BPOV
"It was merely a misunderstanding, Miss Swan," Royce says while sitting opposite me in my office.
He's articulate and charming.
His blonde hair sits slicked back on his head.
His face has near-perfect symmetry which makes him handsome.
He's surprisingly short for a guy, taller than me but definitely shorter than Rose.
My assistant was smitten by him at first sight.
It tells me a lot.
The prosecutor will play off all his attributes in the case.
The perfect predator to pull in his prey.
"Okay, what is there to misunderstand?" I ask as I flip my pen around on my notepad.
He cocks his head, like he's trying to read me like I just have him.
"We were in a relationship—"
"Just because you're in a relationship with someone doesn't mean you can be rough," I argue, trying to keep my language vague.
Saying he was rough is an understatement. I saw the photos and read the E.D. notes.
He glares.
"I wasn't rough," he says evenly.
"I need you to walk me through the night of the fifteenth," I tell him.
He sighs.
"I had a client dinner and Bianca was with me, she was my date," he clarifies. "She had been cross with me because I showed up to the restaurant late."
"With the client?"
"Yes, we left the office late and I had told her to meet us there," he explains with a clipped tone.
He's getting annoyed with me.
Definitely has a temper.
"Okay, so during the dinner was there a back and forth between the two of you?"
"She was trying to argue in front of my client," he confirms.
"Did you lose your temper while she continued to pick a fight?" I ask, watching his body language.
His eyes narrow but he remains relatively cool.
"I'm nothing but professional, Miss Swan," he answers with a slight smirk.
Of course you are.
I tap my pen for a second.
"Has anyone ever accused you of this before?" I ask already knowing the answer.
"Has anyone ever accused me of sexual assault and battery?" he asks rhetorically. "I think we both know if they had then it would have been in the press, don't you?"
"Not necessarily," I say with a shrug.
Rose has yet to say anything to Jasper Senior and Edward is livid that I am proceeding with this case, but like I have told them both I can't recuse myself without reason.
His eyes narrow.
"No, all my relationships have been consensual," he responds with an exasperated sigh.
I know he is lying.
I hide my frustration.
I don't know this man but he's created more drama within my life than he'd ever know.
Edward has chosen to throw himself into work instead of talking this out. That night, I went to bed while he came up not saying a word and it's been that way ever since.
He's stuck in the studio late and when he does come home, I'm already asleep.
We were supposed to be lovesick in our engagement bubble but now he's mad at me for not obeying him and I'm mad at him for not trusting and supporting me.
I try to think of the times he really showed up.
I miss us.
I miss him.
~PR~
"Bella," I hear muffled from the other end of the door followed by a knock.
It sounds like Edward.
"How long has she been not answering?"
"She texted me last night saying she was feeling a little stuffy and she was going to bed—" Ang trails off.
"You didn't check on her?" he snaps.
"We've been isolating if one of us is feeling a little off," she explains.
"This is fucking ridiculous," he says before opening the door.
I try to open my eyes but I feel like absolute shit, I'm drenched in sweat.
"Bella," he murmurs, touching my forehead.
"She has a fever," Edward snaps and I squint my eyes to see him glaring at Angela. "Do you have a thermometer somewhere?"
"We have one in the bathroom," she says before taking off in search of it.
"Edward," I wheeze out.
He lets out a sigh as he brushes my hair back.
"I'm going to call my dad to see what our options are. The hospital is overfilled—" he trails off grabbing at his own hair.
Covid has been running rampant throughout the country for the past few months and life hasn't been easy for anyone.
We've been in our little social bubbles mostly consisting of just me and Ang but our boyfriends do alternate into them.
Edward just got back from LA a week ago so we were waiting until his two-week quarantine was over before he rejoined the bubble.
Basically, it's been over a month since I've seen him.
He had to quarantine for fourteen days once he arrived in LA and he was there for two weeks.
At the studio, they'd take turns using the space and social distancing. I could tell every time he FaceTimed me that he was going stir-crazy.
The man loved to socialize and entertain so this is the worst possible thing that could happen to him.
Angela comes back with the thermometer and hands it to Edward.
He's quick with gently placing it in my ear.
"One hundred and one point four," he reads out loud.
He grabs his phone from his pocket calling his father.
"Hey," he greets. "Bella has a fever but I'm not sure if she needs to go to the E.D… She's lethargic but is somewhat responsive—"
"You're going to get sick," I protest weakly before breaking into a coughing fit.
"Okay, she's alert," he says into the phone.
Edward gets up from my bed and rifles around at my desk for a pen and paper. I assume Carlisle is telling him things to get for me.
When he finishes his call he turns to me and sighs.
"You can't leave," I point out knowing that he's now been exposed.
"Good thing Instacart exists," he says waving his phone.
"You should have stayed away," I tell him. "What if you get it and are sicker?"
"My dad had Covid in those first few weeks and luckily had no symptoms, so who knows if I'll even be sick," he argues.
I watch him tap away on his phone while glancing at the list he made when he was talking to Carlisle. When he's done he slides his phone back into his pocket.
"I'm going to go start a bath for you. Dad said it will help break the fever," he explains.
"What if I get worse?" I ask before another coughing fit.
"Then we'll need to take you into the E.D.," he tells me. "But I'm going to try my best to heal you."
I roll my eyes out of habit but it makes my achy head feel worse.
He kisses the top of my head before heading to our bathroom.
The kiss is endearing but now I'm worried even more that he's going to get sick.
He doesn't care.
He lifts me from my bed and carries me into the bathroom.
He's even careful as he undresses me.
He bathes me.
I'm mortified but too exhausted to argue with him about it.
When we're back in my room I'm surprised to see my bedding changed. Edward tells me Ang came in and cleaned up while I was getting my bath.
"You both are going to get this," I grumble as I sink into my bed.
"Bella, I was worried about you when you weren't answering my texts or calls… When Angela said you weren't responding to her I couldn't sit around my apartment knowing that something might have happened to you," he tells me earnestly.
"Edward," I sigh tiredly.
"When you're better and if or when I need to get better I want you to move in with me."
"Move in with you?" I ask slowly wondering if the fever is causing me to hallucinate.
"Yes, we should be holed up at my apartment. No more isolating apart."
"We'd be in the same space every waking minute, we'd drive each other crazy," I argue, wondering if he's the one with the fever.
"If Covid hadn't happened you –"
"Actually, I was going to ask you four months ago but Covid happened," he says, cutting off my argument.
"People are breaking up or divorcing because they're stuck together twenty-four, seven," I point out before breaking into another coughing fit.
"We need to get you better before we hash out details," he says, avoiding my points.
His phone pings before he pulls it out again to look at it.
"Groceries," he says before leaving my room.
I close my eyes thinking about the possibility of moving in with Edward.
I feel like taking a big step like this in a stressful time like this could be a mistake. I could end up resenting him or him, me in this lockdown we are being forced into.
When he comes back Edward's arms are full of cold and flu medicines and he places another kiss on my forehead before dumping it all on my nightstand.
I have a feeling that passes over me that it's all going to be alright. That I'll make it to the other side of Covid and that Edward and I will be okay with whatever decision we make going forward.
~PR~
And here I thought the pandemic would be one of our biggest obstacles.
I didn't move in with Edward like he had wanted. It was almost a year later when he asked me again and wanted to build a home together.
I still stand by my choice to wait.
He nursed me through my bout with Covid and managed to get it with no symptoms. The way he took care of me told me what I needed to know about Edward.
He was caring and loyal.
He put my health over his own.
Maybe that's why this whole thing with Rose is disappointing.
He's never been this closed off.
I turn my attention back to Royce. "Do you have any girlfriends that are willing to be a character witness for you?" I ask him.
He looks to be mulling it over but his hesitancy could also be a no. If there are others they can be like Rose and refuse to come forward.
I wouldn't be surprised if Royce made his dates sign NDAs now.
"Do you need me to give you some kind of list?" he asks.
"It would be helpful to have a few women who could speak to your character," I say, trying to keep the sarcasm from my tone.
As of right now, representing him makes my skin crawl, but being a first-year associate I don't have much say on the cases I'm assigned unless I can give a reason.
"I think I can come up with a list," he says confidently. "My assistant can send it over."
I fight to roll my eyes.
"Perfect, I think we covered a lot today and now I can work on a strategy," I tell him.
He stands from his chair and offers me his hand for a firm handshake.
Shaking his hand makes me feel repulsed.
I give him a tight smile before leading him out to my assistant to schedule our next meeting.
I close my door and take a seat at my desk.
I pull my phone out seeing I have no texts.
I sigh.
A/N: Guys the guest reviews on my whereabouts was a little wild. Why write a guest review asking if you're not going to get an immediate answer? I had Covid for the first time and it wasn't fun. Went the whole pandemic not getting sick and then bam. I couldn't imagine how bad it would have been if I wasn't vaxxed and boosted. I am starting to get back to this and work has been busy. I'll try to get back to regular posts. Thanks to CoppertopJ for betaing!