Chapter 7
And it did. The day was slow, torturous and full of crying people. Most genuine, some dry eyed. Jeremy had been whisked away by a bunch of guys and to the back yard where the smoke of their joints could easily be used to send signals. Elena had plastered a frozen smile on her face and was being talked by everyone until she escaped to a pair of girls and the blond waiter from the Grill at the hollow under the stairs. Jenna had locked herself in the den with a guy that gave Bella major creeps. Bella was stalking the living room and the dining room, refilling drinks and acting as a buffer for her friend. It helped that the constant walking made her resemble a waitress and kept her out of the various gossipy mourners.
A small group of such mourners were huddled together. The sheriff Bella had met earlier was among them and so was a guy that had a fairly wolfish face, like Mason. Bella rubbed her bottom lip and grabbed the two bottles of wine from the dining table. Then she walked towards the group and served wine to people that stood near them keeping an ear out.
"More wine?"
Sheriff Liz Forbes was upset as if this was a personal hit at her
"I don't know Richard! We have nothing physical to say anyone was even there!"
"Excluding that one of our own was turned into shish kebab!"
'Richard' all but sneered, looking like a dog more than ever. Bella rolled her eyes.
"The car accident ruse will last for a while, especially with fall rains coming in soon."
"It has to; Miranda and Grayson were victims #3 and #4. If this keeps up no one will use the bridge."
"And that will be so bad for the fall festival Mayor."
An elderly guy said sardonically. Bella suppressed a snicker of her own. Trust a politician to downplay a bunch of vampire attacks just to not lose tourists.
"Screw you!"
Jenna hissed and stormed in the room. The creeper that followed her in mouthed something at her that made Jenna's lips pull back and Bella was glad Mason was there to wrap an arm around her friend's waist and hold her back. When the creep slipped and face planted on the floor, no one but Jenna saw Mason's foot struck out.
"Give me a drink."
The creep demanded at Bella after picking himself off the floor.
"Red or white?"
Bella sneered using Emmett's method. While the Cullens had no fangs, something Hollywood thought vampires should have but they really didn't, Emmett tended to sneer, making words come out as if spoken around fangs. The creep jumped and then glared at her oh-so-innocent smile before staring down at her cleavage openly.
"White, like you!"
He leered and then grabbed the bottle from her hand. Before he could say anything else, Richard grabbed him by the arm and added him to the circle mouthing an apology to Bella before she could introduce her knee to the Creep's groin. Bella then walked to Jenna and offered her the bottle of the red wine
"You look like you need some."
"John needs some."
Mason said with a waggle of his brows. Jenna snorted and Bella smiled.
"God, yes, please. Come on let's go in the kitchen. If I stay around him longer, I'll hit him."
"Who's the creep?"
Bella asked once in the secluded room. Jenna took the glass of wine from mason who sat between them after filling glasses for all three.
"Gray's brother. He refuses to do his part in taking the kids in."
Jenna's voice was shaking. Mason pointed a finger upwards, indicating the ceiling
"Those kids? Jen, they're teenagers. Not really easy to just play mom and dad to."
Bella nodded
"Not to mention that that guy creeps *me* out. I don't want to be under the same roof as he is and I'm not a teenager!"
Jenna snorted at the truth in her friends' words.
"Bastard washes his hands off the kids but wants to keep the building Grayson's practice is in and is generously willing to let the kids stay here without rent."
Bella's mouth fell open
"I beg your pardon?"
"Yep. I remember the will because it nearly freaked me out they were willing to discuss the possibility of their death. It left everything to the kids, equal split with John and I as their guardians till they came of age."
"For the record, when will that be?"
Bella asked taking a sip of her wine, noting Mason having gone to stand next to the open kitchen door.
"Jeremy is fifteen, Elena seventeen. I suppose a full three years unless Elena feels confident to take him in next year"
Jenna replied with a shrug and smeared some fish paste on a cracker to eat. The glass of wine she had downed had calmed her down, Bella was pleased to notice. Popping a cracker in her mouth and trying not to grimace at the artificial taste of the paste, Bella asked what she was certain Jenna was thinking
"You want to move them in with us?"
Jenna snorted
"I love our apartment but it is a two bedroom one. It won't fit all four of us and... They just lost their parents. I don't want to uproot them from their lives and friends too."
She said with a sign. Bella smiled, a small sad smile
"You want to move here to be with them, don't you?"
Jenna nodded
"Then do so hon."
"But what will you do?"
"I'll find a new roommate"
Bella said with a too-casual-to-be-believable shrug. Jenna gave her a smile that was designed to melt any defenses.
"Oooor you could, you know, move here with me"
Bella blinked
"No"
"Please? It'll be fun"
"Raising two teenagers? Not my kind of fun."
"Not mine either but I'll do it."
"You're their aunt. It's your job to do it."
"And you're my bestie"
"So?"
"It's your job to suffer alongside me."
"I don't think so."
"Pwease? Pwetty pwease with chewwies on top?"
Jenna had been leaning over the table while begging and Bella had been leaning away while refusing and trying not to laugh at her friend's ridiculous face and they both fell off, Jenna's face right between Bella's breasts. The crash got Mason's attention
"Do you need me to step out?"
He asked laughing. Both women rolled their eyes at him in perfect unison
"Mason help me! She won't move here with me."
"Mason help ME! She won't take no for an answer."
Mason shook his head dramatically and grabbing both women by the elbows, he easily pulled them both upright. Then he turned to Bella
"Stay in Jacksonville. With her out of the way, you'll have me all to yourself."
He leered with his brows waggling up and down. Bella considered it and turned to Jenna
"So, when are we moving?"