Sir James and Victoria Cullen
The ride to Edward's grandparents was quiet. Not blissfully so, either. I could practically taste the tension between Carlisle, Esme, and Edward.
I couldn't help but wonder what all of it was about. If they didn't like these people that much, why did they try so hard? I knew I still tried to please Renee in my own way, but she wasn't to this level. She was, at the very least, likable when she wanted to be.
Hell, she even gave me the idea for my list. Perhaps I should be thanking her for that, even though she didn't know about it.
These people didn't appear to be likable in the least.
We came to a large home surrounded by a large black iron gate. I honestly had no idea where we were. I guess I should have been paying attention, but I was having a hard time doing so. All my focus was on my very stiff boyfriend beside me, his hand clenched tightly in my own.
"Liam's here," Carlisle said quietly, and I watched as a handsome blond man stepped out of a small yet extremely fancy car. He was older than Carlisle by at least ten years, the wrinkles on his face more defined. A small woman came out next, her skin a cold cream white and her hair a coffee black. She was gorgeous but had very obviously had plastic surgery. Though, she was attractive in her way.
Nobody had that full of lips without having some sort of surgery. It just wasn't possible or natural.
"Carl!" The man said brightly as Edward's father stepped out of the car. Liam opened the door for Esme who got out slowly. She wasn't her normal excited self, and that made me worry even more. "Esme, you look lovely as ever."
"Thank you." She gave him a polite smile before going to stand beside her husband.
"Edward, my goodness! Look at you!" He said, leaving his words to that before turning his gaze to me. "And who is this lovely lady? Bella, I assume?"
"Hello," I said politely. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you as well," he assured me, put a hand on the small of his wife's back. "This is Siobhan. Carlisle said some very nice things about you the other night."
I blushed and looked over at Carlisle, who was smiling slightly. It was the first time I had seen anyone really smile since we left this afternoon from Edward's parent's home.
"That was very kind of him." I ducked my head.
"Oh, she's a shy one! I like that!" Liam chuckled as he wiggled his eyebrows, patting Edward on the back sharply. "Makes them more fun."
"Must you always be so crude?" Edward said, trying to hide the laughter in his voice. He didn't do an excellent job of it.
"Have you met your uncle?" The woman asked, going over to Edward's side. "Yes, he must be. I think he'd stop breathing otherwise."
He hugged her briefly, giving her a small smile. "Hm, guess you're right. How have you been?"
"Wonderful! We just came back from a vacation in India. So interesting. I think you'd like it, Edward."
"I'd like to go one day." He smiled, squeezing my hand. I knew exactly what that meant. It meant that he wanted to go with me one day. Honestly, I wanted that too. I wanted to go all around the world with him.
The woman finally turned her attention to me and offered me her hand. I shook it slowly and gave her a small smile. "Nice to meet you," she said politely.
"Well, shall we get this over with?" Carlisle finally asked after several more minutes of polite conversation. I hadn't realized it, but everyone except for me was just stalling for time. "The sooner we have food, the sooner we can leave."
"Quite," Liam said. "As always, you are right, little brother. Shall we then?"
"If we must," both women muttered, following their husbands towards the stately manor. I looked up at Edward with slight confusion.
"Are they rude to her too?" I asked, nodding my head towards Liam's wife.
"Oh, yes. She's Welsh. My grandparents basically think she's trash. Some people over here consider the Welsh to be..." he stopped to think his words out carefully. "Well, to basically be like the rednecks of England. Just another prejudice. I think there are very few people that make it through their seal of approval. They'd find something to hate about them."
"We should go in there." I nodded my head towards the open door. Esme was hanging back, waiting for us. She looked back at the car longingly.
"I guess you're right," he sighed quietly. "Let's go, my love."
Edward possessively put his hand on the small of my back as he led me through the doorway. Inside was... gaudy. Well, to me anyway. There seemed to be something to look at everywhere. And everything seemed to be from the Victorian Era. Esme muttered something about being in the sitting room, and Edward nodded his head, pushing me in that direction without a word.
Two older people were sitting on a loveseat, but neither one of them seem to be comfortable with the other. The woman who had unnaturally red hair piled on top of her head had her hands in her lap, her back extremely stiff like there was a metal rod shoved up her... well, you know. Her silk blouse went all the way to her chin, and she was wearing a pair of black slacks. Everything about her was perfectly done. Overly so, even.
And I could tell by the lines on her face that she never smiled. Ever.
The older man was slightly different, leaning back on the couch in his suit. It looked like he could start conducting business at any moment. His hair was light, a cotton white blond. His dark eyes were tight, his lips pursed as his gaze settled on me. It made me slightly uncomfortable, but I ignored it.
"Ah, there you are, Edward. We were wondering if you were ever going to join us," the man said, waving his hand for us to sit. We went to a chair across the room, and I was going to allow Edward to sit, but he insisted that I did, hovering over me protectively with his hands on my shoulders.
"Manner's, Edward. Please remember them. Make an introduction," the woman said, frowning towards her grandson. There were no happy feelings between the two, not like with Elizabeth- Esme's mother.
"Isabella Swan, I would like to introduce you to my grandparents, Sir James and Mrs. Victoria Cullen," he said almost coldly.
Sir? He hadn't told me that he had some kind of position. I looked up at him and frowned, he sighed, rubbing my shoulder gently.
"How do you do," Victoria said, not even looking at me. I knew both of them knew who I was. I wondered why they were pretending they didn't. I wasn't going to say anything though.
"Hello," I breathed out, feeling my cheeks flush.
"May I offer you a refreshment?" His grandfather said, his eyes not leaving mine. I shook my head before clearing my hoarse throat.
"No, thank you."
We stayed in the most uncomfortable silence I had ever been in for maybe ten minutes before a woman came in and politely said that dinner was ready.
"Thank God," I heard Esme mutter under her breath as we walked into another room. I heard Victoria click her tongue in annoyance, hearing the sentiment that I was sharing. I had a feeling that I wasn't the only one.
Two people came out, passing out plates. I had no idea what was being served. It looked like turkey maybe... but covered in some sort of sauce. It honestly didn't look that good to me, and I could tell by the expression on Edward's face that he didn't either.
"So Bella, tell us about yourself," Siobhan asked, cutting out the meat and popping a little bit into her mouth. I could tell by her expression that she didn't like it, but she kept going. Like the faster she ate the quicker this would end.
I looked over at Edward for guidance and he kind of shrugged, tilting a weary head over to his grandparents who seemed to be paying attention to their food only. That was fine with me. I took a big sip of my wine before clearing my throat.
"Um, well, I own my own business. I create websites," I said, beginning with the easiest and probably the most harmless conversation possible.
"Interesting!" Liam said, nodding his head. "I'm not very good with computers. Carlisle's a bit more caught up on the technologies than I am," he chuckled, making his brother smirk. "What type of websites?"
"All kinds. I'm freelance. I've done things from pet shops to restaurants to construction companies," I explained before taking a tiny bite of my vegetables. I was avoiding the meat as much as possible.
"Do you have a favorite?" Siobhan asked politely, trying to keep the conversation up. It was easier said than done, the tension so thick you could cut it with a damn spoon.
I didn't have to think about that answer at all. "Edward's. We launched it just before Christmas. Though, I might be a little bit biased."
Edward placed his hand on my thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. I smiled at him, our eyes meeting as I put my hand on his.
"Are you still a musician?" Victoria asked suddenly, turning her attention to her grandson.
"Yes, ma'am. I am."
She huffed a little bit, turning her attention back to her meal. "I was so hoping you'd find an actual profession by now."
"Mother," Carlisle said in a low warning tone.
She ignored him, "a profession with respect. A position of power. It's a shame. You had so much potential."
I sucked in a soft gasp, feeling the anger fill inside of me. I placed a hand on Edward's stiff thigh, but he just shook his head, his eyes staring right back at his grandmother.
"I do well enough. I make a decent living. I enjoy what I do," Edward defended.
"You're a Cullen," James cut in, finally getting in on the conversation. "You should have been a lawyer like me or your uncle. Or a Doctor like your father."
Liam laughed, "you hated it when Carl said he wanted to be a doctor."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." The older gentlemen rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his drink.
Both Carlisle and Esme scoffed. There was some sort of bad blood here that I was missing.
Can we leave yet? I so wanted to go. This was horrible. Edward was upset, rightfully so, as was Esme. Everyone would be happier when this evening was over.
Siobhan cleared her throat, obviously wanting to move away from that subject. Apparently, the only thing she could think about to talk about was me.
Gee, thanks...
"So, Bella, did you have to go to school for that or are you naturally talented with computers?"
"I was always good with computers," I explained, but I shook my head, "but I needed a lot more formal training to do what I do now. I have a BS in Computer Science from Texas Tech."
"Ah, that's wonderful! Higher education is always a good thing. Have you ever considered going back? Maybe getting a degree in business?" Liam asked.
"I've never really thought about it, but I'm sure it probably wouldn't be a horrible thing if I did. Maybe it should be something I should consider," I smiled at him. He smiled in return, but it was strained.
"So, you are from Texas as well, I take it?" Victoria asked with a critical eye.
"Yes, ma'am," I said with a thick southern drawl. Edward smiled before pursing his lips together, trying not to make it too obvious. "I was born and bred there."
"Honestly! What is it about Cullen men and women from America?" She said, shaking her head in disgust. "Especially Texas. Maybe there is something in the water there."
"Grandmother," Edward said quietly, "my relationship with Bella has nothing to do with where she is from. It's has everything to do with who she is. I'm sure Dad feels the same way about Mum."
"Actually, where they are from is a large part of who they are. I love Esme for it," Carlisle, looking over at his parents as he spoke. I saw Esme smile for the first time in hours. I could tell that he was getting to the end of his rope very quickly.
"I don't see why you would want to marry someone as low class as-"
"Now see here!" Edward said, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table. "That is completely uncalled for. My mother is a wonderful and caring person."
"Your manners, Edward. Sit down," James said, interrupting his grandson.
"What a joke! You telling me to mind my manners when you literally have none. Have you any idea how rude you really are?"
"We are not being rude, Edward. Lower your voice. We are simply stating the facts. Both you and your father could have done so much better than," Victoria smirked, "well, do I really need to say it? I'm sure you know."
It was Esme's turn to get really pissed off. She stood up, knocking over her chair as she did so. "You evil old rotten bitch. How dare you speak to Bella and me that way! We are just as good as you, if not better."
"Esme, darling," Carlisle said, trying to calm his wife quietly but she gave him an evil look that made him shrink back. It was a look of 'I told you so' mixed with 'I'm not going to take it anymore.' Carlisle cleared his throat. "Mother, you promised to behave."
"Mother, be reasonable. You can't control who you fall in love with," Liam interrupted. Apparently, it was a mistake to draw attention to himself.
"Perhaps, but if you pay them enough, they usually go away. Remember that little strumpet from New York that you were so determined to marry? The one before you met this one," she said, nodding her head towards Siobhan. "Why do you think she called off the wedding? We would have done it with her, but you got married before we got the chance."
Siobhan gasped, putting her hand up to her mouth. "How could you do that? To your own son!"
"Why are you complaining? Because of that, you married him instead," James said, rolling his eyes. He was steadily eating his dinner like nothing was going on. "Not that you gave him any heirs."
Both Liam and his wife stood up at the same time and began to yell, which were then mixed with Esme's. Carlisle was steadily trying to keep the peace, but it was not working. Edward shrank back, his face red. I took his hand, and the look in his eyes was almost... dead. I wondered if this is how I looked that night with Renee.
It didn't matter though. I knew exactly what I needed to do. I needed to get him out of there.
I stood up and tugged him along with me. No one seemed to notice our retreat as their shouting match became louder and more out of control. James had said something and Carlisle finally exploded, adding his voice into it.
By the time we reached the outdoors, Edward was gasping for air. "I am so sorry."
"It's not your fault," I assured him, hugging him tightly.
"Yes, it is! I knew this would end badly. How could it not? I didn't want to go in the first place. But I didn't want to disappoint my father. Just like he didn't want to disappoint his own."
"James and Carlisle are two different men though."
"I know," he said, rubbing his forehead roughly before closing his eyes. "But next time I will tell him no. I refuse to be around people like that again. Their snobbery knows no bounds. I am truly sorry, my darling."
"It's not your fault," I repeated myself, frowning. I had a feeling he was going to do this for the rest of the night if I didn't distract him. "Well, since we seem to have the rest of the evening I was wondering if you'd like to do something."
"What's that?" He asked, taking a deep breath like he was trying to clear his mind for me. For once, I didn't want to know what he was thinking. I knew whatever it was dark and angry and towards himself. All I wanted to do was erase them.
"Well, after getting some real food why don't we mark something off of my list?" I said, stepping closer to him and wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
"Which one?" He asked curiously.
"I think both of us could use a night to ourselves, don't you?" I asked softly, running my fingers over the back of his neck. "We could go to a very nice hotel and stay in. Maybe get a little take out. Make love. Watch a movie."
"I love how you just throw that in the middle there," he chuckled, pulling me closer to him so he could rest my forehead against his. "Making love is always on the top of my list."
"Come on then. Why don't we go into the city and find a nice hotel to stay at? I'll get the hotel, you get the food?" I said, nuzzling his ear softly. He moaned softly, his hands gripping my hips tighter. It felt so good to be in his arms after that.
"Can I tell you something and not upset you?" He muttered softly, taking in a deep breath.
"Of course. You can tell me anything, sweetheart."
"I thought that you'd be more... upset... after some of the things they said. I thought it would be me comforting you, not the other way around."
"It didn't bother me because I knew it wasn't true," I told him, placing a hand on his cheek. "I am a good person. I am lucky to be with you, yes. But not because of who you are but what you are. You are a great man. A wonderful man. My man."
"I think you can cross something else off your list," he whispered softly, running his fingers over my cheek gently.
"And what's that?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Loving yourself. You would have never said those things before when we first met."
"If I love myself, it's because of you," I told him truthfully. "You make me happy to be me."
Edward shook his head, his beautiful red hair moving in the wind as he gazed down at me with his loving green eyes. "Bella, I'm glad that I make you feel that way, but I don't think that's the reason at all."
"What's the reason then?" I asked with a small smirk, running my fingers over his lips. He smiled briefly, kissing my fingertips lightly. "Since you are so smart."
He chuckled, placing both of his hands on my face so that I would look up at him. "I may have helped, but you love yourself because of who you are. You are a wonderful person. You are smart, and you are funny. You are sexy, and you are so beautiful. I just gave you the mirror, it's your own reflection that you see."
I rose up on my tippy toes and kissed him firmly, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck so he couldn't go anywhere. He kept his hands in place, returning my kiss with more than a little vigor. I moaned softly against his mouth, feeling his arousal against my stomach.
It was actually one of the other reasons I was happy to be me. He wanted to be with me for some reason, and I got all the wonderful benefits that went with that.
I brought his bottom lip into my mouth, tugging on it gently before releasing it. I looked once again into his eyes, and they were practically brewing with desire. It was dripping from his tongue when he kissed me and flowed from his fingertips as he touched me.
"Let's go before we give the neighbors a show."
"That's an excellent idea. And then I can show you exactly how much I adore your gorgeous body."
That's a really good one to cross off this chapter, I think.
Also, his grandparents are horrrrrrible. Have you ever been witness to another family's big breakdown fight? Awkward af.
If you're enjoying still, please let me know! We're over halfway done now!
Thanks for reading!