Chapter Seventeen
EPOV
The sun was shining brightly when I awoke the next morning to my phone ringing incessantly. I gently extracted myself from Bella's arms and got out of bed, pulling my boxers as I went to retrieve my cell from the living room. I paused to look at the goddess in my bed and smiled in satisfaction to myself.
I glanced at the display before I answered. Emmett. I sighed and pressed the answer button
"Morning, Emmett"
"Morning, Lil Bro! How are you?" he boomed
"I'm fine. Why are you calling me at-" I glanced at the clock on my fireplace "8am on a Saturday morning?"
"Sorry, I just wanted to check in. I didn't realise that you were still sleeping" I sighed
"Yeah, I was. Its ok, I'm up now. What's up?"
"Got some good news for you, bro"
"Oh?" I asked, curious
"Rose and I got engaged last night" my eyebrows shot up in surprise
"Really? Wow. Congrats, man" I felt the electricity at my back and smiled to my self. My Kitten was up. I felt her arms come round and slide down my bare chest as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to my neck. I hummed in pleasure
"Edward? Are you there, bro? What are you doing?" I could hear Emmett talking to me, but I couldn't concentrate with Bella's lips on my skin. I pulled her round the sofa and sat her in my lap. She had the bed sheet wrapped around her gorgeous body, her hair a beautiful mess. I leaned forward and kissed her sweetly, she hummed against my lips
"Good morning, baby. Did I wake you?" I asked against her lips, my phone forgotten against my ear. That is until I heard
"HOLY SHIT! Is Bella there with you?" I startled and pulled the phone away from my ear, confused. I could hear Emmett's booming laughter through the speaker and so could Bella. I put the phone on speaker
"Yes, Em, Bella is here with me. Say hello, but keep it clean, you are on speaker" Bella blushed and leaned her head against my shoulder
"Good Morning Baby Girl!"
"Morning, Em"
"So how are you this morning? Sore?"
"Emmett!" I snapped
"What? I'm just being the concerned big brother!" I shook my head and looked down at Bella, who was now positively red
"Bella, baby, why don't you go and see if we have anything for breakfast? I'll join you in a minute" I wanted to spare her anymore embarrassment at the hands of my brother. She nodded, kissed me lightly on the lips and wandered off towards the kitchen. I removed the call from speaker and placed it back at my ear
"Emmett, can you refrain from embarrassing my girlfriend, please?" I asked as calmly as I could
"Sorry, man. But seriously, you guys did the deed last night, didn't you?" He asked. I rolled my eyes
"Yes, Em, we did. Happy now?" I answered
"Are you ok? Is she ok?" he was fishing. My brother, ladies and gentleman, the biggest gossip queen of the century!
"We are both fine, Em"
"Good, I'm glad. So…" he trailed off and I heard Rose in the background ask him to just ask already. I sniggered, knowing what was coming
"So, how was it?" he rushed out. I laughed out loud at that. It was obvious that it was Rose asking for the details. Men just didn't do that shit
"It was emotional" was all I said
"Emotional how? Did she cry? Is she ok?" I laughed as I heard Rose demand in the background
"It was an emotional experience and no she didn't cry. She's fine, Rose" I heard Rose sigh
"She is here if you want a word with her?" I offered
"Yes, please" I put the phone on speaker and carried it into the kitchen where I found my love swaying her hips to a tune only she could hear, I could see the outline of her body under the sheet and it caused my body to react, as it always did in her presence. I walked up behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist and held the phone in front of her with the other
"Rose" I whispered in her ear
"Hey, Rose"
"Bella! How are you, girl?"
"I'm fine, Rose. How are you? How's Cali?" I trailed my lips across her exposed collarbone and tightened my hold around her waist, pulling her tightly against me. I heard her breath hitch as she felt my erection against her back
"Cali is great! Hot. Guess what?" Rose squealed. I continued my ministrations, only now I was rubbing soft circles over her abdomen. Bella's breathing picked up. I trailed my hand up to her breast and brushed her nipple, hardening it. She gasped and leaned further into me. I moved my hips against her back, creating friction for my growing problem
"Wha…What, Rose" she breathed out
"Em asked me to marry him last night and I said yes!" I moved my hand back down her body and parted the sheet to gain access to her sex. I lightly stroked her lower lips, delighting in the fact that she was getting aroused
"Tha….Oh God" Bella moaned as I slipped one finger into her heat, her head lolled back onto my shoulder
"Bella? Bella, are you there? Did you hear what I said?" at this point I had slipped a second finger into her and was pumping them in and out and Bella was bucking her hips against my hand
"Bella?" Rose asked again. All Bella could do was moan in response
"O my God, are you two…?"
"I need you, Kitten" I whispered into Bella's ear. She moaned and moved her hips faster against my hand
"Now, Tiger. Please" She moaned in the most sexist voice, causing me to harden further
"Oh God, you are! Ewww! Can't you wait until we get off the phone at least?" Rose screamed down the phone
"Rose, Bella will call you later" I said in a tight voice and pressed the end button and placed the phone on the counter by the sink. I removed my fingers from her and spun her around to face me. I crashed my lips to hers and kissed her hard. I lifted her by her waist onto the breakfast counter and un-wrapped the bed sheet from her, allowing it to pool around her. I spread her legs as I massaged her breast and trailed kisses across her neck, collarbone and chest, all the way down to her stomach.
I knelt on the tiled floor before her and kissed her calves and thighs, making my way slowly to where I wanted to be the most. I was hard beyond belief and straining against my boxers, but I wanted to taste her first.
I pulled her forward, so that she was sitting right on the edge of the counter and then I buried my face in between her legs. I took one long lick and she bucked against me
"Oh Fuck!" she exclaimed
I licked again and again before driving my tongue into her. Her taste was as sweet as I remembered from last night. I brought one hand up to massage her breasts and the other to her thigh. I continued to lick and suck at her, pulling her clit into my mouth. I slid two fingers into her and started pumping, curling them slightly. I wanted her to cum. I needed her to cum quickly before I buried myself into her. She was rocking her hips faster and faster now and I could feel her walls pulsing, so I knew she was close. I nipped her clit again and that was all it took for her to shatter. I drove my tongue into her as her walls clenched around it. The feeling was indescribable
"Oh, Oh, OH! God! Edward" she screamed as she came. I pulled back and stood up, pulling down my boxers as I went. I pulled her to me roughly and slid in to the hilt in one movement. Her walls were still contracting from her orgasm so I had to remain still as she rode it out. My head fell back and my eyes closed as I felt her gripping onto my cock
"Oh god!" I moaned, almost losing my tenuous hold on my release from the feeling of her. I felt her pulsing subside and started rocking my hips against her. She gripped onto my shoulders and moved back and forth against me
"Harder, Edward, Faster!" she panted. I pulled almost all the way out and then slammed back into her, she cried out and dug her fingernails into my shoulder. The pain was pleasurable. I pulled back again and slammed back in again, picking up my pace
"Fuck me!" Bella screamed. I chuckled
"That's what I'm doing, baby" I replied in between thrusts. I felt the familiar coil tighten in my abdomen and knew that I was close
"I'm close, baby" I panted out, Bella sat up and trailed kisses across my shoulder and chest
"Me too. Please, Tiger, harder" she breathed out. I reached down and found her swollen clit and started to rub furiously. The coil in my lower stomach was ready to snap and I felt my balls tighten. I pulled her harder into me and continued to pound into her, feeling her walls start to pulse again
"Oh God, Yes! I'm there! Oh Fuck!" Bella cried. My pace was fast and furious now, chasing my release. I felt her walls contract as she threw her head back
"I'm coming! Oh God!" she screamed and bit into my shoulder. Her inner walls tightening impossibly tight, pulling my orgasm from me
"FUCK!" I screamed as my orgasm washed through me and into her. I moved my hips frantically as she held onto me tight. I collapsed against her as the waves of pleasure subsided, feeling weak. I slid out of her and onto the floor, my legs unable to hold me up any longer. I leaned back against the cabinets and closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath. I felt her slide off the counter and onto the floor beside me. I opened my eyes and rolled my head to look at her. She giggled
"Did I wear you out, Tiger?" I smiled lazily
"Yeah, you did, Kitten" I pulled her into my arms and kissed her lightly
"That was amazing, Tiger" she said against my lips
"It was and I can't wait to try and make it even better for you, baby" she pulled back, a surprised look on her face
"How can it get better? Four orgasms in a 24 hour time period? Can it get better than that?" I laughed and pulled her into me for another kiss
"It can only get better, not worse, right? The more we learn of each others bodies, the better it will get" she looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded her agreement. My stomach chose that moment to make itself know, followed by hers. We laughed and helped each other off of the floor
"Let's go out for breakfast" I said, holding out my hand. She took it and followed me into the bedroom.
We showered together, washing each other with teasing touches and sweet kisses. That of course led to round three, but hey, who expected anything less? The more I had of her, the more I wanted. Could you blame me? She was beautiful, kind, sexy, generous and she is my other half. My home.
The weekend went by too quickly. Now it was Sunday afternoon and Bella had gone back to her apartment to finish a deposition she needed for court next week. I was in my home office, finishing up some design proposals but I couldn't concentrate. I missed Bella. In the two day that she had been here, I had gotten used to her in my home. I knew it was too soon to move our relationship to that level, but boy did I want it.
I had been working for a couple of hours when my cell rang. I answered it absently
"Edward Cullen" I heard a giggle on the other end and my face broke out into a wide grin
"Do you always answer your private cell like that?" Bella asked, I laughed
"Not always, but it's an ingrained habit from answering my work phone"
"What are you up to, honey?"
"Just working on some design proposals. You?"
"Finished my depo. Missing you"
"I miss you too, baby. Can you come back over now?" I asked hopefully
"Sorry, honey. I wish I could, but I've just had a call from Alice, she's coming over for a chat" I sighed in disappointment. I guess I couldn't pull her away from her friends, not matter how much I just wanted her to myself
"Its ok, baby. Have fun with Alice. Any ideas what she wants to chat about?" I asked curiously
"No, but it may have something to do with Emmett and Rose's phone call yesterday I think" Crap. I had forgotten about that. Bella and I had been totally wrapped up in each other all weekend
"I had forgotten about that. I guess I should give Em a call and properly congratulate him" Bella laughed
"Yes. Yes, you should. How awful of you to ignore his good news because of some girl!" she teased
"I know, I know! I'm a bad brother. To be fair, the girl was pretty hot" I teased back
"Oh, really?" I hummed a yes
"And pray tell, what was so hot about her?" her voice had dropped into a low, sexy purr. I sat up straighter. I liked where this was headed
"Hmm…Her legs were pretty hot"
"And?"
"And her tiny waist…"
"Hmm?"
"And her perfect silk like skin, her perfect breasts"
"Mmhmm" by this point I was hard just thinking about her and our romp sessions. I could hear her breathing pick up and knew that she getting aroused by my words
"Her neck is exquisite, like a swan and her lips…Oh God, her lips. So soft, so sweet" I put my hand into my sweats and started stroking to relieve some of the pressure
"And?" she asked breathless
"And her taste…so sweet, so heavenly on my tongue and fingers-"
"Bella!" I heard through the phone. I heard a fumble and then a rustling
"Oh shit! Alice! Can't you see I'm on the phone! Did you have to scare the crap out of me?" I heard Alice laugh and then there was another fumbling
"Hey Edward!" Alice, it appeared, had wrestled the phone away from Bella
"Hey, Alice"
"So…what are you doing?" I rolled my eyes at her obvious attempt to gain information
"Just doing some work and talking to my girlfriend" I answered
"Well, by the looks of Bella, the talk was headed into some X-rated territory"
"Mary Alice!" I heard Bella exclaim and chuckled
"Well, if that's what you wish to believe, then there is nothing I can do to stop that is there?"
"Tiger, don't encourage her, please!" I chuckled again
"Sorry, Kitten. Anyway, I'll let you two to your chat. I need to go call Em"
"Bye, Edward!" Alice called out
"Bye, Alice. Bella?"
"Hmm?"
I'll talk to you tomorrow, baby. Goodnight"
"Goodnight, honey"
"I love you"
"I love you too" I hung up and dialled Emmett, who answered on the second ring
"Well, well, well, about time you surfaced" Emmett boomed down the phone
"Hi, Em. How are you?"
"Oh, I'm good. How are you?" He asked, chuckling. I sighed. What was with everyone wanting to know about mine and Bella's sex life all of a sudden?
"I'm good too. Just finishing up some work. Are you home yet?"
"Yep, just pulled up to my apartment now. Where's Bella?"
"She's at her place. She had some work to do and Alice was going over to chat"
"So, she let you out of bed only because she had work to do? Cold, bro, cold" I sighed. Emmett could such a teenager at times, despite the fact that he was older than me
"No, Em, we both had work to do and tomorrow is Monday"
"What's that got to do with anything?" he asked
"Everything. She didn't bring her work outfit with her and I have an early start tomorrow. I'm on a site visit and then I have a meeting with Laurent at 11am" I explained
"So, in other words, you didn't want her to wear you out?" I sighed again and pinched the bridge of my nose
"Why is it that everyone seems to be so interested in our relationship all of a sudden?" I asked, frustrated. Emmett sighed on the other end
"It's not all of a sudden, bro; we've been interested from the beginning. We all have a vested interest in this working out for you two" Emmett said slowly
"What does that mean?" I asked, my interest piqued
"It means that you two weren't the only ones hurt in those eight years" I sucked in a breath at that. Of course our separation had affected our friends too. Em and Rose had split up to care for us. Alice and Jasper had split up while in college too. Our separation had not been ours alone
"I'm sorry, Em" I said quietly as this realisation sunk in
"Don't apologise, Edward. It's done and there was nothing you could have done to change it, not now and not then either. Just keep in mind when you get frustrated with us next time that the only reason we are doing it is because we love you guys and want you happy, is all"
"You're a great brother, Em. I never did thank you for all you have done in the last eight years, did I?" Emmett had stuck by me through thick and thin. He had been the one to recognise that I needed help when I had been at my lowest point and to get it for me. He had been the one to find me after my suicide attempt. He had helped me through my depression afterwards while still battling his own nightmares. My brother really was my hero
"It's no big thing, Ed. You're my baby bro, it's my job to watch out for you" Emmett replied, brushing it all off
"Still, Thank Em" I said softly. I heard Emmett suck in a deep breath on the other end
"You're welcome, Ed. Always" he replied, in an equally soft tone. I smiled
"I gotta go, Ed. Rose has just pulled up" I chuckled
"Sure thing, Em. Hey! Congrats man. I didn't get to say it properly yesterday" Emmett booming laugh came down the phone
"Erm…Yeah, Rose told me the reason why too, bro! Congrats to you too, I guess" I had to laugh at that
"Thanks, Em. Talk to you later"
"Later, bro"
BPOV
Meanwhile at Bella's
"Mary Alice Brandon, why are you here really?"
Alice and I have been sat here for twenty minutes since the phone call with Edward and she has yet to broach the subject of her visit to chat. I'm beginning to think there was no real reason in the first place. I sighed quietly to myself. I had really been enjoying that phone call too and now I am left strung up and turned on with no hope of release
"Rose called me yesterday" Alice hedged. Ah, so this was a recon mission to get details
"Yes, and?" I asked her, one eyebrow raised
"Annnd….?" I sighed again
"What do you want to know, Ali?" I gave in because it was simply easier to do so. Alice squealed and bounced up and down like a rabbit on crack
"Details! Did you guys really do it? Is he any good? How big is he? Did you enjoy it?" I held up one hand, palm facing up
"Whoa there, bunny. Slow down and ask your questions one at a time, please. Also, I want to make clear that I will not be going into detail as what we did is a very private thing between Edward and I, got it?" Alice nodded her head frantically and I couldn't help but laugh at her exuberance. I waited as she settled herself on the sofa next to me
"Ok, first question: Did you guys really do it?" I nodded my head and blushed
"Aww…I'm so happy for you guys! It's about time you had some happiness. How was it?" I rolled my eyes at her and though about my answer for a moment. I must have taken too long because Alice leaned forward and took my hand
"I'm sorry, sweetie, was it not that good for you?" she said sympathetically
"Oh no! No! That's not it…I was thinking of the most appropriate word for the experience and the only one that comes to mind right now is 'fan-fucking-tastic'!" I explained quickly.
Alice squealed and clapped her hands. I laughed and got up to grab a glass of wine. I was just returning from the kitchen with two glasses of wine when there was a knock on my door. I looked in the living room for Alice as I passed. It looked as if she had gone to the bathroom.
I opened my door to find a teenage boy standing with a large box, wrapped in foil like paper
"Yes?"
"Ms Swan?" he asked nervously
"Yes, that's me"
"I…um…have a package for you, ma'am" I looked at him confused, he didn't look like UPS and I knew that UPS did not deliver on a Sunday
"For me? But I haven't ordered anything" I was extremely puzzled. He shoved the box into my hands and turned to leave
"Wait! Don't you need me to sign anything?" I called after him. He shook his head
"No, ma'am, the man said you would know what it was for when you opened it" my blood chilled
"Man?" I asked hoarsely. I had a feeling I knew which man this kid was talking about. He nodded again
"Yes, ma'am. I met the man down the street and he asked me to deliver this. Gave me $50 to do it too" he said proudly
"What did this man look like?" Alice demanded from beside me. I startled for a moment as I hadn't heard her come up behind me
"Um…Tall,'bout 6'4", I think. Dark skinned, black hair, black eyes" I felt my knees going weak. Jacob. This box was from Jacob. I felt Alice take the box from me and thank the boy before shutting the door. She led me over to the sofa and sat me down
"Bella, sweetie, drink this, please"
I looked up to find Alice standing over me with a glass of water. I took the glass from her and as I did I found that my hand was shaking badly. She took the glass from me once I had taken a sip and set it down on the coffee table
"Do you want to open it?"
I nodded my head. I was afraid of what I would find in it, but I needed to see. Once Alice got the wrapping and tape off and opened the flaps I gasped in horror at what was inside. I pulled out the paper and read the note. My vision was blurring and my breathing was erratic. My chest felt tight and I couldn't get a full breath. I could just about hear Alice calling me frantically over the roaring in my ears
"Tiger" I whispered as the blackness engulfed me
EPOV
I had just finished eating a sandwich and was lounging in front of the TV when my cell rang. I smiled thinking it would be Bella. I grabbed it and pressed the answer button without looking at the display
"Hey, baby, has Alice released you yet?" I chuckled into the phone
"Edward! Help!" I sat up as I heard Alice's frantic voice
"Alice? Alice! What's wrong? Where's Bella?" panic started to unfurl in my veins
"Get over to Bella's now!" Alice cried. I had already slipped on my trainers and grabbed my keys
"I'll be there in five, Ali. Where's Bella? Please tell me she is ok?" I pleaded as I slid into my car and started the engine
"Just get here, Edward, please. She needs you" Well, that did absolutely nothing to quell my fear. I hung up the phone without saying another word and peeled out of the parking garage.
Five nerve wracking minutes later I pulled into a parking spot right out front of Bella's building. I almost took the door off of its hinges as I propelled myself out of the car. I raced up the steps and pounded on the door. It flung open to reveal a distraught looking Alice
"Bella" I rasped out. Alice gestured into the living room and I brushed past her. The sight in front of me froze my feet to the floor and stopped my heart. There was my Kitten, crumpled on the floor with tear tracks down her beautiful face. I strode over and scooped her up into my arms and headed to her bedroom where I gently laid her on her bed. I turned to face Alice then
"Get me a cold cloth and some water" I barked at her. She scurried off and returned moments later with my requested items. I gently laid the cold cloth on Bella's forehead and gestured to Alice to place the water on her bedside unit. I sat on the bed sideways and stroked her cheek softly with my fingertip. The ever present electricity running through my hand and up my arm
"What happened, Alice?" I whispered
"Do you want to wait for her to wake up and tell you?" I shook my head. I had a feeling it was bad news. My girl was not a weak person, so she had to of been sufficiently frightened to pass out cold like this
"She had a delivery" my head snapped up and my eyes met Alice's frightened gaze
"What kind of delivery?" I asked, fearing her answer.
Alice launched into the whole tale of what happened after I hung up from talking to Bella. The more she spoke, the more my rage grew. By the time she was done, I was ready to go out, find Jacob Black and beat the ever living shit out of him. The only thing that held me in place was that I knew that Bella needed me more right now
"Where is the box?" I asked.
Alice disappeared again and returned with a medium sized box and placed it on the floor at my feet. I stared at it for a long moment and then looked back at my love
"Alice, can you sit with her for a moment, please. I'm going to take this out to the living room and open it there, but I don't want her to be alone if she wakes" Alice nodded.
I rose from my seat and picked up the box and made my way out into the living room. I sat on the sofa and placed the box at my feet again. I pulled the flaps back and recoiled when I saw the contents.
It was a white wedding dress covered in a red substance, which I had a sinking feeling was blood. Who's blood, I wasn't sure of. Nestled with the dress was the retraining order Jacob had been served with and a note. I pulled out the note and unfolded it
Bella,
You know as well as I do that no retraining order will keep me from seeing you in this dress.
I collected this for you from the Bridal store you visited. The lady was kind enough to tell me that it was one of the designs you loved, though why you didn't purchase it is beyond me. You will look gorgeous in this on our wedding day. The date is set, darling.
September 21st 2010.
I will come for you, I promise. Cullen can't keep you from me. No one can, darling. You are mine.
Yours
Jacob
PS: Sorry about the stains, I'm sure you can have them dry cleaned out. The stupid woman at the store was being a pain and wouldn't let me take the dress for you.
I felt sick. This was far and beyond obsessive love. This was delusional! Jacob had injured and possibly killed a woman to retrieve this dress
"Oh God" I whispered to myself. I needed to go to the police now. Bella was in more danger than we originally thought. I pulled out my phone to call Officer Twain. I had just finished dialling when I heard a blood curdling scream from the bedroom. I dashed towards the sound, stashing my phone in my pocket as I went and my heart almost broke at what I found. Bella was thrashing around on the bed, screaming 'No! Stop! Please! Jacob, no!' Alice was holding onto her arms and trying to wake her up. I rushed over and crawled onto the bed, motioning to Alice to release her. I then wrapped my arms around Bella and whispered to her
"Shh, baby, it's me. I'm here, baby. Wake up, please. Wake up Kitten. Show me those beautiful brown eyes. Please, baby. Wake up for me"
I was sobbing by this point. Seeing her like this was killing me. Her pain was my pain and right now it was slicing through my insides. She slowly relaxed into my arms, but didn't wake. Instead she slipped into a more peaceful slumber. I lay there with tears streaming down my face and onto the pillow. I buried my face into the pillow and quietly sobbed as I held my beautiful girl. I felt so helpless. There was nothing I could do but hold her and that made me angry. I had to protect her. I just had to.
It seemed like hours later when I realised that Alice was stroking my hair in effort to calm me. I turned my face towards her and found she had also been crying
"I can't see her like this anymore, Ali. I want to kill that bastard for doing this to her" I whispered hoarsely. Alice nodded
"I know, Edward. It kills me to see her like this too. This has gone far beyond anything I imagined. He has really lost the plot this time" she said sadly
I slowly extracted myself from Bella and rose to sit up against the headboard
"Did you see the contents, Ali?"
"Yeah, she did too. That's what caused the panic attack"
I nodded absentmindedly. I continued to stroke Bella's hair, weighing our options. We now had a possible murder on our hands. Jacob had just kicked this shit up a notch. Well, ok a few dozen notches. I thought about where to go next and realised that I needed to involve the police now. I sighed and pulled out my phone again, dialling Officer Twain again. It rang several times before he answered
"Officer Twain"
"Officer Twain, this is Edward Cullen. I apologise for calling you so late, but we have a bit of a situation"
"Mr Cullen, good evening. It's quite alright. What can I do for you?"
I launched into the whole thing, picking up where I had left off on the last conversation with him. It took me a few minutes and he was quiet for a moment when I was done
"Do you have the box there now?"
"Yes, Officer. It arrived a couple of hours ago"
"I'll be there in ten minutes" I re-confirmed Bella's address with him and hung and dialled another number immediately
"Who are you calling now?" Alice asked
"An old friend" I replied as I waited for the call to connect.
I looked up at Alice and she had one eyebrow raised in question. I shook my head at her. I had just opened my mouth to explain when the call was answered
"'Lo?" I heard his sleepy voice
"Josh its Edward. I need to see you man, can you come to Bella's house now?" I wasted no time; I had no time to waste. My life was on the line, literally
"Ed, man, what's up?"
"I need your services ASAP. Can you get here soon?"
"Sure, man. Just give me the address" I recited Bella's address for the second time in ten minutes
"Alright, that's not to far from me. I'll be there in 15 to 20 minutes. Cool?"
"Cool, man. See you then" I hung up and sighed, running my hand through my hair. I was lost in my thoughts and was interrupted by a throat clearing. I looked up to find Alice staring at me expectantly
"What?" I asked baffled
"What do you mean 'What'? Are you gonna tell me what's going on and who all you called just now?" I sighed again and then explained about Officer Twain and Josh. Alice looked thoughtful for a few moment and then snapped her fingers
"We need a plan" she exclaimed. I stared at her like she had three heads, wondering what the hell she was going on about. She rolled her eyes and then explained
"For Bella, I mean" I still looked confused, so she elaborated
"Josh is in security, right?" I nodded
"So, I'm assuming you are planning on hiring him for Bella, right?" I nodded again
"Well, how do you plan on getting that past her?" she point at Bella inert form next to me
"She knows it was a possibility if thing got more intense. She met Josh last month"
"Oh. Well, in that case we'll all help" I nodded
"Call the gang, Ali. We need to get together and plan this out"
Ali jumped off the bed and went running into the living room to do as I requested. I glanced down at Bella and sighed. She looked so peaceful now, but the earlier image of her thrashing around and screaming was seared under my eyelids.
Half an hour later, all requested company was assembled in the living room when Alice came into Bella's bedroom to get me. I pressed on soft kiss on Bella's forehead and followed her out. The sight before me made me stop in my tracks for a second. Gathered in Bella's spacious living room were my parents, Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Josh and Officer Twain. Each person was sat wherever they could find a small square inch. The sight made my heart swell. Thank you god for my family and friends.
I strolled in and collapsed on the sofa next to my brother
"Hey, Em" I said clapping him on his shoulder
"Hey, Ed. You ok?" I nodded and sighed then shook my head
"Yes and no, Em" he looked at me quizzically
"I'm scared for her and I'm angry and I feel helpless and that makes me angry at myself" I blurted out. Em laughed and laid his large hand on my shoulder
"We'll keep her safe, Edward. She's all of ours family too and we love her too" I nodded in thanks then turned to face Officer Twain and started to explain the events of the evening to him.
I had been talking with Josh and Officer Twain when I felt the familiar electricity at my side. My eyes widened and my head snapped up to find a very confused Bella standing in the doorway gazing around her full living room. Her eyes met mine and silently questioned what was going on. I slowly stood from the couch and made my way over to her, pleading with my eyes for her to not freak out and to understand my reasons for doing this. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to me, cradling her at my chest. She sighed and melted into my body
"I understand, Tiger" she whispered
"You understand what, Bell?" Rose asked
I turned us to face the room and I watched as understanding dawned on each face. Officer Twain, however still looked puzzled
"Oh. I get it. Never mind, as you were" Rose waved her hand in dismissal causing the gang to laugh. Like Jasper said, they knew about our silent convo's
"I don't get it?" Officer Twain chimed in, which just caused the gang to laugh harder
"Trust me, we'd be here all night if we tried to explain the phenomenon of Bedward" Josh informed Officer Twain whilst clapping his back.
I groaned at the stupid nickname. Bella pulled back and looked at me in sympathy, her eyes laughing at my discomfort. I shook my head at her in warning, growling under my breath. She giggled and quirked one eyebrow in a playful challenge, I growled again and swooped down to capture her soft lips with my own. She sighed into my mouth, which allowed me access with my tongue. I felt myself harden and pulled back. I really didn't want to be sporting wood with my parents in the room. I heard a throat clear behind me; I turned and found my father standing with an amused expression
"Sorry son. Didn't mean to interrupt, but I would like to check on Bella? Alice told me about the panic attack" I nodded and released her into his care as I went to speak with my mother
"Hello son. How are you doing?" my mother asked softly
"I'll be ok, Mom. I just need her to be ok first" I replied, she nodded and patted my cheek lovingly
"She will be, Edward as long as she has you and all of us here to help protect her" I answered with a tight smile, images of Bella screaming in her sleep earlier flashed through my mind once again.
I chatted with Mom for a bit; catching her up to speed on what had been going on with Bella and with my life in general. We had just started discussing business when she asked me about the restaurant
"How is it doing?"
"Really good, actually. Last weeks figures alone show an increase in profits, despite the climate"
I felt the electricity at my back as Bella re-entered the room with my father, making her way over to me and started praying that my mother would not bring up anything else. I should have known better
"When are you going to tell Bella about ownership?" I sucked in a breath as at that exact moment I felt Bella lay her hand on my back
"Hello Esme"
I watched as my mother and Bella hugged and greeted each other with warmth and it made me smile. I exhaled a large breath, thinking the topic of restaurant ownership had been dropped. Alas, my luck was not that great
"What's this about ownership?" Bella asked and I internally groaned
"We were just talking about the restaurant, dear" Mom answered as I tried to motion to her with my eyes to drop it, unfortunately she did not look my way in time
"Oh, I already know he owns it with Em" Bella replied cheerfully
"Oh, dear, I know you know that, I was asking him when he was going to tell you about your sh-"
"MOM!" I exclaimed.
I frantically shook my head at her and she looked at me confused for a moment, then understanding dawned on her that this was not a topic we had discussed yet, but it was too late
"My what? Edward?" I looked from my mother to Bella and sighed.
It seemed it would have to be discussed now. Bella looked at me, silently telling me with her eyes that I needed to tell her now. I nodded and took her hand, leading her into her bedroom. I threw a glare at my mother over my shoulder and she gave me an apologetic look.
I shut the door behind us and sat Bella down on the bed. I started pacing back and forth, gathering my thoughts and deciding how to tell my love one of my biggest secrets
"Edward? What was your mom talking about in there? My what?" Bella asked. I stopped pacing and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration
"Just spit it out, honey. Please? I'm imagining all sorts of scenarios here and some not so pleasant" Bella pleaded
I sighed and went and sat next to her on the bed, taking her hand in mine, relishing in the jolt of electricity at her touch. I stroked her knuckles with my thumb, took a deep breath and began
"Well, you know that Em and I own Bella Italia, along with two other places jointly, right?" Bella nodded
"We have a third partner in Bella Italia, baby" Bella looked at me confused. I would not tell her about Hales. That was not my secret to share
"They don't know that they own a third of it. Their shares of the profits, including my shares have been deposited into an account in trust under their name and the money has been accruing for three years now. The trust is set to release to them upon my command or in the event of my death" I paused to look at Bella and found she was looking at me in understanding. She knew, she wanted to hear it from me though
"Who, Edward?" she asked softly. I inhaled a deep breath and released it through my nose
"You, baby"
BPOV
I stared at Edward, speechless.
Had he just told me that I owned a third of his restaurant?
He had been putting my share and his of the profits into a trust account in my name?
Why?
My mouth opened and closed like a fish. Edward simply gazed back at me, shifting nervously
"Why?" was all I could manage
Edward's face fell and he cringed
"I love you is why" he replied, his eyes falling from mine to the floor. I pulled his gaze back to mine by pulling his chin
"I know you love me, but you didn't know that when you did that, so why?" I asked
"Bella, I've always loved you. At the time I did it because I missed my best friend and no matter how hurt and angry I was at you, I still loved you and I didn't know how else to show you that. The trust is set to turn over to you in the event of three things" He paused and I nodded in encouragement
"The first is in the event of my death, as I mentioned" I sucked in a sharp breath, pain radiating through me at the thought and he smiled at me weakly
"The second is if I command it at anytime and the third…" he paused again, looking away from me again; I pulled his face back to me once again
"The third?" I prompted
"The third is in the event of your marriage, with stipulations" I cocked an eyebrow at him in a silent question of the stipulations. He bowed his head and told me
"The stipulations are that if you marry, the trust would be released into your care for your future children and further shares will be deposited into a separate account for you to use as you wished" he finished, I gasped.
He had done all of that for me? I was amazed at the lengths he went to for me, the love and dedication he showed to me and our friendship, even though we had no contact at that point. He had done all of this despite his anger at me. I felt in awe of this amazing man and his huge heart
"How much?" I whispered, slightly afraid to find out the figure after three years
"$1.2 million with interest at last count" he replied quietly
I stood up and made my way over to the window. I wrapped my arms around my middle and wished that I could wrap my head around what he had just told me. I felt the electricity move at my back and fade as Edward quietly left the room. He knew without me having to tell him that I needed some time to process all of this.
What did it really mean to me?
Did I really care about the money? No, I didn't. It was the gesture that touched me the most. Did I love Edward and more or less? Definitely not. I knew I loved him fiercely before he told me this, so this didn't change anything. With that thought in mind, I turned back to the living room.
I was surprised to find that Officer Twain and Josh had left, leaving only our friends and family. I followed the electric current that always pulled me towards Edward into the kitchen and found him sat hunched over at my breakfast bar, nursing a cup of coffee. I knew he could feel me behind him, but he didn't move or acknowledge my presence for several moments. I waited for him to speak first. I knew what I wanted to tell him, but I also knew he doubted telling me, as if I would be angry at him for it. Silly man
"I'm not sorry, Kitten. I would do it again. All I ever wanted was your safety and happiness, even when I was hurt and angry. I love you and just want you to know that"
"I know that, honey. I'm just amazed at you"
"How so, baby?" he turned to face me then
"This doesn't change how I feel about you. I love you and always will, but what you have done, without me knowing and even without and hope of something to gain in return, it…it amazes me, awes me" he gazed at me, silently asking with his eyes if I truly wasn't angry
"No, Honey. I'm not angry. I love you and thank you, but, I want you to know that the money means nothing to me"
"I know that, baby, but it's yours nonetheless"
"What the hell are you talking about, bro?" I turned and found Emmett and Rose in the doorway. Emmett was looking between Edward and I with slight dread on his face and Rose was simply looking confused. I wondered how long he had been listening
"I told her about ownership" Edward replied as he turned to face Emmett.
I saw Emmett's face blanch as his eyes flitted to Rose for a moment. Hmm…how odd, I thought to myself
"You didn't" Emmett said
"He did, Em" I replied for him, Emmett turned his head slowly between Edward and I then shook his head and backed out of the kitchen with one last parting shot
"Tell her all of it, then. Rose, I need to speak to you. Now" he turned to go, but Edward called him back
"You don't have to, Em. I did it because I was ready" Em simply nodded and carried on out the door with Rose in tow.
I walked around the breakfast bar and poured myself a cup of coffee too before I asked Edward what Emmett meant by 'Tell her all of it'. Edward hesitated and then blurted out
"Rose has the same set up with Hales"
"You mean…" he nodded
"Yeah" he sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
I chuckled and moved closer to him. He wrapped his arms around me as I stood between his legs
"You two really are something else, you know that right?"
He laughed and pressed a kiss on my neck, sending shivers through me. I wound my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. He cupped my face and pressed his lips to mine, sending jolts of pleasure through me down to my lady parts. I leaned further into him and he deepened the kiss, licking my bottom lip. I moaned and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into my mouth. All of sudden there was a scream from the direction of my bedroom
"YOU. DID. WHAT?"
We pulled away and looked back and forth between the bedroom and each other
"It appears that Emmett has informed Rosalie of her ownership status" Edward commented in an amused tone
"Yes, it does" I replied, equally amused
"Too bad she reacted like a banshee" I slapped him on the arm
"What? I'm just glad you didn't react that way, makes me realise I have it a thousand times better than Em! Ha! My girlfriend is much better than his!" he chortled
I couldn't help but laugh at his slightly childish display of sibling rivalry, it was so cute. After the stress of the day, it was nice to see him relax some. His face turned serious all of a sudden
"Josh thinks you should consider protection whilst the police send out an APB for Jacob" he said lowly, I nodded
"I think it would be best. The delivery tonight shows that he has gone too far not to consider it"
"Thank you, baby" He pressed a chaste kiss on my lips, I however had another thing on my mind
"Edward, I want you to consider the same, please" I said softly, Edward pulled back slightly and looked at me in surprise
"Why? I'm in no danger" I shook my head
"Yes, honey, you are. He has threatened you three times now. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you"
He caressed my cheek, and then pulled me in for another kiss. This kiss was loving and slow. Chaste compared to others as there was no tongue involved
"Ok, baby. I'll talk to Josh about it tomorrow" I exhaled in relief
"Thank you, Tiger" I whispered
"I love you, Kitten" he whispered back
"I love you too"
"Oh God, get a room you two!"
We pulled apart to find Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and Esme standing in the doorway, looking at us in amusement
"We have one, but we were trying to keep in mind that you all were still here" Edward replied, I, of course, blushed.
They all laughed and said they were taking off now. We moved to each person, hugging them all goodbye
"We assume you will be staying tonight, Edward?" Carlisle teased
"Well, she did have a panic attack earlier, I thought it would be best if I stayed to make sure she was ok" Edward teased back, I slapped his arm lightly and hugged Esme goodbye
"Call if you need anything, sweetie"
Esme whispered in my ear, I nodded and hugged her tighter. I had always wished that Renee treated me as Esme did. Esme had always mothered me, whereas Renee tried to control me. Once I returned from LA, Renee had taken it upon herself to 'steer me in the right direction of life'. The problem was, her right direction and mine differed greatly. It was only recently that I had decided enough was enough.
Ten minutes later the whole gang had left and Edward and I were left alone. We collapsed on the sofa and cuddled for a few minutes in silence. The stress of the day and the discussions which had taken place weighed heavily on us. Edward informed me that each member of our family was going to be watching over us. Edward had Josh upload a GPS app onto my phone whilst I was asleep, which allowed me to be tracked at anytime, as long as my phone was turned on. Emmett would be meeting me in the mornings to take me to work as he had the most flexible schedule. Edward, Alice, Rose and Jasper would take it in turns to meet me after work and for lunch. In addition to this, Josh would have one or two of his men tailing me wherever I went.
I thought it was all in vain. Something inside me told me that if Jacob wanted to get to me, no amount of protection would stop him. He was resourceful when he wanted to be. However, I did not voice any of these concerns to Edward. I didn't need to. He knew. He could read it in my face. This caused him to hold me tighter. We headed to bed at 10pm. We were both exhausted and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow, wrapped around each other.
I could only hope Jacob would be caught soon. I didn't want anyone harmed, least of all Edward. I sent a prayer up to the heavens as I fell asleep
Please, keep him safe