The Letter
Part Nine
Edward knew something bothered Bella, considering she'd hardly said a word since he showed her parents to one of the guest rooms. Her friends, Tanya and her husband, Alec—not to be confused by Bella's attacker—helped them make the move to his house.
While Bella's friend seemed loud and friendly, she also didn't appear to have any boundaries. Then again, if it hadn't been for her help, Will would've never sent the letter Edward mistakenly received. He considered buying her a car, though she didn't seem the type to need anything. Alec gave as good as he got, but he still doted on his wife and child.
"I'm just glad you're okay." Tanya drank deeply from her glass of wine, her husband watching her with growing concern. "An asshole going after family members of the police officer who arrested his delinquent brother deserves what's coming to him."
"He was doing well, but then he wanted to bail his brother out of trouble." Bella looked over to the living room where Will and Tanya's boy watched television. "Sometimes we do stupid shit to protect our loved ones."
Tanya nodded. "I get that, I'm not heartless." She waved her hands around, and Edward realized where Bella had picked up the habit of talking the same way. "What I am saying, if he wants to save his brother, he will serve his sentence as he should and plead guilty."
Charlie hummed, dipping a tortilla chip in some queso dip Bella and Edward threw together. "That might be a good suggestion, Tanya. Alec had straightened out his life but made another mistake tonight. The kid who shot me was more scared than anything else. Don't get me wrong, he needs to be behind bars, but not forever."
Edward hadn't said a word. Would he see it differently if the situation with the man that killed his sister and niece had only injured them? No doubt their killer felt guilt after realizing what he'd done that night, having shot himself.
Yet, Edward wasn't sure he'd feel remorseful, but he could forgive. Maybe.
"Edward, may I have a word?" Bella gestured toward the master bedroom.
"Of course." He followed her, keeping the door ajar. Despite there being too many people in the house, he didn't trust himself to keep his hands off her if they were alone. He wanted to kiss her again; wouldn't mind more, too. His eyes landed on the bag Bella had placed on the bed earlier, sort of lost in the fact she intended to share his room. He didn't mind, but it made time slow to a damn crawl. The idea of some time alone with her appealed to him, and not just in a sexual way. "Do you need anything? Whatever it is, I'll be happy to provide it." He pulled out his phone, trying to decide if he should invite his nephew down to help.
"Your family is on the way."
Edward shook his head. "Excuse me? It sounded like you said my family was on the way."
She stood a little taller, her eyes meeting his for the first time since entering the room. "I did." Her hands wrapped around his, noticing the slight tremble in them.
"When you say, family…" He almost didn't want to ask, afraid of having even an ounce of hope.
"The entire family."
Edward pulled away, grasping his hair and loosening his collar. "How? Why? Now?"
The last word had a hint of fear and anger, and Bella couldn't fault him in that. A dangerous situation had arisen and continued to be a sword over their heads until James was caught.
He looked desperate to run, as if he wasn't ready to face the possibilities. Instead, he allowed his body to still, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths. "I'm sorry for yelling, but I'm wondering what the hell you've said to my father to get him to come here, to me." His eyes opened and met hers, and she could see it was taking every ounce of control to keep himself composed.
"I told him you needed your family." Bella covered her mouth and looked up, to keep her tears at bay. "My family has been through a lot, but we got through it relatively intact because we have each other."
"I can see that, considering your mother's battle with cancer, your father being shot, and after what happened tonight, I can see that you're going to be okay. What does that have to do with me? With my situation?"
Bella grasped his face, keeping her touch tender, and hoped her eyes reflected the same. "Honey, you've been hiding behind what happened for years. Other than family, those that come to you, you hardly open yourself to anyone. Look how far you've been willing to come to get what you need. You took a stranger's letter and promised to help him make his truest wish come true. You dressed up as an elf to play up this charade, in the ugliest sweater I'd ever seen, with elf ears! You're willing to do all that not only to see your family but because you recognized what Will needed. A friend."
"You got all that from only knowing me for such a short time. How do you do it? How do you remain so optimistic in the face of so much turmoil?"
"I don't know, but I know I love with my whole heart. I guess I'm just looking for someone to love me the same way."
Edward smiled, his hands coming up to cradle her face. "Your family and friends love you like that, Bella. Don't ever doubt that for a second."
"I know, but they're family. I want someone to come home to, to share the good and bad, who won't tell me everything will be okay, but hold me through the worst of it, and if everything is good, wants to hold me anyway." She rolled her eyes, her hands shifting from his slightly scruffy jaw to his shoulders. "They'll be here in a few hours."
Edward exhaled sharply, his thumbs brushing along her cheeks. "Okay, so how are we supposed to accommodate your parents, Will and my entire family in one house." He kissed her soft lips, a brief but sweet one that spoke volumes to Bella. It was the kind of kiss that said, there would be many more to come.
"Edward…"
"Yes, Bella."
"Did you buy tights to go with your elf costume?" She smirked when his regular ears turned bright red. "Never mind. Anyway, Tanya and her family are leaving to visit with family tomorrow evening, they're allowing me to use it. Some associates of my uncle will be watching the area until James is apprehended."
"You thought of everything didn't you?" He pulled her into his arms, making her laugh at the tight squeeze.
"No, unfortunately, I forgot condoms."
Edward groaned, his forehead dropping to her shoulder. His lips skimmed along her neck, kissing her softly scented skin over her pulse. "Did I tell you I was a boy scout in my youth?"
Bella nearly whimpered at the huskiness in his voice. "What is one of their mottos? Uh…" It was hard to concentrate when the man was doing indecent things to her neck and ear. She had no idea the area as so sensitive. "Ready for all situations or something like that."
"Precisely," he murmured, his lips slowly making their way to hers.
A voice cleared in the doorway, ending their kiss. "Hey, Mom," Bella put on a smile and tried to keep her voice at a moderate level.
Edward snickered but had to turn away to give himself a moment. "Is there something you need, Mrs. Swan?" His charming smile made Renee Swan blush and giggle.
"You two want to tell me why Will thinks you're an elf that will likely have to go away forever when you give Bella a happy ending." She crossed over her chest, her expression stern and a touch concerned. "Though I'm wondering just what kind of happy ending."
Bella ran past her mother and closed the door, blurting out everything that happened and how it all started with a letter. Renee kept her features neutral, hummed and hawed as she listened.
"Well, what should we tell him?" Bella worried her lip and slipped her hand into Edward's and breathed a sigh of relief when he intertwined their fingers.
"First of all, Edward, are you being completely honest with us? Did William's letter arrive on your desk by accident?"
Bella and Edward shared a look. "Yes, Mrs. Swan."
"And you two decided to let Will have this wish and cooked up this story to make it happen?"
"Yes, Mom." Bella could only shrug, feeling like a teenage girl facing an interrogation. Charlie Swan had nothing on his wife. It seemed the same woman that raised her to be the strong, independent woman she was, was back with a vengeance. Cancer hadn't diminished her vibrant spirit.
"Despite knowing the happy endings you spoke of were completely different than what Will is thinking?"
Bella slapped her forehead. "Oh God, the more you repeat all of it, the more ridiculous it sounds."
Suddenly, Renee Swan started to chuckle, then great, big belly laughs that spread to the Edward and Bella. "This sounds like a plot to a Hallmark holiday movie but rated R instead." She threw her head back and laughed some more. "Or should I say NC-17, I don't even know the rating system. I can't wait to share this in group."
"Mom!" Bella tugged on Edward's hand. "She's not going to help at all. We better come up with a plan."
"Happy endings," Renee whispered as she followed them back into the living room. "Everyone else is down in the media room. Did you know there's a couple of sofa beds down there? I think your dad, brother, and I will take that space. There's a full bathroom nearby, a mini-fridge, and even a microwave. Besides, I think this nasty business with James will be resolved soon."
"I hope so, Mom." Bella hugged her mother, standing back when Edward did the same.
"I want you all to be safe." Edward held Renee's hand for a moment. "I called a friend in security. If we need more, they'll be available."
Renee patted Edward's shoulder and smiled up at him. "That's good to know. We shouldn't take any risks. We need to come up with a massive grocery list if we're all going to be staying here." She turned to her daughter. "Come up with something for Will's sake, I'd like to keep him believing for a bit longer. Also be prepared to tell him the truth, minus the kind of 'happy endings' you were talking about. He's smarter than we think."
Renee left them with a little skip in her step and hum on her lips. Things were looking up.
Edward groaned when Bella leaned against him. "What are we going to say to him?"
"Not sure, maybe explain that Santa uses humans and makes them elves, but only during this time of the year." Bella winced and sighed. "My nickname as a Christmas Angel is going to go down in flames of Will stop believing this year because of all of this."
His arms wrapped around her and they looked out of his window, rain coming down softly, the neighborhood lit up with holiday lights. "We'll figure it out, Bella. I promise we'll figure out how to do it together."
.
.
.
Will tiptoed into the living room, hoping to find any of his gifts. He had a feeling his sister hid them with Edward. Once he reached the area, he found Edward and Bella hugging in the living room. Like the kind of hugs he'd seen Alec give to Tanya or his parents.
Did that mean Edward could stay? If they fell in love, which he thought was sort of gross, it would mean Edward wouldn't have to go away. It was the ultimate happy ending for his sister, and not just for her, but Edward, too.
He knew exactly what he had to do, plan and strategize, and for that, he needed the best people to help him. All he had to do was get Tanya and his mom in one room and start thinking of ideas for his Happy Endings for All plan. He clapped his hands loudly, startling Edward and Bella out of their bubble.
"How long have you been standing there?" Bella looked at Edward and then smiled back at Will.
"Not too long, just wanted to see if there's any microwave popcorn up here." Will tried to look at his sister's eyes, exhaling sharply when both Edward and Bella went to look for some in the pantry. They kept holding hands; his plan could be so easy.
Will cackled, rubbing his hands. "I love when a plan comes together."
AN: I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was about 9 but never stopped believing in the magic of the holidays. No matter how bad things can be during this time of year, there's usually something that lifts our spirits. Sorry for the delay for a few updates, REAL LIFE is not good right now, and we could use a little miracle. Currently suffering a major toothache, add my husband laid up for likely a week or two (self-employment sucks), yeah, it hasn't been an easy week. Hopefully, I can get back into the swing of things soon. Thanks for your continued support and reading!
