So after that mean, mean teaser I left you last night (if you didn't see it, come join the fun in my FB reader group: CiaraShayee's Subconscious) I thought I'd post a bit earlier in the day than usual.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Edward
Stepping out of Salt Lake International Airport, I tuck my cell back in my pocket and shiver, pulling my zip-up sweater tighter around me, my eyes searching…
"Over here, Uncle Ed!"
Of course the day I arrive in Utah would be the coldest day of September so far. It's still reasonably warm by most people's standards, I reckon, but for a guy who never leaves Florida, it's pretty damn chilly. Even Matty, a born and raised Utah native, is wearing a thin sweater as he hangs out of the backseat window.
"Hey, Matty," I chuckle, ruffling his hair when I get close enough. Dad calls out to tell me the trunk is open, so I jog around and dump my luggage before slamming it shut and climbing in the front seat beside him.
"All set?" he asks, shooting me a grin—the crooked smile I inherited—as he pulls away from the pick-up area after twisting to check Matty is buckled back into his seat.
"All set," I confirm, blowing out a breath of relief. I'm finally here.
After a delayed flight out of Jacksonville, I missed my layover in Dallas. I got lucky and managed to catch a slightly later plane but it means I'm here almost three hours later than planned and for all my concern about leaving Bella and the boys and missing Matty's soccer match, I've missed it anyway.
Twisting in my seat, I eye my nephew still dressed in his soccer kit. "How'd it go, Matty? Did you give 'em hell?"
"I did! I scored two goals," he tells me, using his free hand to hold down all but two of the fingers on the other. "We won four to two."
"That's great, buddy! Well done." Side-eyeing Dad, I tell him, "Maybe Gamma and Pops will have some treats at home to celebrate."
Matty's face lights up, his smile only widening when Dad admits that they may have a surprise or two in the freezer.
During the short drive from the airport to Mom and Dad's house, Dad and I listen to Matty as he chatters about everything that crosses his mind, from the breakfast he had with his mom and dad on Monday to the picture he drew which is apparently now tacked to the fridge at his other grandparents' house. He happily agrees to draw me a picture to take home to put on my fridge; I don't miss Dad's quick glance, but choose not to mention it.
Just as we pull up onto my parents' street, my phone pings. Stifling the no-doubt goofy grin threatening to take over my face, I pull it out of my pocket and breathe a sigh of relief when I read Bella's incoming text.
Arlo's much better today. He's just managed a pancake and a little fruit, now he's lounging in the bath xx
Before I can reply, another message pops up, this time with an attached picture.
He says to say you've been gone so long he's grown a beard like yours xx
The image she's attached makes me chuckle aloud. Arlo is shoulders deep in the tub wearing a bubble beard and a silly smile. With a pang, I tell her I miss him too—I miss all of them.
I miss you all so much. I'm already counting down the days until I'm home with you
Pausing, I add a couple of Xs before sending the message as we roll to a stop on the driveway.
"We're here," Dad announces with a sigh, shooting my phone a curious look as he reaches over to squeeze my shoulder before climbing out.
Sucking in a deep breath, I eye my childhood home with trepidation, hoping this trip will go better than the last.
~ oOo ~
Much to my relief, my first few days in Utah go off without a hitch.
Mom is on her best behavior—I'm sure Dad has something to do with that—and it's surprisingly refreshing being somewhere with such a different climate and landscape to home. There are no beaches here, but the mountain range stands tall and imposing on the horizon. In the evenings, Dad and I enjoy a bourbon together on the back porch while we shoot the shit and gaze out at the Oquirrh Mountains.
Sometimes Jasper joins us, but he's busy organizing a big merger for his company, so we see more of Alice and Matty than him.
Being back in the town where I was raised, being around my family, is nice, but by day four, missing the boys and Bella leaves me with an all-too-familiar ache in my chest and a rock in the pit of my stomach. It only worsens every time I remember that I still have more than a week to go until I can have them in my arms again. For now, I have to settle for texts and phone calls. Mom has caught the tail-end of my conversations with Bella a couple of times now and I'm sure she's dying to ask who I'm speaking to. She hasn't yet, but I bet she's working up to it.
"Hey, handsome," Bella breathes, her beautiful face filling the screen of my phone.
Grinning, I adjust my pillow and shuffle down the bed a little, propping my phone up against a throw cushion. It's still weird, being in my childhood bedroom. It hasn't changed much since I left shortly after my eighteenth birthday. The only things that have changed are the carpet and all my posters which once covered almost one whole wall. They're boxed up in the garage now, Mom's treadmill standing at the foot of my bed. Still, the similarities are disconcerting.
I wonder if this is how Bella felt stepping back into her old room after so long in England.
"Hey, short stuff. How's it going?"
"Good," she smiles, nodding and getting comfortable. I long to be in her bed with her, that sweet smile close enough to kiss. She's too damn far away. I've gotten spoilt, having her in bed with me at least a couple nights a week. I haven't slept half as well here as I do when I have her in my arms or wrapped around me. "I've got my bed back to myself tonight. Arlo wanted a sleepover with Jax and Finn, so we made them a pillow fort between the beds and they're all tucked in there."
"I wish I could see it," I whisper, rubbing my chest.
Her gaze softens.
Does she know how she owns me? How my mind revolves around her now, her and the boys? I doubt it.
"I'll send you a picture. How's it going with your family?"
"It's, nice, actually." She snorts, shaking her head, pulling a wry smile from me. "I know, I know. I sound really enthusiastic, right?" I rake a hand through my hair. "It's nice spending time with them. Mom is behaving so far."
She had a brief blip this evening when she brought up Kate again, but I shut her down and we moved on. She accepted the topic change surprisingly easily, actually.
"That's good, I'm glad you're enjoying your trip." Something like nervousness crosses her face. "Just don't enjoy Utah too much, okay? We need you back here when you're done visiting."
"Silly Bella," I laugh softly, mindful of the thin wall separating my room from my parents'. "I'll be back on the tenth. It's just a little over a week to go now."
"I just miss you. You broke your promise." I only have to raise my eyebrows to get her to add, "You said you'd be back before we could miss you. Well, we miss you." She quickly scrunches up her face and shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't pile on the guilt, I just...this is hard. I'm such a girl. You've only been gone a few days."
"A few days too many," I tell her quietly, just as frustrated with the distance and the time still stretched out before us. "Once I get back from this trip, I'm not goin' anywhere for a long time."
"We are, though. We're going to see Jude for a week at the beginning of December."
My brows furrow, though I try to stifle my grimace. "I forgot about that."
Her sad smile tugs at my heartstrings. "We're such saps, aren't we?"
"I blame you, short stuff. I was all tough and mean and shit before you came back and worked your magic."
We spend a little while talking, Bella resolutely denying having anything to do with my personality transplant and telling me how she's looking forward to taking the boys to pick out new stuff for Max between school and her shift at Burger Co. tomorrow, before her yawns interrupt every other sentence and she's struggling to keep her eyes open.
"Go to sleep, Bella," I finally laugh when she apologizes for the tenth time, covering her mouth as her eyes begin to water.
Sheepishly, she blows me a kiss. "I'll speak to you tomorrow. Let me know when you have a few minutes free and I'll let the boys speak to you."
"I'd like that." More than I can say. Sullivan is flying out tomorrow so I'll be running interference between him and Mom, but I'll make time for Bella and the boys. Hell, Sullivan will probably want to speak to them, too.
"Goodnight, Edward."
"Goodnight, short stuff. Sweet dreams." I love you.
The words hover there, right on the tip of my tongue, but I bite them back and whisper them into the dark room once she's hung up and I'm lying on my back, one arm under my head as I stare at the ceiling. There's no rushing ocean to soothe the frayed edges of my mind, no Bella to curl up with, and no boys to sneak away from in the morning. The bed is too soft, the room too quiet. I sleep fitfully, tossing and turning for the fourth night in a row. When I finally give up and hit the shower before moseying into the kitchen shortly after seven, I'm surprised to find that I'm not alone.
"Morning, Edward," Mom murmurs, shooting me a quick smile between sips of her coffee. Joining her by the window overlooking the backyard and the stunning mountains beyond, I only hesitate for a moment before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Mornin', Mom. You're up early."
She shrugs. "I was doing some thinking last night. It kept me up."
"Anything I can help with?"
I can feel her eyes on me as I slip away, stepping over to the coffee machine to pour myself a cup.
"Actually, it was you I've been thinking about."
My eyebrows lift. Me?
"I've made plenty of mistakes in my life, son, but I've failed you spectacularly these last few years, haven't I?" The inflection on the end of her sentence makes it a question, but she doesn't sound like she particularly wants an answer. Mom sighs, her gaze sad as she sets down her mug and turns to face me, twisting her hands in front of her. "I'm sorry, Edward. Truly sorry. I know I've tried to force Kate on you since the divorce, and in the interest of honesty and a fresh start, I invited her over this weekend."
Anger ignites my blood. "Mom, that's not—"
She shakes her head, cutting me off. "I called her and cancelled a couple of weeks ago. I've been...blind, you could say." Waving me over, she takes my hand and guides me into a seat at the table. "Do you know why I kept trying to push you and Kate back together?"
"No." I'm still annoyed, still frustrated with her for meddling, but I want to know where she's going with this before I lose it, so although my tone is curt, it's not the litany of curses I'm biting back.
Her smile shifts into a grimace, her eyes apologetic. "I just wanted to see you happy again, Edward. You and Kate were happy once, weren't you?"
Slowly, I nod. "We were. But it never would have lasted. It didn't last." Blowing out a breath, I open up to her for the first time since I was a teenager. The trouble Kate and I were having, it's news to her; I can tell by the widening of her eyes and the confusion in her gaze. "We were drifting apart long before Willow...before Willow died. And Kate was cheating on me, Mom." Mom gasps, her hand flying to her mouth as tears instantly spring into her eyes. "She was having an affair with one of her co-workers for years before we divorced, that's why she didn't want to leave Utah. Losing Willow was just the thing that tipped us over the edge. It gave her the out she'd been looking for."
For a few long seconds, the only sounds in the kitchen are the coffee machine ticking as it cools and the breeze rattling the kitchen window shutters. I turn my head, gazing out of the window at the swaying oak tree at the end of the yard and the clouds drifting across the sky. Then Mom stutters a shaky "I had no idea" and squeezes my hand. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Before I can speak, I see the penny drop. I can see the very second she realizes what the repercussions of Kate's affair might have been.
"Willow...is she...was she…"
Clearing the lump in my throat, I nod, just a dip of my chin. I'm surprised by how good I feel as relief blankets Mom's features. She doesn't need to know that Willow might not have shared our DNA. She just needs to know the same thing I do—Willow was mine, she was ours. Nothing and nobody will change that. Not even death itself.
"I don't need Kate to be happy, Mom."
"I see that, and I'm sorry for trying to force it. I had no idea...she doesn't seem the type to do that, but of course I believe you. Everything makes so much more sense now you've explained that." Pulling a napkin from the dispenser in the middle of the table, she loudly blows her nose and dabs at her eyes. "But you've seemed like a completely different person these last few days. Well, these last few weeks, actually. Alice said you were like a new man when she, Jasper, and Matty came to stay with you."
For a moment, I consider telling her why. I consider telling her about the woman who has stolen what I thought was a dead heart, but Bella should hear that first.
I'm nervous as shit for her reaction to what will doubtlessly be an emotional "I love you" when I return, but I feel like the words will explode from me at some point if I don't willingly set them free. She should know first. "I'm happy," I admit, feeling my lips curl up on one side. "For the first time in a long time," since I lost Willow, "I'm really, truly happy."
Squeezing our hands together with a wide smile and tear-filled jade eyes, Mom sighs. She wants to press me for the hows and whys, but she doesn't. Not yet, at least. I'm grateful. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that."
~ oOo ~
"All right," Dad says loudly, strolling into the kitchen with his keys dangling off his finger. "I'm heading out to the airport." Eyeing me, he cocks his head. "Do you want to come with me?"
My gaze darts over to Mom. She's smiling, but it's clearly forced. She's trying though and that's what matters. Sullivan is due to land in a half hour or so to spend the next week here, so I know she's bolstering herself. She doesn't always treat Sullivan with the respect he deserves, but there's been a very noticeable shift in the way she acts since the last time I saw her. It fills me with hope that this trip might be less uncomfortable than others previous.
"Yeah, why not?" As I pass Mom, I wrap an arm around her shoulders from behind and plant a kiss on the top of her head. "You'll be all right here?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I'll finish getting dinner ready." Raising her voice, she calls, "Matty will help me, won't you?"
Matty comes careening into the room on socked feet, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Alice is at a baby shower this afternoon, so Mom volunteered to watch Matty. He's been 'helping' me and Dad repair Mom's greenhouse, getting it ready for the colder winter months. And by 'helping,' I mean 'thoroughly distracting' us. "I'll help, Gamma. Help with what?"
Chuckling, Dad and I head out, climbing into his SUV as Matty and Mom wave at us through the dining room window.
"She's really glad you came and seem to be enjoying yourself," he comments as we head toward the airport.
Glancing sideways at him, I find myself smiling. "I'm glad, too. And I am enjoying myself."
"Your mom told me you two had a conversation this morning…"
"We did," I admit gruffly, hating that I can feel the sympathy pouring from him. "I didn't tell you all because I didn't see any point. There was no benefit to you all knowing."
"I understand. I can't say that I'm disappointed you didn't feel like you could come to us with it, but that's our doing. And she really is sorry, son. I know she can be...overbearing."
We both grin when a loud chuckle bursts free from my chest.
Wryly, he continues. "Okay, so that might be an understatement. But she means well, you know that, don't you?"
There's no denying it—she does mean well, even if her methods could use work. She infuriates and amuses me in almost equal measure, but under it all, beneath the meddling, scheming, and fussing, she's just a parent trying to do right by her family by whatever means necessary. I can appreciate that.
"I know," I finally murmur, removing my cap to run a hand through my hair before setting it back on my head. "I think we've turned a corner."
He nods. "If it's any consolation, she was already regretting speaking to Kate when Alice and Jasper came back after seeing you and told us how different you were. That solidified it for her, but I am wondering, we're both wondering, what's changed? I'd be lying if I said I haven't noticed any changes in you."
Blowing out a big breath through my nose, I fall silent as we pull into the short-stay parking lot. Dad waits patiently, hunting for a spot before finally killing the engine when we find one. Turning in his seat, he offers me a small smile, his blue eyes soft, but knowing.
"Look, you don't have to spill your guts to me, son. You're a grown man and you've proven you're more than capable of taking care of yourself. God knows, your mom and I haven't done the best job of it, at least the last few years."
"Dad—"
"No, let us own our mistakes, please." His earnest expression and pleading tone convince me to shut up. His half-smile is apologetic as he reaches over to squeeze my forearm. "We're going to do better. We thought we were helping by taking a step back and giving you space. Now, I think we were wrong to do that. But something has happened, something has changed, and though I have my suspicions, I understand if you want to keep it to yourself." Smirking, he adds, "I just hope you'll let us meet her when you're ready."
My ears heat like a schoolboy who's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Dad," I groan, rubbing the back of my neck.
He finds my discomfort hilarious. Dad chuckles as he removes the key from the ignition and climbs out of the car. "Come on, son. Let's go get Sullivan before he thinks we've forgotten about him."
~ oOo ~
Frowning, I check my watch again and glance up at the 'arrivals' board. "It says it arrived thirty minutes ago."
Dad is frowning, too, his foot tapping the floor and his fingers drumming his knee. "Did he give you any inclination to believe he might not come?"
"No, none." I mean, it's a white lie. I know Sullivan wasn't a hundred percent sure about this trip, but when I spoke to him before I left, he'd made up his mind to come. The fact that I'd be here too was the deciding factor in the end; he was pleased he'd have me as a buffer.
"Have you heard from him today?"
Pulling my cell from the pocket of my sweater, I scroll back to the last message he sent me.
Bella + the boys are giving me a ride to the airport so I'll see you soon brother! Ps battery is low - Sully
"He messaged to say he was getting a ride to the airport this morning. I haven't heard from him since then."
Deciding to call Bella, because I haven't heard from her since this morning either, I find her number and hit 'dial,' mouthing to Dad to keep an eye on the doors as I wander a few feet away.
"Hey, you've reached Bella Swan. I'm sorry I can't get to the phone right now, but if you leave a message and your number I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks!"
"Voicemail," I mumble, shaking my head. She's probably on her way to get the boys from their art class before they head out to restock on dog supplies. Typing out a text, I reread it quickly before hitting 'send' and walking back over to Dad, who looks just about ready to explode with nervous anticipation. "I'll just go and ask somebody. The people we saw before might have been getting off a different plane."
It's a weak suggestion and I know it. Dad nods stiffly, pulling at his hair. I bite back a grin, recognizing his nervous tick because it's the same as mine, and wander off in search of someone who might be able to tell us what's going on. Finally spotting somebody in a uniform, I plaster a friendly smile on my face and jog over. "Hi there. I was just wondering, is there any way—"
The sudden vibration of my cell in my pocket cuts me off. The airport worker smiles and waves at me to answer it. "It's okay, Sir, take your call. I'll wait."
"Thank you," I murmur, exhaling deeply when I see Bella's name on the screen. "Bella, hi. Weird question, did Sully get to the airport okay earlier?"
A cold ball of dread and confusion bulldozes its way through my chest into my stomach as my ears pick up sounds they don't expect. Sirens and muffled chatter. An unfamiliar male voice.
"Hello, is that...Edward Cullen?"
"It is," I snap, my stomach twisting. "Who's this?"
"My name is Collin, Sir. I'm an EMT based out of Jackson Bay—"
"Why have you got Bella's phone?" Fear slithers through my veins just as Dad's hand lands on my shoulder, spinning me around. Tunnel vision takes over, blocking out everything but him and the voice on the other end of the phone. Dad is frowning, asking what's wrong, trying to piece together the few things I've said.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Sir, but there's been an accident and I was wondering if you'd be able to help me with some contact details."
~ oOo ~
The seatbelt is too tight, the air too thin. I feel claustrophobic as I suck in a deep breath and close my eyes, tipping my head back against the headrest as the flight attendant begins the safety brief.
This can't be happening. It just can't.
It feels like a million ants are crawling over me as I remind myself to keep taking deep breaths. It's necessary if I want to stave off the panic attack that's been hovering on the horizon ever since the EMT admitted that he was at the scene of a road traffic accident involving the four most important people in my life.
Bella, Jaxon, Finley, and Arlo.
It's taken six hours and a whole lot of soul-searching but I've finally been able to admit that although I love Willow and always will, I need to learn how to move on. I'll miss her forever and I'll always be devastated that she's not here with me, but Bella and the boys are my future. I can't and won't live without them. Not for another day. When this plane lands, I'm going straight to the hospital and telling Bella that, too. We need to have a conversation and get everything out in the open, but I want her to know I'm done hiding, I'm done keeping us a secret. I don't know how her family is going to react, but I'm willing to see where the chips fall if she's willing to take a chance on me.
Not knowing what I'll find when I get to the hospital is a festering wound that throbs every time I think about it. All the EMT would say was that all four of them were being loaded into ambulances and taken to the hospital. I asked about Max, too. He seemed unhurt but was being taken to the nearest veterinarian by the police, 'just to be checked over' he said. After giving him Charlie's and Renee's cell numbers as well as their home number, I hung up and blindly followed Dad as he tried to get me booked on the first flight back to Florida.
"Bro, are you okay?"
Breathing slowly, I let my eyes peel open and turn my head to nod stiffly at my brother. Sullivan finally showed up just after the call that yanked the rug from beneath my feet. His baggage got lost somewhere in transit and he was speaking to someone from the airline about locating it, which is why he was later than expected. Dad had just caught me as my knees gave way when Sullivan jogged into the arrivals hall.
"I can't lose them," I finally croak, the words tasting like acid on my tongue.
Sullivan's brows are furrowed but he reaches over, grabbing my hand. "Listen to me, big brother. I've only ever met one person stronger than Bella. Whatever happened, she's going to fight it. She'll be fine, and Jax, Finn, and Arlo will be, too. I bet she'll be waiting to kick your ass for cutting your trip short as soon as we get to the hospital."
As much as I want to believe him, I can't help but conjure all the worst-case scenarios to the front of my mind. I can't help but picture them all bloody and hurt while I'm thousands of miles away.
"Hey, listen to me, bro," Sullivan urges, squeezing our joined hands. "You love them, right?"
Nodding, I blink back tears. "Yes." It's the first time I've said it out loud, but he's the only one who knows about us. Being able to admit it lifts a huge weight off my shoulders.
His lips kick up in a lopsided grin. "Then believe in them, yeah?"
Managing a weak smile, I squeeze his hand back and nod, focusing all my energy on staying calm. We have just over four hours on this plane, an hour or so in Atlanta, then an hour from there to Jacksonville before another hour driving to Jackson Bay—assuming they haven't been taken to the bigger city hospital. I need to keep a cool head. "Thanks, Sully. I'm glad you're coming with me, little brother."
"Ah, it's nothin'." His eyes crinkle with mischief. "Anything to get out of a week with the 'rents."
Lightly socking him in the shoulder, I huff a half-hearted chuckle and settle in for what will doubtlessly be a painful flight.
A couple of hours later, after listening to Sullivan snore for almost forty minutes, something occurs to me. Poking him in the ribs until he wakes with a sputter, wiping drool from the corner of his mouth, I frown. "Wh-wha?" he mumbles, stretching out as best he can. He has the same issues I do when flying—long legs and not a lot of leg room.
"Earlier...you said you've 'only met one person stronger than Bella.' Who did you mean?"
Rolling his eyes, Sullivan yawns and wriggles around to get comfortable again, the passenger on his other side shooting him a glare he can't see because he's got his eyes shut. "You, doofus. You're the strongest person I know."
Warmth floods me, but Sullivan doesn't hear my murmured thanks because he's already drifting back off to sleep.
~ oOo ~
After quite possibly the longest eight hours of my life, Sullivan and I finally climb into my car as the sun begins to rise.
"Should you be driving?" he asks, eyeing me with trepidation as I whip the car out of its spot and turn it toward the exit.
"I'm fine, Sully. I just need to get there."
"All right, but if you get tired, pull over and I'll drive. Promise me."
"I promise," I say through gritted teeth, reminding myself that he's just being sensible. He's right to be cautious—I've been awake over twenty-four hours at this point. Ordinarily, I'd take him up on his offer to drive and catch some shut-eye on the hour-long drive home, but not today. I couldn't sleep if I tried, not knowing how Bella and the boys are. I've been trying to call Charlie and Renee since we landed, but neither of them are answering. My next port of call would be Rosalie, Benjamin, or Everly, but I don't have any of their personal numbers.
I know who might, though.
"Can you call Garrett? My cell is in the pocket of the backpack on the backseat."
"Sure." It doesn't take long for Sullivan to get my cell from the back and pull up Garrett's contact details, holding it up between us. "I'll put it on speaker."
"Thanks." Listening to it ring feels like a lifetime. We're out of the airport limits and on the journey home when Garrett finally picks up. I've got a few minutes before we hit the interstate and it gets harder to turn around to head back toward the hospital, so I need to know where to go.
"Hey, man. I take it you've heard?"
He knows. And he doesn't seem surprised to be hearing from me. I'll think about that later. For now...
"You know...what happened? How are they?"
Garrett says something quietly—presumably to Tanya—before there's a click and his voice gets a little louder. "I don't know much, just what Ben told me. We were at the gym when Charlie called him on the way to the hospital. It sounds like they were on their way to Jacksonville and they got hit head-on. I'm not sure how it happened, but that's what Ben said before he rushed out the door. Tan spoke to Renee late last night and she said they were all still being looked after at JBH."
So they're at Jackson Bay Hospital. That answers that question. I press a little harder on the accelerator.
"Are they…" okay, together, alive?
"Edward, man, I wish I knew more, but I don't. Have you tried calling Charlie or Renee?"
Explaining that I've tried both of them, I'm relieved when he tells me he's texting me Ben's number. I hear Tanya's faint voice before he says he'll send Rosalie and Everly's, too. "Thanks, Gare. And tell Tan I said the same."
"Will do. There, all done. Tell them we're here to help if they need anything, all right? And the same to you. Where are you?"
"About to jump on the 95."
"All right. Drive safe. If you need pickin' up, call me. Don't drive like an ass."
Snorting, I tell him I have Sullivan with me, promising to be safe and keep him updated.
Then it's just the interstate, the sunrise, and my fingers anxiously drumming the steering wheel as my racing heart prays its missing pieces are still beating.
~ oOo ~
"Swan. I'm lookin' for Bella Swan," I pant, slamming my hands on the reception desk. Sullivan dropped me at the main entrance and took the Jeep to park up, knowing I couldn't wait any longer. The drive that should have taken an hour took more like two, my frustration and desperation to lay eyes on Bella and the boys almost exploding out of me every time we hit a new pocket of congestion.
The receptionist blinks at me, wide-eyed, before asking for a name. "Edward Cullen."
"Oh! I've got a note for you." She moves all the papers around on her desk, thoroughly testing my patience, before mumbling "Aha!" and waving an orange Post-It in the air. "A Mrs. Cross was here not long ago, you actually just missed her. She asked me to give you this."
Almost snatching the note from her, I send up a heartfelt thanks for Tanya. She must have stopped in after I called to say we were stuck in traffic and find out if they'd heard anything else.
Second floor, room 1506. Take a deep breath. Tan.
"Thank you!" I'm running toward the elevator before the receptionist can acknowledge my thanks or say another word. When the doors don't open within a couple seconds, I shake my head and turn to the stairs instead, relying on pure adrenaline to push me forward even though my legs are screaming, my body heavy with exhaustion. I try not to think of what I'm about to find, but it's impossible not to.
I'm aching limbs, panted breaths, and stinging eyes, the bitter taste of my sour memories burning the back of my throat as the antiseptic smell synonymous with hospitals fills my lungs.
I haven't stepped foot in this building since the day Willow died in 2012, now I'm sprinting to the very same floor where she took her last breath. The sick irony is not lost on me.
When the door slams open on the second floor a few doctors and nurses look my way in surprise, but it's the familiar face I immediately spot that draws my attention.
Kirsten.
"Mr. Cullen, are you all right?" she asks, her face the picture of concern as she hurries over, resting a hand on my shoulder when I bow, sucking in deep breaths with squeezed-shut eyes.
"Bella Swan," I pant, white spots dancing behind my eyelids. "Bella Swan...I'm here for Bella."
"EC?"
My head snaps up, fear taking over at the look on Rosalie's face. She looks shattered, her eyes rimmed red and her hair a mess around her head. She's always immaculate, never a hair out of place. Not today. She looks wrecked.
"Rose…"
Her composure crumbles, and my heart stops.
*peeking through fingers*
See you Sunday! ;)