A/N: Thank you so much for everyone's love and support. I truly can't believe I hit 600 reviews, this community is incredible!
Y'all don't know how much this means to me:)
Special thank you to Mel Cee, she's my beta and such a wonderful friend. I'm lucky to have her! Fiddling was had~all mistakes are my own.
Please let me know your thoughts. I love hearing them:)
I don't own Twilight-just my plot;)
Alice took care of Bella for the rest of the night, and even though she had to be at work the following day, she still stayed up with Bella. She listened to anything she had to say and just let her cry, never judging her or giving her false words of hope. Alice didn't always know the right things to say, but she understood as well as anyone how important a friendly presence was in your darkest moments. She wished she'd had someone there for her during her own.
The next morning, bleary-eyed but freshly showered and all cried out, Bella channeled her sadness into her art. Drawing had always been an outlet for her emotions, a way for her to get her feelings out when words failed her. With a sketchbook in hand, she sat cross-legged on her bed, and her pencil flew across the page, long dark lines filling the space. As the picture came together, she realized she wasn't drawing one of her regular muses, but instead she'd drawn her mama. Or what little she remembered of her. The eyes staring up at her from the page reflected the melancholy in Bella's heart.
Being in New York, where her parents were from, always made her wonder what they were like and what they would have thought of her choices in life thus far. Would they be proud of her? Her life would have been totally different if they were alive. She never had a mother to lean on, and she certainly never had a positive male influence in her life. Bella couldn't even remember what her father looked like, let alone Jake.
But life wasn't so kind. Fairy tales were just make-believe, stories where nothing bad ever happened and good always won out over evil, where hurt didn't exist, and everyone got their happily ever after. No, fairy-tale endings weren't reality, so you had to make the best of the cards you were dealt. Bella was thankful for Alice stepping in and taking on the role of family, but Bella couldn't help but be a tad wistful as she thought about the family she'd once had with the closest thing to a real-life Prince Charming in the form of a certain green-eyed boy. Getting lost in her memories, she set her drawing materials down and lay on her side, fresh tears springing to her eyes until she fell asleep.
When Alice finished her shift at the restaurant, she brought food home to Bella and suggested they watch a movie. Bella appreciated that Alice was trying to cheer her up, but she needed time alone so after they ate, she turned in early. She tossed and turned in bed, letting the nightmares of a life that could have been taken over.
The next morning, Bella sorted through sheets and sheets of artwork. It was scattered all over her tiny room. There were drawings pinned to the walls and on her easel. The one thing she was good at was her art.
Just recently, she had gotten more tables at the restaurant, and subsequently more tips, so Bella had tried her hand at watercolors.
Fucking art supplies were expensive. They were even more expensive when nobody purchased said art. And even more so, when you were now unemployed.
Bella resisted the urge to cry. She'd done enough of that over the past two days. No, she willed herself to get up off the floor. Choosing a few more sketches and one or two paintings, she packed them away in her portfolio and travel bag, making her way to the door.
When Bella walked out of her room, she found Alice scrubbing the carpet with a toothbrush. Alice glanced up from the floor, and with a pointed look to Bella, she said, "Don't ask!" She resumed her scrubbing, her movements violent as she let out her frustration on the mess she was cleaning.
Bella snickered, making her way to the fridge to grab a yogurt. "I told you Caius was an asshole!"
She shoveled the four spoonfuls of yogurt into her mouth before she draped her bag over her shoulder. "Enjoy cleaning up shit!"
Alice got up off the floor, dusting off her knees and making her way to Caius, who was sitting on the couch, proud of his mess and even prouder that Alice was forced to clean it.
"Don't you dare speak of my baby like that," Alice said in a whiny voice, holding him close to her chest, rocking him.
"I've gotta get out of here before I catch your crazy." Bella laughed and made a beeline for the front door.
Before she could get the door open, Alice grabbed something from the coffee table and ran over to where Bella was standing, ready to leave.
"Wait!" Alice opened the cap and set Caius down at her feet. She applied the lipstick to Bella's lips. "Just in case you see Peter," she said, smirking, recapping and tucking the tube into Bella's jean pocket. "I better go get ready for work."
Bella winked. "Yeah, yeah." She sighed as Alice darted off, exiting the apartment and heading out the door so that she could make her way to Brooklyn.
Midtown Manhattan was always all hustle and bustle, but especially at lunchtime. This was no different for All Hale the Kale. Saturdays were an animal in and of itself.
Servers were memorizing specials, bartenders were polishing glasses, and the bussers were fixing tablecloths. Flowers were methodically placed throughout the establishment.
The only difference about this Saturday from all the others was Rosalie's place was closed to the public today.
This didn't stop the restaurant's staff from acting like a well-oiled machine, everything needing to be in place and perfect for Rosalie's feature in the Times.
Not a hair could be out of place. Nothing could go wrong.
Nothing except the moment that Edward's car pulled up to All Hale the Kale twenty minutes before the reporter and photographer were scheduled to arrive.
Edward didn't want to ruin Rosalie's interview, but he had no problem causing a ruckus if she gave him a hard time about hiring Bella back.
After practically begging Emmett for Rosalie's phone number and him adamantly refusing, afraid of a sex embargo, Edward decided to just telephone the restaurant, insisting on speaking to Rosalie. He tried to sweet talk her, and he even went as far as using the Masen name, but she hung up in his ear after he suggested she hire Bella back.
He didn't let her dismissal deter him, and Edward called numerous times the rest of Thursday night as well as on Friday night. When he saw he was getting nowhere that first night, he even tried making it down there on his lunch break, but fucking traffic got the best of him and he had to turn around or else he'd have been late for a meeting, and he couldn't deal with his father giving crap over the importance of keeping commitments. Traffic after work on Friday was a complete gridlock because there was a huge performer in the city and many streets were shut down.
With every roadblock he faced, he realized that this was going to require a face-to-face conversation—more like confrontation—one where Rosalie couldn't hang up on him.
Edward straightened his suit jacket and walked into the empty dining room. He had a plan up his sleeve, but the one thing he'd learned during his short time in the business world was not to reveal his cards too early.
Edward walked through the normally crowded restaurant, his eyes searching out Rosalie. The staff looked weary but didn't dare get involved with anything that didn't concern them. Bella's termination was a warning signal to anyone who was off of their game. This was not the time to drop the ball.
It didn't take him long to find Rosalie at the smaller bar in the outside gazebo area. She was adjusting the bottles on the shelf so that all the labels lined up perfectly.
"Rosalie," Edward said as a way of announcing his presence.
Rosalie stepped away from the bar and flipped her hair aggressively over her shoulder, placing her hands on her hips as she squared off in front of him. "What are you doing here?" She groaned, completely unamused by his presence. She thought she'd made it perfectly clear to him on the phone that there was nothing left for them to discuss. "Can your fancy degree not read the sign on the door that says 'closed for an event.'" She hissed the latter words out through gritted teeth.
Rosalie was growing pissed. How dare this rich boy waltz into her life like he owned the place. She didn't give two shits about how rich he was, or who his father was; nobody was going to tell her what to do. Sure, she was rich now too, but Rosalie had earned every penny she made and wasn't handed anything. She wasn't about to have that compromised by some guy on a power trip. Rosalie was done letting men control her.
That was why she appreciated Emmett so much. He treated her as an equal; if anything, he valued her opinion over his own. She wondered if it was a consequence of their age difference, or if she had finally gotten it right.
"I hope Emmett doesn't know you're here," Rosalie warned, ready to whip his ass into shape if necessary.
Edward shook his head. Emmett had no clue he'd gone rogue. If he had, Edward would've had more to worry about then the slap Bella gave him two days ago. Edward rolled his eyes, not bothering to give her any further response. Unfazed by Rosalie's venomous tone, he walked around the bar and poured himself a few fingers worth of bourbon. It looked like he was going to need more than a few drinks to get through this. Fuck it, it was five o'clock somewhere!
Rosalie opened her mouth to say something, but she snapped her mouth closed, deciding to wait and see where this performance was going.
"You fired Bella?" Edward questioned, obviously knowing the answer, but he needed to start somewhere.
Rosalie nodded. "Yes, Isabella was terminated Thursday. The little scene the two of you caused was unacceptable. She knew the rules when she agreed to work for me. She broke them, so we came to an understanding about her continued employment."
Edward took a swig of the liquor, the fiery liquid coating his throat as it went down, burning him in a good way. He needed liquid courage for his next move.
"You know, it would be in your best interest to hire her back." He narrowed his eyes, holding his glass in his hand as he assessed her. Her back stiffened at his veiled threat. Edward walked around the bar and sat on the barstool next to where Rosalie was leaning.
"You don't get to come into my restaurant and tell me what to do, Mr. Masen. I don't give a fuck who your father is, or what school you went to, or even who you're friends with. You will not tell me what I should and shouldn't do, especially when it comes to some silly waitress. This is my restaurant." Rosalie leaned forward and put her hands on either side of the bar, caging Edward in. It was a power move to show she was not afraid of him, that he would not intimidate her. "Now if you're done with your showboating, why don't you get the fuck out of my face."
She stood back, giving him room to move and hopefully leave her establishment.
"I was trying to be civil, so you really shouldn't have played it like that, Rosalie." Edward made a tsking sound with his mouth, scolding her. "But if that's how you want it, I guess this is about to be a whole lot more fun."
Rosalie's eyebrows furrowed, but no lines formed on her forehead though. Thank God for Botox. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the fact that my father, the one 'you don't give a fuck about,' is very friendly with the owner of the Times, and I may have asked him for his number. I have it right here." He pulled out his cell phone, showing her the preset number already programmed to be dialed. "See, let me tell you how this is going to go. You will hire Bella back, and you will treat her right. Maybe even give her a raise." Edward spoke cautiously, thinking of any other stipulations he may have. "Oh and Emmett doesn't need to know about this, and neither does Bella. You will just tell them both that you had a change of heart and are short staffed to begin with. That you had been too hasty in letting her go."
Rosalie inhaled and exhaled, her shoulders tensing with each breath. If steam could come out of her ears, it surely would. Her eyes narrowed, assessing the situation. She knew Edward meant business, and she didn't want to risk exposure or jeopardize the article falling through.
Seeing no way around it, she conceded through gritted teeth. "Fine." Rosalie crossed her arms, seething over the fact that he gave her no choice but to agree. Fuck him!
"Smile. We all win here. Bella gets her job back. You'll get a great feature in the Times." Edward winked, slammed back the rest of his drink, setting the glass on the bar, and then began walking toward the exit. His footsteps were lighter as he made his way to the front of the restaurant. He even twisted a flower arrangement so it was centered. "This is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," he called over his shoulder as Rosalie followed him out. He cackled and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Rosalie in a talespin, fuming mad and seeing red.
Just as Edward was about to get into the vehicle, the double doors to All Hale the Kale opened. He figured it was Rosalie coming to bitch him out some more, but when Edward looked over his shoulder, he saw a woman of small stature. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, and she had a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes.
"Hi, Edward, right?" she asked, eyeing the guy who clearly meant something to Bella, extending her hand for him to shake. "I'm Alice, Bella's roommate and friend."
Edward was shocked; this was another mystery uncovered about Bella and her living situation. He shook her hand nervously, pulling away a little too soon as his palm grew sweaty. Edward felt uncomfortable about everything he didn't know when it came to Bella. Everything he'd missed in the last five years.
"Yes, that's me." He flashed her a megawatt smile, hoping to get on her good side. "Nice to meet you."
Alice nodded politely. She was not really his biggest fan, but she appreciated his efforts in getting Bella her job back.
"I just wanted to thank you for that." She pointed her thumb behind her toward Rosalie and the double doors. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help but eavesdrop," Alice confessed. She wasn't one to be intimidated, but somehow she was a little by this kid who held Bella's heart in a vice, even if she didn't know it.
"Oh, yeah. You're welcome. Although I should be thanking you," Edward mused, trying to hypothesize how Alice and Bella met and became roommates.
"Me? Why?" Alice questioned, pulling back in surprise, fixing the strings of the apron on her waist.
"Yes, you're a friend to Bella, and by the looks of it, a good one. She needs that. So thank you." Edward hung his head in shame, imagining the horrendous things that Alice must have thought of him. "I know it's a lot to ask, but can you please keep this between us?"
Alice nodded, doing a mouth zipping motion.
"Alice!" Rosalie bellowed from the doorway, "Stop goofing off and get your ass back in here. These wine glasses are filthy."
Alice jumped, startled by the sound of her boss chastising her. "I better get back." With a wave, she ran off to do her duty.
Sighing, Edward got into his town car, thinking about the next steps in Operation Get Bella Back.
Bella was out of breath as she walked up to her table. She set her bags down, thinking of the layout she would use to display her work this time.
The street fair in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn happened every Saturday if weather permitted. Bella had been retaining a booth there for about five months. She'd tried to sell her art, and she even made a few friends so far.
Being an unknown artist, all of her art was reasonably priced. The highest piece she had was priced at fifty dollars, and even that seemed high to her, which was why Bella never expected it to sell.
She was laying out her pieces when someone came up beside her and gave her an one-armed hug.
Bella jumped slightly and did a double take; she was in the zone of organizing her artwork and hadn't realized she had company.
"Bella. How are you?" a chipper, deep voice asked.
She looked up from the table, gazing into the person's gray eyes. "Hi, Peter. I'm okay. How was the rest of your week?" Bella cringed, remembering that she'd forgotten to text him back the other night after the whole Edward debacle. "I'm sorry I never texted you back. Work got crazy, and… I actually got fired."
Bella looked down in embarrassment. While Peter didn't have a "cushy" job like some, he was hardworking and understood the hardships that came with trying to make ends meet. She hoped he wouldn't judge her.
"Fired? Oh no, I'm so sorry." Peter grabbed her bicep, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Can I take you to dinner next week sometime? To cheer you up? I had a lot of fun last time."
Bella nodded, hesitating for a split second. "Yes, I'd love that. Just not at All Hale the Kale." She laughed, trying to flirt and make light of her recent unemployment.
Peter chuckled and walked to the adjoining table that housed his art. He was an aspiring artist as well, but he specialized in sculpture. They'd met at the flea market a few months ago and had bonded over a haggling couple who called their art, "overpriced garbage." After the couple walked off, not buying anything, they got to talking. She shared with him how she had been waitressing in Manhattan, but she still hoped to one day be able to do something with her art. His daytime job was less exciting; he worked as assistant manager of Whole Foods, but he told her it beat being a starving artist. They'd hung out a few times after that, including having dinners in the city on their nights off.
As they set up, they chatted casually, but when more people started arriving, Peter focused on perfecting his display. As he was engrossed in his task, Bella gave him a once-over glance, studying his features and recalling the time they'd spent together. She tried hard not to compare him to the green-eyed man who'd come stumbling back into her life, but the differences were startling. She thought about how different it was being with them. How Peter was so easy-going and fun. How … She shook her head; she wouldn't compare. She couldn't, not after what happened two years ago on New Year's. Bella wouldn't let him disrupt her life anymore.
People of all walks of life strolled through the market, going from booth to booth, taking interest in the unique finds. She smiled at some of the passers-by, talking with the few that stopped by her table. Bella actually enjoyed connecting with people. Usually everyone was very nice and asked about her inspiration for each of her drawings. Thinking about most of her inspiration and muses pained her, so she typically came up with bullshit responses. Ones that wouldn't scare off potential buyers.
Bella knew that you can't just pour your heart out to strangers; well, not unless you're Alice. She had no filter and had even told everyone at the bar about her latest trials and tribulations; like the one time she ate hot wings and got a hemorrhoid. Talk about TMI.
Watching Peter be charming and welcoming to the people who approached his booth gave Bella a sliver of hope. He looked over at her and gave her a brilliant smile. His smile was blinding and happy and made her feel the same, so why was she stuck thinking about a particular smirk instead.
While nobody would ever know her history as well as him, maybe that was why it was called history. It should stay buried in the past.
Edward had his driver, Randall, chauffeur him around the city as he contemplated his next move. Surely, he couldn't go home; it suddenly felt too empty now that he knew she was out there and so close by.
Charlie was back in Jersey; apparently, her foster mom had a random few days off from work, so visiting Edward in the city would be virtually impossible until work resumed.
He didn't feel like dealing with Emmett and his bitching today, especially after his encounter with Rosalie, so Edward said, "fuck it" and decided he might as well get some paperwork done.
Edward took a deep breath, lowering down the partition. "Can you take me to the office?"
Randall nodded wordlessly, and Edward secretly loved how he was a man of few words. After being in high society for as long as he had, Edward had grown tired of mindless small talk.
Randall dropped Edward off in front of the towering building, telling him to give him a call when he was ready to leave. Edward made his way through the ghost town that was his father's office building. On the walk to his office, he spotted Carlisle at the copy machine, sorting through papers in his hands.
"Hey!" Edward greeted his uncle. Even though he and Carlisle weren't actually related by blood, Edward felt a strong affinity toward him. He was a genuinely good guy who didn't deserve a lot of the shit thrown at him, especially by Ted.
"Good afternoon, Edward! What are you doing here?" Carlisle knew damn well Edward didn't have anything better to do. He had become somewhat of a workaholic, throwing all his energy into learning the ropes at the company.
"Eh, I was up early. Had an errand to run and figured since I'm out, why not stop by and get some work done. In peace and quiet for a change," Edward reasoned, hoping he didn't seem too jittery. He couldn't shake the feeling of being excited yet terrified of this opportunity he was given to hopefully talk to Bella. Really talk, when she is ready. An ear-splitting grin spread on his face as he remembered what it was like to finally see her again.
"Is everything okay?" Carlisle looked concerned. "You seem different."
"Different?" Edward lied, "It's probably just the lack of sleep I've been dealing with."
Edward threaded his fingers in his hair, wishing this conversation was over. He couldn't have Carlisle find out about Bella because if he went back and told his parents before he could speak to them first, it wouldn't be good.
"Yeah different." Carlisle nodded, chuckling. "You haven't smiled like that in a long time. It's nice to see it, that's all."
Carlisle eyed Edward. He knew damn well whatever was making him so joyful had to do with a woman. But he wasn't sure who she was since the only woman Edward had ever shown interest in was Bella. He hadn't been the same since their breakup.
Edward shuffled his feet. " Thanks, Uncle C, but I gotta get to that stack of papers on my desk." He turned and started rounding the corner to his office.
"Wait, Edward." Carlisle called out, wanting to say so many things, but now wasn't the time. It seemed like it was never the time.
Edward looked back at his pseudo-uncle, his eyebrows raised, gesturing for him to go on.
"If you ever need someone to talk to, or just I don't know, be there, I'm here. I know I'm really not family, but you're important to me. Your happiness is important to me; it always has been. And I don't know…I'm here." Now it was Carlisle's turn to be fidgety. "And don't think I'll go back and tell Ted—"
Edward wanted to question him further but footsteps stopped him. "Tell me what?" Ted approached the pair, resting a hand on Edward's shoulder.
Ted was dressed casually even for him, sporting a pair of dress slacks and a polo. His hair was combed perfectly, which made sense since his trips to the barber cost enough; it should look perfect.
Edward and Carlisle looked at each other, wordlessly having a conversation that Ted was seemingly oblivious to. "Tell you that I jammed the copy machine," Edward quipped. "Carlisle was just helping me."
Edward looked to Carlisle to corroborate the story. Carlisle nodded, smiling at his brother-in-law, who he not-so-secretly loathed.
"Yeah that fucking thingneeds to get replaced," Carlisle commented, looking at the papers in his hand.
"Excuse me, control the language when you're in my building," Ted scolded in disgust, making a tsking sound. "Edward, can we have a word?"
Edward's shoulders slumped, not in the mood for Ted and his berating, but he would have to hear it regardless, so he nodded and they walked in silence to Edward's corner office.
Ted sat in Edward's seat and looked down at the mess of papers strewn across his desk. "Edward, you really need an assistant to help straighten this all out for you."
"Yeah, I know. I've been conducting interviews." Edward lied through his teeth. He didn't want an assistant. He already had enough people he had to deal with.
Edward looked out through the glass windows. She was out there somewhere, and he would do whatever he had to in order for her to listen to him, to let him apologize. As he went through his options, he tuned out Ted and his nagging.
"Edward, did you hear a thing I just said?" Ted chastised, narrowing his eyes at the protégé he so desperately wanted.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm just tired. I haven't been sleeping well." He added internally, "I never did sleep well without her."
"Get back on those sleeping pills. I don't need you off your game. These next few months are going to be critical. We have so many deals that need closing. I need you to bring your A-game," Ted rambled, clicking around on Edward's computer screen. "You also seriously need to consider taking the CFO job. The more time that passes, the more time this company goes to shit. Carlisle just isn't cutting it, and it's time for a change."
Edward rolled his eyes into the sky he was looking at. The only thing that needs to change is that Carlisle needs a different brother-in-law. One with loyalty.
Edward kept silent, pretending to consider Ted's recommendations.
"Your mother wants you to come home more often, son. She's getting weaker by the day." Ted softened his tone, thinking about his wife.
Liz had been dealing with complications from having open heart surgery a year ago. She went into sepsis a few months ago and had been bed-ridden ever since.
Edward grimaced. He hated when his father lay down this guilt trip. But the truth was, Edward couldn't afford to lose anyone else. He, like Bella, had already lost too much. Their upbringing scarred them both from having healthy relationships, so he clung to the ones he still had left. He knew it wasn't a good way to live, and Edward had been thinking about going to talk to someone for a while. He knew he needed to fix himself if he ever hoped to have a chance at being happy.
"I'll be by for dinner later this week. Maybe Wednesday after I take care of a few interviews for that assistant position." Edward reminded himself to call HR and inform Sulpicia that he needed appointments and names.
Ted nodded, semi-satisfied with this conversation. "I'm heading out, I'm meeting Alistair for dinner."
Ted rose from his seat at Edward's desk but didn't move. "Oh, Alistair told me that Tanya wanted to accompany you to the company's anniversary party and you declined her invitation. What's that about?"
"Tanya and I will never be anything. She's just not my type." Edward didn't really have a type, but if he did, her name would be Bella. "I'm focusing on work for the time being, no distractions, like you always say." He added the last part for Ted's benefit.
Ted marched off, but as he reached the doorway, he called out. "When will you learn to recognize the right kind of woman for this lifestyle? You really shouldn't be so choosy."
After his father had stomped down the hallway, Edward fell back in his seat, exhausted from their exchange and the events of the last few days. When did life get this fucking hard?
