Well, here in NY it is still Monday! Lol. There was no school here today, so I have had an odd Monday. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.
We own nothing but the plot.
"Please rise."
I jumped slightly at the deep voice that resonated through the courtroom. The words were spoken, but didn't seem to register in my mind at that moment. It wasn't until Esme nudged my arm that I realized I wasn't standing like the Officer had demanded. Following the lead of my in-laws, I quickly stood, only to be told to be seated once more.
I watched in somewhat fascination, somewhat mortification as an older gentleman in a long, billowing, black robe swept into the courtroom and sat down behind his huge, wooden desk. This was the man that would determine the fate of my family.
"How do you plead?" the Judge asked.
"Not guilty, Your Honor," Edward said strongly.
I smiled slightly at his determination and bravery. He sounded okay, and that was what I needed to hear in order to remain strong.
"What do you recommend?" the Judge asked as the prosecutor stood.
"We ask that he be remanded —"
"We think that is a little overboard, Your Honor," Edward's lawyer cut in. "Mr. Cullen is a respected member of his community. He is married with a child on the way. We also have a motion to dismiss the charges of kidnapping and taking a minor over state lines. We have a written affidavit from one of your fellow judges stating that Charles Swan gave Edward Cullen full guardianship of Isabella Cullen willingly."
The officer of the court walked to Edward's table and took the papers that were presented. The Judge took a minute to look over the papers before speaking.
"I have no choice to dismiss the charges..."
"Your Honor, Doctor Hale is with the FBI, and has spoken with Isabella herself. She feels that Isabella was taken against her will and is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. Isabella could not tell her where or how she met her husband, and she refused to give details of their life together," the prosecutor said as Edward's lawyer stood.
"That is hearsay. I have listened to the interview between Mrs. Cullen and Doctor Hale, and Isabella clearly stated on numerous occasions that she wasn't taken against her will," he said.
"I agree," the Judge said. "The charges of kidnapping and taking a minor across state lines are dismissed."
I let out a breath I was holding. One less charge against my husband.
"We still ask that he be held without bail, Your Honor. There is currently the charge of murder pending against him. Charles Swan was found beaten to death in his home. We also request that the courts allow us to look into brainwashing. We believe that for one reason or another, Isabella Cullen was brainwashed," the prosecutor argued.
"She went willingly; why would there be any brainwashing involved?" Edward's attorney asked.
"I agree—" the judge started to say.
"We have proof, we just need more time to gather supporting evidence," the prosecutor said quickly.
The judge took a moment to gather his thoughts before he nodded his head slowly.
"Request granted. You have two weeks to bring me your evidence. I have seen everything that is against Mr. Cullen. Do you feel you have a case?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Honor," the prosecutor replied.
"Mr. Cullen is not a flight risk. He has served on the Forks Police Department for the last six years, and he has a clean record. He and his wife are expecting their first child this winter. We request bail," his lawyer argued.
"If Mr. Cullen agrees to wear an ankle monitor, and pays twenty-thousand dollars in bail, we will agree that he can return to his hometown. We also request that Doctor Hale be allowed unannounced visits to the Cullen home until the trial."
My eyes watered as I watched Edward and his lawyer speak quietly to one another. Unannounced visits from that evil woman? Surely Edward wouldn't agree to that.
"We agree to the terms," his lawyer said as the judge nodded.
I blinked as a tear made its way down my cheek. While I was relieved that my husband would be coming home with me, there were still so many hurdles left for us to overcome until all of this could be put behind us, allowing us to move forward with our lives.
"Okay, then. Edward Cullen, you will wear a monitor that will limit you to stay within your town limits. You will also have to pay the twenty-thousand dollars bail. As far as Doctor Hale showing up unannounced, it doesn't make sense to me," the Judge said.
"Your Honor, we feel that it will help with our case, and that Isabella and Mr. Cullen will both benefit from the time with Doctor Hale," the pushy man said.
I held my breath as the Judge pursed his lips. He didn't like the idea any more than I did. I failed to see how I could possibly benefit from that horrible woman encroaching on my personal space; it all sounded fishy to me.
"Fine, one visit per month until the trial or until I deem it unnecessary," he said as he slammed his gavel, ending the discussion and the hearing.
Esme grasped my hands in hers and whispered up a thank you prayer to whatever powers were above us. I turned and smiled at her, knowing that even though I was not happy with some of the stipulations, it could have been a lot worse. At least Edward would finally be coming home tonight instead of sleeping in a jail cell. We stood up as Edward was escorted out of the courtroom, making our way out the front to wait for him.
"Mrs. Cullen, Edward is being fitted now for his anklet. You just need to go down to the cashier to pay his bail, and then you will be able to go home," the lawyer said to me.
"Aro, when will the trial happen?" Carlisle asked as I stood back.
I was thankful that Carlisle was here to ask the questions that my brain would just not come up with on its own. I leaned into Esme's embrace and let the men hash out the details of my husband's upcoming trial, willing myself not to cry in relief or frustration.
"We will know that at a later date," he said, shaking Carlisle's hand, "but I wouldn't expect it to be before the arrival of your new grand-baby."
Esme squeezed my shoulder in reassurance as Carlisle bid his farewells before turning to us with a smile on his face.
"Let's go bail our boy out," Carlisle said as we followed him.
"You two go ahead and sit on the bench there," Carlisle instructed as we came to a place in the hallway where there were a few tellers helping others. "Bella, I want you to put your feet up. I'll go see what I can do about paying the bail."
I nodded and thanked him quietly as Esme led us over to the bench he had pointed out. I placed my head in her lap, put my feet up, and enjoyed the feel of her fingers in my hair. After Carlisle was with a clerk and paid Edward's bond, I began to feel hopeful that I would see my husband soon. As the hours passed, though, that hope diminished. I was falling asleep for short periods of time, only to be woken up by a nightmare that would cause me to jolt. After the third time of doing that, I finally admitted defeat and sat up, rubbing at my bleary eyes.
"Edward's coming," Esme whispered in my ear as she stood up.
I looked up excitedly to see my husband walking towards us in the same clothes he was wearing the night he was taken from me. Tears immediately flooded my eyes when I saw him, and as soon as he was close enough, I ran into his arms. Breathing in his scent heavily, I felt his own arms wrap around me like a cocoon. Not able to hold off any longer, I allowed my tears to flow freely, holding on to him in a death grip, afraid that if I let go for even a second, he would vanish.
"Look at me," Edward whispered. Taking my chin in his hand, he brought my head back so he could look me in the eyes. "I'm here. I'm never leaving you again," he vowed.
Our lips met briefly, but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough now.
It wasn't until he turned me around so that we were facing his parents, when I realized that Dr. Hale was standing behind them, taking in the scene.
"I have so much to talk to you about," I said, sniffling.
"I'm sure you do. Right now, though, I want to take a shower and eat something," he said as he rubbed my belly. "You feel okay?"
"Yes; I'm so much better now," I said as I hugged him again.
Without a word, he brought his lips to mine, not caring that he just made bail or that we were in front of a bunch of people. All that he cared about was that we were together. He left one last lingering kiss on my lips before backing away gently, but pulling me in even closer by my waist. I smiled at him as he turned us back to face his parents.
"Let's get out of here," he said.
Before we could even walk a few feet, we were rudely stopped by the last person I think either of us wanted to see.
"Isabella," Doctor Hale said, steeping toward us. "I just wanted to give you the deed to your house."
Shakily, I took the offered papers from her with a brief nod in her direction. Edward's grip tightened on my hip, and I knew that he was at his boiling point for the day.
Realizing that she wasn't going to get anything else from me, she smiled sweetly. "We will talk again soon."
"Not if I can help it," I said under my breath as she stepped away.
Edward gently took the papers from me as we headed out the door with his parents. Sighing, I snuggled into his side as much as I could, knowing that the drama in our life was just beginning.
~~~~~AOMM~~~~~
I held onto Edward tightly the whole way back to the hotel. I was so happy to have him back. As soon as we bid his parents good night, he immediately stripped me out of my clothes, leading us to the shower.
"I need to wash this day off of us," he whispered, attacking my lips, his hands grabbing on firmly to my breasts.
I moaned into his kiss, not able to agree more with his logic. Knowing that being quiet was going to be impossible, I didn't bother to try to hold back my moans as I felt his length twitch against my thigh.
"I need you," I whimpered as he pulled us into the shower.
The warm water cascaded down my back, but I couldn't concentrate on anything other than my husband's hands that were currently gripping my bottom. Without another word, Edward pushed me against the wall of the shower, causing goose bumps to break out across my skin.
"This won't be gentle…or long," Edward warned right before he picked me up and thrust into me to the hilt.
I screamed out as my walls immediately clenched around him. My hands, unable to find a grip on the wet walls around me, found purchase on Edward's back, my nails digging into his flesh as he continued to pound into me. I could feel the tiles scraping against my skin, but I couldn't bring myself to care in that moment. The small bathroom heated up quickly, and I couldn't tell if it was sweat or water coursing down my back, nor did I care.
With one last cry, I came again around his cock as he twitched inside me, coating the insides of my walls with his seed.
"Fuck," Edward hissed, placing me on my feet slowly to make sure I had my balance. "This will never get old."
I giggled and leaned against his strong chest, willing my eyes to stay open. It had been a draining day emotionally, and after reconnecting with my husband like that, I was more than ready for bed. No words were spoken as Edward washed my body and hair, taking his time with rubbing all of my sore muscles. I knew that we had a lot to talk about, but right now, I was really enjoying the quiet that surrounded us. We had barely dressed and collapsed into bed when there was a knock on the door.
I giggled as Edward groaned and got back up from the bed. I heard whispering at the door, and then Edward rolled a tray of food into the room.
"Mom and Dad thought we might need to be nourished," Edward chuckled.
I shook my head with a slight smile. "Remind me to thank them later."
We ate in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts, occasionally shooting each other a smile. I sat on his lap while he fed me bites from both plates, my fingers running through the short hair at the back of his neck. Once we had our fill, he brought us over to the couch, placing me back on his lap, his arms wrapped around me securely.
"So," he began. "You own a house?"
"I guess," I shrugged. "I figured you would know how to sell it. I also have money."
I cringed as Edward's eyes narrowed and his grip around my middle tightened. I found the envelope and sat back on the couch before giving it to him. His face was emotionless as he read the amount that was in the bank.
"Well, we can pay back my parents for the bail money," he said, putting the bank slip in his wallet.
"Do you know how to sell a house?" I asked as he nodded his head.
"We will have to stay here an extra day or so, so we can get everything settled, though," he warned me.
"I understand. We can just get rid of everything in the house right? Maybe give it to people who need it? Everything is still in there."
"You've been there!?" he asked angrily.
"It's wasn't my choice!" I said quickly, trying to backtrack.
"Explain, now!" he said through clenched teeth.
"Doctor Hale made me go. She brought a police officer here and everything to arrest me if I refused to go with her," I said quickly. "I know she was trying to get me to say something bad about you, but I never did. Then she told me I had all this money and a house. She even said that my daughter and I could have a wonderful life, but I don't want any of it if the price I have to pay is losing you," I said as I started cry.
"Shh, Baby, it's okay. I will take care of you and our daughter. You will never lose me," he promised.
"This was the worst weekend ever."
"I know, Sweetheart, I know," he said as he rocked me gently.
No longer able to hold back my emotions, I let go and ended up crying myself to sleep. I guess I needed a good cry, because when I woke up, I felt so much better. I saw clothes at the end of the bed, and I dressed quickly before heading to the main room of the suite.
"Hey, Honey," Esme said as I sat next to her on the couch.
"Where's Edward?"
"He and Carlisle went to take care of some things before the end of the day," she said gently.
"I'm so glad because I had no idea what to do," I admitted with a small laugh.
"The boys will figure it all out," she laughed, handing me part of her blanket to share.
I curled into her side as we both stared at the show playing on the television. I could feel my eyes getting heavy, and knew that I would be asleep again soon. Later that night, Edward told me everything was being handled, and I signed the paperwork that he handed to me, no questions asked. I felt lighter knowing that I didn't have anything to worry about anymore. Portland was my past, and that was where I wanted it to stay.
Wednesday morning we were packed and ready to head home. Carlisle parked the car outside the front door, and I was waiting for them to pack the car so we could finally leave.
"Bella!" a sweet voice said happily.
I turned to see an older lady coming my way. I scrunched my brow in confusion at the sight of her. I knew her face, I just couldn't place it.
"How are you?" I asked somewhat hesitantly as she hugged me.
"I'm doing very well. You look wonderful," she said as she rubbed my belly.
I chuckled nervously while looking behind her to see if Edward was watching this weird exchange. "Thank you."
"How did school go for you?" she asked, holding my hands in hers.
Not wanting to seem rude and ask her just who in the world she was, I decided it would be easier to just go with her questions until Edward could come over and save me.
"Grade-wise it went well. I passed everything with flying colors, and I was even able to take an advanced English class," I smiled.
"Oh! I just knew you would excel in that class. I'm so happy you were able to take it," she said with a big smile. "Billy told me I could find you here, and I just had to see how you were doing."
I nodded along, pretending that I knew who she was talking about. The situation was becoming awkward, and I really wanted to leave this place behind me for good. I breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw Edward coming up from behind her.
"It was good to see you," I said gently. "And this gentleman here is my husband, Edward," I said he came up at that moment and wrapped his arm around my waist.
"It's very nice to meet you," Edward said with a prize winning smile.
"Oh, you, too, young man. Take care of this amazing girl. I'm so happy to see you so happy. It is something I have wanted to see for so long," she said with another smile. "I know Billy is around here somewhere. He wanted to say hi to you, as well. We were both so sorry to hear about your father. Sue gave him a beautiful service," she said as I kept my face as emotionless as I could.
I stiffened at the mention of my father, and was now more than ready to leave. I didn't want to meet this Billy person. Especially, if he was another friend of that evil man.
"Thank you," I said stiffly.
"Oh, Billy, over here!" the woman called.
I groaned into my husband's shirt, wishing that I could just walk away and never look back. Unfortunately at that moment, an older man walked over to us with a timid smile.
"Hello, Bella," he said, staring intently.
It was like he was trying to see inside my mind or something. It was scary, and I was more than freaked out.
"Hi," I whispered, taking a step back until I was practically behind Edward.
Luckily, Carlisle called out to us then, bringing our attention to him.
"We really have a long drive a head of us," Carlisle said as he opened the back door of the car.
That was our cue.
"It was good to see you again," I said to the woman, practically dragging Edward behind me as I got into the back of the car.
Edward quickly slid in beside me and hugged me to him. I turned my head to see the woman again, and my eyes narrowed when I saw that she and the man were talking with Doctor Hale. That woman really knew how to piss me off.
"Who was that woman, Sweetie?" Esme asked.
"I have no clue," I said quietly as Edward let out sigh. "She was nice enough though."
"She was," Edward said, kissing my head softly.
~~~~~AOMM~~~~
Once we were home, things seemed to get back to normal fairly quickly. Edward was suspended from his work — without pay —until further notice. He took his last week of vacation that he had saved up, and explained that it was all he could use for his leave of absence. He also told me that we would be fine with the money we had, and I trusted him.
A lot seemed to happen throughout the rest of the summer. Edward wasn't able to take me to the beach house, but he did take me on a picnic at a small lake in Forks. We had a lot of fun, and I was extremely happy. We laid on a blanket in the rare sunlight, and we both felt our little girl move for the first time. We did that a lot. We would just lie around and wait for her to move. Most of the time, she would only move when we were ready to go to sleep. Everything was going great with the pregnancy and I was grateful. Her heartbeat was strong, and when we had the sonogram, we could see how much she had grown. They even confirmed that she was definitely a girl. The doctor said that my weight gain was right on track, and that my blood pressure was perfect. I had just a little over three months to go and I couldn't wait. We had her room all set, but I had already changed it around twice, and I was sure I would do it again before she arrived.
I was in the middle of cleaning one day when the door bell sounded. I dumped what I had in the dustpan just as I heard Edward jog down the stairs. He had been planning for me to be home-schooled, and I was more than happy that I didn't have to go back to that awful high school. Just as I made it to the front room, I heard a voice that I didn't want to hear…Doctor Hale.
"May I come in?" she asked sweetly.
"Not like we have a choice," Edward said, stepping aside.
I rolled my eyes and went back to the kitchen before they knew I was there. I was in the middle of wiping down the counters when they walked in.
"Baby, Doctor Hale is here," Edward said stiffly.
I turned around scowling, not saying a word.
"Oh, wow! Your belly has grown! I hope everything is going well," Dr. Hale said as if we were good friends.
Unable to answer her without lashing out, I instead wrapped my arms around my middle, trying to hide myself from her.
"Just ask what you need to and leave!" I snapped.
"Bella, don't be rude," Edward said disapprovingly. "Would you like something to drink? My wife makes the best lemonade in the world," he said to the good doctor.
"That would be lovely, Edward, thank you," she said kindly.
Her attitude, that she was an actual wanted guest in our home, made me grit my teeth. Instead of getting her the lemonade, I turned back around to finish unloading the dishwasher.
"Bella, I brought you a gift."
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply through my nose. Instead of answering, I continued with my chores.
"Please excuse my wife. I've never seen her act so rudely before," Edward said in a tone that only I knew was meant as a warning to me.
"It's expected; she and I didn't get off to such a good start. You both have a lovely home," Dr. Hale went on to say.
I didn't understand why she was acting as if she was excited to see us. Neither Edward nor I answered her out loud, but Edward must have acknowledged her in some way.
"Bella told me before that the two of you were old fashioned in a way," she said, looking for Edward to explain things.
"I guess that was just the way I was brought up," Edward said easily.
Once the dishes were put away, I turned to listen to them talk. "It really works well for the both of us."
"Now that you aren't working, what have you been up to?" she asked as I rolled my eyes.
Nothing she was asking was any of her business.
"Not much," he laughed dryly. "The yard and garage have never looked better."
"Say what you need to and get out!" I snapped again suddenly, clenching my teeth.
"Isabella, I know you don't want me here, but the longer you resist me, the longer my visit is going to be. Did you read the notebook you took from your old room?" she asked.
"Nope, I threw it away," I replied bitingly.
"You know we have a copy of it," she said as I stared at her. "Why would you throw it away?"
I didn't give her the benefit of an answer. Instead, we just stared at one another, neither one of us willing to break eye contact first.
"When your father was found, the local PD searched the house. They gave me a copy of your diary for me to analyze," she said as I glared at her. "Want to know what I found out? Why we pushed for these little visits?"
"I don't care," I said slowly.
"I'm not here to argue with you," she said, keeping eye contact with me. "I'm here to make sure that you are in the best situation for you and your child."
"Again, I don't care."
"Your last few entries were about someone following you. You were scared and losing sleep over it. You wrote that your father had slapped you around. Tell me about that," she said as I bit the inside of my cheek.
"Doctor Hale, we agreed to these meetings, but we didn't agree that you could come in here and upset my pregnant wife. You are gaining nothing but her disrespect," Edward said as I stood there rubbing my belly.
"Fine," she huffed. "This is the gift I got for you. I'm hoping you haven't gotten one yet."
I took the wrapped gift and opened it. I had forgotten I'd even mentioned such a thing to her until I saw it.
"You didn't already buy one, did you?"
"No, thanks for this," I said, flipping through the baby name book.
"Thank you," Edward said as he put his arm around me.
"No problem. Are you all ready to finish your last year of school?"
"Yes." I didn't bother telling her that I wasn't going back to public school.
"I saw that you were successful in selling the house," she said as I nodded. "I also noticed that you gave everything away."
"We did. We didn't need any of it," I said as she nodded.
"I see," she replied as I fingered through the baby book. I heard the dryer go off a moment later, pulling me out of my book reading.
"Do you need anything else?" I asked, trying to at least sound civilized.
"I'm here for an hour; we can talk about whatever you want," she said as I laughed humorlessly and headed for the laundry room. "I would really like you to tell me about your journal entries," she pressed.
"I really have a lot left to do around the house, plus I still have to make dinner. I really don't have time for this," I snapped as I started to fold clothes.
"You need to make time," she said as she reached over and grabbed one of Edward's shirts.
Seeing red, I slapped the shirt out of her hands. "This is my house, and I don't need help taking care of it," I said harshly.
"Bella, you need to stop," Edward said as I flinched. I didn't realize he had been standing behind me.
"I'm just saying I don't need help," I said more softly. "I just have a lot to do, and I slept longer than I meant to today, so I'm trying to stay on schedule."
"I see; I'll just observe then," she said as I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her.
"I'll be back in a bit. I just have to go finish the work I was doing," Edward said, kissing my head and pinching the back of my arm.
It took everything in me not to flinch. I walked away as Hale walked around the small room and stopped to smell the Downy Unstopables that were sitting on the dryer.
"Those smell really good. I'm going to have to get some. You like them?" she asked me.
"Yes, they make everything smell good for weeks," I said as she smelled them again.
"When you're doing the housework, do you do everything at the same time on the same days?"
"I try. It doesn't always work out that way, but I try to do my best," I explained as she hummed.
"Do you have days where you just don't want to clean?" she asked as I shook my head no; that wasn't an option. "Do you clean every day?"
"There is always something to be done," I replied.
I grabbed the stack of towels and headed for the stairs with Hale hot on my heels. She followed me all over the house. I was glad I had cleaned our room already, seeing as how she followed me in there without even asking for permission.
"Do you need anything?" I asked Edward as Hale stuck her head into the office.
"I'm good. Alice called. After your visit you can call her back," he said as I smiled.
"We should invite them over for pizza," I suggested. "Hmm…ham and onion sounds so good," I moaned as he chuckled.
"Ham and onion?" Hale asked, wrinkling her nose.
"My opinion exactly," Edward said as he laughed.
I shrugged but laughed along. I couldn't control my cravings.
"Pizza it is. I'll call Jasper," he said as I smiled again.
"What about Emmett and Rose?" I asked as his smile fell.
"Maybe next time, Honey," he said gently as Hale and I looked at one another.
"Who are Emmett and Rose?"
"Oh, Emmett has been Edward's best friend since childhood. Rose is his wife," I explained quickly.
"Is there a problem with your friendship?" she asked Edward as he looked up at her.
"He's my partner, and people seem to think that I brainwashed my wife, forced her to be with me, oh, and of course that I killed her father," he said with narrowed eyes. "I think your time is up." He stood from his desk and I took a step back.
"I was just asking a question. Isn't Jasper an officer you work with, as well?"
"He's family," Edward said as he towered over Hale.
"I consider my best friend family," she said. "Don't try to intimidate me like you do your wife." She had gotten under Edward's skin, and I knew that wasn't a good thing. I knew I had to get her out of the house as quickly as possible.
"Oh yay! Your hour is up. I'll show you to the door," I said as I put myself between them.
"Vacuum the living room and get me a drink," Edward barked harshly before returning to his seat. I nodded my head in understanding before walking out of the office with Hale.
"I'll see you next month," she said to Edward as he glared. "It was nice to see you in your home, Isabella. See you next time." She walked out the door with a big smile on her face, and it made me hate her even more. I took a deep, calming breath before I got Edward his drink. When I got to the office, he was still in a foul mood, so I sat the drink down and went to finish the rest of my chores without saying a word. I think after getting the full effect of Dr. Hale, he needed a little while to himself to come to terms with everything. After the house was done, I finally sucked up my courage and went to find Edward. Not seeing him in his office, I immediately took the stairs, surprised to find him lying in our bed; that wasn't something he did.
"Everything okay?" I asked as I sat next to him.
"Fine," he grumbled. "I love you, and I just want you to know everything I do is because I love you."
"Edward, I know. I love you, too," I said as I rubbed his stomach. "Please don't let Doctor Hale get to you like that. I was thinking that if we talked, maybe you could fill in the blanks for me?" I asked timidly.
There were so many questions left unanswered, and I knew that only Edward could fill them in for me, if he was willing.
"What do you have blanks about?"
"When I was being questioned before, Hale kept asking me if I would tell her how we met. I told her we met while you were in town, but that wasn't good enough for her. She wanted details, and I couldn't give them to her," I said as I played with my husband's fingers.
"Oh, Baby," he chuckled, pulling me down so we were lying side by side. "We met at the grocery store. I saw you and acted like I was shopping, but I was only picking up two things. I knew I had talk to you. When you were alone, I walked up to you and we started talking. How could you not remember that?" he asked, kissing my cheek.
"I think I do remember, but I didn't know if it was a dream or if it really happened," I laughed.
I felt better knowing that I would have been right. I didn't understand how I could forget such little things, and it made me feel like I was losing my mind.
"I remember how scared you looked when I approached you. When I saw how beautiful you were, I thought for sure you were going to tell me you were already taken. Then I realized how shy you were, and I knew I needed to get to know you," he said as he ran his fingers down my face.
"Why would they say you were brainwashing me?" I asked as he stilled his movements.
"I'm not sure. Maybe it's because you don't remember every single detail like other women do, but that's why I love you so much. I love that you aren't like other women," he said, making me smile. "Did you really throw away the journal you had?"
"Yes," I whispered.
"Why?"
"Honestly, I don't know. Something told me to and I did," I replied.
"You didn't read it?"
"No; that's part of my past and I just want to move forward," I said as he smiled tenderly at me.
"That's my girl. You, me, and our baby, forever."
I sighed happily knowing that was all I wanted. All I needed was him and our daughter. Nothing else mattered to me in this world.
"I can't wait for her to get here," I said as I covered my belly with our locked fingers.
"I'm so excited. I hope I can be here for it," he said sadly.
"You will be. I know you, and I know you didn't kill anyone. You have a nasty temper, but you would never murder anyone."
"I love you."
"I love you, too," I said as he kissed me.
I knew he was worried about the pending trial, but I also knew there was no way he could ever kill anyone. This was just a speed bump of a problem in our life, which we would overcome together.
"Get changed; Jasper and Alice will be here soon," he said suddenly, sitting up.
I smiled widely and jumped up. "Really?"
"I said they could come over, Sweetie."
"I know, but when Hale got you so upset, I thought…"
"That bitch can get me going every time she is here if she wants to, but I will never take that out on you," he said as he kissed me once more.
"I'm sorry she has to be here. If I would have just answered her questions, none of this would have happened," I said sadly.
"No; this is your fucking abusive father's fault. It's like he is haunting us from the grave," Edward said, getting off the bed. "I'm done talking about this. Get up and changed so that we can have a fun night. We both could use it."
With a lighter heart, I got off the bed and made myself more presentable. I was excited that we were going to have people over. I loved having company.
As the night flowed on, everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Even the pizza tasted better than usual. Everyone joked that I ate the most of it, but it tasted so good.
"Alice, I found that book you asked if I had," I said as she cocked her head to the side. "We talked about it forever ago."
"Oh, okay," she said as I smiled.
"We are just going to go upstairs for a few," I said as Edward smiled and then went back to the chess game he was playing with Jasper.
"I don't remember asking about a book," Alice said as we made it to the office.
I shook my head at her quickly, looking behind us as I shut the door firmly. I couldn't afford to have anyone overhearing what I was about to tell her.
"I know. Remember how we said we had many things we didn't want to talk about or we didn't want other people knowing?" I asked as she nodded. "Okay, this is one of them. It's nothing bad, but Edward would be pissed if he found out about this because I lied," I admitted, wringing my hands together.
"You are making me kind of nervous," Alice said as I dug to the back of the book case.
I pulled away from the bookshelf and listened at the door. I didn't hear anyone coming, but I knew we didn't have much time.
"This is my old journal. I need you to keep it safe for me," I whispered desperately.
"What's the big deal if you have an old journal?" she asked, scrunching her nose slightly.
"It's from before I met Edward. He doesn't like me talking about my past, let alone reading about it. I just need it out of the house. Please Alice?" I begged.
"Why do I have to hide it? I have never pushed you for information, but this is a little weird, and I need to know what I am hiding," she said.
"It's my old journal. I wrote stuff in there that Edward could read. The police already have a copy of it, but if he knows I have it, he will flip. You taking this out of the house will save me from what would probably be a pretty bad spanking."
"Okay…" she said hesitantly, reaching out and taking my journal from me. "I'll do this, but one day you have to tell me everything."
I nodded my head and hoped that this was a promise I could keep.
~~~~AOMM~~~~
A few days after I gave Alice the journal I felt at peace. I didn't have to lie to Edward anymore about having it, and I knew it was safe with Alice; I trusted her. That day found me just sort of lounging around the house, my chores already completed. Edward had a meeting with his lawyer, and Carlisle was going with him while Esme was out shopping, so I was left on my own for a while. Not that I was complaining, but it was kind of nice to be alone for a little bit. I jumped slightly when there was a knock on the door. No one had ever really shown up unannounced before. I quietly walked to the door and just barely looked around the corner to see Jasper standing there. Edward said to never open the door unless I knew someone was coming, but I knew Jasper.
"Hey," I said as I opened the door. "Um…Edward's not here right now."
"I know; that's why I'm here," he said as he walked in.
I moved to the side quickly so he didn't bump into me. He was here with a purpose it seemed, and I knew he wasn't going to leave until he got what he came for. This was Jasper the cop I was dealing with. Not our friend, Jasper.
"What's going on?" I asked as he pulled my journal out from his coat pocket.
I felt the blood drain from my face. "Why do you have that?" I whispered.
"Why do you?" he asked.
"Please don't tell Edward. I told him I threw it away," I said, my heart racing.
"I read some of this," he said as I gasped.
"Why would you do that?" I asked in shock.
"Have you read it at all?" he countered.
"No," I said quickly.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell Edward about this?" he asked as my eyes filled with tears.
I shook my head quickly, trying to think of a reason off the top of my head. The truth was, though, that he was my husband's cousin. I was only his family by marriage.
"I've seen that fear in a woman's eyes before," Jasper noted. "Anything you want to tell me?"
"I'm going to tell Edward about the journal, just not yet. I know lying is wrong, and I know I'll be…" I suddenly stopped myself.
This wasn't his business. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. Surely this wasn't good for our baby.
"When Edward first told me about you, and he told me about what you had been through, I thought the two of you were a perfect match. Do you know anything about how he was raised?" he asked as I nodded my head.
In all honesty, I knew very little, but I wasn't going to let him know that.
"My uncle loves control…like he can't live without it. I've seen a lot with my aunt and uncle. I know more than I let on. I watched one night when Carlisle thought I was sleeping as he smothered Edward with pillow and put him in the hall closet. I was there when Edward wanted to learn law, and Carlisle pushed him down the stairs for it. I was there when Edward cried after watching his father kill his only pet because he forgot to do something so small that I can't even remember what it was," he told me as my chin started to quiver. "Edward is the one I'm worried about in all this. He is where my loyalties lie. He and I have been through it all, so I'm going to ask you a question, and you cannot lie to me. If you do, I will go to Edward with this," he said, holding up my old journal.
I felt a surge of pride and brotherly love for Jasper as he declared that Edward was his priority. Edward was my priority as well, and as long as we agreed on that, then I knew we were on the same team.
"Fine," I said in agreement as I wiped the tears out of my eyes.
"Were you brought here against your will?"
"Absolutely not," I said, shaking my head.
"Do you remember coming here?" he grilled.
"Yes, we drove down and stopped at a gas station along the way," I said as he nodded.
"This journal goes against everything the two of you have told people," he countered.
I nodded, knowing as much. "Which is why I want it out of my house. My story remains the same. I came here on my own. Anything in that journal came from a past life, and has no business being in my life now. Are you going to tell him?"
Jasper shook his head. "No. You've made it clear where you stand. Just don't get my cousin thrown in jail because of your fucked up life."
"I'm going to do my best," I said as he nodded.
"Don't make me regret this," he threatened as he slammed the door on his way out.
I let myself cry for a few minutes before I pulled myself together. There was a lot I didn't know, but I knew enough in order to keep my promise.
NO WAY! Did we give you some idea of Edward's fucked up life? It has to be a mistake! Just kidding. From here on out will you get to see bit and pieces of Edward. With this story being in BPOV she will not be able to give you all the answers you are looking for, but the very last chapter will be in someone else's pov and you will get your answers, I promise!
See you next week.