"So," I start as Edward navigates my car onto the freeway. "Where are we going?"
He reaches over to hold my hand and squeezes gently. "I have two types of weekend plans. We can relax in the hotel and do next to nothing, or we can do some of the things I know you have definitely mentioned wanting to do."
"Like what things?" Angling in my seat, I turn to look at him as we coast up the freeway, heading north. "You know, I don't really like not knowing what's going on."
"Maybe once or twice you've mentioned that you really wanted to try zip lining." He chances a quick look at me, grinning. "And maybe you've mentioned going to Ojai-"
"You wanna take me to Bart's Books? Edward!" I'm bouncing in the passenger as he laughs.
"But we can just stay in the hotel and relax if you want to do that instead. I just thought that maybe you could use some breathing room from Jake." He squeezes my hand again. "I know you're worried about him; I am too. But it's natural to want your own space."
I know he's right, but it doesn't make me feel any less of a jerk. "It's only been a few weeks, and Jake's been through such a traumatic time. I want to be there for him, but it's hard living with someone that treated me like shit."
"Bella, it's been closer to six weeks. I'm not trying to diminish what Jake's been dealing with, but he's an adult, and he needs to start healing himself and going to therapy. He can't use you as a crutch forever." Edward sighs. "He got offered a permanent position at TSC."
"What's that?" I ask.
"It's where he's working now. It would be an admin support role. TSC is the Training Support Center. It's where students report for classes and instruction. Jake doesn't qualify for instructor, but he could eventually. For now, he'd be scheduling classes and making sure instructors make it here from other duty stations, among various other requirements. It would be a good job to take."
"When did it get offered to him? He never mentioned anything to me."
"Two weeks ago. I know the CO over there, and he asked if I'd spoken to Jake recently. Obviously, they're giving him some leeway about making a timely decision, but they aren't going to wait forever." Edward tells me, and I can sense that this is what he spoke to Jake about.
"This is what you were talking to him about, isn't it? Making up his mind. Staying in or getting out."
Jake has expressed to both of us that his ultimate desire, even if sea duty is out, was to stay in the Navy for as long as possible. It was his dream and his goal, and he wanted to continue.
"That and to get into therapy and apply to the barracks on base. I told him that he needs to come up with a short-term goal to move out and maintain his friendship with you but that you couldn't be his caretaker if he wasn't going to take an active role in taking care of himself."
I sit in stunned silence for a few minutes, letting everything sink in. "There's that saying that houseguests are like fish, you're supposed to throw them out after three days or they start to stink." Edward laughs. "I don't want to interrupt Jake's healing, but to circle back around to everything, this is exactly the reason I was so hesitant to move in with him in the first place. We spent a lot of time together anyway, and living with him seemed like a good way to ruin our friendship."
"Which happened anyway … because of Embry and his narcissism and abuse toward Jake. He was probably gaslighting him too but also because we were all keeping a lot of secrets from each other when we were supposed to be friends." Edward winks at me, and I laugh lightly. "The one benefit you two had in that house was space. You don't have that now."
"Maybe you're right. I'm not sure I like you fighting this battle for me though."
"It's not a battle. Jake is my friend too, regardless of anything else that happened between us. I'll still support him, and I know you will too, but he needs to start working for himself. He has all weekend to come up with a plan and make some decisions."
"Maybe you're right."
**BoU**
When we arrive at the hotel some three hours later, Edward has booked us into a lovely King suite with a small patio overlooking the hotel garden with a jetted tub in the en suite.
He hands me the ro
o
m service menu and declares that "we're in for the night". As he unpacks for the both of us, I order us some dinner and drinks, and we sit on the little patio while we wait.
"I don't know how you did it, but this is perfect. Thank you." I lean over my chair to press a kiss to his lips, and I feel him smile under me.
"Just wait until I wake you up early to drive to Ojai." I laugh as the knock on the door alerts us to room service being delivered.
It's so nice to have an evening with just us. After we eat, we play in the bath and make love. I watch Edward drift off to sleep next to me, and I know that no matter what happened in our past, I'm so lucky to have this man in my future.