A/N: You all rock. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, and I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!
....
When Edward had broken up with me, I'd been stunned and furious. I figured it was just the shock of everything talking. I was wrong. I waited for days for him to call me and tell me he hadn't meant what he'd said, but he never did.
Time dragged by, and I found that I couldn't concentrate on work. I couldn't sleep or eat. I essentially became a zombie. I functioned at the most basic of levels, but that was it. My co-workers and friends knew something was off, but they assumed it had to do with being kidnapped. It didn't.
As if him breaking up with me wasn't bad enough, work had become a nightmare as well. Bree had taken over and made our working lives hell. Rules upon rules had been implemented, but it was when she let Angela and Ben both go that I'd snapped. It didn't matter to Bree that they worked in different departments. All that mattered to her was that they were engaged and worked in the same place. Angela had told me that Bree had informed her that one of them had to leave or they had to break up. Neither of them wanted to do either, so Bree got rid of both of them. I wasn't convinced it was legal for her to do so.
Day after day, people who had been with the company for years were fired and sent packing. It seemed as if Bree wanted to get rid of the old and bring in the new. Every person that she hired to replace someone seemed to be a friend of hers or a friend of a friend. She was ruining the company and couldn't care less.
I was barely hanging in there, and with Angela gone, I dreaded going into work. I was now surrounded by stuck-up jerks who didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. I wasn't the only one upset with the changes. Our clients were furious and more than a few authors were leaving the company.
So that fateful day, I walked into the office, looked around my cubicle and at the strangers surrounding me and realized I didn't want to be there. Grabbing my empty trash can, I started shoving stuff from my desk into it.
Once my desk was clear, I headed to Bree's office. Her secretary told me she was in a meeting, so I headed back down to my desk and typed up a resignation letter and emailed it to Bree. Then, I grabbed the garbage can and walked out of the building.
By the time I got home, I was a bit shocked by my own actions. I couldn't believe what I'd just done. I'd quit my job. I wasn't going to be able to afford my rent or groceries. Not that I'd been eating much lately.
Without thinking about it, I pulled out my phone and called Charlie.
"Bells! How are you holding up?" he asked.
All it took was hearing his voice for the tears to start. How in the world he understood me through my sobs was beyond me, but he did. He listened as I told him about quitting my job, about missing Edward, about barely surviving.
"Now don't take this the wrong way, but have you thought about talking to a therapist?" he asked.
I nodded even though he couldn't see me.
"My friend, Angela, suggested that I do that. I just haven't gotten around to it," I told him.
We talked for an hour, and before he hung up, he told me that he'd run into Esme, and she'd mentioned that Edward looked horrible and was miserable.
"Good. It serves him right," I said.
"Now, Bells, I'm sure he's hurting as much as you are. I know what he did hurt you horribly, but he thought he was doing what was right. And before you get upset with me, I'm not defending him. Just explaining where he's coming from. We're male, Bells. We tend to think we know what's best for the women in our lives."
"You have a woman in your life?" I asked, focusing on that and not on the other stuff he'd said.
"Uh …"
"Charles Swan! You answer me right now!" I demanded.
"I may be seeing a woman from the reservation. Uh … her name is Sue Clearwater. She's the widow of my old friend Harry."
"Good for you."
I was happy for him. From what I'd gathered and been told, Charlie had been alone since Renee had left him.
After promising Charlie I'd talk to someone about all the things going on in my life, I hung up.
I puttered around my apartment before sitting down with my laptop to begin a job search. I found several editing jobs across the country and thought for a bit about moving. As much as I loved New York, it would be nice to find a job in a city that wasn't so expensive.
....
One month, one week, and three days after Edward had broken up with me, I was still trying to figure out my life. I was living off my savings and was quickly running out.
Charlie had suggested that I stay with him in Forks for a while, but the thought of being so close to Edward and not being able to see him was too much for me. I was afraid that if I was within driving distance of him, I'd go and beat the shit out of him. Not that he didn't deserve it.
I'd gotten the surprise of my life when, earlier in the afternoon, I'd gotten a call from Esme. She told me that just because her son was being an ass, didn't mean that she still couldn't talk to me. I had to admit that I'd missed talking to her. I saw the mother in her that my own never was.
When I'd mentioned that Charlie had suggested I stay in Forks for a while, Esme had jumped on the idea. She thought it would do me good and asked me to give Edward another chance.
"I don't think I can," I'd told her. "He broke my heart. He doesn't want me anymore."
"He's an idiot, Bella," she'd said. "Stupid males trying to tell us what to do. It would serve him right if you came back and gave him a tongue lashing."
Of course, that caused images of Edward's tongue to come to mind. I tried to rid myself of the images, but they stuck around long after my talk with Esme.
However, the more I pondered over it, the more I realized that Edward needed to have his ass kicked. How dare he fucking break up with me when I knew he still loved me! My mind set, I called Charlie back and told him to fix up a room for me.
Afterward, I called my landlord and let him know I was leaving. He was fine with it and had someone set to sublet the place almost immediately.
Three days later, I had shoved clothes into bags, books and random junk into boxes, and cleaned the place. I'd dropped stuff at the local Goodwill and had my furniture put into storage.
Grabbing my suitcase and carry on, I took one last look at the apartment before heading out to catch a cab to the airport. I felt a sense of sadness, but it was time for a change.
....
"Bells!" I heard Charlie call, and I rushed toward him, throwing my arms around him.
My relationship with Charlie had only gotten stronger since that first time I'd talked to him on the phone. I was extremely angry at Renee for lying to me about Charlie and not allowing me to have a father. I was also mad at myself for buying into her lies.
I hadn't heard from her despite the many messages that I'd left. I'd pretty much given up hope of having her call me back and had decided that it wasn't worth worrying about.
"It's good to see you," Charlie said, returning my hug.
The drive to Forks was quiet, and I was glad that Charlie didn't feel the need to fill the drive with endless chatter.
Once we'd parked in the driveway of his house, he grabbed my suitcases and began carrying them inside. I'd been to his house a few times when I'd come down to visit Edward, but I hadn't spent a whole lot of time there.
After I got settled in, Charlie informed that he had to go into work. I nodded and waved him out the door before pulling out my phone and calling Esme. She was thrilled that I was in town and offered to take me to dinner with Alice.
I gladly accepted. I'd missed the both of them.
A couple of hours later, the three of us were eating at a nice restaurant in Port Angeles.
It felt so good to see the both of them and they had been delighted to see me. I'd been wrapped up in hugs which I had returned.
"You need to kick Edward's ass," Alice told me over appetizers. "I'm serious. Who the hell does he think he is deciding what's best for you?"
I nodded, feeling the effects of the wine I was drinking. "You're right. He does deserve to have his ass kicked. Why are boys so freaking stupid?"
"No idea, but Carlisle attempted the same thing with me once," Esme said, causing Alice and I to stare at her.
"What?" we asked.
Esme nodded. "Oh, yes. He was just starting med school and decided that I wouldn't be able to handle it, so he tried to break up with me. It didn't work."
I was stunned. Carlisle seemed like such a reasonable person. It was hard to believe that he tried to pull the stunt that Edward had. Maybe it was a genetic defect.
The next morning when I woke up, I had a good angry going on. I'd spent most of the night thinking about what Esme, Alice and Charlie had said. I wasn't going to accept Edward's reasons for breaking up. If you loved someone, you didn't push them away.
After getting showered and dressed, I borrowed Charlie's car and drove toward Edward's house.
The asshole was going to be in for one hell of a rude awakening.
I pulled the car behind Edward's Volvo, got out and stomped my way up the steps. I hoped like hell that I was going to wake the fucker up. I leaned on the doorbell until he yanked the door open.
He was a sight for sore eyes despite the fact that he looked like shit. Dark circles were under his eyes, he smelled of cigarettes, and he looked like he'd lost weight.
He opened his mouth to bark something out and rage welled up inside me. Next thing I knew, I'd slapped him as hard as I could.
"What the—" he began, a stunned look on his face.
"How dare you decide what's best for me! I'm a grown woman, and I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions. God, you're such a fucking asshole sometimes!" I hollered as I shoved him as hard as I could.
"You. Are. An. Idiot! Do you hear me, Edward Anthony Cullen? Do you? I've spent the past few weeks waiting for you to get your head out of your ass, thinking that you'd come to your senses, but did you? No. You've got it in your head that you're somehow 'saving' me! That I'm better off without you, and I can't say I disagree with that right now," I continued to yell, not realizing just how angry I was with him.
I watched as he began to close the door and something inside of me snapped. I wasn't leaving until I'd said my piece.
I snapped at him, telling him not to even think about closing the door. I shoved my way past him and grimaced at the state of his living room. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages, and it smelled of smoke. I wrinkled my nose, a bit disgusted that he was living in such filth.
I turned to face him as he basically told me to get on with it. I was a bit stunned by his callous attitude and that was when I started throwing things at him. Soon, the air was filled with flying objects and screams. I raged and yelled until he snatched a vase out of my hand and pinned my arms to my side. That was when the turmoil of emotions that I'd been feeling erupted, and I broke down. Sobs tore from me as I buried my face in his shirt.
A long time later, after tears had been shed and words had been yelled, we managed to talk about everything. We agreed to try to have a relationship again, but I told him we wouldn't be picking up where we'd left off. We couldn't. He had to gain my trust again, and it was going to take time.
So, we began the slow process of dating and getting to know one another again.
There were moments where there was an uncomfortable silence or an awkward moment, but we were slowly moving past those. And as much as I wanted to jump the man, I knew we couldn't fall back into bed right away. Besides, I was enjoying getting to date Edward. We went out several times a week, and he was the perfect gentleman. Not once did he try to pressure me into bed. Hell, he'd just started kissing me again.
Things were going good, and I'd even been offered a job in Seattle at a publishing house where I'd applied. I'd start in two weeks which meant that I needed to find a place in Seattle and soon.
Edward had been thrilled when I'd told him the news and had taken me out for a fancy dinner, and the night had ended with a much needed and wanted passionate kiss. God, I'd missed those kisses of his.
Later that night, after relieving the tension that Edward's kiss had left with me, I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing.
"Hello?"
"Tanya called me," Edward's frantic voice said.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Tanya left a message on my phone telling me that her father is the one after me," he explained, his voice going up an octave.
"Edward, calm down a moment. We already knew that this was a very real possibility. Now that Tanya's confirmed it, you need to let Detective Beckett know."
"He does. I called him," he told me.
"Good. Now that the police have a definite suspect, they can arrest him."
"Yeah, that's true," he said, his voice calmer than before.
"Did you want to come over?" I asked before I'd even thought about it.
"Uh … I don't think Charlie would appreciate me showing up this late at night."
I rolled my eyes. I knew that Charlie had threatened him and, apparently, Edward was taking it seriously.
"Charlie got called in. Come on over. You can sleep on the couch," I told him. As much as I wanted him in my bed, we weren't ready to take that step. Not yet.
Thirty minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and I found a disheveled but delicious looking Edward on the porch.
I ushered him in then led him over to the couch where he sat down with a sigh.
"Are you okay?" I asked, brushing a strand of hair off his head.
"I guess. I'm relieved to know who's been behind it all, but at the same time, I'm almost in shock. I knew that Jonathan being involved was a possibility, but …" he trailed off.
I nodded, knowing how he was feeling.
"Well, get some rest, okay?"
He nodded, and I couldn't resist leaning in and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. His hands came up to cup my face as he kissed me back. What I'd intended to be a quick kiss soon evolved into a full make-out session. Hands gripped hair, moans escaped from parted lips, and hearts pounded. Eventually, the need to breath overrode my need to kiss him, and I reluctantly pulled away.
"Let me get you a pillow and blanket," I managed to say before escaping up the stairs.
I took a moment to gather myself as I collected the pillow and blanket from my room before heading back downstairs.
"Here you go," I said, holding the items out for him.
"Thanks," he said, his lips slightly swollen from our kisses.
I'd been in bed for about hour, unable to fall asleep because I felt bad that I'd made Edward sleep on the couch. It wasn't the most comfortable of couches, and Edward was a tall guy. Heaving a sigh, I climbed out of bed and headed back downstairs where I found Edward on the floor.
"Edward?"
"Yes?" he asked, his voice tired.
"Gather your stuff and come upstairs," I told him.
I heard him follow me up the stairs and into my room.
"Charlie will kill me if he finds me in here," he said.
I rolled my eyes as I shoved him toward the bed.
"Get in. Charlie knows that I'm adult, and I'm sure he's figured out that we've slept together. Now, get in and go to sleep. I'm tired," I responded as I climbed in.
At some point during the night, we gravitated toward one another. I woke up the next morning wrapped around Edward and feeling better rested than I had in months. I knew it was due to Edward.
Propping myself up on my elbow, I watched him sleep, marveling at his beauty.
"Why are you staring at me?" he mumbled, his eyes still closed.
"You're cute."
"No, I'm not," he said, rolling over and burying himself further under the covers.
Smiling, I climbed out of bed and went to make some coffee. A quick look outside showed that Charlie wasn't home yet, and I knew that would relieve Edward a bit.
Once the coffee was made, I poured two cups and headed back upstairs to wake Edward up.
We sat in my bed talking while drinking our coffee and discussing our plans for the day.
"I'm going to Seattle with your mom today to look at apartments. Did you want to come?" I asked him.
"I can't. I've got to finish up a chapter that I'm writing and send it off to my new editor," he told me.
"Who is it?"
"Embry Call."
I almost toppled my coffee. Embry Call was the name of the guy who owned New Moon Publishing and my new boss.
"What?"
Edward set his cup down on the nightstand before he spoke again. "I'm done with Volturi. I liked them when you and Marcus were there, but the new editor they set me up with was horrible. She was rude and overly suggestive, and I had no contractual obligation to them anymore, so I moved on. I researched New Moon after you mentioned applying there, and I talked with Embry for a while. He seems like a decent guy."
I didn't know what to think. Was the only reason I got the job there because I was dating Edward? Had he even mentioned me to them?
As if he could read my mind, Edward was quick to assure me that he hadn't mentioned me at all when he was talking to them. He'd just told them he needed a change and that he'd heard good things about the smaller company.
I felt better upon hearing that. I didn't want to get a job because of the person I was dating.
"It's up to you if you want to tell him that you're dating me," Edward told me.
I figured I would once I started. Best to let my boss know that I was dating one the company's clients.
Five hours later, I was standing in the living room of a beautiful apartment in one of the classier neighborhoods of Seattle. Esme was talking to the realtor, a friend of hers, while I wandered around the living room. It was amazing, and the second I'd walked in, I'd wanted it. However, there was no way I could afford to live there. It just wasn't feasible.
"Well, what do you think?" Esme asked, approaching me.
"I love it!" I gushed. "But, there's no way I can afford it. Not right away anyway."
"About that ..." Esme began, and I looked at her.
"Esme!"
She held up a hand, effectively shutting me up, as she explained that the landlord owed her a favor, and the man was willing to cut the rent in half for the first six months. My mouth fell open in disbelief. It was too good to be true, and that had me worried.
"But—"
"Bella, sign the lease, at least for the first six months. I can guarantee you won't find a better deal," Esme told me.
So, I did just that. I signed a six month lease and put half of the first month's rent down.
"Now, you need some furniture," Esme said as we left the building.
"Oh, I've got stuff in storage in New York. I'll just have it sent here," I told her, still in disbelief that I held the keys to the awesome apartment in my hand.
As we reached Forks, I asked her if she could drop me off at Edward's, and she was more than willing. I thanked her and waved goodbye as I got out of her car and climbed the steps to Edward's porch.
I rang the doorbell and waited impatiently for him to open it.
"Hey," he said, wrapping me up in a hug.
I loved his hugs. I'd missed them when we'd been apart.
I hugged him back and told him that I'd found a place to live.
"That's fantastic!"
Pulling out my phone, I showed him pictures that I'd taken of the place and told him how his mother had pretty much coerced me into getting it. He didn't seem surprised at all that Esme had talked me into it and promised that he'd help me move my stuff in.
"Do you want to come over for dinner?" I asked him. "Charlie's working late again, and I was thinking of making steak and potatoes."
"I'd love that. Thank you," he said sweetly before pressing a kiss to my lips.
"Excellent. Now, I need to hit up the grocery store. Would you mind dropping me off at Charlie's?"
"Why don't we just go to the store together and then head back to Charlie's?" he asked.
"Are you sure? I don't want to distract you from your writing anymore than I already have."
"Babe, it's fine," he assured me.
I'd forgotten what it was like to grocery shop with Edward. It was like going to the store with a small child. The second my back was turned, something that wasn't on my list was added to the cart. It was usually junk food.
I let out a sigh as I saw a bag of Oreos sitting in the cart.
"Edward!"
"What? I like cookies," he muttered with a pout.
"Fine, but no more!"
Forty minutes, and several pouts later, we checked out and headed to Charlie's.
After I put the groceries away and gathered the ingredients I'd need for dinner, I sat Edward down with a potato peeler and a bowl of potatoes.
"Start peeling," I instructed.
"Yes, ma'am."
We worked in comfortable silence, and I enjoyed just knowing that he was there.
A few hours later, we sat down to a wonderful meal, at least judging by the way Edward was shoveling it in.
"This is fantastic," he said through a mouthful of food. "I haven't eaten a home cooked meal in forever."
I raised an eyebrow at that. "Weren't you just at your mother's last week?"
"Well, yeah, but Dad cooked. It wasn't that great."
After dinner, Edward insisted on cleaning up, and who was I to argue. I ran upstairs to put some comfortable pj's on and to find a movie for us to watch when the doorbell rang.
"Can you get that?" I hollered.
"Sure," he called back.
I heard him open the door, and then, I heard a voice that I hadn't heard in forever.
"Who the fuck are you and where the hell is my daughter?"
....
a/n: Yeah, so it's a little cliffie. Next chapter is already started, and I hope to have it done sooner rather than later. As always, I love hearing what you have to say.