A/N Sorry about the long wait. It's been a busy week. This chapter is the longest one yet with over 4,000 words, so I hope that makes up for taking so long! I wanted to thank everyone for helping me reach more than 200 reviews! It means so much to me that everyone is enjoying the story! Anyway, I don't want to ramble too much so I'll get to the point. I'm going to try to update again on Friday so you won't have too long to wait. Enjoy the chapter and please let me know what you think! Thanks!
Chapter 60 – Waiting
When Bella took her shirt off, revealing a horrendous bruise starting at her left shoulder and going between her breasts and across her ribcage, Edward's vision became clouded in red.
He wanted nothing more than to pull Bella into his arms and never let go of her again. In a sense, he felt like he had failed her because James had gotten his hands on her and caused her the damage he was seeing now.
He was unaware of anything else around him until Carlisle's voice pulled him from his mind. "Excuse me for a moment," his father said before heading toward the door of the trauma room. Only then did Edward realize that Charlie had come back into the room. Edward began to wonder if he had any information on James and exactly what he needed to talk to Carlisle about, but Bella took priority; he needed to make sure she was okay before he could worry about anything else.
The door closed after their dads left and Edward turned back to his beautiful fiancé. "Oh, my beautiful Bella, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I promised you I'd never let you get hurt and now look at you." Ever so softly, he reached up and traced the path of the bruise with his hand. He should have protected her better. It was his fault this had happened to her and he couldn't hide the regret he felt.
Bella wouldn't let him blame himself though. She knew exactly what he was thinking and it pissed her off. She called his name several times, but only when she used his full name, did he look her in the eye. He didn't want to see what he feared the most; he didn't want to face her rejection because he didn't protect her.
When he did meet her eyes, he saw understanding amongst the anger churning within the chocolate brown depths. She told him that what had happened wasn't his fault and that James would have gotten to her whether he was there or not.
She didn't blame him for anything and his love for her grow that much stronger. When she grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart, he could feel the beating beneath his touch. When she told him that her heart beat for him and it was all he was expected to keep safe, he fell even harder for her.
He lost track of the time and place as he stared at his hand on her chest. He wasn't sure how long he sat there staring, but knew immediately when she brought her hand under his chin that she wanted his attention. "Edward, you are the love of my life, my constant, my always. Nothing will change that. Thank you for wanting to protect me, but you need to stop beating yourself up because you think you failed."
After sitting up and placing a small kiss on his lips, she continued. "The truth is that you did save me Edward. It was you that I was thinking about the whole time, you who I knew I needed to be strong for. You're the reason I wrecked the car. Sure, my dad may have given me the idea, but I did it for you." This time when she brought her lips up to his, it was more forceful; there was more need and desire behind it. "I love you, Edward Cullen," she told him quietly after pulling away.
He was overwhelmed with emotions from what she said, but he answered her in the only way he knew how and with a smile on his face. "I love you, too, my beautiful Bella; my forever." His resolve to marry her tomorrow was stronger than it had ever been; he only hoped that now that the threat of James was over, she would still want to marry him.
Carlisle walked in then and caught his eye. In that moment, he knew that Charlie had shared some information with his father and he was bound and determined to find out what that information was. When Carlisle turned to Bella, he was all business though, which Edward appreciated; he didn't want to scare or worry her any more than she already was. "Alright, I'm sorry about that Bella. Your father asked me to tell you he was going back to get his cruiser. He shouldn't be gone too long. Are you ready for me to take a look at you? I'm worried about internal bleeding and really don't want to put this exam off much longer."
Knowing she would appreciate his support, he grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it; in that one simple touch, he wanted to assure her that he was right by her side, and encourage her to continue. "I'm ready," she told his father with a smile toward him.
Edward watched Carlisle as he poked and pushed gently all over Bella's chest and stomach. He knew that he wasn't trying to hurt her on purpose, but every time Bella winced because of the pain, Edward would tighten his grip on her hand. It was partly to let her know that he was still right there with her and partly to convince himself that she was okay.
When the exam was done, Edward helped Bella slip back into her shirt and they both turned to Carlisle for his report. Edward felt his rage build up again at the news that Bella had broken several ribs but felt much better that Carlisle was confident that there was no internal bleeding. He just wanted to get an x-ray done to make sure there were no splinters from her broken ribs floating around.
He chuckled to himself when Bella asked if she could go home afterwards if everything with the x-ray went well; leave it to her to downplay everything that happened. Truth be told, though, he wanted to go home himself and continue with their plans for the day. There was nothing he wanted more than to be waiting at the altar tomorrow at sunset as Bella walked toward him to become his wife.
Carlisle smiled and explained that Edward would need to have an MRI of his head as well, then went on to say that as long as both tests came back normal they could go home. At the news, Bella lit up like a kid on Christmas morning so he amended his statement. The one condition was that she had to promise to come back if her pain changed or got worse, even the littlest bit.
He smiled at both of them. "I would tell you to take it easy today, but somehow I know my words would be wasted. After all, you've got some pretty important stuff to take care of today, or so I hear."
Bella's response made him want to leap for joy. "Really? I didn't know if we'd be able to go through with the ceremony tomorrow. I was afraid we were going to have to stay here tonight." Those few sentences told him everything he needed to know; Bella wanted this just as much as he did.
Edward looked a little sheepish when Carlisle told Bella that he didn't think Edward would let him keep her here even if he wanted to. It was true, he wanted his girl at home in his arms.
Bella and his father joked a bit about how long the tests would take but then the mood turned serious. "Bella, you know you can't go with Edward when he as the MRI, right? And he can't come with you either? I'm sorry, I would let you if I could, but the radiation and risks are too much."
Edward tensed a bit as he waited for her reaction. He had been worried about what would happen when they were separated. Bella took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "I know, Carlisle. It's okay." She must have known that Edward wasn't completely convinced because she squeezed his hand and smiled at him. "I'm okay now, I promise."
A very relieved Carlisle explained how everything would work and then asked if either of them had any questions. Edward had questions, but nothing he wanted to ask in front of Bella. He needed to know what Charlie had told Carlisle when he called him out of the room.
Bella looked at him, a question in her eyes, and he just shrugged. He didn't know what else to do. "No, I think I'm good, but thank you," she told his father.
He knew he needed to excuse himself to talk to his father and it was now or never. "Um, Bella? Do you mind if I step outside to talk to my dad for a minute?" His voice came out very unsure, but at least he was able to ask.
He wasn't sure what she saw in his face, but she said, "Of course I don't mind." One of the things he loved the most about her was that she was a terrible liar. He could see the indecision clearly on her face.
"Baby, are you sure? I can wait if you don't want me to leave," he whispered to her. Yes, he wanted to ask Carlisle his questions, but he wouldn't leave Bella if she were uncomfortable.
Edward watched Bella carefully as her face became more resolute. "Don't be ridiculous, Edward. Of course I'm sure. Go talk to your dad and I'll wait for you right here," she told him with a wink. Really, where else would she go?
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he turned toward Carlisle. "Dad?" he motioned with his eyes for Carlisle to follow him as he led the way out of the room.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Edward turned to his father. "Alright, Dad, what did Charlie have to say?"
Carlisle shifted uneasily, but answered Edward with a straight face. "I told you guys, he wanted to let Bella know he was going to pick up his cruiser."
He wasn't going to let his dad off the hook that easily. He knew Charlie had something more to say that he didn't want Bella to overhear. "Oh come on, Dad! You can't honestly expect me to believe that. If that's all he wanted to say, why didn't he just say it while he was in the room with her? Why did he pull you out of the room?"
Carlisle looked at him and shook his head ever so slightly. "You know, son, you're too smart for your own good sometimes," he chuckled. "Alright, he wanted to give me an update on what he knew about James."
"And what was that, exactly?" Edward asked when Carlisle seemed like he was going to leave it at that.
After a heavy sigh, his father gave him the details. "He wanted to let me know that James was on his way in the other ambulance. Bella did a number on him apparently when she wrecked the car. Charlie said he was pretty beat up. He also asked me to keep you away from him. He was afraid you'd go after him and he didn't want to have to arrest you for it, no matter how much he would have liked to go after him himself."
They were both quiet for a minute. Carlisle watched him worriedly while he warred with himself over what to do. Charlie was right; he wanted nothing more than to find the bastard and inflict as much pain on him as possible before killing him. He knew he couldn't though; Charlie would have to arrest him and then he would be taken from Bella when she needed him the most.
He met Carlisle's eyes before finally speaking. "It's okay, Dad. I'm not going to go after James. The last thing I want is to be arrested and taken from Bella. She needs me right now and that's more important than getting vengeance on James for everything he's done."
Carlisle smiled before pulling him into a tight embrace in the middle of the hall. "I'm so proud of you, son. I know it's hard, but you're making the right decision. Bella needs you right now. Now get your butt back in there before she comes looking for you, okay? I don't want her moving around until we get those x-rays done."
Edward had never been so appreciative of his father than in that moment. His dad tried to push him back into the room, but Edward wouldn't let loose of the hold he had. He hugged his father tighter and then let out a choked thank you before releasing him and quickly turning to reenter the trauma room where Bella waited.
…..
Bella was making a list in her mind of what they needed to do when they left the hospital to finish up with the wedding preparations. She knew they were going to Port Angeles later that afternoon with Angela, Emmett, and Alice to pick out dresses and rent Edward and Emmett tuxes. The wedding wasn't going to be very formal by any means, but Bella at least wanted a white dress and Edward insisted on at least getting a simple tux.
She thought about whether or not she wanted flowers and made a mental note to at least check out a local florist. She also knew that she and Edward would need to apply for a marriage license either today or tomorrow. There were so many little things that they had to do and she was beginning to worry that they would run out of time to get everything done.
She was lost in her thoughts when Edward rushed back into the room. She didn't get a very good look at him before he was right next to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her as tightly as he could without causing her pain.
"Baby, what's going on? You're scaring me!" She started to panic because she didn't know what was happening. The way he was holding her was almost frantic, desperate even.
Edward kissed the top of her head before pulling back to look into her eyes. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm sorry if I scared you; I just needed to hold you for a minute." He brought his lips to hers and kissed her reverently before whispering in her ear. "I love you so much, Bella. Words aren't enough to ever express to you what you mean to me."
"Mmmm. Maybe you can show me later," she whispered seductively. "You know what they say, right? Actions speak louder than words." She quickly sucked his earlobe into her mouth, eliciting a growl from deep in his chest that shot straight down between her legs instantly soaking her panties.
When she released his ear, he pulled back and looked into her eyes; his were burning with the same amount of lust as hers. "You're a little temptress, aren't you?" he asked and he tried to subtly adjust his himself. Once he was comfortable, he hungrily pressed his lips to hers, forcing them open so he could slip his tongue into her mouth.
She greedily accepted and kissed him back with everything she had; their tongues danced languidly with each other for a few minutes. The sound of the door swinging open and a throat being cleared had them jumping apart and gasping for air.
A woman in scrubs with grey-blonde hair approached the bed with a clipboard in hand. "Miss Swan?" she started. "I'm Irina and I'll be taking you to get your x-rays. Are you ready?" Bella simply nodded her head but was looking at Edward. "Mr. Cullen, your father explained that you will be escorting Miss Swan to the x-ray room and are to wait outside while I take the pictures. After that, you'll be taken down the hall to have your own test run."
Edward squeezed Bella's hand, knowing she needed him now more than ever. "It's okay, Love. I'll be right outside waiting for you, I promise. Are you ready to go with Irina?"
"I'm ready," she said resolutely. "Let's go."
Irina used her foot to release the brake on the gurney before pushing her towards the door. Edward was at her side the whole way down the hall, holding her hand tightly in reassurance. When Irina stopped outside a room marked X-RAY 2, she knew it was time to let go of Edward's hand. Just before releasing it, she used it to pull him down toward her. "I love you, Edward. Thank you for being here with me."
Edward placed his hand under her chin and tilted her face up so he could look directly in her eyes. "Bella, I will always be here for you for anything and everything. Always. I love you, Beautiful." He kissed her once more before standing straight and motioning for Irina to wheel her into the room.
Once they were in the room, Irina instructed her to remove her bra so the metal in the clasps wouldn't interfere with the pictures. Bella hesitated for a second, not knowing whether to ask for Edward to be allowed in to help her or if she should try to reach it herself. Remembering how much pain she went through when she tried to remove her shirt, she decided just to see if Irina would let Edward in for a second.
"I'm sorry, Irina. I can't reach the clasp myself right now; it's too painful. Can Edward come in for a minute to help me, please?"
"Of course, Miss Swan. I didn't realize your injuries were bothering you that much. I apologize." She quickly opened the door and asked for Edward to join them. Once he was in the room, she explained the predicament to him and he quickly approached Bella. "I'll be right outside. Just open the door when she's ready," Irina told Edward before closing the door behind her.
"Alright, Beautiful, I want to make this as easy as possible for you. Let's take your shirt off again and then we can slide your bra off your arms more easily. Ready?"
She nodded and he gently lifted her shirt over her head, leaving her in nothing but her bra. He then reached behind her and unclasped said bra before guiding the straps down her arms and off her body completely. His eyes took in her naked upper body, but instead of the revulsion or anger she thought she'd see, it was only complete love and adoration.
"You're perfect, Bella, even with this," he said as he trailed his fingers across her naked torso sending shivers down her spine. He lowered his head and kissed a trail along the path his fingers just took before standing up again. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Love." Without another word, he went to the side of the room and rifled through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. Approaching her, he unfolded a hospital gown and helped her slip it over her arms.
"Let's put you in this until you're done with your tests. That way you don't have to life your arms more than necessary." He walked behind her and tied the gown loosely around her neck and then kissed her shoulder before walking toward the door. "I'll see you in five minutes, okay, Babe?"
"I love you," she told him as he opened the door and walked out.
Irina came back into the room and smiled kindly at her. "Alright, Sweetheart, do you think you can stand or should I take the pictures with you lying down?"
Bella chuckled at how much everyone was babying her. "I can stand," she replied. "Just tell me where you want me and what I need to do."
Irina had her stand with her toes touching a line painted on the floor and grab onto a bar above her head. She winced at the movement, but the pain went away as quickly as it had come on. Irina told her that she would be standing right behind the wall in the room and would give her further instructions then.
She waited for Bella to nod and then quickly disappeared behind the wall. "Okay, take a deep breath and hold it in, staying as still as you can."
Bella breathed in as deeply as she could through the pain and stood there waiting. After about ten seconds and several clicks of the machine in front of her, Irina reappeared. "Alright, we need to take one more on each side and then you'll be done."
She repositioned Bella so that her left side was facing the camera. "Okay, same thing here. When I tell you to take a deep breath, hold it in and stay as still as you can." Irina disappeared again and gave Bella the order. When the shot was taken, she came back out and positioned Bella for the final shot before disappearing again. Bella inhaled and held her breath for the last time as the final shot was taken.
When Irina appeared from behind the wall the last time, she went straight to the door, opened it, and motioned for Edward to rejoin them. When the door clicked shut she smiled at the two of them. "Miss Swan, you did great. I just need to check the photos to make sure they turned out okay and then you'll be all set. You can get dressed again while I'm checking them. I'll be back in just a few minutes."
As soon as she was gone, Bella went back to the bed and sat down gingerly. She was still sore, but the pain was definitely fading. Edward grabbed her shirt and bra, which he had set on the bed before he left, and unfolded it. He walked up to her and untied the gown before slipping it off her shoulders. She watched his eyes as he drank in her naked chest. "I wish we were home right now so I could lick every inch of your beautiful breasts. They look so delicious," he whispered huskily.
Bella couldn't help but giggle at his antics. "Babe, you better put my bra and shirt on me before you're tempted to follow through despite the fact we're in the middle of a hospital."
After a heavy sigh and a pout of his lower lip he agreed and carefully slipped the straps of her bra up her arms before clasping it behind her back. Once it was in place, he helped her with her shirt and then smiled down at her. "I love you so much, Bella Swan. I can't wait until sunset tomorrow when you become my wife."
Bella smiled and fisted her hand into the collar of his shirt so she could pull him down to her level. "Edward Cullen, I love you, too. You are everything to me. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I promise you I will live every day of the rest of my life doing everything I can to show you what you mean to me." When she was finished, she pulled him the remaining three inches that separated them so that their lips touched. It wasn't a heated or needy kiss; it was soft and gentle. Both were trying to convey their love for each other in one simple gesture.
Irina came back into the room a minute later, shuffling her feet so they would hear her arrival. She had a huge smile on her face, as if she had heard their declarations of love for each other. "Alright Miss Swan, Dr. Cullen has instructed that you are to wait in his office while Edward has his MRI. Would you like to try and walk, or shall I get a wheel chair for you?"
Bella looked at Edward and smiled. "Can Edward walk with us before his test?" she asked Irina.
Irina's smile grew as she looked between the two of them. "I don't see a problem with that as long as we go straight there and then come right back. Dr. Cullen has already cleared the room and there are several people waiting."
"Alright, I'll walk then. Baby, can you help me stand up?" she asked Edward.
He smiled at her and answered without any hesitation. "Anything for you, Beautiful." He scooped her up off the bed and set her gently on her feet, making sure she was steady before letting her go and taking her hand. "Ready?"
"Ready," she confirmed with a nod of her head. "Lead the way, Handsome." Edward expertly led the way through the halls of the hospital to his father's office. When they got there, Edward knocked and then opened the door.
"He must be in the ER or doing his rounds. Why don't you have a seat on the couch and I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you, Beautiful."
"I love you, too, Edward." With one last kiss, Edward turned around and followed Irina out of the room, leaving Bella alone again. With a resigned sigh, she sat down on the couch and settled herself in to wait for Edward.