REPOST of the original story with edits! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or DWTS.
EPOV
I was so fucking stupid!
I can't believe I hurt her like that. I let my emotions get the better of me but I couldn't help it. I saw her with Eric and my stomach churned at the sight. I couldn't tell if she was enjoying the attention or not and that thought made me feel even more sick. She could go for someone like Eric. Maybe he was her type. I had no idea, and it worried me.
I had hoped that she and I would hit it off and we did, or at least I thought so. I felt that our chemistry was great and after getting to know her better on the plane and with her today at the hospital and her home, I could see us becoming good friends and maybe, hopefully, something more. I couldn't get her out of my head.
But I saw everything change while she stood with Eric. She smiled at him and I was filled with self-doubt. I watched as he touched her while trying to secure the mic pack and I felt possessive. She seemed interested in what he had to say and I wanted to know why. But really, it was more than that. I wanted to know why Eric, and why not me?
Because you haven't shown her that you were interested. I know that was true, but I tried to make the effort to touch her when I could and…yeah, I've never opened my mouth about how much I like her. Dumbass…
When I happened to catch her gaze, I thought for a fleeting second that maybe she needed me, but I let that thought brush away from me. She seemed content with Eric.
I couldn't stand it anymore and I saw red. I went and acted all caveman on her, pulling her away from Eric, questioning her taste in men and then to top it all off, I forgot to be careful of her injury and ended up hurting her, like I told myself I would never do.
My angry and stern façade cracked and I felt so ashamed of myself. The tears that she tried to hold back in her eyes were brutal to me, cutting me painfully like a dull knife. I couldn't take seeing her cry, but I couldn't stand myself for being the one who made her do it.
I overheard my sister telling Bella I was an ass and she was right. I was an ass and I wanted to apologize to her but I couldn't move. Shame nailed me to the floor and fear sank into my bones. What if she didn't want an apology? What if she decided to quit the show because of me? I would probably never see her again except for one of her rare television interviews. I couldn't have that. It wouldn't be enough.
"Eric? Can you stop filming for a second? I don't want the video record of beating my brother to pulp weighing on my conscience." When Alice spoke Eric's name I could see the angry haze begin to cover my eyes again. He was the reason I lost my cool and ended up losing my head. It was his fault.
"Edward, come here!" Alice had her angry voice on. Not good, but I deserve it.
"Look, Alice. I'm already in agony from causing Bella pain, so please don't lay into me anymore." It was the truth, but if I could get Alice to not crucify me further, I would be a slightly happier man.
"Do you know how much you just hurt her, Edward, and I don't mean physically?" My breath caught as she continued. "You were so cold to her!" Shit! She saw that?!
"You say you care for her, but you have an odd way of showing it."
"Alice, I am sorry. I saw her with Eric and lost it." I looked over my shoulder to make sure Eric wasn't paying attention. He and Mike were engaged in their own conversation. I turned back to Alice. "I just didn't want him with her. It didn't feel right." I tried to justify my reaction and I honestly couldn't do it. Sure the thought of Eric made me mad and him with Bella made me furious, but I know I had no right to lose my cool, especially with her.
"She's not interested in Eric," Alice said in a lower voice, ensuring Eric also couldn't hear her. "You are just too blind and too jealous to see it." She added a smack to the back of my head that made me see stars for a second.
"Ow, dammit! You didn't have to do that. And besides, I'm not jealous. I'm just protective of her." I made to rub my head with my hand, but Alice had other plans and yanked me towards her.
"You're in love with her!" She spit in my face in such a harsh whisper and I had nothing in response to that. I knew I cared for Bella and sure, I was starting to fall for her, but in love with her…already?
"And if you want anything romantic to happen between you and Bella," Alice continued. "Then you need to come clean and be more open with her. That means telling her about our past."
I shook my head vehemently. "No, she doesn't need to know."
"Yes, she does. If you want a relationship with her, it needs to happen. You need to be honest and upfront with her. She cares for you and our past won't jeopardize it, but you're dishonesty and lack of confidence in her could."
"Alice, I don't want her pity." Alice huffed at me.
"She would never pity us! Don't you know Bella at all? I've spent less time with her than you have and I know that much. She would comfort and support us and she may be able to help you move forward Edward. You need to let go and move on."
"Or maybe I could be like you and just forget entirely," I snapped back. I stared back at her eyes as they turned cold and she slapped me.
"I have never forgotten so don't you dare say that to me!"
My cheek stung. I hung my head in shame and I felt twice as bad as I had before. I had no right to snap at my sister and I certainly had no right to accuse her of forgetting our past. I looked up to find my beloved sister's eyes glassy and I immediately pulled her to me and held on to her as if our lives depended on it.
Whenever anything happened in our lives, whether it was good or bad, we were always there for each other.
I kissed her head as I rocked her from side to side in an effort to calm her down. She may be older than me, but I was extremely protective of her. What sucked was that she needed emotional protection from me and my temper.
"I'm sorry," I whispered softly to her.
"I know you think that what happened to us was your fault, but it wasn't Edward." She pulled away just far enough to place her hands on my face and look me dead in the eyes. "It wasn't your fault." I tried to look away from Alice as I felt tears form in my eyes, but she wouldn't let me.
"Now," she continued. "I believe there is someone else who needs an apology from you." I nodded dumbly as she released her hold on my face. "Edward, you deserve to be happy and I know Bella could make you happy."
"How can you be so sure?" I wanted to believe her, but I have never had the positivity she possessed.
"You have to have faith. She's your other half, Edward. Don't let her get away." Her smile was contagious as I felt the muscles in my face coming to life. "Now, go get her tiger!"
She pulled me into a fierce hug and then walked back to Mike and Eric. Thinking his name didn't make me burn anymore. I just felt more ashamed of how I had acted with Bella. She deserved better. I know I had been thinking that a lot in the last few minutes, but it was true. She deserved to be looked upon and treated as a lady. And she deserved to know the truth, about my past as well as my feelings. She may not feel the same, but it needed to be said, to have it be out in the open.
I turned around and headed out of the studio. There were so many things that I needed to apologize for and to so many people: Bella, Alice, Carlisle, Esme…
I took deep breaths of the moist air knowing that what I was going to do would be difficult. I just didn't know how hard it would be until I reached the door to the house.
The handle felt cold and heavy but with determination I opened the door. I could hear voices coming from the kitchen but I couldn't tell who they belonged to or what they were saying. I quietly shut the door behind me. I inched myself further into the house and I could feel my chest tightening as my breaths became more shallow.
I was just outside of the kitchen when I heard Esme say that she would be right back. I listened to her hurried footsteps as they faded. I peeked my head around the corner and my breath caught.
Bella stood in the far corner of the kitchen and the grey-green light from outside caught her. Her already pale skin looked iridescent. She looked beautiful. She seemed to be looking intently at the desk and I couldn't fathom why until I glanced away from Bella for a second to see what she was looking at. The pictures…
I could feel myself starting to panic. I myself had tried to ignore that entire corner of the kitchen. The memories were too much, but I knew that those photos were there. I wanted to say something to stop her from looking too closely at the pictures, but I found myself frozen. A part of me hoped she would figure it out. I knew she was smart and if she just took a minute to work it all out, I wouldn't have to tell her anything. But deep down, I knew this was something that had to come from me…
I began to open my mouth when I saw Carlisle and Esme walk into the room.
"So Bella, twice in one day, huh? Let's take a look at that hand of yours." Bella turned around so quickly I thought she might fall over. I had to stifle a laugh so that I wasn't caught. She had a pink tinge to her cheeks and I could tell she was embarrassed at being caught off guard.
Carlisle took her hand gently and looked over her wound. I realized that her hand was unbandaged and while it looked red, it didn't appear to be bloody. I could only hope I didn't inflict too serious of damage to her. It would kill me that much more.
"Ok, Bella, it's looking fine. We'll rewrap your hand and put that ice pack on it to help numb the pain. Esme also brought down some painkillers for you too."
I heard Bella murmur her thanks as I was quietly berating myself. I put her in pain. When Carlisle finished her hand, he began cleaning up but stopped when Bella cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry if this may seem rude and I don't mean to pry, but could I ask the two of you a question?"
I held my breath as I saw Carlisle and Esme give each other a small look before nodding in affirmation. Bella took a deep breath before speaking. I could see her gathering her thoughts and I worried how bad this would be.
"I know that I haven't known Edward for very long, but I can't help that nagging suspicion that there is something that he's not telling me and whatever it is still hurts him."
My heart shattered inside my chest because apparently I couldn't hide twenty year old emotions, at least not from Bella. I tried to focus on what else Bella was saying as I watched her walk back to the desk. She picked up one of the pictures, my graduation photo with Alice. Then she picked up another very gingerly with her wrapped hand and I knew which one it was without looking at the picture in the frame. It was the one I always tried to avoid.
"These two faces are almost identical…almost. Same crooked smile, same nose, same crazy hair…but look at the eyes. The windows are the eyes to the soul, right? Why is it that this little boy's eyes are bright and brimming with love and happiness when his adult counterpart looks happy, but deep down you know something is bothering him?"
She took a deep breath and I breathed with her.
"I know I sound crazy right now and definitely more like a shrink than an author. But I can't help it. I just keep noticing all of these things, like how he gets certain look when we talk about our pasts, or the fact that he refers to you as Carlisle and Esme, not mom and dad."
I looked over at Esme and saw her shoulders slump, and I knew exactly why. My heart broke further. I didn't get long to think on that as Bella continued.
"All I want to do is comfort Edward and I feel like he won't let me in. That's his prerogative. I certainly won't hold that against him. But please, I would to know what happened to him. I just don't want him to hurt anymore because right now, it's hurting me too." She looked up into Carlisle and Esme's eyes. "I want to help him and if that means he doesn't tell me, then fine, but I want to know anything you can tell me so I know what buttons not to push. If he won't let me in, then I want to make sure that I understand why I'm being kept out so I continue to help him in keeping me out. Please…will you help me understand what happened to him?"
I watched her sob out her last few sentences. I made her cry, but this time it was because I hadn't opened up to her. I had tears streaming down my face as I cried with her, for everything I had lost and for everything I had yet to gain.
"Ok, Bella," Carlisle said quietly, I almost didn't hear him. "We'll tell you what we feel comfortable sharing."
"NO!" My own voice stunned me. It had come out of my throat without my permission and yet I absolutely meant to say it. I didn't want Carlisle to tell my secret. I came out from behind the corner I had been hiding behind.
"No," I corrected and continued. "I'll tell her."
I was looking straight into Bella's stunned eyes. My own eyes were likely wide as saucers as well I'm sure. I had to tell her. I had to do this, for her to truly understand, and for me to truly move on.
"Edward, I didn't mean to pry, I just…" Bella began but I held up my hand to stop her.
"It's ok, Bella. Honestly, you are the first person I've wanted to tell. It's taken me a long time to get to this point, but please bear with me." She nodded and I took a deep breath.
"Alice and I had a traumatic event happen to us when we were kids that no child should ever experience. And what's worse, is that it is all my fault."
"Edward, no! It wasn't your fault!" Esme stood from her stool, taken aback by my words, and I shook my head at her.
"Esme, it was. To me, it has always been my fault." Esme tried to protest but I shook my head again and turned away from her, to face Bella once more.
"Esme and Carlisle are the best parents anyone could ask for. They are extremely caring and giving. They always want you to succeed at anything you set your mind to and they will support you every step of the way."
I looked back to Carlisle, who was now holding Esme to him. I wasn't sure if it were for her sake or his own.
"I love you both. You've been there for me even when I didn't want you to be. I know I have been a handful for you and it couldn't have been easy. I should have said it more often, but I do love you and I thank you for everything."
Tears flooded Esme's eyes and I could see Carlisle trying to hold back his emotions from his face, though his eyes said everything. I turned once more to Bella, took a deep breath and pressed forward with my story.
"Carlisle and Esme are the best parents, but they aren't my biological parents." I watched as Bella's face didn't change. She had either figured this out for herself already, which told me she was more intuitive than I gave her credit for, or she had a carefully crafted poker face. I leaned towards the first explanation.
"When I was eleven, my parents had promised to take me to a movie. I had been waiting all year for it to come out and the time had finally arrived. Unfortunately, Alice got very sick at the same time."
"We had a privileged childhood and never wanted for anything and there were very few things that had ever warranted the answer of no. I had never begged for anything in my life, until that moment. With Alice being sick, my parents said they couldn't take me to the movies. I threw a fit. Begged and pleaded that they take me, like they promised. It wasn't fair."
I felt myself being pulled back to that fateful night. I hadn't thought consciously about it for years and now I was seeing flashes of images that I wanted to be rid of. But, I had to do this. I had to push that lump in my throat down, shove the tears from my eyes and move forward.
Then Bella caught my eye, although she wasn't doing anything. She was just standing still, silently. Her beautiful brown eyes were wide and she listened to my story and it was then that I knew I could get through this. She would give me the strength to do so.
"I basically guilt tripped my own parents, saying they were breaking their promise to their own child and that they needed to remember that they had two children, not just one. It was a horrible thing to do, but it ended up working. My father broke first, saying he would take me to the movies and my mother would stay with Alice. But of course, I just had to remind them that they both said they would take me and that meant they both needed to go."
I felt the shame of the past cover me again.
"Esme got two phone calls that night. The first was asking her to come over and look after Alice. I was bouncing off the walls because I was getting what I wanted, but that feeling didn't last long."
I focused on Bella as I spoke again.
"To this day, I've never seen the movie we were supposed to see that night. Esme got another phone call, but this time telling her that her best friend, along with her friend's husband and son, had been in an extensive accident."
"I remember that phone call," Esme sniffed out." I remember being told that your father, Edward, had died at the scene and that you and your mother, Elizabeth, were taken to the hospital."
She took a step towards me and pulled me into her arms.
"I called Carlisle, who was already working a shift at the hospital, and he told me that it didn't look good for either of you. I was so scared and mad and hurt. I didn't want to see either of you die, but I was beyond terrified of losing you, Edward. You were just so young and had your whole life ahead of you." Her tears were trailing down her face in constant succession. I had put her in that position as well. If it weren't for me…
"I forced Carlisle to keep me updated until Alice was well enough to leave the house. As soon as she was, we rushed to the hospital to see you both." Esme moved forward to place her hand on my cheek.
"You looked so small and frail in your bed. Your hair had been shaved because of your head injury." She moved her hand into my hair right to the scar on my scalp. You could barely feel it and if you didn't know any better, you'd never notice, but she knew exactly where it was.
I looked back to Bella and saw her leaning forward slightly, as if she wanted to move forward as well, but she held her ground. I wanted her to come to me badly, but I stood where I was as well, not taking it upon myself to move to her side. I could feel Esme's hand leaving my head and backing away but I spoke directly to Bella.
"They didn't think I would wake up. The damage that had been caused by the crash was significant. I shouldn't have survived."
"But you did." Carlisle spoke up for the first time since I had interrupted him. "You were our miracle."
"I had treated your mother up until she passed from her internal injuries. She made me and Esme promise to raise you and Alice as our own as we had already considered you our children from the day you both were born."
"But we have loved having you in our lives, as our children, even if it hasn't always been easy or pleasant." Carlisle looked at me pointedly. I had given them hell those first few years after my parents were killed. I couldn't help but smile back sheepishly. He could tell I was sorry. He simply nodded. I glanced back at Bella who looked slightly confused. I started to explain.
"You see, after the accident, I didn't speak for a year. Initially, the doctors were concerned that this was a side effect from my head injury; that my not speaking was from an inability to do so. In reality, my ability to speak wasn't related to my head injury. I just chose not to. I felt that I couldn't." I took a deep breath and continued.
"In my mind, it was my whining, my voice that had gotten me and my parents into trouble that night. That's why I lost my parents. I wouldn't shut up, so I made myself shut up, quite literally. I know Alice never blamed me for the death of our parents, and obviously neither did Carlisle or Esme, but I held that guilt in my tiny body and I made a vow to never utter another word."
"We tried everything, Bella," Esme stated. "But he wouldn't budge. He stopped playing the piano because it was something his mother had gotten him started with."
"No more baseball either," Carlisle interjected. "Because his father had helped coach his little league team."
"Anything that reminded me of my parents, I stopped or tried to move away from," I continued. "But it was Alice that snapped me out of it. She dragged me to dance class one day because they were starting partner dances and she needed a partner. I didn't want to go but I didn't say anything, allowing myself to be tugged along. The more I went, the more I was picked on because I didn't speak."
"I yelled at him," a small voice piped in from behind me. I spun around to see Alice standing in the doorway.
"I hated doing it, but I yelled at him, telling him that he needed to grow up and start talking because I couldn't protect him forever. He needed to speak up for himself. I did the unthinkable and I brought up our parents and how disappointed they would be if they could see him now."
"Alice! You didn't!" Esme said through her hand, which was held tightly to her mouth.
"I did and while I'm sorry that it came to that, I'm not sorry I did it because it worked." I could see the tears in my sister's eyes as she spoke, her eyes never leaving mine.
"I started screaming bloody murder at her," I interjected. "I kept screaming that they should be disappointed because if it weren't for me, they would still be around. It wasn't until I finished my rant that I even realized I had broken my vow of silence."
"Pixie here," I said as I gestured to Alice, "just had an 'all-knowing' look on her face as she came over and pulled me into her arms." Alice smiled through her tears as she nodded and continued for me.
"He broke down but I couldn't understand what he was mumbling into my neck. I just let him get it all out of his system and when he finished and I looked at him, he had composed himself and said a simple 'thank you' to me. I was so happy that he was back." My sister was beaming now and I would give anything to keep that look on her face.
"Truth be told, I wasn't back, not fully anyway. I never forgave myself for the death of my parents. I told myself at that moment that I would try to continue to live my life but I couldn't be normal. I didn't want to have people feel pity for me. So, I threw myself into my studies and was able to graduate early from high school. I played the piano off and on because it made Esme happy and I still loved music, but I never put my heart into it. I never returned to baseball, even though Carlisle wanted me to. I threw myself into dance because it made Alice happy, kept me in shape and I happened to be good at it. Being able to fall back to these accomplishments allowed me to keep my last promise to myself, for the most part anyway. I never spoke about what happened. I wanted to ignore it as if it had never occurred."
I looked around the room as I finished, taking in Bella, whose face hadn't changed much, although it looked as if her eyes were glossier than when I began my story.
"Edward, Alice," Bella spoke up quietly. "I'm sorry for your loss. I know you have heard that before, but I truly am sorry. I can't imagine my life without one of my parents let alone both of them. You are both amazing individuals as no child should have to go through that."
"Thank you," I responded quietly and as I said it, I realized that I truly meant it.
"But," she added. "You can't ignore your memories of your parents. It never makes things better when you forget your past because it does have a way of returning to you whether you want it to or not. Your parents helped mold you into who you are today, whether you realize that or not."
"I never forgot my parents," I answered but continued sheepishly. "I just didn't think about them on purpose. I realize now that I was doing their memory a disservice. But you are right, Bella."
She looked at me innocently, her eyes wide as I addressed her.
"My parents did mold me into who I am, both sets." I heard Esme's sharp intake of breath before I turned to face her.
"I'm so sorry to both of you," I spoke honestly as I looked at Esme and Carlisle. "Alice accepted you as our parents almost immediately, but I was stubborn. I never let you in as my parental figures because deep down, I thought that if I did, I would be replacing my mother and father. I didn't want that. But you stuck by me, like true parents and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am lucky. I had Elizabeth and Edward Masen for a mother and father, but I have you, Esme and Carlisle Cullen, as my mom and dad. I love you both so much."
A bawling Esme collapsed in my arms, with Carlisle close behind her as he encased us both in his arms. I kept whispering my apologies among my mom and dad's shushes, and it felt cathartic to think of those words.
Suddenly it felt a little more cramped as I felt Alice sidle up between our dad and myself. My family was now together for what seemed like the first time in forever.
But it didn't feel complete…and I knew why.
Bella.
I quickly pulled my head away from the group hug to look back where I had last looked into that beautiful face. She was gone.
I heard a soft click behind me and I saw her petite figure retreating behind the glass door. She couldn't leave but I didn't want to just run away from my family after everything. Alice seemed to have sensed my plight.
"Go after her, Edward. She's the reason for all of this." She winked and I quickly looked at my parents who just nodded.
I broke away and bolted for the door. I saw her slowly making her way back down the path to the studios. I wrenched open the back door and took off yelling after her.
"Bella! Wait!" I caught up with her in no time. "Where do you think you're going?" I tried a joking tone to cover the panic I felt. As she turned to me, I saw those glassy eyes again and I panicked even more.
"Oh Bella! What's wrong? Is your hand still hurting? I'm so sorry about that, again. I was so careless with your injury and I can't apologize enough to you. Really. Is there anything I can do for you? I just…"I was interrupted by her laughter.
"Yes, you can shut up actually," she chuckled out.
I huffed out a breath, happy that she was laughing and not in pain.
"Edward, I'm just so happy that you are working things out with your family. What you have gone through is terrible, but you have people in your life who care about you and I'm glad you are finally seeing that."
"But why did you leave?" I had to ask. I wanted her there, with us, with me.
"I didn't want to impose. It was such a touching family moment and I wanted to give you that privacy."
"Bella, you didn't have to leave." I took a step towards her. "You are the reason we even had that moment."
She shook her head and started to disagree and pull away from me. I couldn't have that. I reached forward, cradled her face with my hands and pulled her gently so she would look at me.
"Listen to me. You are the reason. Alice gave me the courage to talk to you about my past, but I meant what I said earlier. You've been the only person I have ever wanted to tell." I could see the disbelief so I continued.
"I never talked to my own family about what happened. As much as I didn't initially want to tell you, because I didn't want to burden you with my past, I felt almost compelled to." I smiled. "Thank you. Without you, it would have been even longer for my stubbornness to let up for me to realize how much my parents truly mean to me."
"I really didn't mean to pry into your past, Edward." Her cheeks were tinged with that beautiful pink color as she spoke to me. "I was just worried about you and I knew something had happened. I'm really sorry." She was adorably flustered.
"Silly girl, will you just take my gratitude and stop apologizing! You did nothing wrong. All you did was care about me and you got the ball rolling for my family to become close again. My parents are happy. Alice is happy. And I am actually genuinely happy now as well, and it's all thanks to you."
I pleaded with my eyes for her to believe me and not fight me on it. I was getting lost in her beautiful chocolate eyes when she spoke up again.
"Well, I don't think I did all that, but you are welcome." She giggled and it was so cute. "I'm truly happy for you, Edward. Really." And I believed her. She didn't have a dishonest bone in her body.
I just laughed along with her as I pulled forward to kiss her forehead and wrap her in a hug. I just needed to feel her in my arms and hold her to me. I didn't even realize I had even done it until I felt her mold entirely to my body. It was just like second nature for her to be there with me.
She never objected and when I felt her squeeze me back, I was in heaven. This woman in my arms was pure heaven.
"Well, I hate to break up the moment, but I really do need your help with Mike, Edward." Damn that Pixie! Couldn't she give me a few more moments with Bella before going back into work mode? But if I was honest, a few more minutes with Bella wouldn't be enough.
"Fine," I grunted as I pulled away from my partner. She seemed a little disgruntled as well, but that could have been me just seeing things. I felt Alice brush past us on the path as I looked down at Bella.
"You don't have to do this. You could take it easy this weekend. I can take you home. Only I should really have to suffer the experience known as Alice." I didn't want her to leave, but I didn't want her to push herself, particularly with her injury and she definitely didn't have to deal with Alice.
"Um, I can go if you need me to. But if you don't mind, I'd like to stay. It is helpful for me to be here because I'm still learning too. Besides, Alice is fun and I like being here...with you." She looked at the ground the entire time while she spoke, but I was grateful. If she had looked up she would have seen the gargantuan smile on my face.
I tried to compose it the best that I could, but I know I still had a huge smile. Ah to hell with it!
"Good. I like you being here as well…with me." Our eyes met and the smallest whisper would have knocked me over.
I felt the magnetism that I felt in the airplane once more as I sensed my body moving towards hers. There would be no stopping me now, unless…
"EDWARD! BELLA! COME ON!"
"I'm going to kill her," I gritted out. "Come on. Let's go before she sends a search party."
I took Bella's uninjured hand and led her back down the path to the studio. Once we entered, everything was smooth sailing. Both Mike and Bella were able to pick up a few new techniques and I could tell that Bella was feeling more confident. I hoped this would continue in our one-on-one sessions. We could really have a chance now!
There was a lot of laughter and playful banter that filled the air. I had never felt so light in my life. I was so grateful about how everything was turning out. My family was forgiving me for shutting them. I had a wonderful woman for my dance partner, who I was all but falling for. Everything seemed to be going well for me for once.
The day was winding down and I could see both Mike and Bella were tired, so Alice and I agreed to call it a day. Bella immediately ran up to Alice and gave her a huge hug. It warmed my heart to watch it happen. Mike came to me and I shook his hand, congratulating him on doing a good job today. He thanked me profusely and I could see that he was on his way to really being able to learn from Alice.
When I turned back around to the girls, I saw Bella make her way over to me. She had a sheepish look on her face, so I was wondering what was up.
"Um, Edward, do you think you could take me home?" It was an innocent request but I was curious as to why.
"Are you ok?"
"Yes! I've had a great time today and learned so much, but I haven't seen my father yet and I want to get home to make dinner for him." Duh Edward! I gave myself a virtual smack to the head.
"Of course, Bella. I'd be happy to take you home. I'm sorry to have kept you here so long." I had been so happy to have her with me all afternoon that I forgot her need to be with her own family.
She just smiled and giggled softly as she followed me out of the studio.
"Edward, it's fine. Trust me. I have plenty of time to make him something, but I should get started on whatever that is going to be. Really, I loved spending time with you and Alice today."
"Well, we were happy to have you with us. And I'm sure that anytime you are home, my parents would love to see you back here as well. Don't be a stranger." I winked at her hoping she would get that I would love to see her back here too.
She let out a loud laugh and shoved me slightly. She continued up the path leaving me behind to watch her and I have to admit I enjoyed what I saw. Damn Edward! Get a grip and be a gentleman! I jogged up the path and sent Bella to my car. I told her I would just grab the keys quickly and be right out.
When I entered the house, I could hear Alice and Esme chatting in the kitchen. I could hear water running upstairs and music coming from the living room. This was my home and I was so happy to consider it that way finally.
I ran upstairs to my bedroom to find my keys. I had left them in my jeans pocket from earlier today, so it was fairly easy to locate them. Once I had my keys, I snatched up my wallet and made my way quickly down to the kitchen.
"Edward," my sister called out. "Where's Bella?"
"She's out by the car. I'm taking her home." If you would let me get out the door…
"Why is she out there?!" My mom was scolding me.
"Because I told her I wouldn't be that long because I just had to run up and grab my keys. It would be a shorter wait if you two would stop heckling me!" I teased them both and ran up giving them both a kiss on their cheeks.
"Well, be careful driving," my mom called out after me.
"Yeah! And don't forget to give Bella a hug and a kiss for me! You know you want to kiss her, Edward!" Alice needed to butt out.
My answer was slamming the door shut. I saw Bella jump slightly at the noise. She was leaning up against my car and it was a beautiful sight. The gray light was fading slightly due to the time of day, but it cast a glow to the air and enhanced Bella's beauty. I had to remember to put one foot in front of the other to get to her.
"Did you forget about me?" She asked shyly. I chuckled.
"Never." I watched her cheeks blush and I did a happy dance inside.
"Sorry for the wait." She simply shrugged at me as I unlocked the car and opened her door for her. I made my way quickly to the driver's side and hopped in and started the car.
The drive started off quiet, but it didn't last long.
"Eric told me something earlier today that I'm not sure I am supposed to know." Her voice was low as she continued. "He said that we would all find out on Monday, but he mentioned that you would probably be upset by it." Well, that got me curious.
"Well, you can tell me if you want to. If you are worried, I can find out on Monday." I didn't want to put her in a difficult position, but I wanted to let her know that she could come to me about anything.
"Well, he said that we were going to have another couple join us in the competition. He didn't tell me the celebrity but he said the professional's name was James. Does that mean anything to you?"
I could feel her eyes on my face. Everything that had been going so well was now shot to hell. James would be back in close proximity to me, to Alice and now to Bella. I wasn't mad. I was livid.
"Edward? Are you ok?" Bella's tense voice sounded so far away from me. I needed to calm down so I didn't kill us both with my driving. I could see out of the corner of my eye the death grip Bella had on the center console.
"Edward? Damnit, I knew I shouldn't have told you. I just didn't want you to find out on Monday without any preparation. I really don't know anything about this guy, but Eric said you would probably have this kind of reaction. I'm so stupid!" It didn't even sound like she was talking to me, more to herself. I needed to talk her down and now.
"Bella, please breathe. I'm ok. Thank you for telling me." I was short with my response, but I was still trying to reign in my anger.
"You don't look ok. You look really upset." I was cowering in the corner of my car. Instantly my mood lifted. I couldn't have her afraid of me.
"Hey, I'm ok. Really. That info just caught me off guard. I'm ok now." I reached my hand over to hers and wound my fingers with hers.
"Who is James? If you don't want to tell me, that's ok…but since I'm apparently meeting him on Monday, I'd like some background if you don't mind."
"James is an ass." Blunt, but honest. "He and I were once really close. He actually used to date Alice before Jasper was ever in the picture. I won't go into specifics, but let's just say he hurt Alice pretty badly and our friendship was over immediately." Alice. I wonder if she even knows about James coming back. I'll have to talk to her about it.
I heard Bella gasp and realized she must have assumed the worst.
"No, no. It's not what you think. He violated her trust. Alice found him with another woman and after she confronted him, she came home with black eye and split lip. I flipped out and pretty much went off on him. I wanted to kill him, beating him to a bloody pulp."
That was another dark time in my life, but no one had the right to do that to another human being, especially my sister, especially by someone who was supposed to care for her and be my friend.
"That's awful. Do the studio executives know about this? I can't believe they do if they are bringing him back in close contact with you or Alice."
"No. Alice didn't want it to be made public and this was years ago. Even if they did know, they could present a case that we were all young and naïve back then, yada yada yada." I looked back over at Bella and squeezed her hand in mine.
"Bella, promise me that when we are around James, you are with me at all times. Please. I don't want to see anything happen to you."
"Do you really think he would try something, with all those people around? And I'm not dating him or anything, so he shouldn't come after me anyway. You need to relax."
"Bella, I don't know what he's like anymore and all I know is that I really messed him up the last time I saw him so I could think of why he'd want some revenge."
"But, Alice," she interrupted.
"Alice has Jasper to look out for her. You are someone I care about and James will be able to see that. Please, promise me." I stared directly into her eyes, willing her to believe me.
"Well, I think you are overreacting, but I promise." She squeezed my hand to emphasize her word and I felt myself relax just as we pulled into her driveway.
Her father still wasn't home, at least not that I could tell. Her heap of a truck was still alone in the driveway. That car really was unfortunate looking. I watched Bella get out of my car and I sighed. I hated to see her go. I swiftly shut the car off and hopped out of the car as well.
"What are you doing?" She asked. What was I doing?
"I just…uh, wanting to make sure you got in ok."
"Yes, these twenty feet to the door are treacherous," she laughed out.
"Hey, for you, I think they may be!" I joined in with my laughter and we made our way to the steps and then up to the door.
"You know, Edward, you can come in. If you would like to, you can join us for dinner. I'm sure Charlie won't mind." It was a very tempting offer and I wanted to agree, but I knew I shouldn't. She just spent practically all day with me and she needed time with her dad.
"I would love to, but I really should get back home. You know, spend some quality time with my family that I missed out on, plus I really need to talk to Alice about James." I clenched my fist tightly then released. I needed to stay calm.
"Oh, right. Of course," she sounded disappointed and my heart fluttered. "Please drive carefully, and thank Esme, Carlisle and Alice for everything today," she said while waving her injured hand around.
"Of course." I looked away in shame. I should have been more careful with her. The rest of the day I was meticulous about her hand and we didn't have another occurrence. I guess that was good.
"Well, I'll see you on Monday, Edward."
"Bella, I…" I started to say as I looked up. I was cut off. By her lips.
Her soft mouth was on the corner of mine. She must have been aiming for my cheek and when I looked back to speak, she caught me. Hell, she could have me. It only lasted for a second or two, but it felt like forever, and forever wasn't long enough.
She pulled away, her eyes bright and shocked, her cheeks bright red instead of the pale pink. I was so caught off guard that I couldn't speak. Instead, she did.
"I…um…I didn't…I'm so sorry. Goodbye, Edward." And with that she rushed into her house and shut her door.
Please, dear God, don't let her regret that!
So the story continues. Only a few more chapters of RESPOSTS and edits before the new ones start coming!
