Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.
A/N: Thank you for being so patient in waiting for this chapter.
Irritable Grizzzly- Thank you for your unending patience. I know my repetitive use of words slowly drives you crazy ;)
Previously:
Edward ran his hand through his hair and smiled at me. "I guess I should let you go. Maybe we could run together again sometime?"
"Maybe," I replied, "Have a good day, Edward."
"You too."
Edward waved at me as I pulled away from the park. I waved back and thought about our conversation.
It was our first of many runs together…
2008
I hooked my headphones over my ears and turned on my iPod. The blaring music help set the pace for my morning run. After my first lap around Washington Park, I started to get antsy.
Would he be here today?
After our first run, Edward began to show up at the same time whenever he wasn't working. The first few times, I ignored him. However, this morning, I was too annoyed to stay silent.
"What are you doing?"
"Running," was his smartass reply.
"I can see that you're running. Why are you here? Are you following me?" I demanded.
Edward panted, "We both run every day. I need a running partner and I've decided you're it."
"What if I don't want to be your running partner?" I seethed.
He shrugged and said, "You don't have a choice."
"Of course I do," I huffed, "I'll just start running at a different time and place."
"No, you won't."
His casual tone was pissing me off. Edward always knew how to get a reaction out of me and I refused to play along.
"Whatever," I huffed, "I don't want to talk to you."
"Good," he stated, "You run faster when you're not talking."
How dare he be such an asshole?
How dare I play into his antics?
I refused to fall into our old banter routines. I was not going to give Edward the satisfaction of talking to me. It was time to change up my running schedule.
-o-o-o-
I became more familiar with the different parks near downtown Denver. I realized that running in the morning was an integral part of my day, so I thought that I could keep the same time schedule and just change location.
I chose to run at City Park. Initially, I was a little concerned about how close the park was to Colfax Avenue. Colfax was known for high levels of crime, including prostitution and drugs. Then there were the homeless people. Depression isn't a good emotion to have while exercising.
Okay, so maybe that wasn't such a good idea. I spent more energy surveying the park than I did running.
Then I decided to try the safer Cheeseman Park. It was quiet and had a 1.2 mile gravel trail around it. Each morning I missed Wash Park, but I knew it was worth not having to run with Edward.
Until fucking Emmett ruined it for me.
A week after I started jogging at Cheeseman, I invited Emmett to join me on a run. He had been complaining about his lifting routine and I suggested that he try to add some cardio to his workouts. When I told Emmett where I was running, he laughed.
"What's wrong with it?" I asked.
"It's the haunted, gay park," he snorted.
Huh?
Emmett explained, "The park is built over an old cemetery. The city just removed the gravestones on some of the graves. People claim that the park is haunted by the two thousand souls still buried there."
"I'm not dumb, Emmett. If you're trying to scare me, it's not going to work."
"I'm serious, B. Look it up. Besides, I'd be more worried about the gays than the ghosts, if I were you," he warned.
"What are you talking about?"
"That park is a known gay area. Men cruise through it to find casual encounters. Haven't you noticed all the cars driving slowly? Or the fact that most of the patrons are men?"
Hmm. Maybe I should pay more attention to these things.
"Well, if that's the case, then I should be fine. No one will be interested in propositioning me, because I have a vagina. Don't be such a homophobe, Em," I scolded.
"Just be careful, Bella. I think you should run at Wash Park if you're going to be running alone. Edward is definitely the lesser of the two evils."
-o-o-o-
Emmett jinxed me.
During my next few runs, all I could think about was the fact that I could be standing over a grave. I had researched Cheeseman Park and found out that for once, Emmett was telling the truth.
Creepy, Creepy, Creepy….
When I wasn't thinking about the mass number of graves that were left unmarked, I was noticing the gay men. Sure enough, cars would cruise through Cheeseman and occasionally they would park. I used to think the occupants were just enjoying the nice weather or scenery, but now I knew better.
At least there's some fine man candy on display.
Weeks passed and I continued to run at Cheeseman. It wasn't like there were ghosts out to get me. Not to mention, no one was mistaking me for a drag queen. In all honesty, if Emmett never told me about the gay men hooking up in the park, I would have never known. During the day, I never saw anything to make me think that it wasn't a family-friendly park.
It all changed on my first evening run.
My day had been hectic and I couldn't find time to run in the morning. When I reached Cheeseman, it was six o'clock in the evening. My first three laps around the trail were uneventful. The sky was starting to darken and I decided that the next lap would be my last.
After a quick scan of the area, I determined that there was no danger in pushing my endurance threshold.
Nothing would happen. The park was safe.
I rounded the corner and ran through the wooded section of the trail. Halfway up the hill, I heard heavy breathing and grunting. The sound of rustling and crunching gravel alerted me to someone's presence. I looked around and couldn't see anyone, but I knew that a person was near me. My self-preservation skills kicked in and I started to panic.
If I can just get out of the woods, I can run back to my car.
It's going to be okay.
I sprinted through trees and bushes to reach the center of the park. I just needed to get into a populated area.
God, I should have listened to Emmett when he told me not to run alone.
What was I thinking? This park isn't safe.
In my panic, I never noticed that the grunts were those of pleasure and not of someone pursuing me.
Right before I reached the open area, in the bushes to my left was a man on his knees giving another man a blowjob. Both were grunting and moaning. The man receiving the blowjob gave me a smile and a wink.
I tried to smile back at them as I ran toward my car. There was something shocking about watching such a casual encounter. Or maybe I was just shocked to find that I wasn't in any danger.
Either way, I knew I would never be able to run at Cheeseman again.
Fuck Edward. I'm going back to Wash Park….
-o-o-o-
After the breakup with Felix, Alice moved back into her condo with me, and Rose moved in with Emmett. I was quickly reminded why Alice and I should never be roommates. She left her work lying around and always misplaced her keys, so she'd drive me crazy helping her look for them. It was amazing that such a successful businesswoman could be so disorganized and messy.
Today was supposed to be the first day back at Wash Park in over a month. However, I couldn't find my damn keys.
After checking my purse, I just stared at the empty hook where my keys should be hanging.
Son of a…
"Alice! Where are my keys?"
I dug through the mail on the entry table and still couldn't find them. However, I did find the packet from my editor that I had misplaced earlier. Of course, it was under a large stack of Alice's stuff.
There was no need for one small woman to have so much crap. Especially, since she hardly ever used it all.
Where were my damn keys?!?
"Alice!" I yelled again.
"Sorry, Bella. I used your keys when I went downstairs to get the mail. Don't worry. They're around here somewhere."
After five minutes of searching, Alice yelled, "Found them!"
"Finally! If you use my stuff, please put it back where it belongs."
"I don't know why you're so upset," Alice said, "You're just going on a run. It's not like you're going to be late or anything."
"That's not the point and you know it," I snapped.
Alice held up her hands in defense and impersonated a cat, "Me-yow."
I yanked my keys from her hand and stormed out of the condo.
When Alice had moved back in, she begged me not to move out. I was ready to have my own place, but Alice didn't to be alone. I naively thought that it would be fun for us to live together. Maybe it would be a chance for us to grow closer.
I was so fucking wrong.
It was a good thing I was going on a run, because I needed to burn off some extra energy before I turned into a raging bitch.
I loved Alice, but there was no way I could continue to live with her.
-o-o-o-
By the time I reached Washington Park, I was in a foul mood. Between losing my keys and hitting traffic, I was anxious and annoyed.
The moment my feet hit the gravel trail, I started to relax. I had missed the calming atmosphere of the park. There were no shady characters or ghosts to worry about. After five miles, I was finally letting go of my annoyance toward Alice. I knew that it was difficult for her to live with me as well.
Stay calm, Bella. You'll find a loft and everything will work itself out.
When I rounded the corner, all of my positive feelings disappeared.
Fucking bronze hair.
"I knew you'd be back," he smiled.
"Sure you did," I replied.
"I did," he insisted, "You've always liked routines. It was only a matter of time before you came back."
I wanted to smack the smug smile off his face. "Were you always this annoying?"
Edward's smile transformed into the confident smirk I used to love. Now it just reminded me of what a cocky asshole he was.
"I can't help it that I know you so well."
I glared at him, "Let's get one thing straight. I am not the same girl you were married to. Stop assuming that you know everything about me. I'm here because I refuse to let you change my life and routine. Whether or not you run near me is your choice, but I refuse to act as if we're friends."
He looked stunned, but finally shut up.
The rest of the run passed in silence.
When we reached the lot where I was parked, Edward asked, "Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"
I sighed, "Edward, I meant it when I said I wasn't interested in talking. I need to go. Have a good day."
-o-o-o-
When Rose moved out of the condo, we made an effort to meet up at least once a week. Emmett started to feel left out, so we invited him to join us for coffee one Saturday morning.
As I walked in the door, I noticed Emmett's bright, smiling face.
"How's my favorite cousin?" he asked.
"Fantastic. How's my second favorite cousin?"
Emmett put his hands over his heart and groaned, "Ouch, Bells. That was just cruel."
I hugged Rose and sat down at their table. Over the next half-hour, the two of them told me about the improvements they were making to Emmett's house. The conversation was flowing until Emmett decided to quote the movie 'Old School'.
"We're going to have a pretty nice little Saturday. We're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know. I don't know if we'll have enough time."
Rose laughed and said, "On that note, I'm going to the bathroom. I would hate to have to pee during the awesome day we have lined up."
When Rose left the table, Emmett grinned at me, "Do you have time to go shopping with me this week?"
"Maybe," I smirked, "What are we going shopping for?"
"Oh, just a sparkly something that Rosie will hopefully wear for the rest of her life."
I lunged across the table and gave Emmett a hug. He just laughed as I squealed, "I knew it!"
The next few moments were spent planning when and where we should meet each other. We were so engrossed in our planning that we didn't see Rosalie approach the table.
"What are you two talking about?" she questioned.
"Nothing," I replied quickly.
Rose quirked an eyebrow at me, because it was obvious that I was lying.
Right before she could question me, Emmett interceded, "Nothing, my ass. Bella was just telling me how Edward is crashing her runs."
Who knew Emmett was such a cool liar?
Trust him to bring up the one situation that Rose would jump all over.
"What?" she seethed.
"It's not a big deal. It's not like I'm fucking him."
"If it's no big deal, then we should be able to talk about it. How is Edward?" Rose prompted.
I sighed, "He's persistent. He has honored my request that we not speak while we run. However, at the end of each run he asks me to talk with him. After I decline his invitation, we say goodbye. Sometimes, he'll tell me if he's going to be working a shift and won't be there."
Rose arched an eyebrow and asked, "Are you setting times to run together?"
"No. He just volunteers the information."
Emmett snarled, "This is why you shouldn't have a set schedule, Bells. It makes it easier for people to track you. You're lucky that your stalker is your ex-husband and not some psycho killer."
"Or maybe the psycho killer is a better stalker than Edward," I quipped.
"It's not fucking funny, Bella."
"I know it's not, Em. After my encounter with the killer peen in Cheeseman, I'm taking safety seriously. I mean, what are the odds of being saved by a blowjob again?" I snorted.
Emmett laughed, "Only you would be shocked by a blowjob at the gay park. Seriously though, maybe it's time for me to have a talk with Eddie-boy. He should leave you alone."
"It's really not a big deal. Let it go, Em."
Emmett shrugged in response and the three of us stood up to leave. I gave both of them a hug goodbye and whispered to Emmett that I would see him later that week.
-o-o-o-
Sunday morning I drove to Carlisle and Esme's for brunch. I was a little upset that it was scheduled during my normal running time.
Yeah, right. You're just are annoyed that you won't see Edward…
Stop thinking that way, Bella. He's not important.
When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed that both Rose and Alice's cars were there. Hopefully, Esme was waiting for me to arrive, because the boys would happily eat my share of brunch if they could.
I walked into the foyer and was surprised by how quiet the house was. I followed the sound of Alice's voice and found the girls and Carlisle in the kitchen.
"Good Morning," I chirped, "Where is everyone?"
Carlisle handed me a cup of coffee and answered, "The boys are skipping brunch. So it looks like it'll just be you lovely ladies and me."
Huh?
"Yeah right."
"Emmett said that he and the guys wanted to go shooting or something," Esme shrugged.
"Shooting?" I questioned Rose.
Rosalie kept her eyes on her coffee mug and quietly answered, "They're trying out some new paintball equipment."
Alice grumbled, "Paintball, my ass."
I whirled toward Alice, "What are they really doing?"
"Like Rose said, they're practicing with some new paintball guns."
Alice was never a good liar. The tips of her ears were red and she refused to meet my gaze. I knew if I pushed her, she would crack.
"Alice?"
"Fine. They're going to shoot at Edward as he runs this morning," she huffed.
I choked on my coffee, "What?"
Rose sighed, "Ever since you and Emmett came up with the revenge plot for Annabelle to shoot at Masen with a paintball gun, he's wanted to try it. You know that he's pissed at Edward for stalking you. Emmett figured this was the one morning that you were guaranteed not to be running with him."
"Rose," I admonished, "How could you not tell me? You do realize that Emmett could get arrested!"
"I lost a bet," she stated simply. Rose usually justified her actions more thoroughly.
"What kind of bet?"
"You really don't want to know," Rose answered as she nodded toward Esme and Carlisle.
Esme chuckled, "I'm guessing this is the kind of bet a mother doesn't want to know about?"
"I'm pretty sure no one wants to know about it," Alice said.
I sighed and pulled out my cell phone. It was only nine a.m. It was still thirty minutes until my usual Sunday run. I dialed Emmett's number and it went straight to voicemail. When I couldn't reach Alec or Felix either, I decided to drive to Washington Park.
"We need to stop this before those idiots get arrested or someone gets hurt. I'm driving up there. Do you know where they're going to be?" I asked.
"Felix said they would be along Louisiana Avenue."
-o-o-o-
After speeding through Denver, I arrived at the park. I turned down Louisiana Avenue and saw Alec hiding behind a tree in camouflage gear. I quickly parked in the closest parking lot and dashed over to where he was hidden.
Alec jumped as I called out his name. When he turned around, the first thing I noticed was the war paint covering his face. It was amazing that no one had called the cops on him.
He looks like a creepy perv…
"Hey, Bella," he stammered, "What are you doing here?"
"Cut the crap. What are you idiots up to?" I demanded.
Before Alec could give me an answer, I heard Felix's voice over a walkie-talkie, "He's turning onto Louisiana now. Over."
"Seriously? Walkie Talkies?" I questioned.
I snatched Alec's paintball gun. "Okay. I appreciate your concern, but this is a dumb plan. Radio the other two stooges and call this whole thing off. The last thing we need is for you three to get arrested."
"This was all Emmett's idea," Alec whined as he reached for his walkie talkie.
I know.
Alec had just said Felix's name when we heard screaming coming from down the street.
"Oh shit," Alec mumbled.
The two of us sprinted down the road to find Edward curled in the fetal position on the path. The bright blue splatters of paint indicated that he had been shot in the crotch. Repeatedly.
"Emmett! Felix! Stop!" I yelled.
Felix dropped his gun, however, Emmett kept firing. I could hear the impact of new paintballs as Edward was shot in the ass. His screaming was drawing attention from other park patrons.
When Emmett refused to listen to our pleas, I determined it was time for drastic measures. I aimed Alec's gun and shot him.
Emmett's gun clamored to the ground as he grabbed at his calf. "Son of a Bitch!" he yelled, "What the fuck, Bella!"
"You idiot!" I screamed, "How did this sound like a good idea? Are you trying to get arrested?"
My tirade was cut short by Edward's groans.
Oh Fuck.
I knelt beside Edward and quietly said, "I'm so sorry about this. Are you okay?"
He let out a pained grunt, "I hope you didn't want to have children, because I think my balls are destroyed."
He hopes I don't want to have children? Was he hit in the head too?
I laughed as I helped Edward to his feet. "You'll be fine. Let me get my car and I'll drive you home."
He waved off my offer and responded, "If you could just drive me to my car that would be great."
"Whatever you want," I answered.
Before I left, I turned to the boys and instructed, "I'm going to get my car and you idiots are going to stay here and make sure Edward's okay. You are not to hit, mock, or hurt him in any way. Understood?"
After they agreed, I tossed Alec's gun at them and said, "I appreciate the sentiment boys, but it's unnecessary. If anyone is going to fuck up my ex-husband, it's going to be me."
I got my car and hurried over to Edward. Alec helped him into the passenger seat because he was doubled over and hobbling. I had to bite back a giggle when Edward grunted.
Emmett caught my amusement and raised an eyebrow at me. Just so he knew there were no hard feelings, I winked at them before I drove away.
"I'm so sorry, Edward. I can't believe those idiots thought that it would be a good idea."
He brushed off my apology and said, "It makes sense. I would do the same thing in their position."
As I pulled into the lot by the boathouse, I asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home?"
"I'm sure. I'll be fine," he answered, "Thank you for stopping the attack and for the ride."
"I'm just sorry I couldn't prevent it," I answered.
"It's fine, Bella."
As I watched Edward hobble to his Volvo, I snorted. There was only one coherent thought in my head.
This is so fucking funny….
-o-o-o-
"Good Afternoon, Bella," Dr. Chelsea said. "We've been talking about your relationship with your mother for a few weeks now. You told me that you've never really talked to anyone about the day she died. Why is that?"
I picked at my cuticles. We had spent my last few sessions talking about my childhood memories of Renee. I told Chelsea about how she was a wonderful and loving mother. While it was difficult to talk about Renee, I enjoyed remembering the time I spent with her. However, I was not looking forward to talking about how my childhood ended with my mother's death.
I drew in a ragged breath and steeled myself, "The only people who needed to know were there. My Dad, the Cullens, and Tanya. They lived it with me."
"Did you ever talk to Edward about your mother's death?"
"No," I sighed, "I just told him that she died when I was in the third grade. I never liked to talk about her death and he never pushed me. We only ever talked about happy memories of her."
"Why is that?"
"Why would I want to relive the day my childhood ended?" I angrily asked.
Chelsea leaned forward. "Will you tell me about it, Bella?"
Tears poured down my face as I remembered that day. I thought about the stone steps outside of my elementary school. I remembered bounding down those steps, excited to see Mom. I had a spelling test that day and she promised we would get an ice cream cone on the way home if I did well.
"It was the second week of third grade. My Mom always met me outside the school and we would walk home together. That day was the only time she was ever late. I sat on the steps and waited for her as all the other kids left with their parents. After a half-hour, my teacher asked me to wait inside with her."
I was transported to a wooden bench in a deserted school hallway. I could see the paint chipping off the far wall as I waited for my Mom to pick me up. I could hear my teacher's annoyed voice as she left messages for my parents, wondering if anyone would be coming to get me.
"Phone calls were made and no one showed up. My teacher was angry that she had to stay late with me because she had plans. She kept muttering under her breath about irresponsible parents who forget their children."
I was forgotten and alone.
"After two hours, the school called my secondary emergency contact. Tanya's mother quickly came to get me. I was crying as she took me home with her. Mrs. Denali tried to reach my parents, but no one called her back. I spent the night in Tanya's bed with her. She held me as I sobbed about my parents forgetting me."
Chelsea was writing notes as she asked, "Did you find out about your mother that night? Had your father or anyone talked to you about her death?"
I shook my head. "No. The next morning, Tanya went to school and Mrs. Denali dropped me off at my house. She told me that my Dad was waiting for me."
I remember opening the front door and running into the kitchen. Charlie was slouched over the table and his hands were in his hair. He lifted his head and stared at me with red, blank eyes.
"My Dad told me to sit at the kitchen table. He stared at me for a long time and then told me that my mother was dead. There was no emotion in his voice. He offered no explanation or comfort. He just told me that she was dead."
I took a deep breath and continued, "Charlie's eyes were cold when he glared at me. He was crying. 'She was coming to get you from school. She was waiting at a crosswalk when a drunk driver veered off the road and hit her. She's dead because she was coming to pick you up.'"
"Charlie blamed you for your mother's death?" Chelsea asked.
All I could think about was the way my father stared at me. His eyes were filled with hate and grief. I had sobbed as he told me that Renee would never be coming home. My shoulders shook as he told me that the funeral would be that Saturday. My voice cracked as I called out to him as he stood from the table. My heart broke when he ignored me and walked out of the room.
"He never outright blamed me, but he acted like it was my fault. He couldn't even look at me. I stayed with the Denalis until Esme showed up for my mother's funeral."
Chelsea asked, "When was the next time your father talked to you?"
"I don't know. All I can remember is standing in front of my mother's closed coffin and hearing someone ask him how I was doing. He told them he didn't know. He had forgotten about me."
"How do you feel about that, Bella?"
"How the hell do you think I feel?" I spat through the tears. "My mother died and my father blamed me for it. I lost both my parents that day."
At the age of eight, I realized that I was truly alone….
-o-o-o-
The next morning I was in a funk. Talking about my mother's death pushed me into a dark place. Not to mention, Edward hadn't shown up.
After the shooting incident, Edward and I made polite small-talk on our runs. While I didn't really know what was going on in Edward's life, I knew that he was enjoying Denver and the Children's Hospital. He would tell me stories about the kids he treated each day. I also knew that he planned on buying a condo soon.
I wish Edward were here today…
Oh God. What the hell was wrong with me?!?
My random thoughts were driving me crazy. Sure it would be nice to have someone distract me, but there was no way in hell that talking to Edward could make this day better. In all reality, it was probably a good thing that he didn't show this morning. I had no patience for pretend banter and fuckery.
After a few deep breaths, I began stretching. I reminded myself that it was okay that I was upset about Renee's death. It was okay that I was conflicted about how Charlie handled the whole incident.
Afterward, as I approached my car, I noticed that Edward's Volvo was parked next to it. He was leaning against the side of the car and glaring at me.
What the hell?
I waved as I walked toward my car. Edward's silence was making me nervous.
As I opened the door, he seethed, "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
"Find out what?" I sighed.
I'm so not in the mood for this…
"Oh, I don't know," he mocked, "Why don't you tell me, Bella? Or should I call you 'Marie'?"
A/N: As always, I appreciate everyone's constructive criticism. This week's bribe is THE EPOV. Yes, he does discover the book ;) All past bribes are located in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."
A big thank you to the lovely Silver Sniper of Night for interviewing me for the blog, "So You Think You Can Write" www(dot)sytycw(dot)com/?p=2306. If you are not reading her story, "Eye Contact," you should be.
Also, thanks to the following people for recommending this story:
-Klynne86
-Rpgirl27
-Pears13