AN: Thank you to my girls for everything they've done for this story. As usual, there was tinkering, so any remaining mistakes are my own.
Musical inspiration: You Are The Reason by Calum Scott.
I'd climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken
'cause I need you to see
That you are the reason
CHAPTER 31. My Reason
~o~
NOW
~o~
The Capitol Hill Apartment. Seattle, Washington. Friday, January 10th, 2014.
The room is still dark when Bella is awakened by the ruffling of sheets next to her.
She can see Edward sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her, his shirt already off, and his hands clasped on the mattress.
When a small hiss can be heard from his direction, his hand flies to his neck, fingers rubbing the back of his shoulder, and she wonders if he's in pain.
"Hey," she says softly, propping herself up on one elbow.
When he turns to look at her, there is no sign of pain on his face, instead he smiles at her. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."
She eyes the clock—it's three in the morning.
He has been working non-stop since their offer on the house on the hills had been accepted. He signed on for double shifts this week to be off next week so he can focus on the construction. He also ended his lease at the downtown apartment, and while the plan is for him to stay at the house on the hills throughout the construction, his things are now mostly rummaged in the corner of Bella's room, where he's been spending most of his late nights.
He gets under the covers with a big exhale as he wraps his arms around her, bringing her body closer to his.
"Were you working late at the studio?" She runs her fingers over the stubble on his jaw, lying back down next to him.
"No…" His eyes flutter closed as he breathes out. "I was at the house, clearing some stuff out."
"I thought demo starts tomorrow?"
"It does…" he says through a yawn. "The dumpster bin was delivered today though, so I wanted to clear out some of the debris from the previous gutting job, so we can start fresh tomorrow."
"Were you there by yourself?"
"Mmmmhmmmm…" He runs a hand over her hair, bringing his lips to her forehead, but when he moves back, he winces and his hand flies to his shoulder. He groans, exhaling through his nose.
"Did you get hurt?" Worry seeps through her words as her hand reaches for his shoulder, her fingers wrapping over his hand.
He shakes his head, taking a deep breath. "It's my bad shoulder. Just a little sore." He composes his face, opening his eyes and looking at her. "Please, don't worry."
But she does worry. They haven't even started with construction, and he is already exhausted and hurting. The plan is for him to do a lot of the labor during the renovation.
"Hey." He reaches for her face, stopping her mid-thought. "I'm okay, I promise." His thumbs run over her cheeks, and he smiles at her. "It's just been a long week." He reassures her with a soft kiss on her lips, while his eyes flutter closed again.
"Would a back rub help?" She offers, running her hand on his face.
"The answer to that is always yes." A smile lights his features even with his eyes closed.
He rolls onto his stomach, folding his arms under his head. She reaches for the lotion on her nightstand and climbs onto his behind. As she lathers her hands, she can appreciate the beauty of Edward's bare back. The moonlight coming in through the window is enough for her to see the muscles on his back, the freckles on his shoulders, and the moles scattered throughout his back. She has to remind herself that she's going to give him a back rub when her mind takes her other places.
A hiss comes out of Edward when she places her hands on his upper back, and she freezes. "Did I hurt you?"
"God, Swan, you don't know how good that feels…" He takes a deep breath as she starts moving her hands against his back.
"You'll have to show me later."
"Mhhhmmm…"
Bella works all over his back, her fingers pressing on tight muscles, hoping to rub the tension away and give him some much needed comfort.
He stays quiet through it all.
When she's done, she leans forward as her hands run down his arms. She kisses his shoulders and lays her head on his back. "Better?" she asks softly, but as she gets no response, she lifts her head. "Edward?" she whispers.
The soft snore coming out of him melts her insides, and she rolls over to the spot on the bed next to him. With her hand on his hair, she brings her lips to his forehead for a soft kiss. "Rest now, baby."
~o~
House on the hills. Seattle, Washington. Saturday, January 11th, 2014.
It's demo day at the house on the hills. Edward stands in the middle of the bare, half-gutted kitchen, one hand on his hip, the other pulling on the back of his neck, taking everything in.
The early morning sun is shining brightly through the windows, lighting up little specks of dust that cloud the air. Excitement and pride rush through Edward's body at the thought that this is finally happening. It is a restrained excitement though, laced with concern at how massive this undertaking actually is.
As if on cue, Emmett appears through the kitchen doors, in jeans and a grey Iron Maiden t-shirt, tool belt and all, marking the kitchen wall with an X and then setting the yellow pencil over his ear. "This one can come down completely, as it's non-load-bearing." Emmett circles around Edward, his eyes darting around the kitchen. "So, to move the appliances upstairs…we'll have to measure out the spiral stairs. It might be doable that way. Otherwise, we will have to get a pulley to bring them up through the windows." Emmett stops beside Edward, who has not moved an inch. "Either way is going to be a pain, but for now, they need to come out of here, as all of this is coming down."
Edward feels Emmett's eyes on him, and when he turns to him, Emmett raises an eyebrow. "You okay, bro?"
"I'm fine…" Edward says through an exhale. It's the truth. He is fine, he is just—
"Overwhelmed?" Emmett clasps a hand on Edward's shoulder. "I know. It's a lot. But it'll be done soon enough. Let's start with the fridge?"
Emmett shakes Edward's shoulder before letting him go, breaking off Edward's trance. Emmett arranges the dolly next to the fridge, bending over and reaching his fingers with one hand under the fridge and the other one behind it.
"Chop, chop, Cullen. I haven't got all day." Emmett looks up at Edward from the floor.
Edward walks to the fridge and mimics Emmett's position.
"On three…" Emmett says. "Lift with your knees."
Emmett counts down and they lift the fridge from the floor, except it's heavier than Edward expected, and his fingers are losing grip, which makes the fridge tilt onto him and he needs to hold it up with his shoulder.
"You got it?" Emmett asks. Edward grunts, trying to get a better grip from under it. "You got it?" Emmett asks again.
"I got it," Edward says through his teeth.
"You sure? You're looking pretty flushed." Emmett laughs, from the other side of the fridge, as Edward manages a better grip on it and lifts his side more, so the fridge is no longer tilting. They move it to the dolly and set it down carefully before they both straighten up.
Emmett is full on laughing as Edward rubs his fingers on his jeans.
"How much do you bench, bro?" Emmett chuckles.
"Shut up. I couldn't get a good grip."
By the time there is a knock on the door, Edward and Emmett have cleared all the appliances from the kitchen.
Edward is expecting Bella, who is coming to help, but it's not just Bella at the door—her two roommates flank her, looking straight out of a fashion magazine.
On Bella's left stands Alice in jean overalls rolled over her ankles and black combat boots. She's already wearing safety goggles—probably from her art shop—and a mallet that looks about the same size as her is perched over her shoulder. If you could pack fierce into a five-foot package, that's what it would look like.
On Bella's right is Jazz, his eyes covered by Ray-Bans, and his undercut is perfectly gelled at the top and parted on the left. A flowery button-up peeks under his jacket. White cropped pants and loafers complete his look. Edward flinches at the lack of socks.
"I brought help!" Bella says, smiling broadly at Edward and lifting the two trays of Starbucks cups in her hands. "And coffee."
He could almost kiss her, and he plans to, right after everyone scrams.
When Emmett appears behind Edward with a hand on Edward's shoulder, Jazz's jaw hits the floor, figuratively. With his mouth agape, he lifts his glasses onto his hair. "Did you plan on keeping him all to yourself?" He waves a hand at Edward, stepping closer to him.
"Jazz, Emmett. Emmett, Jazz." Edward introduces them, rolling his eyes.
"Is there something in the water in Forks or what?" Jazz asks Bella, pushing past Edward. "Hi, gorgeous," he says to Emmett, who extends a hand at Jazz.
"Do you even know the first thing about construction?" Edward snaps playfully at Jazz as he passes by him.
"Hello? I'm an artist. I've painted murals before. How hard can a wall be? Also, I watch Property Brothers, thank you very much."
"I just don't want any dicks on my walls."
"Oh, honey, you'd be so lucky."
"All right, let's tear some shit down," Emmett says with a laugh, letting them all in.
"Oh, he speaks!" Jazz clasps his hands in front of him, almost bouncing, following Emmett into the hallway. "Speak again, you glorious angel."
"Did you know Shakespeare was bi?" Alice asks, catching onto Jazz's reference. She walks in behind them, shrugging at Edward, who still holds the door. Edward chuckles at the unconventional crew, wondering how today will go.
"Hi," Bella says, stepping right in front of him, tilting her head back, asking for a kiss. "Good morning."
"Morning..." Edward takes the two trays from her and lowers himself to kiss her, relieved to finally have her here. "Sorry I left before you woke up."
"It's okay…" She clasps her hands behind his neck, pulling him to her for another kiss. "Are you okay?"
He nods at her, his face lighting up as his eyes bore into her. "Better than okay."
"Let's do this?"
"Let's."
~o~
Demolition, as it turns out, is pretty fun—cathartic even—albeit exhausting. They knock down walls. Pull off cabinets, pull up the carpets and the tile on the bathroom and kitchen. Emmett runs the show and assigns them jobs. They work well together, all clicking as if they've known each other for years instead of just hours.
Later Rosalie shows up with pizzas and beer to round out the gang. They all move to the back of the house, sitting on the floor to eat.
Surrounded by chatting friends, Bella takes the spot between Edward's legs, resting her back to his chest. She looks around at her friends, all there for them wanting to help in any way they could, and she feels so lucky. Lucky to have them. Lucky to have the man behind her, who loves her unconditionally and who supports her every choice.
"Guys, I-I wanted to say something." Her nerves are reflected in her stutter, and she takes a deep breath when they all turn to look at her.
"Emmett and Rose," Bella starts, and they both smile at her. Rosalie is sitting, just as Bella, between Emmett's legs. "I know we drifted apart after high school, but I'm really glad you guys are back in our lives. I'm thankful for you guys, offering up your time and skills to help us with this project. And I hope this is the beginning of a strong and long-lasting friendship."
"You know you're playing for free at our wedding, right?" Emmett laughs, kissing the side of Rosalie's face.
Edward rubs his hand over her arm, silently showing his support. And with that subtle gesture, Bella gets the guts to continue.
"Alice." Bella turns her head to Alice then, who tips her beer. "In the short time I've known you, you've already taught me so much. To believe in myself. To fight for what I love. I hope you know how much you've helped me get better. And I am so thankful for your friendship."
"Don't mention it, Bella." Alice brings her fist to her heart and then points it at Bella. "Sisters for life."
Emmett makes an inappropriate lesbian joke and Rosalie elbows him while Alice simultaneously punches his arm. They all laugh it out, while Bella shakes her head, turning to Jazz.
"Jazz…"
"Shush, bitches, it's my turn." Jazz extends his arms to the side, waving his hands to quiet them down.
"Thank you," Bella says to him, and her voice cracks. "For always being there for me. No matter how bad it got. No matter how stupid I was being. You were always there, in my corner, no questions asked, with nothing but support for me. So, thank you. I love you, man."
"Oh, sweetie, don't make me cry now." Jazz brings a hand to his chest, while the other fans his face. Then he blows a kiss at Bella.
"And Edward." She turns around to face him as her eyes water. His eyebrows rise in surprise—maybe he didn't think she was going to address him too, in front of everyone. "You're the reason we're all here. You're the reason I am here…whole, complete." She brings a hand to his face, and he smiles sweetly at her.
"It's all thanks to you. I don't know how I would have survived the past couple months without you. Even beyond that. All the years I've known you. You've been my rock from day one."
Edward swallows hard, bringing his hand to her face. "Bella…"
"So thank you…" She continues, looking at him. "For not giving up on me. Thank you for giving me another chance… even after everything. I hope I can make it up to you with a lifetime of happiness by your side. I hope you know how much you mean to me, and…" When her voice breaks again and she takes in a shaky breath, his fingers wrap around her neck as he brings her lips to his. She melts into his arms as he deepens the kiss.
"Ahem…" Jazz clears his throat dramatically. "Should we go?"
"There's still a shit-ton to do," Emmett adds.
"Let's get to work." Bella breaks the kiss, resting her forehead on Edward's.
"Let's…" he says, as he gets up. Once they're both up, his hands linger on her waist, and he pulls her to him. "You're my reason too, Bella," he whispers in her ear. "Always have been and always will be."
~o~
AN: *Dreamy sigh* I can't believe we're almost there. See you Friday for the final chapter. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! This has been quite the journey for me. *heart emoji*