A/N: This one is a little longer than usual because I couldn't bear to split it up into multiple chapters. It's angstier than the last chapter, for those who requested a warning. Lots more angst to come in the future, though, so hang on tight.
Thanks again for all the feedback across platforms!
Chapter 8
It was December 30th, the night before New Years Eve, that Bella finally fucking called.
I've never answered a phone faster in my life. "Bella?"
"Edward." My name came out as a sigh from the other side of the phone. How are you?" She asked
Better, now. I answered honestly, as I always did with her. "How are you? How have you been? Where have you been, actually?" My voice started sounding a bit accusatory in the end, so I cleared my throat, hoping to reign in my desperation for her explanation.
I was too late.
"I've been fucking busy, Edward. Is that okay with you?" She spat.
Fuck. I pissed her off again. It turned out I was getting pretty damn good at that.
"Fuck, Bella. I was just worried about you. I called, you know."
"Yeah, I know. Multiple times."
I cringed at her words, my hand finding its way to my hair and tugging. I was starting to come off as fucking desperate as I really was. I didn't want that to be true.
Before I could respond, she sighed. "Sorry. I'm just in a bad mood. I'm glad you called, really." She said, and I exhaled , relieved. I don't think I would have been able to stop myself from calling her if I tried.
"Don't apologize." I told her. "I get it. How are you, though, really?" I asked.
"I don't know. I'm okay, I guess. How's my dad?"
"He's fine, I promise. His fish fry was delicious and he seemed to have a good enough time. How's your mom?"
I knew she was avoiding bringing her up, but I wouldn't let her. After all, she never let me shy away from conversations about my dead mother.
She sighed once again from the other side of the line. "She's fucked up, for sur, but i think she'll be okay."
"Is she going into a program or something? For her addiction?"
"I don't even know what the fuck she's addicted to anymore, honestly, but yeah, that's the plan. I'm going to drop her off there tomorrow before driving myself to the airport.
"You're coming home tomorrow?" I asked, and I couldn't contain the smile that crept up on my face. She must have heard it in my voice, because she giggled softly from the other end of the line.
"You sound happy about it." She noted.
"And if I am?"
"That's good, then. Because I'm happy about it too." She was quiet for a minute before adding "I've been missing you, Masen."
Oh, if only she knew how very true that sentiment was for me, as well. I was craving Bella's company like a drug, like how my dad craved his liquor or Bella's mom craved… whatever the fuck she was getting high on.
Suddenly, I realized how little I'd been craving my usual vices: beer, coke, weed. Instead, I've only been able to think of Bella, and when the urge to get fucked up did cross my mind, the appeal was gone when i thought of doing it alone, without her by my side.
That thought reminded me; "Hey, what time do you land tomorrow?"
"Around seven at night. Charlie's picking me up from the airport.
"Do you think you'll be down for a little New Year's Eve action? Apparently, Jasper's mom's boyfriend has a serious firework show planned at midnight."
"Oh, fuck yes. I'm so down. I need some fucking normalcy after this week in hell."
I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling fucking grateful that my wish would come true and I'd be getting fucked up with Bella before I knew it. Still, it only minutely dulled the ache of not having her next to me right now.
"What are you doing?" I asked her.
She let out a tiny little groan, the kind of sound she made when she stretched at night before dozing off next to me. "I'm in my bed," she told me. "What are you doing?"
"Same thing. Thinking about what it would be like if you were here, too."
I heard the tiny whimper leave her mouth before she spoke. "I wish I was there," she whispered into the phone. "I miss being with you."
The tone of her voice left no room for confusion regarding where her head was at; she was wanting me as much as I was wanting her.
Well, maybe not as much. I wasn't convinced I had become the horniest motherfucker on the planet since meeting Bella.
"Baby, I miss being in you." I confessed, letting my free hand find its way down the front of my boxers. If I was gonna get off, I was most definitely going to do it to the sound of my girls voice.
Another whimper came from her end of the phone, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from morning aloud. I didn't want Bella to know how fucking far gone I already was, simply from the sound of her voice.
"What are you doing now?" I asked her, my voice coming out gruff as I tried to stifle the pleasure my hand was creating for me.
Her little voice sounded breathy when she spoke. "Touching myself." She said, and i almost fucking exploded right then and there. This time, I did groan into the phone, unable to hold it back.
"Fuck yeah, baby, and are you thinking of me?"
"Fuck, yes, Edward," she moaned in response.
"God damn it, Bella," I grumbled into the phone as I worked on myself. "I wish you were fucking here. I want to feel you against me, I want to fucking taste you…"
Bella cut off my horny ramblings with another moan, and even from Chicago, I knew she was close to the edge.
"Come with me, Edward, please." She panted through the phone, making me groan again.
"You better be fucking ready, then, baby. Yeah?" I responded through my grunts.
"Fuck, yes, Edward," she mewled into the phone. "I'm fucking-" she gasped, "coming!"
The moment the word left her mouth, I let go, exploding into my boxers and moaning into the phone.
We both remained silent for a while, catching our breaths from the intensity of the orgasms we'd both seemed to have had. The silence was broken only by a soft melody coming from the other end of the phone; what I figured out was Bella's humming.
"You sound beautiful," I told her drowsily as my eyes drooped closed.
Her little chuckle interrupted the melody of her song briefly before she continued, saying nothing in response to my exhausted musings. It was fine with me, there couldn't possibly be a sound I'd rather hear at that moment than her voice lulling me to sleep.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
I woke up with no recollection of hanging up the phone last night. Picking it up off of my mattress, I realized it was dead. We had fallen asleep on the phone with each other, it seemed, and for the first time since she went to phoenix, I got a full night's sleep.
Carlisle called at about 3 o'clock. I rushed to answer the phone, eager to have something to do the pass the fucking time before Bella got home, even if it was just fucking chatting with my uncle.
"Hey, son! A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! I'm so sorry we didn't call sooner, we've been away on an extended holiday and-"
"Don't even worry about it, Uncle Carlisle." I stopped him, not wanting to hear about all the fun he had with his wife while his niece and nephew rotted in this house with our father.
I knew it wasn't his fucking problem, but it still fucking stung.
Our conversation was brief; he asked about Alice, who was at Jazz's house as per usual, and he asked about Dad. I hadn't seen the asshole for more than five minutes for weeks, and I told him as much. That appeased him enough; it at least spared me from another talk about how I was welcome in Seattle and that I'd always be a Cullen, like him and Mom.
So by the time that was over, I was only about fifteen minutes closer to Bella's estimated arrival time. Fucking great.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
By 11:30, the entire block was in the street, gathered around various fire pits and barbecues, waiting for the clock to strike 12:00 and for Tyler, the man who Jazz and Rose's mom was dating, to start the firework show. With a beer in my hand, I did one more lap around the block, nodding at Emmett as he cozied up with Rosalie and ignoring Alice's pity stare as she watched me walk by alone from her perch on Jasper's lap.
Bella was nowhere in sight.
Giving up, I stuffed my jacket pockets with a few beers I'd stolen out of some random cooler and took a seat on the curb in a spot far enough away from everyone else that I didn't have to associate with them. I'd still have a good view of the fireworks as I brood alone, which, all in all, wasn't the worst way to ring in the new year.
It was five minutes to midnight when I finally heard her footsteps coming up from behind me. I didn't move an inch; I wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment if I turned around and saw someone other than Bella behind me. When that familiar bottle of tequila snaked its way into my field of view, I finally allowed myself to smile.
The rest of Bella came to sit next to me after I'd taken the bottle from her hands and took a swig.
"I thought I wasn't going to make it," she said, her breath washing over my face as she spoke. "There was so much traffic, and Charlie wanted to stop at the store-"
Unable to fucking take it anymore, i interrupted her by smashing my lips against hers. She responded instantly, opening up to let me work my tongue into her mouth.
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her against me. She was so fucking warm, a stark contrast to the cold Chicago night air, but a shiver ripped through me anyway as I felt her body connect with mine.
Her arms made their way around my neck, pulling me closer to her, as well, and for a second, it felt like maybe she missed me almost as much as I missed her.
As we kissed, hanging on to each other for dear life on that sidewalk curb, I heard our friends and neighbors start the countdown to the New Year without us. Tucked in the darkness, they probably wouldn't notice we were here, but in truth, there was no place I'd rather be.
Alice's pity glances felt laughable now, and I did chuckle a bit against Bella's lips at the thought of it. When the crowd started cheering and the fireworks started shooting off above us, I kept my lips on Bella's.
"Happy New Year, baby." I mumbled against her lips, intoxicated on beer and tequila and mostly Bella.
Her answering giggle made my stomach flutter, and her small hands found the sides of my face as she finally pulled away from me. Unwilling to let her retreat too far, I let my forehead fall against hers, looking into her eyes as I caught my breath.
"Happy New Year, sweet boy." She whispered, her eyes shining as they gazed into mine. "I've never been so happy to be home."
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
It was a horribly cold, snow stormy day in late January when Bella called Alice in a panic.
"Alice!" I heard her scream from the other side of the phone, her tone making my stomach drop. Alice pushed me away as I hovered closer to her, trying to hear what Bella was saying. "I'm locked out!" Her voice squeaked from the speaker.
Alice laughed out loud, brushing me off while she went to the front door. "Come over! I'm at the door!" She giggled.
Bella burst in like a bat out of hell, shaking the snow off of her jacket once inside.
One look at her and I was busting out in hysterics; Alice was, too. Bella stood there glaring at the both of us before the laughter got to her, too. "God Damn!" She exclaimed. "It's fucking cold out there!"
"That's Chicago for ya, baby." I said, taking her wet jacket from her and hanging it on the coat rack. Alice shot me a knowing glance, but I ignored her.
"That's for letting me in, Alice. Charlie should be home in a few hours."
"Oh, please! I'm so glad you're here, you can stay forever! Come on, let me show you around!" Alice replied, grabbing Bella by the wrist and tugging. Bella turned, sending me a smirk as she followed Alice. She had seen the house before, but only she and I knew that.
I plopped down on the couch, flicking on the tv in an attempt to seem disinterested in whatever girly shit they were up to, though in reality my dick was twitching, sensing Bella's close proximity. It was almost an hour later that they came back downstairs, and it was clear that Alice got her hands on Bella.
I stood up as soon as I spotted her.
Alice put her in some skin tight dress that clung tightly to her perfect body. She must have done Bella's hair, as well- instead of her normal loose waves, the strands were wrapped up in tight curls, half off it pinned back off her face. Alice may have done a little makeup on her, as well, but I wasn't a fucking beauty guru, so i couldn't be sure.
All i knew was Bella looked fucking stunning.
I'm not sure how long my mouth hung open as I gaped at her, but I didn't notice it until she approached me. "What do you think, Masen?" Her voice was breathy, sending shivers down my spine.
I had to clear my throat before I could speak. And force my eyes off of her tits. "Alice is a genius."
"Damn right I am, brother! I knew you would like it!" my sister exclaimed, causing Bella to fucking giggle, which shook her tits a bit. My hand was fucking twitching, trying to reach out and touch them.
Fucking spellbound again, and this time, it was my own sister's doing.
It was only a few moments later that we heard the door crash open. Alice, who so rarely uttered a curse word, muttered "fuck," under her breath. I felt my body tense with anticipation, awaiting whatever bullshit my father brought with him today.
He paused in the living room the moment we came into his view.
"What's this?" He asked, stalking closer towards us. He was clearly fucking wasted, his eyes were glossy and his steps uneven as he approached us.
"This is Bella," Alice spoke quietly, obviously hoping to appease Dad enough that he'd leave us alone. "She lives down the street. You know, Charlie Swan's daughter?"
Dad scoffed as Alice spoke his name. "That pussy Charlie's your father?" He asked, his eyes darting to Bella. "Damn, I would have thought he'd have some ugly fucking kids, but I guess not, huh?"
My hands were clenching into fucking fists as I watched him spit his words at Bella. I noticed Alice shooting me her warning glare, her eyes saying 'don't fucking do it, Edward,' but I ignored her, instead focusing all of my attention on my asshole of a father.
"Guess not," Bella agreed, her head held high as she kept eye contact with Dad.
He took a step closer to her. "You're a pretty young thing, ain't ya?"
"Dad," I spoke loudly. His eyes darted to me, vague and unaware from his alcohol consumption.
"What, son? I'm having a conversation with the girl." He took another step towards Bella, who's chest jutted out in defiance as he approached her.
Please don't. God, I could not handle watching her speak to him. He was fucking evil, and she was too fucking good.
"Where you going' dressed like that?" He slurred at Bella. She sucked in a deep breath, looking like she was ready to fucking spit in his face. She probably was.
I opened my mouth to interfere again, but in the next second, his hand darted out towards Bella's fucking chest.
I fucking lost it.
My fist swung, connected with the side of his face. I felt the pain of my action, but had no sense of control as I swung at him again, this time hitting him square in the nose.
Alice, finally making herself present in the situation, screamed bloody murder as Dad lunged towards me, nearly knocking me to the ground.
My eyes shot towards the girls, darting between the two of them. Bella just stood there, wide eyed and staring, while Alice shrieked from next to her.
"Go! Go outside, now!" I commanded them as I braced for Dad to take another lunge at me. Alice whimpered, frozen in her spot. Bella came to my rescue, once again, grabbing my sister by the hand and dragging her towards the back door.
I had truly lost myself once they were gone. It had been a long fucking time since I last started a fight with my father, and it was long fucking overdue. A part of me, so violent I never knew it existed, came out and beat the fuck out of my father, while the rest of my conscious watched behind angry eyes.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
By the time Edward Sr slugged out the fucking door, the floor was covered in blood. Furniture was turned upside down. I stood there, taking in the damage and catching my fucking breath for a moment while I came back to my senses.
That was a fucking brawl.
I trudged my way to the kitchen sink, splashing my face with cold water and watching the bloody water run down the drain. He definitely did some damage, but not nearly as much as I'd done to him.
That thought made the pain flare up in my knuckles, causing me to hiss. I looked down at my bloody hand, unsure where my blood stopped and his began. It was probably fucking broken. Too bad Carlisle wasn't here to tape me up like he used to, when I'd fallen out of a tree or some other innocent kid shit.
But this wasn't innocent kid shit, that's for sure. This was some R rated horror movie shit. I sighed as I took in the sight of the fucked up living room one more time, knowing I'd have to clean it before I let Alice see how bad it got.
Fuck. Alice and Bella were probably still outside.
Not bothering to grab a jacket, I made my way to the back door and swung it open to find the two girls huddling against each other in the cold.
Alice let out a little sob as she took in my beat up face. I guess it was pretty gnarly. I still hadn't seen my reflection.
"Edward," She whined, her eyes pleading with me, begging me to stop this from happening. It was too late, though. It had already happened.
"I'm okay, Al." I said, wrapping my arms around her tiny shuddering frame. "It's, uh, kind of a mess in there."
"I bet," Bella said quietly, her eyes taking in the damage to my face. I winced, imagining how fucking ugly I must have looked to her at that moment.
I sighed, digging through my pocket until I pulled out a twenty dollar bill. "Here, guys. Take this," I handed the cash to Alice. "Go get something to eat, and I'll clean up in here."
"Fuck that." Bella said, stepping in and grabbing my twenty. "We're all cleaning, and we're all eating. I'll order a pizza."
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Alice did freak out as her initial response to the mess my dad and I left behind, but with Bella coaxing her on, she got over it quickly.
"I just hate it when they fight." Alice told her at one point, as if I wasn't in the same fucking room. "It hasn't happened in a while, but it's always so…violent."
"What do you expect? Your dad's a prick. I would have beat the shit out of him, too." Bella responded, getting a little giggle out of Alice. Thank God she was here; if it was just me and my sister, there would be nothing but tears.
After we finished cleaning the place, Bella ordered us some pizza. The mood had shifted again, back to the lightness we had earlier in the day, although Alice's face fell every time she looked at me.
"Okay," Bella spoke up after hanging up with the restaurant. "You, come upstairs with me." She stuck her tiny little finger in my face, motioning me towards her. I obliged, of course, under her spell as always.
She took me upstairs to the bathroom, her little hands guided me down so I was sitting on the toilet lid, facing her.
"Do you have a washcloth?" She asked.
I nodded, pointing to the cabinet where the towels were. She grabbed one and ran it under the faucet before approaching me. She stood in between my legs as I sat, her hand gently pulling my face up to hers before she started cleaning me off with the wet rag.
"He got you real good." Bella said, touching a sore spot right above my eyebrow. "You should probably get stitches."
"I'll be okay."
"I can super glue it closed, if you want. It will at least stop the bleeding."
I shrugged, feeling kind of pathetic that she was taking care of me, but loving the attention nonetheless. I hadn't been treated like this since Mom was alive.
"Here, take this." She said, wadding up a piece of toilet paper and holding it out to me. "Keep pressure on the cut for now. When Charlie gets home, I'll run in and get the first aid kit so I can fix you up." She gave me a look. "I'm assuming you don't have one here."
"There's been a band aid under my bed for the past few years." I told her, and she laughed, finally that belly laugh I loved so much. I laughed along with her, letting my head fall forward until it rested on her stomach.
Her tiny hands ran through my hair as I rested there, exhaling and finally letting all the tension fucking leave my body. She was always able to lull me into this peaceful state, and it took her no time at all. No need for fucking meditation; just call up Bella Swan.
Too fucking soon, she pulled away from me. "We should probably get downstairs before Alice blows another fuse."
I laughed again, this time without as much humor. "Do I look a little better, at least?"
"See for yourself." She said, pulling me up by my hand and spinning me so I was facing the mirror.
Fuck, I was fucked up. Besides the giant gash above my eyebrow, my lower lip was split and swollen, and I was sure I'd have a black eye in the morning to top it all off. I groaned as I took myself in.
"You look badass, Masen." Bella smirked at me, playfully elbowing my ribs. "I didn't know you could fight like that."
I shrugged at her again, not willing to get into the details of my violence. Yeah, of course I could fight. Look who raised me?
As we started out of the bathroom and towards the stairs, she stopped, turning to face me. "By the way, I just wanted to remind you that I don't need you to fight my battles for me. I'll give you this one, since your dad deserved to get the shit kicked out of him, but don't fucking do it again."
After we ate and Bella was sure Charlie was home, she braved the cold once again to run across the street for her first aid kid. Alice could only smile at me sadly while we were waiting, her mood dramatically declining when Bella stepped out of the room.
I guess she had the same effect on everybody.
Once Bella was back and had glued up my wounds for me, she left once again to head home for the night, though the knowing glance she threw at me told me she intended to come back when the house was asleep.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
I decided to bite the bullet and confront Alice. If we didn't talk tonight, all of her negative feelings towards me would fester and she would be fucking pissed off in the morning. I really couldn't deal with her being mad at me. I'd have to nip it in the bud.
I knocked on her closed bedroom door, knowing she was awake in there. "Hey, Alice, can we talk?"
She didn't respond, but I heard her bed squeak. A moment later, she swung the door open, showing me her blotchy red face. She had been crying.
"Fuck, Alice. I'm sorry. Please don't cry."
My little sister sniffed, looking up at me with her big blue eyes. "Are you okay?" She squeaked out, her voice breaking from her tears.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Really."
"Is Dad alright?"
I groaned, running my fingers through my hair and tugging a bit. How fucking frustrating. "He'll be fine. He's like a cockroach, you can't kill him."
She smiled a little at my joke, relieving some of the tension she was causing in me. "I don't want anyone to get hurt, Edward." She said, coming closer to me and wrapping her arms around my torso. I hugged her back.
"We're gonna be fine, Alice. I promise."
Maybe it wasn't my right to make those kind of promises, but fuck, I just needed to make her happy. If she was fucking miserable, too, all of this is for nothing. What was the point of putting up with Dad in this hell hole if she was suffering? We could fucking… leave, somehow. We could make him leave. That would be better.
Alice would never allow it, though, and I certainly wasn't going to bring it up tonight. She had forgiven me, but I could tell she was still upset. I would have to earn her trust back yet again, and confronting her with the idea of getting rid of Dad was not going to help.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
Bella's lips were on mine the second she made in through my front door.
"I wanted to do this all damn day." She spoke into my mouth, making me groan. I gripped onto her hips and I pushed my tongue into her mouth, kissing her fucking silly for a minute before forcing myself to pull away. We had to take this upstairs.
Once we entered my room, I turned to face her, taking in her tiny form bundled in sweat pants and an oversized hoodie, a stark difference from the ensemble Alice had her in before. And if I thought she looked good then, she looked fucking beautiful now. I didn't know what that fucking meant, but as she approached me once again, I realized I didn't care.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
I held her hands as she rode me, her alabaster skin shimmering with a thin layer of sweat. I was transfixed between her face and the spot we were connected; feeling sort of guilty that her tits weren't getting enough attention. Letting go of one of her hands, I reached up and grabbed one, giving it a squeeze. She moaned above me.
"I love the way you touch me," she said, leaning forward and placing her hands on my chest for balance. Her little fingers dug into my skin, the pain of it feeling so fucking pleasurable I could explode.
I grunted as Bella leaned down to press her lips against mine. It was a sloppy kiss, our tongues flying everywhere as she ground her body against me. The little sounds she was making told me she was close to coming, so I worked harder to buck my hips up into her. It worked; she gasped when I hit just the right spot, her movements pausing as her thighs clenched around my hips.
"God, Bella, you're so fucking perfect. You look so good when you're coming." As usual, the words I sputtered at her came out completely unfiltered. Just the ramblings of a man going crazy as his girl rode his cock.
Her responding moan was guttural as she continued her actions, dragging me close to the edge as well. I lifted my head up to connect my lips with hers, fucking needing to taste her as I came.
~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
When all was said and done, Bella laid on my chest. This time, I allowed myself to wrap my arms around her, holding her to me as she was still awake. I was just so fucking tired; physically and mentally, and I did not have the energy to restrain myself tonight. She didn't show any sign of discomfort at my actions, instead snuggling into me and letting her hand roam my chest, occasionally stopping to play with the hairs there.
"Thank you for what you did today," I spoke quietly, not wanting to break the quiet peace in the room. "You really helped Alice, I think."
"I love Alice." Bella responded. "I'd protect her no matter what."
"I know you would, and it means a lot to me."
"I don't do it for you, asshole." I tensed briefly at her words before I felt her little body shake with laughter. "I cleaned up your nasty wounds for you, though. You did look hot all covered in blood, but I actually think I prefer you in one piece."
I laughed, too, tightening my grip around her slim waist. "Thank you for that, too."
We were quiet for a little while, just fucking laying there enjoying the calm. Eventually, Bella broke the silence. "You know, I really don't like when people come to my rescue, Edward."
I sighed. "I'll never let him touch you, Bella."
"I don't need to be defended."
"I don't care." I tightened my grip on her as I spoke, unwilling to let her get away from me when she got mad.
Instead, she stayed perfectly still in my arms, saying nothing. I leaned forward, pressing my lips against the top of her head and inhaling, letting her scent flood my senses.
"Goodnight, Edward," she mumbled, nuzzling her face into my chest. I had never felt so comfortable in my entire life, having my girl there in my arms. And she seemed pretty fucking comfortable, too. I let my hand wander, tracing patterns on her soft back.
"Goodnight, Bella."
Carlisle called the next day, and as soon as I answered the phone, I knew he'd talked to Alice.
"Your sister called me last night." He eventually confessed. "Are you okay?"
I groaned, letting my face fall into my hands. I was so sick of this conversation; we'd had it so many times over the years. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little busted up."
"I wish I could have been there to fix you up. I really wish I could have been there to stop it." Carlisle's regret was evident in his voice. It pissed me off.
"Really, Uncle Carlisle, its fine. I'm fine. Dad's fine, too, by the way. I don't know what Alice told you-"
"I don't give a fuck how your piece of shit father is." He cut me off, anger seeping into his tone. It was relieving, honestly. I didn't care how my father was, either. Honestly, a part of me hoped he was dead on a street corner somewhere. I knew he wasn't, though; that would have been to fucking easy.
"Edward, listen. I already know what you're going to say, but I wanted to extend the invitation…"
"No, thank you." This time I interrupted him. "We're gonna be okay here."
My uncle was quiet for a moment. "Alice told me the fight started over a girl."
Ah, fucking Alice. Of course she had to disclose every fucking detail to the man.
"She could come stay with us, too, if she wanted to. If it would help you make a decision…" Carlisle continued.
It took everything in me not to throw the phone across the goddamn room. Instead, I took a deep breath, composing myself before speaking again. "If I change my mind, you'll be the first to know."
Carlisle sighed. "Alright, Edward. Just know the offer doesn't expire. Us Cullens need to stick together, right?"
I was in a rage by the time I'd hung up the phone. I was so fucking sick of this Cullen bullshit. My name was Edward Masen Junior, the first born son of Ed Senior. Half of his blood was in me. And unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to learn that the Masen bloodline fucking destroys everything the Cullens touched.