A/N:
A/N: Sorry for the cliffie at the end of the last chapter. I didn't realize so many people would take it so hard! So, without further ado, I give you…
Chapter 12
I stepped into Jasper's office. It was furnished and laid out similarly to Alice's, but somehow it had a slightly more masculine feel. I was sure the subtle differences in fabric and artwork could be attributed to Alice.
I couldn't help but notice the framed photograph of Edward and Jasper on the wall behind his desk. They were smiling into the camera with their arms looped around each other's necks. Edward was wearing an Atlanta Braves jersey, and his bare head was a riot, the cap probably ripped off just before the shot was taken. I was staring at photograph Edward when I heard a throat clear, and I had to turn my attention to the room. I stepped from behind Alice, my barrier up to that point.
"Bella, Dr. Swan, it's a pleasure to see you again," Jasper greeted me stiffly. He was seated behind his desk. Alice hovered just beside and slightly in front of me. Her stance struck me as protective. I wondered if I should be more worried than I was. Finally, my gaze drifted to Edward, who was seated in one of the chairs opposite Jasper's desk. He was wearing an Astros t-shirt and cap with gray basketball shorts. Even his athletic shoes had tiny orange "A's" on the sides. I guess he represented the brand now.
Edward didn't seem surprised to see me, but he only allowed his eyes to meet mine briefly. His lips turned up only barely. Then, he looked away and stared out Jasper's window. He appeared bored, like I would have expected any other professional athlete to be when confronted with a lowly orthopedic fellow. His disinterest made my heart sink, although I reminded myself that I couldn't expect anything more. Jasper spoke.
"Well, we were just going over the therapy plan. Now that Dr. Swan is here, we can move to one of the treatment rooms and start a brief demonstration," he offered. Then, he addressed me. "Dr. Swan, you can let Dr. Cullen know that we plan to ask Edward to work though his routine four days a week, along with some electro-stimulation. I'll personally oversee his work-outs." Edward reanimated from his previous statue impersonation and shook his head violently.
"No way, Jasper. You don't have the time to devote to that. I can definitely work the routine alone here in your gym, or if you won't have that, then Peter or Garrett can supervise." This response was atypical of a professional athlete. Edward obviously cared very much about Jasper's time; most athletes I'd worked with wouldn't bat an eyelash at VIP treatment. Jasper started to argue with Edward, when I heard someone speak.
"I can help with that, too," a voice that sounded suspiciously like mine silenced Jasper. Everyone in the room, including Alice, who still seemed to think I needed an escort, stared at me.
"No," Jasper said firmly with a pronounced frown on his face. "That won't be necessary, Dr. Swan." He fixed me with a meaningful gaze.
"Actually, I worked with Dr. Marcus' fellow in Atlanta," Edward interjected quietly. We all turned to stare at him in surprise. I thought his cheeks might have reddened just a little bit. "So, that's not unheard of," he continued with slight hesitation. "I don't want to put you out, Jasper." And the way he said the last cleared things up for me. Edward cared about Jasper's time and not mine. He already understood that this kind of thing was well within my job description.
Jasper fixed me with a piercing gaze and appraised me seriously. Alice had taken a step back and now stood against the door, but she seemed unable to leave the room. Edward had returned his attention to the scene outside the window. He seemed to care very little how we worked things out.
His attitude seemed very different from that in the clinic the other day. There, he'd seemed almost flirty, like he wanted to get under my skin. And, I admitted to myself, he'd seemed like he'd wanted to talk to me, interact with me. Despite the tailspin, his arrival had caused, it had ignited some level of hope within me, I realized. That was gone now. The silence was stretching out uncomfortably, and I had to speak.
"Yes, Edward is right," I agreed. "I've worked with many of Dr. Cullen's VIP patients. I'd be happy to do what I can in this situation as well." Jasper frowned again, Alice smiled slightly, and Edward continued to look out the window and ignore me.
"Thank you, Dr. Swan," Jasper finally said. "That's very kind of you to offer. I'm sure we can work out a schedule that will benefit all of us, but especially Mr. Masen." His words were heavy with reproach. He didn't want me acting too familiar with Edward. First names were off limits, I guessed.
"Jasper, can I speak with you for a minute?" Alice asked somewhat timidly.
"Not right now. We are heading to the treatment room for a few minutes. I don't want to keep Mr. Masen any longer than necessary. Can we take care of it afterwards?" Jasper asked. Alice stared at him hard and then rolled her eyes. She nodded and left the room. The three of us were left alone together in silence. Jasper stood and moved around his desk with purpose.
"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing with his right hand. Edward stood from his chair, and I allowed him to follow Jasper out of the room first. We moved in single file from the office to one of the rooms at the back of the gym, which were private rooms, just like I'd suspected.
The room was obviously set up for upper extremity rehab with a universal machine and multiple stretch bands, medicine balls, free weights, and even a weighted golf iron in the repertoire. I gazed about with respect. This was one well-stocked rehab facility. My awe must have been obvious, because Jasper's attitude toward me softened.
"To your liking, Dr. Swan?" he seemed unable to help himself from asking. I smiled at him as warmly as possible.
"It's Bella, please, Jasper." I allowed an urgency to color my seemingly innocent request. He stared at me for a moment or two before nodding imperceptibly. Edward watched us with a detached expression. Even though he was well aware of the significance of shifting back to first names for the two of us, he seemed to be looking through us.
"Let's start the demonstration," Jasper cut off the awkwardness. He handed me several sheets of paper stapled together. "That's for you to take to Dr. Cullen," he explained. "I'll email him an electronic copy, too." And then he proceeded to work through all the exercises and stretches listed on the pages. It wasn't a full work out, and he only had Edward do one or two repetitions of each of them, but it gave us a good idea of what Edward would be doing for the next ten weeks.
I watched intently and asked questions where I felt were needed, but I never allowed myself to touch Edward. I wasn't ready for that again, although I longed to feel his skin against my own. The memory of that examination in the office at Baylor played on a tight loop in my head, making it difficult to concentrate. Finally, we were done, and Jasper laid out his short term and long-term goals for the therapy. He was very professional and adept, and I was quite impressed.
"Please let me know when I can help," I implored when Jasper began going over the schedule. This was important because Edward had commitments to the team as well as to his rehab. They both looked at me sharply.
"Well," Jasper hedged with an unsure glance at Edward, "I'm not usually in the office on Mondays. Was it very difficult for you to get away this afternoon, Bella?" he asked. Edward sat like a robot, not looking at either of us. It was almost as if he weren't the subject of conversation. Jasper shot him a worried look.
"I'm in the OR on Mondays," I admitted eagerly. "I'm usually done by 2 pm at the latest, so this is a very convenient time for me." Edward met my gaze finally.
"This is a good time for me. I don't want Jasper giving up his free time for this, so I'd appreciate it if you'd be able to help, Bella." His use of my nickname caused a shiver down my spine. I felt slightly dizzy, and it took a moment to pull myself together. Jasper was watching our interaction with trepidation.
"I'm happy to do it," I said simply, and he gave a nod. It was decided, then. I'd be spending the next ten Monday afternoons alone with Edward.
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When we were done settling details, we stepped out into the main gym area. Edward grabbed Jasper's elbow and towed him away from me swiftly back toward his office. I tried not to let it hurt my feelings, reminding myself of all the rightful grievances that Edward likely harbored against me. The entire situation was undoubtedly awkward for everyone.
I spotted Alice on the far side of the gym and started making my way toward her. Seeing her today had reminded me how much I'd once treasured her friendship. I wanted to rekindle it. I wanted to be a better person. I felt ashamed it had taken me so many years to realize that.
She was talking to a tall, thin blond woman, who I assumed was a patient until I got closer. That's when I registered her Louis Vuitton handbag, Christian Louboutin shoes, and designer jeans. Her top was flowing and reminded me of an Oscar de la Renta blouse I'd seen the last time I walked through Saks with Rosalie on a weekend browsing mission.
She had tortoise shell sunglasses perched on top of her head, holding her chic shoulder length bob back from an impeccably made up face, which she turned toward me as I approached the pair. Alice's smile faltered as I got closer, and I examined the woman more carefully. That's when I realized she was no patient.
"Bella Swan," she enunciated each syllable carefully and without warmth, very unlike the last time I saw her. It was Kate, Edward's family friend. I'd never known her last name, but she seemed well aware of mine. I tried to smile at her, but I'm sure it looked forced. She tried no such thing.
"Kate, it's nice to see you again," I tried for civility. I knew that she and Alice had become friends years ago when I'd introduced them, but I had no idea what their relationship was nowadays. She had to be here for Edward; there was no other assumption to make. Alice looked nervous, and Kate was sneering. My stomach clenched with jealousy. I wasn't sure if it was over Kate's obviously more intimate relationship with Alice or over her possible relationship to Edward. I supposed it was both.
"What is she doing here?" Kate's words were addressed to Alice, and I glanced around furtively. Luckily, the gym had emptied out.
"Kate," Alice pronounced her name as a warning, but she didn't heed it. In fact, she didn't look back at Alice at all. I was shocked when she seized my forearm.
"Can I talk to you?" she asked rhetorically and started towing me towards the waiting room. I looked back at Alice who just shrugged like she thought I might deserve what was coming.
The waiting room was empty, and I was surprised to see it was after 5 pm. I guessed the door to this room from the main hospital was now locked. No wonder the gym was deserted. Kate and I were alone. I tried to smile at her, but her glare was intimidating.
"Since Alice doesn't want to answer, I'll ask you," she declared. "What are you doing here?" I swallowed, probably audibly.
"I'm Edward's orthopedic surgeon's fellow. I was sent to observe his therapy session," I tried to explain noncommittally.
"Bullshit!" she all but shouted in my face. Gone was the pretty, clever college student I'd met all those years ago. In her place was a woman who obviously thought I'd wronged her. And how do you answer to someone who apparently hates you for something you did six years ago? The appropriate response has to be an eye roll and a reminder that life goes on. The only problem was that I had never moved on; so how could I expect anyone else to have done so also? But I gave it a try.
"Kate, please, I'm so sorry for anything you may feel I've done wrong. I'm here just trying to do right by Edward and get him back in top pitching form. His trade and assignment to Dr. Cullen? It is all a coincidence. I promise I have no ulterior motive, and I assure you I can be professional in this situation. The past is past," I said somewhat pleadingly. She maintained a patronizing expression, utterly unconvinced.
"Bella, you are most likely the worst person I've ever met. Edward is a kind, decent, and talented human being, and you treated him like shit. He is a professional athlete, beloved by many across the country, and you are a washed up has been. I cannot understand how you could have ever considered yourself above him in any way, but apparently you did. I don't like the idea of you being near him," she finished with her hands on her hips. She hadn't said anything that I hadn't thought about myself a million times, so I wasn't all that offended. But her rabid defense of Edward prickled my intuition.
"Are you with Edward now?" I couldn't help myself from asking. I heard Alice appear next to us and sigh. Kate scoffed and didn't reply. Alice interrupted.
"Kate has my old job at Teach for America," she chirped cheerfully. Her attitude was sorely at odds with the rest of the conversation, but she was obviously trying to deflect the antagonism. "She did a two-year teaching tour in Atlanta after she graduated. Then, she took the Training Institute job here in Houston." I knew that Kate and Edward had to have overlapped in Atlanta based on that timeline. The evidence that they might be more than friends was mounting. Kate and I stared at each other, nothing resolved by Alice's random comments. Then, she couldn't hold it in any longer. She moved closer and narrowed her eyes.
"You show up here to save the day, when he's finally done with you, has forgotten all about you. And you want me to believe that's a coincidence. You are a selfish, self-absorbed, horrible person, Bella Swan. And you need to stay far away from Edward." Here she paused to turn away from me and focus her furious gaze on Alice. "And you should stay away from her, too, Alice. You've always defended her, and I'll never understand that, knowing all that you do. Tell Edward that I'll wait for him in the car."
With that, Kate hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder and stalked out the door to the main hospital corridor. Alice and I stood staring wide-eyed at each other after she was gone. Finally, she cleared her throat and spoke.
"So, Kate and Jasper are in agreement over their objection to your working with Edward. That kind of summarized both of their arguments," she said it kind of tongue and cheek with an inappropriateness that hinted of our prior friendship. I found myself smiling a little bit as she shrugged her shoulders ironically.
"You don't say," I responded slowly, and I saw the same hint of smile on her face. It emboldened me. "Alice," I said urgently, "let's meet for lunch this weekend. I don't want you to stay away from me. I've thought a lot about the past over the last few days. An 'I told you so' is long overdue from you." She looked startled by my request, but she started nodding slowly almost immediately.
"Okay, I can probably do that on Saturday, if you're able," she responded. I smiled much wider than before.
"I'm able. I miss you." The admission caused my chest to crack open, and I had to fight back the tears that threatened. She tilted her head and smiled wider too, albeit a bit sadly.
"I miss you, too, Bella. I hope we can get back there. Kate and Jasper aren't completely wrong, you know," she answered. I felt my face flush.
"Edward left me, Alice," I reminded her quietly. She shook her head slowly side to side.
"Did he, Bella?" she asked. "Six years is a long time, but most of the people involved in this don't seem to realize that." And I had to admit that I really didn't know the true answer to her question. I'd never allowed myself to consider it. What would have happened if I'd tried calling him again a few days after the big blow up? And so I left quickly out the waiting room door with a promise to call Alice on Friday. I couldn't handle another encounter with Edward just now, and I especially didn't want to see him greet Kate at her car.
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I drove around for about an hour before I headed home in order to clear my thoughts. Houston isn't a great place to cruise, but I headed onto the interstates until I got out past Katy and saw the first 70 mph sign post. It was already dark, and I turned around pretty quickly, but there was something soothing about passing that sign, like you'd crossed into the Wild West or something. It was something silly I'd done a time or two before when I needed to think or calm down, and I started on my way home as soon as I reached the outlet mall.
I sighed as I pulled up into my parking spot back at my apartment complex. I wasn't sure if I had anything for dinner inside, but I sure as hell wasn't going back out. I walked to the main building and collected my mail from the locked box, and then headed back to my building. I turned the corner and let out a little scream when I saw a man sitting on the concrete stairs blocking my way.
Edward was sitting in the middle of the stairs in the same gray basketball shorts and Astros T-shirt. His elbows were on his knees, but his face dipped low between his upper arms, focused on his personalized athletic shoes. When he heard my squeak, his head jerked up. Our eyes met and held. I expected him to speak; he was, after all, the one invading my space, but he said nothing, just stared at me. So, I made the attempt.
"Hey," I breathed. It was the wrong thing to say. His eyebrows slinked together, and his mouth frowned. I hurried to cover my mistake. "I mean, what are you doing here?" His expression didn't change, but he broke eye contact and looked down again. He sighed deeply then spoke.
"I overheard your conversation with Kate," he admitted but didn't seem able to go on. He stopped and raised his head. "I was surprised when Jasper told me that you still lived here. You've been in the same place for what…almost ten years? There have to be newer, nicer complexes by now." His abrupt subject change was startling. My face heated as I thought about my consideration of that exact thing over the last few days. I shrugged and cleared my throat.
"Um…well…I was comfortable here, and it was pretty cheap compared to the new places. A resident's salary doesn't compare with a pro baseball player's, you know?" The light teasing came to me naturally, but I worried after it was out of my mouth that he might find it inappropriate. I was rewarded with a small but genuine smile and almost collapsed with relief. Apparently, some of that once easy rapport still remained.
"I guess not," he answered with a trace of his trademark sexy smirk. My heart fluttered. "Responsible for your own rent, these days, huh," he added. I smiled and nodded slightly to confirm it. I had been since the day I graduated from medical school.
Edward suddenly heaved himself to his feet and moved back down the steps to stand in front of me on the ground level concrete. I couldn't decide if he was too close or too far away.
"Bella, I want to make sure we can do this. Work together, I mean." His subject change was abrupt again, and his voice took on an air of urgency that set my heart racing. His expression was earnest, and he forced eye contact. I fought against the instinct to step forward and smooth the hair back from his face, to ease his worries. My fingers twitched with desire as I remembered what it felt like to do just that.
"Edward, there's nothing I want more," I told him simply. I kept my breathing even with difficulty because I didn't mean that I wanted to work with him. My words meant that I wanted him. But I would never admit that, not out loud and not to him. I'd been too foolish and waited too long for that to happen. Idiot that I was, it had taken me this long to realize it. And it was too late. Despite the fleeting hope over the weekend, he was with Kate now. He lifted his head to look at me again.
"She really hates you, you know," he said. I nodded and smiled a bit ruefully since it seemed as if he'd read my mind.
"I'm sure she does. Probably not wrong to do so," I joked half-heartedly. He smiled briefly, too, and my spirits soared.
"I told her she was off base, that we all had to work together, and she agreed to try," he informed me. "Jasper, too," he added. I shifted my bag on my shoulder a little higher.
"Well, then, next Monday, we'll get serious about it all," I responded. He nodded slightly. I hesitated but finally asked what I had no right to do.
"So how long have you and Kate been together?" I ventured. This caused him to stuff his hands in his pockets and step closer to me. He took another step forward so that we were only inches apart. He towered over me more than I remembered. He looked down with the old smirk in place, the one I'd seen in the clinic the other day, and raised a hand to flick the hair back from my forehead.
"Now, Bella, I don't think that's your business, is it?" he asked cheekily. And he walked past me toward the parking lot without another word. I was left standing there at the base of the steps not knowing what to do. I was eaten up by regret, desire, and confusion.
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I checked the time when I unlocked the door to my apartment. It was already after 7 pm to my surprise. I rummaged through the freezer and found some frozen enchiladas. They went in the microwave, and I called Rosalie. She answered immediately.
"Hey, Chica, what's up?" she asked cheerfully. Emma must have gone down easily tonight. I could hear Emmett laughing in the background.
"I'm not interrupting you guys, am I?" I asked. She laughed and assured me I wasn't.
"No, Emma went down without a fight for once," she told me, and I fist-bumped the air for my extrasensory perception. "And Emmett is just plain entertaining at all times," she giggled fondly as he said something close to the receiver in the background. My gut flared with jealousy over their perfect life. Her voice grew serious.
"What's up, Bella? How are you doing since we last talked? Have you had anymore interactions with Edward?" Emmett's laugh cut off suddenly in the background. She must have given him some sort of hand signal. I grumbled a little but relayed everything about today. I didn't tell her about the baseball game the other day. That seemed too personal, for some reason, probably because it was humiliating. She was quiet while I talked.
"So he seems willing to make things civil," she summarized after I told her everything. I grunted.
"Yeah, I guess so, Rosalie, but you didn't see him this afternoon in the gym. He looked miserable. I was making him miserable." Saying those words out loud made me feeling like a horrible person.
"Huh," she said in response. "Maybe. But I think that he seems a little bit too aware of you to play this 'I'm a professional athlete, and I have no memory of my college past,' narrative convincingly. You should ask him out," she concluded. I gasped in shock.
"You are insane! Have you even listened to a thing I've said? He's with Kate now. He had to seek me out to make sure we could be in the same room together." My voice was shrill, and I cringed at the volume. She chuckled, and I questioned why I was her friend at all. I'd told her everything, and she didn't seem to take any of it seriously.
"He hates me, Rosalie. I have to deal with that," I told her. She laughed.
"Is he really with Kate? Does he hate you? No, don't respond to that question. Just think about it when you work with him next Monday. Promise me. All I'm saying is that Jasper and Kate seem a bit too worried about how Edward will react to being around you. If it was truly water under the bridge, don't you think that they could care less about you?" she demanded. I grumbled with skepticism, but I agreed to consider it to at least keep her quiet. We ended the conversation, but not before she invited herself to lunch with Alice and me on Saturday. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but Rosalie insisted that Alice should be introduced into all aspects of my current life. I only agreed since I knew Alice probably wouldn't mind. She had always enjoyed meeting new people.
Unfortunately, that pesky thing called hope invaded my thoughts once again when I tried to lie in bed. Could Rosalie be right? No one had confirmed that Kate and Edward were together as a couple, even though Alice, Kate, and Edward had all had a chance to do so. I tried to put it out of mind so I could fall asleep; I would investigate further next Monday. I needed to focus on the week ahead. I'd been distracted today and that behavior would not earn me the faculty job. But it was several hours before I was able to drift off.
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A/N: Although it is not unheard of, orthopedic surgeons are not usually involved with physical therapy sessions. In my experience, this rule (or perhaps disinterest) is bent when a VIP is involved, so that's what I'm basing the plot here on. I'm not a physical therapist, even though I've worked with them extensively and did some therapy myself as a flight surgeon deployed on an aircraft carrier far from PT's. The point is, I might make some mistakes in the details. If I do, I will not be offended if you let me know, and I will even update the content to reflect this if I'm convinced you're right. I'm a stickler for accuracy, as you may know