Chapter nine

Edward wanted nothing more than to ignore who ever knocked on his door close to midnight but unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who lived on the top floor of the building and his neighbor had a tendency to either create drama or call the police.

Hoisting himself out of his leather wing chair, the only piece of furniture Esme had insisted would clash with his normally immaculate taste, Edward stretched and tried for another single second to ignore the knocking but it only grew louder.

"You better have a good reason for disrupting a rather enjoyable evening," he started as he opened the door, expecting to see anyone but Bella at his door. "What are you doing here?" he demanded to know.

"I-I," she stuttered and Edward raised an eyebrow as he waited for her answer, an answer she was unable to form.

"I thought a strapping English man like Riley would keep you busy for the whole night, not only a few hours," Edward mocked.

Bella almost flinched from his mocking, but then again, she had been flinching at every sound since Riley had left her at the mouth of the alley across from the bar they had met for a drink at.

"I-I didn't want to g-go h-home," Bella stuttered, keeping her eyes on the wall or the doorframe, anywhere but Edward.

"And why didn't you want to go home?"

"Because I didn't want to be alone."

"And, I don't believe why I care, but why didn't you want to be alone?"

Slowly, Bella turned to face him and suddenly, she felt cold to the bone and she started to shiver and she was thankful for the fact that Edward was there to catch her when her legs gave out.

"Jesus," she heard him murmur, lying in his arms, as he pushed the door close with his hip before carrying her up to his room. "Can you tell me what happened?" Edward asked her softly after putting her down on the bed.

"Tomorrow," Bella mumbled as she brushed away the tears of exhaustion.

"Tomorrow then," Edward said, handing her a grey t-shirt before turning away from her, heading back down.

"Can you help me?" Bella asked just as he was about to take a step down, "I have trouble lifting my left arm," she explained when he turned to her.

Nodding soundlessly, Edward walked over to her and kneeled in front of her, unzipping her boots before carefully pulling them off, placing them neatly at the end of the bed. With a supporting hand at the small of her back, he helped her to her feet and with long, delicate fingers, unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to her feet with a small thud.

"Does this hurt?" Edward asked, lifting Bella's left arm barely a fraction from her body and Bella winched, nodding.

As he started to work on the buttons of her blouse, Bella watched him: all the harsh and tense lines that usually covered Edward's face was gone. His eyes were soft instead of hard and cold as he focused on the tiny fabric covered buttons.

"Thank you," she whispered when he carefully pushed the fabric from her shoulders and pulled it down her arms.

She didn't blush or felt the urge to cover herself when she stood in nothing but her underwear in front of Edward, until she saw the look in his eyes. His eyes were trained on the forming bruises that would cover her left ribcage, then they shifted to her face and bruises at her temple and the cut above her eye where Riley's ring had connected with her skin.

"Let's take a shower," he said softly though his face was strained with anger. He led her into his impressive bathroom and told her to support herself against the sink as he slid her panties down and had her stepping out of them. Then he unclasped her bra and Bella shivered when he ran a soft finger underneath the swell of her left breast.

She watched him, still leaning against the sink, as he moved around the room, starting the shower and letting it warm up before he turned to her and started to remove his own clothes.

There was nothing sexual about their shower. Edward gently washed away the blood from her temple and the blood from a small cut that had formed at her side where she had been kicked. In a soft, gentle and warm voice, he ordered her to turn around, her back to him, so he could wash her hair. If anything, from the moment Edward had caught her when her legs gave out, Bella felt loved and cherished, especially when he wrapped a soft and fluffy tower around her after the shower.

Her led her back to the bed and as soon they were under the covers, he wrapped his arms around and pulled her close, letting her rest her good cheek on his chest, using him as a pillow.

*** C R S ***

"And you are sure it was Riley?" Edward asked, sipping from his coffee over breakfast.

"You can take my words to the bank," Bella said as she struggled to smear jam on her toast with only one hand, her left arm glued to her side as she hurt like hell just thinking about lifting it.

"Here," she sat back when Edward took the knife from her and quickly smeared a thick layer of strawberry jam over her buttered toast.

"He told me that no one walked away from him," she added before biting into the toast, jam running down her chin. For a minute, Bella felt as if her life was normal, that she had a normal relationship with Edward as she watched him smile.

"It's not enough to give the police, unless there's surveillance cameras around the bar, but then again, it was dark and most likely impossible to see if it was Riley."

"I know, I thought about on the way over last night."

"But even though going to the police just might be a waste of time, I still think you should let me take you to the hospital and I defiantly think you should call Charlie and let him know."

"I don't want to burden him with this," Bella murmured, shaking her head.

"I don't think Charlie will see it as a burden to know that his youngest daughter was beaten up in the middle of the street," Edward snapped at her.

"If I tell him, he will cancel every appointment he has, even if it is with his doctors, and rush here. Then, he will stay until he's absolutely sure that I'm fine. By the time he decides to return to San Francisco, any treatment Carlisle and Esme has planned for him, just might be too late to start."

"Will you tell him if he can't drop everything and rush here to Boston?" Edward asked as he started to clear the table.

"If you can promise me that he will be strapped to a chair, I will tell him."

"Good. Now, do you want to get some fresh clothes before I drive you to the hospital?"

Four hours later, Edward pulled up in front of her building and walked her inside.

There was no concussion or any broken ribs, the doctor had informed Bella after taking her through a thorough examination. However, she had two bruised ribs and she had been given pain medication to take away some of the pressure she felt whenever she moved her left arm.

The doctor who had treated her had asked her several questions about how she had obtained her injuries but when she took too long answer, Edward had jumped in and told the doctor the tale of Riley's rejection.

She had been advised to take it to the police and when Bella explained that there were no way it could be pinned in on him, just because she knew it was him, the doctor had informed her that if she went to the police, they could keep an eye out for other attacks. Since Riley had taken her rejection so badly, he would most likely take any other rejection just as badly.

"You should take those pills you were given and get a long, nice sleep," Edward said as he helped her out of the zip-up hoodie she had borrowed from him.

"I know and I will," Bella somewhat agreed, feeling tired to the bone.

"Do you want something to eat first?" he asked as he helped her into the bed, pulling the covers over.

"No, I'm fine, I don't need you to play nurse on me," she popped two pills into her mouth and washed them down with stale water that had been left on her nightstand.

She was out like a light.

*** C R S ***

"Edward Cullen's office, how may I help you?" Bella said brightly into the phone. It was weeks since the Riley-accident as she had named it, and the bruises were all healed, only a tiny pink line above her left eyebrow. Charlie had taken the news about the her attack heavy but when Bella had assured him that she was just fine, that she had gotten away with only a few scratches, he had calmed down. In the end, it was Edward who talked him down from his frantic cloud, which Bella was grateful for.

"Bella?" Bella almost dropped the phone at the sound of the voice but she quickly gathered herself.

"Helen?" it came out barely as a whisper.

"Yeah," her sister sounded just like she had always done: too good to talk to her.

"Why are you calling?" Bella asked, trying to come up with a good enough reason for Helen to call her, but she came up empty: the woman hadn't even called her to let her know that she had become an aunt again.

"It's about dad," the way she said 'dad' was so emotionless. Bella only called Charlie 'dad' to his face but she always felt a surge of love when she talked or thought about Charlie: he was the best she had left in her life.

"What about him?" Bella's voice was almost gone.

"I thought you should know that yesterday, he had an heart attack: he died this morning."

"Why didn't you call me yesterday?" Bella demanded to know breathlessly: it felt as if she had been punched in the stomach.

"Didn't want to worry you unnecessary," Helen said casually and Bella could see her shrugging, like she always did when she thought she had done the right thing.

"He's dead?" Bella whispered, "I only talked with him two days ago."

"Yeah. The funeral will be held Friday, back in Forks," And then Helen hung up, the phone going dead.

"Are you ok, Bella?" Bella swung around in her chair to see Edward and Phil regarding her with worried eyes.

"C-Char… M-My d-dad…" she stuttered as the tears started and she felt herself slowly falling apart.

A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her and Bella leaned against Edward as she cried, her tears soaking into his suit.

"Edward, bring her into your office," she heard Phil say and Bella felt herself being lifted out of the chair. She expected to feel the soft leather of Edward's couch underneath her seconds later, but instead it was Edward's muscular thighs that cushioned her ass.

"Charlie, he's dead, isn't he?" Edward asked after a long stretch of silence and Bella nodded against his shoulder as she continued to cry.

Bella lost track of time but she sat on Edward's lap until all the tears in her body had been cried up and only dry sobs were left, now and then racking through her body.

"Take a few days off and spend the time with your family," Edward said softly when the sobs too had subsided, "It's important to be with those you love in times like these." Bella almost laughed as she thought about spending days with Helen and her husband, knowing that they both would make her feel miserably as they would blame her for Charlie's death.

However, she did as she was told and Thursday morning, she stopped by the office to make sure that Edward had her calendar and to pick up her notebook before heading for the airport.

Staying in her childhood home with Helen and Nathan, and their three kids, was just what Bella had expected it to be: Hell. She had barely gotten through the door after paying the taxi, because God forbid anyone came to pick her up in Port Angeles, it had been thrown in her face that she was to blame for Charlie's heart attack. Bella had problems wrapping her head around it, difficulty seeing how she could have caused a sudden blood cloth to his heart, but she didn't question it, just took it like always because there were no use going against Helen.

Everything about the funeral had been taken care of, according to Helen, and all Bella had to do was to wear a black dress that didn't show off her breasts or her legs, and be on time the next day.

*** C R S ***

The rain was heavy the next day, like it always was, but that Friday, it seemed as if it was worse than ever. She knew Charlie would have loved sitting inside, a beer in his hands as he watched football instead of standing outside and getting soaked to the bone.

The whole town had turned up and Bella recognized the faces of several she had gone to high school with, but no one came up to her and said 'hi' or paid their condolences to her. Helen and Nathan was surrounded by the town's people, grieving with them at the loss of the best Chief of Police Forks had ever had.

Her tears mixed with the rain that whipped against her face. The umbrella she had brought with her had been caught by the wind and only the Gods knew where it had gone. Clasping her hands in front of her, she listened to the priest as he talked about Charlie, his coffin ready to be lowered into the grown.

An arm wrapped itself around her shoulder and Bella gasped as the contact. Edward's cologne filled her nose and she turned into his side as his umbrella shielded her from the rain.

"Why were you standing alone?" he asked as he led her away from Charlie's grave after the coffin had been lowered into the grown.

"Because everyone blame me," Bella murmured as he opened the door of his car for her. He gave her a questioning look but Bella shook her head.

Their drive back to the house was silent and Bella enjoyed the silent more than she had ever done before, especially when she knew what there was to expect as soon she walked through the door, with Edward.

And it was just like she had expected: everyone grew silent as she walked through the door and shed her coat, hanging it up to let it dry. Someone whispered something when Edward came up behind her and as soon he had removed his coat as well, she grabbed his hand and led him up to the guest room. She knew Helen was already spitting out something, all lies of course, but Bella didn't care: she just wanted to be alone with Edward.

"Now, tell me why everyone blames you for Charlie's death," Edward demanded to know as soon the door was closed behind them.

"My mom died when I was eleven," Bella started, lying down on the bed, smiling inwardly when Edward did the same and pulled her close to him. "Helen is ten years older than me so she was twenty-one when it happened and she somehow believed that it was important that she took on the job as my mom after Renee's funeral. It was nice and comforting to have someone adult around when Charlie had to work late, but when Charlie was home, I needed my sister, though Helen believed she knew best. She dropped out of school as soon she learned of Renee's death and moved back home. I think Charlie appreciated it, the help at home, but as time went by and I grew older, it was as if she was doing everything in her power to take mom's place and shape in the ways Helen saw fit. When I finished high school, she expected me to stay in Forks and get a job, not go to college and get a degree in something: she wanted me to be her. I refused and Charlie agreed that Helen couldn't expect me to stay in Forks like she had done. I got a scholarship, but it wasn't enough so Charlie took up a loan, even when I protested, and helped me move to Boston, bought all of my books and transferred enough money into a bank account that would leave me quite rich while studying." Edward moved, crossing his legs and Bella tilted her head to look at him. "Then Charlie got sick and I transferred the money back to him as he needed it more than I would ever need them."

"I don't see how you're to be blamed," Edward confessed when she stopped talking.

"Helen is a firm believer in that since I decided to abandon the family, that's how she sees it, it's my fault that Charlie got cancer, even when the doctor explained that he would have gotten it even with me living under the same roof. It all propelled out of control when Charlie sold the house to Nathan, Helen's husband, and told us that he was moving to San Francisco because if he stayed in gloomy Forks any longer, he would lose his mind and put an end to his misery before it would even start. He claimed that he needed sun, though the doctor told him to stay out of it during chemo, but in the end, Charlie had been informed of a doctor who had battled the same cancer himself and then started researching. Unfortunately, Dr. Johnson's research isn't near as extensive as your parent's work," Bella yawned.

"Get some sleep," Edward ordered and Bella found herself slipping away quickly.

At one point during her nap, she heard Helen barge into the room, screeching like a hyena, demanding to know if they were having sex under her roof, on the same day she had buried her beloved father. She didn't hear Edward's reply but felt him rumble underneath her.

When she opened her eyes again, it was dark outside and the whole house was quiet. She snuggled against Edward's chest and felt bare skin against her cheek. Blinking, she lifted her head to meet Edward's eyes as he watched her.

While she had been sleeping, he had removed her clothes and put her in a t-shirt. He had also removed his own clothes, leaving only his boxers on as they showed from underneath covers that lay low on his hips.

Pushing herself up in a half sitting position, Bella leaned in and kissed him. They had only kissed a few times during sex, caught in the heath of the moment, but then again, it was the first time Bella had initiated sex with Edward.

She had expected him to lay there, letting her kiss him, but he kissed back and Bella found herself sprawled over his chest, one hand pushed underneath her t-shirt, resting at the small of her back, while the other one curled itself into her tangled hair.

The kiss grew hungrier by the second and Bella found herself grinding against Edward. He didn't seem to mind as he moaned into her mouth and Bella suddenly found herself on her back, her t-shirt pushed up to under her breasts and panties gone.

Slowly, never breaking their kiss, Edward entered Bella, and for the first time since she had met him, Edward didn't dominate her like he used to. There was nothing rough about the sex and Bella enjoyed it immensely as he rocked against her, slowly pushing her closer to the edge and she clung to him as she came, moaning into his mouth. She felt him shudder above her and Bella milked him for every drop he could give her.

When they broke apart, they were both breathing heavily and Edward chuckled softly, brushing a hand over her tangled hair. After pulling out, Edward removed his boxers and Bella's panties as she pulled off the t-shirt.

No words were needed for Bella as Edward pulled the covers over them and Bella rested her cheek against his left pec. As she listened to Edward's breath even out, Bella lay awake, just enjoying the afterglow of the sex, imagining that their relationship, if one could call it that, finally would change into something Bella could enjoy as well. The past weeks with Edward had been different: he had taken her feelings into consideration, and that was new.

*** C R S ***

"Are you sure you want this, Bella?" Phil asked.

"Yes," she nodded, clasping her hands together in her lap to keep them from shaking.

"Have you talked to Edward about it?" Phil leaned back in his chair and for a second, he looked more like a dad than her boss.

"I haven't had time yet," Bella lied. In fact, she had hoped that she could just talk with Phil and it would all be done without Edward knowing it until it had happened.

"I think you should talk to him about transferring to our San Francisco office first, then you can come back to me when you have done so."

"I know Edward is my boss," Bella started, "But then again, so are you. I'm not going away forever, just until I've sorted through everything in my dad's house. Can't you just let me know if it's possible or if I have to take a months leave?"

"Is there something going on between you and Edward?" Phil asked, leaning forward on his desk, "You know we don't tolerate office romances. Both Edward and you will be in trouble if there is something going on between the two of you."

"There's nothing like that, I can assure you," Bella said quickly, adding a smile to be on the safe side, "We're only friends, or something close to friends: he's only been helping me through some rough patches lately." It was the truth, if one ignored that he had started the first rough patch she went through. Then again, Edward had changed, or so she had thought.

Bella had believed that after spending the night after Charlie's funeral, something had changed between them. Edward had left early the next day, before Bella woke up, and had left a note for her telling her that he was looking forward to seeing her on Monday. The note and the night together made Bella believe for sure that they she no longer just was a way for him to let out some steam whenever he needed it.

It turned out that wasn't so. When she arrived at the office Monday after the funeral, she had found her calendar open on her desk. At first, there was nothing new in it but at closer inspection, several personal meetings over the next few weeks.

When Edward had arrived only a few minutes later, she had demanded to know what it was and he had simply explained that now that Riley was out of the picture and she was back from Forks, they could finally go back to normal. Bella had only nodded but as soon he was in his office, she had locked herself in the ladies room and cried.

"I will call Lee and see if there's a spot for you in San Francisco. Do you know how long you be staying there? It would be nice to let Lee know how long they will be having you if there's a spot for you."

"Three months, maybe longer, depending on how much my dad had at the house," Bella lied: she wasn't coming back but she didn't have the heart to tell Phil that. And neither did she have the courage to tell him the reason for why she was leaving them all behind.

"Ok, I will let you know as soon I know something," Phil smiled and Bella left for her lunch, her stomach growling.

Outside, the snow had started to fall and every street was starting to look like a Christmas card. Bella knew she would miss the snow but she also knew that staying in Boston wasn't an option for her any more.

Finding a small café, she found a quiet corner and sat back, listening to the soft hum of people talking, the coffee machines being used and the Christmas music mixing.

Ordering the most greasy food they had and large cup of cocoa with extra cream, Bella enjoyed her lunch and she found herself smiling: maybe the depressing spiral she had been in had finally stopped, letting her choose the direction she wanted to go.

"Mr. Cullen is looking for you," the receptionist warned Bella as she entered the building, brushing the snow from her hair.

"Was he in a good mood or bad?" Bella asked, preparing herself.

"Bad, actually, I would call it catastrophically bad," Lisa said, worrying her lip with her teeth.

"Do you think I'll survive?" Bella asked with a teasing smile and Lisa smiled again.

"If anyone can survive Mr. Cullen, it's you Bella."

Bella wasn't worried about Edward's mood as she took the elevator up to their floor: she had seen almost every mood the man could produce and there was nothing there that could scare her, not anymore.

Edward sitting at her desk, leaning back in the chair, his feet propped up at the corner of the desk.

"Taking a long lunch?" he asked casually as Bella removed her coat and hung it up.

"I'm actually five minutes early back from my lunch," Bella pointed out, propping herself up against the desk, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at Edward.

"But you left your desk an hour and a half ago."

"I was talking with Phil before lunch, nothing to get your panties in a twist for, is it?"

"And what were you talking with Phil about?" Edward asked as he got to his feet.

"Oh, nothing of your concern," Bella smiled with a shrug, moving to her vacant chair.

"The thing is, I believe it concerns me," Edward leaned down and whispered the words in Bella's ear.

"He thinks we're sleeping together," Bella blurred out the first thing she could think of.

"And what did you tell him?"

"That we're only friends, sort of, and that you've been helping me through some though things lately and that's all."

"Good," Edward nodded gravely, straightening up, "Don't want anyone to know about your private meetings, do we? Now, when are you going to tell me that you're transferring to the San Francisco office?" Bella felt all color drain from her face and she bit her lip, trying to think of something to say but she came up empty. "Let's talk in my office."

Taking a seat on the leather couch, Bella waited for Edward lose his shit. To her surprise, he didn't: he only took a seat opposite of her and looked at her, waiting.

"It's only temporary," she lied, "It's just so I won't be without a job while I go through Charlie's belongings."

"Can't Helen do that?" Edward asked.

"Have you met my sister?"

"Unfortunately, yes, I have. Forget the question."

"Besides, even if she could have done it, I want to be the one to go through Charlie's belongings one last time."

"And how long do you estimate it will take?"

"I don't know. It can take two weeks, a months or three months, depending on how much stuff he had and if I have to work very long hours. I will be back here in Boston before you know it."

I'm sorry for all the skips, hops, rama lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong and shoobop sha wadda wadda yippity boom de boomchang chang changitty chang shoobop, but it was necessary for the story. Now I'll be taking two weeks off and the next chapter will be up Friday 10th of April