my fingers across his cheek before urging him to look at me.
"But you didn't lose me. Edward, you have to let this go."
He finally looks up, smiling softly, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes,
"Still, I can't help feeling all this is my fault ... this entire situation is because of me."
"Why are you saying this? Where is this coming from?" I ask, confused.
I don't understand.
"I forced you into this marriage," Edward begins. I stare at him in surprise - shocked by the direction our conversation has taken.
"You didn't force me into anything - not really. I chose to marry you. Do you think I would go along with any of it if I didn't think we had a chance?"
Edward looks shocked by my admission. I hold my finger to his lips when I sense he is about to interrupt. This needs saying. He needs to hear this.
"Were your methods extreme - yes. Was I scared you would take the baby away from me? Leave me alone and broke thanks to that ludicrous prenup you insisted on - absolutely? Yet, despite all those things, I went along with the arrangement because I knew we had a chance. From the very beginning, we had a connection. I told Rosalie as much before the wedding - how I felt we could make it work ... that the man I met that night, the man who had treated me so well, could make me happy. And you do, you know?" I say, squeezing his hand.
Edward appears calmer, lighter now- dare I say, happy.
"And while it's not been all sunshine and rainbows, I wouldn't change any of this for the world."
"You mean that?"
"At first, when you found me, I was angry and scared, but I'm glad you reacted the way you did. Because, who's to say, I wouldn't have run or pushed you away if you'd acted differently. Then where would we be? We are happy, in love, and our baby will be raised by two parents who love him or her and each other. We are so incredibly blessed and lucky, so I don't want you feeling guilty about any of it, okay? Neither of us is perfect." I tell him sternly.
"I love you so fucking much," Edward says as he lifts my chin and bends down for a kiss - a sweet kiss that is both tender and passionate.
"That's good because I love you, too," I say, smiling. "A lot has happened tonight. Let's get some sleep."
...
The next morning, I wake up with Edward's arms wrapped around me, his chest pressed against my back, our legs intertwined underneath the covers. Last night, after our serious conversation, we fell into bed, both of us too exhausted after the revelations of Marcus' sinister plot to do anything more than hold each other.
It was a lot to take in.
I could happily stay here all morning, but the need to pee forces me out of the comfort of my husband's arms, and I slip out of bed, careful not to disturb him.
Once I've freshened up, I throw on a hoodie and some comfy loose pants before quietly padding out of the bedroom. I glance across at Edward. He's in a peaceful slumber. A small smile plays on his face; he looks happy; the most relaxed I've seen him in days. Deciding not to wake him, I creep out of the room and head downstairs, intent on bringing him coffee.
...
"Good morning, Bella," a familiar voice greets me as I make my way into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Carlisle," I reply. I'm surprised to see him up so early. He stands, immediately offering to get me a drink.
"Can I get you something?"
He's so thoughtful - so well mannered. He reminds me of Edward.
"I got it, thank you. You're as bad as Edward, you know? He's constantly fussing around me," I tease as I pour myself a glass of juice.
"Where is he, anyway? I didn't think he would let you leave his side." Carlisle chuckles.
He's not wrong there.
"He's sleeping. I thought it best to let him catch up on some sleep. Last night really took a lot out of him." I explain.
Looking at Carlisle, I can't help thinking he appears equally worn out. During this whole turbulent time, I've been so focused on Edward - how he was dealing with the betrayal and how I could help him. He's been my priority - rightly so.
However, I've not considered how the rest of the family are coping with Marcus' revelations. How do you deal with that level of deception?
Marcus killed his brother too- and Carlisle, albeit unknowingly, welcomed the guy into the family. I can't imagine how angry and betrayed he feels.
"How are you dealing with everything that happened?" I say gently. There's no easy way to phrase it.
"It must have come as a shock to you too, as much as everyone else."
"You could say that" Carlisle replies, sounding weary.
Clearly, the last few days have taken their toll. I don't want to push him, but I want to be there for him, as he was for me in the aftermath of our kidnapping.
"I can't believe he fooled us so easily. So much makes sense now, but at the time, I thought I was doing the right thing. I was angry and emotional … heartbroken and not thinking clearly. I lashed out, sought retribution before thinking, and unwittingly played right into his hands," Carlisle's eyes harden, and I notice his fists clenched at his side.
"You can't blame yourself, Carlisle. He fooled everyone. All these years, he played the perfect caring uncle. No one else suspected. How were you supposed to know?" I reason, but he looks unconvinced.
"It's my job to know, Bella. Not just as the head of this family, but as Edward's guardian, too. I let that man into our house ... into our home ... into our family." Carlisle vents angrily.
"It sounds crazy, but not once did I question his loyalty. In hindsight, maybe I should have been more thorough, but I was grieving and worried about Edward. Thinking back, it was too convenient - how Marcus found the culprits - how brutally he punished them. I thought he was avenging his sister's death when all along he was covering his own back. He played me, Bella, and I bought it."
"Hindsight is a great thing- it's easy to say what you would have done knowing all the facts. But you can't change the past - only move on and learn from it. I've told Edward the same. We are stronger because of everything that happened."
"Edward is right about you," Carlisle drawls, smiling lazily. "You're smart and thoughtful. He's lucky to have you. If there is one positive to take from all this mess, it's that Marcus is gone - he's out of the picture and can never again hurt any of our family."
"You're right about most of what you said - all except for one thing," I point out.
At his raised eyebrow, I elaborate.
"I'm the lucky one," I tell him truthfully. After all the drama and heartache, I consider myself blessed to have a life with this family, who are now everything to me.
"Bella!"
I hear my husband's panicked voice from the hallway.
"In here, Edward," Carlisle calls out with a teasing smile.
A few seconds later, Edward comes charging through the door, looking frazzled.
"I wondered where you had gone," He says as he comes over to join us. I can't help smiling when I take in Edward's rough appearance. His hair is sticking up in any which direction, and he looks like he's thrown on the first thing he could find- a creased T-shirt and some sleep pants.
Edward's arms wrap around my waist as he leans down and places a soft kiss on my lips.
"Good morning," he whispers against my lips.
Good morning," I reply, my arms finding their way around his shoulders.
"I was just about to make you coffee," I say, nodding toward the machine.
Coffee is a big no-no for me, but luckily the smell doesn't send me running to the bathroom as it did early into my pregnancy. A smile drifts onto my face as he takes a step closer, preventing me from standing to make said coffee.
"Forget the coffee."
Edward leans forward as if he's about to kiss me; then, at the last moment, he tilts his head to the side and whispers in my ear. "I missed not waking up next to you this morning." He kisses my cheek ... not where I want. I'm certain my disappointment shows on my face, but my frown is quickly replaced with a smile when he kisses the corner of my mouth. When he pulls away, Edward is smirking, and his lips quirk, clearly loving the effect he has on me.
I'm so caught up in the moment, I haven't given Carlisle much thought until his low, amused chuckle causes me to look up, and I can see he's fighting a smile.
"I will leave you to it. Three's a crowd and all." I can tell he's only teasing.
Now it's just the two of us; Edward's quest for coffee is long forgotten when he leans down and places a soft kiss on my lips. When he pulls back, he looks … nervous?
He smiles, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. There's something amiss, but I don't know what. A moment ago, he was playful and happy. Now, we're alone; his eyes seem troubled.
"I need to talk to you about something you said last night. There's something I need to clarify," he says, sounding hesitant.
"Go on?" I encourage.
"It's a little ... difficult. I don't want you to get mad ... or upset you."
Okay, now I really am worried.
"Bella ... " Edward pauses; he seems to be thinking about his next sentence very carefully.
"I need to get something. Wait here, please."
He leaves the room momentarily, leaving me confused and nervous by his odd behavior.
Edward is gone only a few minutes. I don't know what to expect, but when he returns, his nervous expression doesn't inspire confidence. When I look up, he's holding an envelope in his hands - a hesitant look on his face.
My brows furrow as I stare at the object, then at Edward, completely confused. It takes me all of five seconds for it to click into place. My eyes narrow on the document in his hands, concealed by a large brown envelope. There's nothing special about it - there's no distinct marking or stamps or anything that might give me a clue about what's inside.
It could be anything, but my stomach turns. In my gut, I know exactly what he's holding.
Our prenup …
I continue to stare at the paperwork uncomprehendingly for a moment, trying yet not understanding why we're discussing this now. I thought we were past it, so why the hell is he bringing it up now? All sorts of thoughts run through my mind, from the curious to the downright ridiculous.
"Our prenup?"
What am I missing?
"With one major amendment ..." Edward says sheepishly.
I look up at him in disbelief.
"You can do that? Surely, you need my consent to make any changes?" I tell him angrily, struggling to control my temper. The familiar feelings of hurt resurface as I glare at the agreement that caused me so much pain all those months ago.
"I don't know where to start; whatever way I say this, it sounds bad."
"Just tell me," I snap, losing my patience.
"I don't want to upset you, but I want you to know the truth - something I should have told you a long time ago. When I had my lawyer draw up this agreement, my head was all over the place; I found out I was going to be a father by what I thought was a trick. I was protecting myself." Edward admits, looking uncomfortable.
"I was so focused on my anger, thinking everything about that night was a lie - a trap. I wanted to punish you in the only way I could. That wasn't fair; I realized that as soon as I left Forks the second time. And when it came down to it ... when it was time to file the paperwork, I couldn't do it. I locked it away. I've never mentioned it before because, well, for me, it was never a question of our marriage being in name only. Right from the start, even when I was being a bastard to you, I always considered you my wife—my partner."
"You mean ... " I can't finish my sentence.
"None of this is legal, Bella. This prenup is as worthless as the piece of paper it's written on; he attempts to explain.
"Everything that's mine is yours. Our marriage is equal - real in every sense of the word. You will never have to worry about anything ever again; you and our child are part of this family, forever, Bella."
Author's note; Thank you for reading. Join me over on the It All Started with Twilight Facebook group, where I will post a teaser for the next chapter. I think a lot of you will like what's coming next ...
In the meantime check out 'Ready For Forever' by RMacaroni. I really don't have time for any more WIPS but I'm so glad I found this gem because it had me gripped and is one of my new favorites. It features one of the best Charlies I've read in a long time. I'm amazed it has so few reviews so please read and review. You won't regret it. xx