A/N: I know I p*ssed a lot of you off with the last chapter, but many of you said you had faith in me and will stick with me…I'm counting on you! Thank you for your reviews…even the ones that said you hated it. I appreciate hearing from you, and I truly appreciate that no one attacked me, personally, in their reviews. I can understand that we all don't always like the direction a story takes, but I've been on the receiving end of nasty comments regarding me personally, and I was tempted to pull the story altogether (not this one…another one). Thank you for not doing that to me.
SMeyer owns all Twilight characters. No copyright infringement intended.
Here we go…
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11.
Vacillation is a horrible emotion, of that I was certainly convinced. Part of me…the part of me that spotted the beautiful, broken man in the airport and rode in the cab with him to the hotel…wanted to hold him and make love to him and keep him from experiencing any more hurt than he'd already experienced at the hands of the horrible people who'd lied to him about his daughter for all of those years. The years that they'd been kept apart were years he'd never get back, and it broke my heart for him.
Missing first days of school and school plays and birthdays and Christmases when they're little and easily excitable were horrible things to have taken from him, but those people did it and I'd hate them forever for it.
The other part of me…the part of me who remembered all the tears I'd cried for him and how hurt my daughter was that not only her Redward, but his parents, had so easily left us alone without a call or postcard or anything…wanted to line the three Cullens up in front of a wall and shoot them with a Howitzer.
Maybe that was a bit dramatic, but a little daydream had crept in there about it when I sat in the courtroom listening to Edward's attorney put forth proof that Edward was, indeed, Chelsea's father and that fact had been acknowledged by Gianna prior to her death. I wasn't sure what all the documentation was that was presented because it was all in Italian, but the interpreter who was whispering in Esme and Carlisle's ears seemed pleased with it.
Over the next three days, I kept to myself for the most part. I went with Edward and his parents to court and held his hand in support, but when the hearings were over at the end of the day, I took my own cab and went sightseeing. I'd never been to Rome before, and I wanted to see something before I left because I'd probably never get back there again.
It was a beautiful place, and I was lucky to get to tour the Basilica, go to a couple of museums and cafes, and take a driving tour around the city. I stayed away from the Cullens as much as possible because I didn't want to come unglued and go off on them regarding how I felt they'd treated my daughter and me, so I stayed to myself.
Friday morning, I packed my shit and was getting ready to head to the lobby to check out when there was a knock on my door. I opened it to find Carlisle standing there in a sweater and khakis. He looked distraught, and I was worried.
"Carlisle, what are you doing here?" I asked. I was ready to leave and had a short window to get to the airport for check-in, so I didn't really have time to chat.
"I wanted to tell you that we appreciate the fact that you came here to support our son. For two psychiatrists to allow this whole thing to get so mucked up makes me wonder if Es or I should even have our licenses. Look, we completely fucked up this whole thing with regard to you and Jax. We abandoned you two, and that just wasn't right at all. We consider you part of our family, and I have no excuse, save stupidity, to offer. When you showed Edward that picture, we all lost our heads. We just wanted to find our granddaughter, and we let that mission cloud our better judgment. We're so very sorry, we can't begin to apologize," he offered.
I'd heard the apologies all week, and I'd forgiven them for the most part, but I was done with them. I knew why they'd run off the way that they had, but a phone call to us on occasion wouldn't have killed them. That seemed to be the crux of the matter…we didn't mean enough to them that we were worth a phone call. I didn't know how we'd get passed that, but I didn't have time to explore it. I needed to leave for the airport because I needed to get back to my daughter.
"Look, I came here to support Edward because he was supportive of me when I went through some dark times. I can see that things are likely going to go his way, and I'm very happy for him. Now, I've repaid my debt to him. We're even, and you and Esme owe me nothing. Jax and I will be fine again, eventually. I hope you all have a happy life," I told him.
I didn't wait for an answer. I grabbed my suitcase and walked out of the room. I prayed he wouldn't follow me because I was certain I wouldn't be able to remain strong if he said one more thing to me. I needed to be away from them because of the damn vacillating. I knew I couldn't take the hurt any longer and I was worried that if I was around them too much, I'd block it out and take them all back without a second thought. I couldn't do that to me, and most importantly, I couldn't do that to Jax.
##
"Jacqueline Renee, get down here now," I called. We were going to be late, and I was ready to scream. She was going to pre-school, and I was going with Peter O'Rourke to bid a potential job. The Platte house was finished, and Peter liked our vision for it so much that he was recommending Alice and me to a client of his for another remodel. It was an important development for our little fledgling endeavor and I was quite happy about it. It was a direction I never thought my life would go, but I enjoyed what I was doing more than I'd ever enjoyed anything else besides raising my daughter, and I was embracing the new changes with open arms.
It was Halloween, and I'd been back from Italy for nearly three weeks. I'd received voicemail messages from Edward regarding the progress he was making with being able to bring Chelsea home with him, but I never returned them. The phrase "too little, too late" rang through my head every time I heard a message on my cell.
We were getting over him slowly, or at least I felt like Jax was, and I wasn't going to look back. I didn't return the calls, but I was truly happy for him. I wished him the very best in his life, but I was having a hard time forgiving him though I knew I needed to because I couldn't move on if I didn't.
Maybe he was sent to alert me to the possibility that I was going to be able to move on from Jacob. Maybe that was all he was for me. I wished it not to be so, but maybe that was it. I had to accept the possibility anyway.
"Momma, when can we Trick-or-Treat?" Jax asked. We had bought her costume in Port Angeles after we visited Billy the weekend before, and she wanted to sleep in the damn thing every night. I remembered being so excited about Halloween when I was a kid, and I couldn't fault her at all.
"Tonight just before dark. We'll go to Gramma Ne's and then to Rose's, and we'll go to the Jensons. It'll be fun, I promise, but we need to go. I've got a meeting," I answered. I helped her into her coat, and we were off.
The day was long. Peter had a few appointments besides the one he talked to me about, but if any of the jobs panned out, Alice and I would be making a lot of money. Peter was an intelligent businessman, aside from being damn good looking, and he had given me pointers on bidding jobs that I appreciated, having never really been in that position before.
When I pulled up in front of my house at 5:00 PM that evening, I was surprised to see Jax on the porch with Esme, and I wasn't exactly happy about it. I walked up and tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice. "Esme, I see you've come home. What are you doing here?" I asked. I noticed Jax wasn't in the costume we'd bought. The one she was wearing was much more elaborate and looked much more expensive than the Jasmine knock-off she'd settled on. The costume she was wearing was a fairy costume and she looked adorable…but I was pissed about it.
"Jax, why don't you go inside and see if Alice is ready?" Esme asked. Oh yes, I would have a conversation with Miss Brandon if she was at my house and involved in the unexpected appearance of Esme Cullen. Alice had left Peter and me after the first meeting, citing that she had other appointments that afternoon. I didn't like the ambush that she'd apparently had a hand in planning in the least.
Once Jax was inside, Esme patted the bench next to her. "Sit, honey. We need to talk," she instructed. I didn't want to do either, but I did without much hesitation on my part. The woman could sell popcorn at an execution she was so damn persuasive.
"Esme, I appreciate that you brought her a costume, but that really doesn't change anything," I began. I wasn't going to fall under the Cullen spell again. Well, I was going to try my damnedest not to.
"I know that, dear, but I didn't buy it. Edward had it made for her. Look, we're back from Italy and Chelsea was anxious to meet Jax. Edward has done nothing but talk about her, and I promise you he's done nothing but agonize over how he left you two. We all know we made mistakes when it came to you and Jax, but we were possessed. I won't ever excuse us, I'll just ask you to forgive us. He loves you so much, you know. He knows he should have called and talked to you about what he was doing, and I can't explain why he didn't, but I'd almost bet he couldn't explain it either. If Jax was gone and you had an inkling of where she might be, what would you do?" she asked. That was so un-fucking-fair it wasn't even funny.
"I'd go find her, but I wouldn't have left Edward without a word. I'd have told him," I answered honestly.
"What if you thought she was dead and you found out that, for six-and-a-half years, someone else had been raising her and left you with the belief that she was dead? Do you think you'd be able to reason enough to call people and let them know what was going on? He didn't even tell us he was leaving. We had to track him down through a private investigator. He was all over Europe following leads to find her. That doesn't excuse Carlisle and me, but Bella I beg you, please try to see it from his side. He loves you very much and he made a mistake. Who amongst us hasn't made one at some point in time? Please, please, search your heart and try to find it in there to give him another chance. I can't bear to watch him suffer any longer," Esme begged. I couldn't help the tears, even though I'd promised myself I'd never cry over him again. There I sat on the bench on my front porch crying like a baby.
"Bells, think about it. Everyone deserves a second chance. I've heard you say it more than once. If you can only be friends with him, then fine, but really think about what he went through," Jacob told me as he sat on the porch swing that my parents had given me for my birthday. I couldn't answer because I knew Esme would think I was nuts, but he was right. Everyone deserved a second chance.
"Where is he?" I asked as I dug a tissue out of my purse to dry my eyes.
"Honey, he and Chelsea are inside. He was praying you'd give him some time to try to explain, and he really wants you to meet his daughter. Jax already met her, and they are precious together. Please don't get mad about it. It was completely the wrong thing for us to do, just showing up unannounced, and professionally speaking, I'd take myself up before the review board if I'd suggested it to a patient, but I'm being a mother and grandmother here to my two granddaughters who I felt needed to meet. Now, let's go inside because the girls are very eager to go trick-or-treating. Chelsea's never done it before, and she's very anxious," Esme explained.
I took a deep breath and when I walked inside, I could hear Jax and another girl chattering. "But Barbie drives," I heard Jax. I heard two ringing laughs. One was Edward's and the other was one I didn't recognize, but I assumed it was his daughter's. She wasn't at the hearings in Italy and I hadn't met her so I was nervous, but she was Edward's daughter and I still loved him whether I wanted to admit it or not.
I walked into the room and saw the most adorable little girl sitting on the floor with fairy wings on her back that matched the one's on Jax. I stood off to the corner and watched them for a moment. Edward was sitting on the couch watching the two of them, and he looked so happy that I couldn't stop the tears.
"Do the mothers drive here in America?" I heard Chelsea ask in a thick accent. Her grasp of English was incredible, but the Italian accent was still quite evident.
"In Jax's world they do. She's used to her mom driving her around, so that's probably why Barbie drives all the time. My car is only a two seater, so we used Bella's car most of the time and she always drove. That's probably why Jax believes that moms drive," I heard Edward answer. I heard Chelsea laugh, and then I couldn't hold myself back any longer.
"Hello?" I asked as I walked into the room and put down my purse and tote, having dried my eyes. I wasn't ready to appear as vulnerable as I really was. My guard was up, and I hoped it would remain in place. I was pretty certain it was a hopeless endeavor on my part.
I saw all eyes turn to me, including Alice's which looked very guilty, and then I saw the smile that melted my heart on Edward's face. "Bella, you're home. I'd like you to meet my daughter," he announced as he stood and pulled the girl from the floor. I could see he was proud of her, and when I looked into her face for the first time, I could see the stunning beauty that her mother was based on the photos I'd seen of her, coupled with his green eyes. It was amazing.
"Chelsea, this is Bella, Jax's mom. Bella, this is my daughter, Chelsea," Edward introduced. The girl ran toward me and hugged me around the waist which left me bewildered. I looked at him wondering why and saw him wipe a tear from his eye.
"You found me. You're the one who told my father where I was. Thank you," she offered. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her and hug her back. It was completely unfair that Edward used her to get back in my good graces, but I couldn't help myself. She was absolutely adorable.
"Sweetheart, I'm just glad we found you. Now, how are you adjusting to being in America?" I asked as I pulled her with me to the couch to sit down and talk.
"It's all very odd. I have a new family, and I have my father, but I'm okay. I've been excited to meet you and Jacqueline. Father talks about you two all the time," she answered. Again, I wanted to smack him. When I looked at him, I could see how happy he was, and my heart couldn't stop pounding out of my chest.
"We're so glad your father found you. Now, I guess I should go change and we can go out in the neighborhood for the two of you to Trick-or-Treat," I responded with the only answer I had to give. I needed to talk to him about what had happened after I left Italy, but I was very happy he'd won his custody battle, though from what I could understand from the interpreter in the courtroom, it was more red-tape than battle.
Didi had no leg to stand on with regard to lying to Edward about the fact that Chelsea was still alive, and after Finn fled the country, she didn't put up much of a fight to keep the little girl. Finn had the money and he took it with him. That seemed to be her motivation all along, and I wanted to get the whole story from Edward but there would be time for that later. We were going Trick-or-Treating, and there was no time to waste on talking.
"Um, Bella, can you wait a minute. Chelsea, sweetheart, will you take Jax upstairs so she can use the restroom before we go?" Edward asked his daughter.
"Sure, Father. Come on Jax. Let's go potty," Chelsea directed. Of course, my daughter was mesmerized by her and followed her without question…the little traitor. The young girl seemed extremely mature for her age, in my opinion, and she seemed very formal. I assumed it was the way in which Didi had brought her up rather than her feeling uncomfortable with her new life.
When they were out of earshot, I looked at him for any explanation I could get from him. "I'm sorry about the ambush, but I had to use the only thing I had in my arsenal which was my daughter. Not very noble, but apparently, quite effective. I have a lot to make up to you and Jax, and I'll work hard every day to do so because I still love you with all my heart. Please, please, tell me you'll give me a chance," he begged as he took my hand. Hell, I didn't have any fight in me.
"Please tell me you still love me," he pleaded again. I couldn't lie to him anymore than I could fly.
"Yes, I still love you, and Jax still adores you, but you can't come in and out of our lives. You either stay, or you go away and let us heal. I've been seeing someone new, and he hasn't met Jax yet because after you, I can't bring another man around her so you have to decide," I responded quietly.
It wasn't a lie. Peter and I were together on a regular basis, and I could have feelings for him if I'd let myself. The problem was that I was still in love with Edward Cullen. That was what held me back. I loved him and wasn't ready to let go until he said he was done, all the while hating myself for my weakness. I didn't want to contemplate that scenario, so I waited for his response. It was excruciating.
"God, is it too late? Have you moved on?" he asked looking completely crushed. I really hadn't moved on, but I wasn't going to stand still either. We both had some decisions to make.
"I'm not technically dating him, but I spend time with him. He's the architect who redid the Platte house. Have you been out there yet?" I asked, clearly stalling for time and looking for my backbone so as not to be sucked in without a fight.
"Is. It. Too. Late?" he annunciated. As much as I'd liked to have told him yes, I couldn't. I had to be honest with him.
"I don't know if it is or not, Edward. We need to talk before any decisions are made, but I'm not serious about Peter. That's not to say that I couldn't be at some point in time because he treats me very well, and he calls me, but I haven't allowed feelings to develop for him because I needed to feel some kind of closure about us," I answered honestly.
I saw him wince at my reference to Peter calling me, and I immediately felt guilty about the statement, but it was true. Peter called me on a regular basis and was very forthcoming about what was going on in his life, and the calls had picked up since the remodel was finished at the Platte house. I'd had lunch with him several times, and we'd had dinner once. He'd asked for more dates, but I was dragging my heels because I was waiting to find out what was going to happen with Edward. That wasn't fair to any of the three of us and I knew it.
"Well, I've been able to elbow out the competition before, so I accept the challenge. I'd like to have the afternoon tomorrow to explain to you what happened, and then, once we clear the air, we can decide where we stand. Mom wants Jax to come over to play with Chelsea, so drop her off there and meet me at my house at 10:00 AM," he instructed.
"That's not going to work for me. I have an appointment in the morning at 9:00 AM to bid a job. I should be done by noon, and I can meet you there at noon. I'll take Jax to my parents' house because I don't need her getting too attached to the Cullens again if things aren't going to work out with us. Now, I'm going to go change, and then we'll take the girls around the neighborhood for a while," I responded.
Without waiting for any acknowledgment of my terms, I quickly left the room and hit the stairs to go do as I'd told him. As I walked down the hallway toward my bedroom, I heard Jax and Chelsea talking.
"Your mother is really pretty. Where's your father?" I heard Chelsea ask Jax. I was about to interrupt them when I heard Jax answer, "He's in heaven. I don't knowed him, but he watches out for me. Where's your mommy?"
"She's in heaven too. Maybe they know each other," Chelsea responded. I looked into the room and saw the two of them playing with Barbies and they appeared to be okay.
I didn't say anything to them; I just walked to my room and closed the door softly. It hit me that the two of them were missing very significant people in their lives. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if there was any way in hell that two damaged adults could somehow cobble together a decent life for two very deserving little girls. It was a lot to ask, but just maybe we could sometime down the road. It remained to be seen.
##
"Why are we at the hospital?" Jax whined. We'd been collecting candy for two hours, and the girls were antsy to dig in, but Edward made them promise not to have anything until it was x-rayed. I could understand his logic, though I doubted that any of the residents of our fair city of Forks would hide razorblades in candied apples, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
My parents had been very sweet when they met Chelsea, but I could see my dad giving Edward the stink eye because of his just taking off without a word. I was pretty sure he was visually measuring him for a casket in the event he had to shoot him, but he was, at least, cordial to Edward's daughter.
My mom, of course, gushed over the little girl and took an entire disposable camera full of photos of her and Jax, and I was actually looking forward to getting them developed. The costumes were adorable, and I knew I wanted to frame one of the photos to add to the collection on my mantle.
"We're here to get the candy x-rayed so you two can get all hopped up on sugar. Also, you can Trick-or-Treat at the nurses' stations while I see if I still have a job," Edward announced. I looked at him and he smiled.
"Simmons is on tonight. He wants to see me, pronto. Do you mind taking them to the desk in ER and getting the candy x-rayed? I'll meet you guys back there in an hour?" he asked. I nodded in agreement, and we all climbed out of my CRV. Edward still had the two-seater and Jax still needed a booster seat, so my car was the better choice.
The four of us made our way into the ER, and it was bustling as usual. I remembered the year before, and I was very glad that I no longer worked at the hospital. Halloween, especially Halloween on a Friday night, was absolutely brutal.
Edward kissed my cheek, then Jax and Chelsea's, and he went to find Dr. Simmons. Caius Simmons was a prick at the front of the line of pricks who worked at the hospital, but he was the head of the residency program, so Edward's fate rested in his sweaty little hands. I wished him luck and took the girls to the admitting desk in the ER.
Unfortunately, Jessica Stanley was working that night, and I groaned in displeasure at the sight of her. I knew she'd have something nasty to say, and I just hoped she had enough sense not to say it in front of the two young girls who were with me.
"Well, well, look who it is. Bella Black. Sorry to hear about Cullen dumping you. It was bound to happen, you know, but it's pretty incredible he left the country to get away from you. He didn't even do that with Jane," Jessica announced. I looked down to my left and saw Chelsea looking at her with wide eyes. Not exactly how I wanted to her to hear someone speak of her father.
"Jessica, that was completely unprofessional and inappropriate. This is Edward's daughter, Chelsea. He went to Europe to find her, as you well know if you saw the news, so I'd appreciate it if you'd shut your pie hole and tell me where we take the candy to get it x-rayed," I snapped. Just then, Nancy walked up to the desk with a sweet smile on her face.
She leaned over the counter and held a bowl of candy out for the girls. "Hi girls. I'm Nancy. Don't mind Nurse Stanley…she's dressed as a bitter, jealous spinster this year. Help yourselves. Bella, it's good to see you. They're doing all of the x-rays up in Peds because they're having a party up there. When I left, there was a magician who was just showing up to do magic tricks. Why don't you three go up there? I saw Dr. Cullen over in Simmons' office, so I'll send him a page that he can find you there. Now, the best candy is on four, five, and seven. Don't waste your time with three or six. It's all sugar free," Nancy instructed as she smiled at us.
"Thanks, Nancy. Come on girls, let's go," I announced. I could hear Nancy hissing at Jessica just as we arrived at the elevators, and I was very happy that I'd become friends with her while I was working there. She was a gem.
We stopped on the floors Nancy had told us, and when we reached seven, which was the Peds floor, I was happy to see that everyone was in costume and there was music playing. A lot of the patients were even in costume, and it actually appeared to be a normal Halloween party, save some of the machines that accompanied the sickest little patients.
After we stopped at the desk and dropped off our bags of candy, Lauren Mallory, who was dressed as a black cat, directed us to the playroom down the hallway where the party was taking place. When we walked in, I saw Jasper dressed as a clown over in the corner making balloon animals. When he saw us, he smiled broadly and waved.
"Jax, there's Dr. Jazz. Should we go say hi?" I asked. I wasn't sure about introducing Chelsea as Edward's daughter, but Edward had to know that I'd have to offer some explanation for her to the people who knew me.
"Dr. Jazz! Come on," Jax announced, grabbing Chelsea's hand and dragging her over to Jasper, elbowing her way through the crowd just as I expected her to do. She wasn't a wallflower by any stretch of the imagination, that one.
I walked over and stood in the back and saw Jax walk up to him and tug on the over-sized yellow coat he was wearing. "Who are these two beautiful fairies who've flown into our party?" he asked as he stooped down and kissed my daughter on the cheek.
"It's me. Jaxie," she announced. I'd learned that Jasper and Alice called her Jaxie, and she loved the nickname. Apparently, when I was in Italy with Edward, Jasper and Jax got to be good friends because Alice was working a lot. He took her to the park and took her for ice cream several times, and she thought Jasper Whitlock hung the stars. She also thought Edward Cullen hung the moon. I guessed that Emmett McCarty, her third godfather of sorts, must have hung the sun. She had the God Squad wrapped quite tightly around her little fat finger.
"Why, yes it is! Who is your friend?" Jasper asked. I started to lean in to introduce them, but my daughter took control of the situation. I should have known.
"This is my friend, Chelsea. She's Redward's baby," Jax introduced. Jasper looked at me for confirmation, and I couldn't help but laugh. I walked further into the mix of the little ones who were waiting for Jasper to make them a balloon animal.
"I had no idea that you went to Clown College. I didn't realize you could get a medical license with a degree in balloon making," I teased. Jasper stood up and laughed.
"One of the things I learned on my Peds rotation is that a good pediatrician has a gimmick. Wallace, over there, has magic. I can make poodles or butterflies or light sabers out of balloons," Jasper responded. I laughed again.
He spoke to the girls again and then went to work on what I assumed were to be fairy crowns as I'd heard Jax ask from him. He truly was an incredible guy. Alice was very lucky to have him.
"So, where's Dr. Se…Cullen?" Jasper asked as he twisted a white and green balloon together, fashioning a crown for Jax first.
"Simmons probably has him crawling across broken glass about now. He was ordered there pronto. I've got my fingers crossed for him that he gets to keep his slot," I responded, trying to remain vague enough so as not to worry Chelsea.
"He'll be fine. He'll get some awful shifts for a while, but I know that Simmons actually likes him. So, how are you doing with all of this?" Jasper asked as he glanced at Chelsea who seemed to be mesmerized by the way he was twisting the white and pink balloons to make her a crown.
"I'm not exactly sure about anything. It's very new," I answered. He winked at me and plopped the crown on Chelsea's head. Her beaming smile seemed to light up the room.
Thirty-minutes later, Edward strolled in looking very happy. We were sitting on the floor watching Dr. Wallace pulling quarters from behind various children's ears, and everyone appeared to be captivated. I knew how the trick worked, but his hand never went out of sight, and he'd performed the trick on six children in rapid fire succession. He apparently took his magic seriously.
"So? You still in?" I whispered as Edward sat down on the floor next to me.
"One-hundred percent. Wait, are you asking about my job? Yeah, I'm fine. My probation has been extended, and starting Tuesday, I'm on for seventy-two hour shifts for the next month. I have to sign Chelsea up for school on Monday, and I'm going to have to figure out about a nanny or something, but I'll take care of it. So, are you girls about ready to go? It's nearly eight," he responded.
I thought about what he'd said and imagined that he was in for a long road to figuring out how to take care of his daughter. It was all new to him, and as good as his instincts were, Chelsea was an eight-year old girl and Esme worked at the hospital full-time. When Edward moved into his house, it would be a lot more difficult for him to depend on his mother to help. He was certainly going to be in need of help.
"Jax, Chelsea, we should go. It's nearly bedtime," I whispered. Thankfully, Chelsea got up without question and took Jax by the hand which kept her from pitching a fit, thank the Lord.
As we drove back to my house for Edward to pick up his car and go back to his parents' house, I had a lot of things whirling around in my head. Edward and I needed to have an intense conversation, but if it went well, I could see some changes in our future that could benefit us all in many ways. I prayed it worked out for all of us.
##
"Mrs. Fletcher, thank you for giving us the opportunity to put forth our proposal for your remodel. We look forward to hearing from you," Peter closed. We were bidding the remodel of a lodge-style house off the county road, and Mrs. Fletcher was the head of the Forks Historical Society. She wanted the house restored to its original glory when it was actually an old hunting lodge back in the forties and fifties, and Peter had brought us on to do the design work. He told me that because of my ties to the Quileute Tribe, I brought a unique perspective to the job. The photos of the lodge when it was successful showed many Native American features that Billy identified as old Quileute designs.
I was able to speak with members of the Tribe who had expertise in weaving and woodworking, and they were able to show me some designs that would fit into the atmosphere that Mrs. Fletcher was trying to create quite nicely. The woman was apparently bowled over by our ideas, and it looked very promising for us.
After we were in the car, safely away from Mrs. Fletcher's ears, we both squealed a full-on happy squeal. I wasn't surprised it came from me, but I was shocked it came from the 6'3" mountain of a man who was with me. Nothing about Peter O'Rourke hinted at his ability to squeal like a girl.
"I think we're going to be very busy next spring. Now, we should go celebrate. The Hampton job came through this morning, and they want both of us. They want to begin after the first of the year, so we need to get together with them again before Christmas to firm up their vision so we can have the holidays to fine-tune the plans. I'd say that you and I should go to Mexico for New Year's to study the architecture and for you to shop for accessories. We can take your daughter. My cousin has a timeshare down there. Two bedrooms. I think we could have a lot of fun," Peter suggested. That revelation brought a jolt to me.
"Um, Peter, I need to tell you something. I'm supposed to meet Dr. Cullen at the Platte house to show him around. He's back from Italy, and we're, um…" I began before he interrupted.
"Trying to figure out where you stand? Yeah, Alice explained it all to me while you were gone to Italy. She also alluded to the fact that he broke your heart. Listen, Bella, I'm not that guy. I think, in all fairness, you should give me a shot as well. Also, I think it's a good idea for me to go with you to show him around. After all, he'll be paying for our trip to Mexico and I need to size up the opposition," Peter remarked.
Oh, he and Edward meeting wouldn't be good, especially in light of what he'd just asked of me. I was pretty sure that the good doctor would lose his shit if I told him what the dashing architect had in mind. I wasn't really prepared for an all-out pissing contest that afternoon. "I think that's a bad idea. Edward and I have a lot of things to deal with, and I'm not exactly sure what to do about you," I answered.
Apparently, my statement gave him some type of hope, and that wasn't what I wanted to do at all. "You let me worry about Cullen. Fasten your seatbelt," he instructed as he started his Jaguar without another word. I was dreading it all completely.
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E/N: So? I'm certain you've got things to say…throw… I've got on my Kevlar, and I'm ready : )
Till next time…xoxo