Chapter Thirty Five – (Fairs and Forgiveness)
EPOV
I'm jolted awake by a horrendous banging on my door. I hear someone storm into my room and pull the blinds open before also pulling the sheets off of me. I let out a groan of annoyance before squinting one eye open to find out who the culprit is.
Fucking Emmett, the idiot. I should have known.
"I know I haven't spoken to you since the party. But I just want you to know, I'm not holding that night against you anymore because you were fucked up on alcohol and needed to let off some steam," he says. "But if you're not out of this bed and ready to go to the beach with me and Jazz by the time I come back up here, I will beat the shit out of you," he adds seriously.
"We have school, asshole. We can't go to the beach," I reply, my voice muffled by the sheets.
"It's called skipping school, you loser."
"It's called I just got back from suspension, loser," I mock. "Carlisle will kill me." I add.
"He's already rang the school. He said we're staying home because of family issues."
"What? He seriously did that?" I ask shocked, sitting up abruptly.
"Yep. Now get moving, shithead," he quips before striding out of my room.
I head downstairs, running my hand over my face as a yawn escapes me. Emmett is scoffing down his cereal when I enter the kitchen.
"Since we're skipping school and all, would it be okay if I took this opportunity to spend some time with Vicki and Riley too?" I ask as politely as I can.
"I don't see why not. Bring them to the beach with us."
"Bring who to the beach?" Rosalie asks as she walks into the kitchen. "You're going to the beach? Where's my invite?" she adds, pouting at Emmett.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm bringing Vicki and Riley," I reply.
"Oh, cool. I've been wanting to meet those kids," she responds sincerely. I ponder about what she said for a few minutes before a memory of Vicki asking when she's going to meet my brothers and sisters strikes me.
"Why don't you come to the beach with us then, baby?" Emmett asks sweetly.
"Jeez, thanks babe," she replies, rolling her eyes.
"You're the one who wants to meet them," I add pointedly. She quirks her brow at me, causing me to roll my eyes.
"What about everyone else?" she asks.
"Everyone else is already coming," I tell her.
"Well, Alice doesn't know," she responds. "Or Bella," she adds softly.
"He was just about to get onto that, babe," Emmett reassures her.
"Really? You're okay with that?" she asks astonished.
"Okay with what?" Alice asks as she walks into the kitchen, Jasper following behind her.
"Inviting Bella to the beach with us, along with Vicki and Riley," Rose replies.
"We're going to the beach?" Alice asks confused.
"Now we are," Rose clarifies.
"Vicki and Riley? Are they those kids from the hospital?" Jasper asks.
"Yeah," I respond.
"Really?" Alice squeals. "I'd love to meet them!" she adds enthusiastically, leaning against the counter next to Rosalie.
"Won't it be a bit, you know, overwhelming for them to meet all of us at once?" Jasper asks concerned.
"Nah, they'll be fine. They want to meet you guys," I assure him.
"Are you sure, bro?" Emmett asks uncertainly.
"You just said they could come..."
"I know dude, but–"
"But what?" I ask cutting him off. "They'll be fine," I add.
"Yay!" Alice exclaims.
"Are you gonna call Bella?" Rose asks.
"Oh, is she coming too?" Alice asks taken aback.
"Yeah."
"Have you spoken to her since the party? Do you want me to call her?" Alice asks.
"Yeah, I called her on Sunday–"
"That was you?" Rosalie asks confused.
"Yeah…"
"She said it was Alec," Alice says softly.
"Maybe she didn't want to make a fuss about it," Emmett says.
"Probably," I agree.
"Are you sure you don't want me to call her for you?" Alice asks again.
"I'm quite capable of doing it myself, Ali," I respond, laughing lightly. "But thanks," I add, smiling appreciatively at her.
She returns my smile before walking out of the kitchen and heading upstairs.
After I finish my breakfast I call Bella to invite her to the beach. She accepts gladly and says she needs a break from all her homework. I ask Bella if Tanya would like to come too, but she says Tanya has already left for work. After Bella and I finish our conversation I head back upstairs to change into my board shorts and pack a bag with spare clothes and a towel. Once I have everything organized, I go back downstairs and wait for everyone to finish getting ready. When everyone is ready to go, I head over to Bella's to pick her up with Alice in the passenger seat. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper are following in Rosalie's red convertible, as there wouldn't have been enough room for all of us.
When we arrive at the cottage to pick Bella up, Alice jumps out of the car and hops into the back so Bella can sit in the passenger seat. I briefly explain Riley and Vicki's situations to Bella and Alice as we make our way over to the hospital. Alice becomes teary-eyed, which causes Bella to turn around in her seat and take Alice's hand in hers, smiling at her sympathetically.
I pull into the hospital parking lot and get out of the car. Rosalie parks beside me just as Alice and Bella also get out of the car.
"Um. I'm just gonna follow with Rosalie from here," Alice says slyly.
"What? Why?" Bella asks confused. Alice glances over at me before looking back to Bella.
"I just think there should only be one person in the car ride with them. I don't want it to be all squishy for them," she replies innocently.
"Well, I can just go with the others, if you want?" Bella says awkwardly.
"No, it's honestly fine," Alice insists.
"Right…" Bella replies, the tone of her voice filled with suspicion.
I look at Alice pointedly, quirking my brow at her. She responds by grinning mischievously at me before climbing into Rosalie's car.
"Okay then. Well, do you want to come get them with me?" I ask Bella.
"Sure," she replies kindly, smiling sheepishly at me.
I begin to walk towards the hospital, Bella running up to fall into step with me. Carlisle is at the nurse reception desk when we walk through the front electric doors. He looks up as we enter and smiles kindly at us.
"Oh, hi Bella," he greets kindly. "I wasn't expecting you. It's nice to see you," he adds.
"Hey Carlisle, it's nice to see you too," she replies, smiling sweetly at him.
"I thought you were going to the beach today?" he asks.
"We are. I just wanted to bring Vicki and Riley along," I respond.
"Oh, that's nice of you. But won't that be a little be overwhelming?" he asks concerned.
"You sound like Jasper," I groan. "They want to meet them." I add.
"Well isn't it up to the children to decide?"
"That's who I meant, Dad," I reply, laughing lightly.
"Oh," he says. "Okay then, fair enough," he adds, smiling apologetically at me.
"I'll talk to you later," I tell him before turning to Bella. "Come on, Bells," I say, smiling at her before turning to walk away.
Bella stays quiet as we make our way to the room I asked Riley and Vicki to meet me in. I glance over at her to see she's biting her bottom lip. She must feel my gaze on her because she looks over at me and smiles sheepishly, blushing slightly.
"You okay?" I ask.
"Are you sure it's okay for me to come along?" she asks apprehensively.
"Of course I'm sure,"
"Won't they feel weird about some random girl coming to meet them?"
"You're not some random girl, they know about you."
"They do?" she asks shocked.
"Yeah."
"You talk to them about me?" she asks. "About us?" she adds softly.
"Yeah. They know we were together and they know we're just friends now," I tell her.
"Friends. Yeah," she murmurs quietly. I look at her quizzically before shaking my head, the corners of my mouth lifting up into a smile.
"Vicki is beyond perceptive though," I tell her, laughing softly.
"What have you told them?" she asks curiously.
"I don't go into detail about everything that's happened, if that's what you're worried about," I assure.
"No, that's not what I meant…" she responds, trailing off.
"It's okay, Bella. Relax," I tell her, placing my hand on her shoulder, running it down and entwining my hand with hers, squeezing it lightly before letting go. She takes a deep breath, smiling before nodding her head.
"Eddie!" Vicki and Riley exclaim simultaneously as I enter the room.
"Hey guys," I greet them kindly.
Vicki jumps up out of seat to run up and hug me. Riley does the same not long after. Bella steps further into the room a little slow and hesitant before finally standing directly beside me.
"Vicki, Riley. This is my friend Bella," I introduce them.
Vicki's eyes go wide, her head snapping in Bella's direction. Bella smiles kindly at her and Vicki returns the gesture.
"Hello. It's nice to meet both of you," Bella says sweetly.
"Is you Ed's girlfan?" Riley asks bluntly.
"They're not together anymore, Riley. You know that," Vicki scolds him under her breath.
"Uh, no. We're just friends," Bella replies awkwardly, smiling sadly.
"Sowwy," Riley murmurs.
"It's okay, honey," Bella reassures him.
"So, you're Bella," Vicki muses.
"Yep."
"You were Edward's girlfriend and then moved away, right?" she asks mischievously, already knowing the answer.
"That's right," Bella responds softly. "Unfortunately," she adds under her breath.
"Do you love him?" Vicki probes.
"Yeah, I do," Bella replies confidently.
"Do you love her, Eddie?" Vicki asks.
"Vicki," I scold her sternly.
"What?" she asks in mock innocence. "Just answer the question," she adds seriously.
"Yes," I reply, glancing over at Bella. The corners of her mouth are turning up slightly as she bites her bottom lip to stop herself from smiling.
"Tan why aren't you todeva?" Riley asks confused.
"It's complicated," I mumble.
"I don't see how," Vicki responds bluntly. Bella squats down in front of Vicki and smiles thoughtfully at her.
"We've both made mistakes and hurt each other, sweetie," she says softly. "Our scars need to heal before anything can happen between us again," she adds soothingly.
"When will that be?" Vicki asks sadly.
"I don't know," Bella replies, her voice just as sad. "I've done some things I'm not proud of, honey. I hurt Edward a lot and I need to earn his trust back," she adds softly.
"What did you do?" Vicki murmurs.
"Uh," Bella looks up at me, pain, fear and regret clear in her eyes.
"That's not a very happy story and I want this to be a happy day, so let's not talk about it," I say attentively. Bella smiles gratefully at me before standing up again.
"What are you even doing here?" Vicki asks curiously. "I thought you had school and the fair isn't until tonight," she adds confused.
"We're having a sick day and taking you guys to the beach," I tell her.
"Really?" Vicki and Riley ask simultaneously, their voices filled with excitement.
"Yep. And we've got more people for you to meet," I tell them. Both her and Riley's faces light up at the statement.
Bella looks at me and smiles sadly, a strand of hair falling in front of her face. I reach out and tuck it behind her ear, letting my hand linger there for a few seconds.
"Where did that little speech come from?" I ask curiously.
"When I had that fight with Jessica; she said some things that showed me your perspective of things,"
"Did she now?" I quip. "You know I'm sorry about what happened at the party, right?" I ask quietly, cupping her cheek in my palm. She leans into my touch, closing her eyes for a few seconds before opening them and gazing into my eyes.
"I know," she replies, "Me too." She adds, her voice just as quiet.
"So we're really gonna give this friends things a try?" I ask.
"Yeah," she murmurs. "I'd rather have you as my friend than not have you at all," she adds quietly. I smile softly at her, entwining my hand with hers and squeezing it lightly before letting it go.
Vicki takes a hold of Bella's hand, causing Bella to break our gaze to look down at Vicki and smile at her before leading her out of the room. Riley takes a hold of my hand as we follow behind them. I can't stop the small smile that forms on my lips as I watch Bella and Vicki converse in a hushed conversation, smiling at each other and laughing lightly.
We drive to the beach in a comfortable silence. That is, until Vicki decides to make conversation with Bella, asking her a million questions as though it's an inquisition. They talk about their favorite colors, foods, animals and flowers. Bella glances over at me before looking away and smiling sheepishly when she says her favorite color is green. Nothing seems to have changed about Bella. Her favorite foods are still Ravioli spaghetti and chocolate. Her favorite animal is still a panda and kitten and her favorite flowers are still phonies, red lilies, daffodils and daisies.
When we arrive at the beach, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett are already down on the sand. We make our way over to them and set up our things. I introduce Vicki and Riley to everyone one at a time. I think Vicki is excited to have other people to talk to besides me, especially since they're girls. They all settle in conversation and getting to know each other when I notice Jacob coming out of the water.
He waves at me as I excuse myself and make my way over to him.
"Hey, man," I greet kindly.
"Hey. You still going to the fair tonight?" he asks.
"Yeah. Are you still coming with me?"
"If that's still cool with you," he replies.
"Of course it's cool with me."
"Doesn't seem so cool with your siblings," Jake says through a chuckle as he looks past me.
"Whatever, they can't tell me who I can or cannot be friends with."
"You're a good dude, Ed," Jake says through a chuckle. "Is that Bella?" he asks, looking over to where she sits.
"Yeah."
"How are things with you two?" he asks sincerely.
"We're gonna be friends and see how that goes."
"Well, it's good to hear it," he says kindly.
"Thanks," I reply, laughing softly.
"Well, I should head off. I'll see you tonight," he says, slapping me on the shoulder before walking away.
I walk back over to everyone and sit down. I can feel Jasper and Emmett's eyes on me so I glance over at them and look at them pointedly, silently telling them to just hurry the fuck up and say what they wanna say.
"Why do you keep hanging around that Jacob kid for?" Jasper complains.
"Because he's my friend."
"He's a bad influence," Jasper says.
"He is not," I reply, rolling my eyes.
"Of course he isn't," Emmett scoffs.
"You don't even fucking know him," I say angrily.
"Calm down, grumpy pants," Emmett jokes. I narrow my eyes at him before speaking again.
"No, I won't calm down. Jake's a good friend and hasn't pressured me into drugs or anything else you think you've got stuck in your head about him."
"We're just trying to look out for you, man," Jasper says sincerely.
"Well, you don't have to when it comes to Jake. I'm not gonna stop being friends with him just because everyone sticks him into some sort of stereotype."
"He sells drugs, dude," Emmett says.
"He hasn't done that shit in ages. And it's not like he ever forced it onto anyone, he gave it to people who asked for it," I reply, frustration seeping into my voice. "And when he thought someone was becoming out of control with the shit, he refused to give it to them," I add seriously.
"Of course he did," Emmett scoffs.
"Like I just said – you don't even know him, so don't judge him because of what other dickheads say and what you assume."
"Righto. Let's just drop it," Jasper says before looking at me pointedly and glancing at Vicki and Riley.
Fucking hell, I completely forgot about them for a second. Now I'm going to have to tell them about drugs and how bad they are and to never touch them in their entire fucking lives. For Christ sake, I feel like a goddamn parent. When I look over at them, their expressions don't show curiosity — they show concern. I give them a reassuring smile that everything is fine and not to worry about it. They return the gesture before letting everyone know they want to go play in the water.
I force myself up off the sand and hold both of their hands when we walk down to the water. Riley takes one step into the ocean before squealing, cowering away and refusing to go in. This causes Vicki to laugh at him teasingly. I scold her and tell her not to be mean, otherwise I'll throw her into the water. She narrows her eyes at me, crossing her arms across her chest, silently daring me to try it. I smirk at her and her eyes go wide as I begin stalking towards her. She turns to run away from me but I'm too fast for her. I scoop her up in my arms and head into the water. She squeals and giggles, flailing her arms and legs around ferociously as she screams for me to put her down. I oblige, and throw her into the water. She resurfaces in a complete giggle fit before splashing the water at me.
Riley eventually gets into the water after getting used to the temperature. I watch on in amusement as Riley creates a water fight between Vicki and himself. He jumps on top of Vicki's back, trying to force her down into the water. Vicki attempts to do the same, but quickly realizes that she's probably too big to try that on Riley. Instead, she proceeds to splash water in his eyes before grabbing him by the waist and pulling him down into the water with her.
Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett all come down not long after that to join in the fun. Vicki sticks with Alice and Rose and Riley sticks with Jazz and Em. I look up and notice that Bella is still up on the beach, a book in her hands as she watches us in amusement. I smirk at her before walking back up to where she is. Her eyes go wide as she realizes that I'm not going to sit beside her. Instead, I stand over her and shake my head, letting the water drop down onto her.
"Ew, that's freezing!" she complains, narrowing her eyes at me. I laugh lightly before sitting down next to her.
"Have you even been to the beach before?"
"Um. Yes…" she says emphatically
"How long ago was this?" I ask.
"When I was younger, I used to come all the time with my parents." she replies quietly, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure most people don't come to the beach to read," I joke, trying to make her feel better. The corners of her lips turn up into a small smile.
"Whatever. I'm perfectly content not freezing my ass off."
"You're such a wuss," I tease.
"Shut up, I am not."
"Then why aren't you down there joining in the fun?" I ask.
"Like I just said – that shit is freezing. I'm not going anywhere near the water. I'm quite happy staying on land."
"Oh, really?" I reply questioningly before standing. I smirk down at her, which makes her eyes go wide just as Vicki's did.
"Don't you even think about it," she warns seriously, closing her book and placing it beside her just as I reach down and grab her by the arms, pulling her to her feet and dragging her towards the ocean.
"Edward, let me go right now," she says in a panic.
"No way, love. You're going in," I reply before pulling her closer to me and lifting her up over my shoulder. She lets out a squeal before she begins throwing punches on my back.
"Edward Cullen, you put me down right now!" she yells again.
I glance over at everyone down in the water to see them all watching in shock and amusement. I walk into the water until it's up to my hips. I throw Bella into the ocean, laughing hysterically when she flails around trying to stand back up. When she balances herself, the water is up to her torso and she glares murderously at me. She splashes water at me and slaps me on the chest before walking past me and back towards the beach.
"Come on, Bella. Where are you going?" I call out to her.
"You suck. Don't talk to me!" she shouts back before continuing her way back up the beach. I race after her when she picks up her towel and begins walking up to the car park.
"You're not mad, are you?" I ask hesitantly.
"No," she replies, laughing lightly. "But you know I hate the cold," she murmurs.
"Honestly, Bella. Why come to the beach if you're not gonna go in the water?" I joke.
"Because maybe I wanted to hang out with my friends," she quips.
"You said you weren't mad," I tell her.
"Thanks for the recap," she jibes.
"What's your problem? Why are you in such a bad mood? You've been fine all day. Is this about what happened at Jake's party?"
"No, it has nothing to do with that."
"Then what is it? You still haven't told me what you apparently did that night that will make me want nothing to do with you."
"I'm not talking about that with you right now," she says quietly.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want you to hate me anymore than you do now."
"I don't hate you, Bella," I reply seriously.
"Right," she murmurs.
"Just tell me what's wrong," I plead. She lets out a heavy sigh and glances over at me before speaking.
"When you act like that towards me it just brings up past memories between us and it makes me want to spill everything out to you," she confesses sadly.
"What do you mean?" I ask softly.
"It makes me want to tell you everything, but I don't want to force you into listening to me because I'm trying to give you your time," she says.
"Oh. You know I didn't mean I needed time away from you, right?" I ask hesitantly.
"Yeah, I know. I'm just filled with all these mixed emotions."
"So am I," I reply honestly.
"I really want this being friends thing to work between us. I'm just scared that's all you're ever going to want," she says sadly.
"Hey," I say softly, placing my index finger under her chin and lifting it until she looks into my eyes. "You know that's not going to happen. You said to Vicki yourself our scars need to heal before anything happens between us again."
"I know. I'm sorry," she says, letting out a sigh. "Speaking of being friends, I have a present for you," she adds quietly.
"Oh, yeah?" I ask, quirking my brow in curiosity.
"Do you have the keys to your car on you?" she asks.
"Yeah…"
She turns her back on me and walks through the parking lot, searching for my Volvo. When she spots it she stands beside it and waits for me to open it. When the automatic lock indicates it's open she opens the passenger side door and leans in to pull out her bad. She reaches inside and hands me a wrapped package.
"What is it?" I ask curiously.
"Open it," she says softly.
I rip the wrapping to see a signed copy of Linkin Parks first released album 'Minutes to Midnight' signed by the lead singer, Chester Bennignton. My jaw drops open and my eyes go wide with shock. I recover myself quickly before glancing over at her.
"Where did you get this?" I ask breathlessly.
"From an op-shop in Port Angeles. I can't believe someone gave it away to be honest,"
"Neither can I…"
"Do you like it?" she asks hesitantly.
"Bella, I love it." I reply honestly.
"Really?" she asks excitedly.
"Yeah. Why are you giving it to me though?" the blush rushes into her cheeks and she smiles sheepishly at me before shrugging her shoulders.
"I guess because it reminds me of our first date. And I wanted to show you that I still care about the things that are important to you," her voice is so quiet and filled with nerves. She bites her bottom lip and glances up at me through her lashes.
"Thank you,"
"It's okay."
"I don't mean just for the CD. I mean for forgiving me for being such a prick to you; for giving me time and for showing me you still care. I know it's been really hard, but we're gonna get through this." I tell her sincerely.
"I know we will," she replies confidently. I close the distance between us and pull her into my arms. She wraps her arms around my waist. "I'm here whenever you're ready, I'm not going anywhere." She adds softly, squeezing me lightly before pulling out of the embrace.
"Well, we better get back down to everyone," I tell her.
"Okay," she replies quietly.
"Sorry about before," I say.
"It's fine, don't worry about it. Friends fight, you know," she jokes, smiling softly at me as we begin to walk back down to the beach.
When everyone is ready to head home, we drive back in silence. I think Vicki picks up on the blissful mood Bella and I are in and doesn't want to ruin it or burst our bubble of content. Bella waits in the car when I drop Vicki and Riley back at the hospital. Bella looks out of the window the whole way back to her house.
"Are you going to the fair tonight?" I ask as she unbuckles her seatbelt.
"I don't know. Depends if Tanya wants to go."
"I'm taking Riley and Vicki. So just send me a text if you end up going."
"Okay," she replies softly.
"Are you ever going to tell me what happened at Jake's or do I have to find out off someone else?"
"I know I should tell you, but you'll probably find out off someone else," she replies sadly before climbing out of the car.
"Okay. But when I do find out I won't be angry with you."
"I'll believe that when I see it," she jokes, smiling softly before walking away.
"Thanks again for the CD," I call out of the window.
She turns around and smiles genuinely at me before turning back around and walking into the cottage.
When I get home, Carlisle calls me into his office and gives me a lecture about my behavior at Jacob's party. Of course he'd find out about everything that happened. He goes on and on about how I need to start thinking before I act and that I'm lucky I have two good brothers like Emmett and Jasper to have my back when shit starts to go wrong. When there's no fucking doubt that Emmett or Jasper were the ones who probably blabbed everything to Carlisle in the first place. I strongly believe it would have been Emmett more than Jasper though.
I apologize and tell him that it was just a weak moment and it won't happen again. I also explain to him that I'm getting extremely sick of everyone trying to tell me who I can or cannot be friends with. I tell him about my conversation with Jasper and Emmett, and surprisingly, Carlisle agrees with me that people shouldn't be judging Jacob when they don't even know him.
"I'm proud of you, son. I trust your judgment with Jacob. And if you say he's a good person, then I believe you."
"Thanks."
"Do you want me to have a talk with Jasper and Emmett?" he asks.
"Nah, it's cool. I think I made myself pretty clear today," I reply. "Thanks though," I add appreciatively.
"You're welcome. Have fun at the fair tonight," he says kindly, silently dismissing me from his office.
I head upstairs to have a long, hot shower before relaxing for a few hours before I have to go pick up Vicki and Riley again for the fair tonight. A few hours later, I'm hanging in the lounger room when the doorbell rings. I jump up to get it and I'm greeted by Jacob when I open it.
"Hey, come on in," I tell him before heading back into the living room.
"Wow. Nice house, dude," he compliments.
"Thanks. You want a tour?" I ask.
"Nah, I'm cool. Maybe another time," he replies, laughing nervously.
"Do you want to head off?"
"Yeah, sure. Whenever you're ready."
I grab my phone and car keys off the coffee table before walking past him and out of the house. He follows behind me and climbs into the passenger seat.
Jake stays in the car when we arrive at the hospital to pick up Riley and Vicki. They're really excited and don't stop talking the whole way down to the car. I introduce them to Jacob as they climb into the back seat. They chat away with him the whole way into town, and to be honest, I am a bit surprised about how well he interacts with them.
When we get to the fair, the kids insist on going straight on the carousel. I pay for their tickets and then wait in line. It doesn't take very long to get to the front, considering not many kids are interested in the carousel right now. Vicki climbs up onto a horse and Riley wants Jacob and I to get into the carriage box with him. When the ride is finished, Jacob says he's gonna go meet up with some other friends and then meet back up with us later.
Vicki, Riley and I wander around the fair, going on different rides and lining up to buy something to eat. I buy a large hot chips to share between us, along with a bag of cotton candy for each of us. When we're finished eating, I decide to go to one of the game stalls to try and win the kids a prize. Jessica is working at the stall where you have to shoot three basket balls into the hoop. She looks up slightly as she sees us making our way over to her. I notice that she avoids facing me straight on and doesn't meet my gaze.
"Hey!" she greets us cheerfully. "And who are these two gorgeous kids?" she asks, glancing between Riley and Vicki.
"This is Vicki and Riley, they're my little brother and sister," I tell her.
"Oh," she says softly, knowing exactly what I'm talking about. "My name's Jessica. It's so nice to meet you two," she adds sweetly, bending down to their level.
"Hi," Vicki replies shyly.
"Hewo!" Riley says enthusiastically.
"What's wrong?" I ask Vicki, bending down so I'm at eye level with her.
"Nothing. She's really pretty," she whispers.
"You're pretty too," I reassure her.
"It's not that, silly," she says exasperated. "Is she your girlfriend?" she asks.
"No. Why would you think that?"
"You seem close," she says softly.
"She's just a good friend, honey."
"So you still love Bella?" she asks hesitantly.
"Is that why you're upset?" I ask shocked. She shrugs her shoulders, causing me to laugh lightly. "Yes, I still love Bella," I reassure her.
I stand back up to find Jessica has finally turned her body towards me completely, confusion clear on her face. She quirks her brow at me before looking down at Vicki and then back to me. That's when I finally notice her black eye.
"Jesus Christ, what happened to you?" I ask, my voice filled with shock. There's a sharp intake of breath. I look down to see that Riley's face is covered in shock.
"Ed, you jus seda bad werd," Riley says before giggling.
"Naughty, Eddie. You shouldn't take Jesus' name in vain," Vicki scolds, shaking her head at me in mock disappointment.
"Sorry guys," I respond, chuckling to myself before looking back to Jessica. I don't take my eyes off hers as I wait for her response.
"Uh, Bella and I kind of got into a cat fight after you left," Jessica says quietly.
"Right. Rosalie told me about that. It looks more like a cat fight. Did she punch you?" I ask incredulously. "What were you even fighting about?" I ask.
"You," she says so quietly I'm not quite sure I heard her correctly.
"Me? Why?" I ask astonished.
"Well, I stuck up for you, and she kind of lost it. I guess she had every right to because I was being an extreme bitch…" she trails off, looking away from me. "I feel so bad about everything, but she just frustrates the hell out of me!" she adds exasperatedly.
"You should be telling her this, not me," I reply honestly.
"I know, but she hates me. She won't listen to what I have to say," she says sadly.
"Seriously? God, she is so hypocritical," I mumble.
"There you go taking the Lord's name in vain again," Vicki laughs I look down at her to see amusement clear in her eyes.
"You're a cheeky little devil today, aren't you?" I ask, laughing lightly. I look back to Jessica, her expression still filled with confusion.
"I didn't think you would know about her little alcoholic moment at the party. Did she tell you?" she asks confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh. What are you talking about?" she asks confused.
"I'm talking about how she keeps getting angry at me because I'm not ready to hear what she has to stay about why she left," I tell her quietly, not wanting the kids to hear us talking about this.
"Oh," she responds, her voice soft.
"What were you talking about?" I ask suspiciously.
"Umm. I don't know if it's my place to tell you," she replies reluctantly.
"She said I'll probably find out off someone else. So just tell me, Jess," I reply, letting out a sigh.
"Well, after your little argument with her, she grabbed a bottle of Tequila and drank it to herself. I found her sitting on the steps with Alice and Rosalie. They must have found her after she'd drank most of it."
"Seriously?" I ask astonished.
"Yeah. That's when we got into the fight. She went off her nut, it was crazy."
"Well, I'll be damned," I mutter.
"Are you angry with her?" she asks curiously.
"I'm not, actually. I didn't know she had it in her to be honest," I reply, laughing lightly.
"I didn't think you would be. Anyway, are you ready to win these kids a stuffed panda?" she asks cheerfully, putting an end to that conversation.
"I sure am," I reply confidently.
I win Vicki a unicorn and Riley a tiger. Bella doesn't end up texting me to tell me if she was going to the fair or not, so I just assume she isn't coming. We meet back up with Jacob and we take the kids on the Ferris wheel before heading home. The kids are sad to leave, but they are extremely grateful for being able to go.
I walk them back up to the hospital and get bombarded with hugs before I leave. I drive Jake out to his house in La Push. He asks if I want to come in and hang out for a bit, but I'm too beat and want to head home to get some sleep. I thank him for coming tonight and tell him we'll catch up later in the week.
"Fuck, I hate Mr. Berty," I mutter under my breath. Jasper laughs lightly beside me which just catches Mr. Berty's attention. Fucking Jasper, the idiot.
"Something amusing, boys?" he asks, annoyance clear in his voice.
"Of course not, sir," I reply, letting out a heavy sigh.
"If this class is too boring for you, Mr. Cullen, you could always switch classes."
"I think I might do that," I mumble.
"What was that?" he asks sternly.
"Ed, stop being a smartass. Class is nearly over," Jasper whispers beside me.
"Whatever," I murmur before laying my head on top of the desk.
Ten minutes later the end of class bell signals and I fly out of that classroom as though I'm the flash.
Trig was just as boring as English. The only difference is, Emmett isn't a huge nerd like Jasper is and he actually talks to me during class and isn't afraid to get caught up on it by the teacher.
"You spoke to Bells yet?" he asks.
"No. I will today, though."
"I still can't believe she drank a whole bottle of Tequila to herself," he says astonished.
"Tell me about it," I mutter.
"I'm surprised she could even stand let alone get into a fight and actually do some damage. Have you seen Jessica's face?"
"Yes, I've seen it. I'm the one who told you about this whole situation, remember?"
"Oh. Right, I forgot," he replies, chuckling lightly.
"You're a tool," I joke, nudging him with my elbow.
"Whatever, man. I never knew Button was so feisty."
"Yeah."
"So, you aren't pissed at her or anything? Cause I know she's worried about that."
"No, Emmett. For the thousandth time, I'm not angry with her," I tell him exasperatedly.
"Just double checking, man."
"Well, don't," I reply, annoyance seeping into my voice.
"Hey, now. Don't get your knickers in a knot," he replies through a laugh.
"You're so annoying sometimes," I mutter.
"Whatever. You love me," he replies, slapping me on the back. Once again, causing me to wince in pain because he's a fucking behemoth.
Lunch goes by quickly. There's still tension between Jessica and Bella drifting throughout the room. I catch them glancing at each other a few times, one of them quickly looking away when the other catches them staring. They both let out heavy sighs and sink down lower into their seats. You can tell that both of them want to talk their shit out, but they both don't want to have to be the first person to start the conversation.
Everyone talks about the fair and how great it was. Jessica pipes up into the conversation and talks about how fun it was to work there. Emmett asks Bella why she didn't go and she responds by shrugging her shoulders and saying: "I just didn't feel up to it,"
When the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch, I follow Bella as she makes her way to her locker.
"Hey," I greet her kindly as I lean against the locker next to hers.
"Hey," she replies softly.
"What do you have next?"
"Trig with Rose," she says before glancing at me. "And Jessica," she adds softly.
"And Jessica?" I ask confused.
"Our teacher assigned our seats together for the rest of the semester," she informs.
"Oh. So how come Rose isn't walking to class with you?" I ask curiously.
"I don't know? Maybe she didn't feel like it."
"Is everything alright?" I ask concerned, stepping closer to her and placing my hand on her arm. She looks down at it before glancing back at me for a split second.
"Why wouldn't it be?" she asks softly.
"I dunno? I thought everything was all right between us. Considering you showered me with a gift and all," I joke, trying to lighten the mood.
"No, we're fine," she responds, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Then what's the problem?" I ask, gliding my hand down her arm and entwining my hand with hers, squeezing it lightly.
"It's nothing," she says softly, glancing up at me through her lashes.
"I heard about your little drunken moment at Jake's party, by the way," I tease her.
"Yeah? And who told you about that?" she asks curiously.
"Jessica," I reply.
"Of course she did," she mutters, removing her hand from mine. "Why are you talking to me then?" she asks.
"What do you mean?" I ask confused.
"I told you once you found out about what I did at the party, you'd want nothing to do with me. I was pretty confident about my prediction, so why are you talking to me?"
"And I told you that I wouldn't get angry with you," I remind her, rolling my eyes. "People make mistakes, Bella. I was wasted that night too, remember?" I add, looking at her pointedly.
"True," she ponders.
"You should talk to Jess and sort out your drama. I know she wants to talk to you."
"I don't want to hear what she has to say," she replies, annoyed.
"That's a bit hypocritical, don't you think?" I ask.
"Haven't you heard? I'm pretty big in the hypocrisy these days."
"That's not funny, Bella."
"I wasn't trying to be funny," she replies seriously. "I'm just repeating what everyone says about me these days," she adds, closing her locker a little aggressively.
"I don't think it's fair that you're willing to be friends with me but you don't want anything to do with Jess."
"That's completely different," she insists.
"How is it?" I ask humorlessly. "She was your best friend for twelve years, Bella. Don't you miss her friendship at all? I know she misses yours," I add earnestly.
"Did she tell you that?" she asks softly.
"That's not for me to say."
"Right," she mumbles.
"Look, how about this? If you just talk to her and try and sort out your stuff, I'll listen to you about why you left." Her head snaps up, her eyes meeting my gaze. I can see the hope sparkling in her eyes.
"Really?" she asks hesitantly.
"Yes," I reply, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Why?" she asks uncertainly.
"Because I'm ready, I guess. And Jess needs her best friend back. I can tell."
"Okay…" she replies hesitantly.
"You'll do it?" I ask hopefully.
"Yeah, I'll do it," she replies quietly, shrugging her shoulders indifferently. She meets my gaze as cup her cheek in the palm of my hand. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. When I remove my hand, she opens her eyes and I smile softly at her. She returns the gesture before walking away.
Carlisle was right, timing is everything. And time heals all wounds.
Okay, so I decided to post this chapter a day early haha (:
Edward and Bella are working on being friends to work their way back to the way they were before Bella left. I wanted this chapter to have some fun in it as well as some honest discussions between B&E. I hope you all enjoyed it!
Thanks to everyone who are reviewing and adding CU to their alerts and favourites, it really means a lot!
Thank you to the most amazing, beautiful woman in the universe. My Beta; Jenndur. She puts up with a lot of my shit and she's really, really amazing. I don't know what I'd do without her!
natalee-x