Thanks for all the love! I really appreciate each and every one of you *hugs*
As always, the fabulous EdwardsFirstKiss makes sure that my writing is readable, lol. Thanks for that, darling!
Chapter 12.
Bella arrived at the Victorian-style home at the end of a winding road through what seemed like a forest. She couldn't believe her eyes, the house was incredible. She immediately loved it, the leaded glass and the details that were all now incorporated into Edward's tattoo. Bella smiled as she locked up her car and walked up the steps to the front porch. Several rose bushes and other lovely landscaping scattered around the house, but they could do with some TLC. She figured someone like a busy CEO didn't exactly have time to garden on a Sunday afternoon.
She almost gasped when she noticed the thick, velvety, blood-red petals of the Baccara roses that swirled through intricate, white fencing. Her favorite flowers in the world.
Edward had been waiting for a while, standing with his back to the front door like an anxious teenager waiting for his prom date. He could hear the engine of the feisty Mini Cooper Bella owned and smiled with butterflies in his stomach. When he didn't hear her ring the doorbell right away, he grew concerned and peered out of the window of the downstairs powder room.
He smirked as he opened the heavy front door, looking at the gorgeous woman with the endlessly long legs. Bella's legs were fully on display, a layer of sheer pantyhose partly shielding her ivory-and-inked skin from Edward's view. She wore a short, black pleated skirt and a black-and-white striped crop top that left a sliver of skin bare at her midriff. Ink swirled around the skin, teasing him as he watched her crouch down and admire the roses in the front yard.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I'm feeling slightly jealous of my plants now, baby doll." The dark-haired beauty looked up and smiled at her host for the evening. Edward looked delectable in a suit — yes, but seeing him dressed down in a casual black hoodie and dark, skinny jeans was something else entirely.
"Your house is so fucking beautiful in real life. This garden is a dream, Edward."
Edward's nostalgic smile took him back to the days when his mother tended to her roses, when his father mowed the lawn as Edward and his mom enjoyed lemonade on the porch.
"I need a gardener. It's too bad I don't know shit about roses, because they were my mother's favorite. She'd be furious if she could see the state of them."
"I can hook you up with that," Bella said enthusiastically. "My best friend, Jake and his boyfriend have their own gardening business. I'm sure he'd be happy to help you out." Edward's eyes widened. He could've called a dozen gardening businesses by now, but something always held him back. Something in the back of his mind was scared they would fuck up the garden — the memories of Esme Cullen. But he trusted Bella, therefore her judgement on her friend's ability to breathe new life into both the front and back yards.
"That would be great if he could. Can you pass me his information? I'll give him a call next week." Bella nodded, smiling brightly — her dimples, a result of her retired cheek piercings on full display.
"Come, let's go inside." Edward proposed. Bella followed her date with her heart pounding, and her palms sweaty. Her eyes widened as they walked through a beautiful foyer, doors almost hidden from view — painted in the same color as the walls, a particular shade of petrol blue she enjoyed looking at very much.
"Your house is amazing." She breathed as Edward led her to the living room. There was noise coming from somewhere in the back of the wondered what it was, until a woman walked up to them, dressed in all-black with a smile on her face. She seemed to be in her forties or maybe early fifties and had silvery-blonde hair that was wrapped up into a neat updo.
"Can I get you some drinks, Edward?" She asked the bronze-haired man sitting in the armchair to her right. She felt a little bummed that they sat so far apart, but Bella hadn't expected to see some kind of butler at his place. Edward sensed his date's uncomfortable shifting in her seat and smiled at Katherine.
"I'll get it myself, Katherine. It's okay, you can go home for the day." The woman seemed surprised but didn't question her employer, figuring he could do with some privacy. Katherine hadn't seen a guest since Mr. and Mrs. Cullen had passed away, and the fact that today this was a beautiful, female guest made her feel giddy — happy for Edward.
"See you tomorrow, you two have a lovely evening." She said, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder. Bella thought they acted very familiar around each other, and she could tell Katherine liked working here. Edward really did seem to treat every single one of his employees with utter respect.
"Come," Edward reached out a hand and Bella took it, smiling wildly at the man in front of her. He smelled divine, like laundry-detergent mixed with the best kind of cologne she had ever come across. Edward took Bella to the kitchen, and once again the interior design in the house left her almost speechless. Spotlessly clean white marble countertops mixed beautifully with the powder blue, matt cabinets. The blue paint brought out the veining in the marble worktops, creating a flawless color palette.
"Wow." She said, standing by the kitchen island that held a large induction cooktop. Her fingers traced along the smooth, shiny natural stone. The house was extremely well put together— but it didn't seem anything like Edward. It was feminine, softer, and she wondered if that was his mother's work.
"Drink?" Edward asked, opening one stainless steel door, revealing an completely stocked eighty inch tall refrigerator.
"Sure, what do you have?" Bella asked, stepping closer, putting a hand on Edward's bicep absentmindedly, like they'd done this a million times before.
Edward snorted. "Katherine always buys a little bit of everything, even though I don't often have people over. Or ever, actually." When Bella spotted the bottle of Minute Maid's blood-orange juice, she gasped a little.
"Oh, yum! That one, please?" She pointed to the bottle, her charming smile making Edward's heart skip a beat. He smirked at her and grabbed a glass, filled it up with ice and handed it to her.
They walk outside the double, glass doors and Bella once again admired the garden. There was patio furniture that looked brand-new, and a hot-tub under a gazebo, a little more hidden between bushes and lavender.
"I can't believe this is your house, Edward. It's so fucking beautiful!"
He smirked at his guest, letting his arm slip around her waist, sizzling electric currents running through them as his bare arm rested against her exposed midriff. Bella turned in his arms, facing the handsome man that made her breathing hitch with just an innocent touch. She was well aware of the effect she had on him, noticing his flushed cheekbones and the darkness swirling around liquid emerald eyes, teasing the fuck out of her.
Bella decided to take Jasper's words to heart, craning her head up as she raised herself up on her tiptoes, lips inches from Edward's neck. She nuzzled his warm skin and revelled at the groan that escaped his mouth as she kissed him there. Edward's touch was more possessive now, gripping her tighter as his hand drifted lower, playing with the hemline of her short skirt.
"You're driving me crazy," Edward breathed, brushing Bella's hair to one side, watching as the ends curled around her ribcage, her chest heaving.
"I haven't even done anything just yet." She giggled, biting her lip. She pushed herself away with her hands on Edward's chest, a little hurt that she apparently didn't drive him crazy enough, whilst Edward wanted nothing more than to spread her out on the grass and make her scream his name. He knew she wanted him, the look in her eyes gave that away, the heated stares and the kisses filled with longing betrayed her, but Edward didn't want this to be over and done with. He wanted it to be perfect, because she deserved it. But Bella wasn't about to let him do this, she was determined to have him naked — on top of her, tonight. Even though she felt that way she wouldn't show him, not yet.
"Have you ever thought about changing the house? I can tell it's not really your style even though the interior is beautiful." Bella asked as they sat down in the wicker lounge set on the back patio. Edward sipped a glass of wine, he didn't even think about his choice when he uncorked the bottle and poured the 2008 Pouilly-Fumé into a long-stemmed, large glass. Bella didn't mind it when other people drank in front of her, but still, this nagging voice in her brain told her she'd prefer it if he wouldn't. She thought she was ridiculous, but couldn't get the memories out of her mind, especially not since Edward was talking about his mother. Edward told her all about the interior design decadence. She changed the wallpaper every three years, and he couldn't even remember how much furniture had been switched out over the years. As Edward squinted, light catching the many colors of copper and reds in his hair, Bella realized this was a hard topic for him.
"I just haven't had the … heart to toss any of it away. Mom poured her heart and soul into this place, each and every time. I just I—." Edward shrugged and Bella got out of her seat, switching the soft pillow for the armrest of Edward's chair. She let her arm rest along his back, playing with the strands of hair on the back of his neck. Edward took a deep breath, his promise to not defile this woman right then and there crumbling as he felt her soft fingers caress his neck, curl into his hair.
"You don't really have to throw anything away, you know? You can recycle things, reupholster the furniture you really like, redo all sorts of things that are already here." Bella said softly, soothing Edward's sudden panic. "Changing things won't mean you've forgotten about them, Edward. I don't have to tell you they're always with you — in your heart, you know?" Bella seemed to be able to tell Edward all the right things. It made it seem like she understood, like she knew what it was like to live with such an incredible loss. He looked up at her face, the sun making her pale skill luminescent, highlighting the sparkles in her eyeshadow, her eyes liquid amber in the light of day. Edward ran a finger down the back of her hand, across her knuckles inked with the word 'soul'. He was sure that her soul was the most beautiful of all, complimenting her exterior, making her even more gorgeous to him.
Edward slid an arm around her waist as she sat next to him, hugging her from the side. She leaned into him and continued to brush through his hair with her free hand. This felt so perfect, neither of them could even begin to explain.
"Thanks for talking to me, easing my worries. But, baby doll, tell me what makes you understand. Please? What happened to you to make you understand?" Edward asked. His voice was so soft, so sweet and Bella sighed. She really wanted to tell him, to show him he's not alone in his misery, so she started talking.
"My mom was seventeen when she got pregnant, my dad was twenty-five. They sure as fuck were never meant to be together, but somehow that didn't hold them back. Back then, dad was a cop and his partner was head-over-heels in love with him." Bella took a deep breath, but the soothing circles Edward drew on her knuckles urged her to go on. "Mom dropped out of high-school and moved in with my father, he wanted to take responsibility and care for her — you know? He was such a good guy, but their fairytale didn't last, as they never do." Edward leaned forward, grabbing his glass and taking a sip.
"He does sound like a good guy, yeah." Edward agreed. Bella smiled a little, yet there was so much sadness in her eyes as he made her relive some of life's most painful memories.
"So, dad's partner drove up to his house one morning to pick him up for work and she saw them kiss before he left… Sue ran a fucking background check on my mom — found out she was a minor… She'd be eighteen in less than a month, for Christ' sake. "So Sue, that backstabbing snake, reported my dad and created a whole story around it. The rumors were like sugar-frosted cookies in court. They locked my father up, saying he'd raped and molested and kidnapped her. Of course, mom's parents went along with Sue's story since they never approved in the first place . In fact, they threw mom out of the house when she told them about the pregnancy." Bella blinked away silent tears until they didn't burn her eyes anymore. "For dad, jail was worse than the ninth circle of hell. Once word of the rumors got out, they were on him like flies on honey. The other inmates gossipped worse than the real housewives of fucking Beverly Hills, making it worse and worse as each day passed. At the end, they spread lies about him, about dad being a child molester, a fucking pedophile, a rapist." Bella shook her head as Edward ushered her closer. He pulled her into his lap, her legs off to the side as she put her cheek to his chest. His heartbeat made her feel safe, his arms did too. She had never told any guy this story, for it always hurt her too much. But she wanted Edward to know everything, know her and she realized in that moment that this wasn't just about sex, but about forming a connection — something she hadn't had with any man, ever, something emotional that scared her a little. "A gang of inmates cornered my father in the shower one night after bribing the guards. Th— they killed him with a razor blade, let him bleed out in a grimy jail shower…" Bella fell silent, her breathing catching in her throat as Edward's fingers traced invisible circles on her back. He knew she was fucking strong, but this story was breaking his heart. Edward didn't understand how people could be so cruel, so influenced by hate and disapproval, by gossip.
"I can't believe it… That's horrible, baby. How the fuck did you two cope?"
"I never knew my dad, obviously. You know Jake, my best friend?" Edward nodded, the gardener gay best friend. "Well, Jake's father and my dad were best friends since they were little. Things were just how they were, life progressed and we were over at Jake and Billy's more often than not. Mom thought it would be good for me to grow up around someone who loved my father as much as she had. Mom and Billy were always super close, but never romantically involved. Mom loved me, I just know she did, but she could never love another man again. It was me, and booze. Mom had a drinking problem." Edward took in a sharp intake of breath as yet another of alcohol's victims stared him dead in the eyes. His glass of wine had lost all of its appeal as he watched the sun shine through it.
"She drank because she felt guilty for my father's death, and she felt guilty for drinking. It was a never-ending cycle for her of pain and debt. She worked her ass off, regularly pulling two shifts at the diner and also working extra in my school's cafeteria to make ends meet." Bella played with the strings in Edward's hoodie, occupying herself so she wouldn't cry.
"Are you okay, love? You don't have to tell me if you feel uncomfortable." Edward whispered. He could tell the past bothered her, and that she was opening up to him in ways he couldn't even dream of. It wasn't just Bella's body anymore that appealed to him, or the outfit, or the tantalizing ink on her skin. It was all of her, as she was right now: vulnerable and open, basically handing him her heart with all its scars and the stories behind them.
"I wa— I want to tell you. It feels right to tell you, Edward."
He kissed Bella's temple as she went on with a deep intake of breath, inching closer to the hilt of her painful childhood.
"Mom was so fucking tired all the time, and tired of life in general even though she put on a brave, bubbly face to everyone on the outside. I knew that she was hurting on the inside, too much for her to deal with. She was working late one night when I was twelve, and I was staying with Jake and Billy. W— when she didn't come to pick me up, and she didn't answer her phone, Belly left Jake and me with some coloring books and a bag of ranch Doritos while he drove down to our home to check up on her. He ah… He came back with a woman from the police department and child protective services about an hour later. Mom had taken an entire prescription of her sleeping medication, and chased it with vodka… Billy found her on her bedroom floor, foaming at the mouth — already cold. The officers told him she'd been dead since late, late the night before, probably when she had gotten back from work. They also found traces of assault on her when they took her to the morgue. Her asshat of a boss had forced himself on her when she was getting ready to come home — to me. I think that was the last straw."
Edward couldn't come up with words that could be enough to make Bella feel better. He simply couldn't make her pain go away, he could only be there for her and make her realize not every love story ended badly, not everyone was going to leave her — not on his watch. He grazed the outline of her jaw with his fingertips, marveled at her strength, her courage to go on after living through such a tragedy.
"They didn't place you in the system, did they?" He wondered, but Bella shook her head profusely.
"No, thank God. Billy took me in, so that's why Jake and I are so tight with each other. He's honestly like a brother to me — he is my brother. I wouldn't be here without him, for sure."
"I'm so happy you have each other." Edward smiled, playing with a tendril of dark hair between his fingers until he pulled her close to him, and placing a sweet and tender kiss onto her lips. For once, Bella didn't feel the need to deepen the kiss and turn it into something full of passion, something sexual. Instead, this kiss marked the beginning of something incredible to her. It made her see how deep the connection lay with Edward and how much she wanted to cherish that.
"I've got you now." She stared into his eyes, velvety green on toffee brown, and suddenly it clicked. He was head over heels, falling at a rapid rate for this incredible woman and she was crazy about him too, so much that it scared her and made her rethink everything she thought she knew about love.