It's that time of week again... And as much as I wanted to reply to more reviews, especially those from new readers (*waves*) I just haven't had time with the upcoming holiday. Typical.
Speaking of time, there will NOT be an update next week. I'm trying to be good to my prereaders and beta and not force them to work over the holiday.
Anyway, thank you for the reviews and adds this week; I am forever grateful. Dear Maggie was voted Best Angst fic for the March edition of the Red Rose Awards, and I am shocked and amazed and all sorts of other stuff. Thank you!
Thank you to Stratan, the badass beta, and to stephk0525, twilover76, and claireoth for prereading.
To anyone wondering about rejection: Rejection - whether it's hyperacute, acute, or chronic - is always a possibility, no matter how well matched you are with your donor organ. You can Google it (AHA Journals dot org has loads of info on transplantation available) if you want more. If I explained it, the A/N would take up just as much space as the actual chapter.
Chapter 30
Edward
I swear to fucking Christ, Renee Dwyer hated me. I could see it in the way she watched my every move, paid attention to the way I spoke to Bella, treated her. Like she was looking for some specific reason to kick me out of her daughter's life, which caused Charlie Swan's fucking words to come back to me.
I was thankful for the chief now. He may have had that list of stipulations I was to agree to while dating Bella, but at least he accepted me. And maybe - quite possibly - he was warning me of this. Of how intolerably overbearing his ex-wife was of their daughter.
At least, I hoped so, anyway.
If I was being honest, though, I couldn't blame Renee for being leery of me. I was... I was shit until Bella, and even now - with all the work I'd done - I was merely okay for her. I wasn't the perfect, doting boyfriend she should have. I fucking tried my best to be there for her, but I still occasionally thought my motives were always self-centered. Bella was sick; I took care of her. But it wasn't the altruistic comfort she should have. It was because I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her; bear the thought of what it would do to me. How utterly destroyed I'd be without her, the one person I'd finally wanted to open up to and share my life, my history with.
Fuck, it hurt just to think it. So I took a page out of Bella's book. Because she would want me to, I wrote down everything I could about it.
And then I left it all behind. I refused to give that specific fucking nightmare a voice.
I sat at the Dwyer's kitchen table with my laptop and tried to study up on a few things I'd need to be well-versed on for next semester, but the glint of the sun on a passing car kept pulling my focus elsewhere. Phoenix was... Well, the only redeeming quality Phoenix had for me was that it created the girl I loved. Her life was here for so long, though I couldn't really picture any of it. Bella just fucking fit in the Olympic.
Or maybe she just fit with me. The girl she was in the stories she told and the girl she was to me were so different from each other, I sometimes had trouble associating them together as one singular being.
My Bella.
Renee came into the kitchen with a few bags of groceries dangling by her knees. She spotted me at the table and stopped short, a scowl sweeping over her face before she plastered on a smile.
"Oh. Hi. I figured you'd be with Bella."
"No, I have some studying to do," I replied, trying really fucking hard not to bite her head off. I was getting really tired of her insincerity.
She mumbled something under her breath, and I pushed away from the table, unable to take any more.
"I get it," I said through my teeth. "I really do."
"Get what?" she asked innocently.
"You hate me," I replied, quirking my brow. "And that's fine. I'd probably hate me if I were in your shoes, too."
"You think I hate you?"
She had to be kidding.
"I don't hate you," she said after a minute. "I just don't know you."
"Fair enough."
"I'd like to, though. Bella seems to think you hung the moon or something."
"Which you don't like."
She sat the bags on the counter with a sigh. "Not really. She's my baby. My only baby. And she's been through so much..."
"But you know, it's not really your business anymore. She's twenty."
"She's my daughter. Everything she does is my business," she protested snidely.
I could feel myself growing angry, so I quickly changed topics. "What do you need to know about me?"
"Things," she answered vaguely.
But I knew what she was referring to.
"I'm not telling you about Chicago."
"That's where you're originally from?"
"Jesus, I-" I pulled my hands through my hair. "You don't want to know about my horrible life. I don't even want to know about it."
"It was horrible? How horrible?" she asked anyway.
"What has Bella told you?"
"Bella doesn't feel the need to tell me anything where you're concerned," she said bitterly.
"God damn-" I clamped down on the anxiety and urge to run away swelling up inside me. "Okay, here it is. A very washed out, PC version of my life. The only version you'll ever get," I replied, glaring at her.
I couldn't believe I was about to do this. Hadn't I just said I wasn't telling her anything?
Yet here I was, spilling my guts.
In essence, it was all for Bella. I didn't want this for her, to be a rift between Renee and her. And the way I saw it, I had two options. I could either try to make Renee understand a little bit about me and my relationship with Bella, or I could walk away.
I was such a selfish fuck, though.
So I chose the former.
"I lived with my addict of a mother until the summer I turned twelve, where she proceeded to then dump me off at her drug dealer's house and disappear. What maybe could have been a better situation - because at least I was fed - ended up being just as bad because of the people around me. I was threatened every day I was there, exposed to things I didn't know existed and was too young to understand. I was terrified of them hurting me, so eventually, I ran away and hoped that they wouldn't find me. I was homeless for fourteen months. Fourteen months, Mrs. Dwyer, and let me tell you: it does things to you, things you can't even imagine. I was only found by my adoptive parents after I was caught and almost killed."
"They..."
"Shot me. Twice. Right in the chest. Need to know anything else? Something about the sister I never got to know, maybe?"
She shook her head once, looking absolutely stunned and turned back to put away the groceries she'd brought in, and I immediately felt guilty for being so shitty with her.
But then I wondered how differently she'd look at me now that she knew. As much as I didn't like Renee, the thought still fucking pierced me. It was exactly why I never let people in.
I tried to read the journal article still called up on my laptop, but was so agitated now that I couldn't concentrate on it. The words just kept bleeding together, so with a grunt, I slammed the laptop shut and moved to get up.
"Bella said she loves you," Renee said quietly.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm lucky."
A surprised giggle escaped her. "You're smart."
I couldn't force myself to smile back at her. "Now do you see why she didn't tell you anything?"
She nodded.
"You've been mad at her because she's been protecting me." I paused, trying to see if what I said was sinking in at all. Bella didn't need to suffer any more than she had just because her mother got her goddamned feelings hurt.
But I couldn't really tell anything by her expression.
"She's it for me," I continued. "She's... everything. You know?"
"I thought the same way about Charlie. And look where it got us. So I'm sorry, but I don't think the two of you really do know yet."
The way she looked at me, like she truly believed every word of what she was saying pissed me right the fuck off.
Everything I'd just told her had been for nothing.
"Don't do that," I growled. "You can disagree with what I say because you - and I quote – 'don't know me'. But you don't get to second guess Bella's decisions just because she doesn't have the experience you think she should. No disrespect, but she's not you. She's... She follows her heart, without any judgment, no matter where the hell it leads her, even if it's to some fucked up asshole that had no idea what love was until her. It's what makes her so incredible. It's how I fell in love her."
Her jaw dropped in shock.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find Phil. I have a Christmas present to plan for your daughter."
I stood up quickly, my chair skittering across the kitchen floor as I stormed outside to find Bella and her step-father. I was blinded by the sun for a few seconds when I opened the door, because after spending so much time in Forks, my eyes had trouble adjusting to bright-as-fuck-Arizona, but eventually spotted them in the back yard, throwing a baseball around together.
The grin on Phil's face had me forgetting what I was so angry about.
"How the hell did you teach her to do this?" he shouted over at me with a laugh.
"She didn't need me to teach her. She's a natural," I called back.
"Damn," he said, throwing the ball at her. It was fast and to the left.
Bella caught it with ease.
"Wish we'd have figured out the heart thing earlier. Chaparral could have used someone like her on the team."
"What would you have done?" she retorted. "Given up your coveted baseball coach position to coach a bunch of girls instead?"
"In a heartbeat, Bell."
Her throw faltered as she took in Phil's expression. "Really? You'd have coached the softball team for me?"
"Don't act so surprised. You know I love you."
"Yeah, but..."
"You gonna throw or not?"
She launched the ball back at him. "So does anyone know what the actual plan is for Christmas?"
"Yeah, that's what I came out here to tell you," I lied. "Your mom wants to talk to you about it."
"Now?"
I shrugged.
She threw the glove down with a little huff. "I haven't had decent enough weather to do this in months, and just when I really get into it, she picks now to want to talk?"
"Renee has always had impeccable timing," Phil joked.
"Yeah," she grumbled, taking off to go inside.
Phil turned on me, a smile flashing across his face. "Renee doesn't actually need to talk to Bella, does she?"
Smart guy.
"No," I responded. "I need to talk to you about Bella's Christmas present."
His brows shot up. "And what could you possibly need me to do for that?"
"Alice and I need into the high school. The gym, specifically. There's something I want to do for her."
I shut off the engine of the Camry Phil had let me borrow and sat there for a second. Breathing. Staring.
Freaking.
I could do this. I could be nonchalant and lead Bella into the darkened school, wind my way down the empty hallways until we got the gym. I could be the perfect fucking boyfriend I'd just berated myself over before.
Except, I didn't know if I could. I was so far out of my comfort zone that I was sweating like hell in this fucking suit I'd worn. My heart was beating hard against my ribs, and I was beginning to think that I was going to have a goddamned panic attack unless I found a way to calm down.
Not to mention, I had no idea how this was going to go over. If Bella would laugh at me or not.
"Baby," I breathed, dragging my hands through my hair and messing up any kind of style Alice had managed with it, "just promise me something. Don't laugh when we get inside."
Bella gave me a strange look and snorted. "You're worried I'm going to laugh at you? Edward, I'm more confused than anything-"
And then like she'd been struck with the idea, she gasped and her eyes went wide, wild with shock.
"You didn't," she whispered.
Her hand came up to cover her mouth, and she blinked at me as tears began to form.
I reached down and pulled the plastic container out from between the seat and my door, giving her the first glimpse of my Christmas present to her.
Her tears spilled over now, streaking down her cheeks in the orange glow of the sunset. The container made a fuck load of noise as I opened it and pulled the pink rose corsage out.
Alice was right. It looked really good next to her blue dress.
My hands shook as I put it on her wrist and straightened it out. I swallowed thickly and let my eyes find hers again, needing more reassurance than I ever had before.
"You should experience everything," I started, losing the words at the emotion on her face. "And since we promised not to buy anything for each other, I thought that this..."
"You're giving me prom," she sobbed.
I smiled tentatively with her reaction. "Yeah. I uh, I know Alice and you did some sort of thing in the hospital but I never went to prom either, and I... we both-" I stopped and got out of the car. It was fucking stupid to have all of Alice's hard work inside while we sat out here and talked.
We could talk anywhere.
We could talk in there.
I came around and managed to get to Bella's door before she was completely out of the car, reaching out for her hand and pulling her to me.
She threw her arms around me and buried her face into my neck. My own instinctively came up to wrap around her waist, holding her to me; picking her up so that her feet no longer touched the ground.
She didn't say anything, barely even breathed, and I knew she was trying not to cry or mess up her makeup any more than she already had.
Good tears, I reminded myself, and all my insecurity faded away.
"You look fucking incredible tonight," I whispered into her ear. "That dress is... fuck."
She shivered in my arms and grinned up at me. "So do you. You should wear a suit more often."
I barked out a laugh. "I don't think so."
I let her lead us into the building, an anxiousness building up inside me the closer we got to the gym. When we passed by her old locker, she stopped and ran her fingers over it.
"Alice and I shared lockers," she said softly. "We put books for the classes nearby in each so we weren't rushing around all of the time."
"Makes sense."
"Alice's idea. Always the planner, you know?"
I barely managed to keep myself from smiling. I knew exactly how Alice liked to plan things now.
She opened the doors to the gym and took a single step inside before stopping to gape at the scene around her.
"Winter Wonderland," she marveled, glancing around the room.
Everything was done in silver, white, and blue, and looked like... Well, like an elf threw up all over the place, but I wasn't going to complain. It was the theme of her senior prom. The prom she missed. Alice hadn't spared any expense when it came to recreating it. There were balloons, streamers, glittering snowflakes...
"Okay, guys!" Alice shouted from the corner. "You can't go to prom unless you get your picture taken!"
Bella groaned, "Are you serious?"
"Very. You think I put in all this work to not get some kind of memento out of it?"
Bella pressed her lips together guiltily. "Thank you. So much... Alice, it's your Christmas break and you're-"
Alice cut her off with a sound of disapproval. "Please, don't. You know I'd do anything for you. You're my cardiovascular challenged soul mate."
"Boyfriend standing here," I interjected.
"Platonically speaking, of course. Don't get your briefs in a twist."
"Don't wear briefs, shorty."
"Jesus, Edward. Just let me get the last word for once!"
Bella giggled beside me, and so I let my retort slip away.
We walked over to the spot in the corner that Alice had set up for photos and posed. It seemed so fucking surreal to hold Bella against me and let Alice snap pictures of us. This was one of those things I never had interest in, avoided. But with Bella it seemed different somehow... Like I was finally living that normal life I'd craved for so long.
Without the obnoxious teenagers, obviously.
Alice started the music just before she left, a playlist we'd created together this last month when Bella was busy studying or sleeping. It was something that would last for hours, so I could stand here with her and talk, dance with her... be with her.
"So what was with my mom today?" she questioned, leaning back to gauge my response. "I went back inside to talk to her about Christmas tomorrow and she was acting really weird."
"She pissed me off."
Bella laughed, taking me by surprise. "What'd she say?"
"She thinks she fucking knows what's best for you, when she really doesn't even know you at all, and I..." I sighed. "I probably should have kept my mouth shut."
"No, you shouldn't have. I think maybe you made her realize she didn't really have us figured out like she thought she had."
"What?"
"Well, whatever you said affected her. I can't imagine you were very rude-"
I snorted derisively. If she'd only heard me.
"But," she continued, undeterred, "whatever it was, it must have been pretty big to get that kind of reaction out of her."
"I told her a little bit about Chicago," I muttered.
"You... No, you didn't."
"I did."
"Why?"
"I have no idea, Bella," I said, staring down at her. "I really don't. I guess I thought it would help if she knew that this wasn't just some bullshit relationship you got into because you finally could. That you saw something in me or whatever. I... I got fucking defensive."
She nodded and let the subject drop. Her eyes drifted away from mine, and her face pinched up in thought for a moment.
And then her arm came up, and she was pointing to the back corner of the basketball court just to our right.
"That's where it happened."
I stared at the spot for a few seconds before I finally fucking clued into what she was referring to. "Where you fainted."
"Yeah." She swallowed hard. "I remember getting really dizzy when I went to serve. There was this girl, Monica. She was perfect, you know? One of those girls who was tan and blonde and popular... She hated me, and that was okay, because I didn't really care for her either. But I thought that I'd just been letting her bother me more than usual. So I pushed myself a little harder. Tried again."
"And?"
"It gets pretty blurry after that. Someone said something shitty, and I blacked out. The next thing I knew, I was on a stretcher headed toward an ambulance in the parking lot. Alice flipped out."
"She was there?"
She shook her head. "She'd gotten out of class just as they were rolling me outside. She made the paramedics let her in the truck."
I chuckled to myself. No doubt that little shit had.
She sighed and moved a little closer to me so that her entire body was flush with mine. We danced for a couple of songs, and then I decided to give her something more of myself. A piece of the past that - while not painful or something I didn't want to remember - was a way to show her how different I was before her. How... fucked up I'd been from the very beginning.
"I didn't talk to anyone in high school. Not one fucking person unless I had to."
"Really?"
"At first, people were scared of me. I got in fights and just..." I huffed. "Then I kind of stopped that shit after a while. I knew I'd need to get into college and so I started busting my ass to pull my grades up. I was still a dick, but it was different. I made it seem like I thought I was better than them, when the reality was the complete and total fucking opposite."
"Yeah, I've been on the receiving end of that little show," she said wryly. "It's not pleasant. You definitely know how to push people away."
"Push them away before I could hurt them," I murmured. "Until you, anyway."
"How you could ever think you aren't good enough for me I'll never know," she said quietly.
"Bella..." My hold tightened on her along with this feeling in my chest.
She glanced around the gym, a wistful look on her face. "Hear me out, baby. I thought I was okay not having this. But I was wrong. Even if it's just the two of us, and I'm twenty now... Thank you. For this, for standing up to my mom. But most of all, thank you for loving me. For opening up and giving us a chance instead of pushing it away entirely."
I shook my head, having no idea how to respond other than with, "Merry Christmas."
The song changed into something even slower, and I sang along with the tune as we danced, unconcerned by the fact that this was the first time in my life that I'd ever sang in front of anyone, because Bella just had that effect on me. Things like that never mattered when I was with her. It was just us, together. Simple. Something I hadn't realized I'd wanted until the day she found me.
Lyrics faded as we slid into a kiss. Her hands moved under the suit jacket, and I hissed against her mouth, knowing that I wasn't going to get out of here without taking her now. Not after everything we'd just shared. Not after spending an entire week in Phoenix in separate bedrooms. I hadn't been able to touch her whenever I wanted, too fucking worried about impressing Renee, which made me need to be with her all the more. So much that I'd taken to jerking off in the shower the last couple of mornings just so her mother wouldn't see how hard her daughter made me when she bent over in a pair of those tiny fucking shorts she wore around here.
God, I really was fucked up sometimes.
Her hands yanked at the fabric of my shirt, pulling it from my pants, and reached my skin, slipping under the waistband-
"Did you ever wonder what it was like to get fucked in your high school gym?" I asked against her mouth.
"Ah..." My mouth trailed down her neck, to her collarbone, sucking, nibbling until she went pliant in my arms. "No?"
"You sure about that?" Hands slipped under her dress until I found... nothing.
I jerked back in surprise, my eyes roaming her face just as she smirked.
"Merry Christmas," she said, arching her brow.
"Oh, fuck, you're perfect," I groaned. I grabbed her and picked her up, walking her over to the bleachers and putting her down on the second row.
Clothes came off quickly, a zipper sounded between us; a strap of the dress fell off her shoulder. I pulled her dress up to her stomach and stroked her, moaning when I felt how hot and swollen she was, how ready she was for me.
I spread her legs and glanced between them, groaning at the sight of her rubbing against my hand. "Goddamn, Bella."
She whimpered my name when I drew my hand back. Her eyes found mine, dark and heavy and desperate.
I grinned wickedly.
"Make yourself come."
Her eyes closed for a moment, a little line forming between her brows. "What?"
"I want to see what you did before me. How you got yourself off."
There was a sharp intake of air, and her eyes snapped open. They were hesitant, nervous, filled with a self-consciousness that I hadn't seen in a long time now.
I put my hands on her knees, opening her up more as I trailed my fingers over her skin until I was at the apex of her thighs.
My thumb lazily moved up.
Then down.
I waited until she was looking at me again before I spoke.
"Please?"
Her hand trembled as it made its descent, coming up to cup one of her tits through her dress - stalling, of course - before moving back down her stomach. She ran her hand over herself, dipping her fingers just inside, and then letting them graze her clit.
"Fuck, that's so hot," I murmured, feeling my balls ache at the sight.
I didn't dare put my hand on my dick, though. To do so would mean to come.
And I wasn't coming until I was buried inside my girl.
She gained a little confidence with my words, speeding up her movements and slowly beginning to rock her hips into her hand. Two fingers moved down, disappearing inside that soft, pink flesh of hers, and she bowed up and moaned.
When her thumb made a lazy pass at the top of her sex and she shuddered, coming just like I'd asked her to, I couldn't take it anymore.
"I think I've changed my mind," I snarled, pushing her hand away and moving between her legs. I plunged inside her and felt her body flutter around me. "I'm going to be the one to make you come. Always."
I thrust into her hard, watching her entire body start quaking, her head fall back, and her teeth dig into her lip. I grabbed her hips and kept slamming into her, hitting that fucking sweet spot inside her over and over again until she fell apart at the seams, my name echoing through the gym.
It was fast. Hard. So fucking good because for once, I stopped worrying about it all.
I let go.
Soon I was coming hard, spilling inside her, a flash of panic rushing through me as I did. Though, not as much as before.
But it was still there.
And fuck, I wanted it gone. Wanted to feel that sense of freedom again.
I dropped my head to her shoulder and pushed it all aside as I tried to find my fucking breath.
"Holy fuck, baby," I said, gulping down air.
"Mmm," she said. Her hands skimmed over my back slowly. "I think you just changed my entire outlook on this place."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not going to remember it the same way now, that's all."
I lifted my head, if only just to smirk down at her. "So what you're really saying is that I fucked the bad memories right out of you."
She laughed, and answered me with a sheepish shrug.
Well, I guessed that made two of us then. Because even though I wasn't completely over it all, Bella was doing the very same thing for me.
Every time.
"Bella," Charlie exclaimed at the sight of us walking into the station together. "I thought you two were in Phoenix with your mom."
She hurried over to her father's office before he had the chance to fully stand up and head toward us. "We were, but I wanted to see you."
He let her wrap her arms around his waist and patted her on the back, his eyes flickering up to me before letting out a sigh. "What is it?"
"Huh?"
"Bella, I know you're here for something specific. What is it?" he repeated.
"Oh, come on. Can't you just turn off the cop for once?"
"Not on your life," he returned, his lips curving some beneath his mustache.
"Well, it's not really for me..." she started.
"It's for me," I interrupted. I went inside Charlie's office and closed the door behind me. "I was hoping for a favor."
His brows knit together as he stared back at me. "What kind of favor?"
"How much of my past has Bella told you?"
"Nothing," he answered immediately. "I never wanted to know anything more than what was in your file."
"My file."
"You know, the one your parents altered."
I gazed at him for a few seconds, wondering if I should explain to him why half of my record had been erased.
And then decided against it.
"Ok, then, what do you know about me?"
"Born at Cook County Hospital, nineteen eighty-nine. Original name Edward Anthony Masen III. Adopted by the Cullens at fourteen. Birth mother's been in and out of jail and rehab for years. You, though... You're squeaky clean. Not even a speeding ticket. I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing, especially since I know how you drive."
I snorted. "Depends."
"Figures," he muttered. "You had a sister, Margaret Grace Masen, adopted at five to Liam and Siobhan Carr. My daughter's heart donor. That's really about it, other than inconsequential things like height, weight, eye color, the year you graduated from high school..."
I cleared my throat. "So you know who my father is."
"Just by the name on your birth certificate. I don't know anything else about him."
I sat down in one of the chairs across from Charlie and looked at Bella, silently urging her to sit with me.
I exhaled sharply once she did. "Here's the thing, sir. I don't have any memory of my sister. And I... I want to change that if I can. Or at least find out why I don't. Our mother never mentioned her. Not once in the twelve years I lived with her, and I can't stop myself from trying to figure it out."
"And where do I come in all this?" he asked.
"I wanted to see if maybe you'd run a search on my father. See where he is now. I had thought to find Elizabeth first, but I don't know if that's the best idea anymore. Not after everything I went through because of her."
"What are you afraid will happen?"
"That I'll revert back to some of my old tendencies," I answered, and then laughed at myself. "God, I sound like my shrink."
"Not necessarily a bad thing," he said gently. "Tell you what. It might take me a few days to find him. 'Edward Masen's' not a common name, but I can't spend all my time searching for him. You understand, don't you?"
"Of course," I answered. "I'd never expect you to."
He nodded. "Bella, you want to hang out at the house until my shift ends? I can grab a pizza on my way home."
"I think we were going to head over to the garage so Edward could work on my truck," she answered, glancing at me for confirmation.
"But we'll be there for dinner," I finished.
"All right. How long are you two planning on staying?"
"Just over the weekend," Bella responded. "Class starts on Monday."
"The new bed came in last week," the chief said casually.
"Then we'll stay with you while we're here."
Wait. What?
I blinked. Then stared at my girlfriend, sitting there like nothing was wrong at all, when I was reeling from this latest development.
Sleeping in the same house with Bella's father. It wasn't like I hadn't done it before or anything, but fuck, Emmett was right. It was before there was the label of the boyfriend. Before he knew we had sex.
"Holy hell," I mumbled under my breath.
Charlie smirked at me. "Problem, Edward?"
"No," I practically squeaked.
The smirk widened. "You'll be fine. The bed's brand new. You and Bella can... test it out for me."
I coughed and felt heat rise to my cheeks. "Excuse me?"
"The mattress," he said, although I could almost guarantee that was not his original meaning. "No one's slept on it yet."
"Jesus fucking..." I straightened up and nodded at him. "So we'll be sharing a room?"
"Not like there's anything to hide anymore, is there? Besides, you two are consenting adults."
"Dad-"
"Just remember to keep the noise down. I sleep with a gun on the nightstand. And I've been known to-"
"Daddy!" Bella shouted.
"- mistake innocent noises for burglaries before." He gazed at her innocently. "What? The kid's already been shot once. I wouldn't want it to happen again. Not with my gun."
"Yeah, right," she mumbled, clearly embarrassed.
He grinned.
Which was my cue to leave.
And I led Bella back out of the building and to the car, I found myself giving serious consideration to sleeping on the floor.