I'm loving the response to this story. A giant thanks to all who review. Your words keep me writing and make me feel soooo very happy.
Thank you to my team, SazzleDazzled, Mullet86, Edwardsfirstkiss and 2brown-eyes for all of their help.
SM owns Twilight, but I own a bunch of- you know what it doesn't matter. Stephenie wins. She always wins.
The Devil's Plan
Chapter 5
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
"Edward, honey, can I come in?" At his mother's knock, Edward moaned and pulled the covers over his head, hoping to block out the world. The dark blinds that covered his windows blocked out the sun, casting his room into near total darkness, matching the blackness that filled his soul, a soul that yearned daily for something to shed light into the void.
A sigh escaped the miserable boy as the scent of his mother's perfume filled his nostrils. She hadn't waited for his invitation to come in.
"Baby, we need to talk about what happened today." Her voice filled with concern. So much so, that the boy was sure that his heart would break all over if he looked into her face.
"I'm fine." Came his muffled reply from the safety of his blankets.
"Edward, you had a panic attack at school. You're obviously not fine." The bed jostled slightly as Esme sat down next to her cocooned son. "If you don't want to talk to me, we could find you another therapist that-"
"Really mom?" Esme moved back in shock as Edward threw off his blankets and bolted out of bed.
"You'd want another person to walk this Earth knowing want a monster I am?" Edward began pacing at the side of his bed, clutching at his hair. A habit that had developed after last summer's incident. "Isn't enough that we both know what happened to Tanya and -"
"Edward Anthony, you are not a monster!" Esme jumped from the bed interrupting him. She grabbed her son by the arms, forcing him to stop pacing.
"Mom-"
Edward's arms began to burn as his mother's hold tightened.
"No! Don't ever refer to yourself as a monster. I won't have it, Edward. Do you hear me?!" Esme's voice shook with emotion. Edward nodded in mute agreement. His mother's raised voice and darkened eyes, reflected her passion on the subject. He wasn't going to argue with her. With shaking hands, Esme released her son and watched with sad eyes as he rubbed the spots where she'd been holding him. Her heart sunk.
"Edward, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Today, she had physically injured both of her sons. She felt as if she were the true monster.
"It's okay." Edward answered automatically, sitting down beside his mother in the bed with downcast eyes.
Esme wiped her tears and gently gripped her son's chin, forcing him to look at her.
"It's not okay. You and your brother are the most important people in my life. It's never okay for me or anyone else to hurt you. Regardless of whether it's physical or emotional. It's not okay." Esme knew that her son's emotional scars were much deeper and more damaging than anything he'd experienced physically. She took a deep breath, looking deeply into the emerald green copies of his grandfather's eyes.
"Baby, what happened was not your fault." Edward opened his mouth to protest, but Esme cut him off. "No. Stop. It wasn't. She was the adult, she made those choices and you both have to live with the consequences. But, Edward, you have to live. You have to find a way to not let the guilt take over. Forks is a fresh start for all of us. We left the bad behind in Seattle. No one knows what happened and there is no reason for them to ever know."
Edward's thoughts quickly went to the conversation that had been the catalyst to this whole discussion and thought about telling his mother about what the blond boy had said to him. But she was so desperate to have things within their family return to normal, he thought better of it. No use in upsetting her more than she already was. He'd already caused his mother enough grief.
"Now, I want you to seriously consider talking to a therapist." Esme continued. "We can find one in Port Angeles that isn't connected to your father. Please, say you'll think about it." Edward nodded in agreement. How could he not? Through everything, his mother had never given up on him. If it would make her feel better, he'd consider therapy.
"Good," Esme said with a sigh of relief, and plastered a smile on her face. She would let the events of the day break her later when her baby wasn't around.
"I'm going to go downstairs and decide what to make for dinner. Your brother went through the pantry last night like a bear emerging from hibernation. We may be stuck with saltine crackers and a can of tuna." In spite of himself, Edward had to laugh. Emmett hated tuna fish. It would be the one thing he wouldn't eat on a foraging run.
"Will you be alright while I figure something out for dinner? I don't want you sitting up here in this dark room wallowing in the past."
"I won't." He promised with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Esme didn't totally believe him, but at this point, she would take what she could get. Even a half promise was better than nothing.
~~TDP~~
"Throw away your phone and your inhibitions too. There're a hundred dirty things that I want to say to you." Sang the girl who rarely if ever uttered dirty words as she drove to what appeared to her to be the farthest point in Forks you could go and still consider yourself a townie. The dense foliage cast a shadow over the road, making a typically overcast day in Forks appear almost Twilight.
Spotting the bright red mailbox that had Cullen, elegantly written in white across the side, Bella veered off the claustrophobic road onto a slightly less shadowy lane. The tires of her old Civic crunched heavily on the fresh gravel that led up to a large house. For perhaps the one-hundredth time since leaving the high school parking lot, she questioned the intelligence of her trip. "Bella you can do this. He's just a boy." A really, really hot boy. Her subconscious mind interjected.
"What if his mother answers the door? What if he's too embarrassed to see me and I end up embarrassing him even mor-"
"Hello, are you lost?"
"Holy Scooby Snacks!" Bella yelled out loudly as a woman rapped on her damp window, halting her inner pep talk. With red flushed cheeks, Bella grabbed her bags and slowly opened the door.
"Um, hi." She managed to utter without spitting on the woman who had to be Edward's mother.
"Hello. Can I help you?" Yep. This had to be Edward's mother. They had the same smile.
"Yes, I'm here to see Edward."
"Edward? Edward Cullen?" The woman asked, clearly shocked.
"Yes. This is his house right?" Bella quickly scanned the piece of paper Mrs. Cope had given her.
"Yes! This is Edward's house. Please, come in." The woman all but pulled Bella up the stairs to the brightly painted door and into the elegantly appointed foyer.
"Are you in Edward's class? Can I get you something to eat or, drink? Here, let me take your coat." The woman spoke so quickly that Bela was not able to answer any of her questions before her purple wind-breaker was peeled off her shoulders and hung up in the orderly hall closet.
"Oh my, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Esme Cullen, Edward's mother." She said, holding out her hand for the silent girl to shake.
"I'm Bella." She announced, shaking Esme's hand with enthusiasm.
"Nice to meet you Bella. Let me get Edward." Bella could do nothing but stand in silence and as the copper-haired woman yelled excitedly up the winding staircase. "Edward! Bella is here to see you!"
The two women stood in awkward silence as they waited for Edward to appear. Bella took a moment and glanced around the Cullen home. The wood floor in the foyer gleamed brightly in the dim hallway leading back into what Bella assumed was the kitchen as well as a large dining room to her left. The large table reflected the light from the overhead chandelier, casting large shadows across the taupe colored walls. To her right was a large room with formal looking furniture and plush light-colored carpeting. Definitely not a room to be eating or drinking in, thought Bella. She strained to see the family portrait hanging over the over the large fireplace. Bella's breath caught at the sight. The family was all dressed in white shirts and denim jeans. Edward's parents were sitting on large rocks in front of the ocean as their sons sat at their feet. As beautiful as the beach scene was, Bella couldn't take her eyes off Edward. The white button down shirt hugged his shoulders and highlighted the deep tan he had no doubt acquired at said beach, making his normally pretty green eyes, stunning. But what was truly breathtaking was his smile. In the short week Bella had known him, she'd never seen that dazzling smile on his beautiful face.
Happiness practically radiated from him.
"That was taken last March, on Jekyll Island." Bella blushed furiously at being caught leering, and turned to Esme. The older woman's smile of a moment ago lessened as she looked at the photo.
"Happier times," she said quietly, before turning back to Bella. "I don't know what could be keeping him." Esme opened her mouth to call her son again when he appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Mom, did you say Bell…" Edward's words trailed off when he saw the brown haired girl.
"I brought your homework," Bella said loudly, holding up Edward's discarded back pack as if it were a record breaking trout.
Esme stifled a laugh at the girl's exuberance and watched her son's reaction. His small smile warmed her heart.
"Thank you?" He eyed his forgotten book bag warily, a reminder that Bella had witnessed his earlier panic attack.
"We were given an assignment today in class." She continued her exuberance now at a normal level. We can get credit for it if we turn it in on Monday. I could use the credits and wondered if we could do it this weekend." Bella was lying. Her grade was not in jeopardy over one missed assignment. In fact Mr. Banner had offered her an alternate lab to complete her requirement for the grade. Bella chose to complete the partnered lab, hoping that she could use it as an excuse to see if Edward was alright. And to maybe leer lustfully at his wide shoulders and emerald eyes.
"Um, I-"Edward started.
"No need to wait until this weekend. Why don't you work on it now? The dining room is available. I'll fix you two a snack." Before either of the two teens could fully process what had happened, they found themselves in the Cullen family's formal dining room staring in bewilderment as Edward's mother disappeared into the kitchen to begin on the promised snack.
Awkward silence surrounded them as Bella wondered what to do next. She'd pretty much used up all of her courage and creativity to get in the door. She eyed the quiet boy next to her and tried not to drool over how delightfully rumpled he looked in his plain white tee shirt and jeans. His normal bed head was even more chaotic from what she assumed was him actually getting out of bed. "So, are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, thanks." Edward's cheeks reddened slightly at her words.
"Good." She said honestly. Other than the odd sugar high freak-out that Alice would occasionally have after a night of ingesting copious amounts of illicit candy, Edward's episode was the first anxiety attack she'd ever witnessed. She'd been truly worried about him.
The rhythmic ticking of the ornate grandfather clock in the corner seemed to Bella as loud as a jet engine, as it counted out the minutes in the silent room.
"So, do you want to go ahead and get started?" Edward asked, with his eyes still focused on the shining parquet floor.
"Okay." Bella answered, releasing a small sigh. Her eyes were focused on the pretty boy in front of her as she wished she knew a way to erase the look of melancholy that seemed to be always affixed to his face. She wished she knew a way to make him smile as he had in the family picture. They both sat down at Esme's Kincaid dining table and took their books out.
"So, the assignment is pretty simple," Bella said, pulling out her textbook and a white rubber swimmers cap. "Basically, one of us has to wear the cap while the other maps their brain." She held up a black Sharpie. "And then we have to write a five-minute presentation of the functions of each part of the brain and provide examples. For instance, if the brain perceives something as scary, what part would be activated and how would the body react, "she said, laying the lab instructions down on the table top for Edward to read. He nodded thoughtfully as he read over the information.
"I'll wear the cap." Bella volunteered.
Edward took a deep breath and nodded. "I guess I'll do the mapping." He picked up the pen as Bella started to stretch out the cap.
Having decided on beef stroganoff, a favorite of both her sons and their father, Esme was able to resist eavesdropping on the two teens by busying herself with the meal preparations. She'd already decided to try to and cajole Bella into staying for dinner. She hoped that having the girl around would force Edward to remove a little of the weight that he kept on his shoulders. Yes, Esme thought. That brown haired girl with the bright smile and nervous giggle was just the person to remind her son how a teenager was supposed to act.
When unabashed laughter rang out from the other room, Esme couldn't contain her curiosity any more. She grabbed the plate of cookies and two glasses of her world famous lemonade she'd prepared and rushed through the lacquered door that led to the dining room. Her smile grew wider as she took in the scene before her. A clearly frustrated Edward hovered over a giggling Bella, attempting to force a swim cap over the girl's thick mane of hair.
"Why won't this stupid thing fit?" Edward complained as Bella looked up at him with adoring eyes. Esme had to contain her mirth. The girl was clearly smitten with her son.
Setting down the tray holding their snack, on the table, Esme offered a suggestion. "Honey, why don't you wear the cap? Bella may have too much hair for it to fit comfortably." Edward regarded his mother for a moment before giving up the struggle.
"I think she's right. Do you mind?" Bella's eyes lit up at the thought of getting to handle Edward's hair without fear of being called out for fondling him without permission. She nodded enthusiastically and got up and switched places with Edward. Esme noted the smile on the girl's face as her fingers wove through Edward's hair before tucking it neatly beneath the cap.
"Well, it looks as if you two have this under control. I'll leave you to your work." Esme started to return to the kitchen stopping at the doorway when she remembered her plan to lighten her son up. "Bella, would you like to stay for dinner? We're having beef stroganoff, Edward's favorite." Bella's face softened and her eyes went to the floor at the invitation. Esme was overcome with motherly concern at the change in the girl's façade. She had had no way of knowing how much her invitation meant to Bella. Charlie normally worked the night shift and even though Alice managed to get her control-freak of a mother to have Bella over once a month or so, she usually ate dinner alone. Esme's invitation to have a real family meal with the Cullen's was a huge deal to her.
"I can call your mom if you want." Esme offered.
Bella's eyes dropped to her feet. Her long brown hair fell forward, hiding her face. "No need for that. My mom is um, gone," she said slowly. Esme's heart broke at Bella's admission. Having just moved to Forks, she was not aware of the sad story of the young Swan girl abandoned by her mother.
"My dad won't mind, he works nights. No one will miss me if I stay." Bella had lived in Forks her whole life, the last thirteen years without a mom and except for infrequent invitations from Alice's mother; no one else had taken much of an interest in making sure Bella didn't eat alone every night. Despite Charlie trying his hardest to be everything to his daughter, she still missed having a mother figure in her life caring whether she ate dinner alone or not.
"Sweetie, you're welcome here any time." Bella looked up into Esme's face and saw the sincerity in her eyes.
Smiling, Bella nodded. "Thank you."
Edward looked between the two women wondering what exactly was going on. As near as he could figure out, his mother had just invited Bella to dinner, for life.
Esme and Bella shared another smile before Esme returned to the kitchen.
"Your mom is awesome," Bella said quietly as she struggled to keep the emotion from her voice.
"Yeah, she is." Edward agreed just as quietly.
Behind the swinging doors, the mom in question was wiping the tears from her cheeks. She didn't know what Bella had meant about her mom being gone, but Esme knew that girl was missing someone in her life. Just as surely as she knew her son would benefit from having Bella in his life, she was sure that the girl would benefit from being in his.
"Mom, I'm home!" The pairing knife Esme had been using to chop onions narrowly missed cutting the tip of her finger as her eldest son yelled out his greeting.
"Emmett, inside voice." Esme admonished, before putting the knife down and turning towards her son. She was startled to see a blond girl standing next to him.
"Sorry." He said with reddened cheeks. "Mom, this is my Rosie." He smiled broadly, putting his arm around the curvaceous girl's waist and tugging her closer into his side.
"Actually, it's Rosalie." The girl said with a slight sneer in her voice.
"Right, sorry babe. I'm the only one who gets to call her Rosie." Esme was taken aback by the adoring look her son bestowed upon the girl he'd known for a scant five days.
In the hopes of keeping smiles on both of her son's faces, Esme chose to ignore the girl's off-putting demeanor. "It's nice to meet you Rosalie. Emmett, would you like me to make you and your friend a snack?"
"That would be great. Thanks, mom," Emmett said, looking around the kitchen. While football and girls appeared to be Emmett's two favorite things, his mother knew that keeping his stomach full was his first priority.
"We're having stroganoff for dinner. It should be ready in an hour or so." She chuckled as his eyes lit up in excitement over the dish.
"Yes! C'mon babe, let's go watch a movie." Emmett grabbed Rosalie's hand and began tugging her towards the door leading towards the dining room. Knowing that Emmett didn't pass up opportunities to make his brother miserable, Esme attempted to redirect Emmett.
"Honey, why don't you show Rosalie your room? Edward is using the dining room." Esme was breaking a house rule, no girls upstairs, but she didn't care. She couldn't take a chance of Emmett picking a fight with his brother. Not when Edward appeared to be having a good day. Emmett's eyes darkened at the mention of his brother.
Realizing that her son hadn't formally invited the girl to join them for dinner, Esme quickly rectified the oversight and attempted to redirect his thoughts away from his brother.
"Rosalie, would you care to join us for dinner?" The girl opened her mouth to answer just as laughter rang out from the dining room. Bella's giggle was easily discernible from Edward's deeper tone.
"Does he have a girl in there?" Emmett asked with narrowed almost menacing eyes. His hands were clenched into fists, betraying his building anger. Esme sighed as she watched her son take a step towards the door. Was it too much to ask for her to have one day where both of her children could enjoy a day without conflict with another family member?
"Emmett, please leave him alone. He-"
"You know, Esme, I would very much like to stay for dinner. What is it that you're preparing?" Rosalie cheerfully interrupted, taking Esme's attention away from her advancing son.
"Actually, it's Mrs. Cullen, and we're having beef stroganoff." Esme said, with uncharacteristic snark before returning her attention back to the door. "Emmett, stop! Leave him be!"
"That sounds interesting. I don't believe I've tried that dish since I've been here." Esme spared a quick glance at Rosalie, more than slightly perturbed that she kept intentionally interrupting her attempts to diffuse Emmett's anger.
Emmett's wide shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breaths. Since the incident, his normal happy go-lucky personality had all but disappeared. The mention of his brother's name, his smile would die. If he thought that Edward was experiencing a moment of happiness, no matter how fleeting, he took on the features much like the comic book character, The Hulk.
Esme looked to Rosalie, hoping that she would step in and calm her son. Instead, she was met with a startling sight. There was an almost a gleeful expression on the girl's face. As if she was hoping Emmett would cause a scene.
Tearing her eyes away from Rosalie, she attempted one more time to slow down her son's momentum. "Emmett, please." She pleaded.
"Fine! Let's go Rosie." Without turning to look at the pain on his mother's face, Emmett reached around, grabbing Rose's hand and walked out of the room, thankfully, avoiding the dining room.
The thumping of Emmett's size thirteen feet trumping up the stairs matched the thumping of Esme's heart. Resolving to try and keep her nice family dinner going Esme took the previously discarded paring knife up and resumed her dinner preparations, but not before pouring herself a large glass of Pinot Grigio.
Rhut Roh, Shaggy! Rosalie is staying for dinner. Does anyone think that's a good idea? What did you think of Bella and Edward's interaction. Cute. Right?
Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.
Have a great week!
