DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.
Tempers Flare
Bella's POV
"Your hair's growing out already," James said, sitting in his usual spot on the corner of my desk.
I looked down at my hair, twirling an end between my fingers. Spring was finally here and the baby and I both seemed to be growing at an alarming rate. I'd cut my hair just a few weeks ago and already, it was a good bit past my shoulders. "I was telling that to Alice last night. She wanted to make another salon appointment this weekend since the guys are heading back to the batting cages, but I didn't feel up to it," I told him. "Besides, Edward likes it long."
"I think it suits your face better being short."
"I don't know. I like that it's easier to mess with in the morning, but I do miss the length. Or maybe I miss that it doesn't take Edward any time at all to brush it all out for me."
James shrugged his shoulders a little. "What are you doing this weekend?"
"Grading your paper with a ton of others," I chuckled. "I actually have to earn my title of Professor Cullen."
"Next semester, you should teach two different classes so I can come and be your student again."
"I don't know about that. I haven't decided if I want to stay home yet, and even if I came back, there's no way I could handle two separate class workloads and a brand new baby."
"I'm sure you could do anything you wanted with just a little help."
"You know, James, sucking up isn't going to get you an 'A' on your paper," I teased, smiling at him. "Once I have all of the papers done, I have to go shopping with Alice and Rosalie. We're having a party for Emmett the following weekend and I said I'd go along to get the decorations."
"You still have birthday parties for him at his age?"
"Are you kidding? Emmett would be devastated if we didn't celebrate his birthday."
"My parents stopped celebrating birthdays when I turned thirteen."
"I don't think we'll ever stop. We love getting together and celebrating."
"My sister's going to be in Minnesota that weekend. She's going to visit our parents for a few days."
"You should go with her, James," I told him.
"I would, but her car's too small for there to be room for me. Plus, I have a couple of papers due in other classes and I've been putting them off. I'm going to use that weekend to catch up."
"Why not catch up this weekend and go with her the next?"
"I already promised to volunteer at a couple of homeless shelters in the area. I wouldn't want to skip out on that."
"No," I agreed. "That wouldn't be right."
"So I'll just stay at her empty place and get my papers done," he said, looking so lonely. I felt bad for James—he was a genuinely sweet person, but so painfully shy that he couldn't let others see that. I was glad that he felt comfortable enough around me to let his true self shine. I also felt horrible that I was bragging about my great family while he was preparing to spend another weekend without his.
"James, you should take a break from studying and stop by the party," I suggested. "It's going to be Saturday afternoon, from two o'clock until whenever."
"No, that's okay. That's a family event," he sighed, pushing his glasses back up his nose.
"You should really come," I insisted. "You can meet my brother and everyone else that I'm always talking about so much."
"Well, only if you're sure, Bella. I wouldn't want to intrude on your time with your family," James said. "You already let me take up so much of it here, and I appreciate that."
"It's no problem at all," I assured him.
"Ready for lunch?" Edward asked, poking his head through the door. As soon as he saw James, his smile turned into a scowl. In the last couple of weeks, Edward had gotten it into his head that James was looking to be more than a friend to me. I figured if I just gave Edward a little bit of time, he would get over whatever jealousy thing this was and things would be fine—but I was starting to doubt that.
"Where are you being whisked off to today?" James asked, helping me up from my chair.
"It's Edward's choice today, so I don't know," I replied. "Where are we going, Honey?" I asked, smiling at Edward.
"Esme packed us a picnic lunch since it's finally warm enough for you to sit outside," Edward said, a little of his smile coming back. "Rose and Lily are going to meet us at the park."
"A picnic lunch and a visit with Lily? It's my lucky day," I chuckled, wrapping my arms around Edward's neck.
"It's warmer out there, but I still wouldn't sit on the ground, Bella," James cautioned.
"If Edward says I can do it, then I know it's perfectly safe," I said. I leaned up and kissed Edward on the lips. "I'm sure you triple-checked the weather before planning this. Right, Honey?"
Edward gave me the crooked grin I loved best, showing off his dimples. "Only twice, Love."
"I hope you at least packed her a warm lunch to counteract the cold," James mentioned.
Edward's smile faded and his jaw hardened. "James, I assure you, I'm quite capable of taking care of my wife."
"He didn't mean it that way, Edward. He's just trying to be helpful. You know he's reading about all this stuff with his sister," I said, trying to ease the tension between the two of them. I knew Edward hadn't had much experience with women, but expecting that a guy who spoke to me wanted to be more than a friend was just plain silly.
"We should get going," Edward said, holding the door wide open for me.
"I'll see you on Monday, James," I said, giving him a little wave.
"Sure thing," he replied, smiling as he grabbed his backpack from the floor.
Edward let the classroom door close as he took my hand and we started walking toward the building doors. "Are you glad it's Friday?" he asked.
"I am," I replied. "But I bet you're a lot happier about it."
"Why's that?" he asked, holding the big wooden door open for me.
"Because it's two whole days without you having to see James."
"Contrary what you think, I don't spend every second of my day worrying about James."
"Good. I was really starting to worry."
Edward pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, sighing deeply. He took a few minutes before replying to me and when he did, his voiced sounded tired and strained. "Please don't pick a fight with me, Bella. I know you don't see things from my point of view, and that's fine. It's Friday, we're going to spend time with Rose and our niece, and all I want to do is enjoy my lunch hour with you."
"Fine. But I still say you're wrong." Part of me wanted to feel bad that Edward seemed so upset, but the other side felt it was his own fault for getting so worked up over nothing.
"I know," he sighed, opening the car door for me.
Edward didn't speak on the way to the park. I thought about commenting on it, but then decided to let him sulk if that's what he wanted to do. He liked to poke fun at how childish Emmett acted, yet he was the one seeming like a big baby right now.
When we got to the park, he helped me out of the car and walked at my side, holding my hand. But it all seemed routine instead of him wanting to do those things. He perked up a little once we met up with Rose and Lily, and he took the baby to over to the swings.
"What's with him?" Rose asked, jerking her thumb toward Edward.
"He's in a mood."
"About?"
"James again," I sighed. "He might as well get over it now. I'm not going to stop being friends with someone just because Edward feels jealous for no good reason."
"Bells, you know I'm among the first to poke fun at Edward for being overprotective, but I got to tell you, I think this there's more to this than just jealousy. If it was just that, Edward wouldn't keep bringing it up. He'd suffer silently to let you be happy with your friend."
"What makes you think that?"
"Because there are a few areas in which Emmett, Jasper, and Edward are completely alike. All three of them would turn themselves inside out just to make us happy. They love you, me, and Alice that much. They're…what's that word? The one when someone denies himself something and then takes pleasure from seeing someone else enjoy it?"
"Masochist?" I offered.
"Yeah, that's the one."
"It's silly to make yourself miserable just to make someone you care about happy."
"Really? Because I seem to recall someone running away from Edward, even though it hurt her, just so that he could go to medical school and be happy."
That shut me up! I had done that, thinking it would be best for Edward. I'd been prepared to live the rest of my life alone just to ensure he had the future he deserved. I'd just been lucky that Edward was so damn persistent and had come after me—he'd told me that I was what he wanted most in life and he'd married me that very night.
"I see I now have your attention," Rose said, smirking a little.
"Okay, so we are definitely at opposite ends on this whole James thing," I said. "But hopefully, when you guys all meet him next weekend, you'll see there's nothing there and then Edward can calm down."
"Meet him?" Rose asked, her eyebrows lifting up toward her curly, blonde hair.
"Yeah," I shrugged. "I invited him to Emmett's party."
"You did what?" Edward yelled. I didn't get the chance to answer because Lily started crying, having been scared by Edward's angry tone. He shook his head at me and walked off with her, trying to soothe her by humming.
"Bella, you really stuck your foot in it this time," Rose sighed, pulling a bottle out of Lily's bag. "Edward?" she called. "Come get her bottle. Between her eating and you humming, she'll calm down so much that she'll probably fall asleep."
He nodded his head stiffly and stalked over to the table. He took the bottle and went off toward another set of benches, not even glancing my way.
"He thinks he has a reason to be pissed? He hasn't seen angry," I huffed, crossing my arms in front of me.
"I've seen a lot of different sides of Edward over the years, but I've never seen him react that quickly or hotly. I'm not saying he's right, and I'm not saying he's wrong. But are you sure you're right? Because if you have even a little doubt, you should cut Edward some slack. There's not a man I know, not even Emmett and Jasper, who would go to the lengths Edward has gone to trying to give you the happiest and healthiest pregnancy possible."
"You sound like you're on his side."
"I'm not taking sides. I'm just cautioning you that maybe you're being a little bit selfish. You want this guy as a friend, so you're ignoring what Edward sees."
"I'll keep an eye out for that, but right now, I don't think that's what I'm doing at all," I told her.
"I hope you're right, Bells. The last thing I want is to see Edward or you hurt in anyway."
I sighed and rested my head and arms on the table top. "He just treats me so differently all the time. Like I'm going to break or something."
"You're pregnant," she shrugged. "What did you expect him to do?"
"Act the same as he did before," I said.
"And if he had, you'd have fussed him for that too," Rose chuckled. She tapped my arm and when I looked at her, she pointed toward Edward and Lily. "Look at him, Bella. Look at the way he's cradling her and talking to her. That's just his niece. Try to imagine how he feels about his own baby. You know Edward is a passionate man. You know he feels everything deeper than the rest of us can even think about. So add all of that up and what do you get?"
"An insanely nervous husband?" I chuckled.
"So maybe his attitude towards James is a reflection of that. Why don't you try reassuring Edward instead of yelling at him?"
Rose got Edward to come over to the table and they talked quietly while I ate my lunch and Lily slept in his arms. The ride back to the school was just as quiet as the ride to the park, and I used that time to think about everything Rose had shared with me. I decided I was going to be extra affectionate toward Edward tonight, hoping to reassure him that everything was okay between the two of us. I'd probably have to put up with a lot of teasing since everyone was staying over tonight—Alice had demanded it so that we could get an early start with the shopping tomorrow. But I could put up with some teasing for Edward, especially if it helped him to get over this thing with James.
When Edward came to get me after my last class, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, showing him I wasn't upset about earlier in the day anymore. "I love you," I said, hugging him.
"I love you, too," he replied, removing my arms from his neck. "Ready to go?"
I'd known he was upset and I knew why he was upset, but it still hurt that he didn't want me to hug him. So I just brushed off my own hurt feelings and concentrated on cheering him up instead. As we walked toward the parking lot, I took his hand and smiled at him. "I've been looking forward to snuggling on the couch with you for the last hour."
He nodded his head, as if he were distracted and was only giving an automatic response. It was that more than anything that let me know how upset he really was—he'd never done that before. Not once.
I pulled on his hand and he stopped walking. He blinked and looked down at me, as if he were finally seeing me for the first time this afternoon. "Everything okay?" he asked.
"I was going to ask you that?"
"Just tired," he shrugged. "Long day." He tugged at my hand gently. "We should get home. Everyone will be waiting on us."
I nodded my head, not trusting myself to speak. Whether I thought he was wrong about James or not, this whole thing was obviously hurting Edward and I'd never intended for that to happen. Why couldn't he just be happy that I had a friend? Why did he have to get so upset and complicate things?
I had the entire car ride home to think about those questions since Edward didn't say a word. He just stared out of the window, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel to whatever rhythm was coming from the stereo.
We arrived home to a whirlwind of activity with Alice and Rose plotting tomorrow's shopping trip, Lily banging away on Esme's pots with two wooden spoons, and Emmett and Jasper playing some annoyingly loud game with explosions.
"Bella, come look at this," Alice demanded, holding up a magazine. "I think we should look for one of these tomorrow. There's got to be a place around here that has one."
I walked over and took the magazine, glancing at the picture and article. "I think this is going a little bit overboard, Alice. He's turning 29, not 60."
"That's what will make it funny," Alice argued, snatching the magazine back.
Before I knew it, I'd gotten pulled into a monumental debate over ice cream cake versus sheet cake and twenty minutes of my life had gone by. I looked around the room, hoping for rescue from Edward, but didn't see him anywhere.
"Where's Edward?" I asked, shouting just a little to be heard over everyone.
"He's upstairs. Said something about not feeling well," Emmett replied, never taking his eyes from his video game.
"I'll be back," I said, using Alice and Rose's shoulders to get to my feet. "I'm going to check on him really quick."
"He better not be sick," Alice warned. "I will make you sleep away from him if he is."
"That's what you think," I muttered under my breath as I headed up the stairs. I really hoped he wasn't sick for his sake. Maybe he was just feeling out of sorts from skipping lunch today.
I opened the door, surprised to find the room pitch black; he'd drawn the curtains over the big windows. I carefully felt my way over to the bed and by the time I'd gotten in beside him, my eyes had adjusted. He was asleep on his back with one arm thrown over his eyes.
I moved his arm and pushed some of his hair away from his forehead. "Edward? Wake up for just a second."
"What is it?" he sighed, putting his arm back over his eyes.
"Are you okay?" I asked, rubbing his arm.
"Fine. Just tired."
"It's only six at night," I mentioned.
"I was up late last night and early this morning. I just need to rest."
"You would tell me if something was bothering you, though, right?" I asked.
A deep sigh came from him, followed by words that were barely a whisper. "Isabella, I love you. But please go away and let me sleep."
I recoiled from his words as quickly and harshly as if he'd bit me. "Go away?" I asked as a tear ran down my cheek.
"I just meant that you should go downstairs and enjoy having everyone home. You've actually had energy lately, so it'll be fun for you."
"Right," I managed while choking back a sob. "See you later then."
Before I could move, he had my wrist in his hand, looking up at me. "Don't do that, Bella. Don't make this about you when it isn't. I'm tired and I want to sleep. Don't make me feel guilty for that."
"Fine," I said, pulling my hand away. "Right after you stop lying to me."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning this all because of earlier today and the fight we had about James. I tried to make it up to you, to show you that I forgave you for the way you acted. But you don't want anything to do with me."
"Forgave me?" he roared. "You forgave me?"
His reaction was so unexpected that it took a little of the fight out of me. "Well…yeah…" I stuttered. "You're wrong about James and you're being so rude and territorial."
He just stared at me for a long while. When he finally spoke, he really did sound tired. "I'm sorry you see it that way." He rolled over and faced the wall, ending the conversation.
And because I had this streak in me that required I always have the last word, I snatched my pillow from the bed and stood up, glaring at his back. "Enjoy your rest, Edward. I'll be sleeping somewhere else tonight." I turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door closed behind me.
And that was the start of only the tenth fight I'd ever had with Edward in the four years we'd been together. I went downstairs and spent the night with my family, pretending that I wasn't pissed off at my husband. And later on, when everyone went to bed, I went into one of the third floor guest rooms to sleep alone.
I'd just fallen into a good sleep when I was woken up by someone lifting me from the bed. I managed to get my eyes open and found myself looking up at Edward's jaw. "Edward, what are you doing?"
"I think you're wrong, I know you're the most stubborn woman on the planet, but you're still the only thing I can't live without. You're not sleeping anywhere but in our bed." He laid me down gently and pulled the covers up around me. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get your pillow."
He returned a minute later, with my pillow in hand, even lifting up my head to put it under me. Once he was in the bed, I snuggled up to him, wrapping my arm around him the best that I could. That baby bump I loved so much was starting to get in the way a little.
"You know how much I love you, right?" he whispered, kissing my forehead.
"Yes. I love you just as much."
"I'm sorry you keep getting angry with me, but I can't just sit back and watch James become more and more attached to you."
"He's just a friend, Edward."
Edward sighed and his warm breath blew my hair away from my forehead. "To you, Bella."
"To him, too," I yawned.
"Go to sleep, Love. Alice will be in here to wake you before you know it." He kissed my forehead again and then my lullaby started to drift from his velvet voice. I didn't know if we were made up or still fighting, but I did know that he loved me and that I was safe in his arms. So I closed my eyes and hoped that the end of this very strange day would bring an end to Edward's worries over James.
Don't worry if Edward's reactions seem a little odd to you. It will all become clearer in the following chapters. I'll have another for you tomorrow. Thanks to George for helping!
And thank you all for loving this story so much. I got a message recently that Our Little Man has qualified for Flip a Coin's community "Best of the Best: 1000+ Reviews," thus officially recognized by the BB100+R staff as one of the best stories in the FF fandom. The link to the community is listed on my profile page. Thanks for loving the story and for sticking with me through it.