Thank you so much for the great feedback on the last chapter! I absolutely LOVE reading your reviews!
As always, big hugs to my pre-readers MrsK1981 and SparklyMeg and my beta's Marly 580 and Mauigirl60. The support I get from these ladies is outstanding – thank you!
Pattinlethr continues to be my rock – next year can't come quick enough!
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EPOV
Earlier this morning, going to work seemed like a good idea. It would have taken my mind off Bella and I wouldn't have Emmett or Rose around, bugging the hell out of me. Now, I have no chance of accomplishing anything to do with work. All I can focus on are those damned photos.
As soon as the elevator doors close, I take out my cell and pull up Bella's number. I need to talk to her.
My finger hovers over the 'send' button, but I can't bring myself to hit it. There's so much I want to say to her, but at the same time, I have no idea where to start. After everything I've put her through, a simple sorry isn't anywhere near good enough. She deserves more.
Hell, I'll be lucky if she ever speaks to me again.
Deciding that what I need to tell Bella should be said in person, I call my brother instead.
It rings once before he answers. "Edward?"
"You still at home?"
"Yeah." He sounds wary. "Why?"
"I need to talk to you."
"That sounds ominous. Everything okay?"
I chuckle. "Not even a little bit, Em."
Instead of going straight home, I decide to go for a drive. I'm not ready to face anyone just yet. Since the rain has stopped, I'm drawn to the waterfront. I pull up to the pier, manage to find a parking space, and go for a walk to help clear my thoughts. I see an empty bench and sit on it, people-watching, as life carries on around me.
I grasp the photos tightly in my hand, focusing on what Alec told me. Finding out that Bella isn't in them is the best thing I've heard in a long time but, God, I wished I'd figured it out on my own.
If I'd just calmed down a little before speaking to her, all this mess could have been avoided. My stupid temper and inability to think things through before speaking may have cost me the best thing in my life.
I cringe as I remember everything I said to her—everything I accused her of.
My stomach drops as I realize I may have lost her for good.
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I find my brother exactly where I left him a few hours before: sitting in front of the TV with the Xbox controller in his hand.
His dedication to that console is unbelievable. "You really have nothing better to do than spend your days off in front of a TV screen?"
He shrugs. "I like my video games. What's wrong with that?"
I shake my head. "Nothing, I just don't get it."
He puts the controller down on the coffee table. "You don't have to. So, what's got your panties in a twist?"
I scowl and sit down. "I went to Bella's office today."
His eyes grow wide and I almost laugh at his expression. "You went to see Bella?"
I shake my head. "She's in California, remember?" I sigh. "I went to see Alec."
"You went to see Alec?" he repeats.
Now that we're talking about it, I realize how stupid it sounds. I was willing to speak to her boss about it, but not Bella herself.
He groans and leans forward, putting his head in his hands. "What did you do?"
"I went there to hit him," I admit. "I wanted to."
"Wanted to? So that means…"
"I didn't actually do it. I wanted answers and I knew I wouldn't get them by laying into him."
Emmett looks at the envelope I still have clutched in my hand. "You showed him the pictures?"
"Yeah." I throw them on the table, wishing I'd never set eyes on them.
"Well?"
"It's not Bella."
He nods, not saying anything. We sit in silence as I wait for him to speak, since he usually has words of wisdom for me.
"You don't have anything to say?"
"You sound shocked. What did you expect?"
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. "Ugh! I don't know. When I saw the photos, I just saw red! It was like Lauren all over again, except worse this time. It felt like someone had taken my heart straight from my chest and stomped all over it."
"Ed, you have to know that Bella wouldn't do that to you," he says softly.
I just shrug. My actions speak louder than anything I can say right now.
He sees my hesitation. "Look, the main thing is that you see it now. So what happened?"
Guilt ripples through me as I repeat everything Alec told me. How he's only interested in Bella in a professional manner, and how he believes she has great potential as a journalist. Apparently, anything outside of that has only been inside my head.
"So, what are you gonna do now? You need to speak to her."
"I know, I know." I grasp at my hair, pulling until it hurts. "Everything is just so fucked up. I shouldn't have let her go; I should've listened to what she was trying to say."
"Nothing you can do about that now, Edward. You do owe her a huge fucking apology, though."
I lean back in my seat and cover my eyes with my arms. "I know. And I haven't even told you the worst of it."
"There's more?"
"That was just the tip of the iceberg, Emmett."
"Shit," he murmurs.
He waits for me to continue, but to be honest, I don't even know where to start. At the end of the day, I can't believe it still comes back to her. The day I caught her cheating on me, she was out of my life. So how does she keep coming back to ruin it?
"It's Lauren," I blurt out.
"Lauren?" Emmett sits up straighter. "What's Lauren? Your Lauren? What's she got to do with it?" He frowns at me. "I'm confused," he admits.
I scoff. "You're not the only one."
"How the hell does she still play a factor in all of this?"
I gesture to the table. "The girl in the photos is Alec's girlfriend."
"Yeah, so?" Emmett looks at them, then back at me. After a few moments, he gets what I'm telling him. "Noooo! No way!"
I nod. "Yes, way! She's dating Bella's boss."
He looks puzzled. "But she's blonde."
"She was blonde, apparently."
He visibly shudders. "That's just weird."
"Yep."
"But, Bella's boss? I don't get it," he says, picking up the photos and sifting through them.
I shrug. "What's not to get? Plus, I really don't give a shit who she chooses to date now."
He looks over at me, the photographs forgotten for a moment. "Well, me either. But why this guy?" He points at Alec in one of the pictures. "He's older, he's not exactly what you'd call good-looking, and I'm willing to bet he isn't rich."
"So?" I ask. "She's branched out. He might just be some kind of sugar daddy."
"Yeah." He doesn't look convinced. "Don't you find it weird that she hounds you for a few months, possibly stalks your current girlfriend, and then disappears, only to resurface and date your girlfriend's boss?"
I look at my brother as his words sink in. The penny drops; suddenly all the parts of this confusing puzzle seem to piece together.
"You think Lauren's dating him on purpose?"
"I can't see any other reason. I mean, no offense to this guy, but he's not her type. The only purpose he serves is that Lauren would have constant access to you and Bella."
"I don't think even Lauren would do that," I say.
"No?" he questions. "For all we know, Lauren is the stalker; if she is, then it's something we need to consider. Instead of disappearing like we thought she did, she could have been using this time to plot against you."
"Plot? That's a bit farfetched, don't you think?"
"Not if she isn't over you."
He holds his hands up, cutting me off before I can speak again. "Look, I know how it sounds—but with everything that's going on, I think you should consider it."
I nod. "You're right. Something about this doesn't fit, especially these photos."
"Of course I'm right, I'm always right!" He laughs, diffusing the serious situation.
He picks up the controller and starts his game again. I watch him for a few minutes, but I don't really take anything in. If someone had said to me that these photos were just a big misunderstanding and possibly the work of my psycho ex-girlfriend, I would have laughed in their face. Now, it doesn't seem so funny.
Where did everything go so wrong? Only days ago, I was at my parents', enjoying a family lunch and discussing my grandmother's engagement ring with my mom. I was seriously considering taking the ring to give to Bella one day.
I pull out my phone and bring up Bella's name again. The image that covers my screen just reminds me of everything I've lost. I smile sadly as I remember the day I took the photo. She was laughing at me and refused to pose. She had her arms out in front of her as she tried to take the phone from me. Her eyes are bright and full of mirth, and the beaming smile on her face tells me that she wasn't really trying that hard. She was having as much fun as I was.
What I wouldn't give to see her smile again.
"You okay?" I look up to see my brother watching me, his game paused once again.
"Yeah." I clear my throat. "Yeah, just thinking, you know?"
"Bella?"
I sigh. "I've really screwed things up."
"Have you spoken to her?"
I hold up my phone to him. "Kinda working up the courage on that front."
"So call her," he says, as if it's the easiest thing in the world.
"What if she doesn't want to speak to me?" I whisper, finally voicing my fear.
"To be honest, Edward, I think that's to be expected. If you want her back, you're gonna have to fight for her. Show her that you made a mistake."
I stare at my phone as the picture on it fades, flashing back to the locked screen. I don't know how to get past this. This is going to take more than a simple apology, and I'm afraid I don't have words eloquent enough to express my sorrow.
"Want me to leave you alone?"
I shake my head and stand. "It's okay, I'll try from my room." If Emmett acknowledges me I barely notice. All my thoughts are on Bella.
I kick my bedroom door shut behind me and sit on the end of my bed. I unlock my phone, and once again, I'm graced with her beautiful smiling face.
Before I can overthink things, I hit the green call button.
It rings.
It rings a second time. And a third. And a fourth.
I wonder what she's doing. Is her phone on silent and she doesn't know I'm calling? Or is she staring at her cell, trying to decide whether or not to answer? I hope it's the former.
The longer her cell rings, I know she isn't going to answer.
Her cell cuts to her voicemail; I think about leaving a message, but chicken out at the last minute. What I need to say shouldn't be left in a message.
In a moment of optimism, I try calling again, hoping she'll answer.
It goes straight to voicemail this time.
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"So you're gonna wait until she's home?"
I nod as we pull into the parking lot outside the club. "Yeah, her cell doesn't even ring now. She's avoiding me."
"Ed—"
"I know, I know. I deserve it."
We get out of the car, heading into the club and going straight to the office. Riley is already there, working on the floor.
"Not what I was going to say, but yeah, you do deserve it." He sits as his desk and faces me. "Figured out exactly what you're gonna do yet?"
I just shrug. I've gone through lots of options—picking her up at the airport, taking her out for a fancy dinner, cooking her dinner at the apartment—but none of my ideas seem to work.
I decide to voice some of my options. I never thought I would be going to Emmett for advice, but he's recently proven that he knows what he's talking about.
"How do you think she'll react if I pick her up at the airport?"
He chuckles. "Not favorably."
I flinch. He's right; I could end up injured if I go down that route.
I sigh. "At least I have a few days to think about it."
We both turn to our work and put our focus on that for the rest of the day. I'll always appreciate my brother for being there, but even I know he has his limits. At the moment, he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. I've heard him arguing on the phone with Rose, who refuses to come over to our apartment because she'll be betraying Bella.
"So, how do you want to do tonight?"
"You wanna cover the floor?"
"Yeah, thanks." At least if I'm on the floor and it's quiet, then I can head home. By offering that to me, I know Emmett's still letting me take it easy.
"You're back on the bar tomorrow," he says, pointing his finger at me.
I smile. "Got it."
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Emmett's face is flushed as he sticks his head around the office door. "Edward, there's someone in VIP asking for you."
I look up from my paperwork, annoyed that I've been disrupted. I was actually making a decent dent in it.
"Who?"
He rolls his eyes. "I have no idea; it's not exactly quiet out there."
And with that, he's gone.
I sort out the papers in front of me, putting them into some semblance of order in case I can't get back to them tonight, and head out to the bar.
Emmett wasn't kidding when he said it was busy. Packed bodies move in sync on the dance floor, the beat sending vibrations throughout my body. All the seats in the bar areas are taken. There are lines at the bars as people try to push their way forward, desperate to be served first. If my thoughts weren't occupied by a certain brunette, I'd be enjoying the vibrant energy. Smoke from the fog machines filters throughout the large space, and coupled with the flashing strobes, it creates an almost dream-like quality to the scene before me. The heat is stifling, and I instantly regret my clothing choice. I'm wearing a tight fitting black sweater but I smile when I realize it's one Bella picked out for me.
By the time I arrive at the VIP section, Emmett isn't around. Instead, I find Maggie and grab her attention.
"Emmett said someone was looking for me?"
She nods and gestures to the end of the bar. "Blond guy."
I roll my eyes and she laughs.
"Okay, the blond guy who's drinking a beer by himself."
The music becomes nothing but a dull background noise as I focus on the guy who's waiting for me at the end of the bar. He's trying to appear casual, but the stiffness of his back gives him away. He has a beer in his hand and if I were a betting man, I'd be willing to bet he's gripping that bottle pretty tightly. His attention is on a petite redhead standing next to him, who's trying to get his attention. The cocky smile on his face tells me she has it.
As I remain unnoticed, I continue watching him and wonder what the hell Bella ever saw in him. Sure, on paper he might be considered handsome: he's tall and muscular—although I still think I could take him—and he has predictable preppy good looks, with his blond hair and blue eyes. I roll my eyes as he puts the stereotypical moves on the girl who's lapping it up.
Do these moves seriously work on girls?
The change in his demeanor is sudden as he detects me at the end of the bar. He raises his bottle at me, his silent gesture of hello, and then waits as I slowly approach him. With his attention now elsewhere, the redhead gets bored and moves on to another unsuspecting male.
I take the newly vacated stool next to him but don't say anything. I figure if he wants to see me, then he can speak first.
"You want one?" He gestures to the bottle in his hand.
I just look at him and he smiles sheepishly.
"Yeah, okay, you're working. Right."
He takes a large gulp, finishing his drink before he tries to speak to me again.
"I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here, right?"
I roll my eyes. "Among other things, yes."
He leans against the bar and turns to face me. "Can't we go into your office or something? I don't really want to do this out here." He looks around, his eyes darting to every corner of the bar as if he's being watched.
"Look, why don't you tell me why you're here? Then I'll decide if I want to listen to what you have to tell me. I'm working, it's busy, and honestly, I'm already wasting my time by even coming over here."
His smile falters and he visibly gulps. I can't help but smirk as I realize he's nervous about speaking with me. Given the last time we met, I can't say I blame him.
"Well?"
"It's…um…it's about Bella."
I scowl. "What about her?"
"There are some things I think you need to know."
"Like what, exactly?" I have no idea what this idiot can have to tell me about Bella. As far as I understand, he hasn't even spoken to her in months.
He fidgets under my stare, and downs the rest of his beer, still not talking.
"C'mon, I don't have all night!" I snap.
"I'm worried about her," he stammers.
Worried?
He flinches and grabs onto the bar as someone barges into him.
"You came all this way, into my club, to tell me you're worried about my girlfriend?" He doesn't need to know that the girlfriend status is pending.
He nods. "Look, there's more to it, and I would really rather do this elsewhere. Can we go into your office? Or, I can come back when it's closed."
"Do you still love her?"
"I thought I did," he admits.
"Thought?"
He smiles sadly. "That's part of the story."
Deciding that I want to hear what he has to say, I let him have a few minutes to tell me his story, which I just apparently have to hear.
I shrug. "Okay, I suppose we can use my office. Follow me."
I catch Maggie's eye and point in the direction of my office, just in case she needs to reach me later. She nods her understanding and focuses back on the customer in front of her.
The night is in full swing and the surge of customers move away from their spot at the bar to crowd the dance floor. As it gets late, dancers sway in time with the music, trying to entice someone to take home. I eagerly scan the crowd out of habit, and a small part of me hopes to see that familiar brunette.
I'm disappointed, but not surprised when I don't see her.
I look away from the crowd and continue toward my office. I show my guest in first and follow in behind him.
He twitches in his seat and waits as I take mine behind my desk.
I lean forward, resting my elbows on my desk, focusing on the almost-stranger sitting in front of me.
"So. Care to tell me what the hell you're doing here, Mike?"
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