BPOV
Even in
an unconscious state there must be an ingrained part of my psyche
that yearns for Edward. So great was the need for his touch that in
my sleep I reached for him but to avail. My hands continued to pat
around on the empty side of the bed where he slept; searching in vain
for some reminder he had been there. Feeling only the cold mattress
and crumpled blankets my eyes opened for confirmation of what my
hands knew to be true.
He
was gone.
Catching
the bright red numbers on the clock I wondered where the heck he
could be at seven-fifteen in the morning, and then the aroma hit me –
bacon.
I’ve
heard it said that to a man the smell of frying bacon is the most
powerful odor on the planet. At the first whiff of it, he will drop
everything he is doing to go seek out where it coming from in hopes
of being able to satisfy his desires. I think the same principal
also applies for women, as without even recognizing what was
happening I had already made it half way down the stairs. My goal of
finding the source of the smell was so strong I hadn’t even thought
about the way I was dressed. Hitting the landing it suddenly dawned
on me that putting a robe on over the T-shirt and panties might have
been a good idea. Still the promise of crispy, hot bacon had my feet
heading towards the kitchen door; propped open it provided no
obstacle for the aroma or the sight that greeted me.
Edward
stood in front of the stove wearing blue and green plaid pajama pants
and a black t-shirt, holding a spatula and talking to Vinny. The
little boy next to him was raised up on the stool I kept in the
corner so could I reach the top shelves in the cabnets. He was
dressed similarity except his pants were burnt orange with yellow
stripes and his shirt had the rear view of Sponge Bob Squarepants
across his back. The two of them were in a deep discussion over the
proper way to make eggs.
“You
have to keep moving them around” Edward explained “..or else they
all stick together and then they’re no longer scrambled eggs,
instead they become an omelet”
Tilting
his head to the side Vinny’s hand continued moving as he asked
“Doesn’t Aunt Bella like omelets?”
“Sure
she does…but since we’re not serving them…we have to make sure
to do it correctly”
“Ok…”
focusing on his task for a moment before looking up at Edward he
asked “Does Aunt Bella like to be surprised?”
“Sometimes,
I guess it depends on what the surprise is” Edward said as he
reached around Vinny to push down the toast.
“Will
she like this one?”
“Yup…everyone
likes breakfast in bed”
So
that’s what they were doing
“Do
you have to make Aunt Bella breakfast in bed” Vinny wondered
giving the eggs a final stir before Edward turned off the burner.
“No…but
when you love someone a whole lot, you do nice things for them”
“And
we love Aunt Bella a whole lot…right?”
“We
sure do…” Edward was placing the bacon on a paper towel and I
figured it would be a good idea to head back upstairs so I didn’t
ruin their plans.
Moving
as quietly as possible I couldn’t help but smile at the scene I had
just witnessed. Vinny was really a sweet kid and I had enjoyed having
him with us for the night. Once we had gotten to bed Edward told me
that his sister was so angry at him she had threatened to not allow
Vinny to stay. I couldn’t imagine that simply not having the code
to get into the house would be such a major problem. I knew she was
irritated when she arrived which was why I took the kids into the
kitchen to help me make the pizza dough. Then when she did come to
retrieve Mia and say good-bye to Vinny it was obvious she’d been
crying. When I asked if she was alright all I got was the typical
dismissive answer “I’m fine”
I’ve
worked with enough women to know when you want an honest answer you
don’t ask a basic question. I was going to probe a little deeper
but one look at Edward had me changing the subject. His face was
rather glum as he stood there with pursed lips cautioning me with a
gentle shake of his head.
Not
wanting to get in the middle of a family dispute I said the first
thing that came to mind. “Alice we’re having everyone over on
Sunday for a cookout to celebrate Edward’s Birthday”
“I
know…mom told me”
Alice
was already aware of the plans; Edward on the other hand was a
different story “We are?”
Focusing
on the confused man I felt the need to inform him that everyone was
going to be invading his house “Yeah, I thought since my family was
all going to be here…”
“You
didn’t know?” Alice questioned but I answered for Edward “It
was just kind of decided this afternoon. I wanted to bring it up with
Esme before I said anything because I didn’t know if your family
had some kind of tradition…”
“We
do, usually it’s at home, we swim, play games then mom has our
favorite meal and cake…it’s an all-day thing”
“Oh…”
feeling rather discourteous I justified my plan “Esme didn’t say
anything when I brought it up”
As I
thought about it there was a brief moment when she assumed I meant to
bring everyone to her house but she didn’t seem too disappointed.
Alice on the other hand must have taken offense “What was mom going
to say…no Bella; you can’t have it at Edward’s?”
At the way she said his name my eyes darted to his
and before I could reply Edward’s demeanor became stern “If
Bella’s whole family is going to be here in the city, wouldn't it
make more sense for mom and dad to come over rather then the
entourage traipsing to Bainbridge
”
“It’s
only a ferry ride Edward; it’s not that big of deal”
In a
way she was right but it did seem silly for my family to have to go
to the extra lengths when it would be so much easier to come here.
Besides there were other reasons for staying in the city, Dad had
been here briefly the day Mr. Weiss came however I wanted Sue and
Billy to see where I was staying. Having everyone come to us was like
placing them all on equal footing. I was sure all the Cullen's would
be more comfortable at Edward's then my family, still it was better
then being at his parent's house. Which was yet anther reason; the
Cullen's estate was impressive and I knew damn well Charlie would
feel overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the size alone.
No...the
first informal Swan-Cullen encounter had to take place on neutral
territory.
I was
going to plead my case when Edward’s tone turned defensive
“Apparently it doesn’t matter to mom, so what’s the
difference?”
“It
doesn’t matter to me either” Alice said with a condescending
shrug “...except it’s Sunday which means we’ll have to go over
to the Island for Mass and then come right back” turning her focus
to me she asked “What time do you want us here?”
“Hmmm…”
I hadn’t even told Esme a time and I took a moment to think out
loud “Well Claire and Quil will be here until…”
“Who’s
Claire and Quil?”
Edward
answered his sister “Friends from Forks…” I noted he didn’t
say Bella’s friends and something about that little omission made
me happy “…they’ll be spending the weekend with us”
He had
left out the reason why so I added “They’re coming in for Leah’s
shower”
“They
can’t go to a hotel?” Hostility - that was all I could hear in
the tone Alice was using.
“They
could” Edward introjected “ but why would they when we have an
empty room and it gives us time to spend with them. Bella’s brother
Seth is staying here with us also…should he go to hotel too?”
Wow
At the
time I had no idea what had occurred in the room, however it was
clear that Edward was not at all pleased with his sister. Vinny on
the other hand perked up tremendously “You’re brother whose name
is the same as doggy Seth?”
Glancing
at the small boy with a huge smile on his face he proclaimed “That’s
better than a picture”
What
the heck was he talking about?
“You
said he looks like doggy Seth, does he bark too?” the excitement in
Vinny’s voice made me giggle as I remembered telling him that first
day at the baseball field in the park I would show him a picture of
my brother so he could see the resemblance himself.
“Me
wanta bark too” Mia chimed in her little tinkle bell voice as she
kicked her legs eagerly back and forth on the edge of the counter.
“No
one is barking” Alice said with a bit of authority, and I could
only guess that had she not the two kids would have started howling
at the ceiling.
Not
giving me a chance to answer her son, Alice questioned again “So
what time?”
“Ummm…two?”
asking instead of stating.
“Can
we make it three? That way I can put Mia down for a nap”
“Sure…”
I hadn’t given anyone a time and I knew for a fact Charlie and Sue
were going to be staying until at least Monday night, probably
Tuesday morning. I was also fairly sure Seth wouldn't mind hanging
out a little longer so it made no difference to me at all. However
there was a little girl who had a different answer.
“Me
don’t wanta nap” Mia said with a crinkled face and a huff that
caused her shoulders to bounce.
“Well
you need one…” Alice had barely gotten the words out and the
happy feet that had been kicking so carefree began to pound against
the side of the underlying cabinet as the crying started and she
yelled “NO NAP…NOT TIRED!”
Alice
looked exacerbated and Vinny didn’t help by telling his sister to
‘stop being a baby’.
Mia was
going into total melt down tantrum and all I wanted to do was try and
calm down the angry child. Placing my hands on her small legs to stop
the kicking I spoke as calmly as I could “Mia, if you take a nap
then you’ll be able to stay awake for the party. We’re going to
have cake and ice cream…”
“I
got it Bella” Alice said defiantly while picking Mia up off the
counter and forcing me to take a step back “When I need help, I’ll
ask for it”
“Sorry…”
I muttered “I was just…”
“She’s
my daughter, I know how to handle her” the words were so cuttingly
unexpected that all I could do was stare at Alice.
Had I
overstepped the bounds of friendship? Or was there something else the
matter? Assuming it was the later or rather hoping it was I remained
quiet, Edward on the other hand was a different matter.
“Bella
didn’t mean any harm Alice; she was just trying to help”
“I
don’t need help” Tears began to form in her eyes and I was
beginning to get truly worried for her.
“Alice?”
I didn’t even get to ask anything before she blurted out “I’m
fine Bella”
Stepping
to Vinny she spoke in a gentler tone “Give mommy a kiss good-bye”
when he did she gave him a one arm hug while holding an angry
squirming child in the other and over Mia’s sobs told him “You be
a good boy and don’t forget to brush your teeth and listen to Uncle
Eddie.”
“I
will mommy” he assured her before once more saying good-bye.
Alice
said she would call later to check on him, and told me good-bye with
the same one armed hug before Edward walked her to the door. Once
they were gone I was still stunned, Vinny who was patting his hand in
the flour looked up at me with a sad smile.
“Mommy’s
tired, we had to go to the doctor and then she had to go have a
needle in her arm.” Putting his thumb on the inside of his elbow he
continued “They stuck it in and all the blood came out…they got
four tubs …”
Smiling
at the word tubs which I was sure Vinny meant tubes I began to think.
Blood
work…Doctors…Moody…Irritable…Tired… all those things
seemed to add up to pregnancy.
Alice
had said she and Jasper were thinking about having another baby. I
thought she was waiting a few months or even a year. Remembering she
had been drinking alcohol at the beach and she hadn’t said anything
about actively trying to conceive, all I could surmise was if she was
pregnant, the baby was a big surprise. There was no real
problem in that she was married, healthy and financially stable still
an unexpected pregnancy could throw a major monkey wrench into
anyone’s life.
“…and
she had to go into the bathroom and pee in a cup for the lady to
take…it was gross”
Giving
my best smile I had to ask “Did your mommy say why she was at the
doctor?”
I knew
it was terrible trying to weasel information out of five year old but
I couldn’t help it. Unfortunately Vinny didn’t have any
conclusive answers.
“Mommy
said it’s stuff mommies have to do sometimes”
Hmmm….
If
Alice was indeed pregnant my guess was we would all find out soon
enough.
Scurrying
up the stairs I got back into my room, quickly using the bathroom I
exchanged the box of super plus tampons for lite-day regular’s,
washed my hands and got back into bed just as the door opened. Seth
led the way flowed by Vinny who held a small clear glass vase with
one single yellow rose in it.
“hah-ch
chee-EH Aunt Bella” Vinny exclaimed jubilantly
Repeating the words back and taking the vase from
him I smiled up at Edward who was right behind him carrying a full
tray of food. He too had a smirk on his face which I was sure had
everything to do with Vinny’s perfect Quileute
pronunciation of ‘good
morning’
Jake
and Leah arrived about a half hour after Alice had left, during that
time Edward had set Vinny up in the spare bedroom while I finished
with getting things ready in the kitchen. I had let them in the house
and even with the half-eaten bag of chips she had devoured, Leah was
starving. Not wanting to keep her waiting I ushered them out into the
kitchen where I had a tray of vegetables and dip waiting. I was just
about to offer them drinks when Edward came in said hello and took
over that duty.
Remembering
our small guest had already met Jake and Leah at the walk-a-thon for
the center I just offered a small reminder “You guys remember
Edward’s nephew Vinny…” taking his hand in mine I brought him
over to the island where Leah had sat down and reintroduced them
“…this is my sister Leah and…” pointing across the counter
“…that’s Jake”
“Hi…”
his voice didn’t have its normal jolliness, glancing down I saw the
reason why. His head was moving from side to side as he stared at
Leah’s round stomach and blurted out “Do you have a baby in your
belly like Aunt Rose?”
“Yes
I do” Leah answered while his head continued to take in the mass
which took up just about all of her lap before announcing “Your
belly is a lot Bigger then Aunt Rose”
I
giggled at him while Leah gave a disgruntled ‘Yeah’ and Edward
provided the boy with a proper answer “That’s because Leah and
Jacob’s baby is going to be born soon. Aunt Rose’s belly is going
to get bigger too”
“Oh”
Vinny said as if it all made sense to him and letting go of my hand
he went to climb up onto the stool next to Leah asking “Is it a
girl baby or a boy baby?”
Again
Leah was rather discontented, not with Vinny’s question but because
she didn’t have an answer “I don’t know”
“I
hope it’s girl baby”
“Why?”
she wondered with a smile
“So
she’ll be pretty like you.” And with that small sentence Leah’s
face softened as she said a quiet “thank you” and Vinny
became my sister’s new best friend.
She was
feeling fat and ugly, she complained about how wide her feet have
become, knew without a doubt because of the stretch marks she’d
never wear a bikini again and she was convinced her belly button
would forever be an outty. It was amazing how one little five year
old boy telling her she was pretty seemed to make all the difference
in the world.
Just as
we were putting the pizzas in the oven to bake my phone rang with a
number I didn’t recognize. The exchange however was from La Push so
I figured it was someone calling about the shower. Leah had gone to
use the bathroom so I hadn’t bothered going into the other room.
When I answered the woman on the other end was speaking in Quileute
and I naturally slipped into the language for the duration of the
conversation. It was Mrs. Reed – Tracy’s mother – she was
calling at Edward’s request to give permission for her daughter to
spend the weekend at our house with Seth.
Getting
off the phone I was met with three sets of eyes, Jake was amused as
was evident by the snicker on his face. Edward who understood some of
what was being said – due to our continued working on his learning
of the language – was curious and waiting for conformation, while
Vinny looked perplexed.
Glancing
over my shoulder to make sure Leah wasn’t returning I gave a quick
nod “Mrs. Reed doesn’t have a problem with Tracy staying here”
Edward
nodded in resolve while Jake laughed “You better cover the couch”
“Augh…”
Edward groaned while I laughed at the him yet I had to say “I swear
if we walk in on that…”
“Walk
in on what?” Leah wondered as she rejoined us.
Not
knowing what to say I was kind of glad Vinny spoke up “A covered
couch”
“What?”
having no idea what he was talking about she naturally questioned but
I was saved by the ding of the timer and the promise of real food.
Sitting
at the kitchen table Edward not knowing the whole verse asked Jake to
say the blessing, when he was done Vinny wondered what was said and
that was his introduction into Quileute. We spent all of dinner
teaching him basic words and phrases which he picked up with perfect
clarity. Half way through the meal he was saying hoto'eh and
waddo instead of please and thank you. By the end of dinner he
could count to ten, say good morning and good night. With the dishes
done Vinny had mastered, how are you, where are you going and knew
basic colors.
All
through playing a game of ‘PIG’ which is a simple card game for
children yet fun for adults he continued to soak up as much of the
language as possible. Jake and Leah enjoyed teaching him, correcting
his pronunciation and thinking of other phrases Vinny could use.
Edward dazzled everyone with his own grasp of the language even
adding a few words to Vinny’s repartee.
Of
course Leah just couldn’t help herself as we were on the last round
of cards she said “Vinny did your Aunt Bella tell you her Quileute
name?”
“No”
Vinny glanced across the table at me from his seat next to her.
Unsure
what Leah was talking about I shook my head “It’s just Bella”
“That’s
not true, she has another name”
“I do
not…” starting to dispute the claim it suddenly dawned on me,
Leah knew Edward called me...
“Nâhtötse”
Leah said confidently and Vinny’s eyes widened in excitement as he
pointed his finger at me “That is your name; Uncle Eddie calls you
it all the time”
Jake’s
nose wrinkled as he questioned “You call Bella pet?”
Sitting
back in his chair Edward had an air of confidence, giving me a wink
he responded “No…actually I believe the word translates to my
pet”
“I
think it’s adorable” Every head turned to see Leah’s
smiling face “And it kind of fits perfectly doesn’t it?”
What
the hell got into Leah?
Holding
my gaze she reached across the table and took a hold of my hand
“Besides I’d much rather see the love and devotion shining in
your face from someone calling you my pet then to ever hear
you called C-U-N-T…” spelling it out “…again.”
Actually
James’ favorite term of endearment was 'Fucking Cunt', it
was something he said all the time. I knew there were women who had
no problem with being referred to by the disgusting word. Creating in
them a reaction similar to when Master calls me ‘slut’.
Yet personally I find the word cunt to be the most degrading,
repulsive and belittling term in the human language. I had made it a
point to request Edward never used it and true to his word he hasn’t.
Not once during sex or a scene or even in a passing comment has the
vile word crossed his lips. I didn’t know if that was simply out of
respect for me or if he had his own distaste, either way his
discretion was most appreciated.
Staring
into Leah’s eyes I could feel my own begin to fill with moisture as
I realized the words she had spoken to me while taking the pictures
were true – she was genuinely happy for me.
Giving
my hand a squeeze she smiled widely “And pet also kind of fits
doesn’t it awi unodena”
Oh
Jesus
Letting
her hand go I laughed at the nick name Billy had always called me -
little lamb – and came back with my own retort “And Vinny
do you know what Leah’s name is?” not waiting for a reply I
quickly said “ónêšêhe' pôhoo'o”
Pain
in the ass
“Surprise!”
Vinny yelled pulling me from previous evening’s memory and causing
Edward to laugh “The surprise was supposed to come before the good
morning”
“Oh
yeah…I forgot” Vinny’s tone of voice being as apologetic as his
expression.
“That’s
Ok…I was surprised anyway” I said patting the bed for Vinny to
sit down while smiling at the smirk on Edward’s face.
The
man knew I was lying
No
matter how covert I was trying to be, I was fairly sure Edward knew
that I had crept down the stairs. Setting the overloaded tray down on
the nightstand he handed me a cup of coffee before sitting next to
me. Giving Vinny a chance to settle in at the bottom of the bed
Edward gave him a coffee mug half filled with apple juice and a
warning to ‘be careful’. The breakfast was wonderful and
while we ate I asked what the boys had planned for the morning.
“After
we drop you off at The Center” Edward started “we’re going to
come home to see what kind of baseball equipment I can gather”
Jake
had finally come to a decision on what the men were going to do
during the shower. They were all meeting at my house and then going
to the park. Jake was planning on taking coolers of beer, grilling
hotdogs and playing baseball all afternoon.
“I
should have enough stuff but if need be I can borrow things from
Emmett. He had a bright idea of forming a team for the man's league
so when the High School got new equipment he took the old stuff.”
Nodding
I swiped a dab of ketchup the bite of egg and toast “I guess that’s
a perk of coaching”
Edward
laughed “Yeah, Rose about killed him when he brought everything
home and she banished it to the shed”
It
didn’t really sound like Rose and I had to wonder “How much stuff
did he have?”
“The
whole back of his jeep was full”
My fork
stopped midway to my gaping mouth “You’re kidding”
“Nope…”
Edward chuckled “I helped him load it, then when he got home with
it all and told Rose he was keeping it in his man-cave she nearly
killed him. Told Emmett ‘you’re not storing that junk in my
house’ he tried to tell her it was his room to do what he
wanted with but she wasn’t having it at all and so it’s all in
the shed.”
He took
a drink of coffee while I resumed eating and he smirked at me before
asking “So what’s the moral of the story Vinny?”
I
looked at Edward like he was crazy because I’d give two-to-one odds
Vinny didn’t even know what a moral was.
Tilting
his little head to the side he wondered “I don’t know…what’s
moral?”
I
should have bet
Chuckling
at the thought along with Vinny’s scrunched up face I looked to
Edward waiting for him to impart us with his words of wisdom.
“A
moral is…the meaning of a story. Like in the little boy who cried
wolf, the moral would be to not make things up just to get
attention.”
“Oh…”
Vinny seemed to contemplate for a moment before coming to a
conclusion “the meaning is…Aunt Rose said ‘No!”
Edward
laughed “That’s right, because no matter what Uncle Emmett
thinks, his man cave is inside Aunt Rose’s house…and the house
always belongs to the girl to do whatever she wants with.”
“Is
that right?” I asked with a bit of amusement.
Edward’s
expression turned serious as he gazed into my eyes for a long moment
“Yes…and I wouldn’t have it any other way”
Not
exactly sure what brought the subject to Edward’s mind I was still
fairly certain where it had come from. The previous evening after
Vinny had gone to sleep, Edward and I lay in bed talking, he was
still upset with the way his sister had acted. Even though when she
had called to say goodnight to Vinny she had apologized to not only
him but also me. Fairly positive Alice was indeed pregnant I told
Edward my suspicions along with the circumstantial evidence. But we
had a very different opinion on the subject, where I was willing to
give his sister the benefit of the doubt, Edward was not as gallant.
“It
doesn’t make a difference Bella, there is no excuse for the way she
behaved or the things she said”
“What
did she say?” I asked propping myself up on my elbow
Letting
out a sigh Edward tucked a strand of hair behind my ear at his
hesitation I had to wonder “Stalling? Was it that bad?”
“It
doesn’t matter what Alice says, I want you…no I need you
to be happy here, to make this house a place where you want to be.
And it wouldn’t matter to me if you wanted to remove the living
room furniture and replace it with all the old stuff you got from
your mother. If it meant you were more comfortable here, I'd hire the
movers tomorrow ”
Smiling
at him I highly doubted he would be happy with my mothers brown tweed
loveseat and mix matched tables. Still the gesture was nice and the
meaning behind it understood, however it did leave me to wonder
“Alice
thinks I’m…taking over your house”
“I
don’t know what Alice is thinking and frankly I don’t give a
shit. I told you it doesn't matter what she said…” a devious grin
appearing “…I got you in my lair Ms. Swan and I’m not letting
you go”
“Is
that so?” I asked leaning down for a chaste kiss as he answered
“Yes…that’s so”
Pulling
back I felt the need to come to my friend’s defense “Don’t be
too angry with Alice, pregnant women are not always rational…”
I knew from first hand experience of dealing with Leah how hormones
could wreak havoc on a woman. All of her life she had never been what
I would have called a pessimist yet suddenly she was seeing danger in
almost every situation. The first three months of her pregnancy she
called me almost every day crying and worrying about the most mundane
things. For a week straight it was the rain –we lived in
Washington, it rained all the time. Still I had to put up with the
speculations that the baby was either going to die from lack of
Vitamin D, catch
pneumonia from being wet all the time or become agoraphobic
from being stuck in the house.
“Don’t
do that” he chastised making me wonder “Do what?”
“Make
excuses for other people's bad behavior, sometimes you are too damn
forgiving. People have to be held accountable for their actions”
Biting
my lip at the brutal honesty I took a deep breath and running my
fingers through the soft hair on his chest I quietly wondered “Would
you rather I be cynical, mean spirited and vindictive?”
“Of
course not” he said after lifting my chin so I would look at him “I
love your forgiving nature, especially when it's me that needs the
absolving.” smiling so wide I had to respond with one of my own
“That doesn't mean you should condone people who encroach on your
kindness. And I don't care who they are, the last thing you should be
doing is making allowances for them to justify rude behavior. Alice
has been increasing impolite and I don't care if it is from
fluctuating hormones, it has to stop.”
It was
clear Edward didn't at all appropriate the conversation he had with
his sister yet I still had no idea what it was about “You're not
going to tell me what she said are you?”
Letting
out a sigh his face became rather grim as he shook his head “I
don't want to keep things from you but I don't want to hurt your
feeling either. She has put me in a bad position, which I don't
appreciate...”
Narrowing
his eyes as if debating what to do I prompted “I'm a big girl
Edward, I can take it”
“Come
here...” pulling me down to lay next to him with my head on his
chest. He was quiet for a few minutes just lying there running his
hand through my head until he finally said “...she took notice to
your presence in the house...”
“She
was angry I wouldn't give her the code for the door entrence and
inferred the house was mine not ours...”
That's funny Carlisle thought the opposite
“And she made references to your...”
It was never a good thing when Edward hesitated.
I tried to move so I could raise my head to see his face but he held
me tighter to him letting me know whatever it was made him very
uncomfortable. Running my hand over the muscles of his chest I
questioned “To my what?”
“To your...middle-class upbringing”
“Oh” it was all I could really say, after all it wasn't the first
time Alice had brought up the subject.
Each time we had been out shopping my frugal ways was a point of
contention. She had no problem with paying designer label prices in
expensive boutiques while I gravitated towards the sales rack at JC
Penny. It made sense while we were in that environment for Alice to
bring up our difference however I had to wonder why the subject came
up with Edward.
“What
brought that up?”
The
question was met with more hesitation which was making me very
nervous and all I could do was come to my own assumption.
“It's
the money...she thinks I'm...”
Edward
quickly shifted his body so I was on my back with him hovering over
top of me. If I didn't know any better I would have thought the
darkness in his eyes was anger as he practically growled “I told
you, I don't give a shit what she thinks. Alice is a spoiled brat who
wasn't getting her own way and was lashing out because she all of a
sudden wasn't the center of attention.”
Staring
up at him I didn't understand the part about Alice not being the
center of attention because that had nothing to do with me, yet she
was still his sister “You shouldn't be angry with her Edward...”
He looked at me like I was speaking Swahili
or something so I explained “...Alice is
just behaving the way she's been conditioned to act. She gets mad,
yells and expects everyone to adjust themselves in order to cater to
her.”
Half
expecting Edward to be angry with me for talking about his sister in
such a derogatory fashion I was taken off guard by the laughter “See
what I’m talking about...” he said still shaking his head with a
huge smile on on his face “...I tell you that my sister, your
friend, was talking smack and instead of retaliating you chastise
me and justify her behavior.”
“Well
you can't play with a skunk and then get upset when he sprays you”
Maybe
that wasn't the best analogy
Edward's
eyes widened “Did you just call my sister a skunk?”
Biting
my lip I was surprised as he burst out laughing “See nâhtötse
most people would have lashed out with 'That
Bitch!'....you?” he chuckled “... the worst you could come up
with is a skunk”
I
didn't mean to infer I thought Alice was a skunk and I could have
gotten angry over what was said especially since I was sure there was
more there then what Edward had told me. However I chose to rise
above the level of teenage pettiness, not that the words didn't hurt
my feelings more that I wasn't going to allow them to dissuade me
from my choices. No one else in Edward's family showed any animosity
towards me in fact they had all been overly welcoming. Even Alice who
I thought of as a sister never showed open hostility so I really was
chalking up her antagonism to hormones. After all she wasn't angry
with me, it was Edward who had pissed her off to the point where she
wanted to retaliate. And the best way to get back at someone is to
attack the thing that means the most to them.
In
Edward's case – that would be me
Taking
in the grin on his face I thought maybe I should remind him of what
he had said “We'll see if you still feel that way when all my old
furniture starts taking up residence in your basement.”
“Our
basement” he qualified and all I did was smile because it really
wasn't ours - it was his.
And
I suppose in my mind it always will be
“Aunt
Bella?” the whiny voice telling me I must have missed something of
vital importance
“What
Vinny?”
“Are
you coming to Taco Bell with us?”
Finishing
the last bite of egg I used the napkin to wipe my mouth before
speaking “That's tempting but I have a lot of work to do so I
don’t think I can.”
My desk
was over flowing with things that needed to be caught up on, the
majority of it having to do with finishing the counseling notes from
my time away. I also knew Rose was coming in sometime during the day
and Peggy was arriving with Carlisle
so getting away for lunch would be out of the question.
“Maybe
next time” Edward suggested as he started to gather up the mess all
over the bed.
The two
of them left me alone to get ready for the day, just as I was
stepping into the shower the door bell rang telling it was eight and
the contractors had arrived. Having finished I was wrapped in a towel
and going through the contents of my shirt drawer looking for
something to pair with dark gray pants when Edward came in.
Giving
the door a kick with his foot he looked me over then reached out to
untuck the little flap above my breast, letting the damp blue towel
fall to the floor. “I was hoping to get back in time to join you in
the shower”
“Oh
yeah?”
“Mm
Um” the twinkle in his eye and smirk on his face telling me he was
hoping to get more then a clean body. “As gratuity for breakfast.”
“Gee”
I said while willing allowing him to pull me into his arms “and
here I thought you did it because you loved me....a whole lot”
Tilting
his head the smirk became more pronounced “I thought I heard you
sneaking up the stairs”
Reaching
my arms around his neck and letting my fingers play with the soft
hairs there I was just about to kiss him when the knock on the door
and loud voice stopped me. “Uncle Eddie!”
“Damn!”
cursing under his breath Edward released me; angling the door so my
nakedness was still hidden he took care of Vinny's remote problem.
Giving him a quick rundown of how to turn the channels, adjust the
sound and switch the program to the DVD player.
By the
time he was done I already was in my underthings and zipping up the
pants. Edward gave me the most adorable pout which almost had me
stripping everything off – almost.
“Sorry
babe, you missed your chance”
“But...”his
lip jetting out “...I thought you'd wash my back”
“You're
going to have to wash your own back...and your front too”
mumbling the last part as I pulled the black knit shirt over my head.
Walking
by me Edward stopped at my side, leaning down he spoke slowly against
my ear “You're a cold woman Isabella Swan”
His
breath on my skin along with the sneer of his tone sent a shiver down
my spine and a giggle from my throat.
Straighting
he stepped away from me “Go ahead...laugh it up. But just remember
I still owe you from that little stunt at Leah's yesterday”
“What
stunt?” I asked spinning around to watch him pulling his shirt off
and throwing it across the room into the hamper.
“You
know damn well what I’m talking about, answering the door
practically naked, leading me around by the balls thinking we were
going to be settling our bet. Then laughing at me” tsking as
he shook his head “teasing me is not a nice thing to do” dropping
his pants all I could do was stare as he added “or maybe I should
say not a very smart thing to do”
I was
in a naked Edward induced fog but still capable of inquiring “a
smart thing?”
“Not
at all smart” shaking his head with pursed lips “especially just
a short twenty-four hours before you enter my playroom”
My
mouth dropped as Edward took on a rather smug expression “Yeah just
remember my sweet ….sometimes you're the windshield and
sometimes... you're the bug”
Going
in to take his shower I was left standing there with echo of his dark
menacing laughter. The sound so ominous it caused me to shutter as a
sick twisted wave of desire went through me. I should have been
scared and dreading our usual but all I could do was wish it was six
in the evening instead of nine in the morning. The day was gong to be
long enough without the added sexual tension or the anticipation of
his paying me back for the little stunt I had pulled. Then again that
just might have been his purpose, after all Edward knew how to get me
hotter then a June bride sitting on a coal stove - and I absolutely
loved it.
Gathering
my senses I moved into the bathroom to finish getting ready and
hearing my entrance Edward called out over the spray of water “Too
late babe I already took care of myself”
“Damn!
You didn't let me watch?”
Pulling
the shower curtain back he peeked out at me “Sorry...naughty girls
have to suffer”
“Naughty?”
I questioned
“Oh
yes my dear, you were indeed purposefully naughty.”
Giggling
I went back to brushing out my hair while Edward must have been
finished as he turned off the water and stepped from the shower.
Wrapping a towel around his waist he stood next to me at the sink,
his exposed chest still glistening with beads of moisture –
moisture I wanted to remove with my tongue. The smugness in his
expression told me Edward had caught my gaze yet I couldn’t truly
find it in me to be ashamed.
He
was one fine specimen of man – and he was mine.
“You
had your chance nâhtötse”
I did have my chance but I needed to get to work so I left the
bathroom knowing that in less then nine hours I would be in the hands
of my Master and he would make it worth the wait.
The hallway was filled with the sounds of the men working in Edward's
room and getting downstairs Vinny found my making lunch a whole lot
more fascinating then what he was watching on TV. Sitting at the
kitchen island he sprinkled shredded cheese on my salad while I
wrapped up a remaining piece of pizza from the previous evenings
dinner.
The little boy was chattering away asking for more Quileute words -
How do you say 'cheese' Aunt Bella? How do you say 'work'
Aunt Bella? How do you say hair, nose, eyes, mouth? He was like a
little sponge absorbing everything he could. I didn't see the harm in
his knowing a few words and I could only hope when he went home with
a new vocabulary his mother would feel the same way.
Edward was down and ready to drive me to The Center, while he
installed a booster seat in the car I gathered up my things, tied
Vinny's shoes, said good-bye to Seth and headed out the door. The
drive in was uneventful and I wondered how long it would be before I
could once again be using my own car to get there.
Carol was on the phone as I walked by so instead of saying hello I
just gave a wave. Smiling back she held up a finger for me to wait a
moment then cupping her hand over the receiver she spoke softly “Hi
Bella, staff meeting in fifteen minutes in the front room”
Nodding I gave a quiet 'Ok” as she went back to her phone call and
I moved into my office. Scanning over the mail from the day before
there was nothing that needed my immediate attention. Not wanting to
begin anything and having to stop for the meeting I headed down the
hallway towards the community room. Halfway there the chatter coming
from the common area was a whole lot louder then normal. Once I
arrived it was clear why, besides the residents of The Center the
room was filled with volunteers. And not just everyday helpers, with
the of exception of Carlisle each department head was present along
with someone I personally rarely saw.
“Hi Mildred” hugging the stout maternal woman over her shoulders
who even though her back was to me the contact didn't startle her –
Nothing did.
The woman was a retired career Army Major who served as a surgical
nurse in a MASH unit during Vietnam. She told me once that 'when
you've lived through having your hands elbow deep inside some boys
stomach while the bombs are dropping less then a mile way you learn
real fast not to flinch”
Patting my arm her head turned to look at me “Hi Bella, I haven't
seen you since you been back, I hear you had a nice vacation”
Releasing my hold I stood telling her “I did, it was a lot of fun”
“With that hunk of a man” The familiar voice came from alongside
Mildred, glancing over at Tammy's smug smile as she added “I'll bet
you had more then ...fun”
replying with with a sarcastic “ha ha” I moved to hug her also
and asked “What are you doing here?”
The
day after the walk-a-thon at the volunteers breakfast Tammy had
informed me after only being at The Center for less then six weeks,
she was leaving. In her own words she was 'tired
of hiding'
and wanted to 'get
on'
with her life. I knew she'd be coming back for continued session but
since Jean – her counselor – wasn't in on Wednesdays it surprised
me Tammy was.
“Julie is filing some legal forms for me and Doctor C is filling
out medical releases so I can move next week”
“Move?” I asked taking the seat next to her “Where are you
going?”
Since I hadn't seen any notes yet this was all news to me and I was
even more shocked by her answer “Montana”
“Montana?” oh yeah I was shocked “What the heck is in Montana?”
“Nothing...absolutely...nothing”
she said assuredly before giving me the explanation I was so curious
to know about “The bank has an immediate opening for a Manager in
Ryegate,
I put in for the transfer and got it. So I'm moving”
“Wow”
“I
know it's exciting right?”
Exciting?
Not exactly the word I would have used, abrupt, shocking, life
altering, those all seemed more fitting. As I thought about the
circumstances I remembered when I asked Demetri why he went to New
York for college and wondered 'what he was running from or to'. Since
Tammy said there was nothing in Ryegate – wherever the hell that
was – Montana I could only come to one conclusion.
“He's
been in contact with you” not even saying it in the form of a
question because I already knew the answer and realized I was right -
she had left the safety of the The Center too early.
The
women are allowed to stay for twelve weeks for a reason.
The
longer the victim stays away the better chance she has of not
returning to her abuser. It gives her time to come to terms with the
loss of the relationship. Until that occurs along with the
accompanying mourning period the woman will not be mentally prepared
for the work ahead of her. It also gives the abuser time to deal with
the anger he has over losing control of the woman he is so
emotionally dependent upon. His anger escalates and peaks around week
six when all the legal proceedings begin to take place. He see's what
he had slipping away and goes through his own mourning period of
feeling helpless and his anxiety increases making him volatile.
That
is the time period Tammy went out to and unlike most of the woman who
leave the safety of The Center, she was not placed in one of the
safe-houses. The woman was headstrong and determined to return to her
life so she went back to her old apartment and of course she kept her
position as a loan officer.
Tammy
sighed and her bright hazel eyes that always seemed to shine with
life became grave “Yes, Tod came to the bank last week, he caused a
scene and my manager called the police. He was arrested for
disturbing the peace, making terroristic threats and contempt of
court for breaking the restraining order. He was being held on bond,
but he's out now so I'm staying at The Holiday Inn and since I can
work from home...” giving me a shrug as if no other explanation was
needed.
And
it wasn't
“That's
that the reason for the transfer?” I couldn't blame her, after all
I ran clear across the country.
“Not
completely but it just seems better this way...I want a normal life
Bella. I don't want to have to look over my shoulder of wonder if
Tod's going to show up while I'm grocery shopping or pumping gas. I
want to go to work, make friends, meet a great guy and maybe have
babies...is that too much to ask for?”
“No” shaking my head with complete empathy and agreeing
wholeheartedly “Not too much at all”
The next ten minutes were spent with
Tammy telling Mildred and I all about Ryegate
Montana which was a small town sixty miles north of Billings. The
transfer was a done deal, all that was needed was her medical release
form and in less then a week she would moving. Tammy was excited
about her new position and looking forward to the not only the
increase in pay but also the responsibilities. However the most
astonishing news was her not renting a home but buying one. It was a
small two bedroom ranch on a small plot of land which she purchased
sight unseen for fifty-eight thousand dollars.
That
didn't sound like very much money to me and I wondered if she was
moving into some dilapidated rat infested building. Whipping out her
phone Tammy pulled up the pictures of the home she was purchasing and
all my worries were gone. It was a cute single home with yellow
siding, a cobble stone walkway and white picket fence. The interior
was clean and bright with one bathroom and a separate laundry area
off the kitchen.
“So what do you think?” She asked not only me but also Mildred,
who answered first
“I think that is a smart move on
your part Tammy, just be sure to take it slow when you get there.
Don't go jumping into a relationship...or a bed”
giving a stern warning “give yourself time to settle in, go slow
and build the life you want for yourself.”
I couldn't have said it better myself, although I did wonder “What
about counseling?”
“Jeanie and I talked about that. She said we could do it over the
web or phone for as long as necessary or until I get a therapist
there”
Figuring I would be able to see the details laid out in Jean's notes
I let the subject drop and made a mental note to seek them out as
soon as I got back to my desk.
Everyone started leaving for the meeting and after getting a cup of
coffee and saying 'good morning' to the rest of the resident’s I
ran into Peggy in the hallway. Saying I'd would met her in my office
in an hour I went with the others to find out what Carol had to tell
us.
The only time the front room was utilized was for staff meetings, it
was set up much like a living room with couches and chairs set out.
Sitting down between Nancy and Tori we were chatting about nothing in
particular when Carol came in followed a few seconds later by
Carlisle who was apologetic.
“Sorry ladies, the ferry was running late this morning”
Carol started by thanking us all for coming in and then started out
with telling everyone the state would be in sometime the following
week to inspect the facility. Not that we had anything to hide but it
was just a friendly warning; more for the house staff then anyone
else. Twice a year the state would send out an inspector to make sure
the facility was fit for human occupancy. They also due to The
Center's Non-Profit status, made sure we were not indoctrinating the
residents who stayed here with our own political or religious
beliefs.
The next thing on the agenda was the
discussion of the Nation Convention. Carol handed out pamphlets and
asked that we all give them to our helpers. She gave a deadline for
everyone to have their registration forms and deposits in to her.
After going over all the details Carol – the traitor - announced
that we had been requested to give a presentation on the topic of
'surviving'.
“Who's giving the speach?” Gail
asked, even though I was damn sure she knew Carol was trying to get
me to do it.
“Well...right now Bella is still considering”
“Bella is not considering” I informed her “Bella doesn't
want to”
“You said you would ask Edward...”
I thought it best to let them all know “I don't need his
permission, besides he doesn't care if I go”
Carol smiled widely “And what about speaking?”
“I Think you would do a great job Bella” Tori spoke up from along
side me “After all you have a personal experience”
Was she kidding me? I didn't want to talk about my personal
experience in front of a room full of strangers. Hell I didn't even
want to talk about it in a room full of friends.
Carol spoke up “Not personal Bella, that's not what I'm suggesting.
Just a general overview...”
“You can give a general overview”
“Not like you. I can speak of statics and goals and you can speak
the same words yet there is a passion behind the message, because it
means something intimately personal to you.”
As Carol finished Mildred spoke in her demanding tone “You should
do it”
“What did he say about it?” Nancy question
“Who Edward?” unnecessary clarifying who the woman next to me was
talking about it. It was an attempt to stall because once they knew
his opinion they would never stop hounding me until I agreed.
“Is there another man your...dancing with” she giggled
making everyone else snicker at the term they coined for my sex life.
Ignoring the snide comment and the chortles I gave the answer that
was probably going to seal my doom
“He thinks I should do it and he even said afterwords we'd stay in
Anaheim a few days and do Disney”
“Awe, that's so sweet” Julie crooned as she glanced at Carlisle
“Do you have another one of those?”
“No...sorry, Bella got the last one” giving me a smile
“Well you could always take the afternoon off and make me a new
one” Julie's suggestion was met with even more giggles as
Carlisle's face turned bright red.
“OK..OK...” Carol chuckled “Bella you keep thinking about it,
we have a few weeks for you to decide.”
I could not for the life of me come up with one thing that would have
me changing my mind or any reason why I would want to. The next
subject centered around Peggy and Tammy, although the concern was
geared more towards Peggy because technically she was still under our
care. It was me acting on behalf of The Center who secured her job,
her living situation and ultimately her security.
Feeling a bit of responsibility for her I thought I'd let everyone
know “I spoke with her Sunday when I was over on Bainbridge. She
said it was only one call and she turned off the phone right away.”
“Yes but yesterday he showed up where she works” Carol informed
me of something I didn't know “Her boss forcefully escorted him out
and called the police.”
Garret removed him?
As much as I would have loved to have seen that, it wasn't something
I could dwell on as I wondered “Does Peggy need to be moved?”
“I don't think she wants to be”
“It's not safe for her Carol”
Unlike Tammy, Peggy had been at The Center for her full twelve weeks,
the fact Rick – her boyfriend – was still obsessing over getting
her back was not a good sign.
“You are going to have to take that up with Peggy, but as of last
night...she wants to stay where she is and we have to honor her
decision.” moving her head in the direction of the other side of
the room she spoke to Julie “You're going to go over all of Peggy's
legal rights with her?”
“Anna is doing it right now” Returning her attention back to me
Carol shook her head in resignation “That's all we can do Bella,
we give the women the tools to empower themselves and then let them
lead their own lives”
Not at all happy with the turn of events my eyes fell on Carlisle he
gave me a sad smile and a knowing nod. There was nothing I could do
but sit back, wait and hope to god someway, somehow, someone kept her
safe.
