THE OTHER WOMAN
DISCLAIMER: STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS IT ALL.
September 16, 2015
EDWARD
I run a hand through my hair and place the Sustainability file on top of the pile. I grab the next one and read the title. It's for the Entertainment Center. I skim through the details and try to ignore the voice rambling over my phone. I wedge the phone between my ear and shoulder and sign the documents.
"Edward, are you listening?" Aunt Jane asks and takes a deep breath.
"Yes, I am." I mutter and turn a deaf ear to her voice again.
I intently read through the documents detailing the structure and location of the upcoming project. I think Alex should get a heads up about these details too. Speaking of whom, Aunt Jane has been on the phone with me since seven this morning; that was two hours ago.
Aunt Jane goes berserk when Alex goes to Sydney to meet his father every year. Alex never contacts any family member, except for me when he is there. He is doubly angry at Aunt Jane because she forces him to go. He needs to grow up. His father just wants things to be normal between them.
God, the entire month is going to be a headache.
"Edward! I don't think you are listening to me!"
I roll my eyes. "I am listening, Aunt Jane! You are talking about yours sons again! Why are you so worried about them? They are fine! They are both adults. I have a pile of almost thirty files that I need go through. I'm working on them between my meetings. When Alex calls me, I'll let you know."
"I'm just worried about him." Her voice cracks and I sigh softly. Now, I feel bad.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Jane. I was being rude. And Will was at the tarmac to pick him up. They went to Alec's home."
"Did you speak to Will?"
"Yes, he called me on Monday night."
"How did he sound?"
"He was fine. He is always happy when Alex goes to Sydney. They double team their father to argue over the smallest of things."
"I tried calling Will, but he doesn't answer my calls," She chuckles sadly. "He never does."
"God, yours sons are fucking idiots. One of them has a problem with their father, the other one doesn't speak to you. Why didn't you tell Will to stay when he was here in Seattle last month?"
"I tried. There are a lot of job openings for him in L.A and New York. I had Alice speak with a couple of magazine editors. They would love to work with Will and they had sent him job offers when he lived with us in Chicago years ago."
"Will has lived in Sydney all his life, Aunt Jane. You can't blame him. He just…" I sigh softly and pinch the bridge of my nose. "Needs time, I guess."
"How much more time, Edward? It's been years. I feel so guilty," I can hear her crying. "But, what am I going to do? I mean, he stays at your condo when he is in Seattle and he calls you when he is stuck somewhere in life. I know he hates both Alec and me for doing everything but this can't go on forever."
"Will doesn't hate you, Aunt Jane. He loves you. He's lost over there. He needs to come back home. And none of what happened was your fault. You don't have to feel guilty for anything at all."
"I bug you about my kids every time they are in Sydney. I know it must get irritating. I'm sorry."
I chuckle. "Don't be. You're just being a mom."
"I bet Bella doesn't even know I have another son," I smile. She doesn't know about Will. "What am I going to tell her about him? I know nothing about him myself."
"Speaking to Bella about Will should be the last thing on your mind right now. I'll introduce them to each other once Alex and Will come to Seattle next month."
"Of course. I'm sure she'll like Will."
"I bet she will," I shake off my thoughts about Bella and sigh softly. "Aunt Jane, I really have a lot of work to do. Can we talk later?"
"Sure, I'm sorry for keeping you from your work. We'll talk later then. Bye, sweetheart."
"Bye, Aunt Jane."
I run my hands through my hair and take a deep breath. God, everything is so messed up. I stand up and walk over to the separate section of my office. I bury my hands in my pockets and stare at the giant family photograph hung on the wall. This photo always makes me feel nostalgic.
When I look at how disturbed Alex and Will are about their parents; I realize just how lucky I am to have mom and dad. They have been together for more than thirty years and their love for each other has only grown stronger over time. Maybe I can have that with Bella.
People always envy our family. They tend to assume that we are a happy and strong family. They admire everyone, especially Aunt Jane. But the closer you get to us, the more you realize how broken we all are in our own way.
I just hope things get better one day.
… I won't. I've made my points very clear, Kate. I want that company under my name by next month. In simple terms, we're buying it no matter what. I don't want a complete takeover, but we need to be the majority partner. I was thinking, 51% of the stock. We'll revert our stock from Creek this month and invest them into Volturi."
"We're giving them an easy deal." Kate shakes her head on my laptop screen.
I run a hand through my hair. "Nope. Aro has a lot of think about. I'll have Jasper handle the finances for the holding company. Aro can appoint his own Chairman."
"Jasper Whitlock?"
"Yes. He has worked with companies that have undergone important mergers in Berlin and Houston. He is the best person to handle this."
Kate hesitates but speaks up. "Don't you think we should let Creek work with us in Duba—" I hold my index finger up, cutting her off.
"I know construction might start late for the towers due to using Volturi, but they have better suppliers compared to Creek. They have better contractors and remember we're doing this backwards. An Architectural firm is buying a Construction company. It's a big risk but I want to see how it goes. We'll start our work a little behind schedule but we'll finish faster. The company is recently making a name for itself. The people working there will be motivated. We need that."
"Okay, boss," Kate smiles. "You're always right. I'll look into it myself. Maybe I should contact Aro Volturi and send the Dubai project details to him. Maybe he'll have some additional suggestions."
I nod. "Sure, that's a good point. And I need the detailed list of the subsidiaries working under Aro. I want to use their domestic company for smaller projects."
"Are we ruling out Creek completely?" She asks with shock in her voice.
"Yes, Kate. Don't look so surprised. Plus, Alistair is already getting his hands on them. We don't need that kind of shit at the moment. We have a lot on our plates as it is."
"I know," She nods. "It's more hectic than our previous project."
"Anyway, let me know how everything goes. I have work waiting, we'll discuss this later. Bye, Kate."
She yawns. "Yeah, yeah. Goodbye."
I chuckle and close the window. I go back to my stack of files and my desktop pings with an email from Kate. I forward the attachment to Victoria to get me a copy of it.
I call Julie into my cabin.
"Mr. Cullen." She nods, swiping something on her iPad.
"How many meetings are coming up?" I ask and bury my face in my hands.
"You have a meeting for the Maitso towers in forty-five minutes, the Cathedral meeting at six and a video-conference call from Aro Volturi at seven-thirty. And Mr. Christopher Schmidt is expected to give you a call at eight."
I open my eyes and look up at her. I calculate the time difference and shake my head.
"Nope, that sounds wrong. It's four in the morning in Geneva when it's eight o'clock in Seattle," I shake my head. "Cancel the meeting. Have him call at a time convenient for him at the office, not me," I look her in the eye and she nods. "Make sure you send an immediate email. It's already midnight in Geneva. If you don't get a reply within an hour let me know."
"Yes, Mr. Cullen."
"Did Alex call?"
"Yes, sir. He is in Sydney as we talk. I answered his call on your phone." I sigh with relief.
"Alice?"
"Ms. Cullen left a message for you," She intently stares at the iPad screen and nervously gulps. "S-She was a little angry."
I frown. "What happened?"
"I don't know," She whispers and fidgets. "She wants to meet you for lunch tomorrow at twelve."
"Fine," I nod. "Book a table at a restaurant, I don't care which one," I really don't give a fuck. "Although send her the details."
"Yes, sir."
"Any more messages?"
"Ms. Denali—"
"Next." I snap and she shakes her head and scrolls the screen in her hands.
"The flowers were delivered to Ms. Swan's apartment this morning." Her eyes look hopeful and I wonder why she is being so weird. It seems like she is hoping I would ask something. Am I just making assumptions now?
"Thanks," I say instead. "When did the flight land in Dubai?"
"At five in the morning, sir."
"Get in contact with Dave; tell him I need to know what they are up to. And send an email to Jacob, asking him to give me a call. I want to know if he is alright over there."
"Yes, Mr. Cullen. Your mom left a message to call her."
"Alright," I mutter and stare at the file in front of me. "Any messages from Eleazar Denali?"
"No, sir."
"Okay, make sure the soft copies of the audits that I will email you, are forwarded to Jasper Whitlock. And have Mr. Wallis come by my office tomorrow morning, first thing."
"Yes, Mr. Cullen."
"Is that all?"
"Uh…" Her sentence trails off and I gaze at her. "Yes, sir."
"Let Gina know to get me a black coffee. Thank you." I nod, dismissing her but she remains standing hesitantly. "Yes? Is there something, Julie? Are you okay? "
"Yes, I'm fine sir," I wait for her to continue. "Um, Ms. Swan has called four times since this morning."
I sigh softly. "Did she leave a message?"
"No, sir." She frowns at me. Why is Julie being so weird? Her gaze seems very calculating and repulsive. Did I do something to offend her? I need to stop over-thinking. Hearing Bella's voice will definitely help me. We haven't been in contact since Monday.
"Get my phone." I snap and shut the file in my hand. She rushes out of my office and returns with my phone.
I call Bella and simultaneously read through my emails. She answers on the third ring.
"Hi." She says in a feather soft voice. God, I miss her so much. I haven't seen her in two days.
"Hey, baby. I'm so sorry that I have not been able to call you since Monday. I have a lot of work piled up."
"It's okay." Her voice sounds off. Hmm, I wonder what it is.
"Anyway," I smile and sigh softly. "I was thinking that we could spend this weekend at my place. I would love to show you my home plus, Mrs. Cope is looking forward to meeting you. What do you think?"
"Sure… whatever." She mutters and I frown.
"How is your day going? Are you having lunch in your office? Please tell me you aren't just sitting at the billing counter and reading a book."
"I am sitting at the billing counter." Bella snaps and I take a deep breath.
"Bella, are you alright?"
"Don't I sound alright, Edward? What kind of question is that?" She shouts and I am taken aback by her hostile tone.
"What is the matter with you? Why are you being incredibly ignorant and rude when I'm being so nice to you?!"
"Your girlfriend is back in Seattle. Do you know that?" Her voice is filled with hatred and disgust.
"I didn't know."
"When are you breaking up with her?"
"This weekend, I—"
"Weekend? Why can't you break up with her right now?!" Bella demands and my eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She never demands anything from me.
"Because I'm swamped with work right now, my love," I say softly. "I don't even have time to call you. How do I have time to break up with her?"
"You obviously want to stay with her."
"How the fuck can you say that?" I ask harshly. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"
"Then why aren't you broken up?"
"It's not that simple, Bella. You have no idea what shit my family is going through. If I end things right now, I'll disappoint every single member of my family."
"So, I am a disappointment for you?"
I groan. "It's not about you, Bella. Oh god, can we please talk later?"
"Sure, now you want to get rid of me. I bet you won't even take me to meet your family. I'm just going to be a sad, pathetic mortification in front of them all."
"Bella, this isn't about you! Can you get that out of your fucking head?!" I scream and stand up. "I have my parents to think about! This isn't just about me, okay?! My parents are losing their minds over this lawsuit! We've everything at stake with this!"
"I have given our relationship a lot of thought and I have been patient for long enough."
"I have a family to deal with. You only have a brother—who wouldn't want us to date because if people find out, they will assume that he got this job as a motherfucking favor!"
"Wow," She whispers softly. "I can't believe you threw that in my face."
I sigh and run a hand through my hair. "Bella, I'm really not thinking straight right now. I have a lot of stress at work. I have no idea what I might end up saying. Can we please talk later?"
"Don't you ever dare to talk about my brother that way again, Edward! I won't take it. We've been through a lot; we've struggled to bring home money. He had to work in a car repair shop when he was merely fifteen just so he could pay his own tuition because he felt too guilty for using my savings. He has worked at little jobs all throughout his life to make ends meet with me, to get into college and to get this internship. He has earned it. You have no idea how much he has dreamed of getting a job at your company ever since he was a teenager."
"Jacob dropped by my apartment before leaving for the airport last night. He was so nervous and scared. He has never travelled before. He was wondering if he is good enough to have a job with your company. Maybe he is too good for it. And you wouldn't know this because you have hundreds of people just like my brother working under you. Jake just wants to be recognized for being himself, I don't blame him."
"Jake doesn't read the gossip magazines or he would know what happens when you lose your identity to someone else's. Do you know what people call me? Not Edward Cullen's girlfriend, because he already has one. They call me his affair. I am the woman interfering in your love life because the rich architect lost interest in his girlfriend and needs a new toy. Am I just a fling for you, Edward? Tell me so I can finally start finding a guy who really deserves me. You don't deserve my love, Edward. You don't."
"Bella, I lo—" My voice chokes and the words get stuck in my throat.
"I love you, Edward. Is that why everything is happening to me? I made a huge mistake of falling in love with a guy who I thought was the perfect man for me. I love you so, so much," She sobs on the other line. "I miss you. I love you. And what do I get in return? Newspaper articles printed about me slut-shaming? My love has no value to anybody. Why? Because it's for some man who already has a girlfriend!"
"A girlfriend who you still want to be with! A girlfriend who sold my personal photographs to the newspaper! A girlfriend who gave interviews to say vile things about me! A horrible, heartless woman who insulted me to the public! You promised me that nothing would happen to my store! You promised me so many times! But, I lost everything I had!" Bella heavily weeps on the other line.
Everything? What is she talking about?
"Baby, what are—"
"It's my grandmother's store, Edward, it was insured and fine! I had two months left to pay on my mortgage and now I have to give up my store in six hours! They're auctioning it soon! Read the newspapers and you'll find out what she has done to me! This store means everything to me, Edward! I am sitting here all alone in this empty room and I have to give this place up, because of you!" Her sobs get uncontrollable and I stand up. I grab my wallet and coat and shut my laptop.
"Bella baby, don't cry so much. I'll be there in fif—"
"Don't," Her sharp voice cuts deep like a knife. "Don't you dare come near me again. I don't want anything to do with you. My life is getting more clobbered than it ever has since you entered into it. This was the last thread of my patience, Edward. I don't want to be your girlfriend, I don't want to be your friend and I don't want you in my life! I don't, Edward. I want to hate you but I can't. I love you so much. Just stay away from me. Please, please." She whispers through her cries and the line goes dead.
"No, Bella! Bella?" I helplessly yell her name even though she has disconnected the call. I call her phone but it's switched off. I set my phone aside and dejectedly sit in my chair again. I stroke her face staring back at me on the phone screen. I groan angrily and try to control the pent up frustration bubbling inside me. I couldn't even tell Bella that I love her.
I glower at the pile of files next to me. All because of my fucking work. I lose everything in my life because of my fucking work! And now, I've lost the one person who meant more to me than anything else. I clench my fists and shove the files off the table. I hold my head in my hands and blink back the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
I grab my phone and call Victoria.
"Yes, Mr. Cullen?"
"Cancel my meetings for today. Cancel everything." I say in a distant and emotionless voice.
"Edward, is everything okay?"
"Just cancel everything." I whisper and hang up. I put the phone aside and there is an immediate knock on the door. I know who it is.
"Edward?" Victoria calls my name softly. I look up and she gasps seeing the tears on my cheeks. "What happened? Did you have a fight with Bella?"
"Yes," I murmur and stare at my fingers. "She left me. I knew she was too good for me. I am a selfish person. I wanted her for myself. And now she's gone."
"Honey, don't say that. What happened?"
"I lost her. She doesn't even want to be near me. You should've heard the disgust in her voice. She hates me. It's so painful to hear that coming from the person you love the most in this world."
"I'm so sorry, Edward," I feel her rubbing my back. "But, can you blame her after what Crunky did to her? It's humiliating."
"I didn't have enough time to read today's newspapers."
"It's best if you don't read what's written," Vic sighs softly. "May I get you anything?"
"Get me all of today's newspapers right away."
"Edward, you really don't want to know wh—"
"Get them in my office." I snap and she efficiently leaves my office.
Victoria re-enters my office five minutes later holding a stack of at least ten newspapers. She puts them on my desk, nods and leaves. I rub my hands all over my face and grab the newspaper. There is a photograph of Bella and me outside Alice's workshop. We were kissing by the trunk of my car. Who the fuck did this? There are so many photographs of us from that place.
Edward Cullen flaunts his new love affair with his 'friend'— serious or already flung?
Oh dear god. It takes me a complete hour to read the articles printed in all the newspapers. When the hell did Tanya do all of this? She has interviewed and openly spoken about our relationship. She has shared our old photographs too. She spoke about Bella, about us, about her parents.
What the fuck is this shit about Bella's store? I call Kyle.
"Mr. Cullen."
"Kyle, I don't know how you are going to do this but I need the detailed copies of Bella's bookstore on Pike St. at my desk as fast as you can. Am I clear?"
"Sir."
"I'll send you the contact number of Fredrick Kent. He is the Executive Director of the IRS board of Seattle. Ask him for the copies of the notices sent to her bookstore over the last few months. I'll leave Fred a message beforehand."
"Yes, sir."
"Thank you." I end the call and dial Emmett's number.
I sigh softly when his phone is switched off. I call his office.
"Sarandon, Crawford and Cullen Law Firm, how may I help you?"
"Good afternoon, this is Edward Cullen. May I have a word with Emmett, please? It's pretty urgent."
"Of course, Mr. Cullen."
Two minutes later, Emmett is on line.
"Ed, I'm in a meeting right now. Can we talk later?"
"Emmett, I have some urgent work. I really need some help."
"What is it? Legal issues? I thought Volturi reviews were—"
"No, it's a personal issue. I need immediate help."
"How about Jenks?"
"He will do. Send him, please. Thanks."
"He'll be there in half an hour. Don't worry, you sound very disturbed. Jenks will handle everything."
"Thank you, Em."
"No problem, bro. We'll talk later." I hang up and let out a deep sigh.
I pace back and forth in my office and Bella's harsh words haunt my preoccupied mind. I keep my tears at bay because it's not the time to get depressed about the break-up. I need to get her back. Soon.
I wonder if she is still sitting at the store all alone. It's raining and cold. Is she wearing a sweater? A jacket? Did she have lunch? Bella had mentioned on Monday that Emily was going to Forks this week and Angela is in Tacoma for work. Even her brother is in Dubai. She is all alone. There is nobody to help her. What if Riley goes to her store? No.
I call the one person who can help me with this. She answers on the first ring.
"I'm going to chop the Denalis to pieces!" Alice screeches on the other line and I can almost feel my eardrums tearing apart.
"Alice—"
"You aren't answering anyone's calls! Do you realize how worried we've been about Bella since this morning?"
I frown. "We?"
"Mom and dad just left my house after lunch. They have been here since this morning. You have no idea how shocked they were that Tanya spoke so openly in public. They wanted to go over to Bella's place but I stopped them. She might get a little overwhelmed."
"Alice please," I try to compose my voice. "I need your help."
"What is it? Are you okay? Where are you?" She asks with concern.
"It's Bella. She doesn't want to be around me. She's sitting at her store, all alone. She doesn't sound well, Alice. Please take her home. I know she will listen to you. Just do me this one favor." I rasp out and roughly wipe away the tears.
"I'll go right away, don't worry. We'll talk about everything later."
"Okay." I murmur and end the call. I start pacing again, waiting for Jenks to get here.
"I don't want to be your girlfriend, I don't want to be your friend and I don't want you in my life! I don't, Edward. I want to hate you but I can't. I love you so much. Just stay away from me. Please, please."
Bella doesn't want me in her life, at all. Can I survive without her for the next six days? We spent such a magical weekend together. If I knew that this was going to happen today, I never would've left that Lodge. I was able to wake up next to her, feel the comfort of her warm arms, and watch that blush covering her cheeks, to hold her and kiss her, watch her body move against mine, hear the moans of pleasure coming from her smart mouth and her soft hands stroking my hair. Can I watch her sharing all this with another man?
I tightly grip the edge of my desk as the unsettling thoughts make me jealous. I can't let Bella go. I need to get her back. She can't walk out on us so easily. I know she is under a lot of pressure but I have a feeling this might not be the end.
I want to hate you but I can't. I love you so much. Just stay away from me. Please, please.
She still loves me.
My intercom buzzes and I check my watch. Seven past eight. Wow, where did the time go? "Yes?"
"Mr. Cullen, Tanya Denali is here." Gina says and I can hear the amusement in her voice. My fist clenches hearing her name. Why the fuck is Gina telling me this?
"Where are Victoria and Julie?"
"Sir, they refused to, er inform you about her."
"Inform Tanya to wait for two minutes and send both Julie and Victoria in."
"Yes, Mr. Cullen."
I excuse myself from the meeting with Jenks and walk over to open the door. My eyes widen when I see both Victoria and Julie strutting in my direction with unreadable expressions on their faces. They seem mad at me. Oh god, it this because Tanya is here? Since when I do care about what my assistants think? This means they must really like Bella.
"You two," I point out and speak in a low voice. "Get security and throw her out. I might kill her if I see her right now and she needs to stay alive for the next few days."
Victoria happily gasps. "Oh my god, really? We can throw her out ourselves? Can I speak with her myself? There are few things I have had running in my head for a long time."
I beam at her. "Sure, do whatever you want. Just make sure you get her angry enough that she gives me a call."
"That's not a problem, Edward," Vic looks over at Julie. "Seems like I've been waiting for this day all of my life." Julie tries to hide her smile but is unsuccessful at it.
"Alright," I clear my throat. "What's the deal with Gina?"
They both share a look.
Julie speaks up for the first time. "Ms. Denali used to drop by around here while you were gone. Gian—I mean, Gina would um, talk to her. At least, that's what I've heard."
"I'll see about Gina later. Tell Camila to call Kyle and patch him through to me."
"Yes, Mr. Cullen."
I close the door and sit in my chair again. The intercom buzzes and I answer it.
"Mr. Cullen, I have Mr. Kyle on line 2." Camila says and I answer it.
"Kyle, I need a heads up. Did you call Fred? What did he say?"
"I called him, sir. We will be able to officially get hold of the bookstore by next week."
"Good, that's great. And what about the court date? Did you talk to him about it?"
"Yes, sir. The IRS gave us a new schedule."
I groan softly. Great, the day can't get any worse than this.
"God, is it after the court date?"
"No sir, it's in two days."
My mouth hangs open and I try to comprehend what Kyle just said. Two days?! A smile graces my face as I think about it. I get to make them homeless in two short days! I can get my Bella back.
"That's fucking great. Give Laurent a call and send the files up to my office. I need an hour of your time around ten."
"Sure, Mr. Cullen. Is it about the towers?"
"No. I gave the keys to Lowell to check the parameters of Bella's bookstore. We have to design the restoration. I need the blueprints by Saturday."
"Yes, sir."
"Thanks."
I end the call and look at Jenks.
"We have a green signal," He offers me a smile. "We can start legal proceedings regarding the bookstore this coming week."
. . .
"Bella really wants a cafe. See if we can adjust things downstairs."
"We don't have enough space, Mr. Cullen."
"How much more area do we need?" I run a hand through my hair and stare at the CAD model on my laptop screen.
"Almost twice the size of this store."
"Does the store have space behind it?"
"Yes, sir. There is photography studio currently for sale."
"Hold on," I mutter and pick up my phone from the desk. I search through my contact list and call Sylvia Petit. She answers on the second ring. I smile when I hear loud music playing from her end.
"Bonsoir, Edward! Comment êtes-vous?" A sing song voices answers from the other line.
"Bonsoir, Sylvia. I'm great. Do you have a few minutes to spare?"
"Oui! Anything for you, handsome. Is there a problem?"
"Well, I need to buy land in the city."
The music stops from her side and I can hear the oven beeping.
"Go ahead. Which place are you exactly aiming for, honey?"
"On Pike Street. Across from the Pacific. It's a photograph studio; do you happen to know about it?"
She gasps. "Oh mon dieu! That spot is quite popular and a lot of people have an eye for it. But, the owner is a complete connard!"
I frown. "Is that French for asshole?"
"Oui! But, you know I'll do anything for you!"
A chuckle escapes my lips. "I really appreciate it, Sylvia," I look at Kyle on the desktop screen. "Kyle, we got it. Make immediate changes." He nods and gets to work.
"No problem, dear. Why are you purchasing it?"
"Well, I'm restoring my girlfriend's bookstore. But, we were running out of space so I need to buy that piece of land."
"Si doux! She's one lucky lady."
I smile sadly as I can't ignore the pang of pain in my heart. She doesn't want to see me. I have made her life miserable.
"I'm the lucky one," I whisper and shake my head. "What about your lucky lady?"
"Well she is leaving for home, had a long meeting."
"It's six past ten, Sylvia. Are you cooking dinner right now?"
"Oui. La fin d'un dîner romantique," I laugh. "What's so funny?"
"It's too late for a late romantic dinner. But, it's great that you're the one cooking instead of Carly for once."
"Hey!"
"I'm kidding. Anyway, we'll talk tomorrow morning then. Good night, have fun."
"Bonne nuit, darling." I hang up and tune my attention back to Kyle.
Kyle resumes his discussion and edits the areas that require changes. I grab my pencil and notepad and jot down the dimensions and sizes to ensure everything is perfect.
"Kyle, I don't want straight stairs." I murmur and he sighs.
"We have two landings."
I roll my eyes. "Make them circular."
"We're ruling out bifurcated?"
"Yeah, I don't want to create a mess on the first floor. Nothing apart from the cafe and her office on top. Display the dimensions."
I watch him insert the measurements and frown. "Make them central stringer," I wait for him to make the changes. "Four inches between each stair, maximum. We don't want a lot of gap, my Bella is very clumsy," I mutter and run a hand through my hair. I check my phone and there is still no call from Bella. I sigh.
"Done, sir."
I shake my head. "Kyle, the radius of the stairs is too wide; make them 36 inches that's why you always have trouble with smaller projects. The smallest of things go wrong," He turns red and alters the changes. "Now the rise needs to change."
"Sir, it can't be less or else the steps need to be deeper."
I open my drawer and grab my calculator. I perform a couple of calculations and look at him. "Alright, make it 7" x H + W."
"Right turning?" I nod.
My phone buzzes and I check the screen to see Tanya's name flashing on it. I smile. I've never been happier to answer her call. I grab my phone and turn to Kyle.
"Kyle, we'll continue with the work tomorrow morning. It's almost midnight."
"Okay, Mr. Cullen. Good night."
"Night, Kyle. Thank you."
Kyle nods and the screen goes blank. I lift up my champagne flute and take a sip. I accept the incoming call and take a deep breath.
"Edward Cullen."
"Edward baby, do you know what your assistants did today?!" She screeches in her annoying voice and I frown.
"What happened? I have no idea what was going on." I say softly and she groans.
"They threw me out! They threw Tanya Denali out! How dare they! I want you to fire them right now! You have other assistants, don't you?"
"Like who?"
"Um… Gianna something? I've heard nice things about her."
I roll my eyes. "Have you? I'll look into it. Thank you for the suggestion."
"And uh, are you mad at me because I gave interviews to different newspapers?"
I resist the urge to go over to her place and punch her plastic face. "Of course not, sweetheart. I am glad you did that. It made me realize how…" I swallow hard. "Useless Bella is to me." She is my fucking life.
"I know, right! I mean, she doesn't even have enough money to pay her taxes. I hated that she was trying to trap you. I knew you would come back to me."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I ended things with her and now maybe we should give our relationship another chance. I want to make things right this time." I choke on my words and drink some more champagne. I'm going to need a whole bottle to survive this conversation.
"Oh baby, I'm so glad to hear that. Daddy will be so happy. He was so worried about us. Maybe we should get married soon."
"We can talk about that on Friday. We can have dinner at your place."
"That sounds lovely. I'll have my cook make something delicious for the two of us. And then we can have some fun."
I try not to puke at her words. "Sure, sweetheart. Whatever you want. But, can you do me a small favor?"
"Anything you want."
"Maybe we should take things slow this time. We can tell everything to our parents on Sunday. Do you mind if we keep things from our parents until then?"
"Sure! It'll be a nice surprise for them too. I told you that I'll do anything so that you stay with me." She says smugly and I roll my eyes.
"You were right, I'm sorry. Now, I have to go to bed. I'll see you on Friday then. Good night, Tanya."
"Night, Edward! I love you." I disconnect the call and shudder lightly.
That was the creepiest thing I've ever done in my entire life.
September 18, 2015
When the elevators open to Tanya's condo, I find her standing at the entrance with a big grin on her face. My smile falters when I see the clothes she is wearing but I manage to plaster a smile. She is dressed in a red see-through teddy and a black kimono.
"There's my girlfriend!" Tanya smiles and gives me a tight hug. I just pat her back and get her off me. "Oh boy, are you going to regret wearing that." I chuckle to myself.
"You don't like it?"
"Of course I do."
I grab her hand in mine and lead her to the great room. Even though she is a nasty woman, she has a killer condo. I need to give her enough credit for that. I get comfortable on her couch and she snuggles up to me. I want to kill myself right now. Thankfully, my phone buzzes and I check the screen.
"Tanya sweetheart, I invited some guests over for dinner. I hope you don't have a problem with that."
She frowns and I stand up. "I uh, guess not."
"Good," My smile disappears and I stare at the elevators. Five seconds later, four people enter her condo dressed up in crisp suits along with Zidek and Matt.
"Everyone," I smile and turn to Tanya who has frozen from shock. "This is my lovely girlfriend, Tanya Denali. Sweetheart, these are my lawyers. Please, make yourselves comfortable everyone. There is enough room."
I disentangle myself from Tanya and watch everyone sitting on the couches and armchairs. I chuckle when I find her standing by the edge of the room with a wary expression on her face. "Tanya, please take a seat. It's your condo after all."
"I," She gulps. "I'm good. I need to make a call."
My eyes darken as I glare at her. "I said take a seat!" I yell and she jumps a little. She mousily sits in the farthest chair in the room.
"Thank you. Now, I'm going to be very frank with you. Your father is going to jail as we talk," She gasps making me chuckle. "He committed tax fraud. What was the crime, Zidek?"
Zidek clears his throat and speaks up. "Title 26 USC section 7201; Attempt to evade or defeat taxes."
I beam at her. "That's right. Now, I have very little time before the IRS arrives to seize this condo as legal property."
"W-Why? This is my house!" She glowers at me and I take a deep breath.
"It's under your father's name, Tanya. I'm here to talk about something important. It's about us."
"U-Us? Are you going to bail daddy out of jail?"
I laugh. "Why would I? I put him in jail. Anyway, on September 22, there is a hearing that needs your attendance. I've filed a lawsuit against you."
"What the fuck are you talking about? This is ridiculous! I'm going to call my lawyers right now!" Tanya fumes and I slide her phone away from her grasp.
"Ma'am, we request you to remain calm and pay attention to what Mr. Cullen says to you." Laurent says calmly to her and I sigh.
"Thank you, Laurent. Now, let's go through things point by point. I have a very—" My sentence is cut off when my phone buzzes in my pocket.
I read the name of the screen and sigh with relief. Oh, I've been desperately waiting to see this name flash on my phone from the past two days. Bella. My Bella is calling. I excuse myself and walk away as I answer it.
"Bella?"
"Hey." Bella whispers cautiously but I can hear the smile in her voice. Oh, I missed her voice.
"Hi, how are you?" I run a hand through my hair. Why the fuck am I so nervous?
"I'm fine. Are you at your office?"
I chuckle. "No, love. It's almost eight-thirty. I think people who work for me like to go home on time on Fridays."
"Oh."
"Where are you?"
"Um, I'm out right now. I'll be on my way home soon. I just wanted to hear your voice." She murmurs the latter part sadly. My heart clenches and I sigh softly.
"I miss you too, Bella."
"I'm—I'm too ashamed to apologize about all the horrible things I said to you. I never meant to say everything that I did. I was arguing with Angela about it and I took my anger out on you. I'm sorry. I can't apologize enough."
"Bella, I should be the one apologizing. Everything that has happened has been because of me. You were right on your stance. I realize how inconsiderate I have been of your feelings through everything. I read the newspaper articles and I'm sorry about your bookstore."
"Yeah," Her voice breaks and she clears her throat. "Anyway, I was just calling to let you know that I'll return your phone and all the other things that you gave me by tomorrow."
My stomach drops with anxiety. "What are you talking about?"
"Uh… I wanted to return your things."
"Why are you doing this? Are you trying to hurt me, Bella? I'm struggling to live without you so please don't hurt me more than that."
"Everything reminds me of you, Edward! What am I possibly going to do?!" She sobs on the other line.
"Just wait for a day or two, Bella. I promise things will get better soon."
"You've been saying that for quite some time now. Has anything gotten better?"
"It will now."
There is a beat of silence. "Where are you?"
"I'm doing some important work."
"Maybe, uh if you—I mean, you know if you want—maybe," She stammers and I smile. "We can talk about the issue."
I smile and relief courses through me. Oh, she wants to talk to me. I hope she still loves me. I want to tell her that I love her back, but in person.
"Sure, baby. Whatever you want. Should I come over to your place in an hour or two?"
"Okay, I would like that. I've really missed you." Her voice rings with honesty and I can't be any happier.
"I know."
"And I wanted to let—"
"Edward darling, I'm not feeling well." Tanya says behind me, loud enough for Bella to hear on the other end.
The line goes dead and my eyes widen with shock. Fuck, fuck! She hung up! I dial her number and get a feeling of déjà vu when it's switched off. I turn to Tanya and find her walking towards me with a tired face. Oh, I want to smack her face but I can't. Never hit a woman.
"Tanya, sit the fuck down and listen to me. Right now." I snap and she immediately sits on the nearest couch.
"Your father, went to my Bella's apartment—"
Her face turns red with anger. "Your Bella? Who is she to you? I'm your girlfriend! That girl is a nobody!"
"I love her and it's none of your fucking business. Did you really think I would never find out what happened at the Christmas party in Chicago?"
"What are you getting at? I'm so confused!" Her nasally voice pierces in my ears and I glare at her.
"Are you? Let me help you then. The Christmas party was in full swing and I was at the bar. The waiter had put a Rohypnol tablet in my glass of gin and tonic which you ordered; so I'd be unconscious. We had sex," I shudder to myself. "And your father had instructed you that if I don't want to date you, then you'd blackmail me and say that I dragged you to your apartment and took advantage of you." Her blue eyes warily look at my stone-faced lawyers.
"They know everything, don't be shy at all. Anyway, you were lucky that my parents were already harassing me to date you. So, I didn't give it a second thought. In conclusion, it was premeditated bodily harm."
"First degree Aggravated Assault, Ms. Denali." Laurent says and I smile at him.
"That's right."
Tanya opens her mouth to speak. "I-I didn't know about—" She gulps, staring at my withering, murderous glare.
"Second, we signed a mutual confidentiality agreement in the initial weeks of our dating, remember?" She gasps with horror and nods.
"Laurent, I told you she had forgotten about it," I mutter and look at her. "I have the papers. I've filed a breach of contract against you. You'll get the papers tomorrow."
"Edward, why are you doing this?" Tanya asks and tears prick her eyes.
"Tanya, you can never fake a good cry. Give it a rest," I say tiredly and she huffs. "Your family has been playing games with mine for a long time. No wonder Grandpa Victor never liked any of you. Fifty days, remember?" I chuckle softly. "I promised you fifty days, didn't I?"
"Just—" I cut her off again.
"Tanya, please. I need to go meet my Bella after this. She is pretty mad that I'm here," Tanya nods and runs her hand through her hair wildly. "Speaking of being in a loving, committed relationship, it brings up the third point. Connor, Liam, Henry, Joe… am I missing someone, sweetheart?" Her eyes are wide as saucers. "Oh that's right. Alistair Raymond. Very neat of you to date a man who is your father's age."
"That's not true!" She yells and stands up and her form is shaking with rage.
"I have pictures of you leaving his house at four in the morning. Sit the fuck down!" She obliges and I sigh. "And just so you know, I've cancelled your dad's project."
I continue. "That's why I wasn't breaking up with you. It was due to the mutual confidentiality agreement that we signed. You carelessly shared our private details to the press. Those are going to cause a bunch load of penalties for you. Plus, you chain smoke don't you?"
"So did you." She retorts with a smirk and my eyes darken as the past memories resurface.
"That was six years ago," I say with a snap. "Now, it was very clear in our agreement as one of my conditions that you shouldn't be smoking or addicted to drugs. You violated both terms. You are addicted to Crack Cocaine. My lawyers acquired your medical reports from last month when you overdosed in Paris."
"I haven't done drugs since college." She whispers and I smile.
"Look at your hands, they're shaking. It must have been hours since you grabbed a glass pipe in your hands. That's a breach of our agreement. If you ever try to contact me again after tonight, there'll be a penalty for that as well."
"So to conclude everything I've just said… I'll see you in court," I lean closer to her and my eyes pierce into hers. "And if you ever, ever come near Bella again; I will kill you."
She glares back at me. "I'll file a complaint against you. You are threatening to kill me."
I laugh. "Am I? And who heard it?"
"Everyone did!"
"Did they?" I chuckle. "Zidek, did you hear me say something?"
"Not a word, sir."
"Good. Matt, what about you?"
"I was on the phone, Mr. Cullen."
"See?" I smirk at her. "They'll all come up with different reasons. I'll have my lawyers complete the rest of the procedures. You know, until the people from the IRS get here." I shrug.
"Zidek, get me Bella's location." I whisper and he nods. I watch him type something on his laptop.
"Ms. Swan's car is parked 5 miles from here. At the entrance of 39th Avenue East," I frown.
"What? Why?"
"I think that is a secluded beach, sir."
Oh lord, it's like throwing her to the sharks. She's all alone, it's raining and what if Riley gets to her?!
"Where is this beach again?"
"Just north of Denny Blaine Park."
"Okay, thanks."
I back away from Tanya and take the car keys from Matt. My eyes return to Tanya's bewildered face and I smile at her.
"Don't worry; you'll reunite with your family soon. Just stay safe from the press, wear appropriate clothing and don't come near me again."
Laurent laughs from his place on the couch. "You forgot the main purpose of being here, Ed."
I chuckle. "Yes Tanya sweetheart, this is me telling you that we are through. It's officially a wrap on our long, loving, trust-worthy relationship. I'm breaking up with you. You are free to have sex with anybody you want... not that it stopped you before."
Laurent beams at me and claps his hands making me roll my eyes. I can see the relief on all my lawyers' face that I have finally broken up with Tanya. I haven't stopped whining about Tanya to them for the last month and a half. They all join in on the applause and I look away embarrassed.
"That was incredibly unprofessional and childish but I really appreciate it. Thank you for the cheers. I really need to go back to my girlfriend now," I look at Tanya one last time who is fuming with vexation. "Tanya, I'll see you soon in court."
Two minutes later, I'm in my car and speeding through the horrible traffic towards 39th Avenue East. The rain is pouring in buckets and my foot noisily hits the brakes at a traffic signal. I bang my hand against the steering wheel when my sight takes in the jam of cars. Fuck! I hope Bella is alright until I can reach her. She should've gone straight to her apartment!
It takes me seven minutes to reach the empty lot of the public shore that is five steps away from the beach. I notice Bella's crappy car parked at the far end of it. I peer at the car and try to make out if she's sitting inside; but I don't think she is. My hand reluctantly reaches for the door handle. Ugh, I hate getting wet in the rain.
Here goes. I open the door and step out of my car. I shudder as I'm already wet from head to toe in the heavy rain. I put both my phone and wallet on the console and lock the car. I run a hand through my hair and stand at the mouth of the secluded beach to find a figure sitting on the sand as the waves touch her feet before receding.
I walk over to Bella and quietly perch on the sand next to her. She remains unmoving, her eyes staring straight ahead towards the ocean. The rain continues falling on us but I forget about it just gazing at my beautiful Bella.
My eyes drink in the sight of her and I sigh softly. The rain has turned her outfit very dangerous. Her white silk blouse clings to her body, showing off her black bra and her short black skirt sticks to her thighs as her knees are drawn up to her chest.
Her hand is pressed against the sand and I hesitantly reach over to clasp it with mine. Bella interlocks our hands and I smile to myself. She puts my hand to her heart and rests her head on my shoulder. I nuzzle against her sweet-smelling hair and kiss her forehead. I close my eyes and savor her warm, intimate touch.
"How was your work?" Her voice is calm and patient as she asks me.
"Rejuvenating." I answer and she chuckles.
"That's new."
Bella snuggles further against me due to the cold and I wrap her in a tight embrace. I stroke her hair and she gazes at me from under her eyelashes.
"What are you doing here, Bella?"
"I wanted to be alone."
There is a beat of comfortable silence between us.
"I'm sorry, about everything." I murmur and she sighs.
"I'm sorry too. I hate it when we fight."
"Ditto."
She traces the idle patterns on her skirt and looks away from me. "Is this the last time we're going to see each other?" Her voice is nothing more than a whisper and I glare at her.
I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her astride my lap. She gasps at the sudden movement and places her hands on my shoulder. I cradle her face in my hands and lean forward as my eyes pierce into hers.
"I love you, Bella. Isn't that obvious? I can't imagine my life without you. You are my everything. Everything," I say earnestly and she sniffles. "Don't say things like that."
She weeps. "Oh Edward, I love you too!"
I sigh hearing those sweet words and hug her. I press my nose against her hair and close my eyes. I rock her gently and feel her form wracking with sobs. I know how overwhelming everything is for Bella. Her store has been taken away from her, her entire life has been printed in the newspapers for people to judge and she has nobody she can share this with.
"Hush now, my love. Don't cry, baby. I'm here and I love you. I'm not going anywhere."
"B-But, what about T-Tanya and everything?" She blubbers out and I kiss her hair.
"It's all taken care of, Bella. It really is."
Bella pulls back and quietly gazes at me. "H-How?"
"I broke up with her tonight." I say with a smile and her mouth falls open. I chuckle and kiss her cheek.
"You really did?"
I nod. "Yes, my love. Now, do you want me to tell you everything here or keep the rest of the conversation for the drive to your apartment? It's going to be a long ride."
She giggles and cups my face in her hands. "Oh, I love you."
I lean forward and passionately crash my lips against hers. She moans against my mouth and kisses me back with the same fervor. Her tongue darts in my mouth and our sweet breaths mingle as we fiercely indulge in our kiss. My hand wraps around the nape of her neck and the other one pulls her impossibly close to me.
We continue making out on the beach for quite some time until we get startled when the water hits our legs. Bella laughs and pulls back to gaze at me. I realize the water is reaching closer to the shore and we need to leave.
"Let's go, come on." I murmur and she pecks my lips.
"Okay."
The rain is barely drizzling now but the air has turned chillier as the night has progressed. Bella picks up her black pumps and rises to her feet. I take off my soaked leather jacket and stand up. I grab her hand in mine and we quickly make our way to my car. I open the passenger door and usher her in.
"What about my car?" Bella pouts.
I run a hand through my hair. "Is it working?"
"No, it kind of broken down. That's why I couldn't return to my apartment."
I roll my eyes and get in the driver's seat. I turn on the heat and her teeth chatter from the cold. I offer her my jacket and smile.
"It's wet, but still." I shrug and she puts it on.
"I like it. It smells like you." She whispers with a smile and tightens it around her body. I smile and kiss her forehead.
"I'll have Matt take care of your car." Probably sell it.
"Thank you."
"Speaking of whom, I did tell him to put something in the car," I murmur and stretch my arm to pat the back cover of my driver's seat. "I'm not sure if he did."
I chuckle when my fingers touch the soft Egyptian cotton blanket. I pull it out and Bella has shock written all over her face as she gazes at it.
"Why?"
"I already told you that I would keep a blanket in my car because you have a habit of falling asleep."
"I thought you were kidding."
"Nope. Here," I hand it to her and she wraps the blanket around her. "Take the jacket off, it's soaked."
"No."
I shrug and start the car. My eyes fall on her crappy car as I drive past it. God, it really gives me a headache. I try to drive at an acceptable speed, as Bella likes me to.
"You need to get rid of that car, Bella."
"I like it."
"You need something better. A car that doesn't break down in the middle of the street when it rains. Or one that actually takes you places."
"I'll get one someday." She says and I sigh.
I call Kyle using the in-phone. He answers on the first ring.
"Evening, Mr. Cullen. I'm almost done with the staircase."
"Do you have the design I prepared at my office today?"
"Yes, sir. That's exactly what I was working on."
"Good, I need to buy a car."
"Okay, Mr. Cullen. May I know the details?"
"Sure hold on," I turn to Bella and her eyes are wide as saucers. "Do you like convertibles?" She frowns and I sigh. "Is that a no or yes?" She shakes her head and I nod. "Okay Kyle, buy a Porsche."
"Do you want the same one you gave to your sister?"
I smile and think about it. No, Bella should have something different.
"No, I was thinking 911 Turbo S."
"Oh that's a good choice sir. I'll get on the website."
"Thank you."
Two minutes later, Kyle clears his throat.
"The trim and engine?"
"Prestige."
"Color?" I turn to Bella.
"What color do you want?" I ask softly and she glares at me, shaking her head. "Bella, please tell me," She shakes her head again. "Alright, fine. Kyle, is there something in red?"
"Yes sir. Carmine red."
"Excellent."
Bella tugs on my hand and I look at her expectantly.
"Yes, my love?" I ask.
"How did you know I want my car to be red?"
I smirk at her. "Jacob talks about his sister all the time."
She blushes and grows silent as Kyle and I design a car for her. I think she'll like the car. The model is advanced and very fast. At the end of our conversation, I remind him to send the blueprints for the store to my home tomorrow.
"You just a bought car." Bella whispers and I snort.
"Yep, for my girlfriend."
"What if your girlfriend doesn't want it?"
"She doesn't have any other choice."
"It's reckless spending. It must cost a hundred thousand dollars!"
I nod tightly. "And a couple of more hundreds."
"I cannot believe you. I'm not going to accept the car. You can keep it in your special collection of 'Look what a pompous ass I am!'"
I frown. "Bella, don't call me an ass!"
"But, you are!"
"No, I'm not. I just want you to have a good car. I love you so much, it's the least I can do. It's important that you keep it. You are so precious to me; I don't want anything to happen to you." I say softly and she groans.
"Just shut up! You can't say things like that! I can't stay mad at you!"
I stop the car when the signal turns red and face Bella. I lean forward and hold her face in my hands. Oh, she's so beautiful.
"I don't want you to be mad at me," I whisper and tenderly kiss her cheek. She sighs softly as my lips plant soft kisses all over her face. "We won't talk about the car again if you don't want to. But, let's not fight."
"Okay," She mumbles and I brush my lips against hers. "Will you tell me what happened at Tanya's apartment?"
"There is a file in the backseat; I want you to read it."
The signal turns green and I press on the gas pedal. Bella lifts herself a little and rests her knee on the armrest to stretch over to the backseat. My right hand immediately grazes against her inner thigh and she moans softly. I feel goosebumps rising on her skin and my hand moves closer to her sex.
"Don't." She whispers and settles back in her seat. I ignore the stirring of my hard on as I stare at her transparent outfit. Fuck, she looks hot. I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding.
Bella opens the file and intently reads the documents organized inside. I glance at her beautiful face out of my periphery and find her face visibly changing its color. I frown when she wipes away her tears and shuts the file. She tosses it in the back and tearfully gazes at me.
"What happened, Bella?"
"I'm such a small person. I-I yelled at you about everything while you were trying to make things right. If you would've already told me how… vile that family is, we wouldn't have wasted so much time fighting."
I slam on the brakes at another signal and turn to look at her. "It's fine, my love. Things will get better now."
"I don't want you to go near her ever again," Her voice breaks and she tries to compose herself. "She is a bitchy person and she tried to hurt you. How can she even think about hurting someone like you?"
"Hey, I'm alright," Her brown eyes look pained and it tugs on my heart. "Don't be sad for me."
Bella leaps into my arms and tightly hugs me. I nuzzle against her neck and she strokes my hair. Her touch is so comforting. I've missed this. I've missed her. Four days without her is pure torture. I hope she knows how much she means to me.
"I'm so sorry about whatever Tanya did to you. I love you, baby."
I smile and nod. "I know."
She pulls back and crashes her lips against mine. I am taken aback by the intensity of her kiss but I manage to kiss her back with a similar force. I bite on her bottom lip which earns a soft moan and she shivers as my warm hands travel inside her blouse.
Her hips circle against mine and my mind is distracted when I hear cars honking at us. Bella is clearly unaware of the sounds as she loses herself in our passionate embrace. She tugs against my hair and her tongue tangles with mine. I peck her lips and pull back but she connects our lips again.
"Bella—"
"No."
Bella pouts against my lips and kisses me again. My hands knot in her hair and we both moan when I suck on her lips. Oh, I've missed her kisses. I whip my head to the left when I hear voices and honks increase in volume. I get a feeling of déjà vu from our first date as people yell at us as they drive past us. I quickly set Bella in her seat and speed north to get away from the chaos.
Damn, I missed a turn. Ugh, I'm going to have to take a detour.
Bella is still trying to catch her breath—with her hand on her heart and her gaze directed at me with those big brown eyes. A blush flames her cheeks and my tension disappears. If I could just make love to her in this car right, I would. But, it wouldn't be romantic.
Or maybe it will. Hmm. The temperature is pretty warm, I can arrange music, and there is a blanket...No, no.
"How long were people honking for?"
"The first time I tried to pull back," She groans with embarrassment and hides her face in her hands, making me laugh. "Bella, it's okay."
"Fine," She murmurs and her smile turns coy as she stares at my jeans. "Hmm that's interesting, Mr. Cullen. You seem taken by my outfit."
"Yes, I am. There is no doubt about that. But maybe I should check your panties," I murmur in a feather soft voice and her breathing visibly falters. "I would love to see how wet they are."
"Edward, don't start right now," She presses her thighs together and squirms. I chuckle and her eyes give me an exasperated look but she suddenly gasps. "My purse!"
I frown. "Was it in your car, angel?"
"I don't remember."
"You were out, weren't you?"
"Yeah. I tagged along with Angela because she had to shop for a gown. We have to attend a wedding on October 4." She murmurs, distracted.
"You never mentioned that before."
"Emily's sister is getting married. That's why Emily went to Forks, to help her."
"Is the wedding in Forks?"
"Yes."
"Oh."
Bella groans and looks at me. "I think my purse is with Angela. But, I really don't want to talk to her. We got into a stupid quarrel."
"About what?"
"You. I was blaming her for my fight with you. I had spoken to Angela about the newspaper articles on the phone before you gave me a call. She was yelling at me and I took my anger out on you. I just…" She sighs and shakes her head. "I don't want anybody giving their suggestions on our private life. I hate it."
"I know," I bring her hand closer to my lips and kiss it softly. "Should I call your phone?"
"Okay." She rests her head on my shoulder and I kiss her head.
I search my contacts and call Bella. The phone is answered on the second ring.
"How dare you call her?!" Angela screeches on the other line. "Aren't you happy that you've ruined her life and bookstore? Now you want to call and disturb her? Don't you dare call her again! Do you really think she is going to stick around waiting for you? I had warned her about what kind of a man you are but she still went after you and now look at her!"
I pull over the car on the side of the road when I find Bella staring at the windshield with a hard expression on her face. She seems very angry.
"Angela, what Edward and I have is our personal matter. You can't judge him by what little you know about it." Bella snaps and I shake my head. I don't want them to fight because of me.
"Bella, what are you doing with him? Are you okay?"
"Yes, Angela. I'm safe with him. And you can't say things like that to him. I won't hear it. I've had enough of your fussing. I had a fight in the first place with Edward because of you. Now, please stay out of this."
"That man has a girlfriend. He is cheating on some woman to be with you. Do you even—"
"Shut the hell up, Angela!" Bella yells and I discard the blanket from her body and pull her on my lap. I shush her and hug her to me.
I brush my lips against her ear and gently whisper. "Don't, baby. She is your best friend. Talk to her later, okay? You seem quite disturbed with her right now."
"I'm sorry." She sobs against my neck and sits astride my lap.
I clear my throat. "Angela, I'm sorry for that. Bella was just checking if she had left her purse at your place. I'll have somebody fetch it from you. I'm sure Bella will give you a call later. She's safe with me. Don't worry. Thank you." I say softly and end the call.
I stroke her hair and hear her heart hammering in her chest. Oh my poor baby. She is so conflicted about everything right now.
"Hey look at me," I murmur and she pulls back. Her face is streaked with tears and I wipe them away. I lean my forehead against hers. "What happened?"
"Angela can't say things like that to you. She doesn't even matter to you. You don't need to hear that. Again. I already made the biggest mistake of my life when I fought with you. Saying everything that I did…" She gazes at me with her eyes full of tears. "I never want to hate you. I want to love you. Always. Every. Day."
"I love you too, Bella," I kiss her forehead and run my nose down hers. "Nothing matters more than that. I'm sorry too, for the things I said… about you and your brother. But, just forget about everything tonight. We'll deal with it all tomorrow," She nods and I kiss her cheek. "Now, smile for me."
Bella gives me jubilant smile and presses her lips against mine. We break our kiss when we run out of breath and I drag my lips down to her neck; sucking and biting on her soft skin. I tug on the hem of her blouse and pull it over her head.
My lips plant soft kisses on every portion of her exposed skin and her hands caress my face. Her lips graze against my jaw and reach up to lick the shell of my ear. I groan feeling her hot breath against my skin. She grinds her hips against mine as my jeans are straining, really straining.
I reach over to stroke her arms and gaze at her sexy lace bra. It is nothing short of a tease and gives me an ample view of her cleavage leaving very little to the imagination. Her hands try to undo my jeans but I shake my head.
"Do you really want our first time to be in a car, Bella?" I whisper, brushing my lips against hers.
"No."
I peck her lips. "I love you."
She giggles. "I'm never going to get tired of hearing you say that."
"Me neither," I stroke her cheek. "Now, why don't you settle back, get dressed and we'll be on our way."
Bella pouts. "But, my clothes are wet. It's very uncomfortable."
"Do you hear me complaining?"
"But I know you hate it too."
I'm not arguing with that.
I try to cover my shock as I watch Bella slide out of the little skirt. She throws it in the backseat where her blouse is and wraps the blanket around her almost naked body. She shifts the blanket, giving me a full view of her slender legs that go on for miles. I groan and look away.
Fuck, this is not good.
"Bella, don't."
"What's wrong? The windows are fogged up and I'll put my clothes back on when we are a block away from my apartment. At least they'll dry out a little by then."
"But—"
"But what?" She gasps dramatically and shakes her head. "Is my misery turning you on, Mr. Cullen?"
"You want to talk about being miserable? I'm dying over here."
She gives me an innocent smile and looks at me from under her eyelashes. "Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I can help you with your big problem."
"Bella, you don't have to." I murmur and groan when her hand rubs the tent in my jeans.
"Oh my, Mr. Cullen. You can't be any harder than this."
Bella fiddles with the fly and unzips it. My erection springs free from the confines of my black boxers and she smiles. She rubs the precum around the head with her index finger and leans forward to stroke my cock.
"Bella love, you really shouldn't—oh fuck." I moan when her hot mouth envelopes me. She pulls back and licks and sucks my throbbing head. "Bella, we can't."
"Start the car."
I look over to find her amazing ass sticking in the air. I close my eyes, trying to calm myself. I won't last long with a sight like this.
"Baby, you really want to do this?"
"Yes." She mumbles and her voice vibrates against my erection. I sigh softly and start the car, getting back on the road.
I really hope tonight will be The Night.
SPECIAL THANKS TO EdwardsFirstKiss FOR EDITING THIS CHAPTER!
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