A/N: Thanks for the constant support….I can't name you all…but you know who you are! I'm behind on responding to reviews, but I figured you would rather me get the next chapter up! Please know that I read EVERY ONE of them, usually multiple times (smile).
Chapter 24 – Family and Football
I grabbed Charlie by the arm as we entered the dining room for Thanksgiving. I was sure that my nails were leaving an indention into his skin. Social gatherings were not my forte. Peeking over my shoulder, I offered a pleading look to Edward. He was lingering behind with Tyler, who continued to chat with him in a clueless manner.
Please don't antagonize the stud.
Edward caught my glance and inclined a smile in Tyler's direction. However, the grin didn't reach his eyes. Those piercing blues remained solely on me.
Everyone gathered around the large dining table which caused further conversation to stall. The table was laden with fresh cranberries and fall flowers scattered along a center runner. Two large vine-like candelabras, made of wrought iron, balanced a large cornucopia in the center of the décor. Esme had included seating cards in front of each formal place setting of fine china and led crystal. Carlisle was seated at the head of the table, with Esme, Charlie, me and Edward to his right. Jasper, Alice, Eric and Tyler were seated respectively on Carlisle's left. Having Edward and Tyler sit face to face after the introduction debacle would not have been my first choice. Rosalie and Emmett flanked the end of the table with one remaining chair empty.
"I do regret that Dad didn't feel up to joining us," Eric broke the silence. "But he has never been much for formal gatherings."
"I understand," assured Esme. "And I insist we have the kitchen prepare a dinner to take back."
"That would be great," Tyler spoke up in appreciation. "I'd like to spend the rest of the day with him, and I know he'd love the home cooked meal."
Tyler's comments made Edward squirm. I placed my hand on his knee under the table, squeezing it. Blue Eyes rested his hand on top of mine in return. The firm grasp should have been a calming gesture, but I didn't feel reassured. One thing I knew about Edward was that he matched me in tenacity. I knew his mind was brewing over the 'music class' comment, and it was only a matter of time.
"So how long are you here for, Tyler?" Edward asked politely.
So it begins.
"Just for the next few days. My rotation starts again Monday," Tyler answered eagerly, obviously happy for the Thanksgiving break.
"And you only have one semester left?"
Volley.
"Just one." Tyler sipped on the wine that was now pouring freely.
Edward continued, "And you mentioned that you still haven't decided on a specialty yet?"
Set.
"No, I'm going to apply for a transitional year for my internship. I think I've narrowed it down to Psychiatry, Neurology, or Internal Medicine."
"I see." Edward went in for the kill. "I don't know that I would consider three choices 'narrowed down'. Always been so indecisive?"
Spike.
Tyler ignored the jab and laughed good-heartedly. "Yeah, I guess I have. I'm kind of a free spirit." His mannerisms reminded me so much of Jake I had to smile. "But I was hoping I could shadow Dr. Swan tomorrow. She seems like someone who could point me in the right direction."
Foul!
This stud is feisty, huh?
Edward remained unflustered, swirling the wine in his glass as he registered Tyler's words. "Yeah? Well, Bella is definitely goal-directed. She'd be a good person for a young student like you to learn from, if you're still interested by in the morning. You never know, the wind may change and blow you're free spirit right back to Seattle."
Is it halftime yet?
I felt inclined to interject. "I'd be happy for you to tag along on rounds, Tyler. Deciding on a specialty is not something to take lightly," I spoke. Edward's mouth was set in a hard line and I knew he wasn't pleased by my response.
"Thanks, Dr. Swan. I would really appreciate it." Tyler's grin was infectious.
"No problem." I smiled politely and turned to engage Dad in a conversation about his last fishing expedition. Thankfully Emmett and Rose occupied Tyler's attention throughout the rest of the meal. Edward, on the other hand, remained painfully silent for the most part. My mind began to fall into paranoia by the time the sweet potato pie was served.
Is he mad?
Is he jealous?
No, surely not.
Whatever, 'Clueless'.
His hand continued to stroke mine under the table occasionally, which was the only reason I could bare the discomfort. Everyone's appetite was satiated from the wonderful meal. We pushed back from the table and began discussions of long walks versus long naps.
"What? No naps or walks are allowed. We have to play football! It's tradition!" Emmett proclaimed boisterously. "Plus, Bella, you promised to be on my team."
Why me, Lord?
"Emmett, I'm really not sure you want me on the team," I pleaded.
"Oh yeah I do. In fact, you're my secret weapon. Team Edward is going down. Team Emmett for the win!" Emmett grinned.
"All talk and no action as usual," Edward piped up. "Emmett knows I've owned him over the years. He wants you to distract me."
He lives!
"I see." I giggled, happy that Blue Eyes seemed to be back. "Well I don't want to do that."
"You won't, beautiful. You will make me focus more." Edward winked in my direction.
"I'm on Blue Eyes' team!" Alice chided. "I'm an awesome wide receiver 'cause I'm so fast."
Jasper beamed while kissing Alice on the cheek. "I'll do my best to chase you down."
"Wait," Rose spoke, "Who's Blue Eyes?"
I'm gonna kill Alice.
"That would be me," Edward answered proudly.
"Aw, baby, you know I have brown eyes right?" Emmett pouted as he leaned over to gaze in Rose's face.
"Of course I do. I just didn't know we were using our pet names, Thor." Rosalie winked at Emmett.
"Thor?" Edward chuckled uncontrollably. "As in the god of Thunder?"
"Whatever, Blue Eyes," Emmett mocked, "At lease Thor has a big hammer."
"Doesn't he live off of golden apples?" Jasper joined in the taunting and raised his eyebrows at Rose.
We all laughed out loud, enjoying the playfulness of the group's banter.
Tyler sat, laughing at the display, but saying nothing. He truly did seem like a nice kid.
"Do you play football?" Emmett asked Tyler.
"Me? Yeah. I was a quarterback in high school," Tyler admitted.
"Of course you were," Edward mumbled under his breath as I nudged him in the ribs.
"Well you can be on my team too!" 'Thor' was excited over another new recruit.
"Sounds great. I'd love to work off all that turkey we just ate," Tyler announced.
"Let's quit talking and play already!" Alice jumped to her feet and posed in the Heisman formation.
"You're such a dork," I teased her lovingly.
Charlie, Eric, Carlisle and Esme were talking animatedly in the adjoining room, but noticed the entourage as we made our way out onto the back patio.
"Where are you guys headed?" Carlisle asked knowingly.
"Flag Football!" Emmett roared while everyone shouted in agreement. Several of the chefs joined us on the back lawn, giving us enough players for six member teams. Emmett's team, the 'Thunder Bolts', included Emmett, Tyler, Rose, Me, Jasper and the head chef. Edward's team, the 'Blue Devils', included Edward, Alice, Carlisle, Eric and two sous chefs.
Charlie walked up to me as I stood watching the groups separate. "You sure you want to play, Bella? In all the hours we've watched football together, I don't recall you expressing the interest." He smirked.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes in response. "You know I don't want to play, Dad. I agreed to this under duress."
He laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "You can handle it. I'll just be over here, watching intently."
"Gee, thanks."
Edward looked across the lawn and smiled, waving flirtatiously. I gave him another eye roll in return.
"So, Bella," Emmett interrupted my thoughts, "we're going to have you play center."
"That's in the center right?" I asked sarcastically.
Tyler chuckled in response, and the others joined in.
"Yeah, Bells, in the middle. All you have to do is follow the count and snap the ball to Tyler or to me. We're going to take turns at quarterback." Emmett gave Tyler a high-five while Rose did a few squats to stretch.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm warming up. I want my ass to look good when I'm bending over." Rose never ceased to make me smile. She was forthright and comfortable with her sexuality.
""Let's just get this over with," I pleaded.
Esme and dad were the supposed officials. "Game on!" Esme cheered.
We huddled up to discuss game plan since we were on offense first. Tyler was going to start at quarterback and whispered to me to snap on his 'three count'. Watching football with Charlie all my life at least gave me some advantage to the game. I was a definite klutz but I knew the rules. Coming up to the line of scrimmage I came face to face with heaven, I mean Edward. As I bent over to grab the football he smiled seductively, his face just a few feet away from me. However, the look in Edwards' eyes froze when Tyler hunched over behind me. The new studs' hands were suddenly suspended between my legs.
This is just awkward.
"Hut, hut, hut!" Tyler barked out.
I hiked the ball into his hands on cue. Suddenly a flash flew by me before I could even stand upright. Turning to look, I saw Tyler lying on the ground with Edward standing over him. The football was still in his grasps, but dirt was all over Tyler's clothes.
"Sack!" Alice squealed.
"I thought this was flag football?" Tyler laughed. "Or is that only for the women?"
"You can't handle it?" Edward taunted.
"I can handle it." Tyler answered with a new found competitiveness.
The remaining three downs went in succession, and we didn't score. I watched as Edward grabbed Emmett on the shoulder during a time out. Emmett's body posture told me that whatever Edward had said wasn't pleasant. My guess was that it involved me. Nevertheless, the game moved on.
For the rest of the plays on offense, Emmett was our quarterback. For some unknown reason he felt that Tyler should play wide receiver. No one argued, of course. Most of group took pity on me, allowing me to stand without much participation other than snaps or blocks. The final score was 21-14, to the Blue Devils.
I'm not sure if Emmett's pouting over our loss was genuine, or because Rose was massaging his shoulders in comfort. "I can't believe he won again, " Emmett complained.
"It's gonna be alright, big guy. You're a winner in my book." Rose kissed him lovingly. The response caused Emmett to grin; her ability to improve his mood was astounding.
"Good game." Tyler patted me on the shoulder.
"Well I survived, so I suppose it was good. You too, Tyler." I smiled.
"Can I meet you tomorrow morning, then? I'm going to go spend some time with dad this afternoon." He smiled boyishly and waited for my response.
"You bet. I'll see you then."
"Thanks, Dr. Swan!"
After Tyler left, Edward's behavior returned to normal.
Glad that pissing contest is over.
We stayed and chatted with Esme and Carlisle a little longer, finally saying our goodbyes to the Cullens after a long afternoon. I kissed Edward on the cheek, promising to talk with him later. Charlie and I left in the cruiser and drove back to the cottages together.
"It was great to see you relaxed and having fun today, Bella."
"Yeah, it was nice." The realization finally hit me that dad had also seemed at ease today. This was a tremendous improvement from the constant worry and cop mode he had been portraying since James.
"I'm sorry, again, Dad. I should have told you about the other calls."
"I know. And it could have been a big deal, Bella. It was selfish."
"I know." The truth of the matter was I did understand, and I agreed that it was definitely one of my more idiotic decisions. Edward's reaction alone had made me see that I should have taken it more seriously.
"Please promise me you'll tell me from now on," Charlie spoke.
"I promise."
"You were right, you know, about it being untraceable again. I suppose whoever it is, they're using another disposable phone." Charlie grimaced, not enjoying the thoughts in his mind.
"Well, let's not think about it today, ok?" I pleaded. The day had been wonderful, and I didn't want to fight once again over keeping the prank calls a secret.
"Agreed." Charlie nodded.
We watched football on TV for a few hours, much more enjoyable than playing it, in my opinion. Charlie finally decided to head home, and I hugged him tightly before he drove away. Walking back into the cottage, Rio tackled me.
"I'm sorry, boy. I know you've been cooped up all day." I grabbed his leash and walked him outside. We explored around the lake front for an hour, letting Rio chase the bugs and his own shadow. By the time we returned, Edward was home. The lights in his front window shone through the blinds as a welcome. My mind told me to knock on his door, but I realized I was in dire need of a shower.
Sweaty shrink is so last season.
Once I hopped from the shower, I checked my phone. There were no calls.
Hmm.
I itched to ring him immediately, but didn't want to reveal how desperate I was to be with him every waking moment. The fact of that revelation scared even me. If this didn't work out, could I return to my life of solitude? Instead of spazzing, I opted to check my email. My instincts of course led me straight to the Retreat intranet.
E Cullen is online.
Yes!
[B: Hey!]
[E: You're home?]
[B: Yeah, I went for a walk. Miss me?]
Silence.
Why isn't he responding?
My mind raced as I stared at the blank screen. Was he still bothered by Tyler today?
Rio jumped up and began barking loudly as knocks sounded on the back French doors. I nearly tripped over my own bare feet in a rush to answer. I swung open the door with a goofy grin. One would think I hadn't just seen him hours before.
"Edward!"
"Hey, Beautiful."
We kissed in the doorway, my body melting into his. In some amazing way, we fit together perfectly.
"I started to worry when you didn't respond," I admitted.
"Why would I stay online with you when I could have you in person?" Edward nuzzled my neck again, causing me to lose all train of thought.
"You said you preferred indirect, remember?" I teased.
"Ah, I did. But that was before I had you directly," he countered. "And direct seems to be much more satisfying…" His tongue trailed along my neck, and he breathed slowly into my ear.
"Good point," I conceded and turned my head to kiss his mouth fully.
After I caught my breath, I finally verbalized my insecurity. "Edward, are you ok, baby? You were very quiet today."
Shut up. More kissing.
I'm obsessive.
"You mean apart from nearly pummeling your new boy toy?" Edward whispered while kissing my nose.
"What?" I asked, realizing he was irritated about Tyler. I stood back to look in his eyes directly.
"You just had to encourage him, huh?" Edward frowned.
"Edward, he's just a young student."
"Yeah, with the 'hots' for you, Dr. Swan."
"Um, ok. I can't believe you're jealous."
"Why? You don't think younger guys would want you?"
"I've never thought about it, honestly. But men in general usually do not want me. Not the ones I want in return, that is, until you."
"Well you're crazy. I can assure you that they do. You're sexy, and smart, and funny as hell, Bella. So please don't flirt with other men, even if they're younger."
"I wasn't flirting."
"You kept smiling at all his lame jokes!"
"I did?" I wondered.
"Yes, you did."
"I'm sorry. I guess he just reminded me of Jake so much. It was hard not to smile."
"I see." Edward sat down on my couch and stared pensively. "So are you going to tell me about him? Jake?"
"Do you want to know?" I worried over his response.
"Of course." He patted the seat cushion beside him.
Joining him on the couch, I managed to relay my entire childhood with Jake without tears. The stories of our adventures and secrets, the pain of leaving him after my parents' divorce, and the comfort he gave me even miles apart. I explained that Jake was never a romantic interest, but was the only true friend I had ever had. The memories flooded back as I talked. Edward listened attentively, laughing at my stories and caressing my shoulders while I told him about the funeral. When I recalled the emptiness I had felt after losing him, I finally cried.
"I'm so sorry, Bella. I wish I could have known him."
"Yeah, me too. I was truly empty when I came to the Retreat, Edward. I had just lost the closest friend I had ever known. To top that off, my one romantic relationship, which was a farce, had also crashed and burned back in Arizona. My entire life has been pushing myself over every hurdle. But when Jake died I realized that running the race alone is pointless. I wanted something more. That's why I came back here, to try and find myself. To find what makes me happy."
"And have you?" Edward looked torn.
"Yes. I found you."
"You don't know what that does to me, when you say that," he admitted.
"I hope it makes you happy," I offered.
"It makes me alive." Edward placed his hands on my face, kissing over each eyelid, then my nose, then my lips. "I was lost too, you know."
"Thank you for listening. It's the first time I've really talked about Jake to anyone since his death. I can't believe I didn't fall totally apart."
"I always want to know what you're thinking," Edward assured. "And just so you know what I'm thinking…"
"Yeah?" I asked in curiosity.
"If Tyler had placed his hands up under your ass one more time today, he would have drawn back a nub."
The words registered slowly, leaving me shocked and turned on. We laughed together, kissing each other intensely once again.
Jealous Blue Eyes is hella sexy.
"So you told Emmett to quarterback huh?" I finally questioned.
Edward only smirked in return, dragging me to my feet. "C'mon, Beautiful. Let me review for you how to properly line up for the snap."
"Oh, you think you deserve that, do you?" I teased.
"To the Victor goes the spoils, baby."
We walked to the bedroom, undressing each other as we went. Our clothes littered a path to the bed, displaying our urgent need for less layers and more flesh. But when my phone rang abruptly, I wanted to scream.
Not again!
"I'll handle it," Edward said, laughing at the look of utter frustration on my face. He grabbed the phone and suddenly looked surprised. Slowly he glanced down at his watch, before checking the phone again.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"It's your dad." He shrugged. Edward handed me the phone and sat beside me on the bed to answer.
"Dad? Everything ok?"
"Hey, Bells. Yeah, great news actually."
"Yeah?"
"We've found James."
A/N: As always, reviews will earn you awards, like being center on Edward's team.