A/N: Happy Wednesday and happy belated Valentine's Day. Thank you all for your reviews and support. I truly appreciate them.
This chapter, I'll warn you, has brought tears to my eyes every time I've edited or proofed it. I cried the whole time I wrote it, and last night, as I gave it the once over again, I cried again. (Okay, I might have had one too many glasses of the grape and suffering from PMS, but you get it.) So, tissue warning has been issued.
SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No copyright infringement intended.
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8.
As I sat there on that bench, I thought about how I'd gotten there. I remembered sitting in the hard metal chair at the graveside when I'd buried Jacob, and I remembered going to the bushes to throw up. I also remembered the sideways looks I got at the time, which made a lot more sense to those present a month later when everyone found out I was pregnant with Jax.
How I got through the birth and the first year of her life was still a mystery to me because I remembered nearly none of it. I remembered being happy for about fifteen minutes immediately after my daughter was born. That was before the realization set in that I was alone, and her father would never see her beautiful face. She'd never know him, and it would be up to me to tell her about him and try to keep him in our lives.
The fact that I'd let an Edward Cullen in to disrupt our simple life puzzled me. I'd been so careful to sequester us from people who wanted to intrude on our life. I'd vetted each one carefully, and I'd only allowed them in after careful scrutiny. How he's slipped under my radar still bewildered me.
I'd made the fatal mistake of tossing his history and the never-ending gossip that swirled around him aside and given him the benefit of the doubt. I needed to talk to the only person who ever made sense in my life, so I grabbed my keys from the bench next to me and left the park not waiting for Edward to show up. I didn't tell anyone where I was going because it wasn't anyone's business.
I stopped at Mrs. Brighton's house down the street from my parents' place and stole two roses from her rose garden, just as Jake used to do in the summers when we were dating. He couldn't afford to buy me flowers, but he always showed up with two roses…one white and one red. He said they were symbolic of us…white for true love and red for passion. It wasn't for a while that I found out he'd been stealing them from the woman's garden, and it was our private joke.
I drove to the cemetery and stopped the car near where he rested. I walked over to the headstone that marked where I'd left him and I immediately felt guilty as I took in the sight of his grave. I hadn't been out to visit it in nearly two months, and there were weeds everywhere. Perpetual care, my ass.
After I pulled the weeds and tidied things up, I sat down and placed the roses on the base of the granite. To think that the simple piece of granite with his name and birthday on it was all I had left of him besides our daughter was more than I could take in at that moment. I should have bought a double stone because at the rate I was going, I was going to be joining him sooner rather than later in that little patch of real estate.
"Bullshit. We talked about that more than once. Goddamn you, Bella, you can't leave Jax," Jacob told me as he walked over and sat down next to me.
"You know what, fuck you. You left me, Jacob. You told me you'd be careful, and I'll be a son-of-a-bitch if you didn't take extra duty and get yourself killed. Seriously, you're going to give me shit about the fact that I can't fucking breathe without you? You know what, I hate you. I hate you for leaving me. I hate you for leaving us. I hate Edward Cullen for coming into my life and making me feel feelings that I wanted to leave buried and then turning out to be a prick. I hate that I have to do all of this shit by myself. THIS ISN'T FUCKING FAIR, JACOB," I shouted as I lie down on the patch of grass in front of the headstone, pounding my fists into the grass as if I was hitting someone.
"Bella, let me go," was his only response.
"Do you think if I could that I wouldn't? What about our plans? What about our life?" I shouted.
"Bella, let me go," he responded again.
"I can't, Jake. I thought I could, but the man I was willing to do it for turned out to be a lie. How could you tell me to give him a chance?" I shouted at him.
"Bella, let me go," he repeated.
"Goddamn you, Jacob Black, I loved you. I love you. Why'd you leave?" I asked in a whisper as the tears tumbled down my face. I couldn't help myself. I sobbed.
"Bells, honey, let me go. Edward Cullen isn't a bad guy. Let me go," he told me.
With that, he got up from the ground next to me and suddenly, he was exactly as he was the last time I saw him alive on the tarmac before he deployed. His hair was short, he was wearing his ACUs, and he had his duffel in his hand. He smiled at me, and I watched him walk away without looking back.
I decided I'd just lie there and die because my life was truly over. He wasn't coming back, and that was the way it was. No amount of begging and pleading would bring him back, and I couldn't live with that any longer. Jax would be fine. She had my mom, dad, and Billy. I just wanted to die.
I had no idea how long I lie on the ground sobbing before I felt myself being pulled up and hauled into strong arms. I opened my eyes to see green eyes staring back at me. Without a word, he took me to a nearby bench and sat down with me on his lap. I didn't know what to say or what to do.
"I know what Aro said to you because I had someone pull the footage from the cameras in the room, and it was all a lie. I never told Jane, or any other woman besides Gianna, that I loved her. He was trying to play to your insecurities to get you to speak on Jane's behalf to get her job back. It's deplorable.
"Bella, I'm not perfect at all. I come with a lot of scars and warts, but I know how I feel about you. I'm not Jacob, and I know you love him, but I believe it's possible to love two people in a lifetime. I loved Gianna, and when I lost her, I thought I'd never love anyone ever again. That led to my stellar past which comes back to bite me in the ass more than I'd like, but I'm done with that shit.
"I know I'll never replace Jacob, and I'm not trying to. I just want you to see me as a guy who loves a girl and wants a shot. That's all I'm asking. I love you, Bella. I've tried to show you and not say it out loud because I didn't think you were ready to hear it, but based on what I heard from you, you need to hear it as much as I need to tell you. You're incredible, and I love you. You're right. It's not fair that Jacob's gone and Jax will never know her dad, and I'll never try to take his place, but I promise, I'll love both of you as long as I draw a breath," he told me as tears rolled down his face.
"How long were you here?" I asked as I tried to dry my own eyes.
"I pulled into the parking lot at the park just as you were leaving. I followed you to that woman's house where you took the flowers, and then I followed you to the cemetery. I should have made myself known, but I had no idea what was going on, and you don't talk to me very often about things with regard to Jacob. I saw what happened here, and I'm not sure exactly what it meant, but based on the fact that you were talking about dying, I guess it must have been pretty profound," he answered.
"Jake left me once and for all. He told me I had to let him go, and he left, and now it's just me and Jax," I answered as I sobbed into his shoulder.
"It doesn't have to be that way, you know. I'll wait for you as long as you need me to wait, but I want to be there for you and Jax. I love you both, and I won't leave you if I can at all help it. Please, please, don't do anything rash," he begged as he held me.
It was then that I realized what he thought I was going to do, and I had to dissuade him of that notion right off. "I'm not going to kill myself, Edward. I just hoped that death would take me, but I'd never actively do anything to make it happen, so no worries. I'm sorry if you got that impression," I answered as I dried my eyes again.
It was time for me to pull up my big girl pants and move on with my life. My husband was gone, and there wasn't a fucking thing I could do about it. It was time to let him go, just as he'd told me. The fact that Edward showed up and picked up the pieces, so to speak, was pretty symbolic to me.
Maybe he wasn't the prick that Aro Volturi had spoken about so harshly. Maybe he could actually pick up the broken remnants of my life and put me back together. Someone had to help me do it. I couldn't do it by myself that much I knew for sure. I'd tried and failed miserably.
"Thank God. Now, you quit your job. What's next?" he asked. I didn't know, but my future seemed to be wide open at that point.
"Well, I'm okay for money for a while, and last I recall, I have an apartment or house to decorate. Let's see how that goes," I answered. I had a decent eye for things, and my house was actually a wide open pallet because I hadn't done a lot there, but the things I'd done had been complimented on more than one occasion, so if Edward wanted my advice, I'd see where it went. Maybe Alice and I could join forces and come up with something. Who knew?
The next morning, I rose with what felt like a new lease on life. It was my new beginning, and it had been four years in the making. I took Jax to the library with me and checked out books on interior design and architecture. As I began studying them, I found them fascinating, and I felt the stirring of something that actually interested me, unlike working in the morgue.
Over the next week, after my Saturday night date with Edward which was fantastic, I poured myself into the study of fabric and aesthetics. Over the next few weeks, he worked a lot, adding the Life flight shift into his schedule, and I read and researched. Alice provided a lot of insight into design, and the two of us bounced ideas off of each other like rubber balls. We completely redid my house with only a minimum of expense, which was paint, plants and a few throw pillows, and when we finished, it was great.
I had people over at every opportunity to show off my new environment, and everyone seemed impressed. Edward and I spent as much time together as his schedule would allow, and he even slept over, albeit on the couch, several times. Things were moving in a positive direction for me, and I couldn't help but be happy.
Billy was in an assisted living facility in Port Angeles, and thankfully, his disability insurance was picking up the bulk of the expense with only a minimum amount of outlay for me to make him comfortable. It was far less than what I was prepared to spend, and I was grateful for it. Of course, I had to lie to him and tell him that his insurance covered the whole thing, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
The first weekend of August brought my world crashing down, yet again. It was the weekend of the anniversary of when I'd buried Jake, and I wasn't prepared for it at all, having not looked at the calendar for weeks.
I'd been riding a high on the changes in my life, and when I looked at the calendar to see how many shopping days I had before I needed to get Jax ready for pre-school, I was dumbfounded.
Edward had slept over the night before, having gone off shift at midnight, and when he found me sobbing in the kitchen, he picked me up and carried me upstairs to my bedroom. He lie on the bed with me and held me tightly without asking me anything. It seemed he knew, though I'd never told him, that it was a traumatic event for me. I fell asleep safely in his arms and woke some time later. I got up and did my bathroom business, looking in the mirror to see that I looked like hell, and then I dressed and went downstairs to find him and Alice at the table with Jax having lunch.
"Hi gang," I called trying to sound happy. I knew the adults in the room weren't buying it, but I hoped the child was. Even with having to endure three previous anniversaries since I'd buried Jake, I still couldn't think about it.
"Um, we're going on an outing. Em and Rose are coming, along with Jasper. Billy and your parents are coming as well, so you might as well go shower. We're to meet them at two," Alice ordered. I didn't want to go anywhere except back to bed, but Jax looked excited, and I needed to be there for my daughter.
Without a complaint, I showered and threw on a simple cotton dress and sandals, pulling my hair up into a bun. When I returned downstairs, Edward, Alice, and Jax were ready to go. There was a picnic basket and a blanket. I had no idea where we were going, but I knew where my thoughts would be that day.
When we pulled into the parking lot of the cemetery, I was ready to come unglued. "What the F-U-C-K are we doing here?" I snapped. It was absolutely the last place I wanted to be that day.
"Quit B-I-T-C-H-I-N-G and come on. Everyone's waiting," Edward ordered as he wrapped his arm around me, leading me to the last place I'd planned to visit that day. It had been another two months since I'd been there, and I could see the two dead roses resting on the granite beneath his name.
My parents, Billy in tow, Rosalie and Emmett, and Jasper were waiting. When we arrived at the place, my father handed me a red rose and a white rose. I looked at him with wide eyes and he laughed. "She knew the whole time, you know. That's why she kept replacing those bushes when they died. She thought it was sweet, and she dropped these off at the house this morning," he announced. I teared up, though I didn't want to in front of everyone.
I heard a cork pop and saw Billy with a bottle of champagne. He was filling glasses as my mother and Rosalie were handing them out from the picnic basket that Alice had brought with us. Alice pulled out a juice box for Jax, and when everyone had a glass, he smiled and looked at the crowd.
"Well, we're all here, and we're all still alive. If I know anything about my son, I'm sure he's here somewhere with us. I'd like to propose a toast to us, the survivors. We keep the memory of our missing family alive by talking about them and honoring their memory. I know that it's been a trying time for us, but we have new people in our lives to love, and we have people we miss who we still love, so here's to us for remembering but not getting bogged down by the memories. Memories are meant to be shared and cherished, not binding us to the past. I'm glad to say that we're all moving forward, and I'm actually happy for the first time in a long time. Here's to the future for all of us," he toasted. We all drank.
Just then, Esme and Carlisle walked up to us with another bottle of champagne. "I'm so sorry we're late, but we got a little lost. So, we missed the first toast, but let's fill our glasses and keep going," Esme remarked handing the bottle of champagne to Edward. He quickly popped the cork and refilled the glasses, and I felt it was my turn to say something.
"I didn't know this was what we were doing today, but I'm glad. If Jacob was here, he'd ask where the beer was, but those of us who knew him know that was just his way. Well, he's not here physically though I'm sure his spirit is with us. I've got a lot of people here who have stood by me and loved me and helped me get to this point in my life. Jax and I have a lot for which to be grateful. Alice sailed into our lives unexpectedly, and she's turned out to be a godsend. Rose and Emmett are the best neighbors and friends I could ever hope to have. Jasper, Esme and Carlisle, you've taken us to your hearts without reservation, and I thank you. Mom, Dad, and Billy, you're the ones who have supported me during the darkest days of my life, and I love you, and then I get to this man standing next to me.
"He was a surprise, that's for sure. I never saw him coming, and when he showed up, I wasn't sure what to do about him. He wasn't at all what I expected, but he's stuck by me and helped me through some tough times. We haven't known each other very long, but you've crept into my heart, Edward, and before this group assembled here at this special place, I want to say one thing that I know for certain. I love you. For the second time in my life, I'm in love and it feels wonderful. I know if Jacob is here, he's laughing at me, but I'm sure he's happy. He told me to give you a chance, and I did, and well, here we are," I announced quite proudly.
Maybe it wasn't appropriate to tell him at that particular location, but when he pulled me into a kiss, it felt completely right. I was certain that somewhere, Jake was fuming a little, but he was happy for me. I knew he never wanted me to be alone, and I wasn't. I had Edward Cullen by my side. I was lucky.
"Um, there's just enough left in this one to give one last toast," Edward called as he poured a small amount of champagne in everyone's glass and then he set his glass down on the granite base next to the roses. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes, and I had no idea how to stop them.
He picked up Jax and then grabbed my hand, clearing his throat and then he began the most beautiful toast I'd ever heard. "None of this company would have ever come together if it wasn't for one man. He was a son, husband, father, friend, soldier, and he's the reason we're all here together today. So, here's to Jacob William Black. He made a hell of an impact on those who knew him, and those of us who didn't know him know about him because of the extraordinary man he was and the impact he had on those who loved him.
"Without him, Jax wouldn't be here, and his sacrifice in service to his country is something we should all honor every day. I wish I could have met the man because the people who love him are incredible, so I can only imagine how great he was. Here's to Jacob. We all owe him a debt of gratitude," he toasted. I took a small sip from my glass and offered Edward a sip from mine. I saw Billy and my dad tearing up, and I couldn't stop the tears rolling down my face.
After we left the cemetery, we all went to my house and had an impromptu cookout. It wasn't what I expected the day to be because it had always been spent with me in bed with the covers over my head and my parents entertaining my daughter without me. Everyone pitched in to help with the food because, as my mother said, many hands made light work. Emmett brought his grill over because I didn't have one, a problem that Edward vowed to rectify because Emmett wouldn't let anyone else use his. I laughed as the two of them argued about the best way to cook hamburgers.
Four years ago, I never imagined laughter coming from me on that particular day, but there I was laughing. I laughed again when Alice instigated a water balloon fight in my backyard, which resulted in Jasper and Jax tackling her and Jasper shoving the hose down her pants causing all of us to laugh as she squealed about the cold water. It actually turned out to be a better day than I ever expected.
When everyone who didn't live at my house was preparing to leave that night, I pulled Edward aside. "Will you stay?" I asked. I wasn't ready to make love to him, but I needed to feel his arms around me.
"Are you sure?" he asked with curiosity in his eyes. We'd shared passionate kisses, but it hadn't gone any further. I was ready for it to go beyond that, but not that night.
"Please stay. I can't give you what you need tonight, but I need to feel you next to me. I promise, I'm not holding out on you, and we'll move forward after this, just not tonight. But, I do want you to sleep with me in my bed," I whispered to him. He didn't answer out loud. He only nodded.
We needed to address the fact that I'd announced to our family and friends that I loved him because he hadn't addressed it, but maybe that discussion would wait for another day. I just knew what I knew. I loved the man, and I needed him to hold me and help me get through the rest of one of the worst days of the year for me. If anyone could do it, Edward Cullen could.
"Redward, you can't do that. You have to go this a-way," I heard as I walked down the stairs the next morning to find Jax showing him how to maneuver in the world of Candy Land. Alice wasn't there, apparently having spent the night with Jasper, and I hadn't heard Jax wake that morning.
"I think I can go this way," Edward called as he placed his game piece behind hers with her firmly ensconced on his lap. I could tell he was trying to let her win, and I couldn't help but smile.
"No, this-a-way," Jax corrected. I'd taught her how to play the game, and I'd be damned if my baby girl wasn't going to play to win.
"Candy Land already?" I asked with a cocked eyebrow. Edward smiled and moved Jax off his lap. Apparently, she liked sitting there as much as I did.
"Hello, Sleeping Beauty. How'd you sleep?" Edward asked.
"Momma, Redward made bread," Jax announced as she picked up another card to move her game piece while kneeling by the coffee table with a huge smile on her face.
I looked at him and he laughed. "French toast and we saved you some. She likes it with strawberry jam, by the way," he announced.
"Just like Redward," Jax added as she moved her game piece one extra space to a better position on the board.
"She cheats, by the way. She gets it from her dad," I added. For once, I didn't feel my heart ache when I spoke of Jake. It was a new frontier for me.
"No kidding? Well, then I suppose this is where two cheaters meet. Now, after you eat breakfast, I'd like to take you girls to my new house and see what you think, and we need to go to the sporting goods store and see what we can find that resembles a pool. Jax and I looked in the backyard and decided that your yard needs a pool," Edward announced. I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen, seeing that coffee was made and a plate was in the microwave for me. I hit the buttons to heat up my breakfast and poured myself coffee.
After I ate, I ushered Jax and I upstairs, and we got dressed for the day. I didn't have to work that night, or any other night for that matter, and Edward had two days off. I fully intended to take advantage of them and spend as much time with him as possible.
We milled around Newton's Outfitters and found the seasonal section. Edward found a six-by-eight blow-up pool and a beach ball, and he seemed pretty proud of himself. Of course, Jax found the aisle full of plastic fish and a fishing game, and she beamed at me with pride on her face declaring that my dad could come to the house and fish in her pool. Edward bought it all, and we headed toward the house that he was set on renting.
When we pulled up in front of it, I looked at him like it was a joke. The house was huge, but it was in shambles. The yard was a disaster, and the roof looked as if it had been through a tornado with lots of missing shingles. "You can't be serious about this," I whispered to him after we got out and shoved open the heavy iron gates with the ornate "P" in the center.
It had potential, that was for certain, but that potential would come with a huge fucking price tag. It was a rental property, and if the landlords weren't willing to put the money into it to take care of it, I couldn't imagine why he'd be interested in it.
"I know who owns it, and I think I can get them to invest some capital into fixing it up. What do you really think about it, blemishes aside?" he asked as we climbed out of the CRV.
I looked at it for a long while. It had a wrap-around porch, and it looked like it could be something spectacular with the right loving touches. It needed to be painted, to say the least, and it needed to be refurbished, but it seemed to me that the house had great bones.
"If I had unlimited resources, I think I could make something of this place. The grounds, with work, could be incredible, and the house, itself, has a lot of potential, but Edward, it needs a lot of work. It's a rental, and you don't want to pour that kind of money into something like that," I answered as Jax walked over to a tire swing that hung from a tree in the front yard.
"So, you see something viable here? You wouldn't just tear it down and start over?" he asked as he walked over to where Jax had ventured. I saw him climb on the tire swing and bounce to test the rope, and when he was sure it would hold her, he lifted her onto it. She squealed with laughter as he gently pushed the swing and she swirled about.
"No, I wouldn't tear it down, but as a renter, I wouldn't sink money into it to rehab it either," I answered as I walked over to a spent rose garden. It must have been beautiful in its day.
"Okay, if you owned it, would you fix it up or tear it down?" he asked without looking at me as he gently pushed Jax on the swing.
I surveyed the house again, and I could see that if I owned it and had the money, I'd spend it to fix up the house. It could be stunning, but it would take a lot of money to make it the showplace it had the potential to be.
"If I owned it, I'd fix it up. It's a great structure, provided it's sound, and it looks like it deserves a second chance, just like we all do, I suppose," I answered.
"The first order of business is to replace this tire swing with a new rope and a new tire, I think," he responded. I didn't think he was paying attention to me, so I began walking toward the porch.
"Can we go inside?" I asked him.
"No need. It's got six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large eat-in kitchen with a family room off the side, a formal dining room and living room, a full basement, and a huge back yard. It's all in disarray, but with a little love, I think it would be perfect," Edward announced. I was lost. Why he'd be willing to sink money into someone else's property and why the hell he wanted such a huge house left me wondering if he'd lost control of his faculties.
"Maybe we should go see the apartment you were thinking about. I'm afraid this one isn't going to be what you want," I replied to him as I turned around and walked back to the car.
"Um, I've got a confession to make. There was never an apartment, love. This is the place I want to live. I actually own this," he announced without looking at me.
"Edward, you didn't buy this did you?" I asked in disbelief. If he did, I hoped he got it for pennies on the dollar.
"I didn't have to. My grandmother left it to me. It hasn't been lived in for years, and before you and Jax came into my life, I was going to sell it for the lot, but now I think I want to fix it up. What do you think?" he asked. I was surprised. It was another thing about him I didn't know.
"How in the H-E-Double-L do you own it?" I asked in disbelief. It had a lot of possibilities, but the house had to have been sitting empty for a long time, and the "P" on the front gate left me confused.
"Um, this was my grandparents' house. When Finn left her, Grandmother wasted away here for a long time until Mom insisted that she move. She hung onto the property and left it to me when she passed, but it's been vacant for years," he answered.
I was so fucking confused that I simply plopped down on the ground and waited for more of an explanation. He continued to gently swing Jax on the tire swing without looking at me. After a few minutes of me looking around at the sight before me, I couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Edward, who was your grandmother?" I asked.
"That's a long story, but to summarize, do you remember a story about Finn Platte? He fled the country after he was indicted for tax evasion and possible money laundering?" he asked. I was shocked.
The story of Finn Platte was infamous in the Pacific Northwest. He was a timber mill owner who clear cut more acreage than anyone could imagine. His reforestation plans never seemed to get off the ground, which earned him the wrath of every environmentalist on the West Coast. He was later indicted on tax fraud and evasion with a possible money laundering charge thrown in. He'd fled the U.S. before he was arrested…with his secretary no less…and he was still, as far as I knew, on the FBI's most wanted list. Rumor had him in Europe first, then in South America. I remembered reading about it and not knowing what any of it meant, but I'd heard my parents discuss it when I was younger. He'd left behind a disbelieving wife and a married daughter. I had no idea that Esme Cullen was that daughter.
"Um, vaguely," I answered as he continued to swing Jax. She was oblivious, and for that, I was glad.
"Yeah, well, my grandmother, Liz, was left behind. This all occurred when I was younger. Finn thought I was the heir-apparent to take over the timber business, so when I went pre-med, he basically disowned me. He was then indicted and took off. My grandmother got sick after everything went down, and I was determined to drag his ass back here and make him own up to his crimes. I heard he was in Italy, so when I graduated college, I went there. That's when I, um, met Gianna. I stayed in Italy and you know the rest," he answered.
It was fascinating, but there were a lot of unanswered questions. "So, you never found him?" I asked. I really didn't know what else to ask him, but the question seemed innocuous enough.
"I actually saw him once when I was in Rome, but he didn't acknowledge me. I was with Gianna for dinner, and he came into the restaurant with his secretary turned mistress. When I approached him, he spoke in Italian as if he didn't know me and then walked out without acknowledging me. I gave up trying to talk to him after that," he answered. I could see pain on his face and knew that we needed to change the subject.
"So, where are you planning to live until this place gets refurbished?" I asked. I actually didn't have anything to offer him, but it seemed important to ask.
"Um, well, Mom and Carlisle said I can stay there with them as long as I want, but I'm sort of embarrassed about being thirty-one and living with my parents. I was thinking about asking Rosalie to find me an apartment until I can get this place together," he answered. I rose from the ground and walked over to where he was still swinging Jax who was begging to go higher.
"If I didn't have Jax and Alice living with me, I'd gladly take you in. As it stands, I think you see why I…" I began.
"Love, say no more. I'd never ask anything like that because you've got enough on your plate without worrying about me. Anyway, Mom likes having me around, so I'm fine. Now, I think I need an architect to help with this, so I'd like you to find one who you can trust. I'm hiring you, and I'm going to pay you, so no arguments," he ordered.
"Edward, I'd venture a guess that you have a hefty amount of student loans from med school, so it'll be my pet project. I've got to call my portfolio manager to get him to transfer some money around, so I don't need you to pay me. Let's call it a labor of love," I offered.
He laughed. The jackass actually laughed at me as I stood there trying to be nice to him. "Sweetheart, don't worry about the money. Just find me an architect."
After that statement, I had nothing else to say. We left the property and went to Esme and Carlisle's for dinner. When we got back to my house, Edward carried Jax in and helped me settle her into bed, and then he kissed me on my front porch and left. I didn't want him to leave, but he insisted, saying he'd be back in the morning.
When I'd settled into bed, I fired up my laptop and Googled Finn Platte. There were all of the gory details of his indictment and vague references to his family, but the thing that struck me was a recent photo of him in Switzerland with a middle-aged woman and a small girl who appeared to be about eight, and even in the grainy photo from the BBC report, I could see the resemblance between Finn Platte and the little girl. I bookmarked it and went to bed wondering who the young girl was with the couple. The article was in French, and I vowed to find someone who could translate it for me. It seemed important.
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E/N: I'm anxious to hear from you. Please don't beat me…
Till next time…xoxo