Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I own the plot.
Can't look up, because I'm busy kissing the feet of my lovely beta Dazzled eyes22. This story wouldn't be the same without you.
A loud shout out to all that read and reviewed the previous chapter. It means the world to me that you take your time.
A/N
Edward and Bella running… Edward and Bella coming to a standstill. Read the chapter and I hope you enjoy it. I have been where they are personally, but I might have embellished a bit.
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Chapter 29
I had forgotten exactly how humid and suffocating the air in this specific part of the world was. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand after the sweat beaded and rolled down my face. I shielded my eyes from the fierce sun and it was only early in the morning.
The trip had been more than long, but being bumped up a class was still as relaxing as it was the last time that I traveled first class when going to Seattle. So flying to Thailand surrounded by this luxury was definitely something that I could get used to. From Bangkok, Edward had chartered a small private plane to bring us south, so now we were at the harbor waiting to board the boat to take us back to where it all began.
What pulled up next to the jetty wasn't a beaten down old ferry or the classic long tail boat, but what looked to be a spanking new speedboat.
Somewhere between the chaos leaving the apartment, hiding out at the private lounge at JFK and landing ourselves at this small harbor where we were mostly ignored Edward had calmed down completely. He started to relax and was all glorious smiles.
Elizabeth was padding about wearing a diaper and shirt and sporting a pink sunhat and a grin all over her face. Well, she had slept comfortably most of the way locked in her daddy's arms when he wasn't reading stories to her. She, as opposed to us, was not letting the grimy state that traveling always caused get to her. She was like the energizer bunny. It took a while for her batteries run out.
The boat elegantly approached and turned. Edward was ready at the dock, catching the rope that… Mr. Twong threw overboard. Rigging up the boat, Edward hauled our luggage aboard, then fished out a small life jacket and strapped Elizabeth into it. "There you go, sweetheart."
With my heart dancing in my chest, I stepped over the woodwork and landed wobbly on the deck.
"Miss Bella," Mr. Twong greeted me with utter surprise.
"Mr. Twong," I retorted lamely just as shocked as he was. Between car ride from the airport and here, I had figured out that we were going back to the resort where we had met, but for some reason, I hadn't take into account that logically it would be the same people that were here two years ago.
"How lovely to see you again," he almost sang in his strange accent. He looked exactly the same. His tawny skin was still deep and rich in color, only it appeared more weather beaten now. His eyes shifted back on Elizabeth. "She's your daughter?"
"Yes. She's Edward's and mine," I answered, trying to compose myself. He seemed just as lost as I was, as his gaze flitted back and forth multiple times. He swallowed and seemed to search for words. I had none.
"What a pretty little girl," he praised after too much silence.
"Thank you."
"We're all set to go. You can take her out now," Edward said, when both Alice and Jasper were safely aboard also.
The boat's engine roared like a monster and Mr. Twong aimed for the open water. Well, this was different than that last time I'd been traveling these waters. That had been the previously said beaten down old ferry that slowly hummed over the water and not like this beast plowing over the surface, leaving a sea of white froth in its wake.
"Edward?" I called over the noise. "Mr. Twong didn't have this boat the last time that we were here." It wasn't really a question.
"No, he most certainly didn't," he yelled back to me. He sat cross-legged on the deck with Elizabeth squealing joyfully in his lap. How could a one-year old enjoy this? Edward kept his gaze on me. It was alive and excited on a level that I wasn't sure that I completely grasped. It was like I was missing the punch line to some kind of joke.
"I'm guessing that you've been back here?" I yelled after a few beats of silence… well not silence.
"That would be one way of putting it." I could barely hear his voice over the thunder of the engine. I kept my gaze on him waiting for him to elaborate, but I found myself being ignored. He still wasn't going to give me the details. Ugh!
The ride took less time than with that rugged old ferry and we didn't have to pass through the town, but instead I found that we were going ashore directly at the Twong's resort. A long, fairly new jetty lay directly out from the beach greeting us.
Sure, for the past twenty-four hours, I had anticipated this was where we were headed, but I hadn't figured out how this would actually feel. My stomach was tied in knots and my heart was bouncing behind my ribs, while creating havoc in my chest. I couldn't help smiling. Would the Twong's be like I remembered it?
The place that I had fled to be left alone in my own private darkness had turned out to be where my life really began again. It was here that I figured out how to move on.
Nothing surrounding the place seemed to have changed one bit. The larger than life limestone cliffs still rose dramatically from the earth and the palm trees were still swaying very lightly afar on the shore. The picturesque white sand colliding with the intense blue surface of the ocean was still untouched. This was still paradise.
The only thing that seemed to have changed was the resort. From here, it looked different.
Leaving the boat, Edward had Elizabeth on his arm, while Mr. Twong tied up the craft. Alice and Jasper seemed tired, but I suspected their eyes were as wide as mine behind their sunglasses. The sun was severe and the heat was covering us like a thick blanket.
The jeans that I wore made me feel like I was walking through a bonfire and they were choking me around my midriff. I couldn't wait to get out of these clothes. Now, I could only hope Edward mastered the skill of not only packing the right things for himself, but also for Elizabeth and me. Suddenly, I longed to get settled, so I could take a dip into the ocean.
Closing in on the main building, it was suddenly abundantly clear what had changed. The small dingy huts were gone and replaced by larger bungalows, but still nothing that seemed to soil the calm and quiet of this paradise. The accommodations had simply been updated.
At the reception, there were still huge flowerbeds with colorful blossoming orchids. I glanced to the side in the direction of the dining area. Yup, even the flower setting that I had thrown up all over was still here. I must have traveled back in time, though I wasn't feeling that sickening numbing heartbreak that lived inside of me back then. The loss of Jacob was not festering in my stomach anymore. No, I was here and I was nothing but happy.
Edward, all of a sudden, seemed very homebound. He set Elizabeth down and chatted what could only be everyday stuff with Mr. Twong, while going behind the desk.
I just stared befuddled.
"Can I have your passports?" Edward asked Alice and Jasper. They handed them over silently. Edward punched a code into a lockbox in the wall of safety boxes and fished out a set of what looked to be house keys. Then he left all our papers in the small compartment and locked up again.
"Did you get the bungalow that I asked for?" He was all business when he talked to Mr. Twong.
"Yes, I moved the booking and offered a cutback on the price for the couple, who were staying there." He cleared his throat and looked warily at Alice and Jasper. "Edward, I might have misunderstood. It's not a twin," he almost whispered.
"There's no mistake." Edward answered with a smile briefly crossing his face before he fished another set of keys out of from a panel behind him. "Can I get you to drive our luggage over?"
I frowned. Drive?
"Absolutely. Just leave it all here. I'll take care of it."
"Thank you so much. Tell Kachiri that I said hi if we don't see her soon."
"She'll be glad to know that you're back."
Mr. Twong's wife. Where had she gone or was she somewhere around here? What about the old toothless woman? Did she still do all the cooking? My stomach snarled when I remembered her simple, but delicious food. My question was immediately answered when she shuffled by, not taking much notice of us, but managed to pinch Elizabeth's cheek when passing.
I was a little disappointed that she didn't recognize me, but she probably saw hundreds of new faces each month. Why would I stand out? Mr. Twong seemed to catch my melancholy as he spoke swiftly to her. She glanced up at Edward, stretched to her toes and kissed his cheek. Mr. Twong said something in Thai again and she clapped her crooked hands together, babbled a rush of words and then we were all greeted with the same courtesy as Edward. Her skin smelled of cooking oil. I made an effort to ignore it as the heavy scent churned my stomach.
She sauntered off again, dragging her feet as she went.
Mr. Twong gently pointed to his head and tapped his finger a few times, but his eyes were a little sad. "Her mind is not as clear as it used to be."
"How old is she?" I asked.
"We're not entirely sure, maybe about ninety years old. Though, she can still cook with the best of them." Mr. Twong's eyes swept over all of us. "Please don't let me keep you. I am sure you want to get settled," he said kindly, busying himself with some papers.
Edward turned to us and positively beamed. "Now, ladies, let me show you to your bungalow." He mimicked a bell boy's overly polite drawl. "Come here, sweetheart." He quickly scooped Elizabeth up and settled her on his shoulders.
We all followed like mindless pawns, while exchanging wary looks.
At the end of the beach, there was the very same bungalow that Edward had stayed at back then. He quickly mounted the steps and set Elizabeth down on the porch. "This is your place, for as long as you want it. If you need anything Mr. Twong or Kachiri will help you. Dinner is at the main house and all expenses have been taken care of." He handed the keys to Alice, who carefully received them, while them glancing around the bungalow.
"Gosh, this is so pretty," she said. Layers of veneration were present in her tone. Alice wasn't easily awed, but my guess was that Edward had been able to knock her socks off.
Edward's answering smile was almost shy as we watched Jasper and Alice take in the bungalow. Jasper moved to the adjoined bedroom fiddling with the double doors leading to the porch.
The inside was mainly the same. The two-room bungalow was still fairly minimalistic with its white washed look. However, the bed's headboard was intact and not shattered like I remembered it. I flushed slightly at the memory. All of this real life Déjà vu was a little daunting and making my head spin.
"Oh my lord, baby, would you look at this view from the bed?" Jasper called from the bedroom. I glanced in to see her bouncing up and down on the edge of the bed with her eyes focused out over the ocean. You could see the end of the beach merge with the enormous cliffs and the water breaking against the sides of the jagged stone.
Alice did that classic girly squeal that she always did when she was excited. She hugged her arms around Jasper's waist, as she sat down and enthusiastically peppered the column of her throat with small kisses. Jasper pulled her close, while laughing warmly. They were so beautiful with their glowing and happy faces. Before another word could be uttered, an intense longing look passed between them. It was basically searing hot.
Get a room.
Oh wait, we're in theirs. I looked down, suddenly fascinated by the floorboards.
"Perhaps it's time that we left," Edward suggested under his breath, no doubt sensing the heat between them.
"There's no perhaps about it," I muttered back, fearing that we would be in for a show.
Trying to be sneaky about our exit, we started to backtrack like the Pink Panther towards the front door.
"Wait up, boyfriend," Alice called, making an effort dragging her longing eyes from Jasper's. She skipped to Edward hugging him intensely without any warning. "Thank you so much. This would never be possible for us without you." She paused for a moment, like she was searching for the right words. She sighed and looked at Jasper for a fraction of a second then back at Edward. "Just thank you."
Behind Alice at a safer distance, Jasper echoed Alice's words.
Edward hugged her back. "You're absolutely welcome, Pixie."
Alice literally growled. She pulled back with her eyes narrowed. "You got that from Emmett," she accused. She hated being called Pixie.
Edward smirked. "Abso-fucking-lutely." We all gaped at him simultaneously. It didn't sound like him at all. Edward cleared his throat. "Sorry, inside joke," he muttered, while bashfully taking a second to recover. "If you need us, Mr. Twong knows where to find us. "Uhm, enjoy yourselves."
I stared at him with my eyes open wide. Oh, that just didn't come out right after the scorching looked Jasper and Alice had just shared. I couldn't help, but laugh. He seemed to keep sticking his foot in his mouth.
"So where are we going to stay?" I asked, when we were out on the porch again.
"You'll see," he teased and closed the door behind him.
"You really love making a meal out of this."
"I do. I want to see your face when you see it."
"I'll keep that in mind," I muttered. I had a sense of vertigo, as I couldn't quite figure out where it was that we were setting up camp. I figured that we would be staying at the very hut that he had now given to Alice and Jasper. I was mystified.
Picking up Elizabeth, Edward laced his free hand into mine. He looked at his girl and smiled. "Now you get to see what daddy made."
Her face lit up and she beamed. The green color of her eyes was sparking in the brilliant sunlight. "Ice cream?"
Edward snickered and pinched her cheek. "No, not ice cream. Something better. Daddy will get you ice cream later. I promise." He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Come with me."
"Like I have any other choice." My stomach snaked oddly around in my body with anticipation. What was in store for us? Here I thought that I had it all figured out, but now I was rendered clueless.
Silently, I fell into step next to Edward as he started in the direction of the jungle. What the hell? There was nothing on that side of the lagoon. Passing the fringe of the forest, I took notice that this was not the same trekking though the wilderness, as it was the last time. Now, a narrow pathway snaked its way through the trees. Feeling the temperature drop under the canopy of the treetops, I noticed a metal sign with Thai scribbling that I had no chance of reading, but underneath it in clear red letters the sign said something that I could easily could understand.
PRIVATE PROPERTY
KEEP OUT
Okay… Adding to the confusing nausea twisting in my stomach, I was simply just lost now, so I gave up plotting theories and getting to the bottom of this before he was actually going to show me his whopping big secret.
The walk was shorter than I remembered. It was about ten minutes or so, but I was not prepared for what was revealed when stepping past the last bend and entering Broken Beach.
"Oh my god, Edward," I gasped. "This place certainly changed." I looked up at him when he didn't respond, but just gazed down at me with joy and ecstasy embedded in his eyes. I turned back to the house and took it all in.
The broken down huts were gone and had been replaced by a large white bungalow nestled into the bend of the small picturesque beach. The house seemed to blend in with the flora and fauna so effortlessly. The porch was almost as large as the house itself and stretched out over the white sand. It was overhung with wines swirling in and out of the pale wooden beams, literally creating a ceiling of greenery. The house rose from the sand with steps ascending from one end to the other.
Taking a few tentative steps out into what in my woozy mind summed up to be a mirage, I realized that I needed to touch it to really know whether this paradise was real. Was I really looking at what might as well be Utopia? Or Atlantis?
"Does this belong to the Twongs?" I asked.
"Nope," Edward refused and carefully shuffled Elizabeth around on his arm. She yawned and put her head on his shoulder "It's mine," he answered, almost sounding triumphant.
I shuffled around between a few old conversations logged into my memory. "You told me that you don't own anything."
"I told you that I hardly own anything. This is the hardly," Edward countered then nodded his head in the direction of the house. "Let's go inside."
I let myself be lead closer, not being able to avoid my mouth hanging open or my eyes blinking rapidly like a confused toddler.
The floorboards were all pale and worn like they had been beaten repeatedly by the ever changing weather, but this house had definitely not been here the last time. Back then, it would have been a house left in a hurry and abandoned to die a lonesome death on a deserted beach. Now, it stood here in all its perfection.
Edward fished out the keys, unlocked the glass door and stepped inside. The first floor was one big open concept, which was sparsely furnished. The one piece that dominated the room was a shiny black grand piano standing in stark contrast to all the white. There was a small unremarkable sitting area and a plain dining table. The kitchen was nestled into the corner finished with an island and topped off with a dark marble countertop.
"What's upstairs?" My voice pitched, betraying me with exactly how overwhelmed I felt.
" The bedrooms… the master bath… not much else," Edward answered carefully. "You okay?"
"Besides that fact that I think I just had a stroke… sure," I wheezed.
Edward kissed my sweat covered forehead. "Relax, honey. Why don't I show you the upstairs and you can change into something more comfortable?"
I was suddenly reminded of the denim hugging my thighs and stomach with renewed force. It was like I was wrapped in plastic and I couldn't breathe. The inside of the house was as stuffy as the outside.
A set of stairs led us to the second story. Edward opened the door to a room where I was assaulted by a breathtaking sunrise. It was all yellows, oranges and reds. The colors adorned the entire end wall and the painting was clearly done by Edward's skilled hand. In the corner, there was actually a baby crib and a dresser used as a changing table. I gaped at him.
"You really planned this, didn't you?"
"On some level. This stuff was actually put in by Tanya. I lent the place to Matt and her about two months ago. It wasn't long after…" he trailed off, like avoiding mentioning that he hadn't always been in our lives. It felt like an eon ago that I had been such a coward and chose not let him into our world. It was a strange irony that we were standing here now, practically having come full circle from where our daughter was conceived.
Next to the nursery, there was an empty room with nothing, but paint buckets sitting on the floor. Edward smiled wryly. "I'm not sure what to do with this room. It's not done. I was going paint something…" he shrugged, his voice dying out.
"Mommy," Elizabeth suddenly chimed in and reached for me.
Edward instantly beamed. His eyes twinkled with sudden inspiration. "You want me to paint mommy?"
NO, my insides screamed. I had enough trouble with a mirror as it was. Having to look at a life-size version of myself all blown up for display just killed my buzz.
However, Elizabeth didn't answer. She just stuck the hand of Duckie in her mouth and chewed the poor and tatty teddy. "Yeah, daddy can paint mommy," Edward said under his breath, while slipping me a sinful look. I grumbled and trotted out into the hall.
Continuing my tour of the house, I walked into a large master bedroom dominated by a huge bed in the same color as the rest of the house. White. The view from the French doors was directly out over the ocean and it seemed to stretch forever before merging with the horizon.
"Uh, you want to get changed?" He asked, while setting Elizabeth down on the bed.
"I would absolutely love to, but as I remember, our luggage is with Mr. Twong, as we speak." There was nothing that I wanted more than ridding myself off these jeans and t-shirt because they felt absolutely grimy from twenty-four hours of traveling.
Edward walked to the large closet and slid the door silently aside. Inside was hanger after hanger all covered in dresses, skirts, shorts and tops, which were all suitable to combat this insufferable heat. "There should be some swimwear in here too," Edward said quietly and pulled out a wire drawer.
I wasn't sure that I was able to say anything at the moment. Slowly, I located my ability to speak somewhere deep inside of my brain where it was hiding. "How did you?" I whispered.
"Alice," he said as a way of explaining. I quickly glanced down into the bundle of fabric placed in the drawer. Oh no. "I asked her to help me out with some clothes for you. I had them shipped out here."
"I see." I stepped over to him, while taking a furtive glance into the drawer. Well, didn't he walk right into the lion's den and smack the beast in the face? I picked up something sheer covered in lace and impossibly thin straps. "I'm pretty sure that you didn't know the can of worms that you just opened." The lightness of the panties scared me because there was practically no fabric present. Alice knew her lingerie and had particular tastes, which totally conflicted with mine. I preferred my undies to cover my crotch.
Edward inclined his head amused and took in the skimpy underwear with amusement. His answering smile was zealous. "Are you indicating that there is a problem?"
I blushed and the scanty panties suddenly felt like they were burning my hand. I quickly dropped them back into the pool of lace. I was so getting Alice back for this.
A sudden snoring erupted. Elizabeth was curled up on the bed sleeping soundly with Duckie cuddled against her chest. Edward smiled indulgently at her. She had a long few days. "I'll put her down for a nap. Slip into something else and we can have some lunch downstairs."
I nodded woodenly, still ailing by the whole ordeal, the press, the escape, the traveling, this house, the wardrobe… all of it.
I dug through the heap of underwear, ignoring all the frills, hoping to find some decent swimwear that wasn't raunchy. Going through the piles of underwear and bikinis, I discovered that it wasn't all just straps and lace in there. I had a fleeting thought about who did the unpacking and saw all of these rude items. I quickly pushed the errant idea back, burying it under a heap of lace.
Digging deeply into the piles, I found quite a few items that were to my taste. Precisely so, to be exact. The panties were boy shorts or Brazilians, depending on your view, just upgraded from plain cotton to silk or whatever they made undergarments from. These were actually quite nice. I drew a long sigh of relief. Thank you, Alice. Though, I had a sneaky suspicion that she added those skimpy things just for kicks and giggles.
While looking for something to wear, I struck gold and picked up what looked to be a simple white bikini. That had to work. Skimming through the closet , I found a purple cotton skirt that looked to be most comfortable.
I stared wide-eyed at myself in the mirror after I changed. I wasn't sure if I should feel lucky or really be pissed off, but Alice didn't know that she was shopping for a knocked up Bella and her boobs. Well, at least the top covered my nipples, but to be honest, it didn't do much more. Refusing to look at the all too obvious evidence of pregnancy, I shoved my hair into a knot and moved downstairs to join Edward.
On my way downstairs, I peeked in the room to check on Elizabeth and heard her snoring like a small freight train. Stopping at the base of the stairs, I found Edward. Apparently he had ditched his shirt and was opening a section of glass panels leading down a few steps to the large patio that poured onto the sand. I admired his fluent movements, as he rummaged through the kitchen pulling things out of the fridge setting them aside on the island.
The cool tiled floor was a relief against the dense humidity. I cleared my throat as he didn't seem to notice me. I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself.
Edward lifted his gaze and gaped, then the bowl slipped from his hands and clattered to the counter top. I snickered. It wasn't like him to be rattled. However, he composed himself quickly.
"You look nice," he quickly added.
I frowned, feeling more naked than anything. Though, I guess that was okay because we were alone… finally. It suddenly dawned on me that I was starved for some one-on-one time with him.
A slow smile spread across my face as I watched him. This was my Edward so casually floating around in the kitchen and looking relaxed.
I lightly grazed my fingers across the cool marble when rounding the island. I suddenly needed him like I needed air to breathe. It was like having him close was imperative for my well being and sanity.
Feeling my teeth make a dent into my lip, I couldn't help but wish it was Edward's teeth slowly dragging across my skin.
I reached out and let the tips of my fingers crawl up the ripples of his stomach. His breath fluttered a bit as it brushed over my face. I couldn't help but crane my head back, while greeting the air that escaped his lungs. "Thank you for taking us here," I said quietly after a few beats.
"You're very welcome." He bent down, while placing the lightest of kisses solely on my lower lip where my teeth had just been. "It's a pleasure to have you." He gently grasped my hands at his stomach, twining our fingers together. He brought them up to his lips placing a sensuous kisses on each hand, before locking my palms behind his neck so he could welcome me into his embrace.
Our eyes lingered with each other. Time seemed endless and unimportant. The emotions in his eyes were deep and yearning, feeding that warmth rising within me. I was unable to escape the energy pushing me to him. I reached up on my toes and touched my lips to his. Our mouths danced slowly as we kissed.
"I love you, Edward Cullen," I whispered when the connection was broken.
He kissed the tip of my nose, dropping his forehead to mine. "As do I, Isabella Swan, so very much." We stood like this for long treasured moments. Neither of us seemed willing to break contact.
It was Edward that spoke up first, when I no longer could ignore the retching in my stomach. "We should eat," he said. I agreed. If I didn't have some lunch, the nausea would kick my ass and I would have to forfeit this precious time between us. We settled outside on the porch and ate, while sitting on low and chunky looking sofas. Feeling full and comfortable, I lounged back against him. His fingers were traveling up and down my side. It was so relaxing.
"Your body is already changing," he said quietly.
"I know, but you see it?" I asked, peeking at him over my shoulder.
He gently let out a huff. "Yeah."
I let my fingers walk over my stomach. "I know that I can't hide this much longer."
Edward kissed the tip of my shoulder. "No we can't, but is not just your sweet belly. It's here too." The light brush of his pointer finger just beside my eye tickled. "Your eyes shine. It's here too." Leisurely, his hand traveled over my cheek along my jaw to my collarbone and down to my breast. Gently, he palmed it. It sizzled in my stomach.
"It's just the bikini," I scoffed, knowing full well that I might have grown a cup size… or two.
He laughed shortly. "Whatever you say." I could practically sense his eye roll. It was like he knew to avoid picking a fight with a pregnant woman. That was just a lose-lose scenario.
I decided to change the subject before my hormones could play tricks on me and chill my mood. "When did you come back here?"
Edward sighed. "About three months after my fruitless search for you. I thought that if I came back here, then I could start my search all over again. Perhaps, Mr. Twong had information on you that I didn't. I didn't know that I had your name all wrong. Mr. Twong was hardly forthcoming. He wouldn't give me any information that he had about you.
"I spend about a week here sleeping on the beach, swimming and trying to figure out what the hell to do with my life. I got a bit sentimental when I found out this place was actually for sale. I had Jenks look into it. He told me that it was plausible to buy the land, so I didn't hesitate. I wanted to create a sanctuary for myself. I needed a place where I could go and be left absolutely alone and escape the downside of my very public life. No one, but Jenks, Tanya and Mr. Twong know that I own this land.
"It was when I came back the second time, that I decided to build this house. Some of the materials are recycled from the old huts and house, like the porch. I worked on it for about a year, whenever I had the chance. I had help with the things that I couldn't manage on my own, but besides that this is the fruit of my own labor."
"This really is a peaceful place." I but my lip for a moment. "What about the Twong's? That seemed to have been through an update. Is that your doing too?"
"Not really. One day he mentioned that the huts were starting to fall apart, so I suggested that I lend him the money to fix them. He wouldn't take it of course. So I changed tactics and suggested that I paid him to take care of this place when I'm away. He reluctantly agreed. He's a very proud man. I gave him a down payment so he could start the renovations on his place."
"So how for how long did you pay him to maintain this place?" I asked out of pure curiosity. Edward laughed.
"Probably about a decade. You'd be amazed at what money can buy on this side of the world."
"So I'm guessing you paid for the speedboat too?"
"Sort of. Mr. Twong is under the impression that he borrows it from me. I'm not doing anything to dispute his views."
"You're so selfless."
"Not really, I just like to make people happy," Edward said softly.
"You make me very happy." A gush of emotion swirled in my veins. I was truly and honestly happy. Nothing less.
"Yeah?" He sighed and hugged his arms closer around my stomach. "I'm so ecstatic that it's all come together now. I can't tell you how much it means to have my family here with me. Everything seems right now. Nothing is missing."
"Oh, Edward." I sighed, while my throat began feeling thick. My eyes were brimming with tears at the undiluted happiness that rushed through me. "I don't know who to thank for bringing you back to me. You mean the world to me and Elizabeth. Everyday I'm amazed that you found it in your heart to forgive me, but I realize now that is just who you are. No one can match the selflessness and kindness in you. I am so utterly grateful that you still want to share your life with me, because I'm not sure what I did exactly to deserve you, but I will do it over and over again if it means to have you for just one more day. " Wet drops rolled down my face. It wasn't just about what he did for me, but thinking about what he did for Alice and Jasper too, it was just bound to open the floodgates.
"You have me forever." He hugged me closer. "You are my life now."
It was like there wasn't much else to say after that. We sat in the comfortable silence that surrounded us, only interrupted by the lapping of water and the birds singing hidden away in the jungle. I started to doze off, while feeling the weight of all the traveling finally take its toll.
The shrill of Edward's phone and the buzzing against my back brought me back from the brink of sleep. Edward shuffled me around, while digging into his pocket to retrieve his phone.
"Hello?" He said tentatively. I listened as it didn't seem like he knew the person on the other end. His thumb was hovering above the end button. We had left a roaring fire behind us when we fled the states. It was only a question of how far the flames would reach. "Embry." He paused. "I see. I don't mean to be rude, but I already turned the offer down… twice. As I said, I love the script, but I'm not interested." There was another long pause. "Oh, I see. Yes, I am… then I would definitely reconsider. It sounds very interesting… It's very plausible. I have some time to work on some things. Send me the file and I'll see what I come up with. Who has the lead?" His brows knitted. He looked kind of astonished. "You did? No, I didn't know that, but she will do a fantastic job." Edward suddenly looked down at me, smiling broadly. "It's true that I have a daughter," he answered and slowly raked his fingers through my hair. It felt soothing. "No, Embry. We'll save that conversation for when we meet. How does in a few weeks sound? Yeah. Okay, I'll look into it and work on it… Sounds good. You too. Take care." He hung up, then began scraping his teeth over his bottom lip slowly like he was pondering something.
"What?" I asked.
"It looks like I just landed myself a new career."
My interest peaked. "Doing what?"
"Music." He frowned as in a daze. "You remember the script that you read and loved while we were in Forks?"
"Absolutely, it was incredible."
"Well, that was the producer. He asked if I was interested in doing the score."
I glanced at the shiny black piano. It wasn't hard to imagine his long and elegant fingers caressing the keys, ghosting back and forth and creating sounds that floated into air and into your soul. "I know that you'll do amazingly. I can't wait to hear you play."
"I'll play you a lullaby this evening."
"You really know how to treat a girl," I said and leaned back into him. Just as that comfortable silence was about to settle again, there was another sharp shrill. Edward narrowed his eyes at the phone like he could will it into silence.
"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" he drawled. "Hold up. Hold up, Emmett. Everyone is fine. Yeah, I've seen her. Jasper is with us. She's fine. We're all fine, Emmett." He paused and looked down at me as I sat up. "She's right here. Why?" He held his phone away from his ear and spoke to me. "What happened to your phone?"
I gaped. Oh crap. "I forgot to turn it back on," I muttered. "Why is Emmett calling you?"
"Because apparently yours is off." Edward shrugged and returned to the call. "Anything you need, Emmett? Of course, you can. Hang on." He held the phone out to me. "He wants to talk to you."
I took the phone. "Hey, Emmett." I barely had time to say his name before his thundering voice threatened to break my eardrum.
"You know, Bella. I almost smashed your goddamn front door trying to go though that revoltingly large lock that I put on it. What is with you chicks and not having your phone on? I can't get in touch with either Jasper or Alice. Edward said that they were with you."
"They are here with us. Emmett, you're one to talk. I've tried to get a hold on you for two days and so did Jasper. So you berating me is sort of the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think?"
He sighed heavily into the phone. "I guess that I don't need to call the cops then? By the way, where the hell is here?"
"Uhm, Thailand."
There was a lot of shuffling almost like he dropped the phone or fell off his bed. "Thailand? Are you freaking kidding me? Are you telling me that all of a sudden you picked up and left? That you're not even in the States?"
"That's what I'm saying." I giggled.
His breath was sawing into the microphone and making it wheeze in my ear. "You're okay? I saw your little Edward secret isn't so secret anymore."
"Yes, I am perfectly fine." It was so Emmett to be worried, almost like a father sending his girl off to the first day of school. Behind all that loud mouthing and muscle, there was a real sweetheart hiding.
After ten minutes of reassuring him that we were fine, I handed the phone back to Edward. They spoke for a few minutes until they hung up. Edward muted his phone after that and tossed it to the table.
"Emmett is coming and he's bringing a guest," he said when we were all snuggled in again.
"Who?"
"He wouldn't say," Edward answered absentmindedly. He started running his fingers through my hair again, while looking into my eyes. "Take a nap, baby."
I did, now that I wasn't pulled back to reality by his constantly intruding phone.
oooooOOOOooooo
I hope you liked the chapter and thank you for reading.
I have some great news. This story has been nominated in The Emerging Swans Awards Best Romance category. I hope you will follow the link and vote for me. A HUGE thanks to Chartwilightmomfor nominating me. I heart you.
www emergingswanawards blogspot com/
Remember to check out Prima Nocte and find out why neither Jasper or Bella was able to get a hold of Emmett.
Thank you to the indecent, loud mouthing and lovely ladies on Twitter. You rock my world every day. Come find me on Twitter - Elvirina_Nelly
Please check out my original story on www thumannlegend blogspot com