A/N Thanks to my PTB betas HEAR and Sirenastarot. And as always, I don't own Twilight
Special note: There is a small lemon written in this chapter but it is not the epically long one like in Chapter 16. Because this is a T rated story, it has been edited for the FF version. If you wish to read the lemon, drop me a line and I'll send you the excerpt or you can read the chapter in its entirety on Twilighted: www(dot)twilighted(dot)net/viewstory(dot)php?sid=7682 (replace the 'dot' with .)
Chapter Eighteen: Reality
BPOV
People whispered and talked amongst themselves as they gathered around the bar, waiting for the meeting to start. I didn't call meetings often so I was sure speculation over what it was about was rampant. I just hoped everyone would go along with my decision. This would not only protect myself and Edward, but my employees and the bar itself.
Angela stood by my side as I explained the non-disclosure affidavit and why it was needed. Most of the staff knew I was in a relationship, but only Angela, Jessica, and Jacob knew who Edward really was. Jacob was finally enlightened by Angela after Edward's big reveal the night before. Angela said he was hurt I hadn't confided in him too, but he understood why we felt it was necessary. The reactions of my employees varied from disbelief to awe. I emphasized that I needed the affidavit signed to protect all of us, not just myself. Maybe I was jumping the gun by asking everyone to sign a non-disclosure affidavit, but I wanted to do whatever I could to protect myself and Edward's privacy. More and more people were finding out about us and we needed to be prepared. Most of my employees nodded, but a few didn't seem real happy about signing anything.
"I'm sure some of you don't like signing things like this, but I really feel that it is necessary for everyone here. I know it's essentially a gag order, but it is important."
"What about our right to free speech?" asked an angry voice from the back.
I sighed. This was exactly the kind of moral debate I did not want to get into. "As Americans, we all have the right to free speech and I'm definitely a supporter of that, however, just because you can say something doesn't mean you should. Your words and actions will affect those around you, including their rights. This NDA is not saying you cannot speak of Edward or me ever to anyone, just not the media.
"What if we don't want to sign? You can't force us," sneered the same person.
Alec. Figures. Of all the people here, he's the one I am not surprised to have a problem signing. He was a good worker for the most part, but he was a hot-head, paranoid, and his temper was just waiting to get him into trouble. Alec was a big stickler for personal rights and was very anti-government. I think he had the ACLU on speed-dial. I had to argue with him just to fill out his job application and to give me his social security number. Alec was infuriated that I would have the audacity to have him sign yet another paper which, to him, limited his freedom of speech and provided a paper trail to the government. What also wasn't in his favor was his cockiness and arrogance, but it hadn't impacted his ability to do his job and I hadn't received any customer complaints. I wanted to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. No one was perfect.
"Alec, I can't force you to sign it and I can't fire you if you don't either. I've always been fair and honest with you and everyone else here, and I've treated everyone with respect. I am only asking for that same respect in return. Respect not only for myself and my personal life, but for yourself, the lives of everyone here, and the bar itself."
Alec rolled his eyes and shook his head in derision. A few of the others started to mock Alec. I raised my hands to quiet everyone. While I appreciated the support, I didn't want to make this situation any worse. A different source of motivation would be necessary to win Alec over.
"Since appealing to your heart isn't motivating to you, perhaps appealing to your wallet will," I said softly.
Alec's head whipped around in disbelief. "You can't fire me for refusing to sign that piece of crap."
"That is true," I nodded, "but I can change your hours."
Alec's eyes widened as what I said sunk in.
"I don't want to do it this way, but I will if you force me. I'm sorry, but I will protect myself, the bar, and everyone here," I said firmly, as I folded my arms across my chest.
"This is bullshit!" Alec yelled, storming up to me, his face red and eyes narrowed with anger. Jacob quickly sidled to me, his stance vigilant in case Alec tried to touch me. I was not afraid of Alec. Despite his attitude problems, I had never seen him be violent with anyone at the bar.
"I am not forcing you do to anything, Alec. You have a choice," I replied calmly.
"Ha!" he laughed humorlessly. "Some choice! I either sign it or I don't have a job. Working for a few hours a week is not a job." He grabbed the stack of forms roughly and threw them at me, causing the papers to fly everywhere. "I'm outta here." Alec turned and stormed out of the bar, slamming the door as he left.
You could hear a pin drop in Alec's wake. Everyone had stunned looks on their faces as the last of the affidavits fluttered to the ground. I sighed and began picking them up. Jacob and Angela bent down to help. The rest of the employees started murmuring amongst themselves, Alec's name frequently on their lips. After I had all the papers back in a neat pile on top of the bar, I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention again.
"Does anyone have any questions about the affidavit or anything else?" I asked, suddenly weary from the confrontation.
"What do we say if somebody asks about you or Edward?" one of the girls asked.
"You can either ignore the question or just say no comment. If someone starts harassing you, get Jacob or myself. I am also going to be increasing the security here too. If you are closing and want an escort to your car, someone will be available. The media and other sorts cannot come onto the property if I tell them to leave, but they can still get people as they come and go from the bar."
Eventually everyone signed the affidavits. Thankfully, Angela was also a notary public so she was able to notarize the affidavits once they were signed. I made copies of all of them, gave each employee a copy for their records and kept the originals locked in my office.
After I had finished putting them away, I noticed the light blinking on the office phone indicating that I had voicemail. It was such a rare thing to have messages that I had to dig around to find the password to access my messages. Once I did, I almost wished I hadn't. There were only a couple of messages but they weren't even an hour old. One was from OK! And the other was US Weekly. Both wanted to know about me and my relationship with Edward. I didn't hesitate to delete them.
I sat there, stunned that only in the maybe two hours that Lauren found out about Edward, I already had calls from two different tabloids. Thank God my home number is unlisted. Lauren was never one to keep gossip to herself, so I shouldn't really have been surprised that she blabbed to the tabloids already. If I had gotten two calls already, I could only imagine more were coming as word got out. I wondered if they would still publish the stories if I never called them back? I doubted they would wait. I kept my phone hooked to voicemail so I wouldn't have to hear it ring all night. I also needed to give Edward the head's up that we had been outted.
Flipping my phone out, I quickly tapped out a message to Edward.
-Lauren blabbed. I got vm's the bar asking ?'s-
-That didn't take long.-
-Nope. She wants her 15 min of fame-
-You okay?-
-Yeah. I expected it… sorta-
-Security system being put in now. Fence 2morrow-
-Good. Guess I really do need it now. Ty-
-np, love-
-U coming up to the bar 2nite?-
-Not sure, I'll txt you-
-k. love u-
-love u-
I sighed and tried to keep from worrying about what this meant for Edward and me. We had finally crossed the point of no return. If we had ended things when he left, I would have continued on with my life in relative obscurity. Now, I was known. I definitely wasn't famous by any stretch, but if you googled my name now, more than just my Facebook profile and information about the bar would come up. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I knew when I got involved with him that this would happen, so I would just have to learn to deal with it.
Thinking over the last few days, I remembered what I said to Jessica about her job being on the line if anyone caught wind of Edward. I had to let her off the hook now. I couldn't in good conscious make good on my threat when it wasn't her who said anything. Plus she signed the non-disclosure affidavit as well, so I really had no reason to hold that over her head.
Determined to not let the tabloids and impending paparazzi invasion get me down, I went back to the floor of the bar to surround myself with the work I loved. Business was starting to pick up as people got home from work and stopped in for happy hour. I also expected to have some increase in business from the legal-aged college kids who were home for the holiday. The college crowd did not disappoint. While my bar wasn't the closest one to the center of town, it had a fairly loyal following of patrons who appreciated the lengths I went to keep the place clean and well-stocked with good quality beer and liquor. They kept the bar very busy that night.
It was almost eleven that evening before I had a chance to try to talk to Jessica. She was her normal bubbly self until she saw me wave her over to the side of the bar. Her whole demeanor changed, her shoulders slumped, a look of trepidation on her face. I felt bad for a moment at scaring her so much the day before, but at the time, I felt it was necessary to keep things under wraps.
"You needed me, Bella?" Jessica asked tentatively. She tried to hide her nervousness with a small smile.
"Yeah, do you remember what we talked about yesterday before I introduced you to Edward?"
Jessica nodded.
"Well, I wanted to let you know not to worry about it."
She looked at me confused. "But-"
"Jess, I have no real reason to hold anything above your head. You signed the NDA earlier just like everyone else. Plus, the paparazzi have already caught wind of Edward and me at no fault of your own. I really can't blame you for something that Edward and I did."
Jessica looked relieved but at the same time even more confused.
"Um, okay. Thank you, I think?" She laughed slightly. "What happened? How did they find out?"
"Edward was recognized at the grocery store earlier, right by the magazine racks. The cashier went nuts. I already have voicemails from some of the magazine companies."
Jessica's eyes widened in surprise. "No shit! Already?" Her normal happy personality was starting to come back out.
"Yep, you remember Lauren Mallory right? She married that plastic surgeon a few years ago?"
"Yeah, she's Lauren Mathews now…" Jessica cringed. I remembered that she and Lauren used to be very close in high school, but went their own ways after graduation. Jessica grew up and Lauren didn't.
"She's the one who recognized Edward and made a spectacle of herself at the store."
"Oh jeez. That sounds like Lauren." Jessica rolled her eyes, all too familiar with Lauren's antics.
"And she didn't waste any time before calling US Weekly and OK! I'm sure it's just a matter of days before the paparazzi swarm out here. I fully expect there to be a few of them here by Friday."
"The concert…"
I nodded. "It is a perfect opportunity for someone to get a good shot. There will be a lot of people here after all. I've already brought in extra security but still keep an eye out. If you see anything strange or unusual, let myself or Jake know."
"Okay. Wow, this is really real now isn't it?" Jessica asked softly.
"It sure is, Jessica," I murmured. So many things were changing so quickly.
Jessica seemed to notice my change in mood and looked at me with concern. "How are you holding up, Bella? I mean you knew who Edward was for months, but now that you guys are public… are you doing okay?"
I took a deep breathe to focus my thoughts and answer her honestly. "I'm trying to prepare myself the best I can for something I have absolutely no experience with and no basis for comparison. Edward has told me some of what he has gone through, but since I'm not him, my experience will be completely unique. To be honest, I'm a little afraid."
"Really?" Jessica seemed stunned. "Bella, you are one of the strongest people I know. I never would have thought anything would scare you."
I blushed slightly but continued. "Thank you, Jessica. I try to be, but dealing with the paparazzi and the media and the spotlight is nothing I've ever dealt with before. You know I'm a private person. To be thrust into the center of attention is a bit daunting for me. But, I won't be alone. I wouldn't be able to deal with this without Edward."
"You wouldn't have to deal with it period without Edward," Jessica said pointedly.
"True, but I'd rather deal with it with him than to not have him in my life at all," I replied softly. I had a feeling I was going to have to remember that in the months to come. I shook myself of my introspection and smiled at Jessica. "How are you dealing with this, Jessica? If I remember correctly, you were quite star struck by Edward."
Jessica smiled shyly. "Yeah, but it's different now since I've actually met him. He's just so… normal!" she exclaimed. I couldn't help but laugh as she continued. "I mean, before I actually met him, he was larger than life. Edward was this huge star and was just so untouchable, but when I met him in person, I realized that he's no different than you or I. He's an ordinary guy who just happens to be talented and incredibly good-looking."
Wow. I never thought I'd hear those words come out of Jessica's mouth. I reached over to hug her while I whispered, "Thank you." Jessica seemed surprised at the hug but quickly hugged me back. Standing up straight, I looked around the bar and smiled again. No matter what happens, I will always have this. "Now back to work!"
Jessica laughed and walked back over to her tables, several of which had empty drinks with thirsty patrons.
Edward was never able to make it up to the bar, which was probably good because several of the patrons were buzzing about the magazines we saw this morning at the grocery store. While none of them thought I was the Bella mentioned in the articles, I was teased about the coincidence throughout the night.
Alice stopped in briefly on her way to the airport. I never had a chance to meet up with her earlier, so I was glad she was able to say good-bye. She didn't know about the magazine articles yet but wasn't surprised. Alice commented that it never took the paparazzi long to jump on a new lead. After telling her about the phone calls, she said I should check online to see the latest stories. I'd have a better idea of what they had found out that way. I shuddered a little, remembering what I found out the last time I ventured online to the gossip sites. Alice left after about twenty minutes, parting with a big hug and promises to spend some girl time together when I was in Washington for Christmas. Girl time with Alice sounded daunting, but I had survived one shopping trip with her, so hopefully I could survive a second one.
When I got home, Edward showed me how to operate my new security system. There were alarm pads at both entrances to the house, motion sensors throughout the house, and a component that would eventually be attached to the fence that was being put in the next day. He also showed me pictures of the type of security fence I would be getting. I had to admit, it didn't look as bad as I was expecting. In my mind's eye, I had this very utilitarian, institutional looking fence that would stand out like a sore thumb. This was a tasteful, black fence that would blend into the property and match the style of my house. I was actually looking forward to seeing how it would look installed.
After discussing our days over a quick bite to eat, we got ready for bed. As I crawled into bed, I blushed remembering our intimacy from the night before. Edward seemed to be thinking the same thing as he looked at me with a shy smirk. He reached over and gently cupped my cheek in his hand.
"Love you, sweetheart," he said softly before gently kissing me.
I hummed with pleasure and snuggled against him. "Love you, too."
Curled up around each other, Edward and I drifted off to sleep. We were completely at peace in our little bubble while the world swirled around us, preparing to swoop down and invade our lives.
+o+o+
Wednesday started out like any ordinary day. Edward and I had breakfast as we talked over our plans for the next few days and Edward's return to California. He said he needed to make some calls to get things set up for the concert on Friday while the fence was being installed. When I pressed for details, he only smiled and wouldn't elaborate. I was intrigued by what he was planning. I had assumed he was going to play a low key acoustical set because he only had his acoustic guitar with him. Edward had connections everywhere, though, so anything was possible. He did manage to record that beautiful CD for my birthday while he was here after all.
When I arrived at the bar, I noticed a few extra cars across the parking lot but tried not to think about it. If they were photographers, as long as they weren't on my property and trying to annoy my patrons and personnel, I wouldn't worry about them. I posted a sign with our shortened holiday hours and our concert on Friday on the door when we opened.
I still hadn't heard from Alec, nor did I expect him to contact anytime soon. He could still blab to the media since he hadn't signed the NDA, but he really didn't know that much about my relationship with Edward. His paranoia of would hopefully keep him from contacting anyone. Thank goodness for small favors. I closed out his employee file and queued up his hours to be submitted for payroll so I could print paychecks later on. It was saddening that things ended the way they did with Alec, but he had always been temperamental and a little strange. Some of the girls were not comfortable working with him. He never did anything inappropriate, but was just different. It honestly was a relief to be done with him and his paranoid, defensive nature.
There were a few more messages on the voicemail from magazine and media outlets wanting to interview me. Some of the messages were from actual reasonable magazines and not just the tabloids. I wrote myself a reminder to ask Edward what his manager thought of the calls and what I should do about them besides ignoring them.
The rest of the evening went by as expected. The buzz from the tabloids had segued over to the upcoming concert on Friday. On the flyer on the door, I hadn't announced the performer; just that he was well-known and quite popular. I was asked throughout the night who the performer was, but I wasn't budging on my secret. The businesswoman in me knew that the hype and mystery about the concert would bring more people into the bar. While I didn't want a lot of paparazzi here to spoil things, I did want a crowd. The bar would make a lot of money that night, the profits of which I would pass on to my employees as a part of their Christmas bonuses. The concert itself was free, but people would drink while they were there.
I arrived home earlier than normal, though still after sundown, so I wasn't able to really see my new security fence that well. The gate across my driveway was hard not to miss however. I quickly texted Edward so that he would open the gate. Only seconds had passed before the gate soundlessly retracted. I was impressed. Edward proudly showed me the gate controls, including a concealed keypad outside the gate so I could gain entrance when no one was home. It was all quite superior in quality but blessedly uncomplicated. Despite my hesitance at having all this work done, allowing Edward to pay for it, I had to admit I felt safer. Having someone come into my bar was one thing. Having someone try to spy on me in the privacy of my own home was something else entirely.
The enormity of what Edward had done for me started to affect me causing my eyes to mist up suddenly. I wasn't used to someone trying to take care of me. Granted, my parents had when I was a child, but I was an adult now. This was a physical manifestation of Edward's regard for me. He cared so much for me that he wanted to make sure I was protected. I ran over to him, where he was standing on the other side of the room discussing some advanced feature of the security system, and grappled him in a hug.
He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me and nuzzled my hair. "Not that I mind, but what's this for?"
"For caring about me," I said simply, trying not to sniffle.
"Well, of course I care about you, silly girl. I love you." He pulled back slightly and lifted my chin with the tips of his fingers. His eyes danced with mirth and affection.
"I know, but still, this is all so amazing," I whispered.
"What, that I would want to protect you?"
"Not necessarily," I explained, "but the lengths that you went to do so. The fence, the security system, everything. It's overwhelming."
He looked down at me with concern. Before he could speak, I continued. "Not overwhelming in a bad way, just overwhelming. My life has irrevocably changed now."
"I'm sorry," he whispered sadly. "You wouldn't have to deal with this if I wasn't in your life."
Angry at myself for making him feel guilty, I hugged him tighter. "No!" I swore firmly. "I knew my life would change when we started this. I walked into this with my eyes wide open. I do not regret a single, solitary thing. I said this to Jessica yesterday, but it is just as true now as it was then: I'd rather have my life be changed with you than to have lived my life without you."
Edward smiled faintly as I leaned up on my toes and kissed him tenderly. "I love you, Edward. No fence, no paparazzi, no crazy ex-girlfriend will change that."
He hugged me tighter and deepened the kiss, his hands dancing up and down my body. The fire and electricity that I had come to recognize as unique to Edward's touch sizzled along my skin, gathering in my belly. I gasped for air as he nuzzled my neck, nipping and kissing his way back to my lips. This was home. This was where I wanted to be.
+o+o+
The morning of Thanksgiving, I woke up early to start working on dinner. It was difficult to leave Edward asleep in bed. He was far too tempting. After I shoved the turkey into the oven, I started to work on the pies. I was making two cooked pies and one refrigerated one. The refrigerated pie was easy to knock out first thing. I was deep into peeling and slicing apples for my mother's famous apple pie when Edward came shuffling into the kitchen.
"Mmmmm… apple pie," he moaned happily. "How did you know apple was my favorite?"
I tried to control my body's reaction to his moaning. Unfortunately, I wasn't successful. Edward's gaze dropped to my chest and his smile widened. I reached up and lifted his chin so he was looking me in the eyes again.
"I didn't. I made apple pie every year. This is my mom's recipe."
"I see," he replied. "Anything I can help with?" he asked as he stole a few slices of apple from the bowl.
I smacked him with a towel to keep him from dipping into the apples again and directed him to a pile of potatoes on the other end of the counter. "Yeah, can you peel and quarter those potatoes and put them in the pot of water on the stove?"
"Sure, love."
Edward and I spent the next several hours working on Thanksgiving dinner. It was comforting being together like this, like we were just ordinary people and Edward wasn't some famous movie star or musician. It was funny; whoever thought that Edward Cullen could be so domestic? He asked a few questions while we worked when he needed to find something, but mostly we worked in comfortable silence with the occasional affectionate glance or soft touch.
After the preparations were done, we hopped into the shower to get ready. Edward was hoping to shower together yet again, under the premise of conserving water, but I saw right through his game.
"Later, Edward. We'll be late if we do." I turned my back to him as I walked towards the bathroom.
He reached out and wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. Edward's lips ghosted by my ear as he spoke "I promise I'll be quick," he whispered.
I rolled my eyes. "Edward."
He chuckled as he took my earlobe in his mouth and sucked gently. My body reacted immediately as I hissed. His hands roved upwards. He groaned when he felt that I was not wearing anything underneath my shirt.
"Edward," I gasped breathlessly. He knew what kissing my ears did to me. He was playing dirty.
He released my earlobe and continued kissing down my neck. "Bella," he teased in between kisses. His hands gently tried to lower my resistence. It was getting harder and harder to resist him.
"Fine," I said, caving. "Five minutes," I demanded.
The experience with Edward was far different from our gentle love-making from earlier in the week. Rough sex definitely had its moments.
After we finished our shower and got dressed, we loaded up Edward's Volvo with all the food we prepared. The windows in the back of the car began to steam up from all the hot food.
Edward's leg bounced as we drove to Charlie's house. When we stopped at a light, he would furiously run his hands through his wild hair to try to tame it. It inadvertently emphasized the freshly "I just got laid" look on his face. I giggled.
He looked over at me, startled as we sat at one of the main intersections in Vermilion. "What?"
"You have sex hair," I teased.
Edward checked his appearance in the visor mirror and tried once again to tame his wild mane. "Shit!"
I laughed again. "It's fine, Edward."
He kept tugging on his hair. "No, its not. I don't want to walk into your dad's home for the first time on Thanksgiving Day looking like I just fucked his daughter!"
Edward really looked like he was worried about it. It was cute. I couldn't help but tease him a little bit more.
"But," I chuckled, "you did!"
Edward glowered at me. "That's beside the point!"
A car honked behind us reminding Edward that the light had turned green.
"Alright, alright," he muttered to himself as he drove through the intersection.
We pulled into Charlie's driveway about five minutes later. Edward checked his hair one more time before he leaped out of the car. I couldn't help but laugh at his nervous actions.
Charlie had the front door open before we got up the steps. He quickly stepped aside as Edward followed me into the kitchen. After we laid the last items down, Charlie reached over and pulled me into a very un-Charlie like hug. He was not normally very demonstrative of his affections.
"Hi, Dad. What's with the hug?" I chuckled into his shoulder. I felt him shrug as he released me.
"Eh, I just felt like it," he said gruffly, a little embarrassed. "I haven't seen you in awhile."
Charlie extended a hand to Edward. "Hi, Anthony. How are you?"
"Fine, sir. Thank you," Edward replied quietly, shaking Charlie's hand, while trying to tame his hair with his other hand.
"None of this sir business. Call me Charlie, Anthony."
Edward nodded and looked at me quickly. We wanted to tell Charlie about Edward before Sue and her daughter arrived.
"Er, Dad, I wanted to tell you something." I took Edward's hand in mine and he squeezed it encouragingly. Charlie looked back and forth between us quizzically.
Edward cleared his throat and squeezed my hand again. "Bella, let me," he offered. "Charlie, I have a confession to make." Charlie's face started turning red as Edward finished speaking.
"Jesus, Bella, you aren't pregnant are you?" Charlie interrupted, his face going from red to purple.
"What? No! Jeez, Dad!" I exclaimed. My face turned bright red in embarrassment. A quick look over at Edward's stunned face showed that he was blushing too.
Charlie looked back and forth between us again before his face eventually returned to its normal color. He must have seen what he was looking for on our faces as he nodded for Edward to continue.
"Charlie, when we first met, I introduced myself as Anthony Masen. That's actually my middle name. I'm most commonly known as Edward Cullen. My full name is Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."
There, it was finally out to my father. I breathed a sigh of relief now that the worst was over, at least I hoped.
Charlie peered at Edward with a hard expression, like he was taking Edward's measure. To Edward's credit, he did not squirm under Charlie's penetrating gaze.
"Why the subterfuge?" Charlie asked. It was apparent to me that Charlie did not recognize Edward.
"It was to protect myself. I didn't want anyone to find out where I was, especially the media."
"The media?" Charlie's voice trailed off as he thought about what Edward said, realization slowly blooming across his face. His eyes widened as he looked at Edward again, then he started laughing.
"No wonder you looked so familiar. Sue and I just watched Eclipse last night."
Edward bowed his head sheepishly and smiled at Charlie shyly. "I hope you enjoyed it."
"Eh, it was okay," Charlie admitted, which was quite the compliment from him.
"Thank you," Edward murmured.
I was very pleased that Charlie seemed to take it so well. No crazy questions or evil looks, besides him asking if I was pregnant, just him taking it all in stride and moving on.
The front door opened and Charlie's face broke into a huge goofy smile, one I had never seen before. He quickly excused himself and walked into the living room, leaving Edward and me in the kitchen.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that Sue has just arrived," I said in a wry tone. Edward nodded and pulled me into his arms.
We heard several voices as they approached the kitchen. Edward released me so we could greet the new arrivals. Charlie walked in grinning ear-to-ear, hand-in-hand with a pretty woman who wore a matching grin. A younger version of herself, presumably her daughter, came strolling right behind the couple with a cell phone flipped open in her hand. She looked up at us, did a double-take, then ran over to Edward.
"Edward? Edward Cullen?" The girl had a huge smile on her face as she reached out and hugged Edward. "What are you doing here?"
"L-Leah?" Edward asked shakily, clearly surprised and startled to see her. He hugged her back, but his response was stiff. Charlie and Sue's reaction were just as surprised as mine.
"Yeah, it's been awhile hasn't it?" She released him and glanced over at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, I just haven't seen Edward in over a year and I certainly didn't expect to see him in Ohio!"
"Er, Bella this is-" Edward was cut off in his introductions by Charlie, who finally found his voice.
"Bella, Edward, this is Sue Clearwater." Charlie gestured towards the woman standing next to him. "And that is her daughter, Leah."
"Uh, yeah, we met," Edward replied awkwardly.
Charlie's lips quirked in a smile he was trying to fight. It seemed he was enjoying Edward's discomfort.
"Clearly. Sue, this is my daughter, Bella, and her boyfriend, Edward."
"Pleased to meet you, both of you," I replied quietly. My mind was whirling, trying to figure out how Leah knew Edward and how well she knew him.
Leah had walked over by her mother again but kept looking at Edward and me curiously. Sue smiled warmly at me, in a manner that reminded me of Renee. It was a pleasant reminder.
"Charlie has told me so much about you, Bella. I'm so happy to finally meet you," she said, her voice feminine and soft.
I looked down at my feet, slightly embarrassed. I felt my cheeks flame slightly. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and squeezed gently.
"Thank you, Sue. I'm happy to meet you too. You seem to make my father very happy." While I had not heard of her prior to this week, the look on his face was evidence enough of how happy he was with her.
Sue blushed prettily and looked over to Edward. "How do you know Leah, Edward?"
Edward's eyes widened and I felt him tense next to me. "Um, through her cousin Seth. He's one of my best friends and we work together a lot." Leah giggled.
Sue's eyebrows shot up. "Seth? Really? So are you an actor too?"
"Erm, yeah."
She peered at him a bit closer, making him fidget under her gaze. "Edward Cullen…. ah yes! No wonder you looked familiar." She smiled hugely at Edward, making him sigh with relief. "You were in Eclipse, right? Charlie, didn't we just watch Eclipse last night?"
Edward and Charlie nodded at the same time. It was kind of funny. A nervous giggle bubbled out of my mouth.
"Well, you did a great job, Edward. It was a good movie. I'm glad you are friends with Seth. How is he doing?" Sue's genuine and friendly attitude helped defuse some of the awkward tension from the room.
"Thank you, Ms. Clearwater. Seth is a good guy. I'm lucky to have him has a friend. I talked to him last on Monday and he was doing well," Edward replied quietly.
Charlie cleared his throat and all eyes zeroed on him. "Well, all the food that Bella and Edward brought is getting cold. Shall we eat?"
I turned to the table to start getting the food ready for the dining room table. Sue got drinks. Edward moved to join me until I shook my head and motioned for him to join the others in the dining room. "Go ahead, Edward. I've got it. I'll holler if I need help."
He looked dubious and a bit nervous, but he joined the others. I laughed to myself as I got dinner ready. I was a bit surprised that Edward knew Sue's daughter, but if she was the cousin of one of his best friends, It wasn't such a strange thing. The coincidence of my father dating his best friend's aunt was stranger than him knowing Leah. I tried to contain any latent jealousy I had towards Leah as I scooped mashed potatoes into a serving bowl. Edward had more than proven his loyalty to me, and Leah had even said that she hadn't seen him in some time. It was obvious that they knew each other well, but I did not pick up on any romantic vibes from her.
I heard laughter coming from the dining room and smiled. I was glad everyone was getting along. Gathering up a few of the dishes, I walked into the dining room and laid them on the table with a small flourish. Edward was sitting on the far side of the table, with an empty seat next to him. Charlie sat at the head of the table and Sue to his right, opposite of Edward. Leah sat next to Sue. The chair at the other end of Charlie was also vacant. Edward caught my eye as I walked by and smiled, shooting me a wink. I blushed and returned to the kitchen for the rest of the dishes.
After putting the last of the dishes on the table, I turned to sit down. Before I could, Edward rose and pulled my chair out for me. I blushed and sat down quietly. I looked across the table and saw Charlie appraising Edward with approval. Sue was smiling sweetly and Leah was fiddling with her phone. "Thank you, Edward," I whispered.
Once Edward took his seat next to me, he leaned over and kissed the side of my head. "You're welcome, sweetheart."
My heart felt like it was going to burst with how sweet Edward was being. He was always sweet to me, but to show this kind of affection in front of my father was endearing, brave, and possibly stupid depending on how Charlie took it. At the moment, Charlie seemed to be charmed by Edward's treatment of me.
"Everything looks great, Bella," Sue offered. Charlie agreed gruffly.
"Thank you. Edward helped with some of it."
"Yeah, so if something doesn't taste right, you can blame it on me," Edward joked.
Charlie chuckled as he took a sip of his water. Setting his glass down, he looked at all of us happily. "It has been some time since Bella and I have been in the presence of such welcome company. Thank you for joining us for Thanksgiving."
Edward, Sue, and Leah smiled and each replied with some version of 'you're welcome' or 'it was my pleasure.'
Being unusually communicative, Charlie spoke again, "Well, shall we toast and say what we are thankful for this year?"
Everyone raised their glasses and Charlie cleared his throat again as he prepared to make the toast. He remained thoughtful for a moment, while we all looked at each other and back to Charlie.
"Sorry about the delay, kids. I'm not known for being long-winded so I wanted to say the right thing," Charlie apologized.
"Dad, whatever you say will be fine," I murmured.
Charlie smiled and squared his shoulders. "Okay, I propose a toast to new beginnings, to family and friends, to love, to happiness, to all of us."
"To us," we echoed. I was stunned. That toast was very eloquent, which was highly unusual for Charlie. It was touching. Sue really was having a good affect on him.
"That was beautiful, Dad," I complemented. Charlie blushed, actually blushed, before he glanced over at Sue, who was shyly looking down at her plate.
"Thank you, Bells."
We started passing dishes around, our plates slowly filling up. We were pretty quiet but it was comfortable. No one wanted to break the spell that Charlie created with his toast. After all the plates were filled, Charlie held his hands out to Edward and Sue. Sue took his hand quickly, but Edward looked back at me slightly confused.
"It's a tradition that when we say what we are thankful for, we hold hands," I whispered. He nodded and took Charlie's offered hand and then wrapped his hand around mine. Suddenly shy, I reached across the table to Leah who looked happy and comfortable to be at our table. She took my hand with a smile and was already holding her mother's other hand.
"I'll start," Charlie said. This was also a new development. I usually said grace or made the toast and had to prod Charlie to say what he was thankful for that year. I was really beginning to like Sue if this more extroverted Charlie was a product of her presence in his life.
"I'm thankful for my health, my family, and new friends, and… new love." Charlie whispered the last part, causing Sue's face to pop up and stare at Charlie. Her eyes filled with tears as a dusky blush rose in her olive skin. Sue squeezed Charlie's hand tightly, and I suddenly felt like I was intruding on an intimate moment.
"I love you too, Charlie," she whispered. Charlie's smile lit up the room. Both of them were glowing.
"Eww, Mom, really? Get a room you two!" Leah teased with a smile on her face.
"I just happen to have one," Charlie replied, quite happy with himself.
"Oh my God, Dad, did you really have to go there?" I whined. I was happy for my father, but I really did not want to hear about his sex life, even in jest.
Everyone laughed as we continued down the line. Sue had sentiments similar to Charlie's. Leah made some generic comment about friends and family. She seemed nice but kept glancing at her phone as it buzzed periodically. When it was my turn, I suddenly got nervous. Edward squeezed my hand in encouragement.
I thought quickly and took a deep breathe before speaking. "Um, I'm thankful for my family, friends, and the Midnight Sun. I'm thankful for Edward, for his love and trust. My life changed irrefutably the day he walked into my bar. I'm thankful for the future, and for great things to come."
I looked at Edward shyly from under my lashes. His breath caught as he looked at me. His hand gripped mine tightly as his verdant eyes were flooded with love and hope. I got lost in his gaze and forgot anyone else was in the room but him. It wasn't until Charlie quietly cleared his throat that we came back down to Earth.
"Um, yeah, right. Sorry about that," Edward said to everyone as he blushed.
My face was flaming as I stared at my plate.
"So anyway, um, I'm thankful for my family, great friends," Edward began. Leah looked over at Edward at that point and smiled softly as he continued, "for Bella, without her I don't know where I'd be right now, for her love and understanding, for being herself, for seeing me as I am, for everything that she is."
After he finished, no one said anything as hands unclasped. I noticed that Charlie and Sue continued to hold hands, as did Edward and I. Charlie and Sue stared at Edward, in awe of his declaration. Leah looked surprised but happy. I was simply stunned stupid. He had declared his love for me on national television but for him to say what he did in front of my family, in this intimate dinner, meant more to me than I could ever say. I was touched to my core. It was a moment I would never forget.
"Okay, enough sappiness. The food is getting cold. Let's eat!" Charlie declared effectively breaking the mood, which was a relief from the intensity of the emotions that were swirling around.
A/N Please review… and as always, teasers for the next chapter will be given with reviews. I also post a second teaser in the thread on Twilighted. Come join us in the thread for BFTO: www(dot)twilighted(dot)net/forum/viewtopic(dot)php?f=44&t=9524 (replace the 'dot' with .)
I have also signed up for the Fics for Nashville contest to help out the victims of the horrible flooding. I have written an AU outtake for BFtO that is quite enjoyable. If you want to read it, along with a ton of other submissions by lots of great others, donate! :D If you want information on how to donate to Fics for Nashville, go here: einfach-mich(dot)livejournal(dot) (replace the 'dot' with .)