Day 16

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Staring at her computer Bella waited for Alice to contact her as promised.

Their conversation yesterday was unexpected. Alice was no meek little pregnant lady. Edward's sister had his same energy level, and was anxious to help. She shot off a series of questions from what she called an intake form.

Bella had answered with as much of Emmett's personal information as she knew; social security number, mother's maiden name, elementary school, high school, college, dog's name, nicknames, where he was born, what car he drove and the last two places he'd worked.

"Do you want his shoe size?"

"Sure," Alice laughed, "It couldn't hurt."

"Seriously?"

"I had a client whose husband was buying men's shoes and suits, but not in his size."

"Do I want to know how that ended?"

"The husband was a prominent, conservative—I shouldn't tell you that. Let's just say our client got a significant settlement."

She was both anxious and giddy about what Alice might turn up. She wanted concrete information so she could move forward with Edward, and get Emmett out of her life. Alice promised her all that and more.

"I peg him as a narcissist. Guys like that think they're better than everyone else, that they'll never get caught, so they leave trails everywhere."

"Do you think I'm right? I could just be paranoid, like my mother said."

"Sweetie, in all the time I've done this, I've never not found something. By the time the significant other is pushed to contact a PI, their intuition has been warning them for a long while."

"I feel so stupid."

Alice shrugged. "You're a good person. Good people get tricked because they could never do what these creeps do."

"Thanks for helping me. You don't even know me."

"But I know my brother. He's smitten."

"Smitten?"

"Yes, with you. There's no other word for it."

"Does that mean you're going to check up on me?"

Alice rubbed her chin. "Already did. You, Dr. Swan are so squeaky clean it makes me feel guilty for my two parking tickets. I mean, except for sideswiping that car the week after you got your driver's license, and a failure to answer a jury summons which was expunged because it came when you were out of the country working for MSF, you're perfect."

"Oh." Bella wondered what else Alice knew but wasn't sharing with her. It was scary what this woman could find.

"Did you tell Edward this?"

"God no. I stopped telling him what I found out about his dates two chicks before Tanya. One, because generally by the time I had my info he had moved on, and two, he said he didn't care because they wouldn't be around long enough for any of that to matter."

"I feel a little, exposed."

"I'm sorry. It's kind of an occupational habit. Like med students always think they've got the latest disease they're studying, I can't look at a person and not want to know if they're hiding something."

When Bella was silent, Alice jumped back in. "But I won't anymore. I erased your records from my computer, and I won't look again." Long pause. "Unless you hurt my brother, then the gloves come off."

..

She glanced at the clock, it was still too early to call Alice. After all, what could she have found out in one day? And she wanted time to process what Alice said without Edward there. It would be embarrassing enough to find out she'd been fooled without another witness. Still, it had only been a few hours, but she missed him.

Why did she miss Edward so much? She'd never missed Emmett like this, even when she was away for weeks and weeks. She remembered people teary eyed when talking about how badly they longed for their spouses and Bella thought they were a bit feeble. Who could possibly miss another person so much that it could make you weep?

She owed many people apologizes for doubting them. The way she felt for Edward, she would never be away from him willingly. Just waiting in this room for his sister to contact her was bad enough.

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-21 Days-Day 16—

Alice never minced words. "Thanks for throwing me under the bus."

Edward knew he had it coming. He knew if they were having this conversation face to face he would have gotten at least a slap upside his head.

"Bella needed help and I thought—"

"You thought you'd look like a jerk telling her, so you're making me do it."

"Pretty much."

"You're lucky I love you. With the info Bella gave me I have enough to hang this guy three times. I'm going to tell her, but on one condition." Alice tilted her head to the side and put her finger on her chin. "Maybe two."

He'd do anything for Bella, but a lifetime with Alice taught him not to promise her anything unconditionally. The last time resulted in him wearing a pink Playboy bunny outfit for her Halloween party. With high heels, stockings and a pink fluffy tail. "What are the conditions?"

"One, you tell her that you knew. I'm not starting my relationship with my future sister-in-law with a lie."

"Of course I'll tell her." Edward rubbed at the back of his neck. He didn't want to tell Bella, but if he didn't and it ever came out…he had to tell her. "What else?"

"Name your first baby after me."

"It would not be just my baby, it would be our baby so—"

"HA, I just got you to admit you want to have babies with her!" Alice clapped her hands over her head. "I've still got it. I can't wait to tell mom and dad you're finally getting married."

"ALICE!" She stopped when he yelled, but she was still grinning. "Do you think you could let me, I don't know, take her out on a date first or something?"

"Pfft…dates are so last year. I heard the new way to meet your soul mate is in quarantine. Later!" And she was gone.

Lunch was delivered and eaten. He intentionally slowed his pace, so he was still on the last hundred pieces of the Sandcrawler, still waiting for Bella to contact him. If he had enough hair to grab onto, he'd be pulling it out.

What if Alice gave him up? She wouldn't do that, would she?

..

Last fifty pieces. Did Alice tell her something else, besides the stunt with Tanya? Speaking of that fame-whore, he'd better send her an email telling her to stop calling herself his fiancé. If ever a girl were more trouble than she was worth…his email pinged.

Come to my room.

B

That could mean anything. "Come to my room" and make out. "Come to my room" we're done. "Come to my room" I'm devastated. "Come to my room"—he was driving himself crazy. He called out to Ben.

…

As he walked the hall he imagined Bella curled up on her bed, weeping. He wanted to comfort her. He could hear her raised voice through the door. He hoped she wasn't hysterical.

Bella was standing in front of her laptop, pointing to one side. "Yes, there. The combination is…"

He looked on the screen. His sister, his SISTER was crouched next to a knee high safe.

"What's going on?"

Bella waved him over, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hold on sweetie, Alice is taking care of some things for me."

"Where is she?"

"My place." Bella turned back to the screen.

His first reaction was to be annoyed. His sister got to see Bella's place before he did? How was that fair? Of course, Bella was here, but still.

"Why is my sister at your place?"

Bella waved for him to sit down. He sat on the bed and watched Alice remove a number of jewelry boxes, opening and placing them in front of whoever was taking the video.

"Who's taking the pictures?"

"My dad."

So Alice got to go to Bella's place AND meet Bella's dad before he did? So not fair.

"It's all there." Bella stood, arms akimbo. No curled up, weeping, devastated woman here. She reminded him of a warrior, in scrubs. It was kind of turning him on. Nope, not kind of. Definitely. He crossed his leg over his thigh.

"All right Alice. Time for step two."

"Okay B, let me know how it goes." His sister disappeared.

Bella fell onto the bed next to him. He rolled so they were face to face. Her eyes were bright, her hair escaping from her ponytail, her skin flushed. In short; glorious.

"What have you been up to my warrior princess?"

Bella turned on her side, her head propped up on her hand. "Your sister, your sister…you can't believe what she found out. Emmett is a charlatan, a liar, a womanizer…I felt so, so…violated. I trusted him." She huffed and puffed for a moment. "But Alice said, don't get mad, get even. Alice knows a guy for…pretty much everything. She has some muscle coming over to watch the apartment. We just wanted to make sure my jewelry and things were all accounted for before it hits the fan. I thought you might like to listen in. And help a little."

"Of course, I'll do whatever you need."

"Here's the plan. Emmett wouldn't answer my call when I said it was me. You're going to pretend to be Rosalie Hale's executive assistant. He'll pick up for her. He just landed the Hale group, it's a huge account for him. Then I lay out my demands."

Bella sat up, stretching her arms over her head and cracking her knuckles. "Alice and my dad set up some cameras to make sure Emmett doesn't take anything that doesn't belong to him when he's packing up. We already changed the locks."

"Busy morning." Edward was impressed. If Bella and Alice ever turned against him, he'd be in deep trouble. She handed him a paper.

"I need you to read this. Emmett's assistant will answer, just sound snobby and she'll put you right through."

He read the lines then nodded that he was ready. Bella dialed the number.

"Good afternoon, I have Rosalie Hale of the Hale Group for Emmett McCarthy." Like magic, the douchebag was on the phone. "Hey sexy, so you couldn't wait to see me tonight?" Edward passed the handset to Bella.

"Emmett McCarthy, you are on a recorded line. I've uncovered some very incriminating information about you, things I'm sure your employer and Miss Hale, would be very interested in knowing."

Edward could hear Emmett yell on the other end, "Bella, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Two words; Miss Reno." There was silence on the other end of the phone. "Glad I have your attention. It's also come to my attention that the University of Pennsylvania Diploma you have hanging in your office is a fake, you never attended a single class there. You don't have an MBA, you never finished your Bachelor's degree. I have pictures and hotel records of five separate nights you spent with your bosses' wife. And I have intimate pictures of you with Miss Reno the night before you spent the night with Miss Hale. Security footage doesn't lie. Furthermore, half the items on your resume are falsified. Shall I go on?"

Bella shook her head. He could make out Emmett yelling on the other end, but Bella stayed quiet. "Are you done? Here are my demands. $75,000 to cover rent and living expenses for the three years you mooched off of me, to be paid to Doctors Without Borders. Everything of yours out of my apartment by 9 pm, tonight. And I mean everything, I don't want to find one cell of your DNA." Loud grumbly noises came through the phone.

"I'm not being unreasonable. You would have had more time if you'd answered my call earlier." There was more cursing on the other end. "Your keys won't work. My father will be waiting at the apartment to watch you. He won't be alone. I want the money wired to MSF by noon tomorrow. I know you have the money; would you like me to read off your account numbers?"

There must have been a lot of begging going on the other end. Bella rolled her eyes until the noise subsided. "If MSF doesn't have your generous donation by noon tomorrow, your boss and Miss Hale will be receiving packages with the evidence I've turned up. And in case I wasn't clear, you and I are over. I never want to see you again, unless you're being indicted for something."

She clashed the phone onto its' base, took a deep breath and started crying.

He pulled her onto his lap. "Are you all right?"

"Damn his lying ass. I didn't want to cry." She snorted, sliding her arms around his neck. "I'm angry and happy and pissed off and overwhelmed and relieved all at the same time. And free of him. I'm free."

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