So, here we go again. Today you'll hear the majority of Edward's past. There are still possible pieces not covered, but this is the major part. I was told it could be a tissue warning for some. No copyright infringement is intended, the characters and names don't belong to me, just the storyline which they are dabbling in within this story. Huge thanks to AWayWithWords for all her hard work with trying to reign me in. All mistakes are mine, because I dabble.

Chapter 8

I spend almost two hours working on Liam's piece, listening to Edward and him talk. I learned a few more things about Edward, and now I really want to know why he didn't go back to working at his friend's family shop when he returned from the Army. It seems that the reason goes much deeper than just change of operator and management; when I heard that Diego is still there and part owner. I don't ask in front of Liam, because well, whatever it is has to be very private considering what all Edward has already told me.

Liam is just wrapped up, and setting a tentative appointment with Edward to finish his dragon. After Liam leaves, I show Edward how we add the tattoos into the computer, time and anything special used and amount paid.

"That is a slick program, and Rose made it?" Edward asks.

"Yeah, it is slick and it literally breaks down everything for us, the percentage of supplies we use, the taxes we owe, basically everything," I respond.

"She could market this, and make millions," Edward says.

"Yeah, we have told her that before, but she wants our shop to have the cutting edge, not share it with other shops."

"I still say she could make bank," Edward says and I nod.

We walk into the main area and sit on the sofa, as Alice walks in from the work room.

"Lunch is done and sitting in the warming drawer," Alice calls out. "Jasper, your one o'clock called and will be twenty minutes late. I checked your schedule, and it works. Emmett, we have a walk in coming in around three for their baby's footprint and name. Edward, your shirts arrived, and are in your room. Garrett will be here tomorrow around six to take all of our pictures. Bella, you got a private room tattoo coming in at four, and your one-thirty rescheduled.

"So, it sounds like I have the better part of a couple hours now," I say.

"That's good. How about we go for a walk before lunch, unless you're hungry now?" Edward asks.

"I'm not hungry," I nod at him, and turn to Alice. "Alice, Edward and I are going to walk down to the park, so I can show him more of the neighborhood. I have my cell if you need either of us. We will eat lunch when we come back," I say.

"Okay," she says.

Edward and I walk out of the shop and turn to the left to head for the park down the road.

"So, I am assuming that you have a ton of questions after hearing me and Liam talk, so I figured I would share the story with you. I like everyone, but I feel … I guess I feel closer to you then I do anyone else, and this story is not for the faint of heart."

"Edward, you know you don't have to tell me anything you are not comfortable telling me."

"The thing is I am comfortable talking to you, and it doesn't bother me to have you know; it is just a shitty situation from the get go."

"I understand shitty situations," I tell him.

We make it to the park and sit on an empty bench off to the left of the fountain.

"So, my friend Diego and I were always together at his dad's shop, his house, or mine. When we were just about seventeen, his cousins from Alaska moved in with his parents because their parents died in a small plane crash in the mountains of Alaska. The oldest daughter is Irina, and the younger two are twins named Kate and Tanya."

"Okay, those are the girls from the photo Alice asked about today?" I ask and he nods.

"Yeah, so Tanya and Kate were a grade ahead of Diego and I, and Irina is three years older than the twins. Irina immediately started working in the shop, for Eleazar. Kate and Tanya were seniors, while Diego and I were juniors in high school. Tanya was very outgoing about her crush on me, and constantly made me feel uncomfortable. Kate, however, had caught my eye, right away. Kate and Tanya were nothing alike. They may have been twins, but they didn't look alike, nor did they act the same way. Tanya was wild and brazen at best, and Kate was mellow and innocent. Kate and I became a couple after about three weeks, and by the time I graduated, I knew I was going to marry her. We all had decided we wanted to work at the shop as artists, except Tanya who wanted to keep the books and be the receptionist. When the girls graduated, they started at the shop, and Diego and I went on to be seniors in high school. As we turned eighteen, we also worked at the shop, doing grunt work and normal apprentice stuff."

He stops and runs his fingers through his hair.

"When I was twenty, I asked Kate to marry me. She said yes, and we started planning a big wedding. The closer we got to the wedding day, the more Tanya flirted and made me feel uncomfortable. I was twenty-one, almost twenty-two and I was so uncomfortable around my soon-to-be wife's sister that I hated having to work with her. I was actually looking for other shops to work at. Kate begged me to stay, and I struggled with it, but stayed. About four months before the wedding, Kate found out she was pregnant. We didn't tell many people, and all be it we were scared, we were also happy."

He looks at me and I smile to encourage him to continue.

"As the wedding got closer, Kate decided as a wedding gift to me, she wanted to do a pin up of her for me on my leg. Kate was great at doing portraits, so her doing a pin up on me was her idea of the 'perfect reminder for me of who loved me most,' she said to me. One day at the shop, Kate was about ten weeks along at this point, and was having bad morning sickness. She went home from the shop early because she was feeling so terrible. I was set to close the shop that night, so I was still there. I don't remember much. I know that around six after my last scheduled appointment left, I was handed dinner from Tanya. We were set to close at eight, but she told me Kate sent it to me for supper. I know I ate the food and drank the glass of orange juice, but after that I don't remember much. I do know that I woke up in the back room, on the couch at the shop around four in the morning with a blasting headache, and without my clothes on. I was freaking out to say the least. I got dressed and couldn't find my keys. I called Kate and she didn't answer. I called Diego and he came and got me and took me to my parents' place to get my other set of keys."

I frown, but don't say anything.

"For two days I couldn't get a hold of Kate, and Tanya said she wasn't feeling well, but she would be in the shop on Friday. The three sisters all lived together and wanted to until we got married. I questioned Tanya, but the flirtations and stuff got out of hand, so I just waited to see Kate on Friday. On Friday when I came into the shop, Kate was there and said she wanted to do my tattoo today because she was feeling better. I questioned her about where she had been, and she just said she had been feeling home sick and sad, so she went away for a couple days. There were times when Kate would withdraw a little, and she always said she was missing her mom, so I didn't question her anymore on it. After a bit, Kate went to work on my tattoo, but said she wanted the finished product to be a surprise. I agreed with the idea, and wore a blackout blindfold."

I don't say anything, but I can tell this is not going to end well.

"For some reason, it felt like the tattoo was being carved into my leg, and later I realized why. When she did the tattoo, she used a heavy liner and went really deep, it bled for quite a while. The tattoo is the worst, she did a pin up of her, like was planned, but where her waist was, there was a big red x over the stomach. The whole tattoo was a permanent reminder that she thought I cheated on her with her sister, and that to get me back she aborted our child. The shirt the pin up is wearing even says "HE CHEATED ON THIS, SO I GOT RID OF HIS SPAWN!" Under the pin up were the words, Tanya can have you, since you fucked her?"

"Oh my God, Edward, that is horrible."

"Yeah, apparently from what I've been able to put together, I was drugged. Once I was out, Tanya made it look as if we did something, if we did, it is still unclear to me. However, I do know there are photos, because Diego showed me some that Kate had. Eleazar, Carmen, and Irina had Kate hospitalized for a while because she got really depressed and tried to hurt herself. I tried, but couldn't forgive her for killing my child and what she did to me. I decided it best if I left, so I joined the Army, and stayed away until my injuries brought me back to Chicago. I kept in touch with Diego, but not as much, because it hurt too much. The shop is still Eleazar's, but Irina and Diego manage it together. I could not work there, I never stepped foot in the shop again after the day Kate did my tattoo."

"I'm surprised that you ever wanted to tattoo again, after an experience like that," I tell him.

"Even when I was enlisted, all I did in my free time was draw. I was born to tattoo, I just happened to be really great at firing weapons, and leading a team of soldiers."

"I'd have to say that you are really great at tattooing as well. I don't know what to say about what happened to you, but I can understand why you couldn't go back to that shop to work."

"Yeah, Kate is there sometimes, and Tanya still works there, so it wasn't an option either way."

"So were you not happy at Tattoo U?" I ask, knowing that was the shop he worked for last.

"I was happy there, but it was hard for me in Chicago. My parents and Diego's parents are still friends. Then there is the fact that Eleazar and Carmen are raising Kate's children."

"Kate has kids?" I ask with a bit of a gasp.

"Yeah, it seems after she aborted my child she decided she wanted kids, she has four of them, none of which she takes care of. Diego told me that none of the fathers are worth a shit either to top it all off. It kills me that she would have four babies with low life pieces of shit, but she killed my baby because her fucking psycho sister drugged me."

"I can't pretend to know what she was thinking, but it sounds to me as if both of them are a little out there. Sorry if that offended you," I say not wanting to have hurt his feelings since at one time he did love one of them.

"You didn't offend me at all, I have long ago gotten past the fact that I let my attraction to Kate rule my head and heart. To be honest as much as I hate everything she's done, I doubt I ever really loved her at all. That kills me the most, how can I hate her for aborting my child, when I can't even remember the love I was once so sure of?"

"Hey, it's not your fault. You cannot blame yourself for anyone else's actions, and you're not to blame here. Even if you did do something with Tanya, you were drugged. There is no way in the beginning for Kate to have known that, but a part of me believes that if she truly loved you she would have at least tried to talk to you. Not run out, get an abortion and make plans to permanently mark you as a cheater, while giving you a reminder of your child she took away."

Edward just lowers his head into his hands and his shoulders shake slightly. I can't help but try to comfort him, and I wrap my arms around him and pull him toward me. I rub his back and continue to hold him as best I can. Even after he calms, he doesn't move, so I stroke my hand through his hair.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah … no … I don't know that I will ever be okay, Bella. The only people who know about all of this are my parents, Diego, and you. Talking about it makes me feel … relieved, I guess. It just brings back all of that hatred and hurt and it makes me … so angry. I need to make an appointment to get this off my skin, it is like I have acid on my skin burning me alive each time I think of it or see it," he says, raising his head to look at me.

"Can I ask a question?" I say.

"Of course," Edward says.

"Have you considered talking to a counselor of some sort?"

"Yeah, I think it would be in the best interest of my own mind to do so, and my dad told me that too when I talked to him this morning. He is sending me a referral to see someone here and to also see a specialist to help remove the shit from my leg."

"I think that is a good thing, Edward. You are a great guy, and I for one along with everyone else will have your back," I tell him with my hand on his cheek.

"Thank you," he says, as he covers my hand with his.

A/N: So now we know why Edward worked at a different shop when he returned, and what his tattoo is of. We also learned that Edward feels most comfortable with Bella. Tell me your thoughts. I am excited to hear what you think.