As Jasper gestured towards the front door, I felt like I was hyperventilating. I had no clue as to why they would want to question us about kidnapping or a murder. Edward seemed calm, but I was falling apart.
"Can I have one minute with my wife please?" Edward asked his friends.
Thank God we were at least dealing with his coworkers, rather than someone that might actually put us in handcuffs.
"Yeah, you may want her to change," Emmett suggested, looking up and down at my outfit.
I covered myself subconsciously as Edward glared at Emmett, who simply shrugged.
"Just give us two minutes," Edward snapped.
They nodded as Edward pulled us up the stairs and into our bedroom. I stood by our bed and trembled as Edward closed our door before locking it securely behind him. I looked on helplessly as he dug through our dressers and brought out a more suitable outfit for me. My pajama shorts and tiny tank top were not "office" material.
"I'm scared," I whispered once he was in front of me.
I closed my eyes as he took my face gently in his hands, pressing a light kiss to my forehead.
"How did we meet?" he asked suddenly.
My eyes popped open as I smiled up at him. It had been awhile since he had asked me that.
"When you were out of town for a Police convention," I recited perfectly.
"Where, what state?" he asked quickly as he pulled my tank top over my head.
I furrowed my eyebrows as I thought about his question, goose bumps breaking across my skin as his lips skimmed over my left breast before he gently brought my arms through my bra straps.
"Um…" I started to say, but I wasn't quick enough to answer.
"Portland, Oregon. Remember that," Edward said as he turned me so he could hook the bra. "We spent time alone in the cabin for a week, remember?"
I didn't. I had no idea what he was talking about. What cabin?
"Yeah," I said, knowing that it was expected of me to go along with it, "and we had a nice drive back here to Forks that."
I looked up at Edward to see him giving me an indulgent smile. "That's right," he chuckled, pulling up my yoga pants and giving my bottom a firm squeeze. "I want you to remember something, though," he said roughly while pulling me into his arms. "It's no one's business how we are here in the privacy of our own home. You do not have to, and will not, share information about how you are punished or that you even receive punishments. It's not wrong," he assured me, "but people won't understand. And they will take you away from me and take our baby away from you. Is that something that you want?"
I gasped in horror as my hands immediately went to protect my stomach. "Of course not!"
Edward stared intently into my eyes for a moment before he nodded and dipped down to brush his lips against mine. "Then keep our private life private."
"Yes, Edward," I murmured against his lips.
I wouldn't do or say anything to jeopardize our happiness with our child. When we went back downstairs and saw the people that my husband considered his friends, dressed in their uniforms and wearing grim expressions, I felt any hope deflate inside me. I vaguely heard Edward addressing his partners, but my mind was too far gone to pay attention to what was being said. The only thing I registered was Edward's arm around my waist as he led the both of us out to one of the cruisers that were waiting in our driveway.
As the door closed behind us, I burrowed my face into Edward's neck and sobbed as Emmett drove us to the station in silence.
~~~~~AOMM~~~~~
When we first walked into the station, pandemonium broke out across the floor, but when the door closed behind us, all eyes were on us and silence reigned supreme. If there were crickets, you would have heard them chirping. We were suddenly accosted by three men in uniforms that didn't match the Forks uniforms, and a woman with blonde hair in a professional outfit.
"Mrs. Cullen," she said briskly, "you can come with me."
I immediately started shaking my head no and backed up into Edward, who had somehow gotten behind me.
"I don't want to go," I whispered.
I turned back to look up at Edward as his hand descended on my belly. "Everything is going to be fine," he whispered. "Just tell them what they want to know."
I shook my head again and looked at him pleadingly. "Don't make me do this without you," I begged.
Edward looked at me for a moment before pulling me slightly away from the crowd that had gathered around us. "Say it," he demanded softly so that the others would not hear us.
"You are all I have," I said immediately. "You are all I need. You are my life, Edward," I said before wrapping my arms around his neck and bringing my lips to his. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Baby," he whispered before standing up straight again and gesturing for me to go with the blonde woman.
I took a deep breath, stepped forward, and nodded to the woman that I was ready. With only one backwards glance, I followed her into an office and took a seat in one of the comfortable chairs as she shut the door behind us.
"Hi, Isabella. I'm Doctor Hale. How are you?" she asked me kindly as she took a seat in front of me.
I stared at her for a moment; I was sure I looked like a fish out of water. Did she really ask how I was? I couldn't bring myself to answer such a stupid question.
"Would you like a drink?" she asked, changing tactics.
"I'm fine. Thank you though," I said as I mindlessly rubbed a hand over my stomach.
"How far along are you?"
"Sixteen weeks," I said smiling.
"Do you know what you are having?" she asked, her voice changing dramatically — like she actually cared.
"The doctor said they are pretty sure it's a girl," I said, smiling slightly.
I had to give it to her: she knew how to get me to open up. I could talk about my child all the time.
"Have you thought about names?" she questioned, taking a sip of her steaming coffee.
"Um...Edward and I have talked about it, but he doesn't like any of the ones I've come up with so far," I shrugged.
"What are some of your ideas?"
Realizing that I was playing into her hands, I stopped for a moment to get a good look at her. She seemed so calm and composed, and like she was genuinely interested in our child, but I knew that couldn't be the case. She was here for one thing, and one thing only and that was to put my husband and possibly me behind bars. I'll be damned if she was going to use me to do that.
"Why am I here?" I asked tiredly. "And why am I speaking to a doctor and not an Officer?"
"Well, there are a lot of people that think Edward kidnapped you," she said, getting straight to the point, "and I'm a child psychologist. They called me in for your special case."
"Why?" I asked flabbergasted. "Who would think such a thing?!"
I was so upset at the fact that someone thought Edward had kidnapped me, that I barely registered what she had said after that.
"A neighbor saw him forcing you in his car," she said as I laughed.
"This is unreal!" I said throwing my hands in the air. "I wanted to go with Edward. I love him. And what do you mean 'special case'? I'm a grown woman! Why would I need to speak with a child psychologist?"
"You're a special case because we feel that we are dealing with a kidnapping. And grown woman or not, you are still a minor," she countered. "You are a child that was forced into a grownup's world, and it's my job to make sure you get your childhood back."
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm going to be having my own child soon," I said heatedly, gesturing towards my stomach. "The last thing I want is my own childhood."
"What date did you meet?" she asked suddenly, catching me off guard.
Date? Did she really expect me to remember that? Did people even remember those kinds of trivial things?
"I don't know the exact date," I said frustrated, rubbing my forehead. I could feel a headache coming on. "Last year sometime."
"I always found it a girl thing to remember dates," she said pensively. "I remember the date I had my first kiss, and the exact date that my first boyfriend asked me to be his girlfriend," she said as I shrugged again.
"I have more important things to remember than dates," I snapped. "I'm finishing school with honors; I have a home and husband to take care of, and a baby on the way. So yeah, I have a lot more going on than remembering dates."
I leaned forward in my seat, knowing that my face was flushed in anger. What was the big deal about that date?
"I see," she said, looking down to her paper. "How did you and Edward meet?"
"He was in Portland for a police convention, and as soon as we met, we knew we couldn't be away from each other," I recited perfectly, leaning back in my seat once more.
I wondered briefly where Edward was and what kind of interrogation he was going through right now. I also smiled to myself, knowing that he would be proud of me for remembering what I was supposed to remember, and not messing this up.
"Where were you the first time you met him?" she asked next.
I opened my mouth but closed it almost immediately afterwards. Where was I? I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at her defiantly for a moment.
"I really don't want to talk about this. My relationship with my husband is no one's business."
There — that was a good enough answer.
"Okay, we can move on," she said sweetly…almost too sweetly. "Isabella, did you know your father was murdered?"
I inhaled sharply and felt my face drain of color. Murdered? Killed? By who?
"Seriously?" I asked, needing to know.
"Yes; he was beaten to death and tortured," she said as my eyes watered.
I didn't understand why I felt sad. I cleared my throat a couple of times before I could speak.
"I don't know what you want me to say," I replied honestly.
"How does that make you feel, knowing that the man who raised you is dead?" she asked.
"I don't know. I feel like I want to cry, but I cry about everything," I replied.
"It's okay to feel sad. He was your father."
Hearing her words made me see red. "HA! He hated me. He used to beat me whenever he could. Everyone knew what kind of man he was, and yet Edward was the only one to help me," I said as my tears finally came. "He hated me, and he never let me forget it. So no, to me it's not okay to cry for a man that made my life completely miserable. Not knowing if I were strong enough to survive day to day."
I snatched a tissue off the desk and wiped at my eyes angrily.
"Your father was killed when you left town...how do you think that looks?" she asked with concern.
"We didn't kill my father. Edward would never kill anyone and he's a cop. I just don't see it," I retorted.
"When you and Edward left, were his knuckles cut up?" she asked as I thought hard.
"No, I don't think so."
"When did you leave Portland?"
"I don't remember the exact date," I said through my teeth.
"Where did you meet him? Did you meet through your father, or at the grocery store?" she asked as I bounced my leg in agitation.
What was it to her where we met? I failed to see how any of this was relevant to a dead man.
"I don't know why any of this matters! Edward is the only person I have had in my life that cared about me. I went with him willingly and my father knew about it!" I half yelled.
"When is the last time you remember seeing your father?" she asked as I covered my face. I couldn't remember anything specific.
"Um...the morning before I left Portland, I guess," I said as I rubbed my temples.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"What time is it?" I asked, blowing off her last question altogether. I had answered enough of her questions; surely she could answer one of mine.
"Eleven fifteen," she said as I nodded. I knew it was late. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm tired. It's past my bed time," I said as I yawned.
"You have a bed time?"
"Yes, we go to bed at the same time every night…well most of the time," I said.
We were always in bed by ten, but didn't always go to sleep right away. We were married after all.
"What's an average day like for you?" she asked as I smiled. This was something I could talk about.
"Since I got pregnant, we get up at six to shower, and then I make breakfast. If I'm not feeling well, though, Edward will make something. If I'm not sick, I stay up and clean the house. When I'm done, I'll read or take a nap. I cook dinner so it is on the table by the time he gets home, and then we do whatever he wants for the rest of the night," I said easily.
I thought that was a pretty good explanation of our day.
"Do you talk or hang out with your friends?" she asked.
"Alice is my only friend, but I'm married, so friends aren't exactly a priority for me," I explained.
"Everyone needs someone, Isabella," she said condescendingly, as if she was talking to a small child. She didn't sound mean, but I didn't like it.
"I talk with Esme, but she has her own house to worry about, so I don't bother her very much. Some days Edward allows us to spend the day together."
"Do you have to ask him if you want to do something or go somewhere?"
"Well, yeah, he's my husband," I said confidently. I had come to the conclusion that she wasn't married.
"What happens if you don't ask?"
"I've never, not asked," I said proudly. "I'm really tired. Are we done now?"
"Almost. I only have a few more questions for you," she said quickly. I had a feeling the questions were going to get harder.
"Does Edward hit you?"
"No!" I said harshly.
"Does he punish you in other ways?"
"No."
"Does he force you to have sex with him?"
"What the — No!" I exclaimed in exasperation.
"What would happen if the house wasn't clean, or if you didn't ask for permission for something?" she questioned.
I pressed my lips into a tight line and stared at her stonily. It wasn't her business.
"Why do you avoid my questions?"
I didn't blink. Anger coursed through my body, and I could feel my heart rate accelerating. I avoid your questions, Ms. Bitch, because they're stupid, and are a waste of time. I was very much over everything that was going on.
"I'm ready to leave. I'm tired and I need to go to bed," I said as I stood up.
"Just tell me one thing…" she said, waiting to gage my reaction. "Where did you meet?" I didn't get why she kept asking me such a thing. I simply stared at her until she shook her head.
"I think we have everything we need."
I huffed under my breath and moved to the door as fast as I could. I didn't like being in such a small room. Especially with her. Just as I walked out of the room, I saw Edward with his hands cuffed behind his back, another officer standing beside him, holding on to his shoulder.
"Edward!" I yelled as I ran to him. "What's going on?" I asked as tears coursed down my face. There was no way to keep them in any longer. Not after seeing him in handcuffs.
I could hear him talking, but it was like the sound was cut off from me. All I could hear was the pounding in my ears. I couldn't even move to comfort him.
"Everything is going to be okay, Baby," he said soothingly.
I watched in a trance as Emmett came up beside us and grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket. They spoke silently to one another while I watched on in horror. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not ever.
"Baby!" Edward yelled, waking me up from my stupor.
"The pin to the card is our home number," he said urgently. "Call Dad."
With that, he gave me a parting kiss before the officers led him away. I didn't realize I was sobbing until I felt a strong arm around me.
"Where are they taking him? Is he going to be home tonight? I was good!" I cried to Emmett as he pulled me into a hug.
"Stop talking," Emmett whispered for only me to hear. "I'll take you home and you can call Carlisle on the way."
"I don't have anything. I don't have my keys or my phone," I cried. "He didn't do anything, I swear."
"I'm sure Carlisle has an extra set. Let's get you out of here." I nodded my head as Emmett began to lead us to the same door that they had just led my husband out of.
Tears were still falling silently as we walked, but the closer we got to the door, the more I could almost taste the freedom on my tongue.
"Isabella, I have a few more questions for you," Doctor Hale said from behind us urgently. "I can come by your home tomorrow."
"I don't have anything else to say to you," I said, hiccupping as I turned by back and walked quickly out the door.
Emmett was hot on my heels as we made our way to his car. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Carlisle as he opened up the passenger door for me. He explained to me that Edward was being transported to Portland. I took the phone from him gratefully and tried to hold back my tears as the phone began to ring. It seemed like it took forever for him to answer.
"Hello?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"Carlisle!" I cried.
Not able to hold back like I had hoped, a new wave of tears flooded through me.
"Bella?! What's wrong?" he asked quickly, his voice sounding strained.
"Edward was arrested!" I wailed. "I don't know what to do. They are taking him to Portland tonight, but he has to stay there! I don't have my keys or my phone or anything."
"Honey, you need to calm down," Carlisle said as I heard Esme's concerned voice in the background. "Is Emmett there with you?"
"Yes," I said through my sobs. "I know I'm being a cry baby, but I don't know what to do."
"We will meet you at your house," he said as he disconnected.
I sniffed as I handed Emmett back his phone. "They are going to meet me at my house," I told him.
"Bella, these charges are not going to stick. I swear to you. They can't do anything," Emmett said confidently.
"If that's true, then why did they take him?" I whispered.
"I don't know, but I'm sure whatever it is can't be proven," he told me. I was so tired, and crying wasn't helping any.
When we arrived at the house, Carlisle wasn't there yet. I got out of the car silently and went to sit on the porch swing. I just couldn't be in the car anymore. Emmett followed behind me and sat down, saying nothing, only offering his presence as company. I knew he had something to say, but whatever it was, he was keeping it to himself. It felt like we sat there forever before my in-laws showed up. They rushed out of the car, and by then, I was all cried out to the point where I felt almost numb. Esme wrapped her arms around me, crying softly. As I stayed in Esme's embrace, I felt a large hand on my back.
"Go inside and pack a bag and we will get one the road," Carlisle said as he rubbed my back.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I pulled away from the hug.
"Portland."
~~~AOMM~~~
The ride to Portland didn't seem long, but I slept the whole time. We got to our hotel in the early morning, and I didn't even bother changing out of our clothes before we all passed out. Carlisle got us one room with two suites, so I had my own bedroom with a King sized bed. I had never felt more alone. The stay in the hotel seemed to be weeks long instead of days, and we were all going a bit stir crazy waiting to see if Edward would make bail.
None of us had been able to get a hold of him, and all Carlisle could find out was that Edward was in his own holding cell, but with the courts backed up here in Portland, it was taking longer than usual to get him in to see a Judge. I was very lucky to have such supportive in-laws to help me through this difficult time. Esme never failed to offer me her physical comfort, and Carlisle was keeping memories of Edward at the front and center of my mind throughout the day. It truly helped.
"You know Edward, you know your husband, my son," he said one afternoon. "You know he would never kill someone. He saved you from a horrible man. The man who was called your father used to beat you, used to watch you sleep as he touched himself. Your disgusting father used to chat with his buddies about how he abused you, and they all found it humorous. He used to talk with his buddies about who was taking you when you were of age."
The tears would fell when Carlisle would talk about these things, causing me to miss Edward more and more. He had saved me from a terrible fate, and I would never be able to repay him, though I knew I would spend the rest of my life trying.
"Edward saved you, showed you love, and gave you a child. Edward is nothing like your father. What happens in your house behind closed doors is the stuff no one needs to know. If you were to tell anyone about anything that happened, you would be put in the closet for days, you would be spanked several times a day," he threatened, "and worst of all, your baby would be taken away from you and put with another family. The scary part about that is that people like your father are foster families."
That was what I heard over and over for two days, and I was scared — no, horrified — that I was just going to make things worse in the end.
Sunday afternoon we heard a knock on the door. Esme and I stayed put, knowing better than to answer the door, but both straining to hear who was here. We both looked to the front of the suite when we heard Carlisle raising his voice. Next thing we knew, he was walking into the sitting room with Doctor Hale and an officer close behind him.
"Isabella, you aren't in any trouble, I just need you to come with me for a little while, and then I will bring you right back here," Doctor Hale said as I shook my head no.
I looked over at Carlisle to see his jaw clenched, his fists balled up at his sides.
"This is a court order saying you need to speak with me. If you don't, this officer is going to arrest you."
Esme gasped beside me as I threw myself into her arms and practically crawled into her lap.
"Please don't make me go," I cried softly to her.
I felt her arms wrap around me and knew she was crying as well.
"We don't have a choice," she whispered. "It's going to be okay. I promise you, everything will be fine."
"Give us a minute to get her ready," Carlisle snapped.
I didn't look up at the intruders, but held onto Carlisle's hand tightly as he led us to the room I was staying in.
"Bella, get your shoes on," Carlisle said softly as he closed the door behind us.
Get my…was he serious?
"Why?! I don't want to go! I thought you were on my side!" I yelled at him, knowing good and well that I was in the wrong. "I'm sorry," I said quickly, bowing my head.
"Let's get your shoes," Esme said after a moment of silence.
"I don't want to go," I whispered as she sat me down on the bed and handed me my tennis shoes.
"Bella, this is one of the things we have to do that we don't want to. You don't have to say much, but you need to make them understand how much Edward means to you and how he takes care of you. This is your chance to tell them how good he is to you," she said, running her fingers through my hair. "You can do this. They want to lock your husband — my son — up, and I know neither one of us want that. What are you going to do if that happens?"
"He didn't do anything," I said nervously.
"Right, and this is your chance to prove that," she said with a smile.
I smiled back hesitantly and nodded my head, feeling better about needing to leave with the doctor and officer. Esme was right: this was my chance to clear my husband's name, and I was going to do what I had to for the love of my life.
"I'm ready," I said as I picked up Edward's hoodie from the foot of my bed. It smelled like him, and that brought me comfort.
I gave Esme a hug and then turned to Carlisle. I knew he was mad at me for yelling at him, and I didn't blame him. When he hugged me, I felt a pinch to the back of my arm, and that was all the warning I needed. That told me that I was on thin ice.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered.
"Behave," he warned as I pulled away.
I nodded as he pulled open the bedroom door and led us back out to the sitting area, where the other two were waiting for me. I waved goodbye sadly as Doctor Hale held the door for me. Once we were outside, the officer went one way, and we went the other.
"Thank you for coming willingly," she said as I rolled my eyes.
"Go with you or go to jail…not a hard choice," I said, more snarky than I meant to be.
"Very true. So I was thinking that instead of going to the station, you could show me your old house," she said as my blood ran cold.
"I really don't want to go there."
"Well, I think it will help you talk to me," she countered as we got in the car.
"I don't want to go to that house," I said again as I clung to Edward's hoodie.
"I think you need to. I don't think you remember enough of your life here. You only left a year ago, and you can't tell me anything. That throws up red flags for me."
"What do you want from me?"
"I want to know what happened last year," she said as she drove.
"The best part of last year was meeting Edward and moving to Forks."
"Where did you meet him? When was the first time you saw him?" she pressed.
I rolled my eyes and turned my head so that I was looking out my window. I couldn't answer her because I couldn't remember, and I didn't understand it. I wasn't going to tell her that, though, because I knew that, in her mind, it would just prove her point. I was here for one reason only, and that was to clear my husband's name, not to answer her ridiculous questions. Besides, surely I would remember if Edward kidnapped me, right? I heard her hum when I didn't say anything, and I knew she was judging me.
The rest of the drive was quiet. I had nothing to say to her, and I didn't want to say the wrong thing anyway. It was best to just remain silent. I was really starting to stress myself out, and I rubbed my belly to try to help me calm down. If there was one thing in this world besides Edward's arms that could calm me down, it was the presence of our child.
"So I know you said that you and Edward haven't come up with any names yet, but what were some of your ideas?" she asked as we turned on to a quiet street.
"Well, I like common names. I was thinking Sarah, Jamie, or Heather, but he wants her name to be a little different. It's funny, because he hasn't come up with any," I said with a small laugh. "I asked for a baby book."
"That would help you greatly," she said with a small laugh. "You look very excited to be mom."
"I am. I can't wait to meet her."
"Do you feel you and Edward are equals?" she asked as I finally looked to her.
"Yes," I said slowly.
"What does he do around the house?"
"He does the yard work, and if I'm not feeling well, he will pick up my slack around the house," I explained.
"That's very old fashioned, don't you think?"
"No; I like the way we are," I said honestly. Our whole life worked for us. "What do you hope to gain from this?" I asked her.
"I want to make sure you are okay."
"I'm great," I said with a sigh. "I'm so happy. I love my life, and I have a great family now."
"That's great, but at what cost?"
"I don't understand. I didn't give up anything," I said angrily.
"Isabella, you went from a high school kid with perfect grades and living with your father, to a married woman in a matter of months. Wasn't that a little fast to you?" she asked.
"No. It's what I wanted."
I pressed my lips together to stop from laughing out loud as her face morphed from concern to anger in a split second. I was happy that she finally stopped talking. I knew she was trying to get to me to say something bad about my husband, but I didn't have one bad thing to say. We pulled up to what I assumed was my father's house, and I stared at it through the window. I didn't know what I was going to feel, but honestly I really didn't feel anything. I was kind of bored, actually. I was just waiting for the next day to pass so we could go home. At least, I hoped we were able to go home.
"What were your days like here?" she asked, pointing to the little house.
"Awful," I replied instantly.
It was the only word that came to mind.
"I don't want to go in."
"I want you to see your room, and then we'll leave, and I will bring you back to the hotel," she promised as I nodded. I knew there would be no use in arguing. She wasn't going to stop until she got what she wanted, and if all she wanted was a quick trip to a dusty old bedroom, then I would give her that.
We got out of the car, and I waited for her to reach my side before we headed towards the front door. I tried to keep my face straight, but being in the house turned my stomach and I felt the need to run away. I didn't want to be here. As we walked through the door, it was obvious that no one had been taking care of the house while I was gone. Dust was everywhere and even floating through the air. The house smelled stale and like moths, and the floors were covered in a layer of dust that left footprints wherever we walked. We made our way into the kitchen and I looked at the chairs. One was pulled out to the side and it bothered me, so I push it back in. I let my feet carry me to the living room, but I didn't cross the threshold. I really didn't want to be in the house. I didn't like it, and it made me feel sick.
"How does it feel knowing that this is your house?" she asked.
I tore my gaze away from the recliner and looked back at her confused.
"What?" I asked.
"This is your house, Isabella. It was paid for, so it's yours to do with as you see fit."
The news shocked me, so I just nodded without answering her question. Edward would know what to do.
"Chief Black, your Father's best friend and co-worker, set up an account for you with your insurance money in it as well. I have the card here for you," she said, handing me an envelope.
I opened it to see a deposit slip with an insane amount of money. I didn't know he was so wealthy.
"How does the money make you feel?" she questioned as she saw my expression.
"I don't care about money," I whispered, looking up and closing the envelope again.
And I didn't. Edward would know what to do with it.
"Can I see Edward now?"
"No," she said sadly. "If you wanted to, you could have a really great life. You and your daughter could live like royalty."
"I don't want that," I said angrily while stamping my foot. "I want my husband and my life in Forks."
"Do you plan on finishing school?"
"Yes," I snapped as I climbed the stairs.
She wanted me to see my old room, so I was determined to look at it and then leave. I was over all this bullshit. As soon as I opened the door, I felt something, but I didn't know what. I looked around the small room and shivered, and I didn't know if it was bad or good.
"You didn't take much with you. The closet is full of clothes, and there are a ton of books. Didn't you want any of your things?" she asked as I shrugged.
I walked to the table beside the bed and opened the drawer. I didn't know what overcame me, but something told me to look in there. I found a small notebook and I knew I wanted it.
"This is all stuff," I said as I walked out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the house.
I was grateful when Doctor Hale didn't stop me, knowing that I would probably blow up at her and ruin everything. The feelings that were inside of me were like nothing I had ever felt before. I was sad, but I was more devastatingly angry. I didn't know why, though. I was grateful that the ride back to the hotel was quiet. Hale didn't say a word to me, and as soon as we pull up to the hotel, I was out of the car. I walked quickly away from her, and as soon as I was in the lobby, I felt like I could breathe again. I looked at everything in my hands and sat in a chair in front of the front desk. I opened the notebook; I needed to have for some reason and I started to read.
~~~AOMM~~~
I sat on the hard wooden bench and picked at my fingernails nervously. When my right ring finger began to bleed lightly, I quickly stopped and began bouncing my foot on the hardwood floor beneath me instead.
"Relax, Dear," Esme said quietly, placing her hand on my knee gently to get me to stop my fidgeting.
I nodded my head but said nothing in return. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I might hurl all over everything. Esme clicked her tongue, and I looked over to see her shaking her head, giving me a sad smile.
"Don't go injuring yourself, now," she chided gently, lifting the finger that had started to bleed.
I watched as she took a tissue out of her purse and wet the tip of it with her tongue before gently applying it to the bleeding area to make it stop. Her hands were warm as they covered my own, and I leaned onto her arm, grateful for her presence. Once the bleeding had stopped to her satisfaction, she brought out a Band-Aid and wrapped it around my finger, pressing a soft kiss to the tip.
"There," she whispered. "All better."
"Thank you, Mom," I smiled.
I curled into her side on the uncomfortable bench as she wrapped one arm around my shoulders, allowing me the comfort that I so desperately needed at this time. On her other side sat Carlisle, and as I caught his eye, he offered me his hand which I took eagerly in my own, squeezing his palm in thanks.
"Are you ready for this, Isabella?" he whispered, looking around us to make sure no one was listening in.
"I think so," I said with a frown.
"Good girl," he praised, lifting my hand to his lips and giving my fingers a kiss.
Our attention was diverted then as they called for us to enter the courtroom. I was sure that my knees would give out on me at any moment, but I managed to hold out for those few seconds until we were granted the opportunity to sit once again. But then my breath caught in my throat and I whimpered softly, causing Esme to grab my hand once more in support. He was here. His orange jump suit made him stick out like an alien in a room full of humans, and his hair was more crazy than usual. Here was the man that had haunted my dreams; the man that changed everything for me. He was all I had. He was all I needed. He was my life.
I nervously began to play with the ring on my left hand, twirling it around my finger by the diamond. I kept my eyes trained on the back of his head, not even listening to the chatter surrounding us. Suddenly, he looked around and his piercing green eyes found mine. My heart raced and my palms became sweaty. Only he could have that effect on me. My husband, my Edward.
Well we have reached the prologue. What do you all think?
Thanks to Sally for all her wonderful help! Thanks to all that have taken the time to review! I love hearing you theories, concerns, and questions. Please don't think I am ignoring you, but right now I just can't answer your questions. I know a lot of you want to hear from Edward, but I don't see it happening…not yet anyway.
See you next week!