A/N: Happy Wednesday! Thank you for all of your reviews and your interest in the story. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to stories...I hate starting one that's less than three chapter (sorry to admit it!). If I read an intriguing summary, I'll favorite it, and when it gets a little further in, then I start reading it. I am so happy that you're not that way, or my poor little tale with be reviewless, but if you're like me, then here's chapter 3. Now, please crawl out of the woodwork and review and rate like crazy!
SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No copyright infringement intended
3.
When I crept into my parents' house that night, I was surprised to see my mom sitting on the couch with a book. She was usually in bed by 12:15 AM, and I wasn't sure if there was a problem because she'd stopped waiting up for me a long time ago. "Mom, is something wrong?" I asked as I walked into the living room before I went upstairs to my old bedroom to gather my daughter and take her home.
"No, honey, nothing's wrong. Well, except that your dad had to work that bus accident, and I assumed you'd be busy at the hospital, so I wanted to make sure you were okay when you got off. Who's Mesme?" Mom asked. I froze. I wasn't ready to tell my parents about the encounter with Esme Cullen, but apparently, Jax had beaten me to it.
"Oh, that's Dr. Esme Cullen. She sat with Jax this morning while I was taking care of something. She taught Jax Patty Cake," I answered as I sat down, seeing that I wasn't going to get out of the talk easily.
"Okay, that explains a lot. She kept asking for Pat Cake, and I thought it was something on television. She kept moving my hands, but I didn't get it. Okay, so who's Redward?" Mom asked. That one was a little trickier to answer.
I took a deep breath and attempted to be as vague as I'd get away with. "That's Dr. Cullen. I guess she came up with her own name for him. He's got reddish-brown hair, and his first name is Edward. I think you've met him," I responded, trying to sound nonchalant. I hoped she was tired enough to let it go. She was usually pretty much on her game, so it was truly a crap shoot.
Mom laughed. "She's got a pretty good imagination. She actually told me that you talk to her dad at night. I guess she has vivid dreams," Mom announced. That got my attention. I knew I used to talk in my sleep because my parents told me I did, and Jake confirmed it for me when we'd slept together. I didn't realize that Jax heard me.
"I try to talk about Jake to her, even though she doesn't know him, and I guess she just took some of the stories I told her and made them into something else," I responded, feeling terribly guilty for throwing my daughter under the bus with the whole lie I was telling.
"That makes sense. Okay, honey, I'm going to bed. You're welcome to sleep here, you know," Mom offered. I knew it because the offer had been tendered many times, but I couldn't have my talk with Jacob at my parents' place, and I needed to talk to him more that night than nearly any other since he'd died.
After good-nights were exchanged, I gathered my daughter and went home. I settled her into bed, and then jumped into the shower for a quick clean-up. I pulled on Jake's t-shirt and melted into the sheets so that I wouldn't miss my nightly date with my husband.
I fell asleep quickly, and I found myself in the kitchen of our little house just like always. Jacob was waiting for me and the coffee was already poured. I sat down and waited because I was sure he had something to say.
"Bells, you seemed to have a good time today, work aside. When Edward came down to the basement tonight, you seemed to be happy to see him. I'm really glad about that," he announced as he sipped his coffee. I immediately felt guilty.
"Jake, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let things get out of hand like that," I responded trying not to cry. The guilt I felt over the encounters and the accepted invitation was eating me up.
"Stop that, dammit. You need to do more shit like that. Oh, look, he's here," Jake replied. I looked up to see none other than Edward Cullen sitting down in the middle chair of our small kitchen table and there was a cup of coffee in front of him.
"Hey, you're Edward Cullen. I'm Jacob Black, the dead husband that she won't let go of," Jacob introduced. I was in shock at the encounter.
"Jake, it's nice to meet you. I really like spending time with her, but she won't really give me a shot. Any advice?" Edward asked. They were talking about me like I wasn't even there. Hell none of us were really there, but I could still hear them.
I watched the two of them, and it really was like I wasn't there. I wasn't at the table any longer, I was further away. "She thinks it's a horrible thing to want to spend time with another man. You've got your work cut out for you, bud. Of course, she's already written you off because of all of the gossip at the hospital, so I wish you luck with that," Jacob commented as he raised his coffee mug to Edward.
Edward raised his cup and touched Jake's, and he took a sip. He looked contemplative, and then his face lit up. "What if she's making an assumption that's based on gossip? Shouldn't I get a shot at explaining myself? I haven't been with as many women as she thinks, but I need to figure out how to make her understand that," Edward explained.
I wanted to speak to that, but I couldn't find my voice. "You need to get her alone and talk to her. She pretends not to listen to the hospital gossip, but she does. She believes that you've been with thirty-three women at the hospital, and maybe a few guys, but if that isn't the case, you need to tell her because until you come clean, she's not gonna really give ya the time of day," Jake responded.
"When I was killed, she vowed she'd never be with another man or see another man as long as she lived. You've got an uphill battle on your hands, dude. She's made a good life for herself and Jax, and she's got some money tucked away, so she doesn't really need anyone for anything, and she really sucks at asking anyone for help when she does need it. You're gonna have to figure out how to fit into her life and show her that she needs you. I don't know how you do that, but that's the only advice I can give you," Jacob commented. I wanted to slap him. I didn't need him giving any other man pointers on how to pursue me. I had no intentions of being with anyone for the rest of my life and having my dead husband give Edward Cullen advice in my dreams wasn't at all what I was comfortable with.
"Hey, hang on a goddamn minute. I didn't ask for you two to conspire against me like I'm not even here," I snapped. It was absolutely ridiculous that the two of them were talking about me like I wasn't sitting right there, which was exactly what I found myself doing.
"There's not enough time in my schedule to have been with that many women, but thanks for the advice. I hope to change her mind," Edward responded as he rose from his chair and walked away. Jacob looked at me and smiled.
"There. Now, give him a shot to explain himself. If he's as much of a manwhore as you suspect, then run for the fuckin' hills, but if he's a decent guy, give him a chance. I'm not comin' back, Bells. You know that whether you want to admit it or not. Dad's tried to tell ya, and Charlie's tried to tell ya, but you need to see it for yourself. I know we said we'd be together forever, but babe, I'm not comin' home. You know where I am. I'm at the Forks Cemetery. Let me go, Bells. For your own sanity and the sake of our daughter, let me go," he pleaded.
"I can't, dammit. We were supposed to have a fucking life, Jacob. You left me. I know you didn't want to, but you fucking left us. How the hell do I get over that? You are the only man I've ever known," I shouted at him.
"Sweetheart, I never wanted to leave you. I had dreams for our future too, but it just wasn't meant to be. You've gotta let go of that and make your own dreams. Bells, it's been almost four fucking years. You've got to let me go. Honey, it's time for you to get up. Take a hot shower and wash this away. We'll talk tomorrow night. I love you, Bells," he responded as he disappeared. My eyes flashed open just as the alarm went off. I wasn't sure how he did that, but he always knew when it was time for me to wake up. It was just like he knew everything else. It was just his way.
##
Saturday morning found Jax riding her trike on the sidewalk while I weeded the flower beds in my front yard. I heard a car coming down the road and saw Rosalie pull into her driveway. She was dressed in a red suit and a white blouse, obviously having come from an appointment. I saw her strip off her jacket and kick off her red heels, jogging across the street barefoot.
"Hello, ladies. How are the Black women this fine Saturday morning?" she asked as she leaned down and kissed Jax's cheek.
"Where's Memmett?" Jax asked. Rosalie and I laughed at the question. Jax had very creative names for everyone in her life, and how she came up with them was a complete mystery to me. She'd been doing it since she started talking.
"He's still sleeping, sweetie, because he had to work until 6:00 this morning. Bella, you got any coffee? I'm dying for some, and if I make it at home, it'll wake Em up, and he's only been asleep for four hours," Rosalie asked as she looked at her watch.
I peeled off my garden gloves and wiped my forehead with my forearm. "Sure. I'll go get you some. Have a seat on the porch. Jax, stay on the sidewalk," I ordered as I walked inside. I refilled my mug and poured one for Rosalie.
I returned to my front porch and handed Rosalie her coffee. "I'm glad you're outside. I wanted to talk to you, and I wasn't sure how to make it look nonchalant. So, about Edward Cullen," she began. The look on her face told me that she obviously wasn't pleased with the fact that Edward Cullen and I were friends.
"What about him? He's a nice enough guy. We're just friends, Rose," I explained. She held up her hand to stop me before I got too far into my tirade.
"Don't get defensive. I just feel like you need to know a few things before you go to the trouble of getting too close to him. He and Emmett have been good friends for a long time, so Emmett knows a lot about Edward's past. He's shared some of it with me, and based on the fact that I know your history, I'm going to share what I know with you because I think it's for your own good. I believe you should have all the facts before you and Jax get too attached to him. You've both been through enough, Bella," Rosalie informed between sips of coffee.
I decided that maybe I should listen to her because she had some valid points, though if Edward had secrets that would affect a relationship with me I supposed he should have been the one to tell me. "Okay, let me have it," I answered.
"Emmett and Edward are the same age and went to undergrad together, but when they graduated from college, Emmett went straight to medical school while Edward went to Italy. Apparently, while he was there, he met a woman named Gianna, and they had a child together," Rosalie began. That was news to me.
"Edward's married and has a family in Italy?" I asked in disbelief. It didn't really fit the picture for me, but most of that picture had been painted by the brush that was the hospital grapevine.
"Um, no. He and Gianna never married. He was back here trying to straighten out the paperwork to obtain visas for Gianna and the baby to come to the States, and while he was here, she and the baby were killed in an accident. He and his parents went to Italy to try to find out what had happened, but Gianna's parents refused to talk to him, even going so far as to deny that there was a relationship and saying that the baby wasn't Edward's. They buried their daughter and the baby, a girl, without Edward's knowledge, and he never saw or heard anything more from them ever again.
"He went a lot crazy for a while, and then he seemed to settle down enough to go to medical school. Once he graduated, he accepted a residency in Boston, and he seemed to be okay, but then he started living this rock-star lifestyle, moving from one woman to the next. He got into trouble with a nurse in Boston, and he was dismissed from the residency program. That's why he's here. I don't know what kind of strings Esme and Carlisle had to pull to get him accepted here, but that's why Esme keeps him on such a tight leash. I'm not sure what his attraction is to you, but I fear it has everything to do with the fact that you remind him of Gianna and his daughter. I don't want you to get hurt, Bella. He's a great guy, but he's not what you and Jax need. I know I'm overstepping my bounds by telling you this, and Emmett will probably cancel the wedding if you tell him what I've told you, but I care too much about the two of you to allow Edward to live out some fantasy with you in order to work through his own bullshit," Rosalie concluded.
Fuck. That wasn't good news at all. I had enough shit of my own to deal with, and I wasn't doing the best job of coping as it was. The last thing I truly needed was for a man who'd suffered as much as I had to use me as a way to exercise his own demons.
"Um, wow. That's quite surprising. I won't say anything to Emmett about what you've told me because I don't want to cause any problems for you two. It explains a few things to me, though. Look, I need to, um, call Esme Cullen and cancel dinner tonight. I need to figure out how to make sure that Edward understands that all I want from him is friendship, and I'm afraid if I go to his parents' house for dinner, they'll tag team me and I'll get sucked into something that I can't handle. Thanks for telling me, Rosalie," I responded as I finished my coffee at the same time Rose finished hers.
"I know Edward was trying to get you to come to the wedding with him, and I'm going to guess in light of what I've just told you, you probably won't come at all, and that's okay. I'm really not being a bitch here. I just want you to avoid any more heartache than you've already endured," Rosalie explained.
"Thanks, Rosalie. I appreciate your candor. I'll let you know about the wedding. Maybe I'll come to the ceremony and skip the reception. I really do want to be there to see your wedding. Based on the wedding plans you've shared with me, I doubt I'll see anything like it in my lifetime," I replied. She smiled and hugged me, leaving me to go to her own home. I walked back into the yard and scooped up Jax, moving her bike to the front porch, and we went inside. I needed to pull a pretty good lie out of my ass to get us out of dinner at the Cullens, and I wasn't looking forward to it. Esme Cullen was a nice woman, and I truly hated to lie to her.
##
At 2:30 PM, there was a soft knock on my front door. I'd called Esme Cullen at 11:00 AM and told her that Jax wasn't feeling well and that I needed to keep her at home. Of course, it didn't hurt that Jax was having a tantrum in the background because I'd refused to let her watch "Blue's Clues" before lunch. After several minutes of hem-hawing around and an acceptance of a rain check, I was let off the hook. I breathed a sigh of relief and promptly fixed us lunch and then put my daughter down for a much-needed nap.
I walked into the hallway and saw a car in my driveway that I didn't recognize. I tentatively opened the door, praying it wasn't some religious group or magazine salesperson on the other side, completely unprepared for the harried man standing before me. "Where is she?" Edward Cullen asked, doctor's satchel in hand.
Of course, being the idiot that I was, I didn't think about the fact that the Cullens were a houseful of doctors, and any medical emergency would be a cause for alarm and send one of them running in our direction. "Um, she's asleep. Her fever broke after I gave her some fever reducer. I think she's just got a cold," I offered. I wasn't a convincing liar, as Jacob and my parents constantly told me, and I silently prayed that only people who really knew me could tell when I wasn't being honest.
"I didn't know you had a medical degree. Take me to her room, and let's be sure that's all it is," he ordered, sounding very pissed off. God, I didn't want to get caught in a lie in my own home.
"Edward, I'm sure that you've got better ways to spend your afternoon. If she still feels badly on Monday, I'll take her to see Dr. Whitlock. You didn't need to come over here to check on her. She's a kid. She gets bugs all the time," I offered, still blocking the door and not letting him inside. Of course, the arrogant jackass didn't listen to me and pushed passed me into the house. I closed the front door with a heavy sigh and followed him into my living room.
Without hesitation, he walked up the stairs and through the baby gate and I heard him walking down the short hallway to my daughter's room. "There she is," I heard him call. I shook my head as I walked upstairs to join the two of them, seeing that Jax was awake and appeared to be happy to see him.
"Redward, read this," she chanted to him as she handed him a book from her night table that we'd read before her nap. I stopped in the hallway and observed her sitting on his lap as he sat on the side of her bed.
"Sure. First, though, let's play a game. I'm going to take this and look into your ears to see if there are any monkeys hiding in there," he teased. She giggled and turned her head. I could see that she was completely smitten with him, and he could probably get her to let him brush her teeth without any problems whatsoever. I had to fight tooth and nail with her, and I'd stopped counting how many times she bit me. Baby teeth were like little razors.
After he looked in both ears, he pulled out an electronic thermometer and placed it in her ear. When it beeped, he looked at the screen. "Hmm, that's interesting. Completely normal. Miss Black does your tummy hurt?" he asked as he looked into her eyes.
"Nope," she answered, the little traitor.
"I'm going to listen to the music in your chest. Can you take a deep breath?" he asked as he warmed the stethoscope and placed it on her chest over her thin t-shirt. Of course, she did exactly as he asked. After a few more minutes of him giving her the once over, he packed up everything into his bag and picked her up, turning to look at me. Damn, he looked pissed.
"Well, we have a big problem," he announced. It was then that I started to worry. She'd been perfectly fine when she'd gone to bed earlier. If she was really getting sick, I wasn't looking forward to it.
"What…what's that?" I asked as I walked over to where the two stood. I immediately put my hand to her forehead, finding it completely cool.
"Her mother is a terrible liar and used her as an excuse to cancel a dinner date with my family. My mother worked very hard today making cookies and homemade macaroni and cheese, and she was very disappointed that you two weren't coming over. She was so worried about this one that she called Dad and me on the golf course and demanded that I come home and get over here to make sure that Jax is okay. You care to explain?" he asked. Jax squirmed, and he put her down. I watched her toddle out of the room and go to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. That left me alone in her room with the angry man glaring at me. Not the best place to be.
I was at a loss of how to explain it. I hated lying to Esme Cullen because she was a lovely woman, but what Rosalie had told me earlier had rocked my world, and I needed to figure out what to do with the information. That, of course, would take time and a lot of stewing for me.
"Look, go downstairs and help yourself to a soda or water in the fridge. I'll get her squared away up here, and then I'll be down and we can talk," I replied, trying to buy myself some time to formulate an excuse for my less-than-admirable behavior. I'd been brought up better than that, and at that moment, I actually cursed my parents for instilling such a sense of honesty in me.
After her hands and face were washed and her hair was combed, Jax ran to her room and grabbed the book and made a beeline for the stairs. "Walk," I yelled as she unlatched the safety gate and began her descent to the living room. I followed her and found Edward looking at photos of my family that I had on display in my living room.
"Your husband was a good looking guy," Edward observed, pointing to a picture of Jacob and I from the day we got married. It was one of my favorites.
"That's my daddy, but I don't knowed him," Jax volunteered. She walked over to where Edward stood and pulled on the leg of his shorts. He bent down and picked her up, and she proceeded to point to the pictures and explain who everyone was.
"That's Big Pop, and that's Gramma Ne and Papa Charlie. That's Miss Sue and Seth and Leah. They live at the beach. That's Momma and me on my birfday. When's your birfday?" Jax asked. Edward smiled at her, and it made my heart melt. She was pointing to a picture of the two of us at her first birthday party at my parents' house. I looked absolutely horrible, but Jax was adorable with her dark hair and dark eyes. She looked just like her father.
"In June. When's yours?" he asked.
"I be this many," Jax answered, holding up three fingers. I walked over to her and pulled her pinky up because she had a hard time remembering it.
"You'll be this many, and her birthday is in February," I answered.
She squirmed, and Edward put her down. She promptly pulled him to the couch and handed him the "Snow White" book in her hand that was one of her favorites. Even my three-and-a-half-year old had fallen under the Disney spell. I blamed my mother who loved all things Disney as much as my daughter.
Edward sat down and began reading to her while I went to the kitchen and poured two glasses and a sippy cup of lemonade. I knew I wasn't going to get out of telling him why I'd felt it necessary to cancel, and I wasn't sure how to explain it without throwing Rosalie to the wolves.
"Again," Jax chanted as Edward finished up the book when I walked back into the living room with Cheez-Its and lemonade.
"How about I'll let you watch 'Blue's Clues' now?" I asked. I needed to get it over with and get the man out of my house.
She looked at Edward and smiled. "You like Blue?" she asked innocently. I could tell he had no idea what the hell she was talking about, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Honey, I doubt Dr. Cullen watches Blue. Now, have a seat in your chair and I'll turn it on. Dr. Cullen and I are going to go to the kitchen and have grown-up talk for a minute," I responded as I slipped the DVD into the player and turned it on. She went to the corner of the living room and pulled out the little rocking chair that my parents had given her for Christmas the year before and settled in with her drink and a handful of crackers.
Once the DVD started to play, I picked up my lemonade and walked into the kitchen, waiting for him to follow me. I was pretty sure I'd soaked the pits of my t-shirt because I was sweating like crazy due to my nerves. He walked in behind me and sat down, obviously waiting for my attempt at an explanation.
"Look, I'm sorry I lied, and I'll call your mother and apologize, but I just don't want my daughter to get attached to you. You're a single guy with no encumbrances, and we come with an entire train load of baggage. She really likes you, and I don't want her to get hurt when you meet someone and don't have time to be our friend any longer," I offered. Hell, it sounded credible to me.
"Hmm. So that's what you think? That I'll befriend the two of you and move on when another woman comes along? Wow, you don't really think very highly of me, do you? You know, all of that gossip at the hospital is just that. Yeah, I've dated a few of the nurses and Dr. Volturi, but I certainly haven't gotten around as much as it's made out to be. I know all about the tweets and 'Cullen sightings', and all the women who claim that I've slept with them, but it's exaggerated," he offered.
As I listened to him, I remembered something he'd said to me the night of McCarty's bachelor party. "So, you didn't double jacket, as you so tactfully put it, with Jane, and you're not concerned with whether I swallow or not?" I asked, hoping to remind him of his inappropriate, albeit funny, comments.
I saw his face redden and then a twisted look appeared. "Dammit, I actually said that shit to you? I hoped it was a drunken hallucination. I'm so sorry. I know how that shit makes me sound, but…fuck," he responded in a soft voice, all the while looking over his shoulder to be certain that Jax didn't come into the room and hear his profanity-laced tirade.
"Hey, I thought it was funny. I wasn't offended, but that just highlights the differences between us. You're a playboy doctor, and I'm a morgue tech with a three-and-a-half year old daughter. It's like night and day, really," I answered trying to put him at ease. It was fun to watch him squirm, though.
"Look, you're not the only person who ever lost someone they loved. I've got my own shit to deal with, you know? Loss isn't exclusive to military wives," he snapped. He immediately looked sorry, and I could see it written all over his face.
"I, um, kinda know some of what happened to you. I know you've got your own…" I began. I didn't want to go down the path, but he opened the door.
"Fuck, did my mom tell you? She wouldn't tell me a goddamn thing about your situation, but when it comes to me, she can't…" he roared. I was about to tell him that it wasn't his mother when there was a loud rap at my front door.
"It wasn't Esme. I'll be right back," I announced as I went to the front door. I looked into the living room and saw that Jax wasn't even fazed by his outburst, so I went to open my door, finding Emmett McCarty looking very pissed off.
"Rosalie just told me what she did, and I'm so mad at her that I can't see straight. I saw Edward's car. Where is he?" Emmett barked. Before I knew what was happening, Edward flew out of my kitchen and was squared off in the hallway looking at Emmett.
"Rosalie told her? Son-of-a-bitch," he snapped. I needed to get them out of my house before things got out of hand. Blue could only keep Jax's attention for so long, and with the heated words being exchanged in the hallway of my small house, I wasn't sure to what she'd be exposed. I'd slipped in the past and cursed in front of her, but I was pretty certain that the words that were going to be slung between the two men glaring at each other in my house were going to provide her with an entirely new vocabulary.
"Um, guys, maybe take this outside or over to McCarty's house. Jax really doesn't need to start pre-school with the curses you're likely to introduce to her," I suggested. The pair looked at me, and then headed out to my front porch. I closed the door behind them and went to the living room, turning up the television and hoping to drown out whatever the two men were saying to each other.
I walked into the kitchen to look out the window over the sink and saw a lot of arm waving and angry words being exchanged. I then saw Rosalie come out of her house across the street in shorts and a t-shirt, running over to my front yard. I suspected that was a miscalculation on her part. When Edward saw her, he went absolutely ballistic. It was so bad that I saw the Jensons walk out onto their front porch and sit down. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but when Emmett stepped in between an advancing Edward and a crying Rosalie, I knew I needed to get out there and put a stop to Armageddon in my front yard.
"Honey, I'm going to go outside. If you need me, come to the door," I called to her. She didn't answer, she merely waved at me, and then she was back in the hypnotic trance that accompanied "Blue's Clues."
I walked onto my front porch just in time to hear, "You have no fucking idea what kind of man I am now. I absolutely adore Bella and Jax, and the very last thing I'd ever do is use them to work through my shit, as you put it. You were way out of line, Rosalie. I planned to tell her everything, eventually. You don't start off a friendship with 'hey, you wanna compare sad stories and see who got fucked over worse by the fates?' You absolutely had no right telling my business to Bella. You need to just butt the fuck out," Edward ranted. Apparently, no one had heard me come out.
I looked over to my right and saw Jacob sitting in one of the wicker chairs on the porch with a smile on his face. "This is the guy you like? He's not the same guy who I talked to in the kitchen in Ft. Hood," he observed.
"Yeah, I know, but I suspect this is the real him. You know what she told me, right?" I asked as I sat down next to him on the other chair.
"Of course I do. What do you think about it?" he asked. It was then that I realized that he was at my house in Forks, which wasn't somewhere I'd ever seen him before.
"I show up when and where you need me. I've never been here before because you've never needed me here before. Apparently, when you need me, I'll just show up wherever," he responded. I nodded and turned back to the scene on the front yard.
"Ah, that explains it. So?" I asked. I was completely surprised that the three were suddenly silent and looking at me like I was crazy. I looked to my right and saw Jacob laughing, and it was then that I realized that I'd been talking to him out loud, and they couldn't see him like I could. I guessed that my time outside a padded room was dwindling.
"Bella, who are you talking to?" Edward asked. It was then that I wished I had a Bluetooth earpiece so that I could pretend that I was talking to someone on the phone. I didn't, so I needed to scramble with an idea that would explain my irrational behavior.
"Um, I was just thinking out loud. Sorry. Carry on," I tossed out. Thankfully, they turned back on each other and continued.
"Nice save," Jacob commented. I only nodded in agreement.
"Look, I don't know everything that happened, but I like Bella a lot and neither she nor her daughter deserve to be used for you to achieve some kind of closure," Rosalie ranted. It was the same thing she'd told me earlier in the day.
"I didn't know that with your real estate license you got the power to be omnipotent, Rose. Don't you need to pick out china or napkins or something? You need to butt the fuck out of this and allow Bella and me to figure it out without your meddling. This doesn't concern you at all," Edward snapped. He turned around and stormed up the front stairs, taking my hand and leading me inside my house without looking back at the two stunned people on my yard.
He walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch seeing my daughter in her comatose state as she talked back to the television. "I see talking to yourself runs in the family," Edward teased as he seemed to let go of some of the anger he was feeling a split second before. I sat down next to him, not quite sure what to do.
He looked at me and I could see the pain on his face. "Please, come to the house for dinner, and after we eat, I'll get Mom to play with Jax, and you and I will have a talk. I firmly intended to tell you about…Gianna and Chelsea, but I thought maybe you could get to know me a little more first. Much like you, I don't like the look of pity on peoples' faces when they learn about my loss. I know I was a dick to you in the kitchen, but I was caught off guard. I thought my friends and family would have the good sense to allow me time to explain things to you, myself, in my own time, but I clearly underestimated their desire to interfere. Please come over. Mom really was looking forward to it," he whispered. The compelling look on his face did me in.
"What will we tell your mother about Jax amazing recovery?" I asked.
"It was a bug. Kids get them all the time. I'll call her," he smirked, taking his phone from his shorts pocket and pressing a button which I assumed was a speed dial number. Hey, a guy who had his mother on speed dial couldn't be all bad, right?
End Note: Well, I'm sure I gave you a lot to take in with that chapter. I told you big things were going to happen. Please let me know what you think. See you next Wednesday!
Till next time...xoxo