I bought a car today! All by myself, it was awesome! Enjoy this new chapter!

Chapter Thirteen

"You're not serious, are you?" I said after a long minute of him not answering me.

"It's very complicated."

"It's really not. The mob isn't real."

"So Al Capone was just a fictional character from made-up story then?"

"Okay, well, mobs used to be real. They're not real now. Not with all the laws in place." I said in an unsure tone. No, that was ridiculous. Mobs were wiped out after the nineteen twenties.

"Again, it's complicated and not so cut and dry as you make it out to be." He said.

"Then enlighten me."

"Can't." He said, grinning at me. "It's way too complicated and a lot of it will probably go over your head."

My eyebrows shot up. "Over my head? I am not stupid."

"Wrong choice of words. My apologies." He said. "We've finally reached a good place in our relationship, so let's not ruin it. And I don't want to stress you with so many details. You thought the story of me ending up here was unbelievable, well, if I told you everything else, you might try to have me locked up in the looney bin."

"Hmm," I said, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms.

"What?"

"I believed your story, at first, but now I'm not so sure." I said. "Kind of sounds like you're making all of this up. You are a criminal and criminals lie all the time."

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're just trying to goad me into telling you things I shouldn't, but it's not going to work."

"Well, unless you give me something that can tell me without telling me that everything about the story you just told me is true, then I think you're a liar. Sorry."

"I like your stubbornness, but right now it's just exhausting," He said as he shook his head. "Let me ask you something, the man who tried to mug you, why did he suddenly decide not to mug you?"

I paused, unsure of what to say because I didn't have an answer for him. I still didn't know why that man stopped mugging me and apologized. I never looked into my wallet. I wasn't sure why my wallet was causing me such an issue, but I had gotten a replacement bank card and I hadn't needed to use anything else out of it.

"I-I don't know…" I said. "I don't have anything in my wallet that indicates that we know each other. So your point is kind of worthless."

"Ah, and have you looked in your wallet?"

When I paused, he knew I hadn't.

"Look in your wallet now," He said, gesturing to my bag. "Go ahead."

"I don't need to look into my wallet. I know what's in there." I said firmly.

"I dare you." He said, grinning like a fox.

I rolled my eyes at him but felt the urge to answer his dare deep within my gut. I was pretty sensible, but I didn't like to be dared. It made me feel like a punk if I backed out.

I growled and jumped up from my seat and stormed over to my bag. I tore the contents out until I found my sunflower wallet. When I opened my wallet, the loose contents of it flew out and clattered to the floor.

Edward laughed at me, causing my anger to burn even hotter. I looked over at him, glaring.

"I am sorry, I don't mean to laugh. You are just very funny when you're angry. I like it."

"I'm going to punch you, stop laughing at me!"

He put his hands up and choked back his laughter. "I wouldn't mind you punching me, but I wouldn't want you to hurt your hand."

I rolled my eyes at him and looked through my wallet. "There's nothing in—," As I looked through my wallet, I found a tiny silver charm. I took it out of the pocket it was hiding in and held it in the light.

"What the hell is this?" I asked him.

"My family's charm." He said, as if I should be impressed. "Real silver too."

"Did you put this into my wallet?" I asked, my eyes widening as I stared at him.

"Uh, I did," He said slowly, realizing he had crossed a major line. "I didn't look through anything, I just stuck it in there."

"That's fucking crazy." I said, roughly slamming the charm onto the table. "How dare you go through my things! You have absolutely no right to do that you fucking asshole!"

He stood, "Bella I'm sorry—,"

"When did you do this?" I said, throwing my wallet aside.

"The day you started working here." He said, leaning against the table. "I didn't dig through your things, I swear. I just slipped it into your wallet."

I huffed and through my hands up in annoyance. I stomped to the counter and opened the doors, moving roughly.

"You are a lot more childish than I remember," He chuckled.

I looked over my shoulder, "How would you react if someone you didn't know put something into your wallet? You went through my private things, jerk. I don't like people sneaking around in my life. It's sneaky. And sneaky people can't be trusted."

"So you like blunt people?"

"Yes, I like blunt, honest people. Not sneaks."

"Alright," He said before taking a deep breath. "I think you're really beautiful and enchanting and powerful. You've never left my mind since we met in Seattle. I tried to get you off my mind by dating other women, but it never happened. No woman ever lived up to you. You're perfect."

I couldn't stop the blush from lighting up my face. I shook my head sharply and hoped that when I turned around, the redness would be gone.

"You can have your medicine now." I said to him.

"I know right now I'm in here and you look down on me, but I would really, really love to take you out on a date. Like I said I would when you came to New York." He said, ignoring the medicine.

I stared up at him for a moment before answering. "That's not happening Edward."

"Why?" He demanded. "Because I'm in prison? You consistently speak about my character, but what does your judgement say about you?"

"Because you're a dangerous person," I quietly said.

"Dangerous how?" He asked.

"I— obviously you are…"

"I thought mobs weren't real." He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Take your medicine." I snapped, growing even more frustrated.

He took the medication in his hand but didn't take it. "Come on Bella. We had a great night in Seattle. I know you had a great time. I'm getting out of here in five weeks. I would love to take you out to dinner that night."

I chewed my cheek for a minute as I considered it. "I can't Edward."

He sighed. "Why?"

"I don't know." I said quickly.

He shook his head before taking his pill. "Is it your stubbornness? I love it dearly, but now it's just silly."

"And you're pushy." I said as I shoved him towards the bed. "I told you no. Please take no as an answer."

He laid back in the bed. "No."

"What do you mean no?" I glared at him.

He sat up in the bed to look at me. "I waited almost a year to see you. I resisted every urge to hire a private investigator to track you down because I thought you just needed time to work up the nerve to text me back. Now that we're reunited, I am not giving up that easy."

I rolled my eyes, "So, you're just going to bug the crap out of me until I agree to go out with you?"

"Yes," He said as he laid back in the bed. "I have all the time in the world for you."

"Ugh," I said in disgust before walking out of the room, leaving him to sleep.

Four Days Later

I had taken today off because Edward was really starting to piss me off. I just needed a break from his pestering. I couldn't even go home and have peace because he had arranged for several large bouquets to be delivered to my apartment every day.

I wanted to get out of my apartment so today I was going into the heart of the city to buy some new scrubs. Since I didn't have to worry about paying my rent, I could splurge a little on some nice scrubs.

The heart of New York city was as busy as it always was. Of course, I had only come here one other time, thinking I would sightsee a little, but that ended horribly when I got turned around and almost lost my way home.

There was a store called Scrubs and Beyond that had great reviews online. I decided to check it out today. It was a little pricey, but I figured buying two pairs of scrubs wouldn't kill my bank account so that was okay.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" The sales consultant asked as soon as I walked in.

"No, I'm good," I said as I headed for the black scrubs. I wasn't a fan of cartoons or designs on my scrubs. I liked the solid colors. And since I worked in the prison, the nurses had to wear black.

I tried on a pair of shapely scrubs that hugged my almost nonexistent figure. I was a little on the boney side, which had always bothered me. I didn't really have boobs and my figure was almost boyish. I had a little curve, but that was only by the grace of god.

Seeing myself in the mirror made me wonder why Edward was so invested in me. I'm sure he could find some big boobed, curved woman that would rock his world.

I blushed when I thought of this. Damn it. He was in my head. Today was an Edward-free day. I wasn't going to think about him. Not today.

I found two pairs of scrubs that were perfect and comfortable. They also helped my shape which was a big selling point.

As I walked out of the scrub store, I bumped into a face I hadn't thought I'd ever see again.

"Oh, hi," I said to Mrs. Cullen. She looked much better than the night I had seen her, but she still looked very sad. Her cheeks weren't tear-stained, but she still didn't look like she was all that happy.

She stared at me for a moment as if she were trying to place my face before it finally dawned on her.

"You're Bella, right?" She asked.

"Yeah," I smiled at her. "It's nice to see you again. You look very pretty."

"Thank you," She chuckled gently, "I was supposed to meet my husband for lunch, but he had to cancel on me."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, "Well, I'm sure you can find something fun to do."

She mustered up a smile. "I think I will just take another anxiety pill and go back to bed. I hadn't planned on coming out today, but he promised he'd take me to lunch." She sighed and picked up her phone. "I need to call the restaurant and tell them to cancel our reservation. Again."

"No, you should go. Have a nice meal. Drink some alcohol. And get dessert. Put it all on your husband's card, that'll teach him to cancel on you," I chuckled, hoping to lighten her mood. She actually made me feel bad.

She stared at her phone for a moment. "Oh what the hell. I'm already dressed, I might as well go."

"There ya go," I smiled at her. "Well, enjoy your lunch."

She gave me a look. "Join me for lunch."

"Oh no I couldn't—,"

"Come now," She said. "Let's have lunch together. It will be a nice distraction."

"I really don't have the money—,"

"It's on my husband." She said as she looped her arm through mine and lead me down the street away from the bus.

I looked back at the bus with a longing gaze. Damn it. I shouldn't have engaged I should've walked away.