Writing this chapter was just crazy. I wrote a completely different ending and had to scrap it and rewrite it. It was good. Very good. But it was so very bad that I couldn't stay true to my vision for the story and leave it in. It was suggested to me by a poster on the thread that I offer it as a review reply. So, if you'd like to see it tell me in a review and I'll send it to you.
Thanks, as always, to Kristi and Lisa, betas extraordinaire!
I stop by the Twilighted thread almost every day and am active in the conversations there. Please stop by if you have something pressing to discuss or ask.
Chapter 27 – The Highest Highs and the Lowest Lows
EPOV
I watched her as she stared at the view out our window. Our quiet time together, coming right after the disaster downstairs, had me thrown for a loop. I wanted to apologize to her. It wasn't fair that she had paid for my past transgressions; but apologizing to her may have meant explaining parts of my past I wasn't necessarily proud of anymore.
Instead of speaking, I sat before her and worked my hands methodically over her feet. I'd noticed how quickly she'd kicked off her shoes once we had returned to the room. I rubbed hard circles into her heels and lightly stroked along her arch. Instead of questioning my actions, she settled back and sighed. Her acceptance made me more bold.
As I continued my ministrations I watched her blink sleepily. Her eyes slid shut and popped open several times before they finally fluttered closed. The cadence of her breath let me know she had fallen asleep.
I stopped massaging her feet and instead indulged in staring at her.
She was perfect tonight. Again.
I slid forward on the ottoman until my knees were between her legs. I leaned forward, putting my mouth near her ear.
"Bella, love, you should get ready for bed."
She blinked at me sleepily. Seeing her like this, unguarded, relaxed, on the verge of sleep, stirred up a feeling I hadn't had in a long time. Not since…
I cut off the thoughts before it could ruin the moment.
Acting solely on that feeling, I leaned forward and pressed my lips chastely against hers. She kissed me back. Although the kiss was innocent I could feel myself getting aroused. Not wanting to ruin the moment, I slid my lips from hers and pressed our cheeks together, my lips near her ear.
"Thank you for tonight, Bella."
Before she could respond, I stood up and walked into the bathroom, not once looking back.
Closing the door behind me, I started the shower and stripped out of the remainder of my clothes. I stared at my reflection until the steam from the shower covered the mirror. My mind was racing over the night. I tried to calm myself down but images of my "brothers" kissing Bella kept popping into my head. I got in the shower hoping to wash the visions away, but was unsuccessful. In an effort to banish the thoughts, I recounted my earlier conversation with Jasper.
The emcee had just finished welcoming us to the reunion and running down the events for tomorrow. Music was piped in and, although the room was really too small for it, several couples began to dance. I was considering asking Bella if she'd dance with me when Alice and Jasper appeared.
Alice immediately commandeered Bella's attention, discussing the clothes we were all wearing and complimenting the hotel's décor. I looked up at Jasper and took in his expression. I mentally rolled my eyes. He was obviously completely smitten with Ms. Brandon. His expression was one of tolerant amusement, but there seemed to be more.
He caught my eye and offered me a real grin, reminding me of the old Jasper—the one who had been happy with Charlotte. Lord knew I had no right to judge another person's relationship. If he was happy, so be it.
It seemed likely that Alice would require Bella's attention for some time. I was confident they'd be safe together, so I decided to talk to Jasper about what J.J. had brought up in our earlier conversation.
I leaned over to Bella and whispered in her ear, "I need to talk to Jasper about something J.J. mentioned earlier. Will you two be okay?"
"We're fine," she assured me, "go ahead."
I kissed her lightly on the cheek and jerked my head in Jasper's direction to get his attention. He nodded and followed me through the increasingly rowdy crowd. The servers were coming around with fruit on skewers and we both snagged one before returning to the lobby and walking through to the bar where Bella and I had been before the reception.
We both ordered drinks.
"J.J. called me earlier," I started without preamble.
Jasper rolled his eyes, sure that this would be an unpleasant discussion.
"What crawled up his ass?" Jasper asked.
"Seems he's keeping a close eye on our contractors' spending. He questioned me about some of Bella's purchases. He didn't believe they were business related and he's insisting on reimbursement for them."
"What kind of stuff?"
I cleared my throat. Although Jasper understood better than most, what's Bella's job entailed, I didn't think that he needed a rundown of her recent lingerie purchases or salon services.
I dodged the question by telling him that J.J. was going to email both of us with a list of the 'questionable' expenses.
"So, what do you want me to do?"
"Usually you'd just bill the contractor, right?"
Jasper nodded.
"Instead, give the bill to me. I'll cover Bella's expenses. Ignore the reservation for the hotel this weekend. I already switched that to my card when we checked in. But, I'm going to need your help with something."
"What's that?"
"To avoid dealing with this month after month, I'm going to make Bella an authorized user on my personal credit card."
Jasper raised his eyebrows.
"What does Bella think about that?"
"I didn't tell her. And I'm not going to. Neither are you. She'd probably just refuse, and then we'd run into other problems. What I want you to do is tell her we're upgrading our contractors' cards. I'll have the card expedited—it should be at the office no later than Tuesday. When it shows up, I'll give it to you and you can give it to Bella in exchange for the one she is carrying now. Okay?"
Jasper gave me a dubious look.
"Is that really smart?"
"It's fine. Bella's purchases really aren't your typical business purchases and none of us wants to have to justify them to the IRS. It's no big deal."
Jasper's easygoing nature asserted itself then and he shrugged.
"If that's what you want."
I nodded. Our conversation turned to a discussion of who we'd already run into when Jared approached us.
"Whitlock, you're needed at the party."
Jasper frowned.
"What's wrong? Did something happen to Alice?"
"Your girlfriend's fine, but I think you want to be around for what's going to happen…." Jared trailed off as his cell phone started to buzz. He checked the text.
"Looks like they'll be needing you as well, Cullen," Jared smiled.
Shit.
The evening's earlier events came back to me full force, and I nudged Jasper and followed Jared's lead.
"What's--?" Jasper started. Then his eyes narrowed and he sped up. Seems he realized what was happening.
I followed Jasper and Jared into the reception, where a small crowd had gathered. Standing near the middle of the crowd were Bella and Alice along with Sam Uley. I couldn't imagine how Bella had gotten herself roped into this. I had already warned her.
Jasper took in the scene before him and then said, "Dudes, aren't we a little old for this? C'mon Alice, let's go."
"No way, Whitlock", Sam retorted. "You've played the game before. You gonna pussy out now that it's your girl?"
"Ya' know what, Uley? I am going to 'pussy out,' as you eloquently put it. I don't have anything to prove."
Jasper took Alice's arm gently and tried to lead her away from the gathering, but she wasn't having any part of it.
Alice shook him off. "No, Jazz, no. I'll do it. There's nothing these guys have that will compare to you." She gazed at him confidently and he reluctantly let her go.
Sam went through the motions, explaining the game, though all the guys here had played it before. Bella walked over to me and I tried to convince her to leave with me.
"We can't," she said. "We can't leave Jasper and Alice like this."
I sighed but could appreciate her loyalty.
Sam offered me a place in the line but I declined. Then he let me know flat out that Bella would be expected to participate.
That was it.
"Let's go," I said to Bella urgently, trying to pull her away.
"It's okay, Edward," she insisted.
But I didn't like the look in Sam's eye. There was more than one version of this game and I didn't trust him to not pull some stunt.
Bella and I watched as Alice easily chose Jasper from the line of men chosen to kiss her.
"Okay, Bella, you're up," Sam said.
Bella took Alice's place and they quickly covered her eyes. I began walking over to take my place in line when suddenly I felt hands grabbing me from behind. I struggled against the force, confident I could break free and put a stop to this nonsense when another set of hands joined the first and I was pushed against the wall.
Jasper started forward to help me, but I shook my head. I was about to tell him to get Bella instead when a third person put his hand over my mouth, effectively silencing me.
I continued to struggle as I watched the guys line up. Jared was first, followed by a guy I didn't recognize. Seth was third, Paul was fourth and Sam fifth. My stomach knotted and I quickly thought of Rachel and Leah, Paul and Sam's respective college girlfriends.
This was payback.
Rachel and Paul and been "on a break" when she and I slept together. A week later I understood why. Rachel was clingy. No wonder Paul wanted to get away from her. I was just looking for a little fun, and had assumed she was, too, when we'd gotten together a few days after they'd split. When Paul found out he went batshit crazy. By then I had already moved on, but Paul wanted to kill me. We'd almost come to blows, but Sam defused the situation.
Too bad there was no one to defuse Sam when the time came.
I didn't even know Sam was with Leah when she and I had our romp in the sack. Whatever. Their relationship didn't survive her infidelity,and Sam and I did get into a fight about it. Not that I wanted Leah, but she was…convenient. And I certainly wasn't going to stand there and take a beating from Sam. I thought he was over it by the time his black eye had faded. Guess not.
From what I could tell, Paul and Sam were pulling some sort of shit with Bella. I struggled harder to get away from whoever was holding me back, but it was fruitless. Bella had turned her head from Seth, but stepped away from both Paul and Sam. When it was done Bella insisted that none of the guys who'd touched her were me.
She quickly pulled the scarf off and looked at me. The crowd started laughing as I was released. Now that the fun was over, they quickly dispersed. I walked straight over to Bella. I heard Sam shout something, but paid him no attention.
"I'm so sorry, Bella," I said, taking her face in my hands. I became aware of Jasper and Alice standing nearby.
"I'm fine, Edward, really."
"Those guys are juvenile assholes. It never occurred to me that they might pull that. I should have insisted that we leave. I'm so sorry," I told her.
"Edward, really, it's fine. I'm fine. No harm done and now they'll leave us alone."
I doubted it.
"You want to get out of here?" I asked her.
She nodded, so I grabbed her hand and led her through the crowd. Jasper and Alice were right on our heels. I stopped when we reached the lobby and turned to Jasper.
"You staying?" I asked, though I knew the answer.
"No, but I'll be back tomorrow for the game."
That's right. Tomorrow we'd be playing a little football in the park. I smiled. All kinds of bad things could happen to someone during a football game. I caught Jasper's eye and he nodded solemnly. Good. We were on the same page.
We bid them goodnight and I led Bella towards the elevators.
I kept my eyes on her face, sure that, at some point, she'd freak out about what had just happened. She was surprisingly calm, though. We rode the elevator to our floor. I pulled her close as we made our way down the hall, just wanting to feel her next to me.
I unlocked the door to our room and Bella went right to the bathroom. I could hear her brushing her teeth and I gritted mine. Yeah, obviously those guys had taken advantage of her trusting nature.
Bella exited the bathroom and kicked off her shoes. I could see her wincing. She walked across the bedroom and sat in the plush chair next to the bed, raising her feet to the ottoman. She closed her eyes.
I took off my jacket and tie and dropped my wallet and some change on the dresser, my eyes on her the entire time. She seemed relaxed as she turned her head and took in the view of the river outside our window.
I grabbed a bottle of water from the honor bar and offered it to her. She took it as I sat down on the ottoman and put her feet in my lap. I wanted to make up this night to her, but settled for rubbing her feet. She gazed out the window until she finally dozed off.
A shift in the water pressure let me know I needed to stop daydreaming and finish showering. I rinsed off quickly and got out, shutting off the warm water. I grabbed two towels, drying my hair with one and wrapping the other around my hips.
I grimaced for a moment at my lack of forethought. My pajamas were in the dresser and I was in here in a towel. Instead of discarding the towel I used for my hair, I wrapped it around my shoulders providing myself a little bit more coverage before heading into the bedroom.
I needn't have worried. Bella was tucked serenely between the covers of our bed, sound asleep. The comforter was pulled up to her waist while her hair spilled over the pillow under her. She was wearing comfortable black pajamas that had a scoop neck and crocheted trim at the wrists.
She was breathtaking.
She lay on the right side of the bed, half on her back, half on her side, as if she had fallen asleep looking out the window.
I rifled through the drawers until I found the black and tan plaid flannel sleep pants I'd brought and a black t-shirt. I went back to the bathroom and pulled on the comfortable clothes before wiping down the counter with the damp towel, brushing my teeth and turning off the light.
I made my way through the darkness to the bed and slid between the cool sheets. The bed was so large that Bella's body heat hadn't seeped far enough to warm the Egyptian cotton. I turned on my side to look at her. Her face was turned away, but a content feeling radiated from her. I lamented the large bed. It would have been nice to be in closer proximity to her, like when we'd slept together on my couch.
I inhaled and was treated to Bella's soft scent. I was sorely tempted to reach over and turn her face towards mine, but restrained myself. It really wasn't my place…yet.
Nothing about tonight or this week had weakened my resolve. I still found myself wildly attracted to Bella. If I were being honest, it wasn't just the mauling tonight that pissed me off, but the fact that three of those men shared a more significant kiss with Bella than I had since the club's opening, and I hadn't even known who she was when I'd kissed her that night.
My lips tingled with the memory of our time in the conference room in the back of the club. I wrenched my thoughts back to tonight when the tingle started to migrate south. I focused on Sam and Paul. And Seth. What the hell was his beef? I'd never slept with his girlfriend, ex-girlfriend or whatever. As far as I knew.
The angry thoughts had their hoped for effect, killing my desire. I took a few deep breaths, inhaling Bella's unique scent, allowing it to calm me. My last thought was of tomorrow and the football game where someone would be learning a lesson.
~*~*~
"No… no… that's ammonia. You can't mix them."
"Hmm?" I asked; sleep making it hard for me to form a more coherent question.
Silence.
I frowned. What did she say? I cracked an eyelid and was met by complete darkness. I turned my head quickly to look at the clock. Two eighteen.
Clarity returned to me as I looked down at the sleeping woman currently sprawled across my chest, my arms cinched around her comfortably.
Holy shit, I'd migrated over to her in my sleep!
No, wait. My eyes darted over the bed again. I hadn't moved. She had! We were firmly ensconced on my side of the bed. Bella's head rested on her left hand, which was low on my chest. Her hair was a wild halo, covering my left arm, which was wrapped around her.
I considered shifting her off me for a split second, but decided against it. I liked holding her like this. I settled back only to hear Bella again.
"Cheese."
Cheese?
"Are you hungry, Bella? Do you want some cheese?"
I didn't think she'd answer me, since she didn't the last time, but instead she frowned.
"He fed me cheese."
I grinned. Bella talked in her sleep.
She didn't say anything for the longest time. I was just about to drop back off to sleep when I heard her again.
"Edward…"
Emotions welled up in my chest, centered where her small, soft hand rested. I squeezed her lightly and she sighed.
"Edward…." It was barely audible this time.
"Shh, beautiful, I'm here." I smoothed my hand over her hair.
She nestled against me. I counted her breaths as the rise and fall of her chest pressed her breasts against my stomach in a slow rhythm. I was well over two hundred before I rejoined her in slumber.
~*~*~
BPOV
My dreams were jumbled as I began to wake up. Images of sand and sun were prominent. The overriding theme, however, was heat.
I was hot.
Why was I so hot?
I struggled with the covers that were smothering me, finally gaining enough leverage to throw the offensive material off my body. Cool air touched my sweaty skin and I shivered, the involuntary movement waking me a bit more.
I froze.
Not again!
I became fully aware of my position on the bed I had shared with Edward last night. No wonder I was hot. I was draped over him like a blanket, covering him almost completely from shoulder to hip, my face in his neck. My legs were canted off to the side, my hip bone making its acquaintance with his….
Shit!
I jumped off the bed with a grace and speed I rarely possessed. Despite my best effort, I couldn't help but brush against his prominent erection. I thought I heard him moan, but didn't stick around to see if he was awake.
A ran to the dresser and pulled out the clothes I'd planned to wear today. Without looking back at Edward I bolted for the bathroom.
Closing and locking the door behind me, I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was a wild mess. It was damp where it had laid trapped between Edward and me. My makeup was smeared and I had sleep lines on my neck and chest where I'd been pressed against Edward's t-shirt.
I dragged my brush through my hair, brushed my teeth, and started the shower. As soon as the water was warm, I stepped in and took a deep breath, letting the steam calm me.
It was no big deal. It was no big deal. It was no big deal. I chanted the phrase over and over, but I knew better. It was a big deal. That was the second time I'd found myself cuddled up with my boss while sleeping. I was just thankful that I'd woken first both times.
I shuddered as I imagined what he'd think if he were the first to awaken. A guy that looked like Edward didn't lack for female bedmates. He'd probably think I was as enamored of him as the local socialites, and was using our proximity to get up close and personal.
It was no big deal.
At this point there was nothing I could do. Edward was still asleep and completely unaware of my sleep-snuggling tendencies.
I washed and conditioned my hair before pouring a generous dollop of freesia body wash on my pouf. I lathered it up and scrubbed off a few layers of skin before shaving and, finally, washing my face.
I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my hair. I patted myself dry with a second towel and slipped on my robe. I checked my face in the mirror to make sure all my makeup was off. Satisfied, I was about to start moisturizing when a light knock sounded.
"Bella? Can I get in there a minute? I need to use the bathroom and I'd really like to brush my teeth."
I froze, as if I'd been caught doing something wrong. I forced myself to relax. I was being silly. I wasn't guilty of anything.
"I-I'll be right out," I stuttered. I rolled my eyes at myself.
There were two bright pink spots on my cheeks that could hopefully be attributed to heat from my shower, rather than my embarrassment. I took a deep breath and moved purposefully to the door, popping the lock and swinging it wide.
Edward stood in front of me. One arm was braced against the door frame, his legs angled back, as if he were leaning into the door. He smiled when he saw me.
"Good morning," he said with a sleepy smile and a yawn.
"Morning," I mumbled back at him.
"Can I have a few minutes?"
"Oh, sure. Um, just let me grab my clothes." I retreated back into the bathroom and grabbed my things before exiting once more.
"I'll be right out," he assured me.
As soon as the door was closed, I dropped my robe and shimmied into my underwear. Pulling on my jeans, I let down my hair before sliding my black, long-sleeved shirt over my head. We were supposed to be spending the better part of the day outside. I was sitting on the bed putting on my socks when Edward emerged from the bathroom. He looked more awake and his hair was slightly damp. He must have run a wet brush through it a few times.
"I hope you don't mind," he started, "I ordered room service for breakfast."
"That's fine."
"I got some fruit, coffee and orange juice. I also ordered cheese and bread. Is that okay?"
I nodded. How very European of him.
"They're also sending up some of that tea you like."
I smiled. "Thank you."
"You can finish up," Edward said, gesturing to the bathroom.
"Thanks."
I retreated to the bathroom and shook out my hair. I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing with it tonight, but figured drying it straight would give me the most options. I began working on it while straining my ears to hear what Edward was doing in the bedroom.
Fifteen minutes later my hair hung in a heavy curtain down my back. I decided a little makeup would make it look like I'd made an effort, so I quickly brushed on mascara and gloss. I heard a knock on the room's door and a young voice called, "Room service."
Edward answered the door and spoke with the waiter. Dishes rattled as the service cart was pushed into the room. I heard the door close and I decided it was time to emerge.
When I walked into the bedroom, Edward was examining the contents of a cheese plate. He had dressed in comfortable jeans and green and white striped rugby shirt.
"What do you have there?" I asked.
Edward smiled at me when he looked up.
"This was a suggested breakfast plate," he explained. "One of the cheeses has juniper berries and it supposed to be good spread on bread." He pointed at a napkin folded over slices of bread. "This one is a Wisconsin cow's-milk cheese." He held up a thin slice. "And this one is from off the coast of Spain. It's a little citrusy. I think you'll like it with your tea."
I sat on the desk chair while Edward sat on the bed. We shared the bread and cheese. I scooped some fruit into a small bowl and was enjoying a surprisingly good chunk of melon for November, when there was a knock on the door.
Edward frowned before getting up and checking the peephole. He opened the door.
Emmett came bounding into the room, followed by a significantly quieter Rosalie with EJ on her hip.
"What's up, bro?" Emmett's voice was loud in the quiet room, though he wasn't actually yelling. He froze when he saw me.
"Bella." My name was definitely a greeting, but it was also a question. His eyes darted around the room, which showed obvious signs of both its occupants.
"Good morning, Emmett. It's nice to see you again, Rose."
"Hi, Bella," Rose answered. Her curiosity was better hidden than Emmett's, but she was still surprised to see me.
"So, when did you get here?" Emmett asked me. I could tell he was looking for confirmation of what his eyes were telling him.
"We came yesterday," Edward answered nonchalantly. He didn't seem to realize the intent behind Emmett's question.
Emmett eyed me as he nodded slowly. I looked away from him but Rose caught my eye. Her expression was unreadable at first, but then she smiled at me. I smiled back.
"Dude," Emmett started, "why are you eating up here? Everyone's downstairs. I was talking with…"
Edward interrupted him. "Let's go downstairs. Bella will you be okay up here?"
"Yeah, I'm just going to finish my tea. We'll be down in a few minutes. When do we have to leave for the park?"
Edward checked his watch. "Not for another hour. Take your time."
"Okay."
Emmett kissed Rose and EJ before he and Edward left the room.
Rose turned around and faced me. I took in her expression and wondered how someone could look so curious and so "knowing" all at once.
"I know what you're thinking." I decided that offense was the best defense.
"I didn't say anything," she replied with an overly innocent air.
"You didn't have to. I could hear you thinking all the way over here," I said with a laugh.
"Can you blame me?" she asked. Honestly, I couldn't. I knew what this looked like. It looked exactly like what Edward wanted it to look like; like the two of us were sleeping together.
Which we were, but not in that way.
I shook my head in answer to her question and sighed.
"Uh-oh, that doesn't sound good," she said.
"Oh, no, everything's good. This is what I signed on for, after all. There was some confusion about the hotel, and by the time I made the reservations the only rooms left were King Rooms, so we're making the best of it."
"Making the best of it, as in I shouldn't lay my son down on that bed?" she asked with an arch of her brow.
I laughed. "The bed is safe for your son."
Rose settled the sleeping EJ down on the bed and moved the pillows to protect him from rolling off. I offered her some coffee, which she accepted, and the two of us settled into the chairs.
"So, how did last night go?" she asked.
I grimaced and dove into the whole sordid story. Rosalie listened without interruption.
EmPOV
I kissed my wife and son goodbye before heading out the door with Edward. To say I was surprised to find Bella in the room would be an understatement. To say that I was floored to realize that she had spent the night with him was a gross understatement. I wondered if my brother knew what he was doing.
We took a few steps down the hall before I grabbed him by the arm and marched him into an alcove housing a small couch and two chairs.
"Emmett?"
"What's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't play stupid with me, Edward, you know exactly what I mean."
"I'm afraid I don't."
I made an exasperated sound before deciding I'd get more out of him if I humored him and played the game.
"Are you sleeping with Bella?"
"Define 'sleeping with'."
Was he kidding?
"Are you kidding?" I asked incredulously.
"If you are asking if Ms. Swan and I are engaged in a sexual relationship, the answer is no. However, we did share a bed last night."
"I wasn't born yesterday."
"I'm not trying to insult your intelligence, Emmett. The situation is… complicated."
"Simplify it for me."
Edward sighed.
"I wanted Bella to stay with me this weekend to further perpetuate our public persona as an involved couple. She didn't realize I'd want to stay at the hotel at all, since I already live in Chicago. By the time she made the reservation there were no suites available. She booked this room and we're making the best of it. End of story."
I nodded my head. Of course he had a story to make this ridiculousness sound plausible.
"So that's all there is to it?"
"That's all there is." I narrowed my eyes. He said there was nothing more to it, but he looked away from me when he said it.
"Edward?"
He turned to face me.
"Hm?"
"That's all there is to it?"
This time he looked me in the face, "That's all."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and decided to drop it for now.
"Let's go down."
"Wait."
"What?"
"We had some trouble last night. I'm going to need your help today."
EPOV
I explained what had happened to Bella and Alice last night. Emmett was appropriately outraged and fell into my plan easily. Today's game of two-hand touch was going to be a little hard on some of our "brothers."
The two of us headed downstairs and got reacquainted with some old friends. There were some people who hadn't arrived until this morning and others who wanted to talk to Emmett since he wasn't around last night.
The wolf pack was nowhere to be found, but I wasn't worried. We'd talked about the game at the bar earlier yesterday.
I was on the phone with Jasper when Bella and Rose made their way downstairs. The two women were talking with their heads close together. Bella really seemed to enjoy Rose's company. And, if appearances were any indication, Rose liked Bella. That's all I could assume since she had surrendered EJ into Bella's small hands.
I watched as the trio made their way over to us. They were dressed to leave. Bella had on tall black boots and a blue down vest. A knit cap and matching scarf finished the look.
"Is Jasper here yet?" Rose asked.
"They're running late," I explained. "They'll meet us at the park, so we can go if you're ready. Do you want to ride over together?"
"No, we're going to need to get home to change and drop EJ off before the dinner tonight."
The four of us headed through the lobby. We waited on the sidewalk while our cars were brought around. Bella surrendered the baby to Rose so she could put him in his car seat.
"You're a natural, Bella," Rose commented.
Bella blushed.
"I don't know anything about babies," she said, "I just like to hold them."
Rose smiled at her. "In that case you can be chief baby-holder today while we're out."
We said goodbye and got into our car before heading to the park.
Signs were plastered all over the place, making it easy for us to find parking. Bella remembered to let me help her out of the car. Holding hands, we followed more signs to the check-in table. I glanced over the sign-in sheets for the various activities available this afternoon. Finding the football signups, I jotted down Emmett, Jasper and myself. I noticed that Sam, Paul, Seth and Jared were already signed up.
Rose and Emmett caught up to us and we decided to split up for our other activities. The football game was scheduled for 2.
We headed over to the horseshoe pit. It was here that I discovered that Bella had zero athletic ability.
"C'mon," I said, "it's easy." I was standing behind her, my left arm wrapped around her waist. We were both holding the same horseshoe with our right hands. I levered her arm back and forth.
"On the count of three we'll let go. Just aim for the little pole sticking out of the sand, okay?"
She nodded her head quickly.
"One, two, THREE!" I let go of the horseshoe, but Bella held on a bit longer. By the time she let go she was so high in her swing that the horseshoe went straight up in the air. I followed its progress incredulously before realizing it was likely to come down right on our heads.
"Shit!"
I grabbed Bella by the shoulders and pulled her out of the way of the falling horseshoe. She stumbled and we went down in a tangle of arms and legs. Not knowing if the horseshoe had hit the ground yet, I scrambled to cover her head with my own body before throwing my arms up over my own head.
I heard a meaty thunk nearby and raised my head cautiously. The horseshoe had landed less than a foot away from us. I rolled over to let Bella free. She didn't move.
"Bella?" I reached over and tapped her shoulder gently. Her back and shoulders were shaking and I began to worry that I hurt her.
"Bella? Are you okay? I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" The words came rushing out of my mouth in a torrent.
She still hadn't moved, except for the shaking. I jumped up and ran around her before squatting down in front of her. Her hands were covering her face.
"Bella? Bella!" I pulled her hands away from her face and registered that there were tears streaming down her face.
"Are you okay?"
Then I realized she was laughing.
"I'm so… I'm so…!" She couldn't get through the sentence she was laughing so hard. I let out a small chuckle and shook my head, my panic draining away.
"C'mon, love," I entreated, "get up." I held out my hand to her, which she accepted. When I pulled her to her feet I gave an extra tug, pulling her to me and wrapping my arms around her. Her breath left her with a whoosh and then she threw her arms around my neck.
In a move that surprised me, she rose up on her toes and pressed her lips to mine. Bella's lips were soft and I let her control the kiss as her mouth moved gently. Her tongue emerged to sweep lightly across my bottom lip and I opened my mouth to accept her. She touched my tongue with a long stroke and I responded to her overture.
My hands slid down from her waist to her ass and I pulled her against me. Her hands moved from around my neck to my chest and back again in firm strokes I could feel right through my jacket.
"Get a room!" someone yelled, rudely. We broke from our kiss, but not from one another. Our foreheads were pressed together and Bella was panting lightly, her eyes closed.
"I'm so sorry, Edward. I could have brained us both. Horseshoes is really not my game."
"No," I agreed, "let's find something more your speed." Snaking my arm around her waist we walked the path through the park until we came across a busy playground. It was huge, with multiple slides and monkey bars. Bella's eyes lit up.
I glanced around quickly and led her to the swing set standing near the back of the playground. It was a monster with at least a dozen swings. I ushered her to an empty one on the end and she sat with a grin.
"Ready?" I asked her. I pulled back on the chains, and she let out a squeal, before I put my hands on her back and pushed hard. She leaned back and pumped her legs and I pushed her again when she flew back towards me. I pushed her a few more times until she was swinging as high as she could safely go. I walked around the swing set and sat on the ground in front of her.
She continued to pump her legs, leaning back, her hair flying out behind her head. She was laughing and hollering. She was just so carefree—enjoying this simple pleasure—I couldn't help the huge grin spreading across my face.
When she realized I wasn't behind her anymore she swung her head around looking for me. Our eyes met and she smiled. Bringing her legs down to break her momentum, she slowed the swing until it was barely moving. Once it was safe, I stood up and walked over to her. She sat on the swing looking up at me while I held onto the chain and looked down at her.
Her hair was wild and her eyes were bright. Pink spots were visible on either cheek. She was so damned beautiful that I couldn't stop myself from kissing her. I leaned down and gently brushed my lips against hers and she responded eagerly. My right hand came up to cup her face and I was about to deepen the kiss when a high-pitched voice nearby let out a loud, "Ooooooh!"
Remembering we were on a playground full of children, I broke away and looked around quickly. It wasn't a little kid that had caught us however; it was Alice and Jasper. Alice was making naughty-naughty sounds while Jasper laughed silently. I scowled at them, which only made them smile more.
"C'mon you two, food's ready."
Bella popped up from the swing and tried to pull me along. Honestly, though, the kind of hunger I was feeling wouldn't be satisfied with food. I was feeling petulant, like a kid whose favorite toy was taken away.
"C'mon, Edward!" Bella insisted.
"I'm not hungry," I groused.
She snorted and chuckled. "Well, I am," she continued.
Sighing dramatically, I gave in with poor grace and followed her along the path. When I was sure Alice and Jasper couldn't hear I leaned into her once again, "I was quite satisfied with what was in my mouth before Alice and Jasper interrupted."
Bella's head snapped around and she looked at me in shock. Her face flamed bright red and I waggled my eyebrows at her, increasing her embarrassment.
She looked like she was about to say something when Alice danced over to her side.
"You two get in line for the pasta salad and corn," she instructed, "Jasper and I will get the meat. What do you want, hamburgers or hot dogs?"
"Hamburgers," we answered simultaneously.
"Emmett's getting drinks and Rose is holding our table." Alice pointed to my sister-in-law who was giving a bottle to EJ. Rose waved when she saw us.
It took about 10 minutes for everyone to finally gather at the table. Once the girls were engrossed in cooing over EJ, the three of us had a planning session for the game.
We'd all play our usual positions. Jasper would be the quarterback, I'd be the center and Emmett would play tackle. While winning the game would be nice, that wasn't the goal today.
"I don't care about the rest," Jasper said, "but Uley has to pay."
I nodded. "Paul and Seth, too," I added. "They both stuck their tongues in Bella's mouth. If we can get Jared as well, that'd be good."
Emmett nodded his head, taking it all in.
Our plan went off without a hitch. The girls stood on the sidelines cheering for our team as we took a quick 6-0 lead. The game was two-hand-touch, but there had already been some roughness in the first few plays.
When the second quarter started we ran a few plays. The ball turned over and we set our plan in motion. Jared snapped the ball back to Sam, while Seth and Paul took off running. Emmett took off after Seth, while I covered Paul. A wicked grin came across Paul's face when I got close to him. He dodged me as the ball came whizzing through the air towards us. On the pretense of reaching up to intercept, my fist made hard contact with Paul nose. He dropped to the ground like a pole-axed steer, his hand coming to his nose while blood poured through his fingers.
Play was halted while Paul made his way to the sidelines. Someone handed him an ice pack and he worked at stanching the bleeding while the rest of returned to the field.
Seth's payback was pure luck. He was following Emmett, who was carrying the ball towards the end zone. Seth managed to get one hand on him. Thinking he was tagged, Emmett slowed down and Seth shot past him, overcompensating for a weight that was no longer offering resistance. He hit a slick patch and went sprawling in a mud puddle we'd been avoiding. When he stood, he was covered in mud from his hip to his hairline.
I wasn't going to be satisfied with that level of payback, but a quick glance at Bella showed that she was doubled over in laughter at Seth's predicament. Seth noticed her hilarity. His eyes narrowed and he spit mud before stalking off the field to try to clean up a bit.
Jared and Sam were conferring. Sam looked pissed, but Jared looked nervous. They ran another play and actually managed to score. After the kick, the score was now 7-6 in their favor.
Jared's wild attempt to sack Jasper resulted in an elbow to the mouth that split his lip and left him spitting blood. The other players had realized, by now, that the game had turned personal and were giving all of us wide berth in an attempt to avoid the carnage. This is why Sam was left almost totally undefended the next time he took possession of the ball. Emmett bore down on him like divine retribution. Reaching out for the two-hand touch, Emmett "stumbled" and came down on Sam. The two went down and Sam immediately started screaming.
The paramedics were pretty sure he snapped his collarbone.
We congratulated our opponents on a well-played game. They had beaten us, after all.
After the game, the six of us took our time getting back to the cars. Bella carried EJ, cooing to him while the rest of us traded game highlights. A couple of spectators offered their "condolences" for our loss; usually walking away with broad grins.
*~*~*
A short time later we were back at the hotel getting ready for the evening. Bella showered first and then got dressed in the room while I showered. I came out of the bathroom just in time to help her zip her dress up the back. Women's clothing was bizarre. Why wear clothing that you literally couldn't put on without someone else's help?
I wasn't complaining, though. Helping Bella allowed me the opportunity to "accidently" run my fingertip up her spine while I zipped her up. She suppressed a shiver, but, much to my delight, couldn't stop the goose flesh from erupting along her back and shoulders.
It was the first time I was seeing Bella in "basic black," and she was stunning. Her dress was sleeveless with a deep V in the front and back. Three bands of silver sequins circled her narrow waist.
While she put on strappy, silver heels, I went to the in-room safe and took out the jewelry Alice had suggested for this evening. A signature Tiffany key, diamond studded with a heart-shaped bow on a long platinum chain, and a delicate woven bracelet also of platinum shined against her skin. She thanked me for helping her and we left the room arm in arm.
We quickly found our table in the ballroom. Jasper and Alice joined us almost immediately, while Emmett and Rose showed up a little later. The six of us sat together, sharing easy conversation and enjoying our dinners. I noticed that Sam hadn't made it back from the hospital yet, but Paul was in attendance, a bandage over his nose and a shiner around his right eye.
When the band struck up music after the meal I asked Bella to dance, and we spent a good hour out there dancing to everything from Big Band tunes to current pop covers. My brother, Jasper and the girls joined us from time to time, even switching off to dance with each others' partners.
"You seem happy," Rose said, while she and I took a turn around the dance floor.
"I'm having a good time," I replied.
"It's more than that," she continued with a knowing look. She glanced over to where Bella was dancing with Jasper. I followed her line of sight and frowned.
"It's complicated."
"Yeah, Emmett said you told him that. It doesn't seem that complicated to me."
"It's just a job for her, Rose. An opportunity to get back on her feet and make something of herself."
"No."
Huh?
"What no?"
Rose sighed. "It's not just a job for her, Edward. She wouldn't have spent all that time today fussing over EJ if it were just a job. And don't you try to tell me that she's 'just an employee' to you either."
"Well, she is."
"Do you believe your own bullshit, or do you really think you can lie to me about something like this? I may be with your brother, Edward, but you Cullen men are all the same. You should take a page out of Jasper's book," she said, waving a hand to where Alice and Jasper were now staring at each other while they danced having switched partners with Emmett. "There's nothing wrong with wearing your heart on your sleeve when you know the other person is right there with you."
"I know no such thing, and it wouldn't matter if I did. This is just a job for Bella. She's my employee. Nothing like that could happen between us even if we wanted it to. Bella's not 'that kind' of escort."
Rose narrowed her eyes at my implication that anything physical between Bella and me would make Bella a less than upstanding citizen. Thankfully, the music ended and Emmett came over to reclaim his wife, passing Bella back to me.
Our next dance was tense and Bella sensed my shift in mood.
"They're serving dessert," she told me, quietly, "let's get back to the table."
I nodded curtly and indicated she should lead the way while I stalked behind her. Friggin' Rose, she screwed up my good mood.
We sat down and were soon served plates of petit fours and coffee. Conversation at the table hadn't slowed at all, but I sort of tuned out a bit, thinking about Bella and what Rose said. Frustrated, I stood up, effectively halting conversation at the table.
"I'm going to get a drink," I announced. "I'll be right back."
I walked to the bar and ordered a Scotch before turning around and perusing the room.
"Fun party, eh?" a quiet voice from my past said. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard before turning to the woman next to me.
"That it is, Jessica." I kept my tone neutral and distant.
Jessica smiled at me, sadly. "It's good to see you, Edward," she said, "It's been a long time. How are you doing?"
BPOV
I watched Edward stalk off towards the bar and wondered what had happened to destroy his good mood. It was unlike him to get a drink without offering me one. I knew I wasn't going to find out what wass bothering him now, so I turned my attention back to the table. Alice and I were talking quietly. She was pointing out all the fashion don'ts in the room, when I suddenly became aware of the silence at the table.
I glanced up. Jasper and Emmett were looking over at the bar with concerned faces. Rose was looking, too, with a slight frown marring her beautiful features. I followed their gazes to where Edward was leaning against the bar talking with Jessica, who'd I'd met yesterday. His face was stoic, though I could see his lips move when he answered her. She tilted her head and reached out to touch his arm. She said a few more words before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. With a small wave she walked away leaving Edward alone.
As I watched, Edward turned towards the bar and buried his face in his hands for a few moments before signaling the bartender for another drink. Edward didn't return to the table, instead ordering and consuming another three glasses of Scotch over the next half hour or so. It was getting late and I was getting tired. I was getting concerned about his level of inebriation and wondered if he'd need help getting upstairs.
"You going to be okay, Bella?" Jasper asked, appearing at my side, suddenly. "Alice and I are going to head out. Think you can get Edward back to your room by yourself?"
I look over at the bar. Edward wasn't drinking right now; instead he was staring morosely at the empty glass in his hand.
"I think so. Where are Emmett and Rose?"
"They're over there." He pointed across the room to where Emmett and Rose were involved in a conversation with people I didn't know.
"You two have a good night. Will we see you tomorrow?"
Jasper just shook his head.
"Nah, it's just brunch tomorrow. Alice and I are sleeping in. I'll see you next week at work. We're making some changes to the corporate cards. You'll probably be getting a new one Tuesday or Wednesday next week. Stop by my office when you have a chance."
"Will do. Thanks, Jasper."
In a surprise move, Jasper leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Watch him tonight, Jessica can really do a number on him."
I looked at him questioningly, but no answers were forthcoming. He offered me a small grimace and a half shrug before kissing me on the cheek. He walked over to Alice, who turned around and waved goodbye before spreading her thumb and pinkie apart in the universal "call me" sign. I waved back at her.
Edward was still standing at the bar. From this angle I couldn't tell if he was still drinking. I sat down at our table and sipped at my tepid tea.
"Hi there."
I looked up to see a tall man about Emmett's age standing behind Edward's chair.
"Hello."
The man reached out to shake my hand and I responded automatically. "I'm Collin," he introduced himself.
"Bella," I responded.
"Well, Bella, I saw you sitting over here alone and just thought I'd stop by and say hi."
"That's very nice of you." I smiled. He seemed harmless enough.
Collin was about to say something when a shadow fell over me.
"It's getting late, Bella, we should go." Edward had finally returned to the table. I looked up at him. His face was dark and he was scowling.
"Edward, nice to see you," Collin said, reaching out to shake his hand. There's no doubting his sincerity.
"Collin." Edward answered shortly, ignoring Collin's outstretched hand. "Let's go, Bella. I'll text Emmett and let him know we're heading to our room."
"Um, okay." I stood up. "It was nice to meet you, Collin."
"You too, Bella."
I reached down for my purse as Edward grabbed my arm and started pulling me from the ballroom, fast enough to make me stumble. I bumped into him lightly, but he careened off me and hit the wall. I was sure that the alcohol had caught up with him.
I watched as Edward righted himself and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes he seemed more himself.
"Excuse me," I offered.
"It's my fault," Edward insisted. "I'm sorry."
He offered me his arm and we proceeded back to our room in silence. Once inside he went right to the chair at the side of the bed and sat down heavily. His eyes were closed and I wondered if he was okay.
"Um, I'm going to take a shower. Will you be alright?"
"Yeah."
He didn't say anything else so I grabbed my pjs from the dresser and headed to the bathroom. Stripping and showering didn't take long. I wrapped my wet hair in a towel and rubbed myself down vigorously, before pulling on my soft periwinkle pajamas. They look like men's pajamas, but are made of satin and feel so good against my skin.
I exited the bathroom after brushing my teeth to discover that Edward hadn't moved. He was sound asleep on the chair next to the bed. I'm sure it will be uncomfortable to sleep like that.
"Edward?" I whispered, shaking him gently. Nothing.
"Edward," I said in a normal voice, jostling him again. Still nothing.
Sighing, I unwrapped my hair and threw the towel in the corner. I turned off all the lights except for the one in the bathroom. It sheds enough light so that Edward won't fall if he wakes in the middle of the night. I covered him with the blanket from the end of the bed before sliding between the sheets and closing my eyes.
*~*~*~*
I'm dreaming about our time in the park today. We're throwing horseshoes through the chains of the swings, while our friends eat corn and yell encouragement.
Then the scene shifts and Edward's feeding me a hamburger, kissing me between bites.
Edward's kissing me…Edward's kissing me.
I wake fully to find myself splayed out on my back on the bed, under the covers.
Edward's kissing me!
His weight is resting on me and he's kissing my face, my jaw, and my eyelids.
"Edward? Edward! Stop! What are you doing?"
"Mmm, kissing you. I want you so damn much."
I sighed heavily as the scent of Scotch overpowered me and his lips searched out mine.
"Edward, stop!"
I levered my arm under the covers and managed to flip him off me. He flopped over on his back and groaned as I scrambled out of the bed and turned on the lights.
He groaned again and covered his eyes with his arm, blocking the light.
"What's wrong, Edward?"
"Nothing." He sounded petulant. Lord, is he drunk.
I sighed.
"Edward. Hey." I sat on the bed next to him, folding one leg underneath me. "What's going on?"
He wiped his face with his hand.
"I thought I could see her. I thought it would be alright because you were here. But I was wrong."
"See who?" I asked, though I have a pretty good idea.
"Jessica."
Edward didn't know that I'd spoken to Jessica yesterday. I stuck to the information he'd given me about her.
"Jessica? That girl you told me you went out with for a few weeks?"
"Yeah, that's what I told you."
"It wasn't true?"
Edward shook his head back and forth with his arm still draped over his eyes. I waited for him to say something else, but nothing more was forthcoming. After a few minutes I realized he'd fallen back asleep. He was still fully dressed, but at least he was now on the bed.
I shut off the light and pulled his arm away from his face. I loosened his tie and unbuttoned his top button before pulling off his shoes. After I'd done what I could I draped the blanket from the chair over him and got back into bed.
Reaching over, I patted his hand before turning away from him. Curling up on my side, I stared out the window until sleep overtook me.
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I started reading this great fic this week. It's called The Agent and the Esquire and it's by hockeymom4. Hockeymom4 is a faithful THTF reader/reviewer. Turns out she's an awesome author, too. Go read it, you won't be disappointed!
And remember, if you want the wrong-turn ending I started to write for this chapter tell me so in a review and I'll send it to you.