The Letter
Part Two
William Swan had no idea what to get his sister as a gift. He had no doubt she'd work hard to make this Christmas a good one, with their mom being sick and their dad still recovering. His sister said their mom was on the mend, but he wasn't sure what it meant, just that his mom did look a lot better.
His dad couldn't help him find the perfect present since he'd been shot a few times during a robbery at a store back in October. It had been the scariest Halloween he'd ever had, but his sister made it better by coming home. He never expected her to stay for good, but she even said she liked it there better than California.
Hello? Legoland and Disneyland were in California; she had to be lying to him. She barely had any friends—just him, their parents (and they were ancient), and his best friend's mom, Tanya.
He could have tried buying something online for Bella, but he'd need an adult's help and his dad had no idea how to shop on the internet. The year before, they had made something for her and shopped in the city to find other stuff. His dad couldn't drive yet; at least not for a few more weeks, once the cast and boot came off.
How was he supposed to wrap a happy ending? What if he ran out of wrapping paper? He looked over at all the rolls Bella had all over the living room and though there was little chance of that. She was wrapping presents for her internet friends, and she had a lot of them.
They had dinner with their parents earlier. Their mom even made it to the table to sit and eat with them, something she hadn't been able to do in months. There was color in her cheeks again. He couldn't wait until she could read to him, play in the park, or make cookies like they used to do before she got too sick.
"You sure you have enough tape?" William ran his hand through his dark curly hair and sat by his sister. She had a mangled piece of tape on her neck. He helped her take it off and laughed when she playfully hissed at him for pulling her hair.
Bella's eyes darted around the floor, muttering something to herself. "Yes, I have enough tape, not that I know where it is."
William moved a box and some loose paper out of the way and pointed at small tape dispenser. "I knew you would lose it."
Bella grinned, shrugging. She hummed to the music and took a sip of hot cocoa that she left on the coffee table.
"You look happier?" That made little William suspicious. "You're not moving back to Disneyland, are you?"
She rolled her eyes. "I told you, I didn't live in Disneyland, just near it."
"Happiest place on Earth, remember?" William tried to contain his eye roll, unlike his sister. She told it like it was; he, on the other hand, took after his dad, except when he was nervous. That was when he blurted things out by accident. "Anyway, are you moving back there?"
Bella put down the tape and scissors, turning her full attention to her cute little brother. He was the spitting image of their father, brown eyes and matching eyes, and a dimple in his chin. "William, I promised you that I would stay for good. I love it here."
"But all your friends." Did that sound like a whine? William blushed when his sister gave him a look. "Okay, I believe you."
"I told you that a lot of my friends are online. They live pretty much around the world. Those back in California will be getting some gifts, too."
"Did you already wrap my present?" He craned his neck to look over Bella's shoulder at the pile of gifts on her other side.
"Who said you're getting one?" Bella bumped his shoulder, just as her phone vibrated in her pocket, an alert she set up. She checked her phone discreetly, viewing the security camera feed on the screen. The cameras she had recently installed in perfect working order. Edward stood outside, bundled up in a brightly colored scarf and beanie, looking slightly out of place without his powerful suit. After a thorough background check by her godfather, she felt it was safe to send her brother to get the door.
A loud knock caught William's attention.
"Go get the door. That should be Tanya and Jason, she was supposed to help me wrap the presents so I can send them out tomorrow."
"Cool!" William got to his feet, stumbled over a box, but saved himself from hitting the floor.
"Slow down!" Bella held back the snicker, realizing her brother was as clumsy as she used to be. Thankfully, she grew out of it.
He stuck out his tongue at her and ran to the door, hoping Jason would want to play some video games on his old Wii U. He really needed a system upgrade, but his sister said it would have to wait until his birthday in June. He had a feeling she was lying, he overheard her and their parents discussing pitching in together for his gift.
"Hi, Tan—you're not Tanya and Jason." He looked up the stranger that was so tall, it hurt his neck to look. His eyes widened when he spotted the rosy cheeks and pointy ears. "You have pointy ears!" They looked like elf ears! "Who are you?"
Edward adjusted his beanie to hide his ears, then a held a finger to his lips. "Shh, who I am will have to be our secret."
He couldn't be an elf. "But you're so tall!"
"I'm in disguise," the big elf man said and smiled, and William swore he heard a tinkling bell. "Wait, a secret? Why?"
"Let's just say someone large and in charge sent me to help you." Edward pulled out William's letter, winking.
William recognized the Christmas stamp he put on his letter to Santa Claus. "That's my letter," he whispered, looking over his shoulder for a moment. His sister better not come to check on him.
Edward nodded and slipped the letter back into the jacket he wore over a red and white Christmas sweater. "I'm here to help your family get a happy ending."
"My sister needs the happy ending." His brow furrowed, then he shrugged. "But…I guess we can all use a little more happiness." His sister made sure he smiled and laughed every day, at least ten times. He was happy—mostly, he thought, frowning.
Edward cleared his throat, seeing William's sister in the young boy's eyes. "I'm Edward Cullen." He held out his hand. "I live in the house down the street and I need help with decorating it for Christmas."
Edward knew money talked, so the house rental was his for the next few weeks. He even considered staying there while his sister visited. It was much cozier than his place in the city.
"The really big one? That house is awesome." William held out his hand like his mom taught him. He always got candy for being so cute and a gentleman. "I'm William Tiberius Swan, I'm Mom's 'I thought I was meno-stopping' baby."
Edward snorted so loud that it brought William's sister to the door.
"Menopausing, William, and didn't Mom tell you to stop introducing yourself like that?"
William shrugged and grinned innocently. "Dad said it's funny as heck to see people's faces when I say it." He made a face, crossing his eyes and chuckling at his own joke.
Bella ruffled her brother's hair, much to his annoyance.
"Hello, are you the new neighbor everyone is talking about?" Bella smiled at Edward, having spoken to him about his plan when he called after leaving earlier, thanks to the card William included in his letter.
For the last hour, she'd been rather curious to see his attire that would convince William he was Santa's helper, though subtly. Then she caught of glimpse of his bright red sweater with tiny white deer all over it. She tried not to laugh, after seeing him in an expensive suit, she hadn't expected him to wear such a thing. "I'm Bella Swan, and this is my brother, William."
William cleared his throat and tugged on Edward's pant leg. He scratched his ear to hint that he needed to make another adjustment to his beanie. Once Edward did, William exhaled sharply and smiled at his sister. "Edward was just telling me he needed some help decorating at his house, right?"
"Oh, you were looking for help?" Bella knew how to play it up, but a part of her hated to lie.
Edward nodded. "Word on the street is you're the best Christmas decorator around here and make the best cookies."
William may have said that to Jason when she was staying for the holiday once. Jason then told his mom, then she told Lisa down the street, and she told Jane. They asked for her help that same year when Newton's dog ate all the baked goods to raise money for the toy drive. With his sister's help, they managed to make them all again in time for the annual bake sale. Now everyone called Bella a Christmas angel. It was really weird, but cool at the same time.
Edward held out his hand to properly introduce himself, but he kept staring at Bella like she was pretty. William had seen that look on some men around town whenever they visited the stores downtown. Most were too old for her, others too young, but Edward seemed just right.
William's shoulders slumped when he remembered that Edward lived in the North Pole.
If Bella found out where Edward was really from, she'd know Edward was there to help William. That wouldn't be good, and that made him nervous.
"Can you help me find a present for my sister?" William blurted out loud. His eyes widened, realizing he'd given himself away. "I mean, make Bella's present?" Nice save.
"If it's all right with your sister, I'll be happy to help." Edward shivered a little; the wind had picked up.
Bella made a sound and asked Edward to come in, apologizing for keeping him out there for so long. They all made their way into the kitchen after he admired the Christmas tree for some hot cocoa and cookies.
"What exactly did you need help with?" Bella asked, placing Edward's cup on the table. "Give me a second, let me grab a notebook and pen."
The moment Bella was gone, Edward and William conspired to give his sister a storybook ending.
.
.
.
About an hour later, Bella turned off the light in the hallway, sighing as she bent down to remove Will's shoes from his feet. The poor kid was tired from all the scheming, which reminded her that she had to stop by and see Tanya the next morning, still dark and early. Not to mention, she had to call her friend and client, Alice.
She was on to the little elf.
Did she really think she wouldn't recognize him from the photos of her little brother she shared on Facebook? She even mentioned in a comment that he was cute. Even though the pictures hadn't been recent ones, there was no mistaking his sharp jaw and jade eyes.
She had to figure out if it was some matchmaking scheme set up between Tanya and Alice, who happened to know each other thanks to her. It would mean someone was helping them at the office. Or was all of this simply a coincidence?
She started to clean up the living room when there was a knock on her door. Already aware of who it was, she looked in a nearby mirror, fluffed her hair, smiled to check her teeth, and even smelled under her arms. She had a busy day and nothing made a man run faster than stinky breath and pits. Well, other than mentioning meeting her parents—that was how she lost the last two boyfriends.
"Hello," Edward said with a shy smile. "Are you sure he's asleep?"
"Yes, come on in, I was about to grab a beer." She headed toward the kitchen, positive he was following. She felt the heat of his gaze. "Would you like one? If not, there are a few other choices."
"I'll take a beer." He looked at the pictures on the refrigerator, most of her and William. She also had dry erase board with her menu plan and a matching calendar, marked up with various appointments. On one corner was a drawing of a man with matted dark blond hair, a sneer on his lips and haunted eyes. She watched Bella move about the kitchen, setting up a snack tray and their drinks, with a gun on her hip. "Will you tell me now about the threat?"
Edward calculated the cost to have someone watching over them until the threat was neutralized, then he remembered the unmarked car across the street, and another at the beginning of the road. She already had taken care of it, smart.
"My father was off duty while he went to pick up some milk. That man was the one who shot him and got away. There had been a string of armed robberies, all resulting in someone being seriously injured. Any useful video surveillance has gone or been erased. Ballistics say the slug pulled out of my father's leg matches the others. My father is the only person who can positively ID him."
Bella had her back turned away from him, but Edward noticed the tension in her shoulders and the great care she took to rein in her emotions. Seconds ticked by, slow and steady, until she relaxed and offered him a smile. Something on his face made it fall. "My brother was with him."
Edward's heart raced, his hands shaking at the thought of that sweet boy anywhere near a situation like that. He'd been fifteen when he witnessed his sister's mugging gone horribly wrong; he couldn't imagine being younger.
"I was fifteen. My sister dragged me to one of my favorite plays, along with my niece. We went to grab a hot chocolate before heading to the car. She had let me drive on the way there, as I had just gotten my driver's permit." He cleared his throat, his memories fighting their way to the surface. "She was carrying my niece, while I held onto our drinks. I should've noticed, but the light in the parking garage had gone out, he came out of nowhere."
"Edward," she whispered, grabbing a hold of his arm, much like his sister had that night. He didn't really hear her, only his sister's voice, ordering him to take Elizabeth and get behind her. "We gave him everything we had on us, money, credit cards, Kate's wedding ring, but it wasn't enough. He wanted Lizzy's necklace. The one I gave her. She wouldn't let it go, started crying and screaming when he reached for it."
"Oh God." Bella's hand tightened around his, and he wondered briefly when she'd taken a hold of him.
"He lost it. After it all, the police said he'd been high on something." Edward cleared his throat, unable to grasp the fact that he was telling Bella all of this. "He just started shooting, Kate was gone first, a bullet went through me, hitting Liz." He sniffed, embarrassed by the tears in his eyes. "He shot himself after he realized what he'd done."
Edward was surprised to find himself in a different room, having unconsciously followed Bella into some kind of office. There were watches of color in every shade covering one wall, while the rest was neat and orderly, other than one table that had crafting materials dripping from it. He looked at Bella, finding her not pitying him, but understanding in a way he'd rarely seen. Not one of his family members really understood.
"It's been a long time since you've told anyone, hasn't it?" Bella asked, still holding his hand in hers on her lap.
"Not since my mom insisted I see a therapist shortly after it happened." He attempted a smile, one that she matched. "How did you get me to open up like that?"
Bella fluffed her hair, shrugging a shoulder. "It's a gift. One look at me and people know I'll listen. Not to offer advice or to judge, just to truly listen."
Edward cocked an eyebrow. "You offered advice earlier, about my father."
Bella laughed. "True, but after almost losing mine, I had to say something."
"Understandable. My father is so stubborn, though, Bella."
"Well, if you have a difficult time being in that city because of what happened, maybe he has a hard time leaving because of it, too." She looked at him, touching his jaw with soft, gentle fingers. "She was his first child, right?"
"I never thought of it like that. He hasn't traveled out of Chicago for longer than a day in years." How had he not realized it? "I feel rather stupid right now."
"The holidays are around the corner," Bella said, releasing his hand and grabbing her bottle of beer for a drink. "Don't let a perfect opportunity pass you by."
"I'll think about it. Now, for the real reason I came back tonight." He needed her to make time for him for the next few days, possibly more.
Bella sat back to watch him. "I never had a kink for elves. Legolas did little for me." She winked, when Edward's hands shot up to the ears he'd made on the fly after a quick YouTube tutorial. "Okay, that's a total lie. He's so hot, but you look hotter."
"I thought it would make this charade more believable." He left them on, though a part of him wanted to remove them. For the moment he ignored her "hot" comment, he'd address it later, possibly over dinner. "I feel guilty about lying to him."
"As we should, me most of all. Here he's trying hard to make sure I'm happy when it turns out he misunderstood what he overheard." Bella's thumb skimmed over her bottle's opening, catching Edward's attention. She smirked to herself. "I just realized we have a problem."
"What's that?" Edward had to clear his throat. There was something stirring inside him beside the potent thread of desire. Comfort—something he hadn't felt in years.
"What if I wanted to remain friends after this? How are we supposed to explain your presence in my life to Will?"
Edward rubbed the back of his head, hiding the hint of a smile on his lips. "Friends?"
She playfully shoved his shoulder, making him laugh. Another first from someone other than family. "Be serious for one moment, please."
Edward turned away to gather himself, too absorbed in her. She looked inviting, soft, friendly, and so much more. "If you want to continue our friendship, then we'll have to either come clean or find another reason why I'd remain."
"Edward?"
His breath caught when the tips of her fingers on his chin gently nudged him to look at her. "What is it?" he asked due to the look of concern on her lovely face.
"No one other than family sees this side of you, do they?"
Edward shook his head. "My employees think I pay for dates."
"Whoa! What?" Bella rolled her eyes. "I hate office gossip and politics. That's one of the major reasons I chose to be my own boss." She made a fist, pounding it on her thigh. "I was in one of those nine to five jobs, and seriously, I couldn't look at a co-worker working there without somehow being romantically involved with him or her by the following day, according to Amanda in accounting."
"What exactly do you do, other than photography?"
Bella blushed, shrugged. "At first, right out of high school, I thought about being a cop. That didn't work out. My father constantly complained about political agendas and red tape that hindered investigations. I loved reading and writing, so I thought I'll get a degree in English."
"Which everyone knows is hard to get a job that allows you to use that degree."
Bella grabbed his hand and squeezed due to her excitement. "Potential employers actually sneered at me when they saw that on my resume and application. It didn't matter one bit that I graduated at the top of my class."
"Their loss, but obviously, you do well with your photography. This neighborhood is quite nice." Edward had only an hour to check out his house rental that came fully furnished. It was spacious, the yard much more inviting than his condo in the city. He might have to place a call to his real estate agent in the morning.
"Photography is only one of the things I do. And you're right, this area is nice, people are great. Not too far from the city, everything you can need within a few miles. I love it, but it's close to nature, which I missed down in California. The beach was close by, but it was a chore with traffic and the sheer number of people who happened to have the same idea as me."
Edward nodded, noting the time. "I probably should head back, unpack my bag. Make sure I can reschedule a few things for work to free up some time."
Her eyes narrowed. "We've been sort of all over the place tonight, sorry. I tend to get off track easily."
Edward knew she had purposely led the conversation away from her happiness, something else he'd address at a later date. "I don't mind." Edward squeezed her hand. "Since I met you, there's this need to know everything about you and your family."
"Same here."
They smiled at each other, kind of goofily, something they noticed at the same time, laughing.
Bella's nipples chose that moment to say hello, because Edward had a great laugh. A bit deep, husky, and his smile met the corners of his eyes. She tried to cover them by folding her arms over her chest. "I know we're going shopping tomorrow for holiday decorations, but what exactly did my brother say you two should do to give me a Disney version of a happy ending?"
Edward suddenly rose to his feet, his eyes returning to her chest more than once. Get a grip, he told himself. "Something that would take a little longer than a couple of days, hence my renting the house. He wants it to be a surprise, so for now, it's between me and him, but I think this will be good."
Bella rose to her feet, leading the way back to the foyer. At the front door, she watched him pull on his jacket. "Good for who?"
Edward turned to face her, unable to curb the need to touch her. His fingers brushed along her cheek. They both them felt the exact moment an unbreakable tie between them formed, leaving them breathless. "I hope for all of us."
Bella closed the door once Edward waved from his car. She locked up and set up her security system, checking in with her father, and decided it was time to call in a favor.
A huge one.
"Hey, Alice."
"I swear on my favorite pair of Louboutin's that I had nothing to do with this!" Alice exhaled sharply, sighing, expecting her call.
Bella still wasn't sure. Alice could charm a snake, scheme with the best of them. "Would you swear that on your entire shoe collection?"
Alice replied instantly. "Yes!"
"Good, because then I'd have to kick your ass. I told you no meddling in my love life anymore, especially after last year."
"I told you, I thought that dating website was legit!" Alice grumbled. "How was I supposed to know it was a site to connect Doms with subs? But I get it, I did sign you up without your permission, which was wrong. I learned my lesson."
"So obviously, you know what's going on." Bella listened as Alice gave her end of the same story Edward told her. "You need to come down for Christmas, Alice. He's craving this kind of interaction. From what little time we've spent together, I can tell you, he misses you all so much."
"It would mean my father would spend Christmas alone." Meaning Edward's mother would come for a visit, too, but she'd worry too much about him while she was there.
"Let's set up a FaceTime between your father and me." Alice remained so quiet, Bella thought she had hung up. "Ali?"
"Do you think you can convince him to come down?"
"Have I ever failed, my dear?" Bella laughed, remembering when she talked Alice out of making some really bad decisions at the beginning of their online friendship, when they were both writing fanfiction.
"He's going to be tough. His skull is thicker than Edward's."
Bella smiled, shaking her head. "Edward wasn't that bad at all today, Alice. Tell me what he's like at work."
They talked for another hour, making it a late night for them both. Bella went to bed after one last look around the perimeter of her and her parents' house. Her phone chimed with an incoming text message.
Is it appropriate to tell you, sweat dreams? – Edward
Bella had to reread it, but just as she was about to reply another from him came in.
Please strike my last text from your memory, please. I meant sweet dreams. – Edward
Bella giggled, a sound she'd rarely made since she was a teenager. She typed a message, just to make it clear to Edward how she hoped things would grow between them.
Wishing me sweaty dreams might be too soon, we just met ;)
His reply was instant. You're killing me. - Edward
Bella laughed. I assure you, in my dreams, I won't be.
*Groans* - Edward
She wanted so badly to call him, but she had to wake up early to get some posts done before she met up with Edward.
Sweet dreams, Bella. - Edward
AN: Did I say two parts? It was a lie, I apologize, my characters took complete control, plus I couldn't resist a little background. I'll be working on another WIP tomorrow, but go right back to this right after. I'm on a roll, yay! What do you think of little William? He reminds me of my nephew that will always repeat whatever his father tells him to say, and often laughs at himself, like he's the funniest thing ever.
