BPOV
I can't help but watch Edward while he gets dressed.
His clothes fit him like a second skin.
I can't help but wonder how many people at work he distracts with his body.
I'm pulling my sweatpants on, but again get distracted by him.
I get why he was a player in his youth. He was sharing his peen for the greater good of humanity.
I look up to see he is watching me.
"What?" I ask with a laugh.
"I felt your eyes on me," he accuses.
I stand to grab a bra from my drawer.
He wraps his arms around me pulling me into him.
"What are you thinking?" he murmurs in my ear.
"I'm thinking I'm cold," I tell him with a shiver.
"I can keep you warm," he promises against my neck.
I close my eyes.
We spent mid-morning and all afternoon holed up in my room. Edward confessed that he rarely misses work but he enjoyed spending his day with me.
I wanted to argue with him that he only enjoyed our day because we spent it in this fuck bubble we created. We went at it for three rounds, I fucked him in my bed, then he fucked me from behind while I used my window sill as leverage, and then he fucked me again after dumping all of my clothes from my chair to the floor and I rode him reverse cowgirl.
He wore me out.
I turn in his arms, lightly pushing on his chest. "So can my hoodie," I tell him while I wiggle out of his hold.
I get my bra on and grab my discarded hoodie from my pile pulling it on over my head. I grab a rubber band from my nightstand and pull my hair up into a messy bun.
"Will you be staying over tonight?" he asks hesitantly.
"I think I need to come back here," I tell him honestly.
He's about to turn Hadley's world upside down again and as much as I'd like to sleep in his bed her feelings needed to take priority. Edward had said she slept in his bed last night and if she wanted to do that again tonight I wouldn't take that option away from her.
Learning what I did about Rosalie made me even more aware of what I was getting myself into. My mother just didn't want me, so my experience with her was a different kind of battle. Hadley's mother was present but battled demons I would never understand, for Hadley, she may question why Rose kept choosing the drugs over her.
"I'm not saying I'll never sleep over, but Hadley needs her dad and I don't want us to rush into all of this. She can know we are dating but maybe we need to ease her into the idea of us," I explain hoping he understands.
He leans down and cups my face as he kisses me.
"You ready?" he asks after he pulls back.
I nod, grabbing my coat.
We walk over to Edward's place hand in hand when I see Alice smoking on her stoop.
"Shit," Edward says under his breath. "Hey Al, I'm sorry I forgot to text you—"
"My kiddie-watching services are not needed?" she finishes with a grin eyeing both of our hands.
"Sorry," he says.
"No problem, Ed," she says, waving him off. "You two make things official?"
I feel my face heat.
Edward shrugs with a smile.
I look down the street and see Irina watching us.
"Later, Ali," he says to Alice as he wraps his arm around my shoulders tugging me into him.
Not even an hour ago this man was pounding into me and now I turn demure at the most innocent of gestures.
Maybe it's awkward for me because I know he has slept with Irina and she knows his secret. Edward is the Sex God of Brooklyn.
He stands us off to the side so we're on the fringes of all the social groups.
A crisp fall breeze blows past us and I turn into him, his arms encircle me rubbing my back. I can see the bus coming from down the street.
I'm about to pull away when the bus pulls up but Edward holds me in place.
Hadley is the fourth kid to get off. She looks surprised but makes her way to us. Edward crouches down to hug her and she holds onto him for dear life.
My heart hurts for her and suddenly I feel as though I don't belong here.
He lets her go to stand and the next thing I know she is wrapping her arms around me. I hold her tight remembering everything that Edward told me about last night. I think about how scared she must have been.
I kiss the top of her head.
"Why aren't you at work?" Hadley asks Edward when he takes her hand in his.
"I needed to handle a few things today," he says vaguely.
"Did your talk not go well with Mom?" she asks nervously.
I'm on the other side of her and instinctually wrap my arm around her shoulders. She looks up at me with a defeated look.
My eyes move to Edward and he gives me a sad smile.
"Let's get in the house and have a snack," he suggests.
I watch Hadley while she takes her shoes off and puts her jacket on the hook. She's quiet and not looking at either of us.
Edward's fingers brush the back of my neck once he passes me to head into the kitchen.
He holds out one of his boujee waters to me.
Hadley is getting her water and snack situated from her seat at the kitchen island.
I take a seat beside her on the side closest to the door in case I need to leave if they need a moment alone. Edward sits on her other side turning so he's facing her.
"It's bad isn't it?" Hadley asks quietly.
Edward sighs, running a hand up and down her back.
"When I went to your Mom's this morning I learned that she's not doing well," he explains carefully.
"She's sick?"
"In a way," he tells her.
Edward is so careful with his words, the way he is with her really does make him even more endearing.
"We've talked about drugs and why they're bad before—"
"Like alcohol is an adult drink," she interrupts, looking cautiously between the two of us. "Adults sometimes have problems with it. Like Hemingway being a drunk."
I nod in agreement.
"Exactly," he says through a gusted breath. "Your mom has a problem with drugs"
"There are different kinds of drugs, right?" she asks, trying desperately to understand.
I remember when Charlie ran the D.A.R.E. Program when I was in elementary school it was starting to go out the door by then, but I knew all about just saying no. Which I did until I got baked under the bleachers with Jake in tenth grade.
"There are but your mom needs help, she has to go away to get that help—"
"I can't see her," she says, cutting Edward off again.
He nods slowly.
Hadley looks so concerned that it breaks my heart.
"Is she going to jail?"
Edward's eyes widen and he shakes his head vehemently.
"No baby, she's not going to jail. Uncle Carlisle is taking her to a facility that's like a hospital. Doctors will be there to help her," he explains.
She looks at me.
"Remember how I told you my dad is Chief of Police back home?" I ask her.
She nods.
"He would come in and teach us about drugs in school, addiction is a sickness so these doctors can help her so she can come back home to you," I add hoping that my input is helpful.
"Do I have to go back to court to talk to the judge?" she asks Edward.
"Because your mom has to go away, we don't have to see the judge. I now have full custody while your mom is away," he tells her. "I know that this is scary and that you're worried about your mom, but she'll be able to get the help she needs so she can be a better mom to you."
"What about Royce?"
"What do you mean, Had?" he asks, leaning forward a little to meet her gaze.
"He'd give mom stuff," she whispers. "She'd go into the bathroom—"
"Did you see her use what Royce would give her?" Edward asks, his jaw tensing.
How could Rose be so stupid?
Hadley looks unsure.
I run my hand along her back.
"He's not mad," I murmur to her. "It's okay to tell him."
"One night she didn't close the door all the way and I saw her sniff this white powder. She didn't see me—"
Edward pulled her over onto his lap squeezing her to him.
I could see how upset he was, like he had failed her.
I start to get up to give them both a moment but Edward's hand reaches out to stop me.
"Stay, please," he mouths.
I put my hand over his hand holding me in place.
"Are you mad?" she mumbles against him.
"No Baby, I'm not mad," he says softly against her head.
It's a lie because I see the fury in his eyes.
I look away feeling overwhelmed for Hadley. She saw what Rose did but didn't know that it was something that she shouldn't have witnessed.
Edward squeezes my arm and I brush away a tear that has fallen.
I try to follow his lead and keep my emotions in check too.
If I wanted any kind of future with him I needed to be able to navigate these situations with Hadley alongside him.
Christ, where did that come from?
We just started dating but I knew that Hadley is his world, why Rose couldn't make her a priority like he did baffled me.
Hadley pulls away and he brushes her tears away, careful not to knock into her glasses.
"Hey, want to watch Housewives?" I ask her randomly.
I get a small giggle out of her.
"Your dad can get us dinner and we can veg out in front of the TV once it gets here," I offer.
Edward gives me a gentle smile.
I take her hand in mine helping her off her chair and she follows me into the living room. She wipes at her tears as she slowly calms down.
I take everything at her pace.
I sit on the couch first, she sits close to me. If I learned anything about Hadley last week it's that she's a cuddler.
However, she's hesitant which is understandable given the circumstances.
I turn on the television and put it on Bravo.
I can feel her eyes on me while I act nonchalant.
I was younger than Hadley when Renee left so I only know how I dealt with that abandonment. Renee was selfish and chose herself over me and her marriage. Rose, I now realize, is sick but in a way still selfish chasing the high instead of her daughter.
"Bella?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'll see my mom again?"
I let out a breath.
"Your mom is going to a place filled with doctors, depending on her treatment program she'll probably be staying for a few months. A lot of those places have visitation—"
"So Dad can take me to see her?" she asks hopefully.
I bite my lip knowing that isn't something I can promise.
"You can ask him," I offer instead.
I watch her scoot closer to me and instinctually wrap my arm around her. Her body sags against mine in relief.
Edward walks in and his own face softens at the sight of us.
"I placed quite a large sushi order on UberEats," he declares.
"That sounds promising," I tell him.
"Yeah, well, I know how much food you can consume," he teases, kissing my forehead. "I'm going to grab a shower and change my clothes."
"Okay," I agree.
He leaves us to hurry to his room.
"Bella?"
"Yes, Miss?"
"My dad really likes you," she tells me.
"I really like your dad too," I admit.
It scares me how easily my admission comes out of my mouth.
I turn my eyes back to the television and try to focus on Kathy Hilton's alleged meltdown in Aspen, but all I can think about is Edward, Hadley, and where I fit in, in all of this.
A buzz sounds from the intercom and I see Edward moving past the living room to ask who it is. The Uber Driver announces himself and Edward buzzes him in, opens the door to thank him, and grabs the food.
I move to help him get some plates but he waves me off when he sets the food out on the coffee table.
"Your dad is such a gentleman," I say leaning forward to take a bite of what looks to be a lobster roll.
"I knew you'd go right for that one," Edward says while startling me with the plates in hand.
I chew a mouthful and watch him fix Hadley's plate for her.
He got her a California and Boston roll.
"What's that," I ask after I swallow.
"Eel," he says, putting it into his mouth.
I cringe.
He gives me some of the lobster roll and one with shrimp tempura and cream cheese in it, but he specifically got sashimi for himself.
Eel and octopus.
Blah.
"Don't be jealous that I have a sophisticated palate," he tells me from his seat on the floor.
I only roll my eyes scarfing down the rest of my food.
Hadley quietly watches us.
"Your eating habits are going to scar her, Bell," he teases once I finish eating.
I look at Hadley and see her daintily eating her food.
"Do as I say, not as I do," I advise.
Edward barks out a laugh.
The rest of the evening goes by fast with tons of teasing going on between me and Edward. Hadley giggles a few times halfheartedly at our banter.
I really hope Rose and her behavior doesn't dampen her spirit for long.
Edward announces it's bedtime for her and she's giving me a hug good night before she goes to get ready for bed.
"She was asking if she could visit Rose," I tell him.
He nods.
"What did you say?" he asks.
"I encouraged her to ask you about it," I say.
"Thank you for that and for being here with me, Bell," He says sincerely. "I know all of this is probably the furthest thing you'd want to get involved in—"
"I chose to be here for Hadley and for you. None of this can be easy for either of you," I say honestly.
He leans down, pressing a kiss to my lips.
I cup his face when I pull away and make a face.
"Ew, octopus breath."
He laughs before leaving to check on Hadley.
I have no clue how to navigate through any of this but I know I need to be here for both of them.