AN: I am so blown away by the reviews, follows, and favourites for my Christmas story. On we press, to see how Alec digs his hole a little deeper.

MeteroOnAMoonlessNight and Midnight Cougar have been there for me every chapter. so they have my everlasting thanks

Disclaimer: SM owns it all, but I'm going to entice Edward away one day.


Boyfriends of Christmas Past Chapter 7

Summary

A trip back home for the holidays shows Bella everything she didn't know had been missing from her life.


Chapter 7

Bella

Alec's mood hadn't improved the following morning, and the conversation over breakfast was carried by Dad and me. Alec didn't say a word.

"Did you get all your shopping finished yesterday, Bella?"

"Yep, I managed to find something for everyone who'll be at Billy's later. Unless there's someone unexpected." I ticked them off on my fingers. "Jake, Lauren, Sue, Leah, Seth, and Billy. Is that right?"

Dad nodded. "I haven't had this in a long time." He indicated the french toast I'd placed on his plate. "I have to say, Bells, I've missed your cooking. It's good, isn't it, Alec?"

Alec rudely grunted, shoveling the food in his mouth without looking up.

Dad looked at me and raised his eyebrows.

I shrugged; I knew Alec was less than pleased about last night, but that was no excuse for his bad behavior. I decided I wasn't going to let him ruin this day for either of us, and if he wanted to behave like a child, then I'd do my best to ignore him.

"Hey, Dad. I hear something is going on with you and Sue?"

Apart from the tops of his ears turning a little pink, Dad shrugged, keeping his eyes on his plate. "I guess Billy's been talking then. Interfering old man, never could keep his mouth shut."

Finishing his breakfast, Dad laid down his fork and looked up at me. "Meant to talk to you about that, but—" He shrugged again. "You okay with it?"

"Of course, Dad." I put my hand over his. "I think it's great, and it's time, you know?" He patted my hand and, just like that, everything was settled. "Come on, Dad. You do the dishes while I have a quick shower, then it's time for presents."

"Okay, Bells. I'll just finish my coffee and make some fresh."

I stood and rounded the table, kissing him on the cheek.

The hot water felt good, and I stood under it for a little longer than I'd intended, easing the increasing stress weighing me down. I was under no illusion that despite only spending a few minutes in each other's company, seeing Edward had been a catalyst, pushing my emotions closer to the surface and making me think more clearly.

The last twenty-four hours, witnessing how happy Jess and Angela were, and then the unexpected conversation with Dad about Mom and love, had made me see that Alec and I just weren't right for each other.

I decided that today we'd relax and have a good time. Tomorrow was soon enough for the tough conversation I knew Alec and I needed.

After wrapping my body in one towel and my hair in another, I opened the bathroom door to find Alec leaning against the wall waiting for me. I didn't like the perusing look he gave me and pulled the towel tighter around me.

"Alec? What are you waiting for?" I edged around him, quickly stepping over the threshold of my room.

"We need to talk, Bella." He took a step toward me, pushing me into the room and swinging the door closed behind him. "But on second thought, maybe we could reconnect in a different way."

I opened my mouth to protest, and Alec used the opportunity to push his tongue into my mouth. He held me against his body with one hand and gripped the back of my neck with the other. My hands were trapped between us, desperately holding on to the towel.

Wrenching my head away and disconnecting our lips, I gasped out, "Alec! What the hell? After last night, I thought you understood I'm not comfortable doing that in my dad's house."

"I'm sure your father is quite aware of what couples do behind closed doors, Bella. Come on," he whined. "It'll be fine."

He kissed me again.

"I said, no, Alec, please. You need to respect my wishes, and anyway, Dad will be expecting us downstairs soon. Why don't you have a shower, and I'll meet you in the living room?"

Alec stepped back, giving me a measured look. "Okay, I'll accept that—for now—but we do need to have that talk." He cupped my cheek with his hand. "I don't want to lose you, Bella."

I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief when he left, closing and locking the door. "What the fuck does he think he's doing?" I muttered to myself. I huffed at his utter idiocy in thinking I'd go along with whatever it was he'd planned, but resolved to put it to one side until later.

Dressing in a long-sleeved green Henley and dark-wash jeans, I half blow dried my hair and clipped it back. Adding minimal make-up, I then slipped on the fur-lined ankle boots I'd purchased specifically for this vacation and headed downstairs.

Dad was standing in front of the Christmas tree, sipping from a cup, and turned when I entered the room. "There's fresh coffee in the kitchen, Bells."

Alec joined us with his coffee a few minutes later, he and Dad each taking a seat while I picked out presents from under the tree.

I'd called Billy Black, Dad's best friend, a few weeks ago, and between us, I'd found him a fishing rod he'd coveted for a while.

"This is perfect, Bella. I've been looking at this one for a long time. I know how much you hate fishing, so you had to have asked Billy. Am I right?"

"Yep. What I know about fishing you could fit on a dime. Of course I asked Billy. It's the right one, isn't it?"

He nodded, then passed an envelope to me. He'd bought a week at a luxury hotel in Seattle so we could visit again in the summer.

I leaned over and hugged him. "I love it, Dad. Making sure I come back again?" I joked.

"Gotta do something to encourage you to visit, Bells; it's been too long. I'm glad you like it."

Alec murmured, "Thank you," though he didn't look too happy at the prospect of traveling back to Washington any time soon.

He was never an easy man to buy for, but I'd managed to find some organic skincare products, and knowing he was an avid collector of movie memorabilia, I'd managed to find an original script of the movie Goodfellas, autographed by Robert Deniro, Martin Scorsese, and Ray Liotta.

For the first time in the last twenty-four hours, Alec looked pleased. "Thank you, Bella, this is perfect to add to my collection. Now, I have something for you."

He placed a small, pale blue box in my hand. It was the right size box for a ring, and I closed my eyes for a few seconds, hoping it wasn't what I thought. I breathed a sigh of relief when I opened it to find a pair of diamond earrings.

"Alec, they're beautiful, but they're Tiffany; you shouldn't have," I breathed. They were absolutely gorgeous, but with the way I'd been feeling recently, I wasn't sure I should accept them. Nevertheless, when Alec leaned in to kiss me, I didn't pull away.

Turning to Dad, I asked, "Should we get going over to Billy's? What time are we expected?"

"You know Billy; any time is okay. About an hour?" He looked at his watch. "Eleven?"

"Yeah, that's enough time for me to whip up a batch of cookies."

I'd included the ingredients with yesterday's shopping, and since I didn't have a lot of time, they were the quickest thing to make. I left Dad and Alec watching a game on television while I finished up a dozen peanut butter cookies, another dozen chocolate, and a third dozen snickerdoodles.

~ oOo ~

A few minutes before eleven-thirty, Dad pulled the truck up outside Billy Black's house. From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a ramshackle building with a lean-to garage on one side. I could see Alec wrinkle his nose at the mud that surrounded the house, along with tarpaulin-covered heaps that were probably car parts or broken down motorcycles Jake intended to repair sometime in the future.

"Where's this again?" Alec asked, wrinkling his nose in distaste, as Dad got out of the truck.

"La Push; it's a Quileute Indian Reservation. My dad's best friend, Billy Black, has lived here all his life with his son, Jake. He also has two daughters, although they aren't here today."

I followed Dad out of the truck, while Alec got out of the passenger side. Dad disappeared inside, and Billy rolled out and down the slope. He'd been in a wheelchair for many years after a car accident that killed his wife, leaving him with three children to raise alone.

"Billy!" I leaned down and was engulfed in the familiar pipe tobacco and fresh soap smell of my dad's oldest friend. He'd been my surrogate father when Dad had to work, along with Esme Cullen. "I'm so sorry I haven't been to see you in a while." I kissed his leathery cheek.

"It's fine, child. I know you youngsters have busy lives, and Charlie kept me up to date with what you've been doing." As I stepped back, he looked around me and held out his hand. "And you must be Alec, Bella's friend."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for the invitation to your home."

The front door was flung open and bounced back against the wall to emit my best friend while I was growing up, Jacob Black. He took two steps forward and swept me up into his arms. "Bella, it's about time you came to visit. What happened? City lights blind you to what's right here in Forks?"

"Jake," I wheezed. "Put me down, you big oaf, and stop squeezing me; I can't breathe."

"Oops, sorry." He dropped me back onto my feet, and I stared up at him.

"What the heck have they been feeding you, Jake? You're huge."

"Yep. Six-foot-five at the last measurement." He flexed the muscles in his arms and across his stomach under the skin-tight T-shirt he wore. "Work out all the time, too. Good, don't you think?"

"Stop bragging, Jake," came a sweet voice from the doorway. "We all know it's nothing but genetics, isn't it, Billy?"

Lauren couldn't be any more different from Jake if she tried. Petite, blonde, and pale-skinned, she barely came up to the middle of his chest. "Hey, Bella. It's great to see you again." She smiled blindingly as she looked up at Jake. "I love you, sweetheart, but you shouldn't show off, especially to an ex-girlfriend. She might think you're trying to impress her." Her eyes sparkled with amusement, and Jake looked startled. His skin darkened as he blushed.

"Sorry, Bells. I wasn't flirting, honestly." He leaned down as Lauren stood on her tiptoes, and kissed her soundly. "You're the only one, Lauren. I promise."

His feelings for Lauren were written all over his face, and I grinned at how quick he was to reassure her. I knew they'd met some opposition from the tribe when they first got together, but I was glad they'd gotten through that and were so clearly happy.

~ oOo ~

Jake and I had been boyfriend and girlfriend for all of six months when we were both fifteen. Looking back at it now, I realized we'd been best friends, neither of us having any real idea of what being in a relationship meant. Dad hadn't wanted me to grow up, and having Jake as a boyfriend made him happy; he loved the idea of the son of his best friend eventually being part of our family, and had encouraged us.

That Christmas, Dad and I had been the only non-Quileute people in the room. I'd known him forever, so it only seemed natural that our friendship morphed into more, but a visit from half the boys on the reservation served to highlight the differences between us. The Clearwaters, Harry, Sue, Leah, and Seth were present as always, and I watched Leah hang on Jake's every word.

Two days after the holidays, Jake and I were walking along First Beach when he explained his lineage of a line of chiefs of the Quileute tribe, and how he would be expected to put the tribe first in all things. What I wasn't expecting was for him to break up with me. His reasoning was that it was his duty to marry someone within either his tribe or from one of the many other Olympic Peninsula tribes.

At the annual New Year's Eve bonfire, I saw him and Leah Clearwater, and it was clear they were already together.

The worst of it was, he wasn't ever happy with her, and I don't think she was as serious about him on the subject of the Quileute lineage because they were together for a few short months before Leah broke up with him for one of the boys from Forks High School.

~ oOo ~

I was brought out of my musings of the past to the sound of Sue Clearwater's voice.

"Come on, everyone. You're letting all the cold air in the house."

Sue stood in the doorway encouraging everyone to come inside. The house was small but cozy, warm, and very welcoming. The small television in the corner was playing the game, and my dad had already sunk into the recliner, his gaze fixed on the screen. Billy rolled his wheelchair beside Dad's chair and they were lost to the game.

I smiled indulgently; it was such a typical sight and it brought back memories of my teenage years.

Sue's husband, Harry Clearwater, had died from a heart attack a couple of years after I'd graduated from school, and she, Seth, and Leah had begun to spend every Christmas Day together with Billy and his family.

Even before I left for California, Dad and I had spent the day with them, too. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed the Christmas holidays spent with a noisy family, and I was looking forward to today.

Alec and I followed Sue into the kitchen where Leah was sitting at the table flicking through a fashion magazine.

I pulled Alec forward next to me to introduce him. "This is Alec, my boyfriend. Alec, Sue Clearwater, and Leah, her daughter."

Alec smiled, reaching out and taking her hand. "Nice to meet you, Sue, Leah."

"Thanks for the invitation today, Sue, we appreciate it."

"It's fine, Bella." She pulled me into a hug. "We've all missed you, especially your dad."

"Then I promise to come home more often in the future. I've missed Dad, too." I stacked the cookie tubs on a spare space on the kitchen counter. "How are you, Leah? What are you up to now?" I asked.

Leah was the same age as me, although she attended the reservation school, and we hadn't run in the same circles or spent much time together.

"Hi, Bella." Leah put her magazine down and walked toward the refrigerator. "Good, thanks. I'm teaching at the rez school now. Can I get you both something to drink?"

"Wow, that's great, Leah. Yes, please, I'll have a soda. Alec?"

"Beer if you have it please, Leah."

"Why don't you go hang out with Dad, Seth, and Billy and watch the game, Alec?"

Alec nodded in agreement, took the beer from me, and headed back into the living room. He took a seat beside Seth, who was lounging on the sofa playing a hand-held computer game, turning his eyes to the television. I watched as Alec started up a conversation with Seth, who was a few years younger than me, and I was glad he finally felt a little more comfortable.

I turned back to the kitchen. "What time are we eating, Sue? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Thanks, Bella, dinner is planned for around two. The turkey is done and resting. You can peel the potatoes, if you like, then the carrots."

I took a seat at the table, busying myself with the tasks Sue had assigned, and chatted to Leah, finding we had a lot more in common now we were adults.

Between games on the television, Dad slipped into the kitchen for more beer. I watched as he and Sue moved around each other, a gentle touch here, a smile there, and a light kiss or two. It warmed my heart that Dad had found someone to care for and who cared for him. He'd been alone for a long time after my mother had gone off to do her thing.

Dinner was a riotous affair with everyone talking over each other as the dishes were passed around. Jake filled his plate three times, with Seth not far behind, managing to put away two full helpings.

Presents were exchanged, and everyone settled in to watch Die Hard, the ultimate Christmas movie, followed by Miracle on 34th Street, despite the protests from Seth, Leah and Jake. Finishing up late with Elf, Dad, Alec and I left after eleven.

Dad went directly upstairs while I helped Alec make up his bed—or rather he watched me as I spread out the sheets and duvet.

"So," Alec began when I'd finished the bed. "Jake was a boyfriend?"

I rolled my eyes at his question. "Yes, when we were fifteen. We were friends more than anything else, just as we are now."

Alec didn't say anything else, although I was waiting for him to mention Edward again. I was pretty sure he hadn't missed the connection between the two of us at the tree lot. It would have been obvious to a blind man that Edward and I had been more than friends. I said goodnight and made my way upstairs.

The last thought I had before I slid into sleep was not of Alec, but of Edward and how much I was looking forward to seeing him again.

~ oOo ~