EPOV
I am basically in the biggest time-out of my life. That's how Mackenzie explained it to me. My little girl was brilliant she looked around noticing Bella, Alice, Jacob, and Jasper not talking to me for almost a month. Well Jasper not taking to me was more me not talking to him. My point is she knew something was up and she made sure I had someone to talk to.
I was getting Mackenzie ready for bed while Bella was hanging out with Jacob downstairs. I didn't like him, he was too friendly with Bella and gave me weird looks. She didn't care though because she actually was speaking to him.
She was the person in the wrong, not me. I respected her father enough to let him tell her. He was talking to me at least and agreed that I didn't so anything wrong.
"Daddy I like my hair," Mackenzie told me sweetly, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"You look very pretty monk," I said kissing her almost dry hair. It took me twenty minutes to get the knots out of her curls. She was a trooper though and never complained about it hurting.
"Can we take Drix to the park when it's morning time?"
"I have to work."
Her eyes widened as tears filled. "Far away?"
"No, you can go with me."
"I get to take pictures too?" she asked curiously.
"I'm not taking pictures tomorrow, but I have to talk with Tanya."
"I don't like Miss Tanya she looks pinchy," she frowned.
"Pinchy," I said carefully.
"Like this." She scrunched her face, and then placed her hands on her cheeks pushing the skin back. I burst out laughing, which I was aware that I shouldn't have because it was condoning her mean behavior.
"How bout we keep that to ourselves?" I suggested pushing a curl that was resting on her nose away.
"All right Daddy," she sighed.
I lifted up her sheet so she could snuggle under and tucked her in.
"I love you, Kenzers."
"Love you lots," she replied puckering her lips for a kiss and I obliged.
I lay down with her to make sure she went to sleep. She was a nighttime wanderer and if no one was with her when she fell asleep she would get up and get into things. One night when she was three, I came home from a shoot in Los Angeles to find her sitting on the couch watching Conan, while eating a bowl of Cheerios. It was hysterical until I saw the mess she made with the milk in the kitchen.
Once I knew she was completely knocked out, I went downstairs to gather my notes from the Vogue and Harper's accounts I had been working on here in Seattle. I stopped short when I saw Jacob cuddling Bella. My Bella, who was giggling.
"Okay, I've had to endure this for too long, get out of my fucking house Black before I remove you," I said rather calmly when I actually wanted to kick his fucking grinning face in.
He sat up and I could see the challenge in his eyes. "Don't get your panties in a twist Cullen," he scoffed.
"I'm sick of you, asshole," I spat inching towards him.
Bella stood grabbing Jacob's forearms trying to balance herself as she was now in between us. I frowned at the thought of him be her stability when it should have been me. I blinked a few time before mumbling, "It's not worth it." I turned and rushed upstairs to my room pulling out my phone.
"Ya-llo?" Emmett panted.
"Bad time?"
"Just leaving the gym, how is the mime house?"
"Mimes acknowledge others," I grumbled.
"No progress, eh?"
"Jacob's here," I growled.
"Dude there's something funny about that one."
"What do you mean?"
"I get a weird vibe from him…" he trailed off. Whatever.
"I don't know what to do, Em. It's like she's getting satisfaction out of watching me suffer."
"Wait she is acknowledging you then," he concluded.
"No she still hasn't said a word to me. The only way I'm sort of spoken to is when Mackenzie's in the fucking room."
"That sucks that she is doing this, but you know better then anyone that this is what Bella does. She did it after the whole Stanley fiasco when she was in high school." He said thoughtfully. "So you're in the guest room then?"
"That's the thing if I go to the guest room she clings to me. I love her, but she is slowly killing me," I groaned tugging at my hair. Great I'm going to go bald because of her.
If you want to you can stay here, Rose may not appreciate you but I sure as hell do little brother," he sang.
"Rose would let me stay?" I asked cautiously. That might be a plan, but then I would be leaving Kenz here.
"No!" Bella shrieked, shutting the door behind her as she hurriedly hobbled to me.
"That got her talking," he chuckled.
I tilted my head towards her. "Yeah, later," I snapped my phone shut.
"You're not going to Emmett's."
"Well I'm obviously not wanted here," I sneered thinking back to her and Jacob on the couch.
"I want you," she whispered, running a hand through her hair.
"You haven't spoken to me in almost a month," I croaked out in disbelief.
"You didn't tell me my mom was looking for me," she snapped.
"I didn't tell you out of respect to your father," I sighed.
"What about me?" she cried.
This was it, I needed to say this, I wasn't going to let her walk all over me and this had gotten ridiculous. "Bella I love you more then life itself, but grow up."
"Excuse me?" she gaped at me.
"You heard me. I feel horrible about not saying anything and I told your father this, but it wasn't my place to tell you."
"But," she tried arguing.
"From a father's standpoint I get it. If Mackenzie ever gets married and we have a family crisis or whatever, I wouldn't want the guy in her life to tell her. As a father, you want to protect your children you should understand this because you're a mother. You're father loves you and was trying to save you the pain of dealing with that terrible woman that gave birth to you."
"She came here again," she confessed quietly.
"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.
"When you and Kenz were sick she showed up. I didn't get to see her, your mother almost kicked her ass," she said with a half-smile.
"See you didn't tell me," I pointed out, hurt.
"I didn't talk to you for almost a month," she said miserably.
"You hurt me," I told her looking around the room.
Suddenly she sat up and carefully swung her knee to my other side so she was straddling me. I grunted when her ass sat on my stomach. I wouldn't tell her but she was heavier then the last time. I steadied her by holding her hips so she wouldn't fall.
"I'm sorry," she cried, kissing me quickly.
I watched her and drew her in for a deeper kiss.
"If I ever lost you I don't know what I would do. Don't let me lose you," I pleaded quietly against her lips.
"I love you," she whimpered as my hands caressed her back.
Then a flash from earlier hit me and I knew I needed her. "Jacob held you," I growled, biting her lower lip.
"He was fucking with you," she moaned as my right hand cupped her breast. I loved her breasts they were fucking perfect.
"I don't like it," I hissed, grabbing the hem of her shirt ripping it away from her.
Once our clothes were off, she was still sitting on me. I slid her down enough to meet not so mini Edward. I was sure as hell ready for her as she was me.
"Lift up," I said clenching my teeth.
She did as she was told and raised up enough so my tip was waiting at her entrance. I wanted to fuck her and make her remember that she was mine. As if she was reading my mind, "Fuck me Edward," came from those delicious lips.
Who was I to keep my girl waiting? I pushed my hips up, filling her completely. She was so fucking tight. Her forehead rested on my shoulder as I brought my hips to meet hers.
Caught up in the moment, I forgot about her recovery and moved my hands down so I knew she was securely attached to me, making our pace equal.
I knew I wasn't going to last long. I needed to show her what I felt for her. "Put some weight on your knees and spread them," I instructed.
She did as she was told as I rested one hand on the base of her back and the other remained on her hip. She was angled so I was able to thrust in deeper.
Her eyes were closed so I chanced a glance down to where we were connected and it was fucking hot. She was mine.
"Ugh, soooo deep," she whimpered, gripping at my shoulders.
"Come with me, love," I pleaded moving my hand from her hip, placing it behind me so it was easier to push up in her. I pulled her closer to me as I went in her deeper.
"Ed-Ed-Edward," she stuttered as we both came.
Her small frame slumped into me and I felt satisfaction from making her feel like this.
Then I realized she could be hurt. "I'm so sorry Bella."
Her head snapped up to looking at me. God she was gorgeous… The flush of her skin, the poutiness of her lips, and the deep brown of her eyes.
"That was the best sex of my whole life and you're apologizing while you're still in me?" she asked disbelievingly.
"I didn't hurt you?"
"Not going to lie I will be feeling this in the morning, but I've been doing better the past couple of weeks."
"Right no crutches," I mumbled, feeling like an ass since she was getting better without me.
"We're done being jackasses, I love you too much to ignore you forever," she announced, running her delicate fingers through my hair.
I leaned forward placing a kiss over her heart.
"I want to reinstate our promise," I said with a grin.
"Okay," she giggled. My giggle.
"I, Edward Anthony Cullen, promise to tell you Isabella Marie Swan almost Cullen everything thing that happens, even if it is not my place to tell I will force the others involved to tell you."
"I, Isabella Marie Swan almost Cullen, promise to tell you Edward Anthony Cullen everything thing that happens, and I will never go without speaking to you again."
I looped my pinky through hers. I gently moved her off me and laid her under the covers.
"We still have a lot to talk about, but that can wait until tomorrow," I said playing with a strand of her hair. Mine.
It was fairly early when we woke up the next morning.
"By the sounds I heard last night I going to take a hunch and say you were forgiven?" Alice said as we entered the kitchen.
"He didn't do anything wrong Alice," Bella told her firmly.
"That wasn't the tune you were singing yesterday sweetie," she said rolling her eyes.
I glared at Alice and then kissed Bella deeply, "I have a meeting with Tanya and promised Mackenzie she could go with me."
"Do you think it's a good idea to take her?"
"Who are you trying to save Mackenzie or Tanya?"
"Tanya because I know my baby can hold her own," she said proudly.
"What do you know about pinchy?" I asked replicating the face Mackenzie did for me last night.
"She showed you," she giggled.
"Yeah, it would have been awkward if she said it to Tanya though. We need to help her find her filter."
"She doesn't need a filter I find her innocence and honesty refreshing," Alice added taking a sip of her coffee.
"You would," I mumbled.
"I agree that she needs to find a filter it may cause problems when she starts school,"
Bella reasoned.
"We'll work together with her," I agreed.
"Together," she grinned, kissing me.
"Ugh, I liked it better when we hated him," Alice said in faux repulsion.
I left the kitchen to get Mackenzie ready for the day and I knew by her sniffles and wheezing she was not going to be the delightful angel I wanted her to be. Last year she was diagnosed with allergies and asthma, with fall peeking around the corner I knew my monkey was going to be miserable.
"Kenz maybe you should stay with Mommy," I suggested pulling her sweatshirt over her head.
"Nooooo," she whined, pushing her wild curls out of her face. "I take my puffer."
She ran over to where Bella was standing in the doorway and took a puff of her inhaler. "Blow," Bella ordered holding the Kleenex to her face.
"See I all better," she insisted, scrunching her nose trying to keep the snot in.
"Fine," I sighed, nodding towards the used Kleenex. "Give me a pack of those for my bag."
"Yayhhhhhhhh," Mackenzie coughed, running to get her shoes.
"Thanks for the back up," I said dryly as I wrapped my arms around her waist.
"She wanted to go to work with her Daddy," she said softly, kissing my cheek.
"I'M READY!" Kenz yelled at the bottom of the stairs.
"We'll talk when I get back?" She nodded giving me a beautiful smile.
Before we went to Tanya's office we stopped at Starbuck's where the barista flirted with me and cooed too many times at Mackenzie who was definitely not filtering anything today.
Tanya's assistant Garrett fussed over Mackenzie and her 'adorableness' I gave all credit to Bella.
"About time you graced me with your presence ass…oh you brought her," Tanya sneered, at Mackenzie's little form coloring on the floor.
"Yes, I brought her."
"Can she please wait out here I have important things I need to discuss with you," she pleaded. Tanya never pleaded or asked nicely something was up.
I kneeled next to Mackenzie, "Kenz I need to talk with Tanya, can you stay out here and play with Garrett…so he's not lonely," I added as she gasped.
"Don't worry Mr. Garrett I won't leave you alone…I don't like being alone…" She rambled trying to comfort him as Garrett played along.
I turned to a frowning Tanya and followed her in. What I didn't know was that this was one of the most pivotal meetings of my career.
A/N: I'm ducking for cover… Review and let me know what is going on in that head of yours. Do you think I could wish for 70 reviews this chapter? I do love you that do tell me what's on your mind.
As always thanks to my beta dolphin62598…