Mafia Princess

Chapter One-Hundred Fifty-Four

Twilight...not mine (sigh).

Chapter 154

EPOV

"What about me? The house? Everything?" She began hyperventilating.

"Bella, calm down," I said, taking her hand in mine. She was so fragile right now. Not at all like the strong, spitfire of a girl I met in May. "It's all taken care of. Everything. The house is in your name and your dad set up an account for the utilities. If you don't want to stay, you can sell the house and start fresh." I reached into my pocket, handing her the paper that Charlie gave me while we were outside of the trauma room. "This explains it all. Charlie gave it to me. He made me promise to look out for you..."

"What if I don't want that?" she asked, her voice tight. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks as she stared at me.

"Then, I walk away." My heart crumbled and I was ready to leave the hospital. I flipped her hand over, kissing her palm before I got up. I picked up my small overnight bag and began packing up my belongings. I would drive back to Seattle and go through the motions of living before finishing my law degree. Tears pricked my eyes as I grabbed my bag and looked at her one last time. I reached to my neck and removed the pendant that I had given her in Italy, pressing it into her hand. I kissed her knuckles three times. "You still own my heart, Bella. I still love you..."

And with that, I turned to leave.

BPOV

Did I want him to leave? Did I not want Edward in my life? Seeing the resignation in his eyes as he told me that he'd walk away hurt more than the physical injuries I had. I looked down at the heart pendant in my hand. It was warm from his body. I sobbed brokenly.

"EDWARD!" I called. "Don't go! Please, don't go!"

He came back and he looked so small. He eyed me suspiciously. "This isn't a game, Bella. If you don't want me, then I'll go. I can't stay and have you push me around or hurt me. I know that I have a lot of work to do to rebuild your trust in me, but I'm not a piece of shit."

"I know. I'm sorry about what I said to you before all of this happened," I sniffled, clutching my pendant.

"You told me, Bella. I know why you reacted how you did," he sighed, sitting down next to me but maintaining his distance. "I'd probably have a similar reaction, minus the physical assault."

"Yeah," I blushed, looking at Edward's face. "Did I do both of 'em?"

"You gave me the scar on my temple. Emmett, in his anger, gave me the scar above my eyebrow," Edward grimaced. "He was almost arrested for assaulting a federal agent. He should have been but I talked my father down."

I sat there, blinking in shock that Emmett attacked Edward. I shouldn't have been surprised. Emmett was always a bit of a loose cannon but beating the crap out of Edward? Damn.

"Don't look so shocked, Bella," Edward chuckled nervously. "I deserved it. I betrayed you and your family. Your father and brother have forgiven me and have put their trust in me along with the system...I know it'll take time for you to have faith in me, but I promise to always tell you the truth."

Looking at him, I saw his vulnerability, his strength and a tiny glimmer of hope in his eyes. Could we go back to what we had before? Start over, Bella. Give him another chance. He still owns your heart, too. "Hi! I'm Isabella del Cigno," I said, holding out my hand for him to shake. "I'm a senior, going to college and looking forward to getting out into the real world."

He smiled crookedly and his eyes lit up for the first time. "I'm Edward Cullen. I am a former FBI agent, taking my final two classes to be a lawyer before taking the bar," he said, enfolding my hand in his.

"A lawyer?" I asked.

"Yeah. I've enrolled in classes and I start in January. I should be able to take the bar exam over the next summer. I have roughly six months of work to do for the bureau before I turn over my badge and gun," he shrugged. "I can't do this anymore."

"Why?"

"I want us more," he whispered, staring into my eyes. "Being an agent was always my life and now I know what I was missing with relationships, love and friendship. I meant it, Bella, when I said you are my best friend. You know things that my co-workers don't even know. Not even my adoptive family knows."

"I don't know how soon there can be an us," I said honestly. "I'm fucked up, Edward. I close my eyes and I see that room. I feel the pain that James and Riley did to me. What they..." My heart constricted. "I wasn't raped, at least not in a traditional sense, but they did things to me."

"I didn't see the video, but I read the report of your ordeal," Edward said quietly. "If I could, I'd resurrect James and Riley and make their deaths more painful. Much more painful." He picked up my hand and kissed my wrist softly. I jumped, happy at the affection but afraid he'd do something more. "I'll never hurt you, Bella. You know what I grew up with and the idea of raising my hand to a woman sickens me. I hate that you are fearful of me and that I might hurt you."

"Like I said, fucked up," I deadpanned, waving my hand to my body.

"Me, too," he chuckled humorlessly. He closed his eyes. "Therapy is the answer. I've already started. Part of shooting off your weapon and killing someone is dealing with PTSD counseling afterward. I'm meeting with a bureau shrink and discussing my other issues, as well. I've got fourteen years of PTSD I need to overcome. The touch thing was a coping mechanism."

"You seem better with it," I said.

"Not really, but I'm hiding it more. My main concern is you, Bella," he said, looking up at me. His eyes penetrated mine. "It will always be you."

I smiled, looking down at our hands. They were entwined. His knuckles were bruised and battered. My wrist was covered in a raw bruise from the handcuffs. Hearing all of this made me tired. Plus my body was trying, unsuccessfully to stay awake despite the morphine pumping through my veins. Edward reached to my face and he cupped it with his large hand. "Sleep, Little One," he whispered. "You need your strength."

"You won't go, will you?" I asked, looking into his green eyes.

"I'll be here, Bella," he smiled.

He sat there, caressing my cheek and staring into my eyes. "Edward?" I slurred sleepily.

"What, baby?" he replied.

"I don't hate you," I said. "All I wanted was you in that room...I'm glad it was you that found me." He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to mine. I threaded my hands into his hair. "Edward?"

"Hmmm?"

"Lose the beard," I giggled before succumbing to exhaustion.

A/N: She's giving him another chance. Can I get a woo hoo?! Leave me some lovin!

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