No.14
"Ding dong the witch is gone," I sit beside Rose sipping my coffee.
This morning we'd shipped the bitch off to Dubai for the UAE to deal with. Edward had already started talking with lawyers digging up what they could.
For now, he had decided to slow down and focus today on his kids after I convinced him to build them a treehouse in their expansive backyard. Emmett and Jasper had been dragged into helping, hammering nails and wood together in a large, winding oak.
Alice had come along for an afternoon coffee, Lucy perched happily in her lap colouring. Anna lay cuddled in my lap, head against my chest. She dozed peacefully, enjoying the companionship. While Seth ran around the men, handing tools they didn't need yet.
It all felt so easy.
"Emmett pass me the drill," Edward yells, "now. Stop checking her out and pass me the drill."
Rose, Alice and I turn to look at the men laughing. Rose winks at Emmett only encouraging him further. In fact, he hands the drill to Jasper, ignoring Edward's calls of frustration to instead head over to us.
"Ladies," he smirks sitting beside me at the table, leaning across my body to chat with Rose.
I place my hand over Anna's face to prevent him from disturbing her too much.
"Hey, Emmett," Alice grins.
"Yeah yeah," He waves her off, "so Rose. I was wondering if perhaps after this you'd want to get dinner. Like with me, like together?"
I pretend to ignore him, looking down at Anna's sleeping face, cradling her closer to my body. Gently I stroke her cheek, admiring Edward's features on her face. The bronze hair, the perfect nose. It makes me wonder if he'd ever want more...
Why would you take your mind there, Bella?
"Only if there's dessert," Rose winks at him.
"Whatever you want," his grin is boyish, a dimple on either cheek, "I'll satisfy that sweet tooth, sexy."
"Baby is asleep," I whisper at him, pointing down at his niece, "go back and build the treehouse before Edward drills you to it."
He rolls his eyes leaning down to place a swift kiss on Anna's head before racing back to an annoyed Edward, a chuckling Jasper. Before Emmett can pick up a hammer, Seth is already drawing his attention away, screaming rawr at him. Edward waves him off with a rude gesture before Jasper simply does what Emmett was supposed to.
"He's so hot," Rose sighs dreamily watching him, "I want to sit on his face again."
Alice clears her throat loudly, but it's too late.
"Why would you do that? It would hurt Uncle Met" Lucy raises an eyebrow.
I try to hold in my laughter, Alice snorts covering her mouth.
"Oh um.. did I meant to say lap," Rose says.
"Why?" Lucy asks.
"Cause it looks comfy," Rose shrugs, "like Santa's."
"Oh Jesus," I smirk, "nice save."
"I don't see you answering the kid's questions," Rose pokes her tongue out at me.
Alice and I share an amused look, but Watson breaks it up with an envelope on the table in front of me.
"What's this?" I ask him.
"Sorry Miss Swan, but it couldn't wait. I've been working on this all day. Yesterday before Mrs Cullen left this morning I watched something that caused me to be concerned. I realised the cameras. We have cameras," he says quietly to me.
"What was it?" Rose sits up confused.
Lucy looks up at Watson, eyes wide, terrified. She was connected to this envelope in some way.
"Lucy," Watson says suddenly, "Want to talk about it?"
"No," she shakes her head.
Alice leans her forward to look at Lucy properly, rubbing her niece's back.
"It's okay. You can tell us, no one will get into trouble," Alice says calmly, "what happened?"
"I yelled at her. She was trying to make me come with her to the hair-plane, but I yelled at her," She whispers, "I said I wished Bewwa was my mummy."
My heart sinks. My blood runs cold. I knew where this was going.
"Did she hurt you?" I ask, dreading the answer I already knew.
Her inability to look at me or respond confirms my fear.
"What did she do, Lucy?" I ask again.
"She kicked me," she whispers, "on the back."
"She had been trying to convince Lucy to go with her. I found her packing Lucy's things but Lucy was crying and screaming, I heard it and stopped her. I pulled her off and made her leave," Watson says, "Tanya threatened me to keep it quiet, but I went right to security and spent the morning having them download this onto a disc. Security cameras are in the hall and this one pointed into the room catching the moment Tanya kicks her, the moment she starts crying. I walked into the room immediately after the incident."
Edward had been working - I had been in the shower. I felt like shit for missing this, for not coming to this kid's rescue.
"I knew you couldn't go to the police without evidence so I thought there was no time to waste. I needed to get to security before her. That's the CCTV footage from the incident," Watson says, "she can go after me for this but Lucy will be safe, Mr Cullen will be happier with you. This will get him the custody he is so desperately after."
"Thank you," I say voice breaking, "for stopping her. I would have gone after her fat ass if she took her."
"If you need me to come to provide a statement I'd be happy to. I'd give this to Mr Cullen but I think you'd be easier to hear it from," Watson said, "That way you can hold him, kiss him. I can't do that. You can come to speak to me after."
He bows slightly before returning to the house. Lucy cuddles into Alice trying to appear smaller, using her Aunt's arms as a shield from reality.
"Rose, can you take Anna," I say softly, on the brink of tears.
I need to be strong in front of Lucy.
Rose holds out her arms, letting me transfer the sleeping little girl into her arms. Once free I run over to Edward holding the envelope Watson just gave me.
"You may want to see this, Edward," I hand it to him.
Emmett and Jasper return to the women so I can speak with Edward privately.
By the time I'm finished speaking he's turning white, fists clenched and an expression of pure anger on his face. So I do what I can, I open my arms up and let him hold me. He lets out a shaky breath before kissing my head.
"Let's take her down," he whispers, "this ends now. This is what I needed, proof that she's the monster. Can you go call the police and grab Watson, I'll go talk to Lucy."
"Hey," I grab his arm before he takes too many steps away from me, "I'm here for you. For this."
"I know," he nods torn, "I'll thank you properly later, trust me."
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