"That is so freaking cool!" Emmett exclaimed. "Did you get to party with them afterward? Are they cool or are they total dirtbags? Is there a chance you could introduce me to them? Have you-"
"Emmett," Esme said, cutting off Emmett's rapid-fire questions. "You promised, remember? No questions or comments until Izzy is finished."
Izzy wasn't surprised that Emmett was having trouble stiffening his enthusiasm. She'd just told the story of how'd shed completed Emmett's top bucket list item, throwing out the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game.
"It's okay," Izzy said, smiling. "It was pretty cool."
She was about done with her story anyways. The not-so-cool parts could wait until another time.
"Did you hear that?" Emmett asked, nudging Edward. "Your girl is the kind of person who gets invited to places!"
Edward didn't respond. Unlike Emmett, he'd remained quiet for the duration of Izzy and Alice's stories. Izzy wished he would say something. His reaction was the one she was most concerned about.
"You okay?" Emmett asked, all traces of humor gone from his voice.
It was unclear if Edward was still awake. The swelling in his face made it difficult to tell whether or not his eyes were still open. Izzy had expressed concern, but the nurse told her it was far too soon to expect any improvement. It was likely Edward would get worse before he got better.
"I don't understand," Edward muttered.
Edward had been expected his mild-mattered bride-to-be not a tattoo-covered rock star. It was no wonder he was in shock. Even Izzy, who'd been there the whole time, sometimes had trouble processing how much her life had changed since high school.
"You and me both," Emmett said. "I thought Bella was going to be something boring like an English teacher!"
"Emmett!" Esme exclaimed.
Izzy wasn't offended. Unlike many of her classmates, Izzy had her entire life planned out by graduation. First, she was going to marry Edward. After the wedding, they would spend the rest of the summer traveling around the country. In the fall, they'd head back to Washing and attend Seattle University. Bella would double major in Education and English while Edward studied music. After graduation, they'd move back to Forks and start a family of their own. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until Edward went to Alaska and life threw Izzy the curveball to end all curveballs.
"This is Bella we're talking about," Edward said. "I always knew she would do something extraordinary with her life."
Extraordinary. That meant a lot coming from Edward. Izzy had always wondered what he would think of the path she'd chosen. Now she knew.
"Then what don't you get?" Emmett asked.
"How do you have enough time for everything?" Edward asked Izzy.
Izzy shrugged. "I make it work."
There were plenty of days spent running on fumes, but Izzy made it work. There was no other choice.
"But how?" Edward asked. "Between the dogs, the band, and days with me that doesn't leave any time for you to sleep."
Emmett spoke up before Izzy had enough time to process that last list item. "Edward, we talked about this, remember?"
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Edward exclaimed.
"It was just your mind playing tricks on you."
"She was there, I saw her!"
Saw her where? In his nightmares?
"Can someone please explain what's going on?" Alice asked.
"We all had our ways of coping," Emmett said. "For Edward, it was imagining Bella was in the compound with us."
Izzy felt like an awful, selfish person. She wasn't the only one who lost someone when the guys disappeared. Edward lost her too. She hadn't even thought of how he must have coped with their separation.
"I wasn't my imagination!" Edward cried. "I saw here! She was there every day until sunset!"
Things suddenly made a lot more sense for Izzy. Edward always seemed to get agitated around sunset. If she moved, he was quick to grab her hand and squeeze until her fingers went white. He must have been terrified that she was going to abandon him in a dark hospital room. While Izzy hated to admit it, his fears were not entirely unfounded. There was no way she'd be able to remain in Alaska for the months it would take him to heal.
"Tell him, Bella," Edward begged. "Tell him about when came to visit me in my room. How we talked. How we played chess."
Chess. The word brought back pleasant memories of rainy days and tea. It had been years since her last game.
Emmett flipped the board over sending chess pieces flying across the room.
"Seriously?" Emmett exclaimed. "Again? That's what, four games in a row?"
Jasper didn't seem at all upset when the queen bounced off his head. He'd learned long ago to always use plastic pieces when playing with his older brother.
"Five," Jasper said, smiling. "You owe me another $50."
Emmett was going to be sleeping on the couch for a month when Rose found out he'd lost almost $300 to his little brother.
"Ref!" Emmett whined to Edward. "He cheated!"
Even if Jasper had cheated, Emmett deserved it. Emmett was a known cheater in Risk, Monopoly, and Wii bowling.
"Sorry," Edward said, shrugging. "It was a clean game."
"Then why does he keep winning?" Emmett asked
"It's not cheating if he uses his brain," Bella said, smirking.
Emmett was far too impulsive. He didn't take the time to think of all potential outcomes before making his move. Jasper on the other hand was always ten steps ahead of his opponent. He could easily beat Emmett in twenty moves but liked to drag out to thirty to give his brother false hope.
"You think you're so smart, Swan?" Emmett asked. "Why don't you play him next!"
"I don't know," Bella said, picking up a pawn from under Edward's piano. "It probably won't be much of a game."
"Come on," Jasper said. "I promise I'll go easy on you."
Bella plucked the queen out of a potted plant. "We all know who will win."
"How about this," Jasper said. "You don't need to win. I'll give you all the money I've won from Emmett if you last ten moves." He flashed the cash in front of Bella's face. "Think of all the dates you could have with your Eddy bear."
Bella sat down across from Jasper. "Alright, Cullen. You have a deal."
The game didn't last twenty moves. It was all over in just twelve.
"What the heck was that!" Jasper shouted.
"That was you losing," Edward said.
Emmett hoisted Bella up unto his shoulders. "The king is dead! Long live the queen!"
"She must have cheated somehow," Jasper said.
Bella stuck out her tongue. "Don't need to. I've been playing since I was six."
"She wasn't there Edward," Emmett said. "It was just your mind playing tricks on you."
"Is that true?" Edward asked Izzy.
Edward's golden eyes begged her to tell him things weren't as they appeared. Surely his fiance wouldn't have left him to die in the hands of a madman.
"Yes," Izzy said, unable to look at him. "I'm so sorry, Edward."
Edward was one of the best people Izzy had ever known. He was kind, brave, and talented. She should have been there to save him.