Submission
Chapter Six: Shadows beneath our Destiny
Jacob Black
Charlie, the Webbers, and Leah's family were all frantically searching Forks for answers. They have been missing for five days now; there wasn't a single post, store window, or street lamp that didn't contain a missing persons poster with their faces on it. We weren't even sure if they were still in town; it was just the last place they were seen. We had searched everywhere but to no avail. I had nothing to report back to Charlie and Billy. The pack had been searching across town and the surrounding towns, cities, and forests since the first day. While Sam and the others had their own theories about Bella's fate, I knew they were wrong; if she were dead, I knew I would feel it. She was out there somewhere; she was being held captive by something or someone who knew the Cullens and was using her as bait to lure them into the trap they deserved.
The second Charlie began his search around town, I'd sneak into his house and begin my own search. His deputies didn't notice even a quarter of the things I did within only the space of an hour. There were claw marks, and they weren't from a dog; they were from a wolf. There were even very faint paw prints that had been wiped clean just enough to hide them without the proper light. On the staircase, there was a small chunk of the wall that had been knocked out; the amount of damage it had caused was barely noticeable unless you knew what you were looking for.
Sam was right; there was blood on the steps too; it had seeped into the wood. When I ran my hands across the steps, they were dry, but the scent was undeniable. I found other claw marks in the sitting room; again, they were beneath part of the rug and an armchair and tucked out of sight. Whoever had taken Bella could have taken her but also Angela Webber at the same time. Charlie had found clothes upstairs in Bella's room the next day, and Angela's parents confirmed to their horror that they did belong to their daughter. When I wasn't phasing into my wolf form, I was chasing down leads, talking to Bella's friends from school, and sticking up more missing person signs wherever I could. I was beyond exhausted, but it didn't matter; Bella mattered, and she was out there somewhere right now, scared out of her mind. The feeling of helplessness I felt was maddening; I had to find her, and I had to do it soon. I couldn't allow myself to even begin to believe that she was dead, I would know. I had to know. None of Bella's friends from school had seen her the day she went missing; I'd spoken to a few of them: Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Eric Yorkie, and Tyler Crowley. I'd even gotten a copy of her class schedule from her room and asked people from her classes about her and if they remembered her acting any differently leading up to her disappearance. But there was nothing; everyone of them I spoke to only had good things to say about her; she kept to herself, but she was approachable; she'd seemed a little distracted since the Cullen's left town, but overall she was a nice person.
I'd taken my bike over to the high school that afternoon to see Bella's friends, and they'd remembered anything different. I was leaning against my bike as the bell rang, announcing the end of their day. It wasn't too long before I caught sight of Jessica Stanley, but when she saw me, she seemed to freeze on the spot.
"Jessica?" I called out.
"Oh, hi Jacob."
"I was hoping you'd have a minute."
"Yeah, sure."
"Thanks," I said. "How are you doing?"
"Okay, I guess."
"Have you heard anything from Bella?"
She shook her head. "No, have you?"
"Nothing."
"Is there something you wanted to talk about?"
"I just wanted to ask you a few questions about the day Bella disappeared."
"But I already told you everything. And why are you asking so much about Bella? Angela Webber is missing too, you know."
"I know that, and I'm not saying it doesn't matter, but I just want to make sure we're doing everything we can to find her."
"Okay."
"I understand that you two aren't very close, but you're still her friend, right?"
"Yeah. Why did someone say something?" Jessica crossed her arms. "Something about me?"
I stepped forward, and she immediately took a step back.
"Do you know something?"
"Look, I've already spoken to the Sheriff's Department." Jessica paused and retrieved her car keys from her pocket. "And you coming around here is just weird, so I'm just going to go."
"You're not going anywhere," I said, placing my hand on the door of her car, blocking her path. "What do you know?"
"I don't know anything."
I could hear her heart beating fast, and she was perspiring heavily. I could smell the fear and panic in her sweat. I was scaring her; I wasn't trying to scare her, but I had to get answers.
"If you know something about Bella—"
"I don't know anything about Bella."
"Then what do you know?"
She was hiding something, and I knew it.
"Please, Jacob."
"I swear, if you don't tell me."
"Fine," she cut me off and scanned our surroundings before whispering to me, "It's about Angela Webber, not Bella."
"What about her?"
Jessica tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's not even a thing, so it's not even worth mentioning."
"I'll decide that."
"Jeez," she scoffed. "Okay, well, Angela's boyfriend sort of had a thing for me. So, I thought that maybe he and I could talk."
"And did you?"
"No," she stopped. "Well, I said we could talk, and yeah, yeah, we made out a little bit, but he was so ready to break up with Angela anyway. So her seeing us that day was totally not my fault. If he had dumped her then—"
"When was this? What day?"
"The day Bella went missing."
"The day the both of them went missing is what you mean."
Jessica scoffed again "Yeah, but it's not related. I mean, hello, like I'd even be interested in Eric. It was just a kiss."
I pushed away from Jessica's car and headed towards my bike. I picked it up and started it up.
"Hey, what the hell?" Jessica yelled.
"If you want to be helpful, then I suggest you talk to the police. Otherwise, you're just wasting my time."
"Oh, like, this is my fault? It so isn't, and you're just acting so high and mighty!" Jessica called as I sped away.
The letter Charlie found in their house claimed that Bella and Angela had left town to travel together. Sam's theory was that Leah had killed her. But now I had a new theory. On the day Bella went missing, Angela did too. I believe Leah was over at Bella's house that night. I think it's possible Leah smelled the blood coming from Bella's house and she stumbled on a crime scene. Angela was said to be one of the nicest girls, quiet, well mannered, and a great pride to her parents. But it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for in this life.
I believe Angela found her way over to Bella's house to seek comfort and, in a moment of sheer madness, lashed out at the one person she could.
Bella.
But that didn't mean she was gone. If Angela or Leah weren't responsible, then someone else was.
I was going to find Bella. Wherever she was, she needed me now more than ever.
Bella Cullen
I stood in front of the mirror I had assembled that afternoon as I held my brand new black lace bra over my chest to see what it looked like against my white robe. I'd wanted to look perfect for tonight, and that meant wearing uncomfortable lingerie like any other woman my age. I had made sure the room door was locked before I took off the robe to try on my first black lace bra and try on my first ever thong too. It matched the bra, and it was more comfortable than I expected, I had to admit. I had on a pair of nude stockings and my black pumps. I'd decided on the simple black dress that reached my knees; the straps were thin, and I had no idea how Edward was going to react to seeing me in such a short-length dress. I was nervous, I was excited, I was terrified, I was anxious, and I couldn't stop shaking.
I had a soft perm in my hair now, but I still used my new curling wand on a few of my less bouncer curls. I'd applied my make-up, again, nothing too fancy, and I was pleased with the outcome. I knew I had to keep my nails painted and filed, but I was so terrible at it, I'd spent about an hour working on it before I got it right. I turned around to look at my reflection. I still didn't quite recognize the girl staring back at me, but I was beginning to get used to her. I still had no clue what Edward's plans were for tonight. I was curious, but I knew I would have to wait. I applied some perfume and collected my clutch from the nightstand; it contained my new phone and a small roll-on perfume that fit perfectly inside. I was ready to go; I just hoped Edward liked what he saw. I unlocked the door and made my way downstairs; when I reached the kitchen, Angela was there. She was wearing an oversized white jumper and pink flannel PJ bottoms; her hair was damp and tied up in a white towel on top of her head. She was helping herself to yogurt when she caught sight of me and almost dropped the thing.
"Wow! Look at you!" She exclaimed.
"Do you think it's too much?" I asked.
"Too much? No way. You look hot. Edward won't know what hit him."
I smiled as I stepped inside my heels, clicking along with every small step I took. I could feel Angela's eyes following me around the kitchen island.
"Did you have a nice shower?" I laughed.
"No, we're still focused on you." Angela came up to the other side of it and said, "That dress is amazing, and oh my god, you're wearing matte lipstick. You look amazing, Bella."
I laughed, "My feet already hurt."
"But it will be worth it when he sees you." Angela explained and collected herself a spoon before taking her first bite.
I smiled at her. "So what are you going to do tonight?" I asked
"I was going to ask Leah if she wanted to put her constant rage on rest tonight and maybe watch a movie, but she's not home."
"What do you mean she's not home?"
"I think she's out running again. Edward's with her though, don't worry."
I glanced over my shoulder through the window to the backyard, and he was gone.
"Don't worry," Angela said. "He'll be back in time for your date."
"Did you see them leave together?" I asked.
"Yeah," Angela paused. "Don't be angry, but they used her front door to go over to his car. Yeah, I know that's a big-"
"What if the neighbors saw? How are we supposed to explain the two of them coming out of her house together?" I asked.
"Well, we don't have neighbors yet."
"There's people in the house right across from yours." I reminded her.
"Whom we haven't seen since we moved in."
We both stopped when we heard a sound coming from behind the door to the garage.
"That's got to be them back now." Angela sighed in relief. "I told you he wouldn't be late."
Neither of them mentioned anything about having plans to go out. And today wasn't Leah's day; it was mine, and what made it even worse was that this was supposed to be the time Edward was getting ready so we could go out together on my night. The door to the garage opened, and I was furious to find Leah stepping inside the kitchen. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she was dressed in a black hoodie, and it was unclear if she was wearing bottoms.
That's Edward's shirt. He was wearing it the other night when it got cold and he was still working in the backyard. I wonder if he's wearing it now.
"Hey," Leah greeted us both.
"Hey," I said.
Leah paused as she looked from me to Angela, who was pretending to be oblivious to the tension in the room.
"Where's Edward?" I asked.
Before she could answer me Edward stepped in behind her, his eyes immediately finding mine, and when I looked into them, I could see they were filled with uncertainty. What had happened now? Had they had another fight? What was she hiding from me now?
"Everything okay?" Edward asked as he closed the garage door behind him.
"Doesn't Bella look amazing?" Angela said.
"Yeah," Leah answered, "Amazing."
I ignored Leah's response; she didn't get to take credit for what I was wearing.
"I thought we were going out tonight?" I asked.
"We are," Edward said. "I'll be down in a few minutes." He turned to leave.
"Actually." Angela said and followed him into the dining room, but Leah and I could both see and hear them.
I watched as did Leah as Angela glanced back at us before looking back at him.
She attempted to be disgusted. "We'll probably be asleep by the time you guys get back, so I'm going to say, you know, goodnight now," she said.
Edward nodded at her before he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight," he said, pulling away from her.
Angela smiled at him before she went over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
"You look great," Angela said to me.
I smiled, "Thank you."
"You do," Edward said. "You look beautiful."
I could feel my cheeks warming up as I looked up at him.
"You do." Leah agreed.
She crossed her arms and went into the dining room, where Edward said something that neither Angela nor I could hear. We watched him as he leaned down to kiss her goodnight. I felt my stomach twist as I watched their lips meet. It was quick, but it was still a kiss. I could feel my jealousy starting to rise up inside of me again, and I wanted to scream. But then I felt the barrier around me and was reminded of both their efforts to be around each other and how I was reading too much into it; this wasn't secret keeping; this was their marriage. This would be like if I came home with Edward tonight and found Leah waiting in the kitchen for us.
I looked away from them and to Angela, "If you guys need anything, I'm sure he has his phone, and I'll have mine."
"Sure," Angela said. "Have a great time."
"You too."
"Goodnight," Angela said.
Leah entered the kitchen again but didn't say anything; she just casually made her way towards the backdoor and followed Angela; I could even hear them talking in the distance as he left. Edward had disappeared upstairs, and I waited for him impatiently. When he returned, he was dressed in black jeans and a white button-down shirt; he was carrying a long black coat.
"Here," he said and handed me the coat. "It's a little chilly outside."
"Thank you," I said. "Are we ready to go?"
"Yeah," Edward said.
"Great," I said as he walked me to the front door. "Let's go."
On our way to the restaurant, Edward's fingers traced my hand the entire drive. Seeing Sandy at night was something out of a rom-com movie; the street lights lit up the empty roads, and the full moon shone down on us. I had no idea what was happening, but I knew I was enjoying every second of it.
"I'm sorry about tonight," Edward said. "I promise you tomorrow night will be just the two of us."
"Come here," I said when we stopped at a set of traffic lights.
Edward smiled as he leaned over to me. I slid my hand through his hair and pulled him into a kiss. I felt him moan into my mouth as I deepened the kiss. I was getting bolder as I allowed my tongue to trace the outline of his lips before pushing it inside of his mouth. I loved kissing him; I could spend the rest of my life doing this and not get bored. Edward had booked us a table at a restaurant by the water; we were seated right outside on the deck beneath the most picture-perfect string lights.
"This is really nice," I said. "I didn't know there was a place like this here."
"I found it the other day." Edward explained, "I thought you might like it."
"I do," I said. "Thank you."
Our waitress brought us the wine list, but I ordered a glass of soda while Edward ordered an espresso.
"I'll give you a few more minutes to decide."
"Thank you," Edward said, taking the menus from her.
"So," I said after she left us, "How's it been eating food again?"
"A lot more choices, and salt, when I was human, everything was boiled to death, and if it wasn't, you wished it was."
"Oh god," I laughed.
"It's nice," Edward said. "But there is a lot more I want to try than food."
I knew what he meant, and thankfully I had my menu in front of me to keep me distracted and stop me from looking over at him.
"Have you decided?" Edward asked.
I looked up at him. "No, I want to try something new."
"Let me order for you then."
"Okay," I said.
When our waitress returned, Edward ordered for me and himself, and when she left, I could see Edward was watching me again.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm just trying to figure out what you're thinking about."
He held out his hand for mine, and I took it, our fingers interlocking, and the heat of his skin was a strange comfort to me.
"I'm not thinking about anything," I said. "I'm just happy."
"I'm glad."
"I can't remember the last time I was this happy."
"Neither can I."
I smiled at him, "Can I ask you a question?"
"I'm pretty sure you can; give it a try."
"Don't tease me." I said.
"I'm not, I promise. Ask me anything."
"Okay," I said. "How do you feel about our?" I paused to check; no one was listening in before I met his gaze. "Our new lifestyle?"
Edward seemed taken aback by my question as he ran his thumb over my knuckles. "I don't know," he admitted. "You're settling into it better than anyone, which is a surprise to me."
"What did you expect?"
Edward was hesitating at the question.
"You can tell me." I assured him.
"I thought you'd struggle, that it would be tense."
I nodded, for he had a valid point; things could have gone a whole different direction.
"I'm not going to lie; I think buying three houses is the reason things are going so well. I mean, obviously we have to do the work, but I think having our own space is good for us."
Edward merely smiled.
"Look, I'm not stupid. I can see you're struggling every time I mention that you live in all three houses and that they're your homes, or the mere word, polygamist," I continued. "You seem to shut down, and I'm not saying you need to figure it out. I'm saying it's okay, not to be okay yet. Just because the rest of us have found steady footing. It's okay."
"I just want to make sure you're okay."
"I am, I swear, but I don't think you are."
Edward glanced out at the view behind me. "I don't think about the Volturi when I feel that barrier around me. And I know it's around you too; waking up each morning gets a little easier."
"But you were worried about them?"
"Yes," Edward said. "I knew what they were capable of; I knew what they would do. They could have killed us, and running from them would have been a mistake too."
I nodded in agreement. "I couldn't have spent the rest of my life on the run, Edward. Even if I had a time machine, I would still go back to that night, and I would still perform that spell."
"I know," Edward said. "And I know you don't regret it. I don't either."
"Then what's wrong?" I asked.
Edward locked eyes with me. "Nothing is wrong, and that's the problem."
"You don't know how to settle?"
"Crazy, isn't it?" Edward laughed.
"Not crazy, just not something you've had to do before."
"That's true."
"Edward, you've got more to deal with than Leah, Angela, and I combined. Do you realize that?" I squeezed his hand. "You're sleeping again, eating food, going into the sunlight, and on top of all that, you've become this presence in three different lives."
"But I don't mind any of that."
"I know," I said. "But you're not used to it, and I think sometimes you worry you won't ever relax. But" I stopped to smile at him. "Look at where we are; we're in a restaurant, on a date, we're holding hands, and I'm wearing heels. We're living and breathing, and we're doing it together."
"That's true."
"So you can relax," I said. "We're okay."
Edward ran his thumb over my knuckles. "I love you,"
I smiled at him. "I love you too."
When our food arrived, I was happy to dive in, but I was even happier to watch Edward eat. When we finished our first course, our waitress cleared the table and refreshed both our drinks before leaving us alone again.
"So, do you have plans tomorrow?" I asked him
"There are a few things; I might actually be away for most of the day."
"Doing what?"
Edward just smiled, and the realization hit me.
"Right, it's not my day tomorrow."
"Actually, while we're on that subject," Edward sighed. "You still haven't told me what's next for you; what is it you are calling it? The schedule?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow, maybe for around half an hour or so. I'm going to be talking to Leah and Angela at my house, and during that time, now or in the future, it's our time."
"Meaning?" Edward shook his head
I swallowed, "Angela wants us to address things for how they are; it's going to be our sister wives meetings."
"Sister wives meetings?" Edward repeated.
"Yeah, it's something we discussed, and it's just to keep us all in the loop about everything."
"So what you're telling me is that the three of you are going to discuss me?"
I felt the mood change. "Edward," I said. "We're not going to be talking about you behind your back. We're going to be discussing certain topics that will affect the four of us."
"Such as?"
"Well, the schedule for a start. I've drawn up this idea for it; I'm going to show it to them tomorrow. And plus, there's just other stuff we'll start to do in the future for each other and for you as individuals," I continued. "So you might want to losen that tight grip on keeping everything on track and ask us to help with little things."
"Like what?"
I smiled. "Unless it's at our house, that's not my business." I was quick to point it out.
Edward smirked, "And when is it our house?"
I shrugged, "Picking up dry cleaning, anything you need in town, paying bills. You know all the little things. I want responsibility, routines, and"
"I want you to go to college."
I immediately smiled. "I knew you were going to say that; I just knew it."
"You should," Edward said. "You have so much potential."
"I know," I said. "I know that. I want to do it."
"Then do it."
"I will."
"You better," Edward said. "Or I'll make you."
I laughed, "What else?"
"I don't know," Edward said. "I haven't thought that far ahead."
"It's okay; you don't have to have it all figured out. No one does."
"I can think of one or two things I have figured out."
"And what's that?"
"Later," Edward said.
"Oh, come on, please." I begged.
"Nope," Edward said and reached for his espresso.
"Please," I said and batted my eyelashes at him.
"Nice try," Edward said. "But no."
After we finished our dinner, we shared a desert before Edward drove us to the nearest sand beach we could find. We took off our shoes and walked hand in hand on the shoreline. The sun had finally set, and the sky was dark with only a few stars shining down on us.
"I think," Edward said. "I like this best."
"What?"
Edward stopped and turned me to face him. "The little moments, like this, are the kind of moments I just know I'll hold onto the rest of my life."
I smiled up at him. "I'm going to hold you to that."
"Good," Edward said and kissed me.
We began to walk together again. We talked about our families, how we were going to miss them, and what we hoped for their futures. Then came the harder subjects that did require addressing.
"Tell me what it was like for you after I left."
"We really don't have to talk about that." I assured him.
"I want to." Edward said and stopped me to look at him.
I took a deep breath. "I'm not going to lie, it was awful."
"Tell me."
"I woke up each morning, dreading it, hoping it had been a dream. But it wasn't, and I'd spend the entire day wondering what you were doing, if you were okay, if you missed me."
"I did," Edward said. "Everyday."
I felt the lump in my throat. "I felt like I was grieving you, like you had died."
"I'm so sorry," Edward said.
I shook my head. "I was depressed; I started doing pretty reckless stuff, even despite what I promised."
"Jacob became part of your life; that explains how you knew about werewolves."
I nodded.
"Did he help?" Edward asked.
I sighed "Yes, he did. He's been there for me when I needed someone to talk to. He's been a good friend."
"Good, I'm glad."
I smiled at him. "Nothing was going on between us though, if that's what you're thinking."
"I wasn't."
"I just wanted you to know," I said. "I'm not stupid."
Edward leaned in, and I brought my head to his chest.
"I thought he might; he had a bad habit of showing up when I wasn't around." Edward said.
I pulled away and sighed, "I wonder what he's going through back in Forks."
"You never know; he might be thinking the same thing about you."
I shook my head. "I just hope he realizes I died that night. That he's not trying to find me. Because I'm not that girl anymore."
"I know," Edward said.
"I don't know what to do."
"Do you want to see him?"
"No, if I was going to see anyone, it would probably be my mom or Charlie if I had the chance."
Edward kissed me on the forehead.
When I met his gaze, I just knew I needed to ask him the question right then and there.
"Do you want us to make love?" I asked.
Edward looked at me, surprised by the question, "Are you asking?"
"I'm not saying I'm ready yet," I explained. "But I want to know if you want to."
"I do."
I smiled. "But you still want to wait?"
"I have something planned before that."
"What is it?"
Edward smirked, "It's a surprise."
"For me? Or do you know all of us?" I raised a brow.
"All of us," Edward said.
"How long do you think we're going to wait?"
"Until I have everything ready, until it's perfect," Edward cupped my face in his hands. "When I know it's time, you'll know."
Angela Cullen
I was sitting on the floor of my sitting room with Leah beside me; our backs were to the wall as we watched the only horror movie we could agree on. I was eating cereal right out of the box and was using it as a shield for the screen when the opportunity called for it.
"Can I have some?" Leah asked.
I passed her the box, and she took a handful.
"Don't you ever eat anything?"
I frowned and took back the box, "I eat."
I heard the sound of car doors shutting outside, and I shot my head around to smile at Leah.
"They're back."
I hurried to my feet to look out from my sitting room window over to their driveway.
"Oh, he's helping her out of the car," I told Leah. "She's wearing his jacket; come look, she looks amazing."
Leah joined me and smiled, "You know, I've never seen him look at anyone like that."
"News flash, you never will either." Leah said and took the box from my hand.
I frowned and leaned against the windowsill. "I know," I sighed. "I'm happy for her; I am. She had us all worried there for a minute back home."
I smiled ear to ear seeing Edward and Bella head into their house together side by side.
After they went in, I returned back to my spot on the floor beside Leah, who was eating away without a care in the world.
"Hold it," I said then and hit the pause button before turning to her. "I can't believe I never even asked, Where did you guys go tonight?"
"Mind your own," Leah said.
"Come on," I begged. "I told you everything."
"Yes, and you need to work on that. What about me says I want to hear about you?"
I inched forward. "Did you guys go somewhere alone?"
When Leah looked at me, I raised both brows, and she rolled her eyes.
"Come on." I repeated with more persistence.
"Excuse me, but I thought our," Leah paused, almost spitting at the word "our marriages, with him, were our own business."
"Well yeah, they are, but..."
"So if you ask me that, I can ask you about what the sleeping arrangements were like when he spent the night here last night."
"Do you wanna know?"
I had a flashback of Edward's hands on my bare skin—that one time I woke up and in his sleep he had his hand on my ass. All of this I had kept from Bella to protect her as it was innocent; he was asleep and had no idea these little incidents had occurred. And I'd be crazy to tell Leah, I liked her, but she didn't seem the type to keep that stuff to herself.
"You're blushing," Leah laughed. "He did something."
"Shut up," I said. "You're deflecting. You always deflect."
"So do you."
I raised a brow. "I do not."
"Then what was it like?"
"What was your first night like with him?"
Leah stopped herself from answering, and for a split second, it was almost like she was saddened by something.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Leah shook her head and sighed, "Nothing."
I sat up straight "You know you can talk to me."
The backdoor in the kitchen slid open then, and Leah turned to look my way.
"You said you locked that already."
"I did, I swear." I said.
Edward appeared in the doorway and looked down at us.
"Hey," I said before tucking the box of cereal behind my back. "Everything okay?" I attempted a smile.
Edward tilted his head to the side. "What are you two doing?"
"Watching a movie," I said.
"And calling it a night." Leah said and got up to her feet.
"But what about-"
"The lawyer did it." Leah replied and turned off the screen.
"But they're best friends." I argued.
Leah made her way towards Edward, her eyes on him as she said, "It's always the person you don't expect that does the most damage in your life."
I saw Edward's eyes go wide at her for a brief instant before he regained composure and stepped aside for Leah to leave.
When I went to get up, Edward blocked the door, and I looked at him confused.
"What did I do?" I asked.
Edward smiled and then laughed a little, worrying me.
"What?" I repeated.
Edward met my gaze. "Are you hungry?"
"No, I ate." I told him and pointed to the box of cereal.
Edward placed his hand on the top of my back, and we headed into the kitchen together, where he turned on a small under counter light as I sat on one of the furthest counters from the stove. Edward slid off his suit jacket and placed it beside me before unbuttoning the sleeves of his shirt, rolling them up to his elbows before facing the fridge.
"Edward, it's really sweet of you. But it's not my night." I said.
"Bella knows I'm here; she's taking a shower."
"But she does know, right?"
"Yes." Edward said and turned to me; his eyes were soft and gentle. "Would you like an omelette?"
I smiled, "I love omelettes."
"What's your favorite?" Edward asked me.
I'd taken a few things from Leah's fridge, and to her annoyance, Edward said he was going to make me a Western omelette. With only the warm glow of a single light, the room felt lighter somehow. I just sat watching him whisk eggs and prepare the ingredients.
"This is nice," I said.
Edward smiled, "It is."
"I meant that someone's finally using the kitchen." I said.
Edward laughed but didn't turn to look my way, which made it a little less awkward. He poured the eggs into the only frying pan I had before he finally did look my way again.
"So you don't know how to cook, do you?"
I smiled and shook my head. "Was it that obvious?"
"Just a little," Edward said. "So what do you usually eat?"
"I like cold pizza, crackers."
"You need a healthy diet." Edward cut in.
I shrugged, "I don't know. I just haven't gotten around to learning yet," I continued. "It's not like running away from home and becoming a polygamist came with a manual."
"Neither did living forever," Edward said.
I looked over at him. "Was it awful?"
"Dying?"
I nodded.
Edward's expression changed. "It was the worst thing I had ever experienced; it was the scariest thing I've ever had to go through. But nothing ever compares to the venom; the second it starts to spread, you know exactly what's happening to you."
"Was it like burning? Or-"
"It's the most agonizing pain anyone can endure," he paused. "Next time, you catch your neck or ear with your hair whatever," he paused to sigh. "Imagine that, only it's everywhere—your nerve endings, your bones, your eye sockets."
I found myself looking down at my feet, and Edward soon came to stand in front of me.
"I married you before I even knew the pain you endured." I shook my head. "That's just too sad for words."
"No manual, remember."
I met his gaze. "You can tell me stuff; I mean, I can't make you soup on a rough day, but," I paused as he almost smiled. "But I can listen; I can be here. I know I'm number three, but I'm still here."
Edward leaned in and kissed me on the forehead to both our surprises; he hadn't planned on that, and I saw it in his eyes as he pulled away.
"Thank you."
I smiled "Anytime," I said, only to bit my lower lip. "But if you could just, maybe not tell them that I can't cook. It's embarrassing enough that I don't have furniature. And that, I forget to lock doors."
"It's not a big deal," Edward said.
"I know, but still."
Edward nodded and returned to cooking.
"It smells good," I said. "Really good."
"I'll teach you."
"How to make an omelette?"
"How to cook."
I shook my head. "You don't have the time."
"I'll make the time."
"It's really okay; I mean, I can order takeout. Plus, you are busy and don't pretend otherwise."
Edward brought the omelette over to me with a fork placed right next to it; he held onto the plate until I looked up at him. He looked sad.
I attempted to smile. "I didn't mean that in the sad-loner way, I'm doing great. I'm not the one who just lost her father like Leah or had her life turned upside down like Bella."
Edward handed me the plate, and I smiled as I cut off a piece using the edge of my fork.
"How is it?" he asked.
I smiled, "Delicious."
I noticed him smile too before he turned away. I slid down off the counter then and grabbed his suit jacket with my free hand before he turned back to see me behind him.
"Ok Chef, out you go."
"I can't just leave you here. You don't even have an alarm system yet." Edward said.
"Yes, you can. Bella's waiting for you, and I want to finish my movie." I told him.
"Angela-"
"Goodnight Edward."
He looked at me for a moment before he smiled and relented, "Goodnight."
He was a good man for wanting to help me, but I was also doing right by him and Bella—no, hold that, I mean my sister wife—by telling him to go back to her.
Once I was alone, I sighed and started to wash up the dishes. Once I was done, I had a glass of water and decided to call it a night.
Hoping I'd hear all about their date in the morning.
Leah Cullen
I was swimming in Angela's pool when Edward finally came out of her house with his jacket over his arm. He locked the backdoor behind him, probably knowing she forgot to check these little things. When he turned back around, he locked eyes with me for a moment. I half expected him to turn and head straight to his house with Bella, but instead he came to join me in the pool. I watched him toss his jacket on a deck chair before he slid his hands into the pockets of his trousers and stood right on the edge of the pool. The lights were on beneath the water, and I regretted now that I opted for my new bikini instead of my old one, the one that covered more.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Swimming," I said. "Someone said I needed to find new methods to decompress."
Edward stared down at me. "Is this a test, Leah? Hmm, is this you daring me to respond?"
I tucked under the water for a moment before bringing myself back up to the surface.
"No," I said. "I just want to swim; you should try it sometime."
"I have better things to do with my time."
"Like cook for your third wife on your first wife's night?" I challenged.
Edward crouched down, then kept his arm against his knee. "I warned you to stop pushing your body this hard when I'm not around to-"
"To what? Protect me or protect them?" I looked onto Angela and Bella's houses.
"Both," Edward said. "But you already knew that."
We stared back at each other for a few moments before I spoke again.
"Did you tell Bella where we were tonight?" I paused and ran my hand through my hair. "What we did?"
"Keep pushing me, Leah, and you'll find out how angry I really am."
"How angry are you?"
He leaned forward. "You have no idea."
"I do know," I said, placing my hands on the pool edge and lifting myself up out of the water until I was face to face with him. "But you already knew that." I used his own words against him.
His eyes seemed to darken even more at the sight of me; he was watching the droplets of water roll down my neck to my chest.
"You know," I said. "You're not so hard to read after all."
Edward brought himself upright, never taking his eyes off mine. "If you could read me the way she can, you would have stayed under the water," he said.
He turned on his heel then and headed off towards the house. I slid back down into the pool, watching him as he entered their kitchen and how quickly the lights shut off downstairs, leaving only one light on upstairs.
I sank back under the water and swam to the far end of the pool.
With one question racing through my mind.
Was he going to tell them what we did?