3
"Do you love me?"
"I do."
"How much?"
Edward held his hands about two feet apart. "See this? Multiply it by infinity."
"That's all?"
"Is that not enough?"
"No!" Tanya laughed, shifting so she was straddling him. She grabbed his hands and wrapped them around her torso. "This is better."
"Much, much better," he agreed, pressing his lips against hers. "How much do you love me?"
"With all of me."
"Prove it."
Edward was startled when his phone rang. Groaning, he rolled onto his side and picked it up, rolling his eyes when he saw his mother's number on the caller ID. ID. He ignored the call before dropping the device back on the table and rolling over onto his back.
Of course, Elizabeth wasn't one to give up, so she called repeatedly.
No matter how many times he denied her call, she kept trying until he finally got fed up and turned off his phone. Climbing out of bed, he wandered into the bathroom, relieved himself, washed his hands, and did the same mundane tasks he did every morning.
Gunther was waiting for him in the kitchen when he entered, his eyes narrowing as he looked from Edward to his bowl, which still had plenty of food in the bottom. It was almost enough to make Edward laugh before adding half a scoop of food and starting his coffee.
Once it was ready, he filled his cup and opened the back door, letting Gunther out before settling on the back steps. The dog ran toward the cove before glancing back at Edward, who whistled for him to return.
"She's not there, boy." Edward rubbed his head, moving his hand under his snout. "She's at the hospital."
Gunther whined before returning and lying at Edward's feet.
"I'm worried about her, too, but she's . . . she's where she needs to be."
He huffed, looking back toward the cove.
"Would it make you happy if I went to check on her?"
Gunther lifted his head, one eyebrow raising.
Edward scoffed. "Okay, okay, let me finish my coffee, and then I'll go. Damn, Gunther, you're bossy."
He barked before laying his head back on the ground.
—H—
True to his word, after Edward finished his coffee, he dressed and headed to the hospital. He saw his brother's car in the lot but managed to avoid him as he rode the elevator to the fifth floor. He stopped in front of the woman's room, leaning against the frame once again.
Just like the day before, her room was dark and quiet, with only the sound of the monitor making any noise. He could see that her heart rate was better than yesterday, as were her pulse and blood pressure. The swelling around her eyes was less severe, but the bruising was darker.
"Thought I might find you here."
Sighing, Edward looked over his shoulder, finding his mother behind him. "Why were you looking for me?"
"Because you have this tendency to ignore me. And seeing as my calls are going straight to voicemail, I got a little concerned."
"So that's her." Edward felt his mother move, so she stood next to him. "Carlisle was right about her being beautiful."
"She's covered in bruises."
"Doesn't mean she's not beautiful."
Edward hummed.
"Have to admit I've been intrigued by her."
"Why?"
"She got you out of isolation."
"I haven't been in isolation, Mom."
"Nobody's seen you in what, ten, eleven months? From the way Shelly Cope tells it, you have everything delivered. Said you tend to wander the beach at night."
Edward rolled his eyes.
"Are you going to go in?"
"Why would I?"
"Why wouldn't you?"
Elizabeth shifted so she faced him before stepping into the room and stopping next to the bed. "This poor child. How do you think she ended up on the beach?"
"I don't know," he answered, following his mother into the room.
"Her family must be frantic not knowing where she is or if she's alive or dead." She looked at him. "Like I've felt for the last year."
He rolled his eyes again.
"I kept expecting Jasper to call and tell me they found you dead during one of the many, many welfare checks I asked him to do."
"Or, you could have just left me alone like I've asked a hundred fucking times."
"I don't remember you using such profane language, Eddie. Especially with me."
"Don't remember you nagging so much, either. I've been fine, Mom. Just . . . just let me be."
"My boy, you are anything but fine."
"I'm doing the best I can."
"Yeah, I suppose you think so." Elizabeth walked to him, placing her hand on the side of his face. "It's okay to be angry, Eddie, but losing your purpose in life due to your anger isn't."
She patted his face gently before leaving.
Edward should have followed, but instead, he found himself sitting next to the woman's bed, watching as she slept peacefully.
—H—
Time passed slowly, and though he couldn't explain why, Edward found himself going to the hospital every day. One day turned into two and then three. She never stirred, never moved. Her heart rate stayed steady; her pulse was strong. The bruises started fading to green and yellow, the swelling over her eyes was gone, and the scrapes were healing.
Every day, he told himself he wouldn't come back, that he wasn't going to watch over her. Yet, every morning, Gunther whined and pawed at the door. And every morning, he bolted for the cove, searching for her. So, Edward came to check on her so he could reassure his dog that she was still alive.
She was important to Gunther, he told himself.
A cleared throat had him tensing, and when he turned, he expected to find his mother in the doorway. But it wasn't Elizabeth, it was Jasper. He had his arms folded with a manilla folder tucked under his arm.
"I stopped by the house, but you weren't there. Thought I might find you here."
Edward nodded, looking back at the woman. "You talked to my mother, didn't you?"
"I did." Jasper walked to the other side of the bed, placing a hand on the rail. "Thought you might want to know we got a possible identification on her."
"You do?"
He nodded. "Have to get a DNA match before we'll know for sure, of course, but she fits the description to a T."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Isabella Swan, but her family calls her Bella. She lived in a small town in Washington called Forks since she was born with her parents and two older brothers. She went missing when she was sixteen years old. Police thought she'd run away, but her family thought . . . think otherwise."
"Why?"
"Said she wasn't the type to just disappear. Her mother was the last person to see her the morning she went missing; said she'd gotten into her car to drive to school, but she never made it. Her car was found outside a bus station in Port Angeles, which is about half an hour from Forks. Her backpack and cell phone were still in the backseat. They searched security cameras but didn't see her enter the station, and her car was left in a blind spot, so no one ever saw who had left it there. She was never heard from again."
"Where's she been for fourteen years?"
"Hell if I know. We can't even say for sure she is Bella Swan, seeing as we can't match her fingerprints. Carlisle is supposed to meet me here so we can take a DNA swab to see if she's a match."
"Have you contacted her family?"
"Yes."
"So where the fuck have they been?"
"Her parents died a few years back. Her brothers are a little . . . apprehensive about making the trip across the country. Guess this isn't the first possible match to their sister they've been told about."
Edward nodded. "And you don't have any idea how she ended up on the beach?"
"Nope."
"Oh, hey," Carlisle said, causing Edward to look over his shoulder. "Wasn't . . . wasn't expecting you to be here. Again."
"I was just leaving," he groused, standing.
"Eddie," his brother said, but Edward shook his head, not wanting to rehash the same old argument.
"Don't leave."
At the sound of a delicate, brittle voice, all three men turned toward the woman, staring at Edward with deep brown eyes.
Her swollen, dry lips trembled as she stared at him and whispered, "Please don't leave me . . . Eddie."
Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! Big shoutout to Sunflower Fran for being an awesome beta!
