AN: Just like with Jake's chapter, there will be a bit of a time jump here. Gotta get this story moving along! Enjoy.
CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE
BELLA'S POV:
"Comm'on, Bella. You're almost done. Two more minutes. Watch your posture," Santiago said.
"Can't do it. Too tired," I gritted out, but continued to push the pedals on the stationary bike. My body was reaching its breaking point, but our session was almost over. I must not have been doing the exercise in the correct form, because usually my physical therapist Santiago, wasn't too nitpicky. I was hoping to skate by with the remaining time I had left, but of course not—he was going to make me work for it.
"Yes, you can. You're getting stronger and stronger every day. That fatigue is a good sign, Bella. It means we're working the right muscles. One more minute," he told me, as if that would make things better.
I continued to pedal, bringing my casted leg around and around. My joints were burning, but I'm sure I could survive another minute, right? Seriously, how long is a minute? I could have sworn it was only 60 seconds, but this felt like another five minutes. Was Santiago tricking me? I was about to give up when I heard the glorious words, "Finished" come from beside me.
I tenderly took my casted leg out of the pedal, and Santiago helped me shuffle over to the table. The massaging and compression wraps were my favorite part of physical therapy. It almost made all the torture worth it. As I waited for Santiago to get the necessary supplies, I thought over all that had happened the last month.
I had been making giant strides when it came to my speech therapy. More often than not, I still needed to pause for breath during my thoughts, but I was able to get my point across a lot smoother. It helped being able to group together a cluster of words, as opposed to stopping after every second or third one. The white board has officially been retired. I was hesitant to give it up at first, but I realized that everyone wanted to hear me talk, so they weren't getting frustrated with me if it just took longer to get the words out. That gave me the confidence to trust in my voice more, and leave the marker behind. Tony particularly liked that he didn't have to rely on someone else to read him my thoughts.
One complication that I noticed was that I tend to struggle to find the right words sometimes. My pathologist calls it anomic aphasia. It really frustrates me because I often feel like I have the word on the tip of my tongue, and yet I can't get my mouth to follow through. Yesterday, I couldn't think of the word screwdriver. One of Tony's toys stopped lighting up, and needed new batteries. Really, an easy fix. And yet, I could not think of the necessary tool to open the toy to get to the batteries. I saw it in my mind, could describe it in intricate detail, and yet the word evaded me. I finally just asked for Grandpa's tools so I could find the one that I couldn't ask for. I'm hoping that this is a temporary side effect of hitting my head. It really hasn't hindered me too much—I just feel stupid, like I should know the name of objects or things, but draw a blank instead.
Physical therapy has been slow going, considering my entire leg and arm are in a cast. The first two weeks consisted of the therapist manually assisting me in exercises using slow and controlled movements. Once flexibility and mobility began to improve, we moved on to strengthening exercises, which is where we are at now. Even though I still can't put my full weight on my leg, and I haven't mastered walking yet, the doctors had changed my leg cast to one below my knee so I can do some knee bending activity to get the quadriceps restored. Hence the pedaling on the stationary bike. The doctor has given me a full leg brace to use when I'm not at physical therapy. But considering I spend the majority of my time in the chair, I cheat, and don't always wear it. Once the muscles get stronger, Santiago is going to slowly add weight bearing activities into our routine. Then, as I'm given the green light to try walking, we'll work on gait re-education. I still have a long road ahead of me, but I'm willing to do anything to get myself out of that chair.
"You okay there Bella? I didn't push you too hard today, did I?" Santaigo asked, as he prepped me for my deep tissue massage. My first day here, he gave me the spiel that the massage increased circulation, which helps deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the recovering muscles. Truthfully, I just appreciated that it relieved the aches I felt from doing all the different exercises.
I shook my head to clear my wandering thoughts, and told him, "I'm fine. Just thinking about this journey. Done a lot in a month."
"Yes, you have. I'm proud of what we've accomplished thus far," he replied, as he applied more pressure to my quads. They were a little tender from the extra emphasis we put on them today, and the discomfort must have shown on my face, as he asked, "How is the new cast working Bella? Do you have enough support with it being only below your knee?"
"It feels weird having. So much of my leg. Exposed again," I told him. "Worried about not having. The upper leg support."
"The shorter cast is simply for physical therapy Bella. You know you're still not really supposed to be walking, especially not without the full leg brace. Stick to the chair for now until we can strengthen up these muscles."
"So over the chair," I grumbled.
"I know you are, but if you rush things too quickly, you'll be stuck in it longer. Just keep that in mind when you think you can do something without assistance," he warned.
With my ribs back in working order, I have been able to do a bunch of things on my own, like dress, and even lift myself in and out of the chair to use the restroom myself. I truly enjoyed gaining back some of my independence, but it has made me wish for more of it. But Santiago was right—I couldn't push myself too far too fast.
"I know. It's just hard because I want to do. Things myself."
"That boyfriend of yours actually lets you do things yourself?" Santiago sassed back, which made me blush. Considering most of my appointments have been at the very hospital were Edward works, he's pretty much been my shadow during my recovery. He always manages to be in the area when I would have appointments. It can't be that much of a coincidence. I don't understand why he doesn't just ask to come with me as opposed to just stopping by to say hi. He uses these run ins to ask me to join him for lunch. I think he's just trying to stake his claim to as many people as he can. So, it's really no secret that we were together. Well, I guess it's only a secret to one person—Tony.
Not wanting to get too off track, I simply responded, "He's not always around to save the day. I need to count on myself."
"Sure Bella. Whatever helps you sleep at night." I was about to refute his claim, but he quickly brought up a new topic to distract me. "So, I was thinking that in two weeks when you go in for a new cast, we should ask for a waterproof one. I think that exercising in the pool will be very helpful in rehabbing your injury. The water would reduce the stress of gravity on your leg while at the same time provide resistance that will help you to build up your strength."
"They make waterproof casts? Why don't more doctors use them?" I asked. Having to bathe and shower while trying to keep my casts dry has been a production. If this was an option, why wasn't I taking advantage of it now?
"While there are a lot of pros to waterproof casts, there are some reasons why not everybody uses them. The biggest being they are expensive. And most insurance companies won't cover them as they don't see them as a necessary expense."
"Oh. Then we probably shouldn't plan on that. Out of my budget," I told him with a frown.
Santiago started rubbing the back of his neck, and gave me a sheepish look. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like what he was about to tell me. "Well, I was under the impression that all your bills were being taken care of, and I was told to spare no expense."
Though I was pretty certain I knew who the culprit was, I asked anyways. "And who told you this?"
"You've got friends in high places Bella," was all Santiago offered back to me. I gave him the bitch brow, showing him I meant business, and finally he caved, and said, "Edward."
"Not his responsibility. Why is he getting my bills?" I asked. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen any bills since I started rehabbing in Chicago. I assumed that they were first being processed through my insurance, and then whatever I was responsible for was being mailed back to Washington, to my home address. But now I can see that is not the case. That sneaky little bugger.
"The Cullen's are very well respected in this hospital, so when they say jump, most say how high. So when they say they've got it covered, who are we to argue? Now, I can see this is a bit of a shock for you, but maybe it might be worth using it to your advantage. Like I said, this waterproof cast could help shave off a lot of recovery time if we can get you into the water sooner. If you are finished rehabbing sooner, you would be paying less in the long run, right?" he tried to rationalize.
"Not the point. I will get to the bottom of this," I said.
"Go easy on him. He was only trying to keep your mind focused on the recovery by eliminating outside worries. Its kind of sweet if you think about it."
"Yeah, yeah," I said, showing that I heard him, but I still wasn't happy.
Twenty minutes later, I was all rubbed down, and ready to leave. I was supposed to text Edward so we could get lunch together, but I wasn't sure if I was in the right mindset for that right now. Instead, I sent a text to Rosalie.
Are you busy? Finished rehab, and need an escape. —Bella
Two minutes later, I got back:
On my way. —Rosalie
You might wonder why I texted Rosalie of all people. That's another thing that has changed during my month here in Chicago. While it's true that in the past, we didn't always get on with each other, this go around has been drastically different. At the family dinner, Rosalie asked if she could take me to lunch, which I accepted. From there, we hashed out our differences. She admitted that it's hard for her to open up to people, and that she didn't like how easily liked I am. Instead of embracing that, she shunned me for it. To her, there must be something wrong with me that everyone isn't seeing. She said when I first disappeared, she felt like her concerns had been proven. I wasn't little Ms. Perfect, and I could hurt those around me. Now that she understands the circumstances that caused me to leave, she commended me on my strength to walk away.
Since then, we've bonded over Tony and my experiences. And in return, I've learned about her hardships in conceiving. It hurts to see how much her and Emmett have struggled through testing, and fertility procedures, and still come up empty. She confided in me that she was thinking about adoption, but was worried the family wouldn't accept the child like they did Sophie, or Tony since it wasn't blood. I told her with the Cullen crew, she'd have no issues. I think she appreciated another outsider's point-of-view. I hope she follows through and achieves her dream. She would be a wonderful mother.
While I was waiting for Rosalie, I sent Edward a text:
Someone's in trouble. —Bella
He must have been waiting for me to finish up with my appointment, as he quickly replied:
?—Edward
Why haven't I seen any medical bills, Edward? —Bella
I saw the three dots that indicated that he was typing, but then they would disappear. Then start again, but disappear. He was obviously trying to think how best to respond. Not wanting to hear his excuses right now, I sent:
Need some time to decompress. Having lunch with Rosalie. See you later—Bella
I thought WE were having lunch :( -Edward
I thought WE were not keeping things from each other anymore. So, I guess we both need to settle for disappointment. —Bella
I was worried that last message was a little harsh, but I didn't want to be guilted into doing something I wasn't ready for.
Fair point. I'm done at 4. I'll come right over. We'll talk before dinner. –Edward
See you then—Bella
I was pulled back to the present when I heard Rosalie say, "Who pissed in your Cheerio's?" I guess I couldn't mask my feelings from the outside world.
"Edward. You down for lunch? Or do you need to get back. To the garage?" I asked her.
"They can survive without me for a bit. What are you in the mood for?" she asked, as she pushed me towards the elevator.
"Anything—you know the good haunts. You pick," I told her.
We made small talk as we headed to a nearby Café. Once our orders were in, Rosalie jumped right on the issue at hand. "So, what did Edward do that ruined your day?"
"He didn't ruin my day. I just learned something that. Took me by surprise. Needed time to process things," I explained, while taking a drink of my iced tea.
"Okay, that's understandable. But what did you learn?" she pressed. Rosalie was a no-nonsense type person. She wanted the facts so she could move on to find a solution.
"He's been handling all my medical bills. Just took them over, without even asking," I revealed.
"Well, if he asked, you would have said no, right?" she asked me.
"Of course, I would say no. He isn't responsible for me."
Rosalie sat back in her seat, and gave me a long look. "I would guess he sees differently. You two are together now. He wants to take care of you."
"I don't need him to take care of me. I have done just fine on my own. I don't need a man to jump in. And pay my way."
"You're right, you don't. I'm like you Bella. I didn't grow up with money, or fancy things. So, when I first came upon the Cullens, I had a hard time with letting them waste money on me. When you grow up with the mentality that you've got to work hard to earn things, it's hard not to feel like you're free loading when things are just handed to you," she confessed.
"Exactly." I was glad to see that Rosalie understood me. Although she married into the family, she was an outsider, like me.
"But what I quickly learned was that you won't win this fight, Bella. The Cullen's have more money than they know what to do with it. And they take care of their own."
"Edward and I are just starting over. Too soon for him to do things like this."
"So, you're saying that it would be okay if you guys were in a committed relationship, or married, but not now because it's too new?" she reiterated, trying to make sure she was following the argument.
"No, that's not what I'm saying. And no one is talking about marriage," I said, getting flustered by what she was insinuating.
"Then you need to break this down for me. I think I understand why you're upset. And its really not about the money Bella. It's about the fact he did this without talking to you first. Am I right?" she asked. While I wanted to disagree, and claim it was about the money, I think Rosalie was correct. When I didn't answer, she continued, "You are right Bella—your relationship is new. And in most cases, after a month, your boo wouldn't start paying all your dues, unless they were looking for you to reimburse them somehow." She wiggled her eyebrows to emphasize her point.
"Rosalie!" I screeched, surprised at the turn this conversation had taken.
"I'm not saying that is your case, Bella. I'm just saying, I agree that in brand spanking new relationships, most people don't come across this problem. However, your relationship, as much as you want to pretend is new, is not. You guys have history. And familiarity. And a god damn kid. So, you can pretend as much as you want that its too soon for this sort of thing, but really, you guys need to start hashing out the bigger picture."
Crossing my arms across my chest, I inquired, "And what, pray tell, is the bigger picture?"
"You know Edward is all in. He hasn't hidden his feelings or intentions. And I know you guys are trying to figure out where is best for you all to play family. Eventually, you're going to end up under one roof, and sharing bills. So, he jumped the gun. He's just trying to prove himself to you."
"Nothing is guaranteed. I said I would give this a chance. And I am. I can't plan that far ahead in the future," I cautioned.
"Why not Bella? You say that you guys are moving forward, and starting fresh, but you still hold Edward's past behavior against him. You don't trust that he's all in, despite all the efforts that he shows you otherwise. You're waiting for the other shoe to drop. Well, if you keep waiting for it, you're going to force it to drop, and ruin a potentially wonderful thing for all of you," she passionately explained.
I sat there and thought about what she had just said. Was I punishing Edward by not being able to move past our breakup five years ago? Logically, I thought that I had moved past this, but I guess emotionally, I was still guarding myself. I was trying to keep him and my life separate so that if things didn't work out, I could make a clean escape. But with a son, did a clean escape even exist?
"Eat your salad, Bella. If I return you without nourishing you, they'll never let you out with me again," Rosalie jested, when she saw that I still was deep in thought.
After taking a few bites of my salad, I asked her, "Is it that obvious. That I'm being guarded?"
"Not that obvious. But you know that I was in a disastrous relationship before I met Emmett. And because of Royce and his faults, I kept Emmett at a distance." Blotting her mouth with her napkin, she softly added, "I almost lost him because of it."
This was news to me. "What?" I asked, hoping she would elaborate.
"I didn't realize that I wasn't truly moving on from my past. Even though I removed myself from the toxic and abusive relationship, my actions still showed that I didn't trust Emmett not to turn into Royce. Emmett finally had enough, and pointed out all the ways that he goes above and beyond to make me feel safe and loved, and yet I was barely meeting him halfway. He said that he deserved more, and if I wasn't capable of truly letting go, and letting him fully in, then I should just move on. It was the wake up call I needed. Emmett never gave me reason to worry—and it wasn't fair to punish him for Royce's mistakes." Coughing to hid her emotions, Rosalie switched gears, "Now it may not be exactly the same, but right now, you are holding previous Edward's mistakes against current Edward. And yes, I do realize how weird that sentence sounded."
"I just don't want to put my whole heart in. Only to get hurt again. When he gets tired of playing Daddy."
"I understand why you would think that, Bella. But while he may have taken awhile to warm up, Edward and Daddyhood go hand in hand. I don't see him growing tired of it. Can you honestly say you think he would abandon Tony at this point?"
"I don't think Tony would let him go, even if Edward wanted to," I joked, avoiding answering her question.
"That's not what I asked Bella."
"Rationally, I don't think Edward would leave him. Or us, at this point. But irrationally, I have a hard time not letting these doubts creep in."
"That's your anxiety talking. You are filtering out all the good, and only focusing on the bad. It doesn't matter if Edward does everything right—you will only see the flaws. And thinking he's going to bail on Tony? You're catastrophizing. A tsunami could hit tomorrow, and kill us all. Are you going to live today different just because it may be your last? No, because that's unrealistic. This is the same thing. You can't live day by day waiting for Edward to screw up, or for things to fall apart. If you do that, you guys won't last. And that truly would be devasting for all parties involved."
"How did you get so smart?" I asked her after I had taken some time to absorb all that she said.
"I've been in therapy for years. I'm just reiterating all that my doctor has been telling me. Sometimes, its easier to help someone else when the problem isn't yours," she said with a shrug.
"Do you think I'm picking a fight with Edward here?" I asked, worried I was completely taking things too far. Was everything I thought irrational?
"No Bella. You have a right to be upset here. Edward made a decision without consulting you. That is not how a relationship works. And I'm sure you will properly point that out to him later." Reaching forward to take my hand, she added, "I'm not saying Edward can do no wrong, and you need to let everything slide. You are entitled to your feelings and your opinions. And like all relationships, you are not going to see eye to eye on everything. But just because you disagree doesn't mean one of you is being unreasonable. You guys just need to figure out how to compromise, and work these things out. The more you do this, the easier it will get."
"Thanks Rosalie. I needed this. Lunch is on me," I offered, hoping to show my gratitude.
"Sounds reasonable. Considering what I pay my own therapist, this advice doesn't come cheap," she jested. "You finished? I wouldn't be surprised if you had a sulking man child at home waiting to make up with you."
"Said he's working 'til 4," I told her.
"Yea, well, if he's anything like his brother, he won't be able to concentrate knowing you're upset with him. I bet you $20 he's sitting in Esme's driveway when we get back."
"You're on," I told her.
I got out of Rosalie's car $20 lighter since she was right. Edward was there awaiting our return, 2 hours earlier than he predicted. I felt bad that he wasn't working when he was scheduled to do so. I didn't mean to throw his entire day off course. When he saw Rosalie's car pull up, he quickly made his way over to assist me into getting out of the car and into my chair. Before I shut the door, Rosalie called out, "My phone's on if you need another escape. Drinks are on me, as I seem to have come into a bit of money recently."
"Sure. Thanks again," I told her, before watching her drive off.
Edward and I made our way into the house, which I observed was rather quiet. He must have noticed me looking around, for he explained, "I thought we needed some privacy, so Mom took Tony to the park down the street. They'll be back in an hour, unless we text and ask for more time."
"So, everyone knows we're fighting," I mumbled, embarrassed at how involved this family was in our lives.
"No. I'm pretty sure Mom thinks I'm trying to get into your pants. I guess that's the downside of asking for privacy—she'll end up with her own conclusions," Edward shrugged, as he led us into the living room.
I blushed, thinking about the few times that Esme had found us making out on this very couch after Tony had been put to bed. That really is the only downside of staying with your boyfriend's parents—getting caught like teenagers. As Edward lifted me from the chair onto the couch, I pondered; was Esme thinking we were doing naughty things better or worse than her knowing we were fighting? Was there really a right answer?
"You still with me?" Edward asked, startling me from my inner thoughts.
"Yes, sorry. Not used to so many people knowing my business. Got embarrassed."
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Who cares what anyone else thinks? I only care about what you think," he told me, shifting closer to me. I wasn't sure if I could have this conversation with him touching me, so I put my hands out to halt him.
"Wait. Need my wits for this conversation. Can't think straight when you're too close," I admitted after I saw his face fall. I didn't want him thinking the worst.
"Okay. Can you tell me what happened today? Things seemed to turn around pretty quickly. One second we were meeting for lunch, and the next, you didn't want to see me," Edward started, giving me the floor.
"I was talking to Santiago about treatments. He wants me to get a waterproof cast. Thinks exercises in pool will help me heal faster."
"That's not a bad idea. There has been a lot of research that supports that claim," he said.
"I didn't know there were waterproof casts. When I asked for more info, I found out they were costly. And insurance doesn't usually cover them."
"Don't worry about that Bella. You deserve the best treatments. If this is what you want, or need to get better, then this is what you will get," Edward said. He was missing the point.
"Funny. Santiago said the same thing. Why worry when I wasn't paying. That was news to me. Why are you paying for my bills Edward?" I sternly questioned him.
"I asked you to come rehab in Chicago. Things are pricier here. They wouldn't be this expensive in Port Angeles, or even Seattle. Since this was my doing, I thought it was only fair I cover the cost," Edward explained.
"And you decided that without talking to me, Edward. Why?"
"I know money tends to make you uncomfortable Bella. I didn't want you stressing over bills, and how you were going to afford things, especially with you not working right now. I wanted you to focus on getting better. I thought I was doing you a favor by limiting your stress."
"By keeping things from me? Weren't you the one who said. Communication was key for our success?" I asked, hoping he would see what I was so upset about.
"At the time, I didn't see it that way. Now that you have brought it up, I can understand why you are upset. I was trying to prevent you from stressing out, when in reality, I probably made the situation 10x worse," Edward sighed, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
"Shouldn't be paying my bills Edward. Or not all of them. It's too much."
"Since I'm an employee of the hospital Bella, I am entitled to benefits and plans that actually make the services you need cheaper. Again, I was only trying to help."
"But how? It's your plan. Shouldn't cover my stuff," I questioned, not understanding. Edward swallowed slowly, and avoided eye contact with me, which caused me to pause. What else was he keeping from me?
"Well, I amended my plan to include my family. I wanted to make sure Tony would have all the available resources." He paused, and gave me a quick side eye to check my reaction. Seeing that this new information hadn't upset me, he continued, "And while I was adding him, I added you as well."
"Again how? We are not family?" I pressed.
"I may have told them you were my fiancé?" he said, though it came out more like a question than a statement.
"Edward, you can't lie to your insurance carrier. What if you get caught? You're not allowed to have non-family members on insurance," I tried to reason with him, though I was freaking out a little on the inside. He told his work I was his fiancé? This is even bigger than I realized.
"It's not so much a lie, but wishful thinking?" he added, though quickly explained, "Like I said, my insurance is really good, and I'm entitled to domestic partner benefits. Does that sound better than fiancé?" He asked.
"No?" I said, though I could tell I sounded unsure. I was truthfully really confused by the turn of things.
"When I added Tony, it just made sense to add you as well, as you are his mother. When they asked what you were to me, I told them that we were partners. I mean, I wasn't going to tell them our life story; that I'm trying to woo my son's mother into eventually being mine forever. I figured partner would explain our co-parenting. They asked if I meant domestic partner, and it sounded reasonable to me, so I simply said yes. If it covers your expenses, and gets you the best services, I don't see how it could hurt."
"Will be in trouble when they realize I'm not."
"Again, this is not your problem Bella. Leave the insurance stuff to me."
"They are my hospital bills. It is most definitely my problem," I said, raising my voice. I didn't want him to try and talk me out of my feelings.
"Okay. I can show you the statements that I've gotten this month. My insurance is assisting with a lot of it. It really isn't that much," he told me, getting up from the couch to go grab his computer so he could pull up the paperless bills.
"Then I should pay the difference," I said, hoping Edward would be willing to compromise. He didn't respond at first, so I thought maybe he hadn't heard me, but from his facial expression, I could see he wasn't pleased. "If you want to "claim me" as your family on your insurance. To get my bills down, then that is how. You can help me Edward. But I want to pay whatever is left over afterwards. I think that is a fair trade."
"But I can help more Bella," he pleaded.
"I know you can Edward. And I appreciate it. But I am more than capable of paying my own bills. I've been doing it for years, and I've been just fine."
"That was before we got back together though. I'm here now, and you don't have to do everything alone."
"You're right. I don't. You have assisted me by scamming your. Insurance policy to include me. That is a huge help. I'm not saying to pull me off. Though I do think you are really blurring the lines here. I am accepting your help in lowering my bills. But they are still my bills to finish paying off."
"What about procedures that insurance won't cover? Like this waterproof cast. Will you let me help you if the bills get out of hand," he questioned.
"I am willing to talk that over with you once I get an understanding of how much it all is. I'm not outright saying no, but I can't give you a yes either. But no more going behind my back to do things. I want to be involved in all aspects Edward."
"I understand. I'm sorry that you felt betrayed. I really only had good intentions."
"I felt like you did this behind my back. That is not a good feeling when we're trying to start over. We need to be open with each other."
"I said I'm sorry Bella. I'm learning how to navigate all this, just like you are. I'm not perfect, and I'm bound to make mistakes every now and again. What I ask of you is to not shut me out. I was worried when you bailed on me for lunch. I know you needed time to work out your thoughts, but in the meantime, I was envisioning you giving up on us, and boarding a plane to go back to Washington."
I was surprised that Edward's mind had jumped there. Maybe I wasn't the only one with irrational thoughts here. Apparently, Edward catastrophizes as well. Now that the conversation was wrapping up, I scooted closer so that I could snuggle into Edward's embrace. He quickly wrapped his arms around me, and sighed contentedly.
"I'm sorry for worrying you. I thought that if I went to lunch with you. My anger would get the best of me. I would speak without thinking. I didn't want to hurt you anymore by saying something I couldn't take back," I explained, hoping he would see my side of things.
"I guess I can understand that," he said, more into my shoulder as we were still embracing.
Pulling back a little to look him in the eye, I said, "I thought scheduling a time to see you later. Showed I wasn't livid, or completely unforgiving."
"At the time, all I could think was that I had ruined things already. I couldn't really see the silver lining."
"I'm sorry you had to leave work early," I told him, truly feeling guilty.
Placing his hands on my cheeks so he could look me square in the eye, Edward responded, "You're more important to me than work Bella. I wanted to get to the bottom of things are quickly as possible. I can't mess up with you again."
"You're putting too much pressure on yourself. People make mistakes. You did this without talking to me. I left you hanging, and worrying. Let's look at the positive. We survived our first fight. And we worked everything out."
Pulling me back into his arms, Edward said, "So we have. Is it time to put our egos aside and console one another? I think we have a good twenty minutes to work on making up?"
I giggled at his antics. It felt so refreshing to have a conversation were we actually settled things. Talking things out rejuvenated our relationship, and I didn't see any harm in rewarding ourselves for handling things like adults. "I'm game. Kiss me?"
"It would be my pleasure," he said, before his lips found mine, kissing me softly at first, before upping the intensity. His insistent mouth repeatedly found mine, and I grasped onto him to help keep myself centered as I felt the dizzying effects take over my body. Only Edward could do this to me. As if sensing I needed a moment to catch my breath, I felt him speak against my lips. "I don't care if we fight, as long as we get to kiss and make up."
With a sigh, I said, "Less talking. More kissing." He swooped back in, this time running his tongue across my lower lip, silently asking for entrance. I let him in, and in no time, he was mapping every inch of my mouth. There was something so intimate about the intermingling of our breath as we found comfort in each other's arms. With every push of his tongue against mine, I became even more wrapped up in the kiss. This kiss was like a black hole, pulling me in until I was completely lost to the outside world.
While I was focusing on wrestling with Edward's tongue, I almost missed the fact that his hands were no longer on my back, but instead under my shirt, running against the bare skin of my stomach. This was new. Since our moments alone usually got interrupted, our previous make out sessions had always been relatively chaste. But now, in the empty house, Edward was following his inhibitions, and looking for skin-on-skin contact. I was okay with his warm calloused fingers probing around my stomach, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for more. Especially when we could so easily be interrupted again. My hesitation must have been evident, as I felt Edward start to slow our kiss down, returning to slow open mouthed kisses, before turning to more chaste exchanges. Finally, I felt him rest his forehead against mine as we both attempted to catch our breaths.
"So, what are we going to fight about tomorrow? I wouldn't mind a repeat," he joked, earning him a smack from me. Before I could respond, I heard the front door open, and hurried feet heading our way. I quickly pulled back from Edward, not wanting to be caught in a comprising position by our son.
"Mommy, guess what I saw—Daddy! You're here too," Tony exclaimed, cutting his thought off when he realized I wasn't alone.
"I got finished with work early, so I thought I'd come spend some time with my favorite people. Now, what were you saying? What did you see," Edward asked, giving Tony the attention that he needed. I'm glad that someone was thinking rationally at the moment. I needed some time to unwind after that session we just had.
I must have been really focused on reminiscing that I missed what Tony had asked me. It wasn't until he shook my shoulder that I snapped out of it, and asked him to repeat himself.
"I asked why your lips are all red. Did you hurt yourself?" he inquired. Damn him and his inquisitive mind. I spared a look at Edward to see that he was biting his lip, attempting to keep himself from laughing.
"I don't know. Must have bit myself accidently. It doesn't hurt though," I told him, while sending a glare in Edward's direction.
Following my glare, Tony looked at his father, and said, "Your hair looks funny. It's sticking up all over the place. Did you brush it this morning?" Now it was Edward's turn to be embarrassed. Looking at Edward's hair, I could see what Tony was referring to. I guess I got a little grabby when I was pulling his face closer to mine.
"Tony, I think you should go wash your hands. The playground is very dirty, and you don't want to spread germs, do you?" I heard Esme ask from the doorway, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. When Tony rushed out of the room to follow his Grandma's orders, she turned to the two of us. "I gave you guys an hour. You should have left time to resituate yourself. That boy is too smart for his own good. You need to be smarter if you plan on keeping things quiet for much longer." With those parting words, she left us, probably to go start on dinner.
"God, now she really is going to think we spent the whole hour making out," I said, leaning back on the sofa.
"Is that such a bad thing," Edward asked, running his hands through his hair, trying to calm the madness.
Seeing the pleased look on Edward's face, I really didn't have the heart to deny him. Instead, I shook my head, and said, "I guess not."
The vibration of my cell phone startled me, causing me to jump. Edward of course laughed at my response, which earned him another smack. With a smile, I answered my phone, "Hello?"
"Bella? It's Angie."
The smile quickly left my face as I heard the distressed voice of Ben through the phone. "What's wrong?" I asked, a million scenarios running through my head.
"The baby. It's coming. I thought we had another week, but Angie's water broke. I know you are in Chicago, but she's asking for you. Do you think you could come?"
"Of course. I'll be there as soon as I can. Tell her to remember to breathe. And that I love her," I replied.
"Will do. Hurry, if you can."
"Bye Ben."
The joy that was previously on Edward's face was no longer evident. Though I'm sure he got the general idea, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Angela's in labor. She needs me."
"So, the real world is calling huh?" Edward joked, but it sounded more bitter.
"She was there. For me, with Tony. I need to be there. For her," I tried to explain, worried he would see this as me running back home.
"I understand. I'll call the airlines. I wish I could go with you Bella, but I can't take anymore time off of work. Do you have a preference of travel companion?" he asked me.
"Whomever can leave ASAP. I need to go, or I'll be too late."
"I'm on it Bella. Go get ready while I figure things out." With a kiss to my forehead, he left the room.
I was nervous that the progress Edward and I made today was ruined by my quick departure, but I didn't have time to worry about that right now. I had a scared friend that needed me. Once back in my chair, I wheeled myself to my room to start to put together a bag. Don't worry Angie, I'm on my way!