Submission
Chapter Four: Direct & Divide
Leah Cullen
When I woke up that morning, it took me a moment to remember where I was. I'd not bothered unpacking last night; I'd showered and removed the covering off my mattress before I used all my jumpers as a blanket and called it a night. Sitting up, I looked around the empty room; besides my luggage in the corner, there was nothing else but me. It was early; I didn't need to check the time to know it. I doubted Bella or Angela would be up by now, so there would be little for me to do or assist with for a while. That left me with the morning to do whatever I wanted. I would have been up at this time already if I was still in Forks; I always got up early and went for a run. I didn't see why my habits should stop just because of the move. I got up out of bed and crossed the room in search of my running clothes.
I got dressed quickly and shoved my hair up into a messy bun before I headed downstairs. I didn't take my phone; no one would be checking up on me, and I never listened to music or audiobooks, preferring to use my senses and focus on my surroundings when I ran. I collected my keys and tucked them into my bra after locking the door behind me. I looked out onto my new street and immediately noted the moving van across the street had disappeared overnight. I began to do my stretches, starting with my ankles and working my way up. I didn't even know where I was heading; there were no forests around here, but there was plenty of open space, and the early morning hour gave me the peace and quiet I craved. I would have preferred to have been running in the forests of La Push; I missed the familiarity of the path I used to take and the familiar smells.
I finished stretching and looked around to my neighbors houses; it was strange seeing houses and not trees. There was no one around—no one walking their dogs, no one taking their children to school, no one doing their early morning jobs. It was just me. I decided to do a slow jog down the length of the road and turned right at the end. I wanted to explore the area and get to know my new home. Even before I became a wolf, I could go the distance; I'd run for miles every day very comfortably. It wasn't about keeping fit; running had always been a way for me to relieve stress. I would spend hours running around the beach and up and down the cliffs. I would run until I was exhausted before making my way back.
This morning I had plenty to think about. In the past few days I'd gotten married to Edward Cullen, become his second wife, a polygamist, and had moved to Utah to live in a house he had bought for me. I'd lived in Forks my whole life; I'd grown up in La Push, and I'd never been anywhere else. I'd never imagined moving out of town; I didn't know anyone outside of Forks, and I had never expressed any interest in leaving. But now that I was living in Sandy, I had no idea what to do with my new life. I had to think about getting a job, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. I didn't have a college degree or any hidden talents.
I'd married the enemy, and the enemy was as I'd suspected, and we were already at each other's necks. I hadn't married Edward Cullen for love; I hadn't even considered him attractive a day in my life. The truth was, I hadn't given Edward Cullen much thought until I had to. I wasn't a monster; I could see he did love Bella, and he was protective of her. I didn't see the harm in that, only that I wished she was more careful around him and not forget his basic instinct. He and I would never see eye to eye, and both knew it.
I hadn't known Angela for more than a few days, but her optimistic attitude had already begun to get under my skin. I'd never had too many friends; I always kept to myself when I wasn't with the guys back home. I suppose Angela was easy to talk to; she didn't seem the type that would easily judge. But she needed to get a grip and understand that we weren't living the same lives out here, and she had to pay closer attention.
Bella seemed completely content now that Cullen was back in her life. Jacob said multiple times what a train wreck he had caused her to become by leaving town. She seemed rather quick to forgive, and I doubted it wouldn't be too long before they were back to whatever they had before. I was just going to do my own thing; I would figure it all out on my own. I knew that's how it would be out here; if they thought we were all going to be family, then they were mistaken. I was fine on my own; I would do as I had promised, and I would share my house with Cullen to ensure the spell kept hold. But he and I both knew where we stood; we would never be friends and certainly never family.
When I returned to my new street, I was a sweaty mess. I'd run ten miles. I knew this because I had followed signs around the town, and it was a 10-mile run to the firehouse from where I had first started, so I was proud of that. I didn't stop once to catch my breath; I had simply kept going, and now I was rather sore because of it.
I stopped to catch my breath at the start of my driveway. I bent over and rested my hands on my knees, taking deep breaths. When I raised myself up, I paused, finding Edward standing by one of the windows of their second floor. Even from a distance of Angela's house in the middle, I could see him clearly enough to note he was shirtless. I continued to stare at him, and he stared back. I didn't look away, and neither did he.
What did he want? What had I done wrong now? I was just running, and he was staring at me as if I were committing a crime. It was only then that it dawned on me: come nine o'clock this morning, my day with him began, and his first day with Bella was over. Which also meant tonight he would be sleeping at my house too. The realization of what was to come next had me breaking out into a cold sweat. I didn't want to think about it; I didn't want to think about any of it.
I turned and walked up my driveway and into my house. Fearing the entire time that Edward had watched me the whole way. I don't know why I locked the front door behind me; not only did Cullen have supernatural strength, he had his own key. I doubted he would actually move into all three houses; I didn't see that happening. He and Bella would probably live in their house, and that would be that.
I made my way upstairs and took my first shower in my new house. There was a lot to get done today, and I wanted to start as soon as possible. I didn't really want to wear any of the clothes I had brought with me from Forks, and so I began to search through my shopping bags from yesterday. I found a simple white summer dress that was made from a light cotton material. It wasn't my typical style, and that was the point. I needed to start to make these changes for myself, and I had to start them immediately so they all got on board with the fact that my new life was going to be everything I wanted it to be.
I straightened my hair and slid on some new wedges, choosing a simple, thin gold bracelet for an accessory. I added a thin layer of make-up and went downstairs to begin my day.
Every single room was full of boxes; some rooms were harder to maneuver around than others. I decided to begin unpacking the kitchen first. I had barely made it inside and around the boxes containing my new washer and dryer when I saw Angela approaching my glass panel door.
I stepped forward and unlocked it for her, as she had her hands full carrying a coffee machine of sorts.
"What do you want? It's early." I said as I let her inside.
"How can they deliver something broken?"
"You don't even have any coffee." I was quick to point out.
"Well, I'll have to fix that and this," she said, showing me the coffee maker.
I sighed and slid the door shut behind her as she sat it down on the counter.
"I don't even know what time it is yet." I complained
"It's five to nine." Angela said she was checking on her new, gifted Apple Watch.
I stood with her and plugged in the coffee maker and waited for it to start up.
"See!" Angela said triumphantly.
Beside us, the sliding doors opened, and Edward stepped inside. His hair was slightly damp, and he was wearing different clothes from yesterday.
"Morning." He greeted us but kept his eyes on Angela.
"Hi," Angela welcomed him.
Edward stepped inside and lowered two large luggage cases down beside him before he turned, feeling my gaze fixed upon him, as I expected.
"What are those for? What are you doing?" I asked him.
"This is my house. What do you think I'm doing?"
"You're moving in here? But can't you just stay between Bella and Angela's house instead?"
Angela unplugged the coffee machine beside me, lifting it from the counter as Edward and I stared back at the other. It wasn't until Angela was close to him that he slid the backdoor open for her, and the two looked at each other. I watched Edward lean down, and Angela tilted her face, allowing him to kiss her cheek like it was a habit they've grown used to overnight. Was this kissing thing going to be a new routine for us? Did Edward actually plan to kiss her every morning and night? Even on the days that we weren't scheduled to be with him?
Edward slid the door shut after Angela left, keeping his eyes fixed on mine despite it being increasingly hard for me to meet them.
"I'm just saying we both know where you would rather be." I said.
"You're right." Edward said, standing on the other side of the counter from me, his eyes burning into mine.
He stepped back, his eyes remaining on mine as he brought his hand behind him to slide the door back open.
"Angela." He called out as I crossed my arms.
"Yeah?" She called out.
Edward turned to face her; I couldn't see her, but she must have still been in the backyard. "Join me; I'm heading into town."
"Really? Me?" Angela asked, surprised.
"Of course," he said, looking back at me.
"But it's not my day." Angela blurted out.
Edward looked back at me sideways, standing in the middle of the doorway. "Leah doesn't mind."
"Um, okay, I'll get my stuff." I heard Angela call back to him as he slid the door shut.
Edward stepped forward towards me, and suddenly I was so grateful for the counter that separated us.
"This is my house." He stated, his voice firm and his tone cold.
"I know," I said, stepping back from him.
"No, I don't think you do."
I gulped.
"This is my house. And you are my wife. This is not a game, Leah; we all have to play by the rules and stick to the plan."
"And if I don't?" I challenged.
"We both know the answer to that." He said, his eyes flashing with anger.
I crossed my arms. "Is that a threat?"
He smirked as he leaned on the counter, and my heart skipped a beat.
"More like a warning."
I swallowed again.
"And if I disobey you, what? Go out with another wife on my day." I mocked before shaking my head at him.
"Trust me, I'd be more than happy to ignore you, but you keep pushing my buttons."
"Good, you're finally admitting you're a ticking time bomb." I scoffed.
"Not even a day, and your already proving to be a pain in my ass." He grumbled.
"You know what I think," I began.
"I don't care." He snapped.
"I think you're used to everyone bending over backwards for you, but you're not dealing with Bella and Angela anymore. This is my day."
"It's our day." He corrected me.
"No, it's my day, and you don't get to come in here and take over."
"Try me." He said cocking an eyebrow.
I placed my hands on the counter and leaned in to him, "Do your worst."
"Worse than you're doing to yourself?" He smirked.
"Excuse me?"
"Morning runs." He stopped before his eyes seemed to drift just beneath mine. "No sleep," he sneered before our eyes met. "I'm not the ticking time bomb; that's all you, Leah."
My heart was racing at the sound of my name on his lips.
"Maybe, but you're the one who's going to have to deal with it."
"Or what?" I challenged him.
Hearing my challenge Edward walked around the counter between us, my eyes following him as he rounded it towards me with a steady, slow pace.
"There will be consequences." He warned.
"What? You gonna ground me?" I scoffed.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of."
I licked my lips; I wasn't scared of him. If anything, his threats only egged me on.
In a flash, Edward reached out, gripping the edge of the counter behind me with both hands on either side of my body, caging me in. I looked up at him as he leaned in; his face was inches from mine, and I could smell him; he smelt of mint and some sort of aftershave I couldn't place.
"Don't push me, Leah."
"Why?"
"Behave." He commanded.
"Make me," I spat.
"You wouldn't want me to do that."
"...Why?" I repeated.
His eyes trailed over my face, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks as I continued to stare up at him.
"Because I just might." He said, lowering his head a little, his breath hitting my face.
"I won't make it easy for you." I stammered.
"I'm counting on it."
He left me there, dumbfounded as he stepped out of the kitchen, cases in hand, as he headed upstairs. What had just happened? Had he just threatened me, or had he just flirted with me? I didn't know what to think. I was certain of this; Edward Cullen was a far bigger threat than I had planned for. How did he know I didn't sleep? My eyes didn't look that bad; I'd covered them up with concealer. It was the only thing that made me look remotely normal. I'd kept the lights off all night, so he hadn't seen me walking around either, not from his house with Bella. But he did know that I had gone running, a little early, maybe even too early given that I didn't know the area.
Plus, he knew the limits I'd forced my body to; he saw the mess I was when I arrived back here. Yet he seemed to dismiss the reality that I'd seen him shirtless in one of the rooms upstairs, so clearly he and Bella had gotten up to something this morning. I knew it would only be a matter of time before those two were back to their whole Romeo and Juliet love story.
When I heard Edward return back downstairs, I quickly edged closer to the boxes beside me so as not to appear that I had remained in the same spot. I opened the box beside me and pulled out a stack of plates. He didn't say anything to me; he just left. I let out a deep breath; I hadn't realized I had been holding in. I made my way upstairs to the master bedroom and towards the window where I knew I had a view of Bella's driveway.
After a few minutes, I saw Edward's car begin to pull out of the driveway, and seated in the passenger seat keeping her down and a black cap on her head was Angela. The further he pulled out of the driveway, the lower she ducked herself in her seat to ensure that no one would see her.
An hour later, and they still hadn't returned. I had unpacked my blender, my food processor, and my mixer and found their spots in the kitchen before I began to unpack all my new glasses, displaying them in the glass panel cabinets after dusting each of them.
When Edward and Angela still hadn't returned a few hours later, I slid my wedges back on and crossed the backyards towards Bella's house. I saw her through her kitchen window; she was unpacking. Her hair was tied up in a clasp; I had never seen her wear her hair like it before.
I slid open the backdoor and stepped inside.
"Hey." She greeted me after glancing over her shoulder to find me there.
"Expecting Cullen?" I asked innocently.
She smirked. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up."
"Do you have any food?" I asked
"There's rice and stir fry in the fridge, and I've got my microwave plugged in over there."
"Thanks." I said grabbing the stir fry and turning the microwave on.
"What have you been doing?"
"Unpacking." I answered with my back to her.
"I can't even see half the kitchen floor for all these boxes."
I drummed my fingernails against the counter that was masked by the sound of the microwave.
"Did they say where they were going?" I asked her.
He was supposed to spend the day with me. That didn't mean he had to be with me every minute, but it was supposed to be that I did take priority today. And yet he was off with Angela.
"He just said they were fine, and obviously they couldn't be seen together in town, so he's driven them somewhere further out."
I turned back to her and nodded my head, only to have her glance at me and halt our movements.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm just going to ask, does it bother you that he's not here on your first day with him?"
"No." I lied.
"I'm just saying if it were me."
"But it's not." I snapped.
Bella exhaled.
"I'm sorry." I said regretting my tone.
"It's fine."
"No," I sighed. "I'm just figuring this whole thing out."
"You're not the only one." Bella said, reassuring me.
"It's just I didn't think he'd be like this."
"Like what exactly?"
"That he'd even bring his stuff over to my house; I thought he'd be here with you."
"But if he doesn't share in all our lives the spell—"
"And that's another thing; I thought we weren't mentioning the spell. I thought we all decided that it wasn't about the spell keeping us together, that it was about us deciding to be polygamists and embracing this life."
"But if that's what you think then, a small part of you was accepting the fact that you and Edward would live together."
"But I-"
She was right. I had accepted it. I knew we would have to live together, but I'd kind of hoped that I'd be able to keep him away from me as much as possible. I thought the more he and I kept our distance from each other, the easier it would be on all of us.
"You're right, I just didn't think it would happen this quickly. I thought maybe you two would want a few days alone together at the very least."
"But that's where we need to draw the line when it comes to those details. We need to stop and tell ourselves not to get involved and let things come together in their own time."
I collected the plate of food from the microwave before I looked back to her, her eyes full of compassion for me, which I hated as it made this the hardest thing to admit.
"He's never going to want me here." I told her.
Bella's face softened at my confession, and she lowered her gaze.
"Ever," I said with a sigh.
I turned and headed back towards my house with the plate in hand.
I locked the backdoor behind me and closed the blinds before making my way upstairs to the master bedroom, where I locked myself inside before going into the en suite of the same room and locking the door behind me again. I sat the plate of food onto the bathroom counter and slid down to the floor. I'd never felt so alone in my entire life. I had no friends; I had no family. I had no one. I'd finally convinced myself that I was fine being alone. That I was better off without anyone in my life because it meant that I was in control of it. I was the only person I could trust. But now here I was married to someone who would never love me, and living in a house I'd never have any legal say over either.
"He's right. You're not okay." I whispered to myself as the tears finally escaped my eyes.
Angela Cullen
"You can sit up now," Edward told me.
I pushed myself up in my seat. I'd been lying down for the last ten minutes until we got out of the town and away from anyone who might know us in the future.
"Are you sure? Knowing my bad luck, I'll be the one that gets us all caught."
"I'm not worried." He said keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
"What are we doing out here anyway?"
Edward activated the air conditioning instead of answering me, and I shrugged it off as I looked out the window, happy to be doing anything, then unpacked the few boxes I had at my house.
"Have you ever been to Utah before?"
"No."
"Not even when you were, you know..."
"Still human?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah."
"No."
"Oh."
I looked back out the window.
"I guess it wasn't on my list either."
"You have a list?"
I smiled but didn't look at him. "Yeah, but nothing crazy like Paris or Rome. Living in a small town like Forks, I just thought of places like...Vegas."
"Vegas?" he questioned.
"I just liked the idea of all the lights; maybe walking around a hotel casino in the middle of the night barefoot, ordering French fries for breakfast one morning, then I don't know," I laughed. "Seeing a show in the middle of the day, getting a photograph done with an Elvis impersonator, just silly things."
"That doesn't sound silly."
"No, just simple, small-minded dreams." I shrugged being able to laugh at myself.
I turned to him and smiled, "I'll bet you've been everywhere."
Edward glanced at me. "I suppose."
"Please?" I encouraged.
He sighed and almost smiled. "Before my family and I returned to Forks, I went off for a few months on my own and landed up in Maine of all places." He paused, remembering it. "And one day I was just out walking, and I came across this old woman. She was sitting under a tree outside her house; the house looked like it had survived the years; there was also this huge maple tree right in the middle of the yard, like it had been there since the start of time." He paused once more. "Anyway, this old woman had this knitting in her lap, and I noticed she'd dropped her glasses; I went over and picked them up for her. And she put her hand on my face." Edward paused and smiled. "And her hand was so warm, so full of lines, it felt like a roadmap. She must have been ninty if she was a day, and the palm of her hand felt like every road she'd ever crossed. And I never wanted anything more in that moment than to see more."
"And then you met Bella." I said with a warm smile.
He nodded his head but kept his eyes on the road.
"I like that." I said with a satisfied sigh.
We fell silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable; the sound of the air conditioning was enough to drown out the silence.
I glanced at him. "So, what's it like to read someone's mind?"
"Deafening at times."
"And what about when it's not? Is it peaceful? Is it predictable?"
"It got easier throughout the years."
"But there was struggle?"
"Sometimes."
"And Bella?"
"I never could hear Bella's thoughts."
"Ever?"
"No, not at all."
I bit my lower lip. "So I know it's been a day, but you know I've got to ask what it's like to be around the three of us and not hear anything at all."
Edward chuckled. "You really want to know?"
I nodded my head.
"I've never wanted to read a mind as desperately as I do right here and now."
My smile faded. "Do you think we're hiding how we feel about Utah?" I paused. "About becoming who we are?"
"I don't know."
"I don't think any of us can face the reality of what we've done yet," I paused. "We faked our own deaths, and now we have houses, and in a few months our old lives won't even exist anymore. We'll never be able to go back to Forks, and maybe the reality of that is what is pushing us forward, so we don't think about what could happen; it's more what's going to happen if we don't do this right."
I looked over at him, but he didn't look my way. "I really wish I knew what to say to make it all better for everyone. I just don't know what it is."
"Nothing can make any of this alright. That's what none of you are willing to accept."
After he said that, I fell silent. Call me naive, but I'd always hoped that I'd have the answers to everything. That I could make everything okay again. I just didn't know how to make it better, and it appeared that Edward didn't either.
I looked out the window; we'd been driving for about twenty minutes.
"Where are we going?"
"There's something I need to pick up."
Leah Cullen
I kept the doors locked for the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon with the blinds all drawn. I didn't want to risk anyone seeing me. I was just trying to figure out a plan. But the second I began to figure out my plan, I'd also begun to unpack small things. At first, I unpacked a box of plates, then moved onto unboxing a few ornaments. Before I knew it, hours had passed and I had unpacked almost my entire sitting room. There were no pictures in the frames I'd hung up, but there were flowers in the front window. The sofa was in position, free of its packaging, as were the two matching arm chairs. I'd even brought some throw cushions with me that I'd arranged on the sofa and placed a few of the books I'd brought with me on the coffee table.
It was around five that evening when I opened the blinds and let light into the room. All the sitting room furniture had come with self-assembled tools, and so I was able to construct not only the coffee table on my own but also an American Elm bookcase and matching shelves where I'd arranged ornaments, books, and photo frames.
I'd become so engrossed in what I was doing that I hadn't realized just how late it was getting. I collected all the boxes I'd deconstructed, and I brought them outside to the trash cans for my house and began to stack them until I could cram as many inside the trash can as possible. When I headed back inside, I turned to lock the backdoor behind me, but only I stopped.
I stepped back and stared at the door handle. Why had I locked the backdoor? I knew why; I was shutting myself in and I was shutting him out. No, I wasn't going to do that, and I wasn't going to make this mistake today of all days. This was my first day, and I had to swallow my pride and my feelings, and I had to try. I could have easily run; I had a passport and plenty of money to do anything I wanted with. Yet instead of sitting around all day over any decision to leave my home, I had instead unpacked boxes, and now I had a sitting room. Every other room was still full of boxes towering above me, but I had a sitting room, and that was a start.
I unlocked the door and headed back inside. I was in the middle of washing my hands when I saw Angela stepping out from Bella's house. Edward must have done what he did last night and parked his car inside Bella's garage to ensure none of the neighbors saw him and Angela together. Nothing we were putting in place this early was overkill; this was our new life, and we had to be careful. Angela, minding her feet on the dirt we had for lawns, crossed carefully towards her own house. I shook my head when I noticed she hadn't bothered to lock her house; she merely slid the backdoor open and stepped inside, carrying a black cloth bag with her that was tucked beneath her arm.
She didn't have that with her when she left earlier; she must have bought something, or he had bought it for her. I suppose either way it wasn't my business, despite it being my day. Where was Edward anyway? He'd have to be over at Bella's house; Angela couldn't have gotten back here on her own. I waited, and after a moment I watched Edward appear; his hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans as he walked over to Bella's house, and she quickly followed after him. She began pointing at her areas of her backyard, and he was nodding his head. What was he agreeing too?
I didn't know whether I should step outside or not; I wanted to, but I was scared to appear too eager. But he was supposed to be here with me; he was my husband. I needed to talk to him. Edward said something that made her smile then, and he then leaned in and whispered something in her ear that made Bella immediately glance around to see if anyone was watching them. It was then that Edward reached out and touched her face, his fingers gently caressing her cheek.
She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes as though she were relishing the moment before opening them again. They stood together for a moment, Edward's hand cupping her face and his thumb stroking her cheek. They could risk being seen by any neighbors; they were legally married, and it was only Angela and I who would never have any public displays of affection from him, not that I minded. He didn't come over to my house; instead, he began working in each of the backyards. It was unclear what he was doing, although he did have tools; some of them were pretty heavy duty.
I was working on unpacking the kitchen until after seven that night, and it was still light out and Edward was still working. I looked out for the first time in hours and noticed he had taken his shirt off and was only wearing a pair of jeans and his boots. His skin looked damp with sweat; I didn't know vampires could even perspire. He could get a tan now with the spell. Bella said up until now he would have sparkled in the sunlight. Another thing I figured was just another myth. He'd have to work on a tan; he couldn't appear that pale around these parts; we'd actually all have to top up a little.
He'd been working hard for hours, and not wanting to end the day on any more unplesantness, I collected ice from the fridge and poured him a glass of water. I'd just barely gotten to the door when I saw Angela stepping out of her house and heading towards him, carrying a glass of water for him. She was wearing a blue summer dress, and she was barefoot, seeing her coming towards him. Edward put his hand out to stop her and seemed concerned for her barefoot. He gestured to his tools and seemed to be asking if she was sure she was okay to come near them. I smiled as I watched her nod her head and hold out the glass of water that he took before the two started to talk among themselves. I shook my head at myself and my sad efforts to make peace and slowly poured the water and ice down the sink. I rested my hands against the counter and lowered my head.
I was pathetic.
I'd unpacked most of the kitchen; the fridge freezer was up and running without anything to chill just yet; around my counter tops, I'd set up the toaster and kettle, a coffee maker, an electric mixer, and a blender. It was just basic things to get me going for now. But nothing about the kitchen looked basic; I hadn't marveled at the idea of spending Edward Cullen's money, but I had listened to what he had said, and so I had gone for quality items; indeed, my kitchen right now appeared as if it belonged in a high-end magazine.
The only thing I needed to do with it now was stock it with food. I checked the clock wall I'd set up above the stove, and it wasn't that late; there was bound to be a store open twenty-four hours. I deconstructed all of the boxes I had unpacked and tucked them under my arm before I slid the backdoor open. I stepped outside and closed the door behind me, but I didn't lock it. I looked out at Edward and Angela, who were still talking together, and I averted my gaze. I couldn't have him thinking I was interested in their interactions. I dumped the boxes into the trash gently, not wanting to make any unnecessary noise. I was about to just turn and head back inside when I looked over my shoulder to find Angela was gone and Edward had returned to his work.
I stared at him for a moment, and I wondered what exactly he was doing; whatever it was, it appeared to be taking some effort. I made my way towards him. There were a few things I had discussed with him: the A.C. wasn't working in the master bedroom, there was no food in the house, and the window in the downstairs bathroom needed a new lock. We weren't going to get anywhere by just avoiding each other; we had to make this effort from the start or it could just fall apart.
I was putting away some plates in the kitchen just after eight that evening when he slid open the backdoor and stepped inside. He looked around the kitchen, and then he looked at me. What was he saying? Was he impressed? I was kind of hoping he was for around ten seconds; that's how long it took him to disappear out of the room and head upstairs. Just as quickly, Angela appeared, letting herself in, and I turned to her.
"Hey."
"Hey, I just came to check if you were okay."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've been quiet."
I shrugged my shoulders. "It's been a big day, a lot to take in."
Angela leaned across the counter between us. "Do you want to talk about tonight?"
I looked at her and smiled, "No."
"Are you sure?"
"What is there to talk about?"
Angela just smiled. "Bella wants to know if you're free. We thought we could make plans for tomorrow."
I looked down at the plates. "I'll be over soon."
Angela nodded her head and left.
I finished what I was doing and then headed over to Bella's house, cutting across the dirt we had for backyards. I noted that the pool in Angela's backyard was in the process of heating up; the lights in the pool were glowing beneath the water, and it looked very inviting. I slid open Bella's backdoor and stepped inside.
"Hello?"
"I'm through here." Bella called, but I paused to look around her kitchen; it was all done up.
You wouldn't think she just moved in here yesterday; there was a small warm lamp on beneath the counter, giving the entire room a warm glow; the fridge and freezer were both set up and running; and there were no boxes to be seen. Across her black granite countertops was a collection of appliances and a fruit bowl with fresh apples. The windows were all clear, the sink empty, and the smell of cleanliness lingered in the air. She had classical music playing from a small under-cabinet radio she had installed; it was so soft that it wasn't overpowering, but it was enough to be heard.
"Leah?"
I turned around. "Coming."
I stepped out of her kitchen into what was now her dining room. A few hours ago, this room had consisted of boxes; now it was completely different. She had an oak square dining table that ran along the entire length of the room; it was surrounded by eight chairs. The table was large enough to seat all of us plus more. She had a cabinet set up across from it; there were candles, ornaments, and photo frames on top of it; she had also hung up a framed painting on the wall and had a chandelier hanging above the table.
She caught me looking up at it. "Do you like it?"
"I saw it in the shop yesterday; I guess I know now why your boyfriend didn't want me to buy the same one."
"He's not my boyfriend."
"Right, he's our husband." I met her gaze. "How silly of me."
Bella half smiled and took a seat at the end while I took the seat to her right. Angela arrived only seconds later, armed with notepads and pens, which she placed down on the table before taking the seat to Bella's left and directly across from me. Both of them took a pad and pen, and I rolled my eyes and did the same.
"What is this?" I was quick to ask.
"I figured we would have our first." Bella paused and looked to Angela, who smiled back at her. "Our wives meeting, like we mentioned trying on the road."
"Wives meeting?"
"A chance for us to catch up."
I raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"
"It's only been two days, but there's a lot to talk about, you're right." Angela agreed.
Bella brought her pen to her pad. "So I guess the first one will be arranging a day for us to go shopping for food; we'll have to go outside of town and make sure we're not all seen together."
"Just us?" I asked.
"Yeah, the three of us, Edward's got a few things he's going to be busy with."
"How about tomorrow?" Angela suggested.
"But that's your first day." Bella pointed out.
"That's fine, I don't mind."
"Yeah, she doesn't mind." I mumbled
Bella nodded. "So how about the three of us get up early tomorrow and head out? We should go somewhere we can get some bulk stuff; the fewer trips, the better. Plus we could store them here in my basement."
"Why not in our own houses?"
"It would look suspicious having the three of us constantly coming and going from each other's houses; it's best if we all keep to ourselves, at least for the first few months. Let things settle." Angela replied
"Edward is going to have the fences up around the three backyards within a few days."
"But we'll keep all three yards open to each other, right? We're just talking a fence around the outskirts of all three houses, right?" Angela asked
"Each there won't be anything separate between the three properties, no fences at all."
"Right, God forbid, we actually have some privacy." I said sarcastically.
"This is a trial period, Leah; we all have to be prepared to make sacrifices."
I glanced up at Bella. "I wasn't aware you were making any."
"Let's not do this." Angela said
I looked down at the table. "So what else do we have to discuss?"
"Um, I suppose at some point we'll need to discuss next week's schedule." Angela said
"And whose job is it going to be to tell Edward week by week whose house he'll be staying at?" I asked
"I think it should be me. I don't mind doing it." Bella said
"Sure, why not? You're the one who gets to spend all the time with him; may as well keep him in the loop."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I looked up at her. "Nothing."
"Is there a problem?"
"Not at all, Bella."
"Leah." Angela said
I got up from the table and walked out. I knew I shouldn't have come over here. I wasn't going to be able to handle this; I couldn't do it. I walked outside and made my way back to my house. I tried to calm myself down, but it was just getting worse and worse. When I got to my bedroom, I considered locking the door but thought better of it; I wasn't about to be the one accused of not trying to make the effort. I headed into the bathroom, showered, washed my hair, and got dressed for bed. A white tank top and grey cotton shorts were enough for me tonight; it was hotter here than Forks; I'd have to buy new pajamas. I crawled into bed, which again had no base; it was just the mattress on the floor and the lilac bed linens I had chosen.
I pulled the sheet up to my chin and closed my eyes. I listened to the sounds of the crickets outside and the cars passing by; it was nice; everything smelled so clean here. It was in peaceful moments like these that I found the solace I didn't have back home. I don't know if it was the smell of the new fabric or my new shampoo that eased me to drift in and out of rest, but I was grateful for it. When I opened my eyes, it was almost morning, maybe around four from what I could see through the gap in the curtains. I glanced over my shoulder to the other side of the bed.
I was alone.
I lowered my head back onto the pillow and closed my eyes again, only to open them immediately. Where was Edward? He was supposed to be here; he was my husband. I sat up and looked around; nothing. I got out of bed and slipped on the pair of pink slippers I'd bought myself last night to go with the matching robe. This was supposed to be the first night he slept here at my, I mean, our house. I didn't bother to tie the robe as I headed downstairs to see if he was asleep in the sitting room. He wasn't here; all the lights were off downstairs; it was just as it had been when I went to bed hours earlier. I swallowed hard. Did this mean he was choosing to stay at Bella's or Angela's house instead of mine?
I returned to my bedroom upstairs, and from the back window I looked out onto their houses and the backyards. Edward's tools were all out of sight, and the lights on Angela's pool were switched off too. I crossed the room and looked out onto the street and Angela and Bella's driveways across the way. My stomach sank to the floor at the distant sight. Edward's car wasn't parked in Bella's garage; it was parked in their driveway now, and I could see him in there. Was he sleeping in his car instead of his house? Did he not want to sleep in the same bed as me?
I'd never felt so alone in my life.
My day was over.