A/N Sadly, these characters all belong to SM.
Thank you all for reading and adding my story!!! You rock!
Chapter 6
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EPOV
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I really hated to drop this car off at the Hertz counter at the airport. I knew that Carlisle would be there in an hour to pick me up in his Mercedes, but it just wasn't the same. I would definitely have to go car shopping in the next few days.
I was having most of my things shipped to my parents house this week, so I had very little with me. I dropped my car off and headed to a Starbucks at the front of the airport where I asked Carlisle to meet me.
I couldn't believe I was actually moving to Port Angeles with the intention of staying. I had spent so long running away from this place that the thought of settling in was a bit weird. Looking at apartments had been fun, but I really didn't care where I lived as long as it was close to Bella. I thought for a few minutes about asking Bella if I could move into her basement and pay her rent, but I knew that she wouldn't go for it.
I knew that Bella was doing pretty well financially. I had done some investigating of the trucking company involved in Jacob's accident as well as the truck driver. I found that the company had settled with other families for allegations of disabling the mechanism on the truck that shuts it down after the driver has been driving for too many hours. I also found that the driver had several citations for DUI and reckless driving. With that information, the attorney was able to get Bella and her children enough money from the company to make sure they were comfortable. Bella had no idea how her attorney had gotten that information.
Carlisle saw me as soon as he walked in the door, and his smile was contagious. He walked over and enveloped me in a hug that made me feel like I was five years old again. I loved it.
"Welcome home, son."
"Thank you. It's been a long time."
"Yes, it has, and I have to warn you that if you break your mother's heart by leaving again, I will hurt you."
"I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
"You moving back wouldn't have anything to do with a certain brown-eyed girl, now would it?"
"I'd be lying if I said that it has nothing to do with Bella. I want to try to make things right with her. I at least owe her an explanation for what happened, but if things don't work out, I'm not going anywhere. I think I've finally learned that this is where I belong."
"Edward, your mother and I are certainly ready and willing to take you in with open arms, but please understand that it may be more difficult for others."
"I get it Dad. I know it was shitty of me to get married and run off, hardly ever giving anyone more than a rare phone call. You know better than most how difficult things were for me and that if I did call Alice or Emmett, it would have just caused them more grief." Quietly I added, "I'm willing to do what it takes to try to make things right with them. I can't wait to get my hands on little Jane."
"Well let's get to it then. Everyone is waiting for you at the house."
The drive to my parents house was so familiar. It was odd to me that the small town of Forks didn't seem to take advantage of the building boom that had hit the rest of the country. Very little had changed. Everywhere that I went, I saw little things that reminded me of my family and my girl. Only now, I could look at things and not go crazy. I knew that I would make my peace with Bella.
I got out of the car only to be attacked by a tiny little spiky haired thing. Alice yelled into my ear, "You really did come! I can't believe you are here!"
I hugged her back, a little surprised by the sentiment seeing as how I had only seen her two days ago, and looked past her to see Jasper smiling with a twinkle in his eye. He was holding an adorable little girl that looked just like my sister with my big green eyes. I reached into my backpack to pull out the bear I had brought her from D.C. I put my arms out tentatively thinking that she may be shy seeing as how she had only seen me in pictures, but she jumped right into my arms.
My niece's first words to me were, "It's about time, uncle Eddie."
Do most three year olds speak that well?
Everyone laughed as I hugged her tightly and promised her that I planned to make it up to her. I then told her parents that I was going to take her shopping for the most noisy and obnoxious toys that I could find.
Jasper finally spoke, "That's fine… She's gonna need some toys to stay at Uncle Eddie's place anyway for when she spends the night there."
My mother wasn't home yet from the store, so we went inside to settle in and wait for her. Emmett wouldn't be able to make it to Forks until tomorrow. He was in Seattle for a medical conference, and he was planning on coming straight here when he got out of his last seminar.
The kitchen had been completely remodeled since I was last here. It was nothing like the room that I remembered from high school. Mom had sent me pictures while it was being done, but it was nothing compared to the room before me.
The back wall had been opened up and covered with windows overlooking the river. The countertops had all been replaced with a bright granite which made the room look so much bigger. They had also put in an island in the middle of the room. The barstools placed around them were much more comfortable than you expect of kitchen barstools, and we all settled in.
"So Edward," Jasper spoke, "I'm pretty sure there aren't any bugs in the room, and you aren't on the phone or the internet… tell us what you've been doing for the last fifteen years."
I knew he was referring to the fact that I have alluded all of their questions for so long, convincing everyone that I couldn't talk about my life because it was top-secret.
"I've been doing a lot of grunt work really. I have been sent to the Caribbean and to the Middle East to gather intelligence for the ATTF. When that didn't make me happy, I thought I should branch out on my own and do some Private Investigating. Now, I am able to do both, and I think I will be much more content because it is here. This is where I belong."
"But Edward, when you were here the night after you snuck into Jacob Black's funeral, you told me that you were moving home then," Alice said, "Why has it taken you so long?"
Carlisle and Jasper both looked at me intently but for different reasons. Carlisle had no idea that I'd been at Jacob Black's funeral (neither did Bella for that matter), and Jasper just wanted to hear my answer.
"I have been planning since that day."
"Planning for what?" Carlisle asked.
"Ending your marriage isn't exactly easy." I was becoming uncomfortable with this conversation.
"I'm sure it isn't, but I don't understand why the death of Bella's husband would mean your marriage had to end," Alice had no idea that she was asking me questions that I had been asking myself for years. "Why did you leave, Edward? Bella would have never married Jacob in the first place if you hadn't married someone else and moved away."
"Alice, I think that's enough."
"No Dad, she's right, and I ask myself that question every day. All I can tell you Alice is that I didn't think I was enough for Bella, and it scared the hell out of me."
Carlisle spoke again, "I imagine Bella wouldn't have taken to kindly to you if you had shown up too soon either. Edward, I hope you are considering her needs in all of this. She has lost a husband and she's lonely, please don't take advantage of that. Both she and her children deserve better."
Alice jumped in, "Dad, I've seen Bella a few times since high school. She's a lot tougher than she used to be. Bella's not going to just bow down because Edward's back."
This conversation was becoming a bit too much for me. I told the room that I intended to give Bella all the time that she needed and excused myself to go to the restroom. I could hear mumbling behind me as I left the room, but I didn't want to hear what was being said. I had ruined my family's faith in me, and it was my responsibility to gain it back.
I came out of the bathroom to see my mother standing in the kitchen holding her mouth as if to keep from crying. My first instinct was to run to her and ask her what was wrong, but I realized she was crying because she was happy to see me. My entire family had come to see me a few times in the various places that I have lived, but I never made the effort to come back to Forks.
Being wrapped in my mother's arms gave me the sense that everything was going to work out. I don't know why I didn't try this sooner.
"Edward Anthony Cullen, if you ever stay gone for that long again, I will come find you and drag your happy ass back here. Do you understand me?"
"Yes. And I don't ever plan to be away from my family for that long again."
We talked for a while about trivial things. My family caught me up on the Forks gossip. I was particularly interested when they told me that Charlie Swan had married Sue Clearwater. I was so happy for him. He was such a good, solid man. He deserved so much more than Renee had ever given him.
I excused myself to get cleaned up before dinner. Walking into my old room was like being hit by a two by four. It was the one room in the house that my parents hadn't touched when they remodeled. It still had the same old black lacquer furniture that I thought was so cool at one time. I couldn't make myself open the drawers right now because I knew that if they hadn't been cleaned out, there would be all sorts of mementos from my times with my girl.
I dug my phone out of my backpack and called Bella. I had planned on waiting until tomorrow at least, but after the conversation that I had just had, I needed some assurance that she was real and that I had spent the weekend with her.
Who the fuck is the guy answering her phone? And why the hell do I hear screaming?
"Uh, can I speak to Bella?"
"She's in the bathroom, hold on, let me get her for you."
Why the fuck is this guy walking into the bathroom with Bella in there?
Bella answered, and she sounded kind of preoccupied.
I felt really uncomfortable, and I almost wished I hadn't called her. "I was just calling to see how your day went."
"It was awful and crazy busy. Can I call you back when I get the kids in bed?" Did she just blow me off or is she really busy with the kids? And who the fuck is they guy?
"If you want to. I'll talk to you later."
I felt like a territorial ass, but I couldn't get past the fact that some guy had answered Bella's phone and that she was too busy to talk to me. Before I called her back and made a total dick of myself, I decided to take a shower and go spend some time with my family. I took the phone into the bathroom with me just in case.
She didn't call.
I went down to eat dinner with my family. I tried really hard not to let my pissy mood show through, but I think they picked up on it. They just talked around me about their lives and I pretended to listen. After the dishes were cleared and everyone was just sitting around, Alice asked, "So how is Bella? Have you talked to her lately?"
"I have no idea how Bella is," I said standing up, "I think I'm going to go to bed. It's been a long day."
I hugged Alice and baby Jane goodnight and shook Jasper's hand. Before I could even make it up the stairs, I had my phone out and was dialing Bella's number again. You're fucking pathetic!
This time when she answered, she sounded much less stressed.
"Hey there!"
"Hey! I'm not waking up your kids am I?" I knew it sounded lame, but I didn't know how else to ask her if it was ok that I was calling again.
"No. I always bring the phone into my room at night. I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you earlier, there were three children and three adults all talking at once."
Who the hell was the guy that answered the phone?
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's not a problem. I had a really bad day at work, so my friend Embry and his family came over for dinner."
Family… as in wife and kids?
"I'm sorry you had a bad day. Do you want to talk about it?"
"There's really not much to talk about. One of Lauren's friends just managed to push my buttons today. Oh, and apparently she thinks you're hot and it's obvious that you wouldn't be dating me."
Why do I feel the need to take out this Lauren person?
"Lauren has absolutely no idea. So when can I see you again?"
"I don't know Edward. My kids going out of town for the weekend is not a common thing. It may be a while before something like that happens again."
"Well, how about a date? Can you get a sitter one night to go out with me?
"Probably. When are you thinking?"
"The sooner the better. I miss you already." God, I'm so cheesy…
"Ok. I will talk to Charlie and see if he's interested in some Grandpa time one night this week. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Sounds great, I'll talk to you soon."
Feeling better, I changed into some running shorts and headed to the basement for a workout. My parents were in the basement watching a movie, so I popped in to sit with them for a bit before I hit the treadmill. They turned the movie off and told me that they would love to just sit and chat. Carlisle went and got a bottle of wine out of the cellar, and I decided that spending time with my parents was probably better for me than time on the treadmill, so I poured us all a glass.
"Are you alright, Edward?" Esme asked sheepishly.
"I'm fine, Mom. I don't think any of this is going to be easy, and I feel like shit for putting everyone through all of this again."
My dad put his hand on my shoulder. "We're just glad you're home son. Your mother and I know that you left because you thought it was for the best, but the rest of your family doesn't know that, and they may not understand it if they did. Give them time. They all love you and are so thankful that you're here, I think they are afraid to get their hopes up."
We finished the bottle of wine and told stories until early in the morning. Having that glint in his eye, Carlisle pulled Esme up off the couch and told her it was bed time. I took that as my cue to head to the opposite side of the house and went to my room. I took one of the sleeping pills that I had brought with me and climbed into bed. It hadn't escaped my notice that I didn't have to take anything to help me sleep when I was with Bella.
