BPOV
I stare at my ceiling.
I've been laying here for the last hour since I woke up.
Palms up.
The sting and pull in my right hand has intensified by the minute.
I don't feel like jostling my hand by having to put pants on, so I can get the Ibuprofen from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.
Emmett wasn't home when I got in last night and I also didn't want to have to explain my injury to him.
He'd gotten better at not telling Jake so much, but I knew this would definitely get back to Charlie.
So I lay here in only a cropped white t-shirt and black bikini briefs, unable and refusing to move.
I know Em was up by the sound of his boots stomping past my door every so often. It was Saturday, so he would be heading out to the Farmers Market soon for his weekly smoothie supplies.
The clomp, clomp, clomp on the hardwood floor almost propels me to get up. Almost.
I hear the monstrous front door open and close alerting me to his departure.
I shift my legs resting each foot on either side of the ledge on my wooden bed frame. My good hand now splayed on my stomach.
Last night wasn't my finest hour, but I was already anxious. Rose's plan to have me fuck up and me successfully slicing my palm, I let everything get the best of me.
I wasn't being fair to the people around me.
I mostly regretted the way I reacted and treated Hadley, she was as surprised to see me as I was to see her.
She didn't deserve my anger toward her parents being directed toward her.
For weeks I had thought things between Edward and I had cooled. There were nights at the Tavern where I thought he would move things beyond his roaming touches, but that whole time he had known that I had met his daughter.
Part of me wondered if he thought I was a moron or maybe he was just a coward himself.
Sighing, I reach for my phone which is just off to the side of my pillow.
I turn it on knowing it is time to face the music.
Notifications start blowing up on my phone.
Alice six messages.
Esme one voicemail.
Jazz two messages.
Edward one message.
Jazz being the lesser of the evils I decided to see what he had to say first.
Let me know when you get home. – J
Last night.
How's the hand? – J
Thirty minutes ago.
I sigh.
Hey, sorry I missed these. My hand hurts but I'll manage. – B
It felt a little rude but I didn't want to get into everything over text.
I decide to listen to Esme's voicemail next.
"Hi Bella, it's Esme. I just wanted to check on you this morning. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything. Carlisle's already filed your claim, so Workers Comp can start the process for your pay. I'll keep you updated. Bye," she says sweetly before the message ends.
I thought a lot about this after I got home last night that maybe I shouldn't work at Le Cygne. I didn't like the idea of leaving after Carlisle and Esme had been fair to me for going above and beyond to pay me.
The truth was the Worker's Comp would only pay me for what I made hourly and not what I made in tips. So yes, I was grateful I'd be getting something, but it wouldn't be enough to cover my rent for next month.
I might have to dip back into my savings. I had been building it back up since I started working at the restaurant but now it might not even cover what I needed.
I know you're pissed but you really should respond when people are trying to make sure you're okay. – E
I grit my teeth.
He needs to let me feel my feelings.
Last night I felt humiliated and blindsided, not to mention I was crabby due to slicing my hand open.
With this new discovery about Rose and Edward's connection, I wasn't sure what would happen between us. We were becoming something more than friends, but he held something really big back from me.
Maybe he just wanted to fuck me and be done with it, get the urge out of his system.
Edward texted me that the jig is up. – A
Let me know that you are okay. – A
Bella. – A
Edward keeps saying you're an irrational human being. (eye roll emoji) – A
I'm sorry, I didn't tell you, Bella. – A
Please don't be mad. – A
I groan, launching myself off my bed, and head to the leather chair I bought at a thrift store last week. It was piled high with clothes I haven't had the time to wash yet.
I grab a pair of my black sweatpants sitting at the very top of said pile and stare at them. I hadn't thought about how to get them on with one hand.
I sigh before sitting on the edge of my bed where I gently get my pants on one leg at a time.
They sit low on my hips but I need something on if I want to venture out to the communal area of our living room, I also want to eat.
I pick up my phone and text Alice.
Sorry, phone was off. I'm not mad just trying to wrap my head around last night's reveal. – B
She doesn't respond so I decide to go take an Ibuprofen.
My walk to the bathroom is short, I reach into the medicine cabinet for what I need and pop two pills in my mouth. I turn the water on cupping my good hand to shovel some water in so I can swallow the pills.
I then decide to search the fridge for breakfast.
Opening the fridge door I soon discover my choices are very limited. We have orange juice, a single egg in a Rubbermaid bowl, and ketchup.
The shine from the foil in the back catches my eye so I reach for that. Not sure what could be in there or what smell might escape it I carefully lift the foil, peeling it back.
I see the tortilla first then the crumble of egg, bacon, chorizo, and salsa.
It looks good but I decide to take a whiff before I microwave it.
Bingo.
This half-eaten breakfast burrito is my breakfast.
I get a plate from the cabinet, plop the burrito on it, and put it in the microwave.
Once it's done cooking and I'm situated on the bar stool ready to take my first bite the buzzer rings.
Groaning, I carefully slide off the stool.
"Hello," I say into the intercom.
"Glad to see you're alive, let me up."
Edward.
"I really am not in the mood," I tell him.
"Bella," he says and I can hear his frustration.
I bite my lip buzzing him up.
I unlock the door for him before I go back to eat my food.
I take a huge bite when the knocking starts.
"It's open," I call more than a little grumpy. Maybe I should have started the coffee first.
Edward walks through the door catching sight of me eating at my kitchen island. I have a mouthful of burrito so I wait for him to speak.
He holds up one of the two coffees he's carrying before placing one in front of me.
"Fanks," I get out around my food.
"Such a lady," he says dryly, bringing his hand up to wipe the corner of my mouth.
I bat his hand away.
"So you're still pissy, I see," he observes with a slight glare.
"What are you doing here, Edward?" I ask already annoyed with him.
"Alice said you finally responded to her," he tells me.
"You and Alice don't need to discuss me," I say brattily.
I'm not sure why he brings out this petulant child in me but I can't seem to stop reacting to him in this manner.
I take another bite of my food.
"I think you need to give us both a break," he tells me.
"Why? You bof lied for weeks," I argue while some of my food escapes my mouth.
I watch him sit his coffee down while he takes a seat beside me. He swivels so he's facing me and takes my burrito from my good hand placing it on my plate.
There is a stack of napkins in front of me and he grabs one before swiveling me so I'm facing him.
He takes the napkin wiping the food that has escaped from my face.
"You are such a class act, Swan," he tells me with an amused smile.
"And you are such a liar, Edward," I grumble.
"I didn't lie, I withheld," he corrects.
I roll my eyes.
Maybe he was suited for Rose.
"Why are you here?"
"Bella, you sliced the hell out of your hand then proceeded to shut everyone out that was trying to help you," he tells me with his voice rising in annoyance.
"I wanted to be left alone! I wouldn't have sliced my hand if I wasn't taken by surprise by the fact that Hadley is your child," I yell back.
This wasn't me. I wasn't confrontational but Edward brought this out of me.
Hadley wasn't the problem. I liked her and thought she was amazing given her circumstances. It was Rose with her mean girl plots and Edward with his stupidly handsome face and grabby hands that I had a problem with.
I huff snagging another bite of food.
"So is me having a kid a deal breaker for you?"
"What?" I snap in confusion.
"You said—"
I cut him off.
"I know what I said but what deal breaker?"
"You do know that I've been trying to work up the courage to ask you out?" he asks like this was common knowledge.
I look at him like he lost his mind but take another bite of food.
"You tolerate me at best," I argue while I stubbornly chomp my food.
"Don't you know I have a thing for girls who eat obnoxiously. Drives me wild," he says dryly trying to brush more food away from my face.
I roll my eyes.
I place the end of my burrito on my plate, wiping my good hand on my pants.
"Are you really a frat boy in disguise?" he teases with a laugh of disbelief.
I sip my coffee.
"So was Rose ecstatic that she was able to derail my trails?"
"She's been put on leave for the next month," he says honestly. "Carlisle is usually a pushover when it comes to her but my sister really went to bat for you."
My eyes widen.
"You should call her back too," he tells me.
I instantly feel guilty for my behavior.
Edward takes my injured hand in his, he inspects Garrett's work while I sulk in my feelings.
"Garrett said he can take these out for you," he says.
"Yeah, can you do that?" I ask curiously.
"I can," is all he says, not that he will take mine out.
He lets go of my hand but eyes me.
"Hadley thinks you hate her now."
Again, I wasn't expecting that, but he elaborates. "Hadley asked me if Rose was mean to you, she said you looked how she felt when one of the girls in her class stole and hid her copy of A Wrinkle in Time."
His face carries an amused smile and I instantly see the affection he has for his daughter.
I definitely regret how I acted toward Hadley last night.
"I don't hate her," I murmur.
"She knows there is something between you and Rose," he explains.
"Something between me and Rose," I scoff. "Rose has had a vendetta against me since day one but the why makes sense now."
He shakes his head.
"The why is because she feels threatened."
"I threaten her?" I ask in disbelief.
"I have primary custody of Hadley, when she was a baby we shared a two-bedroom apartment in the same building as Esme and Carlisle. She needed Rose in the first year more than me, obviously," he coughs out the last part awkwardly. "Rose is a schemer, she thought with us living together she could change my mind about her."
"So you moved out?"
"Rose has had substance abuse issues, she had them before Hadley and then they started back up a few months after she quit breastfeeding. I wasn't going to subject Hadley to her patterns of use so I had a custody agreement drawn up and we moved out. Rose gets court-ordered drug tests so Had can stay with her. She's been sober for four years now."
"None of this answers why I threaten her," I tell him.
He swivels so he is not facing me but he picks up his coffee for a quick sip. "You have my attention, that's why she feels threatened."
I look down to play with my fingers.
When I look back up his head is turned toward me with his eyes searching.
The way his eyes search my face has my resolve start to melt, not to mention the energy between us has been palpable for a month.
But do we want to cross this line?
"Can I possibly make you an offer?" he asks softly while his fingers are steepled in front of him.
"What's your offer?"
A smirk tugs his lips.
"I think we should be friends," he says.
My brow furrows in confusion.
Weren't we already friendly-ish?
A rare laugh spills out of his mouth.
"We can be friends, right?" he asks innocently enough but I see the leer in his gaze. "I want you to give me a chance, but I think for that chance to work you need to know the dynamics of my relationships," he explains.
"The dynamics?"
"I want you to get to know who I am when I'm Edward, the dad, Edward, the co-parent, Edward, the brother, Edward, the colleague, Edward, the friend, and Edward, the guy who wants to… lo—like you," he finishes softly.
I swivel him so he's facing me.
"I get the feeling you want to be more than friends," I tell him boldly while maintaining eye contact.
"I don't think you're ready for that," he says honestly.
"Are there rules to this friendship?" I ask instead, cocking my head.
His green eyes are intently searching my face again.
"We can have rules," he murmurs, he moves his legs so mine are in between his.
"We're friends that touch?"
He nods.
"Are we friends that kiss?" I ask curiously.
He leans in watching me the entire time but it's me who puts my lips on his. He deepens the kiss, holding my face between his palms.
As he pulls away he bites my lower lip slightly.
I catch my breath before asking my next question. "Are we friends that—" I stop because do we really want to cross that line?
His eyes narrow in on me but soften.
"We can be friends that— explore," he offers gruffly.
"Do you have a lot of friendships like that?"
"No," he says without hesitation. "This kind of friendship would only be with you."
We'd be friends with benefits.
Was that what I wanted? It didn't even address my concerns about Rose.
He initiates the next kiss while pulling me to the edge of my seat.
He's either trying to convince or distract me.
For weeks after work when we're in our small group I've gotten used to his touch and how it affects me, but with his kiss, the actual spark lingers. There is just something about the way he kisses that is more than a little mind-blowing.
"Be my friend, Bella," he says between kisses.
"Not playing fair," I mumble through a moan.
"Never said I did," he chuckles.
I am the one to pull back. "Friends first," I pant once I'm not attached to his mouth.
He rests his head against mine, moving his hands down to my waist.
"Friends first," he promises.
His eyes hold sincerity so I decide that I will give him a chance.
"Okay, but I don't want Rose harassing me," I warn, slapping my good hand on his thigh, wiggling my way back in my seat.
"I will handle Rose," he tells me.
I give him a skeptical look before I sip my coffee.
He glances at his watch.
"I have to go pick Hadley up from Rose's," he explains while he stands from his seat. "I know with you being off you can't pick up tips so I was wondering—"
"Are you going to ask me to babysit?" I ask, cutting him off.
He looks guilty.
"I can watch her but you're not paying me."
He looks like he wants to argue but his face calms.
"It would be after school, Alice is heading out of town for a book fair next week," he explains.
I nod.
He leans down kissing me.
"I'll text you tomorrow?" he asks carefully like I'm going to change my mind.
I nod.
He slowly backs away from me until he bumps into the door. He huffs out a breath before he turns and leaves.
What the fuck did I just agree to?
A/N: This chapter started out one way and then I decided to rewrite it. Much happier with this version. I just want to say it was wild to me the people hating on Bella and her "attitude", uhhhhh she was the wronged party! Shout out to CoppertopJ for her edits. Any mistakes are my own.
