Apparently
Apparently, it wasn't just Seth she knew well around here. A willing helper took the dish from her, and then she kissed my entire crew. Every goddamn single one of them got a hug, too, except me.
"Howdy neighbor," I drawled when she reached me, last.
"Oh, hey, Edward," she said.
Hey yourself, Sweetness. Never mind the lasagne, you look delicious. How about you give me up some of that sauce? Like I'd ever say such a thing.
Meanwhile plates were produced from thin air along with utensils, and Bella knelt on the floor to serve. Yes, she did. She was on her knees, on the floor. No-one commented, which was to their credit, really. Maybe they had too much respect for Seth. I didn't - but I had too much respect for Bella. Too much respect to say, nice to see you on your knees and serving me. Head brain, you did NOT just go there. Dick brain, I'm not even talking to you.
Everyone took their food outside to escape the paint fumes. There wasn't any actual need to sit under a tree for shade since this place had no sunshine, but all the same I found myself camped at the base of some kind of tall pine, cross-legged in a cosy little triangle with dear Seth, and beautiful Bella.
"So," I said to her.
"So," she said back.
The lasagne disappeared at an ungodly rate, as I seemed to have worked up an appetite. Seth ate with the verve of a champion, and Bella managed to put away a respectable amount.
"Haven't seen you much lately. How've you been?" I asked her.
"Yeah, good. Occupied," she answered, avoiding my gaze.
"Oh, yeah, you sure have been," Seth laughed, leaning over and placing his hand on her knee.
I glowered hard, but I guess they both missed it.
"Things all looking good for next Saturday, from your end?" I said.
"Um, I hope so," Bella answered.
"Well, good. Glad to hear it. You promised me bridesmaids, by the way. Can I meet them ahead of time? Just so I know whether I might be interested in any of them?"
Seth raised an eyebrow at me. Bella gave me a full scowl. "No, Edward - Jesus. What are you - a fucking predator?"
How awkward. How interesting. How deflating, really. Bella didn't want me interested in any local girls because she didn't want me looking like the sleazy guy she'd been responsible for introducing to Seth, and thereby bringing into the community.
Or...
She just didn't want me meeting any local girls, because she was crazy in love with me. Dreams are free.
Once we'd finished our food Seth reached for my empty plate and for Bella's. He took them off somewhere, leaving her and me on our own in that great big, under-tree quiet.
"Ineedtospeaktoyou," I said, words tumbling over themselves.
"Excuse me?" she answered.
"Bella, I know you've got a whole heap on your mind right now - but if you have a quiet moment - could we talk?"
"Um, well, Edward, sure. We need to, yeah. Definitely. Things to be said. Absolutely," she began, just as we were rejoined by Seth.
"Time to get the troops back into line," he grinned, oblivious to what I thought was visible tension. Maybe he just couldn't see it. Maybe he wanted to ignore it.
We went back to the Hall, entering via a broad ramp to the main doors which had presumably been constructed in mindfulness of the Chief's requirements, and we got back to the job at hand. I was the project manager, Seth was the crew manager, and under our leadership the room looked fucking awesome. All in a day's work.
On completion of the painting we gathered outside with various members of the community, and accepted their thanks and congratulations. Bella was part of it all, admiring everything, helping with the pack up, a steady presence amidst the comings and goings. Call me an optimist. Call me a dickhead. Bella seemed to be hanging around, and not particularly doing anything. On the positive side, this meant she wasn't in any hurry to get away from me. Viewing things negatively, she wasn't showing much in the way of hospitality to the newcomer, the outsider who was unaccustomed to the group and the surroundings, who needed his hand held in these unfamiliar circumstances.
So maybe I got a little grumpy. It wasn't that I felt insecure - far from it really, because I'd bonded with these guys over sweat and hard labor and goal-orientation and achievement. I just really, really missed my girl-buddy, who I felt like I hadn't seen for ages, and I wanted her near me.
"Hey, Bella, so you think Charlie and Sue are going to like what we've done?" I asked her.
"Yeah, they'll love it," she said.
"Of course, there's more to go yet. Did you see my plan for the furniture? I sourced some great retro stuff from this little outlet back in town. I'm getting a day off work and Seth and I are borrowing a truck and going to pick it up."
"Yeah. Awesome."
"And Seth's come up with table settings that tie in with the colors on the walls. He's found really beautiful centrepieces - they're just perfect."
"Uh-huh."
Okay, perhaps it wasn't the most riveting conversation out if you're not into design and colors, and I don't see why anyone isn't, but Bella was looking kind of vague.
"Ms Swan, excuse me, is anyone home in there?" I asked, a little irritated at her lack of response.
"Oh, sorry Edward, I was just thinking about something else."
"Something else? When I've broken my back helping out here? Slaving under a hot desk lamp to come up with concepts, spending hour and hours on the internet and phone trying to find exactly what you need to help the big day be a success? Climbing up ladders and lying on fucking scaffolds like Michelangelo, creating a masterpiece in a world record length of time for no pay, and seemingly very little gratitude or credit - and when I ask you what you think about it all, you can barely concentrate long enough to answer because your mind's elsewhere?"
Oh, her mind wasn't elsewhere after that. She was staring at me. So was Seth, I could feel it. So was everyone within a radius of half a mile.
"Oh, sorry, Edward. Sorry you're not the centre of the fucking world right now this minute. I'm grateful for your help. I'm thankful for your help. I appreciate your help," Bella said, slowly. "Your input will make what would have been a shitty day radiant."
Ah-hah. She's listening now, all right. This was the Bella I knew, though her ire had never been directed at me before. She and I faced one another, unblinking, and any second she was going to start shooting sparks.
"Well, thanks for that acknowledgement," I offered.
"Allow me to sing your praises. Nobody else has worked as hard as you," she continued.
"Uh, Eddie, this could get dangerous. You might want to stand back a little," Seth's voice came to me.
"Oh, give the boys their due. They were all up there wielding the paintbrushes," I replied to Bella, discounting Seth's warning. "I wasn't the only one. For all those hours."
"Hours, Edward?"
Bella took a step forward, and she had eyes for no-one but me now. I couldn't stop myself.
"Yes, hours. While you were - baking lasagne? Lovely lunch, we all enjoyed it. Has that been your contribution to the wedding effort? Getting Seth and me to put the Hall together with the boys helping while you whipped up a little béchamel?"
"Look out - she's gonna blow," Seth whispered behind me, and indeed, Bella looked like a little volcano.
"How dare you!" she spluttered at me. "How dare you? You've got no idea! You think I've done nothing? I booked the celebrant, I booked the flowers, I organized the cake! I planned the guest list and sent out the invitations and worked out the seating arrangements! I chose the music and booked the band!"
Bella livid was magnificent.
"I helped write the vows! I presided at the rehearsal! I found Charlie a tailor and forced him there to get measured up for a suit! I picked the fabric! I bought his new shirt and tie and shoes!"
She was still magnificent, but I was feeling a little bad for insinuating that she hadn't done very much. Clearly, Bella was running the entire show.
"I did the menu planning! I've ordered the fish and the meat and all the produce! I've organized drivers to pick everything up in the morning. I've roped in kitchen hands and people to serve and people to clean up afterwards."
She was slowing down, her diatribe losing steam. Sweetness was exhausted - so exhausted that even defending herself against against the sort of passive and frankly pathetic attack I'd launched was too much for her.
"I chose a photographer, and someone to video the whole day... I've hired a marquee for outside... I arranged a clown and a fairy to entertain the little kids..."
And the award for the stupidest, most thoughtless and insensitive bastard in the world goes to... Edward Cullen, prick extraordinaire.
"I booked the honeymoon. I paid for a third of it. And I - I built the transport," she said unsteadily. "I built the present for both of them."
Bella was now in tears. I went straight to her, aware that she might kick me into next week, but Seth got there first, draping an arm around her. I was wondering what her last claim had meant, when I registered what he was saying.
"Bells, you're doing great. You're working so hard. The day is going to be a big success, and I'm really proud of you, little Sis."
"Why is he calling you little Sis?" I asked.
Bella wiped under her eyes carefully. "Because he thinks it's so funny."
"Why's it funny?"
Seth smirked at me. "We've always been like brother and sister, and now her Dad and my Mom are making it official. We're siblings. Imagine - I could call myself Seth Swan."
Bella managed to roll her eyes and elbow him in the ribs while I gaped at them both.
"But I thought you two - you mean you're not - ?"
"Not what?" she frowned.
"What did you think?" Seth asked.
"Well - " I began, "It looked like, you know - "
"Well - ?" Bella repeated, then obviously realized what I couldn't quite express.
"Eewww!" she shrieked. "You thought what? About me and Seth?"
Seth looked affronted. Bella looked like she might throw up.
"Why the fuck would you think something like that?" she carried on.
"Really. Dude," Seth stated, taken aback.
"Well - Bella, you were gone for so long with no explanation, then you turned up with him in the bar buying wine together, and he stayed at your apartment, and you don't have a second bedroom..." I muttered. "And you said when you were away you were staying with him..."
"Just stop. Stop. Nobody gets it on with their siblings - it's weird and horrible and unlawful and just wrong," she insisted.
"Jeez - I slept on the floor at her place. She slept in my spare room. What she said - what you said is weird and horrible and unlawful and wrong," Seth added. "Dude."
They both appeared so appalled there was no doubting their denial.
"Uh. Okay then. Good to know," I sighed.
Bella wandered off somewhere but Seth remained, giving me a speculative gaze.
"Why's that good to know, if you didn't think we were siblings?" he said.
"Oh, just - never mind."
"Oh, but I do mind. Have you got eyes on my sister?"
Well, I might have liked him for five seconds at a time when I was trying to ignore the possibility that he was Bella's lover. Now what the fuck was I going to do if he was going to go all macho and protective in the brother role?
"Seth, I'm just helping out here with the wedding out of the goodness of my heart, remember?" I lied.
Truth was, I was fucking glad someone so fit and bronzed and fucking handsome wasn't a rival for Bella's affections. I just didn't need it.
By then, the late afternoon sun was casting long shadows as me and the crew were in the Hall rolling up the cloths we'd had on the floor, and packing up for the day.
"Hey, Bell-Bell - where's that lazy mutt, Jake? Did he ride up with you?" someone said.
I was excruciatingly aware of Bella's presence, and burning to speak to her, but it had to wait until we could be alone. Her voice was close to me as she answered.
"Yeah - he's around. He jumped straight out of my truck when he saw the Littlesea kids playing football by the river. He's probably still there. You know he's tireless when it comes to kids."
Just then, into the rectangle of gold glowing through the Hall doors, as I handed over the last paint roller and tray, while standing poised on the brink of my destiny - which was with or without Bella Swan as I saw it - a silhouette appeared framed in the doorway. A man - big - even bigger than Seth. A man clad in what appeared to be traditional costume around here - a cloak of muscles and very tight jeans cut off around the knee. He stepped into the hall in slow motion, the overhead lights illuminated his face, and he made Seth look like Quasimodo. Chiselled, high-cheekboned, almond-eyed, full-lipped, and with the body of a gladiator. Jesus.
"Jake," Bella breathed, throwing herself at him.
This was Jake?
He wasn't exactly a spaniel.
.
.
.