Well Happy New Year, a little late obviously, but still its now 2024. In Iowa here, we have had a pretty warm winter season up until this week when mother nature dumped like a foot of snow on us on Monday night, Tuesday morning. We got more snow last night, but not much. However, according to the weather channel more snow should start sometime tonight and go well into tomorrow night, and by Monday we will be facing lows of negative 17 degrees...YAY! Iowa also had a school shooting this year, what a way to start the year, already. I was in a bit of a block there for a bit, but I've already sent out chapter 16 to the wonderful ladies who help me. Hope your year is going better than ours here in Iowa.
No copyright infringement is intended, and Twilight doesn't belong to me.
Thanks to LaPumuckl for her help talking out the story and catching issues. Thank you to the wonderful and talented Dowlingnana for again wielding her red pen, to shape me into a better writer.
Any and all mistakes are mine, I still dabble. Thanks for the story love, see you at bottom.
Chapter 15
The past few weeks have been strange, but nothing yet has happened. Edward had called his parents the day after Billy was here and asked them to wait a few weeks to come back and visit. He told them that due to the time he took off while being sick, made his schedule overbooked. Esme and Carlisle agreed and informed him that when they did come visit next month, Eleazar and Carmen would likely join them.
The shop is busy, and Leah has been a huge help. Alice and Jasper got called away to Texas a few days ago because Jasper's uncle passed away. Rose has also been here helping out as much as possible, but we've been slammed. Edward has taken over doing some of the piercing, and reluctantly so have I. Alice and Jasper should be back tomorrow, and I for one will be so excited to see them.
"How much longer will you be?" Emmett asks.
"Not too much longer, I'm just entering the data in the computer, and I have to clean my room. What's up?"
"Not much, I talked to Jim next door when I bought those shelves. He wanted us to stop in and see him when we were done today. He is almost fully out of stock, and he wanted to talk to us about something."
"Okay, let me tell Edward where I'm going and I'll be ready," I say.
"I'm right here," Edward says from the doorway. "Why don't you head over with Emmett to talk to Jim, I'll clean your room."
"Okay, thanks," I say and place a kiss on his cheek as I walk past him.
Emmett and I walk next door and walk in. The shelves are empty, and it makes me sad to see a long-standing family business close.
"Hey, Emmett, Bella, thanks for coming over to see me."
"Hey, Jim," I say as I step closer to hug him. "I'm going to miss having you on the other side of our wall," I tell him as I step back.
"Well, that wall is why I wanted to talk to you," Jim chuckles.
"Okay, so what's up?" Emmett asks.
"Well, you both know I decided after Marge passed that I wanted to move someplace a little warmer. The kids all moved away years ago, and well I only kept this shop open because Marge wanted me to. I'm ready to retire now and go soak up some sun in Florida. When I decided to close the shop, I knew it would be best to come to you before I did anything else. Now that the stock is mostly depleted, and I sold you some of the shelving, this week is my last here."
"We're gonna miss you, Jim," I say.
"I'm gonna miss you kids too. That Alice has helped keep me fed, and I love it, but she brings me enough food for one meal that will feed me for two days," he laughs.
"Yeah, she thinks everyone can eat like she does," I say and elbow Emmett.
'Yeah. Well, I wanted to talk to you kids about buying my shop here. The place is small, but with it butting right up to the shared wall, it seems smartest to offer it to you first. I know it is not huge or anything, and it only has parking for ten vehicles out there, but I'd give it to you two for a steal. Building, parking lot, and all for twenty-seven thousand dollars."
"Woah, that is at least forty thousand too cheap," Emmett says.
"Yeah, maybe so, and if you kids don't take it, I might sell it for more. Now, hear me out. You kids have all taken care of me for the past six months since Marge died. Before that, you took care of both of us for a couple of years. Jerry always said you kids were the best, and Marge thought so too. Neither our daughter nor our son wants anything to do with the property, and they both long ago had more money than we did. I've spoken to them both, and they are fine with the offer I'm giving you kids. You go talk it over, and let me know by Monday if you can. I already sold the house and once the shop is sold, I'm heading off to Florida."
"Okay, Jim, we will discuss it, and let you know right away," I say.
We both hug Jim again before we head back to the shop.
"What do you think we should do?" I ask Emmett.
"I think it'd be best if we bought it, and we have more than enough equity in Etched Swan to guarantee the loan.
"We won't need a loan, I have enough in my bank account to cover it right now," I say, walking back into our shop.
"No," Emmett says.
"What do you mean no?" I turn and ask.
"I mean that you busted your ass, and covered my share of the down payment when we bought Etched Swan from Lilian, it is only fair that I even the playing field."
There is nothing to even," I say, mad that he feels like this.
"What are you guys arguing about?" Edward asks.
"Jim wants to sell his shop to us. Since the wall there," I point. "Connects the buildings, we could add on to our shop, or just use it for storage or whatever."
"You could use it as a gallery for your work," Emmett says.
"I enjoy tattooing, Emmett," I say.
"You also love to paint and sculpt. When was the last time you did anything for people that didn't involve a tattoo machine?"
"Tattooing is about all I have done since I graduated, and I love it. I enjoy my job, don't make me hate it because you think you know me better than I know myself, Emmett!"
"Okay, guys, how about we sit down and talk it all out?" Rose states walking into the room.
"I'll be back in a minute," I say and head for my room and close the door behind me.
I sit on my chair and take a deep breath. I know Emmett wants to help, but I already have enough cash on hand in my safe to cover the purchase of the building, and then some. I wish Emmett would just let me take care of this. I don't think, nor have I ever felt like Emmett owes me anything. I look up when there is a knock on the door.
"Yeah?" I say and the door opens.
"Hey, I told Emmett and Rose we would meet them at Five Points. How can I help?" Edward asks.
"Okay. I'm not sure how anyone can help. I have a ton of money stacked up. When my dad died, I was listed as the executor of my dad's estate. Due to my father's will, and the stipulations the estate was set up as a trust. All the income from my father's pension, bank accounts, personal and work life insurance policies, as well as the proceeds from all of the properties my father owned went into the trust."
"Your father owned a bunch of properties?" Edward asks.
"Yeah, he was a police chief, and he had inherited almost a hundred properties between Port Angeles, Forks, and a few other small towns in the area. When all was said and done there was more than five million dollars in real estate alone."
"The stipulations of the trust state that other than for educational purposes we cannot touch the balance of the trust until we reach twenty-five. Each month we get a three-thousand dollar living expense which continues even after I'm twenty-five and goes until Emmett turns twenty-five. After that, the trust will close, and at that time he will get the majority of the trust balance. I will still be given an executor's fee, but I'm unsure how much that will be. When I turned twenty-five, I rolled my money into a money market account, and could easily live off the interest of that account for the rest of my life. I had no reason to use any of it since I was already making bank at the shop. Emmett will get somewhere in the amount of five million dollars when the trust closes on his twenty-fifth birthday."
"That is a lot. I mean I too am a trust fund baby, but even with it having been invested for a very long time, I'm not sure I've got that much," Edward says.
"The thing is, I already get so much extra than Emmett, and I want him to let me do this, it is like … I need to help ensure his future; you know?"
"Let's go to dinner, and afterward, maybe have a bonfire, and see if we can discuss it among the four of us," Edward suggests.
"Yeah, let's go," I say as my belly rumbles and Edward laughs.
The drive to Five Points goes by fast, and when we arrive, Jane is setting plates on the table.
"Perfect timing, Rose and Emmett said you were on the way, so I brought you both tonight's special and a pitcher of root beer."
"Thanks, Jane," I say as I slide into the booth across from Emmett and Rose.
"Thanks, Jane. I've got your tip from Diego for this week," Edward says as he hands Jane a folded piece of paper before sitting beside me.
"That man will be the death of me," Jane laughs, before walking away.
"What did that "tip" say?" Rose asks.
"Everyone has a purpose in life. Perhaps yours is watching television," Edward says.
"I think that is a quote from David Letterman," Rose says, and I nod.
"I know it is, I've given her that one before," I say.
"Oh, well, he will have to work harder," I say as Jane comes back and hands the paper back to Edward.
"Tell your buddy he is late to the show, I already used this and I don't care for reruns."
We all laugh, and Edward gives Jane a nod.
After Jane walks away, I smile at Emmett. "Hey, Emmett, Rose, how about after dinner we go to the house and have a bonfire?"
"Sounds good to me, Bells, I love you," Emmett says.
We make small talk while finishing our supper. When we leave, Emmett leaves Jane the tip tonight, and we all laugh when she punches him in the shoulder and shakes her head walking away.
"Okay, what did you "tip" her?" Rose asks.
"It said, "In the immortal words of Taylor Swift, I'm going to shake you off!"," Emmett laughs.
"No wonder you got punched," I laugh.
We leave Five Points and head for home. When we get home, Edward and Emmett start a fire, and Rose and I grab drinks and join them outside.
We all sit down, and I clear my throat. "Emmett, it is not that I don't want you to do something for me, I want to explain why I want to buy it, or at least us buy it together," I say.
"Okay," Emmett says.
"I was thinking, with everything going on, I want us to own the building for sure. It would be great to have all that extra parking too. We would essentially own the entire side of the block. I want to be clear, I love art and creating, but I want to share it through tattooing as of now. Later in life if I change my mind, we can revisit it then. With that being said, I think instead of it being a business on its own, we open the wall connecting the two businesses and make it all into one. The living space above Jim's shop has been empty for years. There are two units up there, both have two bedrooms. We could redo those apartments, and have them for special out-of-town clients, or even just to rent out. Then we could turn the store space into a piercing area only. The foot traffic from piercings has increased so much that the bell on the door is constant. We could block off our door, and completely revamp the waiting area we have now. We could have the entrance and the area Alice uses the most in Jim's old shop. It would give our customers, and us as artists more privacy in our rooms. We could control foot traffic through the main space and keep the existing shop for tattoo customers only. Also, as for the cost of buying Jim's storefront, I was thinking about it, and since Etched Swan belongs to you and me, I want Jim's storefront to be owned the same way. So, what I propose is you let me pay for it, and when you get your settlement from Dad's trust you can pay me back for half of whatever the costs are including closing and remodeling. How does that sound?" I ask.
"That is perfect, Bellsy," Emmett says, and Rose and Edward nod in agreement.
We sit around the fire, chatting and hanging out together. Around eleven o'clock, I stretch and let out a yawn. "Sorry to be a party pooper, but I'm gonna head for bed, it's been a long few days."
"You can say that again," Edward says.
"Thank goodness Alice and Jasper will be back at the shop tomorrow," Emmett states.
"Yeah, I talked to Alice earlier and she said they would be home around midnight and will be at the shop in the morning," Rose says.
We make sure the fire is out, and put the steel cover over the fire pit before we all make our way to our own homes.
"We should do that more," Edward states, as we walk in the back door.
"Yes, we should. It is relaxing to just hang out."
We make our way to my room; well, it seems more like our room. We've slept together every night for the past three weeks. Last week, we talked and he moved some stuff into my room. Sharing my bathroom is not something I am used to doing, but he is not in my way. I take a shower and get ready for bed first. When I step out of the bathroom, Edward goes in. I lay back against the headboard with my sketch pad. As always, I just let my mind wander as I draw. After about ten minutes I hear Edward call my name. I put down my stuff and go to the door.
"Edward, did you need my help?"
"Yeah, there is a duffle bag on my side of the bed, and I need it. Could you grab it, please?"
"Of course," I say as I walk to his side of the bed. I grab the duffle and know this is the stuff he uses with his prosthetic.
"Do you want me to bring this in to you?" I ask unsure if he wants me to enter or not.
"Yeah, I'm sitting on the side of the tub, and need the ointment I have in the bag, I started forming a bit of an ulcer."
I open the door, and see Edward is fresh out of the shower, and is wrapped in a towel. I hand him the bag, and he takes out a bottle.
"Can you hand me a clean white washcloth?"
"Yeah," I say as I open the cabinet. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I noticed a twinge earlier and just thought it was the insert getting weak, but the insert getting weak has caused a small blister. I'm going to clean it good and put the medication I have on it. I will just not wear my prosthetic for the next two days. That should give it more than enough time to heal. I have already thrown the worn-out insert in the trash. I already have a few replacement ones in this bag."
"Yeah, hopefully, it heals fast, you're scheduled to do your next removal therapy next Wednesday," I say. "Can I help you with anything?"
"Just you being here helps me enough," he says, giving me a smile.
I watch as he cleans his leg, and applies some of the medicated cream. I hand him the gauze, so he can put a light wrap on it.
"Do you need your crutches?' I ask.
"I got them, they are in the corner," Edward says, clearly frustrated.
"Okay, I will let you get dressed and see you in the bedroom unless you need something else?"
"No, Bella, I am okay, just upset with myself, I knew the insert was getting weak," Edward sighs.
I go back to the bedroom and pull down the blankets on both sides. A few minutes later Edward joins me, and he is now smiling.
"What are you smiling like that for?" I ask.
"I realized no matter how upset I was, I still get to hold you next to me all night."
"You are a cheeseball," I laugh.
"I'm your cheeseball," he responds as he lies on his side of the bed.
I lie down facing him, and he reaches down to pull the covers over both of us.
"Now about that holding?" I ask.
He wraps his arm around me and cuddles me close before kissing my lips. After a while of making out, we snuggle together and I drift off in Edward's arms.
I wake to the sound of Edward's cell phone vibrating. I look up and see Edward's eyes are open too.
Edward reaches for the phone, and I look at the clock to see it's only a little after two in the morning.
"Hello," Edward answers in a sleep-laden tone.
"Whoa, what?" Edward says and it is much more awake sounding now.
"Slow down, D, let me sit up and … just a sec, man."
"What's going on?" I can't help but ask.
"Not sure, can you turn on the lamp, it's not too bright?" Edward asks.
We both are sitting up, and Edward puts his phone on speaker.
"Okay, D, Bella and I are up and I have you on speaker, start over, I was half asleep."
"Man, Edward, this is crazy shit going on," Diego says. "The FBI raided the shop man and arrested Tanya, Irina, Paul, and me. We were all taken in, it was unbelievable. While I was there, I was told that my parents' house was raided too, and they took Kate's kids into protective custody. Mom and Dad are still being questioned. There are so many people in custody. They told me about my folks being there. Irina's husband is in custody too, but I'm not sure why. I don't know what is going on, dude. I was held for a total of like five hours. They came in like four times and questioned me about the shop, the books at the shop, bank accounts for the shop, and me personally. They asked about girls who I don't even know. They talked about drugs, human trafficking, guns, you name it. When I was released, I headed to the shop, to go home. Man … my everything is gone. The apartment and the shop, man, it's just … it's just … it's gone."
"What do you mean the shop is gone?" Edward asks.
"I mean it is leveled, it looks like it was blown up or something. The fire department was there putting out the flames when I got there. I have no idea what or when it happened, but it happened while I was being held by the FBI. They aren't telling me anything, but I heard one of the firefighters say it was an explosion, and they found debris from a bomb. The whole building, the shop, my apartment, it's all just gone."
"Diego, where are you?" I ask.
"I'm in a hotel room right now. I can't go home … and I can't go to my parent's place. I don't want to drag your folks into this shit, whatever it is."
A/N: And so that happened. What are your thoughts?