After my date with Bella, I just couldn't stop thinking about her. As I ate my breakfast, alone, and I just couldn't take it anymore; I have to go see her.
I wanted to surprise Bella and Nessie, so I bought sandwiches while heading over.
After I arrived, I went to the door and knocked. A few minutes passed and no one answered; I knew Bella was here because her truck was parked in the driveway. I knocked a few more times, and then it clicked to just see if she was with the horses in the back with Nessie.
I walked directly to the barn when I spotted Nes on top of the most stunning horse I've ever seen. It was a black horse, still rather small, with the mane braided with ribbon tied in it. You could tell that was Nessie's special touch.
"Eddiekins!" My head snapped up to Bella, seeing her jump about ten feet in the air. I run to the side of the barn where Bella couldn't see me, peeking my head out so Nessie could see me raise my pointer finger to my lips to show her to stay quite. She nodded in acknowledgement.
"Baby, Edward's not here." Nessie just smirked at her.
Once Bella wasn't aware of her surroundings I went up behind her, tilted my head toward her ear, whispered in my best seductive voice, "I think you can believe everything children tell you, especially yours. She seems to have a very easy time telling the truth, good job, mom."
Bella turned around with the darkest blush I've seen on her, yet. "Hey, Edward. What are you doing here?"
"I brought sandwiches. Which, let me tell you, we come as a package deal. So which is it; deal or no deal?" I smirked at her.
"Let me check with Nessie, here." My Bella turned to her daughter and started to whisper in her ear. Nessie nodded then, gave me an innocent smile.
"What kind of sandwiches are we talking, Eddiekins?" Nes stopped talking then looked like she was trying to remember something. Then a few beats later she turned her attention back to me, "Me and mommy are very picky. Very hard to please." She then closed her eyes and gave a sky a small smile like she did a job well done.
"I brought a bunch, I'm sure there's something for you that you'll like. Why don't you go check it out, then we can eat if you find one."
She gave a tight lip smile, like she was skeptical, but nodded then ran toward the house.
Bella called to her beside me, "Wash your hands while you're in there!" she gave me her attention then and gave me the most heart pounding smile. "Want to help me with the horses, Mr. Hot Sandwich Deliverer?"
"Why not, it's not like I have something else I could do; like eat maybe."
"Oh, shut up. We can't go in and eat unless the horses are taken care of first."
"So what is this; animals first, humans second? We? Are you inviting me to join you?"
A light blush appeared across her skin. "You're the one you bought us sandwiches, so of course your welcome to join us. How cruel do you think I am? Don't answer that because I'll tell you; I. am. Not. A cold. Hearted. Bitch." She made sure to make the last part clear to me.
I decided to change the topic because I could tell that we were getting into uncomfortable territory. Although I want to know everything about her, I'm not going to pry or push unless she willing to tell me. "So what are we going to do first? With the horses, I mean."
"Really all we have to do is take the riding gear off of them then brush. The ones we need to do is this one," she pointing to the beautiful horse right behind her, "and the two of in the corner over there, to the right."
"Alright, which one first?"
"Let's do the one right behind me."
I followed her into the barn, careful to not be right behind the horse (she had to remind me a few times; it a very dangerous position behind the horse). I learned it was Nessie's horse, she named Cupcake, that Bella had bought once they moved back so Nessie could bond with something here; easier for her to deal with the move. We moved on to brushing the next horse, which is the 1st horse that Bella had ever broke and trained, with the softest main for a horse I've ever felt.
"Edward, can you bring this horse into the stable while I get the next one?"
"Sure, just point me in the right direction."
She did, and then walked out. After what felt like forever, actually was a few minutes, she returned with the tallest horse around Forks. It a jet black with a huge head, big eyes, just everything seemed bigger about it. This must be the head horse around here.
"Shut the fuck up, this horse is fucking scary."
"Language, Mr. Cullen, and his name is Sherriff."
We start to brush him off then a thought occurs to me. I must have said that I wondered who's Nessie's fathers name was because the next thing I knew was Bella answering me. "Jacob Black. Don't get me wrong though, he was great and a wonderful man until everything happened."
"Everything?"
"As cliché as this might sound: he was every girls dream guy. Tall, dark, handsome. Great personality. Then one day a few years into our marriage, he just snapped. He would drink until he passed out, get so angry and just scream at me, push me around. I'm so thankful that he never touched Nes, but he would do it in front of her which would freak the shit out of her. One night, I was going to confront him about it and he just lost it, punching me all over. Thank God that Nessie was with my best friend that night. After he had beat me he drank himself till he passed out, then I drove myself to the hospital. Because I was just so shaken and what not from the incident I had to have the doctor call the police and tell them everything, you know, till I calmed down enough for them to take a statement. I still remember the doctor and his wife to this day, they both saved my life. God, why am I telling you all this?" she blushed.
"It's good to talk about it, it helps cope with the past. What I don't understand is why your with my brother though. These aren't his normal kind of cases."
"I don't specifically know what he does, but I was recommended to him and I heard he was a really great lawyer so I took him. That asshole is trying to get custody of her, like they're going to let him have her. Over my dead body, he will never be able to touch or see her again. As much as this has been a horrendous experience, my life isn't wrecked. I won't let him have that power over me."
I nodded and gave a tight lipped smile. I wanted to kill the monster who's done this to Bella.
We headed back into the house just as Nessie had finished cleaning up. We were setting the table when suddenly Bella looked up and said, "don't get me wrong, I don't regret being with Jake. He gave me Nessie, but I do regret not being stronger. I've come to terms a long time ago with my mistakes; this one will always haunt me. What I don't need is anyone's pity."
I knew she was strong; that's one of the things that draws me to her, makes me attracted. So all I could do is smile and nod at her.
Nessie came in then and announced that she was positively starved.
We all sat around the table and you could clearly see that Bella and Nes loved each other. They would have private joke and silent eye conversations, but just by the way they acted you could see the connection between mother and daughter.
Bella looked up at me and smiled. We all went back to eating, quietly, when Nes suddenly got up, picked up her plate, came over to me, put her plate next to mine, then hopped on my lap. B looked shocked but happy at the same times. You could tell from her deep brown eyes that she was.
What really shocked the shit out of me was after all this, getting comfortable on my lap; she grabbed my face and kissed my cheek. I could see the tears in Bella's eyes, so I told Nes I had to talk to her mommy for a minute in the other room.
I went to my Bella's side, grabber her hand, pulled her into the kitchen. Pulling her to my chest, she started softly crying, not sobbing, trying not to let on something was wrong so Nes wouldn't worry.
Bella looked up into my eyes. "She's never taken to anyone that fast. No one. Not your brother's, Alice, Rose, her grandparents." She took a deep calming breath. "Sorry, I ruined your shirt, but it just feels nice to see her like that."
"I'm not going anywhere, B."
Frowning, she blushed then turned away from me. "Don't promise things you don't know if you can keep."
"Bella, I'm. Not. Going. Anywhere."
A/N: Please review.