Let Love Lie
Chapter 11 – The Perfect Mistake
BPOV
The next few weeks go by smoothly. Edward and I are closer than ever and I couldn't be happier. I haven't had a panic attack since the day James was arrested and my nightmares have seized.
Rose and I are now on our way to her father's house in Seattle. I'm not too thrilled about it but I told her I would be here and I am a woman of my word.
Rose pulls into a neighborhood and it takes about another two minutes until we pull up to a small yellow house. Rose draws in a deep breath and lets it out.
"Are you sure you want to do this? We can turn go back to Forks if you want."
"No, I need to do this," she says as she kills the engine. I was afraid she'd say that. She gets out of the car and I follow her. We walk up to the door and she hesitantly knocks a few times. Rosalie's father opens the door.
His blonde hair is now almost fully gray; he has lines on his face and has gained a few pounds since junior year. You can barely tell he is only three years older than Dad; he looks much older.
"Rosie," he says breathlessly.
"Dad," she replies in a level tone.
"Come in, please. Hello, Bella," he greets me.
"Mr. Hale," I smile slightly. We walk into his house and it is tiny and neat. Nothing like Rose's old house, which used to always be a mess until she cleaned it up. Her father was always too drunk to clean it up.
We all sit in the living room in an uncomfortable silence for a moment.
"So, how have you been?" Mr. Hale asks.
"I've been great. Emmett and I got married a few weeks ago."
"And I wasn't invited?" he asks, sounding hurt.
"No, you weren't. I had no reason to invite you."
"Besides the fact that I'm your father!" he says desperately. "I kind of want to be a part of your life, Rosalie, and that means going to your wedding."
"Why now, Dad?" she asks. "Why not when I was in high school? The only thing you cared about then was your alcohol. Mom left and you were my only parent. It's kind of late to step up to the plate."
"It was an addiction, Rosalie. I had little to no control over it! Why do you think I went to rehab?"
"Because it was court ordered!"
"Please, Rose, a second chance is all I ask for."
"Oh, that's all? Whenever I needed my Dad you weren't there. I had to go to Charlie! Do you know how much it hurts to know that your father spent your whole childhood drunk? Imagine how I felt for a second before you ask for a second chance."
"I'm sorry, I know I screwed up, but Rosalie, I have changed. I've been sober for three years. I'm trying to get my act together to be a better father for you."
"That's not the point," she shakes her head fiercely. "The point is that you weren't there before. I don't see why I should let you be there for me now."
"Rose, please," he pleads and I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. "I want to be a part of your life. I want to be able to see my grandchildren."
"We're done here," Rose says as she stands up. I get up after her.
"Rosalie, wait," Mr. Hale says as he stands up also.
"Dad, you don't just get to walk in and out of my life as you please," she says angrily. "I'm hurt and need to get my thoughts set straight."
"Just think about it, please."
"Fine, I'll think about it," she sighs, giving in. His face lights up.
"That doesn't mean it's a definite yes. I'm still leaning towards no. Now, if you excuse me, Bella and I are going to head home so we can get back to our men." She marches out with me right behind her.
"Thanks for coming with me, Bella," Rose says about and hour into the drive. She has been lost in her thoughts since we left her Dad's house.
"What are best friends for?" I ask light-heartedly.
"No, really. I don't know if I could have done that alone."
"I'm always here for you," I smile. The rest of the ride is spent in silence, us both lost in our own worlds.
XOXO
The six of us, along with Riley, hang out after Rose and I get home. Being a Saturday, we're all off of work or got off early. We are all out in Alice's backyard. Edward, Riley and I are playing around while the others sit and sip on their respective alcoholic drinks and Jasper cooks burgers and hot dogs on the grill.
Riley and I are running from Edward while we play tag because he is "it". Riley runs and hides behind Alice's chair while she giggles. Edward doesn't attempt to get him, but instead charges towards me. I start running away from him as fast as I can but know I'm not fast enough when I feel his arms wrap around me.
"You're it," Edward chuckles but doesn't let go of me.
"Jerk," I laugh. "You can let go now."
"Nah, I think I'll just hold you," he mumbles against my neck as he kisses it. He's been getting more hands-on the past few weeks as if he's afraid I am going to pack up and leave. I don't mind, in fact I love it, but he seems so scared. I turn in his arms and cup his cheeks.
"I love you," I smile before kissing his.
"I love you too." He sighs and pulls away.
"Okay guys, young eyes are here, remember?" Rose calls out to us. I giggle and pull out of his arms. He starts walking towards everyone. I start running and jump on his back. He stumbles forward, chuckling, and grabs onto my thighs, hoisting me farther up his back.
"Hello," he chuckles. I giggle and kiss the side of his head.
"You guys remind me of a couple in high school," Rose giggles.
"Hey, guys, over here!" Alice calls. We look at her and she has a camera in her hands. I stick my tongue out and scrunch my nose right before the flash goes off. "Hey! Make it a nice picture, Bella!" she laughs. Edward chuckles and looks at me.
"What did you do?"
"You'll never know," I smirk.
"Unless I show him the picture," Alice laughs. "Now come on, smile!" I smile over Edward's shoulder and the flash goes off again. "There we go!" she sighs jokingly.
"Food's done," Jasper announces as he puts the meat on a platter and sets it on a picnic table that has other various foods. I grab a plate and put a hamburger on it, some salads and then some chips. We all sit in chairs and eat, falling into easy conversation.
I look around and find that I can't picture my life without every single one of these people. To think only a few months ago I hadn't know Alice or Edward and now they had wedged themselves into our group. I have a feeling they have found themselves a permanent place with us, the mere thought making me smile.
XOXO
After school on Monday I head over to Alice's to babysit Riley overnight. Alice is meeting with some people interested in her designs in the morning and Edward is working tonight rendering him unavailable. Jasper is going with her so she isn't alone in Seattle.
"Riley knows how everything works with Edward so he can tell you what is the norm. His bedtime is eight o'clock although he will try to convince you otherwise. I think Edward keeps him up later, which I'm trying to catch him doing, but please make sure he's in bed by then," Alice instructs as she slips her shoes on and buttons her coat.
"Okay, will do," I assure her. "He'll be in great hands."
"I don't doubt that," she smiles. "I may move you up to first on my call list if you do better than Edward."
"I don't think Uncle Eddie would like that, do you Rie?" I laugh as I pick Riley up. He giggles and shakes his head.
"Call me if you need anything, granted I'm three hours away."
"We'll be fine, Al," I assure her. "And I'll call Edward. This may be your big break in fashion, you don't need me calling your."
"You're a saint," Alice smiles before taking Riley from my arms.
"You be good you hear me, Babe?" she asks.
"Yes, Mama," he smiles a toothy grin. He gives her a smacking kiss before she puts him down.
"Love you," she says and ruffles his hair.
"Love you too," he grins at her.
"Bye guys," I say as I hug Alice and Jasper. They say their goodbyes and leave.
"Okay, what do you want to do?" I ask Riley.
"Color!" he says as he runs out of the room. He comes back with a Cars coloring book. He sets them on the kitchen table and runs back to his room. He comes back this time with a big box of crayons. We sit at the table and color in Lightning McQueen and Mater.
"What do you and Uncle Eddie normally do?" I ask.
"Color and watch movies," he says as he scribbles across the page. "And play superheroes," he adds.
"Superheroes, huh?" I giggle. "Who is Uncle Eddie?"
"Optimus Prime," Riley says indifferently. I make a note to keep that stored as fuel to tease Edward with later.
"Optimus Prime is a superhero?" I ask. Isn't he a Transformer?
"He's the hero Transformer," he informs me.
"Why do you want Uncle Eddie to marry me?" I ask after a few moments of silent coloring, knowing I may be overstepping my boundaries.
"I like you," he shrugs.
"That's it?" He thinks for a moment before nodding his head confidently.
"Are you hungry?" I ask after a few minutes, hearing his stomach growl. He nods, concentrating on his coloring. "What does Uncle Eddie normally make you?"
"Mac-en-cheez!" he says happily. I smile and get up to go over to the food cabinet. I grab a box of Cars macaroni and cheese and start boiling water on the stove. About ten minutes later the macaroni is done and Riley happily chews away at the Pixar characters. He holds a spoonful up to me and I open my mouth. He puts it in my mouth before eating again. Edward told me he likes sharing his food, but only if he feeds it to you.
After Riley finishes eating we put in an animated Transformers movie. I snicker when Optimus Prime takes the screen. Riley falls asleep a little while into the movie. After it finishes I picked him up and take him into his room.
"Riley, come on, let's get you into your pajamas so you can get into bed." He sighs and pouts before opening his eyes. He shut them again and rubs his fists over them. He goes over to his dresser and opens the bottom drawer. He pulls out a pair of Spongebob Squarepants pajamas and puts them on. He goes into the bathroom across the hall and brushes his teeth before coming back and climbing into bed.
"You good?" I ask.
"Uncle Eddie normally sings to me," he says in a small, whiny voice that little kids tend to have when they are tired. He didn't sing when I was here.
"What does he sing?" I ask.
"Christopher Robin." I go over to the chair next to his bed and sit down. I know this song; it was what my Dad sang to me when I was young.
"Christopher Robin and I walked along under branches lit up by the moon," I start singing softly, running my hand through his hair. He closes his eyes and sighs. "Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore as our days disappeared all too soon."
Riley turns to his stomach and clutches a stuffed bear to his side. "But I've wandered much further today than I should and I can't seem to find my way back to the wood. So, help me if you can I've got to get back to the house at Pooh corner by one." Riley sighs, almost asleep.
"You'd be surprised there's so much to be done, count all the bees in the hive, chase all the clouds from the sky. Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh." I stop because Riley seems to be sleeping.
"The song's not over," he whines, not opening his eyes. I smile and run my fingers through his hair again before continuing.
"Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do, got a honey jar stuck on his nose. He came to me asking help and advice and from here no one knows where he goes. So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there, how to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear.
"So, help me if you can I've got to get back to the house at Pooh Corner by one. You'd be surprised there's so much to be done, count all the bees in the hive, chase all the clouds from the sky. Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh, back to the days of Christopher Robin, back to the ways of Pooh."
By the time the song is finished Riley is sound asleep. I kiss his forehead before getting up. I turn to the door and se I'm not alone. I jump and place a hand over my heart before realizing it's only Edward.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people," I scold him in a whisper. I turn the light off, closing the door so there is a crack that lets hall light leak into the room.
"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt," he smiles.
"How much of that did you hear?" I scrunch my nose. I don't think I have the best voice in the world, but it isn't horrible.
"Pretty much all of it. You sounded amazing."
"Thanks," I mutter sheepishly. "My dad used to sing it to me." We walk out to the living room and sit on the couch.
"So how was work, Optimus?" I grin. He groans and throws his head back on the couch before chuckling.
"He told you about that, did he?"
"Oh, he did," I laugh. I get up on my knees before straddling his lap. "You never answered my question," I point out.
"It was long and boring," he says as he rolls his head to the side on the back of the couch, his green eyes capturing my brown ones. "And for you?"
"Just a joy," I say sarcastically. Edward's hands trail up and down my sides. "What are you doing here?" I ask. "I mean I love that you're here, but I thought you were working late."
"Things were slow. I was told I could leave," he shrugs. "I still haven't gotten a hello kiss," he smiles. I giggle before leaning down and kissing him softly.
XOXO
Another week passes in the same fashion. Edward and I spent as much time together as we could, mainly nights when we were both off work. He didn't have as many graveyard shifts as he used to, which was nice. These past few nights have been the most fun I've had in a while. Edward and I did an array of different things. We had gone clubbing, went on a movie and dinner date, took Riley to the park and spent the nights in bed tangled together.
Rose is coming over today for a girl's day/night. Like we used to have in high school before boys got in the way.
But right now, I'm lying in Edward's arms in bed. His lips trail kisses along my shoulder and neck as I sigh contentedly, my eyes closed and head against the pillow. When his lips reach my ear he whisper his love for me. I open my eyes and turn to face him, propping myself up on one elbow. I trace random patterns on his bare chest, returning words of love in a soft murmur.
"I have to work late tonight," he sighs and starts playing with his button up shirt that I am wearing.
"Rose is staying the night anyways. But you'll come over tomorrow?" I ask hopefully.
"Of course," he smiles. "What are you two going to do?" he reaches up and pushes some strands of hair away from my face and behind my ear.
"Probably watch movies and talk. Girl stuff," I giggle.
"Bella Swan having a typical girls' night," he chuckles.
"Hey, I resent that," I say in mock anger. He flashes a lopsided smile before leaning up and kissing me.
I can't help but think about how one day he could pick up and leave, never looking back. I know, what a morbid thought to be thinking while kissing your extremely hot boyfriend, but I can't help it. It just crosses my mind and the pain that follows the thought is excruciating.
"What's wrong?" he asks when he pulls away. His eyes hold concern as he caresses my cheek with his thumb.
"I just," I let out a nervous, airy laugh and look down at the sheets. "I don't want to lose you."
"Hey," he says softly. "Bella, look at me." I look up at him from under my eyelashes. "You won't lose me. I'm not going to leave until you want me to."
"I don't want you to leave. Ever," I confess.
"Then I'm here to stay," he smiles and kisses me, all my worries vanishing.
Edward eventually has to leave to head down to the hospital. I get up and shower before settling into the kitchen and eating Rice Krispies while reading the newspaper. There's an article about one of Dad's fellow officers who is retiring. They're throwing him a party tonight. Emmett, Dad and Jasper are going, which leaves Rose and me for a girls' night. I don't like going to those kinds of functions. I feel like everyone there knows everything about me. Granted, most of them have known me since I was born, and Dad longer; I don't like how they know so much.
A knock on my door pulls me from the paper. I get up to answer the door and Rose is standing there holding an overnight bag and two garment bags.
"What are the garment bags for?" I ask as I let her in. She gives me a pleading look before explaining.
"We're going to Wayland's retirement party tonight. Dad said to drag you if I had to."
"I told him I didn't want to go," I whine.
"I know, but this means a lot to him. Plus, Wayland's known you since you were born. You owe it to him to go to his party."
"Did Dad tell you to say that?" I ask with an arched eyebrow.
"Maybe just a little," she confesses sheepishly.
"Fine," I grumble. "But the first time I feel uncomfortable I'm leaving."
"Deal," she shakes my hand.
"Let's get your hair in rollers," she says as she pulls me into my room. She drops her bag on my bed and leads me into the bathroom. Once my hair is up in huge curlers and my face is covered in a green facemask I am allowed to leave the bathroom. I don't get too far before she forces polish onto all twenty of my nails.
After my nails are done in a teal blue Rose helps me take the facemask off. Now that my face is smooth she cakes it with foundation. She brushes bronze eye shadow onto my eyelids, pairing it with a darker eyeliner and mascara.
Rose then moves onto her make-up while I sit on the bathroom counter.
"How's Edward?" she asks without breaking her concentration.
"He's good," I smile. "He left about a half hour before you got here. He's working late at the hospital tonight."
"That's a bummer," she says as she caps the mascara tube.
"Yeah, but it's okay because we're hanging out, and luckily there's an open bar," I giggle. She laughs and agrees with me. Rose takes out the rollers from my hair and pins a bunch of it to the side so it flows over my shoulder. After emptying about half a can of hairspray on my hair she dubs it perfect. She curls her own hair, leaving it flowing down her back.
She takes me out into my room and thrusts a garment bag into my hands. She pushes me back into the bathroom and shuts the door. I unzip the bag and am met with a teal blue dress with painted peacock feathers on it. It has one shoulder strap on the side opposite my hair and stops at my knees. I strip and pull it on. I walk out into the room and twirl for Rose.
"I knew it! I knew that dress would look good on you!" she claps happily. She changed into her dress while I was in the bathroom. It is a cream strapless dress that is form fitting at the bust but flows loosely down her abdomen to her knees. She has on matching heels and clutch bag. "Here," she says as she hands me a teal clutch and pair of teal heels. I slip my feet into the heels and put my cell phone and lipstick into the bag.
"Ready?" she asks. I nod and we walk down to her BMW. We drive to the only gathering hall we have in Forks. We walk inside and find my brothers and parents.
"Hey guys," I smile as we walk up. Rose goes over to Emmett and loops her arm through his.
"Glad to see you came, Bells," Dad smiles.
"Not that I had much of a choice," I arch an eyebrow but smiled. He chuckles sheepishly.
"Honey, Jake was looking for you earlier," Mom says.
"Jake's here?" I groan.
"I thought you two were friends," she says confused.
"We were," I mumble. "I'll go find him." I walk away and over to the bar where Wayland is ordering a drink.
"Hey, Old Man," I greet him. I smile to the bar tender and order a drink.
"Hey, watch yourself Missy," Wayland booms with laughter. Wayland easily has ten years on my Dad but barely shows it. He is one of the most in shape people I know.
"Have you seen Jake around here?" I ask as I take a sip of my drink. Jake and I used to hang around the station when we were younger even though we weren't supposed to.
"Yeah, he went out for a smoke," Wayland says as he tips his head towards the door.
"Thanks, I'll talk to you later," I smile and pat his back before walking outside. I see Jake leaning against the side of the building smoking.
"Jake," I call. He looks over at me and his eyebrows shoot up.
"I didn't think Renee would pass on the message," he says as I approach him.
"You were looking for me?" I ask.
"Yeah, I, uh, wanted to apologize for how I acted at Emmett's engagement party. I was angry and should have never said those things."
"It's not your fault. I was stupid with the whole James thing, I know that," I wave it off.
"And there's my best friend. The girl who forgives quickly and takes the blame for everything."
"I do not," I protest and he archs an eyebrow at me. "Okay, maybe I do."
"Can we go back to being friends, please? I miss you."
"Are you sure Leah will let you? She doesn't like me much."
"We're not together anymore," he sighs.
"Why?"
"Well, let's just say she couldn't get my name right," he averts his eyes to the ground.
"Ouch, I'm sorry Jake," I frown.
"No, it's fine. She should be over Sam before she dates anyone else." I nod but remain silent. "Let's head back inside," he offers. We walk inside and he comes with me over to my family.
"Hey Jake," Jasper greets.
"Hey, Jazz, how have you been?" he asks. Rose and I walk over to the bar.
"This party isn't as bad as I thought it would be," I say as Rose and I wait for her drink.
"Yeah, it's not a total bore," she shrugs. Rose and I chat with some officers for a while, most of them being Dad's age or a little younger. They keep talking about this one officer who just joined about a year ago. They don't mention his name, but I've never heard Dad mention any new guy before.
My phone buzzes in my clutch and I pull it out. It's a text from Edward: I wish I were with you right now instead of working.
I smile before tapping my response: I wish so too. Tomorrow night though.
That's too far away.
"What's Edward saying?" Rose asks.
"He wishes he weren't working," I smile as I type my response. You'll survive. And I'll make it worth your while.
Tsk, tsk, trying to get me to talk dirty while I'm working. I'm appalled, Bells. Really appalled.
I giggle and shake my head. Get back to work, Doc. Love you.
Love you too.
I put my phone away and turn back to my mint mojito.
Another hour or so passes by as we chat with people at the party. Everyone seems to know about what happened with James but no one comments on it. I can still see it in their eyes though; the pity.
Rose and I are talking to Wayland when I hear it. That laugh. His laugh. I turn and see Edward across the room clad in a green button down shirt and black slacks. Rose follows my gaze and gasps when she sees him.
"I'll be right back," I say to Wayland and Rose before walking over to Edward who is mingling with some officers. I tap his shoulder and he turns to me. Once he realizes it's me the smile on his face fades and he looks horrified. He clenches his jaw and swallows thickly.
"H-hey," he stumbles out.
"Working?" I quirk an eyebrow, showing him I caught him in his lie.
"Yeah, uh, this is for work," he furrows his eyebrows. What does this have to do with hospital?
"I don't understand," I say. "You're a doctor."
"Doctor?" an officer I was talking to earlier laughs. "Cullen's the rookie I was telling you about earlier!"
"Yeah, thanks Crowley," Edward says as he pulls me away from the group. I yank my arm from his grip.
"Is what he says true?" I ask, holding onto my sanity by threads. He nods without meeting my glare.
"So you've been lying to me? Every day? From day one?" I accuse.
"In a way, yes," he says and looks up at me. "I-I had no choice. And this is definitely not how I wanted you to find out."
"You didn't have a choice?" I scoff. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I couldn't tell you I was a cop. I was under strict orders," he explains.
"Did my dad put you up to this?" I ask, my breathing becoming labored.
"He gave me the job, yes."
"Job? Lying to me is a job?"
"Can we go somewhere else and," he starts but I cut him off.
"No!" I say loudly. "Just tell me why the hell you lied to me." I notice a few people glancing over at us but can't find it in me to care.
"I was undercover."
"From who?" I ask but then realize I already know the answer. "Me," I breathe out. "W-why?" I ask.
"We were trying to catch James. All along, the officer who almost had him was me. I would camp in the woods outside your house for hours on end waiting for him to make a move."
"So all of this was for your job? You used me," I concluded feeling like my heart was breaking more and more with every word.
"No, I would never use you."
"That's exactly what you did! I was a pawn for you to use to get ahead in your career!" I cry. "Telling me you love me, it was just so your job would be easier!"
"I really do love you, Bella. That has nothing to do with my job!"
"I don't believe you," I shake my head as I start walking back towards the bar. He grabs my arm asking for me to wait up so we can talk about it. I turn and dump the remains of my drink on him. He drops his hand, stunned. I take this opportunity to place the glass on the bar before walking out. I meet the eyes of my father and avert them elsewhere, too hurt to look at him.
EPOV
No fucking way did this just happen. I mean, it had to happen sooner or later, but not like this. I knew it was going to hurt but I could have never guessed it would hurt this much. I watch her as she walks out, feeling every pair of eyes on me the entire time.
I finally wrap my head around what just happened and stalk over to Chief.
"Consider this my two weeks notice," I say angrily before walking out to find Bella. I can't let her go that easily. She needs to hear me out. When I get outside I feel someone grab my arm and yank me backwards. I'm met with the angry eyes of Jacob Black.
"What the hell did you do to her?" he growls.
"Let go of my arm," I say through clenched teeth.
"Answer my question," he says, his grip becoming harder.
"You're assaulting a cop right now," I say angrily.
"I don't give a damn who you are! You hurt her." I look past him and see Bella's retreating form walking down the street.
"Get off of me," I spit and push him. He lets go reluctantly and I storm past him before running to catch up with Bella.
"Bella," I call as I get close to her. She takes her shoes off and holds them in her hands as she takes off running. I stop chasing her, knowing if someone saw us they would assume I was about to attack her. I kicked a fence, cursing. I cursed my job, Chief, myself.
I should have never taken the job. Look where it's gotten me. I head back to the party to get my car.
BPOV
Edward starts calling after me once I'm about a quarter mile away from the station, walking home. I'm temped to turn around and bitch at him, let him see how much he's hurt me but I can't. It's too painful. So I just take off my shoes and run as fast as I can from him. I'm not stupid, I know he's faster, but I'm hoping it will deter him from continuing coming after me. It works because I hear his footsteps stop and then the sound of him kicking something, cursing.
I slow to a walk once I turn the corner, my house now in view. Just a few hundred more feet. Then you can cry. Then you can scream. Then you can fall apart. I feel tears pricking at my eyes and I move as fast as I can to get to my house. I pull my key out of my clutch and shakily unlock the door. I slam it shut and break down.
The sounds escaping from my mouth don't sound human, a mixture of sobbing and screaming. I stumble into my room and crawl onto my bed. I hold my pillow to my chest and wet it with my tears.
He lied to me. From the very start he lied to me. I feel so used. He was using me to get ahead in his career. To stop being the rookie. I can't believe I fell for his act, too. How stupid could I be to think that he would love someone like me? It was all just an act for him.
My sobbing doesn't stop until I am able to make another sound, my voice worn. The tears don't stop though. I stare across my room as the tears flow.
"Bella," Rose says softly as she comes in. She lies down behind me and runs her hands through my hair, taking the pins out. She combs her fingers through my tangled hair before getting up. She walks into the bathroom before coming back out with a wet rag. "Close your eyes," she instructs softly. I do as she says, my eyes stinging from the salty tears. She wipes the cloth across my face, removing my make-up. When she stops I open my eyes again, tears resuming their stream down my cheeks. I feel Rose unzip my dress. "C'mon, help me here, Bells," she pleads softly. I don't move; I can't move. I feel like my limbs weigh a ton each.
She sighs before pulling me into a sitting position, removing the dress from my shoulders before letting me lay on my back. She lifts my hips up to take my dress down the rest of the way. She then pulls the sheets from under me to cover me up. She then lies behind me again, stroking my hair as I cry myself to sleep.
JPOV
I can't believe what I have just seen. Bella throwing her drink on Edward and walking out. Weren't they just happy yesterday? Edward storms over to us and addresses my father, spitting out, "Consider this my two weeks notice," before storming off after Bella.
"What did he mean?" I ask Dad. He looks up at all of us, staring at him confused. Rose comes over to us.
"What just happened?" she asks.
"Edward is a police officer," Dad explains. "I hired him to keep an eye on Bella while James was on the loose. He was never supposed to get too attached to her. Just become her friend."
"This was your doing?" Emmett asks angrily.
"They were never supposed to date," he excuses.
"You know Bella, Dad. You know how fragile she is. She always sees the best in people. She can't help but get attached, making the other person attached. You should have known this would happen," Emmett growls.
"I'm going to go back to Bella's. Make sure she's okay," Rose says before shooting a glare at Dad and walks out. We all know Bella isn't going to be okay.
"I'm going to find Edward," Emmett says and walks out. I just shake my head at Dad and leave. I drive home and walk inside. Riley is well past asleep. Alice comes over to me and sees my expression.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
"Can we talk outside?" I ask, trying to control my voice. She nods, not sure what to make of my mood. We walk out into the backyard and I can't think of where to start.
"What's wrong? What's happened?" she asks.
"Did you know?"
"Did I know what?"
"About Edward."
"What?" she asks for clarification. "Jasper, if something's happened to Edward you have to tell me."
"Did you know he was lying to Bella?" I ask. She's silent, confirming my question.
"She found out," Alice says softly.
"Yeah she found out! How could you keep this from me?" I ask desperately.
"Jasper, I wanted to tell you—to tell Bella—but it wasn't my place. Edward had to tell you guys. It was his job."
"My sister is hurt, Alice!" I yell. "I don't give a damn that it was his job! I should have known! She shouldn't have found out the way she did! She shouldn't have been lied to! What did she do to deserve this? To deserve two men to walk into her life only to leave her broken?"
"Please, keep your voice down," she whispers, shrinking away from me. I pinch the bridge of my nose and clamp my eyes shut. What am I doing? This isn't going to make Bella's pain go away.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I just," I start but stop for a moment before continuing. "I just can't stand the thought of Bella being hurt. She's been hurt too much in her life."
"Jasper, I'm not trying to make excuses for Edward because there is no excuse for this, but, he really does love her. I'm certain he's hurting just as bad. I know that he never wanted to hurt her. He was planning on telling her." She came over to me hesitantly.
"It's not all Edward's fault," I sigh. "My dad's the reason this whole thing started."
"I agree with you though, he should have told her."
EPOV
When I get back to my car Emmett is leaning against it. I stop walking and sigh. I can't turn around and forget about the car because he's seen me. He's waiting for me to come over there so he can kick my ass. Hell, maybe he should kick my ass. It's what I deserve after all. I walk up to my Volvo with my eyes averted at the ground.
"I know what happened," Emmett says. I don't say anything, too ashamed, too hurt. My heart is shattering and it's entirely my fault.
"I never wanted to hurt her," I say weakly.
"I know," he says shortly. "But you were lying to her." I feel like a child about to be scolded by my parents. Since when do I let anyone make me feel this small? "She's not just hurt by you, you know. It's also because of my dad. So not all of what she's feeling is directed towards you."
"Most of it is though. And I don't blame her. I should have never asked her out," I groan.
"Look, I know my sister, she's very forgiving. Give her some space for a few days then try talking to her again."
"Why are you helping me, Emmett?" I ask as I finally look at him.
"Because you're my friend. And I know you really do love Bella." Without saying another word he walks off towards his Jeep. I sigh and get into my car. Once I get home I grab a bottle of Jack and drink until I'm numb; tears streaming down my cheeks the entire time.
BPOV
I wake up the next morning with a pounding headache and with Rose behind me. I get up off the bed and trudge into the kitchen. I fill a glass with water and pop my anxiety pill along with some Tylenol. Once I chug all the water I put the glass in the sink and go over to the couch.
I can't think of anything besides Edward lying to me for the past several months. Declaring his love for me while he was using me for his job. I feel so betrayed. It makes me sick to my stomach.
"Bells?" Rose calls as she walks out of my room. I look up at her and smile softly.
"I need to do something," I say in a raspy voice. All that sobbing/screaming took a toll on my voice. "Get my mind off of everything. Then, tomorrow, I will go to work and pretend that nothing happened."
"Bell," Rose says as she comes to sit by me. "That's not the best way to approach this. Something did happen. You can't pretend it didn't."
"I can at least try," I say, trying to sound confidant. Rose looks at me warily, clearly not liking my plan. "Shopping?" I ask, knowing she wouldn't refuse.
"Alright," she sighs. I smile and get up before going up to my room to pick out an outfit to wear. I open my closet and realize Edward bought every piece of clothing I own. I stare at it blankly, remembering the shopping trip.
"I can't wear that to school!" I laughed. I put the very short pencil skirt back along with the strapless shirt he gave me.
"Well, maybe you could wear it for me," he whispered in my ear and I had to remind myself we were in public.
"Sorry, it's back on the rack," I giggled. He went to take it back off but I grabbed his hands.
"Okay, so what do you need besides work clothes?" he asked.
"Sweat pants, hoodies, and," I said before leaning up to his ear and whispering, "underwear."
"I will most certainly need to give you input on what to buy there. You'll have to model it for me though, my imagination doesn't seem to do you much justice," he said huskily.
"Bella? Sweetie, are you okay?" Rose asks as she rubs my back.
"He bought these clothes," I whisper, not wanting to say his name in fear for breaking down again.
"I know, Hon, but you can't afford to just buy a whole new wardrobe. Just put some clothes on and don't think about it."
After shopping, which did absolutely nothing to get my mind off of things, Rose drops me off at my house. I look in the woods to make sure Edward isn't sitting there. I walk into my house and throw myself into grading papers.
XOXO
School seems to pass by at a turtle's pace. Every second takes an eternity. By the time lunch rolls around I am going insane. I storm into Rose's office and fling myself into a chair.
"Kill me, please," I groan. "I'm going insane." Rose looks up at me and clasps her hands together on her desk.
"Tell you what, stop by after school and we'll do something fun."
"What are we going to do?"
"You don't get to know. It's something for you to look forward to," she smirks.
"Fine, but it better be fantastic."
"It will be," she says. I grab my container of ice cream from her mini fridge and start eating. "You need something more than just that," she scolds.
"This is all I want," I argue. She rips her peanut butter and jelly sandwich in half.
"Here, eat," she says as she thrusts it at me. I grab it and she takes the ice cream carton. I sigh and eat the sandwich. "Want to talk?" she asks. I shake my head, not wanting to talk about anything, especially not about Edward. I'm trying to forget. Although my dreams are making that hard.
The bell rings signaling the end of lunch and I get up to head back to class.
"Meet here after school," she says. I nod and walk out.
The rest of the day seems to go by a little quicker now that I have something to look forward to. My curiosity is killing me though. I can't figure out for the life of me what Rose has planned.
EPOV
"Emmett, can you help me?" I ask when he answers his door.
"Em, who is it?" Rose calls in the background.
"Yeah, come on in," Emmett says confused. "It's Edward," he calls to Rose as he steps aside to let me inside. I feel weird coming to Bella's brother's house for help on getting her to at least talk to me but he's my only choice.
I'll admit, before Bella, I didn't really have any guy friends. I pretty much just stuck with my family and the guys at work, but I wouldn't call the guys at work my friends. Bella introduced me to her brothers and they have become my best friends. I'm actually surprised Emmett didn't hand my ass to me on a platter last night.
"What is he doing here?" Rose asks as she walks into the hall.
"Rosie, cool it, he's just as hurt as she is."
"But this is his fault," she says, remaining adamant.
"Not fully. It's Dad's too."
"No, this is my fault," I say, taking the blame that I'm rightfully handed.
"What do you need?" Emmett asks as he leads me farther into the house, into the kitchen.
"I need to get Bella to talk to me. I need her to let me explain things."
"I don't think that's going to happen," Rosalie says, sitting down next to Emmett. "I'm not trying to be rude, but she's really hurt, Edward. She literally wants nothing to do with you."
"Which is why I need your guys' help," I explain.
"Why should we help you?" Rose asks, leaning onto the table.
"Because I don't want Bella to be hurt. I love her."
"Alright," she says and sits back. "What do you want?"
"I just want to talk to her. Explain to her everything I can."
"Okay, she won't go for it if she knows," she muses. "Oh! I've got it! You come into school Monday and I'll get her to talk to you."
"What time?"
"Well it will have to be after school ends. Be there by two, no later."
"Thank you, Rose. You have no clue how much I appreciate this," I say gratefully.
"Just don't hurt her more," she warns.
BPOV
Once the final bell rings I am out of my classroom like a bat out of Hell. I scurry down to Rose's office. When I get to it, her door is closed and the blinds are shut. Weird.
I knock on the door and wait for her to answer. Maybe she's with a student. She comes to the door and smiles, barely opening it to usher me in before shutting it again and standing in front of it, as if she were afraid I was going to try and escape.
"So?" I ask expectantly with a smile. That's when I see someone move in my peripheral vision. I turn to see the one face I don't want to. My heart clenches in pain and I find it hard to breath. "Rose," I say as I turn back to her. "Let me leave," I say seriously.
"Not until you two talk," she says pointedly. "Now, I'm going to wait outside. Right outside. So, if you try barging out, you won't get far." She starts opening the door and I shoot her a glare and cross my arms over my chest. I feel tears threaten to fall but I blink them away and bite my cheek.
"Bella," Edward says pleadingly. I shake my head, not looking at him. "I just need five minutes, ten tops," he says.
"I don't really have a choice in the matter, now do I?" I spit, my voice thick with oncoming tears.
"Can you please look at me?" I shake my head.
"You told me I could trust you," I say in a whisper, barely audible.
"What?" he asks for clarification, hesitantly moving a few steps closer.
"You said I could trust you!" I cry and look at him, finally letting my tears escape.
"And I meant it!" he replies in a desperate tone. "Every word I have ever said to you I meant."
"How can I trust you when you've been lying to me for the past five months? You've lied to me from the very beginning when I've been nothing but honest to you!" I yell. Tears stream down my face quickly.
"I've only lied about my job. That's it," he insists.
"But it was a daily lie. You lied about where you were, what you were doing. And to make it worse, you were doing this to improve at work. You knew how messed up I was from day one and you still pursued on getting closer to me! Do you know how much this hurts? Knowing the one guy outside my family I trusted was deceiving me the entire time?"
"I know I was wrong, I know I shouldn't have lied, but I was planning on telling you. I've tried telling you before the other night, it just hasn't worked. I would chicken out. I'm a coward, okay?" he says exasperated.
"No, it's not okay," I shake my head, wiping my tears. "You shouldn't have had to tell me because we shouldn't have to be in this situation right now. You shouldn't have come up to me that day and you shouldn't have tried getting to know me. You should have let me be. I would be better off right now."
My heart is shouting at me to forgive him, to stop making a big deal out of a lie. A small white lie that shouldn't hurt this much. But my brain is telling me to hold my ground and that this lie is more than just small, it's earth shattering. It's the foundation of our relationship.
"Are you saying you regret these past several months?" he asks, sounding unsure.
"I'm saying that if you didn't lie I wouldn't have put my heart out, I wouldn't be hurt right now, and we would both be better off," I explain, not answering the question directly.
"You're not the only one hurt from this, Bella."
"But I'm the only one who was blindsided, Edward. I was the one who didn't see it coming. You knew all along that you would have to tell me. You knew all along that there was a chance of this fight happening. You should have known that the sooner you told me the easier it would be for both of us. You don't get to play the victim, Edward," I say angrily. "We're done here." I walk to the door and open it. Rose is standing there, no doubt having heard everything.
"Rosalie, get out of my way or so help me," I threaten, tears still streaking my cheeks. She looks over at Edward who probably gives her an okay because she moves out of my way. I storm back into my classroom, gather my belongings and walk out. I get in my truck and drive out of town and down to the very end of First Beach, just outside of La Push.
I take off my heels and walk down to the edge of the water, the cool air making my flesh rise with gooseflesh. I let out soft sobs and put my face in my hands, realizing the one thing I feared. Dating Edward was the perfect mistake.
Hey everyone!
Okay, a little explanation for the last sentence:
If you have ever heard the song The Perfect Mistake by Cartel, you'll know what I'm talking about. I found their situation very easy to compare to the song. For example, the line: "I know I'm wrong, I knew all along you'd find out" goes perfectly with the story, as do many of the other lines. Just thought I'd clear up any confusion with the last line :D
So, how did I do? Thanks for reading! I will update as soon as I can!
Reviewers get teasers!
Lots of love,
Nikki