Submission
Chapter Two: The First Day
Bella Cullen
We'd only passed the Farewell from Forks sign a few moments ago, and the tension within the car was still extremely high, but we were in the clear. We had made it out of town without anyone seeing us, and it was such a relief that I could actually feel it as it washed over me. I felt as though I could breathe again for the first time in hours. But with the relief came the responsibility, and there was much work between here and Sandy, Utah. It seemed each of us had our lights switched on; our first task was ensuring we were all set for the journey, and so we were all eagerly wrapping our blankets around ourselves, Leah assisting me with the steering wheel as I quickly brought my blanket up around my chest and tucked it beneath my thighs to trap in the heat.
Then beside me, she just as eagerly began to wrap herself in the blanket she had on her lap, and she tucked it around herself in a similar fashion to what I had done. Angela had just finished adjusting the mirror in the backseat when she grabbed the hot water bottle that had been left for her and quickly tucked it under her blanket and up against her chest before she tucked the blanket around herself.
"We're going to heat up, I promise." I said as I adjusted the heating.
"It's freezing." Angela commented as she shifted a little in her seat.
"Never mind that we really need to focus." Leah said, armed with the printed directions for our trip.
"Did you memorize the back up routes?" I asked.
"Of course I did. I always have a backup plan. We are going to follow the road for two miles, then we're going to take the first right, which will bring us onto the Interstate-Five." Leah began to explain.
I nodded along, knowing she would keep me right; she had just as much to lose if we failed to get out of here. I turned my attention back to Angela, who was keeping an eye on her own mirror. She was tasked with keeping an eye on our tail.
"Remember, we need to stay completely out of sight. Our best bet is to blend in with the traffic and stick to the speed limits." I reminded them.
"Exactly, so once we get on the Interstate, we should stay on it until we reach the Seattle/Tacoma International Airport."
"There'll be a lot more traffic by then, right?" I asked Leah.
"Definitely, we will merge right in and stick with the middle lane for at least twenty miles. I might take us off, but only if I feel it's safe to do so; we don't want to stand out." Leah explained.
I nodded along in agreement.
"In the meantime, we need to get a few things straight. We need to keep our eyes on the road, and we also need to stay alert and keep a lookout for anything suspicious."
"I'm already doing that," Angela said. "Anything that stays behind us for longer than ten minutes, we'll all know it."
"And remember any cops? Let me know right away." Leah told her.
"And when we get to the state line of Utah, we remove the plates," I said, going through our plan. "We don't cross in with these plates and draw attention to the fact that we came from Washington."
"Exactly no one knows our business but us. The past will remain buried where it belongs." Leah said.
"Everyone ditched their phones, right?" I asked.
"I ditched mine, and I made sure it was destroyed too." Leah answered.
"Mine is gone; I took a hammer to it and dumped one half across town on my way back from the forest and the other into someone's trash can." Angela added.
"Good. That means no one will be able to track us by GPS." I said.
"Perfect. Alright, so make a right here," Leah said as she gestured to the upcoming exit.
I nodded as I slowed down and carefully pulled onto the first road, taking us off the road leading back to Forks. It seemed to dawn on all of us then, as we all relaxed slightly. This was the first of many turns we would be making, but we were moving away from Forks, and no one had stopped us.
"So far, so good," Leah said. "Just keep it under sixty."
We were all on edge and not attempting to hide it, but this was the first step, and we were all dealing with it in our own way.
"Bella, are you sure you're okay with taking the first shift driving?" Angela asked from the back.
I nodded. "I can do this; it's a long drive, and we have to cover as much distance as possible."
"She's fine." Leah said then.
I glanced at her to find her looking at me; she looked so serious and determined.
"We've got this." She said it with certainty.
"Yeah, we do." Angela agreed.
I nodded as I continued to focus on the road.
"Are you guys okay?" I asked the ultimate question.
"I'm fine; I just need to keep us on track." Leah said she was not looking up from her paper.
"I'm good too; I just want to get out of here and onto the highway. Then we'll be in the clear." Angela replied.
I nodded. "You would just say if you weren't okay, though, right?" I asked.
"Absolutely," Angela confirmed.
"No doubt," Leah said.
I nodded. "Okay."
We fell silent after that; I just kept driving, doing everything I could to keep us moving and in the clear.
"So how are you guys feeling about this?" I asked as I glanced from Leah to Angela and back again.
"I'm good; I just want to get out of here. We're doing the right thing." Angela said.
"We definitely are." I agreed before I asked Leah the same question.
"I'm fine; I just want to get out of here too." Leah replied.
"Well, that makes three of us then." I said.
Angela nodded in agreement.
"What about you?" Leah asked.
"Me?" I questioned.
"Yeah, are you okay with all of this?" Leah asked.
I nodded. "I'm ready." I confirmed.
"It's not what I asked, so you can stop the whole fast-paced thing you've got going on and just answer the question." Leah said.
I glanced at her and sighed.
"I'm a little overwhelmed right now; I've been on edge for hours, and it's a lot to process. I feel like I've lost everything. But I know I'm doing the right thing."
"You mean by...becoming a polygamist or by leaving?" Angela asked, and I didn't know how to answer her.
"Both, I guess." I admitted.
"Don't worry about that; you're doing the right thing, and that's what matters." Leah assured me.
"Right, I mean, if we had stayed, we might be dead by morning. But instead," I stopped, "we're going towards a new chapter, a new life, and it's kind of terrifying, but I think we can do it."
"Well, we have to; there's no other choice."
"What do you think will happen when we actually get there?" Angela paused. "You know when we see him again? I mean, I'm so sorry, Bella, because I know it's a wake-up call for you, but do you think he'll have a problem with living in three different houses?"
"It's a bit late to be asking questions like that now; we've come too far to back out." I said.
"I know, I know. I'm just saying that I think it's a fair question. We're basically going to be living with your ex-boyfriend, not to mention we're bringing him into this whole relationship thing."
I decided to be the one to say it since neither of them wouldn't.
"It's not a relationship thing you will have with him." I stopped to gather myself and muster up the courage to say it. "You're both his wives now. Let's just be adults and call things what they are."
"But we're all like this together, the three of us, right?" Angela asked.
I nodded. "Yes, I promise. This is as much about us as it is about him and me." I paused. "And no, it won't be easy, but it's something we have to do to stay alive."
"But out there, it's not about survival anymore, Bella." Angela said.
"And maybe we need to address that right now," Leah said.
"Address what?"
"Well, maybe it's just me, but when I get to Utah, I don't plan to look at my life there like it's just for survival. My life there, from day one, is just going to be my life. I'm not going to think about Forks; I'm going to miss my family with every fiber of my being." She paused "But when I get there, again, I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going to think about the spell it took to get me there. When I get there," Angela paused again and glanced back at me in the mirror before she looked straight ahead, averting my gaze. "I'm going to try and just live my life, and I know that means having two nights a week where Edward and I will be living in the same house, and that's going to be okay with me. I can live with that."
I wasn't surprised by this at all. Leah had already expressed that she would be able to live with this arrangement and that she could handle it, but Angela had yet to express how she felt.
"So what are you saying that we shouldn't discuss the spell after tonight?" I asked.
"I mean, the spell isn't why we're all here when you think about it. We're here because each person in this car wants Utah." Angela said
I looked towards Leah and asked, "What do you think about this?"
Leah shrugged. "I'm not going to say anything right now. I was under the impression that our lives were going to be private. Neighbors, yes, but our lives are our own. Or did I pick up that all wrong?"
"No, you didn't. I just don't know. I don't want us to act like we're in this together if we're not." Angela said.
I thought about that for a moment before I spoke up.
"Leah's not talking about our lives together. She's trying to be kind."
Beside me, she sighed and glanced back at Angela before focusing on the road.
"I don't know how we're going to do anything when we get there. But I'm just saying this now: I'm never going to be the type of person who discusses...private things."
She meant she didn't want us to ever openly discuss how each of our marriages to Edward were once we were settled in Utah.
"But isn't it a good thing to discuss it? I mean, we'll be living side by side; it's not like we'll miss much about each other's lives." Angela said.
"I think Leah has a point; some things are private. And if we're all going to get through this, then I think we need to respect each other's privacy." I said.
"Besides the blood sucker," Leah sighed. "Edward and I will have a lot to talk about alone."
Hearing that was like taking a bullet to the heart, but I knew I couldn't complain about it.
"I get it." I lied.
What could she and Edward have to talk about alone? There was nothing wrong with asking such a question, but at the same time, who was I asking the question as? His ex-girlfriend? His first wife, or Leah's sister wife,.
"Yeah, I guess she's right. I mean, we all need to look at this for what it is now. It's not about the spell; it's about our lives."
"But being polygamist is still against the law." I reminded them.
"I don't care what people think of me." Leah said.
"And we're not really polygamists; I mean, not yet; it's not like we're all sleeping with each other." Angela stopped herself, and I was grateful.
After twenty minutes or so of endless forest roads and darkness, we were at long last merging onto the highway.
"Nice and easy; we're just going to blend in with morning traffic." Leah said.
"Middle lane, right?" I asked.
"Right," Leah confirmed.
I put my foot down and slowly merged into the middle lane.
"How are we time-wise?" I asked.
"If we keep the agreed-upon speed and I keep us on route A, my guess is we'll be crossing into Utah early on Monday morning." Leah said.
"Do you think Edward is like half way there by now?" Angela asked.
"Actually, he's stopping along the way to pick up some things for us." I said.
"You never mentioned that," Leah said.
"What kind of things?"
"Well, I realized we'd need a new ID, so I asked if he could arrange that for us." I paused. "He said he's been through this before, so he knows who to ask." I said.
"But what kind of ID? You mean like new driver's licenses and stuff?"
"No, he said he can get everything—new medical records, high school diplomas, birth certificates, and whatever else he can get his hands on, I guess."
"That's pretty awesome when you think about it." Angela commented.
"I suppose so."
"We're going to need those to get jobs, right?" Angela asked.
"Yeah, I suppose we will." I said.
"Or college; oh my god, I could go to college out there. I mean, he's not going to have our IDs say we're eighteen, right?"
"Of course not. He'll have all that taken care of."
"For someone talking about their ex, you have a lot of faith in him." Leah commented.
I had no idea how to respond to that.
"I think it's great he's getting our new IDs." Angela said.
"Yeah, well, let's hope he can pull it off." Leah said.
"He'll be fine. He's a good guy." Angela said.
"Is that what you really think?" Leah asked her.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It just means I'm never going to forget he's a vampire."
"Yeah, he's a vampire, and we all know that now."
"Yeah, well, one of us has only known it for twelve hours, and maybe they need a reality check on what it's going to be like to be around one, maybe even sleep with one someday." Leah said.
I swallowed hard and gripped the steering wheel. Leah believed this was really going to work, to the point where she imagined that someday Angela and Edward might be sleeping together. My mind was protecting itself from such thoughts, and Leah was just being brutally honest.
"Well, you don't have to be so blunt about it. Besides, it's not like that's going to happen anyway." Angela said.
"How do you know it won't happen?" Leah asked her.
"Because I just don't know." Angela stuttered.
"I'm just saying you need to be prepared for what life will be like there; it's not always going to be easy."
"Excuse me, but he didn't just marry me last night." Angela pointed it out.
Just hearing her say marry instead of referring to it as 'the spell'
Leah looked over her shoulder and asked, "Do you honestly believe I have any intention of sleeping with Cullen?"
"No but,"
"But what?" Leah asked.
"It's just that you two will be sharing a house, so you never know what could happen." Angela said.
"Excuse me?" Leah asked.
"Well, it's not like you haven't noticed how handsome he is." Angela said.
I wanted to stop her, but I knew it was just the tension of the situation; we were all on edge, and I needed to do something about it.
"Angela, just stop. We're all tired, we're all stressed, and we're all just trying to survive."
"No, if she's got something to say." Leah said.
"She doesn't." I interrupted.
"Bella, I'm just saying we need to be prepared for what our lives are going to be like out there. It's not just going to be happily ever after; it's going to be real life, and the reality is that sometimes tensions rise between two people, and they"
"Well, Cullen and I won't be doing that," Leah said before looking towards me. "You know that, right?" She asked me.
I nodded. "I know."
"Good," she said.
"I'm just saying that you two have this enemy wolf and vampire tension thing going on, and if you two land up becoming physical, then it's nothing to be ashamed of because in Utah, you two are just husband and wife." Angela said softly.
Leah didn't respond, and it worried me. Had Angela just pointed out something Leah had never considered before?
"Leah?" I asked.
"I'm fine; I just don't want to talk about this anymore." She said.
"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't want you to feel like you have to hide something."
Leah sighed "I'm just saying that," she said, stopping and clenching her fists. "My marriage is my business, and I won't be discussing it with anyone, and better yet, I'll be telling your boyfriend that I don't want him talking about it either."
"Okay," Angela said.
"Okay." I agreed.
"Now, can we just stop talking about this and get out of this damn state?"
"Absolutely," I said.
"Agreed." Angela said.
We fell silent after that, and I focused on driving, on keeping us on route, and on getting us out of the state. After a few hours, we pulled to the side of the road. We were making excellent time and were twenty minutes ahead of schedule. While we took turns peeing in the woods, we also refilled the gas. When we hit the road again, Leah and Angela began working together to pour soup into the cups I had packed for us. I sipped my soup while driving, and Leah continued to give me clear and precise instructions.
"Do you guys even realize it's after nine?"
"So?" Leah said.
"She's saying it means Edward has the deeds to the houses now." I replied.
"It's hard to imagine him right now; do you have any idea what will be going through his head? He's just married three different girls." Angela said.
"Three different girls he had no intention of marrying in the first place." Leah pointed it out.
"Yeah, can we not focus on that? What I'm trying to say is, he's got to be going through a lot."
"I don't think he's even realized half of the other possibilities that have opened up to him now that the spell is protecting us." I said.
"Like?"
"Well, remember, he'll be able to eat food again; he'll get a hunger for that just like he does with..." I paused to consider Angela but finally said, "Blood."
"So what if he gets to eat again? Big deal."
"It is a big deal," I said to Leah. "Could you imagine not being able to stand in the sunlight? To feel it's heat? What about tasting your favorite food? Or worrying that your eyes will turn a different shade in front of people?"
"The Cullen's have been living a lot of struggles when you think about it." Angela pointed it out.
"His family won't be coming near Utah, will they?" Leah asked.
"They won't be able to see us underneath the spell. I doubt we'll see them until Edward trusts that it's safe for us to be around each other again."
Angela brought her cup to her lip. "So, I'm just going to ask and get it over with. And yes, I do realize I, or we, should have asked this earlier." She said.
"What?" I asked.
"What kind of man is he? I mean, when you guys are alone and I'm not talking about sex, I'm talking."
"Edward and I haven't had sex." I finally admitted it.
"You haven't?" Angela asked.
"No," I said.
"But you two seemed so..." she stopped.
"We were in love; we just, I don't know." I paused. "I was ready, and I told him that, and he said he wasn't; he said not while I was human because it was dangerous."
"Yeah, he's right on that one." Leah said, combing through her directions.
"So wait, wait, you're under the spell now, two of you, so shouldn't that make things slightly easier?" Angela asked.
I glanced at Leah, who was staring back at me.
"What?" I asked her.
"You're going to have to explain this one; I've never been in love with a vampire." She said.
"Oh, I don't know." I said.
"Well, if you ask me, you guys are going to need to sit down and have a serious conversation about all this." Angela said.
I cleared my throat. "Uh, just putting this out there, but remember, we weren't together. He left, remember? So if you guys think he and I are just going to immediately get back to where we were, then—"
"We'd be right," Leah said.
"What?" I asked.
"You two, you'll be all over each other within days. Jacob knew you were still in love with him." Leah said.
"That's no one's business." I pointed it out.
"Neither was your sex life, and yet you just told us about that now, didn't you?"
She was right, but I didn't want to admit it.
"Can we not do this right now?" I asked.
"Fine by me," Leah said.
"Yeah, let's leave this conversation and all the others until we're literally in Utah and about to begin our new lives, because that's smart." Angela said it sarcastically.
"Look, I'm not saying I won't talk about things; I'm just saying there's only so much I'll be comfortable discussing." I said
"So, let's just be real and talk about what we can. Tell us about Edward." Angela said.
"And not the peachy version of your love story. Don't tell her what she wants to hear." Leah said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Angela asked.
"I'm just saying, he's a vampire; he's a killer." Leah said.
"He's not a killer." I defended.
"He's killed before. And he'll do it again."
"Leah, you don't know him." I said.
"Maybe not, but I know enough to know that he's dangerous."
"He's not dangerous."
"Really? Because you just told us he's so scared to hurt you that he won't even consider sleeping with you."
Silence fell, and it remained until the sun began to set hours later. I'd been focused on driving; Leah and Angela had both brought their own books and other distractions with them to keep them occupied on the road, so the silence wasn't so bad to handle after a while. Soon we were on a long stretch of open road with nothing but a large truck hauling lumber ahead of us. Above, the sky was clear and filled with only the brightest of stars.
"He's smart." I finally broke the silence. "He loves books; his room back in Forks was nothing but books and records." I told them.
"Records? Like actual records?" Angela asked her softly.
I nodded. "He loves music; he plays the piano, and he has no idea how good he is." I paused. "We weren't perfect; we did fight; we'd argue, and he doesn't always back down; he does point out when I'm in the wrong, which I strangely appreciate."
"What else?" Leah asked to both my and Angela's surprise.
"He's strong-willed and focused, and when you're with him, you're his only priority in the world, whether that's making your day better or keeping you safe." I paused to look at Leah. "I know he'll do whatever he can to keep you and Angela safe too."
"Bella I'm going to ask an uncomfortable question: Is he really going to give this a real chance?" Angela asked.
"I can't answer that; he's changed; that guy back at the forest; he's not the Edward who left me that day."
"Do you think he's still in love with you?" Leah asked.
I nodded. "I know he's still in love. I think I would have felt it if he hadn't. And deep down, I feel like he missed me too. But I doubt he's happy with me after everything back there."
"Obviously not," Leah said.
"I'm not just talking about the wedding." I said.
"Then what are you talking about?" Leah asked.
"Everything. He and I have got a lot to discuss." I said.
"Well, maybe it's time we got a grip, guys, and actually talked about the elephant in the room. So you can know when he and you can have that discussion." Angela suggested.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"She's talking about setting up this schedule thing." Leah said.
We all agreed the subject of the schedule would be put on hold in Forks until we were on the road and everything else wasn't as pressing. The schedule, as we had referred to it, was for us to decide which day and night Edward would be living with each of us.
"Switching from week to week won't work; we've exhausted that already." Leah reminded us.
"So that puts Edward on a day-to-day basis, with Edward sleeping in a different house each night." Angela said.
"But for now, let's not plan weeks in advance. How about we just settle on the first week? You said we'd arrive in Utah on Monday morning, right?" I asked Leah.
"Yeah, that's right."
"Ok, so how about we keep the first week really simple? And Edward stays with us in the order that he, you know, married us in?" Angela suggeted.
"So, like, he'd be staying with Bella on Monday night?" Leah asked.
"No, that doesn't sound like a good idea. It sounds like: "
"Yeah, okay, yes, get over; it's the first night, and he's with you. We get it now; we get over it. Because logically, it makes great sense." Angela pointed it out.
"I still don't know." I said.
"So if he's with you on the first night, that means Leah's night is Tuesday; he'll be at mine on Wednesday, and since it's the first week, like we said, we just keep it really simple, and we go straight back to you, Bella, for Thursday, and we carry on. Then we can make up a new schedule for next week." Angela suggested.
"No, because that would leave out every Sunday." Leah pointed it out.
"Well," I stopped.
"No, go on," Angela said.
"It's just that I was thinking, maybe we could use every Sunday of the month for each of us to have a double night with Edward." I said it while feeling sick to my stomach over the idea of Edward being away from me for two days.
"So he'd been living with one of us two nights in a row every month?" Angela asked.
"It's not a bad idea." Leah said.
"Yeah, it's not." Angela said.
"Are you sure?"
"To be honest, as long as we get the first week agreed upon, I think other things will take priority." Leah said.
"Like what?" Angela asked.
"Well," I said, looking to her in the rear mirror. "We'll need to set up our houses, buy furniture, clothes, groceries, and stuff."
"Okay, okay, you're right." Angela said.
"So, it's settled; I'll be with him on the first night, Leah on the second, and Angela on the third." I said.
We took turns driving throughout the next few hours, each of us taking a turn to stretch out in the backseat and rest our eyes. It was nice to experience non-stop sunshine for a change; there were no clouds in the sky, just endless blue. We listened to music and to a few different radio stations along the way; our conversations never got too intense, and there were no tears when we did discuss home or even what came next when we arrived in Utah. It wasn't all rainbows and sunshine either; we didn't change overnight; we were still ourselves even after over a thousand miles.
It was around seven that morning when we arrived at the state line. We didn't have any phones, so we couldn't capture the moment, but something told me we wouldn't forget seeing the sign welcoming us at long last to Utah. After hours upon hours stuck in the car, we all agreed to pull into the first city we came across before driving to Sandy and meeting with Edward. We all wanted to shower and change our clothes; the car was a mess, and we needed to stretch our legs above all else.
Despite Angela's objections to sneaking into a hotel to use their facilities, it's what was decided. We needed better than a public swimming pool after spending so much time cooking up in the station wagon. I pulled into the parking lot of the first hotel we drove by after a half hour of searching for the largest city I'd been in for a while. I locked the doors behind me and unlocked the trunk for each of us to collect a change of clothes.
"I need a shower so badly," Angela complained as she retrieved one of her duffle bags. "I don't even want to think about how bad I smell."
Leah grabbed her backpack, and from it I watched her retrieve a pair of black jeans—no shorts, no sleeveless vests either—but rather a white satin cross-over short-sleeved blouse and a pair of black sandals. While I collected a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue shirt, Angela was quick to collect a white and pink floral pointed U-neck blouse with a pair of white knee-length trousers and matching wedges. Both of them had collected their clothes from their bags so quickly that it was hard to believe they hadn't arranged them ahead of time, making me uneasy about my own simple choices.
After we assembled all our toilettes, we headed inside and right across the lobby with no trouble from the reception staff. We followed the signs for the women's changing rooms, and upon arriving, I was shocked to see how big it was. It was unlike any other changing room I'd been in; the floor was tiled in cream marble, and there were three wall-to-wall mirrors that hung above sinks with silver taps and a counter below with sets of hair dryers and a wide selection of hair products and toiletries. The cubicles were divided by walls, each of which had a large door and was equipped with powerful settings.
We all headed into our own cubicles and began to shower. I felt amazing as I stood under the hot water, the steam filling the entire cubicle as I lathered myself in body wash. I felt free and ready to start over. I washed my hair twice just to be sure it was completely clean; it had become oily and smelled of sweat after so long without being able to wash it properly. None of us talked while in the shower, and it felt nice to have some time to myself to think. From here, it was only an hour and a half to Sandy, where Edward might be already. This was the day we started our lives together, and I wasn't sure if I was prepared.
I was the first to step out of the cubicles. To my relief, it gave me time to bin the clothes I had worn from Forks and begin drying off my hair. Leah stepped out next, her hair as damp as mine; she smelt better than I did; she had used a coconut-scented something, and it lingered in the air as she passed by me, then tossing her clothes into the same bin.
"You're not keeping yours either?" I asked.
"No," she replied.
"Why?"
"They were from Forks; I don't want anything that reminds me of them."
"Nothing at all?" I asked.
"Nothing," she said.
I put my bag down beside me and took a seat in front of one of the mirrors. Leah reached into her back and, from it, retrieved a brush, a straightener, and a small make-up brush, to my surprise. She didn't seem like the type of girl who bothered with such things, and when she caught me looking at her in the mirror, I smiled.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing; I just never expected you to have."
"Make up?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"I don't usually wear it, but things are different now. Why does it bother you?"
"Why would it bother me?"
"Because you're probably thinking I'm making this effort for your boyfriend."
"You mean our husband?" I challenged her right back.
"Yeah, well, you can't deny the fact that he's your boyfriend."
"He was. But things are different now, like you said."
"Good, I'd get used to this then. The make-up and the hair. The outspokenness, it's not going anywhere."
Angela appeared, then, with her hair rolled up in a towel. "Are you guys keeping your travel clothes? Because, to be honest,
"Bin them." Leah and I said it in sync.
"Right," Angela said.
We continued to get ready in silence. I brushed out my hair and dried it with a hair dryer. I worked a little harder to achieve my curls, watching how both Angela and Leah were applying skin cream and then make-up. I watched Angela apply individual lashes to her eyes, and Leah even slipped on teeth-whitening strips. All I had was body spray and a hairbrush.
"I can't believe we're doing this." Angela said as she unraveled the towel from her head.
"What?" Leah asked.
"We're actually getting ready to see him," Angela said.
"Yeah, we are," I said.
"So, are you guys nervous?" Angela asked.
"I'm not." Leah replied, and I believed her.
"I guess I'm alright; I just..."
"I'm just hoping he's not screwed up and lost our houses." Leah interested.
"I'm sure he's got the house; he always seemed like the type of guy who got things done." Angela said it was causing me stomachaches.
"How would you know?" Leah asked.
"I don't. I just think he always struck me as a person who got things done."
"Yeah, well, I'd like to be pleasantly surprised when we get to Sandy." Leah said.
When we finished up in the changing room, we returned back to the car, and together we began to clear it out.
"Let's get all of the pillows and blankets folded up together and put into the trunk; I don't think we should have anything in the front of the car when we arrive." I said as we began to empty it.
Angela did all the necessary folding, while I took all our trash to the nearest bin and Leah filled the gas tank. We opened all the car doors to let the air in, and we reorganized the trunk, placing our own luggage into its own sections. As for the gas canisters, we used Leah and got rid of them, dumping them out of sight while Angela binned all our remaining snacks and magazines, leaving the front seats fresh and clean.
"Do you guys want to take a minute or do you want to just hit the road?" I asked as we arrived back at the station wagon.
"I'd just like to get there, I think." Angela said.
"It doesn't bother me either way. Why do you need time before coming face-to-face with him again?" Leah asked.
"I just thought maybe we could; I don't know." I said.
We sat down in the car together with the engine running for a minute before I addressed the question.
"Are you sure I should take the first night?" I asked.
"Yes." Leah said.
"It makes sense." Angela added.
"It does, but I still don't feel like it's fair. I mean, I know you guys have no problem with it, but what if he does?"
"Bella, it's one night."
"No, you didn't hear her; she's worried he doesn't want to sleep in her room." Leah said.
"No, I wasn't implying that he doesn't want to. I mean, we didn't discuss sleeping arrangements." I said.
"He'll probably stay on the couch." Angela said.
I sighed "Vampires don't normally sleep. So tonight, it will be his first time sleeping, and it will be with me." I told them.
Silence quickly followed.
"Are you worried about the danger aspect?" Leah asked.
"Not even a little bit. It's just that it's a big moment."
"Bella, if you worry you're going to be cast as the favorite this or that, then you'll go nuts within a few days."
"But we were together before this. And I just don't want you guys to think I've just brought you out here to save my own skin."
"I'm here so I can start a new life. I don't care what you two get up to." Leah said
"And while I don't share Leah's attitude, I'm the same Bella; I'm here to start a new chapter, and whatever happens in other aspects is just not something we'll ever discuss."
Neither of them would acknowledge it, but the reality was this: We were polygamists now, and somewhere down the line, their lives with Edward would begin, and I wasn't sure what that meant for us in the future. Could Edward fall in love again? Would he fall in love with them? And what would happen if he did? Would I be okay with it? And if I wasn't, would that make me selfish?
I pushed the thoughts away and began to drive us back onto the main road and off the hotel grounds. After a while, we were out of the city blocks and back onto yet another highway, with Leah directing me on which roads to take.
"So, are you excited?" I asked.
"I'm more relieved to be away from Forks." Angela said.
I sighed "Have you guys thought about your families?"
"Of course," Angela replied.
"Haven't stopped." Leah answered.
"It's okay if you guys want to talk about it."
"I'd get through this better if we didn't." Leah said.
"I agree." Angela said.
"Well, you guys know I'm here whenever you need to talk. Okay?"
"Thank you." Angela said.
Leah merely nodded.
After what felt like forever, we were finally pulling into Sandy. All the windows were rolled down, the heat was almost unbearable, and the sun was bright and blinding. As we drove further towards our new homes, I just kept praying Edward would be there. I prayed that after all this, he wouldn't let us down by not showing up; it would be worse than facing the Volturi alone.
"Should we call him?" Angela asked.
"With what phone?" Leah asked.
"Shoot." Angela said.
"If he's there, he'll be waiting. If he's not-"
"He's gonna be there." I said
"Alright, turn left here," Leah directed me. "This is our street; stop."
"We're here? We're actually here. Where's the street sign?"
"Look right there," Angela said, pointing her hand out the window there. "Spooner Street, she's right, this is our street."
"So continue straight down; the houses should be at the bottom left of the street," Leah said as I began to drive forward. "And since we're coming in from the left side, Bella, your house will be first on the left."
"Then my house." Angela said behind us.
"And my house last." Leah said.
I drove slowly down the street; it was narrow and quiet, with only a few cars parked on the sides.
"There's a lot of sold signs on these doors, guys; we're going to have to be really disgraced."
"You mean don't yell out the window that the polygamists are moving in down the block?" Leah asked.
"Exactly." I said.
Leah was right. My house was first; we pulled up from the left, so at first glance, all I saw was the side as we edged closer.
"Oh my god, there they are! Our houses!" Angela screeched behind us.
I felt my heart begin to race. I couldn't believe it; we'd actually done it; we were alive, and this was the first day of the rest of our lives together in Utah.
"Wait a second, there's a car in the driveway of your house." Leah said, catching my attention.
Parked in the double driveway of my new house was a brand new silver Jaguar F-Pace SUV.
"Is that Edward?" Angela asked.
"It doesn't seem like his kind of car." I said.
It was then that the driver's side door opened, and Edward stepped into the sunlight. Tears pricked my eyes immediately; he wasn't sparkling, the spell truly worked, and he was free to walk around in the sunlight without fear. He wasn't just sparkle-free; he had changed his clothes; he was wearing dark blue trousers with a dark brown belt and matching shoes, and a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up around his elbows. He'd showered; he didn't look anything at all like the wreck he was back in Forks.
I told myself not to look his way as I pulled the station wagon into the driveway alongside his seemingly new car. I didn't look at Leah and Angela until I had cut the engine.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Nope." Leah replied.
"Do you think anyone is watching us?" Angela asked.
"I doubt the blood sucker." Leah sighed. "I mean, I doubt he would have gotten out of his own car if he didn't think it was safe for you guys to approach." Leah said this before opening her door and stepping out.
I held my breath as I stepped out of the car. The wind blew hard against us, and I hoped he had heard my heart racing and not the nerves in my voice. I turned my head to see him standing behind his car, looking out at the street. I was the first to join him there. Edward turned his attention towards me, and before I could say a word, he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. But before I could react, I watched him turn his attention to Leah. He leaned in towards her, and she didn't back away as he kissed her cheek just as quickly as he had mine. Then he turned to Angela and did the same, kissing her cheek, causing her to send him a friendly smile in return.
"How long have you been here?" I asked him as he stepped away from all of us then.
"Hello to you too." he replied.
"You know what I mean." I said.
I had a thousand and one questions blasting through my mind. I wanted to know how he was feeling. Had the time on the road given him the opportunity to make peace with the past and prepare him for our shared future, as it had for us? Was he happy we were doing this, or was he miserable? But above all, I wanted to know the answer to the question heavy in the minds of all three of us: was he truly willing to give this a go?
"I arrived only ten minutes ago; I've not gone inside any of the properties."
He called them properties and not homes, and by the looks on Leah and Angela's faces as he did, I knew they were thinking the same thing.
I looked away from him then and turned back to look at my new home—our new home, I suppose I should call it. I had been trying throughout the journey here to prepare myself for this exact moment, when I looked upon not only my new house but the houses of Leah and Angela and accepted that these were the houses they would be sharing with Edward. He wasn't my boyfriend anymore; he was our husband, and it was time to get on board with that. There was no pressure to accept the reality; there was plenty of time for me to adjust to life as a polygamist; I didn't have to master it overnight; there was no test or judgment to be had here; it was just a matter of accepting that this was our new reality.
Our house was beautiful, the garden was bare, of course, and sod was required on all three properties as it was for every property surrounding us as well. The windows still featured tape across their centers, the 'SOLD' sign was still plastered proudly across my front door, and the driveway was as clean as it would ever be—no oil stains or tire tracks. It was picture perfect; it was untouched, so fresh and new that it almost brought a tear to my eye. There was so much work ahead of all of us. I'm sure we could easily arrange work to be done, but the idea of the four of us building up these homes from scratch was a very appealing one.
With Edward's wealth, I knew money would never be an issue for us. I wasn't sure if his wealth was in the millions or billions, but it was a safe bet to assume we would never want for anything. Regardless of this comfort in the back of my mind, I still planned to seek bargains whenever possible; I wasn't about to become a different person overnight, especially after everything we had endured these past forty-eight hours. I was going to enter into my new life one step at a time, but there were already certain aspects of my life to which I knew I would be giving some attention. But only time would bring me these small tasks, and when they presented themselves, I would be ready.
I turned my attention to Edward's car. This was far from the Volvo he had owned in Forks; this was a car that was built for more than the comfort of two, and I immediately began to wonder if this had indeed been a part of his decision-making.
"I didn't know you planned to buy a new car." I said
Instead of answering, Edward brought his focus to the station wagon. "Whose car is this?" He asked.
Leah smirked immediately, while Angela looked anywhere but near Edward.
"It's something we can discuss later."
"The license plates are missing." Edward noted.
"I'm aware of that."
"So this is the car you stole?" He asked and looked directly at Leah.
"Right away, you assume it was me?"
"Let's not talk about this right now." Angela whispered.
"She's right." I turned to look out at our street. "Has anyone come by?"
"No." Edward answered his eyes, finally leaving Leah to our shared relief.
"What about the realtor?"
"The sold signs were here when I arrived." Edward answered, though I suspected his attention remained on the stolen station wagon.
"It's a relief, I guess," Angela said, crossing her arms as she stood beside me. "The fewer people, the better for us."
I turned to face them. "It's probably not a good idea for us to all be standing here together."
It was then that Edward unlocked the trunk of his new car. I couldn't help but sneak a peek at the unmistakable new luggage hidden within. They were all black leather, which, even from a distance, smelled rich and luxurious. But what caught my attention was the number of cases he had brought with him. Edward had stopped along the way to collect our new IDs, but it appeared he had also kitted himself out with an entire new wardrobe. It was then that it hit me harder than the spell did. Edward was already preparing for his new life here, and the reasons for all the luggage were evident. It seemed to escape the notice of both Leah and Angela, but Edward appeared to be prepared to store his clothes and other possessions in all three houses.
Edward, however, did not collect any luggage but instead took out a single item, a black binder, which he tucked beneath his arm before pressing a button on the doorpane of the trunk. The trunk closed down silently, and he turned back to face us, not saying a word regarding the binder or its contents but instead sliding his hand into his pocket and producing sets of silver keys. Each set of keys has its own key change, and each has its own key cap. The keys he handed first to Angela had a dark green key cap, which she accepted happily but did not look Edward in the eye when presented with them. Leah held her hand out before Edward could even get to her; either of the pair looked at each other, which did not escape Angela's notice, who exchanged a look with me. Leah accepted her keys; they were attached to a light blue key cap.
Finally, Edward and I locked eyes as he held up the last key in his hand, featuring a maroon key cap upon it. He was so thoughtful; he'd selected the same key cap colors that matched the tones of each of our houses. When he stood in front of me, I eagerly held up my hand, and he placed the keys in my hand before he tucked his hand around mine, clasping them together.
"There is something we need to talk about." I said as Edward and I dropped hands.
Edward kept his gaze fixed on mine as I joined Angela and Leah once more. Across from me, Angela shifted, rotating back and forth on the balls of her feet almost as if she knew what was coming.
"Well, I'm not staying here," Leah said. "I'm going to my house."
"Leah." I said.
"What?" She asked, turning to face me.
"There is something we need to talk about."
"Now?" Leah asked.
"Yes." I answered.
I turned my attention back to Edward, who had been watching her with the same annoyance she'd been looking at me.
"We talked on the road about how the first week was going to be," I said before I sighed deeply, needing a release. "What I mean is we talked about which house you'd be in for during this week." I told him.
It broke my heart, and the reality that this schedule would change every week meant this wouldn't be the first or last time I'd have to tell Edward where he would be and when. But this is what we had all signed up for, and it was a hardship but a necessary one.
"Right." Edward said, looking out at the houses.
"So tonight, you're in my house with me—well, I mean our house." I told him and then looked at Leah.
She rolled her eyes. "Then tomorrow night you're in my house." She said.
"And the next night you're in Angela's house." I finished.
"Okay." Edward said.
"That's it?" I asked.
"What do you want me to say?" Edward asked.
"Nothing." I replied.
"There's more, isn't there?"
"I think we should talk about that later." Angela said, and she was right to.
I wasn't sure if it was the heat, the exhaustion, or the tension of being in close quarters with Edward, but I couldn't stand here a minute longer. Leah seemed to have the same idea as she turned and walked down the driveway, then onto the pavement. I had half expected her to cross the dirt between my front yard and her own, but instead she took off with Angela following behind her.
"Are you alright?" Edward asked me.
"I'm fine." I said this as I watched them.
Leah didn't look back at us as she walked the driveway up to her own house. Then she just unlocked the front door and let herself inside. She didn't slam the door; she just closed it, and she was gone from sight. Angela, however, was a little less speedy; she seemed more concerned with ensuring she wasn't being watched as she parted from us. Her eyes scanned the houses and the street before she finally unlocked her door and stepped inside.
I turned back to face Edward. This was the first time we'd ever been alone together in Utah.
"Hi." I said.
"Hello." he replied.
I gave him a small smile. I think I had always imagined this moment differently. In my dreams, Edward and I would have run into each other's arms, and I'd cry, kiss him, and tell him how much I missed him. But this was real life, and things didn't work like that, at least not anymore. He didn't look the same; he'd had his hair trimmed, the ends were very clean, and he smelled different. Before, he didn't ever wear coppery cologne, but this time he did, and he smelled amazing.
"You look good." I told him.
Edward tucked a hair back behind my ear, and I leaned into his touch. "You look tired."
"You don't look like you've slept." I said.
"I haven't."
"No?"
"No. I was hoping to wait until," Edward edged closer to me, "it was you and me."
"You were?" I asked.
"If that's something you'd be interested in,"
Edward, now with the aid of the spell, could live his life almost like a human; he could eat, drink, walk in the sunlight, and sleep. We'd been apart since Forks, and somehow he'd managed to stay awake. He'd done this, hoping his first night here would indeed be with me at our new house. Edward wanted to fall asleep in the same bed as me, but I didn't know exactly how to feel about it. But I knew in my heart that I wanted to see how he looked when he slept. I imagined he'd look very at peace; he'd been awake for so long, and tonight he could finally have a look at rest.
"Shall we?" I asked, nodding to the house.
Edward didn't stop to collect his luggage, and it appeared neither Leah nor Angela were returning for theirs. I imagined we were all eager to walk around our new homes, and I couldn't wait to see what kind of mess awaited us.
"After you." Edward said as he held the door open for me.
I bit my lower lip. "Aren't you going to carry me over the threshold?" I teased.
"I'm sure you're very capable of walking through your own front door." He replied.
I laughed a little, but it felt forced, and Edward didn't respond with a smile of his own. Instead, he gestured to the door, and I walked through it. Then Edward followed behind me and closed the door behind us.
"Besides, if I did, you could easily tease that I did not do the same for your friends."
"My friends? You mean your other wives?" I asked him.
Edward stepped towards me, then his hand snaked around my waist, pulling me in close to him. I did my best not to gasp as he pulled me in tight against his body. I knew he could hear my heart pounding, but I wasn't going to let him see me sweat.
"This is a conversation we should have, but perhaps not right now." He said.
"Why not?"
"Because I'll win."
"You can't win a conversation." I replied.
"Can't I?" Edward asked rather smugly.
I stared at him in disbelief. I was too tired to argue with him; I knew that.
"Fine." I said.
As I stepped out of the hallway and into the sitting room to the right, I was immediately hit by the sweet and inviting scent of fresh paint. All the walls were painted crisp white, the carpet below our feet was cream, and there were no light features, no curtains, and no blinds; it was completely bare and ours to decorate however we wished. The only thing that stood out was the fireplace and its dark brick frame.
"It's beautiful." I said this as I entered the space.
I stepped into the middle of the room and twirled around. It was empty now, but it would be our living room, and one day it would be full of memories. There would be photographs of us decorating the mantle piece above the fire.
"There's a lot of work to be done." Edward said this as he walked over to the fireplace and ran his fingers across the bricks.
I walked beneath the archway that took us straight through into what would one day be the dining room. It was a big enough room that you could easily have a table in the center of twelve, if not more. The second the thought entered my mind, I decided to test the waters and see if Edward was truly open to the idea that one day this room might be filled with all of us eating dinner together, my future children with him, his future children with Angela, and possibly even his future children with Leah.
"The room is large enough for a table of twelve, don't you think?" I asked him.
"Is that what you want?"
"Eventually." I said.
I turned to face Edward. "Don't you see it?" I asked.
"I see you."
"You're deflecting." I said.
"I'm not." Edward said as he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
I sighed. It had been so long since I'd felt his body press against mine. I had missed him, and it was comforting to know that, despite everything, he had missed me too.
"What do you want me to say?"
"I don't know, only that I don't want you to tell me what you think I need or want to hear."
"I don't know what you want." He said.
"You used to."
Edward brought his hand beneath my chin and gently turned me to face him. "I still do."
"You could have fooled me." I said.
"I'm trying to be understanding." He said this as his fingers traced my jaw line. "But I'm torn."
"Between?"
"Telling you what you want or need, or just giving it to you."
With that, he closed the gap between us and kissed me. The kiss was so unexpected and so deep. His lips were so soft against mine, and his tongue was warm as it glided into my mouth. I moaned into the kiss, and I knew then that there was no way we could do this right now. Edward's hand came up to cup my cheek. His skin was cold to the touch, but I didn't care; it had been so long since I'd been with him, and I craved his touch.
His hand slid down my throat and shot down around my waist, picking me up and sending me into the nearest wall. I gasped as my back slammed into it, but I didn't dare pull away from him; I wanted more. I needed more; I missed him; I loved him, and he still loved me. He'd never done anything like this before, and I welcomed it; I needed it, and I wanted him to know just how much.
"Kiss my neck." I pleaded.
"Bella." He sighed.
"Please," I begged.
Edward brushed his lips against my throat, and I shivered. He kissed me again and again, and I moaned, feeling the sensation of his lips all over my body. I unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirts and caressed his chest; his skin was cool beneath my touch. I raked my nails up and down his abs; they were as hard as ever, and it was driving me crazy. I brought his lips crashing back down onto mine. He kissed me hard for a moment before he slid his tongue from the base of my neck all the way up to my ear. I shivered, and he groaned into my neck in response.
Edward brought his lips back to mine, kissing me with such urgency. His hand crept up my thigh, and I welcomed him; I wanted him.
"Edward." I moaned.
"My Bella."
I stopped him then. I don't know how, but I managed to bring myself to a place where I could stop him, and I did. I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed him back; he didn't fight me, he didn't protest; he simply did as I asked and stepped back. He stared at me; he looked confused and concerned. I didn't want to explain why I had stopped him; I knew that if I told him how I was feeling, he'd argue and convince me to continue.
"Not now." I said.
Edward didn't look hurt; he didn't look angry or upset; he just smirked at me.
"I told you, I'd win." He said.
"You didn't." I told him.
"Didn't I?"
"No."
"You want me." he said.
"I do." I confessed.
"And I want you." He said this as he began to step toward me.
"And I'm not the only girl in your life anymore." I told him to stop him in his tracks.
Edward narrowed his eyes at me, and I crossed my arms in front of my chest. He knew I was right, and it really killed him.
The room attached to the dining room was the kitchen. It had cherry wood cabinets, black granite counter tops, and an island in the middle. It was modern, clean, and a blank canvas. The three windows facing out into the backyard were large; they would be great for letting in light, and there was plenty of space. Just off the kitchen to the left was another smaller sitting room, which came under a large archway open to the kitchen area with no entry door, making it appear twice as big. There was a pantry room and a door to the basement, but we didn't go inside either.
Instead of a backdoor, there was a large glass-pane sliding door that opened out to a patio area. It was a beautiful yard and a lot bigger than I had imagined. Edward and I stood looking out at it for a moment, and though I didn't mention it, I was jealous of the large pool area within Angela's backyard. As Edward and I made our way upstairs, I began to think of them both alone in their own houses. Edward and I were looking over our new home together, but the two of them were doing this all alone. I didn't want to cause any waves, but I couldn't help but wonder if Edward had considered this.
When we reached the landing, we began with the bedroom furthest from the stairs. It was the master bedroom with an en suite bathroom. It was spacious and big enough for a king-sized bed and a wardrobe. The en suite had a shower, a bath, and a double vanity sink. The next bedroom was just a bit smaller with plenty of light. All of the bedrooms, just like the sitting and dining room, featured the same white painted walls and the same carpet. It was truly ours to do with however we pleased, and the white walls were just screaming out for us to begin our work.
Heading back downstairs, I headed into the kitchen and unlatched the sliding door to step outside into the fresh air. There was only a partially laid-out concrete area beyond the door; all of the backyards were nothing more than flattened dirt. Edward stepped out behind me, and I mustered the courage to say what was necessary.
"You should go over and check on Angela and Leah." I told him.
"Why?"
"Let's not start this off wrong."
"I was under the impression today was your day. Since you're all so certain, this schedule will help." Edward replied.
"It will."
Edward stared back at me. "I'll bring each of them over. There are a few matters we have to discuss alone."
"Well, we shouldn't do it at my house."
"Our house." Edward was quick to correct.
I sighed "It will set things off, like everything has to be talked about here and not at their places."
Edward smirked. "Yet you insist I venture over there. Chose, sweet Bella."
I glanced over at their houses before I locked eyes with him once more.
"We're going to do this right. Go and see your new homes. Then and only then, come back here, and we'll sort everything." I told him as I stepped back into the house.
I slid the door shut behind me, not looking back at him. But I found I could wait only seconds before I rushed across the kitchen to stand over the sink, where I could see him out the window as he crossed over my yard and towards Angela's. It was only then that I noted that all three of our houses featured the same glass-panel sliding doors. Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. I couldn't believe it. I knew he had the keys, but I didn't think he'd go and open her door without Angela's permission.
He didn't knock or call out to her; instead, he opened the door and walked inside. I found myself peering out the window, waiting for something to happen, but it didn't. I don't know how long I stood there, but after a while, I found myself staring at my reflection in the window. I looked awful, I was exhausted, and I could see the dark circles around my eyes.
Edward didn't appear back until twenty minutes later, and right at his back was Angela, who was smiling ear to ear. I couldn't hear what they said to each other, only that she nodded along with whatever he was telling her before he turned to head towards Leah's house, just as Angela turned to head towards mine. I watched him once again retrieve a key from his pocket, and as Angela let herself in behind me, I kept my attention fixed on Edward. I swallowed hard then, and when Edward not only let himself into Leah's house without knocking, it appeared that he had locked the door behind him.
"Bella?" Angela said behind me.
"Yeah?"
"You okay?"
I turned around and found she wasn't even in the room anymore; she'd gone into the dining room, and I followed her.
"Yeah, I was miles away there." I said
"I can't believe the size of this place." Angela commented as she looked around.
"It's amazing, isn't it?"
"Sure is." Angela replied.
She headed back into the hallway and up the stairs. I followed behind her and watched as she walked through each room, checking it out.
When we got back down to the kitchen, she sat on the counter while I tried not to look out the window at Leah's house. I decided not to tell Angela about the kiss Edward and I had shared; I didn't want to give her the impression that he and I were over our breakup. The truth was, I was far from being okay right now, but when Edward kissed me, it seemed all logic left me, and I could only think of how much I wanted him and how much I missed him.
"I don't know if I'm ready for this." Angela said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I've never lived on my own before; I've never been the one in charge of a household; I don't know what I'm doing."
"Neither have any of us."
"Yeah, but you always told me how you cooked for Charlie; you did laundry and shopping. I never had to do any of that." She said.
"But all that stuff will come to you with time. Angela, we've been here for an hour."
"I know, but it's like a whole new world, and I don't know if I'm ready for it."
"We're going to help each other; it's going to be fine." I assured her.
"I hope so." She said.
I walked over to the window then and looked out onto the yard. I didn't mean to, but my eyes wandered over to Leah's house.
"What's Edward doing over there?" Angela asked.
"Well, what did he do when he came over to your house?" I asked her.
Angela laughed. "Yeah, okay, I get it; we don't need to talk about every little thing. Besides, those two won't have anything to talk about, so they'll be over in seconds."
I glanced over at her. "Meaning you and Edward had stuff to talk about? Alone?"
"I didn't mean it like that." Angela said it quickly.
"Then how did you mean it?" I asked.
Angela looked behind me. "They're coming." She said.
I spun around to find Edward and Leah approaching the house. Edward was walking ten paces ahead of her, and she was shaking her head already. They'd had another disagreement, and it pained me that I knew I didn't have the right to ask what about. From now on, it wasn't about shared experiences; it was about living mutually as a family or something, but keeping our marriages separate and private.
Edward was the first to reach the house; he opened the sliding door and stepped inside without waiting for her. Angela remained across from the kitchen island, and Edward stood on the direct opposite side of her as he unclasped the binder he'd been carrying about with him all this time. Leah stepped inside and shut the door behind her; she didn't even glance at me as she joined Angela at the counter.
"There are a few things we have to discuss." Edward said as he began to unpack several black envelopes from the binder.
"Such as?" Leah asked.
Edward stared back at her and said, "Be patient."
"I'm not known for my patience." Leah replied.
"That's abundantly clear." Edward said as he glanced at me.
I rolled my eyes. It was so typical of him to make such a comment without thought; I knew exactly what he was doing.
"Did you get us our new IDs?" I asked.
Edward then slid three of the larger black envelopes towards each of us, and we picked them up.
"Don't open them yet." Edward said.
We all looked at each other while he organized other pages in front of him before he finally looked our way.
"Let's begin." He said and looked to the envelope in my hands and nodded.
"What?" I asked.
"Since you were all so comfortable making decisions before I arrived in Forks, I've decided to take over what comes next for each of us," Edward said. "I've constructed back stories for everyone involved, forged all the necessary paperwork, arranged accounts, and done everything else necessary for this to work."
"So you're taking over now?" Leah challenged.
"Make no mistake, Leah; as of the second you all arrived in Utah, I took over."
Leah glared at him, and he stared right back at her. "Do you wish to continue this discussion?" He asked.
"Fine." Leah replied.
"Good." Edward said.
"Are you sure we should be doing this now?" I asked.
"In those envelopes, you will each find I have secured you all with new identities, bank accounts, trusts, medical records, and backstrokes."
"Back stories?" I repeated.
Edward looked ahead of him at Angela, who smiled back despite his cold glare.
"Let's begin with you." He said.
"Ok." She replied
"You weren't born in Forks, Angela; you were instead born in California. You are twenty-two years old now, and you made the decision to move to Utah when you found a house to rent early last month. It was then that you were put in touch with me." Edward paused, and she began to unseal her envelope. "Along with your new identity, you will find copies of emails we exchanged; you are now my tenant, and I am your landlord."
"That's genius." I blurted.
Edward had actually gone and done it; he had constructed the best possible back-story for us to follow. This way, should anyone ever see Edward entering Angela's house, they will believe he is in there to see to repairs or oversee that the property is up to code.
Edward looked to Leah and said, "As for you, you've traveled from Texas to be here. And you will also be seemingly renting the property from me."
Leah shook her head at him. "Yeah, they don't hear it, but I do. So why don't you just say it and save me the trouble of doing it for you?"
Edward glared back at her before he looked toward Angela and me.
"All three properties are going to remain in my name. I'm keeping the deeds, and none of you." He stopped to look at me, then said, "None of you will have your names on any of the paperwork."
"Why not?" Angela asked.
"Like I said, you all made enough decisions in Forks without my input. I believe it's about time I took over. I'll be living in all three houses; it seems only fitting that I have overall say in all aspects." Edward replied.
"But we have to pay you rent and bills; how does that work?" I asked.
"I've set up a fund for each of you. I've set up a direct debit on all of your accounts, and each month you will receive two thousand dollars each. Two thousand into your personal accounts, the other two for your household items, bills, and utilities."
"You can't be serious?" Leah said.
"I am."
"Edward, that's four thousand dollars a month. We won't need it."
"None of you have ever run a house before; you will need the money."
I turned to the page featuring the details relating to my bank account. I looked over the top of the page towards him, and he stared right back at me.
"But that's not everything." Edward said.
"Clearly." I said that and turned the page around, revealing my current balance.
"I've deposited twenty thousand dollars into each of your accounts for today's task."
"And what would that be?" Leah asked.
"I've spoken with the real estate agent who is selling the properties around ours; there will be moving vans here in the morning. Which means that today you must all purchase everything you need for your households if you don't wish to explain to your new neighbors how each of you is moving into houses side by side on precisely the same day." Edward informed us.
"You've got to be kidding me." Angela's shoulders shrank in defeat.
"You must shop for furniture, household items, clothing, food, or anything else you need and have it delivered today."
"Edward, that's impossible."
"There is a mega store two hours out of Sandy that provides same-day delivery for all in-store item sales."
"So even if we get things like couches and mattresses, and I don't know about washing machines, they'll deliver them all today, no matter what." I asked.
"Yes." Edward replied.
"We can't do that; that's crazy." I said.
"Yeah, I wouldn't even know where to begin." Angela said.
"Well, I suggest we finish here first," Edward said before turning his attention to me. "There's another item within your envelope that we must discuss."
Edward then looked to Angela and Leah and said, "I've decided to make Bella my legal wife."
"I saw that coming." Leah mumbled.
"Excuse me?" Edward snapped.
"Nothing," Leah replied.
Edward glared at her for a moment longer before he turned to me once more. "I've set up your back story; you're from Iowa; you were in New York for the weekend two years ago; that's where you and I met. And it's where all of my documents claim I was born and where I've worked until I moved here."
"Edward, we didn't discuss any of this." I shook my head. "It's not right that you and I should be legally married." I paused and looked over towards Leah and Angela.
Leah just stared blankly ahead of herself, not saying a word, while Angela, ever the runner when it came to conflict, didn't know where to look.
"It's what has been decided. You and I got married last month, and we moved here to Utah, where I purchased three properties, one to live in with my wife and the other two to rent and generate more income."
"So what's your back story, Cullen?" Leah asked
Edward and she exchanged a look of mutual hatred for a moment before he turned back to me.
"My back story will be just as simple: I was born in New York, where I attended business school; my wealth is from my grandfather, who recently died; and that's all that was needed."
"You don't think people will be curious for more?" Angela asked.
"We'll make up the rest as we go along, I guess." I replied
"We have to get rid of the station wagon. It will be reported stolen." Leah, remind us.
"Actually," I paused and turned to Edward. "Is there anyway you could fix that? So I could keep it?"
"Why?" Leah asked
I shrugged, "I don't know it means something to me now; it helped us get out of Forks."
"I'll take care of that." Edward cut in.
After we finished up in the kitchen, we headed out to the car to collect our luggage, only to have Edward take most of the cases into the appropriate houses without delay. With a few minutes alone to myself, I hurried upstairs to the bathroom to freshen up. Edward had left my luggage cases in our empty master bedroom by the door, and I was glad. I was able to change tops and change into a white t-shirt, ditching my blouse and promising myself right then and there that I would buy new clothes for myself and never again wear the same clothes or style I had back in Forks.
I knew by now that Charlie would be home from his fishing trip and that he would have seen the note. Jacob and the wolves would also have returned and would be searching for not only me but also Leah. Angela wouldn't be reported as missing until her parents realized she wasn't picking up any of her calls, even though our letter stated we would be in touch while on our travels. I think if I had let reality set in, I would have broken down right then and there, but I had other things occupying my mind.
Angela was getting more nervous around Edward by the second; he and I had shared a kiss within only minutes of our arrival, and something had been said between Edward and Leah, which had caused them to be even more hostile with one another.
This was our first day, and already it was off to the worst possible start.