"Resignation?" Edward could barely get the word out.
Emmett frowned when Edward just stared at him instead of taking the letter and moving forward a bit he set it down on the desk in front of Edward.
Edward's eyes fell on the letter for a moment before they snapped back up to the man who had stood by him, thick and thin, for several years. "Emmett…" He really didn't know what to say.
Emmett let out a loud sigh before he moved to sit in one of the chairs located across from where Edward sat at his desk.
"You know, I never told you something rather important," Emmett started, looking at Edward with a saddened expression. "You remember my telling you that both my grandfather and father served in the armed forces before me?" He didn't wait for Edward to answer and continued, "I never told you that my grandfather served in the same platoon as your grandfather in the second World War."
Edward's brows drew together in confusion. He remembered a bit about his grandfather, but the man had had Edward's father late in life and had died when Edward was a very young boy. He knew that his grandfather had served in World War II, but then the majority of young men in his generation had.
He just didn't understand why Emmett was bringing it up now.
"They were good friends. My granddad always spoke very highly of him. He got to meet your dad, you know? At your grandfather's funeral? Got to meet you too. He said that the Masen's were a good family. Good people with good hearts." Emmett shook his head. "It was one of the reasons I wanted to work with you, you know? I have done my best at this job not because I particularly cared for Senator Volturi, I did it because I wanted to work with you. I trusted your judgment and that you wouldn't be led astray, even by Aro's bullshit. And, you haven't been, not until last night." Emmett stood up then. "I love you like a brother, Edward, and I'm still your best friend. I'll always be your best friend and be there when you need me, but I need to get out now. I can't tolerate what happened last night, the deceit and dishonesty. Everyone says it's part of politics. Heck, you told me it was part of politics when I first got the job, but I never really thought you'd be part of that. It's best that we end our professional relationship now before it starts to affect our friendship." Even as he said the words, Emmett knew that he was deluding himself. He knew that this was already affecting their friendship. He knew that Edward was not going to take his resignation well.
Edward sat there, obviously shaken by Emmett's words. He was driving everyone away.
"I don't know why I did it," Edward said brokenly. "I don't know why I handed that speech to Aro."
Edward actually felt tears prickling at the back of his eyes and he closed them before they could spill over and let his head fall back against his chair as he swallowed thickly.
Emmett looked at Edward quietly for a moment and then said, "C'mon, Edward, let's get out of here."
Edward opened his eyes and just looked at Emmett.
"C'mon, man. You need to talk and sort things out and this really isn't the place. Let's go get a drink," Emmett continued as Edward just sat there.
"It's still morning, Emmett," Edward finally replied.
Emmett snorted, "When did that excuse really ever stop anybody?"
Edward nodded and stood up, quietly following Emmett out of the Senator's offices.
Deciding that Edward was in no shape to drive, Emmett drove them over towards Edward's place. Rosalie had all but moved into his and he knew that she'd make Edward wish he was never born if she saw him. He'd called Rose not long after Speechgate the previous evening and since she had been in contact with Alice they had been able to piece things together. To say that Rose was livid would have been an understatement. She liked Bella a lot. Emmett was rather upset himself and though it tore him up inside, he still cared for Edward. More than anything, he was saddened by the fact that with that one gesture of handing over the speech to Volturi, Edward had become the exact type of politician Edward had sworn he never wanted to become. It was then and there that he had decided to resign. He just hoped that that along with the fact that Bella would have a hard time forgiving Edward (if she forgave him at all) was enough of a wake-up call to Edward. Edward needed to stop working for a monster before he became one himself.
)( )( )( )(
"When are you leaving?" Alice asked quietly as she drove Bella back towards their apartment.
Bella looked away from the shifting view outside her passenger window and looked to Alice. "Day after tomorrow. I'll be staying with Jessica. Apparently she's usually at Mike's anyway so…," Bella let her voice trail off and just shrugged.
Alice was quiet a moment and then she said, "You want me to go with you?"
Bella was only half surprised by the offer and shook her head. "I couldn't ask you to do that."
"You're not asking, I'm offering, there's a difference. I'd be nice to be in California for a few days. The humidity here is horrible for my hair," Alice said with a smile.
Bella tried to smile back, but she couldn't. It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse, but truth of the matter was she really needed her best friend. "Are you sure?"
"Positive!" Alice said cheerfully back. "We'll get home and pack what you'll need for the next month."
Bella was quiet a moment. "I'm…I'm going to have to go get my things from Edward's place." It pained her to even say his name and the thought of seeing him made her feel downright ill, but unfortunately it was something she was going to have to do sooner or later. Most of the things she needed were actually at his place.
Alice pursed her lips at that and looked thoughtful for a while.
"We'll figure it out. I'm sure between you, me, and Rosalie we'll get all your stuff. Heck, I'm sure she can get Emmett to help and we both know Jasper will help too."
Bella shook her head and rested her head against the passenger side window. "It's not that much stuff. I just need my clothes, computer, work stuff…"
Alice just nodded as she moved to park the car. "We'll figure it out," she said again.
Though Bella knew that Alice was right and they would find a way to get her stuff from Edward's place, that was just a small bump in the road compared to what lay ahead. Truthfully, she wondered how she was going to get by day-by-day living with what Edward did. She honestly wasn't sure how she was going to go on without him, but she would. What hurt most of all was the thought that their whole relationship had built up to this and she couldn't help but wonder if he ever really cared about her. She thought he had. She even thought that he had loved her, even if he had never said it. But, the doubt had begun to creep in. From the very beginning Edward himself had tried to warn her that D.C. was a place full of sharks, people that would do anything to get ahead.
She just never figured that he was one of them or that he would wait till he had her fragile heart in his hands before dealing a death blow by showing his true colors.
A/N: Well, it seems that more than a few people are upset at Edward (both readers and characters). Just to let everyone know, I do believe in HEAs in stories, so I hope that puts some of your minds at ease.
I have received a lot of new readers and I am very grateful!
If you have any questions regarding the story, please let me know and I will try to answer them in the author's notes in future installments.
There was some questions about political affiliation. Both Senators are in the same party. I am not making this a story about being Republican or Democrat. This being said I do have VERY strong political views and do skew in one direction, but I'm not sharing what that is. This isn't about personal ideals, it's about relationships in the political world.