DISCLAIMER: The story doesn't belong to me; the characters are property of S. Meyer, and the plot belongs to Annalau Thank you so much for letting me share your story in English!
Gracias Laura, por darme esta oportunidad!
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Chapter 2
"Hey champ, how was your vacation in Paris?"
My son lifts his face to me; in his honey-colored irises, I sense all the anguish and distress. My lips tighten into a straight line that I try to hide with a slight smile for him, at the same time continuing to tousle his soft blond hair.
"You shouldn't spoil him so much. He was lousy."
Patrick grimaces, burying his head in my chest at the sound of his mother's voice.
Charlotte is in front of us. Her honey gaze evaluates me up and down, and she smiles smugly knowing that I also do the same; she is still an impressive woman, and she keeps her figure stylized based on a thousand-and-one diets. She is synonymous with arrogance and frivolity.
With her fingers she brushes her abundant jet black hair, now longer and shinier, highlighting her whitish skin as if it were porcelain.
"I won't leave!" The little girl's voice makes me look over Charlotte's shoulder. She too turns as she hears the shrieks. Isabella is still arguing, and her face is completely red with fury. "I want to see Carlisle Cullen!"
Anger begins to invade my system. That brat sure is pushy with my father.
I see Angela intervene, rubbing the girl's forearms and succeeding as the brunette calms down.
"Who is she?" asks Pat pointing to Isabella. "She looks angry, dad."
I smile amused without answering and without releasing him from my arms.
"The important thing here is not who she is," interrupts Charlotte, erasing my smile, she hates not being the center of attention. "I want you to tell your father about all the tantrums you threw with my family."
Pat snorts and the breath she exhales moves the hair on her forehead.
"Are you seeing him, Ed?!" accuses Charlotte. "Your son is unbearable; he doesn't know how to behave. I don't want you to ask me to take him with me again."
With my gaze I warn her to say no more, however, Charlotte is unwilling to remain silent.
"You are so irritating, Patrick... so annoying and silly."
I cradle my son's face; his eyes have become sad. This causes my bad mood to rise.
"Pat, go to my office."
My son purses his lips and then walks to the place I have told him. At no point does he even look at Charlotte, let alone try to say goodbye to her.
"Shut up," I growl, shaking her arm, "my son doesn't have to know you don't love him."
Charlotte struggles and I release her from my grip. She always tends to get on my nerves.
"I don't have to lie to him. Patrick is an unruly, ill-mannered teenager."
"And you say that? The woman who never took care of him from birth?" I whisper, "The one who chose to be a whore rather than a mother?"
Her eyes flamed with fury. She tries to slap me, stopping her hand in mid-air.
"You fucking prick."
"Go to hell, Charlotte. And when you come back from there take care of your son. Spend some time with him."
"Well, no," she folds her arms, "I have no interest in spending more time than that. Seeing him twice a month and spending the Christmas vacations is enough for me. My head hurts from hearing him call my name all day. It's quite annoying."
I pinch the bridge of my nose; I need to control my anger. It makes my blood boil every time I argue with her. Charlotte and I can't be alone for five minutes because we both want to claw each other's eyes out. Patrick is the only reason we try to put up with each other.
"I don't understand why you won't give me full custody of Patrick," I consider. "If you don't love him, if it's so hard for you to live with him, let's go before a judge and give him to me."
The corners of her red lips turn up in a mocking smile.
"I'll never give you Patrick," she says, "To have him with me is to fill you with bitterness, and you have no idea how I enjoy upsetting you."
I massage my temples.
"Get the hell out!" I point to the exit, turning around and being stopped by his hand.
"You were so busy with Irina's unpleasantness that you didn't answer a complaint about Patrick's school," she reproaches. "He needs tutoring if you want him to pass his grade and since your son didn't sign up for the extra classes at school he will have to take private lessons. Are you paying for them or am I?"
"I'll take care of it," I mumble.
She sighs as she puts on her dark glasses.
"My parents send you their regards," she says with a flirtatious smile as she moves closer, I instantly pull away from her touch and she snorts. "See you in a fortnight, Ed."
I inhale as I watch her walk away. A teenage pregnancy brought us together for life without us ever having to sign a damn piece of paper. And here we are today, thirteen years later, trying to be the best parents for Pat. At least on my part.
My eyes roam the hall looking for Isabella. She's gone.
I shake my head.
I go in search of my son. I sit at the corner of the desk, looking at him. Pat is pacing around in my chair has his eyelids closed and headphones on as he pretends to hum a rock song.
Isabella's cell phone is under some papers, I pick it up taking it to my pocket.
"I'm here."
His honey eyes scrutinize me.
"Is Charlotte gone already?" he asks, glancing at the door. "You argued about me again, didn't you?"
"Actually, it was about us. We never could see eye to eye."
Pat rolls his eyes.
"Charlotte doesn't love me. She just keeps telling me how annoying I am. Oh, she asks about Irina all the time too. She says that when you get married I'll be pushed aside."
"That's not going to happen, because I'm not getting married. Not yet."
My son smiles.
"Great, Dad," he bumps his fist with mine. "I like Irina a lot, I just don't think she suits your personality. You need someone less dull."
I reach out and ruffle his hair, making him angry.
"Stop criticizing her. Come on, let's go," I pull his hand to make him stand up. "Today is your grandparents' party and we have to get ready for the afternoon."
"Their parties are so boring; I don't want to go."
"We have to."
"I warn you, I'm only going for the snacks," he rubs his belly, making me smile.
"Ah, you're going back to school tomorrow," I get serious. "Don't think I don't know about tutoring, I'll find the best chemistry teacher for you."
"Dad," he complains.
"No complaints. We agreed that classes are paramount for you, young man."
"I'll be top of the class, only if you promise not to send me to Charlotte again. I'm serious, Dad. I don't like being with her."
"Patrick."
"She doesn't love me! And I don't want you to force her to be with me."
My son runs out of my office, I let out a tired sigh. It's getting harder and harder to make him live with his mother.
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Mom assesses me as I enter her house, and purses her lips in a disapproving grimace. She detests my casual way of dressing. She's so elegant and demure that it's hard to believe I'm her son.
"Oh, honey, why do you do that?" she moans cradling my face and letting her fingers wander through my beard.
I smile leaving a kiss on her forehead.
"We'll only be a while, mother. Pat has school tomorrow."
My son walks over to his grandmother and hugs her warmly, he's already about her height. My mother without much emotion instructs him to go get snacks to leave us alone. Some guests smile at me, and I just raise my eyebrows as the only gesture of greeting. I've never liked pretending to like some people, especially when I've only met them a few times.
Esme notices my lack of emotion with her guests and pinches my side, she smiles at them for me as she guides me to the back of the small room, away from the crowd.
"Your father has not arrived," she whispers in a broken voice, her green eyes look sad and reddened, a sign that she has cried. I don't know what's going on with him. He's rarely at home, he practically only sleeps here. Do you know something? Maybe there's some problem with one of the hotels or casinos and he doesn't want to say."
I clear my throat.
It bothers me greatly to see my mother suffer.
"I don't know anything," I lie down, put my arm around her shoulders and pull her close to me. "You shouldn't worry about him; you know Dad has priority in" his business."
"It's our anniversary, son, and he's not even here." Mom runs a hand through her caramel-colored hair elegantly pulled back in a high bun, looks nervously in all directions of the room, and moves closer, making me lean closer to her. "I don't want the whispering about us to start. I've been pretending for years that everything is fine only to have your father ruin it today."
I exhale. Is this what this is about? Mom is not willing to be exhibited as a deceived, weak woman. Even if she has to swallow her tears and hide her shame, she will never show herself defeated.
And she proves me right as she smiles in pleasure when Carlisle enters the room with Aro Vulturi walking beside him, both of them coming to us and greeting us.
"Son, I'm glad you're here," my father pats my shoulder and I swear I want to take his hand off me. He looks so fake dressed in his sober, spotless tuxedo, like the blameless man he is not.
"Edward, I haven't heard from you in a while," Aro greets me with a tight hug. His look of a young man in his thirties no longer suits his more than sixty years. He wears a ponytail and dresses very similar to me, and his trench coat and boots make him look ridiculous. "Let's see when you invite me to one of your trips, I need adrenaline in my system, and I wouldn't mind a wild vacation."
"I don't like to go with company, much less with older people who are not in physical condition to withstand hectic days. You go on with your business, Aro, your university students need you very much."
His smile fades when he hears my answer.
Aro being my dad's best friend has always been the older guy who tries to be liked and funny. Too bad it never worked with me; I don't think it will work with his students either.
My cell phone rings and Irina's name appears on the screen being the necessary pretext to keep my distance and take the call.
"You stood me up," she calls back.
I start rubbing my beard, I didn't remember I had an appointment with her.
"Uh... I'm sorry."
"You were supposed to come to my house. You said we'd spend the evening together and you didn't. I arranged an evening for us and... Forget it, Edward, I guess there's no point."
Her cracked voice makes me imagine she'll start blubbering at any moment.
"I forgot, Irina. I just have so many things on my mind."
"Don't lie, please. I don't know what's going on with you, Edward. We've been together for six years and each time it seems I lose you more and more. You're pushing me away and the worst thing is that you don't even realize it."
"My son arrived today. Between his arrival and the earrings, I forgot about our appointment. That's all!"
"You have no idea how much you hurt me with your indifference. But I also don't know what to do to make you come back to me, I want to take care of you, of Pat. I need to feel part of you, I want us to formalize."
"Irina, at this moment I can't promise anything. I don't understand your eagerness to formalize, this way we are fine, at least it doesn't bother me that you live in another state and that we see each other twice a month."
"I don't agree," she sobbed, "I won't look for you anymore, Edward Cullen, I won't do it until you are the one who asks me with a ring and on your knees."
I raise my eyebrows as I realize that he has ended the call.
I quickly glance around the place decorated with flowers and glassware; this is boring and too banal for me. Very old people smiling hypocritically at my mother as they sweep her off her feet. It's too much to bear.
I breathe in, I need some cold air. I walk to the lonely dark back garden; I still remember as a child I liked to hide in the old trees in the back. I smile internally. With some nostalgia, I put my hands in my pockets as I continue my walk through the freezing night. Maybe the silence will help me to clear my thoughts; after six years in a long-distance relationship, it's time to take another step forward...
Her warm, wet mouth makes me feel a shiver as she's...
"What the fuck is wrong with my head?" I whisper as I think of the brat.
I hear some laughter that forces me to keep quiet making me hide in one of the old trees. It's my father and Aro who went out to share a cigarette, it seems that they are also looking to get away from the hustle and bustle.
"Did you see the catalog I sent you?" asks Aro with a hint of mockery. "They are the following."
"I haven't really had a chance," replies my father.
"How was it today?"
"Mmm... Not bad, although she wasn't a virgin like she promised.
My hands turn into fists. Who is he referring to?
Aro lets out a laugh that forces me to peek out from my hiding place.
"It will be harder and harder to find them quintitas*, be patient. I'm basing this on their income and physical appearance. I have some candidates ready; I just need a little time so there won't be any problems. You know we have to be smart about this."
I blink a couple of times. My concentration evaporates as I hear footsteps behind me, I turn to whoever interrupted and notice someone who has jumped the fence. I follow their footsteps forgetting my father and Aro. The invader tries to sneak through the back door. The figure is small and in that dark trench coat, I recognize her instantly.
"What are you looking for here?"
She immediately turns around, bringing a hand to her chest, frightened.
"I-I..." She stammers. "Who are you?" Her voice composes itself and now she looks haughty with her chin raised. The nerve of this slut is impossible.
I approach without giving her a chance to flee, I have her trapped between my body and the door.
"You're looking for my father, bitch."
Without expecting it I double over in pain; the bitch has hit my balls.
Quintitas: I don't know how to describe it. But imagine what it is if it has to do with Carlisle's hobby…
Hello! Here I am once again. What are your opinions about the chapter? Now we know Edward is not married and neither has a good relationship with his son's mom. And yes, with the passing of the chapters, we'll know more about them. There's also Irina, his actual partner. It seems like she wants to pressure him, although Edward doesn't look willing to do so. What are Carlisle and Aro hiding? Do you wanna know more about Bella? I want to read it all.
Remember that your reviews are the perfect incentive to continue writing, if you support me someday I can bring extra chapters.
Massive thank you to all the people who took their time to leave a review in the last chapter: , motherbeatrice, Dulce Carolina, Ale Stewart, Pattsy1994, cocoa blizzard, Rosemarie28, dazzleglo, mnnlisa, JulieToo,