A/N: Welcome back.
Cheesy chapter? Yes. I think so.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I tinker with them and change their personalities a bit though…
(Edward POV)
"I can't believe you talked me into this." I groaned as we pulled up to the bar.
"It's your last night in town. We need to celebrate. Plus, you wouldn't let us give you a bachelor party." Emmett said and parked his truck. Jasper patted my shoulder from the backseat. "It will be fun."
"Fine." I sighed and reached for the trucks door handle. I got out of the truck, slamming the door behind me.
...
James.
I saw the back of his head. His blonde hair tied in a ponytail.
He was here.
In the bar.
He was supposed to be in Utah.
Great last night in town.
Note the sarcasm.
He was two feet away from me in the strangely not crowded bar. He couldn't see me but I sure as hell did see him.
I heard him too.
"Yeah, I know!" He laughed. "Oh I almost forgot. Guess what Dale?"
"What?" Dale asked. I remembered Dale, he was there the night I met Tanya.
No. No. I won't let myself think of it.
No flashbacks.
"Remember Ed?" James asked and I froze. Jasper nudged me but I didn't move. Emmett was still gone for drinks.
"Ed? Oh, yeah! He was the best with the shots eh?" Dale chuckled. "Miss that kid. What about him anyways?"
"I saw him a while back." James nodded. "This place reminded me of him that's why I'm mentioning it."
"Oh, you saw him? How's he doing?" Dale asked.
"Good. Well I guess you could say. Apparently he stays away from joints like these. He's tamed." James laughed.
"What?" Dale asked laughing. "You're kidding."
"No he's married." James snorted. "Not that I blame him."
"But I thought Tanya..." I froze as Dale stopped mid sentence. Dale was facing James, and facing me. I looked to the side so he wouldn't notice me but I kept listening.
"No they spilt." James voice was loud.
"Oh so who's he married to?" Dale asked.
"Bella, I don't know her maiden name. Edward wouldn't let me near her." James continued. "Which was a shame, she was quite the catch."
"I don't know any Bella." I heard Dale reply.
"She's new to town I think." James replied. "I didn't recognize her. Trust me, I wouldn't forget her if I did."
"So what? She's hot?" Dale asked and I heard a bottle get slammed to the table. Jasper nudged me and I looked at him quickly.
He too was listening.
"That bastard." I snarled.
"Edward, calm down. He won't notice ya and he's just talking." Jasper tried to calm me down.
"Hot? Understatement of the year, I mean, you should've seen her. Damn, the things I'd-"
"That's my wife you scumbag!" I hissed and pushed my way past the few people between us. I pushed against James. "Don't talk about her like that!"
"Whoa, whoa. Look what we have here." James chuckled and set his drink down. "I knew that you were lying, you wouldn't leave joints like these. Places like these define you."
I was fuming.
"And I wasn't being a scum you douche." James snorted. "I was just saying how surprised I am that you got a hot girl for a wife. Calm ya dick down."
James didn't make sense most of the time.
Jasper came up with Emmett and pulled me back by my arms.
"Oh am I making you mad?" James asked almost tauntingly.
"No."
"What you have a weakness?"
"No."
"Yeah ya do. Ya wife." James snorted. "So does it bug you if I talk about her?"
"Just shut up." I growled.
"Well she is a looker." James raised his eyebrows. "You must like that."
"Look, you're just trying to make him mad so just stop James." Jasper's voice broke through. He still had a hand on my left shoulder holding me back. Emmett stood with his arms crossed making him look taller with his puffed out chest.
"Why? Complimenting his wife? How'd you get her anyways? What's wrong with her?" James turned to me. "She can't be sane wanting to be with you."
"Piss off James. Leave her out of this." I hissed swallowing back more profanities.
"Better than Tanya?" James asked. "She doesn't look kinky."
My teeth snapped together.
"And she really sets her guard down, she won't let you do anything." James noted. Dale looked at James in disbelief.
James shrugged. "I'd still screw her."
And that's all it took.
Before I knew it, my right fist clenched and connected with James' right eye. He stumbled back but cussed out and lunged at me.
He hit me but I didn't know where at first I was too busy yelling at him and pushing him back.
Before an even bigger scene broke out Emmett pulled me back with Jasper helping.
"Leave her alone James! You better not say shit about her again. I swear one more word I'll have your throat!" I swore.
I felt cold air.
I was outside.
Jasper and Emmett dragged me out.
"Dude way to start a scene." Jasper shook his head.
"Did you see that punch though? Props Ed!" Emmett went for a high five but I just tugged at my hair.
I rubbed my forehead that had a bit of sweat... and stickiness?
I looked at my hand.
Blood.
"Yeah... He got ya once." Jasper looked down. "We got to get out of here. James is trying to get past Dale so he can come out and get ya."
"Nice last night in town." I said sarcastically as I nodded.
"Come on, get in this truck." Emmett said as he pulled his keys from his pocket. "We'll stop at the diner or something to pass some time. The girls won't be done their night yet."
I got in the truck and looked in the review mirror. Just above my eyebrow was a small gash.
Shit. Bella won't be too happy.
I rubbed the gash trying to get all the blood. Emmett started up the truck.
"Yeah... Bella will notice." He said looking at me.
Jasper chuckled. "She'll over react."
"Believe if she was with James." Emmett snorted.
"What!" I shouted. "What the hell does that mean?"
"Dude, calm down. I mean that James' is really busted up and Bella would freak if that were you. She's still going to freak with this." Emmett shook his head.
"He's supposed to be in Utah, damn it!" I cursed.
"Not yet." Emmett shook his head as he drove off.
"Not yet?" I questioned. "What the hell does that mean?"
"Tanya wants to stay in town a bit longer. She's not packed up yet or anything." Emmett explained.
"And how do you know this?" I asked him. "And why haven't you told me?"
"Tanya and Rose are kind of friends and for the second question, how would I know James would be in the bar with us? I just thought you wouldn't come across him. Seriously, he's only staying in town for a few more days. It's just your luck to run into that bastard." Emmett told me.
I shook my head angrily. "That little-"
"Hey!" Jasper cut me off. "Edward, it's your last night in town. Lets calm the shit down and have some fun. We can't go back yet. The girls will know something is up."
"Calm the shit down?" I mocked.
"You know what I mean." Jasper smacked my shoulder.
"And they'll know something is up by Edward's forehead and bruised knuckles." Emmett corrected. "But Jazz you have a point. Lets have some fun."
"And how are we going to do that?" I asked dumbly. "And getting drunk better not be in the plan."
"Fine." Emmett agreed. "Lets think of something."
…
"Dude, no way. That's freezing." Jasper shook his head. Emmett already had his pants on the ground; he was only in his little pink boxers with hearts all over them. I shook my head and snorted.
"Come on. Be daring for once! When we will ever get a chance to do this again?" Emmett asked as he struggled with his sneakers.
"Uh, whenever we come across a river at like eleven at night?" I said and it came out like a question.
"Come on!" Emmett insisted. "Have some fun."
"Skinny dipping in a freezing river is not my definition of fun." Jasper shook his head.
"In our boxers." Emmett corrected. He pulled his phone out of his jean pockets on the ground and turned on some music. "This'll be fun trust me."
We're in the middle of the woods, by an old creek on the outskirts of town. It's not really warm outside so I already knew the water would be pretty cold. Emmett came up with the most stupid ideas.
"The truck is parked a mile away." Jasper pulled at his hair.
"And?" Emmett asked.
"I don't think I can make a run for it anyway." Jasper said mumbling to himself.
Emmett set his phone blasting some Nickelback on top of the twelve-pack of cola. "Everyone get naked and grab a pop."
"You're crazy." I shook my head in disbelief.
"Don't you want crazy memories that you'll shake your head and laugh at forty years from now?" Emmett asked.
"Fine, the quicker we do this the quicker we leave." Jasper slowly unzipped his jeans.
"You're crazy." I repeated but saying it to Jasper this time.
"I can still drive, see this is pop not beer." Emmett opened a pop.
"We'll freeze our asses off." I chuckled.
Jasper kicked his pants to the side. "Come on Edward. Don't be stubborn."
I don't know if the pop had some sort of alcohol in it or not but I would guess so since being under the influence would be the only way I agreed to jumping into a river in nothing but my boxers. But I did it.
"Shit!" Emmett yelped. "T-this water is f-freezing."
"W-what did I t-tell ya?" Jasper asked as tried swimming to shore. I splashed him.
"We don't have t-towels either." Emmett hissed.
"I'm getting out-t." I shivered.
…
"My ass is frozen." I laughed taking another drink of my pop.
"We have a fire now. Sit on it and you'll heat up." Emmett chuckled and poked at the small fire with a stick. We had our clothes on again but our boxers were still soaked.
"Sit on a fire?" Jasper scoffed. "Great idea Emmett. You know, you're full of them tonight. First jumping in the river, now this. Perfect."
"Ha ha. I caught the sarcasm there buddy." Emmett poked Jasper in the knee with the hot stick.
"Damn it! Emmett!" Jasper pushed him on the fallen over tree trunk so he went tumbling backwards. "That was hot."
"Aw, my pop!" Emmett complained. "It spilled on my shirt. I'm going to be all sticky."
Emmett got up and sat back on the log. "We each get four pops right?"
"We each had four pops." I corrected.
"No wonder why I have to piss." Jasper shook his head.
"There are plenty of trees." Emmett looked around. "Pick one."
"Alright, alright. I'll be right back." Jasper stood up and was already unzipping his pants as he walked off, disappearing into the darkness.
"I've said this many times but dude, I'm going to miss ya." Emmett nudged my shoulder.
"Yeah me too." I agreed looking at the fire. "It's still for the best."
"Ya know Rose is already looking for houses down in Plainview." Emmett chuckled shaking his head in amusement. "She lived there as a kid, did ya know that?"
I shook my head as Emmett continued. "Yeah she loved it there. Just if we move, and you're moving… Jazz will be all alone."
As if on cue we heard Jasper yell. "Shit!"
He ran back with his pants just below his hips, he pulled them up the rest of the way still cussing.
"What?" I asked. "You're white as a ghost."
"I heard rustling damn it! What if it was a freaking bear?" He zipped his pants up. "Shit."
Emmett laughed pretty much falling backwards. "Or it was just some leaves rustling in the breeze."
"Or a bear!" Jasper insisted. "It was creepy."
"Did ya piss yourself?" I asked jokingly.
"Well it came out faster, yes." Jasper admitted and Emmett and I both laughed.
"Lets get out of here." Jasper picked up his empty pop can.
"Here." I put the rest of my pop on the fire trying to put it out. Jasper walked the few feet to the river and filled up his pop can, he came back to the fire and put it out.
"There. Seriously, lets go." He started heading towards the truck.
"Ya little girl." Emmett chuckled. "And the trucks this way." Emmett started walking east.
"No it's west." Jasper said.
"East." Emmett growled.
"We should have left bread crumbs." I joked sarcastically and sat down on the log slowly. "'Cause we're screwed."
"No Edward, it's cool. Its west." Jasper moved his arm suggesting I follow.
"No, its east." Emmett argued.
That's when I thought we might be spending the night with the wolves.
Then I got an idea.
"Dude!" I jumped up. "Emmett toss me your keys."
Emmett grabbed his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to me. "Why?" He asked.
"Just let me…" I bit my tongue and pressed the horn key. Sure enough the horn went off. "See you both were wrong. It's north idiots."
"Smart idea!" Jasper said and sprinted to the sound.
I shook my head but jogged after Jasper. "Come on."
"Wait for me!" Emmett started running behind me.
…
"What's on your mind, Ed? You'll been quiet the whole ride back." Jasper asked me. I offered to sit in the back for the ride home. Emmett had turned on the heat all the way so we could warm our asses.
Literally.
Shit. I looked at my knuckles that were barely purple, just little bruises.
I hated James' guts.
I missed Bella.
"I hate James." I groaned and rubbed my knuckles.
"Well you shouldn't see him again…Knock on wood." Jasper said looking over his shoulder back to me.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"That's not what's bugging you." Jasper shook his head. "Dude tell me, we're literally bros."
"Speak up Ed." Emmett agreed. "Are you gonna miss us? Is that what's bugging ya?"
"No… Well yeah, but that's not what's bugging me." I stumbled over my words.
"What's a matter?" Jasper repeated.
"I was supposed to talk to your wife." I nodded my chin towards Jasper.
"About what? Why?" He asked immediately.
"Shit." I sighed. "Stuff from the past."
"Why?" Jasper asked.
"Stuffs going on and Bella and I talked… She thinks I should talk to Alice… about the Masens." I sighed. "But I don't want to right now. I mean it's my last night in town, not a good idea to argue with the sister."
"Maybe you should get settled and if it's still bugging ya come visit and talk to her or call her. Should I warn her?" Jasper questioned.
"No!" I replied quickly. "No… I'll mention it sometime."
"Alright." Jasper said reluctantly.
"K." I looked at the floor of the truck.
…
"We're home." Emmett called as he opened the door to my house. Jasper and I followed him inside.
"Aw, we missed you guys!" Alice called and ran into the room. They must have been in another room though I thought they'd be in the living room. She ran in and hugged Jasper tightly before hugging me and than Emmett.
"Is it them? Oh!" Rosalie ran into the room, rounding the corner of the hall. "Bella, they are back!" She called.
Bella ran into the room next, dropping whatever was in her hand and running into me, hugging me tightly. "You're back." She leaned back. "Gee! You're frozen."
All the girls were in their pyjamas. It was cute.
I tugged at my hair with my right hand trying to hide my knuckles as I looked over to Emmett.
"So what did you guys do?" Rosalie asked once we got our shoes off and we all took a seat wherever we could. Bella and I sat on the ground near the fire so I could warm up further. I was still frozen despite the heated truck ride home. I wrapped my arms around Bella's midsection as she sat on my lap and made sure my left hand covered my right.
Emmett and Jasper looked at me. "Uh we went out."
"Nice, nice details." Alice rolled her eyes. "Really what did you do?"
"Um, ah…" Jasper struggled to find words. "Well we didn't want to go to the bar…"
"Well we did." Emmett cut in.
"Shit." Jasper sighed.
"We left the bar and went to the woods for a fire." I finished quickly.
"No wonder you're cold." Rosalie chafed Emmett's arms.
"Yeah well Emmett made us jump in the river." Jasper chuckled.
"What?" Alice asked. "I knew y'all were stupid!"
Bella giggled in my lap though only I heard it.
"Yeah…" Emmett sighed.
"So you left the bar, why?" Rosalie asked.
Of course the girls wouldn't drop the conversation.
I won't lie to Bella…
Shit.
"We ran into James." I muttered.
"What?" Bella asked.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"James? Really?" Bella asked in clear disbelief. "But he's…gone."
"Staying in town for a few more days actually." I corrected into her ear. I looked up and no one else heard our little conversation. That might have been best.
"We're talking about this later." Bella whispered noticing everyone in the room staring at us.
Yeah, four people. Four people mean eight eyes.
And that's a lot of eyes.
Well not really…
"Kay." I murmured into her ear.
"Anyway…" Bella changed the subject. "You better come visit. All of you."
…
"I know, I know." Bella hugged Rosalie. "I'm going to miss you too."
They both were crying while Emmett and I just stood there awkwardly. I was in my pyjamas now and my ass wasn't frozen.
Yeah, we'd miss each other. We told each other that multiple times but I mean, we aren't going to cry about it.
But I understand. Girls and their emotions.
Actually, I don't understand it at all.
Alice and Jasper left a few minutes earlier and yes, Alice cried as well. She's even harder to understand while she's choking on sobs. I managed to understand that she's going to call us a lot and visit a lot and she's missing us already. She said some other gibberish as well. Oh wait, she also warned Bella to not wear white after Labour Day.
Almost forgot that bit.
I was actually happy to leave. In the morning Bella and I would just load up and leave.
On the inside I did one of those fist pumps.
It's crazy how quickly Bella and I were able to move and how excited both of us were. Why haven't we talked about moving before?
I believed that most of the flashbacks, most of the reoccurring memories were because I was trapped in a house full of… bad.
If that made any sense at all which I hope it did.
To me it did.
Emmett patted my back and nodded saying by before he pulled Rosalie off Bella and I pulled Bella back.
"Call me! Immediately! Call me before you even get to try the toilets!" Rosalie cried.
Bella laughed through a cry. "I will, I will."
"Alright." I said reaching for the door. "We'll call, we'll stay in touch, and you'll visit. See you soon. We will call Rosalie."
"You better!" She said and I nodded once again. I closed the door and faced Bella.
I pulled her chin upwards so her red, swollen eyes were looking at me. "You sure about this."
"I've never been more sure of anything… other than you." She whispered.
I smiled and leaned to kiss her lips briefly. "Me too."
I looked around the room where there were boxes and boxes and boxes.
Did I mention that there were quite a few boxes?
"Everything is all ready." Bella looked around.
"Yeah, we don't need all the furniture, the new house has some already." I noted. "Appliances too."
"I'm excited." She admitted shyly.
"I am too. I can't wait." I told her. Without warning her, I put my right arm underneath her legs and my left around her back. I picked her up and carried her to our room, which only had the bed with a few blankets on it with one large pillow for the night. We figured it would be easy to pack up for the morning and we could get out of the cabin as soon as possible.
"Ready for bed, angel? We need to get our sleep. We have a long day ahead of us." I murmured as I set her down on the bed and crawled in after her. I wrapped my arms around her as she laid on her side and flung my leg over hers, careful not to crush her.
"Our last night in this house." She murmured sleepily. I kissed her cheek and she turned her head so I could reach her lips in the darkness. "Gosh it's late. You guys didn't get back until one!"
"I know." I whispered. "I'm tired though."
"Did you have fun?" She asked.
"Apart from seeing James?" I asked. "Yes."
"Will you tell me what happened?" She asked me carefully.
I nodded into her shoulder from behind. "Yeah."
She paused, waiting for me to continue.
"Well, uh... I went to the bar." I murmured and kissed the skin of her shoulder past her tank top. Bella started playing with my fingers before her and when she squeezed my knuckles a flinched a bit. I know she didn't mean to... that she didn't know...
"What's wrong?" She asked quietly and released my hands.
"Uh, he was talking. It made me mad. I punched him." Yes the short version of the story really was all that needed to be said. Right?
"You punched him?" Bella asked trying to sit up. I sighed knowing she'd over react. I held her tightly to me so she wouldn't move. She still found a way to wiggle in my grasp. She faced me and ran her fingers over my face. "I was wondering what this was from." She ran her fingertips over the small gash on my forehead.
"Yeah he punched me too." I tried to look at her face in the darkness.
"Did you really cause a scene?" She asked dumbly.
"No Jasper and Emmett pulled me out and we left before it got ugly." I explained quickly.
"Looks like it was starting to get ugly." Bella traced over the gash again.
"I know I look ugly but I mean the whole riot..." I shook my head.
"You aren't ugly." Bella kissed my chin. "What happened though?"
"I told you, love." I whispered trying to not get frustrated.
"No, tell me how." She whispered against my lips. "You don't just start throwing punches out of no where."
"I told you he made me mad." I pressed my lips to hers again trying to distract her. Her lips parted and I slipped my tongue over her bottom lip. I groaned at the taste. "Bella."
"Edward." She sighed against me and I tightened my hold around her, James' words coming back into my head.
Hot? Understatement of the year, I mean, you should've seen her.
I groaned but this time in anger. Frustration.
"Tell me." Bella whispered as she pulled back.
"It's not very nice." I admitted closing my eyes.
Bella tucked her head into the crook of my neck. "I still want to know."
I didn't reply.
"Was it about you?" She asked and stiffened.
"Nope." I replied.
"About me?" She questioned and I stiffened. "It was... Does he not like me?"
"No the opposite actually." I said.
"What does that mean?" Bella asked in obvious confusion.
"He found you pretty attractive. He was talking to a friend about how attractive he found you... It pissed me off. He also mentioned something that you don't let me have freedom or whatever. Trust me it was punch worthy." I tried to explain as quick as I could. Remembering the situation just pissed me off and it was a time for me to be happy. I didn't want my wife to be upset from the dick either.
Bella stiffened and I grew even madder at James for making her upset.
"Did you put your weight behind it?" Bella asked me suddenly.
"What?" I asked. "Um, yeah."
"Good." Bella pressed herself further into my arms.
I chuckled. "So you aren't mad."
"No. I probably would have punched him too. Did you leave a mark?"
I chuckled again. "I'm pretty sure I left a few."
"Good." Bella repeated.
"Yeah it was a pretty good way to say goodbye to him." I admitted.
"You really hate him, eh?" Bella asked nipping at my jaw with her lips.
"Yeah." I replied trying to become distracted by her mouth. "I don't know why he was even my friend."
"He isn't now." Bella murmured.
"That's definite." I pulled my wife upwards so she could kiss my lips again.
"We're moving, hubs." She said once she pulled back from our kiss.
"Yes." I breathed. "Yes we are."
"Plainview." Bella said. "I like that. It sounds like home."
"It does." I agreed. "Now lets get to sleep."
I rolled over onto my back and pulled Bella tightly to my chest just like how we usually slept. I pulled the blanket over us and leaned into the pillow further letting all tension inside of me to leave. I let all of James' memories; all of his words leave my brain never to return. I wouldn't let him piss me off; I wouldn't let him interfere with my wife and me ever again.
I was in control of my life and I was in control of who was in it. I already knew a lot of people who weren't.
I looked down at Bella who was almost asleep and kissed her forehead gently. She's the reason for my happiness; she's the only reason of why I am here. My heart swelled at the thought of forever with her and a smile was always plastered on my face.
I kissed her hair and breathed in her scent. I smiled and pulled her tighter to me. "I love you."
I thought she was asleep but she wasn't. "I love you, hubs."
"Always." I whispered.
"Mmm." She leaned in closer. "Night."
"Goodnight."
In the morning, we were moving. We were starting fresh. Just us.
Always.
A/N: Wow, they're moving! Aren't I proud...
What do you expect next? Will Edward ever talk to Alice?
Please leave a review. :)