Mafia Princess

Chapter One-Hundred Sixty-Five

Twilight...not mine (sigh).

Chapter 165

EPOV

As I opened the door, Carino tore across the hardwood floors and pounced on my suit leg. "Back off, cat," I said, gently kicking her off my shoes. She hissed at me before she noticed Bella and hopped onto her lap, purring contentedly. Bella smiled, hugging Carino to her chest as Charlie pushed her into the condo. "Welcome," I said nervously.

"This is nice, Edward," Charlie said, his eyes wide.

"Let me give you the nickel tour," I chuckled as I removed my suit jacket. I also took out my earpiece, placing it in an ashtray on the kitchen counter. "Kitchen is to your left. I'll go shopping to pick up whatever you want...it's pretty barren since I haven't really been home."

"Don't worry, Edward. Your mom got you covered," Carlisle said. I blushed, thanking my dad with a nod. "You all going to be alright? There's a situation at the del Cigno house. A reporter is trying to climb the fence or something. I'm in the mood to arrest some idiot."

"Go, Dad," I said. He nodded and left my condo.

"Back to the tour," Bella said, tugging on my sleeve. I chuckled and pushed her through the kitchen. "All gas cooking, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Not that I can cook, really. I can do a mean microwave pizza."

"Pitiful, Edward," Charlie quipped.

"I'm a single guy." I shrugged, continuing with my tour. "Dining room. I pretty much just use this as an extra office, really. If I hate being in my office/third bedroom, I come out here to work on reports, research suspects and anything else. The living room is just over here. That couch is perfect to take naps on."

"Know from experience?" Bella laughed.

"Yep," I smiled crookedly at her. "There are two full baths in here. One is just around the corner across the hall from my office/third bedroom. Charlie, you'll be staying there tonight. The couch is really a futon."

"It's better than the bunk they have me in at Sheridan," Charlie grumbled. "The floor is more inviting than that death trap." He walked in and dropped off his tiny bag onto the futon. Plopping down, he closed his eyes and within seconds was down for the count.

"Damn," Bella giggled.

"We're all exhausted," I frowned. In the week since Bella had told Charlie about what Aro said about her paternity, sleep had been at a premium.

"I'm sorry," Bella said, her smile dropping. I rolled her into the master bedroom, which was going to be hers while she stayed here.

"Bella, don't apologize. Telling Charlie was the right thing to do. I'm sorry that you are dealing with the night terrors. I wish I could make them go away, but I can't," I said.

"I know. I just feel so bad. Everyone's life is up in the air because of all of this and I can't help but feel responsible," she sighed. "It's something I need to talk to Irina about. I just hate that you and my father haven't had a full-night's sleep since this whole thing happened."

"We'll be fine," I said, giving her a reassuring smile. "This is the master bedroom and you'll be sleeping here tonight."

"Edward, I do not want to kick you out of your bed," she growled. Carino mewled before hopping onto my king-sized bed and curling up on my pillow.

"Who says you're kicking me out?" I teased as I walked to my closet to change out of my suit. She gaped at me, shocked at my snarky come-back. I went into my closet and grabbed a pair of jeans. Making quick work of my suit, I hung it back up and locked my gun and badge into my safe inside. I kept on my dress shirt but left it untucked. Bella had rolled herself to the window, anxiously twisting the necklace I had given her. "Hey, you okay?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I feel like you when we first started dating," she said flatly. "Afraid of touch and of..."

"Say no more," I said, sitting on a chair next to the window. "I get it, Bella. I was just teasing about the bedroom. I planned on staying in the guest room. Hell, I'll stay in the office on the futon."

"It's just hard, Edward. In some ways, I'm fine. I can joke, be a pain in the ass and smile. But one slip-up triggers a horrific memory. That incident at the hospital in Portland still rattles me," she said quietly. "I see someone and it reminds me of James or Riley. I lay on my back for too long and I'm back in that warehouse. You go to touch me and I fear that you're going to hurt me, though I know you won't. My need for something more than holding hands or cuddling but anxiety that I'll fall into a panic attack." She turned to look at me. "I miss your kisses, Edward. For someone who hadn't kissed before, you're kind of awesome at it."

"I miss kissing you, but Bella, I don't want to force you into something that you're not ready for," I said. "You still flinch with certain movements that anyone make. I also want you to feel, that without a doubt, you can trust me. When you are able to trust me, I'll kiss you again. I still see that shadow of uncertainty in your eyes when we talk."

"I do trust you," she said sullenly. I gently captured her chin and forced her to look into my eyes. The glimmer of doubt was still there.

"No, you don't," I said simply.

"Damn it."

"I've tried everything in my power to earn back your trust, but the only thing that will truly heal that is time," I said, feeling as frustrated as her. "Why don't you get into bed and take a nap? I'm certain you're tired from all of this. I'm hoping that by this weekend, you'll be back at your own home."

"A nap sounds good. Being in a bed without IVs, obnoxious nurses and room to maneuver," she quipped as she gave me a half smile. It didn't reach her eyes. She was beating herself up. With a sigh, I got up and unmade the bed. She got beneath sheets and allowed me to put her broken leg onto some pillows. I lowered the shades of the bedroom, darkening the room effectively. Carino curled up on Bella's stomach. I turned to leave. "Edward?"

"Yes, Little One?" I replied.

"If I had to quantify my level of trust of you, we're at a ninety-seven percent. The last three percent is all me in trying to come to grips with everything that's happened to me," she said quietly. "The fact that my father may not be my father and is going to jail by his own admission. The fact that I should have listened to you after I discovered who you were..."

"Time is our ally, Bella. I'll wait forever for you," I said honestly.

"My birthday. I want my kiss by my birthday," she said with certainty. "Two weeks..."

"It's a date," I smirked.

A/N: Just a reminder, we're shooting for roughly 200 chapters. We've got the following things to address: paternity, trial, reconnections, and the future. As with my other stories, I'm not going to delve into their therapy. I do not feel comfortable with that. I have a deep respect for the psychiatric community as I've dealt with depression and anxiety for several years. I am not a therapist, psychiatrist or counselor. I'm a teacher. So, I'm not going to attempt to address their therapy sessions. I'll allude to them, but not go into great detail about them. Make sense? Leave me some!

e a ti%