[Disclaimer] Everything Twilight belongs to SM

[A/N] it's been forever. I apologize for that. Thanks to those who are still reading.

**21**

Alice

She was late. Rich people always had a tendency to keep you waiting. I sipped nervously on the glass of water. My throat was dry, like always when I was nervous. Presenting my paintings to a potential buyer always made me feel on edge.

Eventually the door to the atelier opened. But it wasn't the middle-aged Mrs. White that walked through the door. I remembered his face, even when it had been years since I had seen him last. His hair was down to his shoulders now and combed back with some gel.

"Hello Alice, how nice to finally see you again. You do remember me, I assume?"

"Dr. Whitlock, what the hell are you doing here? I'm supposed to meet with a buyer."

He grinned and reached out his fingers to lift my hand to his mouth. "You are supposed to meet with me."

I felt the blood leaving my face. Whitlock was Mrs. White. None of this made any sense to me. If I just hadn't talked Bella into spending the morning in the Spa of the hotel instead of coming with me. A wave of fear spread throughout me and I quickly stepped backwards.

"Are you crazy?" I gasped. "You lured me to come here to Texas for nothing? Why?"

Whitlock chuckled and sat down on the edge of the ratty couch. "Our definition of the word nothing tends to differ. Why won't you show me some of your works? That's what you are here for, aren't you, darlin'?"

"I don't understand this."

"You will in a minute. I promise."

"No." I croaked. "I'm leaving. You're a sicko and Bella should have pressed charges against you when she had the chance."

I was almost out of the door when he stepped between me and the doorframe, blocking my way.

"Stop being hysterical and let me explain."

I considered the chances of knocking Whitlock out. They were pretty shitty. He was too tall and heavy for my 4.7 frame. The feeling of being helpless made my eyes fill with tears.

"Mrs. White was my grandmother. She left me some money when she died last winter."

"Well, than I'm sorry for your loss. Still, I don't get why you would trick me into coming here."

"I didn't trick you. Look, Alice, you're a very beautiful woman. I never forgot you."

"If you dare to touch me, I'm going to scream."

"Soon you are going to beg me for it. I know how women's minds work like."

My knee moved upwards, hitting its goal hard and fast. A split second later Whitlock buckled forward, cursing violently.

xxxx

Bella couldn't manage to calm me down. The entire taxi ride back to the airport I sobbed loudly. All of this was just too humiliating.

"Honey, please, stop crying. You need to tell me what exactly happened with Whitlock. Did he hurt you?"

"Only my pride and who cares about it?" I snapped bitterly.

"I care about everything that considers you." Bella stated. She pulled me closer against her chest. If something had happened to me, she would never be able to forgive herself.

Her phone started buzzing in her handbag and with a sigh Bella fished it out.

"Hello Edward. Did you manage to change our flights back to Seattle? Yes. That's great. Thank you. I will explain everything to you when we get back."

She disconnected the call and turned to me. "See, Edward has managed to book us on the next machine home. Everything is going to be okay."

"It was just a trick from Whitlock. I'm so fucking stupid. Why would anyone want to buy my paintings anyway?"

Bella rubbed gently over my back and when we had managed to make it inside the departure lounge, my tears had finally subsided. Maybe I was just too exhausted.

"Maybe this is a sign. I should stop painting. It's a waste of time."

"It's not. This is what you enjoy doing." Bella said. "God, I hate Whitlock."

"Can we not tell anyone about this when we get home? It's too embarrassing."

"Alice, I don't think—"

"Please! I don't want Andrea to know about this. She's going to buy more of my paintings, just out of pity."

xxxx

"Mommy, you are back!" Andy called, rushing down the stairs in Edward's house. "I missed you!"

"Yes, sweetie, we are. Can you get your backpack now? Your mother and I are tired from the flight." Bella told him, hugging him tightly.

"Is something wrong, Bella?" Edward asked. "Andy, you can go upstairs and feed my goldfish. Will you do that for me? Thanks."

"What's wrong? Alice looks as if she's been crying for hours."

"That's just from the air-conditioning on the plane." I whispered huskily.

"Am I supposed to believe this?"

"Edward, please. Just leave her alone. She doesn't want to talk about it."

"Women are weird. I will never understand them."

He walked over to the fridge and pulled a half-empty bottle of white wine out.

"Do you want some of this? It might help to calm your nerves."

Bella shook her head. "Alice, you can have a glass if you like to."

Edward filled my glass and I nipped slowly on the cold wine while I felt Bella's eyes on me. It was wrong to drink alcohol in front of her. She was struggling with staying away from it and I was making things more difficult for her.

"Hello Bella. Alice." Vicky's voice was like usually a bit too high when she slowly walked down the stairs. Her red hair was damp and all curly. She had applied a thick layer of make-up on her face though.

She turned to Edward and cleared her throat. "I'm going for a walk now. Thanks for letting me shower here and for the rest as well."

For a moment I expected him to say something but then he just nodded his head and stared after her when she walked out of the front door.

"You fuck her while you're supposed to babysit your nephew?" Bella snarled angry. "What the hell were you thinking, Cullen?"

"It's none of your business. But if it makes you feel better, Vicky and I didn't have sex again. We were in the park with Andy, feeding ducks. She fell into some dirty water."

"I see." I murmured. "Bella, I think you should apologize to my cousin."

"I'm sorry." My wife whispered. "I didn't mean it like that."

Edward nodded. "It's okay. I don't even know where this is going. I never considered falling for a woman like Vicky. This is not what I expected."

"Just try to take things slow. Vicky is all hard from the outside but inside of her that's something else." Bella told him.

"Did you sell some paintings, Alice?" he asked, trying to change the subject of our conversation.

"No, not even one of them."

"That sucks. I'm sorry about that."

"It doesn't matter. Can you get Andy from upstairs? I'd like to go home now."

The boy was cheerful on our ride home. It was good for him to spend time with Edward. Maybe because he was missing a father figure in his life.

"Is Uncle Edward going to marry Vicky?"

"I don't know, sweetie. Maybe, yes. Maybe, no, we'll have to wait and see what happens."

"Is Uncle Edward my Daddy?"

"No, Andy. He's not." I told him quickly, noticing the panicked expression on Bella's face. Questions like those made her feel awkward.

"Why don't I have a Daddy? Where is he?"

"Andy, please, we're going to talk about this another time. When you are older, okay?" Bella pressed out, her voice cracking nervously.

"But I want to know now!" he insisted, kicking his shoes against the passenger's seat. "I want to have a Daddy like every other kid in kindergarten."

Bella stepped so abruptly on the breaks that my seatbelt cut painfully into my shoulder. Ouch, damn it.

She stepped out and opened the backdoor, pulling our son outside.

"You're going to stop being a brat. If you kick your shoes against Momma's seat you're hurting her."

"My Daddy would let me kick something when I'm angry."

"No, he wouldn't. Look, I know that our family is difficult from others."

"Doesn't my Daddy love me?"

"What? What makes you think something like that? Of course he loves you." Bella assured him. "Now, get back inside the car. It's time to go home."