BPOV
"She's trying to take Hadley away from me," Rose roars, stalking her way across the dining room, pointing her finger at me.
Jazz stops her when she just about lunges at me over the bar.
We're not packed but we're not dead either and I'm dumbly holding a cocktail shaker in my hand mid-shake.
She was really going to start with me right here where I stand in front of coworkers, my boss, and patrons.
My head is still pounding from my hangover and I really don't want to be anywhere near Rose and her drama.
"Rosalie," her mother's clipped tone cuts through the awkward tension in the room.
"No, Edward has been drooling all over this girl from here to Brooklyn. His occasional sitter even has been hanging out with her. For over a month she has been brainwashing my child against me—"
This is something I'm not familiar with when it comes to mothers, so before I interrupt her babble a thought flashes in my mind.
This wasn't about Hadley at all, Rose was making this about her. When my own mother left I always thought she was selfish, that she left me to give herself a better life. I'm suddenly seeing a light shining on Renee differently, sure maybe she was somewhat selfish but now I see that she wasn't capable of being my mother she left me with good ole stable Charlie.
Rose was selfish; it was clear she was using Hadley as collateral over Edward. She was so hung up on the details of his life and relationships that she was willing to destroy them if she could. If she truly cared for that sweet precious child she'd let her be safe and happy with Edward.
"Okay, I'm so tired and fed up with your woe-is-me bullshit," I tell her while looking her straight in her wild eyes before sitting down the cocktail shaker. "I'm not trying to take your kid from you, I am just trying to survive New York! Edward is an excellent father who has raised a brilliantly sweet child. The only thing I'm sorry for is that you are missing out on Hadley. Addiction is an illness, which I'm totally empathetic to, but you also have every resource available to you. You keep choosing yourself and your addiction over her."
By the time I finish with my little monologue, Rose is blinking at me and both Carlisle and his sister look speechless.
It's Carlisle who clears his throat.
Do I regret what I said? No. Do I hate that I did it at my place of employment in front of customers? Yes.
"Mike?" Carlisle calls.
Like the weasel he is, Mike is by his side in an instant.
"Yes, sir?"
"Can you please watch the floor while I escort Rose and my sister out?"
Mike nods eagerly.
I silently watch them leave while Rose's mother hisses at Carlisle. It's a blessing I'm an only child.
"I think that was better than you hitting her," Jazz teases as I pick up my shaker to finish table two's drink.
"I just couldn't let her rant and rave at me," I say frankly, because Rose so badly wants me to be the villain in her story.
That whole ordeal happened almost a week ago.
"Pass me the salt, please?" Alice asks, taking a bite of the sauce she's making on my stove.
I reach over to the cabinet where I know Em hoards the salt. I hand it to her as my eyes catch Hadley doing homework at our island.
Alice was watching her but we both didn't see it hurting anything to have her here. Edward was okay with it and I might have bribed him with dinner. A dinner Alice was now making.
Ever since my brief showdown with Rose, I'd been quietly there for Hadley. Edward had been busy with work, his team received a grant for the work they'd been doing, so I'd been hanging out with Alice who in turn was watching Hadley after school.
Alice said I should just ask to hang out with her, but I didn't want it to be weird or anything with expectations.
I have my trails tomorrow, which I was already nervous about since Carlisle has been scarce at the restaurant around me this week.
I assume he told Esme what happened due to how sweet she was being toward me and the fact that I really didn't want to get into it with Edward at work.
That's how busy he's been. I only see him when he's working the bar.
Though, I do believe that Jazz has filled him in as to what I had said during Saturday brunch. I just didn't want to have to rehash it in front of customers or our coworkers.
"Bella?" Hadley asks looking up from her tablet.
"Yeah, sweets?"
She smiles at the new term of endearment I have taken to calling her.
"Are you good at math?"
"I'm not horrible at it," I admit.
She giggles and even Alice snorts.
I walk around to her side taking a look at the fractions she's learning.
I explain it the easiest way I know how to do it.
She nods, seeming to get it when she is able to figure out the next problem.
Alice is trying to hide her smile when I join her back at the stove. I sit up on the counter and watch as she stirs.
"Why aren't you working under Aro at Le Cygne?" I ask poking her side.
She laughs.
The front door opens and in walks Emmett.
He's on his phone when he enters but once he looks up his eyes land on Hadley. She looks up, her eyes widening at him.
"Who are you?" he asks her like she's his peer.
I roll my eyes.
Hadley suddenly becomes shy, I come to her rescue by hopping on the island's edge and wrapping my arm around her.
"She's my guest," I tell him.
He eyes us before he sniffs the air.
"With that smell, I know you aren't cooking," he says.
I jab my thumb in Alice's direction.
"Oh, hey Al," he greets Alice.
She nods at him gesturing to her spoon. "Want to taste?"
"Hell yeah," he booms, causing Hadley to startle in my arms.
"It's okay he's just a huge child," I murmur to her, earning a scoff from Emmett.
"That Ed's kid?"
"Wow, what a great deduction, Sherlock," I mumble dryly.
He puts his hands up. "I never know with you—"
"Keep it up, wise guy and I'll have Alice withhold her nana's Bolognese from you," I threaten.
He whines but zips his lips.
"Is that your roommate?" Hadley asks quietly.
"It is, he drives me bonkers on a daily basis," I grumble playfully.
She giggles again.
It's a rare sound from her lately since Rose decided to fuck around with her safety and stability.
Edward was quick to slap a restraining order on Rose first thing Monday morning. That didn't stop Rose from trying to break it though when she showed up at the bus stop.
Alice said that she could hear her from her place.
Rose wasn't going to get a clue until she got clean and who knows when that would be.
Em takes a seat next to Hadley and it's clear the sheer size of him intimidates the small girl.
She picks up her tablet again.
Em keeps peeking over to see what she's doing.
"Checking out TikTok?" he asks her.
She looks at him like he's speaking a foreign language to her.
"She's nine," I droll.
"I see little kids all day on there," he argues.
"I wouldn't go admitting that to anyone," I tell him.
Alice loses it.
"You shouldn't encourage her," Em directs at her.
"My dad says no social media until high school," Hadley finally decides to answer.
"That sucks for you."
I whack him.
"If you can't socialize, what good is that thing for?" he asks gesturing to her tablet.
"It's for school."
"They give you one of those for school?" he asks surprised. "Jesus, my backpack felt like I was carrying a boulder around with me all day."
I just shake my head.
"You look like a brain."
"Fuck, Emmett—"
"It's a compliment," he interrupts.
Hadley eyes him before pushing her glasses up on her nose.
The look on her face is very Edward. Determined.
"I am pretty smart," she tells him frankly.
"See, I was right—"
"Do you just get by on your charm?" she asks him and I just about die.
Em looks a little insulted, but he should have just stopped as soon as he entered the apartment.
His eyes narrow.
"I thought you said she was nine?"
"She is nine but I never said she wasn't savage," I grin.
A knock sounds at the door, I holler that it's open.
Edward walks in with a smile.
He looks good in his work clothes as usual.
His dress shirt and pants mold perfectly to his body, I have to avert my eyes when I feel my face heat.
His lip press against my head once he's beside me.
"So, this is the dinner you promised me?" he smirks.
"A Brandon family specialty," I say, waving my hand out in a grand gesture.
"I'm very familiar with Nana Brandon's Bolognese," he tells me before leaning down so he was eye level with Hadley. "Were you actually able to get your homework done?"
"Yeah, Bella helped me with my math."
"You should probably double-check her, man," Em stage whispers.
"I had a four-point three G.P.A. in high school, asshole," I say in protest.
Edward gives me a squeeze.
"I have absolute faith in Bella's mathematical abilities," he says with a smile.
I want to swoon.
I want to kiss him.
I want to drag him to my room.
"Dinner's ready," Alice announces.
I sigh.
We all collectively eat around the kitchen island. Alice and I choose to stand and lean against the island as we eat. Edward takes a seat next to Em while Hadley remains seated next to him.
She watches Em scarf everything down in amazement.
"So good," he hums over a bite.
Edward tries to cover his chuckle at Em's antics but fails.
I look around the room while we all hang out, taking in the cozy vibe coursing through me. I didn't have this in Forks or in Seattle. This sense of community or maybe even family. My dad did his best and I miss him but this was something else.
For once in my life, I felt like I belong, that I just fit in with this group of people.
Even though Hadley was nine she, like Alice, was becoming one of my best friends.
Hell, Edward was pretty up there too, but I wasn't telling him that this early on.
Emmett had his own friends other than Jake which I've seen on more than one occasion, but I loved that he gravitated toward mine. From what I remember, he got along with Jazz and Alice at the bar, even coming to Edward's defense with Jake.
These were my people.
"It's a worm," Em says to Hadley waving a limp spaghetti noodle in front of her before he slurps it down.
"Ew," she responds with a giggle.
Edward shakes his head with an easy smile etched on his lips.
Alice's elbow nudges me when she takes my empty plate from me.
"Are your ovaries exploding?" she teases.
I make a face and stick my tongue out at her.
"I'm heading out," she tells me while she places our plates in the sink.
"Hot date?"
"Oh yeah," she wiggles her brows.
"Thanks for cooking."
"No problem, can't have you starving," she teases before kissing my cheek.
She goes over to Hadley and gives her cheek a kiss.
"Gentlemen, goodnight," she bows dramatically.
She grabs her coat off the hook by the door, leaving like a thief in the night.
When I turn back toward the kitchen after shutting the door, Edward is taking his and Hadley's empty plates to the sink.
I watch him grab the soap and a dish rag while he starts scrubbing like a pro. I like the fact that Em is still eating and Edward isn't waiting to wash his plate.
That lazy bum can do it himself.
I stand beside Edward watching him be an adult as Hadley tells Emmett about our mutual love for literature.
Em starts to snore, asking if she has a Nintendo Switch.
Hadley shakes her head which leads to Em rushing to his room for his Switch. He takes her small hand in his enormous one and proceeds to teach her how to play Super Smash Brothers on the couch.
I roll my eyes before turning to watch Edward, but am met with his stare.
He leans down giving me a proper kiss.
"I should have greeted you like that," he murmurs after he pulls back.
I hum.
"I'm sorry my week has been so crazy."
I shrug.
He takes hold of my chin.
"I am sorry."
"I believe you," I tell him, mesmerized by his searching eyes.
Satisfied he lets go of my chin.
"Are we going to talk about Saturday?" he asks quietly so Hadley can't hear.
"Now?" I ask in disbelief.
"As good as time as any," he sighs.
So I tell him the condensed version of what I said to Rose.
His face softens when I tell him my logic about mothers. About Rose and my own.
I was better off.
Hadley might be too.
His bright green eyes are sad but he leans down to kiss me.
"Thanks for advocating for Had," he murmurs.
"Edward, she's worthy of having people watch her back. She's one of my people," I tell him honestly.
I wasn't going to stand by and let Rosalie Hale ruin her.
A/N: I know this was a smidge of a wait but at least I'm still posting once a week! Where were you all last chapter? Thanks to CoppertopJ for her edits! Any mistakes are my own.