Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise, I just use their creations to have my wicked way with them. No copyright infringement is intended.

LadySharkey1 rocks my world by being the most amazing, kick-ass beta I could ever imagine.

Chapter 31

Should I stay or should I go?

Wouldn't it be a great idea if you and Charlie both tagged along?

I sat there blinking like an idiot with my mouth hanging open and my tongue barely able to keep in the drool. Let alone formulate words.

Go with him.

With Charlie.

To some tropical doctor meet up on an island.

"It's not such a crazy idea, really," Edward meanwhile prattled on. "I've been looking at their website and it wouldn't cost much more to upgrade my room to a suite with enough space for the three of us." He paused for air, his hands gave away his nervousness as he brushed them through his hair. "They've even got this special activity program for kids so that you could get some rest and do whatever you'd like while Charlie's taken care of."

I nodded, my brain slowly starting to revert back to its normal, working order. "That sounds fun." I knew Charlie was going to be beside herself at the prospect of a trip to an exciting island. "I'd like to see more about that first before making a decision."

"And if you're worried about me cramping your style, don't be," he insisted. "The lectures and workshops take up most of the day so I'll be out, doing boring old grownup stuff for most of the time."

"That has to suck!" I blurted out, giggling at his look of utter confusion. "I mean, you'll be in Hawaii, but not able to actually enjoy it because you're stuck in a convention center all day! It's like they dangle this big, juicy carrot in front of your face only to find out it's just some dried up old piece of straw someone painted orange."

"If you put it like that…" Edward pouted before his face lit up. "But in that case, the two of you have to come. At least then, while I sit around moping over having to stay indoors all day, I'd know that because of the big, boring doctor's convention I have to attend, the two of you are having a blast."

"Emotional blackmail?" I chuckled, shaking my head. "Has it really come to this?"

Edward merely flashed me his trademark lopsided grin—the one that had gotten him out of trouble so many times—as he shrugged. "If that's what it takes…"

"I'll think about it," I conceded, yawning as the fatigue of the busy day that lay behind me started to catch up with me. "And I want the website of the hotel and all other pertinent information before I make a decision." Narrowing my eyes, I pointed my finger at him as flashes of previous trips I'd made in the company of the beaming man sitting next to me, ghosted through my mind. "And no going behind my back to upgrade stuff this time. I haven't forgotten about the Seattle trip."

The Seattle trip was taken back when we were both fourteen. We'd wanted to go to Seattle to see Weezer perform live but, of course, our parents wouldn't let us go on our own. In the end we finally managed to get my mom to come with us as long as we would be able to fund or own shares of the expenses. Now for Edward, that wasn't so hard as his wealthy parents had always been more than generous with their allowance, but for me…I scraped together every penny I could for months until I was finally able to fork over my share of the gas money and a room in a decent but very basic hotel in the city. I was so proud of my accomplishment that it almost overshadowed the joy at being able to see some of my heroes.

So, imagine my surprise when we get there and not only had we upgraded to a different, more swanky and infinitely more expensive hotel, but also to a luxury suite as opposed to a standard room with two double beds.

I should have been ecstatic—it was my one big shot at living the high life, after all—but all I could think about was how proud I'd been to be able to afford the shitty little hotel room we were supposed to be in after all my hard work to earn it, while all Edward had to do was wave his proverbial bankcard around and everything turned into gold.

Suffice it to say that a cloud fell over our trip from that moment.

"I wouldn't even dare to think about it," Edward solemnly swore, pulling me out of my trip down memory lane. "I do, however, insist on paying Charlie's share since I always intended to have her tagging along."

Thinking about it, I chose to pick my struggles wisely, because I knew there were bound to be a few of those along the way—if I went with them. "Okay," I said much to Edward's surprise judging by the look of utter shock on his face. "If I decide to tag along, I won't fight you on that."

"Great!" Edward hopped up, a new sort of spring in his step that almost made him knock over a vase filled with flowers on his way out. "Oh, shit! Sorry about that." He righted the vase, making sure none of its contents had spilled. "I'll leave you to make up your mind then. Same time, same place on Thursday?"

I nodded, knowing the gruesome double shift that separated us from that moment would probably take his toll on him. "Take it easy," I insisted, chuckling at the knowing smirk he sent my way. "Okay…at least try, will you? I know it's part of becoming a doctor that you basically have to live at the hospital for periods of time while they run you ragged, but that doesn't mean that I like it one bit. I know what you look like when you come home from one of those shifts…" I sighed, the memory of Edward barely managing to drag his body up the stairs and stay awake long enough to eat and spend some time with his daughter, flashing to the forefront of my mind. I knew it was part of his job, whether he liked it or not. "Do you have anything you'd like me to cook for you on Thursday?"

"Nah." He shrugged. "A home-cooked meal will make me a very happy man."

His parting remark saddened me a little. With as hard as he worked for people he didn't even know, it was no more than right that he should have a proper meal waiting for him when he got home. It was something that my mom had always sworn by when I was little: people who make the sacrifice to work ungodly hours and bear the burden of another soul's life or welfare should be able to kick back and let other people care for them when they got home at the end of their shift.

It didn't sit right with me knowing that all Edward had to return to was an empty apartment and a frozen dinner.

He deserved more.

The e-mail containing all the information I needed to seriously consider the trip arrived almost as soon as he could reasonably be expected to have reached his home; the contents of which both greatly enticing me to take him up on his offer as, at the same time, scaring me to death.

Sure, we'd gotten along great over the past couple of weeks since the air between us had been cleared. We'd been slowly revering back to something that our old friendship used to feel like. But was it enough to commit to this?

Wouldn't it be weird as fuck to go away with a guy who'd inspired such conflicted emotions in me over the past couple of months?

Would it endanger the progress we'd made over the past couple of weeks? After all, we were only just starting to get back to a place where we could look at each other without bitterness and suspicion again. What if something went wrong and we took another enormous leap back? Would we be able to keep the tension from getting to Charlie or would we ruin what was supposed to be a fantastic outing for her?

If only I had a crystal ball!

Even though more and more my gut was telling me I had to take this leap of faith and go…to just trust that both of us had matured enough over the years to make this happen and have a blast, it would have been so nice to know that this was the right decision.

By the time my alarm clock rang the next morning, I'd almost made up my mind to take that leap of faith. After all, what did I have to lose? We'd already survived the lowest point a co-parenting couple could reach in their relationship and, shy of one of us actually hooking up with some exotic stranger right in front of Charlie and the other parent, I didn't see how anything could happen on our trip to propel us back into the land of extreme animosity.

Rose, however, didn't agree.

"Seriously, Bella!" she fumed. "You can't actually be thinking of taking him up on his offer!"

"Why not?" I replied, venting the slight indignation I felt at her tone on the dough I was kneading for my savory ham, tomato and mozzarella Stromboli. "Things have been going really good over the past couple of weeks and it's not like we'd actually be sharing a bed or something. Besides, I know Charlie's going to be ecstatic when she hears the news!"

Pursing her lips, Rose took a few sips from her tea with a face as sour as if she was chewing a lemon. "So, you've already decided then?" Huffing, she shook her head, dumping the rest of the hot liquid in the sink. "Good luck to you, then, but don't come crying if your relaxing week of fun turns into the trip from hell!"

"You know? I would have thought you'd be a little more enthusiastic about this news!" I snapped, putting the dough in a bowl before sliding it into the proofing drawer. "After all, you're the one who's been badgering me about going away in the first place!"

"On a trip far away from Forks, Edward, and all of your troubles!" Rose shrieked. "You were supposed to let your hair down and have some good, lighthearted fun. If I'd have known you'd take all your emotional baggage along with you, I never would have suggested it in the first place!"

"Come on, Rose! Don't you think you're overreacting just a little?" I groaned. "I know you and Edward have never gotten along but you've never really given him a chance to change your mind about him, have you? You were always so determined to paint him as a spoiled little brat that you've become convinced of your own lies."

"That's because it's the truth!" Rose yelled. "Or have you forgotten how he flaunted that bitch right in front of your face, all the while turning a blind eye to the fact that she was hurting your kid? Have you forgotten what Charlie looked like the week after she had to flee his home from that psycho bitch?"

"That was a lousy thing to do," I agreed, "but we've discussed it a lot over the past couple of weeks and he's determined to show me and Charlie that he's a better man than that." The way she brought it up was really starting to bug me. Sure, she had been there for me throughout it all, so saying it was none of her business didn't exactly reflect her involvement in it but, at the same time, I was starting to get the feeling she had been trying to set me up against Edward all along.

And I didn't like that one bit.

"And just like always, he had you convinced with just a snap of his fingers, didn't he?" Rose huffed.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I growled. It wasn't like I had expected Rose to jump up and down in enthusiasm, but this? The fierceness of her disapproval disappointed me and, I had to admit, kindled that nagging shimmer of doubt in the back of my mind. Even when I knew her opinion of Edward was skewered at best.

"All I'm saying is that you've always been so quick to forgive Edward's less than stellar behavior towards you," Rose shrugged, like it was the most open and clear thing in the world. "I mean, look what happened when you broke up."

"Like that was his fault!" I cried, shaking my head as Rose's erratic claims left me more confused than ever. "I broke up with him, Rose. Remember?"

"And did he ever do anything to stop you?" Rose parried, rounding on me with her arm crossed in front of her slightly swollen stomach. "As far as I can remember he never did a thing to try and win you back. I was there almost every day, trying to be there for you, but I never saw him come by to demand an explanation or even as much as hear the phone ring from him calling you! He just seemed all too willing to accept it and happily skip off towards Seattle!"

"That's not true, Rose!" I tried to argue, though deep down, I knew there was a core of truth in what she was saying.

"And while we're on the topic of Edward's unwillingness to step up to the plate: did he ever stand up to his dad about you?"

"Dozens of times!" I yelled. "And you know it!"

"I know he whined and moaned about his dad's behavior to us dozens of times," Rose spat back. "But did he ever really call the bastard out on his behavior? To his face, that is?"

I sighed, knowing that the answer to that was complicated. Edward and his dad had always been waging a cold war over the expectations both of them had of Edward's future. Edward's opinion on his dad's agenda had always been known but had rarely been vocalized. "You know what it was like…"

"I know that you had to put up with their disapproval of you, for God knows how long, with him doing next to nothing to stop it!" she snarled. "Do you know how many times I came close to going over there and smash both their heads in?"

"It wasn't your battle to fight!" I yelled back. "Just like it isn't now, so just butt the fuck out!"

We both jumped as a door slammed shut and Emmett came in. Traveling up and down the 101 to get us some supplies from Port Angeles, he'd been late coming in that morning but it apparently took him only one look to assess the situation. "Either of you care to clue me in?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest as his eyes flashed between his wife and myself.

Rose was the first to collect herself enough to speak. "She's going on a trip with Edward," she announced, pointing at me like I was nothing more than a puddle the dog had left on the floor.

"So?" I had to suppress a giggle at Emmett's reaction as, again, his eyes flashed from his wife to me and back again. "Seems like a plan to me."

"That's what I said!" I nodded, knowing full well I was only adding fuel to the fire but finding a wicked sense of pleasure in doing so.

"Fine then!" Rose huffed. "Do whatever the fuck you want but, as I said, don't come crying to me when he breaks your heart again. Now excuse me, I have a shop to open!" And with that she turned on her heels and stalked out of the bakery.

"Don't take it personally," Emmett muttered, his lips pressed into a wry line. "She's been like this ever since she got pregnant."

"Let's not fool ourselves here," I snorted. "She's been like this ever since she's been born. I know she means well but…"

"She doesn't realize that just because she doesn't like Edward, that doesn't mean the guy's a complete and utter dick?" Emmett smirked. "Yeah, I've tried to make her see that a few times as well. Though I never managed to figure out why she hates him so much."

"On the first day of school, Rose made the mistake of assuming that since she and Edward made the prettiest pair in our class, they were obviously meant for each other. She was new to Forks so she didn't know Edward and I were pretty much a package deal already." I sighed, the memory of what happened during recess as fresh as if it happened yesterday. "I'll never forget the look of determination on her face when she marched up to him—Edward and I were both playing in the sandbox, him making cakes while I decorated them—and practically ordered him to be her boyfriend."

Emmett cringed. "I take it things didn't go as planned?"

"Not exactly," I muttered. "And let's just say that it was long before Edward learned the meaning of the word diplomacy." I'll never forget how mortified I'd felt when Edward had taken my hand and marched off with me after a final disapproving look at a distraught looking Rosalie, while the whole playground was laughing at her. It had been pity that had first drove me to get to know the new girl who'd become the laughing stock of the playground, even though I'd been a little apprehensive about her desire to steal my friend. Sighing, I added, "From that day on, she's pretty much hated his guts, even though he must have apologized a thousand times."

Emmett whistled. "I guess that explains it." Unpacking his supplies he remained silent for a couple of moments, his next question starling me from my work even though I should have expected it. "So, you're going on vacation with Edward, I take it?"

I paused, my mind once again weighing the pros and cons of the trip at a mile a minute before finally the answer came: clear and easier than I could have ever expected it to be.

"Yeah." I nodded. "I guess I am."

Thoughts?