Author's Note:

Not much to say other than thank you all for continuing to read and review!

I still don't own it…

Chapter 8

EPOV

I awoke to the gray light of dawn and groaned as I stretched. My couch was comfortable, but I was too old to sleep there all night. It took me a moment to remember why I was sleeping in my living room, but then memories of the previous night flooded into my mind. I remembered falling asleep while snuggling with Bella after my siblings and their spouses had left. What should have been a fun evening had turned sour thanks to my sister. After the showdown, I'd known Bella was beating herself up for the turn of events, so I'd done my best to distract and relax her. I guess we'd both been sufficiently relaxed since I woke up in the middle of the night with Bella asleep in my arms. I'd thought briefly about waking her and sending her to the guest room, but the feeling of her warm little body against mine was too good to let go. Instead, I'd laid down and stretched out on the couch with her tucked in close to me and pulled the blanket over us. My only regret was waking up this morning without her. I knew she was gone, but wishful thinking had me up off the couch to look outside for her car. Once I verified my driveway was empty, I flipped off the fireplace and made my way upstairs to bed. It was barely light outside, so I stripped out of the jeans and shirt I'd had on since the evening before and slid into bed to get a couple more hours of sleep.

Sleep proved elusive, though, as I couldn't get Bella out of my mind. I'd known for a while that I was developing feelings for her. Feelings that were more than friendly. Being with Bella was as easy as breathing. We could talk about anything or sit in silence, and it was never uncomfortable. Hell, I'd told her my deepest, darkest secret. Nobody else in the world knew that I had never truly loved my wife and that I resented the accident that kept me tied to her. I'd never wished harm on Tanya, but the selfish part of me wished that I'd been able to divorce her before the accident. Part of me of course wished the accident had never happened, but I couldn't be entirely sorry that I didn't have to share custody of Maggie like I'd have had to if Tanya were well. Not wanting to imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have my daughter all the time, I let my mind drift back to Bella. I could still feel the tingle where she'd been lying next to me. I couldn't lie to myself and say I didn't wish I could sleep with her in my arms every night, but I knew that would never happen. She was my friend, and I'd have to settle for that. Giving her up entirely was not an option, even if it would have been better for my sanity.

Finally giving up on going back to sleep, I climbed out of bed and into the shower, letting the spray wash away the dregs of sleep. Once I was dressed, I headed downstairs and settled at the kitchen island with a bowl of cereal. I pulled out my phone and typed out a quick message to Bella that I hoped she'd made it home safely and that I had enjoyed the night before. I didn't get a response right away, so I figured she was still asleep. I finished my cereal and checked the time and saw it was only a little after seven, but I knew my parents would be up and the kids rarely slept much later than this, so I decided to head on over there to pick up Maggie.

Twenty minutes later, I was walking into my parents' house. I turned the corner into the kitchen and found my mom flipping pancakes onto a platter and my dad, Maggie, and Kate sitting at the breakfast table. Tyler must have still been asleep, and it didn't look like the girls had been up long as they were both quiet and still looked half asleep. My mother turned to me with a smile as I entered.

"Good morning, Edward. You're up and around early."

"Yeah, I've been up a while, so I thought I'd head on over." I stopped and kissed her on the cheek before making my way to the table. I ruffled Katie's hair and dropped a kiss on the top of Maggie's head, taking the seat next to her. My dad looked up from the paper he was reading and smiled at me as he sipped his coffee.

"Morning, Daddy," Maggie said as she rubbed her eyes and climbed into my lap.

"Hi, baby girl. Did you guys have fun with Nana and Papa last night?" I asked her and Katie. I got a nod from both, but neither elaborated as my mom sat a plate of pancakes in front of each of them. My dad helped Katie with the syrup before passing it to me and Maggie.

"You want breakfast, Edward?" my mom asked before she took her seat.

"Nah, I ate at the house, but I will take some coffee if you don't mind."

"Of course," she said and turned back toward the kitchen, but my dad stopped her.

"You sit and eat, Es, I'll get him a cup. Got to refill mine anyway." He returned a minute later and sat a steaming mug in front of me. Maggie was still on my lap, so I shifted her to one side and carefully took a sip.

I made small talk with my parents while the girls ate. About the time Maggie and Katie finished and ran off into the playroom, Tyler stumbled into the kitchen. Mom got up to get his pancakes out of the warming drawer and brought them to the table. Tyler mumbled thanks and tucked into his breakfast. I was sipping on my second cup of coffee a few minutes later when my phone alerted me to an incoming text. I pulled it out of my pocket and smiled when I saw Bella had replied. I chuckled at her joke about enjoying the drama of the night before and sent off a smiley face. I looked up from my phone to see my mother looking at me with a gleam in her eye.

"What has you smiling this morning?" she asked. I shrugged and played it off.

"It's just Bella, we were joking about something that happened last night when we all got together."

"You know, we haven't seen Bella in forever it seems. Your brother and Rose aren't coming until later to get the kids. Why don't you and Maggie hang out for a while, and I'll fix lunch for everyone later. Invite Bella. I'll call your sister."

I wasn't at all sure Bella would be interested in coming if Alice were here, but I knew she wouldn't want me sharing what went down last night with my parents, so I texted her as I'd been ordered to do and invited her to lunch. I went with full disclosure and told her up front that my mother was inviting Alice and Jasper, so the whole gang would be here. As I suspected, she was hesitant.

Tell your mom thanks for the invite, but I'm not sure it would be a great idea for me to come. Plus, I wouldn't want to intrude on family time. – B

You know it wouldn't be an intrusion. And you know as well as I do that my mother isn't likely to take no for an answer. LOL – E

What? Esme, stubborn? No way… -B

I laughed out loud at that sarcastic comment. Bella knew her too well.

"Well, what did she say?" Esme asked.

"She said she's not sure she can make it and doesn't want to intrude," I told her. I knew that would get my mother's attention. I almost hated to subject Bella to the wrath of Esme, but I selfishly wanted to see her again even if my family was there and I knew she couldn't resist my mother.

"Nonsense, Bella is just as much a part of this family as the rest of you. In fact, your father and I like her better than you heathens most of the time. Get her on the phone," she snapped. I laughed as my father nodded in agreement about liking Bella better than Emmett, Alice, or myself and hit the button to call Bella.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hello, Ms. Swan. This is the operator, connecting you to Mrs. Esme Cullen," I said in a monotone voice. I heard Bella giggle just before the phone was yanked from my grasp.

"Bella, what is this I hear about you feeling like an intrusion in my house?"

I couldn't hear Bella's response, but my mother narrowed her eyes as she tapped her fingers on the table. Bella must have told my mother something about the argument with Alice the night before because my mother heaved a sigh before responding.

"Oh Bella, I'm sorry. I know you are taking more than your share of responsibility, because I know how my daughter can be, but you're right. Who you date and when is your choice, and I'll be happy to remind her of that myself. But it doesn't change that I want you here for lunch. It's been too long since Carlisle and I have seen you, so you just get yourself here, and let me worry about Alice." Mom said into the phone. She hummed a few more times before telling Bella she'd see her at eleven, leaving no room for argument, then handed the phone back to me. I couldn't contain my amusement as I lifted the phone to my ear.

"So, I guess I'll see you for lunch?" I laughed.

"Apparently so. Laugh it up, Cullen. You'll pay for this," Bella told me.

"Hey! What did I do?" I asked with mock indignity.

"You know exactly what you did. You sicced your mother on me and I won't forget it!" she laughed, then promptly hung up on me.

I shook my head with a laugh and pocketed my phone. I looked up to see my dad watching me closely. I raised my eyebrow in silent question, but he didn't say anything until he finished his coffee and asked me to join him in the den. Once we were settled in the twin recliners, Dad finally spoke up.

"Is everything okay with Bella?" he asked.

"Yeah, she's good. She and Alice had a bit of a disagreement last night, so she was hesitant to come today," I told him. I figured that was a safe enough explanation.

"Have you been spending some time with her?" I should have known my father would see right through me.

"Yeah, we've hung out a couple of times. Is there a problem with that?" I cringed at my defensive tone, but I couldn't help it. After admitting my feelings to myself and the crap with Alice the night before, I was feeling a little brittle.

"No, son, there's no problem. I just wondered. The way I see it, you were both dealt shitty hands and even if your situations are different, if you can lean on each other then that's a good thing."

I immediately felt bad for snapping at him, so I apologized. "Thanks, Dad. I should have known you'd understand. I'm sorry for being so defensive. It's just that part of the disagreement last night was because apparently Alice doesn't approve of Bella and I spending time together outside of the group."

"Ah, I see. I'm guessing Bella didn't tell your mother that part. But anyway, it's not up to your sister, so you and Bella just don't worry about her," Dad said, effectively ending the conversation.

A couple of hours later, Emmett and Rosalie arrived with Bella shortly behind them. The kids were playing in the playroom and the adults had gathered in the living room, talking while waiting on Alice and Jasper before lunch was served. My parents and Bella were catching up and I loved watching her interact with my family. Even though Alice had been friends with Tanya before I started dating her, she'd never fit in like this. As much as I hated to compare the two, the more I viewed my relationship with Tanya through Bella-colored glasses, it became abundantly clear that I'd never truly loved her. That sounded insane, even to me, but it was true. When I was with Tanya, I'd never felt half of what I feel when I'm near Bella, despite the fact that she and I were not in a romantic relationship. I stopped my train of thought there. I wasn't willing to let myself think about what my feelings meant since being with Bella, as anything other than friends, wasn't an option.

A few minutes later, my musings were interrupted by the arrival of Alice and Jasper. There were greetings all around, but it was blatantly obvious that Alice did not acknowledge Bella. Bella, to her credit, had quietly said hello and I noticed Jasper squeeze her arm in silent support as he passed her. My mother quickly announced that lunch was ready, so we all made our way to the dining room to our usual seats while she went to get the kids. We were settling around the table when Maggie ran into the room ahead of her grandmother and cousins.

"I want to sit by Bella!" she announced, much to Bella's obvious delight.

Bella shifted down a seat, putting Maggie between her and myself. I smiled down at my daughter as she climbed into her chair and turned to tell Bella about her sleepover with Nana and Papa the night before. I glanced up and across the table and saw Alice glaring at Bella and Maggie. I cleared my throat to get her attention and sent her a pointed look. She didn't look remorseful, but she at least stopped staring at them. Luckily, lunch wasn't too awkward of an affair since Alice was the only one at the table with any problem. Conversation flowed easily amongst the rest of the adults and the kids. As much as it made me angry, I refused to let Alice ruin the day, so I ignored her and interacted with the rest of my family. If she wanted to be miserable and pout about not getting to control everyone's lives, that was her problem.

Once everyone was done eating and we'd all carried our dishes to the kitchen, my mother insisted she'd take care of the clean up later and pushed everyone toward the living room. Dad and I were just about to step back into the kitchen with the last dishes from the table but stopped short when we heard Alice's voice.

"What are you doing here, Bella?" Alice asked with acid in her voice.

"I was invited, Alice. I guess your mother didn't realize she needed your permission to invite someone into her home," Bella responded sarcastically.

"I know we've been friends for a long time, Bella, but you can't just show up at every family function," Alice sneered.

Dad looked at me with shock on his face, and I must have looked murderous because he laid a hand on my shoulder to stop me from storming into the kitchen to give my sister a piece of my mind. I wasn't about to let her get away with her childish, bitchy behavior though, so I shook him off. Just before I could step in, though, my mother entered the kitchen from the direction of the living room.

"Mary Alice, what has gotten into you?" Mom demanded. "Bella has been a part of this family since you were kids, and I will not stand for you treating her or anyone else like this, especially in my house."

I heard Alice storm out of the room without a reply, so I stepped in with Dad on my heels in time to see Bella wipe away a tear.

"I'm sorry, Esme, I shouldn't have come. I didn't mean to drag the whole family into this mess," Bella said softly.

"Nonsense, sweetheart, this is not your fault. I just don't know what's gotten into her. I'm sorry for what she said. I hope you know that nobody else feels that way. You are now and will always be welcome here." Mom told her while Dad and I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, but I think it's probably best if I go ahead and go," Bella said sadly. As much as I wanted to protest, I knew I couldn't change her mind, plus I didn't want her to be subjected to Alice's attitude any longer.

"I'll walk you out," I said then waited as she hugged my parents goodbye.

Once outside, I hugged her as well and offered my own apology for my sister's behavior.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I hope you know what my mom said is true. Alice does not speak for the family, and I think it's safe to say that, at the moment, we'd all rather have you than her around."

Bella laughed softly, but only shrugged instead of saying she believed me. I sighed, knowing nothing else I said right then would make the situation any better. Instead of any more platitudes, I simply told Bella I'd talk to her soon and helped her into her car. I lifted my hand to wave as she pulled away before turning back toward the house. I took a deep breath as if to prepare myself for battle, then pushed open the door. Just as I'd expected, Alice was standing in the foyer, and I had no doubt she'd been watching Bella and I outside. I could hear the rest of the family in the living room, so I took the opportunity to confront my sister.

"What is your problem, Alice? That is your best friend and you're treating her like shit."

"Is that what she told you?" Alice asked.

"She didn't have to tell me! I witnessed it last night and today."

"Whatever," she said with a roll of her eyes, as though that would erase the things she'd said the previous evening and a few minutes before.

"Alice, seriously, what has gotten into you? This is extreme, even for you," I said angrily.

"You don't need to worry about what's gotten into me, Edward. The real question is, what's gotten into you? What are you doing with Bella? You've been spending an awful lot of time with her," Alice demanded.

"I'm not doing anything with Bella. We are friends, like we've been for over twenty years, and we don't need your permission or blessing if we choose to spend time together. You seem to have forgotten that she's your best friend. You're going to lose her if you don't back off," I said.

"I haven't forgotten my best friend, but you seem to have forgotten your wife," Alice retorted, then spun on her heel and stormed away.

I raked a hand through my hair in frustration and mumbled to the empty space, "Trust me, I couldn't forget her if I tried." I sighed then went in to collect Maggie and went home.

Author's Note:

Well, now we know how Edward is feeling, although he's still determined they can only ever be friends. Think they'll give in? And if so, who's gonna break first?

Next chapter up soon! Let me know what you think!