Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
Bella~
The coffee house was only open until Noon on Saturday. After we closed Alice, Jasper and I were taking Lilly to the park. Sunny days were rare in Forks but it was warm too which was an added bonus. I made more coffee and retrieved hot muffins from the oven then put more in. I loved to bake and my creations always sold well. The door opened, before I could look up I heard Lilly's laugh.
"Mommy! I had the best night ever with Aunt Alice! Look we made hair flowers." she pointed to the head band with a giant hot pink and yellow artificial mum on it.
"That's beautiful! Did you make one for me?" I asked excitedly. She produced a clip with glittering pink Gerber daises attached to it. My daughters sense of style was unique to say the least. She loved wild prints, abnormally bright colors. Anything that truly made a statement. Sadly her sense of style was starting to get her a bit of trouble at school. Her teacher had called a week before Mr. Masen's funeral to inform me she'd been getting teased. Her teacher thought maybe if we encouraged her to dress a bit more conventionally then it wouldn't be an issue. I told her my daughter would never blend in because she was born to stand out. I wouldn't change anything about Lilly and I wasn't going to let anyone else change her either. Today Lilly was dressed in a purple button up top and a black skirt. She was wearing her brand new pink suede boots, courtesy of her Aunt Alice's store. I smiled brightly noticing the neon orange leggings.
"Baby why don't you go play and I'll bring you back something to eat in a little bit." I kissed her forehead lightly. She ran off trailing her ratty, dirty pink bear behind her. She wouldn't let me wash it. She wouldn't even let me hold it. She always said Pinkie was special and she was hers. Pinkie went everywhere with her. The snarly bear was given to her as a birthday gift last summer from the Masens, well Mr. Masen. We never saw Elizabeth. Alice made herself a cappuccino and popped up on to her usual stool.
"So how'd it go?" she asked pleasantly. I didn't make eye contact with her, "It was fine." I knew she would dig for more but I wasn't going to offer it up.
"You can save the sour puss for someone else. I already got the dirt from Rose. You and Edward fought. Now spill it!" she leaned over the counter and snatched a muffin from the pan.
"Did Edward ask you about Lilly?" Alice asked.
"Yeah. He said he wants to know her. He said we don't have to tell her anything, he just wants to get to know her." my heart sank a little. I could see his pleading face in my mind.
"I think that's really sweet. Did you agree?" I couldn't meet her stare.
"I said no. I won't let him wreck Lilly like he wrecked me. She's too sensitive for him to just up and leave her one day." Alice raised her eye brow at me, "Ok percentage wise how much of this is about Lilly and how much is about you making him suffer? Because honey he's doing everything he can. He's making amends with his friends, he's asked your permission to see his kid and he's gotten the shit kicked out of him. How much more does he have to do?" It was a good question. I sucked in a deep breath, "It's ninety nine percent about Lilly. I hate that part of me wants to watch him suffer." I felt ashamed to admit it out loud but it was the truth. I wanted him to suffer for what he did to me. I wanted him to understand what a mess he'd made. If I gave right in he never would.
"Bell's I didn't have a Dad. My mom did the best she could but I missed it sometimes. I don't want that for Lilly." Alice was rarely serious but I knew right now she was speaking from her heart.
"When did you miss it?" I asked. She smiled warmly, "Usually it was the worst during little league and stuff like that. Charlie was always there for me but it hurt sometimes....you know....not having a dad of my own. Father daughter dances were hard." she shrugged keeping her eyes fixed on her lap.
"Alice, you understand why I'm doing this, right? I can't let him hurt her or worse try to take her from me. It's better this way in the long run." I reached for her hand. She let me take it. "This is all going to work out. I can feel it." Alice informed me. I smiled at her. Alice was rarely wrong but I was willing to bet against her this time.
"Wanna know the craziest part of all of it?" I asked her. She smiled, "Of course." I sucked in a deep breath, "When we were arguing. All I wanted to do was kiss him. Just one good hard, tonguey kiss." I put my hand over my eyes so I didn't have to watch Alice giggle and clap in front of me. Nothing good was going to come of any of this.
The afternoon closed in on us quickly and before I knew what time it was noon came and I could breath a sigh of relief. Another day done. Alice Lilly and Jasper walked to the park while I cleaned up. We were closed on Sundays so I wouldn't have to be back until Monday. I was stacking china saucers under the counter when the back door slammed. I sighed heavily.
"Jake we talked about you using the back door." I turned around and leaned against the counter. I knew once word spread about where I was last night that he'd come here and we'd fight. I wasn't up to this.
"We talked about you staying away from Edward Masen too but you didn't so I think I'll keep using the back door." Jake said. I turned my back to him and continued putting away saucers.
"If you came here to fight with me then you are shit out of luck because I don't have the energy today. I have to go meet Lilly and Alice at the park." I told him. He walked slowly over to the counter beside me and smiled, "I don't want to fight. I just wanted to make sure you're ok. I heard it got pretty ugly."
I shrugged, "Yeah. We argued. He said he wants to be Lilly's father." there was no point in hiding what he probably already knew. I was surprised it wasn't transcribed line for line in the freakin news paper.
"I wanted to talk to you about that. I've been thinking...." I stopped what I was doing and looked at him for a moment, "What have you been thinking about?" I asked him. "I've been thinking about us being serious. I want us to be serious." his eyes were softly staring into mine. I couldn't say a word. He continued talking for the both of us, "I put in a bid for the house on Maple street. It's five bedrooms, three bathrooms, nice big kitchen. I think we could be happy there." he said softly. I wanted to cry. I loved the house on Maple. He knew that. I stared at it every time we drove by. I didn't love the house it's self. I loved what the house represented, it was the house Edward and I always wanted.
"Oh Jake, that's beyond sweet but I'm not ready to move in with you." I played absently with a dish towel on the counter, he stared at me like I was crazy.
"Bella, I'm not talking about us moving in together. I want us to get married." I looked at him in total shock, "Married?" I said it as nicely as I could. In my head it was like a blasphemous four letter word.
"Well eventually. The house needs a lot of work, it's been vacant a long time. That will give us some time for me to get to know Lilly and for your Dad to warm up to the idea. When the time is right we'll buy a ring and I'll ask you for real." he gently reached down and took my hand in his. I didn't realize I was shaking until I felt my hand tremble. "I don't expect an answer right now. I know I've been an ass lately pushing you about Lilly and stuff. I guess I didn't understand what you needed from me until you went to see him last night. When I heard you turned him down flat about being in Lilly's life, I knew what you needed was for me to show you a real commitment." I stammered to say something to him, anything at all. Instead I stood mouth gaping, eyes wide. He kissed my forehead gently and smiled, "I'll know by the end of the day Monday if the house is ours. It will be ready for me to start renovations on it by the end of the month. Just think about it, ok?" he kissed me gently on the mouth and left before I could tell him no.
I drove to the park in a daze. I didn't know what to think. I thought all along I had made it clear I didn't want or need Jake's commitment. Maybe I'd given all the wrong signals. I could see Alice sitting on a bench while Jasper pushed Lilly on the swings. I got out of the car and sat down beside her.
"That took forever. What kept you?" she asked. I laughed nervously, "Jake just told me he's buying the house on Maple." I said.
"Wow, that's a lot of house for just him." I watched Jasper push Lilly higher and higher. She laughed and smiled yelling for more.
"He wants us to live there with him. He wants to marry me." I whispered. Alice's mouth popped open in a little 'O'. She was speechless for once.
"I know, Right?" I said to her. We sat silently for a long few minutes. She was gathering her thoughts, my mind was still a jumble of everything that had happened in less then twenty four hours.
"Did I give off the vibe like this is what I wanted? I mean I thought I was pretty frickin clear...."
"You didn't give off the 'marry me and buy me a house' vibe. You gave off the 'back the hell off me and my kid' vibe. I don't understand where he got the idea this is what you wanted." she said. Lilly screamed for us to watch as she went down the slide into Jasper's waiting arms. We both smiled, gave her thumbs up but all the while we were still talking between ourselves.
"He heard about what I said to Edward last night and apparently feels like he has something to prove to me now. It's weird." I could hear Jake in my head over top of the replay of my last confrontation with Edward. Even picturing Edward in my mind made my pulse race. I hated it and loved it all at once.
"He's weird. Bella it's time to end this. You had your little roll in the hay. I'm sure it was great but clearly he doesn't understand what's goin on with you two." Alice was right as usual.
"That's the thing Al, it wasn't great. Not even close. He's all hands and lips. It's all to hard and to fast."
"So you're telling me that for two years you've stayed with a guy who's a bad lay and a minor league nut case to boot?" I rolled my eyes at her, "He's not nuts. Just misguided. I wouldn't say he was bad in bed but it wasn't good. It just felt all...." I looked for the right word.
"Wrong?" Alice supplied the perfect word for me.
"Yes! It was all wrong. It wasn't sweet or comfortable. I don't get butterflies from him. I don't get all twitterpatted when he holds my hand." Alice being my best friend of my entire life understood what I meant.
"When was the last time you felt that way?" There had been Edward and Jake in my life, no one in between.
"Edward." I admitted softly. Alice smiled wide, "Yep. Definitely time to give Jake his walkin papers."
"You're right. I have to end this now. It's gone on to long." My decision was made. I was going to end it with Jake.
Edward~
I called Uncle Carlisle and he gave me the name of a really good real estate agent. It was a girl I'd went to school with. Tanya Denali. I'd called and made arrangements to meet her at the diner so we could sign the contracts for her to show me some houses in the area. She said she had a lot of listings for rent or sublet in Seattle and Port Angeles but nothing much here in Forks. I made my stance clear on the matter, I wouldn't live anywhere but Forks. I was sitting in the car parked in front of the diner. My cell phone was clasped in my hand. I knew I had to call my agent and make this official but I was scared. Being an author was the only thing I knew how to do. I had gotten a degree in English but writing was my only real job since college. If they dropped me I didn't know what I would do for a living. I decided to do it quick like ripping off a band aid. I flipped my phone open and dialed his number. I was prepared to leave a message but he answered on the last ring.
"Edward Masen! My favorite long lost client. How is life in plates?" he said cheerfully. I shook my head, "It's Forks, Aro. The town is called Forks and I've decided to stay for good. I won't be coming back to the city." I took a deep breath and waited for the yelling to start. He was surprisingly calm, "Well that does complicate things but no matter! You are a talent my boy, you have a gift that can be used anywhere." I blew out the breath I was holding, "There's more. Things here have gotten a little complicated in my personal life and I'm afraid I won't be doing anymore signings, no more tours."
"Edward how are we supposed to market you as an author if we don't put you out in the public eye? You knew there was travel involved when we signed you. Further more, you were paid an advance of your next book which we have yet to see a rough draft of. I'm sorry but I can't agree to those terms. You are under contract and you simply can't tie our hands this way." I knew what he was getting at. I would be dropped as an author. I had to make the choice. It was my career or Bella and Lilly. The choice was clear, "Aro, I'll have the rough draft to you by the end of next week but the travel is non negotiable. If we can't arrange a new contract you'll have to lose me. I'm sorry." I hung up before he could say anything else. He could offer me more money in exchange for travel but it wouldn't make a difference, my decision was made. With that out of the way I went inside the diner to meet Tanya.
"What kind of property are you looking for?" Tanya asked.
"just a house. Roof, rooms, yard. Nothing fancy. I was happy in New York living in my loft but I'm guessing there isn't anything that small here, right?" Tanya smiled, "Right. I have some smaller houses I can show you but I'm afraid we are very limited since we are staying inside the Forks city limits." I knew my limitations were making her job more difficult but I didn't care. This is where I wanted to be.
"Well let's see what you've got." I said. She pulled a few manila folders from her bag. She showed me some smaller houses that would be fine but none of them really struck me as anything great. I was getting discouraged with each discarded photo. How was I supposed to prove to Bella I was committed to making a life here if I was living with my mother? I needed proof of my commitment, something she could see. I needed roots.
"I'm sorry Tanya, none of these are right. Is there anything else?"
"Well one house is on the market but it's much bigger then what you were looking for. It's more of a family home." she reached down into her bag and pulled out her last folder, "It's been vacant a while and needs a lot of work. The owner died years ago so the property is 'as is' more or less. There's also already been a bid on it." she frowned and pulled out the first picture. It was the house on Maple. Our dream house.
"I'll take it." I said in awe. I ran my finger gently over the edge of the picture.
"Edward. I think you should look at it. It's going to take a lot of work, I mean a lot. New windows, new dry wall in most of the rooms, the appliances are ancient". I heard what she was saying but it didn't matter. This house was our long forgotten dream. I had the money and the time to make that dream come true now and I was going to.
"How much is it?" I asked. Tanya handed me the rest of the photos, "It's got a bid on it. One hundred fifty thousand." she whispered to me. I shook my head, "I can match that and out bid it. What do you think is fair?" I flipped through the photos one by one. I didn't see work, I saw promise. Bella would see what I did and she would have to know I was totally committed to her and Lilly.
"Well do you want fair or fast?" she asked me. "Fast." I told her. She wrote down a number on a piece of paper and slid it to me. I looked at it momentarily, "I'll start with that and if I get out bid just raise it again. I don't care what it costs." she smiled wide, probably extremely pleased with the commission she was going to make off this sale. After all, I had just agreed to put down a bid of almost one hundred thousand dollars.
A/n- Thank you thank you thank you for all the reviews and awesomeness! It makes me so happy to see how much everyone is enjoying this. I know this chapter was short but I am hoping to post the next chapter by the end of the weekend. As always suggestions and reviews are appreciated.