So, this short story is dedicated to Carey Anne and the ladies who were in on my Zoom call, Clo, Aileen, Emma, Consuelo, Alyscia, Trina, Brier Lynn and Krida. It will be a drabblish story, with shorter chapters. Shorter chapters mean quicker updates! :-)
This is not mine. I don't own Twilight, but I wish I did. Sigh …
Chapter Fourteen
April 13th, 2020
Edward shook his head. He did not want to get involved, so he ignored her.
"With Ben, sex became a chore. All he wants is for me to get pregnant. I don't want a baby. Not now," Tia continued, getting up and sashaying toward Edward. "I want excitement. I want fun. I want to feel desired, not as an incubator."
"I'm not the one you should be talking to," Edward said, arching a brow at her. "That conversation I overheard … should have been in private. You should talk to Ben. He's the one you need to …"
Tia sat down on the counter and tugged his mask off. "You don't need this. We've been isolated …" She smirked at him, tracing his veins on his hand. "Maybe, you and your friend can …"
"She's not friend. She's my girlfriend and if things go the way I want, maybe more. Unlike you, I'm loyal to the woman I love," Edward hissed, pulling his hand away from her.
"Pssh, you don't love her," Tia laughed, stepping closer to him. "You fuck her. She's not forever." She draped her arms around Edward's neck. "I want you." She pressed her hips to his. "I can feel you want me."
"That's my cell phone," Edward retorted dryly. "Stop, Tia. You're proving Ben right. You are a whore."
Tia smiled coldly. She arched a brow, grasping his shirt and pressing her lips to his. He tried to push her away, but she clung to him like a limpet.
"Edward, I spoke to Huilen …" Bella said as she walked into business center. Her eyes widened as she saw Tia in Edward's arms, kissing him deeply. She gasped, dropping the bag she carried. Tears welled in her eyes and she turned on her heel, sprinting out of the business center.
Edward harshly pushed her away, glaring at her. "Like Ben, I'm done and you're gone," he snarled. "That woman means everything to me and because of you, she thinks I broke her heart and shattered her trust. Fuck you, Tia. You made your bed, now you get to lie in it." He picked up his computer and stomped out of the business center.
He had to find Bella and convince her that he didn't betray her.
Edward needed to tell her that he loved her.
Bella couldn't breathe. Tears were streaming down her face. She tore at her mask and fell down onto the sand, sobbing brokenly. This was why she didn't open herself up. Another person had betrayed her. Edward had betrayed her by kissing that slut, Tia!
"I have to get home," she stammered. "Maybe I can drive up to Seattle. It's only about seven thousand miles." Yeah, that won't work. "I can't stay here. Maybe Osvaldo can get me a separate space." She closed her eyes as more tears leaked out. She tried to catch her breath, but she couldn't. Her heart was completely broken.
Bella was destined to be alone.
She heard someone speaking angrily on the phone. Benjamin was snarling, his face red with fury. However, his face softened when he saw Bella. He hung up the phone and walked over to her. "Bella, right?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "You sound like you're having a day like mine."
"If by that, you mean that I found my wife was fucking anything with a dick and infected me with an STD, then yes," he sneered, plopping down on the sand next to her. "I just talked to Osvaldo to get a room away from that slet. I have to pack up my shit and move out before she realizes that I'm gone."
"Do you know if he's got any other rooms?" Bella asked, her voice hollow and empty.
"Why would you do that?" Benjamin asked. "You and your boyfriend are very much in love, no?"
"I just saw Edward kissing your slet," Bella responded. "That means slut, right?"
He snorted humorlessly. "You are correct. But, I don't think that Edward is interested. He's always brushed her off. Hell, he was in the business center when I told her about having an STD. Most of our conversation was in Afrikaans, but I screamed at her in English because she was not listening to me."
"Well, she wasted no time in jumping onto Edward," she growled.
"Bella, I'm going to be honest with you. My wife is a slet. She always will be and as soon as I'm back home, I'm washing my hands of her. Your Edward, I can see that he loves you. Hell, a blind man could see that. Don't let Tia's actions color how you feel about Edward. My heart is broken, but I have some hope that I'll find someone to love," Ben explained. "Not any time soon, but when it's right."
"I don't know if I can trust him, Ben," Bella spluttered.
"Did you talk to him? Ask what happened?" Ben asked. Bella shook her head. "Before you jump to any conclusions, talk to him."
"I'm sorry about Tia, Ben," she whispered.
"I'm sorry about Tia, too. I thought she was my forever, but she wasn't," he sighed, getting up and wiping his pants. "At least Osvaldo is giving me a room for free, charging Tia for both rooms." He gave Bella a wink before he jogged toward his villa.
Bella shook her head, curling her legs to her body. She watched as the waves crashed over the sandbar and onto the shore. In the distance, she saw clouds building, making the ocean even angrier. It matched her mood. Pulling out her phone, she dialed Miss Alice.
"Hello?" came Miss Alice's sweet voice.
"Miss Alice, I …" Bella sobbed.
"Oh, sweet girl. What happened? Are you sick? Is Edward?" she asked.
"No," she sniffled, wiping her nose. "I caught Edward kissing another woman. He's been … cheating on me."
"Bella, I love you, but I sincerely doubt that," Miss Alice replied calmly, if not with a bit of attitude. "I've seen you both on that FaceTime call. He thinks the sun rises and sets out of your ass. He loves you."
"If he loves me, why did he kiss another woman?" she whimpered.
"I doubt he willingly kissed her, sweetie. Have you spoken to him? Listen to him?" Miss Alice asked. Bella's silence was her response. "Bella, I'm going to be honest with you. I think you jumped to that conclusion because you're afraid that you're falling in love with him. I wish I could slap the shit out of your mother. She really messed up your perception of love and trust. Do you love me? Trust me?"
"Yes, Miss Alice," Bella replied. "You are my family. You're the only person, besides my father, who loved me without conditions."
"I think that Edward loves you unconditionally, as well. He probably hasn't said it because he knows you. He knows your M.O, that you are so hesitant to open up fully. But, he does, sweet girl," Miss Alice explained kindly. "Edward loves you, so much. Talk to him. Listen to what he has to say, without any prejudices and with an open mind."
She gulped, looking back out at the crashing waves. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Edward. He looked shattered. "Miss Alice …"
"He's there, isn't he?" she asked.
"Yes," Bella cried, her face contorting. "I don't know if I can …"
"You can, sweet girl. If he truly cheated on you, I'll kick his ass and support you in any way. But, your beau loves you. He adores you and wants nothing but your happiness, my sweet girl," Miss Alice. "Call me."
Before Bella could respond, Miss Alice hung up. She put her phone into her pocket, looking up at Edward. He held the bag she carried from the gift shop and looked at her with so much uncertainty. "I'll talk to Osvaldo and get another room," she said.
"Bella, don't," Edward said, sitting down next to her. "Listen to me, please?"
"So, you can give me some bullshit excuse?" she snapped.
"It's not a bullshit excuse," Edward said. "I ran into Ben and he said he found you on the beach. He explained that you were out here. Then, he told you about his conversation with her. As far as we're concerned, she's been booted from the resort. She crossed too many boundaries with me and with numerous employees." He inched closer. "She was very publicly dumped, and she turned on me like a rabid honey badger. I didn't kiss her. If anything, I felt violated."
Bella rolled her eyes, scrambling to her feet and stomping away.
"Bella, damn it!" Edward hissed, jogging to catch up with her. "I didn't kiss her. I think Tia is a slut and she fucked up the best thing in my life."
"If I was the best thing in your life, you should have pushed her away," Bella huffed.
"I did, but you were gone," he said, stopping in front of her, trying to take her hands. She ripped her hands from his, scowling at Edward. He scowled right back. "I went off on her and got her kicked out of the resort. She's a health concern with her actions. She doesn't think that this virus is real."
"You should probably get tested," Bella scoffed, trying to move past him, but he stopped her by spinning her into his arms. "Edward, you've got an out. You're free of all my crazy."
"I don't want to be free of all your crazy. I never want that. I want it all with you. Bella, I love you," he said, frustration deep in his voice.
"You can't love me. I'm unlovable. My mom threw me away; she chose that thing over me. She said that I had to believe him if I loved her. You probably have stipulations for that affection," she said, wrinkling her nose. "Everyone does."
"No, I love you. Only you. I think I loved you from the moment we made love that night, after our second date," Edward whispered, stepping closer to her. He wiped her tears away. "You make me laugh. You're smart. You're absolutely gorgeous and incredibly selfless. Bella, I love you. Don't push me away."
"I'm scared," she whispered.
"So am I, love," he whispered back. "But, I want everything with you. Yes, we have our differences, but that's what makes us work. I know you think that I'm going to hurt you."
"You did," she cried.
"No, Tia spun this. I never wanted to touch her. I was just a warm body. That's all on her," Edward huffed. "I don't want to hurt you. I want to make you happy. I want us to be happy, together. I can't remember having so much fun and connecting with another person as much I did from you. Do you feel that?"
She bit her lip, nodding slowly. However, her eyes were swirling with uncertainty and tears streamed down her cheeks. "I just hate not being able to trust anyone. I always think the worst of people," she sobbed. She pulled up her hands, hiding her face as she lost it.
"Oh, love," he murmured, pulling her into his arms. "Will you please come back to our room with me? So we can talk about this? I want to look at you. I don't want to have yell over the waves."
She nodded against his chest, but was so conflicted. She felt comfort in his embrace, but was so angry at him, at Tia, and at her mother, for shattering her sense of peace and for making so untrusting in the first place. He slid his arm around her waist and guided her back to their villa. Once there, he dropped the bag he carried onto the bed and led Bella to the couch.
She curled up, wrapping her arms around her legs. "What happened? Why did Tia kiss you?" she asked. "Tell me exactly what happened, please?"
"You went to the gift shop to get whatever you needed, and I plugged in my laptop to print out the paperwork I needed to sign. Ben and Tia were fighting in the business center. I couldn't understand them because they were speaking in Afrikaans. Their body language was clear that Ben was pissed off at Tia. She was dismissive of his claims, rolling her eyes and pushing him away," Edward explained. "He finally lost his shit and snarled that she'd infected him with an STD because she'd been fucking anything with a cock." He shook his head. "I was her next victim because I was there, and I have a cock. If Osvaldo was in there, Tia would have attacked him or any other man available."
"She is pretty," Bella muttered.
"If you like a manipulative, conniving evil bitches. Which I don't. I'm partial to a genuine, effortlessly beautiful woman who love to travel and make me laugh. A woman who has exquisite skin, the softest hair, the prettiest brown eyes and most beautiful smile. Bella, I want you. Only you. Do you want me?" he asked.
Bella looked up at him, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes. She stared at him, watching for any indication that he was lying, but only saw his vulnerability and love. "I want that more than anything, but I am terrified."
"I'm scared, too. My last serious relationship I had was in high school. But, what I feel for you is so much more than what I felt for her," he said, shrugging one shoulder. "Granted, it was ten years ago. I've changed since I was a teenager. Most people have, to be honest. I know what I want. I want you, Glitter. I love you." He moved forward, cupping her cheek.
Bella pressed her face into his hand, moving closer to him. "I'm sorry, Edward," she cried. "This should have been … perfect. It's not. Thanks to Tia."
"It's perfectly us," Edward chuckled.
She swallowed, moving her body and straddling his legs. "Edward, I … I've only said those words to three people. My mother, my father and Miss Alice. With my father, I just said it out of obligation. He was my dad. I was supposed to love him, but I didn't know how to. They were just words. I didn't feel anything toward my dad, except appreciation. He got me out of a horrible situation. My mom? I said them to her because she was my mom, but she threw that love back at me, shattering my beliefs. Her husband looked at me like I was his next meal, wanting to take me. She believed him. It's because of that … it's the reason why I'm so afraid of saying it back. I feel it. At least, I think I feel it. I only want to be with you and when you touch me, my heart takes off."
"Bella, there's no rush. I just couldn't not tell you. You needed to know," he murmured, leaning forward and brushing his lips along her temple. "Especially after what you saw … I don't … she's disgusting and I … I only want you. You're who I dream about. You're the one I see myself having a future with. Not her. But, I'll wait for you as long as you need."
She nodded, moving so she was curled up in his arms. He held her, leaning his cheek against the crown of her head. "I'm still sorry for jumping to conclusions. Miss Alice read me the riot act," she snorted humorlessly. "I just … need time. Especially after what I saw. I can … come to grips what Tia did, but it'll take some time for me accept …"
"You need to rebuild the trust that Tia stole from you," Edward murmured.
"Right," she agreed. "In my mind, you didn't hurt me, but my heart needs to catch up."
"I understand, love," he said. "Like I said, I'll wait forever for you." He pressed his lips to her temple. "You said you spoke to Huilen?"
"Oh, right," Bella mumbled. "I asked her if the doctor would come to give me my birth control shot. She said that the doctor will be here on the following Tuesday. Apparently, I'm not the only resort guest who needs birth control. She also put in an order for my shampoo and your body wash and aftershave."
"Thank you, Bella," he smiled, tightening his hold on her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again.
"No more apologies, Glitter," he chided. "Today has been … tough. I just want to hold you."
"We both have work to do," she argued, snuggling closer. "I need to send off my latest manuscript."
"That can wait, Bella. I think this is far more important," he responded with a crooked grin. "Bella, I know that your trust in me is a bit battered."
"I shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that you'd hurt me like that, Sparkle," she grumbled, giving him a tentative smile. "We spoke, at length, about how skanky Tia was. It's my trust in you; it's my trust in humanity that I'm struggling with. Give me time, please? What I feel for you, I can't put it into words. Not yet. Just know that I've never felt this way about anyone. Ever. I just need to … reconcile what I'm feeling to myself."
"Like I said, I'd wait forever for you, Bella," Edward breathed. "You're worth it."
A/N: So, I'd planned to have citrus in this chapter, but it didn't seem like the right place for it. Bella's trust was irrevocably shattered. She's confident, but with how her mother treated her (believing a pedophile over her own daughter), she's hesitant to open herself up. She did so with Edward and Tia broke that. Bella jumped to the wrong conclusion, but now, she needs to realize that Edward would never hurt her in that way. I know that. You, the readers, know that, but Bella is stubborn and needs to make sense over what she saw and how she feels.
Pictures (not that there are many) are on my blog. You can access that from a link on my profile. I'm also on FB: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you on the flipside!