Disclaimer: I don't own them...
Thank you SunflowerFran3756 for making this pretty. I really hate commas...
Bella:
The past few days have been excruciating. My mind is on overload; worrying about everything that could happen; everything that might happen. My dreams are an even bigger mess.
I don't see anything except Edward, James Hollingsworth and Kate. Every possible outcome has flowed through my mind more than once.
I'm a basket case.
The love I have waited so long for is in jeopardy, and I don't know how to fix it. I don't know if I can fix it.
A hand on my neck startles me, and I gasp.
"Oh my ..." I trail off, my hand covering my chest.
"Baby, what are you doing?" He says, giving me an apologetic smile.
Edward sits next to me on the window seat and pulls me onto his lap.
I lay my head on his shoulder and shake it. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm malfunctioning, but he already knows this, so he doesn't say anything more.
"Bella, what can I do? Tell me how to help you."
"I just … I don't … I don't know," I whisper, shaking my head. "I don't know."
We sit quietly for a long while, quiet with our thoughts. My thoughts always lead back to him. I don't want to be without him, ever.
Ever.
If we are wrong about our approach...
"Charlie is coming over today, right?" He doesn't wait for an answer. "Let's get ready and go out for a little while. We'll grab some coffee and pastries; we can go to the park and enjoy the sunshine."
Edward adjusts his arms around me, stands and carries me into the bathroom. He sits me on the counter and then turns around to start the shower.
I watch him move around the room. Gathering towels, testing the water temperature, removing his clothes … he turns and closes the bathroom door.
Steam is starting to fog the glass doors and mirror.
Edward's hair is heavy with moisture, his skin glistening.
He stands in front of me, spreading my legs so he can stand between them.
His hands move to the bottom of my tank top, and he slowly lifts it up; his fingertips trailing along my ribs, grazing my breasts, following their path all the way to my fingertips. He pulls the tank top away with his right hand, and his left guides my arm to his shoulder.
He's so close to me.
His lips whisper against mine, I love you. Soft lips kiss me, his tongue just barely tasting. His hands are moving along my back, and he lifts me slightly, guiding my panties away. His lips are on my neck, sucking and kissing and hot breath; I can hardly think.
I can feel my stomach twisting with want.
I can feel my lungs gasping for more air.
I can feel my heart calling to him.
He moves me to the edge of the counter, his fingers tensing against my thigh. I throw my head back - it's too much and not enough.
His lips are traveling; my collarbone, my neck, my shoulder, my chest, and then he takes my breast into his mouth and I feel warmth everywhere.
I feel him everywhere.
His fingers are teasing, moving along the inside of my thigh, the outside of my lips, just above my sweet spot.
"Edward," I don't know if it was as loud as I imagine or if he heard me at all, but his fingers dip inside of me and I hum with pleasure.
And then he's kissing me, and we are all tongue and lips and teeth, and then I feel him at my entrance; strong and steady and mine. He moves slowly, and I can feel all of him as he slides into me.
My ass is at the very edge of the counter.
My legs are wrapped around his thighs.
We are touching; hips, stomach, chests. His eyes are closed and there is a small smile on his lips.
My eyes water at the sight before me. He's so beautiful; inside and out.
His eyes open and the green shines, his lips curve up into a smile, his hands are holding my hips...I'm keeping him, damn it.
I'm keeping him.
"I love you," I whisper, worried my words will disrupt the atmosphere that I so desperately need right now.
He hums and his smile grows wider, "I love you, too."
His movements speed up, and I watch him move. It's unbelievably sexy to see him this way.
I watch as he slips in and out of me, getting more turned on by the second. His fingers take my chin and lift my face toward his.
His kiss is urgent and strong, and he pulls me even closer to him. We're not even moving, but we are skin to skin, and I can feel his heart beating.
"I'm not letting you go without a fight," I say against his mouth.
"Good," he pulls back and starts moving quick and rough and I can't hold out anymore. My fingers dig into his biceps and his movement stutters before he stills, pressing tightly against me.
***p***
I'm in the kitchen when the doorbell rings. I hear Edward's footsteps and then murmurs as he enters.
I put the pasta bowl on the table and make my way into the living room. It's the first time I've seen Charlie Swan since we all had dinner at the house in Charleston.
"Isabella, hello," his voice was quiet, shy almost. It made me smile.
"Hi Charlie, how are you?" I lean in and give him a hug.
When I pull away, he's smiling.
"Good, good. You know...working, putting up with obnoxious teenagers," he laughs.
"Obnoxious teenagers? I wouldn't know anything about that," I laugh. "I made dinner. It's just chicken and pasta," I shrug.
"Don't let her fool you. She's an amazing cook. I think I've gained ten pounds since I've known her," Edward gives me a wink as I roll my eyes.
"Sounds great," Charlie says, eyeing us with a smile.
Dinner is great. Charlie is a really funny guy, very genuine and nice. I can see what attracted my mother to him.
After dinner, we move to the living room with cups of coffee.
"So, Isabella, you mentioned that you might need some help."
Charlie led us into the more troubling part of the conversation.
"Yes, well..." I trailed off, looking at Edward.
"Charlie, there is an ex-client of mine that may want to harm me. We've figured out a lot of the details of the when and where, but we are a little concerned about the execution."
Charlie narrowed his eyes and looked back and forth between us. "Why don't you start from the beginning?"
I gave him a weak smile, before laying it out there for him.
His eyes would widen, he would nod, his brow would furrow, but he never looked judgmental or disbelieving.
When I was done, we were all quiet for a few moments.
"I'm just going to grab the carafe of coffee. I'll be right back," I stood and walked into the kitchen quickly putting the carafe on the tray along with a few pieces of the peach upside-down cake Edward's mother had sent home with us.
When I walked back into the living room, Edward was leaning comfortably against the back of the couch and Charlie was sitting comfortably in an arm chair with one foot settled across his knee.
At least he didn't run out while I was in the kitchen.
"Isabella," he started.
"Please, call me Bella."
He smiled brightly, "Bella. I guess I should start by telling you that your maternal grandmother was not the only one with a gift. My mother was also a little special, though her gift was not totally reliable. She seemed to sense things," he frowned. "I guess that's the best way to explain it. She'd get a 'tingle' as she called it and knew something was about to happen but not what would happen. She said she could tell if it was a happy tingle or a bad tingle, and she would warn accordingly. For example, on the night of my senior prom she stopped me as I was leaving to meet my friends and told me to make sure I was alert. I nodded and kissed her cheek, thinking nothing of it.
When we left the hotel after the dance, we'd decided to go to a 24 hour diner. It wasn't too late, and the weather was okay so I called home and let her know what our plans were and she repeated the same warning. As we reached the diner, the wind picked up and it started raining something fierce. My friends ran inside trying to keep dry, but I stood outside for a moment looking around. A flash of lightning lit the sky, and I saw the funnel cloud."
I gasped, "A tornado!"
"Yep," he smiled easily. "I hauled ass into that diner and told everyone there was a tornado heading toward us. We were able to get into the cellar outside of the diner before it hit. It was the scariest thing I'd ever seen. My momma was a mess when I finally called her telling her we needed a ride because my friend's car was on a farm somewhere."
Charlie's laugh was infectious, and I felt a huge weight fall off of my shoulders.
"Okay, so you say you have a sketch of this guy? And you also have the time and date of the fire drill that you believe coincides with the event?"
He was in investigator mode. He talked through the articles we placed in front of him.
"Let me make some calls, and I will get back to you, is that okay? I need to get some more information on James Hollingsworth, and I need to see if I can get a hold of my buddy on the police force. I can't say that I like the idea of you putting yourself in danger, Edward. If this guy is unstable, he could shoot you somewhere not protected by the vest but I understand the logic. I will work through some things and call you tomorrow."
I felt better knowing Charlie was on our side.
"Okay, kid. I'm an old man and need to get to bed," he laughed. "Thanks for inviting me over for dinner. It's been great to see you. I hope you'll both come to dinner at our place next week. My wife, Sue, would like to see you again."
"Of course," I said quickly. "I'd love to meet your family and see your home."
"Good," he leaned in and gave me a tight hug. "Don't you worry, we'll handle this."
"Thank you."
"Good night," he called as he walked toward his car.
"He's a nice guy," Edward wrapped his arms around me and waved as Charlie drove away.
"He is."
"Let's clean up and get to bed. It's late, and we have work tomorrow."
"Okay," I smiled and turned in Edward's arms to kiss him.
***p***
Monday:
The day flew by way too fast.
Things at The Masen Estate were moving along smoothly. We hadn't had any trouble with deliveries or missing contractors. It's been terrific so far.
Mr. Masen is still upset that we moved a few things out of Esme's room, but he seems to be over it; kind of. I can't help but laugh when I think of the argument we got into, stomping our feet like two year olds.
"What are you laughing about, Isabelle?"
I turned to find Mr. Cullen walking into the kitchen. "Hi Mr. Cullen," I chuckle. "I was thinking about the disagreement Mr. Masen and I had about your wife's childhood bedroom."
Mr. Cullen laughed loudly. "Yes, I heard that was quite the battle. Rosalie laughed so hard she had tears streaming down her face. Did he actually stomp his feet?"
I laughed, "Yes, I did too. I was so embarrassed afterward."
"Well, my dear. I am here to take you to our house for dinner. Edward was on a conference call, and I offered to pick you up."
"Oh that's perfect. I knew I should have driven, but I've been so clingy lately," I said quietly.
"Everything's going to be just fine. You'll see. Tuesday night we'll have a pleasant celebration dinner, and all this will be behind us," his smile was genuine.
I locked up the house, and we made our way toward the Cullen home.
***p***
Tuesday:
I refused to open my eyes.
I can feel Edward next to me, and it makes me smile. We are practically living together. We have not slept alone in weeks, and I love it. I love waking up next to him.
"Baby, I know you're awake," his voice is rough and sexy.
I turn over to look at him. His eyes are closed, but he is smiling. I reach out and caress his face.
"Do we have to get up yet?"
I glance at the clock on the wall. "No, it's only five."
"Come here," he pulls me closer to him. "I love you, and one day I'm going to marry you but right now," he rolls me onto my back and hovers over me, smiling. "I'm going to love on you."
I giggle. "I love when your accent slips through." I love that he wants to marry me someday, but I'm not brave to admit it out loud.
He kisses me and hums.
Actually, I am. "We are going to have a beautiful wedding."
His eyes find mine, and I can see him searching. He knows I can't see him or our future, so I know he's looking for the truth in my words. When he finds what he's looking for, he smiles brightly.
"Are you going to give me beautiful babies too?" His voice is quiet, shy almost.
"How many babies are we talking about here?" My stomach is fluttering. Are we seriously talking about this?
Now?
Today?
His nose scrunches and he tilts his head, but his eyes never leave mine.
"Maybe four or five," his face is completely serious.
"Five?!
You want five kids?
Really?"
His head falls on the pillow next to me, and I can feel his body shaking. I push him off of me, but he grabs me and pulls me so that I'm lying on top of him.
He looks so happy, so I lean in and kiss him.
"How about we play it by ear?" he asks.
"Good idea, since I'm the one who has to pop them out."
He's laughing again. "You should have seen your face." He tries to imitate me, but he can't stop laughing.
I pinch his side, but this sets him off again and then I'm being tickled. My arms and legs are flailing and he ducks out of the way, falling off of the bed. This sets me off, but I scream when I see his auburn hair pop up on the side of the bed.
He jumps up and traps me beneath him. "Silly girl."
His kisses chase away my laughter, and his love carries me away.
***p***
Charlie is sitting in the coffee shop across the street. There is a policeman in Edward's office briefing everyone.
It's 1pm.
My foot is tapping. I don't know what to do. I'm sitting on a bench outside of the office building playing with my phone. I've been texting Charlie, Rosalie, Esme and Emmett non-stop. Everyone is on edge.
Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett are sitting in a diner down the road. They wanted to be close.
Mr. Cullen made reservations for dinner at Elaine's on Franklin. He's confident we will be celebrating tonight. Charlie and Sue are going to be joining us also.
My foot is tapping the sidewalk, and I'm biting my nail.
1:05 pm.
Why is the time going so slow?
I start people watching. It's just after lunch, so the sidewalks aren't too busy. A bus pulls up on the other side of the street, and people are walking along quickly; in a hurry to get where they're going. I start to wonder what types of businesses are in the area. What kinds of jobs people are rushing to?
"James, please don't. You're being crazy!"
I hear a woman say. My head is spinning, trying to find the person who said this.
"I'm being crazy? You are completely obsessed with this asshole that just left you in another state with a baby. You go see him, and he turns you away and reports you as an unfit mother!"
Oh shit.
"James, please," she cries.
I see them crossing the street. They must have gotten off of the bus.
I text Charlie quickly, 'they're here!'.
He sends an immediate response, 'I see them.'
1:10pm.
I hear the bus, and I feel lightheaded. People are rushing off, moving toward their destinations. The doors close with a loud screech and the bus changes gear and moves into traffic.
Just as I knew would happen, fire engine sirens sound and two trucks pull up in front of the building. I watch as the firemen make their way off of the trucks and walk toward the building. One of the firemen appears to be directing the team on where they should go.
The fire alarm sounds in the building and I turn to look. It's quiet for a moment, but people start moving out of the building in groups.
I see Kate and James off to the side, arguing. Police cars pull up directly in front of me.
I watch as they park and get out of their cars.
"Is everything okay?" I ask.
"Yes, ma'am," he smiles. "Nothing to worry about, just the annual fire drill."
I nod, "Good, thank you."
He nodded and walked toward the group of firemen.
I look back toward the building. Kate is standing in front of the doors; James is watching her, standing just off to the side. He looks angry, but he also looks hurt.
I can see Kate debating with herself about going in. People are coming out of the building in large groups, the firemen are directing people. A policeman walks up to Kate and speaks to her, gesturing away from the doors.
She yells at him and tries to run into the building. The officer's face go wide with surprise, but he gets a hold of her. A woman officer is next to him, cuffing Kate and escorting her to the car.
James has moved closer to the doors. Kate provided the distraction he needed. He's wearing a hat and sunglasses now; casual enough to not attract attention.
Carlisle Cullen and a few colleagues walk through the doors. He glances around and spots me, I nod sharply and his face pales. He follows the group but turns his body toward the building. I know the minute he spots James by the way his body tenses.
I'm sure everyone was hoping I was wrong; that I was crazy.
James moves closer to the door. There are firemen standing outside of the doors but not inside. When the fireman close to James turns to greet someone, he slips by.
Edward.
I can see him.
A woman on his arm, a bag over his shoulder.
James is in front of him.
Running; people are running. Charlie and two other men fly past me.
Oh God! I'm frozen in place, I can't move.
I feel arms wrap around me, and I jump; Mr. Cullen is next to me now. I wrap my hand around his forearm, for support and to keep me in place.
There's yelling.
James is outnumbered.
He's aiming the gun at Edward; the police are aiming at him.
The courtyard is quiet. Everyone is tensely waiting.
James cocks the gun that is aimed at Edward's chest.
I gasp.
"No," I whisper.
Charlie moves slowly behind James, and as his finger starts to squeeze, Edward's eyes go wide.
Charlie lifts James' arm from behind and the gunshot echoes in the air. Several people scream and it's chaos. People are running, and the police are trying to keep everyone calm. James is on the ground, hands spread out beside him.
Edward is on his knees.
"Edward!" I scream and pull away from Mr. Cullen.
I run toward him and trip over a lifted slab of concrete but I don't stop. I make it to him, and his face is blurry.
"Bella," he says but can't hear him. My ears are filled with static.
"Are you okay? Edward?"
I'm crying because I don't know if he's okay. "Are you okay?"
"Hey," he says, grabbing my face and looking into my eyes. "Hey."
I stop.
His eyes are open.
He's talking to me.
There are no paramedics around him.
He's smiling.
"You're okay."
"I'm okay."
With that, I fall against him.
His hands are rubbing my back, and his chest is vibrating, he's speaking to someone, but I won't let him go.
I'm not letting go.
Never.
a/n: Hi everyone! Hope you are having a great weekend! So...that was the big fire drill. Let me know what you think.
Thank you all so much for the reviews last chapter. I really appreciate them. I think I answered all of them this time around! And I'm glad I am not the only one with back to school shopping drama. :) Good luck to all of you that still have some shopping to do...I was at the store this weekend and the school supply area looked like a war zone.
On another note, I have submitted a piece for the Fandom for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Submission deadlines are on August 15th. If any of you have skills you'd like to donate or if you'd like to donate toward the cause, please go out to the website. The link is fandom4lls*blogspot*com; there are a lot of great teasers out there. Please go out and take a look.
Okay, thanks again for reading. A teaser will go up on my Tumblr page sometime this week for the next chapter. The info is on my profile page. Have a great week!
Rock