A/N: After a month of computer issues, including having no laptop for almost three weeks, I am both incredibly pleased to bring you guys a new chapter and sad that I couldn't get to your reviews for the last chapter. I did get a chance to go through them tonight and EA and I want you all to know how much we appreciate your reviews, your support, and the personal stories and ideas you share with us. Thank you so very much! Now on to the chapter …
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.
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Chapter 36 – Mermaids & Moonlight Kisses
Sunday, July 13th
Whit's POV
"I really don't know what has gotten into her," Alice said, pointing her ice cream spoon at Bella's back. Her sister was walking a few feet ahead with Masen, holding hands and looking happier than Whit had ever seen her.
He said as much to Alice. "She's happy. That's a great thing."
"I was talking about how she's dressed. She's always in shorts and t-shirts with her hair in a ponytail. Now she's suddenly wearing that slinky purple dress with her hair down—she even curled the ends. And she's wearing sandals. She's never worn sandals and doesn't even own a pair. I don't even know where she got those or that dress from. She's never dressed up for a guy before either. If things are so great with him, why is she suddenly trying to impress him?"
"I don't think she's trying to impress him at all. I think she's feeling pretty so she dressed pretty—and he's the one who made her feel that way so he gets the reward."
Alice only shrugged.
"We could both be wrong, you know. Your sister dressed up when we went out to dinner awhile back." He pulled his phone out and scrolled through his pictures until he found the one of Masen and Bella standing together at the restaurant on Elizabeth's birthday.
He held the phone out for Alice to see. "The picture doesn't really do her justice. That red dress fit her so perfectly that Mase wasn't the only guy in the place having a hard time keeping his eyes off her."
She barely glanced at the photo. "Weird. She never dresses like that at home."
Whit took his phone back, wondering what the hell had gotten into Alice to make her act like this. She'd seemed fine yesterday and earlier today; if asked he'd have even said she was happier and more relaxed now that she wouldn't be on the boat anymore.
"Maybe she never made the time," he suggested. "From what I've gathered through talking to her, she kept herself busy with work."
He only got another shrug from Alice.
He could tell she was holding back so he tried to put her at ease, to let her know he was there for her. "You can be honest with me, you know. If you're mad with her because she asked you to leave before you could announce—"
Her cry of "no" interrupted him. "I'm not. It would be petty to be upset about that and I am not petty. Especially not with my sister."
"Unless you are," he pressed. He knew her moods already and he knew she was angry—he just didn't know why she was pretending otherwise.
"I'm a little annoyed with her for this morning, but I'm not angry with her," she insisted.
"What happened this morning?"
"She took something I said completely out of context and then Uncle Carlisle talked to me about it." She waved her hand in dismissal. "It's fine. I just want to enjoy this pretty day with you."
"You should want to spend it with everyone the same way I do. This is our only day off."
"And then you'll be back in three days."
"Six, Alice. Were you not listening during yesterday's meeting? Our next stint will be six days because we're heading to Buffels Bay to see if we can figure out why the sharks avoid that area for long periods of time."
She came to a sudden stop and turned to face him, her eyes sparkling with anger. "That's where Bella got stung by the ray. Why would she go back there?"
"Because that's where the team is going and she's part of the team."
"Right," Alice said tersely. "The team."
"Why do I get the feeling what you really want to say is my best friend's name?" Being worried for Bella was one thing. Constantly making Masen the bad guy was another—and it was getting on Whit's nerves.
"Whit! Bro, come look at this," Masen called, waving for him to catch up.
Whit offered his hand to Alice, hoping to make her feel included and put her in a better mood.
"You go ahead," she said, giving him a smile that he wasn't convinced was real. "I'll catch up when I finish looking through this set of windows." She pointed to indicate the four shops between them and Masen.
If she didn't want to be honest, Whit couldn't force her. He just wished he understood what was going on with her today. They'd all shared a great lunch at a little sandwich shop and now they were walking off the meal in the town's shopping area. Everyone was having a great time—everyone except for Alice. It made no sense. Bella hadn't said anything negative to her. Neither had Masen or anyone else. They'd all tried to include Alice in their conversations—in their family.
Maybe that's it, he thought as he approached Masen and Bella. Maybe she's upset Bella feels a part of our family and she doesn't yet.
It wasn't enough of a reason for her behavior though. And it damn sure didn't make sense since she could be included if she stopped picking at Masen.
"What do you see?" Whit asked, setting his arm on Masen's shoulder.
Masen pointed to the hula girl lamp in the window. "Bella noticed it. Ever thought you'd see one of these in a South African thrift shop?"
"Bro, we have to buy this!" Whit exclaimed excitedly. He'd had one just like it for years until he'd tossed it at a wall in a fit of rage over Maria's rejection.
Masen snorted. "Bella's in there right now with my wallet getting it for you."
Bella appeared in the window and picked the lamp up. She noticed Whit and waved at him while holding the lamp closer to the window for him to see it better.
"This is awesome, bro," Whit said, hugging Masen around the neck and grinning like an idiot over a used lamp. The hula girl had the same red skirt and ukulele as his original one, only this one was right-handed where his had been left-handed.
"Just don't break this one like you did the last one I gave you," Masen warned. "You're not getting another if you do."
"I will care for it as if it were my very own Lizzy," Whit promised.
"I'm glad you like it. I was a little worried you might not like it as much now as you did at thirteen," Masen admitted.
"Even if I didn't, I still would," Whit assured him. "It's a gift from my brother."
Masen stared down at his sneakers for a long moment before finally facing Whit again. "I just wanted to do something nice, show you I know how hard this thing with Alice and Bella has been for you. Staying out of it has been almost impossible but you've made it seem easy and that's helped me to stay neutral."
"I already knew that, Mase. I knew it when you thanked me yesterday morning."
"Yeah, I know. This is tangible proof of it, though. Plus! Hula girl lamp."
Whit's grin matched Masen's. "Hula girl lamp!"
"Wow, you guys are excited," Bella said, laughing as she joined them on the sidewalk. She held the bag out to Whit. "I believe this is yours."
Whit took the bag from her and then kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Guppy."
"You're very welcome." She smiled at him but it wasn't half as bright as the smile she gave Masen when he held his hand out for hers. "Want your wallet back?" she asked.
"Unless you see something you want."
She pressed herself against his side and smiled up at him. "I've got you. I'm good for now," she teased.
He rolled his eyes at her while shoving his wallet into his cargo shorts.
"Where's Alice?" Bella asked, looking around in search of her sister.
Whit had seen Alice's reflection in the store's window and knew exactly where she'd gone. "She went on ahead to catch up with Carlisle and Esme."
"She must be talking your ear off with all these shops," Bella told him.
Whit avoided the question by focusing on his lamp. "I can't wait to show this to Lee," he said, hugging the bag to his chest. "She's never going to believe you found me another, Mase."
"Let's go catch up with them and see what she says," Masen suggested.
As they walked to join up with the rest of their family, Whit couldn't help but overhear what Masen and Bella were saying.
"Still having fun?" he asked her.
"Yes. Still think I'm lovely?"
"In this dress?" he asked, sliding his fingers along her bare back. "Hell yeah."
His comment had her laughing while Whit did his best to hide his snort.
Masen hooked his arm around her waist and pressed his lips to the side of her head. "The dress only highlights your curves, though. You'd be just as lovely in your t-shirt and shorts. Especially that Dr. Seuss one you have."
"Is that right? The red and blue fish do it for you?"
He laughed, a genuine deep laugh from his gut. "You are such a smart ass."
"Just lucky I got my dad's sense of humor."
His arm tightened around her waist, drawing her closer. "You're incredibly lovely, kapu."
Bella didn't get a chance to respond because they'd caught up with Lee by that point. "Mase, what'd you do to Guppy to get her face that red?" she demanded to know. "Want me to put him in a headlock for you, Guppy?"
Bella laughed. "Not yet, but I'll keep in mind that it's an option."
"This," Lee said, holding her hands open toward Bella. "This is why I love her. The honesty and the willingness to let me torture Masen for her." Her teasing had them all laughing.
"What's in the bag, bro?" Gopher asked Whit.
Whit looked at Masen and together they announced the contents. "Hula girl lamp!"
"How the hell?" Lee asked. "All the lamps I've ever found on Ebay for you and you end up buying one in South Africa?"
"All the lamps you found were the wrong lamps," Whit informed her for what felt like the three hundredth time. "They all had gold or green skirts, and less than half had the ukulele. This one has both the red skirt and the magical musical instrument."
"And let me guess," Lee said, her eyes moving from Whit to Masen and her smile growing wider. "Your little best friend here found it and bought it for you."
Masen gave her his shitty grin. "Hell yeah I did."
She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Alright, Thelma and Louise. Let's get going. Esme and Carlisle went into the little food market up ahead to find restrooms."
When they reached the market, Esme and Carlisle were waiting with plums. Masen couldn't decide what he wanted more—the fruit or the bathroom. Esme had to promise she'd save a plum for him to get him to go.
Bella was still laughing at him when Alice appeared and immediately dragged her off to look at some jewelry she'd found.
Gopher was busy trying to convince Lee that they needed to buy meat from this one particular stand because it was meat on a stick and that made it "amazeballs".
Directly across from them was a shaded area created by a large swatch of orange cloth stretched across four poles. Lee saw what was there at the same time Whit did, but he reached it first since she had to work on dragging Gopher away from the meat sticks.
"Fancy meeting you here," Whit said to the dark-haired woman and the guy with glasses.
"Oh my gosh!" the woman cried as she popped up out of her chair and threw her arms around Whit.
"Good to see you, Angela," Whit said as she released him. He put his hand out to Ben and shook with him. "Never would have thought I'd run into you two here."
"Look, there's Brett," Lee called out from behind him.
"Yeah, most of the crew is here with us," Ben said, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Look at these guys!" Brett's smile was both welcoming and teasing. "Tanned and dressed all pretty. Did you all give up already?"
"Hey, it's our day off. We're allowed to not be grimy and sweaty," Whit replied.
"And we are definitely not giving up," Lee added. "We just started working with decoys."
"What about Bella?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, is she still working with you guys?" Brett questioned. "Or has she flown on home?"
Whit happily answered, "Still here and still progressing. She had her first seal-shark encounter and she handled it really, really well."
"Oh, that's so great," Angela said excitedly. "She must be so thrilled. Is she here with you?"
"Yeah, we've got the whole family here." Whit turned and pointed in the general direction he'd seen Masen go off. "Masen's over there somewhere and I think Bella's to the far left of that."
"What are they wearing? I'll go look for them," Angela offered.
"Black polo for Mase and Bella's in a dress." Whit couldn't remember if her dress had a pattern or not but he definitely remembered what Alice was wearing. "She's with her sister. Look for a bright pink top, black shorts, and pink sneakers."
"Got it," Angela replied with a nod. And then she was off, disappearing into the crowd.
"So I gotta know! How was Gan's Bay?" Gopher's question had Whit turning around so he wouldn't miss the answer.
"Man, it was weird as shit that first day," Brett told them. "We didn't see a single shark when we got there. Nothing. We'd been there maybe thirty minutes and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, this squall of a storm pops up. We had to race back to base in that mess and it rocked the hell out of us for a good half hour, forty-five minutes. Sky dark as night and winds howling. Then it just quit. Twenty minutes later, we spotted the first shark."
"We had about an hour and a half of daylight left so we launched the skiff again and actually caught a shark," Ben added.
"Then it was normal the rest of our time there," Brett shared. "We tagged every day and we left with no injuries to humans or sharks."
"That's great. Masen's going to be excited to hear about it," Lee said.
"Yeah, I'm glad he's here. We've got some news about Athena," Brett replied.
"Doesn't sound like good news," Whit ventured.
"No, but at least I can give him the peace of mind to know it wasn't anything we did."
"That's plenty. Thank you. You don't know how much that will mean to him."
"Whit, sweetheart, please tell me you aren't trying to eat again," Esme called out as she approached.
Whit laughed and turned to see her. "No, we're chatting with some friends." When she was finally beside him, he made introductions. "Guys, this is Esme. Masen's mom. The tall gentleman beside her is Carlisle."
Brett was the first to shake her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Masen is a bright young man with a lot of passion. We were fortunate to be able to work with him, with the whole team really. They each bring something different to the table and we really enjoyed working with them."
"Oh! Oh!" Esme cried, finally realizing who these guys were. "The Colossus crew! I've heard so much about you all. Are you Brett?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Do not ever call me 'ma'am'," she warned him. And then she pulled him into a tight hug. She went after Ben next. "You must be Ben."
"Was it the glasses?" he asked, looking a bit shy.
"Actually, it was your smile. Bella said you had the friendliest smile she'd ever seen."
"My wife, Angela, she's actually looking for Bella now."
"And I didn't find her," Angela announced from behind them. "But I did find Masen!"
Another round of 'hellos' and handshakes began to pass through the group while Whit slipped away to find Bella. He knew she'd want to see the other crew again, especially Angela and Ben since she'd spent most of her time with them.
He found a stall of jewelry but no sign of Bella or Alice so he started to make his way toward the restrooms just in case they'd double-backed to use them.
He heard them before he saw them.
"I'm telling you I saw him, Bella. She was all over him and then she grabbed his hand and he went off with her with a huge smile on his face."
"And I'm telling you that you're misinterpreting things."
"You're older than me! How can you be so naïve? He's not getting any from you so he's clearly gone off to get some from this girl. Why else would he sneak off with a strange woman?"
"Alice, you can say whatever you want, make up all the stories you want, but you aren't going to drive a wedge between Edward and me. It's going to be between you and me."
"Why can't you just believe me? Why do you have to defend him instead?"
"Because he's earned it, Alice! He's not perfect. You're right about that. But guess what! He doesn't do any of it on purpose the way you do. Plus, he apologizes and means it and doesn't repeat his mistakes."
Whit had heard enough. He rounded the corner and found himself standing behind Bella. He was so enraged he couldn't even look at Alice. He put his hand on Bella's shoulder and forced a smile for her sake. "Hey, Guppy. We've got some friends who are looking for you. A certain group from a certain huge ship with a funny name."
Bella's face immediately brightened. "The Submarine? The Colossus crew is here? Angela and Ben are here?"
"Yep. They sent me to get you." He looked past her, right at Alice and her angry, pinched face. "Angela's already found Masen."
Alice's eyes immediately widened.
And Whit's turned away. He hooked his arm around Bella's and led her toward the group, honestly not caring if Alice followed or stayed behind. He couldn't look at her much less speak to her right now. Anything he said—it just wasn't a good idea for him to open his mouth right now.
But he couldn't stop the thoughts in his head. How can I love someone like that? I thought she was just threatened by Masen, but what I just saw … She's perfectly willing to make Bella believe she's been cheated on, discarded. Who the fuck does that? I thought I knew Alice from all those months of dreaming about her and the past couple of weeks of being with her … I don't know her at all. Hell, I'm starting to wonder if I know myself if I can be fooled so easily and completely.
Masen was in the middle of saying something when Whit arrived with Bella. "… that's it. It really wasn't us?"
"No, I ran the tests multiple times," Angela assured him. "Athena's blood-work showed signs of cancer and other toxins. She was a very, very sick shark."
Masen sighed in relief while running a hand through his hair. "That's not good news, but it's great news at the same time."
"We understand just what you mean," Ben assured him.
"Look who I found," Whit said, alerting them all to their new arrivals.
"Bella!" Angela greeted as she threw her arms around her. "So good to see you again."
Masen came right over to Whit. "Did you hear what they said about Athena?"
Whit grinned, happy that his friend finally had an answer about the shark. "Yeah, bro. I know that's a big relief to you."
Masen saw something behind Whit and he had a pretty strong feeling he knew who it was. It was confirmed when his friend said, "Hey, Alice! We're over here. Come meet our friends."
Whit walked away, moving to stand beside Gopher and Lee who were listening intently to whatever Chad was telling them.
"It's a money-making racket and governments need to put a stop to it," he was saying. "Bottles of shark cartilage pills do nothing except get sharks killed and human pockets lined with cash."
"Just another damn myth that gets sharks hunted," Gopher said, shaking his head in disappointment.
"I just don't get it. It's not like we don't have proof sharks get cancer," Chad said. "John Harshbarger and Gary Ostrander did a presentation in 2000 that showed over forty types of tumors found in the many sharks they'd studied. All different sizes, sexes, and species. We've got biopsies from all over the world showing tumors in different organs. Hell, I read recently that they removed a cancerous gingival tumor from a captive sand tiger shark at an aquarium in the States. And still these pills are being manufactured and sold."
"In all honesty, cancer scares people more than sharks," Lee told them. "We'll probably get finning banned long before we get these pills off the shelves."
"Sadly, you're probably right," Chad replied.
"She's super smart," Gopher said proudly, putting his big arm around Lee.
Whit felt a tug on his shirt and twisted to see who was behind him. As soon as he saw it was Alice, he turned and walked away. He was not about to make a scene here and embarrass his family—especially not Masen. He didn't even want his friend knowing about what he'd heard at all, much less finding out about it through him yelling at Alice, which was exactly what would happen if he tried to talk to her right now.
He joined Bella and Masen's conversation with Angela and Ben, not saying anything himself but just listening and enjoying the easy flow of their talk. From there he went over to Esme and Carlisle who were still being dazzled by Brett and his stories of his team's work in Gan's Bay.
And then he felt a hand on his shoulder—a hand too big to be Alice's. "Take a walk with me," Masen invited.
His friend let him walk in silence until they were far enough from the group that there was no chance of being overheard no matter how loud he got.
"What's up, Whit? Why are you so stressed out all of a sudden? You're like a harassed seal with a Great White chomping at his tail."
He didn't want his friend's mood to be ruined the way that his was so he chose his words carefully. "I've been thinking a lot about what's been going on since Alice got here and I'm starting to think I was wrong about her. I don't think she's my dream girl after all."
"It's too late for you to call dibs on Bella," Masen joked.
Whit was happy to see it was a real joke too, without any signs of doubt or worry. "Bella wouldn't want me anyway. I'm too easy. Too even-keeled. She likes being challenged by you and your spontaneous moods."
Masen laughed with him for a moment and then got serious again. "Look, all joking aside, whatever is bothering you with Alice, I really want to help. If you don't want to talk about it right now, that's fine. I get that. Just please come talk to me when you're ready, okay? I've got your back just like you've always got mine."
Whit sighed heavily and lifted his fedora to run a hand through his shaggy hair. "She just … She's starting to remind me of Maria."
Masen winced. "That's the last thing I thought you'd ever say about her."
"Fuck, bro, how the hell do you think I feel?"
"Stress. Pissed. Hurt. Maybe even guilty for thinking the ultimate insult. But, Whit, if you're saying that, then Alice did something to earn it. You don't lose your temper the way I do. You don't react without thinking the way I do. And you always give people the benefit of the doubt when shit goes down. Whatever it is that Alice did, it was honestly a fucked up thing to do."
Whit sighed as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets and looked down at his feet.
"I'm gonna also guess this has something to do with me since your dancing around what happened instead of just telling me. I really don't care if she doesn't like me, Whit, so don't waste time trying to defend me. The last thing I want is for her dislike of me to cause trouble between the two of you."
"Hey, you two, the drink stand is over—" Bella looked from Masen to Whit, taking in their serious expressions. "What's going on?"
Masen smiled for her. "Whit's just a little frustrated so I'm cheering him up with my sparkling personality."
Bella's shoulders slumped as her eyes continued to hold Whit's gaze. "You heard her, didn't you?"
"We're not talking about Alice," Whit assured her. "Mase is making sure I know I can go to him with anything, like I haven't known his ass for years and years. Typical overprotective behavior from him."
"Now I know it definitely has something to do with me. What the hell happened?" Masen demanded.
"It was Angela she saw?" Bella asked Whit.
"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. As much as he didn't want to do this now, there was no way out of it. Masen wouldn't be able to focus or even sit still as long as he was wondering what had happened.
"Angela? What's she got to do with Alice pissing Whit off?" Masen looked thoroughly confused now.
Bella took hold of his hand, probably to keep him from running off once he heard of her sister's latest plot against him. "Alice saw Angela hug you and then take you by the hand and lead you away. My sister mistook it for something else."
"What else?"
Bella looked to Whit for help.
He knew his friend and he knew the full truth was the only way to go with this. "Bro, she knows you and Bella are waiting until the internship ends. She saw you with Angela and assumed you'd snuck off with a stranger to have sex. Bella told her right away she was wrong, that she was interpreting things wrong. Then Alice got pissed that Bella defended you, and that's when I walked up and she shut up."
Masen had never looked this green, not even back in High School when he'd accepted and lost Whit's challenge of a wasabi-eating contest. "Bella, I would never—"
Bella lifted up on her toes, grabbed his hair with both hands to pull his face to hers and kissed him hard; Whit heard the click of their teeth mashing together. Masen's eyes widened and then closed, his hands going to her hips and lifting her onto his feet to make it easier for them to keep kissing.
Whit felt like he should look away but he was too busy grinning over his friend losing himself with his kapu. "Forbidden my ass," Whit mumbled.
When they finally pulled their lips apart, they kept their foreheads together with their eyes locked on each other. "Don't you dare worry that I believed her," Bella demanded. "I never doubted you. Not even for a second."
Masen had a little color back but he was still shaking all over. Whit wished his friend was angry about it. He knew what to do for him when he was pissed off. But right now, seeing how hurt he was by it and the way he was clutching Bella, all Whit could think was how fucked up this whole situation was and how angry he was with the person who had caused it.
"Mase, I'm sorry, bro. I didn't want you to find out right here like this," he said.
Bella pulled back from Masen slightly and then grabbed Whit's shoulder, tugging him closer. "I'm the one who's sorry and I apologize to the both of you. I never thought my sister could be capable of this, of hurting people like this. It's my fault she came here and I'm so sorry for that."
"Just like you told him not to worry, you stop feeling responsible," Whit demanded. "Alice is young but she's still an adult. She's still completely responsible for her choices, her words, and her actions. And right now, she's a first class bitch of her own making."
Masen shook his head. "It's not just her, though. Whatever I did to make her hate me enough to hurt you guys, I'm sorry for that."
"Okay, this shit is getting ridiculous," Whit declared. "Why the hell are the three of us apologizing to each other when she's the one causing problems? We were all getting along great before she got here. We were all really starting to come together as a team. She shows up and all of a sudden we're feeling like we're the ones doing something wrong."
"I think … I think maybe because you and I love her and want to believe the best about her," Bella offered. "But I also think maybe we don't know her at all because the sister I've grown up wouldn't twist things to hurt me and the people that I love."
"Do you think it's jealousy?" Masen asked. "She's used to getting her way so she's never had anything to be jealous about before. Maybe she doesn't want me to love you, or for all of us to treat you as a part of our family."
"Whatever her reason is, it's not good enough," Whit told them. "Hurting people to get what you want is the worst kind of selfishness there is."
Masen ran a hand through his hair—the other was still clutching Bella's side and most likely wrinkling her dress. "What do we do here?"
"I can't talk to her," Whit stated flatly. "Not right now. I'm too damn pissed for rational conversation."
"There's nothing else I can say," Bella said with a sigh. "I've done all I can to include her, I've begged her to be nice … There's nothing left but to give her what she wants and I am not doing that."
"Then that just leaves avoiding her," Masen declared. "We only have to make it through the rest of today and then we'll have six days to figure it out."
"Fucking mermaid," Whit grumbled. "Pull you in with the sweet voice and sweeter smile and then claw your fucking heart out."
"You're not ready to give up just yet," Masen said as he laid a hand on Whit's shoulder. "You wouldn't be this pissed if you were done."
Whit nodded in agreement though he wondered if giving up might actually be the best option this time. "I don't know. Maybe we're wrong somehow. Maybe she had honest intentions for a change and we're missing that because of her past behavior. Whatever happens, the most important thing is that we have each other's backs and we all know it. Right?"
"Right," Masen replied, managing to grin and mean it.
"Right," Bella agreed. Poor woman didn't even attempt a smile. She did hold her head up high, though. She knew what she wanted and she was not about to let her sister get in the way of it. That was the one thing that finally made Whit feel a little better—it let him know Masen and Bella would be okay no matter what Alice threw at them.
And just maybe they'll be okay when the internship is over too, he thought as he walked with them to rejoin the group.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Lee's POV
Lee could smell something was rotten as easily as a shark smelled blood in the water. She hadn't said anything right away, choosing instead to hang back and conduct surveillance to find the source of the discord.
She'd worried at first that Masen had found a new way to shove his head up his ass. He'd spent the first half of the day holding hands with Bella but he'd also let go a lot to let her do her own thing and for him to check out what caught his eye. But after their meet-up with the Colossus crew, he'd turned clingy with Bella, practically becoming her damn shadow, and constantly leaning in to whisper things to her.
The problem with that theory was that it didn't explain Whit. He had become as much of a shadow, walking with Masen and Bella without saying much. The fact that Masen would allow such behavior without questioning it meant that something more was going on. Something bigger. And something that Masen knew all about.
She didn't find it strange that Alice wasn't around since she'd spent most of the day with Carlisle and Esme. Alice seemed more interested in her uncle's new relationship than in her own with Whit but as long as he didn't seem to mind then Lee didn't mind.
Lee continued to watch, to interpret, and to wait for her chance to find out what the hell was affecting the guys so much. If there was any way to fix whatever was wrong, she was going to make sure it happened.
She finally got her chance to question them when Gopher gave up on corralling her into his latest adventure and convinced Bella instead. Masen and Whit hung back but their eyes followed Bella's every step.
Lee slid in between them and put an arm around each of them. "What's up, guys?"
"We're waiting for the entertainment to begin," Masen replied.
Whit chuckled darkly. "When that meat on a stick hits Bella's tongue … No way she's ready for the seasoning on it."
"As great as her face is gonna be, you know he's gonna be all loud and embarrassing," Masen pointed out.
Lee smiled, always amused by their attempts to fool her. "I was actually referring to why you two are sticking together so closely."
"Don't know what you're talking about," Masen responded. "Whit? Any idea?"
"None, bro." He chuckled and sang, "I'm just a poor boy from a poor family."
"Queen will not deter me from my mission to uncover the rotten going on here," she warned him.
Whit leaned his head back and smiled up at her, choosing again to answer her in song. "It's just yo 'magination."
"Wrong. It's my imagination," Lee corrected. The Temptations' Just My Imagination was one of her favorites and one of a handful of songs where she remembered all the lyrics.
"Exactly," Whit and Masen said simultaneously.
"Fine. I'll just ask Bella," she informed them as she pushed past them.
The guys pulled her back and then stood in front of her to block her way. "Akamai."
She gasped from honest shock. They'd seen early on in their friendship that they had the tendency to go overboard trying to help each other so they'd decided on a specific word they would use when it was absolutely necessary to block interference. They'd chosen "Akamai" because its meaning was to be very smart, very sharp. It was the equivalent of a neon sign declaring no entry by unauthorized persons.
She looked from one to the other, searching for some sign of why they would call for it. "You are not seriously calling that on me."
"Akamai," they repeated.
"Stop answering together! You know I hate that."
Masen gripped her shoulders and looked at her intently, imploringly. "Lee, you can't get involved. You can be a friendly ear to us, but you can't go any further than that. You have to keep your temper and your mouth locked up."
"I will. Of course I will. You know how seriously I take Akamai," she promised. "Just please tell me what's going on. I promise I'm not being nosey. I'm really worried about you guys."
Masen and Whit looked at each other, having a conversation of shrugging shoulders and lifting eyebrows. It was so out of the ordinary for them that Lee started to rethink this whole thing; maybe she was better off not knowing. If she didn't know and couldn't get angry, then she couldn't be the first to ever break Akamai. Masen had even held to it when he'd found out about Maria breaking up with Whit over his leg.
Then again, Lee would be just like Masen, a dog without a bone that can't stop chasing its tail. She'd be fidgety and suspicious, and probably inadvertently break their vow.
The guys came to a decision and Whit was elected to take her aside and explain it all. He told her what Alice had seen and interpreted, as well as how Bella had responded. He also pointed out all the logical reasons why it was important for Lee to stay back and stay out of it.
Logical if she ignored the fact that someone had hurt not one but three of her friends.
Logical if she ignored how sick it was for one sister to turn on the other.
Logical … The kind of word we create to keep our anger in check, to keep us from causing as much damage as the person at the center of all the hurt and confusion, she thought as she did her best not to stare directly at Alice. The little shit was all smiles standing with Esme and Carlisle at a small flower stand.
A flash of purple fabric caught her eye and she turned just in time to catch Bella scooting over to Masen with one hand covering her mouth and the other pointing at the bottle of water he was holding.
"How do you know I want to share my water?" he asked, grinning like an asshat even as he twisted the cap off the bottle.
A shadow fell over Lee and she smiled as she turned her face up to see Gopher. "I finished my water earlier so you are shit out of luck, babe."
He slipped his strong arms around her, making her feel small and feminine, protected—things she only ever felt with him. He kissed her tenderly and then said, "Don't need any water. I just need to know what's bugging you. And don't even try to say it's me because you'll be a damn lie." He smiled and made his dimples pop out. "You know how much I hate a lying liar pants."
Despite her mood, she found herself smiling at his teasing. "Have I told you today that I love you?"
He pulled her closer and nibbled on her neck. "Several times. And that was just while I was waking you up this morning."
"Em?"
He hummed against her skin.
"Have you ever seen one of your sisters try to control who another sister dates?"
He stood up straight and thought about it for a moment. "Not that I can recall. Not to mention I'm pretty sure if a plot was ever discovered, the plotter would get the snot beat out of her by the plotee."
"That's not a real word."
He shrugged, his dimples appearing with his smile again. "Doesn't have to be. It's my word."
She returned his smile and said, "That's good enough for me."
"Misfits Assemble!" Esme called out, waving them over. "Time to head over to our highly recommended dinner location."
"Is it the kitchen back home?" Gopher asked, leading Lee with his hand on the small of her back. Comforting without being pushy—his natural style, and a trait for which she was always grateful.
"It is not," Esme assured him. "All the cooks in our family are getting the night off."
"This way, everyone," Carlisle directed, pointing to a narrow street to their right. "It's just a few blocks over."
Once they made it to the restaurant, they found a table for eight waiting for them. Esme and Carlisle chose their chairs but they were the only ones to sit. Alice stood a foot away from the rest of the group, trying to catch either Whit or Bella's eye.
"Don't all sit at once," Carlisle told them.
"Maybe they've collectively forgotten the purpose of a restaurant is to sit and eat," Esme suggested.
Alice finally moved to the table, choosing to sit across from her uncle.
"I'll take one for the team," Gopher said, leading Lee to the table and then taking the seat beside Alice for himself. Lee sat on his other side and Whit filled in their side of the table, leaving Masen and Bella the seats beside Esme and Carlisle.
The air was thick with tension instead of the fun conversation that usually filled their family dinners. Even the waiter noticed; he took their drink orders as quickly as he could and then rushed off.
Esme stood, immediately garnering everyone's attention. "As you all know, Carlisle and I are building a partnership together. Most of you also know that relationships are tricky by nature, attempting to sync two distinct personalities in a harmonious way that's beneficial to both parties. Considering the amount of work we have ahead of us, we aren't looking to add more.
"It's pretty clear to us that the tenuous bond you all had created has come tumbling down. We don't know the reason and frankly, it doesn't matter. It's not our mess to clean up.
"Misfits, I love you all dearly," Esme declared, looking each of them in the eye—especially Bella. She then turned her gaze to the troublemaker in their midst. "And, Alice, from what time I've spent with you, you seem to be a bright and caring young woman."
It took everything Lee had not to call "bullshit". Esme might want to see a caring person in Alice, but so far that side was a no-show in Lee's opinion.
"Still, as much as I love you ..." Esme continued, "... and as much as Carlisle loves his girls, we refuse to be drawn into whatever this is between all of you. We are Switzerland. We are not Team Bella. We are not Team Alice. We are neutral. Switzerland.
"We will be here to listen to how you're feeling about the situation, and we'll be happy to help you find ways to deal with your reaction to it. We'll even help you decide on which changes you can make to avoid this type of situation in the future. We are here to provide love, support, and advice only. We are not here to listen to any one of you talk negatively about another. You are all adults and we fully expect you to remember that and act like it."
Carlisle rose to his feet and put an arm around Esme. "I would like to add the following … We are in each other's lives for the foreseeable future. My suggestion to you all is to get used to being respectful and cordial to each other because none of you are going anywhere."
They sat down together and grabbed their menus, going on with their night by jumping in to pointing out possibilities to share. They had stated their peace and now they were continuing on as if the tension no longer existed. Lee could see where they deserved to do that, to protect their new relationship by not taking sides. The only part that sucked about it was that it killed her hopes of them pulling the parent card and sending Alice's selfish little ass back to Florida.
Gopher leaned over and whispered into Lee's ear. "I have no idea what's going on here, but I know I was just called down to the principal's office with the rest of you. It better be worth it and not just an overreaction from Masen."
"Trust me, Em, Mase is an innocent bystander in this train wreck."
She couldn't explain what was going on at dinner, but as soon as they were alone in their room a couple hours later, Lee told Gopher everything that Whit had shared with her. She also made sure to demand Akamai from him, especially with how tightly his fists had rolled up as soon as he'd heard of Alice's comments to Bella. He and Masen hadn't reached B-F-F status just yet, but he damn sure had it with Bella.
It was because he cared so much about his friends that he was currently pacing and ranting, his slight country accent coming out more the higher his anger rose. "It's a damn good thing she's already kicked off the boat or I'd be in there right now throwing her off myself.
"If one of my sisters did that to another one ... Well, they just wouldn't is all! You don't act like that with folks you care about, that you say you love.
"And she didn't just hurt Bella is the real kicker. She hurt Whit too! So much for being in love with him. She's just like that one that left him 'cause of his leg. What was her name? Misery? Some women just can't tell when they've got a good man, a man who will be loyal and honest and never do 'em wrong. 'Cause that's the kind of guy Whit is, ya know!
"And Masen. We don't always get along, but I know that man has a huge, big heart. And it doesn't take long to see that. A few days at the most to get past his demands and see them for what they really are—protection for us all. That idiot woman's been with us for weeks and she wouldn't see it if I put it on a damn billboard right in front of her. What the hell is wrong with her?"
Since he'd stopped pacing and was now staring at her, Lee figured he wanted an answer. "I wish I knew, Em. I've never seen anyone act the way Alice has been behaving."
He sat on the end of the bed, his anger turning to calculation. "You know what, though, I think I've figured it out. I think maybe she doesn't want to see Bella get better. I think in her mind, if she gets Masen out of her sister's life, then nothing changes. I think she's afraid of who Bella can become without that fear holding her back."
"Then just like I said earlier. Alice is the most selfish person I've ever met. But it won't do her any good. She can say whatever she wants about all of us. We're not going to stop helping Bella."
"Damn straight we're not." He scratched at his chin for a few seconds. "So … Akamai's been invoked and Esme is Switzerland. What do we do? Where do we go from here?"
"I think we do our best to push Alice out of our minds for now so we can focus on the work ahead of us. When we get back in a week, we see what she's decided to do with herself and then we make a plan based on that info."
He held his arms open to her and she happily accepted his invitation to cuddle. He squeezed her tight just the way she loved and then pressed his lips to her temple. "You know what?"
"What?" she asked, playing along.
"No matter how frustrating our days are, my nights are always great with you. I think that's why I love you so damn much."
"I love you too, Em."
"Your bros are going to be okay, you know."
"I really hope so. And I'm not as worried for Whit. He tends to see things like this as stepping stones, as part of the fee for experiencing everything life has to offer. But Mase … I'm just so glad Bella made it clear she didn't buy her sister's crap."
"Mase is gonna be just fine, Lee. Bella's gonna make sure of it." He stood with Lee in his arms and then tossed her down on the bed, getting a laugh out of her. "Now it's time for me to make sure we get some sleep." He turned out the lights and then joined her in the bed. "You promise not to worry and I'll promise to let you be the big spoon tonight."
She grabbed his arm and put it around her, hugging it tight against her chest. "I'd rather have you hold me."
He kissed the back of her neck and then pulled her tighter against his body, instantly making her feel that nothing mattered outside of his arms. It wouldn't last forever—probably wouldn't even last the entire night. But for right now, it was what she needed. Having a partner who so freely gave safety and security, who so easily shared his love physically and verbally … She wanted everyone she loved to know this feeling, to have this level of support, and to know the joy of giving it back.
Drifting off to sleep, Lee had a final thought about Alice. She was certainly not a fan of the girl but she even wanted her to have the same kind of meaningful relationship. Maybe if she did then she wouldn't attempt to ruin her sister's chance at having it.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Masen and Bella had been the last out of his Bronco and subsequently the last in line waiting to enter the house. He'd tilted his head back a bit and found it was a clear night with a bright half-moon. There had been the slightest of breezes, not quite enough to ruffle his hair. In his opinion, it had been perfect for a late night walk if a certain lovely lady was up for it.
He'd tugged gently on Bella's hand to get her attention and then lifted his chin toward the side of the house. She'd smiled and nodded, already kicking her sandals off. Once he'd pulled his socks and shoes off, he'd taken her hand again and they had made their way down the path and onto the beach. The sand had still held a little of the day's warmth and had felt good under his feet and between his toes.
Even though the night had started to cool, he was still enjoying their aimless walking. He liked feeling her palm against his and hearing her humming to herself under the crashing of the waves on the shore. He liked how they walked in step and in silence—he liked that it was natural and there was no thinking involved.
The only thing he didn't like was the flip in his gut every time he put his hand in his pocket and felt what was there. It wasn't logical to feel nervous over it. And because it wasn't logical and he didn't understand it, he took his hand out of his pocket and pushed those feelings aside once again.
They eventually ended up at the small sand dune Bella liked to sit on while watching the sun set. He sat first and then helped her down to sit between his legs and recline against him. He wondered if he should have let her change out of her dress first so she'd be more comfortable, but not for long. It was hard to imagine she wasn't relaxed with her still softly humming to herself. He listened closely to see if he could guess the song but came up blank so he focused instead on listening to the waves.
The ebb and flow of the tide had its usual effect on him, calming and centering him. It made it easier to focus his mind on one thing—the woman seated between his legs, leaning against him.
The gentle breeze blew her hair toward him and he smelled the sun on it even though the moon had been up for hours. Underneath that was a soft floral scent coming from her skin; skin that looked silver and flawless in the moonlight. Skin that he couldn't resist touching; he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently dug his fingers in, figuring she'd enjoy a massage while he enjoyed touching her. Her appreciative hum sounded enjoyable enough to him.
He had the thought again that he'd have to thank his mom for her taste in clothing. She'd gotten Bella this dress to congratulate her on her progress with the team—Masen was pretty sure he was enjoying it way more than her. He leaned in to kiss the back of her neck, hoping she wouldn't feel his grin that had popped out at the thought of pulling on the bow there and freeing more of her skin for his admiration.
His very next thought wiped the smile off his face—the image of her gift complimenting the dress. He looked at her hand resting on his knee and the delicate wrist attached to it. Unable to resist, he slipped a hand back into his pocket to touch her gift and make sure it was still there. It was cool to the touch and as smooth as her skin. It caused the memory of his hand on her breast to immediately pop into his head. As if that wasn't hard enough to deal with, he had the knowledge that the bow was the only thing keeping her covered right now. It took a hell of a lot of focus but he managed to force those thoughts away; he was determined to behave and keep the night about her.
He wished it was as easy to push away his need to understand, his need for things to make sense or at least have a hint of a logical reason behind them. Gopher and Whit didn't have this issue. For them, "because" was perfectly reasonable rather than a roadblock.
The one thing he did know was that he'd wanted the gift the second he'd spotted it in the window of the little shop. He'd even been able to picture her wearing it, see the sun glinting off of it. He just couldn't seem to actually give it to her. His nerves kept getting in the way with stupid questions of how to present it and what to do if he was wrong and she didn't like it.
It's not a big deal so don't make it a big deal, he cautioned himself. He was great at advising himself to calm down—he just sucked with the execution so far today.
Determined not to let his head get in the way yet again when it came to Bella, he took a deep breath and curled his fingers around the gift, drawing it out of his pocket. He moved quickly, lifting her hand from his knee and then slipping the bracelet onto her wrist.
He hastily licked his dry lips and with a voice not completely steady he said, "Kapu, Aloha Au Ia 'Oe."
She twisted her torso to look at him but then had trouble deciding if she should look at him or her bracelet.
He decided for her, gently gripping her arm and lifting her wrist to catch the moonlight on the smooth beads. "Do you like it?"
"Edward, I love it. I just … I'm really surprised is all."
"You did say you wanted rewards for being with me."
She grinned and relaxed some, her eyes softening. "I was joking about that and you know it."
"I do," he agreed, running his finger over the beads. "This is just because."
She gently pushed against his jaw, bringing his eyes up to hers. "You don't do just because."
"I'm giving it a try for you," he admitted. "I saw it and thought of you and thought you should have it."
"I'm so glad you did. I really do love it," she assured him. "What are the beads called?"
"Tiger eye gems. They uh … they remind me of your eyes. The dark brown that they are most of the time and then the caramel center is the color your eyes get when you're happy. Happy with me." He rushed to add, "And it's something you can wear as much as you want. Even if you twist it, the beads are so smooth you can't hurt yourself like with your watch."
Her face crumpled and tears slipped from her eyes. "Edward—" Whatever else she was going to say was lost behind her trying to choke back her tears.
"No, no, no," he sputtered, pulling her into his arms. "That was supposed to make you feel good. What did I do wrong? How the hell did I mess this up?" He felt frustrated and angry with himself for upsetting her when the whole point was to make her feel what he called her—kapu, sacred.
"You didn't mess up anything," she promised, turning and kneeling between his legs. "And I feel more than good." She held his face gently as if he was the one in need of consoling; the beads on her wrist were cool against his warm cheeks.
"I feel …" She paused and though her cheeks were still wet, they were now also pulled up with a smile. "I feel lovely. And you did that. Not just with the bracelet but all day today."
He blew out a breath and finally relaxed. "Lovely. That's good."
"That's great," she assured him, first with a soft giggle and then with a sweet kiss.
"So why the tears?" he asked as he helped her dry her cheeks.
She tangled her fingers in his hair at the base of his neck. "I know you worry that your actions don't always match your words, but I promise you I can feel how much you care, how much you want to be with me. That's why there were tears."
He smiled and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her wrist right under her bracelet. "It looks great on you. Just like I thought it would."
"I'm going to ask you this because I need to make sure so please don't take offense. Buying this for me, it's not an attempt to prove you love me, right?"
"It doesn't hurt if it does that."
"Edward, all I need to believe you is for you to let me feel what's in here," she promised, pressing her hand against his chest. The soft look in her eyes turned calculating. "Tell me again. What you said when you put it on my wrist."
"Kapu, Aloha Au Ia 'Oe."
"Okay so don't laugh if I mess it up." The fact that she was saying it with a big grin let him know she fully expected him to laugh. She took a big breath and then did her best to pronounce each word exactly as he had done. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe."
"That's good. That's not bad at all," he encouraged. "Just um … Just try to let it out as one smooth, soft breath," he said, giving her a demonstration after.
She tried it again and did it perfectly this time. He decided to reward her in the most logical way he could conceive of—he kissed her slow and soft in the moonlight, letting her feel exactly how lovely and loved she was.