This chapter is for Marvar - may your wand be springy and your broomstick stay hard. ;-)
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~* Saturday, March 25th *~
"Hurry up, Edward! Alice's bit is on next."
"I'm almost done." I stirred the melted butter into the popcorn, poured the mixture in a bowl, and rushed out of the kitchen. Jake swam to the top of his bowl as I walked past, and I rolled my eyes at him. The damn thing was a total beggar when it came to popcorn. I tossed a kernel into his bowl with practiced ease and smiled.
Bella and her immortal goldfish had moved into my condo in River North shortly after I rejoined the Chicago Police Department two years ago. Without her love and support, I never would have had the guts to leave the Cullens and go back to the job I loved. It definitely wasn't an easy decision. My hours fluctuated, the money wasn't nearly as good, and the job was far more dangerous than being a doorman. But Bella knew it was what I really wanted to do, so she pushed and prodded until I finally traded one uniform for another - one that filled me with pride and purpose, one that gave me back the life I'd so desperately missed.
"I can't believe she'd be stupid enough to let this happen." Bella shook her head as she took the popcorn from me and shifted over, giving me room to sit next to her on my couch. We'd argued over this couch just hours before. She hated the dark leather monstrosity, but I had bought it when I first moved in and didn't want to strain our finances buying a new one. The fight hadn't been a bad one, but the making up was especially sweet. Bella's pale skin against black leather was one of my favorite sights – and the real reason why I refused to get rid of the couch.
"My dad said Carmen and Carlisle cut her off after she left her husband," Bella said, pulling me away from my memories. "I think she saw what it was like to have a little fame along with her wealth and missed it once that whole sham was over. It makes me wonder if she did this on purpose."
"You think she'd sink this low just for a little cash and notoriety?" I turned toward my beautiful girl and snorted. She had that "well, duh" look on her face. I seemed to be on the receiving end of that look a lot since she moved in. "Okay, yeah. She'd totally do something like this."
Bella grinned and threw a piece of popcorn at me. "Of course she would; she lives for the attention! That girl was nothing but trouble. I almost wish she'd never come into my life."
I shook my head and pulled her closer. "I, for one, am very thankful for Alice Cullen being in your life." I glanced over her shoulder, focusing on the black and pink, the swirls and points mounted under glass. Bella's mom framed the notes that brought us together a few weeks after I made an impromptu trip to see her six months ago . . . the first and only visit without Bella by my side.
Bella pulled back and gaped at me a bit. "Are you crazy? She's rude, arrogant, a total manipulator, and she—"
"And," I pressed a finger against her lips to silence her, "she is the person responsible for bringing you into my life."
As much as I hated working for the Cullens, I had to be grateful for them. Without that job, without the stupid uniform and the "Anthony" name badge, I never would have met the stunning woman in front of me. I never would have known what it felt like to be loved completely and endlessly.
I never would have felt so vibrant.
Bella's expression quickly morphed to a loving smile, and she kissed my fingertip softly. "You're so cheesy sometimes."
I laughed, knowing how right she was. "But you love me anyway."
"I do." Her words made my heart race and my blood rush south. I pulled her onto my lap, grinding her down on me, nearly spilling the popcorn across the floor. I loved moments like this – unrestrained and impetuous, just she and I giving into the love and lust we always felt around each other.
"Two more weeks," I murmured before pressing my lips to hers. She shivered and wrapped her arms around my neck, groaning quietly when my tongue slid against hers.
My mind flitted back to those pink slips of paper, particular words and moments standing out in my memories. The first one she wrote to me, asking me my name. The Happy Birthday ones she'd given me every year. The note I'd taped to her coffee cup one morning, asking her to move in with me. The one she wrote on my first day back with the CPD, the words I am so proud of you, dark and thick.
And the most important one, the one that had a place of honor in the center of the frame, black matting underneath; the one written only a week after I'd visited her mother and father on different sides of the country. The one I'd handed her while we watched the fireworks from the beer garden at Navy Pier.
The only one with words like art in two different handwriting styles.
You are my forever, my home, my life and my heart. I want nothing more than to have you near me, always. Will you marry me? ~E
Yes. Always yes. ~B
"And in local news, Alice Cullen, daughter of billionaire Carlisle Cullen, has once again found her private life made public." Bella jumped off my lap and sat beside me, both of us staring at the television. "A clip from a sex tape involving Miss Cullen and former American Idol contestant Jasper Hale has gone viral, only six months after her divorce from husband James Dolton, from the cast of the reality show Chicago Shore and son of Rockford Mayor George Dolton."
The show cut to what was obviously a low-end camera recording showing an indistinct hotel room . . . in night-vision. Alice was sprawled across the mattress, legs bent and knees in the air. Her skin was tinged green; her eyes glowed in the dark.
"She looks like some kind of possessed zombie-munchkin from Oz or something." Bella cocked her head to the side and scrunched her nose.
I recoiled as zombie-Alice smiled in what she must have thought was a seductive way at the man entering the shot. His skinny, tattooed body slithered over to the bed and stood at the end, right between her spread legs. The way he positioned himself seemed more utilitarian than sexy – like he was standing at a urinal instead of over a lover. I almost wanted to see the full tape just to figure out what he was about to do.
"C'mon, baby," zombie-Alice said, her sugary-sweet voice almost making me gag. "Mommy wants you to give it to me good."
"That's just nasty," Bella said, turning her face into my shoulder. I chuckled and wrapped my arm around her, breathing in her scent as I nuzzled her neck. Instinctually, my lips and teeth found the sensitive spot just underneath her ear. I spent several moments licking, biting and sucking that flesh, making Bella moan and shiver, hoping to distract her. It didn't hurt that I loved it when she shivered against me.
The show switched back to the hosts, who continued discussing Alice's fall from grace. Her husband had left her after only two months of marriage when a TMZ reporter captured her and Rosalie discussing the second season of his reality show which contained a little full-frontal nudity. Alice could be heard telling Rose exactly how little his full-frontal really was.
Of course, I remembered the night that story broke for an entirely different reason; it was the evening Bella gave me my favorite note after we had celebrated our one-year anniversary – the one that said simply I love you – truly, completely, endlessly. That particular note sat in the upper right-hand corner of the frame, right next to one that read Congratulations, beautiful. I can't wait to strip you out of that graduation gown later tonight.
Bella's mom had a good time laughing about that one . . . and a few more that should have probably remained private. But having your future mother-in-law read the dirty thoughts you wrote to her daughter was nowhere near as humiliating as having Conan O'Brien compare your penis size to a roll of Life Savers on national television.
"The Cullen camp has been unavailable for comment, but our Hollywood correspondents caught up with Jasper outside his apartment building in the West Loop." The scene cut to a greasy, over-styled man wearing faded jeans and a black Hollister t-shirt. He strutted toward the camera, wiggling his body much more than seemed necessary, before stopping and tossing his dirty hair out of his eyes.
"First, I want to thank my fans for their support during this difficult time. You've all made this week easier with your tweets, emails and iTunes downloads of my first single, Candy-Coated Ass."
Bella chuckled, and I lifted my head from her neck to watch this living, breathing train wreck. I would never be able to reconcile the Alice Cullen I knew with the one currently dating Jasper Hale – the struggling musician and all-around fame-whore. Though perhaps "dating" was stretching their relationship status a bit.
"What Alice Cullen and I have is special," he said, smiling and winking into the camera. Bella made a retching noise. "From the moment I met her while I was touring with American Idol, I knew we had a deep, soulful connection. I totally plan on taking her with me for my solo club tour kicking off next month in Belleville, Michigan. Check out my website, Jasper Hale dot weebly dot com, for possible passes to come show your love to my gal and me." A man in an ill-fitting suit standing next to him poked his scrawny, skull-covered arm. Jasper glared at him for a moment, but then a look of surprise crossed his face and he turned back to the camera. "Speaking of Alice, she's the love of my life, and sex with her is a beautiful, private thing. I don't know who illegally distributed our personal recording, but I am going to find out. And once I figure out who hacked into my Facebook page and stole it, I'm going to make them pay!"
Bella laughed so hard, tears ran down her face. "He's going to make them pay all right; probably for every copy they sell of the full tape."
"I seriously doubt there're many people out there that are into zombie-munchkin porn." She raised one eyebrow. "Okay, fine. Maybe there are some people into green skin, glowing eyes and two-foot height differences between partners." I grinned at her before tossing some popcorn in my mouth.
Two seconds later, I choked on the kernels, coughing and sputtering as I pointed at the screen. Bella looked scared for a moment until she finally turned just in time to see Jasper duck back into his building.
"Holy shit!" she said, looking at me with wide eyes. "Yellow hankie, left pocket!"
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*clicks the complete button*