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.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Chapter 52 – Octopus Overlords
Thursday, September 11th – Florida
Bella let out another loud yawn and Masen chuckled while steering her away from a group of people she was destined to run into on her present course. "Kapu, you can't fall asleep until we get to your house. You're the only one who knows where we're going."
"I'm awake," she argued even as she covered her mouth for another yawn.
"Yeah, you look it," he joked.
When she didn't say anything back he knew she was definitely dead on her feet. And when she leaned against him for the escalator ride down to baggage claim, he half expected her to fall asleep standing.
"Grace! Hey, Grace!"
Bella's head popped up and she started looking around.
"What?" Masen asked, wondering why she would care about someone yelling in the airport.
She didn't answer him. Instead she ran down the last few steps, tripped at the bottom, and awkwardly fell into the arms of some guy. Masen's first instinct was to introduce his fist to the dude's face but this was not the time to follow instincts. If he had any chance of making this a good trip, he had to listen to Esme and take it slow and think before he spoke and acted.
"There's my Bella-not-so-full-of-grace," the guy said as they both laughed. He looked up and caught Masen's gaze. "And this must be Shark-Boy."
One little punch couldn't really be that bad, could it? Masen wondered as he looked the guy up and down. He was shorter and stockier—Masen had no doubts he could take the jackass.
"Jacob," Bella admonished, giving his chest a slap. "You behave."
Jacob laughed. "Come on, Grace! That's a completely appropriate greeting. It's not like I called him 'stranger-danger'."
"Stop." Bella's tone was forceful but her smile canceled out any authority.
"Anything for you, Grace." He stepped toward Masen, dragging Bella with him, and offered his hand. "I'm Jacob. Welcome to Florida."
Masen retrieved his kapu first, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist, and then he shook Jacob's hand forcefully. "Masen. Thanks."
Jacob never flinched but he was the first to let go. "Firm grip there. Guess you need that when you spend all day playing with sharks."
"Jacob, what did I tell you?" Bella asked, this time looking as annoyed as she sounded.
"Sorry," he said as he lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Just a little teasing for the new guy but I'll stop."
"Don't make me call Leah. And what are you even doing here?"
"Like I'm going to let you try to catch a cab this late at night. I'll drop you two at home and then meet up with Leah at the beach house."
"Oh no you won't. If it's too late for me to catch a cab, then it's too late for you to be driving out to the beach house. You'll crash on the couch and leave in the morning."
Jacob saluted her. "You're the boss, Grace."
"Bags," she said, pointing off toward where we needed to go. "Retrieve them."
"I hope you didn't bring back as many as you left with," he said as we started toward the carousels.
"That wouldn't make any sense, Jacob," she told him. "I'm here to take more things back to Hawaii."
"So you said."
Masen would have loved nothing more than to demand clarification on that remark but Bella distracted him by asking for his phone. "Where's yours, kapu?"
She blushed. "I can tell you where it's not."
His lips curled into his shitty grin as he fished her phone from his pocket. "Now you know why I kept asking if you were sure you got everything you needed out of our room."
"My hero," she said, trading him a kiss on the lips for the phone. "Anything special you want me to pass on to Esme for you?"
"Just that I love her."
"And you miss her," Bella added, giving him that sly smile of hers that always made him want to kiss her breathless.
"That too," he agreed while giving her ponytail a playful tug.
Once they found the right carousel, Bella stepped away to call home and let everyone know they'd landed safely, leaving Jacob and Masen alone.
"She calling Carlisle?" Jacob asked.
Masen nodded. "And my mom."
"Your family moves fast, locking down their dates."
As much as Masen would have loved to slap the smugness off Jacob's face, he remained polite for Bella's sake. "We don't believe in wasting time. When we find people who fit perfectly into our lives, we let them know it."
Luckily for Jacob, he chose to be quiet rather than say anything else shitty.
It may have also had something to do with Masen staring at his phone screen as he sent Whit a text to vent and ask for advice.
This dude is a total ass. He's been on me from the moment he laid eyes on me.
You're probably right on both counts. But! Remember Lee's behavior when Bella first arrived? Worry for your loved one can make you act unlike your normal self. Give him a chance.
I don't like this.
Tough shit. Accepting Bella is accepting everyone she loves. You don't have to like him, but you do have to be respectful. Same as we all said to Alice when she was after your ogre ass with her torch and pitchfork.
Masen snorted as he read that last bit from Whit. He typed back a single word, "ass".
Listen to your nudger and follow these steps … Take a breath. Remember he cares for Bella and has her best interest in mind. Think before you speak. Do those things and you'll be fine.
Mahalo, bro. I owe you a beer when I get back.
Damn straight, you do. Now go be a good Masen and enjoy your vacation with Bella.
Masen smiled and then tucked the phone away as the alarm on the baggage carousel sounded off and the conveyer belt started to move.
He had meant to move closer to watch for their bags but a certain lovely brunette was blocking his way. "What?"
She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body into his. "I love you."
Her words had him smiling and his tense muscles relaxing. "I love you too, kapu."
"There's absolutely no reason for you to be worried."
"What makes you think I'm worried?"
Her thumb traced his lower lip. "The scowl you were sporting a minute ago. And the fact that you were texting Whit already."
He glanced over her shoulder at her friend. "He doesn't like me."
"He doesn't know you yet. Give him time."
"What if it doesn't work?"
"It worked with Alice," she reminded him. "And just like with Alice, it would be nice if Jacob became friends with you, but it doesn't change anything if he doesn't."
"Come here," he said as he wrapped her up in his arms. He held her tightly for a long moment, breathing her in and focusing all of his attention on her and her happiness. This trip was for her and he would do everything he could to make it great. He let her go with a quick kiss to her lips. "Thank you."
"Always."
"How's Carlisle?" Jacob asked as they joined him.
Bella giggled. "Oh, he's more than fine. Esme is taking excellent care of him."
Masen rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what she meant with her comment.
After grabbing their bags, they followed Jacob out to the parking garage and to a truck that had once been a classic but had fallen into disrepair.
"So this is the latest project car?" Bella asked. Her nose wrinkled as she surveyed the truck. "Is it really road safe?"
Jacob glared at her. "I'm going to pretend you didn't ask me that. And yes, this is the new project. A 1953 Chevy Pickup. Just slapped the second coat of primer paint on her yesterday. Next weekend, she gets her final color—sapphire blue."
Masen's fingers twitched as he eyed the front end. "Any chance it still has the original 216 inch inline-six?"
"They quit making that engine in '52," Jacob replied.
Masen smirked. "Bella's already told me you know your cars so I'll bite and take your test. '53 was the last year for that engine. They decided to go with a 235 inch straight-six with the '54 production. '53 was also the first year they put the ID plate in the door, a blue plate with silver letters versus the black with silver letters used in previous models. It was also the last year to use wooden blocks as bed supports."
Jacob looked to Bella and started smiling. "You weren't kidding. The guy is a whiz with facts."
"He's not bad with a wrench either," Bella said, her eyes only on Masen. "His best friend Lee is a car lover so he has a lot of hands-on practice to go with his facts."
Jacob turned his attention to Masen. "What is it you drive then?"
"Fully restored 1968 Ford Bronco with bench seats front and back, spare tire mounted to the back door, and custom roof rack up top. Engine was blown when Lee and I found it but we were able to get our hands on a straight-six that still had some life in it. It's been our daily driver for about six years now."
Jacob's standoffish behavior relaxed some. "A guy like you … there's pictures of the rebuild."
Masen smirked. "I might have some."
"Later," Bella said through a loud yawn. "I wanna get home."
Jacob moved toward the passenger door but Masen got there first, opening it for his kapu and helping her up into the cab. He and Jacob got the bags settled in the bed of the truck and then climbed inside.
The ride to Bella's home was long and with more traffic than Masen had expected at this late hour. He was assured by both Bella and Jacob this was normal for the time of year when the area was full of tourists. From what Masen could see out the window, there was a lot of lights and concrete. And stores. Everywhere a store.
Bella's home was on the outskirts of the city and far enough from the lights that he could see the moon overhead and a few of the brightest stars. Nothing like his view back home where the moon often seemed close enough to reach out and touch.
The inside of the home was very clean and formal, reminding him of Carlisle when he'd first arrived in Gordon's Bay.
Bella led Masen into another room behind some sliding doors and he found himself in a living room not unlike his back home. There was an oversized couch covered in throw pillows that had definitely seen many a movie night. Built-ins full of DVDs and books. A huge TV centered with the couch.
She dropped her bag in the corner and then crashed onto the couch. "Home."
Masen chuckled as he joined her, giving her forehead a kiss. "I think you might be tired, kapu."
"We should unpack," she mumbled into the cushion.
"We should but that will require you getting up."
"No."
"We should at least sit up so Jacob doesn't keep standing in the doorway."
She groaned and grumbled a bit before finally moving. Of course as soon as Masen got comfortable in the corner, she moved again to crawl into his lap.
"You know you're going to fall asleep like this," he warned her.
"I'm good." Her declaration was immediately followed by her biggest yawn yet.
"Not sure if you've noticed yet, but she's a tad stubborn," Jacob said as he settled into the other corner of the couch.
Masen smiled while rubbing Bella's lower back in the way she liked. "She made that abundantly clear from the start."
"Neither of you have any room to talk," she told them. "I'm hungry."
Masen snorted, knowing damn well from the way her body was melted into his that she was closer to sleep than she wanted to admit. "You're too tired to be hungry. You'll fall asleep before you take the first bite of anything I make for you."
"I won't," she argued.
"I'll make you something," Jacob offered. "How about cereal? That's fast and filling."
"That sounds good. Doesn't that sound good, Edward?"
He studied her face, knew from her droopy eyes that she probably wouldn't even eat the first bite, and gave in anyway because he knew it would make her happy. "She'll take half peanut butter crunch and half cookie crisp."
That smile he'd expected appeared on her lovely face and he had no choice but to kiss her lips.
"Be right back with it," Jacob announced.
"See how nice he is?" Bella asked between yawns.
Masen smiled. "I see he's into giving you your way."
Bella's response was a name. "Lizzy."
"That's different. She's a helpless puppy."
She hummed in response.
He waited a few seconds and then whispered, "Are you sleeping yet?" He got another hum from her but with much less force.
When Jacob returned a few minutes later with her cereal, she was soundly and deeply asleep.
"Guess it's mine now," Jacob said as he sat down with the bowl.
"Tried to tell you," Masen replied while tugging a throw blanket from the back of the couch. He could feel Jacob's eyes on him as he draped the fabric around Bella.
"She's never been one to fall asleep quickly."
"She does now."
Jacob frowned. "You spend a few weeks near her and you think you know her?"
"Not everything but plenty to know who she is and that I love her. And it was more than a few weeks."
"Yeah, I'm still not clear on that part. My understanding was that you were supposed to be her mentor, teach her stuff. Not convince her to move half-way around the world and leave her family."
"If you're as good of a friend of hers as you claim to be, then you know there's no convincing her of anything. She has to see it and experience it herself and even then she has to turn it over and contemplate it for a bit before she can fully accept it."
"Nice words but I'm not convinced you know how special that woman you're holding truly is."
"And you do?"
"Yeah. I've known her for a long time and she's hands-down the most caring person I've ever known. She'd give anything to bring happiness to the people she loves. Hell, she even brought soup to Leah and me when we caught a bad case of the flu not long after we started dating."
"You're not telling me anything I don't know and haven't personally witnessed."
"She said you were a know-it-all."
"She said you were a nice guy."
Jacob scowled. "Do you even know why she's afraid of sharks?"
"I know the why and when, and the guilt she has carried for most of her life. I know I have worked my ass off to provide her with every tool she needs to get a handle on her fears. I've worked even harder to get her to see that she didn't rob Charlie of his life, Carlisle of his brother, and Alice of her parents. I've changed her embarrassment over her panic attacks to acceptance that her reaction is natural and understandable. I've done it all for her because she deserves the life she wants."
"And rewarded yourself nicely."
As much as Masen wanted to vent his anger, he would not allow Bella to wake up from him yelling at her idiotic friend. "Everything I've done for Bella has been for her benefit first and foremost. Every task she was ever assigned, every book she was given to read, and every video she was asked to watch were all for her growth. We never pushed her beyond what she could handle. That's why she trusts us so much. That's why she wants to continue working with us."
"You expect me to believe it's that simple? She wouldn't even date me after she found out I planned to become a competitive surfer so how do you expect me to believe she's going to marry you, a guy who goes swimming with sharks for a living?"
"Jacob, the woman who broke up with you over your surfing is the not woman sleeping in my arms. You knew a version of her that could be frozen with fear at the thought of a shark. This Bella, my kapu, she knows sharks are not impossible monsters. She respects their power and their place in the food chain. She'll probably never like them, but she can look at them and not cower in fear and drown in memories of the worst day of her life. She asked me to help her become this woman and I took that job seriously. The fact that who she has become loves me just makes me the luckiest man alive."
"What if all she feels for you is some kind of hero worship thing? What happens when she gets tired of looking at your sharks?"
"Bella never would have let me put this ring on her finger if she hadn't found a hell of a lot more to love about me. She never does anything without being fully informed."
Jacob angrily chomped on a mouthful of cereal.
"Look, you don't have to take my word for any of this. You'll see the change in her yourself when we have this double-date lunch day after tomorrow at Shark's. Bella's looking forward to naming all the species for you."
Jacob choked so hard that his eyes watered. "The fuck?"
"You okay?"
"No, I'm not okay! Bella doesn't even walk near the shark expedition and you expect her to eat in a restaurant that sits at the bottom of the shark tank? Why would you do that to her?"
"First of all, lower your voice. You and I don't have a problem yet but we damn sure will if you wake her. Secondly, Bella made every reservation for this trip. She wants to finally experience the only part of her favorite place that she could never bring herself to go near. And she wants to experience it with you and Leah, two good friends of hers."
"And when she has a panic attack?"
"If she has one, we have our plan for how to deal with it. If we're at the entrance, we'll simply walk away. If we're inside, then I will walk her to the nearest exit while talking to her to keep her mind focused on other things. I will once again reassure her that she has had a natural reaction to a traumatic event and we will talk about what set her off and how to prevent it in the future. The same as we've done for months now.
"You seem to be under the mistaken impression that Bella has completely changed. She's still the same caring, passionate, stubborn person. She's just not held back by her fear anymore. That doesn't mean she doesn't still have fears, just that she knows how to work through them and control them. And because she's still her, then she's still completely independent and in charge of all of her choices."
"Guess I'll find that out for myself this week."
"You do that." Masen hooked an arm under Bella's leg and carefully stood with her. "See you tomorrow, Jacob."
"Where are you going? You don't know what room is hers."
Masen smirked, ridiculously pleased that he had an answer for this guy. "Purple walls with a white rug. Shouldn't be too hard to find. See you tomorrow, Jacob."
"Yes, you will, Masen."
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Friday, September 12th
Edward leaned in to Bella and whispered, "Are they ever going to stop?"
She pushed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud.
"I'm serious. It's been thirty minutes and there hasn't been a single pause."
She could tell from the set of his jaw that he was getting frustrated just sitting at the table half-listening to Alice and her sorority sisters going on about their most recent functions and all the ones planned for the future. "Why don't you refill our drinks?" she suggested, nodding to a drink machine on the opposite end of the cafeteria.
The fingers he had on her knee twitched. "I shouldn't leave you alone with them."
"Go. Run. Save yourself," she told him. "And if you happen to get a little lost on the way and take your time coming back, all the better."
"You're the best, kapu," he said as he leaned in and kissed her lips. He scooped up their cups and made his escape.
Bella smiled as she watched him go, loving him for how much he wanted this trip to be a fun time for her.
Alice's question alerted Bella to the sudden silence. "Where's Masen going?"
"Drink refills," she replied, noticing how all of the women at the table where looking toward Edward.
Addison, the head of the sorority, was the first to turn her attention to Bella. "Aside from his profession, he seems too perfect to be real."
Bella and Alice shared a look and a snort. "Perfect is the last adjective I would use for him," Bella shared.
"She prefers 'mine'," Alice teased.
"With an ass like that, I totally get it," Hailey commented. "No offense."
"There are exactly zero rules that say you have to like what he does in order to tap that hot ass," Kendell chimed in. "Bonus points if you're cool with it, but no reason not to hop on the ride."
Addison sighed. "Kendell, we've talked about this."
"What? It's not like he can hear me from way over there," Kendell defended.
Bella could tell from the stiff way Edward was standing at the drink machine that he could feel all of the female eyes on him.
"I hope we aren't too boring for him," Shelby said as she finally stopped staring at him. "My brother is a sky diver so I know all too well how adventurous types don't normally care for a lot of talking."
"It's not so much the talking as he's had to do a lot of sitting," Bella told them. "He's used to being outdoors and having lots of activities."
"And not being surrounded by fifteen women talking of dresses and parties," Alice added.
"Ladies, let's stop staring after Edward and give our attention to Bella who is still sitting here with us," Addison directed.
"Since he is over there, I just have to know not to judge but just for general knowledge … Did you really get over your fear of sharks or are you pretending to get the hot guy?" Kendall questioned.
It took Bella a moment to get over her initial shock. "There's no such thing as getting over that level of ingrained fear. What Edward has done for me is to help me begin building the control I need to keep my fear at manageable levels. Sometimes it works really well and sometimes it doesn't. The goal is to one day have control every time and that's what we're working towards together."
"You two are so cute together," Shelby shared. "The whole thing is so romantic, the way you fell in love and that he proposed so quickly because he's so sure of your relationship. Have you picked when the big day will be?"
Alice answered before Bella had even fully processed the question. "No date yet and probably not for a couple years but as soon as I have that date, all of you will too."
Bella smiled at her bubbly sister. "You'd think you were the one engaged."
"No, but I am the one who loves all things wedding related," Alice replied.
"I'm all for a good love story, but I just can't imagine falling so deep in love in one summer that I'd give up my whole life to go live with a guy I just met. How can you be so sure you're making the right move?" Regina asked.
"I'm not giving anything up," Bella assured her. "My future always held moving and taking a deeper role in preserving marine life. It's just that my new plan has me moving further away and my new job will be much more hands-on."
"And it won't always be about sharks," Edward added as he reclaimed his seat beside her.
"Absolutely," Bella agreed, happy he was smiling again and seemed more relaxed. "As soon as conservation efforts are where they need to be, we'll be moving on to other species. Ones with less pointy teeth." Her comment had everyone laughing, including Edward.
"An entire summer spent in South Africa had to have included some amazing adventures. Bella, would you please tell us your coolest and scariest?" Addison requested.
Bella knew exactly which two qualified for this answer. "Coolest would definitely have to be my first scuba dive with the team. Edward and Whit took me down and we investigated a reef system full of all kinds of marine life. It was my first dive in a very long time and it was exhilarating, scary, amazing, and exactly why I signed up for the internship in the first place—to get back to the other world I love."
She smiled at Edward as he squeezed her knee in support. "And I have Edward and everyone else on the team to thank for helping me to achieve the first of many new dreams."
After a collective round of "awe" and a quick kiss from Edward, Bella gave her second answer to the question. "My scariest moment on the trip actually happened after the research was over. On our first day of vacation, we went to an area famous for its surfing. The waves ended up being too rough for surfing so the kayaks were pulled out. While Edward and Whit were enjoying the waves, they received a visitor in the form of a seventeen foot long female Great White."
The ladies all gasped.
Bella smiled both at their reaction and at how differently she viewed that morning now that she'd had time to reflect on it. "My initial reaction to seeing her was to want Edward back on the boat right then and there by any means necessary. But as I continued to watch her calmly swim between their two kayaks, I began to wonder what she was seeing and thinking. What was it about them that made her trust them enough to stay so close, to stay in harm's way? Whit believes we all put out vibes and his theory is that their sense of wonder was so strong that she felt it and knew she was safe with them. I'm not sure if I believe that. What I do know is that if she was just some monster creature left over from the days of the dinosaurs, she would have attacked immediately rather than swim along to see what would happen."
"I've got goosebumps," Shelby said, showing her arm to her sorority sisters.
Edward leaned in, making his smile and bright blue eyes all Bella could see. "You, kapu, are constantly surprising me. I thought for sure you would have chosen the ray as your scariest moment. And even once you started talking about the kayaks, I thought you would only mention how scared you were at first. I never expected you to make her sound so beautiful."
She smiled as she scratched his scruff the way he liked. "All part of my master plan to always keep you guessing and thereby keep you interested. Tell me, is it working?"
His shitty grin appeared just as she'd expected. "A tiny bit."
"Shut up and kiss me, you fool."
He did just that, garnering a round of oohs and aahs from the ladies while simultaneously making Bella's head spin.
"And that's the real reason why she dates him," Alice teased, making Edward laugh and Bella blush.
"As fun as this is, ladies, I'm afraid we're going to have to go," Edward announced as he tapped his watch.
"It's two already?" Bella questioned.
"Afraid so, kapu," he answered as he got to his feet.
"You can't leave yet," Alice said, latching onto Bella in a tight hug. "You just got here."
"We have to drive to Leah's house at the beach. She's cooking for us," Bella explained. "But we'll see you again soon."
"Not until day after tomorrow and then the day after that you're going home to Hawaii."
"Exactly. We'll have two days to spend with you. You don't have any classes on Sunday and your Monday classes are all late in the afternoon."
"Still not enough time with you."
Bella smiled into Alice's hair as she hugged her little sister tighter. "I love you too, Ali."
Alice reluctantly let go. "See you Sunday. First thing."
"First thing after we wake up at a decent hour," Bella corrected.
"Sure, sure," Alice replied, though Bella wasn't sure that was an agreement at all. It sounded too similar in tone to 'that's what you think'.
Bella turned her attention to the ladies at the table. "Thank you all for being so welcoming to Edward and me. We enjoyed the campus tour, and the cafeteria food wasn't that bad at all. And thank you for taking such great care of Alice. She's a brat, but she's a special brat."
"Just like you," Alice chirped.
"Behave," Edward warned as he submitted to one of Alice's clutching hugs.
"Give some of this hug to Whit when you get back, okay?"
"Done," he promised her.
Knowing where they'd started out and seeing them hugging by their own choice now—Bella couldn't have been prouder of them.
After another quick "thank you", Bella and Edward left the cafeteria and made their way to the parking lot.
"So I can drive this time, right?" Edward asked. "You said it's pretty much a straight shot to the beach house."
Bella chuckled darkly. She knew it wasn't nice to be so entertained by how badly he wanted to drive her Nissan GT-R, but she couldn't help herself. "It's not legally my car yet so I can't just let anyone drive it. That hasn't changed. Besides, it's not going to hurt you to be the passenger for a few days."
"Bella, denying me the opportunity to drive such a sleek and sexy car is cruel and unusual punishment, and I have done nothing wrong."
"Nice try, but it's not happening. It's a manual and the clutch requires a delicate touch."
He lifted her hand up and just barely brushed his lips across the sensitive skin of her wrist. "You know exactly how delicate my touch can be."
She jokingly pushed him away and tried to glare at him. "I'm not sure if you're trying to turn the car on or me."
"Always assume both."
She laughed as she shook her head at him. "Do you even know how to drive stick?"
"In fact, I do. The Commander taught Whit and me. He said we needed to know how to drive all types of vehicles."
"So if I call Whit, he'll promise me the car will be okay if I let you drive?"
"Of course not," he answered with his shitty grin on display. "But it won't be because I can't drive stick. He'll site my sometimes lead foot. But I won't speed."
Bella snorted. "You can't possibly expect me to believe that."
"I wasn't done speaking. Much. I won't speed much." He spun her to face him and held her close. "I'll make it worth your while," he promised, his lips barely an inch from hers.
"How?" She fought to keep her eyes on his. She knew as soon as she looked at his lips that he'd kiss her and she'd lose at this game they were playing. He already knew she would let him drive. He just wanted to see how far they could take this before one of them gave in to the other.
"A repeat of this morning?" he offered.
Her face and body flushed at the memory of their lovemaking. They'd thoroughly enjoyed having an empty house and the freedom to take their time. "We won't be home again until tomorrow night and we'll most likely be too tired after all the activities planned for tomorrow."
"Consider that Part 2 of the plan then. Part 1 will be an immediate reward. I'll drive and you'll get to introduce me to some of the music you like. I'll give up all of my vetoes while I'm driving."
Considering he'd vetoed nearly everything she'd played so far, this would actually be a pretty good deal. But as Carlisle had taught her, you never accept the first two offers if there's a third you want more.
"Both of those and you have to kiss me," she announced.
He of course leaned in immediately but she put her hand over his mouth to stop him.
"Oh no you don't," she said with a victorious grin. "I haven't told you what kind of kiss I want yet."
He looked both proud and intrigued as he waited for her to explain.
"I want your best kiss, the one that I feel everywhere at once. And I want to believe you'd give it to me even if you couldn't drive the car."
"Silly, kapu," he whispered while carefully pushing her hair from her face. "Kissing you is always a reward for me—and one that nothing else can top."
She could swear she felt the air sparking between them and then his lips touched hers and nothing else mattered but the feel of his mouth moving with hers. The initial spark of passion between them caught fire and burned between them until it exploded in the darkness of her closed eyes and made her see stars. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it was trying to jump up out of her chest.
His heart was pounding too, sounding like a drum beneath his warm skin as he cradled her head to his chest. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."
Her eyes watered from the burst of happiness she felt and she hugged him as tightly as she could. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, Edward."
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
"You're here! You're finally here," Leah yelled while running over to the car. She had her arms around Bella before she was even completely out of the car.
Bella stumbled a little from the force of the hug but then she got her balance back and was able to return Leah's embrace with the same fierceness. People always seemed so surprised to find out Bella had become so close to her ex's current girlfriend but that was just because they hadn't met Leah. There was no such thing as knowing her and not liking her. She was funny and loving, and cared very much about her family and friends.
Leah finally pulled back, taking an inventory of Bella from head to foot. "You look happy," she said. "Truly happy for the first time since I've known you. That little dark cloud behind your eyes is gone."
"It was a big summer."
"And I want to hear the full story. Those email snippets weren't nearly enough." Leah looked over Bella's head and her easy smile turned into a playful smirk. "But first, I'd like you to formally introduce me to the man watching us and looking ready to leap over this car if you need him to."
Bella looked over her shoulder and sure enough Edward looked to be standing guard. She smiled at him to reassure him and immediately he began to relax. She was amazed all over again by how far they'd come together because it really wasn't that long ago that her smile alone wouldn't have put a dent in that protective mode of his.
She looped her arm with Leah's and brought her around the car to where he was standing. "Edward, this is my good friend Leah."
He smiled politely while shaking Leah's hand. "It's good to meet you."
"You too, Masen," Leah replied. "Bella's told me a lot about you, including your preferred name. But I have a feeling there's a lot more to tell."
And just like that, he was rubbing at the bridge of his nose and Bella was fighting not to laugh over him being nervous for nothing. Right up until he outed her accidentally. "Any editing she did in her emails was purely to ensure her friends didn't needlessly worry for her."
Leah set her eyes on Bella. "Editing, huh? How much editing are we talking?"
Bella did her best to appear completely calm. "A few things here and there. Just stuff that I knew would be easier to explain in person rather than on the phone or in an email."
"We are going to talk about this stuff, Bella Cullen," Leah promised her. She then smiled and hooked an arm around Bella's shoulders. "But before that, we're going to have some fun because I missed the hell out of you."
After helping Edward get their bags out of the car, Bella showed him to Leah's guest room where they would be spending the night. They hung up their clothes for tomorrow to keep them from being too wrinkled, and then changed into their swimsuits. Edward put on his steel blue board-shorts, a perfect match to the color of his eyes right now—and his temperament. He was having fun but he was also cautious about being accepted. She had no doubt her friends would grow to love him just as Alice eventually had.
Bella smiled with excitement as she surveyed herself in the full-length mirror. She was finally wearing her favorite one-piece again. Alice had actually bought her this one last year but Bella had somehow forgotten to pack it for her summer trip. It was a navy and white suit with one shoulder strap and it fit her perfectly.
Edward seemed to agree from the way he was looking at her. "How is it that you seem to have an endless supply of suits that make me want to keep you all to myself?"
She answered jokingly, "You're really bad at hiding what you like and online shopping is revolutionizing the world."
His hands settled over her hips and he pulled her against him. "Lucky me."
"Not quite that lucky," she said, laughing as she wiggled out of his hold. "Let's go see if Leah needs any help in the kitchen."
They found her outside on the wide wooden deck, sitting in the shade provided by the fabric draped over the pergola she'd built with Jacob's help a couple of summers ago.
"This is really nice," Edward said as he sat down beside Bella.
"Maybe you and Whit should do something like this for Esme," Bella suggested.
"It's not that hard," Leah assured him. "Just take some measurements and pick the right kind of wood for your surroundings. We did this one in three weekends."
"And with minimal complaining from Jacob," Bella added with a chuckle.
"Grace, what are you doing bad-mouthing me?" Jacob asked as he grabbed Bella from behind, making her squeal.
"I was telling the truth," she said while pushing him off.
"Did you get everything you need for my car?" Leah questioned.
"Yeah and the filter was on sale," he said, settling into the chair beside her. "I'll change your oil first thing Sunday morning."
"Good. And now that Jacob is here, we can dig into the snacks." She reached for the tray in the middle of the table and pulled the cover off. "Bella's favorites of sliced watermelon, and homemade guacamole and chips. And dinner tonight will be steak and baked potatoes."
"Leah, you didn't have to do all this," Bella said as she reached for a watermelon slice. "But I'm so glad you did."
"I knew you would be. By the way, I still want that suit you're wearing."
Bella laughed. "Yeah, well you're still not getting it. Your best bet is to talk to Alice and see if she can find you one like it."
"But a talk with Alice requires at least an hour of free time, which I rarely have between working, surfing, and Jacob."
"You can get her to stop within an hour?" Edward asked with a mix of shock and admiration in his expression.
Jacob snorted and laughed as if that was the funniest thing he'd heard in days.
"It's interesting you find that so funny, Jacob," Bella told him. "Especially since you're the one who has a weekly two hour gab session with my sister."
"That little rat!" he yelled. "She was supposed to keep it a secret."
Leah snorted. "Worst kept secret ever. I knew it was going on within the first week of dating you."
"Whatever. You two are just jealous because you lack the imagination to truly appreciate Grey's Anatomy the way that Alice and I do."
"Jacob has the hugest man-crushes on McDreamy and McSteamy," Leah confided to Edward. "And he's absolutely terrified of Yang."
"That's the scary female doctor, right?" Bella asked.
"She doesn't scare me," Jacob argued as he piled his plate with chips and dip. "She's just ridiculously intense. I would want her as a doctor to save my life but not as the doctor to come into my room to talk to me."
"The fact that you've thought this through to this level is scary," Bella told him. "You may be in need of professional help."
Jacob didn't take it as the joke it was meant to be. "You're the one who went on a trip and came back ready to move to Hawaii and marry some guy you just met."
Edward tensed up beside her and she tried to reassure him by taking hold of his hand and giving him a smile.
"Okay, so I guess we're doing this now," Leah said, dropping her slice of watermelon onto the plate in front of her. "But here's the thing, Jacob. If you ask a question, you have to then shut up and listen to the answer. And I mean listen. Don't sit there coming up with your next question."
"That's fine because I actually have just one question," he replied. He turned his attention to Bella and she couldn't tell if it was worry or anger she was seeing in his expression. "How?"
"Badly," she said, sharing a secret smile with Edward. "From the moment we met, we felt a connection, something more than just physical. And we both hated it and wanted no part of it. That changed for me pretty quickly because as much as he wants to hide it sometimes, Edward has one of the most loving and loyal hearts of anyone I know."
"He is also the most stubborn person I know," she added, smiling at him again. "He wanted to make everything perfect for me. Protect my career, and my name, and to make sure I would always be taken seriously. He ignored that connection between us and I tried to follow his lead. We made a lot of mistakes with each other in trying to keep our relationship strictly professional."
"And obviously failed at it too," Jacob stated as if everyone at the table wasn't already fully aware of their personal relationship.
"You don't want to know 'how'," she accused. "You want to know 'why'. Why him and not you? Why would I want someone who spends 80% of his life in the water when I told you I couldn't share my life with a surfer? I heard you last night, Jacob. I even thought about saying something to you, but Edward was doing just fine on his own."
Jacob didn't react to knowing he'd been caught but Leah sure did. "Hardheaded idiot," she seethed while glaring at him.
"I really thought you were listening to what he was saying but I should have known better," Bella continued. "You always want to make things about you."
"I'm not making this about me or about us. I'm with Leah and I love her and you damn well know that. This is about you," he yelled, jabbing a finger at her. "You are the one who had a complete fucking melt-down the week before you left because that guy on the beach reeled in a baby lemon shark.
"Jacob!" Leah shrieked while smacking his shoulder. "You stop that."
He ignored her and kept his focus on Bella. "You took one look at that small shark and fucking lost it. Took us a good half hour to get you calmed down and when you finally stopped crying, you wouldn't go anywhere near the water, not even to put your toes in the surf. Now you're sitting here like none of that happened and you can just walk down this stretch of beach and hop in the water like it's nothing."
Her face was now as red as his. "Of course it happened. I was terrified. But that's exactly what I'm trying to tell you, Jacob. I was terrified."
She took a breath to calm herself before continuing at a more normal volume. "I'm not saying that I'm not still scared sometimes because I am. But I know the difference now between what I should really be afraid of and what's just scary. I'd rather not see some random guy handling a lemon shark, but I know now that shark isn't going to tear him to pieces. It can take a nice bite out of him, but it's only going to do that because that's how sharks protect themselves."
She had hoped to see some change in him but her friend remained still and pissed.
"I know this is a lot to take in, Jacob. And some of it probably does sound unbelievable after you've witnessed so many of my panic attacks, but I promise you it's all true. In fact, I haven't had a full on attack since—"
She sucked in a deep breath, fighting off the tears that wanted to pool in the corner of her eyes as she remembered the sound the shark tail's had made against Edward's skin. He knew she was tense just like he always managed to know, and he started rubbing his thumb against her wrist to calm her.
"Jacob, I'm not the same as I was that day in your apartment when I was having a panic attack just looking at your surfboard. The person I was that day … I was caught up in so much fear and guilt and hate for myself that I wasn't even thinking. I was just reacting, just trying to protect myself from the pain of losing someone else I cared about.
"We were working and Edward was hit, knocked underwater. I couldn't move, or think, or really even breathe because in that moment, right there in the middle of that huge panic attack, I couldn't fight the truth anymore. I'd fallen in love with him and I couldn't handle him being torn from my life. I was going to do to him what I did to you, Jacob. I was going to run away.
"What I hadn't counted on was that I wasn't the only one given clarity by the accident. Edward couldn't handle me leaving and never coming back so he asked me to stay." She looked at him and gave his fingers a squeeze. "He asked me to not to make him let go. Hearing he needed me as much as I needed him … Running away suddenly seemed like the stupidest idea I'd ever come up with."
She focused her watery brown eyes on Jacob again. He didn't seem as angry but he certainly didn't seem convinced either. "The first time I saw you with Leah, I knew. I could see it in your eyes. You looked at her and it was so clear that she was the most important part of your world. So when I realized Edward was looking at me that same way, I knew I had to stay. And it was one of the best decisions I've made this summer.
"You asked me 'how' as in how can I love him. For me, the question is how can I not? He devoted his summer to helping me overcome my fears, something he was prepared to do no matter what relationship we had with each other. He showed me that I wasn't at fault for what happened to my dad. And every day he shows me what it is to be loved so deeply that letting go makes no sense at all. He's a great guy, Jacob, and if you'll just give him a chance, you'll see it.
"We have so much we're going to accomplish together. He's going to teach me to surf one day, when I'm completely ready for it. And I'm teaching him how to communicate better, both in person and in his reports. We're both working on not being quite so stubborn."
"She's working on it. I'm still claiming it's in my D-N-A," Edward joked.
Bella chuckled. "And yet he calls me the smart-ass."
"Well I for one can tell that you two are absolutely in love with each other," Leah said while Jacob remained silent beside her. "The entire time you've been talking, Bella, he hasn't taken his eyes off of you once. And that look on your face, Masen, you would take her place and be the one in pain in a heartbeat if you could."
"I would just about do anything for her," Edward promised.
"Jacob?" Bella called to her still quiet friend. "Any comments or questions?"
"Yeah," he practically growled. And then he suddenly smiled. "When the hell did you get so feisty?"
She smiled and looked up into Edward's eyes. "Right around the time Edward taught me to fight for what I really want." She turned her attention back to her friend. "Are we good now or will you make me fight you some more?"
Jacob smiled. "We're good, Grace. I look forward to getting to know your boyfriend."
"Excuse you," Leah said while giving his ear a tug. "Masen was man enough to ask her to marry him so you be respectful enough to use his proper title of fiancé."
"If this is some ploy to get a ring out of me, you're wasting your time."
"Honey, I've been wasting my time with you since the day we met. But yet I still love your infuriating ass."
"Same," he said, smiling as he leaned in to kiss her.
"So that was interesting," Edward whispered to Bella.
She couldn't help snorting. "You think?"
"I think you were brilliant," he said as he kissed her wrist. "I hate that you had to argue with him but I love that you didn't back down."
"Of course not. You're worth fighting for."
"I'm sorry for all the shit Lee ever gave you. Being on the other end of it like this—I'm sorry."
"You don't have anything to apologize for, Edward. She was just doing what she thought she had to in order to protect you. Besides, she barely did anything compared to Alice."
"You two come out of your little bubble over there and pay attention to us," Jacob ordered. "I have a question for Masen."
Edward eyed Jacob warily. "What do you want to know?"
"You still want to see an original in-line six?"
Bella smiled at Jacob for offering and nudged Edward with her elbow to accept.
"You sure?" he questioned, looking only at her.
"Positive. Go drool over the engine and give Jacob a chance to get to know you."
"You're lucky I love you, kapu."
"Yes, you are very lucky, Edward."
"Smart-ass."
He gave her a quick kiss and then answered Jacob. "Throw a beer in and you've got a deal."
Jacob smirked. "As if there's any other way to appreciate a masterpiece."
The guys grabbed a couple beers from the cooler, hopped off the deck, and then went around the side of the house.
"You think we should chaperone them?" Bella asked, still looking at the last spot she'd been able to see Edward.
"Nah. You know Jacob as well as I do. If he still had a stick up his ass about Masen, he'd still be sitting right here arguing with you."
She sighed while relaxing back in her chair. "I had really hoped he'd just be happy for me."
"He is, Bella. But it's in his nature to also make sure you're safe. With only emails and phone calls to go off of, this seemed fast for you. You're always the one to take your time and have lists for your lists."
Bella smiled. "As a very wise woman recently told me, calendars are for making sure we pay bills on time, not determining the depth of a relationship between two people."
"I can agree with that. But can you also agree that this seems sudden for you and we love you enough to make sure you really want this?"
"Of course, Leah. I expected to answer questions and I want to tell you guys all about Edward. I just don't want to do it in a yelling match with my friends."
"You've gotten through to Jacob, Bella. I promise you there won't be any more yelling. Unless it's the good kind where I'm yelling in excitement. So just relax and enjoy your snacks. Oh and allow me to say 'congrats' because that is one seriously sexy man and he loves the hell out of you."
Bella smiled wide, her earlier happiness returning to her as she thought of how much fun she'd been having with Edward so far. "He is and he does."
It was the intensity of his love that gave her the courage to stand up to her loved ones rather than back down as she had in the past. She never liked disagreeing with her family but Edward was one of the rare reasons she felt it was worth it. With any luck, this would be the one and only time she and Jacob argued over him. And if not, she knew she could hold her own. After all, she'd gone to war with Alice and come out victorious. Everyone else would be a piece of cake compared to her little sister.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Saturday, September 13th
"Kapu," Masen whispered as he planted tiny kisses along the side of her face. "Wake up, sleepyhead."
When she didn't budge, he moved his lips to her neck where his kisses always caused a reaction.
"Sleep," Bella groaned, trying to pull the sheet over her head.
Masen chuckled and easily tugged the sheet out of his sleepy fiancée's hand. "You can sleep any time, but you can only get the first gift of your birthday once."
"Not with you around," she griped, covering her eyes with her arm.
"Kapu, would you please open those lovely brown eyes of yours so I can give you your gift."
She moved her arm and then blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the lamp light. "You got me a gift?"
He smiled proudly. "That tends to be what you do on birthdays."
"Is this becoming a tradition? You wake me in the middle of the night with gifts?"
"Technically, your bladder woke you that first time."
"You're not going to let me go back to sleep, are you?"
"I promise I will." And then he smirked and added, "After I give you your gift."
She grinned and then took a moment to stretch out in the bed, trying to wake herself up.
Watching her shirt ride up at her waist almost had him tossing out his birthday gift plan for a whole new one, but the excitement of seeing her reaction was too tempting to pass up.
Bella caught him looking. "Is there an actual gift or is this just part of some plan to get a repeat of our earlier activities?"
He covered her body with his and joked, "I've got all new moves for you."
"Edward," she said, laughing while trying to stop him from kissing her. "I know you don't need any sleep, but I do. We've got a big day planned with Jacob and Leah and I don't want to be a zombie for it."
He gave her one more kiss and then rolled off of her. "There is a gift," he promised.
"And I have to see it right now?"
He answered with a nod.
"Alright," she said as she sat up and folded her legs in front of her. "Let's see it."
He quickly sat up and moved to face her. He lifted his fisted hand up and then let the necklace drop down in front of her. "Happy Birthday, kapu."
She took the necklace with a shaking hand and laid the pendant in her palm. "I've never seen anything like it."
He watched as she tilted her hand and changed the way the light was hitting the diamonds that decorated part of the pendant. The diamonds were technically blue but if the light hit them just right then they appeared green. When he'd seen it in the store, his first thought had been how the blue reminded him of the ocean. Once he'd noticed the green tint, he'd thought of how Bella's favorite color for his eyes was green. He'd bought it right away even though he'd barely seen a quarter of the store.
"Edward, it's gorgeous." Her whispered words had him smiling and certain that he'd picked well.
"Turn it over," he encouraged.
She did as he asked and let out a gasp. "It's perfect!"
"Aloha Au Ia 'Oe Mau Loa, kapu," he said, both reading the engraving and making her a promise.
"Help me put it on?" she asked immediately.
He happily granted her request, eager to finally see it pressed against her skin.
"How does it look?"
"Better than I imagined," he answered honestly.
"Thank you." She leaned in and gave him a long, tender kiss. "I really love it. And you."
"Of course you do."
She laughed and he suspected she knew he hadn't been nearly as confident just moments ago. "So tell me, why an infinity symbol?"
He smirked and shrugged. "Reasons."
"Oh, no! I know the family rule on this. It's my birthday and you have to be nice to me."
He laughed. "Trying to use family rules to get your way. Shameful, kapu."
"Tell me," she begged, giving his hand a tug. "What drew you to it?"
"The infinity was originally called lemniscate, Latin for ribbon, and can be traced back to ancient esotericism, not to be confused with eroticism."
She snorted. "Take you long to come up with that joke?"
"Not with my natural comedic timing."
"Whit gave it to you, didn't he?"
He answered while purposefully rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Maybe."
Her smirk told him exactly how much she believed that answer. "So which group took interest first? Alchemist? Numerologist? Free Masonry doesn't seem like it would be old enough to be labeled 'ancient'."
"No one really knows who drew the first infinity symbol. Some think it was created as a variant form of the Roman numeral 1,000 which was used to mean 'many'. It could also be a representation of the Greek letter ω for omega. What we do know is it was described in books by Plato, Macrobuis, and the Stoics. It really picked up fans during the medieval period. John Wallace gave it mathematical meaning while Saint Thomas Aquinas used it to describe the movement of angels. It's still a popular symbol to this day and has maintained its mathematical and spiritual meanings."
"Being you, I'm sure you lean toward the mathematical meanings for it."
"I do have a love for the mathematical formulas that use it as a representation for potential infinity," he admitted. "But there are also a number of spiritual interpretations that interest me. Like it being ouroboros, an expression of the unity of all things, material and spiritual, which never disappear but perpetually change form in an eternal cycle of destruction and re-creation. The Egyptians and Greeks showed this belief in their legends of a giant snake eating its own tail, continually devouring and being reborn from itself."
"Sort of like a phoenix, but way grosser," she commented.
"A little," he agreed with a laugh. "There's a Norse myth that's pretty entertaining. Loki, God of Mischief and son of Odin, fell in love with Angrboða the giantess and fathered her children. Their middle child was a giant serpent that Odin ended up casting out of Asgard and into the great ocean of Midgard where it grew so large that it circled the earth until it clamped its mouth down on its own tail. It's said that when Ragnarök comes, the serpent will let go of its tail, rise up out of the ocean, and poison the sky. Thor, God of Thunder, will come to Midgard and have a great battle with the serpent. He will kill it only to walk nine paces and then fall, having been poisoned by the serpent's venom."
"Poor Thor. Gopher will be so sad to know one of his heroes is fated to die."
"Considering Ragnarök is the physical end of the world, I don't think Gopher will have time to care."
"Stop," Bella said even as she laughed. "So what else did you learn about the infinity symbol in your research?"
"There's a community in Canada called the Metis and they incorporated the symbol into their flag to mean the joining of two cultures and the existence of a people forever.
"And then there's the British tradition Alice would probably enjoy reading about." He took Bella's right hand into his right and her left into his left. "Traditional weddings have what's called 'hand fasting'. The couple joins hands like this so that when they're looked down on from above, they form the infinity symbol together. It was meant to bring good luck and a long, happy marriage."
"Didn't they also tie ribbons around each other's hands?"
"Not in the English version but it has been done in other cultures. Taking it literally has only become popular in the last decade."
"I knew you'd researched this thoroughly," she said with a smile. "Now I want to know what it means to you in relation to me."
He'd thought about this a lot since he'd first spotted the necklace and he hoped she would like his answer almost as much as she liked her necklace. He traced the edge of the symbol and then looked straight into her caramel eyes. "With you, kapu, there's only one interpretation—infinity between two people, where it's impossible to tell where one begins and the other ends."
Tears pooled in her eyes but before he had a chance to worry, her lips were covering his and her kiss assured him of her happiness. He'd never kissed anyone who could make him feel her joy but somehow Bella could. It was near the top of his list of reasons why he never wanted to let her go.
Her sweet kiss of thanks turned into a fiery kiss of need and though he'd had every intention of letting her go right back to sleep, there was no way he would deny them a chance to physically share their love for each other. It was too good—She was too good to ever pass up.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Bella's face was starting to hurt from all of the smiling she had been doing today. She'd been a tiny bit worried Edward wouldn't find Sea World interesting after all of his adventures with MMR but he seemed to honestly be enjoying himself. Not only that, but he and Jacob were getting along great. They'd spent hours under the hood of that truck yesterday and then they'd gone surfing together first thing this morning. They were talking and joking and seemed to be well on their way to becoming friends.
"Bella!"
She looked around at the sound of her name and spotted Mike rushing towards her. She met him halfway and shared a big hug with her former co-worker. "It's so good to see you."
"Please tell me you're here to take your job back. It's not the same without you here," he confided.
She laughed and took Mike's arm, towing him toward her friends and Edward. She caught that steely look in her fiancé's eyes and immediately remembered his behavior on the beach with that tourist. Hopefully he felt secure enough today that he wouldn't need to piss on Mike's leg, especially since it would be as unnecessary today as it had been back then.
"I'm serious, Bella," Mike continued.
"So am I." She let go of him and wrapped her arm around Edward's waist. "Mike, meet my fiancé, Edward Masen."
"So you're the lucky bastard stealing away my favorite co-worker," Mike said as he shook hands with Edward.
"Don't listen to him," Bella replied. "Kiki is his favorite. I'm just a pawn in their games."
Mike smiled wickedly and rubbed his hands together. "And we have a couple planned special just for you today."
"No drenching," she warned him. "We have lunch reservations right after so we can't be sopping wet."
"That sounds like a personal problem to me," Mike joked while leading them through an employee entrance.
"So when did you two date?" Edward whispered to Bella.
She was so caught off-guard that she couldn't keep her laughter contained.
"What? What did he say?" Jacob asked. "I want in on the joke."
"Hush nosey," Leah told him.
But Jacob's curiosity was not to be denied so easily. "Come on, Grace. You know you want to tell me what he said."
She smiled over her shoulder at him. "Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about."
"Hey, Mike! How hard would it be for you to drench just her?" he called out.
Mike laughed. "Not that hard but also not worth the consequences. She knows my wife and there's no trouble like wife-trouble."
He led them through a gate, up a short set of stairs, and out onto the deck surrounding a huge tank of water.
Bella spotted Kiki swimming underwater and pointed her out to Edward.
Mike knelt down and leaned out over the water a little while blowing the whistle around his neck.
They all watched as Kiki turned and came straight toward them. She turned to the left just a little and slid right up onto the ramp beside them.
"Good girl, Kiki," Mike congratulated while tossing her a few fish. "Say 'hi' to Bella and her friends.
Kiki rolled onto her side and waved her fin a couple times before righting herself.
"Good job," Mike said as he tossed her more fish. "You guys can get closer to her."
Bella kicked off her sandals and walked over to Kiki. "Under her chin, right?"
"Yep," Mike confirmed.
"Hi, Kiki," Bella greeted as she gave the orca a good rub. "I brought a new friend for you." She looked up just in time to catch Mike filling Edward's hands with fish.
"Just dump them all into her mouth," Mike instructed.
Bella gave Kiki the sign for 'open' that Mike had taught her and once Kiki had her mouth wide open, Edward dumped the fish inside.
"Look at that, Kiki! A new friend who brought you fish," Mike said as he gave her side a pat. "Want to show him a trick?"
Kiki nodded her head up and down.
Bella grabbed Edward's arm and pulled him back so they wouldn't get drenched but there was no need—Kiki slid backward and disappeared into the water with hardly any splash.
Mike blew into his whistle a couple times and then they watched as Kiki circled the tank. She then headed for the middle and once she reached it, she burst forth from the water and completed a spinning back flip with an impressive spray. Her landing created waves that sloshed against the side of the tank and rolled up the ramp to wet Bella and Edward's shins. He laughed and gave Kiki a round of applause.
"That was amazing, Bella," he said as he watched Kiki swim to Mike for her reward of more fish. "You got to see this every day?"
"Not every day but plenty of them. And sometimes I was able to help with breakfast in the mornings."
"Was that while you were dating Mike?"
She snorted. "No, I've never dated Mike. He's a married man, Edward."
"The fact that he's married doesn't stop him from being interested in you."
"He's not. We're just co-workers."
"You may see it that way, but he wouldn't mind if that changed."
"You're being weird. Stop it."
"Just because you've never noticed it, doesn't mean it isn't there."
Leah thankfully interrupted their very odd conversation by joining them on the ramp. "I'm going to miss this behind the scenes access when you're gone, Bella. Can you set up a lifetime pass for me before you go?"
Bella laughed. "Sorry, but I don't have that kind of pull around here. I've only got enough for visits when I'm physically here."
"Well then your ass is coming home for a visit every summer," Leah demanded.
"Okay but then we have to do the official behind the scenes so we can put on the wetsuits and get in the water with the orcas and dolphins," Bella countered. She'd been trying for years to get Leah in the water with the animals and had thus far been unsuccessful.
"I'll consider it," Leah replied.
"So that's a 'no' then," Bella teased. Edward's hand settled over her hip and she turned to look at him. "Yes?"
His frown deepened. "I'm sorry."
"Do you know what for?"
"I just … I'm not used to having something—someone—I'm sorry."
"If you're going to get jealous every time some guy is friendly to me, you're going to be mighty miserable because I am a fun gal."
He grinned.
"See? I can even make you smile when you're being grumpy."
"Come here," he pleaded, using the side of her dress to tug her closer.
She smiled as she rested her arms on his shoulders. "I love you. I am moving in with you. I am marrying you. No matter how many guys smile at me or hug me, they aren't you. Face it, Edward. You are infinitely stuck with me."
His smile lit up his blue eyes. "I'm going to like getting used to that."
"Kiss me you fool."
He did just as she asked, lifting her off her feet in his enthusiastic response.
"Look at them," Leah said from behind them. "They've got an orca just a few feet away and all they can see is each other."
"Yeah, yeah. I owe you twenty," Jacob said.
Bella laughed. "Is everyone gonna bet on us?"
"Long as they're betting on us lasting, I'm fine with it."
"Come on," she said, laughing again as she tugged him toward the water. "Let's play some games with Kiki and Mike."
Over the following half hour they had so much fun that they completely lost track of time and if not for the alarm on Edward's watch, they would have been late to their lunch reservation. Bella couldn't believe how quickly the time had passed or how reluctant she was to leave while feeling like she'd just gotten here. She decided giving her marine friend a hug was more important than a dry dress—a decision that Kiki approved off from the happy wave she gave. Or it could have been the extra fish Bella snuck her, but Bella chose to believe it was the hug.
Jacob chuckled beside her as they made their way to the restaurant. "Your dress looks pitiful drenched like this."
"Worth it," she said, her smile filling her face.
Jacob shoved his hands deep into his pockets. She knew what that meant—the same as it had always meant. He had something to say and he wanted to say it right but he didn't really think there was a right way.
"So, Grace, you know we can just grab something from the carts, right? You don't have to prove anything to me. If you say you've got stuff under control, then I believe you."
"You want to believe me, and I love you for that, but you don't actually believe me just yet. Besides, I've always been curious about Sharks. I'm excited to finally get to see it."
Jacob looked only slightly convinced.
Bella hugged his arm and made a goofy face at him, getting him to relax and laugh. "Look at it this way, if I should run into trouble, I have the absolute best people with me. Edward, and Leah, and you."
"Alright, Grace," he relented as he kissed her temple. "Let's go have lunch with the sharks."
Bella smiled, feeling completely confident in her abilities. She'd worked hard to develop them and she was excited to show them off to her friends.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
"And that's a rock grouper which is in the same genus as that great grouper I told you about, the one that swallowed our shark that day. Ooh! And that fish right there with the yellow fins and ugly face, that fish is called Jack Cravalle. They do really well in shark tanks. And see her coming from the right? She's an Atlantic Sharpnose shark. See how the white around her pupils is so pronounced? Great Whites don't have that. They're eyes are solid black and disc shaped."
Masen grinned as he sat with his chin in his hand, listening to Bella name the marine life swimming past their table while Jacob's eyes continued to widen. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and her word-per-second range was starting to edge into Alice-level territory. He wanted nothing more than to kiss his lovely kapu, but he didn't want to interrupt her fun. Besides if he waited until later, he'd get a much better reaction from her in private than he would in public. It was going to be a great night, finally having her all to himself again.
A tap to his elbow had him shifting his attention to Leah. "Leah."
Her lips curved into a smile so wicked that it made him think of Lee and forced him to acknowledge that home-sick feeling he'd been trying to ignore.
"What's that look for?" he asked.
"Thank you."
It was the sincerity in her voice more than the words themselves that confused him. "For what?"
She nodded toward Bella. "For what you've given her. I wanted to believe she could handle this lunch but I was also scared for her. To see her not just okay but thriving like this … Thank you."
He looked to Bella, finding her still completely engrossed in describing every creature she could see to Jacob. The pride he felt wasn't for himself—it was all for her. He hadn't expected that. He'd thought it would be his accomplishment since he'd been the mentor. Of course, when he'd thought that he'd also thought he could resist what he felt for her.
Looking at Leah, he said, "I'm proud of her. She worked really hard to overcome her base fears and learn to function with sharks around her. It certainly helps to have the glass between them, but even if we were on the boat looking over the railing, I think she would do just as well. At least for a little while. We've still got some things to work through."
"Aren't you going to take credit for her transformation?"
He shrugged. "I only showed her the way. She's the one who did the work."
"Oh, I know for a fact you did much more than that, Masen. You kept her from giving up. You got her to believe the real truth about her father, that it wasn't her fault. That was not done in a single conversation and that had zero to do with sharks. The level of commitment that shows is exactly why I trust you're serious about sharing a life with her."
He waited for that anger that usually came when someone questioned him but all he got was a soft voice reminding him that not everyone knew him the way his family did. This was Bella's doing and it made him smile.
"My turn to ask," Leah said. "What's that look for?"
He considered brushing it off as nothing but then he figured sharing with Leah would lead to more trust between them. "I get the feeling those who don't know me see this relationship as one sided, that I helped Bella with her shark issues and that's it. They don't know me so they don't know all the ways she's helped me. They don't understand that I didn't ask her to stay because I wanted another skilled researcher on my team. I asked her to stay because I can't imagine a single day without her in my life."
"Thinking back on those early talks with Bella, and even just a month ago, the man she described to me was so hell bent on ignoring anything not born and bred of logic."
Masen bristled, wondering just how much more Bella had said to Leah than she'd shared with Jacob. From the smile Leah was sporting, he suspected she knew as much as Carlisle, if not more.
"And here you are sitting across from me talking about wants and imagined days, things that fly in the face of logical thinking. You could have gone on ignoring her. You could have forced yourself to stay professional. She could be moving on to Atlanta and you could be home with your family right now."
"You gravely underestimate the power of Bella's presence," he told her.
"Oh not at all! I just know that had you stuck with a 'no', she would have respected it completely. But you didn't. Why not?"
"You already know why not. I can tell from the way you're looking at me that she told you."
"She told me you asked her to stay. She never told me why and I think it's because you never admitted it to her."
"If that's the case, then why would I admit it to you?"
"Because you know I'm the gatekeeper here, Masen. You know that if I trust you, Jacob will trust you."
He studied her expression and weighed his options for a moment. In the end, he had to admit she was right. And it wasn't as if it was some deep, dark secret that he never wanted to share with anyone. In fact, Esme, Whit, and Lee already knew. He had just never thought to explain it to Bella, probably because she'd never asked.
"I love my work. I love it as much as most people love each other. Most people see work as the thing they do until their next vacation. For me, a vacation is just a distraction. At least it was before Bella. I still miss working. Even right now I can think of six other things I could be doing with my time. But my work isn't the most important thing in my life anymore. She is. The breaks from work aren't hassles preventing me from my next big discovery. They're moments where I could be lucky enough to discover something new about her. I can't buy that. I can't make that. I can only thank her for that, and love her completely and unwaveringly."
"Edward, you're missing the lemon sharks," Bella said as she tugged at his arm. "Tell Jacob about your theory on their mating habits."
"I don't need to know about shark sex," Jacob argued.
"You might gain some pointers, Jacob," Leah teased.
"Watch it," he warned while pinching her side.
She laughed and then knocked his hand away. Rather than give up, he wrapped his arms around her and tried to kiss her.
"Hey, Jacob," Bella called.
"Yeah?" he replied, distracted by the squirming Leah in his arms.
Bella smiled at Masen quickly and then leaned across the table to make sure Jacob was looking at her. "I told you so."
Jacob's mouth fell open, Leah cracked up laughing, and Masen smiled proudly.
"Any comments you want to share?" Bella asked. Her smile was equal parts smug and genuine happiness.
Jacob closed his mouth and then grinned. "Proud of you, Grace."
"Anything you'd like to say to Edward?" she pressed.
He chuckled at her and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." He faced Masen and said, "Sorry I doubted your intentions with her. I can see now that you really did have her best interest in mind. I'm still not a fan of her moving away but that's just because we love her so much."
"You're always welcome to visit." Masen's offer earned him a big hug from Bella.
"So about those shark sex tricks," Leah said, making everyone at the table laugh.
"The theory isn't actually about the sex itself," Masen replied. "It's more about who they're having sex with. Lemon sharks live in small communities with their relatives. When they're ready to mate, they'll travel long distances to find partners they aren't related to."
"So they actively make sure they're not kissing cousins?" Leah asked.
"Yes!" Bella excitedly assured her. "How amazing is that?"
"It's just a theory right now," Masen cautioned.
"How would you prove it?" Jacob questioned.
"Travel data and blood samples mostly. The real problem is time. We would need to devote two years just to lemon sharks."
"So is that your next project?"
"It's one we're seriously considering. The other is continued research and promotion of Great Whites. We would normally move on to another species but with their numbers rapidly falling like this, it feels reckless not to join in with the marine community's overall efforts to save them."
"The most recent study on their numbers suggests there are only about 2,400 Great Whites in existence across the entire world," Bella shared. "That sounds like a lot at first until you realize their numbers are down by 79 percent."
"Do we need that 79 percent back though?" Leah asked.
"Only if we want to keep the marine ecosystem alive and healthy," Masen answered. "Without apex predators, mid-level predators go unchecked and lower level species begin to rapidly decline. One example we shared with Alice is scallops. Without sharks to eat rays, the rays devour the scallop beds and leave nothing for fishermen."
"Damn that's scary," Leah replied.
"It is," Jacob agreed. "You know what's scarier? Octopuses. Seriously, Masen, how are more people not freaked out by how damn smart octopuses are?"
Leah chuckled beside him. "Jacob thinks if there's ever an animal that will adapt to take over the human race, it's the octopus."
"They're going to be our overlords someday, you watch," Jacob said. "Octopus Overlords."
Masen couldn't help laughing. "Their intelligence is amazing, especially with the number of studies confirming they have both short and long-term memories. However, they tend to only live between six months and five years. Unless they mate and then males only live a few months after while the females die once the eggs hatch, which usually takes about a month. Their short life spans combined with the fact that mating is a death sentence makes it almost impossible for them to have the numbers to take over in the first place, much less continue to rule us afterwards," Masen explained.
"That means you're safe, Jacob," Bella translated.
Jacob glared at her. "I understood him just fine, Grace."
Masen hugged her against him and whispered into her ear. "Smart ass."
She laughed and then smiled up at him. "Thank you. Thank you for making this possible, and for being here, and for being you. I love you."
There was only one response to give after hearing such heartfelt words from the lovely woman he would get to spend the rest of his life with. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe, kapu."
A/N:
Masen did pretty well for his first time meeting his significant other's extended family. LOL Something tells me he definitely filed away the knowledge that Jacob is afraid of octopuses. LOL For those who want to see the necklace, EA has posted a picture of it on the blog.