"Talk to me," I said, folding my arms. "What happened?"
She kept her head lowered, her eyes stayed on a spot on the floor. It was completely quiet between us. She stubbornly wasn't going to say another word. But I had my suspicions. And I think I'll get my answers once mom gets home. I didn't want to push her any further. The way she was struggling to catch her breath made me realize, working her up isn't good for her. I needed to remember she was sick. All this bickering must be taking a toll on her. I was home to visit and catch back up with her, not make her feel worse.
I decided to start making a fresh pot of coffee. That's usually something the both of us enjoyed. The silence continued between us. The smell of coffee filled the kitchen and the heat coming off the coffee pot warmed me. There was a little bit of milk, which must have come from the cows, judging by the glass container it was sitting in. I poured us both a cup and added a splash of milk to each cup, before throwing in a few sugar cubes. Ana liked her's as sweet as candy. While I preferred just a hint of sweetness.
We drank our coffees in peace. Ana didn't want to continue the conversation, she wanted to talk more about Edward and city living. But I refused to say any more on it, until she told me what happened. So we were at an impasse.
Nothing was said until Edward returned with his grocery hall. He bought enough food to feed an army for months. There was everything and anything you could think of. He hit all the major food groups and even purchased a cake. Apparently, he had run into an old acquaintance, who gave him a ride back to the house.
I wasn't expecting many reapers to be in Plum. I mean, I suppose people that live around here will all eventually die, so there is bound to be some lingering. Apparently this reaper was stationed in Everglade Harbor, where a small twenty-man organization; that took care of the reaping in this area. It sounded like a lot of work for so few people. Even though the population here was much smaller than the city of Boswell. Edward mentioned this group was closest to Galen, but the Galen reapers weren't willing to affiliate with them. So they weren't getting much help. They lacked structure and some of the reapers were tittering on the edge of becoming devourers. This was a huge concern. If we don't intervene, it would be a danger for my family. We would have to do something. We had a few days to figure it out before we had to make our way back to the city. Hopefully we will think of something.
I started dinner, which thanks to Edward was going to be one of Ana's favorites. Coincidentally, it was Edward's favorite as well. Burgers and fries. I formed the ground meat into patties and added the seasonings. Then I used the old metal fry-cutter to cut some potatoes into perfectly shaped fries. Edward did the cooking. He stood out on the back deck at the grill to cook the burgers. And tossed the raw potatoes in the deep fryer that we also kept on the deck.
I caught myself a few times taking a few peeks at him. His muscular shoulders. The way he stood, with such authority and confidence. He was like that, no matter what he was doing. Ruling over a company, or just flipping burgers. He was amazing. I still couldn't believe he settled for someone like me. I was truly the luckiest woman in the world.
Ana continued making small talk with Edward outside, while I began cleaning up the kitchen. It was clear neither one of us was willing to move forward in our discussion, so instead of someone backing down, we both would most likely avoid each other until mom made it back home.
Edward didn't seem to mind, he talked with Ana about the city; which is all she wanted to talk about anyway. And I had a moment to myself so I decided to go to my old bedroom. The house was pretty old and nothing changed since I've been gone. It was a big house. Meant to hold a huge family. My bedroom was on the second floor. The second floor had three rooms, and one bathroom. My father's study, my room and finally a storage room, filled from floor to ceiling with house decorations. There is a tote in there for each season and each holiday. My mother used to decorate constantly, all year-round. Until my father passed away. Even for Christmas, there were no decorations up, no Christmas tree, nothing. It wasn't surprising, just sad.
As I walked into my room I was flooded with nostalgia. The light-yellow walls that I had painted myself. The dark oak wooden floors. Pictures decorated the walls, mostly of family. In the corner sat my desk, which was filled with some of my old painting supplies and a few meager paintings I had been working on. Sitting at the end of my bed sat all my luggage. The sight of it felt so foreign. Expensive, designer suitcases would have been the last thing you would expect in this humble room. They stood out like a sore thumb.
With some hesitation I retrieved the envelope that Katlyn had given me. The letter that Jacob had written. I couldn't imagine what he wanted to say, that he couldn't just say to my face. Why so secretive? His handwriting was a mess, harsh scribbles, it was clear that he had been hastily writing everything. It felt rushed.
'Bella, I'm sorry how things went down at the party. There are a lot of eyes on me. I had to play my part well. Were you fooled? Anyway, I won't go into detail, but it would be in your best interest to stay away from me for a while. At least until I know your safety isn't at risk. Again, I'm really sorry that I had to be so rough with you. I hope you can forgive me, again. Maybe I'll bring ya a coffee when this is all over.
Ps. Don't trust Aro. It never ends well when faith is put in that man.
This letter wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. I thought maybe he would provide me with some answers to my questions. But I only had more questions. There was something going on in the shadows. He said there were many eyes watching him. Was he talking about Esme? Or Aro? Someone else? His anger and aggression during the party had taken everyone off guard. So even Edward doesn't know what's happening either. But it didn't sound good. Why would Jacob have to put on that big display? He pushed Edward. He wanted to be fired and leave on bad terms with both of us. Why? Who was watching? And why did they want Jacob to end our partnership? What did this have to do with my safety?
All of this was a bit too much for me to handle. I needed to talk with Edward about all of this. I couldn't keep all this information to myself. This sounded like this could be a huge problem for us.
My thoughts were disrupted as I heard gagging and coughing from upstairs, directly above me. There was a short pause, then the sounds of retching. The room above mine was Ana's. And by the sounds of it, she must have taken her medication. It sounded awful. And it felt like it lasted forever. I wanted to go upstairs and check on her, but I knew how embarrassed she gets when she is puking. Usually, she just wants to be left alone. But I would wait and listen for her to finish, just to be sure she makes it back down to the kitchen alright.
A full fifteen minutes pass before Ana is done puking. There was the sound of the toilet flushing, then the stomping of her feet as she padded around her room. This house never allowed for much privacy. You could hear what was happening in almost every room in the house. Which meant, there would be no intimacy between me and Edward while we were here. It was something we already discussed, much to his disappointment.
It wasn't long before dinner was finished. We made enough so if our mom made it home, she would have a plate as well. Even though I wasn't sure she deserved it. The three of us gathered around the kitchen table to eat. Burgers and fries, this was Edward's favorite human meal. He really didn't give much interest in human foods, but it seems meals with meats and savory flavors appeal to him. Other than alcohol, Edward really didn't eat or drink often.
Ana helped me clean up the dishes, while Edward put away the leftovers and tended to cleaning up the grill. After that, we sat out on the porch for a while and talked. The sun slowly disappeared from the sky. Night crept over the farm like a dark blanket. The stars lighting up the world from above captured Edward's attention. His emerald eyes almost seemed to twinkle in the moonlight. A smile tugged at his lips.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ana said with a dreamy sigh. "I'm guessin' you don't get to see the stars like this in the city huh?"
Edward shook his head. "No, even in the nighttime, the city always seems to be… wide awake. Moving. Full of light. But here in the countryside… there is actual darkness. It's so… quiet and peaceful. Like there isn't another living soul for miles." He chuckled quietly. "It's so strange."
"Do you like it here?" I asked quietly.
Edward met my gaze, leaning in to pull me into his lap. "I absolutely love it here." His voice was so soft.
My heart clenched tightly in my chest. He really was perfect. Being here in his arms, everything just felt right. Like we really were fated to be together. We fit like two puzzle pieces. Flawless and absolute. It didn't matter where in this world we were, it felt like home.
Ana cracked a huge smile as she watched us. "I'm really happy that the two of you found each other. It's clear you are both good for each other."
My lips parted to respond, but suddenly my ears were ringing. A thunderous engine sounded in the distance, but it was approaching fast. I strained to look out towards the driveway as a cloud of dust started to form.
"Who is that?" I muttered, slowly getting out of Erik's arms.
Edward quickly followed, tensing at my side as a motorcycle came into view, driving erratically.
Ana gasped, quickly moving behind me. Fear covered her face. "It's mom and her boyfriend."
"Oh lovely, it's about time they decide to show up." I spit.
Ana clenched a handful of my shirt, pulling me backwards a little. "No, don't confront them." Her entire body was trembling.
I gently pushed her hand away, before taking a step down off the porch, approaching the motorcycle as it screeched to a halt. The big burly man sitting there, with my mom clinging to his back, glared in my direction with open hostility.
"Who the fuck are yins?" The man sneered, before pulling a gun from his belt and aiming it right for my face.
I was close enough to smell the alcohol on his breath. But I was completely frozen as I stared down the barrel of the gun. My heart was in my throat. But Edward quickly was in between us, he pushed me behind his back, blistering fury was seeping out of him. I've never seen him this mad.
The guy on the motorcycle shrank back from Edward, appearing terrified. "W-what are you?" He now pointed the gun at Edward. The hand that was holding the gun was shaking. There was no way he would be able to fire an accurate shot. But the thought of Edward getting hurt nearly sent me over the edge.
"Put the gun down. I'm Rene's older daughter." I shouted at him.
His eyes snapped back to me, scanning me over from top to bottom. "Oh, so you're the city brat. Figures." He snorted as he shoved his gun back in his pocket. "You best get your city-slickin' boyfriend out of my face."
"Excuse me?" I couldn't control my anger. This guy was even worse than I thought he was going to be. Leave it to my mom to pick the biggest loser in the bar and take him home with her.
I watched as he got off the motorcycle and carefully helped my mother off the back. She just slumped on his side like a ragdoll. She met my gaze with a resentful glance.
"Isabella Marie, that's no way to talk to a gentleman." Her speech was slurred and the way her body swayed with each step they took, it was obvious that she was completely drunk. Having a conversation with her at this point would be useless.
"A gentleman doesn't put a gun in a lady's face. Or curse like a sailor." I said, narrowing my eyes at both of them.
The man only rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond. Now that he was off the motorcycle, I got a much better look at him. He looked to be nearly six-foot, bulky, huge beard, hairy ape-like arms. His hair was in disarray, silver and blonde in color. He was probably around the same age as my mother. Tattoos dotted his face and knuckles. There was a very rough look about him. There was no doubt of the kind of life he lived.
Edward still was tense at my side. He didn't look away from the man. I could sense his hostile feelings and I couldn't deny that I also didn't like the guy. I've never had a gun pulled on me before. It's not like how it's portrayed in movies. It's much scarier. To think, in just a second, my life could have ended. The thought made me nauseous. My stomach began to churn and bubble. My mouth started to fill with saliva. But I swallowed it back. There was no time to puke. I needed to remain strong and in control of this situation.
"You two need to find somewhere else to sleep. You aren't welcome here tonight." I said folding my arms across my chest.
"What the hell did you say?" The man shouted, appearing outraged. I noticed his hand flinched towards his pocket were he had put his gun.
Was he thinking about shooting me?
"Cauis," My mother said, moving to clutch his arm. "Let me handle this."
So this asshole's name is Cauis.
My mother moved from his side to standing in front of Cauis. A serious look was on her face. But I could see the shame dancing in her eyes. She lowered her head a little.
"Baby, please let us in the house. We don't have anywhere else to go. I know I shouldn't be out drinking… but it's the holidays. I just wanted to celebrate with some friends. I'm really sorry. We will be on our best behavior." She was pleading with me.
Her sob stories don't work on me anymore.
"I'm sorry too, I'm not letting you two in this house tonight. You're both drunk. Reckless. He almost shot me. Wake up mom. You can't put Ana in these situations. This isn't safe. He isn't safe. So he isn't allowed here."
"That's bullshit, I didn't even fire a shot." Cauis snapped, glaring at me once again.
Edward moved more to angle himself between me and Cauis. He realized the kind of person Cauis was. He didn't trust him. I didn't either. And there was no way I was going to let him under the same roof as Ana.
"This isn't your house Bells, I'm the mother. I make the rules. You can't keep me out of this house." My mother was beginning to lose her patience.
"You take another step towards this house, and I'll call the police." I threatened.
Cauis let out a low whistle. "Some kid you have Renee. Ungrateful little shit."
"What, you expect us to sleep on the streets? You would call the police on your own family? Has the city really ruined you completely? Or is it this boy's fault?" My mother turned her icy sights on Edward.
"Edward is the only reason you even have a home." I snarled, marching up to her to jab a finger to her chest. "Remember that. Edward has given thousands of dollars to help us out. He even had to go out and put food in the fridge for your daughter to have a meal tonight. He has been the reason Ana is still alive, his money has paid for her medications and her operation. Don't you dare talk about him like that again."
My mother shrank back from me, looking shocked and speechless. Tears stayed down her puffy cheeks. Her shoulder trembled as she sobbed. Cauis went to her, hugging her to his side. He gave me a look, before turning his head and spitting a gob of snuff onto the ground at my feet. "I got a buddy's couch we can crash on for the night. Let's go." Cauis' eyes slowly inched towards the porch, where Ana stood. He leered at her for a moment. As if she was a piece of meat.
The hairs on my skin began to stand for a moment. Ana averted her eyes. She looked mortified and scared to death. Quickly she hobbled back in the house and closed the door behind her. Something wasn't right. The way Cauis was looking at Ana. And her reaction. There was something going on here. I had suspicions. But I prayed they weren't right. I would have to talk with Ana about this once they left.
It only took a few short minutes before Cauis and my mother left. I didn't care where they went. As long as I didn't have to see their faces. I waited until the motorcycle was completely out of sight and the loud noise of the engine was out of earshot.
I turned to Edwaard, who was still feeling on edge. His frustration was palpable. He wanted to follow them. I could see his intentions on his face. I felt his emotions as clearly as I felt my own.
"I'm really sorry about all this." I said quietly. My shoulders were still tense. I still wasn't ready to completely relax. This encounter had me worked up. It would take a while for me to unload all of this.
"You have nothing to apologize for." Edward said, taking a deep breath before pulling me into his arms. "As long as you are safe."
I clutched onto him tightly, depending on his strength to keep me upright for the moment. "I didn't want you to see my mother like this… it's just so embarrassing."
"We can't pick our family." He said softly, his lips coming down on my forehead. "But this situation has opened my eyes a little. There is something I'd like to say."
I looked up into his eyes, feeling my heart stir. "What did you want to say?"
"Well, when I think of the possibility of Cauis taking that shot at you and if by some chance, I didn't make it in time to save you…" He paused, his eyes searching mine for a moment. "It would be the worst pain imaginable if you were to die before I said that I love you."
My breath caught for a moment, it felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. I leaned up to the tips of my toes to kiss him deeply. His smooth lips molded into mine perfectly. His hands were placed at my hips. His body, so warm and close to mine. I felt like I would melt.
When we pulled apart, I couldn't hold back my smile. This was the first time Edward ever said those words out loud. Of course, I already knew how he felt. Our emotions are connected. We always knew how the other was feeling at any given moment. But to actually hear him verbalize it meant something completely different to me.
"I love you too." I whispered.
Sorry it took so long to update. Mom life can get in the way of writing. My baby just turned 3 months! yay. Thank you all for being patient. I hope you loved this chapter. Any thoughts?
A/N: I'll be going on vacation from 26th-31st, so I'm unsure if I'll be able to update again until I get back. It just depends. So thank you all again!