CHAPTER – 15 EPOV YOU BELONG TO ME
The Little Things- Danny Elfman
Have you heard the news?
Bad things come in twos.
But I never knew
'Bout the little things.
Every single day
Things get in my way.
Someone has to pay
For the little things.
And I'm through with the stories
And I'm sick to my shoes.
And the walking and the talking,
It's got nothing to do with
The final solution.
It's a box full of tricks.
And I'm through with repairs
When there's nothing to fix,
When there's nothing to fix,
When there's nothing to fix,
And it all comes down to you.
Let the headlines wait,
Armies hesitate.
I can deal with fate
But not the little things.
Armageddon may
Arrive anyday.
I can't get away
From the little things.
With a pile of cares
And a bucket of tears,
I could look at the sunlight
And I feel no fear.
With a mountain of maybes
And some Icarus wings,
And I'm armed with delusions
And one little thing,
And that one little thing,
And that one little thing,
And it all comes down to you.
Have you heard the news?
Bad things come in twos.
But I never knew
'Bout the little things.
Every single day
Things get in my way.
Someone has to pay
For the little things.
EPOV
My muscles relaxed under the spray of hot water as I scrubbed the sweat and grime off. Today's training had gone well and I was back at my peak. Emmett was thrilled and Jasper was surprised that I had managed to bounce back so quickly. The steam of the shower swirled around me as I washed my hair and quickly rinsed. I was dried, dressed and heading out the door in less than ten minutes. Glancing at the time on my phone, I calculated that I had about forty-five more minutes before Bella got off work and I could drive us both home. I had been training nonstop since the Halloween party. I would leave early in the morning and return home to her already asleep. It had been weeks since we had been able to properly enjoy one another.
That's code for weeks of no sex.
I had major plans with her tonight that included us doing nothing...but each other.
I grunted out a hello to a few of the guys filtering out of the annex and turned down the dimly lit hallway to Emmett's office. I entered the small room and saw Jasper perched on the desk; both of them were in the middle of what appeared to be a heated discussion.
"Edward...we didn't expect you so soon."
I narrowed my eyes at Jasper and turned to look at Emmett. He was generally easier to read. As I suspected, his eyes were trained on the phone in front of him, expertly avoiding my gaze.
"Emmett?"
"I just found out some news."
"Someone spit out already." I ground out. I hated being coddled.
"King has put a lot behind this match. He's gone as far as getting people in from New York, LA, and Vegas. They're all flying in to see what King has been going on about. They've sweetened the pot..."
"How much?"
"Five hundred thousand dollars on the win." His voice was so quiet I almost didn't hear him. My eyes sought out Jasper and he grimly nodded at me.
"So, King expects to win. He's not going to put that much money down on James if he didn't think so." I murmured.
This time Jasper spoke up.
"No, Edward, King's buddies aren't all betting on James. Some are betting on you."
My eyebrows shot up and I blew out a quick breath. This was a strange development; King's buddies were betting against him.
"Another thing," Emmett started.
"...winner is up for a sponsored match in Vegas a year from now. All expenses paid with power to veto the opponent."
This put a chink in my plans. I sighed and plopped down into one of the folding chairs in front of his desk. How do I go about explaining to Emmett that I didn't expect to be doing this for another year? How do I tell my best friend that I didn't want to make money for him like this anymore? I knew what he would do. I knew what he would say. Emmett would try to convince me that I had to fight. That fighting was a sure way at making a living for myself. He wouldn't want to let this go. Telling him right now, that my plans had changed in the long run would not only upset Emmett but possibly piss off Jasper. This is what he was afraid of from the beginning with Bella.
"Emmett, I just wanna take this one match at a time. I don't even know what I'll be doing a year from now."
And as soon as the words came out of my mouth I knew I was wrong. I had just fucked up royally.
"What do you mean, 'I don't even know what I'll be doing a year from now'? You'll be fighting. You'll be here training and we'll do what we've been doing for the past shit, what it's been over four years now, hasn't it? Edward, tell me you aren't thinking of quitting? Edward....?"
"I just...no I'm not thinking of quitting. I'm just saying, the future is unsure. I'm getting a headache just thinking about this match as it is. I can't do this forever; I have to think of what I will be doing when I'm not going to be able to fight anymore."
He nodded and while he was still upset about my comment, he was placated enough not to ask anymore questions.
"I guess we can talk about this later. I need to go post the schedule for next week."
Emmett rose and squeezed out of the office. Jasper hadn't moved since I had entered the room and I watched him wearily. He sighed and leaned back, sitting straight up and staring at the ceiling, his hands braced on the desk.
"When I started fightin', I did it because I didn't have a choice. I couldn't find work doing anything else. I was good at it, I enjoyed the outlet. I made acquaintances. And I made mistakes. Fightin' and being in the ring, made me who I am today. I might have never met Alice, I might have never met you. I fought because I wanted to eat, sleep in a bed, and survive. When the time came that I was stable, I still fought. But day after day, I realized that I had nothing to offer anyone with the life I was living. One day, I woke up and didn't feel like fighting anymore. Then I met you and you needed to fight. You needed to just...let it out. So, I helped you and in doing so I have felt the greatest accomplishment. I have felt satisfied knowing that I helped someone. I think maybe this decision is the smartest thing you could possibly consider. I knew the moment you walked in here that day Bella started working, that she was good for you. You don't have just yourself to think about anymore, Edward. Emmett's a big boy and he might be upset that you wanna get out, but he'll understand. He won't have a choice with Rose on his nuts the way she is. He'll have to come to a decision as well.
"Thing is, I see a little bit of myself in you, Edward. If I can get over the anger, the rage - then so can you. You've got better motivation now than I did. There's more to life than having the shit beat out of you, and beating the shit out of someone else. There's more to this world than pushing your body. I should know.
"I won't make your decisions for you. Hell, I don't think you expect me to. But I will support whatever you decide to do."
I nodded, a little stunned and a little happy that Jasper was behind me. He grinned and rose fluidly to leave the room. I sat there for a moment longer before realizing that Bella was done working and we could go home and spend the weekend molesting each other.
I swiped my duffel bag off the floor and shot out of the office to find Bella. As I neared the annex, I could hear her voice in the distance.
"Look, I don't really care what you want. You shouldn't be here. If anyone of them catches you here, they'll beat the shit out of you. You're lucky Edward hasn't had any time off to hunt you down for the little stunt you pulled on Halloween. I don't give a shit about your apologies. Just go away!"
I was getting closer now, jogging quickly toward her voice. She was agitated and I had a pretty good idea who she was yelling at.
"Look, I just want to make sure you're okay. If anything…I mean if there's something going on, like if you're with Masen because he's holding something over your head then you can tell me. I can help you."
"Wha…you…I….Oh my sweet Jesus, you need to go away now. I can't even…I can't even answer that. I have nothing right now that would make sense to respond with…just go away. You have no idea what you are talking about."
"Please, he was ordering you around like a dog. Girls like you don't just meet guys like him over coffee. I can help you, just give me a chance to. If it's money, I have lots saved up…"
"I'm sorry wait, what did you say...Girls like me? What exactly does that mean? What kind of girl do you think I am? Who made you my keeper? Why do you care what happens to me?"
"I...well I mean, I …I didn't mean to imply that you're a bad person. I like you. I think you're…well, I like you."
"Oh this is priceless! Really, this is just…" I heard her trail off. I was at the edge of the hallway now and I stopped dead in my tracks. Bella was flushed and her hair wildly thrown up in a pony tail. The short sleeves of her t-shirt were pulled up past her shoulders, the hem tied into a knot accentuating her slim waist. The old, worn jeans she had on hugged her ass and flared out. I watched as her face glistened with sweat and her eyes were hard as diamonds.
That's my girl.
Black took a step toward her and lifted his hand, reaching for her face. Before I could move, she slapped it away with wide eyes.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?! Don't touch me. This little knight in shining armor thing you got going is really wearing my patience down. I don't need your help and not that it's any of your business, but I'm with Edward because I love him not because he's holding anything over my head. Now, if you're not gone in the next ten seconds I will call someone here to remove you. I'm not playing around."
I watched as his lips thinned into a hard line, his jaw flexed, and his shoulders squared. I knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to try and kiss her. I half wanted to watch her hit him in the face but the other half…the half was the loin cloth and club, was having none of it.
"Black! What the fuck?!"
Bella's head whipped to the side and she looked at me with relief as I calmly walked toward them. He looked too pissed to be afraid but I knew it was in there. Black was afraid of fighting in general; he was down right terrified to fight me. Ever since I took his boy Sam down last year, he always granted me a wide birth. I watched as he sized up his options and I grabbed Bella around the waist, pulling her into my side. Before he could open his mouth, I cut him off.
"Get the fuck out of my gym. This is the last warning you will ever get from me. Talk to her again…if you even look at her the wrong way, I'll make sure you and Sam have matching scars."
He stood motionless as my words sunk in. The testosterone was pumping in me with fury and combined with the adrenaline from my training, I was in full fledged cock fight mode.
Bella=mine.
Grabbing her roughly around the waist, I hoisted her up over my shoulder and gave one last hard glare to Jacob before turning around and walking towards the offices. Bella didn't make a sound other than a startled gasp. She knew what this was about and I knew later on, she would give me hell for it. There was no way I was making it back to the apartment without an earful.
"Bella, remember what I said. I'll be here if you need someone to treat you like a person."
My feet stopped before my mind could come up with a response. I turned around, looking Black with such ire that he flinched. I slowly slid Bella down, placing her gently on her feet. She gripped my waist, silently pleading with me not to fight with him. I grabbed her neck roughly with one hand, her waist with the other and looked at Black's murderous eyes the entire time. With painstaking leisure, I bent my head down and kissed her. My tongue parted her lips and I roughly claimed her mouth. I smirked at Black's clenched fists before I pulled away, throwing Bella over my shoulder again and slapping her ass with a loud thwack. Bella squealed and I grinned darkly at him.
"If anyone is the dog in this relationship, it's me." I turned and resumed our journey out of the annex, in desperate need for a private room.
Once I was out of his sight, I picked up my pace down the dim corridor. I reached the prep room we used before matches and threw the door open. I dropped my duffel bag and set Bella on the desk, kissing her hard before she could talk. I pawed at her shirt, her waist, the button and fly on her jeans. I needed all of it off. And I needed it off now.
"I need you. I can't wait till we get home." I breathed against her neck. She moaned and lifted her hips once I got the zipper down and I yanked her jeans down to her ankles. They caught at her shoes but it was enough for her legs to spread open and allow me in. It one swift motion, my gym shorts were pulled down and I was thrusting into her. The rickety desk creaked and groaned under our weight, my knees banging against the front at every push into her. My fingertips gripped her hips, pressing into the soft flesh and I wanted to bruise her. I wanted my fingerprints on her body. Harsh breath pushed out through my nose as I plunged into her over and over. I yanked her forward so that her ass was at the edge of the desk, allowing me to go deeper.
She was propped up on her elbow with an arm slung around my neck, her face pressed into my chest as she keened and whimpered for more.
Fuck Fuck Fuck. More More More. Mine Mine Mine
I growled and pushed her back down, flat against the desk. Her face was flushed and her hair wild as it came out of the tie. Her eyes were glassy and bright. I watched the blush on her cheeks redden and travel down past the collar of her shirt. I needed to see that blush.
I grasped the hem of her shirt and yanked it up roughly. She squirmed and tried to pull it off but I pushed her back down before she could; leaving the shirt bunched under her armpits. I watched as my hand pressed against the flesh of her stomach, my hips still driving into her, I slid it up to cup her breast and knead it. Her head turned to the side as she bit her lip. Despite the quickness of my movements and the overwhelming need to claim her, to reassure myself that I had her, I could still feel her triggers. I could feel her walls begin to flutter and I wanted her to look at me when she came.
I released her breast and my hand seemed abnormally large and calloused over her smooth throat, it made me feel powerful, possessive, and fuck it, it made me feel manly. I gripped her gently, still mindful to be careful with her, and turned her head to look at me. She whimpered again and a choked cry came out as she arched into my hand and gripped the edges of the desk.
"Look at me when you come. I want you to look at me and I want to hear you say my name. Fuck, you better scream it. You…belong…to me. Bella, look at me!"
Her eyes bored into mine and I found the sight of my cock thrusting into her wet folds and my hand over her throat the most erotic thing I had ever seen. She blinked and her breath hitched before she wailed out my name over and over again. I grit my teeth together, waiting her out before I came myself. Just a few more moments and I'll let go. Her orgasm rocked over me and my thrusts became erratic and short. I didn't want to be out of her, I wanted to stay in her forever. The head of my cock throbbed once, twice, and I felt myself spurting into her.
"Bella…fuck…fuck…mine. Fuck…"
Her slick heat pulsing around my cock and her twitching aftershocks of pleasure were making me lightheaded as the blood rushed back to my brain.
"Edward…"
I lifted my head from her chest to look at her with penance.
"That was…amazing."
I grinned at her wonderment and slid out of her, helping her get her clothes back on. We didn't speak as I grabbed my things and slipped an arm around her waist before walking out of the room. Black was gone from the annex when we exited the building and got into the Volvo.
"Edward? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I um…I want to say sorry…but I'm not, so I'll settle for asking if you're okay?"
"I'm more than okay."
I smiled at the giggle in her voice. Grinning like fools, we made our way home.
Mine.
**
It's Thanksgiving and I'm so pissed about it, it's not funny. Any other year, I wouldn't care but this year Bella is cooking and I can't have any of it. Jasper's stupid ass keeps prattling on about how he's let it slide that I drank at Halloween and he's let me get by with eating a few unhealthy meals, but tonight I can't have anything but chicken and rice.
So. Not. Fair. Fucking-A.
Bella swears up and down that she'll make me another Thanksgiving meal after the fight but it won't be the same. So here I sit, sulking with my bland chicken and my gay ass rice watching Emmett pile stuffing and turkey that smells amazing onto his plate, watching Alice pass Jasper a bowl full of fluffy mashed potatoes, watching Rose spoon yams onto her plate and Bella set a bowl of green beans down on the table amidst various dishes and the fucking home made cranberry sauce.
So. Not. Fucking. Fair.
Alice opens her loud mouth to say we should all go around and say what we're thankful for before eating and I feel like being a douche and saying that I wished I was thankful for some goddamn Thanksgiving food but it's Bella's first Thanksgiving with us, so I wont ruin it for her. Alice, of course, starts us off.
"Okay, so I'm thankful for Jasper and I'm thankful for all of us being together and for my new friends, Bella and Rose!"
I grin despite my morose mood and Jasper clears his throat to follow her example.
"Well, I'm thankful for all the food, for everyone's good health and for Alice, of course."
I roll my eyes and glare at my chicken once more. Emmett giggles like a little girl before speaking, alerting me to the fuckery ahead.
"Alright, so I'm thankful for all this food, obviously. I'm thankful for Rosie over here. I'm thankful for the gym doing so well and I'm thankful for Magnums."
Alice's eyebrows furrow and I know she's about to play right into Emmett's hands.
"What are Magnums?"
Emmett's eyes light up like it's Christmas instead of turkey day and he barks out a laugh before Jasper slaps his head.
"Don't worry about it darlin', I'll explain later." Jasper manages to give her a look that makes her forget her question and I snort.
Explain my ass, he's going to show her.
"Um, well I'm thankful for my new friends and a new beginning. And all this food looks great, Bella."
Rose's demure response tones us back into what we were doing and I notice it's my turn to say something.
"I'm thankful for Bella." I say simply. Alice looks at me and cocks her head.
"That's it? Just Bella?"
"What more is there?" I know I'm laying it on thick but I'm hoping if I butter Bella up some, she'll let me eat some leftovers and not tell Jasper. Those two were quickly becoming thick as thieves these days. Sure enough as I turn my gaze on her, her eyes are misting up and she smiles all sweet at me.
Score leftovers!
I smile back, suddenly not so upset about my bland chicken and rice. She clears her throat and looks down at her plate.
"I'm thankful for Edward and all of you. I never had much of a family before and this is nice. I'm thankful for everyone being in a good place right now and for us all to have this opportunity to be together."
There's a silence at the table for a moment before Jasper mutters an 'Amen' and we all dig in. Before long, Bella and I are the only sober ones at the table and everyone is so full, I'm afraid for Jasper's table cloth and the projectile vomit it might see.
I helped Bella pack up some containers of food to pass out and we quietly say our 'goodnights' before leaving. Bella managed to get out of Alice's Black Friday scheme, which I found hysterical as they'd battled it out with the face of doom on each other.
After I let Bella into our apartment, I shut the door, locked it and took off after her into the kitchen.
"C'mon, just one bite. Please? It's not fair, everyone else got some. Jasper would never know."
"Edward…"
"Please, baby? Please?"
She sighs and pulls the cap off the container before shoving it at me with a fork. I snatched it and kissed her quickly before shoving my face full of turkey and stuffing. Moaning, I lean back against the counter top to scarf the rest down.
"Ohh mahgd, fisis fo ghawd."
"What?" She asked while handing me a glass of milk.
"I said, Oh my God, this is so good."
She smirked and walked out of the kitchen, leaving me to eat what I could before recapping the container and putting it in the fridge. I trailed into the bedroom where she was coming out of the closet in her pajamas. I stripped down to my boxers and we snuggled up in bed.
"You do know I'm not going to lie to Jasper if he asks me about the leftovers right?"
"Dammit. Bella, who's side are you on here? You would choose Jasper over me?"
She giggled and I smiled knowing she would lie for me. She wouldn't let me get into trouble…would she?
"Bella…"
Her giggling increased and she pressed her face into my shoulder.
Fuck.
"Fuck you then. Fine. I don't care, tell him."
She started to laugh and kiss my neck.
"I won't tattle."
"God damn right you won't."
She kissed my mouth and I forgot what I was worried about. Breaking away for a moment, I remembered what I was going to tell her.
"Hey, let's go shopping tomorrow. It's getting close to Christmas. We can get a tree and ornaments and shit."
"You wanna decorate?"
"Well, I haven't actually ever had a tree in here and I can't remember the last time I did anything festive. I want us to have a nice Christmas."
Because New Years is going to suck.
"Okay, I'm game for that. You might change your mind tomorrow though; I get crazy looking for the perfect tree."
I grinned and kissed her again.
I wouldn't have her any other way.
**
I woke up with a chill on my shoulders. Peeking down, I saw Bella huddled into my chest with the comforter tucked up to her neck, her face burrowed into my armpit. I forgot to turn the heat on last night when we got home. The curtains were open letting in a bluish-white light. I wrapped my arms around Bella tighter and snuggled into the mattress with her, not going back to sleep but just letting my mind stray until she woke up.
It seemed surreal to be thinking about how much my life had changed since she wandered into it. I was actually happy about Christmas this year. I wanted to decorate. I wanted the big dinner and waking up at five to open presents and I wanted to watch our kids tear into wrapping paper.
Kids?
Kids. I wanted kids. I wanted to make babies with Bella. I wondered what they would look like. Would they have my hair and her eyes? Would we have a boy or a girl first? I wanted to have children with Bella. I wanted to make another human being with her. I wanted the house and the yard with the dog and the weird food cravings. I wanted normal. I wanted stable. I was happy it was Christmas time.
"What are you so thoughtful about?"
I looked down at her big brown eyes. I had been sucked into the vacuous vortex of future children so deeply that I hadn't even realized she woke up.
"Do you ever wanna have kids?"
She furrowed her brows at me and sat up.
"Um, right now?"
"No, not 'right now'. Down the road…eventually. I wanna make babies with you one day."
She heaved a sigh and shook her head a little.
"To be honest with you, I hadn't really thought about it. I'm not opposed to having children but don't you think we should take this one step at a time first?"
And then I realized my mistake. My dumb ass hadn't even told her I was in love with her yet and here I am asking about babies.
"Bella…"
"C'mon! I'm excited about a tree! You said we were going to get a tree!"
I grinned and hopped out of bed aiming to split the shower with her. Today was going to be a good day. I was not going to over think anything and if by some chance the right moment to tell her how much I loved her came along, I would say it. I was not going to over think this.
We were headed out the door an hour later, bundled up in coats and boots. It had started snowing some time last night and the ground was covered with about an inch of frost. I herded her into the Volvo and we drove down the street to the grocers for a tree. They had nice trees but according to Bella, they didn't have 'The One'. So after three failed grocery store parking lots and two street side vendors, we finally found the perfect tree. It looked just like any other tree. I kept my mouth shut and didn't say a damn thing though. I paid for the tree without a second thought and set it up to be delivered later. No fucking way I was strapping that thing to the Volvo. I draw lines.
Bella's exuberance while shopping for ornaments was hysterical. Apparently our tree was going to be burgundy and silver this year, so we were only allowed to pick ornaments of those two colors. All in all, I was expecting worse but we only spent about five hundred dollars on everything including the tree. Bella tossed in wrapping paper and tape, clear lights, tinsel, garlands…things I never knew Christmas trees needed…like skirts?
By the time we were done, the Volvo's trunk was filled up and we were both laughing for no reason in the parking lot.
"Hey, Alice told me about a few places we should look at, wanna go today?"
She nodded while biting her lip and I helped her into her seat. The drive wasn't long but traffic was hellacious from all the shopping going on today. I felt a pang of sympathy for Jasper, he wasn't so lucky at getting out of Black Friday with Alice.
We strolled around Edgewater's Antique mall for a bit before Bella snagged a few vintage dresses and costume jewelry for Alice and an old pocket stop watch for Jasper along with some old books I didn't catch the titles to. She assured me that he would appreciate them. Bella wanted more antiques, so we went to Lincoln's Antique mall before abandoning it for a walk down the street.
Her face was pink from the cold, her eyes bright and clear as we ambled between flustered mothers and children, businessmen trying to make a few holiday purchases while chatting on their cell phones and other couples out just enjoying themselves. It was surreal for me to look at them and know that we looked the same way. I was so fucking lost in love with this girl it wasn't funny. Just having her mitten covered hand in mine sent a thrill up my spine and put a slap happy grin on my face. I found myself subconsciously catering to her, whether it was making sure she walked on the inside of the sidewalk, away from traffic or tucking her into my side when the wind picked up - I was making sure she was okay. The thought of her not being okay was invading my mind and sending me into an irrational panic.
What would I do if Bella weren't okay? What would I do if she were hurt? Would I even be able to help her? But wasn't Bella hurt? Wasn't there something holding her back? The nightmares, the mood swings, the detachment from certain things. There was something hurting her, something I couldn't fix unless she told me; if she ever told me. The squeezing in my chest and the way my stomach dropped at the thought made me falter in my steps for a split second.
"You okay? You got all quiet all of a sudden."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…I was just thinking. You doin' alright? We can always go back to the Volvo if you're tired of walking."
"No, I'm having fun. We haven't really gone for a walk together in a while. Besides, I think that's another antique store over there."
I rolled my eyes and followed her into the store. It was mostly books and small knicknacks.
"I'm going to go check out the place next door. You okay in here?"
"Yeah…"
I looked at her and snorted. She didn't hear a word I said, her face was buried in some book that was as thick as a bible.
"Bella…"
Her head snapped up and she looked at me expectantly.
"I'm going next door. You okay here?"
"Yeah, I'll come find you when I'm done."
I smiled at her and retreated out into the snow and looked up at the building's sign. 'Yesterday' was painted on the front in whitewash letters. I opened the door and heard a bell jingle. An elderly woman came out of the back and smiled at me.
"Hello, dear, can I help you find anything?"
"Well, I'm looking for a gift for my girlfriend. It's our first Christmas together and I want to get her something special. Some jewelry maybe? I have no clue."
She laughed and motioned for me to follow her.
"Tell me about your lady and I'll see what I have that might fit her."
"Um, well she's about five foot three or four with brown hair and brown eyes and…"
"No, dear. Tell me about her."
I looked at the woman for a moment before blowing out a breath and looking past her at an old Coca-Cola thermometer on the wall.
"She's radiant. She just…glows. She's so sweet and caring. She cares for everyone but herself. She's understanding and simple. I mean, she's simple in that she doesn't expect anything from people. She gives and gives and she's so beautiful it hurts sometimes. She has no idea how gorgeous she is. She's so smart but she doesn't give herself the credit she deserves. She loves to read and she's so passionate about everything. She feels for people. She tries to anticipate their needs above her own. She's always sacrificing her happiness for others. She's quiet and shy and reserved. She's got the most amazingly cute blush you've ever seen. She's got fire though. She's got this tough exterior when it comes to people who don't know her but she's such a softy. She's smart as a whip when it comes to responding to people. She can manage to make me laugh when I want to cry and she accepts me for who I am and it's so…unbelievable that I found her…well…that she found me. I can't really do her justice. I can't possibly…accurately tell you about her. You just have to meet her yourself. "
I finally looked down at the older woman to see her smiling at me with tears in her eyes.
"What's her name?"
"Bella…she's my Bella." I breathed.
The woman nodded and turned to go behind a case of jewelry. I looked down into the rows of rings, bracelets, and necklaces not really seeing anything catch my eyes. Before I could tell her this, she slid open the drawer underneath and brought up a flat black tray with an assortment of jewelry on it. The kind of jewelry that didn't belong in a place like this but rather in Tiffany's or Cartier. I gaped at the diamonds and gems in their settings for a moment. She held up a choker, letting the light hit the ruby's before shaking her head and setting it back down. My eyes followed the glittering strand and as it was placed back into the plush black velvet, I looked over and saw it. The perfect gift for Bella. I pointed to it like a moron and the woman laughed a little before pulling it out and holding it up.
"Yes, this does seem to fit."
"I don't care how much it is."
She smiled a little and got out a separate box to place it in before putting the tray back under the shelf. Before I could ask her where I needed to pay, she lifted up one more thing and I think I might have kissed the woman for her thoughtfulness.
"It's…"
"Yes, this one is special. I came across it at an estate auction. The woman who passed away was a friend of mine. I remembered her telling me about this piece. I don't know if the story behind it is true but it stuck with me and I knew when I saw it that I had to get it.
"The pearls are called Biwa Pearls. They're from Lake Biwa in Japan. These pearls were harvested in the 1910's. A young Japanese man named Akio from a village called Kyoto worked for the man who was harvesting the pearls.
"You see, in order to get the mussels that made the pearls these men had to dive deep into the lake and collect them. They would go down on only one breath of air and the water was ice cold. Many of them died before reaching the surface. Akio was very poor and made little money harvesting the pearls for his master. One day he went down and snatched up two mussels, hiding one in his pocket, he gave the other to his master. Akio learned he could do this over and over and keep pearls for himself and after a while he had hundreds of pearls hidden in a sack.
"Akio fell in love, yet it was a forbidden love. The girl he pledged his heart to was the foreman's daughter. She loved him back fiercely and told him that if he sold his pearls they could run away together with that money but before they could, she was wed to another man. Akio made the necklace in hopes that he could pass it along to her and show her that he would still love her. He stranded the pearls together using silk thread. When he went to present her the necklace, her husband became enraged and tore it from her neck. The pearls that were not torn and lost stayed on the silk but there was a gap now and Akio, taking his broken necklace, left only to hear that his beloved died days later by her husband's hands. The necklace was kept in a box for years until Akio died and his possessions were passed along to his friends. A jeweler in the 1950's made this gold clasp where the necklace had been broken. The black pendent in the center is onyx and the gold clasps have thirty two diamonds representing the lost pearls. There are nine strands of pearls, each strand having over a hundred Baroque Biwa pearls sewn onto it.
"I have held on to this one piece for years because I felt like it deserved its happy ending."
I looked at the necklace and felt the lump rising in my throat. The milky pearls twisted like rope thickly and elegantly, the clasp was simple but eye catching. It was so…Bella.
I just nodded at her stupidly before pulling out my wallet and checkbook. She grinned and nestled the necklace into a large lacquered box with silk lining. Ironically, an Asian styled swan was carved into the top.
I sucked in a breath when she told me the total for both items, she assured me that both had their appraisal papers with them. I wrote out the check to her and nodded my thanks. As I left the store, I looked into the bags and noticed two leather bound books. My brows furrowed as I picked one up and noticed that it was blank. The cover was intricately designed in flourishes and gold trim. Grinning, I stuffed it back in the bag and headed back over to the other store where I knew Bella was still reading a book somewhere. Like I had predicted, she had a small stack of books tucked under her arm and a few trinkets in her hands as she looked down, completely engrossed in an old yearbook from the 1940's.
"Hey, whatcha lookin at?"
Her head popped up and she grinned at me, shoving the books and baubles into my arms and then bouncing up to the counter where a young girl began ringing up the items. I shook my head and smiled at her eagerness as she prattled on about who was to get what gifts and why she thought they would like them.
"What did you get?" She started to stick her hands into the dark green plastic bag I held before I yanked it away and smirked at her.
"Nu uh! This is going to get wrapped and put under the tree."
"Edward….tell me!" I laughed, picked up her other bags and walked out the door with her trailing behind me still whining.
"Are you going to tell me what my gifts are?" I asked her. She bit her lip and shook her head.
"Good, 'cause even if you did, I still wouldn't tell you what's in this bag."
Her nose wrinkled up in aggravation as she threw herself into the passenger seat. I laughed and tossed the bags into the back before getting in myself and pulling away from the curb.
Once back home, we both separated our bags to go wrap. I locked myself in the office while Bella ran into the bedroom to do the same. Seated at my desk, I opened the box with the pearl necklace in it and ran my fingers over the smooth opalescent beads before closing and wrapping it. It turned out better than her birthday gift but still looked pretty bad. The other box was much smaller and I didn't feel like wrapping it. I wanted to present it to her myself and at the right moment.
I looked around the room for a suitable hiding place. Bella spent much more time here than I did and she could no doubt stumble upon it in the desk. I glanced up at the bookshelf and smiled. She would never be able to reach it up there. I put the box on the top of the bookshelf where I couldn't even see it at my vantage point and carried my presents out to the living room. Bella emerged a few minutes later with her wrapped presents and we both set them all on the coffee table. Many were made out to Jasper, Alice, and Emmett. I spied one for Rose and was glad that Bella had put both our names on it. There were three packages with my name on them and I had wrapped the journals separately tallying me up to four gifts for her.
Around six-thirty the tree arrived and Bella freaked out. After an hour of moving the fucking thing around the living room, she finally settled on leaving it by the windows and we began decorating. My side of this entailed the lights and that's it; apparently I sucked at hanging ornaments. Shrugging, I went back into the office to write out checks for bills and tried to figure out my bank account balance, to no avail. It didn't matter how good I was at keeping receipts and staying on track with my investments, I still sucked at adding and subtracting the numbers without wanting to shoot myself. There were too many expenses and I didn't have the patience to tally them all up. I would need to call the bank when the holidays were over and get an exact number.
I peeked into the living room and made sure Bella was still amused with the tree before shutting the door and locking it again. I sat at my desk and pulled out the brochure for Depaul University. They had a good program and it was close to the apartment. I could get my degree and still be close to The Ring. I would be able to stay right where I am and finish up school. I ran my fingers over the glossy pages and tamped down the feeling of unease at being so old and going to college. Rightfully, I knew that people older than myself were in college but it made me think about leaving home. I knew I felt much older than I really was. Twenty six wasn't old by any means but it was a long cry from Bella's twenty two. Funny, how I hadn't even thought of our age difference before, she always seems so much older than she really is.
A knock at the door sent me scrambling. I shoved the brochure into the bottom of a drawer and shut it quietly before getting up to answer. Bella stood there worrying her lip and wringing her hands.
"I can't reach to put the star on, will you do it?"
She handed me the metal star with a coil wound under it. I smiled at her and walked into the living room. I stopped short at the scene in front of me. Bella had turned off all the lights in the living room, leaving only the tree to illuminate the space. The tree was decked out in dark red ribbons, silver glass balls and twinkling lights. The presents were all displayed below it on a burgundy rug that was tied around the tree's base. I hadn't noticed before how sweet and fresh it smelled in here.
There was a garland strung up around the window's curtain rods with bows and lights glimmering down the sides as the snow drifted in gentle waves outside. It had been years since I had seen anything like this. I could feel my throat swelling at how much had changed.
"Bella…wow. It looks…amazing." I choked out.
She blushed and looked down at the star in my hand. I shook my head to clear it and stepped forward toward the tree, reaching up and placing the star at the top as gently as I could.
I felt her warmth against my back as she wrapped her arms around my stomach and settled her head between my shoulder blades.
"Thank you. I haven't had a Christmas…a real, happy Christmas in years." She murmured into my back.
I pulled her hands lose and turned to face her, cupping her face in my hands.
"Neither have I and I know this will be the best Christmas I have ever had. Thank you for doing all this."
She smiled that Mona Lisa smile and I brought us over to the couch so we could sit and enjoy the tree and the falling snow.
We never made it to bed but we were both home.
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AN:
Okay, so I ended up combining two chapters and cutting out two lemons. It just ended so sweetly I couldn't ruin it.
Sooooo
Wanna know what's up with Phil?
Wonder when Edward's gonna break out the ILY?
Really need to know what was in the other box that Edward bought in the antique store?
Tune in next chappie and the Amazing nbnf will predict the future for you.
I'm forewarning all of you. I will not update for probably a week. This next chapter is a monster. There will questions answered and drama ensued as well as some hilarity and fluff. It is the chapter I've been waiting to write since the beginning. So I'm predicting an update around next Friday the 29th. I make no promises though...
also as a note. The antique stores that I used are real. Whether or not they really look that way or have those items in them...I don't know, I'm guessing I'm not from Chicago so I'm using creative license on that.
A big thank you to Anechka86 for helping me out with Chicago and making the experience a little more real. Hope I didn't disappoint you in this chapter.
Now, you all know what to do…
Leave Me Some Love…