You can thank a few of the ladies in my FB reader group for this early update. A certain Kimberley's post in there reminded me that I'm not going to have time to post it tomorrow, so you get it now, instead ;)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Edward

The coffees we purchase in the cafeteria have stopped steaming by the time Charlie blows out a long breath and fixes his dark stare on my face.

"I'm only going to ask you this once, and I want an honest answer."

I already know what he's going to ask, so I skip the part where we pretend otherwise and set my drink down. "I really care about her, Charlie. This isn't a fling or a one-night-stand kind of deal."

If not for the situation we're in, I'd find it hard not to laugh at the way his eyebrows leap toward his hairline.

Raking a hand through my hair, I sigh. "I respect you enough to tell you the truth. You're my best friend, Charlie. You've been there for me ever since the day I rocked up here with a bigger ego than Arlo."

This gets a slight smirk out of him, but he remains silent.

"Look, I don't know what you want me to say here—"

"I want you to say that I'm imagining things when I see you looking at my baby girl like she hung the moon, EC!"

There we go. Fighting a smile, I feel relief rushing through my veins. If he's shouting, he's just mad. It's when he's silent you've gotta worry with Charlie.

Increasingly red-faced, he throws his hands in the air and shakes his head. "Shit, EC. You're like her uncle, for Christ sake."

It's not the first time he's said that. Screwing my face up, I firmly tell him 'no.' "You may see it like that, but I, we, don't. Bella doesn't see me as her uncle, and I certainly don't see her as my niece." Even the idea of it makes me shudder. "We know there's a bit of an age gap—"

"A bit?" Charlie sputters. "Eleven years is not a bit, EC. When you met, you were eighteen and Bella was seven. She wasn't even in second grade yet when you were a newlywed."

"Bella isn't seven years old anymore. She's more than old enough to decide who she loves."

I can immediately see that my choice of words was the wrong one.

His eyes narrow, his voice eerily soft. "Who she loves?"

Swallowing hard, I rub the back of my neck. I wanted Bella to be the first to know that I love her, but Sullivan knows now, and if telling Charlie helps him accept this, accept us, isn't it worth it? My heart thumps hard enough I'm pretty sure he can hear it. There's no doubt he sees the way my throat contracts when I swallow again before nodding, though.

"Yes, who she loves." Here goes nothin'. "I love your daughter, Charlie. I didn't think I was capable of falling in love again and it definitely wasn't something I expected or even wanted. I wasn't looking for this, but here I am, stupidly in love with a woman who has no idea and desperately hoping my best friend can look past the age difference to see that I'm happy, we're happy."

His jaw ticks, his dark eyes stormy as his fingers drum the tabletop. I don't know what I was expecting, really, but his continued silence isn't it.

"I don't like it."

My stomach falls to my feet. "Charlie—"

"No, EC, you've had your chance to talk. I've had the mother of shitty weekends. I spent half of yesterday thinking I was going to lose my daughter..."

I flinch at his unsaid words. And you know what that feels like. Reminding myself that he's not himself right now, I take a deep breath and try to put myself in his shoes.

"I can't deal with this right now." Standing abruptly, he draws the attention of the few other people sitting at tables around us. The legs of his chair squeak as they scrape against the linoleum, his muttered curse loud in the otherwise quiet room. "I want you to go home. I'll call someone else to come sit with Bella."

Sighing, I lift myself to my feet. "That's not necessary, Charlie. I'm already here, I can—"

"If you don't leave, I'll just have the nurses change the room to family only."

With his parting words, he makes sure that I know I'm—at least temporarily—not included in that category. I wince as he turns and strides away, tugging at my hair because I know that could have gone better. I expected his anger, but I didn't expect the sense of betrayal that came with it.

After tossing our untouched coffees, I head outside into the late-evening sunshine and tip my head back to the sky, reaching for the cigarettes in my pocket. I've been trying to give up, knowing Bella doesn't allow it near the boys, but stress always has me searching for the false calm smoking lends me, even just temporarily.

When the first spiral of smoke drifts up into the air, my lungs full but my chest aching, I start walking toward home and let myself hope that Bella will make a full recovery and Charlie will gain some perspective overnight.

~ oOo ~

When I dial Renee's number the next morning, I half expect her to ignore it; I can't imagine Charlie keeping our conversation to himself.

"Easy!"

My nervous frown turns upside down at the unexpected voice. "Jaxson! Good morning, buddy. How're you today?"

"Good. Nana made us pancakes." Whispering, he adds, "They're not as good as yours, but they're all right."

Chuckling, I watch the waves roll up to the shore before dancing away, the balmy morning breeze heaven on my skin. "Don't tell Nana that or you'll make her sad."

"Nah, I won't." I hear Charlie's muffled voice, my pulse speeding up slightly, before Jaxson giggles and returns to the phone. "I've gotta go, Easy. Nana and Papa are takin' us to see Momma at the hospital. She's doin' better so they said we can go hang out with her again. Are you comin'?"

I wish I could.

"I don't know, bud, I—"

"We'll be there, Jax!" Sullivan shouts right in my damn ear, shooting me a smirk when I give him a shove.

"'Kay, cool. See you later, bye!"

Jaxson is gone before I can make up an excuse for my not being there today, which leaves me glaring at Sullivan. "What are you doing? I told you I can't go today, not until Charlie's cooled off."

Rolling his eyes, Sullivan shovels cereal into his mouth, little pieces of Lucky Charms flying out as he speaks. "Do you weally fink stayin' away is gonna prove you love her?"

"Chew, swallow, then talk, Sully," I remind him only semi-patiently, frustration and worry having kept me up all night. Tiredness makes my limbs heavy, but I can't deny there's merit to Sullivan's words. "He told me to stay away."

Shrugging, Sullivan plonks his ass on one of the loungers. "I'm just sayin', what better way is there to see how serious you are about Bella than telling you to back off when she's in the hospital? If it were me all gaga over his hottest daughter—" he snorts when the only thing within reach to throw at him is a half-deflated beach ball which doesn't make it anywhere near him, "I'd be sitting in that waiting room every day until Charlie gets over his issues."

I had hoped my friendship with Charlie would negate all this, but the more I think about it, the more I think Sullivan could be right. All I'll accomplish by staying away from Bella is making Charlie think I don't care about her as much as I said I do. With renewed hope and a surge of energy, I lift myself out of the seat I've been occupying since silly o'clock this morning.

I'm going to prove that I love her even if it kills me, which it just might if Charlie hasn't cooled off after his fit yesterday.

Sullivan smirks, still working on his cereal.

"Are you coming with me?"

"Nah, I'll stay here a bit longer. Text me if Charlie doesn't kill you and I'll come see the sprogs later."

"All right." Unconcerned with Sullivan's plans, I snatch my keys off the kitchen counter and set off, hesitating before turning away from the road that will lead me to the hospital.

I have a couple things I need to do first.

~ oOo ~

When I finally reach the window looking into Bella's room, a smile spreads across my face. The boys are all in there with her, Renee perched on the edge of the seat with Arlo on her lap and the twins on a chair on Bella's other side. Her eyes are closed, but there's a tiny smile on her face as Arlo appears to be drawing something on her arm with his fingertip.

"She's doing better."

"Holy—Jude."

Jude smirks, looping her arm through mine as my racing heart slowly steadies. "Sorry, did I startle you?"

"You know you did." Huffing a laugh, I rake my free hand through my hair and peer down at her. "How are you?"

"Not too bad, I can't complain. The Swans are great hosts."

Grinning, I nod and return my gaze to Bella and the boys. It seems to be Jaxson's turn to draw on his momma's arm now. What I wouldn't give to go in and see what they're up to.

"You know, she told me about you."

At that, my head whips around. Jude almost guffaws at the no-doubt comically wide-eyed look on my face. Reaching up to pat my beard-covered jaw, she shakes her head. "You young ones think us oldies are stupid, don't you? I was already getting suspicious, then Finley told me about their sleepovers with you and I knew something was going on." Twinkly-eyed, she admits, "Plus there was Bella's giddy smile every time I mentioned you. I've never seen her look like that."

Shaking my head, I rub the back of my neck and curse my ears as they heat up to what I'm sure is a delightful salmon color. "Jude…"

"I won't tell anybody, don't worry."

"Charlie already knows."

Jude's brows furrow a little, but her smile widens. "Well, well. So that's what they were talking about." Looking around, she quickly tugs me down the hall toward the waiting room. We're alone, for now. "How did he find out?"

"I told him."

Her eyebrows leap up her forehead. "Brave boy. I take it he wasn't impressed?"

I snort. "Not even a little bit. He told me to stay away. Sullivan thinks it's his way of seeing if I'm serious about her."

Jude nods slowly before aiming her bright smile my way. "He might be right. I also believe you might have more people in your corner than you think."

"What do you mean? Who else knows?"

"Well, they don't know, but the boys are very much fans of yours." Yeah, at that, I can't help but grin. She shakes her head with a light laugh. "Renee, too. I heard her giving Charlie a telling off this morning. I didn't hear what it was about, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's clued her in."

Before she can continue, the door swings open and three excited little boys come stampeding in. Well, two come stampeding in. The third hobbles in on his crutches and grins wide when he spots me. "Easy!"

Renee follows them into the room. Much to my relief, she's wearing a huge smile as she heads straight for me, tucking an arm around my waist and pressing a kiss to my cheek. "I need to have a word with you," she whispers, only to me, before speaking louder to the boys. "How about you three tell Nanny Jude all about your visit with Momma while I take EC to go see her?"

Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo are only too happy to fill Jude in on their time with Bella, so Renee eagerly tugs me out into the corridor. We only make it a few feet down the hall before she stops abruptly and throws her arms around me.

"I'm sorry Charlie was an ass yesterday. He's overwhelmed and worried about Bella, but that doesn't give him a pass to be an asshole."

That's Renee. She doesn't sugarcoat.

"It's fine, Rae. I get it. It's been a stressful couple of days and finding out about me and Bella probably didn't help."

"You don't have to be nice about him, hon," Renee tells me with a wry smile. "Believe me, he knows he messed up. He'll be apologizing when he gets here." Her blue eyes suddenly fill with tears. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry," she laughs, pulling a pack of Kleenex from her pocket. "I'm just happy for you both, they're happy tears."

After blowing her nose and drying her eyes, Renee tugs me over to a little row of seats against the wall. Holding my hand in both of hers, she looks strikingly similar to her daughter. If their eyes and hair coloring were the same, they'd be scarily alike. "I've watched you struggle through the last few years without an end to your loneliness in sight. We've always tried to make you feel like one of us and make up for you being so far from your family. I don't suppose we've helped all that much—"

"You have." I can't not interrupt to put her right. Squeezing her hands, I hope she can hear the sincerity in my voice. "You've all helped more than you know. I'll never be able to express how grateful I am, to all of you. My blood relatives might be far away, but you Swans are just as much my family as they are."

Tearful once more, Renee laughs and apologizes for crying again. "I'm so glad you feel that way. Charlie told me what he said yesterday, but I hope you know it was just his hot head talking. Your relationship with Bella aside, you'll always be our family, EC. This just makes it more official."

Relief rushes through my veins because I can hear the sincerity in her voice and see the genuine happiness in her eyes. It's no surprise to me that Charlie is struggling with this, but Renee is an ally I didn't anticipate. "The age gap, my connection to your family…"

Breathing a soft sigh, Renee smiles. "My daughter is as headstrong and intelligent as I always hoped she would be. She spent far too long putting up with that drip of a sperm donor—"

I can't help but laugh at that. 'A drip' is an understatement when it comes to the things I'd like to call the boys' father, and I only know a little about him.

"But I know she doesn't regret it, because she wouldn't have Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo if not for him. I think…" she pauses, eyeing me speculatively, before asking, "I think you can empathize with that?"

Slowly, I nod. I wish I hadn't lost years of my life with Kate, but without her, I'd never have had Willow—even just for those precious almost-six years. I can't bring myself to regret a thing that gave me my daughter. "I do."

Squeezing my hand, she continues. "I want her, and all my children, to be happy and healthy, but I also want them to know the same love that I have with Charlie. She didn't have it with Richard, but she could have it with you." Her eyes shine as she fights a mischievous smirk.

"You and Charlie, you're a lot alike, you know? He isn't kidding when he says you're like the brother he never had. You have the same drive, the same dogged determination and fierce intelligence. But you also have his vast capacity for love. That is why I'm not worried about you and Bella. I see you with her and the boys and I know they'll never want for love or support with you around."

My eyes burn as I act on impulse and pull her against my chest, sucking in a deep breath as she hugs me back with a light, surprised laugh. "Thank you, Rae," I croak, mortified by my body's reaction to her sweet words. Tears struggle to free themselves when she pulls back to pat my cheeks, her own eyes wet.

"No, thank you. I've seen how happy Bella and the boys have been these last couple of months and I know now that you've had a lot to do with that."

"She still doesn't know I love her," I admit quietly, still wondering, still nervous of how she'll take it. I was already worried, but with the accident comes a whole new slew of concerns.

"Have faith in her, EC. The way she looks at you...it's obvious now that it's not just how a friend looks at another friend. I don't know how I missed it before."

Approaching footsteps capture both of our attention. My palms get a little clammy when I look up and meet Charlie's guarded gaze. As he comes to a stop, his hands shoved in his pockets and his wife eyeing him with raised brows, he sighs.

Before he can launch into his apology, I stand and clasp his shoulder. "It's all right, Charlie. I get it."

Cocking an eyebrow, he reaches up to squeeze my arm, the smallest of smiles lifting his mustache. "If you promise not to hurt my daughter or grandsons, I'll promise not to slug you over the head and bury you where nobody will ever find you. It's only because I know you and I know you're a good guy, daughter stealing aside, that I haven't done it already."

Snorting, Renee mutters, "Nice apology, Charlie."

"And I don't want any of that," waving a hand, he grimaces, "PDA—is that what the youngsters are calling it these days?—in front of me. I'm accepting, but I have limits."

As I chuckle and nod, he relaxes and pulls me into a man-hug complete with back-slaps that are a little harder than usual, but I get their meaning. He's just bringing his point home and I can appreciate that. "I promise. Those boys and their momma mean the world to me."

"Then we have something in common." Stepping back to draw his wife under one arm, Charlie offers me the smallest of smiles.

~ oOo ~

With Charlie's hesitant acceptance, I'm finally able to go in and see Bella without the weight of our secret hanging over my head. She's asleep when the door swings shut behind me, but just being close to her is enough for now. Before sinking into the worn, cracked-leather seat beside her bed, I wind my fingers into the gaps between Bella's and press a kiss to her forehead. "Hey, short stuff."

The neck brace is gone now they're confident there's no damage to her spine, but the bruises are angry red and purple splashes against the honey of her skin, her cuts angry but slowly healing.

Settling into the seat, I let my mind wander to all the things I'm neglecting by being here. None are important enough to pull me away from Bella's side.

A light tap on the door eventually pulls me from my thoughts, though.

"Hey," Kristen says softly with her signature smile. "The doctor wants two-hourly checks."

"Don't let me get in your way."

It's a strangely familiar dance as I get out of the chair so Kristen can get to the machines to take down all the necessary information for Bella's chart. We've done this before, only last time, it was my daughter in the bed.

"All right, I'm all done. I'll get out of your way, Mr. Cullen," she says a few minutes later

Gazing out of the window at the buildings obscuring my view of the ocean, I try to find words. "You can call me 'Edward.' I think we're past the formalities at this point."

I can almost hear the smile in her voice when she agrees. "I think you're right."

Before she can leave, I spin on the balls of my feet and quietly call her name. She cocks her head, pausing just inside the door. She's barely changed in the six years since I met her. There are more grays amongst her ginger locks and a few more wrinkle lines around her eyes and mouth, but Kristen still has the same kind smile as she patiently waits for me to speak.

"Thank you. I never...I never thanked you for everything you did for me, for Willow." Willow's name comes out as a whisper, but I can see the pain that slides into her eyes and weights her shoulders.

"Thanking me isn't necessary, Mr.—Edward. Taking care of people is my job. I'm only sorry that…"

Her words trail off, but I hear the unsaid ones anyway.

That we couldn't save her.

"Me, too. But I'm grateful that she had you watching out for her. It means a lot." Glancing down at Bella as her hand twitches on the bed, her eyes fluttering like she might be about to wake up, I breathe a quiet sigh. "I never thought I'd be here again, but I'm glad you're here to look after Bella, and that I got a chance to thank you."

Tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear, she slips the clipboard with Bella's chart back onto the end of the bed. "Well, you're welcome. It's my pleasure. I'm off for the next two weeks but if you're not here when I get back, which I hope you won't be and I mean that in the nicest way possible, take care of yourself. I've never met anybody who deserves happiness as much as you."

Of course, the first time Bella sees me after her accident, my ears are flaming red and I'm uncomfortable as shit, tugging at my hair as Kristen laughs at me and lets herself out of the room.

Turning back to Bella, I do a double-take and choke on a breath, my heart slamming against my ribs.

Her eyes are open, a single tear tumbling over her cheek as she smacks her dry lips. Looking around, I spot the cup of water with the tiny sponge Renee was using to wet her lips yesterday. Rounding the bed to grab it, I gently press the damp sponge against her mouth, careful to avoid the still-healing cut in her lower lip, and let her suck a little of the water from it, smiling when she closes her eyes and hums.

"Better, huh?"

Opening her eyes again, Bella wriggles her hand until I get the idea and head back around to the chair, twisting our fingers together as my ass hits the cracked leather cushion. Suddenly overcome with emotion, I croak, "You scared the shit outta me, short stuff."

Narrowing her eyes, Bella licks her lips and tests out her vocal chords. "I'm s-sorry."

Her voice is raspy and soft. Leaning a little closer, I press a lingering kiss against her forehead, breathing her in and listening to the quiet beep of her heart monitor telling me she's still here.

"Boys?"

"They're getting ice cream with your mom and dad." I grin faintly, running the pad of my thumb over her cheek. "They hate the hospital but they love having ice cream on tap."

"I bet," she laughs, sending herself into a coughing fit.

"Shit." Grabbing the water again, I help her drink a few sips once she's caught her breath, a touch of disappointment slipping through my bloodstream when it becomes clear that just these few moments have drained her energy. Her eyes flutter closed, but the soft 'stay' she whispers keeps me in the chair.

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Bella," I murmur, lifting her hand to my lips and watching as she succumbs to sleep.

~ oOo ~

Over the next couple of days, Bella gradually spends more time awake and less time sleeping. The neurologists spend a lot of time coming in and out of her room trying to ascertain how much, if any, damage was caused by her head slamming into the frame of the car. So far, she's doing great. She's a little slow on the uptake at times and she's not quite herself, but she's getting there.

Baby steps.

We also learn the cause of the accident. The other driver involved, a nineteen-year-old kid, comes by on crutches with a guilty expression on his face and a bouquet of flowers half-squished under his arm. He was texting a friend, he admits, telling us he was running late meeting some of his buddies at the gym, so he thought he'd text to update them and lost concentration. Apologizing profusely, he only avoids my fist meeting his bruised face because Bella is squeezing the crap out of my hand.

With grace I can only admire, she silently eyes him for a moment, finally breathing a shaky sigh and calmly, but firmly, thanking him for his apology before telling him to get the hell out of her room.

The police also pay her a visit to get her recount of the accident. They insist on speaking to the boys even though they can't offer much of interest because they weren't paying all that much attention themselves, as little kids tend not to. With that out of the way, Bella is free to rest and recover.

It takes a couple of days of thinly-veiled comments and sly smiles from her sisters for Bella to figure out that we're not a secret anymore. Eyeing her dad as he leaves the room on Monday afternoon, she licks her lips and turns her head on the pillow to face me. "He knows, doesn't he?"

My stomach knots, my pulse racing. This isn't how I wanted this to go. There are far more romantic ways and places to tell the woman who owns your heart that you love her, but my time is running out fast. Shifting closer, I hold out my hand and smile when she quickly takes it, twisting our fingers together. She was able to have a proper wash for the first time this morning, her skin soft and now smelling faintly of her citrus body lotion. I gently bring our raised hands up and kiss her knuckles before sucking in a deep breath.

"He knows," I admit softly. "They all know. Charlie, Rae, Ben, Rose, and Ev…" My smile turns into a smirk. "Jude wants to congratulate you for landing me."

She snorts, a pretty blush infusing her cheeks. "How did they take it?"

"Your dad is...on the fence. Ben is following his lead." Benjamin doesn't frighten me, but he cut an imposing figure when he pulled the big-brother routine and reminded me that he's no stranger to putting guys in their place for hurting his sisters. I know that all too well, having been the one to go with Charlie to bail Benjamin out of jail after he broke Everly's ex's nose a few years back.

"And Mom?"

"She's happy for us," I tell her, pleased when a relieved grin takes over her face. "Everly says she'd guessed something was going on because the boys have been talking about us spending so much time together, and Rosalie suspected you were seeing someone because she found a man's t-shirt when she was watching the boys the other day." Lifting an eyebrow, I purse my lips. "Can I assume the Gators tee I've been looking for is said t-shirt?"

Bella laughs quietly, squeezing our twined fingers. "Sorry. I wore it home the other day and it's so nice to sleep in, I thought I'd keep it safe for you."

Huffing a chuckle, I shake my head. "You can keep it, short stuff. I trust you to keep it safe for me." Sobering a little, I try to muster all the courage necessary to get me through this next part.

It's been a long time since I've put myself out there at the mercy of somebody else. Bella knows I care about her and she knows I think she's worth whatever discomfort our relationship will cause until everyone gets used to the idea of us, but she doesn't know that my heart beats for her and those three little boys she birthed; that I'd do anything, be anything they need me to be; or that I'm completely and overwhelmingly in love with her.

It's about time that changed.

"Bella, I need to tell you—"

The door flies open, hitting the wall with a thud. The adrenaline that had begun to course through my veins melts away again, Arlo thudding into the room on his crutches with Jude fondly rolling her eyes at him from the doorway. Like Renee, she's an ally I wasn't expecting. The last couple of days have been full of waiting, waiting, and more waiting. That time needs to be filled with something. Usually, the boys fill the silence with their chatter, but once they fall asleep, it's time for the grown-ups to talk and for me to learn tidbits about what brought Bella back to Florida.

Laughing humorlessly, Jude shakes her head and runs her fingers through Arlo's hair. He fell asleep on her lap a few minutes ago, his long day catching up with him. Renee dropped all three boys here at the hospital just after lunchtime before heading to In The Bay for a few hours. She's going to swing by and pick them up on her way home so they can have dinner and get to bed, but I can see Arlo sleeping right through. By all accounts, he's barely slept since the accident. It doesn't surprise me that he's finally caving to his exhaustion with Jude lightly scratching his head with her blunt nails, the radio playing quietly in the corner.

"Hasn't she told you about their break-up?"

Frowning, I rake a hand through my hair. "We haven't really talked about it."

"Then I don't want to overstep by sharing things that aren't mine to share, but I will tell you this, just to stop you pulling all that lovely hair out."

My ears get hot as she winks at me. "You're a mean lady, Jude," I grumble half-heartedly.

"Yeah, yeah." Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she smiles at Arlo's snuffly snores before meeting my gaze again. "Bella and Richard were already separated when she found out she was pregnant with Arlo. She gave him a second chance to be the father he promised he'd be, and he screwed up again. I think she went into it with a guarded heart, expecting him to let her down. She's had that guard up ever since, but with you, I don't see it."

Relief and gratefulness flood my body. Blowing out a long breath, I lift myself from the squeaky chair and press a kiss to her cheek. "Thank you, Jude."

I'm pulled out of my memory by Arlo tapping my knee for a lift up onto the bed. "Help, please."

"Sure, buddy. Here you go." Once he's settled on the bed beside Bella, I offer Jude my seat and head for the door. As much as I want to spend time with Bella, Jude's time is far more limited. She offers me a grateful smile and takes the chair next to the bed.

Just because I can, I lean in and press a quick but firm kiss to the top of Bella's head before giving Arlo the same treatment and leaving the room with a promise to return later. Down in the cafeteria, I grab a cup of crap coffee and sit my ass on one of the hard plastic chairs, figuring I can use the time to answer a few business emails and check in with my team.

My preoccupation doesn't stop me compulsively checking my watch to see how soon is too soon to return to Bella.

Next chapter: Sunday

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