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So bad news. I hope I can update tomorrow, however, I have to get three days of homework out the way first. I am helping at a workshop for the blind on Wednesday and then going straight to the New Moon premire, which is great for me but not so much for you guys. So hopefully there will be an update tomorrow if not there won't be one until Thursday/Friday. Sorry!
I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am really sorry if you don't like the way it played out, if you feel it is rushed, but it needs to happen.
Forever Bound
Chapter Seventeen – Taking Back My Love
Edward was quite confused. What did James have to do with Bella's father?
"What was that?" Edward asked, believing he had heard the wrong name.
"I know what he did to Charles Swan," Tanya repeated. Edward definitely heard Charles Swan this time.
"What about Charles Swan? James cannot have done anything to him; he has been dead four years." Edward informed Tanya, totally bemused. "James has only been in the country since you returned from France. He moved away after he attacked Rose fou—" Something clicked into place.
Edward's face flushed red, he was livid. "Are you informing me that James killed Charles Swan?" Tanya did not answer. "Tanya, is that what you are telling me?" Edward had to use all of his self control to stop himself yelling at her.
Very slowly Tanya nodded. "How long have you known about this?" Edward hissed, completely taken aback by the revelation.
"Since we met in France," Tanya told him, finally turning around to face him once more.
Edward did the maths in his head. She had left for France three months ago and had previously told him they had villas next to each other. She must have known for over two months, and yet here she was allowing him into her home, and shortly into her bed.
Edward saw red.
"YOU HAVE KNOWN ALL THIS TIME AND YET YOU ALLOW HIM INTO YOUR HOME? YOU ACCEPT HIS PROPOSAL?" Edward did not even attempt to stifle his shouts.
"Yes. His past will not affect our future!" Tanya yelled right back at him.
"Of course it will! He attacked Rose, he killed Bella's father and then tried to rape her! If I have my way, then he will hang for what he has done!"
"He is not going to hang. You are not going to do anything Edward! You are not going to tell anyone because your wife is lying. She is nothing but a slut and is willing to do anything to get everyone's attention!" Tanya ordered him.
Edward could not believe he was hearing this. Did she think he would just let this go? How dare she say such lies about Bella?
"Do not be ridiculous Tanya! He deserves to die for what he has done! And what gives you the right to say such things about Bella? She has been nothing but faithful; your fiancé attacked her and she believes it was her fault. She is so pure hearted that she could never hurt anyone. She would never put our child at risk, yet she came home and we believed she had miscarried. She would never do anything like that for attention!" Edward informed the delusional woman that stood in front of him.
"Of course she would Edward! She knows that now she is pregnant you will lose any interest you had in her, which was none to begin with. She is making up all these lies to force you to spend your time with her and you are falling for them!"
"Lies? Tanya, you are the one falling for the lies! James is an attempted rapist; he may have been successful in other cases. He has admitted he is a murdered and yet you are still trying to convince me Bella is the one lying? I was there Tanya! I know what happened. What spell has he put you under?"
"He has not got me under a spell! I know what he is saying is true and that it is your wife who is the tramp, not my fiancé!"
"Don't you dare say that about Bella again! I have told you, Bella has been nothing but true to me!" Edward yelled at Tanya, but as he spoke the words the guilt hit him. Everything he said was true. Bella had been nothing but faithful, even though Edward had assumed differently. It was he who had made the mistakes, he who took a mistress before even giving their marriage a chance. He had kissed his mistress more since his wedding than he had his wife their entire marriage. It was his fault the attack happened, he had been too preoccupied with Tanya to notice James take Bella away.
"Oh God," Edward buried his head in his hands.
Tanya mistook his action. "You can finally see that it is Bella causing the trouble you are currently experiencing, not James."
Edward slowly raised his head and came face to face with a smug looking Tanya. "No, I can finally see that this was my entire fault. I should never have left her alone with him." He managed to choke out.
"Edward, how many times must I tell you that James has done nothing?" Tanya asked, sounding annoyed. Edward was not paying attention; something was not fitting with the story Tanya told.
"Why did James tell you that he killed Charles Swan? Would it not be something he took to his grave?" Edward asked quietly.
"Oh, well, erm..." Edward had never seen Tanya lost for words.
"Why did he tell you Tanya?" Edward pressed, something was not right here.
"Well, when we went to France, I was extremely upset over your marriage, as of course I would be. Mother and father invited James for dinner; they had met him that morning and discovered he lived alone, that he had not had company in over four years. Of course they felt some sorrow for him and he ended up at our home.
He saw I was upset during dinner; I was very withdrawn you see. He invited me on a walk around the gardens following dinner and we began to talk. He wondered what was wrong and I told him your story. I mentioned Isabella's name and James appeared to recognise it. When I questioned if he knew your wife, he informed me that he had been acquainted with Charles Swan. I noticed that he had mentioned that he had been acquainted, in the past. When I asked when their last meeting had occurred, James informed me that Charles had died four years previously. I did not think any more about the matter and let it drop.
However, a few days later we were talking again and he told me that he had left home four years ago because he was trying to run away from something. Somehow, and I do not know why, I connected the dots and confronted him about it. I told him that he could trust me and he did. He explained his whole past, that Charles Swan had attacked him in the street as he caught James embracing a previous fling. He began to beat James and James had no choice but to stab him, it was for his own protection. He ran away and caught the first boat to France and stayed there ever since. He heard, through the newspapers, that Charles Swan had been found dead and that the family, Renee and her children Emmett and Isabella, believed the act to have been caused due to a man trying to avoid arrest for rape. A dress had been found at the scene. James has assured me that this was not true and I believe him." Tanya explained, finishing off her sentence triumphantly, as if it would cause Edward to change his opinion on the matter.
Edward did not accept her answer, he still had more questions. "Why did you accept his proposal? You knew he is not an innocent man, he has committed the worst crime possible and yet you allowed him to come home with you. I need to know why Tanya."
"I accepted his proposal because I knew we would work well together. I have told you Edward, I am not going to be your mistress for the rest of my life. With James, I have someone to call a husband and someone to spend my life with, who will not expect much. James knew that if he were to be my fiancé, he could return home. This is for the best Edward, this way I can have both of you." Edward could not believe what he was hearing. They had agreed to marry one another because it worked well for each of them? It sounded as if Tanya was collecting men as trophies, not someone she could give her heart to.
"Even if this were the case Tanya, why did you allow my wife into your home? The home where her father's killed resided."
"I invited her because James requested that I did. I did not want that tramp in my house, believe me. It was hard enough for me to be nice to her at your front door, let alone spend a whole evening with her. However, James asked me to, so I complied with his request." Tanya stated, as if it were not important that she had just insulted Edward's wife yet another time.
"I told you to not say such crude things about my wife in my presence!" Edward hissed, "Why did he want to see Bella?"
"He said something about evening the score." Tanya said offhand.
"Evening the score?" Edward was furious, "YOU KNEW HE WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING TO BELLA AND YET YOU ALLOWED IT! HOW WICKED CAN A PERSON BE?" Edward screamed at her.
She moved towards him and placed her hands on his arms. He instantly shrugged them off. "Of course I knew there was a possibility that he may try to do something, but your wife does not matter to me Edward, stop pretending she means something to you. If you had not stopped him, everything would be fine."
Edward was stunned. Tanya had wanted James to harm Bella? What did she mean everything would be fine? "Nothing would be fine Tanya. I would have a dead wife, a dead child and an inconsolable family. In what way would everything be fine?"
"You would have me, and I would have you to myself once more of course. That is all you want is it not? To have me."
Edward's mouth was hanging open. Tanya was willing to have Bella murdered just to have him to herself once more. "That is all you want is it not?" Edward used to think it was. He could hardly go a day without seeing her, without hearing her news. He had not felt the type of sadness he felt when he discovered he would have to end it with Tanya his entire life; well not until he believed he had lost his unborn child. He had never been so excited to see someone after a long absence; until he found Bella in the storm.
However, with the revelations he had just heard, Edward was not sure where he stood. Did he really want a woman in his life that was so willing to harm another? That was willing to harbour a murderer in their home to get what they desired? Who cared so little about others that she insulted them any way she please?
"Edward? EDWARD!" Tanya shouted, breaking him out of his thoughts, "That is all you want is it not?" she repeated, demanding an answer.
Edward did not know how to answer. He did not want to lie, but was not aware of the truth. He decided to change the subject. "Where is James now?"
"Upstairs in bed. Recovering from the undeserved beating you gave him yesterday." Tanya informed him, a scowl filling her face.
"Make sure he does not leave here Tanya." Edward warned the woman he was so confused about.
"Why should I prevent him from leaving Edward? You are not going to do anything to him. You are not going to inform the police of the lies you have been told, you are not going to inform them of what I have just shared with you. There is no reason why he should not leave." Said Tanya, informing Edward once more of her wishes.
This caused Edward to fall into another trail of thought. It had been Tanya who told him to take her as a mistress, he had simply agreed. It was Tanya who ordered him not to tell anyone of their romance, he had agreed once more. It was Tanya who demanded he not tell anyone of their affair. It was Tanya who ordered him to buy her the diamond bracelet she never wore. It was Tanya, it was Tanya, it was Tanya. It was Tanya who was now ordering him to break the law and not hand over a criminal. How had he not noticed this before? He was always bending to Tanya's wishes, even if they were not his own.
Not this time.
"It is too late Tanya. I have already informed the police of James' crimes. They can add murder to the list. I am sure that will secure the noose around his neck."
"You bastard. You will go to the police station right now and withdraw your charges. You will tell them you made a mistake, that you're wife was delusional." Tanya yelled.
"Language Tanya. You are a lady do not forget."
"Do not patronise me Edward," she hissed.
"And I shall do no such thing. I want to see the monster responsible for causing my wife harm and the near death of my child punished. And it is not just Bella's case that is against him. The police have been informed of the attack on Rosalie Hale, his "previous fling" as you so delightfully labelled her." Edward informed the raging woman.
"Tell them that she was also mistaken. That it was a different man," Edward merely shook his head, "Edward I ORDER YOU TO!" Tanya screamed at him.
Edward snapped. "That is all our "relationship" has been. You ordering me around and I was foolish enough to bend to your every whim. Not anymore. Not when it concerns my family!"
Tanya scoffed, "And by family you mean the wife you care nothing for?" she asked rhetorically.
"Do not mention Bella's name ever again. You have caused us enough trouble. Yes, I do mean Bella. I care deeply for her and the child she carries in her womb. My child."
Tanya laughed sadistically, "Are you even sure the child is yours Edward? You have no idea what your wife has the chance to get up to when you are at your training."
Edward could not take it anymore. He quickly walked over to Tanya and grabbed her by the shoulders shaking her. "How many times do I have to tell you not to insult my wife? Yes, I am sure it is my child because I trust Bella and she trusts me, although I have given her no reason to."
"Would she trust you if she knew your plans to bed me?" Tanya asked, thinking she had won.
"She does know Tanya. Unlike you, I do not keep secrets." Tanya looked shocked.
"You've told her?"
"Yes, she has known since our wedding." Edward nodded. "Are you going to tell James?"
Tanya shook her head. "No, I told you. He wo—"
"He would kill me is what I believe you said, although you appeared not to care. Would you care?" Edward asked, testing her.
"Of course I would Edward," she replied too quickly, "You know how deeply I care for you."
"You see Tanya that is what confuses me. You say you care about me, but you have not said you love me. It is only now I have realised. Is it me you care about or my money?"
Tanya was too slow to answer; he could see she was torn. He had the answer he needed and began to walk from the room.
"Edward, where are you going?" Tanya asked sounding worried, as if the past hour had not happened.
"Back to my wife and family." Edward informed her calmly, turning the doorknob and exiting the room. Tanya quickly followed after him.
"Why? We have time, James is in bed and mother and father are out. Are you sure you do not want to stay?" she purred.
Edward looked at Tanya in disgust. How could he have loved her? It was if a light switch had been flicked in his brain and he was finally seeing the real her. She was pitiful.
He reached the front door and opened it before he turned to face her. "No Tanya, I do not want to stay. I want to get back to my family. Expect to receive a visit from the police in the near future." He took a step out of the door before he turned once more. "And in response to your previous question, you are not all I want. I just cannot believe how long it took me to see it. Good day Miss Denali." With that Edward untied Theodore, jumped on his back and rode away; not looking back once.
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So did you hate it?
Are you happy it happened? Please tell me so I can improve, and maybe take this down and re-write it if needed.
Until next time. :)
