Chapter 1 April 13, 2009

"Come on Masen, you don't have to screw her, just come hang out with us." Edward
looked at Jazz and sighed as he buttoned up his light blue shirt. He turned tow
ard his locker, grabbed his watch, and buckled it onto his left wrist.
"I'm not staying long," Edward stated as he stared into his best friend's eyes.
They were two very different men from very different back grounds, but they had
hit it off the moment that they met. Jazz had been traded over to the Cubs from
the Houston Astros the year before. Edward had known who he was before the trade
but never had the opportunity to talk to him until they were on the same team.
It was then that they became great friends.
Edward was what some considered a playboy since he liked to go out and have a go
od time with the ladies but in all honesty he didn't always do the things he was
accused of. A little over a year ago he had gotten caught with two women while
out on the road and ever since then, the media had been having a field day with
him and he was getting sick of the bogus reports of all the women he was suppose
dly dating or screwing.
If only he could turn back time and take away that one night. He had been out wi
th some guys from the team and they were drinking. He swears that someone had to
have put something in his drink because he didn't remember leaving the bar with
the two women, and he sure as hell didn't remember doing anything with them, bu
t he woke up in bed with them both to a knock on his hotel room door. It was a r
eporter.
Edward tries to live a low-key life now. He has one girl that he sees whenever h
e's in San Diego, but it's definitely not a relationship, well he wouldn't say i
t is. He isn't celibate, that's for sure, though he also isn't with a different
girl each night of the week. Though he enjoys the anonymity of the one-night sta
nd, he will occasionally hang with a girl for about a week or so, but he's alway
s very private about everything. He's very discreet you have to be in his line o
f work.
Jazz is the total opposite. He hardly ever hooks up with anyone. The few times h
e has given in are due to Edward's girl in San Diego who likes to set him up wit
h friends of hers. But his lack of getting laid wasn't because he lacked the loo
ks. He was one of the hottest pitchers in baseball in more ways than one. He jus
t didn't care for meaningless sex with strangers. And now he didn't even conside
r hooking up a possibility at all. He was no longer a free agent, he'd met someo
ne.
"Not a problem. I only promised Alice that you'd be there, not that you'd stay."
Edward ran his hands through his hair as he thought about Alice. She was a prett
y little thing, not quite five feet tall, and full of energy. Jazz had met her o
ver the winter break and they had been inseparable ever since. She even came dow
n for Spring Training, annoying Edward to no end. It wasn't that he didn't like
Alice as a person it was just that he didn't think she was interested in Jazz fo
r the right reasons.
Edward didn't like the way Jazz and Alice had met and he thought she was only da
ting him because of who he was. The night they met, she had walked up to Jazz in
a bar and flat out told him that she had been waiting a long time for him. If t
hat wasn't a stalker, Edward didn't know what was.
Alice worked in retail, of all things, and that bugged Edward. She was probably
making minimum wage and saw an opportunity to bag a rich man. He'd seen too many
 girls try this out on him, let alone many other guys on their team. He's tried
to warn Jazz, but he just wouldn't listen. He gave Edward the whole spiel on lov
e and sparks along with something about destiny.
To make matters worse, Jazz and Alice were now setting him up with Alice's best
friend. Edward knew he should gracefully decline, but there was something about
Jazz and his ability to influence him Edward gave in every time.
"Good game, Masen."
Edward turned his gaze to Newton, the first baseman on their team, "Thanks man,
you too." They didn't get along that well because Edward thought Mike was very d
isrespectful to women. Edward might play the field, but Mike demolished it. He w
as the kind of man-whore that the media should be warning the general public abo
ut.
Mike would get with two or three girls in a night sometimes, always using some s
orry ass lines that the girls fell for every time, and he would use them and the
n drop them so fast they never knew what hit them. Him and some other guys from
the team enjoyed betting on who they could get in the sack and what things they
could get the women to do. They even went 'hogging', where they competed to slee
p with the heaviest girl they could find. Edward thought it was disgusting that
they would treat women that way.
At least Edward always treated the women he slept with respectfully and never di
sclosed personal information of who, when, where, what nothing of the sort. Ever
ything he did with a lady was private, even Jazz didn't know much about Edward's
personal life when it came to women.
"You two heading out?" It was hard to avoid Mike. He followed Edward and Jazz ar
ound like a lost little puppy. When they are out on the road, it isn't so bad fo
r them to let him trail along, but at home in Chicago it wasn't going to happen.
"Nah, not tonight, Newton," Edward said wearily.
Jasper had turned his back to avoid having to talk with the Cubs' first baseman,
hence avoiding an awkward situation if he did find out their plans. The Cubs ha
d just won their home opener against the Colorado Rockies and a lot of the guys
were getting together at a bar somewhere downtown. Edward and Jazz would be head
ing out to a bar as well, but they were hoping to avoid the hassle of being arou
nd the rest of their single teammates.
Once Newton had left the men alone, Jazz looked over to Edward and watched as he
placed a quarter-size amount of hair gel on his hands before rubbing it through
his wild tangle of hair. His own hair could probably use a bit of gel, but he w
as itching to get out of the stadium to meet up with Alice.
"Come on Masen, quit stalling," Jasper quipped as he picked up the discarded tow
els on the floor at their feet. He strode off toward the laundry bins, leaving E
dward alone to finish getting ready.
Once alone, Edward silently thought of the evening before him. They had plans to
meet up with Alice and her friend at a bar named 'Days End' for dinner and drin
ks. If that went well, maybe they'd even dance a little. But Edward still didn't
like the idea of being set up on a blind date. He was one of the stars of the C
ubs, for crying out loud. He didn't need his best friend pimping him out as if h
e were some loser who couldn't get a date.
He looked in the mirror as he attempted to tame his crazy, auburn hair. He was d
efinitely not bad looking. He knew that by all the crazy female and sometimes ma
le fans that threw themselves at him all the time and the one thing that they al
l seemed to love about him the most was his unruly hair.
Shaking his head at his untamable locks, Edward grabbed a black beanie from his
locker and placed it on his head, covering up the one thing that made him so rec
ognizable when he was out in public. He may have to go out on this blind date, b
ut he didn't want to be noticed tonight. With the Cubs' win, the bars would prob
ably be packed, even on a Monday evening.
He grabbed his thick black leather jacket and tucked his sun glasses in one of t
he pockets before he headed out to meet up with Jazz in the long hallway. He wou
ld give his friend this one chance to set him up with this girl. Jazz had been t
alking to him about this for weeks, and as much as he fought against this very t
hing, he had gotten suckered into it.
Edward didn't date for a reason he was too well known in Chicago and since he li
ved there year-round, unlike most of the men on the team, he couldn't get away f
rom being recognized. He didn't want to date a fan. He had been there and it did
n't work out. The beginning of the relationship was good and he really liked Lau
ren, but then he started feeling used as she wanted him to meet everyone she eve
r knew and give them all tickets to the games, and then she had started asking h
im to sign things for her friends.
He didn't mind at first but after a while, he had to wonder why she was ever rea
lly into him, and unfortunately the truth hurt. Lauren liked being with Edward M
asen, the short stop for the Chicago Cubs. She liked the advantage of getting in
to restaurants and clubs that she otherwise wouldn't be able to afford let alone
see the inside of. And she liked being able to tell people that she was his gir
lfriend she got off on that shit.
So Edward had stopped dating, and decided to just enjoy the company of a woman f
or each moment. Discreetly, of course, never anything more than a few dates. Hec
k, he didn't even take them out on dates. He met them at small bars and he spent
the next week or so with them before disappearing. Since he never gave them his
phone number or brought them to his place, there was no way they'd ever meet up
with him again.
If Edward was honest with himself, he would admit that the short-term flings he
engaged in weren't the life he wanted, but it was the life he felt forced to liv
e. He did want something more at one time. He had wanted the relationship with L
auren to last, he enjoyed being in that kind of commitment. But when he realized
that she only wanted him for who he was and what he could get for her, it broke
him. How would he ever be able to trust the intentions of anyone else?
"I hope this place isn't packed tonight Jazz," Edward said as they walked down t
he long hallway towards the exit of the ball park.
"It's Monday night, most people work in the morning."
"We work in the morning too," Edward reminded him. They didn't have a game tomor
row, but they did have plans for an informal practice, and they had to be at Wri
gley Field no later than 10:00 AM.
When they made it out to the parking lot, they headed over to where their cars w
ere parked. Edward opened the door to his Volvo and waited for Jazz to drive ove
r to where he was parked so he could follow him to the bar.
"Masen! Whitlock!" Both men turned towards the sound of their names being called
. Garrett Greene, the Cubs' catcher, approached them with a newspaper in his han
ds. "Masen, did you read the article in the Sun Times this morning?"
"Yeah, I think they actually tried to compliment me," Edward seethed, "but it st
ill came out as an insult." The article was about Edward's chances of making the
All Star team this year, despite the fact that he scored off the field more tha
n he did on it. Why couldn't the media let it go? It had been over a year and he
had been extremely discreet ever since. There were other guys on the team that
led a much more robust sex life than him why weren't they after them?
"You know, there's a little truth in all gossip," Garrett teased.
"Shouldn't you be getting home to Kate?" Edward clipped, Jazz laughing at his si
de.
As they drove to the bar, Edward prepared himself for what he would walk into to
night. He really loathed the idea of being set up with Alice's friend, but he wa
s willing to pleasure her for the night and possibly more if she wasn't bad look
ing. He never asked for a description of his potential lay, he figured a surpris
e was better than trying to figure out Jazz's way of describing females.
So when Edward walked into the bar and saw a tall gorgeous blond sitting with Al
ice, he immediately assumed it was his date and he was excited. She was definite
ly beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his l
ife. She wasn't normally his type, but that didn't matter tonight. He'd show Ali
ce's friend a good time and when she asked Alice why he never called her afterwa
rds, he'd just tell Jazz that he wasn't interested.
But as Edward approached the table where Alice and the hot blond sat, he noticed
a woman off in a corner by the bar trying to pull away from someone. The man gr
abbed her arm and yanked her forward, causing her to spill her beer. When he loo
ked up into her chocolate brown eyes, he was entranced by her beauty. She wasn't
gorgeous like the blond he was about to get lucky with, no, she had a much more
natural beauty about her she was enchanting.
She looked up with desperation all over her face and Edward felt his heart contr
act. He immediately wanted to defend her, protect her from the man whose hands t
hreatened her. He took one step toward the beautiful creature before a large bur
ley man walked over to her and pushed the man away, and then wrapped his arms ar
ound her. He leaned down and kissed the enchantress on the forehead, placed her
behind him, then laid into the man who had been harassing her.
Edward's stomach turned, realizing the woman that had mesmerized him had a boyfr
iend, and not just any boyfriend, but a large intimidating boyfriend; one that h
e had no intentions of ever having to cross paths with. Edward took a deep breat
h, shaking himself out of the daze her warm chocolate brown eyes had placed him
in, and finished his walk over to the gorgeous blond and Alice.
"Edward!" Alice's voice was piercing loud. She threw her arms around him, holdin
g him close in an embrace before pulling him to the table.
"Edward, this is Rosalie," she said while motioning to the blond bombshell in fr
ont of him. "Rosalie, this is Edward."
Edward smiled politely as he shook her hand, but his eyes caught sight of a blur
of mahogany as it dashed behind Rosalie and he turned his head to watch the enc
hanting woman from earlier disappear into the ladies room. "It's a pleasure to m
eet you," he finally said before letting go of the blonde's hand.
Edward sat down next to Rosalie and started talking with her, asking her questio
ns about where she worked and how she knew Alice. It wasn't five minutes into th
eir conversation when the enchantress's boyfriend sauntered over and placed his
large arm around Rosalie and kissed her fully on the mouth. Edward was shocked a
nd confused. He wasn't sure what was going on and he glanced at Jazz, silently a
sking who the bear of a man was.
"I'm Emmett," the huge man said as he extended his hand out to Edward, "Rosalie'
s boyfriend."
"Edward." The men shook hands while Edward contemplated Emmett's words. Rosalie'
s boyfriend? If Rosalie was with him, then who was his date? And what about the
other lady that Emmett had rescued earlier?
He didn't have to wait long to find out as mesmerizing chocolate brown eyes peer
ed at him from across the table, the enchantress had come to join them. Rosalie
immediately leaned over and whispered into the other woman's ear while giving he
r a hug.
"Are you okay Bella?" Alice reached over the table to the enchantress and grabbe
d her hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to Emmett," she said as she shot the burly man a thankfu
l smile.
Edward couldn't stop staring at the woman in front of him as he repeated her nam
e in his head, Bella. She was down right amazing. Her eyes were a deep shade of
chocolate brown and they shimmered from the lighting above the table. Edward lea
ned forward as he stared into her entrancing eyes, his heart thudding against hi
s chest.
"Bella, this is Edward," Alice spoke loudly as she motioned toward Edward, "Edwa
rd, this is our Bella." The way Alice said, 'our Bella' made Edward's heart cont
ract. This was someone very special to Alice and if he ever hurt her, she would
never forgive him. Then Jazz would probably never forgive him for hurting Alice.
Edward reached his hand across the table and as their hands grasped around one
another's they stared into each other's eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Bella said shyly. The way she held her head down
but looked up at him through her lashes sent a surge of desire through Edward's
body.
"It's nice to meet you too, Bella," Edward said unevenly and he was suddenly ang
ered at the soft putty he had become in her presence. No woman had ever had this
affect on him. He always held the upper hand and never did he ever get a hard-o
n over a single look from a plain Jane.
But she wasn't a plain Jane, he had to correct himself. She was far from plain.
Her endearing chocolate colored eyes shined from an inner light, one Edward had
never noticed on another person before. Her soft brown curls hung to the middle
of her back, begging to be touched and wrapped around his fingers. Her soft, pin
k, pouty lips were moist and full, imploring to be kissed. She was far from plai
n she was beautiful.
Conversation droned on at the table as all six of them drank their beer. Edward
kept stealing glances at Bella, watching her facial expressions. Her face held s
uch emotion when she listened to her friends and every time she smiled or laughe
d, Edward's pants got tighter and tighter from the desire within him.
He was sure he was going to get lucky tonight, his only worry now was that he di
dn't think one night with her would be enough. With a girl like Rosalie, one nig
ht would be more than enough, but with Bella? He envisioned a week or maybe two
weeks locked in her arms. He wanted to watch her face as he made her cum. He wan
ted to hear his name called from her lips as she moaned out in pleasure. He had
a feeling that he would never tire from staring into her expressive brown eyes.
A fun song must have come on because Alice and Rosalie both stood up, squealing
as they pulled their men over to the dance floor, leaving Edward alone with Bell
a. They sat at the table, staring at each other in an uncomfortable silence. Edw
ard was suddenly nervous and he berated himself for being so foolish she was jus
t another girl!
"Would you like to dance?" Edward liked to dance and maybe being close to each o
ther would loosen her up, she seemed awfully shy to be close friends with Alice
and Rosalie.
"No," Bella responded quietly, "I don't dance." She looked down at her hands, wh
ich were folded together on the table.
"You don't dance?" Edward asked incredulously.
"Look," Bella said sternly as she lifted her eyes to him. This was a side that s
he had yet to show and Edward liked the confident firmness she was exuding. "I'm
not sure if you've caught on," she continued, "but I think our friends are tryi
ng to set us up."
Edward just looked at her, trying hard to not show any emotion in what she had j
ust revealed. It had just dawned on him that she hadn't been told of the blind d
ate, as he had been. He wasn't worried though, all he would have to do is explai
n to her who he was and she would fall all over him like every other female in t
he Chicagoland area.
"I probably don't have to go into detail about how annoying Alice can be about t
hese things," Bella continued. "I really don't want to deal with her lectures to
night." She looked up into Edward's eyes. "What I'm trying to say is that we sho
uld pretend to enjoy each other's company. Let them think we're getting along an
d having fun. And then," she continued, "tomorrow, when they ask us about each o
ther, all we have to do is tell them that there were no sparks, or butterflies t
hey're big on that stuff."
Edward watched her fidget with the napkin in front of her on the table. She star
ted pulling at it, ripping it into long rectangular pieces. He wondered how he s
hould tell her who he was, he didn't want to come off cocky, but he knew that on
ce she realized he was one of the Cubs' star players, she was sure to have a cha
nge of heart, he just knew it.
"Do you watch baseball?" Edward asked softly.
"Baseball?"
"Yeah, you know, it's a sport. There's a small white ball and a wooden bat . . .
"
Bella rolled her eyes at him, "I know what baseball is, Edward. What does my wat
ching it have to do with anything?"
This was going to be harder than he originally thought. "Are you a Cubs or White
Sox fan?"
"Do I have to pick one over the other?"
Edward was floored. Chicagoans are very particular of the baseball teams they ro
ot for the rivalry was immense. It was rare to find someone who didn't choose on
e team and hate the other.
"You like both teams?" Edward asked incredulously, the corner of his mouth turni
ng up in a smile.
"Rare, I know," she said sarcastically, then she smiled at him, and his world li
t up. Her smile was so refreshing and beautiful. "Did you go to the Cubs game to
day?" She asked innocently.
Edward laughed loudly, "Yeah, I was at the game. Were you?"
"Yes," she smiled slyly, "we went to watch Jazz play."
Alice was suddenly behind Bella, pulling her up out of her chair, "Come on Bella
, dance with me," she pleaded.
Edward leaned back from over the table. At some point he must have leaned in tow
ards Bella, but he didn't remember doing so. Bella smiled at him and rolled her
eyes before responding to Alice.
"Al, you know I can't dance. I'll just end up stomping on your fufi shoes . . ."
"They're Prada," Alice quipped back and then she turned to Edward, "Come join us
if you want." She spoke softly to Edward and Bella didn't get to hear what she
said. Bella's head whipped around to look at him, trying to gauge what Alice had
said from his facial expression.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Bella hissed as Alice pulled her onto the dance
floor.
"Will you relax already?" Alice shot at Bella. Edward didn't hear the rest of wh
at she said, but he watched Alice smile brilliantly as she placed her hands on B
ella's waist and tried to guide her body to the tempo of the music.
Edward sat at the table watching the awkward pair on the dance floor. Alice had
good moves, but Bella, well Bella wasn't lying when she said she couldn't dance.
He laughed a little as he watched Alice try to lead her body and then cringed a
s he saw Bella stomp all over Alice's feet. As he shook his head, he noticed tha
t someone had joined him at the table a bottle blond with large breasts and too
much makeup.
"Hey there Masen," the blond purred as she ran her hand up Edward's arm.
Edward shrugged away from her, "I'd like to be alone," he spat at the blond. Thi
s wasn't something new, just a normal annoyance he had to endure whenever he wen
t out in his home town. Normally, he was more polite, but tonight with Bella pot
entially seeing him with this woman he needed to get rid of her fast.
"Come on, Eddie, I heard you like to have a good time," she slurred at him.
Elated to see Jazz standing near the bar looking at him, Edward stood up from hi
s chair and raised his arm to motion his friend back to their table. Jazz walked
slowly toward them and Edward immediately looked at the blond at his elbow, "If
you don't mind, we'd like some privacy."
Just then Emmett and Rosalie returned to the table and they both stared at the g
irl, who immediately fell shy and walked briskly away from the table toward the
bathroom. "Does that happen to you a lot?" Rosalie asked disgustedly.
"Unfortunately," Edward moaned. His eyes were back on Alice and Bella and he smi
led brightly as he saw Alice stomp her foot down and lecture Bella as she swayed
her hips seductively, trying to get Bella to follow suit. Bella's attempt made
Edward chuckle, but despite her lack in grace on the dance floor, he was still e
nthralled by her.
"I'll be right back," Edward breathed out as he placed his beer on the table and
strode away towards the dance floor.
~GO CUBS~
Bella's back was to the tables and she was very grateful because the thought of
having to see her friends watching her made her squirm. Alice was trying very ha
rd to get her to dance sexually, but she just couldn't get it down right. Alice
grabbed a hold of Bella's waist and ground her body against Bella's as she used
her hands to move Bella's body to the music.
Bella looked down at the floor or at their joined torsos as she tried hard to mi
mic her best friend's movements. She was getting very frustrated and was about t
o slam her foot down on her dear friend's fufi shoes, as Bella liked to call the
m, when she felt another set of hands hold on to her waist from behind. And then
the firmness of a warm body was pressed up against her back.
Alice smiled brightly up at whoever had joined them, took a step away from Bella
, said, "She's all yours," and then walked away. Bella froze, afraid to look beh
ind her to see whose warm hands were sending tingles throughout her body.
"Relax," a smooth voice whispered in her ear, and then his body started moving,
while his hands directed Bella's hips. She took a deep breath and tried hard to
relax as she let herself sink into the warm hard body behind her.
Edward's hands slowly trailed up her torso as he ground against her. She was fin
ally relaxing and letting her body succumb to his direction. "That's right," Edw
ard whispered in her ear, "let your body feel the music." His hands lightly grab
bed both of her wrists and slowly pulled her arms up, placing them behind his he
ad. Bella leaned her head back against his shoulder turning slightly towards the
soft lips that had sent shivers down her spine when he spoke.
Their bodies moved in unison, sensually grinding together with the ease of Edwar
d's direction. Bella had never felt so free when trying to dance. Instead of the
horridly stiff legs that she normally danced with, her body flowed smoothly wit
h Edward's to the rhythm of the music. She felt so wonderful in his arms.
When the song ended, Edward's body stopped moving and Bella turned around to loo
k up at him she was only five feet four inches, compared to Edward's six-two. "T
hank you, that was," but she couldn't find the word to finish her sentence.
"Amazing," Edward softly finished for her. She smiled up at him then grabbed his
hand and walked with him out of the sea of dancing bodies.
"That was perfect, Edward," she gleamed up at him. "Alice is going to be so happ
y now. I appreciate you playing along." Bella felt Edward's body stiffen and she
looked up to see his eyebrows furrowed together and a scowl on his face. She he
ld tightly to his hand and continued to follow him through the onslaught of peop
le, wondering what had caused his mood to change.
When they returned to their table, Edward asked Bella if she'd like another beer
. She nodded yes and then he walked briskly to the bar. Bella sat down and liste
ned to the conversations around her. Emmett was talking with Jazz about the game
and she immediately started to worry.
Emmett had been Bella's high school boyfriend back in Forks, WA, and that was wh
ere she developed her love for baseball. Both Emmett and her dad, Charlie, were
huge Mariners fans and she couldn't get out of watching the games with them. Her
mother never understood the pull that baseball had for her, because she was so
clumsy and could never play, but Bella loved it because it was a way for her to
share something with the two most important men in her life Charlie and Emmett.
A lot had changed since high school. Emmett was no longer Bella's boyfriend and
both of her parents were dead. They had died in a car accident three years befor
e, which left Bella with nothing. She didn't have any family left in Forks and t
hough she had good friends in Seattle, where she lived, she longed for the compa
nionship of her best friend, Emmett.
They were no longer dating when her parents had died, but they had kept in touch
throughout the years and when Emmett asked her to move to Chicago to be near hi
m, she didn't hesitate one bit to accept. She didn't have any notions of getting
back with him, she just needed his friendship, and she had felt so alone withou
t her parents in the world.
After moving to Chicago, Bella got a job as a research analyst in the Corporate
Intelligence department of PWC. She started on her MBA shortly after and was jus
t about to finish it, which would open up more opportunities for her in her care
er field. She was a damn good researcher and had already moved up as far as she
could without the completion of her MBA. She was looking forward to the challeng
es that lay ahead of her.
But one thing didn't change her love for baseball. She was still a Mariners fan
through and through, but upon coming to Chicago, she started watching both the C
ubbies and the Sox play. Emmett insisted that she had to choose a team she could
n't root for them both and if he had his way, she would choose the Cubs. But Bel
la enjoyed baseball so much that she liked watching both teams and she enjoyed t
he competitive natures between the fans.
One of the odd quirks about Bella though, was that the researcher in her never s
topped searching for information. She knew everything about both teams all their
players and their stats, which players were on the injured roster, which were c
oming up from the minors, best batting averages, ERA's, etc. She kept up with al
l the latest info, as well as all the gossip.
She read the sports page from both Chicago papers just as thoroughly as she read
the Wall Street Journal. She and Emmett enjoyed discussing the players and thei
r statistics just as much as the player's social lives. They had season tickets
to the Cubs four seats behind the visitor's dugout and they never missed a game,
except when Bella had classes. And though Rosalie wasn't as into baseball as th
e two of them, she joined them when she could, which added a whole new dimension
to the game. She loved watching the games, but was more into heckling the playe
rs and engaging in the not-so-friendly banter with other fans. Bella enjoyed lis
tening to her good friend go crazy so she loved it when Rosalie was able to make
it to the games.
Coming to the bar to meet up with Alice after the game today, had been a last mi
nute decision on Bella's part. Alice had been begging her to join her and Jazz,
but Bella was hesitant to delve into more of the baseball world her mother had t
ried and was miserably burned. And though Bella liked watching the games and adm
iring the players from afar, she didn't want to get to know them on a personal l
evel, they weren't the kind of people she wished to associate with. And as she h
esitantly decided to come to the bar tonight, she worried that Jazz would bring
someone from the team with him.
She liked Jazz. He was so caring and sweet to Alice and he was very nice to Bell
a, Emmett and Rosalie when they all had first met him. He was always eager to ta
lk about sports with Emmett, but Bella shied away from baseball talk around him
she didn't want him to think she was a freak. Most girls weren't into baseball a
s much as Bella was heck, most guys weren't into baseball as much as she was.
Deciding to let her world clash with Jazz's world was a hard decision, but she j
ust couldn't say no to her beautiful, pixie friend. She had met Alice at a coffe
e shop named Cosi downtown one day during her lunch break. They were next to eac
h other in line and Alice just started talking to her and they ended up sitting
with each other while they ate. They hit it off so well that they started meetin
g up for lunch as often as possible, sometimes going back to Cosi, but also hitt
ing other great spots as well. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
When Alice told her that she had met Jazz, Bella was ecstatic, but she worried a
bout her friend because he was a baseball player and if anyone read the news, th
ey would know that being on the road provided many opportunities for their heads
to be turned. And as much as Bella liked Jazz, she didn't think he was the best
thing for her pixie, especially since he was good friends with Edward Masen, th
e Cubs' wonderful playboy. The stuff she read about him was just atrocious, she
could never understand how a nice man like Jazz could ever be friends with the l
ikes of Edward Masen it baffled her.
So when Bella had walked over to Alice at the table earlier in the evening, she
was so shocked to see Edward sitting with them, she barely spoke and only stole
quick glances at the Cubs' handsome short stop. She had seen him in person befor
e but she hadn't taken the time to really appreciate him until now he was better
looking than she ever got a glance of at the games or had seen in pictures.
As the night wore on, Bella realized that Alice had every intention to set her u
p with Edward and she just couldn't have that. Under any other circumstances, sh
e would have been elated to be set up with someone as gorgeous as Edward, but sh
e knew his reputation. He was the reason she was so leery of Alice dating Jazz.
He had no respect for women and obviously none for himself as well he was a woma
nizing prick.
A cold bottle of beer was placed on the table in front of Bella and she looked u
p to see the cocky grin of the Cubs' short stop. She smiled politely up at him.
"Thank you," she whispered before taking a swig. Edward sat in the chair next to
her and draped his arm across the back of hers. The warmth from his arm emanate
d onto her back and she fought the desire to lean back to feel his arm against h
er shoulders.
Peeling herself away from the conversation, she made her way over to the bathroo
m. Once inside, she looked in the mirror and shook her head. How did you get in
this situation? She mused to herself. Of all the people that Alice could try to
set her up with she had to pick the one person Bella would never go for.
After she straightened out her clothes and fixed her hair, Bella took a deep bre
ath and stepped out of the bathroom, only to be confronted by some slimy drunk m
an. He was tall and skinny and had black greasy hair. He was definitely not Bell
a's type, not only that, he was a bit too forward. He kept putting his hands on
her and leaning in too close. Bella glanced over to her table in search of Emmet
t, but he wasn't there. Her eyes darted around the room and she found him on the
dance floor with Rosalie. Shit! She stood tall and pushed the man's hands away
from her. "Leave me alone," she said forcefully. She tried to take a step, but h
e wouldn't back off as he stepped to the side to stop her.
"Come on baby, just one dance," he slurred as he grabbed hold of her arm.
Bella pulled her arm free and was about to lay into him when a warm arm went aro
und her shoulders. She looked up to see Edward's face coming towards hers and th
en, out of no where, his lips were on hers. Bella was so shocked at first that s
he just stood there but, as his mouth moved against hers, heat soared through he
r body and she started moving with him. When she felt his tongue graze over her
bottom lip, her heart quivered and she opened up to let him in. Their tongues fo
und each other and she felt Edward groan into her mouth.
Her hands reached up and grabbed the back of his head, removing the beanie that
he had been wearing all night, as her right hand grabbed a fist full of his gorg
eous tangled hair. It was still damp from being stuffed under the hat and she ga
sped from the pleasure his silky hair gave her hand.
When Edward's lips trailed down to her neck, Bella forced her eyes to open and n
oticed that the offensive man had left them alone. She placed her hands one of w
hich still held Edward's hat on his shoulders and lightly pushed him away.
"He's gone," she rasped out in an unsteady voice.
Edward's lips didn't stop their exploration of her neck, so she pushed harder an
d spoke louder. "Edward, he's gone."
"Hmmm?"
"The skinny, greasy guy, he's gone."
Edward reluctantly pulled his lips away from Bella's neck and when she looked up
into his eyes, she was captivated. His beautiful green orbs sparkled down on he
r and her breath caught in her throat from their beauty. Inside, her heart pound
ed as something stirred deep within.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"I know it's not the way Emmett would have handled it, but . . ."
"No, its okay," she said as she let him grab hold of her hand and lead her back
to the table. "I appreciate the help, he was a real creep."
As the two of them walked back, they both noticed the new arrivals at the same t
ime and their bodies simultaneously tensed. Bella was shocked to see even more o
f the Cubs players sitting with her friends and she wanted out of the situation
fast. The last thing she wanted was to get tangled into their world or worse end
up in the newspaper as Edward Masen's latest fling.
"Hey there Masen," Yorkie called out as they approached the table.
Edward's face became stone as he stared at the three uninvited nuances. Bella kn
ew all the players that awaited them and she cringed, thinking about how annoyin
g she always thought they were. Mike Newton got up and pulled a chair over from
another table, motioning to it for her to sit. She looked up at Edward, question
ing him with her eyes, wondering why his body was so tense. When Jazz and Alice
excused themselves and headed off to the dance floor, Edward took a seat next to
Bella and placed his arm around her possessively. She didn't mind it though; it
made her feel safe, in a way.
"You gonna introduce us to your friend, Masen?" Tyler Crowley, one of the out fi
elders for the Cubs leered at Bella and it made her feel dirty.
"Bella, this is Eric, Mike, and Tyler," Edward said shortly.
Bella nodded her head at each one and then leaned in closely to Edward. For some
 reason she didn't feel very comfortable around these men. She knew everything a
bout them, every statistic of theirs from the previous season and every little t
idbit of their personal lives that had been reported. As she sat and listened to
the men have a conversation, she started to wonder why the media was so fixated
on Edward being a playboy when she knew that these three were just as slutty, i
f not worse than him. She didn't know why, but the three of them made her feel s
ick to her stomach. There was just something about them; they were rude, cocky,
and disgusting with their speech. Bella shook her head as she tried to focus on
the conversation.
"Come on Masen, you want to make it a bet?" Mike was goading Edward but Bella wa
sn't sure about what.
"We'll see Newton," Edward said coolly, and Bella looked at his profile as she t
ried to gauge what was going on between the two players. She never would have gu
essed that they didn't get along until now.
"What's that?" Bella asked curiously as Edward glanced down at her and sighed.
"Edward might be able to score off the field," Mike laughed. "But on it I've got
him beat." He was way too arrogant for Bella's liking, and from what she could
remember, Mike was just as much of a player as Edward, probably even more so.
"Hmmm," Bella thought out loud, "If I recall, your average last year was barely
over .250 and you didn't do much better in spring training." Bella looked at Mik
e pointedly and leaned in towards him. "Edward had a .321 average last year and
currently has the highest batting average in the National League, I don't doubt
for a moment that he will make the All Star team in July."
Tyler and Eric laughed uncontrollably, which caught Bella's attention. "And what
are you two laughing at? You only batted .260 last year Tyler, and Eric, your E
RA could have been better it was 3.91!" Both of the men stopped laughing and all
four men stared at Bella.
Bella felt Edward's body stiffen as he took his arm away from around her shoulde
rs. She looked over at him and she saw the anger on his face. She hated that she
had been falsehearted with him earlier when they talked about the game, but she
really didn't want him to think she was some sort of crazed fan she was trying
to play it cool. She didn't even let Jazz know about her obsession with baseball
.
Bella stood up from the table and looked down at the Cubs players, who still see
med to be shocked by what she had just blurted out. "It was nice meeting you all
," she said nervously. She turned her head to look at Edward and she winced at t
he pain and anger she saw in his eyes. "Goodbye All Star," she said sadly as she
stared into his melon green eyes, and then she slowly walked out of the bar, ne
ver once looking back.
Chapter 2 April 17, 2009
Edward stretched out on the field as he watched the crowd around him. Many fans
came to the park early in order to watch their favorite players warm up and also
try for a picture or autograph. It was Friday afternoon and the second game of
a four game series against the St. Louis Cardinals the Cubs' largest rivalry, be
sides the White Sox. Since St. Louis was so close to Chicago, many Cardinals fan
s made the journey to come and cheer their team on, and he could see that today
was no different the stands were starting to show a little too much red for his
taste, even more than he saw yesterday.
Carlisle Cullen, the Cubs' second baseman, approached Edward with a smirk on his
 face. "Need a hand?" He asked casually. Edward smiled and lay back on the field
lifting his left leg a little. Cullen grabbed Edward's leg while kneeling on th
e ground in front of him, and slowly pushed it up over Edward's body.
The sounds of mingling fans echoed in Edward's ears as him and Cullen partnered
up in other stretches, barely speaking a word to each other. Out of the corner o
f Edward's eye, he caught a glimpse of short brown spiked hair bouncing up and d
own in the first row next to the Cubs' dugout Alice.
Alice and Jazz hadn't been too happy to find out that Bella had left the bar alo
ne and without a word to anyone on Monday night. And of course they blamed him,
yet they didn't know what had even happened. Alice should know she's the one who
tried to set him up with a fan, of all people. Jazz had told him he knew Alice'
s friend and that she would be perfect for him had he not figured out in the pas
t year that Edward didn't sleep with fans? Well not crazy psychotic ones anyways
. He normally sought out women who had no clue about baseball, girls who didn't
know who he was it made life easier.
And then, not only was she a fan, but she lied, pretending to not know who he wa
s. She knew who he was alright she knew too much about him and the other players
. She wasn't just a fan; she was an obsessive fan the worst kind.
"You're really tense today Masen, everything okay?" Cullen was looking down at h
im with concern in his bright blue eyes.
"Yeah," Edward groaned, "just got a lot on my mind."
Both men stood and Edward bounced up and down in place a couple of times before
stretching out his arms from side-to-side. Newton ran over to join the pair and
Cullen and Masen rolled their eyes at each other.
"Masen, I think that hottie from the bar the other night has season tickets." Hi
s grin was huge, his gray-blue eyes looking over at the first row behind the vis
itor's dugout.
"Why would you think she has season tickets?" Edward asked, trying to sound unaf
fected as he glanced in the direction Newton's eyes were focused.
"She was in the same seat during Wednesday and Thursday's games, but I think she
has a boyfriend big guy too."
Edward's body tensed as he spotted the mahogany haired enchantress and boy did s
he not disappoint she looked even more beautiful than he remembered. She was sit
ting next to Emmett in the first row behind the visitor's dugout, wearing a heav
y green jacket with brown gloves on her hands and a cup of coffee pressed to her
lips as she looked out at the field. It looked to be just the two of them and E
dward wondered where Rosalie was why wasn't she with them? His body stiffened as
he remembered more lies she told him. We went to watch Jazz play. Yeah right, t
o watch Jazz play. Where did she get off?
"Clear your mind Masen," Cullen spoke from his other side, "we've got a game to
play."
Edward shortly glanced in his direction and nodded, letting him know he was focu
sed on the game, and then strode away from them both. He walked over to the dugo
ut and walked down the three steps to grab his favorite bat. After adding on a w
eight and putting on his batting gloves, he stepped out to stand in the on-deck
circle and started swinging. That was something he normally didn't do to warm up
since they always had batting practice before each game, but he wanted to be al
one.
"Edward!"
"Masen!"
"Please Masen, just one autograph!"
He heard his name called and he tried hard to ignore the screams, but they were
right behind him. Why did he think he could be alone so close to the stands? He
kicked the weight off his bat and bowed his head down not wanting to make eye co
ntact with any fans as he walked back into the dugout. He placed his bat in his
bat cubby and sat on the bench. Yeah, he was being a dick to his fans, but he wa
s still stewing over the information he had just learned Bella had season ticket
s. And they were on the first base line expensive season tickets.
Edward saw Jazz run across the field decked out in a uniform that wouldn't get d
irty and the Cubs' blue pullover jacket. He didn't go to the dugout, but to the
stands, and Edward was sure that though he would sign a few autographs, he reall
y was there to give Alice a kiss. She'd been standing there waiting for him, exp
ecting him to come to her.
Edward stared at Bella as he sat in the dugout and he wondered what sort of game
her and Alice were playing. Was Alice's relationship with Jazz part of the ploy
, or was it just a coincidence? He had to find a way to break Jazz and Alice up,
he was definitely sure she was up to no good, not with a best friend like Bella
.
Too bad Bella was so beautiful though, he thought. He really would like a night
or two wrapped in her arms and legs. God, what was it about her eyes? He couldn'
t pull himself away from them. She was on the phone and talking animatedly to th
e person as she looked at her watch. And then, she pulled out a laptop. You've g
ot to be kidding me! She was actually going to do work? Or was she checking the
mlb website, making sure she was up-to-date on the latest stats?
And speaking of work, maybe she didn't have a job not too many people could affo
rd season tickets to the Cubs when they had to miss so much work in order to mak
e most of the games. Then again, no one could afford season tickets if they didn
't have a job. But maybe Emmett paid for them, maybe . . .
Edward's thoughts were interrupted as Jazz joined him on the bench. "You okay do
wn here bro?"
"Fine," Edward clipped.
"You need to relax; we've got a game to play."
"We?" Edward asked, one eyebrow inclined as he looked at his friend who would no
t be pitching today.
Jazz chuckled as he punched Edward softly on the shoulder. "Here," he said as he
pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds, "maybe this will relax you."
As the two of them chewed on the sunflower seeds, they watched the players out o
n the field, still warming up and Edward's eyes kept roaming over to the visitor
's dugout, straying to look up at Bella. She never once got out of her seat in s
earch of an autograph or picture of any of the players at least she wasn't an au
tograph collector, he mused to himself.
"Did you know they had season tickets?" Edward asked Jazz as he nodded his head
in the direction of Bella and Emmett.
"Emmett told me he did," he shrugged. "Maybe Rosalie couldn't come today and Bel
la's using her ticket. I don't think Bella likes baseball all that much," he sai
d while Edward turned his head to stare at him. "She seems to disappear every ti
me the subject comes up."
"Don't be so blind Jazz," Edward clipped, "looks can be deceiving." And with tha
t, Edward got up and walked back into the locker room for some quiet time before
the game started.
As the players lined up for the singing of the national anthem, Edward took one
last look at the mesmerizing woman sitting behind the visitor's dugout and held
his breath. She was looking right back at him and he couldn't take his eyes off
her. As he took the field to start the first inning, he cleared his mind of the
chocolate-eyed enchantress and focused all of his energy on the game.
The game seemed to go by fast and though he was well aware of Bella sitting in t
he stands and watching him when he was up at bat, he was still able to pull off
a couple of hits and an RBI. During the seventh inning stretch, as the crowd san
g its heart out, Edward watched Bella singing and getting into the fun of the so
ng. She really was a beautiful woman, she mesmerized him. If only she wasn't a f
an.
The locker room was pretty rowdy after the game as everyone made plans to go out
. Jazz was heading out on a date with Alice, so Edward decided to hang out with
Garrett for the evening his wife, Kate, was out of town for the weekend. One of
the rookies was heading out with them as well. Edward didn't know him too well y
et, but he knew he was married, so he didn't expect him to be anything like Newt
on and his boys.
James Towne had started the last four games due to the Cubs' third baseman, Hugo
Saldana, being put on the injured list. Towne normally played Short Stop, but c
ould be used anywhere he was needed in the infield. He was brought up from the m
inors this year and played his first major league regular season game on Monday.
Edward got along okay with him, but he thought Towne's wife, Victoria, was a bi
t over the top. She relentlessly flirted with him along with others from the tea
m, and it made him feel uncomfortable. He wasn't sure if he should mention it to
Towne, or just let it go he was still considering what to do.
The three of them decided to go to a small dive bar in Lincoln Park, trying hard
to stay out of the limelight, though Edward had a suspicion that Towne would be
thrilled to end up at one of the many popular night clubs down town. They made
their way into the dingy establishment and found a spot to hang out at the bar,
waiting for a table to open up.
As they talked about the game and the upcoming season, Edward noticed that Towne
was a bit too interested in the females around them, considering he was a marri
ed man. He couldn't understand why someone would marry if they weren't going to
stay faithful and it bothered him.
When a table opened up, the three of them descended on it, staking their claim f
or the evening. And that was when the girls started approaching them. Now that t
hey weren't hidden in the corner by the bar, they had been recognized. Edward co
uld tell that Garrett was very disturbed over the attention he was receiving, bu
t Towne was openly fondling the women, which just attracted more of them to circ
le around.
Normally, Edward would shoo the harpies away, but Towne was encouraging them to
stay. Any other night Edward wouldn't even think twice about a girl that came up
to him, he liked his women ignorant of who he was, but here he was stuck with s
ome girl named Jessica rubbing up all over him.
"So Jessica, what exactly do you do?" He figured he'd make small talk with the g
irl, it was the least he could think to do.
"I'm a secretary," she giggled as she ran her hand up his chest.
Edward looked over Jessica's head to Garrett and rolled his eyes. Garrett looked
so uncomfortable and Edward felt bad for him. He leaned over her head and talke
d loudly so that Garrett could hear him over the noise of the music from the dan
ce floor.
"You don't have to stay, Green."
"You don't mind?" Garrett looked even worse as two more women came to the table,
one of them having eyes just for him.
"Take off," Edward told him. "Next time we'll hang out at my place no women allo
wed." They both laughed before Garrett stood up and ignored the woman who was ab
out to talk to him as he briskly walked out of the bar.
"Why is he such a poor sport?" Jessica slurred in Edward's ear, causing his stom
ach to turn from the feel of her lips on his skin.
He managed to pull himself away from her a little as he tried to make small talk
again, ignoring the comment she made about Garrett. "So what company do you wor
k for?" He was trying to sound interested, but all he wanted to do was high tail
it out of the bar.
"PWC," she said smugly.
"Are you here with friends?" He hoped he could find who she belonged to and dump
her back off with them.
Jessica lifted her head and searched out the bar before pointing to a table not
too far away. "I'm with a group of people from work. One of them's a huge fan, w
anna meet her?"
Edward followed her pointing finger over to a group of people sitting at a table
. There was a tall skinny girl with plain brown hair that was hanging on a guy a
little shorter than she was. There was another girl with short blond hair sitti
ng with them, and another person that he couldn't see very well because they wer
e hiding behind the groping couple.
"Nah, I'm not into the autograph thing," he replied curtly.
"Oh, she wouldn't want that anyways," Jessica slurred, "I don't think she likes
you very much."
"I wouldn't call her a fan then, would you?" Edward chuckled.
"Oh, she's a Cubs fan, I think. Well she likes baseball and goes to all the game
s anyways."
"So why don't you think she likes me?" He wasn't sure why it bothered him, but i
t did. He hadn't done anything to upset the Cubs' fans. He played hard and gave
the Cubs everything he had. He did a lot of charity work in the city and regardl
ess of what the press said, he wasn't as bad of a man-whore as everyone thought
he was.
"I'm not sure. She just wasn't too pleased with the idea of me coming over here.
She said something about regretting my decision and that you weren't worth it."
Jessica started placing kisses on his neck as he craned his head to look back a
t the table.
Edward stared at Jessica's friends wondering which one disliked him so much. He
was disgusted by the way her lips moved over his skin and he just needed to get
her off of him, so he decided to go and meet this friend of hers, in hopes to ge
t rid of Jessica. Maybe if he got in a conversation with this person, she'd get
bored and leave him alone.
But as he stood to leave the table, he got a clear view of the fourth person at
Jessica's table. She was the most striking woman he had ever seen and when she s
miled the way she was now, the whole bar lit up and Edward felt weak in his knee
s. He abruptly sat back down and Towne and Jessica glared at him in confusion.
"Is everything okay?" Jessica asked as her lips found his neck once more.
"Yeah, I just need to use the bathroom." He got up from the table without anothe
r thought and made his way to the back of the bar.
Why did she have to be here? Why couldn't he get away from the mahogany-haired e
nchantress? Was she following him? He ducked into the bathroom, hiding from havi
ng to face her again. What was he doing avoiding a small frail girl? He needed t
o man-up and just go out there and ignore that she even existed. But why did his
chest contract at the sight of her? Why did his dick harden at the thought of h
er gorgeous chocolate brown eyes? Why did she affect him so much?
Angered from the reaction she invoked in him, he strode back to the table where
Towne sat with his two women and was relieved to see that Jessica had disappeare
d. Unfortunately, she wasn't gone for long. She made her way back over to him fr
om the bar with a large pink drink in her hands.
Edward spent the rest of the evening trying to avert Jessica's advances while he
kept glancing up at Bella. He was entranced by the way she laughed, his heart b
eat picking up every time he heard her sweet giggle through the noises around hi
m. And when she looked up and caught him staring, he grew hard from the way she
gazed at him and blushed she looked even more enchanting with the natural pink b
lush on her cheeks.
When a guy wandered over to Bella's table and started talking with her, Edward s
aw red and almost jumped up out of his chair with the intent to turn the man awa
y. He didn't know where the possessiveness came from. Confused by his irrational
reaction, he decided to make out with Jessica to keep thoughts of Bella from hi
s mind. But images of her were stuck in his head he couldn't clear them away. No
t only that, but Jessica was a sloppy kisser and he couldn't stand to continue w
ith it for long. So he glared at the man that held the enchantress' attention, m
entally trying to send the man signals to leave Bella alone.
~GO CUBS~
Bella sat at the table with her good friends from work, trying hard to hide from
the handsome green eyes that kept looking over at her. All she wanted was a nic
e relaxing night out at her favorite bar with her friends. Why did he have to sh
ow up and ruin everything?
When she first noticed him walk into the bar, her heart fluttered as a sense of
warmth spread down her body and into her toes. Seriously? My toes? She knew ever
ything there was to know about him and a lot of it wasn't good. But the way he h
ad kissed her on Monday night, well, she couldn't stop thinking about the feel o
f his lips on hers or the way his tongue entered her mouth slowly and touched he
rs so sweetly. Lord, he tasted so wonderful, a mix of the beer he was drinking a
nd raspberries. Raspberries? Maybe she had just dreamt that up.
Shaking the thoughts of Edward from her mind, Bella tried hard to focus in on th
e conversation around her. Some guy named Jarrod had dropped off at their table
and kept touching her arm, her back, her hair, and even once, her face. She was
beyond annoyed with the guy and about ready to get up from the table and head in
to the bathroom when she looked up into the gorgeous green eyes again.
For someone who had a beautiful woman in his arms, he sure didn't look very happ
y. Jessica was one of the secretaries in Bella's office and she always got the m
en she wanted well for the night anyways. She was the female version of Edward M
asen a perfect match. Why did Bella feel sick to her stomach then to see Jessica
all over him? Stupid Bella, it was just a kiss. Bella's cheeks flamed red as wa
rmth spread down to her toes again from remembering his soft lips on hers.
"Bella?"
The voice belonged to the unwanted visitor at their table, Jarrod. Pulling her a
ttention away from her new favorite shade of green, Bella looked over at Jarrod
with a puzzled expression. "Huh?"
Jarrod's eyes traveled the room to follow the direction of Bella's stare and lan
ded on one of his heroes the Cubs' short stop, Edward Masen. Bella cringed in he
r seat as she saw the look on Jarrod's face, but then her spirits picked up. May
be he'll take off to talk to Edward and leave her be!
"Holy fuck!" Jarrod exclaimed as he jumped out of his seat, staring at Edward as
if he were a god.
Bella's insides turned, that was curse number sixteen. She really detested men w
ho used excessive foul language in normal conversation; it only showed a lack of
vocabulary, which was the same as a lack of intelligence in her opinion. It was
a total turn-off for her . . . well, not entirely. Foul language did have its p
lace in the bedroom. At that thought, Bella's mind strayed back to her memory of
the melon green eyes, soft moist lips, and hard muscular body from Monday night
, resulting in a pool of wetness in her panties.
Bella shot up out of her seat as she watched Jarrod make his way over to Edward'
s table. She was relieved that he finally left her alone and she practically ran
into the bathroom to cool off. She needed cold water on her hands and to start
thinking of knitting or sewing, something, anything other than Edward and the ki
ss!
Arriving back at her table, Bella noticed that Jarrod was still talking with Edw
ard and the Cubs' star short stop actually looked happy to have him there. That
wasn't expected, but she was so glad to be free of him.
Angela, her best girlfriend from work, and Ben, Angela's boyfriend, were getting
a bit too cozy the pains of going out with a friend and her new boyfriend and S
ierra, another co-worker, had disappeared. Searching the crowd, Bella finally fo
und her short blond hair bopping along to the music out on the dance floor with
some other girls. What was the lesser of two evils? Sit with Angela and Ben as t
hey groped each other or injure herself or another as she massacred the latest d
ance moves?
She could easily get lost in the sea of bounding heads, but a trip to the emerge
ncy room wasn't very appealing tonight or any night for that matter. Taking a gl
ance at the love birds, Bella knew she couldn't stay at the table with them she
was too uncomfortable around that type of display. Did he really just grab her b
reast?
Bella's eyes shot up as she realized she was staring, and they landed on the han
dsome melon green ones, again. Heat rose to her face, embarrassed that Edward ha
d caught her in her first official act of voyeurism. His eyes twinkled as he smi
led over at her and she noticed what a captivating smile he had. She had seen it
numerous times on the field, in interviews, in the paper, on the internet . . .
but to have it unleashed on her was another story. She felt every muscle in her
body relax as she stared at him.
"Excuse me," a deep voice sounded in her ear.
Bella jumped at the close proximity of the man. "Oh! I'm sorry, I, um," she star
ed at the dirty blond mop of hair atop a tall skinny man with grayish-blue eyes.
He wasn't attractive, but he wasn't poor looking either. He had a friendly smil
e, although at the moment it showed signs of nervousness too.
"I'm Brad," the deep voice boomed. The voice definitely did not match the body,
and he looked more like a 'Tim' than a 'Brad'.
"Bella," she said as she placed her hand in his.
"I couldn't help notice . . . I mean, I thought maybe . . . well, um . . . would
you like to dance?" His voice, though still deep, cracked at the end of his stu
ttered words.
"Dance," Bella stated, pondering once more the thought of joining the crowd on t
he dance floor. She looked up at Angela and Ben, then back to Brad and smiled. "
Sure, but I must warn you, I'm a horrible dancer."
Brad laughed stiffly as he held his hand out for her. Did he think she was jokin
g? Because she most definitely wasn't . . . Ah well, he'll find out soon enough.
If there was ever a sure way to rid oneself of a suitor, for Bella it was danci
ng. Most of the men she dated dumped her as fast as her foot slammed down on the
ir toes. She refused to dance with men that she really liked for that reason alo
ne. But Edward had enjoyed their dance on Monday, he had called it amazing. And
it was. It was the first time Bella ever enjoyed dancing, and he was the first p
artner she didn't torture by stomping all over his feet. Their bodies moved toge
ther perfectly.
Shaking her head once more from the thoughts of Edward, Bella followed Brad out
onto the dance floor. It was awkward. Within the first few beats of the song, sh
e had already stomped on his toes twice. He cringed as her foot made contact wit
h his for a third time and then his arms extended as he tried to hold her out an
d away from him.
Bella's eyes roamed the crowd, and once more landed on twinkling melon orbs. The
fact that he had been staring at her all night unnerved her, yet what she saw i
n his eyes now made her furious. He was laughing at her. He was laughing at her
awkwardness on the dance floor, she just knew it. How dare he? As her anger esca
lated, she somehow found herself closer to Brad's body and she trampled over his
feet in her defense, they were huge and she tripped over them and started to fa
ll. Brad's arms caught her and held her up-right, flush against his chest.
She tried to pull away from the closeness of their bodies it felt like rubbing u
p against a skeleton. His arms held her tightly though, and she was unable to br
eak free. She relaxed her body, thinking that if she let up, then he would as we
ll. She was right. When she relaxed, so did he, but his hands then roamed down a
nd cupped her ass, squeezing it as he pulled her into his hard erection. Oh shut
 up!
Bella jumped away from pervy Brad, strategically dodging Mr. Bones before dashin
g back to her table. She slunk down in her seat and she hissed at her good frien
d. "What has happened to this place?"
"Are you okay Bella?" Angela disentangled herself from Ben as she leaned over th
e table to reach out and touch Bella's arm.
"Why are all the pervs flocking to our bar? It used to be fun and safe. Now I ha
ve to worry about getting felt-up every time I try to talk to someone."
"Bella?" Brad had followed her back to the table and was now standing over her.
Taking a deep breath in, Bella tried to relax her nerves. The sound of his voice
had made her so tense. "Brad, I'd like to be alone right now," she said sternly
as she looked up at his hovering presence.
"Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?"
Bella was speechless. Did he do something wrong? For real? Leaning over the tabl
e, Bella hugged Angela in a tight embrace as she whispered a goodbye in her ear
and then kissed her cheek. She then stood up and backed away from the table, tur
ning the opposite way from Brad. Without acknowledging his presence or questions
, she strode toward the door of the bar she was going home.
She made it half way across the room before Brad's hand reached out and grabbed
her arm, pulling her around to face him. "Bella, I'm sorry. Whatever I did, I'm
sorry. Please stay, I promise to not make you dance again." He had started to be
g, which just disgusted Bella more.
Before she could bark out a retort, strong arms encircled her waist from behind
as soft lips placed tender kisses along her neck. Bella didn't have to guess who
the arms and lips belonged to. Her body responded to him the same way it had on
Monday night when he rescued her the first time.
"Who are you?" Brad demanded.
Edward's lips never left her skin. He ignored pervy Brad as his hands pulled Bel
la's back closer into his chest. Bella brought one of her arms up and placed it
behind Edward's head, linking her fingers into his silky auburn hair while he su
cked and licked on her skin behind her ear. The feelings running through Bella's
body were sensational. No man had ever made her feel that way too bad it was al
l a show.
Snapping out of her euphoria, Bella pinned her eyes on Brad's. "This is my boyfr
iend, Edward," she said without any hesitation. As she finished her words, Edwar
d's head snapped up and he lifted one of his hands in an offer of a handshake to
the perv.
"Boyfriend?" Brad asked confused. "Why were you dancing with me?"
"You asked?" Bella said questioningly.
"That would be my fault," Edward jumped in, "you see, I did something to make he
r mad, she was just paying me back." He looked down at Bella then, who had turne
d her head to stare up at him, "right love?"
"Right," Bella said uncertainly and then she turned her attention back to the pe
rv. "I'm sorry I used you like that Brad." She tried to make her apology sound s
incere, but she was still too anxious from being in Edward's arms.
After a few minutes of staring at Bella and Edward, which neither were sure if h
e recognized the later, Brad walked away with his head down. Bella turned around
as Edward's arms loosened their hold on her, but they didn't let go of her wais
t.
"Thank you," Bella said shyly, not sure why his arms were still around her. "I s
hould really get going."
"I'll walk you out." Edward kept his left hand on the small of Bella's back as h
e led her through the rest of the bar, out the door, and into the cool April nig
ht.
Bella was unsure of what to do. He said he would walk her out, yet he kept his a
rm around her as they walked down the sidewalk away from the bar. She stopped wa
lking a few yards away and turned to look at him.
"I appreciate you jumping in to help me again," she stammered. "That makes three
times now. I'll have to find a way to pay you back."
"Three times?"
"Monday night at 'Days End', and then tonight with Jarrod and Brad." Bella was s
ure that if it weren't for the fact that Jarrod had recognized Edward, she would
've been stuck with him the whole night.
"Jarrod," Edward sighed, but then he started to chuckle softly. "You have a way
with guys."
There was warmth in his eyes as he quietly laughed at his own joke, and as much
as Bella wasn't a fan of his, she felt her heart soften towards him. Regardless
of how he might treat other women, he hadn't once been inappropriate with her, a
nd as much as she'd hate to admit it, she actually enjoyed his company.
"I'm sorry to pull you away from your friend and Jessica. I'll be okay if you'd
like to go back." Her heart ached at the thought of him kissing Jessica, and she
closed her eyes briefly to fight the urge to beg him to stay and not go back in
.
"My friend?" he asked. "You don't know who he is?"
Bella exhaled loudly, annoyed with him. Of course she knew who he was; he was pl
aying third base in place of Saldana while he was on the injured roster. But he
didn't need to know that she knew. She found out on Monday that he wasn't fond o
f women knowing anything about baseball typical man.
Edward laughed eerily as he watched her face contort with her thoughts. "Of cour
se you know who he is," he bit at her. "Come on, I'll walk you home."
"That's unnecessary," Bella retorted.
"Maybe," he smiled at her, "but what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't wa
lk my girlfriend home?" He was obviously playing with her and Bella didn't know
how to take him. One minute he seemed annoyed with her and then the next thing s
he knew, he was teasing her. He was an enigma.
The air between them was awkward as she nervously walked beside Edward down the
dark street toward her home. Why did he want to walk her home? Would he be expec
ting something when they got there? He did have a reputation, and with the way h
er body reacted to his touch, maybe he had the wrong impression of her. She trie
d to push the thoughts from her mind. She wouldn't allow anything to happen. If
nothing else, he did seem like a gentleman, sort of in a weird way.
"So," Edward began, "how did you get into baseball?"
"Emmett and my dad," Bella replied automatically. "They were constantly watching
the Mariners and if I wanted to be around them, I had to deal with their obsess
ion with baseball." She paused a moment as she remembered how bored she was when
she first started watching the games with them. Everything changed though after
they took her to her first Mariners game that was when she really fell in love
with the sport. "How about you?" Stupid question, she already knew the answer.
A little smirk formed on Edward's face, "why do I get the impression you already
know how I got into baseball?"
"Well, I know that your dad played in college, but he chose a career as an attor
ney instead of playing for the Dodgers when he graduated. You've played ever sin
ce you were four, never missing a season." When he started to chuckle, Bella rem
embered the injury he suffered in college. "Except for your sophomore year in co
llege, you pulled your groin muscle and sat out most of the season."
She really did know too much about him, and now, as she thought about it, she wo
ndered why he'd even want to be alone with her. She sounded like a stalker. She
knew everything there was to know about him, he was crazy to not think badly of
her.
"I'm sorry," Bella said softly, "maybe we shouldn't talk about baseball. I seem
to have an unhealthy obsession with it."
"I wonder why that is," Edward mused quietly as he stared at the street in front
of them.
"I have an addictive personality," she said matter-of-factly. "When I'm interest
ed in something, I go crazy researching everything there is to know about it. I
love details and facts. I gather all the information I can and then I analyze it
, memorizing everything I can. It's sick, I know."
"Are you saying you're obsessed with me?"
"No!" she said a little too adamantly. "I mean," she began softer, "I'm obsessed
with baseball and my team has always been the Mariners, but when I moved here I
started watching the Cubs and Sox, so naturally I got interested and, well, I'm
a researcher that's what I do."
They turned the final corner onto Bella's street and she looked up at the town h
ome she shared with Alice. All the lights were off, indicating that Alice was ei
ther still on her date or staying the night with Jazz. Bella became nervous. She
wasn't sure what Edward's intentions were, but she knew that she wasn't interes
ted in becoming another notch on his belt.
"A researcher? What exactly do you do for a living?"
"I'm a Corporate Intelligence Analyst for PWC. I guess you could call me a corpo
rate spy." She giggled nervously as they started their ascent up the five steps
that led to the front door of her townhome.
"So, this is me," she said quietly, looking down at the cement porch beneath the
ir feet. When he just stood there and looked at her, she felt very uncomfortable
. "Look," she stated sternly, trying to illustrate confidence that she did not f
eel, "I know it would be polite for me to invite you in, but I can't do that. I'
m not sure what you are expecting, but I'm not that kind of girl."
She waited anxiously for him to respond, but time seemed to tick by without eith
er of them saying a word. And then Edward walked across the porch to the bench s
wing that looked out at the quiet street and sat down.
"This is a pretty big house for one person, do you live alone?"
"No," Bella replied as she slowly walked over to the swing. "Alice and I are roo
mmates."
Edward scooted over to one side of the swing and he patted on the other end with
his hand, inviting Bella to join him. "I don't feel much like going home," he s
aid casually, "would you mind humoring me with conversation?"
"Do I humor you?" She wondered what he meant by that. Did he find her life so pa
thetic compared to his upscale living and fame? She was oddly offended, yet didn
't have the energy to react as such she was too nervous to play out any other em
otions.
"Not at all, I just figured you were bored with me. After all," he winked at her
, "you know everything there is to know about me." His famous crooked grin grace
d his face and again, she reacted to it much as she did earlier in the evening.
Her heartbeat picked up and warmth spread throughout her body down to the tips o
f her toes. Why hadn't she noticed how enticing his smile was before tonight?
"So, tell me something about you I don't know."
"That could be tough," he teased her, "you seem to be an excellent researcher. H
ow about you tell me what you don't know about me and I'll fill you in on what y
ou're missing."
Bella saw the gleam in his eye as he spoke to her but she was unsure what to mak
e of it. Edward Masen acted so different than what the media had always portraye
d him to be. The Cubs' playboy actually had a personality. And not only did he h
ave one, but it was an intoxicating one, one that Bella enjoyed very much.
"Okay," she started as she thought of something that she didn't know about him.
She knew his favorite color blue as well as his favorite food, movie, book, song
, band, vacation spot. There really wasn't much she didn't know about him. She h
ad to try harder, there had to be something.
"Fantasies," Bella whispered as she thought of what she didn't know about him. A
blush came over her face, and she was thankful that it was dark out, thinking t
hat Edward wouldn't notice, but he had. "Forget that," she amended as she heard
him chuckle.
"Oh, I know something." She sounded excited. "I don't know too much about your c
hildhood. I mean, I know about your love of sports and how you played everything
under the sun, and excelled at it all, but what about other stuff? You couldn't
have only played sports. You must've been interested in other things too."
"I play the piano," Edward said quietly and Bella silently swore to herself she
knew that.
"This sucks," Bella said out loud.
"What?"
"I knew that." Her voice was sad and she scrunched up her nose as she thought of
anything else she might not know.
"Do you know that I compose music too?"
Bella's head shot up to look at him. "No, I didn't know that." She was suddenly
excited, happy to find out something new about him. "Do you still compose? It mu
st be hard to find the time during the season."
"It is," he replied tenderly as he watched the emotions running along Bella's fa
ce. "I haven't composed in a long time, but my fingers have been itching to get
back on the keys. I've got a new song playing in my head right now, actually."
"Really? Can you sing it for me?"
Edward laughed uncomfortably and Bella wondered if maybe he was shy about that p
art of him. He fidgeted with the seam along the side of his jeans as he looked o
ut at a group of people swaggering along the sidewalk, making their way home fro
m a bar.
"How about if I give you a rain check? And I'll do one better. I'll play it for
you some day."
Bella smiled up at him and she wondered silently how that side of him hadn't bee
n reported by the media. Ever since she had started following the Cubs, she had
always read about his extra-curricular affairs with women. That was the only thi
ng that was ever reported about him, other than what he did on the field and the
occasional charity event he attended.
"So," Edward started, "it looks like Alice is still out with Jazz."
"Yeah, she'll probably stay the night at his place." She hadn't realized that he
r words came out a little bitter, but Edward noticed.
"You don't like Jazz?"
"Huh?"
"The way you said that, it sounded like you don't like him."
"No, I like him." Bella thought carefully about what she had to say. She didn't
want to insult him, but she wasn't going to mask how she really felt either. "I
just don't think he's the right guy for her."
"Hmm, it seems that we have something in common."
"We do?" Now Bella was offended. Why didn't he like Alice? Alice was wonderful.
She was the most caring and loving person she knew. She was a ball of energy wai
ting to explode, but when she loved, she loved unconditionally. She would never
betray or hurt Jazz, she was great for him, and for everyone she loved especiall
y her.
"You have to admit that the way they met is a bit suspect," he said hesitantly a
s he watched Bella's expression.
"Suspect?"
"Come on Bella," he groaned, "she walked up to him in a bar and told him that he
had kept her waiting for too long."
Bella laughed. She remembered the whole thing so vividly. From the first look th
at Alice got of Jazz at a Cubs game one day, she had been smitten. Alice fell in
love at first sight, without even knowing who he was. After that, she did becom
e a bit stalkerish. She googled the poor guy and grilled Bella for all the infor
mation she had on him. Then she read an article in a magazine about how he frequ
ented a certain bar in Chicago, so Alice started to hang out at the bar any time
the Cubs were in town. It took a couple of months of her sitting at the bar wai
ting for him, but one day he finally walked in. Alice had given up all hope that
he would show up, it was the off season after all, but there he was, and she wa
lked right up to him and grabbed a hold, never looking back.
"Okay, I admit she played the part of stalker very well. But you have to underst
and, Alice has a way of knowing things." When Edward gave her a skeptical look,
she figured she had to defend her friend some more. "She truly loves Jazz, Edwar
d. I don't suspect for a moment that her feelings aren't genuine."
They sat together swinging in the dark, neither of them making a sound as they b
oth thought about their best friends. Neither of them liked the relationship, bu
t for different reasons, and now they both wondered about the other side of the
story.
"So what about Jazz?" Bella asked harshly. "What are his intentions with Alice?"
"The guy's a love-sick schmuck," Edward drawled out, mimicking Jazz's accent.
"If I ask you something, would you tell me the truth?"
"Yeah, what do you want to know?"
"I've read a lot about baseball players and their extra-curricular affairs," Bel
la cleared her throat, trying to get her meaning across. When she saw the acknow
ledgment in Edward's eyes, she continued. "Does Jazz play the field when you're
on the road?"
"No."
"Before he met Alice?"
"He wasn't chaste, Bella, but he didn't sleep around a lot either. Not like . .
." Edward stopped his thought and Bella wondered what he was going to say.
"Not like you?" She regretted her words as quickly as they left her mouth. She n
oticed the way he withdrew from her. She even felt a cold chill run down her spi
ne as his body shifted away from her on the swing.
"I should get going," he said coolly as he stood up from the swing, looking down
on her.
Standing up slowly, Bella forced her eyes to meet his. "I'm sorry Edward. That w
as unkind of me."
Edward's lips pressed together in a taut line and Bella could tell that she real
ly angered him she felt guilty. "I'll see you around." He abruptly turned and wa
lked down the porch before descending the stairs. Bella watched his form as he w
alked down the sidewalk. She didn't open up her door and walk into her house unt
il he was no longer visible under the light of the moon.
Chapter 3 April 18, 2009
"Bella!" Alice's shrill, high-pitched voice filled their townhome as she screech
ed at Bella to wake up. "I don't want to be late!"
Covering her head under her pillow, Bella moaned out in displeasure before final
ly rolling out of bed. It was nine in the morning and the Cubs game against the
St. Louis Cardinals didn't start for another five hours. The players didn't even
need to be at the field this early!
"Why do you insist on being the first one at the park?" Bella moaned as she stom
ped into the kitchen nook to pour herself a cup of coffee. She had to admit that
the sweet aroma of the vanilla and cinnamon coffee was very enticing, and thoug
h she preferred her coffee to be plain black, she was looking forward to trying
this different concoction. She plunked herself down into a chair next to Alice a
nd began to rub the sleep from her eyes.
"Today is knit cap day! We need to get to the park early so we can each get one.
"
There was a little cartoon short Bella had seen years ago about a jackalope that
couldn't stop bouncing. Or was it bounding? Either way, Alice reminded her of t
hat jackalope. "You do know that it's going to be in the high seventies today, r
ight?" She loved her friend, but sometimes she wondered how much she thought abo
ut things like knit caps in 70 degree weather.
"You're so pessimistic. You know I like to get all the free goodies at the games
." Alice pouted across the table from her, causing Bella to roll her eyes as she
picked up a muffin that sat on a plate in the center of the table.
As delicious as the muffin looked, it had nuts in it. So, she picked at the thin
g, pulling out the yummy goodness of the banana flavored muffin, desperately try
ing to salvage as much of it as possible without getting a nut into her mouth. "
Thanks for making these," Bella choked out while chomping down a large chunk of
muffin.
The best thing about living with Alice wasn't the fact that she was a neat freak
and kept the house extra tidy, nor was it that she was very courteous about how
loud she was at night or the fact that she always asked permission to have a fr
iend over. Those were all wonderful qualities in a roommate; but for Bella, the
wonderful goodness that Alice created in the kitchen was the best part of living
with her.
"So, Jazz is pitching today," Bella knew that though Alice enjoyed going to all
the Cubs games, she got bored very easily if Jazz wasn't pitching. Before she st
arted dating the Cubs' pitcher, she attended many of the games with Bella, using
the extra ticket that she and Emmett usually had from their set of four. Her in
cessant whining about how slow the games moved were easily ignored and the surro
unding fans had fun teasing the adorable beauty.
"Will you sit with me today?"
"What? No."
Jazz had given Alice two tickets right behind the Cubs' dugout. By far, they wer
e the best seats in the house for a huge fan, but there was no way Bella would s
it there with her. After last night, she desperately wanted to put as much space
between her and the Cubs players. If she joined Alice behind their dugout, she'
d be closer to Edward, not only when he was on the bench, but when he was out on
the field as well. It was not going to happen.
"Why don't you come and sit with us today?" Bella missed sitting with her friend
at the games and the extra ticket wasn't being used today.
"Then I won't get to see him as close," Alice pouted. "How about I sit with you
tomorrow?"
"I think Ben already paid for the extra ticket for tomorrow," Bella answered apo
logetically before she had a great idea. "I know, you can sit with us and then A
ngela and Ben can use the two tickets from Jazz. Angela is bummed that Rose is g
oing to the game tomorrow she wanted to go too."
"Deal!" Alice wore a big smile on her face as she got up and put her dirty dishe
s in the sink. "I'm going to get ready. Don't you dare take your time, Bella, I
want a knit cap!"
"You do know that Jazz can get you a knit cap if you ask, right?" Bella called o
ut to her roommate as Alice sauntered off to her bedroom. "He could get you a do
zen, all you have to do is ask," she mumbled to herself. She was still very unea
sy over Alice's relationship with Jazz. He was a ball player and she had heard t
oo many stories about their infidelity. Heck, his best friend was probably the b
iggest whore in baseball! Shouldn't that be enough to keep a lady away from the
man? Plus there was her own personal experience, or should she say her mother's
experience. Shrugging off the bad memories that she promised not to think of, no
w that both of her parents were dead, she finished off the edible part of her mu
ffin.
After placing her dishes in the sink with Alice's, Bella went to her room to sta
rt getting ready. It was supposed to be nice out for a change, and she planned o
n taking advantage of the sun. She was always so pale looking and she was secret
ly on a mission this summer to get a tan. Normally, she burned or got nothing, s
o she was always either red or white never had she been any shade of golden brow
n.
Once she was out of her shower and dried off, Bella applied a mild sunscreen on
her body followed by some Banana scented tanning lotion. She had overheard someo
ne in her office talk about using both at the same time. Maybe the trick would w
ork for her as well . . . it couldn't hurt to try.
Bella met Alice back out in the living room dressed in a tight blue tank top wit
h her hair pulled back in a pony tail, so that her arms and shoulders could get
some sun, and loose fitting comfortable jeans. She specifically wore blue to sho
w her favor to the Cubs. There was way too much red in the stands yesterday, so
she wanted to try and counter it with Cubbie Blue.
Alice wore a really cute black and white skirt that didn't quite make it to her
knees along with a white v-neck shirt. She had a black head band in her hair for
what, Bella did not understand and huge dark sun glasses covering her eyes. In
her hands she held a large black and white bag with dark brown bamboo rings in p
lace of straps. It was cute, but unnecessary to bring to a ball game.
"Are you going to come out with us tonight?"
"I'm not sure Al," Bella sighed as she brushed past her friend, heading for the
door.
"Well, I'd love it if you did. Tell Em and Rose to come too. Edward is going out
with us," she said hesitantly. "I know that you don't like him . . ."
"Who told you that?"
"Well, we just assumed . . ."
"Al, it's not like that. I just didn't feel any sparks or see fireworks and I kn
ow you won't let me settle for anything less." Bella had practiced that line all
week, but now as she said it to her good friend, she felt her heart constrict a
nd immediately tried to convince herself of the lie.
"I understand," Alice said solemnly, "but that doesn't mean you have to avoid hi
m, does it? I mean, he pretty much said the same thing to Jazz but it doesn't me
an you two can't be friends."
Bella wasn't prepared for the way her heart reacted to those words. Edward didn'
t feel anything for her. That was a good thing right? They were walking down the
sidewalk toward the bus stop as she contemplated the strange feelings in her he
art. Why did it hurt to think that he didn't like her? And why did her heart con
strict when she told Alice that there were no sparks.
When he touched her, her skin felt alive, like every nerve ending was on alert,
waiting to feel his touch. Was that what sparks felt like? Or was it similar to
the tingly waves that washed through her body when his tongue dipped into hers o
n Monday night or when his lips trailed kisses down her neck last night? Bella h
ad never felt such amazing things before but she never would have classified the
m as sparks. More like tingles and burning waves that electrified her soul.
Electrified? Had she really just thought of that word in conjunction to how Edwa
rd made her feel? No, she couldn't think of him like that he annoyed her. But wh
y? Why did he annoy her? Was it because girls were constantly going up to him an
d touching him? Or was it because he let them touch him? He never once asked any
of the girls last night to leave him alone. When Jessica started kissing on his
neck, he did look a bit annoyed, but he never stopped her. He didn't like Jessi
ca it was plain on his face. But he never once asked her to leave him alone, nor
did he stop her from rubbing up against him or kissing all over him. Heck, she
even saw him kissing her back at one point. That was why he annoyed her. He didn
't care who he was with, as long as he was getting something. Ball players were
all the same in Bella's eyes.
With great determination, Bella decided she hated the Cubs star short stop once
again. Her strides grew longer with her intense resolve to hate the gorgeous mel
on-eyed man and she barreled past Alice on the street, making it to the bus stop
much earlier than her friend.
"Wait up, Bella!" Alice called as she tried to run the last few feet to the stop
. "What has gotten into you?"
"Huh?" Bella was confused. She didn't realize that she left her friend to fend f
or herself in her dust. "Oh, sorry Al, I was thinking about something."
"It's okay," Alice shrugged as she pulled out a pack of gum and held it out towa
rd Bella. "Want a piece?"
"No thanks."
As Alice placed a piece of the gum into her mouth, Bella caught the scent of ras
pberries, bringing her thoughts back to Monday night and the kiss that unsettled
her soul. Edward tasted like raspberries, and the way his tongue felt in her mo
uth as it brushed up against hers was like . . .
"Are you okay? You look flushed Bella."
Alice was closer to her now and the scent of raspberries wafted over her face, g
iving her a raspberry overload and tingles ran down from her heart to her toes a
s she thought of the taste of Edward's tongue once more. "I'm fine," Bella repli
ed out of breath. "I'm just tired from being out late last night."
"Are you sure? You turned pale there for a moment."
Bella's eyebrows arched as she looked at her friend. "I'm always pale, Alice." T
he bus was approaching and Bella was grateful for the distraction to change the
direction of their conversation.
"Rose is going to have a field day today if there are any Cards fans near us," B
ella exclaimed rather smugly.
"That's one thing I miss about sitting with you guys," Alice pouted.
"Then sit with us, no one is using the extra ticket."
But she didn't sit with Bella, Emmett, and Rosalie. Bella caught glimpses of her
lonely friend behind the Cubs dugout and felt bad for her. Maybe she should've
given in and sat with her. There was no reason to avoid Edward. She was just bei
ng petty, blaming him for the actions of her mother. Forget it Bella, you promis
ed yourself to forget it.
"I know you're blind Ump, I've seen your wife!"
Bella's head snapped up as she heard Rosalie's voice scream out to the umpire. S
he wondered what she'd missed. It wasn't like her to zone out during a game, wha
t in the world had happened? She stared out onto the field and saw that Edward w
as up at bat, but standing outside the batter's box staring right at her.
"Hey Ump," Rosalie continued in hysterics as she held up her cell phone. "You've
got four missed calls!"
The crowd around them roared with laughter and Bella looked up to see the umpire
's face turn red. Oh, the umpires say all the time that they don't pay any atten
tion to the insults that fans yell out to them, but Bella had seen Rosalie get u
nder many an umpire's skin.
Bella glanced at the scoreboard and noticed that Edward had a full count on him.
She leaned over Rosalie's seat she was standing as she continued yelling insult
s at the umpire and nudged Emmett on the shoulder. "Hey," she gritted out, "what
happened?"
"Sit down!" The demand came from a voice not too far behind their seats and Bell
a, Emmett, and Rosalie all turned around at once, their gazes settling on a tall
skinny man wearing a Cardinals shirt and hat with a red foam 'number one' finge
r on his hand all he was missing was a big sign saying, 'John 3:16'.
"Come here and say it to my face you scrotal cheese lick!"
Bella cringed in her seat and turned her head just in time to see Edward hit a d
ouble. The whole crowd at Wrigley cheered him on except for her section, which w
as enjoying the show between the beautiful blond in a Cubs hat and a tall skinny
Cardinals fan.
Bella tried hard not to pay attention, but the tool seriously had the nerve to s
tart walking down the few steps toward Rosalie. She tried to keep her eyes on th
e field, but really they were just on Edward and she could tell that he was inte
rested in what was going on in their section the whole ball park was now interes
ted as it also caught the eye of security which was now descending on the scene.
"You look like a freakin' lobster, any resemblance between you and a human is on
ly by coincidence."
"Hey buddy," the lobster called out as he looked at Emmett. Emmett didn't respon
d, but he stared at the man in red. "Why do you think she insists you use a rubb
er?"
Emmett's chest heaved as he tried to control himself. These sort of things somet
imes happened with Rosalie at the games. She wasn't afraid to say whatever she f
elt, and with her being as attractive as she was, it incited some men to try and
banter with her. Horrible move on their part, as Rosalie always won.
"So she can have a doggy bag for later!"
With the skinny lobster's final words, Emmett lunged forward, but Rosalie grabbe
d him around the waist and whispered into his ear. Security had caught up to the
insipid lobster and asked him to move back to his seat. As he begrudgingly turn
ed to leave, Rosalie had to get the last word in.
"Now that's the perfect blue print to build an idiot!"
Everyone around them laughed and security came over to tell Emmett and Rosalie t
o quiet down or they would be asked to leave the park. Bella was standing up nex
t to them, but for some reason, the warning was only to the pair of hard-heads n
ext to her. The three of them sat down and turned their attention back to the ga
me. Edward was now on third base with Newton on first.
~GO CUBS~
Edward couldn't wait to hear about what had happened with Rosalie and the man dr
essed all in red last time he looked, they were still playing the Cards, he wasn
't sure what the lobster costume was for. From what he'd remembered of meeting R
ose, she wasn't someone he'd want to go head-to-head against. The girl was rough
around the edges and scary as hell he wasn't sure how a great guy like Emmett c
ould stand to deal with her.
And in the middle of it all, as Rose swore insults at the umpire, Bella was ther
e shaking her head. Edward didn't know if it was from embarrassment of her frien
d's actions or if it was something else. She didn't seem embarrassed when she st
ood up with her friend in a defensive stance against the obsessed fan. Did she r
eally think she could thwart off the wrath of Lobster Man? He chuckled as he sto
od in the infield, waiting for play to begin. He was starting to hope his enchan
tress would be joining them at the bar after the game. He was curious to find ou
t what had happened.
He could hear Rose's voice still, calling out to the batters and he smiled. She
really was entertaining, if nothing else. He took a quick glance over at the thr
ee friends and sighed as he saw Bella with her pony tail pulled out, her hair ca
scading over her shoulders and a blue and red Cubs knit hat on her head. Did she
really rush to the field so she could be one of the first 10,000 fans in order
to get a hat? Was she that obsessed to need a cheap blue hat? He could get her a
nicer one for free, all she had to do was ask they were friends after all, righ
t? Even after her insult last night, he couldn't begrudge her. She was right, he
did sleep around and if it hadn't been for the tall gangly man upsetting her la
st night, he most likely would've gone home with the curly-haired girl Jennifer,
or Jasmine, whatever her name was the sloppy kisser that worked with Bella.
Last night had been out of the ordinary for Edward. He didn't know what caused h
im to jump to Bella's defense again. First he talked with the boring fan who had
been hitting on her, just glad to keep him away from her. And then when he saw
her with the gangly geek, his jealousy was it really jealousy? was erased when h
e saw how painful their dance looked with her lack of ability to move smoothly a
nd the geek's jerky movements. It was quite amusing to watch actually.
But when the guy pulled her into his groin, Edward became irate. He couldn't thi
nk straight and was only able to cool off when he saw Bella practically run from
the man. But the guy never let up, he followed her across the bar and from the
look of it, Bella was trying to leave and escape his unwanted attentions when he
grabbed her. That was it for Edward, he had to step in.
He hadn't intended to walk her home and then when he did, he started thinking of
the possibilities. He could finally have sex with her and then be rid of the ha
unting she had been doing to his mind. Once he stuck his dick in her, the appeal
would leave it always did after he had his way with a woman. But she didn't inv
ite him in, she didn't even seem to want to stay and talk with him. But he didn'
t want to leave her, so he sat down and practically begged her to talk with him.
He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he really wanted her company. He didn't
normally talk with any of the girls he hooked up with. Even with Lauren whom he
had his most serious relationship with he never sat down and talked with her ab
out much more than where she directed their conversations the Cubs and where the
y were going each night. So it was odd to sit and have a conversation with Bella
but he actually enjoyed it. He learned a lot about her, yet not enough to satis
fy him and he became determined to get to know her better, until she insulted hi
m. You deserved it Masen.
A shallow fly ball registered in Edward's peripheral vision as he raced under th
e descending ball, lifted his gloved hand in the air, and caught it effortlessly
three outs. The game continued on, each team's pitching doing the job, keeping
the runs to a minimum until the seventh inning when the Cardinal's pitcher got t
ired and Edward was able to knock in two runs, giving the Cubs the final lead of
the evening resulting in the their 7-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
It wasn't hard for Edward and Jazz to find their friends in the small dive bar t
hat Alice had picked. Alice was sitting at a table surrounded by Rosalie, Emmett
, and the groping couple that Bella had been with the night before but he didn't
see Bella herself had she not come out with them?
After grabbing a couple of beers for him and Jazz, Edward made his way over to t
he table, where Alice was clutched onto the winning pitcher from today's game, g
iving him a victory kiss it looked like while Emmett and Rose cheered them on. I
t was nice to see the smile on Jazz's face and he knew that Alice made him happy
, but the display had him frowning because it was something Lauren would've expe
cted him to do flaunt his celebrity status and their relationship.
"Edward!" Big man Emmett bellowed out as he approached the table and he felt a b
it awkward with the attention on him. "We were just having a kissing contest. So
far the major leaguer and pixie are winning. Go grab yourself a girl and join i
n!" The burly man was definitely drunk.
"Haven't drunk enough, Em," Edward said as he sat down and glared over at Alice
and Jazz.
"Hey, I'm Angela," The tall, skinny brunette said from beside Edward, jutting ou
t her hand for a shake.
Edward took her hand and shook it gently. "Edward," he muttered and fought back
the urge to roll his eyes when he noticed the girl's groping boyfriend gawking a
t him, mouth hung open and eyes bugging out.
"This is Ben," Angela said apologetically. "He's still shocked to be sitting at
the same table as Jazz and now that his hero is here, I don't think he'll be abl
e to function much." She frowned over at Edward then looked back at Ben whose fa
ce had turned beet red.
"His hero?" Edward asked. "There're no heroes in this bar that I see," he wavere
d, "except for Jazz, the kissing king. I'm sure he'd be thrilled to give him an
autograph if you think it'll help." He gave Angela a small smile and she laughed
.
"Have you met Angela and Ben?" the little pixie called across the table toward E
dward as she stood up to make introductions.
"Yes," he said, stopping her from having to be separated from Jazz's arms. "We'r
e all set."
"Did she tell you that she works with Bella?"
"You know Bella?" Angela cut in over Alice as she leaned forward, closer to Edwa
rd.
"Yeah, you can say that," he said shyly, not sure why she was so interested in t
he fact.
"I wonder what's holding her up. She should be here by now."
"She's coming?" Edward didn't want to sound so eager and he silently scolded him
self for acting as such.
Trying to find a way out of talking about Bella, he looked around the table. Emm
ett and Rosalie were gone and he noted they were now on the dance floor. They re
ally did move well together and watching them triggered the memory of the way Be
lla moved in his arms. He shook his head and stood up. "I'll be right back," he
said to the table before he sauntered over to the bar for another beer.
Sitting on a barstool, Edward struck up a conversation with the man next to him.
He seemed to be a decent fan, one bonus being he didn't freak out about sitting
next to Edward and he didn't ramble on about the game the whole time either. Th
ey spoke a little about the game but then he seemed genuinely interested in talk
ing about music with the famed short stop. It was refreshing for Edward to talk
to a stranger about something other than baseball as if that was all he knew abo
ut.
He had been sitting at the bar for a while when a staggeringly sweet smell wafte
d over him and his new bar friend. Edward turned on his stool and noticed the ro
ot of the putrid smell a beautiful blond smiling down at him. He smiled back. It
had been a while since he enjoyed the company of a beautiful woman since before
he met Bella. He mentally chastised himself for thinking of her again.
"Hi," he said softly. "May I buy you a drink?"
"Of course," the beautiful blond replied, her eyes roaming away from his face to
focus on his chest then down further toward his lap.
Edward smiled and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Enjoying yourself?" he asked amused
.
Her head slowly lifted to look into his eyes and she leaned in, placing her lips
against his ear. "Not yet handsome." Then she kissed him softly against his nec
k.
He wrapped his left arm around her waist and pulled her in to stand between his
legs before turning to the bartender and ordering her a drink. "So what's your n
ame?" he asked sweetly when he turned back toward her, wrapping his other arm ar
ound her.
"Ginger," she purred in his ear and he stiffened. Why was it that no one would u
se their real name with him?
"So Ginger," Edward purred, exaggerating her name, "did your parents have some u
nhealthy obsession with 'Gilligan's Island'?"
"What?" Ginger pulled away and looked at him in confusion.
"Your name," he cooed into her ear after pulling her back into him. "I was just
wondering where the inspiration came from."
She smiled slyly at him before leaning in and devouring his mouth with hers. Edw
ard enjoyed the kiss and he let his hands roam up and down her back, landing on
her ass, pulling her in closer to his groin which had been neglected for far too
long. At this point, he could care less if her name was Bertha, he needed to ge
t laid.
"ergh, eghm." Someone cleared their throat at the two love birds kissing all ove
r each other at the bar.
Edward heard the interruption, but he ignored it, pulling Ginger in closer to hi
m as he let his lips slide down to her neck, his hands riding up her torso getti
ng closer to her large breasts. But when the person cleared their throat a secon
d time, Ginger became annoyed and turned her head in the direction of the annoya
nce while Edward's lips continued sucking and biting along her skin.
"Excuse us," she bit out breathlessly before turning back to the man in her arms
and running her fingers through his hair.
"No, excuse me," Bella spat and Edward's head stopped at the sound of her voice,
his dick immediately hardening from the sound even though it held anger.
Ginger pulled away from Edward's lips while he turned his head to stare at the e
nchantress standing next to him and the blond between his legs. He let his eyes
roam over her, admiring the way her dress clung to her curves and then his eyes
moved down to her exposed knees and he licked his lips before looking back up in
to Bella's eyes. She had gone home and changed her clothes. He was now very glad
for her delayed arrival.
"We're a bit busy here," Ginger said in a sugary tone, anger seething out of her
smile and eyes.
"Yes, busy sticking you tongue down my boyfriend's throat," Bella bit back, her
eyes shooting daggers at the blond.
"He started the whole thing," Ginger practically yelled as she took a step away
from Edward and he tried hard not to laugh. He couldn't figure out why Bella was
interrupting and, though he was a bit pissed that he wouldn't be getting laid b
y the shapely blond, he was mesmerized by Bella, curious to know why she was act
ing the jealous girlfriend.
Edward watched as Ginger and Bella stared each other down, Bella's eyes never gi
ving an inch and he eventually gave in and turned his body toward her, grabbing
her by her waist and pulling her in to his arms. Bella glanced over her shoulder
at the blond standing behind her now and sneered before turning her attention b
ack to Edward, leaning in and giving him a chaste kiss on his lips.
He held on tight around Bella's waist as her lips grazed against his and he clos
ed his eyes, wanting to deepen the kiss, but not sure where she was going with t
his jealous rift. He wasn't sure why she interrupted. He was far from needing to
be saved, if that was what she intended. At this moment, though, he didn't care
because she felt good in his arms and he relished the moment, smelling the swee
t strawberry scent of her hair and the hint of bananas on her skin. She smelled
delicious, like a banana split.
"You reek of cheap perfume," she said, pulling away from him, but staying in the
hold of his arms.
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You do know that you aren't my girlfriend
, right?"
"Just returning a favor."
"Maybe next time you should make sure I want to be saved."
"Oh, you wanted to be saved, believe me." Her eyebrows crinkled together and he
thought she looked adorable.
"Yeah? And why's that?"
"Becca's a little slut who has slept with practically every guy in this bar."
"But me," he said slowly, deliberately.
"Yes, and you're one of the few men in this bar who hasn't contracted the Clap b
ecause of it," she said pointedly, raising an eyebrow as she stared at him.
His mouth dropped open. "Becca? She told me her name was Ginger."
"Figures, she told my coworker her name was Claire."
"So, why save me? You made it clear last night what you think about me." He was
sounding like a sulking, dimwitted female who got her feelings hurt and he hated
himself for showing his vulnerability.
"I just spent three weeks listening to a coworker of mine complaining of his new
disease he got from sleeping with her. She's dirty Masen even you can do better
than that!"
"Even me?" he laughed.
"Yes, even you. Besides, I owe you, remember?" She smiled up at him, as his hand
s moved up her back, stroking over her long mahogany hair. "Oh look, there's ano
ther blond over there," she said, turning her head and pointing at a tall skinny
girl with thick rimmed glasses and braces.
"I don't think she's old enough." He recoiled on his barstool, she was also hide
ous looking.
"A lot of people in their twenties have braces now-a-days, Edward. Just think, i
n a couple of years, she'll have beautiful teeth."
"But what about her nose?"
"Okay," she said as she scanned the bar again. "Ooh, how about the blond over in
 the corner with the red shirt and black skirt?"
"Why are you looking for a blond?"
"I thought that's what you like." She turned her head back to him and stared int
o his melon green eyes, swallowing hard at the desire she saw broiling behind th
em.
Edward stared into Bella's chocolate brown eyes, fighting the urge to lean in an
d kiss her. Her chaste kiss earlier wasn't enough for him, he wanted more. And t
he smell of her was driving him crazy. Turning to the side, he leaned over the b
ar, got the bartender's attention, and asked for two new beers. When the bartend
er came over, he told him to take his empty and the full beer still sitting on t
he bar, the one he had purchased for Ginger Becca before turning back to Bella a
nd smiling.
"Thank you," he said sweetly.
"Any time," she replied breathlessly.
"So tell me, what was up with Rosalie today?" Edward asked, curious to know what
was going on behind the visitor's dugout during the game and also desiring to k
eep Bella with him.
"I'm not sure how it started," Bella replied. "All of a sudden she was yelling a
t the ump. Wait, you were up at bat what happened? I couldn't figure out what st
arted the whole thing."
"A bad call," Edward shrugged. "Thing was damn near down at my ankles and he cal
led it a strike."
"Ahh," Bella said as she grabbed one of the beers that the bartender placed in f
ront of the two and took a swig.
"You weren't paying attention to the game?" Edward teased her as he tickled her
side and she squealed, flinching from his wiggling fingers.
"I was thinking about Alice," she laughed. "She looked so lonely sitting on the
other side."
"The other side? You do know that she was sitting on the Cubs' side, right?"
She rolled her eyes at him and took another sip. "She asked me to sit with her t
oday and I didn't. I felt bad. Of course lobster man made up for it. Did you see
him?" She giggled and Edward gazed at her smile. He had never seen anything so
breathtaking before.
"Yeah, I saw you three almost get kicked out the park, what happened?" Edward ti
ghtened his hold around Bella, enjoying the feel of her against him as he looked
into her expressive eyes.
"Lobster man thought he could exchange insults with Rose. She had to hold Emmett
back from pummeling the guy to the ground. That's when you probably saw securit
y come and talk to us." She shook her head and leaned in closer to Edward.
"Bella?" He smiled.
"Hmm?"
"Let's dance." Edward gently pushed Bella back a step so he could stand up and h
e placed some cash on the bar to pay for his tab before taking her hand and lead
ing her to the small dance floor.
"Oh no," she protested, planting her feet on the ground. "I don't dance. You've
seen me, I'm horrible."
Edward stopped and turned towards her. "That's not how I remember it," he breath
ed out as he leaned in toward her. "Besides," he placed his lips against her ear
. "My girlfriend would never refuse to dance with me."
He smiled against her ear when he felt her body shiver, then pulled back to look
into her eyes. She licked her lips as she stared behind him at the daunting dan
ce floor and he chuckled. "I promise I'll be a gentleman."
"I haven't had enough to drink yet," she continued to stall.
He flashed his crooked smile, picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "May
I have this dance Bella?"
"You can't dazzle me Masen," she said breathlessly and Edward fought the urge to
broaden his smile. He most definitely was affecting her. He could see it in her
eyes and feel it as her body relaxed into him. He entwined his fingers with her
s and pulled her softly to the dance floor without another protest from her. Onc
e they were in the middle of the tangle of bodies, Edward pulled Bella closer in
to him and she lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck.
"Follow my lead," Edward whispered into her ear and she nodded, concentrating ha
rd on following his body. "Relax," he chuckled after she stepped on his foot for
the second time and his hands came to rest on her hips as he led her, showing h
er how to move.
"Don't look down," he whispered against her temple. He was having a hard time co
ntrolling himself. He found her so desirable, yet she was definitely not the typ
e of girl he knew he could have a tryst in bed with and be done with her. She wo
uld want a relationship, she wouldn't settle for anything less and he wasn't sur
e if he'd be able to say no to her.
"Where do I look?" she asked as she stomped on his foot again and he chuckled be
fore pulling her in closer, positioning their bodies so that his thigh was betwe
en her legs and hers between his. He could feel her heart pounding against him a
nd he wondered if she was nervous about the dancing or about being so close to h
im. He was definitely feeling anxious about being close to her.
"Close your eyes," he said softly and when she complied, he smiled. "That's righ
t," he said close to her ear. "Now stop thinking and feel the rhythm of the musi
c." He smiled at the crease that he saw between her eyes, she was concentrating
on listening to the music now and he laughed.
"Bella," he cooed, "stop thinking, just feel." And with that he started moving t
heir bodies together. When she still wouldn't relax, he whisper into her ear, li
ttle silly things at first, just stuff to get her mind off what her body was doi
ng or trying to do.
He found that as he whispered about the game that day and all the stuff that was
happening on the field that the fans didn't get to see or understand, her body
relaxed against his. He kept whispering little facts about the game into her ear
, about the conversations between him and some of the other players on his team
and on the Cards and he looked down as their bodies were moving perfectly togeth
er to see a look of wonder on Bella's face.
They were dancing finally. Edward allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her again
st his body as he took in her smell one more time. The strawberry scent of her s
hampoo was what he'd expect to smell on a child, but on Bella it was tantalizing
, he wanted to nuzzle his head into her hair and breath it all in.
As the song ended, Edward held on close to Bella, afraid that she would bolt bef
ore he was able to get them moving to the next song, but she stayed there in his
arms and looked up at him questioningly. He smiled down at her, pulling her in
tight again for another dance, and she smiled back as she closed her eyes, givin
g her body over to Edward for direction.
He didn't disappoint. Only this time, he was too full of his own thoughts to whi
sper into her ear. Instead, he kept her close, his hands guiding her hips as he
moved them to the rhythm of the song. He swallowed hard as he leaned his head on
top of her hair. He enjoyed being with her. There was no denying that. Maybe th
ey could be friends. Maybe he could open up to her, even if she was a fan, and h
ave a new friend in her. He enjoyed spending time with her: talking, dancing, la
ughing, touching, she captivated him. She made him laugh and smile. She made him
think about things he normally wouldn't give a second thought to and, above all
else, she made him happy. Yes, he decided, they could be friends. He'd find a w
ay to make it work.
When the second song finished, Edward pulled away from Bella and he looked down,
noticing the small blush that spread across her face. He smiled as he grabbed h
er hand and pulled her out of the throng of gyrating bodies. "We'll make a dance
r out of you yet," he teased her as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling
her close to his side as they made their way to the table full of their friends.
"Don't count on it," she breathed out. "I thought I was going to puke the whole
time."
Edward looked down and laughed before they sat down with their friends, but ther
e weren't any chairs next to each other so they ended up on different ends of th
e table. He became very quiet as he listened to the conversations around him but
kept his eyes on the enchantress. She was too alluring for her own good. She di
dn't even know what she did to him what he had seen her do to countless other fo
ols.
Edward nervously adjusted his erection, glad that Bella hadn't noticed it while
they were dancing. She was laughing and talking with Emmett and Edward was insta
ntly jealous of their friendship. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh like
that, the one to put the smile on her face, the only one to warrant a strong an
d loving hug from her.
And though they didn't get another moment alone that night, Edward caught her ga
zing at him numerous times, each time he smiled at her and she smiled back with
a blush on her cheeks. When she finally said her goodbyes to the table and left,
Edward felt empty and alone. For the first time in his life, he felt pulled tow
ard someone, as if he couldn't control his actions around her. Bella would be in
his life, he knew that now, he wanted that now. He just hoped he'd be able to g
et over his desire for her and handle being just a friend.
Chapter 4 April 19, 2009
Bella sat at the kitchen table staring absentmindedly at her laptop, oblivious t
o the fact that it was now filled with a screen saver sporting the Seattle Marin
ers team logo. Instead, her mind was occupied with thoughts of the Cubs' handsom
e short stop and the way he made her feel. He was charming, funny, intelligent,
deep, sensual, handsome, and of course, a ball player. No, Bella thought, she co
uldn't go down that road but she also knew she wouldn't be able to stay away fro
m him. Closing her eyes, she swallowed the lump in her throat. She would have to
 find some way to just be friends with him and she could handle that. So far, th
at's all he seemed to want from her, so it shouldn't be too difficult to keep up
the facade.
Bella's head turned as she heard a key twist in the front door lock, and the doo
r opened to reveal not only a refreshed looking Alice, but a laid back Jazz righ
t behind her. "Hey guys," she called out.
"Bella!" Alice chimed. "You don't have any plans today, do you?"
"No, just getting some work done and then going to the game," she glanced out th
e window as she mentioned the game, wondering if it was ever going to stop raini
ng. As nice as yesterday had been bright and sunny, the nicest day yet this spri
ng today was the opposite; cold, wet, and rainy very rainy. "Speaking of which,"
she continued as she looked pointedly at Jazz, "is there going to be a game?"
"Probably not," he replied in his lazy southern accent. "But that's why we're he
re. We've been invited over to Cullen's for a barbeque."
"Oh, have fun." Bella moved the mouse on her laptop, getting rid of the Mariners
screen saver so she could get back to work. She had spent most of her morning d
oing actual work, but now she had to get working on her homework. She had one cl
ass left her capstone course and then she'd be done with her Master's.
"You'll come with us, won't you?" Alice pouted as she walked over to the table.
"Please say you'll come, don't make me be there all alone. I'll need you to tell
me who everyone is so I don't make an ass of myself."
"I'm sure Jazz will introduce you to everyone. I've really got a lot to get done
."
"Two hours?"
"What?"
"We'll give you two hours to work and then we'll leave for the party." Alice pou
ted again but she wasn't the one to get Bella's resolve to crumble, it was Jazz.
"Bella, you can't sit around here all day working like some robot," Jazz drawled
. "Work for two hours then come to the party with us. Then, once you've relaxed
a little, you can leave and come back here to finish."
He really did make a good argument, Bella thought, and she could use a little br
eak to blow off some steam and just veg out. But the game, she didn't want to mi
ss the game. "What about the game? If I go to the party, I won't be able to-"
"The game is going to be postponed," Jazz said casually, as if he already knew.
But he couldn't, as far as the media was letting on, the game was still schedule
d.
"Are you sure?" she asked skeptically.
"Positive. The field was already damp yesterday. After this, it doesn't matter i
f it stops raining right now, the field will be way too wet to play on."
"Okay," Bella mumbled. "But, give me two hours without interruption," she cautio
ned with the tone of her voice and a threatening look in her eyes.
Bella worked hard all morning, plugging away at the case study she had to do for
class. She was able to get in a groove where everything flowed out fluidly, per
fectly. She smiled to herself once she completed her analysis, knowing full well
that she would get full credit for the study. She shut down all her application
s, turned off her laptop, closed it, and then leaned back in her chair, raising
her arms over her head to stretch. Looking at the clock on the microwave, she re
alized she had a half an hour left before her two hours were up and she decided
to jump in the shower.
~GO CUBS~
"Okay, so which one is Carlisle?" the small pixie in the front seat asked again
as Bella and Jazz tried hard to explain to her who everyone on the team was espe
cially the host of the barbeque.
"Carlisle plays second base," Bella huffed, "right next to Edward."
"Is he the old guy?"
"I wouldn't call him old," Jazz replied, choking back a laugh as Bella rolled he
r eyes and shook her head. "He's only thirty."
"Hmm, he seems much older than that." Alice did have a point because Bella had n
oticed that he seemed more mature than the other players too.
"He's like a big brother to us," Jazz said slowly, "and his wife is wonderful. Y
ou girls will love her." He smiled over to Alice and she beamed back at him, exc
ited to make new friends.
Upon entering the large north side home of the Cullen's, both Alice and Bella we
re in awe. The place was not only massive, but it was absolutely beautiful. Ever
ything was cut into very neat lines and white stark white. Each room, though, ha
d one touch of color in it, usually noted in the flowers or a painting, but some
splash of color and Bella liked it a lot. If the decorating wasn't enough the a
rchitecture was remarkable with high vaulted ceilings and columns throughout the
wide open spaces and at the entrance to the massive staircase. She would have t
o somehow take pictures with her phone to show Emmett he was an architect, after
all.
"Jazz!"
Bella pried her eyes away from the beautiful house to take a look at the source
of the sweet sounding voice. She recognized the woman instantly as being Esme, C
arlisle's wife. She was dressed in light brown slacks and an ecru blouse that lo
oked like silk, but Bella wasn't sure. All she knew was that it was something sh
e'd wear to a shower or to church, not to a barbeque, and she started feeling se
lf-conscience in her jeans and polo shirt she had decided to wear.
"Hi Esme," Jazz drawled in a heavy accent, "this is my Alice," he beamed as he i
ntroduced the little pixie and for a moment, Bella was afraid that her friend wa
s going to bow in front of their hostess. "And this is Bella," he said as he mot
ioned towards Bella, "her good friend and roommate." Then he turned his attentio
n to the two stunned women next to him. "Alice, Bella, this is Esme Cullen."
"Hi," Alice and Bella said in unison.
"It's nice to meet the two of you," Esme said demurely, and Bella immediately ha
d a vision of her as June Cleaver and a smile started to prickle at the sides of
her lips. "I've heard so much about you Alice," she continued as she shook the
pixie's hand. "And Bella, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Have you be
en friends with Alice long?" She took Bella's hand in hers and shook it softly.
"A little over three years," Bella squeaked out. She was suddenly very anxious a
nd as she took her hand back from the beautiful woman before her, she wiped it a
gainst her jeans, drying off the sweat that had suddenly seeped out in her nervo
usness.
Just as Bella thought they were in the clear, Carlisle walked up to them and gav
e Jazz a typical man-hug with the clap on the back before turning to her and Ali
ce. Before Jazz could start the introductions, Carlisle started talking, a huge
smile on his face. He was a handsome man, there was no denying that and together
with Esme, they made the perfect looking couple they really could be Ward and J
une Cleaver.
"So you two are friends of Jasper's?" Carlisle asked, using Jazz's full name, as
he reached out a hand toward Alice and shook hers.
"I'm Alice," she said sweetly, "and this is my friend, Bella."
"Alice, Bella," he said as he let go of Alice's hand to shake Bella's, "It's a p
leasure to meet you two. Any friend of Jasper's is a friend of ours." His bright
smile was almost intoxicating.
"Oh, don't let him fool you, Bella is my friend too," a deep velvet voice said b
ehind them.
Bella turned around slowly, recognizing the voice immediately, and smiled up at
the handsome man with unruly auburn hair. He looked amazing in jeans which made
Bella feel better about her ensemble and a dark blue button down shirt. He hadn'
t shaven, his face was covered in dark brown and red stubble, and his eyes were
a little bloodshot, but he was still very nice to look at.
"What hole did you crawl out of Masen?" Newton called as he stepped into the ann
ex that they were all standing in. "Still not sleeping in your own bed?"
Bella watched as Edward's body tensed and she realized that he probably didn't s
leep in his own bed last night. He most likely went home with some random girl a
nd didn't have time to shave, probably not even shower, before making his way to
the Cullen's. Bella immediately felt sick to her stomach as a light blush crept
onto her cheeks. She stiffly swallowed a lump in her throat and put a fake smil
e on her face, turning back toward Carlisle, who now looked a bit upset with New
ton, but Bella was too absorbed with her own feelings to notice.
Bella's head was spinning with thoughts of Edward and some faceless girl naked i
n bed together and she wondered why it upset her so much. She was so absorbed in
her internal musings that she didn't pay attention to the conversations around
her, and when she finally looked up, she noticed that Alice and Jazz were gone,
as well as Esme and Newton, and Edward was talking to her.
"I'll see you later?" he asked with a concerned look on his face.
"Huh?"
"I said that I need to help Carlisle with something real quick, but I'll see you
later," he said again, slowly, eyeing her peculiarly.
"Sure," she breathed, and she watched him stroll down a hallway with Carlisle, l
eaving her alone in the small room.
Bella wandered through the house, looking at all the different rooms and the way
they were decorated, while at the same time taking note of everyone there. She
knew most of the men by name, and was even shocked to find some of the Cardinal'
s players in attendance. She had read about friendships between players on diffe
rent teams, but she was still shocked by it none-the-less. She didn't talk to an
yone, just observed and avoided. She wasn't in the mood to really get into any d
eep conversations. Her mind was still reeling with thoughts of Edward and it ang
ered her that the thought of him having sex with someone would upset her so much
.
"I haven't met you yet," a silken woman's voice said from her side.
"No," Bella stuttered as she turned to the woman. "I'm Bella, Bella Swan."
"Victoria," the tall woman with deep red hair said with a smirk. She was dressed
casually in jeans and a tight green t-shirt and she held out a hand fingers ful
l of rings for Bella to shake. "I'm James Towne's wife."
"Right," Bella said, remembering the rookie that was pulled up from the minors d
uring spring training. She also remembered seeing him in the bar with Edward on
Friday night with two women all over him one of them in his lap. "How's he adjus
ting to the big league?'
"He loves it." Victoria smiled even larger, taking the opportunity to tout her h
usband, rambling on and on about how great of a short stop he was.
"Is he enjoying third base?" Bella asked hesitantly. It was starting to sound li
ke Towne, or maybe it was just his wife, may not like being given a different po
sition than he preferred to play.
"It's okay, but he misses short stop." She paused a moment as her eyes lingered
over the crowd behind Bella. "Whoa," she gasped. "Now there is something worth l
ooking at."
Bella turned her head, trying to catch what Victoria was staring at, but all she
saw were some people gathered together talking and Edward with his sleeves roll
ed up, carrying a bag of ice into another room. "What's that?" she asked confuse
d.
"You missed him?" Victoria looked back to Bella. "I'm sure he'll be back out soo
n."
"Who?"
"Edward Masen," she said, her lips curling up into a lopsided grin. "What I woul
dn't give to taste him."
"Hmm," Bella sounded as she let her eyes roam to the hallway that she last saw h
im walk into. She couldn't believe the gall of this woman. She didn't know Bella
from Adam. Wasn't she concerned that she may know Edward or that she'd say some
thing to her husband?
"Oh, I see Garrett," Victoria cooed out suddenly. "I'll talk to you later," she
called over her shoulder as she took off in his direction, leaving Bella staring
after her and shaking her head in disgust.
Bella looked around at the remaining occupants of the room and then bolted for t
he doorway as she led herself into more white rooms, with more people huddled in
them. When she came to a set of sliding glass doors, she paused and looked arou
nd to make sure no one saw her. The enclosed porch on the other side of the glas
s looked so inviting, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed in it no one else h
ad ventured out to the porch yet.
After sneaking through the doors, Bella sat down on a whicker chaise lounge, too
k off her shoes and propped her feet up. Leaning her head back against the white
cushion, she closed her eyes. She was surrounded by major league baseball playe
rs and though most people would be excited at the opportunity, she felt ill. She
let her mind wander back to her parents and the fun she had growing up with the
m.
Life had always seemed so normal, living in a small town with two loving parents
who obviously loved her dearly, regardless of her mother's scatter-brained ways
or her father's unease with showing his emotions physically. They were her pare
nts and she loved them. Though she looked almost identical to her mom and held m
any of her mannerisms, she bonded tightly with her dad. But over the years, she
had started to think that her mom had resented their intimacy. Bella's face cont
orted into a scowl as she thought of her mom's jealous ramblings.
Renee just couldn't be happy when Bella and Charlie got close, especially when s
he became a teenager. She always made snide comments about the pair or brought u
p everything that they didn't have in common with each other, but it didn't faze
Bella not at first. It wasn't until Bella's sophomore year in college that she
finally understood what was wrong with her mom, why she resented the relationshi
p that Bella had with her dad, a relationship that was absolutely normal between
a father and his daughter.
Bella was home on spring break and was going through some old papers that she fo
und in a box in the attic while trying to find a paper she had written when she
was in high school. She swore that she had saved the thing, knowing full well th
at she would most likely need to write on the same subject in college. As she go
t to the end of the box, she came up empty, but knowing for a fact that she had
saved it, she decided to look in other boxes all the other boxes in the attic un
til she found it.
It was maybe the third box that she started looking through where she found an o
ld tattered shoe box. Curiously, she opened it up and found a ton of opened lett
ers addressed to her mom. She really should've closed the lid on the box and con
tinued looking for her paper, but the return address was foreign to her and she
told herself that she would only peek.
Three hours and many tears later, Bella closed the box with the letters inside a
nd left the attic without her high school paper. Retreating to her room, she con
tinued to cry until dinner time. She was too shocked at what she had found to wa
nt to be around anyone, but she needed to talk to someone. Picking up the phone,
she called Emmett. They had already broken up at that point, but he was still h
er best friend and he knew exactly what to say to give her the strength she need
ed he always knew what to say.
Once she had gotten off the phone with Emmett, she made her way down the stairs
and cornered her parents, demanding they tell her who Phil Dwyer was and why he
had written love letters to her mom. That was the beginning of the end of her pa
rent's marriage and Bella had never stopped blaming herself for not keeping quie
t about it. She could've asked her mom in private, she could've just not said an
ything at all. If only she hadn't invaded her mother's privacy and had left the
box of letters alone. If only her school paper was in the first box she had look
ed in. So many 'if only's'.
Bella's shoulders shuddered from her tears and the memory of what she found that
day along with the arguments between her parents that ensued afterwards. She la
y on the chaise listening to the rain fall outside, tears streaming down her fac
e, her heart aching from the emptiness she felt inside, feeling a need for somet
hing . . . but not exactly sure what it was.
~GO CUBS~
"Edward, I want you to meet . . ."
"Edward, how about that homer . . ."
"Edward, your average is dropping . . ."
Everywhere Edward turned, someone was striking up a conversation with him, filli
ng his ears with annoying clatter, making his head hurt more than it already did
. He needed aspirin, a quiet place, and . . . and Bella. He had been looking for
her for over a half an hour now and she was nowhere in sight. He stopped moving
and closed his eyes as he listened to the babble surrounding him. Placing a han
d through his tangled hair, he sighed before opening his eyes and searching for
a quiet place of solitude.
He heard his name being called as he walked by groups of people huddled together
in conversation but he ignored them all and made his way to one place he was su
re to find peace and quiet the porch. As he walked to the sliding glass doors, h
e continued to look for the enchantress that had overtaken his mind, leaving him
unsure of himself and what he wanted out of life.
It had been over a week now since he had gotten laid totally unheard of for him
and all because of a little chocolate-eyed girl that wasn't interested in him, i
n the Cubs' star short stop, at all. He had never had a problem attracting women
. No one had ever turned him down before. In all actuality, Bella had never turn
ed him down, but he knew she would he could tell. She just wasn't interested in
him for anything other than . . . than what? Did she even want to be friends?
Feeling worse than he had before, he quietly opened the door to the screened-in
porch and stepped into the cool, damp room, shutting the door behind him after a
quick look to make sure no one saw him venture into the wonderful seclusion. He
was taken off-guard though, when he heard a gasp behind him. Turning around, he
found himself staring into the mesmerizing doe-eyes of Bella.
"Oh," he said, shocked to not only find her hiding out on the porch, but also to
see that she had been crying. He didn't know what to do with a crying woman the
y made him nervous.
"Hi," she said slowly, wiping the tears off her cheeks and out of her eyes.
Edward watched as she sat up straight on the chaise and straightened out her wri
nkled shirt before smiling up at him. Friends, he reminded himself as he spotted
a box of tissues on a side table. He grabbed the box and smiled warmly at Bella
before sitting down next to her, both of their legs hanging over the side of th
e chaise.
"I know these parties can be boring," he joked with her, "but they aren't that b
ad."
She smirked while taking a tissue out and blowing her nose as quietly as possibl
e. "Thank you," she mumbled before taking a deep breath and looking up into his
melon colored eyes.
Edward was glad that she seemed to have stopped crying, but he was oddly curious
as to what was bothering her. "That sad over the game being postponed?" He nudg
ed her shoulder with his, a small crooked smile on his face and she chuckled, wi
ping her eyes with another tissue that she pulled out of the box.
"Just thinking of some skeletons in my closet," she mumbled.
"Skeletons?" he asked curiously.
Bella turned her body toward Edward and she looked at him thoughtfully. "I suppo
se you don't have any of those," she said sarcastically before running a hand th
rough her wavy brown tresses.
"Touché."
"So," Bella said quietly, "rough night?"
Edward laughed heartily as he began to relax, "a little too much to drink."
"Did you get any sleep last night?"
A slow crooked smile crept onto Edward's face as he realized she was trying to f
igure out if Newton had been accurate in his assumptions earlier. Yes, he did sl
eep in his own bed and, yes, he had been alone, but it also made him happy that
she was curious to know the truth. "I got home late, but I got some," he said sl
owly, trying to catch the expressions that ran across her face.
"As long as you didn't end up with Becca, or was it Ginger?"
"Definitely not, and thanks for that. I owe you."
"Any time," Bella sighed as she turned her eyes back to the grey sky outside.
"That's not a bad idea," Edward mused as he studied her profile.
"Hmm?" she asked, her head jerking back to look at him.
"I was just thinking. Maybe we could be each other's wingmen."
"Wingmen?" Bella cocked an eyebrow at him, confused about the way the conversati
on had turned.
"You know, I'll watch your back, you watch mine."
"I always thought a wingman helped the other person get laid," Bella slowly said
, thinking about the funny beer commercials.
"They normally do, but they also keep them from the enemy's attack," Edward leer
ed.
"The enemy?"
"You know, the ones that won't leave you alone no matter how rude you get with t
hem?"
"I bet you get a lot of that," she said shyly and he wondered why she was blushi
ng.
"I think you're the one who has needed to be saved more often than me," he laugh
ed, but then his face turned serious. "I just figure that as friends, we could l
ook out for each other. Jump in and save the day when someone won't leave the ot
her one alone."
"Yeah," Bella said, "sounds good." She looked down at her feet for a moment befo
re she looked up with a twinkle in her eye and Edward had to catch his breath sh
e was breathtaking. "So tell me, what kind of girl do you like?"
"What?" he said absurdly.
"If I'm going to be your wingman, I need to know what kind of girls you like so
that I know when to leave you to your game and when to jump in and save you."
Edward stared at the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on and almost star
ted describing her. Instead he decided to lie. "Blond, blue eyes, large tits, an
d easy." Did I just say tits to Bella?
She stared at him incredulously before shaking her head. "That just described mo
st of the women we see in the bars, Edward, you're gonna have to be more specifi
c than that."
"How about we make a sign," he suggested as he realized he wouldn't care if she
saved him every time he talked to another woman.
"What kind of sign?"
"How about if I run my hand through my hair whenever I want to be saved?" He ran
his hand through his unruly hair, showing Bella what he meant.
Bella laughed. "You always run your hand through your hair. You need something e
lse, something you don't normally do subconsciously."
"Okay," he paused to think. "How about if I rub the top of my nose?"
"What if you have an itch?"
"Good point." He paused again, thinking of something that wouldn't look odd, but
would be obvious to Bella. "I know. I'll pinch the bridge of my nose."
"I've seen you do that before."
"Yeah, but I only do it when I'm upset or agitated. You coming to my rescue woul
d be needed in either case." His crooked smile beamed down at Bella and she smil
ed back at him.
"Okay, but what if you're talking to a man and you do it?"
"Then don't take your time to get to me," he laughed and she joined in, finding
humor in the fact that he had a lot of male admirers. "How about you?"
"I'll play with my earrings. Either ear, it doesn't matter. It's a nervous habit
of mine, which I only do when I'm uncomfortable."
"Perfect."
The two of them sat in an awkward silence for a moment as both of them thought o
f what to say next, neither of them exactly sure how they felt about the other,
but both excited at the thought that they were becoming friends.
"Why don't you tell me what your ideal man is?" Edward asked hesitantly as he lo
oked up at her eyes.
"Well," Bella began, "I'm not really sure. I'm not too picky on hair color or an
ything like that. It's more about who he is inside." She frowned, and he wondere
d why she seemed so sad.
"What kind of guys do you normally date?"
"I don't date much," she said slowly. "Between work, school, and Cubs games, I d
on't really have the time." Her teeth sank into the soft flesh of her bottom lip
and Edward swallowed the lump in his throat as he felt himself harden.
"I didn't realize you took classes too," he said, shifting his seat to hide his
arousal.
"I'm taking my last class for my Masters," she said, smiling up at him. "After t
his, I just have a comprehensive exam."
"How do you find the time to juggle season tickets, work, and school?"
"I have a great boss, who buys my extra ticket off me whenever he can, so he doe
sn't say a word when I leave early as long as I get all my work done. My class i
s on Monday evenings, which can be bad if there's a game on a Monday night, but
normally there isn't . . . I checked the schedule before enrolling I just happen
ed to get lucky this semester and I skipped class this past Monday for the opene
r. "
"So, you have four season tickets?"
"Emmett has two and I have two, but they really belong to Emmett. He got them fr
om his company who used to use them to entertain clients but, with the economy,
they wanted to get rid of the extra expense," she said casually.
"I didn't think season tickets were transferrable."
"I'm not sure," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "All I know is that I pay for
two tickets each game and Emmett pays for the other two."
"You and Emmett are really close, how long have you known each other?" Edward wa
s jealous of the intimacy he had witnessed between the two. And for some odd rea
son, whenever Emmett touched her, even though it was innocent, he felt a snag of
possessiveness toward Bella and it confused him.
"God, we go way back," Bella said with a far-away look in her eyes. "We knew eac
h other as babies our parents were friends."
"So you grew up together?"
"Yeah, he's my best friend." Her words sent a stab of pain into Edward's chest a
nd he swallowed hard at the envy he felt.
"How does Rosalie feel about that? I mean," he stumbled over his last word, "she
seems pretty possessive of Emmett." He tried to make it sound like a casual que
stion, but it didn't come out exactly as he intended.
Bella laughed and looked down at the ground before looking back up into his inqu
iring eyes. "We didn't quite get along at first. You know, the ex-girlfriend mee
ting the current girlfriend and all," she started, but was interrupted by a chok
ing sound from Edward. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he strangled out. "You used to date Emmett?"
"We were high school sweethearts." She chuckled at the look on Edward's face bef
ore continuing. "He was my first in everything," she said pointedly, "and Rose w
asn't too fond of that idea. It took her a while to warm up to me, but once she
figured out that I didn't move here to steal her man away from her, we became gr
eat friends." Bella looked over at Edward and raised her eyebrows at him. "What'
s wrong?"
"I'm just shocked that you and Emmett dated," he stammered. "It must be odd for
you to be around them."
"Not at all, Emmett's like a big brother to me. He wasn't in high school, but af
ter . . ." Bella's eyes got a far-away look in them and tears started to form.
"After what?" Edward asked cautiously.
"We're friends, right?" Bella asked uncertainly as a tear fell down her left che
ek.
"Yeah," Edward said softly, "best friends." He wanted so much to take Emmett's p
lace. He wanted to be the most important person man in Bella's life.
She smiled sincerely at his use of the phrase before continuing. "When you first
came in here, I had been thinking about my parents. They died almost four years
ago in a car accident." Her eyes pierced into Edwards and he lifted his hand an
d grabbed a hold of one of hers, squeezing it gently, letting her know that he w
as there for her.
"The accident was my entire fault really. I keep thinking that if I hadn't said
anything . . . if I hadn't of found . . ." Bella took a long look at Edward's ex
pectant eyes. "Edward, there's probably something you should know about my mom,"
she said hesitantly, looking extremely nervous. "Have you heard of Phil Dwyer?"
"Played for the Yankees a few years back," Edward stated. "He's going to be indu
cted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year." Edward watched as her face sudde
nly looked wounded and he held back the urge to wrap his arms around her and pul
l her close into his chest to comfort her.
"Well, my mom knew him," she said, her words laced with venom. "She knew him ver
y well." Her heart raced as she brought up the history between her mother and th
e famous golden-boy of baseball all those years ago. "Apparently my mom was his
tumble-of-fun every time he came to Seattle to play the Mariners."
Edward's body stiffened at the words that Bella had just said. He knew all too w
ell what her mother had been to the Yankee's famous third baseman. He, personall
y, had a woman like that in San Diego and guilt immediately infused his heart. S
weaty palms, a racing heart, and flushed cheeks impaled him, but Bella didn't no
tice.
"I'm sorry," Bella choked out as she grabbed another tissue and wiped at her eye
s.
Not only was Edward's mind on what she had just told him about her mother and Ph
il Dwyer, but also about what she almost said, or half-said about her parent's d
eath. Did she honestly believe that she was responsible? It was on the tip of hi
s tongue to ask her more about what she had begun to tell him when she began to
speak again.
"Say something, Edward," she whispered before quietly blowing her nose.
"What?" he asked confused.
"Say something to get my mind off this." Bella grimaced as she looked up into hi
s eyes, which were lidded with concern.
"Um, Newton wears pink g-string panties under his uniform?"
"What?" she laughed out. "You can't be serious!"
"Aah," he beamed at her, "I've found something you don't know. Let's see . . . w
hat else could I possibly enlighten you about?
"Wait! You can't say that about Newton and not elaborate!" Bella had grabbed his
arm while she spoke. Looking down to where their skin touched, she slowly pulle
d her hand away. "What I mean is, is he a big Bull Durham fan or something?"
"I believe that's where he got his inspiration. He claims they bring the team go
od luck. If it weren't for the thought of touching something that has been insid
e his crack, I'd have confiscated all of them and burned them already." His body
shivered at the thought and Bella rubbed his arm, comforting him from the disgu
sting thoughts that plagued his mind.
When she noticed Edward staring at her, she abruptly removed her hand and spoke
again. "So, what else can you tell me about?"
"Yorkie grabs himself before each pitch."
"I knew it!" she said a little too loudly. Noticing how Edward flinched from the
shrill of her voice, she practically lowered it to a whisper. "Emmett didn't be
lieve me. At first I thought that maybe his cup was too small." She laughed when
Edward raised his eye brows, giving her an incredulous look. "I don't know!" sh
e laughed out loud again.
As Bella laughed, Edward thought back to what she had revealed to him earlier wh
at she was currently trying to clear her mind of. Her mom had had an affair with
Phil Dwyer. Immediately, his mind wandered to Jane, whom he saw every time he w
as in San Diego. He had never thought about how their relationship impacted her
life. Did Jane have a family? He had never asked and she had never offered up th
e information. It was suddenly very clear to him that there was nothing remotely
casual about casual sex nothing.
"Are you okay?" Bella looked at him with concern as she squeezed his hand that w
as still holding onto hers.
"Yeah," he said brashly, "I'm just exhausted."
"Well I guess it's a good thing the game was postponed then," she teased, and he
was happy to see that talking about something else had helped her get back to h
er normal self so easily. But was it healthy, he wondered?
"Come on," Edward said as he stood up, pulling her to stand with him. "Let's go
get some food, I'm starved!"
The two friends took off together to find the rest of the guests sitting around
and eating burgers, brats, ribs, and steak. Bella had never seen such a large sp
read at a barbeque before and she mentioned it to Edward who chuckled. "The Cull
en's never do anything half-way," he teased her.
After meeting up with Jazz and Alice, the four of them sat quietly and ate their
meals until James and Victoria came to sit at the table with them. Edward ended
up stuck between Bella and Victoria and his body tensed as the red head rubbed
her thigh up against his.
"Looking forward to the day off tomorrow?" Jazz asked Towne when he finished che
wing a bite of his brat.
"Yeah, was thinking of golfing but with all the rain, I'm not sure what I'm goin
g to do." He answered with his mouth full, spewing bits of his food across the t
able. "Maybe I'll go to the shooting range instead," he mused before taking anot
her bite of his ribs.
"He's leaving me all alone," Victoria pouted before leaning over toward Edward.
"Maybe we could meet up for lunch or something, I'm going to be bored."
Edward's breath hitched as he thought of how to reply, but Bella the wingman ste
pped in. "Sorry Victoria, Edward and I already have plans to meet for lunch tomo
rrow." She didn't elaborate or talk about any details, leaving it open, yet clos
ed since she didn't invite the red head to join them.
"Another time then, Edward?" Victoria asked coyly and Edward looked up to see Ja
mes smirk suggestively in his direction, making his stomach turn.
Bella came to the rescue again as she changed the subject, talking about all the
fun things there was to do in Chicago, suggesting places for Victoria to go see
or shop at. Edward sat back and watched as the three women conversed animatedly
about clothes now that Bella had brought up the word shop.
He was so enthralled with Bella; the way her smile lit up her whole face, the ex
pressions that ran through her eyes, the faint blush that tinted her cheeks when
she knew everyone was listening to her, the way she bit down on her lower lip w
hen she was deep in thought, every little nuance of Bella's was suddenly signifi
cant to him and he almost didn't catch what Alice mentioned.
"I'm a Designer in the Merchandise and Design department at Macy's," Alice said
proudly, catching Edward's attention away from his enchanting friend.
"You're a designer?" Edward asked in shock and all eyes turned to him, the women
confused and the men disgusted that he was interested.
"Yes, Edward, I'm responsible for the design, development, selection, and approv
al for all the clothes you see in the women's department at every Macy's in Illi
nois. Didn't you know that already?"
"No," he muttered, "I thought you . . ." looking into her eyes, he couldn't say
it. He couldn't tell her he thought she was a dumb, money-hungry opportunist who
worked a cash register in women's lingerie.
"You thought I what?" she prodded.
"I think what he was trying to say," Bella interjected as she placed her right h
and on Edward's thigh under the table, "is that he didn't realize you were respo
nsible for such a wide area. He thought that you were only responsible for the d
owntown Chicago store."
Talk continued on about Alice's position in Macy's between the three girls and E
dward started talking with Jazz and James, periodically sitting back and watchin
g the women, especially Bella since her hand was still lying on his thigh. Every
once in a while, she would look over at him and smile, catching him off-guard.
He was glad that they were able to be friends because being around her was so ea
sy and comfortable. It just felt right, as if they were always meant to be frien
ds. But there was a part of Edward that was aware of Bella in a way that, as a f
riend he shouldn't be, and he had to constantly readjust himself throughout the
night as every little look from her or when she bit down on her bottom lip cause
d his erection to grow. Eventually, he had to excuse himself and disappear into
the bathroom, hoping to find some time to think of his grandmother, dog, old men
in Speedos, something to get his arousal to go down.
When he emerged from the bathroom, he first stopped off in the kitchen to grab s
ix beers for the table before returning to find that Bella, Alice, and Jazz were
gone, leaving in their place, Newton and Crowley. Edward took a deep breath bef
ore marching over to sit across from Victoria at the table.
"Hey guys," Edward's smooth voice called as he took his seat, placing the six be
ers on the table.
"Masen," Newton belted out, "you finally awake? What happened to you last night?
You looked like death when you got here earlier."
Edward faked a laugh as he took a swig from his beer. "I'm fine, just drank a li
ttle too much."
"You shoulda come out with us last night then, we had a little competition," New
ton laughed and Crowley joined in, punching his blond friend on the shoulder.
"What competition was that?" James asked, interested in the game he missed.
"We went hoggin'," Crowley sniggered, trying hard not to choke on his beer.
"Not in front of the lady," Edward said irritated, even though Victoria barely c
ounted as one in his book.
Edward stayed at the table for a while as Newton and Crowley told James and Vict
oria of the women they had sex with the night before. He was actually surprised
that James told them that he wanted to join in next time, and as he looked acros
s the table, shocked that James would be open about this in front of his wife, h
e noticed Victoria wink at him. He immediately got up and left without another w
ord to the nauseating foursome.
He wandered around, going from group to group, talking with whomever, the whole
time searching for Bella. Eventually, he saw her amid a group of women. She look
ed happy as she spoke with the other ladies, and he just watched, not wanting to
interrupt.
"There you are," a woman's voice slurred and he turned to see Victoria advancing
on him.
"Victoria," he choked, "where's James?"
"He's busy digesting all the rules of hoggin'." She continued her advance as Edw
ard's feet scrambled underneath him, moving back from her until he found himself
up against a wall.
"I was just about to get going," he started.
"So soon?" Victoria asked as she lifted a hand and ran her fingers through his h
air.
Edward pulled his head back abruptly. "You're a married woman."
"James won't mind," she smirked. "Actually, he'll be insulted if you turn me dow
n."
Edward's fingers immediately went to the bridge of his nose and he squeezed gent
ly, trying to calm himself down. His eyes closed and he sighed out loudly before
opening them, looking in Victoria's eyes.
"It was nice talking to you," he began, but was interrupted by a small warm arm
wrapping around his waist. Looking down, Edward saw Bella attach herself to him
and she leaned in, her lips coming to rest on his neck.
"I'm getting tired, hon," she moaned into his skin, sending an electric current
throughout his body.
Bella's lips continued to press against his neck and he put his arms around her
waist, pulling her in closer, separating Victoria from his personal space. Edwar
d used a hand to lift her chin, bringing her face up to his and he bent down and
brushed his lips against hers.
"I guess I was too late."
Edward heard Victoria's voice, but he didn't acknowledge her. He was amused, how
ever, with the way Bella's lips curled up into a smile against his, and he took
the opportunity to open his mouth, his tongue sneaking out into hers, deepening
their kiss. Her hands reached up and combed through his unruly hair and he moane
d into her mouth, delighting in the feel of her hands on him and her breath ming
ling with his.
But before he was ready, Bella pulled away from him, her hands moving down to re
st on his chest as she looked up at him, smirking. "She's quite a handful," Bell
a quipped with a snort.
"I thought you'd never come," he groaned while pulling her waist in toward him a
nd she smiled. "Which has me thinking," he said slowly as he took an arm away fr
om her and pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket. "Give me your number?"
"Here," she said as she took his phone and handed him hers. They both programmed
their numbers into each other's phones before handing them back to the other. "
I'm sorry we took off on you earlier," she said sheepishly. "Mike and Tyler came
over to the table and we just couldn't deal with them very long."
Edward sighed as he put his arms back around Bella's waist, pulling her back int
o him. "You left me hanging there," he reprimanded her, teasingly. "Next time I
won't be so forgiving." He winked before bending down and placing an innocent ki
ss on her lips.
Bella was staring up at him and he wondered what he'd been thinking to do someth
ing so stupid as she stepped away from him. "I've got to get going," she sounded
nervous, "I've got some homework to finish up still."
"I'll drive you," he offered hesitantly. He didn't want to seem overanxious but
he didn't want to be away from her either.
"Um, I don't want to take you away from the party. I'll just have Alice bring me
, then she can come right back."
"Okay." Edward was confused by her abrupt change of demeanor and he swallowed a
lump in his throat as he decided he had definitely over-stepped his bounds with
the kiss. "Can I call you tomorrow?" he asked, suddenly feeling unsure of where
they stood with each other.
"Yeah," she smiled at him as she took a step backwards. "Call me in the morning,
maybe we can do lunch."
Edward's heart soared. She actually wanted to go to lunch with him. He smiled wa
rmly at her, reached out, took her by the waist, and pulled her back into him. H
e squeezed her tightly, giving her a big hug and kissed her on her cheek. "I'll
take you to Alice," he said sweetly, and then he led her to her friend in silenc
e.
Chapter 5 April 20, 2009
Bella stepped off the El and started walking the rest of the way to her office.
Normally, she would take a bus to get a bit closer before her walk but the weath
er this morning wasn't too bad. It had finally stopped raining and she could sme
ll spring in the air it was perfect. She was still a bit tired from the night be
fore, so the cool morning wind that blew past helped to wake her up and rejuvena
te her she would need it today.
After returning home from the barbeque last night, she had finished some stuff f
or work and then reread the case study and her analysis for her class before pas
sing out. Her dreams last night were odd. There were dancing raspberries with lo
bsters eating baseballs and jets flying overhead shooting at the scene below. It
was strange, but she knew exactly where each facet of the dream had come from,
at least.
As she thought of her peculiar dream on her way to the office, she focused on th
e raspberries and sighed. She had kissed Edward again last night and of course h
e tasted like raspberries. At first she thought she had dreamt it, but this time
, she knew for a fact that it was real. But it wasn't just the raspberries that
kept her mind on Edward this morning. It was the memory of the way she felt in h
is arms, the way his lips moved against hers, the way his tongue gently mingled
with hers, the way his arms held her close against his chest, the way his eyes b
urned like a fire behind the melon green façade, the way her heart leaped when he
was near, and how her body tingled with every touch of his skin. There was somet
hing about Edward Masen that made her react in a way she never had before to any
one man or woman.
Unfortunately, she thought as she rode up the elevator to the fourteenth floor,
he was a baseball player. There was no way she could ever entertain the idea of
anything more than being friends with Edward. She shouldn't even contemplate bei
ng his friend, really, but it was too late for that. Everything about him pulled
at her. She didn't think she could go on if she didn't know that she'd see him
again. His presence was like a drug and it scared her.
"What's going on with you and Edward Masen?"
Bella had barely made it through the doors of her office when Jessica approached
her, demanding to know what was up with her and Edward. She took a deep breath,
rolled her eyes, and continued on toward her cubicle.
"Nothing," Bella said over her shoulder to the secretary that pranced at her hee
ls. "He's a good friend."
"That's not what you called him on Friday night."
"What?" Bella stopped abruptly in the hallway and turned to look at Jessica.
"Edward and I were getting along great, and then out of the blue, he left me and
went right over to you and some guy. The next thing I know, Edward's kissing yo
ur neck and you're telling this guy that Edward's your boyfriend. And then the t
wo of you leave together!"
"Oh," Bella said as she continued her walk to her cube and then placed her bag o
n top of her desk. "Jessica, I know what it looked like, but believe me, it's no
thing."
"Are you dating him?"
"No." Bella looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversatio
n and then she sat down in her chair. "Edward and I are friends and he was just
saving me from that pervert. The guy actually had the nerve to-"
"So he's still available?" Jessica interrupted in an excited voice.
Bella eyed the beautiful girl in front of her but, as she looked closely, she re
alized she wasn't as pretty as she always thought her to be. Her light brown cur
ly hair seemed to lack any sort of shine and her face had too much make-up on it
, making Bella wonder what she was hiding underneath. Her eyes were a pretty haz
el, but even as Jessica's best quality, they still lacked any depth.
"I guess so," Bella wavered. "But honestly, Jess, he really isn't looking for a
girlfriend."
"Who said anything about a girlfriend?" She gasped. "I'd just be glad to spend o
ne night in his bed."
"Hey Bella," Angela called, as she walked over to Bella's cube.
"Angela," Bella breathed out, grateful for the interruption.
"Jess, there's someone in reception," Angela said sweetly.
Both girls watched as Jessica strode away and they rolled their eyes. "Tell me w
hy we put up with her again?" Angela giggled.
"She's not so bad," Bella said peculiarly, "if you take her in small doses."
"So, are you going to tell me what's going on between you and that hunk of a man
?"
"Ang," Bella groaned. "Seriously, between you and Jessica, I just want to scream
. Nothing is going on between me and Edward. He's a friend and that's it."
"You two looked awfully close on the dance floor," she smiled widely.
"You saw us dancing?" Bella moaned. "You know I can't dance. Both he and Alice h
ave some notion of teaching me how, that's all." Bella gave her friend a stern l
ook. "Now, are you going to tell me why I had to sit at a table Friday night and
watch that boyfriend of yours fondling you?"
"I'm sorry about that," she said uncomfortably. "We were kind of in the moment."
"I'd say," Bella giggled. "Hey, you and Ben want to go to the game tomorrow?"
"You have two tickets?"
"I think so. Let me check again with Emmett first, to make sure though. I think
Rosalie can't get out of work for the rest of the week, though it is a night gam
e tomorrow and Wednesday. Let me double check, but you could probably go to all
three games, if you wanted."
"We can't afford that and you know it. But let me talk to Ben, maybe he'd like t
o go to all three."
"Honestly, if we can't find anyone to buy the tickets, I really don't mind just
letting you have them. The money has already been paid may as well have someone
sit in the darn seats."
"Fine," Angela said as she looked over toward their boss's door. "You talk to Em
mett and then let us know. We can at least afford a few tickets," she whispered
before she silently waved and walked away.
Bella put everything she had into her work, making sure she got everything done
that she needed. Today was Monday and there was no game, so she'd be putting in
a long day working until it was time to leave for her class in the evening. Igno
ring the goofing around that was going on at other cubicles near her, she put on
her head phones, blocking out the noises around her while she worked.
At 10:30, she got up to use the restroom. When she got back to her desk, she saw
her cell phone poking out of her jacket pocket that hung on the wall of her cub
e. Pulling it out, she noticed she had missed a call from Edward. Her body becam
e heated as she stared at her phone, wondering if she should call him back. Clos
ing her eyes, she opened her phone and sank into her chair as she selected his n
ame from her list and pressed the send button.
"So you aren't blowing me off," Edward's velvet voice said when he picked up.
"What?" Bella asked confused.
"You didn't answer my call. I assumed you were standing me up for lunch."
"Some people do actually have real jobs, Edward. I can't just drop everything fo
r you the moment my phone rings."
"Are we still on for lunch?"
"Sure, what time do you want to go?"
"Well, I'm over at the park right now, but I can probably get out of here in an
hour. Would twelve be too late?"
"No, that's fine. What did you have in mind?"
"Where exactly is your office?"
"The corner of Wacker and Madison in the south loop."
"Oh, right across from the Lyric Opera house?"
"Yeah, that's it," Bella answered wondering why a jock would know where the oper
a house was. Then it dawned on her that he'd probably been there for some charit
y function or something.
"Is there a place right on the river we could eat at?"
"Sure, there're a few places we go to right on the river. Though to be honest, I
don't have time for a sit-down meal."
"Well, I'm in the mood for a good burger, anything around there?"
"Blackies' is a few blocks southeast. They have great burgers . . . but it's sit
down." Bella frowned as she looked at her schedule for the day. "Hold on, let m
e see what's going on this afternoon. If I can get out of a meeting-"
"I'm not going to take you away from a meeting," Edward interrupted.
"Just hold on," Bella clipped.
Gently placing her cell on her desk, she walked over to Jessica and asked about
the importance of the staff meeting at 1:00 PM. Jessica didn't seem to want to g
ive out too much information, so Bella continued over to her boss's office and p
oked her head in.
"Marcus?"
"Hey Bella!"
"I'm going to have to miss the meeting today, is that okay?"
"Sure. It's nothing too exciting really. It's mainly for the new people who cont
inue to make the same mistakes over and over again. I think we're going to have
to revamp our training program. Actually, I was going to ask if you'd like to he
ad that up?"
"Um, sure-"
"Hold on," Marcus said as he answered his ringing phone. He then rolled his eyes
as he listened and motioned for Bella to leave and close his door on the way ou
t. She had gotten good at deciphering his hand gestures over the past few years.
Hastily walking back to her cube, she picked up her phone, her face bright red f
rom leaving Edward so long. "I'm so sorry Edward. I was talking with my boss."
"You need to get some elevator music for when you put people on hold," he chuckl
ed.
"I could've just hung up on you," she laughed. "Well, I don't need to attend tha
t meeting after all. I can go anywhere now, but if you're in the mood for a good
burger, Blackies is really the place to go. But it's not on the river. There's
a place at the Merc that has an excellent flourless chocolate cake for desert an
d it's on the river."
"Either one's fine, should I pick you up at your office?"
Bella stood and looked over to the reception area and saw Jessica smiling as she
spoke animatedly over the phone. "That's up to you. If you do come into the off
ice, I'm afraid that a certain secretary may latch herself onto you. But that mi
ght be exactly what you're after . . ."
"How about I meet you on the corner of Wacker and Madison then?"
"Sure," Bella said. "How's twelve o'clock on the northwest corner?"
"I'll see you then."
"Bye." Bella closed her phone and then held it to her chest, right above her pou
nding heart. What was wrong with her? Why did her body react this way to a man t
hat could only hurt her?
Bella was in a zone, working herself as hard as she could to finish a few things
before lunch. People walked by and said hi, but she only mumbled out a quick he
llo, never glancing in their direction. With taking so much time off to go to th
e games, there was always a lot of work for her when she was in the office and t
oday was no different. Actually, it was worse because Mondays were always busier
and because she planned on taking at least two hours for lunch. Her phone rang,
pulling her out of her groove.
"Hello?" she answered, knowing it was a Washington State number, but not sure wh
o it might be.
"Bella?" A rough voice spoke and she immediately knew who it was.
"Billy?" she gasped, smiling into her cell. "Billy Black?"
"Hi Bella," he said sweetly and she felt wetness start to pool in her eyes. The
last time she spoke to him was on the three year anniversary of her parents' dea
th. He always made sure to call her on that day. "I'm sorry to bother you during
the day, but I'm on my way out and wanted to get a hold of you before I forgot.
"
"It's not a problem Billy. How are you doing?"
"I'm rolling with the best of them," he chuckled and Bella smiled even brighter.
He had a great sense of humor about his condition. Being confined to a wheel ch
air never seemed to damper his mood. Throughout her whole life, Billy was always
able to put a smile on her face. Even at her parents' funeral, he lit up her wo
rld. There was something calming in his friendly eyes and smile.
"How are your kids?"
"Oh, they're doing great. Actually, it's the reason I was calling."
"Really? What's going on?"
"Well, Jacob has up and moved to Chicago."
"He has?" She nearly squealed. Jacob was her close friend when they were kids; t
hey were inseparable when their families got together. As they got older and sta
rted hanging out with friends from their different schools, they drifted apart.
Then, when Bella started dating Emmett, she had stopped hanging out with Jacob a
ll together. Now, as an adult, she felt guilty. Sighing sadly inside, she berate
d herself for ditching a friend for a boyfriend. It was such a stupid thing to d
o.
"He's been out there for about a month now and I keep telling him to look you up
."
"Of course! I'd love to get in touch with him! Have you given him my number?"
"Yes, but he's a bit shy," he said roughly. "I was hoping that you might call hi
m, show him around the town some time?"
"Sure," Bella said excitedly. "What's his number?"
Bella wrote down Jacob's number as Billy read it off to her. Afterwards, they sp
oke for a while about his daughters. Rebecca was married and living in Hawaii wi
th her husband and Rachel was engaged to one of Jacob's good friends, Paul. The
twins were a couple years older than Bella and Bella was a two years older than
Jacob. Being right in the middle, Bella played with all three of them, but for s
ome reason she got along better with Jake than the twins. She felt a little unco
mfortable around them since they didn't even need to speak to communicate with o
ne another. She and Jake played great together, but the few times they saw each
other in the awkward pre-teen and teenage years, they were shy and nervous aroun
d one another. The last time she saw or spoke to Jacob, or his sisters, was the
day of her parents' funeral and, of course, she didn't remember much of that day
.
Once she was finished with her phone call with Billy, Bella got back to work, on
ly to notice she didn't have much time before Edward would be waiting down on th
e street corner for her. Saving her work and locking her screen, she grabbed her
jacket before telling Angela she was leaving.
~GO CUBS~
Edward waited patiently with the collar of his jacket pulled up over his neck an
d a Mariner's baseball cap secured to his head. Not only did he wear it for Bell
a, since he knew she was a Mariners fan, but it worked as a disguise as well. No
one should recognize him in the offensive hat, though he was fearful if anyone
did. All he needed was for someone to take a picture of him in the hat and the r
umors would fly.
It was a cool April day, and thankfully it had stopped raining. The Cubs had one
more series at home, which started tomorrow, and then they would pack up for a
week, playing in St. Louis and Arizona before returning to Chicago. He thought o
f the road trip ahead of him as he waited. He had never felt anxious to leave Ch
icago for any reason, until now. The thought of not being able to see Bella afte
r the game put a damper on the week he'd be gone. Even now, waiting for his frie
nd, he was having a hard time concentrating on anything but her.
"Hey there All Star, nice hat!"
Edward's body jerked as he was pulled out of his thoughts by Bella's elbow nudgi
ng his arm. He turned his head to see her leaning back against the building next
to him. Her smile was bright, as if she were happy to see him and it melted his
heart which beat faster in her presence.
"Shh," he teased her, "it's my disguise." Once she stopped laughing at him, he p
ushed off the wall and waited for her. "Shall we go?" he asked and she followed
suit, pushing herself away from the wall.
"So, what's this place we're going to?" he asked.
"Well, there's Rivers, which is right on the river. It's the place I told you ab
out that has the best flourless chocolate cake ever, and then there's Blackies,
which is just down the road and across the river from Rivers. Which do you think
you're in the mood for?"
"Let's see how crowded the first place is and if it's not too bad, we'll eat the
re."
"Sure."
They didn't speak much as they walked down the street because Bella seemed to be
in a zone, leading the way, dodging around obstacles, weaving through the slew
of people that crowded the sidewalks. It was way too crowded for him. Even in hi
s disguise, he noticed people doing double-takes in his direction. He never vent
ured downtown during the work week unless it was absolutely necessary. He'd have
to think of somewhere else they could go the next time they went out for lunch.
Arriving at the Merc, Bella motioned in through the glass walls. "This is Rivers
. The food is good, but you won't be getting a cheeseburger here."
"Am I dressed okay?" Edward looked down at his jeans before looking up into Bell
a's eyes.
"I'm sure you'd be fine. I don't remember there being a dress code." Turning aro
und, she looked through the window again and Edward took note of how her black p
ants formed to her tight ass. "Actually," she said, turning back around to face
him. "I'm not really sure. I don't see anyone in there in jeans, but it is durin
g the work week and not too many people wear jeans to work down here."
"Let's go over to the other place then. It's not as fancy as this, is it?"
"Nah, but there probably won't be anyone in jeans there either," she warned him
and he shrugged his shoulders.
Edward took off his hat as they entered the restaurant and Bella smiled up at hi
m, her eyes lingering on his unruly hair. Self consciously, he ran a hand throug
h it, shaking his head at her. "Don't mess with my hair, woman, it's got a mind
of its own."
"I'll say," she giggled.
They had to wait twenty minutes to be seated, but once they were, the service wa
s impeccable. They both ordered bacon cheeseburgers with fries and Edward smiled
at her choice, finding it nice that she didn't order a salad or something healt
hy. That was one way that Jane always bothered him. She was a vegetarian, or som
ething, and always made him feel guilty for ordering something greasy.
"So you have class tonight?" Edward asked between bites.
"Yeah," she replied before taking a sip of her coke. "I feel bad for missing it
last week."
"I'm sure your teacher will understand. It was the Cubs' home opener after all."
His lips curled up into a smile and he watched as she paused before taking anot
her bite.
"I don't think that'll work on her," she said after swallowing her food. "I offe
red her my extra ticket and she lectured me." She laughed. A full heartfelt laug
h and he watched, his eyes transfixed on her lips.
"Will you be at the game tomorrow?"
"Yeah, it's nice that the next two games are at night. I'll be able to actually
work two full days in a row!" She exclaimed in mock excitement.
"Excuse me," a tall man in a full suit interrupted with a pen and piece of paper
in his hand. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I could get your a
utograph?"
Edward took a deep breath as he looked back at Bella. Normally, he didn't mind s
igning autographs here and there, but he wasn't sure how she would take it. "Do
you mind?" He asked her quietly.
"No, go ahead," she replied sheepishly, blushing.
"I had tickets to yesterday's game," the man said as Edward took the pen and pap
er from him. "I was going to bring my son."
"What's his name?"
"Billy," the man said, smiling as he watched Edward write out a quick note to Bi
lly and then sign it.
"Well hopefully you can make the make-up game," Edward said as he passed both ob
jects back to the tall lingering figure.
"We hope so," the man looked nervously between Edward and Bella. "Well, thank yo
u."
Edward nodded to the man before he walked away, and then suddenly became fearful
that the man would have started a trend. He got very quiet as he slouched in hi
s chair, hiding his face with his hands, which he propped on top of the table.
"Are you okay?" Bella inquired, the flesh between her eyebrows puckering in her
perusal of him.
"I just don't want to get bombarded with having to sign autographs."
"Well, I think you're safe for now, stop trying to shrink into your seat." She w
hispered with a laugh.
Edward lifted his head and looked around. There were some people looking over at
him, but no one made any move to get up from their seats. Avoiding eye contact
with everyone around them, he sat up straight and relaxed.
"Geeze, Edward, you're not that famous."
"I guess not," he chuckled. "Do you want desert?"
"Only if it's good. I'm very picky."
"Are you now?"
"Yes. I won't eat anything with nuts in it or anything with chunks of fruit eith
er."
"You don't like nuts or fruit?"
"Oh, I love nuts and fruit," she said rather animatedly and then abruptly stoppe
d as her cheeks turned pink. "What I meant to say is that I like both, but not m
ixed in my desert."
"How about plain cheesecake?"
"Perfect."
Edward ordered one cheesecake and two forks. They shared their desert, and Edwar
d reveled in the feeling of being Bella's friend, even though it wasn't really a
ll that he wanted. Well, he didn't want anything more relationship-wise, he want
ed her physically. She was a very desirable woman. Who knows, Edward thought. Ma
ybe someday they could have an intimate relationship and be able to keep their f
riendship.
As he watched her take another bite of their desert, guilt grabbed hold of his t
hroat, causing him to force down his last bite. How could he ever think that way
about this wonderful person? She had just yesterday explained to him about the
relationship her mother had with Phil Dwyer and he wanted to treat her the same
way? Inside he fumed over his pig-headedness, but on the outside he grew hard be
neath his jeans as he imagined what it would feel like to be inside her body as
she moaned out his name. Awkwardly shifting in his seat, Edward adjusted himself
as he watched Bella pick up the last bite of desert. She held her fork up, offe
ring the last piece to him.
"No thanks," he smiled and then watched as the fork disappeared in her mouth. He
 readjusted himself and then grabbed their bill which was already sitting on the
ir table.
As they got up to leave the restaurant, Edward gave his Mariners hat to Bella wi
th a pleading look in his eyes. She smirked, but took the hat and placed it on h
er head, adjusting the strap in the back.
"Thank you for lunch," she said casually as they strolled down the street. "I wi
sh you would've let me pay for myself though." She scrunched her nose up at him.
"I invited you," he said languidly. "Next time, you can pay."
"Promise?" She asked, out of breath.
"Scout's honor."
"You weren't a scout Masen," she giggled.
No, he wasn't and that's something she'd know. "Somehow I get the feeling that y
ou know more about me than I do."
"Someone's got to remember all this stuff. I wouldn't want you to go around lyin
g to all the ladies, trying to show them your slippery hitch."
"My what?" he coughed.
"See? Right there! I'm talking about a knot and your mind wanders to . . . to .
. . Well, you definitely weren't a Boy Scout."
"And you were?"
"Emmett was. I had to help him with all his knots." Bella's eyebrows lifted sugg
estively and she laughed in his direction.
His heart constricted at the suggestive mention of her ex-boyfriend. "Emmett was
a scout? He doesn't seem the type."
"And what type is that?"
"I don't know," Edward mumbled, not wanting to be rude or stereotypical. So far,
Bella and her friends had proven to be anything but conventional.
"So Jennifer's looking to latch on to me?" he asked, changing the subject to avo
id answering Bella's question.
"Who?"
"Jennifer?" When Bella still looked confused, he ran his hand through his hair,
"whatever your secretary's name is."
"Jessica," she corrected him. "Yeah, she attacked me first thing this morning as
king if we're an item. And she's not my secretary, she's the office receptionist
."
"What did you tell her?"
"That you're still available." She winked while flashing him a mischievous smile
.
"Masen!" a booming voice bellowed. Immediately, someone had forced his way in fr
ont of Edward and grabbed his hand, shaking it profusely. "I can't believe it's
you!"
"Neither can I," Edward said cautiously, his eyes roaming over to Bella, making
sure she wasn't harmed during the man's quick approach.
By the time Edward shook the excited fan from his arm, they were back at Bella's
office. She turned to face him near the entry to the building and smiled. "Than
ks again for lunch."
"Anytime, Bella."
Edward pulled a pack of gum out of his jacket pocket and held out a piece for Be
lla. "Would you like a piece?"
"What kind is it?"
"Raspberry Sorbet."
"Raspberry?" she asked as she took the stick from his hand. "I think Alice start
ed chewing this kind recently."
"Yeah, she borrowed a piece one day and freaked out asking me nine million quest
ions about it. I went and bought her a six-pack of the stuff so she wouldn't ste
al mine every time we see each other."
Bella held the stick of gum up to her nose and breathed in the scent. A warm smi
le spread across her face and Edward watched as her shoulders relaxed and a deep
blush rose to her cheeks. He wondered why the smell of raspberry gum had that a
ffect on her and was about to ask, but she spoke first.
"Well . . . I'll see you later?" she asked sheepishly, the piece of gum still he
ld in her hand by her face.
"Of course. We're friends, right?"
"Right."
"And Bella?"
"Yeah?"
"You can tell Jessica that I'm not available anymore."
"Seriously Edward? You think lying to your gaggle of girls is going to win you a
ny brownie points with me?"
"I'm not lying. I'm going to take a break from girls for a while." At Edward's d
eclaration, Bella's eyes grew big. "And I would wager a lot of money that you we
re never a Brownie." When her eyes drew together he laughed, knowing he was corr
ect. "Oh, and I'm not trying to win any points with you. We're just friends, rem
ember?" With those words, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek before walk
ing away, whistling the song he had started composing the day he met her.
The song still lingered in Edward's mind as he walked into his condo almost an h
our later. There was something about the chocolate-eyed enchantress that he just
couldn't shake. Even if all he could ever be was her friend, she still inspired
him to be better, to want better. Spending time with her these past few days ha
d filled a space in his heart that he never knew existed. He smiled more often,
laughed louder, and was generally a happier man.
Grabbing a bottle of water from his fridge, he walked into the living room and s
at down, looking through his mail. He received a couple of movies from NetFlix a
nd he pulled them out, not sure what was next in his queue. Looking at the title
s, he saw that he had received some new vampire movie that seemed to be the craz
e right now and the last disc for season six of The Sopranos.
Throwing both discs onto his coffee table, he threw his head back against the co
uch and placed his hands over his face. Bella was still on his mind. He couldn't
seem to stop thinking about her and his body desired her more than any woman he
had ever desired before. Plus, it had been over a week now since he had gotten
laid. "How much longer can I go on?" He muttered before grabbing the remote and
turning on his TV. It was well after two in the afternoon and most channels had
soap operas on. Turning to HBO, he left the rerun of True Blood on, sat back, an
d watched, his mind still on the Mahogany beauty he had shared lunch with earlie
r.
As he watched an erotic scene on the TV, he pictured Bella in his mind, his body
responding to the current of his thoughts. Her long beautiful mahogany hair, ch
ocolate brown eyes, pink, pouty lips, bright smile, heart-shaped face, strawberr
y scent, silky, soft skin, and soft sensual voice permeated his thoughts. Unbutt
oning his pants, his hand slipped inside, grasping his hardened mass, stroking h
imself as he closed his eyes and imagined Bella's moist, soft lips around him, h
er sweet tongue swirling around his head. He came unexpectedly fast and shuddere
d against the couch, calling out Bella's name.
Cursing himself, he got up and took a shower. He really needed to get laid. He h
ad relieved himself more in the last week than he thought he had as a teenage bo
y. Maybe he needed to go out tonight and find someone anyone to sleep with. Mayb
e if he had sex he'd stop fantasizing about this one small, frail, little girl a
nd get back to his normal self. But that wasn't what he wanted, was it?
He had told Bella that he was no longer available, that he was giving up the lad
ies for a while. What exactly had he meant by that? Leaning his head against the
shower wall, he let the hot water fall against his back. He didn't know where t
hose words had come from or why he felt like saying them to her. What was he try
ing to achieve with this?
After drying off, he sat on the couch and put the vampire movie in his Blu-Ray p
layer. He couldn't really enjoy the movie because the main character had brown h
air and brown eyes, reminding him a little of his Bella. She's not mine, he remi
nded himself as he got up and went into the kitchen to fix himself some dinner.
Afterwards, he struggled with the decision to go out and find a girl to screw or
stay home and watch the last two episodes of The Sopranos. In the end, he wound
up playing Guitar Hero on the Wii and going to bed early. Unfortunately, it jus
t gave him more time to toss and turn in his bed as he contemplated his motives
behind giving up women for the time being. Also, what would that mean for him an
d Jane? Not only that, but should he tell Bella about Jane? No, a voice inside h
is head whispered. She's not your girlfriend. You don't need to tell her.
~GO CUBS~
Jane stood in the back of the rancid, smoky hallway by the bathroom doors with t
ears rolling off her cheeks. Lighting up, she took a puff of her cigarette as sh
e thought of what she needed to do. This was the last time she was going to allo
w Carlos to treat her like a sack of shit. She needed to find a way out.
Unfortunately, without an education and too many bills piling up, there wasn't m
uch she could do. She needed money it was the only way to free herself from the
mess of her life. She took another drag off her cigarette before wiping her chee
ks dry and straightening her skirt. Walking back into the main area of the bar,
she watched as Carlos flirted with some red head by the jukebox. She marched rig
ht out the establishment's doors, unnoticed to everyone there.
Jane wasn't sure how she made it home, but somehow she was there. Stumbling out
of the driver's side of her car, she burped from the affects of the alcohol that
consumed her body. After staggering her way through the door of her trailer, sh
e made herself a pot of coffee while she changed and then sat down, resting her
elbows on the table, her head in her hands. Carlos wouldn't be home for a while
and she needed to sober up and figure out what to do.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
She jumped at the sound of someone knocking on her trailer door. "Who is it?" sh
e yelled.
"Jane, its Lisa, Lisa from next door?"
Moaning to herself, Jane put her cup of coffee on the table and went to let her
next door neighbor and the kid inside. "Sorry, I just got home," she slurred.
Little Bobby ignored Jane and ran to the back of the trailer, where his bedroom
was.
"Jane, are you going to be all right with him alone?"
"I'll be fine," she garbled in reply. "Do you want a cup of coffee?"
"No thanks," Lisa said hesitantly. "I need to get home. It's well after midnight
."
After Lisa had left, Jane went and checked on her seven year old son. He was lyi
ng face down on his bed sound asleep. She picked up a blanket off the floor, cov
ered the boy with it, and then sat down on the side of the bed rubbing his back.
"I'm going to find a way for us, baby," she whispered through her tears.
Finding her way back to the table and her purse, she pulled out her phone and st
ared at it. What time was it in Chicago? She'd have to disguise her voice, make
sure he couldn't tell that she was drunk or high before she called. She needed t
o know when he was coming to see her. When she found his number on her cell, she
paused, staring at it as her heart pounded in her chest. He had never given her
his number. Normally when he called, he showed up as PRIVATE, but once, his num
ber had actually shown up. She saved the number without telling him. She had nev
er used it before. She'd only saved it in case of an emergency. Pushing the send
button on her cell, she held her breath waiting for him to answer.
"The Cincinnatian Hotel," a polite voice answered the call.
"The what?" Jane asked, confusion washing over her as she looked down at her pho
ne that showed she was connected to Edward's number.
"The Cincinnatian Hotel, how may I help you?"
"I'm sorry," Jane slurred, "I must have the wrong number."
Closing her phone, she slammed it on the table, mad at Edward for never giving h
er his phone number. How was she supposed to get in touch with him? Taking anoth
er sip of her coffee, she thought of who might know when the Cubs would be in to
wn next. She had to find out so that she could make arrangements for her plan, t
he plan that would set her free from Carlos.
She had met Edward in a bar one night while she was out with her friends. She wa
s dressed nicer than normal, wearing her girlfriend's dress and heels. Her makeu
p was done nice, as was her normally wiry pale-blond hair. She knew who he was f
rom the talk of everyone at the bar, so she took off her wedding rings and appro
ached him. They hit it off and spent the three nights he stayed in San Diego in
a hotel room. He even got her tickets to the games so she could watch him play.
After that, he would call her up every time he was in town and she'd put on her
best clothes, stop smoking, do her hair and makeup nice, and pretend to be a veg
etarian, thinking that was the type of girl he was used to dating. For two years
now she had been waiting for him to move their relationship to something more.
She wanted out of her marriage to Carlos. If she had the money, she would fly ou
t to Chicago and track him down, but she had no idea where to find him, even if
she did make it to the Windy City.
This had to work, she thought as she downed the remainder of her coffee and then
refilled her cup. She was sick and tired of waiting for him to make the next mo
ve. She was going to have to do it, for her sake, as well as her son's. And if h
e didn't want her, if he refused her, she would have to come up with a plan. Her
mind raced with ideas as she thought of the best ways to get money out of him.
This was it. The next time he was in town, she would confront him with what she
wanted. If that didn't work, she would execute her plan. One way or another, it
would work, it had to.
Chapter 6 April 21 22, 2009
"Bella!" Alice's voice pierced through the walls of Bella's room, drawing her ou
t of her heavy slumber. "You're going to be late for work if you don't get up."
Rolling over in bed, Bella turned off her alarm that had been screeching loudly.
Her right hand went to rub her heavy feeling stomach and she winced from the qu
easiness that enveloped her. Afraid to make any sudden movements, Bella lay stil
l as she thought of the things she had to do today.
After returning from her lunch with Edward yesterday, Bella had called Jacob and
left a voicemail telling him to call her. She wanted to bring him to the Cubs g
ame tonight since Angela and Ben ended up having plans and wouldn't need the ext
ra ticket. She needed to get in touch with him sometime today so that they could
plan to meet up before the game and get to know each other again.
She also needed to call her partner for her class. Her teacher had divided them
up into pairs for which she would have to work on the last case study with. It w
as a lot of work and she was glad for the opportunity to work on it with someone
else, but she didn't do well with groups or partners. Due to her season tickets
, she liked being able to make her own schedule, sometimes even doing her homewo
rk during the wee hours of the morning. When she got up to talk with Chad her as
signed partner after class, all she had time for was to exchange phone numbers b
ecause her stomach had cramped up and started rumbling. She barely made it into
the bathroom as she ran from the poor guy, totally embarrassed and hoped he wasn
't offended.
The gurgles from her stomach were even louder this morning and Bella covered it
with both hands this time, wishing the pain would go away. Noises from the bathr
oom kept Bella staring at the ceiling. There were two bathrooms in the townhouse
that she shared with Alice, but only one on the top floor where their rooms wer
e. There was no way that she'd make it down to the other bathroom in time. Once
she stood up, she'd be like a walking time bomb, ready to explode. Her stomach r
umbled again and she closed her eyes, praying to keep everything down long enoug
h for Alice to finish up.
"Bella?" Alice's voice had turned soft as she opened Bella's door to peer in at
her best friend and roommate. "Are you okay?"
Bella opened her eyes, a stray tear falling out onto her pillow when she did. As
soon as her mind recognized the fact that the bathroom was empty, bile shot int
o Bella's throat and she bolted from her bed. She immediately covered her mouth
with one hand as she ran to the bathroom. She couldn't figure out what she had t
o do more, puke or sit on the toilet, so she grabbed the white plastic waste bas
ket as she rounded the corner into the bathroom, threw down her sweat pants, plu
nked down on the toilet, and placed her head in the trash can as she relieved he
rself from both ends at the same time.
Once her stomach had stopped heaving, she threw her head back against the wall,
her bottom still sitting on the toilet. Alice grabbed the wastebasket from her a
nd Bella let her. She was mad at herself for being so weak to make Alice have to
help her, but her body was just that, weak.
"Clean yourself up, Bella, and I'll tuck you into bed," her pixie friend said sw
eetly, a hint of concern edged in her voice.
"Okay," Bella moaned, and did just what Alice said.
Sliding into her bed, Bella moaned and grabbed her stomach again, pausing to gau
ge whether she needed to head back to the bathroom or not. "Can you hand me my p
hone, please?" She asked shakily, deciding she would be okay to lie back down.
After handing Bella her cell phone, Alice placed her hand on Bella's head to che
ck for a fever. "You don't seem too hot," she mused, watching Bella try to sit u
p.
"I don't think I'm sick," Bella croaked and Alice looked at her incredulously. "
Seriously, it's probably food poisoning."
"Do you want me to stay home?" She asked Bella, sitting down on the edge of her
bed. Alice had a conference she was flying out for later in the day and she'd be
in Florida for the remainder of the week, returning on Friday evening. "I can a
lways fly out tomorrow."
"No, I think I'm just gonna sleep all day. Besides, you don't want to miss the m
ouse."
"It would be easy to switch my flight," Alice continued. "It really isn't a prob
lem."
"You know me Alice," Bella's gravelly voice said. "I'd rather be alone when I'm
sick." Bella preferred to be left alone when she wasn't feeling well. As a child
her mother hovered over her whenever she was sick, poking, rubbing, and proddin
g at her body, annoying her to no end.
The first time she ever got sick in college was an eye-opening experience. She a
ctually felt better just being alone, being left to lie down and rest without th
e disturbance of someone's hands continuously touching her. She liked it better
that way. She could be free to toss and turn without the over-bearing burden of
someone wondering if she were okay or if she needed help to the bathroom.
"I'm going to call Emmett and make sure he checks on you during the day," she ad
ded and Bella tried to smirk at her. "I'll get you a glass of water before I lea
ve. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, just the water," she moaned. "Thanks."
When Alice left Bella alone in her room, she called her boss, letting him know t
hat she was sick. Unfortunately, Bella had left her work laptop in the office ye
sterday, so she called Angela next and asked her to drop it by after work. Once
she hung up with Angela, she broke out in a cool sweat and jumped from the bed,
barely making it in time to heave over the toilet. What she didn't think of was
the problem she had before, her body's need to eject the funk from both ends.
"Shoot," she groaned, thinking of another word that was more appropriate and rea
lizing she now needed to trek downstairs to do some laundry.
It wasn't so easy to clean herself up and she was very weak as she stumbled down
the stairs, but she threw her soiled pants and underwear in the washer and star
ted it. If she had lived alone, she would've just let the stuff sit in her baske
t until she felt better, but it wouldn't be fair to Alice to come home to a smel
ly house on Friday or for Angela or Emmett when they dropped by later in the day
. Once upstairs in her bed again, she closed her eyes as she lay on her side, he
r right arm clutching her abdomen. Her stomach rumbled again, mixed with the thr
eat of heaving and the desire of nourishment.
Turning over to her other side, Bella's mind drifted to what could have caused t
his mess. She had stopped for dinner at Potbelly's for a Wreck before her class
last night. She guessed that it could've been their food, but wasn't so sure, it
also could've been Blackies. As she thought of the bacon cheeseburger that she
at for lunch, her mind shifted to Edward and the gleam in his green eyes as they
ate lunch together. They were becoming friends.
"Friends," she whispered into the darkness of her room. For some reason, the sin
gle word didn't feel like enough. Not only did her body react in a more than fri
endly way toward the green-eyed playboy, her heart also seemed to overflow with
excitement and joy when he was around. Apart from being devilishly handsome, he
was funny, witty, smart, articulate, sincere, a good listener, and he composed m
usic. She couldn't wait to hear him play the piano. As her mind thought of his l
ong, warm fingers stroking ivory keys, she settled off to sleep.
Her slumber was restless, and her body tossed and turned, trying to get comforta
ble for two hours. Finally, just when she found the right spot, she jumped out o
f bed, hurling herself toward the bathroom. This time, Bella remembered to grab
the waste basket before sitting down on the seat, relieving herself both ways on
ce more. Luckily each bout of sickness was followed by a small spurt of energy s
o she was able to dump the contents of the bucket into the toilet and wash it in
the bathtub before heading back to bed.
Her day continued in this fashion, waking up every few hours to empty the conten
ts of her stomach and bowels, eventually resulting in only bile being relieved.
At some point, she drank the water that Alice had left her and though she heard
her phone ringing a few times during the day, she never once bothered to answer
it she felt too ill.
She had a faint memory of Angela coming into her room and dropping off her lapto
p before refilling her water glass. Luckily, Angela was one of the few who knew
where they kept the spare key on the porch. Emmett also stopped by but didn't st
ay long as he was on his way to the Cubs game.
At around eight that night, Bella stumbled out of bed in search of something to
eat. Her stomach was all twisted in knots, but she thought that if she ate somet
hing, she'd feel better. Grabbing some crackers and peanut butter, she sat on th
e couch and turned the TV on to watch the game. Curled into a ball, she stared a
t the Cubs' short stop, whom was up at bat, admiring his pale skin with pink che
eks, piercing green eyes, and auburn hair though his eyes were hard to notice on
TV and his hair was covered by a batting helmet, but she imagined them in her m
ind. Stepping out of the batter's box, he adjusted the straps to his batting glo
ves at his wrists while he stared over toward the visiting team's dugout, his mo
uth chewing on his gum.
Images of his lips pressed against hers filled her mind, the taste of raspberrie
s clouding her thoughts of the game. And just as she felt warmth spread through
her body, her stomach revolted and she ran to the downstairs bathroom, heaving t
he crackers out into the toilet. Her stomach was still rumbling when she turned
off the TV and climbed the stairs, leaving the jar of peanut butter and box of c
rackers out on a side table.
Her room was only a few steps away when her stomach cramped up again and she flu
ng herself into the upstairs bathroom this time, her arms encircling the white p
orcelain seat as her body jerked forward retching into the water below. Too tire
d and queasy to stand, Bella laid her head on the cool linoleum tiles of the bat
hroom floor and passed out, one arm flung over her forehead, the other resting o
n her abdomen as it continued to grumble.
~GO CUBS~
Edward's eyes roamed over the seats directly behind the visitor's dugout. The Ci
ncinnati Reds were in town for a three-game series, and then he'd be packing up
to leave for St. Louis. But that wasn't what was on his mind as he stood on the
field waiting for play to resume. Bella hadn't shown up to the game.
After speaking with Jazz, Edward was still confused as to why Bella wasn't there
. Alice was in Florida for a conference but that didn't explain Bella's absence.
Staring over at Bella's seat again, he watched Emmett and Rosalie speak to the
two people sitting with them.
It was hard for Edward to concentrate on the game. His mind was preoccupied with
thoughts of Bella and their lunch date. No, it wasn't a date. It was two friend
s having lunch together. In all actuality, it was a date, he guessed, but not th
e kind he wished him and Bella could have. Keep dreaming, she's so far out of yo
ur league!
There was no way she was ever going to want more from him than friendship, not w
ith the way her mother had been treated by Dwyer. Besides, he didn't want a rela
tionship either. Then what exactly did he want? Why did he decide to give up wom
en for now? What was he trying to achieve? Edward's body automatically lurched t
oward a ground ball, securing it in his glove before throwing it over to Newton
at first base for a third out. Frustrated with himself, he shook his head and ra
n into the dugout. His eyes glanced over Bella's seats once more and his stomach
twisted into a knot. What did he want to gain from this?
After the Cubs' 7-2 victory over the Reds, Edward maneuvered his way out of the
dugout and across the field to the visitor's side. Catching Emmett's attention,
he motioned for him to come down to speak with him.
"Great game Edward!"
"Thanks," Edward replied quickly. "What happened with Bella? She told me she'd b
e here tonight."
"You two have a date or something?" Emmett asked, his eyes squinting as he looke
d over Edward, sizing him up.
"No, nothing like that," he breathed out. "We're just friends."
"Hmm."
"Is she okay?" Edward asked slowly, wondering why Emmett was being elusive.
"Yeah, she's fine."
"No she's not," Rosalie butt in, pinching her burley man in the side as other fa
ns gathered around, trying to get at Edward. "Tell him the truth."
When Emmett didn't make any move to do as Rosalie said, she sighed loudly. "Bell
a's been sick all day. We stopped by on our way to the game and she was sleeping
."
"Sick? What's wrong?"
"Are you sleeping with her?" Emmett scowled.
"What? No! We're friends," Edward said emphatically. "What's wrong with her, Ros
e?"
"Not sure. Alice called us this morning and asked Emmett to check in on her. We'
re planning on stopping by again on our way home."
"I'll check on her if you'd like," Edward said quickly. "That way you can get ho
me at a decent time."
"I don't think-"
"That'll be great!"
Rosalie and Emmett spoke at the same time and then turned to stare at each other
. "I'm not letting him in her house while she's alone and sick." Emmett glared a
t Rose and she glared back, hands going to her hips.
"She trusts him. Haven't you seen them together?"
"What do you want with her?" Emmett turned his attention back to Edward, sulking
now as he asked his question.
"We're just friends," Edward said slowly, "good friends."
The last two words out of Edward's mouth turned Emmett's lips into a flat straig
ht line. Rosalie shook her head and dug in her purse. Pulling out her set of key
s, she proceeded to find which one she was looking for before pulling it off her
key ring and handing it to Edward.
"Why would you do that?" Emmett bellowed. "You could've just told him where the
spare is kept on the porch."
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her key back from Edward as she shot words at Emme
tt. "I figured you wouldn't want him to know where it was considering you've dec
ided to play the role of overprotective big brother."
"I'm not overprotective," he sulked.
"Where exactly is the key?" Edward asked, cutting into their conversation.
"On the right side of the porch behind the big bush is an electrical box. It was
supposed to have a couple of outlets in it, but instead it's just a bunch of wi
res. They keep the key in there. Make sure you return it, Alice tends to forget
her key a lot."
"Thanks." Edward smiled warmly at Emmett and Rosalie before running back to the
Cubs' dugout and into the locker room below.
~GO CUBS~
Edward hurried in the shower and got dressed quickly. It being late on a Tuesday
night, there weren't too many of the guys that planned on going out to a bar af
ter the game. All of the men that Edward hung out with were going home to their
wives, or in Jazz's case, back to his empty home to call Alice.
Not wanting to waste any time, Edward kept to himself as he got ready, not bothe
ring to play along with his teammates as they joked around with each other. Newt
on was making a fool of himself, as usual, parading around bare-assed while prov
ocatively gyrating his hips. It was not a scene Edward wished to see and he avoi
ded eye contact with the group surrounding the chaos.
Leaving earlier than normal, Edward said goodbye to Jazz, Garrett, and Carlisle
before taking off for Bella's. Thinking about the times when he was sick as a ki
d, he decided to stop off at a White Hen to pick up some popsicles. His mother a
lways had them handy when he was sick as a boy. They helped with the nausea as w
ell as making it easier to get some water into the body.
It was late by the time he made it to Bella's townhouse. He found the hidden key
without any problems and quickly put it back in the electrical box after unlock
ing the door. He noticed crackers and peanut butter sitting out on a table in th
e living room as well as the putrid smell of puke as he walked into the home. Af
ter placing the popsicles in the freezer, he made his way upstairs to see how Be
lla was doing.
Having never been in Bella's house, he wasn't sure which room was hers, so he we
nt to the door on the left first and peeked in. It was dark but obviously vacant
. He turned to the next door and found the room also to be empty, but the sheets
were all ruffled and it had a stale vomit smell in the room it had to be Bella'
s. Skipping the next door, as it looked like a closet, he pushed the last door f
urther open it was already open a crack and found Bella sleeping on the floor of
the bathroom.
At first he wanted to pick her up and put her in her bed, but after thinking of
the smell in her room, he decided to do a couple of things first. Edward reenter
ed Bella's bedroom and opened her window to air it out. He then looked in the cl
oset that was next to the bathroom and found some new sheets. After quickly chan
ging her bedding, he went back into the bathroom to get Bella.
Trying hard not to wake her, he picked her up bridal style, but she stirred imme
diately and gestured toward the toilet. He placed her back onto the floor and wa
tched as she heaved into the porcelain bowl. Ducking out of the bathroom, he gav
e her some privacy and waited out in the hallway for her to finish.
"Edward," Bella groaned from behind the closed door.
Immediately, he opened the door and found her wiping her face with a towel and t
hen flushing the toilet. Once she tried to stand on her own, he wrapped an arm a
round her and led her into her bedroom.
"You changed my sheets?" she asked, her eyes peering into his.
"Um, yeah . . . would you like to change your clothes before lying back down?"
Bella had on a torn pair of sweat shorts and an old faded concert t-shirt with h
oles in it. She looked down at herself after he spoke then back up to his eyes,
her cheeks stained pink from embarrassment.
"Not very attractive, huh?" She smiled before plopping down on her bed. "I'm too
weak to change."
Edward covered her up with her blankets and then grabbed the empty glass on her
nightstand. "I'll get you some water," he whispered as he watched her hand slide
down her body to rest on her stomach. "Is there anything else you need?"
"No," she moaned.
With the glass in one hand, he picked up the dirty sheets with his other and car
ried everything downstairs. Finding the kitchen wasn't hard but he had to do a l
ittle search for the washer and dryer, which was located in a very tiny nook nea
r the back door. Inside the washer he found a pair of sweat pants and underwear,
which he threw into the empty dryer before starting. He then put the sheets int
o the washer and started it as well.
After cleaning up the living room and putting the crackers and peanut butter awa
y, he grabbed a new, clean glass from the cupboard and filled it with water and
made his way back upstairs. Bella was sound asleep when he stepped into her room
and he placed the glass of fresh water on her nightstand. There wasn't anywhere
for him to sit, but he didn't want to leave. He remembered when he was sick and
how he loved having his mom near him for when he needed something.
Unsure of what to do with himself, he very slowly sat on the edge of Bella's bed
, trying hard not to make any sudden movements as he leaned back against the hea
dboard. He was tired and his muscles ached he hadn't done any of his post-game s
tretches that he normally did. He kicked off his shoes and lifted his legs onto
the mattress. Bella moaned slightly and Edward froze, waiting to see if she woul
d wake up. When she didn't, he relaxed back into the bed and closed his eyes.
It wasn't long after he drifted off to sleep that he was woken up by an abrupt m
ovement on the bed. His eyes opened to see Bella flash out of the bedroom door a
nd run into the bathroom and then he heard her retch into the toilet. Rubbing hi
s sleep-filled eyes, he made his way into the bathroom behind her and grabbed a
washcloth out of the closet on his way.
As Bella's body continued to heave, he wet the washcloth with cold water and wai
ted for her to finish. Her hair was already pulled back into a pony tail, so he
didn't have to worry about helping her keep her hair back. Once she seemed to re
lax, Edward flushed the toilet for her and then bent down so that he was close t
o her face. He gently wiped the cold, wet washcloth over Bella's forehead as she
lay with her head against the porcelain seat of the bowl.
"What are you doing here?" She croaked, her eyes remaining shut.
"Taking care of you," he whispered as he continued to wipe the cool cloth along
her face.
Bella reached up and grabbed the wet cloth from his hands and placed it on the f
loor. "Please stop doing that," she groaned, her eyes never once opening to look
at him.
"Are you ready to go back to your bed?" He asked hesitantly. When she didn't ans
wer, he asked another question. "Do you need me to get you anything?"
One of Bella's eyes opened and peered at him in the dark bathroom. "You're worse
than my mom."
"What "
"Don't speak," she moaned, her shaking arms pushing her up to stand.
Edward's arm reached out and wrapped around her waist and she glared at him unti
l her legs gave out and she nearly fell. His arm held onto her tighter, pulling
her into his side and supporting her weight. He smirked at her as he helped her
back into her room.
"Have you been able to keep anything down?" He asked quietly as she slid under t
he covers of her bed.
"No," she sighed, resting her right arm over her forehead.
"How long has it been Bella?"
"Hmm?"
"How long since you've been sick?"
"It started last night," she rasped out, her face starting to turn pale again.
"Wait right here," Edward said before taking off down the stairs.
When he returned to her room he held an orange popsicle in one hand and a bowl i
n the other. Bella's eyes were closed but her face was still very pale and he wa
s sure she hadn't fallen back asleep yet, not if she felt as sick as she looked.
"Bella," he said quietly. When she didn't respond, he said her name again.
"Would you go away?" She bit at him.
"Bella," his voice was stern now, sounding like her father had when he was upset
with her. "If you don't suck on this, I'm going to have to take you to the emer
gency room."
Bella's eyes shot open. "Suck on it?" She asked dryly and Edward blushed from th
e way his words could have been taken. When he opened his mouth to reiterate, sh
e beat him to it. "I'm not going to the emergency room. I'll just end up with th
e swine flu or something." Her head shot up abruptly and her face looked even pa
ler. "You can't go either. You can't afford to get sick."
"Don't worry about me," Edward sighed as he sat the bowl down next to her glass
of water and put the popsicle in it. "If you can't hold down any water you're go
ing to dehydrate."
"What's the popsicle supposed to do?" She asked stubbornly.
"The coolness will help with the nausea and the water will hopefully hydrate you
some. It's something my mom always gave me when I got sick as a kid."
When she tried to grab the popsicle herself, he reached out and grabbed it for h
er, eliciting a scowl. Smiling to himself, he handed her the popsicle and watche
d as she bit into it.
"Don't bite it," he chuckled as he sat down on the edge of her bed, making himse
lf comfortable. "You're supposed to suck it slowly."
"You need to stop with the sucking references," Bella bit and Edward smiled at h
er, glad that she felt well enough to banter with him.
Bella began to suck on the popsicle, avoiding eye contact with Edward at all tim
es. After watching her for a few seconds, he got up and rounded the bed, ploppin
g back down on the other side. Bella didn't say anything as he lay down next to
her, on top of the covers. He closed his eyes as his head sunk into the edge of
her pillow listening to her slurp at the sweetness in her mouth and he fell asle
ep.
It was a restless night as Bella got up twice more before morning, heaving into
the porcelain bowl, ridding her body of all the fluid Edward tried to get into h
er. As dawn cracked through the sky, he contemplated bringing her to the emergen
cy room. She looked so pale and weak. Instead, he called Carlisle. Though he pla
yed baseball, Edward knew that he had been pre-med at Harvard University years b
efore. The conversation didn't go too well as Carlisle had no advice to give him
. Apparently, being pre-med meant nothing if you didn't continue on and go to me
dical school.
Edward made his way to the kitchen, letting Bella sleep up in her room. After ma
king a pot of coffee and pouring himself a bowl of cereal he sat down in the liv
ing room and watched the news while he ate. Half way through the weather report
a phone rang upstairs.
Bolting out of his seat, Edward ran up the stairs hoping to find the phone befor
e it woke Bella. The phone was in Bella's room sitting next to her half empty gl
ass of water.
"Hello," Edward whispered into the phone.
"Um, I think I have the wrong "
"Are you looking for Bella?" he asked as he tiptoed out of her room, shutting th
e door behind him.
"Yes," the small voice said tentatively. "Who's this?"
"Edward, a friend of Bella's. She's a bit under the weather right now," he said
as he stroked his free hand through his messed up hair.
"Edward Masen?"
Edward froze at the top of the stairs, wondering who was on the other line. "Yes
," he replied.
"Edward," the voice said excitedly. "It's Angela. We met the other night."
"Oh yeah," he said relieved, glad it wasn't Jennifer, or whatever Bella's secret
ary's name was.
"She's still sick?"
"Yeah."
"I'll go ahead and tell our boss for her."
"Thanks."
"Um, Edward?"
"Yeah?"
"The other day Bella offered Ben and I some tickets to tonight's game," Angela s
aid uncertainly. "Would you happen to know if the tickets are still available?"
"Um," Edward thought of what to say before he decided to just get her and her bo
yfriend tickets if Bella's weren't available. "Yeah, just go to the will-call wi
ndow when you get to the park and there'll be two tickets for you."
"Oh, great. We're looking forward to the game tonight. Tell her we said thank yo
u!"
"Will do," he said before ending the call.
That was the first of the calls he'd have to take that morning. The next one was
from Alice who sounded very worried when Edward answered the phone. After plead
ing with her to stay in Florida for the remainder of the conference, he finally
was able to get her off the phone by having her promise to pick up a souvenir fr
om Disney World for Bella.
"Would you like one too?" She asked excitedly and he laughed.
"I'll be fine," he said, shaking his head at her exuberance.
"What do you think Bella would like?"
"I'm not really sure," he whispered into the phone, wondering what she would lik
e. "How about a t-shirt? Something she could sleep in that isn't faded and cover
ed in holes."
Alice giggled before promising to buy her a sleep shirt from Disney and then she
thanked him for being there for Bella before hanging up. Edward went back upsta
irs with Bella's phone in his hand. Once in her room, he lay down on the bed nex
t to her and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't tired, but he didn't want to leave
her alone either. Picking up a paperback off her dresser, he opened it up with
a snicker and began reading.
A little over an hour later, Bella woke up with a start and headed for the bathr
oom, Edward following behind. She still wasn't keeping anything down, but at lea
st her bouts of nausea were growing further apart. Despite her aversion to the w
ashcloth, Edward wet it once more with cold water and held it against her forehe
ad as she leaned against the cool toilet seat.
"What time is it?" She asked quietly, her eyes still closed as she sat on the ba
throom floor.
Edward looked at his watch before answering. "A little after ten."
"I don't want to go back to bed, my neck hurts." Bella lifted her head and place
d a hand at the back of her neck and massaged her skin gently.
"Would you like to lie on the couch? We could watch a movie."
"Why are you here?"
Taken back from her question, he hesitated before answering. "You're sick."
"I'm not sick," she grumbled as she reluctantly took his hand to help her stand.
"I've got food poisoning. It still doesn't explain why you're here though."
Edward helped Bella down the stairs and led her to the couch where she sat down
and rested her head against the back cushion. "I'll go get your pillow and a bla
nket. Would you like another popsicle?"
Bella bit into her bottom lip and he stared at her for a moment, making sure she
felt okay before taking off up the stairs. Returning with her pillow and blanke
t off her bed, he tucked her in on the couch and watched as a slow smile spread
across her face.
"Thank you," she mumbled. "I thought I didn't need a mom anymore, I guess I was
wrong."
"A mom?" He asked, his masculinity threatened by her words.
"Mmhmm. My mom used to tuck me in just like this." Her smile was so infectious a
nd as he thought about the fact that her mother was dead, he gave in to her remi
niscence. Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead and then made his way to t
he kitchen.
When he came back into the living room, he had a red popsicle in a bowl in one h
and and a glass of water in the other. Bella had turned on the TV and was watchi
ng some soap opera. He made his way back upstairs and grabbed the smutty book he
was reading while she slept earlier.
"I can't believe you read this stuff," he chided her as he planted himself on th
e other end of the couch, lifting her feet and placing them in his lap.
"I can't believe you're reading it," she said weakly, the popsicle planted again
st her lips. She wasn't sucking on it, just letting it rest against her skin.
"It has some good parts," he mused, his eyes never leaving hers as a frown cross
ed his face.
"Turn to page 176," she said slyly and then closed her eyes.
Edward didn't turn to the page she suggested, he was actually into the story and
wanted to read the book through correctly. But when he did reach page 176, his
eyes grew large and he glanced down at the sleeping figure next to him, shocked
that she read that type of smut, shocked that that stuff existed. Bella's phone
rang at that time, pulling him from the entrancing book.
"Hello?"
"Who's this?" The demanding voice was unmistakable it was Emmett.
"It's Edward," he replied irritated.
"What are you doing answering Bella's phone?"
"She's sick, Emmett," Edward breathed out, tired of his protectiveness.
"Still?"
"Yes, still." He massaged his brow as he remembered the phone call from Angela e
arlier. "Hey, Angela called earlier and asked about tickets to tonight's game. S
he said that Bella told her that she and Ben could go."
"Oh." Emmett sounded disappointed. "Rosalie decided to go and I was going to see
if my friends could use Bella's tickets."
"Do you have her tickets on you?"
"No, I was going to stop by and get them. Aah, don't worry about it, go ahead an
d give them to Angela."
"I don't know where they are," Edward replied. "How about I get Angela and Ben t
wo tickets and you can use Bella's. I'll let her know you're coming over to pick
them up."
"Thanks bro," Emmett said enthusiastically and Edward smirked. He didn't like Ed
ward spending time with Bella but throw in a couple of tickets and they were now
brothers.
"And Emmett," Edward said with a lump in his throat, "nothing is going on betwee
n me and Bella. We're just friends." He looked down at her once more, wishing sh
e would want more, wishing he could give her more.
"If you hurt her "
"We're just friends," he said again, more severe.
It was around lunch time that the next phone call came in. Bella was still sleep
ing and Edward was further into the smutty romance novel. "Hello?"
"Ah, is this Bella Swan's number?" A deep voice asked.
"Yes, it is," Edward replied immediately hating the man on the other end.
"Can you put her on please?"
"Who's calling?"
"Who wants to know?"
Edward pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it, shaking his head, wo
ndering what jackass was calling her. "Listen," he said agitated, "Bella's not f
eeling well today. You can either leave a message with me or call back tomorrow.
"
"You aren't Emmett," the deep voice stated and Edward shook his head again.
"Nope."
After an awkward silence the man finally spoke up. "Can you have her call Jake w
hen she's feeling better?"
"Sure," Edward said and then hung up on the man.
No sooner did he settle back down to read, he was disturbed by Bella's ringing p
hone again. "Hello," he answered, exhaling loudly into the receiver.
"Um, hi," a nasally voice replied. "Is Bella available?"
"I'm sorry," Edward said for what seemed the hundredth time, "she's not feeling
well today."
"Oh," was the other man's reply and Edward waited, wondering how many guys calle
d Bella on a daily basis.
"Can I take a message?"
"Can you tell her that Chad called?"
"Sure," Edward clipped and then he hung up.
Why would he expect her to not have admirers calling? Why did it bother him that
he wasn't the only man in her life? Heck, he wasn't even in her life in that wa
y they were just friends. Placing her phone down on the coffee table, Edward pic
ked up her sex book and continued to read. So it wasn't a classic, nor did it ha
ve a good plot, and it had a cheesy name, but it still captured his attention fo
r the next hour.
~GO CUBS~
Bella awoke on the couch to the sound of the Cubs game on the TV. Grabbing at he
r aching stomach, she moaned as she rolled over and remembered her afternoon. Wh
y Edward insisted on hanging out with her all day, she didn't know, but he would
n't leave she couldn't get rid of him. In all fairness, it was nice that he want
ed to make sure that she was okay, but she really liked to be alone when she was
sick and unfortunately, he didn't get her not-so-subtle hints.
When she awoke around two in the afternoon, Edward made her try some saltines al
ong with water. It was the first thing she was able to keep down and after that,
Edward stopped being so crazy with the popsicles. Although, Bella thought, the
popsicles did work and they actually did alleviate the nausea. It was the coolne
ss that actually helped. She didn't even need to eat the thing, just holding it
against her lips made her feel better.
Bella heard a large crack of a bat on the TV and turned her head to watch the ba
ll fly into foul-ball territory. Edward was up at bat. As the camera zoomed in o
n him, she noticed that he had circles under his eyes he was tired. Serves him r
ight! Okay, maybe that wasn't fair, she mused. As much as she wanted to hate him
, she had no reason to. She wasn't the type of person to hold another man's past
sins against another. What Phil did to her mom was horrible, but so far regardl
ess of his reputation Edward hadn't shown to be anything like him. Bella stared
blankly at the screen as Edward struck out.
The game continued on and Bella tried hard to keep her eyes open, but as the nin
th inning started, she lost the fight and fell asleep on the couch with the TV o
n. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she was aware that someone had turned o
ff her TV and had picked her up off the couch. Snuggling into the warm body that
held her, she breathed in the scent of raspberries mixed with Edward's cologne
and smiled as she nuzzled her face against his neck. It all seemed surreal as sh
e felt her body float upstairs and then be placed in the cool sheets of her bed.
Rolling over, she thought she heard herself moan Edward's name and then she fel
l back asleep, her head sinking into the softness of her pillow.
When dawn broke the next morning, Bella wondered why her pillow had become so ha
rd. Lifting up on her elbow, she looked down to see that her head had been resti
ng on Edward's chest. He had stayed the night with her again. It didn't take her
long to disentangle herself from her blankets and make her way to the bathroom.
"Friends," she mumbled as she relieved herself. What part of friends includes sl
eeping in the same bed with each other?
"Bella?" Edward's voice was right outside the door.
"I'm fine," she replied.
"Are you going into work today?"
Bella sighed. She still didn't feel all that well. She hadn't gotten sick in a l
ong time, but she was still weak. "Nah, I'm gonna work from home today." She was
hed her hands and opened the door to the bathroom to see Edward leaning against
a wall in the hallway. His hair was standing out at odd angles and he hadn't sha
ven in a couple of days. He had on a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt. He look
ed too good for a friend.
"You do have a bed, don't you?" She asked, staring into his green eyes. "I mean,
you aren't homeless or anything?" Look away, Bella. God, don't get stuck in the
m!
"No," he whispered, "not homeless."
Bella snorted and then passed him in the hall and walked down the stairs. Once i
n the kitchen, she pulled out some pop tarts. "Are you hungry?" she called up to
her friend. There was no answer and she heard the water in the bathroom sink ru
nning, so she grabbed some pop tarts for him and sat at the table eating hers.
"Bella, you shouldn't have." Edward sat down at the table and eyed his elaborate
breakfast. "Can you pass the salt?" He asked with a straight face.
"Shove it Masen," she groaned. Inside she was happy that he was there. As shocke
d as she was to wake up in bed with him, it still didn't upset her. But she didn
't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how he affected her. And she did
n't want him to affect her as he did.
"Before I forget," Edward began after swallowing a bite of his pop tart, "You ha
d a couple of calls yesterday afternoon."
"From who?" Bella asked, swallowing a sip of her milk.
"Jake and Chad," Edward replied, watching her facial expressions for any hint of
emotion.
"Thanks." Nothing, no emotion at all, she just looked tired.
"I've got to be at the field early today. Do you need me to get you anything bef
ore I leave?"
"No, I'll be fine," Bella yawned. "I've got a lot of work to do and I don't want
to miss the game."
"You're going to the game?"
"No, but I'll watch it on TV. You better play better today," she scolded him. "Y
our average is dropping."
Edward shook his head as he threw away his trash. "Maybe if I got a decent night
's sleep . . ."
"No one asked you to stay with me!"
"It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for all your sleep talking."
"My what?" Bella turned bright red as she stared at the handsome man in her kitc
hen. What had she said? Determined to get the focus off her, she changed the sub
ject. "Maybe it was the smut you were reading yesterday!"
"You were right about page 176." He winked and her heart skipped a beat. "Do you
have any other great books I could borrow? I'll need something on the road."
"Actually," she said as she thought about the new vampire series that Rose had g
otten her hooked on. "I've got a few books that are pretty hot. I've got the fir
st six books and the seventh comes out in May."
After retrieving the first four books of the series for Edward, whom insisted he
'd have enough time to read while on the road, she ushered him out her door so t
hat she could get to work. Since he was leaving early in the morning for St. Lou
is, he wasn't planning on stopping by after the game this evening. Bella felt a
little sad that she wouldn't see him tonight, but definitely didn't want him to
know that.
"I'll call you," he called over his shoulder as she watched him step into a silv
er Volvo parked on the curb in front of her townhome.
"Okay," she rasped back, unable to hide the small frown from the sadness she fel
t at the thought of not seeing him for a few days.
Chapter 7 April 25 26, 2009
"Coming out with us Masen?"
"No thanks," Edward replied, barely taking a glimpse at Newton, who was standing
way too close to him for his liking.
"Two nights in a row? This aint like you."
Shaking his head, Edward rolled his eyes at the Cubs' first baseman and then tur
ned to finish towel-drying his hair. He'd spend tonight just as he had spent las
t night; lying in his hotel room, reading one of the books Bella let him borrow.
And he planned to call Bella first because he wanted to hear her voice, even th
ough she'd most likely pick on him again for losing another game their fourth st
raight.
Last night, when he'd called her, she was hanging out with her friends and she s
tarted going over every mistake he had made on the field. It honestly didn't bot
her him at first because it was Bella and he had started to just accept her as t
he fan that she was. She was actually quite cute as she discussed baseball with
him it was the first time she had openly spoke about it so passionately probably
because she had been drinking. It was when Emmett grabbed the phone from her an
d started giving him a pep talk that he decided to end the call.
It still bothered Edward that Bella hung out with her ex-boyfriend, but he didn'
t understand why exactly. He knew it was an irrational feeling, as they were obv
iously just friends, yet it still upset him. Emmett had been her first in everyt
hing, she had told him, and Edward would never be with her in that way. Maybe th
at was why it upset him so much he'd never be as close to her as Emmett was beca
use they shared a special bond. Besides, on top of that, it was plain to Edward
that she didn't look at him as he looked at her.
When he took care of her while she was sick, it had been as if she were trying t
o get rid of him. Most people girls he knew loved being taken care of by their m
en. Edward thought of the time Esme boasted to him about how Carlisle cared for
her when she had the flu. You would think Carlisle could walk on water the way s
he spoke of him. But Bella didn't want him caring for her. Bella didn't want him
at her townhome it was painfully obvious. It didn't deter him though because sh
e was his friend.
Keep telling yourself that, Masen! His inner monologue argued.
"I heard you're going out with Newton," Jazz said, startling Edward as he put on
his deodorant.
"No, I'm heading back. You?"
"No man, I promised Alice I'd call her when I got back to the hotel."
A horrible rendition of a cracking whip sounded behind them and they both turned
to see Yorkie pretending to wield the rope-like weapon, laughing as he looked a
t Jazz. "She's got you by the balls Whitlock!" He snickered loudly, drawing atte
ntion from everyone around them.
"Let's get out of here," Jazz drawled, before discreetly leaving the locker room
with Edward close behind.
Back in his hotel room, Edward stripped down to his boxer briefs and got comfort
able under the sheets. With a book in one hand and his cell in another, he conte
mplated whether to call Bella or not. Pushing the book aside and running his fre
e hand through his disheveled hair, he selected her name from his list and hit t
he 'send' button. His heart beat picked up as he listened to her phone ring, uns
ure if calling her for a second night in a row was too much, or not, for friends
.
"Itchy Dicky Massage," someone answered in a fake Asian accent. There was a lot
of noise in the background.
"Is Bella there?"
"Is this Masen?" Emmett's voice bellowed out, yelling into Edward's ear.
"Hey Emmett."
"Dude, what's with all the strike outs?"
Edward snorted into the phone and then breathed in deeply, not wanting to have t
his conversation again. "I did hit a home run today," he replied tersely.
"Four games in a row, bro," Emmett said, laughing when he realized he had made a
rhyme. "Damn I'm good!"
"You're drunk," Edward stated, bored with the conversation. "Can you put Bella o
n the line?"
"One sec, bro."
Edward stared off into the darkness of his silent hotel room - being on the road
got awful lonely. He knew that the players with families had a harder time than
him and he wondered how their wives fared. Not only were they alone, missing th
eir men, but they had the job of taking care of their kids on their own too.
"Hello?" Her words were slurred and he could tell she was drunker than Emmett.
"Bad night?" he chuckled.
"If the Cubs could afford some decent players I'd probably be a happy drunk righ
t now. Luckily the Mariners are doing pretty well so far. Maybe the night won't
be such a loss."
"Do you actually try to insult me, or does it just come naturally?"
Bella giggled on the other end and Edward smiled to himself, beaming from the kn
owledge that he could elicit that response from her. There was a lot of noise st
ill in the background and Edward couldn't make out her garbled response followin
g her fit of laughter. "What was that?"
"I was just saying that I'm going to the Sox-Mariners game on Monday," she yelle
d into the phone, and he cringed from the sharp pain that shot through his ear.
"What about your class?"
"Day game. I'll be able to make it in time, I think."
"Well have fun," he said, wishing he could sit in the stands and watch a game wi
th her. As much as he loved to play, he did miss relaxing in the stands, eating
a polish sausage, and watching a game.
"I will," she beamed. "I'm going with my friend, Jake. He's a Mariners fan too.
Well, now he claims to be a Sox fan, but I told him you'd forgive him . . ." Bel
la began rambling and as much as Edward tried to keep up with her, he hadn't hea
rd much after her first sentence. All that he actually perceived was that she wa
s going to the game with Jake, and his heart constricted from the thought of som
e other guy sitting next to her, eating peanuts with her as they drank beer and
talked about the game.
Edward's mind drifted to a perfect day where he could take Bella to a baseball g
ame and sit with her, eat junk food, and talk about the plays. He had seen her f
ace light up when she spoke about the games. There was always this amazing feeli
ng that Edward would get when watching a ball game and he could tell that Bella
felt it too. He missed that.
"Bella," he tried to cut in, but she was still talking, this time giving him a p
lay-by-play of the Mariners game that she was currently watching. "Bella," he sa
id louder, laughing to himself as her voice raised an octave when she got excite
d about a play. "Bella, I should get going."
"Oh," she said surprised. "You probably could care less about the Mariners, huh?
"
"It's not that," he laughed. "I'm just tired. I was about to lie down and read o
ne of your books. I'll talk to you later?"
"Yeah, sure," she replied breathlessly. "I can't wait to hear how you like them.
"
"Do you have someone there with you?"
"What?"
"How are you getting home?" he asked, realizing he'd have to be direct with her.
"Oh, Jake said he'd drive me. We're at a bar right now . . ."
She had started rambling again and he took a deep breath in, trying hard not to
focus on the fact that this Jake guy was a little too close to Bella for his lik
ing. "I've got to go, Bella," he said, agitated.
"Yeah, right . . . sorry."
"Call me when you get home? I'll worry about you all night if you don't."
"I'm a big girl, Masen."
"I know you are, Swan, but I don't know Jake, and I won't be able to see if you
play with your earring "
"You don't have to worry about Jake," Bella cut in, giggling. "We've been friend
s since we were kids."
"Oh," Edward responded as his fingers began playing with the corner of the cover
of the book. And then he heard cheering in the background behind Bella screamin
g on the other end of the phone. "Mariners score?"
"What?" she shouted. "Sorry, Edward, I've got to go. Talk to you later?"
There wasn't any time for him to reply to her as she ended the call as soon as t
he last word left her mouth. For the next half hour, Edward seethed inside, wond
ering who this Jake character was and what he meant to Bella. She had told him t
hat she didn't date. So was he just another friend like Emmett and himself? How
many other guy friends did she have? His stomach plummeted when he thought of th
e guy, Chad, who called while she was sick. Actually, Jake had called that day a
s well.
Another ten minutes without being able to concentrate on the book, and Edward ha
d had it. He couldn't stop thinking of Bella with this other guy. Turning irrati
onal, Edward bolted out of his bed and threw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt befo
re grabbing his room key and wallet. He didn't want to leave the building, but h
e needed a drink.
Finding the hotel's bar, he strolled in, thankful that it was still open and tha
t there were only a few people lounging around this time at night. Edward sat at
the bar and ordered a shot of whiskey. With every sip he took, he thought of Be
lla; her eyes, her lips, her smile, her snort, her long, wavy hair, her soft, si
lky skin, and her cute, round ass. God, he wanted her. He wanted her like no oth
er woman he had ever known.
Two hours later, Edward was walking a fine line between having a nice buzz and b
eing drunk. He rarely drank to this level, but the images of Bella on the arm of
some runt had him on edge. Moving slowly, he stood up to the outstretched hand
beckoning him to join her on the empty dance area of the bar. The bar was still
vacant, but a small jukebox played in the background and the lady obviously want
ed to dance.
The woman before him could be pretty, he thought, though it was hard to tell thr
ough his blurred vision. The one thing he could make out of the figure now plant
ed in his arms, was that she had long brown hair just like Bella. As their bodie
s ground together to the beat of the music, Edward enjoyed the feel of the warm
feminine body against his. It had been too long since he had been with a woman.
His body reacted to her involuntarily, his erection straining against the confin
es of his pants. This woman had great skill and though he enjoyed dancing with h
er, he couldn't help but find his mind wandering through the memories of dancing
with Bella. Her body didn't move nearly as well as his current partner, but he
found himself wishing it were her he was dancing with now; her body rubbing agai
nst him, her hand currently grabbing his ass, pulling him into her heated center
.
"Let's ditch this place," the brown-haired blur whispered in his ear and he felt
himself twitch in anticipation of what her words promised.
There was no need to utter a response and his hand slid down to grasp hers, pull
ing her from the dance floor and to the doors where he first entered the bar. "Y
ou got a room here?" Edward asked when they made it to the elevator, suddenly he
sitant to bring her up to his.
"Fifth floor," the blur responded as they stepped onto the empty elevator and Ed
ward leaned into her as he pressed the appropriate button, his lips finding her
neck to trail kisses along it.
"So you play for the White Sox?" She asked breathlessly, her hands roaming over
his back and buttocks
"Cubs," he corrected her, his lips leaving her skin as he pulled back to look at
her again. Her features were still distorted in his inebriated state. He went b
ack to work at her neck.
"Oh, I could've sworn a guy at the bar said you played for Chicago."
A smile broke out along his face and he chuckled silently to himself. "They must
've been mistaken," he whispered as his lips trailed up to capture her mouth.
Though his lips caressed this nameless, faceless girl in his arms, his mind was
solely on Bella. All he could think of was the words he said to her when he drop
ped her off at her office after lunch. He had told her that he was giving up gir
ls for a while, yet here he was doing the opposite of what he had promised. You
didn't promise her anything. True, she never asked him to give up his lifestyle
and he never did promise her he would, he only told her that he was going to. An
d he did say, 'for a while', which could mean any length of time.
As the mystery woman's hand traveled down to the aching need in his pants, he ar
gued with himself over what he was about to do. He had never felt guilty for wan
ting to be with a woman before so why should he feel guilty now? Bella wasn't hi
s and he wasn't hers. She had made it especially clear that they were just frien
ds and she even agreed to help him with the ladies when they go out together. So
why did he feel guilty?
His arms tightened around the woman as he tried to force the images of Bella out
of his head. Right this very moment, he reminded himself, she was with some guy
named Jake in her home, doing who knows what. And she had a date planned with h
im for Monday. If she could enjoy the company of a man, why couldn't he do the s
ame with any woman he wanted to?
The elevator dinged and the door opened just as he made up his mind. Exiting the
elevator, he followed the blurred form of a woman down a couple hallways until
she came to a stop and opened up her room. There was no need to turn on any ligh
ts. As soon as he was inside and the door was shut, she twirled around to face h
im, throwing herself into his arms and tearing at his clothing.
Immediately, his heart started racing. This wasn't what he wanted. She wasn't wh
at he wanted. He wanted Bella and only Bella. But Bella was with Jake and as he
thought the other man's name, he growled, capturing the blur's lips with his. Th
ere was nothing in the kiss other than the physical desire. There was no electri
c current and no spread of warmth through his body. Everything that he felt when
he kissed Bella was absent, so he started to imagine that the woman he held in
his arms was the same woman that haunted his mind. He imagined the smell of her
strawberry shampoo, her full, pink lips on a heart-shaped face with piercing, br
own eyes, and her soft sultry voice when they bantered with one another as he le
d his body through the motions of sex. At the end, when he found his release, it
was Bella's name that came screaming from his lips, resulting in an extremely u
pset bed partner, who now was more than just a blur.
Guilt saturated every sense of Edward's being as he rode the elevator to his flo
or and then stumbled to his room. It was still night out and he would luckily ge
t a few hours of sleep before having to wake up and head over to the stadium for
another round with the Cardinals. His stomach turned as he thought of what he h
ad just done and he couldn't understand why an act that he easily had done just
two weeks before now made him feel less of a man.
Leaving the light off as he stepped into the room, he removed his clothes, strip
ping down to his boxer briefs, and then ran his hand along the top cover of the
book he had earlier tried to read. He was almost done with the first book. It wa
sn't the normal kind of story he would choose to read, but at least this one had
a decent plot to go along with the explicit sex. Swallowing a lump in his throa
t as he pictured Bella in his mind, he got under the covers and closed his eyes,
hoping to dream of his mahogany-haired enchantress.
It couldn't have been too early when Edward heard his phone ringing because the
sun was pretty high in the sky, shining into his window. Turning over to his sid
e, he picked up his cell phone and saw that it was a little after seven in the m
orning and that it was Bella calling him.
"Hello," he rasped in his morning voice.
"Did I wake you?" She didn't sound much better herself.
"I needed to get up," he moaned as he sat up in bed, adjusting his eyes to the l
ight that poured in from the windows.
"I'm sorry," she sputtered, "I just wanted to call and let you know that I made
it home okay."
"You're just getting home now?" He rubbed his hand over his eyes in a further ef
fort to wake up.
"No, I got home last night as soon as the game was over. I'm sorry I forgot to c
all you, but Jake was the perfect gentleman." She giggled.
Jake. He had forgotten about him. There was an uncomfortable silence on the phon
e after she mentioned his name and he wondered what she was thinking. Then his m
ind traveled to his evening and what he had done and he groaned, remembering the
blurred figure he had relieved himself with.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a little hung over."
"Must've been a good book to get you drinking all night," she chuckled.
"You could say that."
"No wonder the Cubs aren't doing too well lately." She meant it as a joke, but E
dward didn't find humor in it. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath afraid
to open his mouth in fear that he'd say something hurtful. "I'm just kidding,"
she grimaced when he didn't respond. "I'll hang up now. I only wanted to let you
know that I was okay."
"Bella," he whispered into the phone.
"Yes?" she whispered back.
"I'll call you after the game, when I'm awake."
After closing his phone and placing it back on the nightstand, Edward rolled ove
r onto his back, his hands covering his eyes as he berated himself for what he h
ad done last night. Of all the stupid things he had done in his life, last night
was probably one of the worst. All the questions that circled around in his hea
d as he contemplated what to do in that moment, he now had better answers for. H
e had decided to give up women for a reason and after giving into his baser inst
inct last night, it was finally very clear as to why.
He wanted Bella. With every fiber of his body and soul, he wanted her. And not j
ust for the obvious reasons. He wanted a relationship. In all his pig-headedness
since Lauren had spewed out his heart as if it were vile and repulsive, he had
closed himself off from getting close to any one woman.
Revolving through different beds with different girls had been his way to push t
hem away before any of them could see that he wasn't the guy they thought him to
be. He was just plain old Edward, nothing more, nothing less. It wasn't enough
for Lauren. He couldn't live up to the life that she wanted; he didn't want to b
e someone's trophy that they sported on their arm. Since her, he had turned ever
yone away before they could realize that he was nothing more than a normal guy w
earing a Cubs uniform.
Now, as he cursed himself for his stupid, drunken, mistake, Edward realized that
he wanted to try a relationship again. He was willing to try with Bella, if she
'd have him. Courting her wouldn't be easy since she was leery of ball players t
o begin with. But they were friends, and that was where he would start.
Taking a deep breath in, he pictured her in his mind. It would be hard to show h
er that he was committed to her. Especially after last night, asshole. God, he'd
have to tell her about it. There was no way that he could start a relationship
with her with lies. He'd have to tell her about Jane as well. Edward groaned lou
dly as he pulled his pillow over his head. Any relationship with Bella was doome
d from the beginning. There was no way she'd be able to understand or forgive hi
m for his relationship with Jane.
Chapter 8 April 26 28, 2009
"I've had enough," Bella moaned as she sat back in the chair at her kitchen tabl
e. Chad, her partner from class, sat next to her, his fingers punching furiously
at his calculator as he tried to figure out some stupid percentage that Bella c
ouldn't care less about. The Cubs game was going to start in a little over an ho
ur and she wanted to relax a little before it did.
Her conversation with Edward this morning had been strange. He seemed lost in de
ep thought as they spoke, answering her tersely and not finding humor in her tea
sing with him. Since they had decided to be friends, he always liked to joke aro
und with her. His mood change had her worried.
"Just a few more minutes, Bella, we need to get this done so that we can start w
orking on the presentation." They only had four weeks until their second-to-last
class when the case study had to be turned in and their presentation given.
Closing her eyes, Bella cursed the fact that she had to work with a partner on t
his last and final case study for her capstone course. She always worked better
alone. If it were just her, she'd be drinking with her friends right now, who we
re in her living room waiting for her, and then work all night after they left.
Luckily, she was saved by her cell phone ringing.
"Hello?"
"Bella?"
"Hey! I thought you were going to call me after the game," she beamed, a smile i
nstantly overtaking her sullen expression from before.
Getting up from the table, she walked away from Chad. In her discussions with hi
m, she had learned that his roommate worked for the Sun Times and, even though h
is roommate didn't work for the sports section, she was leery of Chad finding ou
t that she was friends with Edward. The last thing she wanted was for Chad to be
feeding his roommate information that would eventually end up in the paper.
"I wanted to apologize for this morning," Edward said and her stomach felt as if
there were little flutters inside. "I know you didn't mean anything by what you
said."
"You really need to chill out!" She laughed and he joined in breaking the ice. "
Shouldn't you be out on the field warming up or something?"
"I've still got time. Besides, according to an inside source, we don't stand a c
hance considering the Cubs are too cheap to pay for decent players."
Bella snorted. "Maybe if you all kept your mind on the game instead of where you
'll be drinking afterward, you'd actually see the ball enter the strike zone."
"How come I get the feeling a bet is coming on?"
"You want to make a bet?" Bella asked, quickly thinking of what she'd want as he
r reward for winning. But did she really want to bet against the Cubs? She wante
d them to win. "I won't bet against the Cubs, you'll have to think of something
a little more interesting that won't screw up our chances to win. Besides, we do
n't need a repeat of the 1919 Black Sox."
"Okay," he chuckled. "How about if I hit a home run for you?"
"Hmm," Bella hummed as her lips curled up in thought. "There's got to be more th
an that. How will I know it's specifically for me?" She paused a moment longer b
efore speaking again. "I want you to call it."
"What?"
"You know, like Babe Ruth."
"You can't be serious."
"How else will I know that you specifically hit the home run for me?" Bella aske
d in mock innocence, giggling to herself.
There was a moment of silence on the phone and Bella wondered what he was thinki
ng. Would he actually take the bet? He couldn't possibly call a homerun, could h
e? "Okay, but I'm not going to get all dramatic and point my bat in the air like
Babe Ruth. I'll have to give you another sign."
"You can pinch the bridge of your nose," Bella suggested with a smile on her fac
e.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I'll be enjoying it more when I receive my prize."
Edward breathed in deeply before speaking again. "Okay, I'll step out of the bat
ter's box and pinch the bridge of my nose. Hopefully they'll get it on camera fo
r you."
"What do I win?"
"Whatever you want, Bella," Edward replied and Bella's heart skipped a beat with
the way her name rolled softly off his lips.
"Um, how about you play me a song on the piano? The new song you said was runnin
g through your head that night on my porch." Bella wasn't sure if she had over-s
tepped her bounds. She had a hunch that he was a little closed off about that si
de of him, as he had fidgeted in a shy manner when he spoke about it that night.
But she really wanted to get to know that part of Edward Masen. She waited, hol
ding her breath, for Edward to respond.
"Okay," he finally breathed out. "And if I win, you will accompany me to a chari
ty event on June first."
"A charity event?"
"Garrett and his wife host a charity auction each year. In the past they've done
it at some really cool places. Last year we were bartenders at a dance club. I'
m not exactly sure what it's all going to entail this year, but I promised to he
lp out and donate a few things to auction off."
"Okay," Bella smiled into the phone, "So we have a deal then?"
"Definitely," Edward said and she heard someone yelling his name in the backgrou
nd. "I have to get going, Bella. Make sure you watch closely. I don't want you m
aking all sorts of excuses for why you didn't see my sign."
"Good luck," she said and then a mischievous glint shined in her eyes. "Break a
leg, Masen!"
"That's for the theater, Swan," he chuckled before ending the call.
After closing her phone, Bella walked to the fridge and pulled out two beers. Tu
rning to the table where Chad still sat, his work forgotten in front of him, she
handed one to him. "Come on, Chad. Let's go watch the Cubs."
It wasn't the place to watch the game if you wanted to listen to the commentator
s on TV. Between Rosalie and Alice looking through magazines and talking about a
ll the latest Hollywood gossip and Emmett giving his own commentary, his voice r
aised over the noise of the two gossiping women, Bella was starting to get a hea
dache.
Chad sat on one of the chairs in her living room, watching the game, but not com
menting about it too much. If she remembered correctly, she thought he said he w
as a Cubs fan, but then again, she may not have been paying attention well enoug
h to know exactly what he had said. He wasn't a very lively person, to put it be
st. His sense of humor was dry and he had an elitist way about him. He was very
much into music, movies, and comics and if you didn't agree with his opinions, t
hen you pretty much didn't have much culture in his eyes. Bella could put up wit
h that about him, but it was obvious that the other people in her small living r
oom couldn't.
For instance, when Alice mentioned The Cure in passing, Chad's ears perked up an
d it was as if he became a peacock, his tail billowing out, his feathers reveali
ng all their glory. He couldn't stop squawking noisily about the band. Then Emme
tt made some comment about their music being depressing and the tail feathers re
coiled as a dark façade covered Chad's face and he got extremely defensive and sta
rted arguing with Emmett.
This of course just egged Emmett on he always loved a victim who fought back and
the two of them became such a distraction to Bella that she had to kick them ou
t of the living room until they finished their cock fight. She was too busy tryi
ng to keep her eye on Edward and look for his sign to have to deal with their me
ss.
At the start of the seventh inning, Emmett and Chad were seated back in the livi
ng room and Bella was feeling very good about the bet she had made. She did not
mention it to anyone, wanting to keep it between her and Edward only. Besides, t
hen she'd have to tell everyone that he was not only a musician, but a composer
as well. That, of course, would lead into 'poser' jokes from Emmett. She really
did love him to death, but his sense of humor hadn't changed from their High Sch
ool days.
On the edge of her seat, Bella watched as Edward came up to bat. There was one o
ut and no one on base. The first pitch was high and outside, the next tipped fou
l, and the third right down the middle for another strike. With a count of 1-2,
Bella felt very smug. It wasn't that she was hoping to see him strike out or not
do well. It was just that her nerves were on edge while he was in the batter's
box. Once his at-bat was over, she would be able to calm down.
She watched closely for any sign from Edward, but he had yet to put his fingers
anywhere near his nose between pitches. As the next pitch whizzed toward home pl
ate, Bella scooted closer to the edge of the couch, swallowing hard as she saw E
dward's bat make contact with the ball. Emmett yelled out in his excitement and
Bella's hands fisted at her side, hoping for the home run because he hadn't made
the sign it wouldn't count. As fast as all their excitement erupted, the sad si
ghs came slowly out as the ball drifted foul.
And then Edward stepped out of the batter's box. The coverage of the game shifte
d to show a replay of the almost home run and Bella's heart accelerated. What if
he gave the sign and she didn't get to see it? When the coverage shifted back t
o the live field, Edward was still outside the batter's box and his fingers were
now pressed against the bridge of his nose. Bella gasped. He must've been stand
ing there like that for a while because the batting coach and Aro, the Cubs mana
ger, started walking out of the dugout, drawing the commentator's attention as t
hey started to speculate over what could be bothering the Cubs' star short stop.
"What's wrong with him?" Rosalie asked Bella. "Does he have allergies or somethi
ng?"
"I don't know," she replied in a daze, shrugging her shoulders.
"These guys get a hang nail and they run into the dug out looking for a band-aid
," Emmett said snidely, resulting in a pillow being thrown at his head from dear
, little Alice.
"If your fingers were worth more than what you currently make a year," she barke
d at him, "you'd put a band-aid on them too."
"Well that boy of yours better shape up," Emmett boomed at Alice. "Another loss
from him and I'm not voting for him for the All Star game."
Rolling her eyes, Bella tried to tone out the conversation around her as Edward
stepped back into the box after his brief conversation with the batting coach an
d Aro. Okay, she thought, he didn't need to make it that obvious that he was giv
ing her the sign. Biting down into the moist flesh of her bottom lip, Bella kept
her eyes glued to the flat screen in front of her.
The next pitch came down fast, right in the strike zone, and Bella cringed, near
ly shutting her eyes, not wanting to see him hit a home run, but also not wantin
g to see him strike out. As his bat swung forward, Bella heard the sound first b
efore relating it in her head to the fact that he had hit the ball. From the cor
ner of her eye, Bella could see Emmett's body start to lift from his seat and sh
e watched in slow motion as he pumped his fist into the air and hissed the word,
"Yes!" Chad was a little less composed as he came to stand awkwardly, screaming
in front of her. The ball flew across the screen, up and over into the waiting
crowd behind the Cubs' bullpen. Edward had hit a home run.
Bella stared, fixated to the TV in front of her. She had lost. The odd thing was
, she wasn't upset. She wasn't giddy over the whole thing either, but she wasn't
disappointed that she would have to go to a charity event. What exactly 'charit
y event' meant, she didn't know. Would she have to dress up in a nice gown and d
rink champagne while talking to boring person after boring person? But he said t
hat last year he had to be a bartender at a dance club. Watching Edward run the
last leg home into the waiting high-fives from his teammates, Bella decided she
wouldn't worry about it until he brought it up again. Unfortunately though, she
would have to wait to get to hear him play the piano.
"I can't believe you're not high-fiving Emmett right now." Alice sounded confuse
d as she looked at Bella. "On any other day, you'd be up and hollering with the
best of them."
"I just wish he could've done that on a day when they weren't up by six to begin
with," Bella muttered. "Like two days ago. That home run would've helped a lot
more in that game." Hearing her own voice, she knew she sounded like a pessimist
, but she still didn't want to tell them about the bet especially with Chad in t
he room.
~GO CUBS~
"Alice!" Bella called down the stairs as she hurriedly ran into her bedroom to f
inish getting ready. She had barely made it home in time enough to shower and no
w, as she was getting dressed, she couldn't find her Mariners hat the hat that E
dward had given her.
"Alice!" she called again as she stumbled out of her room and started descending
the stairs.
"Is everything okay, Bella?"
"No," she whined. "I can't find my Mariners hat."
"I saw your Cubs hat in the living room."
"I can't wear a Cubs hat to a Sox game," she grumbled and Alice giggled. "What?"
"But you'll wear a Mariners hat?"
"You bet!" Bella smiled brightly.
"Did you look under your bed? The last time you "
"Right!" Bella blurted out as she ran back upstairs and right away found her Mar
iners hat under her bed. Her room wasn't messy, really, just a bit out of sorts.
Her clothes from earlier in the day lay on top of her dresser and a couple pair
 of shoes cluttered her floor. Otherwise, it wasn't too bad. But the hat must've
fallen and gotten kicked under the bed, probably when she was sick.
"Okay," she said out of breath as she came back down the stairs. "I'll be with J
ake, don't wait up." Leaning into Alice, she gave her a hug and kissed her on th
e cheek. "Don't forget to tape the Cubs game."
"You're not going to complain if Edward hits another home run are you?"
Bella chuckled. "No. Remind me to explain that to you another day. Right now I'v
e got to go. I'm running late."
The game on Monday had been postponed till tonight, Tuesday evening, due to the
amount of rain that fell yesterday. Luckily, the original game today was planned
for the afternoon, so the Monday tickets were good for the evening game of the
double-header she wouldn't have to miss any work. Getting out of work on time wa
sn't a problem, but traffic was pretty backed up and it took her longer to get h
ome than normal.
Pulling out her cell phone, she quickly sent Jake a text, letting him know that
she'd be late. In so doing, she noticed that Edward had texted her.
Enjoy your game tonight.
Sunday night, after the game, Edward had called and gloated over the phone about
winning their bet. Bella wasn't rude to him, but she also didn't want to let on
that she was happy he hit the home run; so she wasn't very sociable over the ph
one. Luckily, Edward just laughed her off. On Monday night, Edward texted her to
tell her that he had finished book two and was starting book three of the serie
s she leant him, and now he texted her to wish her a fun time at the Sox Mariner
s game tonight. Bella's heart raced. You're just friends, chill out!
She had to keep reminding herself that they were friends because as excited as s
he was to get closer to Edward, a part of her screamed to push him away. She did
not want to end up like her mother. She did not want to ruin her life pining aw
ay over some guy who could just as easily sleep with some random girl from a bar
without a second thought to the people who loved him. Not gonna happen.
She was almost to The Cell when she decided to text Edward back. He was probably
, at this moment, warming up for the Cubs game tonight in Arizona, so she though
t she'd send him a little taste of home.
Hey, Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today! Go, Cubs, go! Go, C
ubs, go!
And, of course, now that she texted him lyrics to the Cubbies 'un'official song,
she decided to download the ringtone and make it his personal ringer, smiling t
o herself because she knew he'd get a kick out of it, or at least she hoped he w
ould. He didn't always like it when she talked about the Cubs . . . he seemed bi
polar in a lot of ways.
Jacob was waiting for her right as she crossed the pedestrian bridge to get from
the train to The Cell. His smile was wide and infectious, causing Bella to rela
x and smile warmly up at him, regardless of the fact that he wore a White Sox ha
t on his head when he should be wearing a Mariners hat.
"What's with the hat?" She asked as soon as she was close enough.
"It's a Sox game," he stated, sounding confused.
"But they're playing the Mariners. You're a Mariners fan, aren't you?"
Jake shrugged. "The Sox are the home team."
Rolling her eyes, Bella got in step with Jake and he led the way into the crowd
of people to their seats. Stopping along the way, they each got a beer and some
food. Bella hadn't eaten dinner yet since she had to rush to make it on time. Wh
en they passed the souvenir booth, Jake took a look at the foam finger and Bella
cringed, hoping above all hopes that he wouldn't dare purchase it. Luckily, he
decided to wait and buy something after the game.
Their seats weren't too bad, better than Bella expected, but definitely not as n
ice as her Cubs seats. While the players warmed up on the field, Bella and Jake
ate their food, and when they were finished with that, they sat in companionable
silence, watching the players and crazy fans.
"So you're a Cubs fan?"
"Yes, no . . . I like both Chicago teams," she replied, turning in her chair to
look at him. "Emmett likes them and he was able to get us the season tickets. I
watch the Sox every now and then too."
"But you won't wear a Sox hat?" he asked as he lightly tapped against the lid of
her Mariners cap.
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head while answering him. "If the Sox were playi
ng any other team besides the Mariners, I'd be decked out in a Sox hat and t-shi
rt."
"So, if I get us tickets to see a Sox-Cubs game here at The Cell, you'll wear a
Sox hat?"
"Are you going to wear a Cubs hat to the game I take you to?" When she saw him h
esitate, she continued. "Remember what you told me earlier, 'the Sox are the hom
e team'."
"But "
"No buts!"
"Okay, but only if you wear a Sox hat to the game here."
"If you get the tickets."
"Deal!"
They continued to talk about the White Sox and the players and Bella really took
the time to look at the man she sat with. The last time she remembered spending
any amount of quality time with Jake, he was a young boy. Heck, she had been yo
ung then too. It was her freshman year of college and she was home for Christmas
break. Jake and his family came over to visit with hers. Emmett was there, brie
fly, but left shortly after the Blacks had arrived. It was around the time of th
e beginning of the end for her and Emmett's relationship.
Jake was a lot larger than she remembered, and sexier too. He still had his long
black hair but his face seemed to have matured. He had lost his baby fat, or ma
ybe he just had a few age-lines in his skin that made him look manlier. Whatever
it was, it looked good on him.
The two of them sat in silence as the game played out, only speaking to each oth
er on the big plays, sometimes arguing over calls. Jake had only lived in Chicag
o for a little over a month and yet he had already abandoned the Mariners. She w
as a bit perturbed by that such a fickle fan.
Sometime during the eighth inning, Bella's phone went off. She pulled it out and
looked to see a text message from Emmett.
Wish you were watching the Cubs with us! Yorkie's actually pitching a good game!
Your man isn't doing so bad himself . . . 2 doubles and 3 RBI's
Bella's eyes shot up to the scoreboard and saw that the Cubs were ahead 11 3 aga
inst the Arizona Diamondbacks in the bottom of the eighth.
"Is everything okay?" Jake asked, his head close to hers as he peered down to re
ad the message on her phone.
"Yeah," she said, pulling her phone away from his view. "Emmett just wanted to l
et me know that the Cubs were winning.
"Who's your man?" He asked bitterly.
Taking a deep breath in, Bella closed her eyes. She hadn't been fast enough to h
ide the message from him. Why would he do such a thing anyways? It was rude! She
immediately became agitated that he would presume so much after just reconnecti
ng after many years of not speaking to each other.
"He's not my man," she huffed. "He's just a friend of mine."
"The guy who called you the other night?" he asked, speaking of the man that her
and Emmett had spoken to the night they were at the bar watching the Mariners g
ame.
"Yeah."
"Who is he?"
The game in front of them forgotten, Bella turned her body toward Jake to get a
better look at him. "Edward Masen," she said quietly.
"You're not friends with Edward Masen," he stated.
"Yes, I am," she spoke firmly. "What does it matter to you?"
"Guys like Edward Masen don't have female friends, Bella." His eyes bore into he
rs, concern piercing out from his deep brown depths.
"That's ridiculous!"
"It's inevitable," he said roughly. "When a guy and a girl hang out, one of them
if not both eventually starts wanting the other person sexually, if they alread
y didn't feel that way to begin with."
"Believe me," Bella shot back at him, "Edward has no sexual interest in me."
"And how do you feel about him?"
Her mind swirled with thoughts of the two kisses they shared, the way they moved
together on the dance floor, the taste of raspberry on his tongue, and the pric
kly sensation she got from just the simple touch of his hand.
"We're just friends," she stated firmly, her eyes lashing out at his. There was
no way that she could ever fantasize about being more to Edward than his friend.
She was about to explain to Jake why she could never want anything more from hi
m, but she stopped herself. Jake's family didn't know, nor did they need to, abo
ut Renee and her Yankee acquaintance. If she told Jake, then he'd tell his fathe
r. She didn't want to tarnish the memory of her parents. The only people who kne
w of the affair were herself, Emmett, Alice, Rosalie, and now, Edward. That list
was more than enough.
"Listen, Edward may be attractive, but he's just not my type. I'm not into jocks
."
"It must be the challenge," Jake said dryly.
"The challenge?"
"You've made it clear to him that you aren't interested in him, right?"
"Yes."
"Then, it's purely the challenge." Jake watched for Bella's reaction and when sh
e still looked confused, he continued. "Bella, guys want what they can't have. I
t's a thrill to chase the girl. But be warned," he continued as he noticed Bella
frown, "once he gets what he wants, he'll leave you. Guys like Edward Masen dat
e models or actresses, not the girl next door!"
"We're just friends!" She said adamantly and then turned her attention back to t
he game in front of them, her mind chewing over the tough reality of what Jake p
resented her with. Was she just a game to Edward? A challenge? Was the thrill of
the hunt all that interested him in her?
Chapter 9 April 30 May 2, 2009
Rosalie shuffled through music on her iPod in the living room while Alice finish
ed blending her notorious frozen mud slides in the kitchen of her and Bella's to
wnhome. After pouring two tall glasses with the yummy goodness she created, Alic
e danced into the living room singing along with the song blaring from her speak
ers and handing one of the glasses to Rosalie.
"So," Rosalie asked as they sat on the couch together, "how is your handsome pit
cher doing?"
It was Thursday and Alice had taken the day off work to spend with Jazz, who had
just returned home from the road trip. If he hadn't needed to be at Wrigley fie
ld for tonight's game, they'd still be together, locked in each other's arms. Sh
e missed him so much.
"He's wonderful," she chimed. "I'm going over to his place tonight after the gam
e and then we're going out on a date after tomorrow's game."
From the first moment she had laid eyes on Jasper Whitlock, Alice knew that he w
as the man for her. She had spent countless days and nights watching him pitch a
nd then even more nights waiting for him to come into a bar that a local magazin
e said he frequented.
The night he finally showed up, it was as if Moses parted the sea of people that
led him to her. Their eyes locked from across the room and he walked straight t
oward her as she stared at him, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. From the
ir first touch, she knew she would never be separated from him again.
"And when is Emmett ever going to propose to you?" Alice asked Rosalie, trying t
o bring the attention away from her and Jazz because she couldn't get the things
he had done to her that afternoon out of her mind she desperately needed to thi
nk of other things.
Rolling her eyes, Rosalie took a long sip from her mudslide. "He's too chicken-s
hit." Placing her glass on the coffee table, she turned to get a better look at
her friend.
"Sometimes I wish I could see inside his head. You know, like read his thoughts.
We've always had an outstanding relationship. I love the fun we have, but for o
nce, I'd like him to be a little romantic. I know he's got the ring, I found it
in his underwear drawer! Can you believe that? He keeps my diamond with his dirt
y, torn boxer briefs!"
Picking up her glass, Rosalie took another sip of her drink before continuing. "
You know, part of me is scared that he'll propose during the seventh inning stre
tch at a Cubs game."
"That is so him!" Alice squealed with a little giggle.
"Exactly," Rosalie grimaced.
"I think you spoil him."
"What?" Rosalie narrowed her eyes on the small woman before her, wondering how s
he could even dare suggest such a thing. "I take care of my man, Alice. He wants
for nothing . . . nothing! But I'll be damned if I'm going to allow you to tell
me that I am whipped! I'm not a pussy!"
"I didn't mean that," Alice giggled, covering her mouth with her petite hand. "W
hat I meant was that though you put up a strong front, all he has to do is whisp
er something naughty into your ear and off you go, running away with him and giv
ing in to whatever he wants."
"You only know half the story," Rosalie warned her with the tone of her voice as
well as the look in her eyes.
"Then explain it to me."
"It's too much for your prudish ears," she leered and then dodged the flying pil
low that came close to knocking her drink out of her hand. "You'll pay for that
pixie!" She threatened while the front door opened to reveal a very tired lookin
g Bella.
"Bad day?" Alice asked as she got up from the couch to give her best friend a hu
ge hug.
"I haven't been sleeping very well," Bella yawned as she pulled away and waved a
t Rose. "Already boozing, I take it? Let me change my clothes and then I'll join
ya!"
Rosalie and Alice watched their friend scurry up the stairs and then Alice sat b
ack down on the couch. "I worry about her," she sighed while looking into the li
ght brown drink before her.
"Did Eddie-boy do something to piss her off?"
"I don't think so, but she's so closed off when it comes to him. I can't tell if
things are going well or not."
"What does Jazz say?"
"He won't talk about it with me. He says it's none of my business and to stop in
terfering." Alice pouted and stared up the stairs, toward the place she last saw
her friend. "I just know they'd be so good together."
"Emmett still doesn't think it'll work out. He was the first person she spoke to
about her mom on the day of! How in the world is she supposed to let go of all
that? To think that "
"Sh," Alice interrupted and then spoke in a low whisper. "Edward isn't Phil Dwye
r, and Bella isn't her mom."
Just then, Bella's feet hit the first stair as she started her descent. Upon rea
ching the bottom, she made a bee-line into the kitchen and poured herself the la
st of the mudslide from the blender and then settled on the chair in the living
room with her two best friends.
"I'm so glad this day is almost over," she rasped out before taking a long suck
from her straw.
"What happened?" Rosalie asked, her eyes roaming over Bella's choice of outfit f
or the game. If Bella had any desire to make a good impression on Edward, she su
re as hell didn't show it with her clothing choices. She wore a pair of torn, fa
ded jeans and a black t-shirt. At least the shirt was fitted, but it still didn'
t do anything for Bella's pale complexion.
"Just a busy day with work and then having to thwart off all my coworkers who wa
nt my extra ticket to the Cubs Sox games in June. My God! You'd think I work wit
h stinking idiots the way they pretend to be my friend during certain times of t
he year and then ignore me the rest of the time. As if I wouldn't notice. Maybe
they think I'm the idiot!
"The funny thing is that I haven't had an available ticket for those games for a
long time. Oh, and Alice, I need to use your extra ticket for one of those game
s. I sort of promised Jake I'd bring him to one of them."
"No problem," Alice replied hesitantly as she stole a questioning glance in Rosa
lie's direction.
"So," Bella beamed in a cheerful voice, a complete change from only seconds befo
re. "What exactly were you ladies talking about when I walked in? All I heard wa
s something being too much for the pixie's prudish ears. Care to elaborate, Hale
?"
"Don't you think she spoils Emmett?" Alice asked.
Taking a long sip from her mudslide, Bella looked at the beautiful blond sitting
across from her. Spoil Emmett? Was Alice serious? "Are you kidding me? Rosalie
is the only person I've ever seen put Emmett in his place!" As Bella watched Ros
alie's gloating expression, she thought of the last time she saw her and Emmett
together. "Although, you do seem to turn to mush the moment he whispers in your
ear."
"Yes!" Alice rejoiced, bouncing up and down in her seat while clapping her hands
.
"And that," Rosalie purred, "is where things get to be too much for both of your
prudish ears!"
"Okay," Bella said slowly before turning her attention to Alice. "How was your d
ay with Jazz?"
With eyes alight, twinkling as she spoke, Alice animatedly described every secon
d well not every second, some things were private of her time this afternoon wit
h Jazz. From the time he got off the plane at O'Hare to the moment he dropped Al
ice off at her townhome, she had the most perfect day.
The absence from each other had been hard and miserable on them both. They spent
the second two hours of their reunion the first hour was one of the moments she
passed over catching up with everything they had done in each other's absence.
They had a close relationship, one where they shared everything with one another
, never leaving a bit of information out. Alice couldn't imagine anything being
better than what her and Jazz had it was perfect!
"Okay," Rosalie said loudly once Alice was finished. "Your turn, Swan!"
"My turn for what?" Bella asked, her words slurring a little as she finished her
third drink a White Russian.
"You're going to tell us why you look like you just walked off the set of 'Dawn
of the Dead'," Rosalie said, her shoulders squared, ready to battle for the info
rmation she wanted.
"I don't know," Bella huffed. "It's just . . . it's something . . . Jake said so
mething on Tuesday night and it has me thinking. That's all."
"What did that scruffy dog say to you?"
"Scruffy dog? Seriously, Rose?"
"He's hairy and smelly, what do you expect?"
Rolling her eyes, Bella put her glass down on the table next to her chair and lo
oked at the time. They would need to leave within a half an hour to get to the f
ield, but it should be enough time to talk to her friends about what Jake had sa
id. "Do you guys think that men and woman can be friends?"
"Why do you ask? Does he want to be more than friends with you?" Alice asked cas
ually, trying to hide her fear that Bella would choose Jake over Edward.
"No, he was talking about me and Edward. He thinks that Edward has a hidden agen
da, and that men and women can't ever be just friends. He said that eventually o
ne of them will want to have sex with the other one."
"When Harry Met Sally," Alice said while nodding her head knowingly.
"What?" Bella asked.
"That's what Harry tells Sally when they're on the plane. Or was it in the car?
I don't remember. But he tells her that men and women can't be friends."
"But they do become friends," Bella said excitedly. "They made it work! I rememb
er them spending time on the phone and shopping and going out to dinner with eac
h other. They made it work!"
"Um, Bella," Alice said tentatively. "Harry and Sally end up having sex."
You could physically see the deflation in Bella as Alice spoke her words. Her wh
ole body sank into her chair and she closed her eyes before she spoke. "I guess
Edward and I are doomed then."
"Why do you say that?" Rosalie asked.
Bella's eyes shot open to look at her friends. "I can't decide what to do. Part
of me wants to be friends with Edward so bad, but the other part keeps warning m
e to be careful and to not trust him. Things were going good and then Jake menti
oned this 'friends' thing, telling me that Edward was probably only my friend be
cause I presented him with a challenge."
"A challenge?" Bella's friends said together.
"Yeah, you know," Bella hesitated, "the thrill of the chase?"
"That ass!" Rosalie rose from her seat, pacing in front of the TV. "Bella, did i
t ever occur to you that maybe Jake said all those things because he's intereste
d in you?"
"No," Bella said, her eyes scrunching together as she peered at the pacing blond
.
"I would wager a bet that he's afraid of Edward being competition. Heck, listen
to what he told you, 'men and women can't be friends'. If that's the case, then
he couldn't be your friend either, now could he?"
"No!" Bella belted out, more firmly and sure of herself. "I hate guys! Did I eve
r tell you that?"
"All the time," Rosalie laughed as she finally made her way to Bella. "Don't tak
e any of what Jake said out on Edward, he really is a nice guy."
Contemplating Rosalie's words, Bella looked up at her friend sheepishly. "Maybe
I shouldn't have ignored Edward's call today."
"Now, we have the truth as to why you walked in here looking like you were ready
to walk into a post office and open fire!" Alice said incredulously, standing u
p from the couch. "You're just missing Edward, that's all." She giggled after sh
e spoke and then all three of them gathered together for a big hug. "I need to h
ave a talk with Jake," Alice whispered into their tight circle.
"No, let me," Rosalie insisted and Bella laughed as she pulled away.
"Honestly girls, I need to be the one to talk to him. I learned from Emmett to a
lways tease your prey first." She winked at her girlfriends and then grabbed her
Cubs hat off the entertainment center. "We've got to get going though. I want t
o see if I can get a chance to talk to Edward before the game."
~GO CUBS~
It was crazy and loud on the El after the game Friday night. Sitting alone, as t
he drunk, cold, and wet Cubs fans exalted in a win, Bella looked out the window,
watching the blur of buildings as she made her way to meet up with Angela and B
en. Alice was going out with Jazz this evening and Emmett and Rosalie had plans
with some friends from her office.
At the game yesterday, Bella never did get a chance to talk to Edward. She was h
oping that if they arrived early enough, she'd be able to flag him down before t
he game started but she never caught his eye. The three girlfriends did, however
, make it to the field in time to be one of the first 10,000 fans to receive a C
ubs car flag, which was now sitting on Bella's dresser. She'd never put anything
on her car, even if it were for the Cubs, or the Mariners.
She had texted Edward after the game and apologized for not answering his call.
He texted her back and told her he'd see her tomorrow, which was now today. Emme
tt, Rosalie, and her boss, Marcus, watched the game with her and every once in a
while, her eyes locked onto Edward's. He never showed any emotion toward her du
ring the game, but that didn't bother her. She knew that he had to keep focused.
In the seventh inning, right after the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame'
, where Bella was finally able to elicit a smile from her friend along with a wi
nk, Edward proceeded to hit a grand slam home-run, which gave the cubs their fin
al lead and an 8 6 win over the Florida Marlins.
Once Edward had escaped to the locker room, as Bella was getting ready to leave
the park, she received a text from him, asking her to wait. The majority of scre
aming fans had dissipated out of the stands by the time Edward emerged from the
dugout and walked over to where Bella stood waiting for him in the stands. They
were finally able to speak face-to-face for the first time since the morning he
left her house when she had been sick.
There was an awkward moment when he first approached, where Bella felt the pull
to lean in and give him a hug. His body also leaned forward but instead of going
in for contact, they stared at each other and smiled uncomfortably until Edward
spoke, asking her where she planned to go after dinner. They only spoke for a b
rief moment before a group of lingering fans gathered around Bella, trying to ge
t an autograph from the Cubs short stop. He grimaced at the attention and then t
old her to call him once she was out of the park.
"Which would be now," Bella muttered under her breath, no one on the train able
to hear due to the loud, drunken singing and chanting that was still taking plac
e on the El. She hurriedly called Angela to see what their plans for the evening
were. After the call, she still didn't know what they were doing after dinner,
so she texted what she knew to Edward. It felt weird to actually try and meet up
with him. Every other time they'd been at the same bar was a coincidence or Ali
ce had set it up. Now, typing out a text to the man that made her heart stutter,
she was suddenly anxious.
Having dinner at Lou Malnatis. No plans after that. What are you doing?
Friends, Bella, just friends! This was what friends do, she reminded herself the
y made plans to meet up. Then why did she feel like she was doing something wron
g? Why did she feel that taking this step would plunge her further into a world
she did not wish to belong to?
Going out with a few guys from the team. Not sure where yet. Will text you when
I find out.
At Lou Malnatis, Bella met up with Angela, Ben, and another one of her coworkers
, Tim the guy who was unfortunate to receive the Clap from Becca. The three of t
hem had watched the game over at Ben's place and were just as excited as Bella f
elt inside over Edward's grand slam. All four of them spoke of nothing else but
the Cubs as they ate and it felt good to Bella to be able to relax and speak abo
ut one of her favorite things baseball. She was in her zone, going over each inn
ing, when her cell phone went off, notifying her that she had a text message.
Going to Days End . . . not far from Lou's.
It wasn't her favorite bar, but she liked it all right. Actually, it was the pla
ce she first met Edward and she suddenly wondered if he remembered that. Taking
her attention away from thoughts of the green-eyed mystery that was Edward Masen
, she told her friends that he and some of his teammates were going to 'Days End
' and the boys got excited. Ben was a huge fan of Edward's and Bella was sure th
at he would probably make a fool of himself again. Tim was a huge Cubs fan as we
ll, but he didn't seem to Bella as though he'd forget his name, as Ben had the f
irst time he met Edward.
Upon entering 'Days End', Bella found Edward's friends easily, but he was nowher
e to be seen. Unsure of what to do, she paused in the entrance with her three fr
iends behind her. With her heart pounding crazily in her chest, she started the
walk toward Edward's friends and teammates. Luckily, Bella had met Kate, Garrett
Greene's wife, at Carlisle and Esme's barbeque. She just hoped that Kate would
remember her as well. She had never spoken to Garrett, Hugo Saldana, or Peter Mo
ck, who were among the other people sitting with Kate.
Kate recognized her right away and stood up, greeting her with a big hug. "It's
so nice to see you again, Bella!"
"It's nice to see you too," Bella replied shyly. "Um, these are my friends, Ange
la, Ben, and Tim." Bella used her hand, motioning to each of her friends as she
said their names.
"You know my husband, Garrett, right?" Kate asked.
"I've never been formally introduced," Bella blushed.
"This is Garrett, Hugo, Peter, and Peter's wife, Charlotte. This is their first
night away from their baby together," Kate said as she introduced the people sit
ting at their table.
"Congratulations," Bella said sweetly before the four of them scrounged up some
chairs to join the table.
Once seated, everyone talked about the game and Edward's grand slam, which had b
rought both Garrett and Peter in to score. Bella listened and gave her opinion h
ere and there, but her eyes scanned the bar, looking for Edward. Eventually, he
emerged from the bathroom, but as soon as he did he was immediately accosted by
a man who patted him on the back, talking very closely to Edward's face.
The commotion made by Edward trying to get away from the guy brought in more peo
ple who suddenly recognized who he was and instantly, he was surrounded by peopl
e wanting to talk with him.
With her eyes on Edward and her ears on the conversation at the table, Bella wat
ched as person after person went to slap Edward on the back or ask for his autog
raph. He was very gracious once he got the original man off him. He even wore a
smile on his face as he spoke to people, shook their hands, and signed various a
rticles, mostly cardboard coasters from the bar. It wasn't until Bella noticed E
dward pinch the bridge of his nose that she realized he wasn't enjoying the atte
ntion.
"Poor Eddie," Hugo chuckled as he observed the scene Bella had been staring at.
"Why is it that only a few people have come over here to ask for autographs but
he's hounded?" Angela asked in awe.
"There's safety in numbers, it intimidates," Garrett responded, laughing at the
predicament his good friend found himself in. "It's usually not that bad, but wi
th his grand slam, everyone wants a piece of him today."
Seeing Edward's discomfort, Bella stiffly stood up from the table and purposeful
ly walked to the crowd, pushing her way through, until she was next to Edward. P
utting her arm around his waist, she felt his body immediately stiffen from her
contact, but then relax when he looked down and realized it was her that was tou
ching him.
"Bella," he sighed, happy to see her come to his rescue.
"Sorry, folks," Bella said loudly, waving her free hand above her head to get ev
eryone's attention. "Mr. Masen is done signing autographs." Bella kept her arm a
round Edward's waist as she pulled him with her, out of the throng of people and
over to the bar, where they huddled in a corner, Edward's back to everyone's st
aring eyes.
"Is it clear?" He asked amused.
"No," she grunted.
"I wasn't sure if you were going to come."
"Well, you gave me the sign."
"Right," he smiled before looking up to get the bartender's attention. After ord
ering two beers, he relaxed next to Bella, finally getting a chance to really lo
ok at her for the first time today. "You came straight from the game?"
"Yeah," she said, her hands uncomfortably ghosting over her blue Cubs t-shirt. "
Sorry, I wasn't thinking."
"It's fine."
When their drinks were placed in front of them, Bella immediately started drinki
ng, finding it easier to be in his presence with a beer to her lips than to have
to talk to him at that moment. Why hadn't she thought of bringing an extra shir
t with her? Suddenly, her attention was brought to the widescreen TV above the b
ar where she saw Edward's mug talking about the game.
"Nice," she chuckled and Edward followed her eyes to the TV screen.
"As if this night couldn't get any worse," he moaned.
"You don't like to see yourself on TV?"
"I don't like to hear myself speak on TV," he corrected her. "My voice sounds we
ird."
"Luckily, it's too loud in here to hear what you're saying. Maybe I should have
the bartender turn it up?"
Edward looked back up at the TV and grimaced. "I'm sure I was just saying someth
ing generic about how it felt to hit the grand slam."
"And how did it feel?" She asked, her eyes begging for a real answer as her teet
h bit into her bottom lip. She wasn't sure if asking him would upset him or not.
"I don't know," he replied as he turned his attention back to her and took a sip
of his beer. "I heard my bat connect with the ball and I watched it fly as I ra
n down the first base line. It felt normal, as normal as when I hit any other ho
me run."
"So the cool out-of-body experience that the media is looking for doesn't exist?
"
"Not for me," he said with a smile.
"Okay," Bella said forcefully. "I'm sure you're sick of talking about that. Tell
me how you're doing on the ladies front."
"What do you mean?" He asked, suddenly fearful to do what he needed to tell her
about his screw up in St. Louis.
"The last time we had a coherent conversation, you told me that you were giving
up girls for a while. What exactly did you mean by that, and would that exclude
cute red-heads who have been staring at you all night?" Bella's eyes roamed over
a tall red-head who looked as if she was getting ready to interrupt their conve
rsation.
"Cute red-heads?" He asked confused and tried to turn in the direction of Bella'
s stare, but she stopped him with her arms, holding his body in place.
"First tell me what you meant."
"Bella, this is a conversation I'd rather have anywhere else but in a bar."
"So, the tall cute red-head is out?"
"I have no clue what you're talking about."
As the red-head got closer, Bella questioned her sanity. Was she keeping Edward
from looking at the red-head because she didn't want to end their conversation,
or was she genuinely trying to help the man? "Are you game for some female compa
nionship?" She asked nervously.
"Depends on the female," he smirked. When Bella's expression didn't change, he c
ontinued. "I'm not leaving here with anyone but you," he stated, his eyes twinkl
ing as they stared into hers.
Without warning to Edward, Bella pulled him into her, her lips pressing eagerly
against his as her hands roamed up and over his back. The feeling was the same a
s the other times she had kissed Edward before, her heart stuttered and the hair
on her arms stood up in response to the electrifying feeling that originated in
her chest and shot down into her toes.
When his arms tightened around her, Bella opened her mouth and reveled in the ta
ste of him as their tongues collided, fervently playing with each other, ignitin
g a fire under Bella's skin. She was in too deep. She found that she didn't want
to stop the kiss, though she knew she should. Letting herself enjoy the feel of
his strong muscles under her fingertips, her lips lingered against his until hi
s left hers, moving down to her jaw and then to her neck, planting kisses along
the trail.
That's when she opened her eyes and realized the red-head had left them alone. "
Shoot," she muttered as she pushed him away, leaving him looking confused. "I'm
sorry, Edward, I should've warned you."
"Warned me about what?" He asked breathless.
"Some red-head was on her way over to commandeer you. I should've let you talk t
o her, I'm a horrible wingman," she smirked. If only that were the real reason I
kissed you!
His laughter was rather loud and Bella wondered if he had lost his mind. When he
finally settled down and looked into her eyes, she blushed. She had enjoyed the
kiss more than she'd like for him to know and she was now worried that he'd see
it written all over her face.
"Not at all," he finally spoke. "I'm not in the mood to . . . Bella, when I told
you that I was done with women, I meant it. Well . . ." Edward's face changed e
motions so fast that Bella had a hard time following the looks of guilt, anger,
and fear as they crossed over him. "God, let's get out of here," he said hurried
ly, his eyes darting over to the table where their friends sat, acknowledging th
e mixture of their two groups joined together. "How're they getting along?" he a
sked curiously.
"Okay, I think. Ben and Tim are in total awe and Angela has no clue about baseba
ll, but I think she's getting along with Kate and Charlotte pretty well."
"Do you think they'll mind if we leave?"
"I think the question you should be asking is whether I mind if we leave," she s
aid friskily. "Where are we going?"
"To have a talk," he said, placing money down on the bar to pay for their drinks
. "Come on."
Following Edward to the door of the bar, Bella glanced over at Angela and mouthe
d the words, "I'll call you." Angela didn't seem to mind that she was leaving an
d, for that, Bella was grateful. But as they exited the bar, Bella suddenly felt
nervous. What exactly did he want to talk to her about? Had she overstepped her
bounds in the bar earlier? Was he upset that she . . . what could he possibly b
e upset about? Nothing, she finally told herself, feeling a little more optimist
ic about the conversation he wanted to have.
"You okay?" He asked, his eyes searching hers as they walked through the parking
lot, approaching his car.
"Yeah, I'm just thinking."
"I'm glad to get out of that bar. I'm more in the mood for some peace and quiet
tonight," he smiled.
All the anxiety that Bella had built up left her body once Edward spoke and she
relaxed into his side, his arm reaching out, wrapping around her waist. It wasn'
t anything intimate. It was something that Emmett would do to her. Friends. It w
as something a friend would do.
Edward led Bella to his car and opened the door for her. Reluctantly, she took h
is hand as he helped her into the passenger side. Leaning back against the gray
leather seat, she watched as he closed her door and then rounded to the other si
de of the car and slid behind the wheel.
"I think I was expecting more of a muscle car from you," she mused quietly and h
e took a long look at her before he put the key in the ignition and started the
car.
"Disappointed?" He asked with one eye cocked.
"No, I just assumed . . ."
"It's not nice enough outside to be riding around in my other car," he chuckled
cockily.
"Right," Bella clipped under her breath. "And what car might that be?"
"An Aston Martin DBS."
When Bella didn't respond, he looked over to her with an amused look. "Don't tel
l me you don't know what an Aston Martin is," he chided her.
"I've seen James Bond," she huffed and he chuckled as he pulled out onto the str
eet. "Where are we going?" Bella asked sometime later when it seemed they were j
ust driving around.
"I'm looking for a coffee shop."
"Turn left at the next light. There's a small place I pass all the time on the r
ight-hand side. I've never tried it but I think it's open late."
The coffee shop was pretty empty, but Bella got the feeling it was one of those
places that became packed as the night wore on. Scanning over the desert menu, B
ella let her eyes linger over the various types of pie, not really thinking of w
hat she wanted. She was too nervous thinking about what Edward wanted to talk ab
out.
When the waitress came over and started making small talk with Edward about the
game, Bella listened, smirking when the lady hit on him. He gently kicked her le
g under the table, pleading for help but she just laughed to herself as she let
her eyes roam above the edge of the menu to get a look of the woman. She was in
her early fifties, most likely, the gray already starting to show in her dark br
own hair. Her lipstick was dark red and thick, but that seemed to be the only ma
keup she had on. Her eyes looked natural, as did her cheeks.
"Are you ready hon?" She asked Bella, who immediately dropped her menu to order.
"Um, sure . . . I'll have a cup of coffee and a slice of pumpkin pie a la mode,
heated."
"Did you want the ice cream heated too?" The waitress asked and Bella stifled a
giggle.
"No, thank you," she said politely. "Just the pie heated and then the ice cream
on top." A small giggle escaped her lips and Edward softly nudged her leg with h
is again. Bella's eye's shot to his but he had looked away from her, giving the
waitress his full attention.
"I'll have a slice of Key Lime and a cup of coffee, please."
When the waitress finally walked away, Bella couldn't hold it in any longer. "Wh
o heats up their ice cream?"
"Don't make a scene," Edward grimaced, but her laughter was too infectious and h
e found himself laughing with her.
They both got themselves under control when they saw the waitress walking toward
their table with a pot of coffee. After they both had their coffee in hand, sil
ence permeated the table. They both sat, sipping at their black coffee, Bella's
eyes on the other patrons of the shop.
"Do you ever wonder," she pondered quietly, "what a person's story is?"
"Sometimes," he said, placing his cup down and looking toward the table that Bel
la was staring at. "What do you think her story is?"
Bella's eyes had been transfixed on an older woman in worn jeans and a UIC sweat
shirt. Her hair was tied up in a wispy bun at the nape of her neck and she read
a book while a piece of half-eaten pie sat on the table in front of her. Bella t
ried to make out what book it was, but she couldn't figure out the cover from th
e distance.
"She gave her life to her career," Bella said softly. "Now, years later, all she
has is her book, a piece of pie, her coffee, old memories from college, and thr
ee cats waiting for her in her small one-bedroom apartment full of plants." Bell
a frowned down into her coffee cup before taking another sip.
"So pessimistic," Edward smirked. "I see a woman who is out enjoying a piece of
pie and coffee with her favorite book the book she reads at least once a year. S
he has a love affair with this book, but above all else, she had a most wonderfu
l love affair with the man of her dreams, who died not too long ago. She just re
turned home from visiting with her four grandkids and is debating on whether or
not to take her daughter up on her offer to have her come live with them full ti
me." Edward leaned in closer to Bella. "On one hand, she'd be closer to her gran
dkids and get to see them every day, spending all the quality time she desperate
ly wants to have with them. But, on the other hand, she would be leaving the hom
e that her and her love had built and all the memories of their lives including
favorite restaurants especially this coffee shop."
"That's still a pretty sad story," Bella said with a frown. "I want to die befor
e my husband. I don't think I'd want to go on without him."
Their slices of pie were delivered and Bella literally moaned as she took her fi
rst bite. They silently ate for a few bites and then Edward sat back and watched
as Bella savored the flavor of her pumpkin pie.
"How many relationships have you been in?" He asked quietly.
Taken off-guard by his rather random question, Bella swallowed the piece of pie
that was in her mouth and took a sip of her coffee before looking up at him. "I'
m sorry?" She asked while choking over the burn that she gave her throat from ta
king the hurried sip.
"I'm just curious as to how many relationships you've been in."
"Why?"
"Bella," he sighed, "I'm just trying to figure a few things out."
"Like what?" She immediately became defensive with his line of questioning. Jake
had, just a few days before, warned her that he was after something more than f
riendship from her. After speaking with Alice and Rosalie, she had given up the
notion. But now, this question coming out of left field from Edward scared her.
"What I said to you the day we had lunch, about giving up girls," his features t
ensed up and Bella wondered what he was nervous about. "I did mean it, Bella. At
the time, it seemed so right . . ."
"But," she encouraged him, not wanting to hear what she was afraid he would say
to her.
"But, I had . . . well, I was at a bar . . . I was drunk." He looked nervously i
nto her eyes.
"Okay?" She asked, trying to help him along.
"Afterwards, I knew it was wrong and I feel horrible and . . . guilty."
"Guilty about getting drunk? Edward, I'm not following you."
"Not drunk, Bella, for giving in. For having sex." His body immediately went rig
id and Bella stared at him, her heart racing. It doesn't affect you. He's just a
friend, Bella. Say something!
"W- . . . Why are you telling me this?" She stuttered out, her throat feeling sw
ollen, as if it were closing up on her. Running her finger along the rim of her
coffee cup, she focused her sad, cold stare at Edward.
"I promised you and I failed," He said miserably.
"You have no reason to apologize," she forced out of her lips. "We're just frien
ds." Reminding herself to breath, she continued to stare at him, wondering why h
e felt the need to tell her this. So he had sex with someone. Didn't she already
know that he had sex with different women all the time? Now that they were frie
nds, was he going to tell her about all the girls he slept with? And why did he
feel guilty? She knew she must be missing something.
"There's no reason to feel guilty." The words ghosted out of her lips and she li
stened to them, not realizing at first that she had said them. "We're only frien
ds. And as your friend, I really don't want to hear about your sexual exploits."
"Listen to me," he whispered as he watched the enchantress he had come to . . .
well he wasn't sure what he had come to feel for her. But he was watching her br
eak down and it hurt him all the more. "I finally realized that I don't want tha
t life anymore. I made a promise to you and I mean it - from here on out. I'm no
t going to be running off and having sex any more."
Still confused as to why he felt the need to tell her all of this, Bella sat sti
ffly in her seat and just listened. He obviously was upset and needed to talk to
someone. But the reason behind his candor plagued her. Was he using this to mak
e her jealous? Was Jake right, and he was after her for more than friendship and
thought that jealousy would push her into something more?
"Bella, I want to try a serious relationship."
The words Edward spoke reverberate through her mind. "Bella, I want to try a ser
ious relationship." With her? What was he trying to say? Why would he presume th
at she would want anything more after they both agreed to just be friends?
"I . . . I don't know what to say," she stuttered.
"I'm doing this all wrong, aren't I?" He ran a hand through his unruly hair and
sighed loudly.
"Honestly, Edward, I have no idea what you're even trying to do."
"I just . . . as my friend, I thought I could talk to you about this. I want to
make a change in my life." His hands came to rest, one on top of the other, on t
op of the table and he stared intently at them. "The only real relationship I've
had since playing professional ball ended in a disaster. Lauren used me to get
what she wanted and . . . and, well, let's just say I was on the losing team whe
n all was said and done."
"I'm sorry," Bella whispered, placing one of her hands on top of his.
Edward lifted his gaze to her. "I just thought you could help me out. You seem t
o have a level head on your shoulders." He smiled warmly at her.
"I'm probably the last person you should ask for advice. Besides Emmett, I've on
ly had one other serious relationship and that one was doomed from the beginning
," she snorted.
"So we're both new to this?"
"Yeah," she replied and then hesitated before speaking again. "Edward, can I ask
you something?"
"Sure."
"Why have you been sleeping around?"
It was obviously not the right question to ask. Bella watched as Edward's face i
mmediately closed up. His eyes turned cold and hard, not allowing a glimmer of t
he smile he politely gave her to reach them.
"It's late," he said with the fake smile plastered to his face.
Bella knew she had offended him again but she didn't even feel like apologizing
this time. She was tired he was tiring her out. "I'll see you later," she mutter
ed quietly and his eyebrows furrowed together.
"You're going to stay?"
"Yeah, I want to finish my pie," she said dejectedly, not meeting his eyes.
"Bella, I'm sorry "
"No. There's no reason to be. You're tired and need to go home. You have a game
to rest up for. I'll see you later." Bella put on her fake smile, just as he had
done, trying hard to put off a strong exterior. Inside she wanted to cry and sc
ream at him, but she had to fight against that desire because then he'd know . .
. he'd know . . .
"I won't leave you here alone," he stated and remained in his seat.
After a few minutes, Bella's pie didn't taste all that good anymore. There were
only a few bites left as she played around in the pie and melted ice cream, sile
ntly pleading for him to leave her be.
"I'm having a barbeque after the game on Sunday," he said some-what excitedly.
"Oh?" She responded in a flat voice.
"I was hoping you'd come. You can invite Emmett and Rosalie. Jazz already told m
e that he and Alice will be there."
"I'm supposed to work on a project for my class," she replied in a monotone voic
e. Then after a while, she continued. "Do you really think we can do this?"
"Do what?"
"Be friends? Look at what just happened. We can't even have a decent conversatio
n without both of our feelings getting hurt."
"But that's why I think we make great friends." His foot nudged hers under the t
able for the third time since they sat down and she smiled genuinely. "If you di
dn't challenge me so much, how would I ever become a better person? A real frien
d doesn't put up with my shit, as so many others do."
"No one has said anything to you about all the girls?"
Edward's body tensed up for a moment but then slowly relaxed. "Jazz, Garrett, an
d Carlisle have. And when that didn't work, Esme and Kate joined in." That last
bit of information from him made her snort and then laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"I just can't imagine Esme scolding you. She seems so demure, so perfect. I can'
t see her raising her voice to anyone."
"Just wait, once she gets going, she's like a freight train."
Bella chuckled again and Edward finally relaxed. "Friends again?" he asked.
"We never weren't."
"Great, then you'll come by on Sunday?"
"Maybe," she smiled. "I may have to bring my partner though. I promised him we'd
get some work done after the game."
"Bella?"
"Yes, Edward?"
"Thanks for letting me get that all off my chest. I really do want to make a cha
nge."
"Well I guess we're going to have to work hard to find a deserving woman for you
," she thought out loud. "It could be hard though, you're too well known around
here."
"Now you understand what my problem has been," he sighed, throwing his napkin do
wn on the table.
"Is that really all it was? You couldn't find a nice girl that didn't already kn
ow who you were?"
"Maybe I was looking in all the wrong places . . . and for the wrong girl," he s
aid sweetly and Bella realized that his eyes had softened up, as well as the mus
cles in his face. It was unnerving to stare into his smoldering eyes. They invit
ed her in and she found herself getting lost in their depths. This man was dange
rous to her. With just one look, he was able break through her defenses, causing
her heart to sputter forward, allowing desire to build up within her. She had t
o fight harder.
"At least we know that it won't take much, once you find her," she smirked. "One
look like that at her and she's yours." Bella fought to control her beating hea
rt, bringing it down a notch so that she could breathe smoothly, instead of the
jagged breaths that were being forced out of her lungs.
"If that were the case, she'd already be mine."
The words came out as a whisper and then he stood up to pay the bill. Had she he
ard him correctly? She couldn't be sure, so she just sat there and watched as he
walked over to the cash register. Digging in her pockets, she pulled out some c
ash and left it on the table as a tip and then went to meet up with him.
"You know that I was supposed to pay this time," she scolded him.
"I said you could pay the next time we go out for lunch."
"And when will that be?"
"Monday."
"You're so sure of yourself. Maybe if we knock your ego down a few levels it'll
be easier for you to find a nice girl."
"I don't really think that's the problem," he breathed out next to her ear and t
hen opened the door for her to exit the café

Chapter 10 May 2 3, 2009

In all actuality, Bella never cared for going out and drinking every weekend, bu
t ever since meeting Edward, it seemed like all she did now. Not that she got dr
unk every time she rarely did. And not only had Edward gotten her out to the bar
s lately, Jake had too. He was supposed to meet up with them tonight, but he had
cancelled. It didn't bother Bella much that he had, but she was hoping to play
a trick on Jake put him in his place and now that would have to wait.
In place of the wonderful company of her long lost friend, she now found herself
talking to some guy who had a problem focusing on her eyes. Instead, his attent
ion was drawn down to the tightness of her shirt. Bella crossed her arms over he
r chest, irritated with the clod.
She didn't have specific plans to meet up with Edward tonight. Well, not really.
He had texted her earlier in the day, before the game started, telling her that
he was going out with Jazz tonight. She texted him back, telling him that she w
ould be out with Alice. It didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two tog
ether.
Despite Bella's original fear of Alice dating a baseball player, she really did
like Jazz and he treated her wonderfully. When they were on the road, he called
every evening and sometimes during the day when he got a chance. And though the
distance sucked, they made up for it by spending as much time together as they c
ould when he was in town. Bella wasn't blind; she could see that Alice was happy
with him. Right now, her little pixie friend was filling her mug with more beer
, waiting for her man to arrive and Bella was waiting as well.
After the long talk she had with Edward in the coffee shop, Bella did a lot of t
hinking she couldn't help but think since she couldn't sleep. She lay in bed all
night, tossing and turning, burrowing her face in her pillow, trying hard to re
member the smell of him the smell he had left on her pillow after staying with h
er when she was sick. The smell was gone now, but she still tried.
It hurt that he had slept with someone when he was out on the road and she still
didn't understand his reasoning in having to tell her. Why couldn't he just say
that he wanted to change? Instead, he had to tell her that he had sex with some
one. And on top of it all, the fact that it bothered her as much as it did unner
ved her.
"Do you need another beer?"
"Um, no, I'm fine," Bella replied, looking up at the guy she was talking to. Sam
? No, Scott. No . . . God why can't I remember his name?
"Would you like to dance?" He asked as he attempted to take her empty glass from
her hand.
"No," she said cautiously, holding tight to her mug. "I don't dance." She still
couldn't remember his name, but what did it matter in the long run? As cute as h
e was and not too boring, he wasn't who she wanted to be talking to. Just as she
was about to leave him and walk over to where Alice sat with Emmett and Rosalie
, she noticed Edward and Jazz walk into the bar. Her heart jumped into her throa
t.
"Where was it you said you worked again?" She choked out, her eyes straying over
to the bar where Edward now stood. He wore dark jeans and a light blue button d
own shirt. His auburn hair was disheveled, as always, and she immediately imagin
ed running her fingers through it. It always felt so silky and soft. She bit dow
n into her bottom lip and turned her attention back to the man in front of her,
catching the last part of what he said.
". . . it's not that glamorous, but it pays the bills."
"Yeah," she mumbled, still not exactly sure what he did for a living. "I know wh
at you mean."
"You do?" he asked as he leaned in closer to her.
"Um, yeah. My job isn't that exciting either, but it's steady and it pays well."
Glancing out the corner of her eye, Bella noticed a small brunette approach Edw
ard. Give me the sign, Edward.
"So how long have you lived in Chicago?" Mysterious boy, who's name started with
an 'S', was asking the most generic questions.
"Not too long, you?" Sadly enough, she was being boring back.
"I just moved here from Indiana a few months ago . . ." The guy started rambling
and she let her eyes shift back over to Edward, who was now in conversation wit
h the brunette.
Bella's stomach twisted into a knot as she noticed him laugh and she fought the
urge to charge over there and interrupt. He hadn't given her the sign he was enj
oying the other girl's company. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down an
d focused on the boy in front of her, watching his mouth move, but not bothering
to listen to his words.
The one thing Edward had said he wanted yesterday was a relationship. Maybe he l
iked the brunette's company and would ask her out on a date a real date. Bittern
ess seeped into Bella's heart as she thought of him laughing with the brunette a
nd she turned her head in time to notice that his smile wasn't reaching his eyes
. Maybe he wasn't enjoying her company after all. Her heart kicked back into gea
r at that thought, but if he wasn't enjoying himself, then why hadn't he given h
er the damn sign already?
". . . did you go to the Cubs game too?"
"Cubs game?" She asked in a haze. She really hadn't been paying attention.
"Yeah, you do like the Cubs, right? I mean, you live on the North side, don't yo
u?"
"Um, yeah, I live on the North side." Here was a decent looking guy who's only f
ault so far was that he spoke mostly to her breasts than to her, and she couldn'
t even get excited about talking to him about the Cubs something was wrong with
her. "And yes, I was at the game, were you?"
She was still preoccupied with Edward and the brunette. Her eyes strayed to look
at them again and the little creature had her hand on his arm. Heated rage seep
ed throughout Bella's body, her arms, legs, and face becoming overheated. Sudden
ly, without thinking it through, Bella placed her fingers on her left ear and st
arted to play with her earring.
"Well not exactly, we had seats on top of a bar . . ."
It was almost instantly that Bella felt Edward's arm encircle her waist and she
immediately turned into him, her arms moving around his neck as she placed a kis
s at the base of his jaw. Edward's other arm went around her, pulling her closer
as he glared at the pretty boy who had been bothering him since he walked into
the place.
She really should've felt guilty for being rude to both what's-his-name and Edwa
rd, but all she felt was elation at the fact that Edward was no longer talking t
o that skank the skank who now stared at Bella viciously. "Edward," she sighed a
gainst his neck and he loosened the grip he held her with.
"Aren't you Edward Masen?" Bella's friend asked, interrupting their moment.
"Yes, and you are?" Edward asked skeptically.
"Steve!" Steve thrust out his hand, grabbing Edward's, shaking it profusely. "I
can't believe I'm standing here next to you!"
"It's nice to meet you, Steve," Edward replied tersely. "If you'll excuse us," h
e continued, his eyes shifting down to look at Bella.
"Sure, sorry about that," he said quickly and then he scampered away, looking ba
ck every couple of steps to stare at the Cubs short stop.
"Thank you," Bella said shakily, hesitantly looking up at Edward. Would he know
that she only gave the sign to get him away from that girl? Emmett always told h
er she was easy to read. Now would be a good time for her to find a poker face.
"Anytime," he smiled down at her, his arms still wrapped around her waist while
her hands rested on his chest. Neither of them made any attempt to pull away. "I
thought you were enjoying his company with the way the two of you were so close
together."
"Definitely not. He was just so . . . so . . . I don't know. He just didn't do a
nything for me."
"No sparks or butterflies?" He teased, his eyes twinkling as he looked down into
hers.
"You know," she started, "as much as I don't believe in that stuff, maybe Alice
and Jazz are on to something." There was a current that she felt when Edward tou
ched her. Was that what sparks were? It didn't feel like a spark, more like a fl
ow. And were the butterflies the little flittering that she felt in her stomach
whenever he smiled?
"You think you'll know your soul mate when he kisses you and you see fireworks?"
He was amused and Bella started laughing as she caught onto what he was insinua
ting. She had never seen fireworks when kissing anyone even Edward. That stuff j
ust didn't exist. But, God, his kisses did make her feel . . . feel . . . God, t
hey made her feel. Every fiber of her being reacted when his lips blended with h
ers, they made her feel alive, on fire. Maybe it wasn't fireworks, but it was so
mething.
"I've yet to see any," she challenged, wondering if he had ever experienced it.
"Me neither."
"So," she began brightly, determined to change the subject. "Who was the little
brunette?"
"Some fan," he stated, dismissing the girl entirely.
Call her masochistic, but Bella wanted more detail. "Just a fan? The two of you
looked awfully close for her to be just a fan," she goaded.
"Are you jealous?" Edward pulled his head back, getting a better look into her e
yes.
"Of course not!" She lied. "I just felt bad for pulling you away from her. Maybe
she was a nice, sweet girl you could take out on a date."
"She wore too much perfume and had huge, buggy eyes."
"Are you sure?" Why was she doing this to herself? "Maybe you could go find her
. . ."
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" He smirked, pulling her in closer to him, tic
kling her side, and she giggled, twisting away from his fingers.
"Never," she whispered against his chest and his fingers stopped their torture,
his arms relaxing his hold on her, as he smiled down at her flushed face. "I jus
t thought you might want to search for someone to ask on a date." She swallowed
the lump in her throat after she said the words.
"Actually," he breathed, his eyes scanning the tables around them. "I just want
to sit back and relax. Come on," he said, pulling her over to a couple of empty
stools by the bar and ordering them each a beer.
"So, have you finished those books yet?"
"Actually, I have a couple chapters left in the fourth one." His eyes leveled on
her with a playful spark. "Do you always read porn?"
"They aren't porn," she nearly shrieked. Quieting down a little, she continued.
"They're good stories."
"Right," he gleamed at her, "that's why you read them."
"Okay, so the vampires are sexy and the author gets into some nice detail with c
ertain scenes," she blushed, "but the stories are good too."
"They're okay. Which one's your favorite?"
"You can't tell?"
"I know which one I think you would like, but you always seem to surprise me."
"I haven't even given you the book of my favorite one yet," she winked.
"So it's not the one with the demon?"
"Oh, I like him too," she said, smiling brightly. "Actually, when he gave into t
he beast and, well, the part where . . . God, I can't believe I'm talking to you
about this."
"About what?"
"He's just so . . . sexy."
"You don't, um, you know . . . pleasure your "
"Edward!" She shrieked, teasingly slapping him on his shoulder before turning he
r head down to hide her embarrassment and pink cheeks. Totally ashamed, she look
ed back up at him. "How about you? Did it, you know, turn you on?"
"The beast? No!"
"How about the girl?"
"No!"
"What are you two doing over here alone? We have beer at the table!" They were i
nterrupted by Emmett, who had two empty pitchers in his hands, bringing them to
the bar to get refilled.
"Hey Emmett," Edward greeted him.
"Dude, that was a cute chick you were with earlier," he winked and smiled bright
ly at Edward.
"Chick?" Bella scoffed.
"Come on Bells, you used to like it when I called you my chick."
"First of all, that was back in High School. And secondly, I didn't like it, I t
olerated it."
Edward chuckled and clapped Emmett on the shoulder as he swiveled in his bar sto
ol. "Go on back to the table. We'll bring the pitchers over when they're done."
Once Emmett had left them, the pitchers arrived and they each grabbed one. They
stood at the same time and Edward leaned over, placing his lips against Bella's
neck and whispered against her skin. "Do you like to be bitten, Bella? Is that w
hy you read vampire books?" His mouth opened then and lightly bit down on her ne
ck.
She nearly dropped the pitcher as her body shivered from the feel of his teeth r
aking along her skin. "Please tell me you aren't going to start biting all the g
irls in the Chicagoland area!" She chided, winded from the reaction he invoked i
n her.
"Only one hot chick," he chuckled as he placed his arm around her and led her to
the table. It sounded like a joke, but it still launched Bella's heart into ove
rdrive.
~GO CUBS~
It wasn't her favorite thing to do take her laptop to a Cubs game but she had to
do it so that she wouldn't have to spend her evening with Chad after the game a
s originally planned. She had called him first thing this morning to try and wor
k around a long drawn out session with him. In the end, it was decided that they
would work on separate parts of the project for the evening and then she would
drop her part off directly after the game and they'd meet early, before class, t
omorrow.
So there Bella sat, in the stands at the Cubs game with her laptop open, taking
all the teasing from her fellow fans around her. She knew a lot of the people ar
ound them by name, well the season ticket holders, anyway. It wasn't the first t
ime she had ever brought her laptop, so they were used to seeing her with it, bu
t the fact that this wasn't just a one-time occurrence made their teasing that m
uch worse. Even Emmett and Rosalie joined in, which resulted in a few choice wor
ds from Bella.
Today, Bella was sitting between Rosalie and Alice, who had decided to use Bella
's extra ticket. Shuffling papers, which kept ending up in Rosalie's space, Bell
a searched for the highlighted information she needed. At least she thought she
had highlighted it. Right now, with the crowd growing louder and Rosalie's inces
sant talk about which players looked sexier in their uniforms Edward was one of
the top three, Bella was having a hard time finding what she needed.
"This is useless!" Bella spat.
Rosalie snorted next to her, her eyes never leaving the mass of stretching men o
n the field. "You're missing Edward stretching with that hunk, Cullen, again. I
swear, the two of them together should be illegal."
"Rose," Emmett cut in, "you've got more man than you'll ever need right here." E
mmett wiggled his eyes in her direction and she snorted again, turning her atten
tion back to the field while Alice snickered.
Bella let her eyes stray from her laptop to get a look at Edward and Carlisle st
retching out. She had never paid much attention to all the stretching before. No
rmally, she was too consumed with talk about the opposing pitchers and how well
or bad the Cubs had done the day before. But Rosalie was correct they were a sig
ht to behold.
"Oh look!" The little pixie sitting next to Bella suddenly became animated as sh
e bounced in her seat. "There's Jazz!" She had binoculars pushed against her eye
s while she watched the three players talk.
Jazz had pitched yesterday, so he was off today. He wore his uniform, like all t
he other Cubs players, but had on a light-weight jacket over it. The three girls
watched as he approached Edward and Carlisle, interrupting their stretching. Th
e guys spoke for a little while and then Edward glanced over in their direction
and Jazz motioned toward them.
"Do you think they'll come and talk to us?" Alice grinned.
Looking down at the crowd of kids that lined the barrier to the field, Bella did
n't think they'd come close because then they'd get stuck signing autographs. Bu
t when she looked back up, she saw Edward staring at her with a smile on his fac
e, his feet bringing him closer to her with each step he made.
"Looks like your man is on his way."
Bella heard Rosalie's words but she was too focused on the man approaching the s
tands to pay her any attention, or correct her phrase of calling Edward, her man
. Placing her laptop on her seat, she made her way past the grinning pixie and d
own into a crowd of young kids and parents. Not wanting to push her way through,
she tried to make eye contact with Edward, who was now signing autographs. You'
re a fool, Bella, he only came over to sign autographs! With pink-tinted cheeks,
Bella turned her body around, embarrassed by her assumption.
A small arm grabbed a hold of her quickly and Bella turned back to look down at
a young boy around the age of 10 with dark freckles on his cheeks and brown hair
styled in a fauxhawk. He had on a Cubs jersey number 13. Edward's number.
"Is your name Bella?" he asked excitedly, his hands clasping a ball and blue Sha
rpie.
"Yes," she responded.
"Edward Masen asked me to get you." The child beamed up at her, happy to do this
small request for his hero.
"Um, okay," she replied as the kid pulled her behind him through the crowd.
As she made her way to the front, behind grunts and inappropriate words from par
ents, Edward looked up at her and smiled, his hands busy signing a young girl's
glove. She watched him talk to another young kid and then sign a picture the boy
had brought to the game.
Bella stood silently, watching Edward as he greeted each person and spoke to the
m first. His smile was always sincere, his eyes making contact with his fans. He
posed for a couple of pictures and Bella swallowed hard as something stirred wi
thin her. Edward had turned out to be the opposite of everything she had thought
him to be.
Even the papers over the past few days had mentioned something to the fact that
he hadn't been caught with any women recently, all of them wondering if he had s
ettled down and was seeing someone seriously. Of course, the Sun Times which was
Bella's Chicago paper of choice had a guess as to who the lucky lady was that h
ad caught his attention and Bella's heart twisted as she realized that the perso
n they thought he was dating was more the type of person he would want Daria Fis
cher, the movie star.
A loud fan, thanking Edward profusely, brought Bella out of her reverie and she
took a deep breath, swallowing another lump in her throat as she caught Edward l
ooking at her out of the corner of his eye. Before she had a moment to blush, he
turned his attention back to the young fan he was returning a signed ball to. J
ust his smile alone melted her, making it near impossible to continue standing t
here, staring at him, so she cleared her throat.
"Why in the world did you bring your laptop to the game, Swan?" He asked while h
e took another ball from a waiting fan and signed it, never once looking in her
direction.
"If you want me to "
"If you want me to hear you, you're going to have to speak louder." He looked up
at her then and winked as he took another item to be signed, briefly asking the
child his name.
"It was either do my work here," she shouted in some poor kid's ear, "or not go
to your little barbeque later."
"So you'll be there?" he asked, his eyes briefly looking up to catch hers as he
handed a boy back his ball.
"Yes, but I may be a few minutes late. I still have to stop over at Chad's to gi
ve him what I've got done."
"Chad?" he asked.
Of course he knew who Chad was, didn't he? She had only mentioned him a billion
times. Or hadn't she? Maybe she had never mentioned him by name before. Before s
he could explain to him who Chad was, Bella was elbowed in the stomach by an ove
rly-eager mom who was pushing her way through the crowd so her son whom she was
dragging behind could get Edward's autograph.
"Look, I'll let you get back to all of this," she gestured toward the waiting cr
owd, specifically the woman who had just assaulted her. "Text me your address af
ter the game, or none of us will be there," she smirked.
"I'll see you later," he said, taking a moment to let his eyes peer deeply into
hers, and then he glanced over to the next waiting fan, grabbed their item, and
briefly asked their name.
"What did he want?" Alice asked as Bella sat back down.
"He was just being a prick like everyone else," she replied, rolling her eyes at
the obnoxious look she got from Rosalie. "He wanted to know why I had my laptop
at the game."
"Hey, did you get me an autograph?" Emmett asked and then raised his beer to his
lips.
"Emmett, if you want a stupid autograph, ask him yourself!"
"I don't want him to think that that's all I want from him. Jazz gave me one, bu
t he's easier to talk to." He pouted and Bella held back a giggle.
"I bet if you ask nicely, he'll even sign your chest!"
"Way to step over the line, Bells. That's gross."
"To some," she said thoughtfully before focusing back on her laptop. She only ha
d a two hour life on her battery so she had to work fast.
By time the seventh inning stretch rolled around, Bella had closed her laptop an
d was downing her second beer as she sang along to the words of 'Take Me out to
the Ball Game'. Rosalie was talking smack with some guy behind them and Alice wa
s peering through her binoculars, trying to spot Jazz in the Cubs' dugout.
Suddenly, Bella's phone went off and she looked to see a new text message from E
dward with his address on it. Actually, it wasn't exactly an address, but a name
of a building and suite number.
Lake Point Towers suite 6407.
"Shit," Bella whispered.
"Did you just curse, Isabella?"
Looking up, Bella's eyes locked onto Emmett's and she giggled. "Do you know wher
e Mr. Baseball lives?"
"No, but I bet you're dying to tell me."
"Lake Point Towers! F , I mean," she stuttered when Emmett cleared his throat, cat
ching her from saying something even she detested to hear. "Who lives at Lake Po
int Towers? This guy's ridiculous!"
Rumor was that a certain Chicago talk show host lived there, but Bella was sure
that she didn't. She had read somewhere that it was definitely just a rumor and
that she lived in the Hancock building. But then again, they could both be rumor
s. Regardless, Lake Point Towers was supposed to be an amazing place to live. It
was its own city, really. It had a grocery store, hair salon, fitness center, p
rivate park located on the top of part of the building three stories high, indoo
r and outdoor pools, tailor, laundry room, and business center. There was no rea
son to leave the building if you didn't need to.
As nervous as Bella felt over the fact that Edward lived in Lake Point Towers, s
he was suddenly excited. She had heard amazing things about the views from the c
ondos. They all had huge windows revealing panoramic views of the city, and she
secretly hoped his condo faced the lake and Navy Pier.
Emmett chuckled at Bella and Rosalie turned to look at her. "Are you serious? Ma
ybe we'll get to go to that park I heard about. It's supposed to be amazing!"
"It's a little too cold to swim," Bella moaned, turning her head to look at Alic
e who had totally missed the whole conversation. For all Bella knew, Alice was a
lready aware of where they were spending their evening.
For the remainder of the game, Rosalie and Alice spoke over Bella, discussing wh
ich look was better: the baseball pants worn all the way down at the player's an
kles, or pulled up to their knees, revealing the colored socks underneath? And t
hen there were the players that wore their pant legs pulled up part way . . . Be
lla was sick of listening to them ramble about inconsequential things, so she tr
aded places with Rosalie, happy to sit next to Emmett, whom was overly eager to
talk about real baseball not uniforms.
After the game, Bella high-tailed it out of the park and hurriedly made her way
over to Chad's apartment. He wasn't far from the park, but due to the traffic, i
t took her longer than she anticipated getting there. He opened the door right a
fter Bella knocked, ushering her in and the two of them got right down to busine
ss as the sounds of The Cure echoed in the background.
A few minutes after Bella had arrived, a stout man, not much taller than Bella,
walked into the living room. "Hey, Chad, I'm heading out."
"Okay Brian," he said casually and then righted himself. "Oh, this is Bella from
class, the girl I told you about. Bella, this is my roommate, Brian."
Bella looked over to the bearded man, wondering why Chad would talk to his roomm
ate about her, and noticed he wasn't dressed to go out on the town, but rather t
o work. "Hey Brian," she breathed out, suddenly nervous about the way he looked
at her.
"Nice to meet you, Bella," he smiled sincerely. "I'll be home later than normal,
" he muttered briefly to Chad and then he walked out, his head looking back for
another view of Bella right before he closed the door.
"That was strange," Bella mumbled, turning back to her laptop as she connected t
o Chad's wireless network to upload her files to his computer and download his f
iles to hers.
The process took all of ten minutes between the time she entered Chad's apartmen
t and the time she was saying goodbye and running back out his door. Quick and p
ainless, just how she liked it maybe working with a partner wasn't so bad after
all.
~GO CUBS~
"Hey Emmett, Rosalie," Edward greeted as he let his two new friends into his con
do. He watched in amusement as the two of them walked over to the large pictures
que windows with a full view of Navy Pier, Lake Michigan, Millennium Park, and G
rant Park. It took him a year and a half to wait for one of the 07 Presidential
suites to go up for sale in Lake Point Towers, but it was well worth it. It was
undoubtedly the best view the building had to offer.
"I think I'd get sick if I look straight down," Rosalie said wearily as she appr
oached the windows where Alice and Emmett were standing as close as possible to.
"It's not that bad," Edward called over to her as he grabbed a couple of beers o
ut of the fridge for her and Emmett.
"Who else is coming?" Alice asked and Edward smiled over to her. Getting to know
Bella had softened his heart for the little spike-haired girl who had captured
Jazz's heart. He knew that Jazz was serious about her and now that he could see
that Bella was right and Alice was committed to Jazz as well, he was able to ope
n up to her more.
"Peter and his wife, Charlotte, were supposed to come, but their daughter got si
ck, so they've backed out. Esme and Carlisle were going to come, but he cancelle
d earlier this morning. Something about wanting to spend alone time with her," h
e said suggestively and she smiled.
"So it's just us then?"
"Yeah," he replied shrugging his shoulders. "Once Bella gets here, we can head d
own to the park."
"I love this building," Emmett said softly as his eyes travelled over the walls
and round, white pillars. "What?" Emmett asked, feeling self conscious from the
look of shock in Edward's stare.
"I just never thought you were the type to appreciate this," he said as his arms
gestured around the room, "type of thing."
"Did Bella ever tell you what I do for a living?" He asked as a dimple started t
o form on his right cheek.
"No." Edward's hand combed through his hair unconsciously as he thought back to
their conversations. He didn't remember her saying what he did.
"Don't play with him, Em," Rosalie bit out. "He's an architect thinks he's God's
gift to the profession, too."
"I'm a damn good architect," Emmett pouted.
They were all interrupted by a small knock on the door. Edward wanted to run and
answer it, but Jazz was closer and made his way off the couch and in front of E
dward. Pushing Jazz out of the way would look a bit suspicious, Edward figured,
and instead returned to the kitchen to get everything ready to bring down to the
 park for the grill.
Edward had come to a conclusion after his mess up in St. Louis. He was going to
court Bella, but not openly. He needed to get her to trust him first and that wa
s going to be hard. Deciding that he had to be totally up-front and honest with
her, he had already told her about his mistake. Feeling like it had been a disas
ter, he was now more frightened about telling her about Jane.
And now, with Bella walking into his condo, he couldn't control his speeding hea
rt or the immediate sweat that rushed through his body. Other than friends, he h
ad never had a woman in his apartment. She is just a friend, moron.
"Hi everyone," Bella's small voice called out and Edward swallowed hard as he tu
rned toward her.
"Hey." He tried to make it come out casual, but his voice betrayed him and she l
ooked questioningly into his eyes wondering what was wrong.
"Bella! Come look at this view!"
Alice pulled Bella over to the windows and Edward watched her eyes light up as s
he approached and took in the view. It was a view Edward looked at every day and
had, in time, started to take for granted. Now seeing Bella react to the beauty
that sat outside his windows, he walked over to take a closer look himself. It
had been a long time since he stood and stared down at Navy Pier and the lake be
low.
"It's beautiful," she whispered as she lifted her gaze to meet his.
Not as beautiful as you. He couldn't say those words to her. They were too sappy
, too lame. But they were true. Bella seemed to become more beautiful the more h
e got to know her.
"We ready to head down to the park?" Emmett asked from Edward's other side.
~GO CUBS~
The burgers and brats were almost done. Edward stood at the grill in the middle
of the park located on top of part of Lake Point Towers. It was 2.5 acres of exq
uisite landscaping: an outdoor pool, grills, walking paths, water fall, and tons
of foliage. There were even some places where you actually couldn't tell that y
ou were standing in the middle of a big city. This place was an oasis, a perfect
, beautiful haven in the middle of chaos and noise.
It was hard for Edward to watch Bella with Emmett. They played so freely togethe
r. Bella was currently jumping on Emmett's back, getting a piggy-back ride while
the bear of a man ran as fast as he could before purposefully falling over, ban
ging Bella to the ground. The giggles that pervaded Edward's mind saddened him.
Those should be his giggles, not Emmett's.
"They're very close," Rosalie said from Edward's side as she watched the pair ro
ll around in the grass together. Emmett had turned to torturing Bella with tickl
es.
"And you're okay with it?" He paused after placing the cheese on top of the burg
ers.
"There's nothing but friendship there. They've known each other since they were
in diapers." She laughed a little at their display and then turned her eyes back
to Edward. "Once you accept their friendship, it's easier." With those last wor
ds, she rested her hand on Edward's forearm, squeezed it gently while giving him
a friendly smile, and then walked away, approaching the two good friends who we
re both squealing loudly.
The thought that Rosalie was encouraging him to pursue Bella soared within him.
If her friends were on his side, then it should be easier to show her who he rea
lly was. Looking up from the brats he had just turned for the last time, Edward
caught Bella in a secluded area behind a bush, talking on her cell phone. She wa
s smiling brightly and laughing and his heart, which had been soaring only momen
ts before, halted. Who put that smile on her face? Who made her laugh that way?
Turning his eyes back to the meat on the grill, Edward scowled, berating himself
for getting so caught up with this girl. Ever since he had decided he wanted he
r, his emotions had been on a roller coaster. Every time he turned his head, he
felt as if his future were changing, right before his very eyes.
"Anything I can do to help?"
The soft, silky voice of Bella caught Edward off guard and he almost dropped a b
rat to the ground as he transferred it over to a tray. "No, I think I'm good her
e."
"Thank you for having us over," she said sweetly and he smiled down to her, noti
cing that her arms were crossed over her chest. She was wearing a white fitted t
-shirt with light blue three-quarter sleeves and light blue jeans.
"Are you cold?"
"I'll be okay," she shrugged. "It seems to have cooled off since the game."
"Here," Edward said as he put down his spatula and took off his navy blue North
Face fleece jacket. "Take this."
"I'm fine," she insisted, but he didn't listen to her.
After placing his jacket over Bella's shoulders, he continued to remove the burg
ers and brats from the grill. His eyes kept peering out the corner, trying to gl
impse her reaction to wearing his jacket and he finally relaxed when he noticed
she had placed her arms through the arm holes and zipped it up.
"If a guy friend asks a female friend out to dinner, does that make it a date?"
She asked out of the blue and he froze.
"That would depend," he stammered, wondering where she was going with this. "Has
this guy shown any interest in the girl, other than friendship?"
"I don't know," she replied, her fingers playing with the zipper of the jacket,
pulling it up and back down, over and over again. Was she nervous? He wondered.
"Did one of your friends ask you out to dinner?" He asked reluctantly, wondering
if that was what her phone call was about earlier.
"Jake just called me. He wants to go out to dinner on Friday, which is fine, but
I'm not sure how I should take it."
"Do you want it to be a date?" Please say no.
"Not really," she sighed. "I just thought I would feel something if there was an
ything more there. You know?"
"I thought you didn't believe in sparks and butterflies," he smirked, rememberin
g the first night they'd met.
"I was thinking more like passion," she whispered, not wanting to meet his eyes
as a light blush rose in her cheeks.
"If you don't feel anything for him other than friendship, then it's not a date,
" he stated.
"But what if he thinks it's a date?" She asked almost hysterically. "I don't wan
t to lead him on, yet I don't want to assume either." She looked up and then sno
rted. "Maybe Harry was right."
Who the heck is Harry?
"Hey guys," Alice interrupted. "It's getting cold out here, can we eat inside?"
"Um, sure, Alice," Edward replied, his eyes regretfully leaving Bella's to look
at the other woman. "Why don't you round up Emmett and Rosalie and then we'll al
l head on up."
The table in Edward's condo was small, so they all sat in the living room surrou
nding the coffee table. Once everyone had finished and the dishes were cleaned u
p compliments of Bella, Rosalie, and Alice, everyone sat back down in the living
room and talked. Sitting directly opposite of Bella who sat curled up on the fl
oor, Edward watched her carefully. Other than the five minutes of conversation t
hat they shared outside, they hadn't had any alone time.
Laughing loudly, Emmett said, "Jazz told us you get a lot of interesting fan mai
l, Edward." Emmett had definitely had his share of the beer that only hours ago
filled Edward's fridge.
"Some," he said cautiously, immediately frightened by what Jazz may have told Em
mett.
"Come on, Masen," Jazz laughed. "I know I get my fair share of panties and nudes
, but you sure do take the cake."
"Panties and nudes?" Bella asked, her eyes scanning the circle of faces around h
er as a small blush tinted her cheeks.
"Nude photos," Jazz clarified. "Some of them are horrible, but some . . ." he tr
ailed off as Alice playfully hit him on the shoulder. Leaning over, he covered h
er in a bear hug and kissed her firmly on the mouth.
"Can I see your stash?" Emmett asked excitedly.
"I don't keep a stash," Edward said irritated, his eyes trailing over to watch B
ella's reaction.
"I for one," Bella finally spoke up, "would like to see the stash of panties. I'
m always looking for some cute ones." She winked playfully at Rosalie.
"I don't keep the pictures or the panties," Edward pleaded with them, his hands
rising in the air in submission. But Bella wanted to see the panties and he now
had visions of her wearing them and only them black lace, red silk, crotchless,
vibrating, edible yeah, he could totally picture Bella in them.
"Or the banana hammocks," Jazz laughed.
"I'm not the only one who gets those either," Edward said pointedly to the hands
ome pitcher and Emmett roared with laughter.
"Did you get anything recently?" Emmett asked, trying hard to keep a straight fa
ce.
"What?"
"Nothing sexy arrived recently? It would have been a big package," Emmett hinted
, his eyes wiggling suggestively toward Edward.
Edward's eyes narrowed as he glared at Emmett and then he turned his stare to Ja
zz who was trying hard to keep a straight face but couldn't. Rosalie had a knowi
ng smirk on her face, as did Alice. And Bella looked just as confused as he felt
. Well, he wasn't as confused as her he suddenly knew exactly what Emmett was ta
lking about.
"That was you?" He laughed, shaking his head in shame.
Emmett's head nodded as he laughed along with everyone else, except for Bella. H
er head cocked to the side as the skin between her eyebrows puckered. "Would som
eone like to let me in on the little secret?"
"Your jackass friend sent me an enormous banana hammock, as he'd call it, drench
ed in God-awful cologne." Edward shook from laughter and then turned to Emmett.
"That was the scariest thing I've ever received!"
"Scarier than the pocket pussy?" Jazz cut in.
"Oh God," Edward moaned, burrowing his head in his hands. "That was pretty sick.
"
When he looked up at Bella, he noticed that she wasn't finding as much humor in
the twisted gifts he sometimes received. Yes, he had received some odd things, b
ut normally his fan mail was full of cute letters from young kids. "How about I
show you all the fan mail I do keep," he said and then he retreated to his offic
e and came back out with a stack of opened letters, handing a few to everyone ar
ound the table.
Edward watched as Alice and Rosalie dug right into the letters and started readi
ng them right away. Emmett sat frowning with the unopened letters in his hand, h
is eyes lingering on Bella, who Edward finally realized was upset. Worried, he f
rantically thought about all the letters he had saved. No, he had never saved an
y from grown women even the hot ones. He never kept those letters. Even the dirt
y, nasty ones he threw them all away. All she could be holding in her hands were
letters from young kids.
Suddenly, Emmett was at Bella's side, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as he
whispered in her ear. A tear fell down Bella's cheek and Edward's heart broke.
What had he done?
"Is everything okay?" He asked, standing up from the couch.
All eyes were on Bella and as soon as she realized, she bolted to the bathroom,
Emmett at her heels. Alice and Jazz made their exit at that time after cleaning
up the empty bottles scattered across the living room. When saying goodbye to th
em, Alice pulled Edward into a tight hug and whispered into his ear.
"Talk to her about it," she said softly before kissing his cheek, and then she w
as gone.
The room was charged with unease as Rosalie and Edward stood apart from one anot
her, neither of them sure of what to say. Emmett was in the bathroom with Bella
and that fact wounded Edward's pride. He desperately wanted to be the go-to guy
in Bella's life, yet here she was receiving comfort from Emmett. It didn't get a
ny worse than that. On top of it, he had no idea as to what he had done.
"Here," Rosalie interrupted his thoughts, handing Edward the stack of fan mail b
ack to him.
"Thanks," he muttered. "Do you know what's going on?"
"Just be patient with her. I'm sure she'd rather you be in there right now," she
said uneasily and Edward wondered if she was hurt by Emmett comforting Bella as
much as he was.
"I just wish I knew what I did wrong."
"It's nothing you did. Has Bella talked to you about her parents?"
"A little," he whispered as he sat back down on the sofa.
"It seems that maybe she hasn't gotten around to telling you everything. When sh
e does," she looked pointedly at him, "this will all make sense."
"Does this happen a lot?"
"No. Actually, I've only seen her upset on the anniversary of their deaths. Neve
r out of the blue like this, but . . . never mind, I've said too much already."
Just then the bathroom door opened and Emmett walked out. "I'm going to get the
car. Can you get Bella down stairs?" he asked Rosalie.
"Sure," she said, walking toward the bathroom.
"Is she okay?" Edward asked as Emmett started to walk out.
"Yeah. She's a little embarrassed right now, that's all," he replied and then di
sappeared down the hall.
The bathroom door opened again and Edward watched as Rosalie walked with Bella t
oward the living room. She kept her head down, her eyes averting his. "I'll give
you two a moment," Rosalie said uncertainly. "I'll be in the hall, Bella."
"I'm sorry," Bella squeaked out, raising her head to look at him.
"Bella," he said tenderly, his arms reaching out to bring her to him, enveloping
her in a tight hug and she shuddered against him, crying into his shirt. "Sh,"
he whispered into her hair before kissing the top of her head.
"I had a really good time." Pulling away, but remaining in his arms, she looked
up and gave him her best smile she could muster.
"I could bring you home if you want to stay and talk." Please stay with me.
"No, I should go. Emmett and Rose are waiting for me." Her hands wiped unconscio
usly against her cheeks, removing her wet tears.
"Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?"
"That's right!" She said cheerfully, a genuine smile finally gracing her face. "
I'm actually leaving work early. Well, not really. I'm going into the office ear
ly and then coming home at lunch time to work from home. I have to meet up with
Chad before class since we didn't get a chance to go over anything today."
"Is that a yes or a no?" He chuckled, happy to see her eyes light up again.
"Definitely," she stated and he was happy to have his Bella back. "We can do som
ething around my place, if that's okay?"
"Sure," he replied, his mind already planning out what he would love to do with
her tomorrow afternoon. "Would eleven be too soon?"
"Umm," she hesitated. "No, it'll be fine. I'll just run into the office and give
my boss the tickets to tomorrow's game and then escape before anyone catches me
. I should be back by then."
"Great. It's a date then."
When her eyes grew big, he realized his mistake. Jake had just asked her to dinn
er for Friday night and she didn't know how to take it, and now he just told her
that their lunch date was a date. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Yet
at the same time, he was glad for the slip up. She didn't correct him or look up
set. She looked shocked. Was it a good shock, or a bad shock?
"Take that however you'd like to, Bella," he whispered against her head as he pu
lled her in for one last hug. And with that, he ushered her to the door and then
leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Chapter 11 May 4, 2009
Answering her cell phone for the third time this morning, Bella tried to whisper
so that no one on the El would hear her. "I know why you're calling."
"How are you doing with all of this?" Emmett was only concerned for her and she
knew that, but it didn't mean she wanted to talk about it, especially while she
was on the train.
"Alice and Rose have already called," she moaned, still keeping her voice down a
s much as she could.
"Did you have any heads-up that this was going to happen?"
"No." She looked around nervously, making sure that no one was paying any attent
ion to her. When her eyes fell on the object that was causing the problem held i
n some stranger's hands, Bella leaned forward, letting her hair fall around her
face, shielding her from view. "I don't understand. Some of the pictures are fro
m over a week ago. Why wait until now?"
"Maybe they didn't know who you were," Emmett suggested.
"Maybe," she echoed, pondering what that meant. How did they figure out who she
was? "Just yesterday the Sun Times was saying that he was dating Daria Fischer a
nd now, one day later, they do a complete one-eighty and he's seeing some nobody
from Lincoln Park?" She let her breath out quickly. "Did any other papers repor
t this?"
"No, I've got the Trib right in front of me and there's nothing about it."
"Luckily the Sun-Times Media Group doesn't own any other major US Newspapers!" s
he bit into the phone.
"Yeah, but that doesn't matter. Soon this will be on TV."
Bella groaned. "Do you have to rub that in?"
"It won't be that bad," he comforted her. "Just smile and deny everything."
"Of course I'll deny it, Emmett! It's not true!"
"You know its okay if it is, right?"
"It doesn't matter because we're only friends! We're not dating!"
"Well these pictures are kind of, well, he's kissing you in a couple of them, Be
lls."
"I know," she groaned.
"It's going to be hard to explain these pictures from the friend angle."
"I said, I KNOW!" Her words came out a little too loud causing a few people arou
nd her to look in her direction she slunk her head further down.
"Has he called you yet?"
"No," she muttered, not sure if she even wanted to talk to Edward at the moment.
"We're meeting up for lunch later. I'll talk to him then."
"What did Rose and Alice have to say?"
"You probably already know what Rose told me," she sighed. "And Alice . . . well
, you know Alice. She always sees the bright side of everything.
"What's the bright side, Bella?"
"I think her and Rose have some notion that Edward and I are meant to be. You kn
ow, when all the planets align, stars shoot across the sky, and fireworks explod
e in the distance. Earth shattering stuff," she said sardonically. "Listen, I've
got to get going, Em. Can I call you later?"
"Sure, you have class tonight, right?"
"Yeah, Marcus is buying both my tickets."
"Cool. Call me after your class."
If the phone calls weren't enough this morning, Bella still had to walk into her
office and face everyone there especially Jessica. Who the heck cared about her
anyways? So what if Bella and Edward were dating? It wasn't true, but Bella kne
w that Jessica wouldn't believe that.
Keep your head down . . . keep your head down . . . keep your head down . . . "U
h, good morning Jessica," Bella said sweetly as she walked right into the recept
ionist.
"I know you lied to me." Jessica accused, not wasting any time.
"Don't believe everything you read," Bella hissed over her shoulder as she moved
her feet faster, ducking under the line of cubes she walked down the middle of.
Reaching her desk, Bella sank into her chair and hunched forward, hiding herself
from any nosy passers-by. She pulled out this morning's copy of the Sun Times a
nd laid it on top of her desk with the sports page on top.
'Cubs Playboy Tamed by Girl Next Door' was written in huge letters across the to
p. At least the title of the article wasn't too bad it didn't hint at any malice
on the author's part. The horrible parts were the eye witness accounts and accu
sations that Edward and Bella couldn't keep their hands off each other in public
.
The worst part though was that they kept referring to her as Bella. When they in
itially identified her, they gave her full name: Isabella Swan, but after that,
it was all Bella. They had to have spoken to someone who knew her in some way. O
therwise, wouldn't they have just continued to call her Isabella?
"Dang, Bella," Angela whispered behind her and Bella nearly jumped out of her ch
air.
"Keep your voice down," Bella hissed, ignoring the fact that Angela was already
trying to keep it quiet.
"Some of those pictures are pretty hot," Angela laughed. "I can't believe you di
dn't tell me that he kissed you."
"It was nothing. We really are just friends," Bella said wearily. "You believe m
e, right?"
"Yes," Angela sighed. "But no one else will. Look at these things," she suggeste
d, turning a few pages to find a full-page spread of pictures of Edward and Bell
a. "There are two pictures of you two making out, one where it looks like you're
feeding him desert, and three more where the two of you are giving each other g
oo-goo eyes."
"We don't give each other goo-goo eyes," Bella bit at her friend. "At least the
one on the cover was innocent enough," Bella huffed. The cover of the sports pag
e was a picture from yesterday's game where Bella had gone down to talk to Edwar
d while he signed autographs for the kids. The photographer must've been waiting
for just the right moment because Edward had barely made eye contact with Bella
during that time, but the picture had Edward looking up at her with his famous
crooked smile plastered on his face.
"Hey Bella," Greg from the mail room called out as he approached her cube and Be
lla immediately covered the Sun Times with her bag, hiding the pictures from his
view.
"Good morning, Greg," she smiled.
"Do you think you could get Edward to autograph a ball for me?" He asked expecta
ntly.
"No!" She shrieked, a little too loudly, and then turned her head away, ignoring
the now confused man.
Burrowing her head into her hands, Bella curved over into her lap as she listene
d to Angela politely tell Greg to take a hike. "Aren't you working from home tod
ay?" Angela asked once Greg had walked away.
"Yeah, why?"
"Because you probably should leave soon if you are. Nick and the guys are over i
n the copy room right now talking about you and Edward." Nick was the resident C
ubs guru even more so than Bella. The two of them got along great, but she wasn'
t sure how he would take the rumor that she was linked with Edward. Heck, she ha
dn't even told him that she knew Edward for the fact that he would probably reac
t just as Greg had, expecting autographs or something.
"Let me just drop these off with Marcus," Bella sighed and then stood up with th
e two tickets for tonight's game clasped in her hand.
~GO CUBS~
It was a quiet morning for Edward. After waking up and eating a quick breakfast,
he went into his third bedroom and sat down at the baby grand. It had been a wh
ile since he had the time to relax and compose. Normally, he didn't bother tryin
g during the season but, since meeting Bella, he had found new inspiration and h
e didn't want to lose the song playing in his head. Actually, there were two son
gs now and he was afraid they'd get jumbled up in his brain if he didn't sit dow
n and get them out on paper.
A couple times during the morning, Edward's phone rang but he didn't bother to a
nswer. He was in a zone and didn't want to be interrupted. Concentrating on only
one song this morning, he was able to get the first part down on the music shee
ts before him. Eventually, he would get it into the sheet music program on his c
omputer but in the beginning he preferred to work with paper.
On his way out the door, Edward finally checked his missed calls and noticed it
was both Jazz and his mom who had called. His mom left him a voicemail asking wh
en he was going to bring Bella by to meet her and his dad. Confused, Edward look
ed at the one text message he received from Jazz.
Have you read the Sun Times this morning?
His heart dropped. Between the two messages, he had a very good idea about what
he would find in the Sun Times. Unfortunately, he didn't subscribe to either of
the Chicago papers. He read them in the club house between batting practice and
stretching.
Since he hadn't heard from Bella yet this morning, he could only assume she hadn
't read the paper either, but that didn't make any sense. She would have come in
to contact with someone who had read it on her way into the office or even on he
r way back.
At first he was going to stop on the way to Bella's and pick up a newspaper, but
he decided to just go straight there. If she didn't already have one at her pla
ce, then they could pick one up together. His stomach rumbled with unease over w
hat her reaction would be. He didn't know what all was said, or what pictures th
ere could actually be of them together, but he was sure that Bella wouldn't be h
appy.
"Come in!" Bella called out after Edward knocked on her door.
Stepping into the house, he called out her name, not sure where she was. "Bella?
"
"In the kitchen."
When he crossed into the kitchen he saw her sitting at the table reading the new
spaper. "Is that the Sun Times?" He asked anxiously.
"Yup," she replied, popping the 'P'.
"Anything interesting?" He sat down in the chair next to her and leaned over to
see what she was reading an article about President Obama.
"Yup," she replied again in the same fashion. She still hadn't looked at him.
"Okay, I haven't read the paper, but my mom called asking when I was going to br
ing you home to meet her and my dad."
That got her attention. Her head shot up and she glared at him. "You think this
is funny?"
"Bella," he sighed. "I haven't even seen the pictures or read the article. It ca
n't be that bad. I mean, we've never done anything wrong and we're only friends.
There can't be anything that incriminating."
"It's not bad," she huffed, "it's just that I couldn't even walk into my own off
ice without being accosted by Jessica. Then the boys were meeting privately in t
he copy room, and Marcus treated me extra nice which wasn't a bad thing and you
should've seen all the looks I got on the El. People were literally sitting next
to me on the train looking at pictures of me and then looking up at me."
"I'm sorry," Edward said softly. "I didn't think . . ."
"I'm not mad at you," she said, deflated. "I'm just frustrated. I keep wondering
what my dad would say if he saw this. He must be turning over in his grave righ
t now." Rubbing her hand over her eyes, Bella sighed loudly and then looked back
up at Edward and smiled. "So, where are we going for lunch today?"
"You still want to be seen in public with me?"
"Here," she said as she pushed the paper over to him, turning it over to the fro
nt of the sports page.
"What's wrong with this picture?" he asked while looking at the one of him and h
er at the game yesterday.
"Nothing, if you ask me. But apparently, we're making, what Angela would call, '
goo-goo eyes' at each other," she smirked.
"I'll remember to wear my sun glasses while signing autographs next time," he qu
ipped and she smiled.
"Turn a couple of pages. The good pictures are inside."
After turning to the correct page, Edward's jaw dropped from what he saw. It was
obvious that the pictures were all taken by cell phones. There had been other p
ictures of him and various women over the past couple of years to surface and al
l of them had been taken with cell phones too. Why hadn't he remembered to be ca
reful?
"This is entirely my fault. I should've been more careful."
"I should've been too," she said sadly. "Listen. I was mad this morning pissed.
But there's nothing we can do about it. We can deny the rumor up and down, until
we're blue in the face, but no one is going to believe that we're just friends.
Not when there are pictures of us kissing." Bella looked down after she spoke,
her face tinted pink from her blush.
"Are you okay with that?" Edward swallowed hard as he looked at her, wondering h
ow she felt about people thinking they were a couple.
"I'm not going to confirm it," she said shakily, "but I'll live." Just as she fi
nished talking, her cell phone went off. Looking at who was calling, she groaned
silently and then answered, apologizing to Edward with her eyes and mouthing th
e word, 'work'.
Edward read the article about him and Bella as she spoke on her phone. There was
n't anything mentioned that was wrong, except for the assumption that they were
dating. The pictures were all of the two of them no manipulation done that he co
uld tell. The one that he wasn't prepared to see was of Bella holding up the pie
ce of cheesecake to his mouth. It was such an innocent gesture, yet in the snaps
hot in front of him, it did look intimate.
"Thank God Alice and I don't have a home phone," Bella stated, drawing Edward fr
om the article.
"Is everything okay?"
"My office phone has been ringing off-the-hook. My boss finally answered it to b
e accosted by the Tribune!" She exclaimed, shaking her head and then she snorted
. "All these years I've complained about the fact that my cell phone is under on
e of Emmett's friend's names. I never thought I'd live to be glad for the screw-
up!"
"Your phone bill goes to one of Emmett's friends?" he chuckled.
"No, one of Emmett's friends from work's wife," she paused to look at him. "Stay
with me here," she chuckled and then reiterated. "His friend's wife works for S
print and each employee can give their employee phone plan to a certain number o
f friends or family. They don't know many people in the area, so Emmett and I go
t the plan, but it's all under her name. I get the bill and I'm responsible to p
ay it," she narrowed her eyes at him, playfully challenging him to tease her mor
e. "But if you try to find my phone number, it's not under my name. It's been fr
ustrating, but I've never been so happy about it until now oh, and I get unlimit
ed everything for really cheap."
"It amazes me how you can go from pissed to happy in such a short time," he muse
d.
"Come on, Masen. I don't have all day. What do you have in mind for lunch?"
"First, you need a jacket. I don't think it's going to rain, but it's pretty clo
udy out and there's a chill in the air."
Once outside, Bella started walking to Edward's car, but he put his arm around h
er waist, pulling her over to the sidewalk with him. "Where are we going?" She a
sked and he just pointed down her street. "Are we taking the El?" She tried, hop
ing to get some information from him. When he didn't respond, she gave in and en
joyed their silent walk, her mind drifting to thoughts about the pictures in the
paper this morning.
"That's it!" She exclaimed some time later.
"What's it?"
"It's been bothering me all morning. Yesterday, the Sun Times said that you were
dating Daria Fischer . . ."
"Daria Fischer?" Edward asked in shock. "Why would they think that?"
"I don't know," Bella replied. "But yesterday, when I went over to Chad's apartm
ent, his roommate looked at me weird. Emmett thinks that the media has had some
of these pictures for a while, but didn't know who I was."
"So, what does Chad's roommate have to do with any of this?" Edward asked, confu
sed.
"I guess I didn't tell you," she replied sheepishly. "I never told anything to C
had, Edward, I swear. But his roommate works for the Sun Times. I don't know exa
ctly what he does, but when I got to their place yesterday, he was getting ready
to go into work and he looked at me funny. He even took a second glance before
he left."
Bella hadn't realized it at the time, but subconsciously, she was freaked out by
Brian. Even now, thinking about him and the way he looked at her, she had cross
ed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tightly. Edward noticed and gripped
his arm tighter around her waist.
"Did he say anything to you?"
"No. But all morning, I couldn't figure out how the paper knew to call me, Bella
. They had to have talked to someone who knew me. I think Brian had seen the pic
tures before last night and knew they were trying to figure out who I was. When
he saw me, I think he recognized me."
"What are you going to do?"
"There's nothing I can do," she said, pulling away from Edward's arm and looking
up at him. "But he will get a piece of my mind."
"What did you tell Chad about us?"
"Nothing. He doesn't even know that we know each other. Although," she said, thi
nking back to the day he was over at her apartment, "he may have caught on." Bel
la told Edward about the day he was over at her apartment and everything that ha
d happened.
"So he was there the day I won the bet?"
"Yeah, and I couldn't tell anyone else about it because I didn't want him to kno
w anything. Alice is still confused about why I was mad that you hit a home run!
"
Edward laughed and Bella looked at the man next to her, admiring the way his clo
thes sat perfectly on his body. "What?" Edward asked, noticing her perusing eyes
.
"Nothing," she said with a slight blush.
Edward looked down at his clothes, wondering what was wrong with what he was wea
ring. He had on dark jeans with a white button down shirt and a grey v-neck cash
mere sweater over it. He matched, he thought. Maybe he had food on his shirt? As
he thought through what could be wrong, Bella laughed.
"What now?"
"There's nothing wrong with your clothes. I was just admiring them." She blushed
again and Edward's heart skipped a beat. Had she been checking him out? Could B
ella have feelings for him too? Or maybe she did just like his outfit. But that
didn't make any sense because she wasn't into clothes like Alice or Rosalie. He
was sure that a guy she was interested in could wear a ratty pair of sweats and
a torn t-shirt and he would still turn her head.
"So," Bella said, bringing him out of his reverie. "Do you have any more informa
tion about the charity event you'll be dragging me off to?"
"Yes, actually, I just talked to Garrett the other day. It seems that this year,
they are doing a murder mystery dinner."
"A what?"
Edward chuckled. "They're going to have all the players who volunteer and some o
f the wives act out a murder mystery and then people will have to try and guess
who the murderer is."
"Can anyone go?"
"Yeah, I think tickets go on sale next week, why?"
"Emmett and Rosalie would love that!" She giggled.
"There'll be a silent auction too. I think he said I have to take a chair and de
corate it and add stuff to it."
"Oh, I've heard of that."
"Good because I have no clue what to do."
"Well, the whole idea especially since you are celebrities is to decorate a chai
r and let it have meaning to who you are. Like . . . um . . . Oh! I got it. You
could get a piano bench and put CD's of your favorite composer in it along with
some sheet music that you like to play and a certificate for a year of free pian
o lessons somewhere here in the city. Then you can add the normal things, like o
ne of your jerseys, an autographed baseball, your rookie card, that kind of stuf
f."
"That's a great idea!" Edward stared at the woman next to him, amazed that she a
ctually saw the real him. Most people never took the time to get to know him any
more not that he gave women a chance to now-a-days, but it still made his heart
swell to know that she saw more in him than just baseball; especially since she
knew his stats better than he did.
"Hey!" Bella cut in, as she finally paid attention to where they were headed. "A
re we going to the zoo?"
"Yeah," he said sheepishly. "I thought it would be fun since it's a nice day out
."
"I haven't been in so long! I used to come a lot," she said wistfully. "Alice an
d I would eat lunch here on Saturdays. I'd bring a book to read," she trailed of
f, noticing the sarcastic smirk on his face. "Leave my books alone!"
"Don't let me leave without getting the next two," he said, holding back a laugh
as they entered the zoo. "What would you like to do first? We can walk around a
little before eating or we can just eat now."
"Let's walk around a bit."
It had been years since Edward had been to the zoo as well. When she told him th
at she'd be home for lunch, he knew right away that he wanted to bring her here,
it was a perfect date, though she didn't need to know that's what he had classi
fied their time together as.
"Bella?" He asked as they stared at the tall giraffes eating leaves from a baske
t high up on a stand.
"Hmm?" She turned her gaze to look at him and he instantly relaxed.
"Can I ask you about yesterday?"
"Yeah," she blushed, her eyes retreating from his to search out the giraffes onc
e more. "I'm so sorry about that. I really would like to read some of your fan m
ail." Her eyes glanced over to him again. "Let's get something to eat and we can
talk."
Bella made sure she was able to pay this time as they ordered their food from th
e concession stand. Instead of eating at one of the picnic tables, they decided
to find a place in the grass by the pond.
"The fan letters were all from young kids," Edward said apprehensively after he
swallowed a bite of his hot dog. "I didn't want you to think that I kept the stu
ff that we had been talking about."
"I believe you." Bella took another bite of her hot dog and watched the ducks al
ong the shore of the pond while she chewed. After she swallowed and then took a
sip from her Coke, she turned her attention back to Edward, who was sitting and
waiting, giving her the time she needed.
"The way I found out about my mother's affair was from finding a box of love let
ters that Phil Dwyer had written to her. I don't know why, but yesterday, when I
held your fan letters in my hands, it just triggered the memory. All at once I
immediately felt the pain from that day as if I had just found the letters. It's
odd, I thought I had gotten over it," she smiled, shrugging her shoulders.
"I'm surprised my father stayed with her," Bella mused quietly. So quietly that
Edward had to lean in closer in order to make out all her words. "I don't think
I could do it, you know? Taking back a wife that not only cheated on him, but .
. . well maybe I'm the reason he stayed." She shrugged her shoulders again and l
ooked back down at her food.
They continued eating, both of them staring out over the pond. The wind blew int
o them, lifting some napkins in the air and Edward reached out to grab them. "Gr
eat catch," Bella giggled and he smiled.
"How old were you when she had the affair?"
"I hadn't even been born yet. Shortly after she got pregnant with me, she and Ph
il had a huge fight. I remember the letters and his words vividly; 'It's not min
e', 'you can't blame this on me', 'think about my kids and my wife'." Bella snor
ted and then looked down at her empty paper hot dog cradle. "Maybe I should've g
otten two."
Edward was in shock. Was Bella trying to tell him that she was Phil Dwyer's daug
hter? "Bella, is Phil Dwyer your father?"
"What?" Her head shot up. "No! There's never been any doubt that Charlie was my
dad. I may look exactly like my mom, but I have my father's hair color and eyes.
"
"Did your parents ever get your paternity tested?" He didn't want to upset her,
as it appeared he had, but he was curious. And if he was curious, wouldn't other
people have been? Wouldn't her dad have wanted to know for a fact?
"Edward," her soft voice sighed quietly, "when my mom got pregnant with me, she
thought I was Phil's." Her voice cracked at saying Phil's name. "According to th
e letters, and from what my mom told me after I confronted her, Phil wanted noth
ing to do with her after she told him about me. He called her a whore," she cont
inued, stuttering on the last word. "He accused her of being after his money and
then berated her for trying to ruin his family."
Edward focused his eyes on the top of Bella's head because she was currently loo
king at the ground, her fingers pulling at the grass that lay underneath them. H
e could tell that she was nervous as she spoke and he just wished for her to loo
k up at him. He wanted to look into her eyes. Reaching out, he grasped one of he
r hands in his and she finally looked up.
"She tried to leave my dad," she frowned, her eyes intently staring into his. Ca
utiously, Edward rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand that he held. "When P
hil refused to acknowledge her or the baby she carried, my mom was all alone. I
think the only reason my dad took her back was because of me."
"Bella," Edward grated out, but she cut him off.
"If it weren't for those letters I found, my life would be totally different." W
ith those words, Bella looked away from him again, her eyes lingering on the duc
ks where they lay in the grass by the pond.
Edward kept her hand in his, relishing the feel of her small one. There was a ce
rtain tingling feeling in the tips of his fingers from their connection and, tho
ugh it felt strange, he didn't want the feeling to end. Taking in a deep breath,
Edward twisted his hand and laced his fingers with hers, unsure of how she'd re
act.
There was no evidence in Bella's body or expression that told Edward she felt th
e change in the way their hands were positioned. She continued to look out over
the pond before them and he finally released his breath. As soon as his body rel
axed, he felt her squeeze his hand and his eyes shot back over to see her smilin
g at him.
"I've shared my story," she started, "now how about you?"
Confused, Edward diverted his stare to their hands, which were still entwined to
gether. "What do you mean?" He asked, looking back up at her.
"Lauren."
Shit. "There's not much to tell about her."
"She was the last relationship you had before . . . well, you know what I mean,"
she said, not wanting to bring up his whoring ways, afraid that he'd close hims
elf off from her. "She did something to you," she whispered, her eyes penetratin
g into his.
You wanted honesty, Masen, now go for it. Clearing his throat, he squeezed her h
and as if it were his life line, drawing courage from their connection. "I met L
auren not long after coming up from the minors. She was beautiful, ambitious, an
d full of life. I was never one to go out and drink a lot or party until I met h
er." He paused for a moment as he adjusted himself, lifting one knee up and rest
ing his free arm across it. He looked back at Bella before continuing.
"She liked the nightlife in Chicago. She liked to go to all the dance clubs and
expensive restaurants. I'm originally from this area and being brought up to the
Cubs, the papers talked about me all the time. When I got a chance to play, I d
id well, resulting in more opportunities. I became a local favorite, even though
I wasn't a big name in baseball; people here knew me." He smirked and then look
ed back at the water.
"Deep down, I knew there was something missing from our relationship. We never s
pent any time together, just the two of us. We always had to go out in a big gro
up of her friends, and we always had to go to the hottest bar, club, restaurant
. . . whatever she wanted, she got." His tone had turned bitter and Bella starte
d rubbing her thumb over his skin. Chills vibrated through Edward's spine at her
intimate gesture and he took a deep breath, trying to control his racing heart.
"It seemed that friends of hers were coming out of the woodwork looking for tick
ets to games, autographs, jerseys, everything really. It felt like all I did was
stand with her and tell baseball stories to her friends and then sign autograph
s and leave. Like a job. Only my payment wasn't monetary, if you know what I mea
n," he finished, one eyebrow cocked, making sure she got his meaning. Sex with L
auren had been great, but it left a sour taste in his mouth to know that it mean
t nothing to her emotionally.
"When I confronted her about how I felt, she laughed at me. Apparently, that's a
ll I was to her. She made me feel like a piece of shit that day, like the only v
alue I had was the fact that I was a baseball player. That's when it dawned on m
e."
A sarcastic laugh escaped him and he looked over to Bella with a vicious smile.
"Lauren never once tried to get to know who I am. All we ever talked about was b
aseball, dance clubs, and what my name could get for her." He shook his head, hi
s eyes never leaving hers, and she squeezed his hand. The simple gesture felt so
reassuring and his heart leaped with hope as he looked at the beautiful woman b
efore him.
"People don't see me when they look at me. They see Edward Masen, the Cubs short
stop. They don't see me, the guy who likes to play the piano, watch stupid movi
es, lay around eating peanut butter cups, or take a walk with a beautiful girl t
o stare at smelly animals."
Taking a deep breath, he brought their entwined hands to his mouth and kissed th
e back of hers. "Thanks for letting me be myself, Bella."
As Edward slowly dropped their hands, they both leaned closer toward each other,
their eyes locked together. Bella's mouth opened, drawing Edward's attention to
the full, pink flesh as her tongue unconsciously slipped out, wetting her lips.
Their faces moved closer together and Edward anticipated the moment his lips wo
uld touch hers as he closed his eyes, making the final movement that would bring
them together.
Suddenly, Bella pulled back, shrieking as she ran her hand through her hair. "So
mething hit me!" When she brought her hand back in front of her face, she notice
d white goo rubbed across her palm and she turned bright red. "Stupid birds," sh
e muttered and Edward started to laugh. "It's not funny," she spat, but it was f
unny and she couldn't hold back the laughter either.
"Come on," Edward said, standing up and holding out his hand to her. "Let's get
you cleaned up."
~GO CUBS~
Bella pushed her way into Chad's apartment when he opened the door for her. Orig
inally, they were supposed to meet at a small coffee shop near their class, but
Bella called him after she returned home from the zoo and told him she'd come to
his place. It was definitely not on her way to class, but she wanted to talk to
Brian and see if he was the one who gave out her information.
"Hi Chad," Bella said coolly as she looked around his apartment. "Is your roomma
te home?"
"Brian?" he asked, his Adams apple bobbing as he gulped.
"Yes," she sneered, "Brian. I need to talk to him."
"I'm sorry, Bella," Chad said frantically. "I didn't know he was going to do it.
He called me after he got to work last night and asked for your full name and o
ther information. I wasn't thinking."
"You did this?" She asked, suddenly more upset than she was before.
"Don't be mad at Chad," Brian chimed as he came out of hiding. "They had some of
those pictures of you two for a while. Other papers had them too, I supposed, b
ut no one was running with the story because no one knew who you were."
"Why didn't you ask me last night if you could use them?"
"They don't need your permission to use the pictures, Bella. They just needed a
name, and there you were standing in my living room."
Anger seethed inside of her. "Did it ever occur to you or anyone at the Sun Time
s to maybe ask me about my relationship with him before making up lies about us?
"
"What lies? The two of you are obviously in some sort of a relationship, the pic
tures speak for themselves."
Turning to Chad, she pointed her finger at him. "You owe me!" She spat. "And for
the record," she said as she turned back to Brian, "Edward Masen and I are not
dating, we're only friends."
Bella could tell by the look on Brian's face that he didn't believe one word of
what she said. "Forget it. It's not worth it," she huffed as she turned back to
Chad. "Let's go before I do something I won't regret."
~GO CUBS~
"Was your friend able to get them?" Jane whispered excitedly to her friend, Nikk
i, who sat in the booth across from her.
"Yeah, I told you he would," Nikki replied before taking a swig from her beer. "
What do you need them for anyway?"
"You promised not to ask," Jane spat. "Besides, I may not need them."
"Here," Nikki said as she started to pull out a baggie from her purse.
"Not here!" Jane hissed.
"Give it up! No one gives a fuck about what we're doing over here." She placed t
he baggie on the table and slid it over to Jane.
"Just three?" Jane asked, as she eyed the contents before slipping the baggie in
to her purse.
"Danny said his guy charged him more because it wasn't a direct transaction and
you were a new customer."
"There were supposed to be five."
"Well you're going to have to deal with three unless you have more money."
"No," Jane sighed. She had used all the money she had available to buy these.
The two friends sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, both drinking thei
r beer and watching the other bar patrons. "Are you still planning on moving awa
y?" Nikki finally asked.
"Yes. I have to get out of here," Jane sighed.
"And what about Carlos and Bobby?"
"I don't know. I can't tell Carlos I'm leaving until I'm already gone. Otherwise
," she said as her body tensed up, "he will find a way to keep me here."
"And Bobby?"
"He'd be better off here, with his dad."
"You aren't taking off with that ball player, are you?" Nikki asked, her eyes na
rrowing on her friend.
"Listen, the less you know, the better. Just promise me you won't tell anyone ab
out this," she said, motioning to the baggie that peeked out from her purse. Upo
n noticing that, she tucked the baggie in further and zipped her purse closed.
"You aren't going to drug anyone are you? Wait!" Nikki screeched as a thought su
ddenly entered her head. "Please tell me you aren't going to give those pills to
Carlos!"
"They aren't for Carlos, all right? I probably won't even need to use them."
"Probably?"
"If everything goes as planned, these," she said while patting the top of her pu
rse, "can be flushed down the toilet."
Jane took a deep breath as she thought of her plans. Plan 'A' was simple enough,
and up until today, she was pretty sure it would work without any problem. But
with the news clip she saw on TV earlier, she was now thinking that Plan 'A' was
not going to work well at all. Was it true? She wondered. Did Edward have a gir
lfriend in Chicago?
Jane wasn't dumb. She knew that Edward slept with other women. But she also thou
ght that she was the only one he was with on some-what of a regular basis. If he
had a steady girlfriend, would he still want to be with her? Eighteen days. Edw
ard would be in San Diego in eighteen days. He normally didn't contact her until
about a week before he was planning to arrive. Waiting for the phone call would
be absolute torture now.
"And if things don't go as planned?" Nikki inquired.
"I don't want to think about that right now."
Plan 'B' wasn't as appealing as the other plan. It involved the contents of the
baggie in her purse along with deceit. And not only would she have to betray Edw
ard's trust, she would have to make sure everything went off just right, which s
he couldn't guarantee because nature sometimes had other plans. Feeling overwhel
med, Jane pushed the thoughts of plan 'B' out of her head. She didn't want to th
ink about it right now. Not yet. Not when there was still some hope that plan 'A
' would work.
"Can you please just tell me where you're going?"
"I can't risk it. You're the first person Carlos is going to talk to when he not
ices I'm gone." Jane chugged down the last of her beer and then smiled at her fr
iend. "I've got to get back to Bobby. I promise to say goodbye before I leave."
Chapter 12 May 5 8, 2009
"Don't forget to ask him," Alice said firmly into her cell as she walked down St
ate Street on her way into Macy's on Tuesday morning.
"Alice, I can't lie to the guy," Jazz said slowly. "Besides, he probably already
has plans with her."
"They need to do more than hang out at bars, Jazz. Everyone will be out drinking
tonight, it's Cinco de Mayo. They need a change of scenery, something different
date-like."
Exasperated, Jazz gave in to his beautiful lady with a sigh. "Okay, Alice. I'll
make sure he agrees and then I'll make reservations for four."
"Thank you!" Alice squealed on her end, ecstatic that she was getting her way.
"You don't think they'll be booked up?"
"Not for you and Edward," she smiled, weaving her way through the hordes of peop
le on the street. "Call me before the game. I'm going to get Bella to sit with m
e today."
There was no way that Alice would ever be able to tell Bella that she had been t
rying to get her and Edward hooked up. From the first moment she met Edward, she
knew right away that he would be perfect for Bella. He was charming, funny, sar
castic, sexy, and enjoyable to be around. His demeanor was friendly and his eyes
shimmered with a kindness that was very rare a kindness that Alice had seen in
Bella's eyes. The two of them were kindred spirits, she just knew it.
The first attempt at getting the two of them together had flopped big time. Alic
e knew that Bella had a hang-up with sports figures, considering what she went t
hrough with her parents and their marriage falling apart. But she still couldn't
ignore the feeling she got, it was as if she could see them together in the fut
ure. The vision was clear as day in her head. She just knew they'd be great toge
ther; just as she knew her and Jazz were meant for one another.
Selecting Bella's name from her call list, Alice pushed the 'send' button on her
cell phone. "Good morning, Bella!" Alice shrilled out as Bella answered her pho
ne groggily. "Did I wake you up?"
"No," Bella replied, still growling at her pixie-like friend. "I missed my bus a
nd now I'll be late. I so do not want to go into work today. You know it'll be w
orse than yesterday," she groaned.
"Keep your chin up and a smile on your face. Don't let them see you upset over t
his," she suggested, sorry that her dear friend had to go through this mess. Ali
ce had had her picture in the paper a few times, but nothing like what had happe
ned to Bella and she felt so sorry for her. "I want to go out for Mexican tonigh
t after the game. Are you in?"
"Where do you plan to go?"
"How's Lalo's on Clybourn?"
"Um, sure," Bella replied hesitantly.
"Unless you have other plans," Alice threw in there, hoping her uncertainty stem
med from wanting to meet up with Edward afterwards.
"No, no other plans. Should we ask Emmett and Rose to join us?"
"They're going out with some friends of Emmett's from work after. Oh, will you s
it with me today?" She asked, hopeful.
"I don't know," Bella responded. "Skank," she then muttered quietly and Alice's
face scrunched up in confusion.
"Did you just call me a skank?"
"No, some girl from the bar the other night just walked past me." Bella paused f
or a moment before continuing. "Let me call Emmett and see if he has anyone inte
rested in going. One of his friends from work is already using my empty seat, so
if he can find someone else to buy my other one, then I'll sit with you. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Are we going out with the guys afterwards?" Bella suddenly asked and Alice smil
ed brightly.
"No," she lied. "They have to get ready for their road trip. I thought just us g
irls could go out and have a little fun. We haven't done that in a while."
"Sounds fun. Hey, can I invite Ang?"
"I don't know. I had to call a lot of restaurants trying to find an opening. It
is Cinco de Mayo, Bella. Everything's booked up."
"That's okay. She probably already has plans with Ben. I'll see you at the game.
"
It wasn't fun lying to her good friend, but she wanted to surprise Bella. Maybe
if she realized how much she missed Edward when he wasn't around, she'd give in
to her feelings for him. And Alice knew that Bella had feelings for Edward. It w
as plain as day, written all over her face whenever she looked at him. Alice cou
ld definitely see it, Rose saw it, Emmett tried not to see it, but even he admit
ted that something was there, and Jazz had finally given in and acknowledged tha
t there was something between the two. Now she just needed Edward and Bella to s
ee it.
Planning this dinner wasn't anything elaborate, it was just two couples getting
together for a meal. But the boys wouldn't be able to meet up until much later a
fter the game. Normally, they ate at the club house before coming out after a ga
me because they had food there for the players and it was easier for them. But t
onight, she had Jazz promise her that he'd talk Edward into going out with him f
or dinner.
There really was no reason to keep Edward and Bella in the dark about the other
being at the dinner, other than wanting to see the look of joy on both their fac
es when they see each other. It was a selfish thing on Alice's part. She would t
ake each of their favorite toys away each other and then at the last minute, giv
e them back to them and watch the big smiles overtake their faces. She couldn't
wait! And maybe, they would realize how special the other person was to them. "J
ust maybe," she sighed softly as she stepped into the doors of Macy's.
~GO CUBS~
"Hey Marcus," Bella smiled, poking her head into her boss's office. "I'm getting
ready to head to the game."
"I was hoping to see you before you left," he replied, leaning back in his chair
. "Can you come in for a moment?"
"Sure." Bella strode into his office, leaving the door open, and sat in one of t
he chairs in front of his desk. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just wondering how you're doing. Did the guys fi
nally leave you alone?"
"Yeah. Other than a few requests for autographs they left me alone hours ago."
"And the phone calls?"
"I've been threatening to sue them if they continue to harass me at work," she t
ried to smile.
"Something's wrong," Marcus stated, noticing the slight, forced smile she held o
n her face.
"Nothing I can't handle."
"Well, if Jessica continues to give you a hard time, let me know. I've been look
ing for a reason to fire her."
Bella's eyes widened at his confession and then smiled genuinely. "Why didn't yo
u say so before?" She said deviously.
"Go to the game, Bella," he laughed.
Marcus didn't have to tell her more than once. She was out of the office within
ten minutes and met up with Alice at home so they could change. Alice always too
k longer to get ready than Bella, so she sat back and ate something for lunch be
fore throwing on a pair of jeans and a blue Cubs sweatshirt. It was a man's larg
e and hung on her, hiding all of her womanly curves Alice hated it.
"We're coming home before going to the restaurant," Alice stated when her eyes c
aught a glimpse of Bella's clothes.
"I've got another shirt on underneath," Bella huffed, but Alice still insisted a
s they walked out the door.
It was weird for Bella to sit on the opposite side of the field she felt like sh
e was missing out on something. From the vantage point of her season tickets, sh
e had a good view into the Cubs' dugout. Granted, she couldn't make too much out
, but she could still see in not that that mattered in a game.
When Bella saw Alice pull out a pack of gum, she couldn't resist asking for a pi
ece and shoving it in her mouth, savoring the flavor of raspberries. The taste b
rought her back to memories of Edward's lips on hers, their tongues lingering ag
ainst each other, and a rush of warmth seeped through her body. Taking deep, ful
l breaths, Bella tried to focus on everything around her.
There were many players' wives in their section and they all chatted quietly, ta
lking about the upcoming autograph day where some of the players were going to s
it at tables before the game and sign autographs for fans. A few also spoke abou
t Garrett and Kate's charity murder mystery. They were all brain storming ideas
for the chairs they would decorate.
"Is Jazz going to donate a chair?" Bella asked Alice, turning her head away from
the field where she still hadn't found Edward. The Cubs had just finished with
their infield time and were switching to the outfield to stretch so that the San
Francisco Giants could take the infield.
"Are you kidding? He's got tons of Civil War books and movies all ready to stuff
on a big saddle sitting in his living room."
"A saddle?" Bella asked, both eyebrows lifted in confusion.
"He keeps arguing with me that it's a chair," Alice smirked, shaking her head in
frustration.
"I think Edward has a plan already."
"Really?" Alice asked with a sickening smile on her face, causing Bella to take
a closer look at her friend.
Just as Bella opened her mouth to say something to Alice, she got a text message
. When she looked at her phone, her eyes scrunched together, confused. Looking o
ut over the field, she noticed again that Edward was not out stretching like he
normally does before a game.
Not coming to the game today?
Snorting, loudly, not caring that Alice was looking over her shoulder, Bella rep
lied to Edward.
I could ask the same to you . . . sitting with Alice today.
Got the day off ;)
Right before it was time for the singing of the National Anthem, Edward's head e
merged from the Cubs' dugout and he turned around, finding Bella in the stands.
The crooked grin that Bella loved so much slowly slipped onto his face and she t
ook deep breaths, trying to control her breathing as her body was consumed by a
surge of heat. That smile of his always seemed to affect her in ways she didn't
want to acknowledge.
"Ow!" Bella hissed when Alice nudged her.
"Stop flirting with him. It's what got you in trouble in the first place."
"I'm not flirting, and I'm not in trouble," she bit at her friend.
"The pictures," Alice stressed, her eyebrows lifting for affect.
Sitting back, Bella tried not to stare at Edward as he stood just to the right o
f the dugout, waiting to line up on the third base line for the Anthem to be sun
g. It was odd, but after knowing Edward and Jazz, Bella could now see the clique
s within the players. She had always assumed a ball team was like a big, happy f
amily. But even at the Cullen's barbeque, she could tell that there were some pe
ople Edward avoided or barely tolerated.
Throughout the whole game, Bella found herself thinking back to her time with Ed
ward at the zoo yesterday. For a brief moment, she had wanted him to kiss her. I
n that one fragment of time, he was everything she had ever wanted and she could
n't keep herself from leaning toward him, wanting him to touch her, kiss her, an
d take her. God, she wanted him.
In the eighth inning, Edward was put in as a pinch hitter for Yorkie, who strugg
led with some batters in the top of the inning, allowing three runs to score. St
aring at his back as he stood at the plate, Bella felt sad. The team was leaving
for Houston in the morning and would be gone for about a week. If she didn't se
e him tonight, she wouldn't get a chance to say good bye.
After Edward grounded out, Bella watched in silence as the Cubs lost to the Gian
ts, 6-2. Bella remained seated after the game, staring at the top of the Cubs du
gout, wondering if Jazz or Edward would come out to say anything to them goodbye
perhaps but they never peered out. Instead, she slowly rose and followed Alice
out of the park.
They went home to quickly change clothes before taking Alice's Jetta to the rest
aurant. They didn't get to Lalo's until a little after six and Bella was anxious
. She didn't understand why they couldn't meet up with the boys tonight. It was
hard for her to put a name to how she felt, but she actually missed Edward. It w
as because she had expected to see him, she told herself, not because she really
missed him. She checked her cell phone numerous times at home, on the drive to
the restaurant, and now as they sat waiting for their margaritas to arrive, hopi
ng for a text from him.
"Will you stop staring at your phone?" Alice scolded, a knowing smile on her fac
e.
"I'm not," Bella frowned. "I was just checking the time."
"They eat at the club house, you know."
"No, I didn't know that," Bella muttered, trying to relax into the booth they sa
t in. It was huge too big for two people.
"Well, Jazz doesn't always eat there, but sometimes he does. It's easier for the
m."
There was so much about Edward's life that Bella didn't know about and it hit he
r hard that they came from two different worlds. "Are you staying with Jazz toni
ght, before he leaves?"
"I don't know," she sighed before changing the subject. "So tell me about Jake,"
she said sternly, her eyes peering hard into Bella's.
"He's an old friend. You've met him."
"What's he like?"
"I don't know," Bella hesitated. What was Jake like? "He's funny and happy all t
he time." Just like his father was, Bella noted to herself. "He's a bit annoying
at times, but I think it's just because he's immature." She shrugged.
"And you're going on a date with him Friday?" Alice asked skeptically.
"No, it's not a date."
"Tell me how he asked."
"He called and asked how I was doing then made a joke about the Cubs," Bella sai
d, recalling the conversation she had with Jake on Sunday while they were in the
park at Edward's building. "And then he asked if I'd like to go to dinner on Fr
iday night."
"It's a date," Alice stated with a frown.
"Okay," Bella said thoughtfully, "and what if it is? Is it wrong for me to final
ly have a date? Why can't I go out with a good looking guy for dinner?"
"Do you feel anything for him?" Alice asked anxiously.
Loudly relieving the air from her lungs, Bella narrowed her eyes on her friend.
"I don't feel . . ." she paused as she thought of how the simplest touch from Ed
ward set her blood boiling, or how the way he smiled at her kicked her heart int
o overdrive. "There aren't any sparks or fireworks," Bella finished, frowning do
wn at her napkin.
Their waitress approached at that time, bringing with her two huge frozen margar
itas. After placing them on the table in front of the girls, they dove right in
and grabbed their drinks. "To us," Alice said joyfully. "I'll do anything for yo
u Bella, you're my best friend."
"And I'd do anything for you, unless it's shopping, because you know darn well I
hate to do that." Their glasses clinked together as they laughed and then took
big sips of their flavorful drinks.
"Alice," Bella said softly, "how are things going with you and Jazz?"
"Everything's great," Alice beamed. "He truly is my Prince Charming, Bella! He g
ets me. You know how many guys I'd dated who got too overwhelmed by me," she con
tinued and Bella thought of the guys she used to date. They were all horrible fo
r her. Actually, Bella had never seen her so happy and free to be herself with a
ny other guy.
"Jazz loves me for who I am. I don't have to pretend to like the Civil War with
him, he doesn't care that I'm not into it. Just like I don't care that he isn't
as fashion conscious as he should be."
"Fashion conscious?" Bella laughed, taking another long sip of her drink.
"My God, you should see some of the stuff he had in his closet. I've been slowly
getting rid of things here-and-there and replacing them with new shirts and pan
ts."
"Edward dresses nice," Bella mused and because she was so caught up in the image
s of Edward in her head, she didn't notice the knowing look on Alice's face.
"He sure does," Alice agreed, suppressing the urge to literally leap from her se
at in hysterical excitement. "He smells good too," she added to see how Bella wo
uld respond.
"Mmhmm," She hummed and then took another drink, her cheeks blushing profusely.
Alice had noticed the blush but didn't want to put her friend on the spot. She d
idn't want to make her feel uncomfortable or bring too much attention to Bella's
budding feelings for a man that she apparently didn't think she should like.
Deciding to change the subject, Alice decided to tell Bella the one thing she ha
d been dying to share with her. "So, Jazz asked me my ring size the other day,"
she sang as composed as she could possibly be, which wasn't very. She was bounci
ng in her seat with a gigantic smile on her face, her eyes alight, glowing from
joy.
"Oh my God!" Bella exclaimed. "I can't believe it! What did he say? What did you
say? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" It was nice for Bella to feel like a girl
at times, and this was one of them. It felt good to let loose and be excited for
her friend.
"He asked me what my ring size was and I told him size 6, and that was all," she
said matter-of-factly.
"That's it? Didn't you question him more?" Bella was sitting on the edge of her
seat, her margarita half way to her mouth.
"There's no need to. I know he's going to propose."
"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to get all excited and the-"
"I'm not going to get hurt," she cut Bella off. "You know how I just knew that J
azz was the one for me?" She asked and Bella nodded. "Well, that's how I know th
at I'm going to marry him some day. Even if he doesn't buy me the diamond right
now, I know that in the future he will. It's as if I can feel it, see it happeni
ng."
"You and your feelings," Bella huffed. "I wish I could see sparks and feel butte
rflies and know, just like that," Bella said as she snapped her fingers. "That h
e is the one." You do feel butterflies, Bella, just not with the right guy. A fr
own creased Bella's face.
"It's not always so cut and dry. Just promise me that you won't settle, especial
ly for Jake. I know that he likes you and it's nice to have a guy be interested
in you, but please don't settle. Promise me that?"
"I promise," Bella stated. "And you don't have to worry about Jake. I really don
't have any feelings like that for him." After taking another sip of her drink,
finishing it off, she placed it down on the table and let out a large sigh. "Can
I tell you something private?"
"Of course you can," Alice said, leaning forward over the table.
"Promise me you won't tell Emmett or Rose?"
"I promise," Alice said passionately, crossing her heart with her finger and Bel
la smiled.
"I think I'm falling for Edward," Bella whispered, nervously watching Alice's fa
ce for her reaction. But she never got to see or hear what Alice thought because
her attention was drawn to two men approaching their table.
"Edward?" Bella asked, confused.
Alice had jumped up and embraced Jazz. Neither of them looked surprised to see t
he other. Edward and Bella looked at their embracing friends before looking back
at each other even more confused. Why would Jazz and Alice go through such trou
ble to bring them together? Didn't they know that they were friends?
Sliding over, Bella watched as Edward sat next to her in the booth. "I assume th
ey are trying to set us up again," he whispered so only she could hear.
"Hmm," Bella sounded, suddenly embarrassed by her lack of conversation. She was
too caught up with Edward's appearance. He wore a light green button down shirt
that brought out the green in his eyes, and blue jeans. As he sat down, Bella go
t a whiff of his aftershave and she took a deep breath in, savoring the smell.
The waitress came over once Jazz and Alice were seated and they ordered another
round of margaritas; two frozen for the girls and two regular for the guys. Afte
r ordering their food, the four of them talked about Houston and the game earlie
r today, Bella getting a bit too animated when she spoke of Yorkie who pitched h
orribly in the seventh and eighth innings.
"I was talking to Edward earlier," Jazz drawled out, getting the full attention
of the table. "We'll be in Milwaukee on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We thought
you two might like to come up for the weekend and watch the games."
Alice showed her approval physically, clapping her hands and throwing her arms a
round Jazz. Bella sat in her seat, speechless and unsure of how to respond and t
hen it dawned on her she had a date for Friday night, she wouldn't be able to go
.
"I can't go," she muttered. "I have plans Friday night."
"Jake?" Edward asked, not letting his disappointment show through.
"Yeah."
There was silence at the table and then Alice spoke up. "Well, maybe we could co
me up Saturday morning then and just stay the one night," she offered. "It's onl
y two hours away we can leave first thing and meet up before you have to go into
the park."
"That sounds perfect, as long as you're okay with it?" Bella looked at Edward, h
oping he was okay with her meeting him on the road. Though they were friends, sh
e didn't want to burden him with her presence or act like an over-exuberant fan,
which she was starting to feel like.
"Of course," he smiled. "I wish you could come up Friday, but it's a late game a
nd we wouldn't be able to spend time with you two anyways."
"I'll call and get a room, what hotel?" Bella asked.
"Don't worry about it," Edward replied. "I'll get one for you and check in Frida
y so that you can get in the room right away when you arrive Saturday. Otherwise
, check-in's at three or something."
"Thanks," she replied and he winked at her, sending waves of warmth down to her
toes.
They finished their meals while talking about movies they liked and Bella felt v
ery uncomfortable. This whole dinner seemed odd and she was furious with Alice f
or putting her on the spot, but every time she looked up into her best friend's
eyes, Alice was grinning at her and she couldn't be mad. She knew Alice wouldn't
do anything to upset her on purpose.
Edward put all their meals on his card and then they got up to leave. As they wa
lked down to the parking lot, Alice and Jazz in front of her and Edward, Bella f
elt very awkward. She had ridden over with Alice and it looked like Edward had d
riven his car, bringing Jazz with him. They'd have to hang around and wait for t
he love birds to kiss and grope each other before they could leave.
"I'm sorry about Alice," Bella said, resigned to making small talk, yet wanting
to let him know that she didn't have anything to do with the weirdness of the di
nner.
"There's nothing to apologize for. Alice just thinks differently than the rest o
f us," he chuckled.
"Edward?" Alice interrupted them.
"What do you need, Alice?"
"Would you mind taking Bella home? I'm going to stay with Jazz tonight."
Mortified, Bella was about to protest, but Edward smiled and assured Alice that
he would take her home. She angrily climbed into the passenger seat as Edward he
ld the door open for her and looked over to Alice, threatening her with a glare.
Alice just smiled back and waved as she giddily got behind the wheel of her car
.
"Damn that little pixie!" Bella huffed as Edward started his car.
"She's not very smooth, is she?" He laughed as he pulled out of the parking spot
.
"Not at all. Half the time I can tell when she's trying to set me up with someon
e, but I wasn't expecting it tonight." Thinking back, Bella realized that the la
st person Alice had tried to set her up with was Edward, the evening of the Cubs
' season home opener.
"So, she sets you up with guys a lot?"
"She used to," she mumbled, staring out the windshield at the street in front of
them.
"They couldn't have all been bad," Edward goaded her, trying to get more informa
tion from her.
"Oh, yes they could," Bella grumbled and he laughed.
"Tell me about one. Who was the worst guy she set you up with?"
"Oh, God, I can't believe I'm going to tell you this," she moaned and grimaced a
t the smile he flashed her. "Okay, his name was Gustavo. He was nice enough, but
I couldn't understand a word he said. I pretty much smiled and nodded my head t
he whole night. But he was a close-talker too," she said, eyeing him. "You know,
like on Seinfeld? I guess the close-talking wouldn't have been so bad if his br
eath smelled okay, but it reeked of fish." Bella shook her head, remembering the
horrible experience. "The more I pulled away, the closer he tried to get."
"How about you?" Bella asked when she noticed him laugh at her horrible date exp
erience.
"I haven't dated in a very long time," he replied quietly, taking a quick glance
in her direction.
"All right, how about girls that flirt with you? There must've been some real wi
nners over the years."
"There're all types of those," he groaned, and Bella smiled, finally glad she wa
s able to bring up some bad memories for him.
Edward parked his car in the first empty spot available near Bella's townhome, a
few houses down. After turning off his car, he turned to face her. "Looks like
I'm off the hook."
"Not so fast, Masen, we haven't finished our conversation." She looked at the ti
me on her cell phone then back at him. "Would you like to come in for a drink?"
Her heart sped up, she could feel it pounding against her rib cage and she sudde
nly felt extremely hot.
Taking a deep breath, Edward stared into Bella's eyes and she swallowed unsteadi
ly, wondering what he was thinking. "Thanks for the invite, but I do need to get
home and pack," he said sadly.
"All right, I'll see you Saturday then?" She hoped her voice didn't sound as dis
appointed as she felt.
Edward leaned over and gave Bella a hug and then kissed her cheek, catching her
by surprise. "Saturday," he smiled when he let her go.
~GO CUBS~
"That one's too sexy," Alice said, putting the dress back in Bella's closet.
"Too sexy for a date?" Bella protested. "Since when is anything too sexy for a d
ate? I'm the one who usually has to tone down my outfit, not you."
"I thought it wasn't a date."
"It's not. Not really, I just don't know what to call it."
"I thought you weren't interested in Jake," Alice frowned, pulling out a dress s
he had tried to get Bella to throw away numerous times. "Here you go, this is pe
rfect."
"Will you stop?" Bella grabbed the dress and threw it into the corner of her roo
m.
"You said it yourself, Bella, you want Edward, not Jake."
"I didn't say I wanted Edward, I'm just . . ." Bella paused, not sure what name
to give for how she felt for the Cubs' short stop.
"You're falling for him," Alice sang, rising onto the balls of her feet with a h
uge smile on her face. "Okay, I promised I wouldn't pry," she pouted when she sa
w the expression on Bella's face. "Does Edward know about your date?"
"Yes, he does, and for the millionth time, it's not a date!"
"What did Edward say about it?"
Bella growled as she gave in to her friend. "He told me that if I didn't have fe
elings for Jake, then it's not a date. So get off my back!"
"You told Edward that you don't have feelings for Jake?" Alice asked, re-energiz
ed.
Taking a deep breath, Bella pulled out the plain, slinky black dress that Alice
made her put away earlier. "Yes. Now let me get dressed, will you?"
"You're really going to wear that?" Alice asked sadly. "I thought you could brin
g it to Milwaukee with us for tomorrow night."
"I'm not wearing a dress like this to baseball game, Alice"
"Fine," Alice huffed. "I'm going shopping tonight then."
"For crying out loud! Will you stop buying me clothes? A t-shirt and jeans is ju
st fine for baseball."
"You'll dress up for Jake but not for Edward?"
"Alice," Bella pleaded, closing her eyes as she fell back on her bed in defeat.
"I don't like Jake, okay? I just haven't been on a date in ages and, well, it's
nice to be liked."
"So you do consider it a date," Alice said miserably.
"Not really. I mean, it is technically a date, but I don't have any feelings for
Jake, I really don't."
"Then why do you want to dress nice for him?
"I want to look good, Alice, it makes me feel good."
"Okay," she frowned, feeling like a traitor to Edward. "I'll shut up and do your
hair."
"Thanks," Bella smiled. "I promise to come right home and gossip about the whole
evening, okay?"
"Okay."
~GO CUBS~
Down in a dark cramped restaurant, Bella sat at a small table across from Jake s
taring at her menu. "How exactly do we order?" They were at Geja's Café, a fondue
restaurant.
"I don't know, I've never been here," he replied with a sheepish grin.
"Okay," Bella said and then searched the restaurant for the person who took thei
r drink order. Upon making eye contact, she motioned with her hand that they nee
ded assistance.
"We've never been here before," she said quietly, embarrassed because everyone e
lse in the crowded little restaurant knew exactly what they were doing.
"First date?" The waitress asked and Bella blushed, not sure what to say. "I rec
ommend the International; beef, shrimp, and chicken breast. You'll also get the
cheese for your appetizer and then finish off with the chocolate for desert," sh
e said, eyeing the couple, waiting for a response.
"That sounds perfect . . ." Jake smiled and he paused while he searched his memo
ry for the waitress's name.
"Annie," she giggled. "I'll put you down for the International then. The cheese
will come out first." She took their menus and sauntered away.
"You mustn't know what to do with yourself with the Cubs out of town," Jake joke
d.
"I've been working on my project for my class. I get a lot done when the Cubs ar
e away I love it when they're on the road." Bella's heart constricted as she sai
d the words, her mind automatically thinking about Edward and his smile. Road tr
ips hadn't been the same since she met him they were lonely now.
Their waitress returned with a fondue pot full of cheese along with apple wedges
, grapes, and different types of sliced bread. "You just go ahead and dip it in
and eat it," she said, smiling brightly to Jake.
"Thank you," he said robustly.
Bella started off with an apple and was floored by how good it tasted. "This is
amazing," she said in awe after she swallowed her bite.
They ate the cheese fondue in silence for most of the time before Jake looked up
and caught Bella's attention. "How are things going with Edward?" He asked smug
ly.
Anger shot through Bella. She originally had a plan to get back at Jake for what
he had said at the Sox game, but she totally forgot about it. Thinking quickly,
she came up with a reply. "We're doing great," she said pointedly. "I'm so glad
you told me how guys and girls can't be friends. If it weren't for you, I would
never have realized my true feelings for Edward and we would never have gotten
together!" Bella put on her best smile and watched him sulk.
"You did read the Sun Times on Monday, right?" It was her time to be smug.
"I thought that was just a rumor they were starting," he said, his eyes narrowin
g on her. "I talked to Emmett and he said nothing "
"Oh," she interrupted, "don't say anything to Emmett about us. He gets a bit ove
r protective; we're keeping it a secret from him."
Bella took the last apple wedge and dipped it into the cheese before taking a bi
te from it. She watched Jake's expression as she chewed, enjoying the way his ey
es were now slits and his cheeks were flushed red. "You and Edward?" He asked.
"And we have you to thank for it! He was so glad that we were going out to dinne
r tonight, he wanted me to thank you for both of us." Bella's smile was bright,
maybe a bit too bright and she wasn't sure if he was buying it.
Their waitress brought over the oil fondue with the beef, shrimp, and chicken an
d explained to them to make sure the chicken was cooked all the way through befo
re eating. She placed some batter and sauces on the table for them to dip their
meat into and then retreated, her eyes lingering on Jake as she did.
"Oh yeah," she continued bitterly, once the waitress had left, "Edward also want
ed me to tell you that I'm definitely his type and no model or actress could eve
r replace me." She realized as she finished, that her words were too angry.
"You're so full of it," he challenged her he had caught on.
Bella speared a piece of beef on the end of her fondue fork and stuck it in the
hot oil and then did the same to a piece of shrimp and chicken. "Of course I'm f
ull of it," she sighed, looking back up at him. "Don't you ever interfere with m
y life again, Jacob Black!"
"Whoa," he said, his arms rising in submission, "I was just trying to look out f
or you," he insisted.
"No you weren't," she snapped. "You were looking out for you. If you're interest
ed, fine," she growled, "but don't knock the other men in my life especially my
friends."
"Does that mean you're interested too?"
"In who? You or Edward?" She asked cockily.
"Me," he stated, his chest puffing out.
Rolling her eyes, she pulled her piece of beef from the oil and placed it on her
plate, removing it from the fork. "I don't have time for a man in my life," she
said quietly, peering into his deep brown eyes. "You're a friend, Jake, just li
ke Edward is." Only I want Edward in a whole different way. "I can't give you an
y more than that."
Bella was relieved to find that Jake avoided talking about Edward for the rest o
f the night. As they ate their meals, he spoke about his decision to come to Chi
cago. His good friend, Seth had finished college last year and Jake had been wai
ting, month after month, for him to return to Washington. When he realized he wa
sn't coming back, he decided to move out here to be near him. Jake was in constr
uction, and conversation moved to that as dinner finished and the chocolate fond
ue was delivered to their table.
It was hard for Bella to pay attention to everything that Jake said. To be hones
t, he was a bit boring and she couldn't care less about construction zones and u
nion issues. He was a pipe fitter by trade and Bella had no clue what that was,
so she just smiled and nodded, as she did many times on numerous other dates.
But this time, she let her mind wander to Edward. He had been at the forefront o
f her mind lately; the first thing she thought of when she woke up in the mornin
g and the last thing as she laid her head down to sleep. They hadn't gone a day
without talking or texting in a long time, long enough for her to have stopped c
ounting.
The last text message she received from him was earlier in the day, wishing her
a good time at dinner with her friend. She had smiled when she read it, glad tha
t he, at least, was not calling it a date.
She wondered what the score of the Cubs game was as she dipped a chunk of banana
into the chocolate and placed it in her mouth. Edward would love this place, sh
e thought, moaning from the rich taste of the chocolate. Deciding to bring him h
ere, she smiled, happy to know that they would get to spend time together tomorr
ow. She couldn't wait to see him and to go out with him. Friends, Bella, reel it
in!
But she would have sworn on Monday that Edward felt more for her than friends. T
he way he looked at her and spoke to her about Lauren. She had a feeling that he
 didn't tell just anyone all of that. When he held her hand as she spoke about h
er mom and Phil, she felt as if he was reassuring her that he wouldn't do that t
o her.
"Are you all set?" Jake asked as he leaned back in his seat, apparently done eat
ing and talking.
"Sure," she replied, picking her napkin up off her lap and placing it on the tab
le. "I'll remember to wear a looser fitting dress next time I come here," she si
ghed with a smile, letting Jake know that she enjoyed the meal.
"Next time I'll take you to a great Mexican place near my apartment," he said, r
ising after leaving a pile of cash on the table.
Nervously, Bella smiled, not sure what he meant by 'next time'. "Thanks for dinn
er, Jake," she said, deciding to avoid it altogether.
~GO CUBS~
Bella walked into her apartment to find Alice and Rosalie sitting on the couch w
atching 'When Harry Met Sally'. Shaking her head, she chuckled. "I'm going to ch
ange and then I'll be right down."
"Don't take your time," Rosalie called up to her.
Upon coming down the stairs, she grabbed a beer out of the fridge and then sat i
n the lone chair to the right of the couch. "So," Bella started, wondering what
their first question would be.
"Did you kiss him?"
"No."
"Did he kiss you?"
"No."
"Did you want him to kiss you?" Rosalie asked, her eyes narrowing as she stared
at Bella.
"No. I'd stop asking anything about kissing unless you want me to say, 'no', for
the rest of the evening."
"Where did he take you?"
Bella told the girls all about Geja's Café and how good the food was, but differen
t. She explained the different types of fondue and the sauces for the meet and t
hey all agreed they'd have to go sometime, just the three of them.
"So that was it? Nothing exciting?" Alice asked disappointed.
"He's just a friend. Once we stopped talking about Edward, he was actually quite
boring. Maybe that's why I stopped hanging out with him in high school," she mu
sed.
"You talked about Edward with him?" Rosalie asked.
"I kind of played it off that Edward and I got together because of what he said
to me at the Sox game."
"You did?" Alice bounced.
"Yes," Bella said, throwing a throw pillow at her. "But he caught on to the lie,
" she shrugged. "And then I told him that just like Edward and I, he and I were
only friends and that's all we could be."
"And that's that?" Alice said with wonder in her voice.
"Yup, that's that."
"So," Rosalie started with a smirk, "tell us about Edward now."
"What about him?"
"Is he just a friend too?"
Eyes darting over to Alice, Bella blushed, wondering if her friend had said anyt
hing to Rosalie. "I've got to get to bed," Bella hurried out as she stood, not w
anting to talk about him because she was afraid she'd reveal too much, making it
more real. Once she had admitted to herself for feeling something for Edward, t
he feelings just seemed to grow. And after starting to tell Alice about it on Tu
esday night made it even worse. She wasn't sure what she'd do if her feelings gr
ew even more . . . she already was fantasizing about him in various states of un
dress, she couldn't handle any more.
"I already packed for you," Alice called out to her as she ascended the stairs.
"Alice!" She groaned, pausing to look down at her friend.
"I promise that I did not buy anything for you today."
"That doesn't make me feel any better," she moaned.
"They were birthday presents for you. I figured I'd give them to you early."
"Uh huh," she mumbled as she stomped the rest of the way to her room.
Chapter 13 May 9, 2009
"You aren't going to talk to me about him?" Alice said sadly, resigned.
"There just isn't anything to talk about," Bella sighed, staring out the window
of Alice's Jetta as they drove north on I94. They were a little over an hour awa
y from Milwaukee and so far, the first half of the trip wasn't so bad. She was e
ven starting to relax, thinking she was going to be able to avoid the dreaded qu
estion, yet here it was Alice had finally brought him up.
"I know that what you and your parents went through was difficult," Alice began
and Bella glared at her, threatening her with her eyes. "No," Alice said firmly.
"You don't get to do that. You're my best friend and I love you. I'm not going
to let you throw a good thing away."
"And this good thing would be?" Bella asked sarcastically.
Alice exhaled, her teeth biting down into her bottom lip a habit she had picked
up from watching Bella do it too many times. "Edward is a great guy. I know he h
as a pretty shady past, but don't we all?"
"I can count on one hand how many men I've slept with, I doubt he could do the s
ame."
"Actually, Bella, I think the answer to that would be zero."
Bella tried to hold back her snigger, but it still came out and Alice smiled bri
ghtly at her. "Listen, he's not the first guy to have a one-night-stand okay, a
lot more than one, but he's not the first and he won't be the last. Every guy yo
u've met has probably had at least one."
When those words didn't hit a mark in Bella's brain, Alice continued. "Even you
have had one."
That hurt. Yes, Bella Swan had one one-night-stand and she regretted every momen
t of it. It wasn't her finest moment, but she learned from it and she swore she'
d never do it again. "You can't compare me and my one mistake with a man who has
lived in a constant state of revolving doors."
As soon as the words left her lips, she felt a burst of pain break out in her he
art guilt. What was she doing? Edward was her friend. He had become a close frie
nd, and he would be hurt if he ever heard the words she had just spoken. She fel
t like crap.
"I didn't mean that," she muttered, tears threatening in her eyes.
"I know you didn't." Alice reached her hand across the center console and grabbe
d a hold of one of Bella's. "Don't let your anger for your mom and Phil Dwyer cl
oud your feelings for Edward. That's all I'm trying to say."
"I just don't know how to feel," Bella sighed, turning her head to look at her g
ood friend. "Sometimes it's hard for me to stay away and keep my hands off him.
It's as if some animal wants to take control and attack. Not in a bad way," she
leered, "in a very bad way, if you know what I mean." Bella looked over to Alice
and saw her nodding with a knowing smile on her face.
"And others?" Alice prompted.
"Other times, I just want to crawl into his lap and let him hold me. He has this
side to him that . . . I don't know . . . he seems so cold and distant one minu
te, and the next, he's compassionate and caring loving. Sometimes, I think he ca
n see into my soul."
"You love him."
"Oh, no," Bella said, holding up a hand to silence Alice. "Don't go there. I can
't even admit to having feelings for the guy, there's no way I'm going to jump t
o that."
"Silly, Bella," Alice laughed sweetly. "You just did admit to having feelings fo
r him."
Inhaling slowly, Bella looked back out the side window. "I guess I did," she mum
bled.
"So, are you going to tell me about his kisses?"
"Come on, Alice," Bella groaned.
"I've seen the pictures "
"So has everyone else," Bella interrupted. "They were innocent."
"They didn't look very innocent. I mean, you must've felt something."
A faint tinge of red covered Bella's cheeks and Alice squealed. "I knew it! Fire
works? Sparks? You told me there weren't any!"
"There aren't. Well, I wouldn't call it that."
"So what would you call it?"
Turning her head to stare out the window once more, Bella thought of the feel of
Edward's lips against hers. It had been a while since they had kissed, but her
lips tingled from the memory and a wave of heat coursed through her blood. "A ru
sh," she whispered.
"A rush of what?"
"I don't know." Bella turned back to look at Alice. "It's like this force that s
tarts in my chest and then rushes down through my body and into my toes."
Alice didn't say anything, but her smile grew even larger, if that were possible
. They rode in silence for a while, listening to some songs on Alice's iPod. Aft
er a while, Bella turned to Alice with a frown on her face.
"Please don't say anything to Emmett or Jazz. I don't want anything to get back
to Edward and have it ruin our friendship."
"Do you really think that Edward isn't interested in you for more than friendshi
p?" Alice asked incredulously.
"We're just friends, Alice."
"But I've seen the way he looks at you." When Bella rolled her eyes, she continu
ed. "You want more, right?"
"I don't know. The thing that scares me is all the traveling he does. What's to
stop him from hooking up with other girls on the road?" It was on the tip of her
tongue to use his slip-up in St. Louis as an example, but she kept her mouth cl
osed. She would never betray his trust like that.
"You don't think Jazz has the opportunity to do that as well?"
"Of course he does and I'm sure it drives you crazy. I don't want to live like t
hat. I don't want to live my life wondering the whole time if the man I love is
fooling around with other women."
"The man you love?" Alice cocked an eye in Bella's direction.
"I was using you and Jazz as my reference. You are in love with him, right?"
"Of course," Alice beamed.
"Well, I don't think I could go through that. It would be like torture."
"It's not torture," Alice said softly and Bella listened carefully. Alice wasn't
quiet very often and when she was, she normally had something very important to
say.
"I trust Jazz with my whole life. I don't think you can truly love someone if yo
u don't trust them, Bella. I know that your mom betrayed your dad's trust and Ph
il Dwyer betrayed hers, but you have to ask yourself if any of them truly loved
the other.
"Don't answer that right now," Alice said hurriedly. "Think about it. I know tha
t Jazz will never cheat on me. Do I worry about women coming onto him? All the t
ime! I know he's no Edward Masen," she giggled, "but he has his own following of
girls."
"How can you know without any doubt?" Bella inquired.
"We're honest with each other and never hide anything. The secret to complete tr
ust is having no secrets. When Jazz returns from a road trip, the first thing we
do is tell each other everything about our time apart. He tells me about female
fans all the time, Bella. You might think it's masochistic of me to want to kno
w, but it helps me, it really does."
"That's the first thing you two do when he returns?" Bella asked sarcastically a
nd Alice laughed.
"Okay, not the first," she winked, "but the second. Listen, I know that it's goi
ng to take a lot for you to learn to trust someone like Edward and that's okay.
Not all relationships go by the same time-line. Take things slow with him, build
on the friendship you two have going and learn to trust him a little at a time.
"
"So you think I should just give in and go for him, warning bells be damned?"
"If the biggest warning bell is the fear of him cheating on you, then yes. That
doesn't mean you go blindly into a relationship and never talk to him about the
things that bother you. You would definitely have to discuss every issue with hi
m and make sure he's clear on how you feel and what is and is not acceptable, bu
t I think passing up someone who makes you feel the way you described would be a
bigger mistake."
"I've never felt anything like this with anyone," Bella sighed. "I never knew th
ese feelings existed."
"I felt the same way when I first met Jazz." Alice concentrated on the road for
a while, letting everything sink into Bella's head.
"Now that I've told you everything, are you going to leave Edward and I alone, l
et us figure all this out on our own?"
"I promise not to interfere anymore," Alice pouted. "I know what I did on Tuesda
y wasn't right. I just got a bit carried away forgive me?"
"Of course. But you didn't have to go through all that trouble. Edward and I are
friends, all you had to do was invite us out to dinner and we would have gladly
come."
"I know, but I wanted you to realize how much you miss him when he's not around.
"
Bella's eyebrows shot up as she stared at her friend. "For real? You didn't thin
k I'd realize that while he was on the road for a week?"
"It hasn't been a week, Bella," Alice giggled.
"It may as well have been," she mumbled and Alice beamed from the seat next to h
er. "Shut up," Bella groaned.
Now that Bella had admitted her feelings for Edward, it was hard to keep them al
l inside. There was an energy running through her, wanting to talk about nothing
but Edward, but she held back because she didn't want to come across as a crazy
, psychotic stalker which was what she felt like now as they rode up to Milwauke
e to watch him play ball.
"We should arrive a little before ten," Alice spoke up a few minutes later, chan
ging the topic. "I'm not sure what the guys are going to want to do, but the Mil
ler Brewery gives tours."
"That's cool," Bella said in a daze. She was too busy thinking about Edward and
wondering how he was doing to pay attention. It was a blow on Tuesday night when
he didn't want to come in and finish their conversation, she really didn't want
to say goodbye; she wasn't ready. And now, four days later, she was eager to se
e him again.
It was pretty quiet the rest of the ride up to Milwaukee, and Bella fell asleep
for the last thirty minutes, waking up when they reached Milwaukee as she felt t
he car slow down dramatically when they exited the highway.
"Can you look out your window for the hotel?" Alice asked as Bella rubbed the sl
eep from her eyes.
"Sure, what's it called again?"
"The Pfister Hotel."
"Is it on this street?"
"Should be a couple blocks ahead."
"I'll text Edward," Bella said, happy to finally have a reason to contact him. A
lice and Jazz had been corresponding all morning, leaving her no reason to call
or text Edward.
We'll be there in a couple of minutes.
It only took seconds for his reply to come through.
We're in the lobby.
Alice pulled the car up to the Pfister hotel and a bell hop immediately scurried
out to help the girls with their bags as a man came over to exchange a valet ti
cket for Alice's keys. The doorman opened the door for them and once they walked
in Alice squealed as she caught sight of Jazz standing in the corner, waiting.
Throwing herself at Jazz, Alice bounded into his arms and they started kissing,
leaving Edward and Bella to awkwardly say hello with a quick hug, kissing each o
ther's cheeks. Bella's lips lingered a little longer than they probably should h
ave but she just couldn't resist he smelled of aftershave and the raspberry gum
that he was chewing.
Holding out her hand, Bella silently asked for a piece and Edward chuckled, pull
ing his pack out and handing her one. "Looks like I'll have to buy you a six-pac
k too," he said, flashing his crooked smile as she slowly put the gum into her m
outh, savoring the flavor that she now thought of as, 'Edward'.
"We'll take those," Edward said, grabbing the three bags from the bellhop, "they
're already checked-in.
"Wow," Bella gasped from beside Edward, catching his attention, "it's beautiful.
" Her eyes scanned the hotel, noting the gold accents and rich tones of the wood
, furniture, and elaborate staircases before settling her gaze on the painted ce
iling overhead. It wasn't the Sistine Chapel, but it was still beautiful.
"This place is pretty old, the floors creak and the pipes moan." He smiled as sh
e fell into step beside him.
Once they made it to the room she'd be staying in, Edward gave her the key and b
rought her bag in. Alice and Jazz had gone directly to their room and Bella coul
d just imagine what they were doing.
"So," Bella said, opening the blinds and looking out the window to the street be
low. "What do you have planned for this morning?"
"Nothing." He looked down at the street, standing right next to her, but his eye
s lingered on her. "Is there anything that you and Alice want to do?"
"She had mentioned going on a brewery tour, but I'm not sure when the two of the
m will resurface."
"It's been a long four days," he whispered.
"Yeah, it has," she said quietly before sitting down on the large bed in the cen
ter of the room, picking up the remote to the TV, and turning it on. "We can wat
ch a movie," she suggested.
"Actually, that's not a bad idea. It's a couple hours until lunch time and they
should be ready by then." Strolling over to the bed, Edward laid down next to wh
ere Bella sat, crossing his arms behind his head, his legs crossed at his ankles
. "They have a whole slew of movies you can order from."
"Okay, let's see what they've got." Bella took her shoes off and lay back agains
t the headboard, adjusting herself until she was comfortable. "What kind of movi
e are you in the mood for?"
"Nothing too girly," he smirked as she lingered on '27 Dresses', and she giggled
.
"Oh look! 'Princess Bride'!"
"You're lucky there's sword fights in it Swan, otherwise I'd have to tickle you
for control of the remote," he said mischievously, his hands coming to hover abo
ve her sides.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I said you were lucky," he huffed. "But watch it; I may not be so generous next
time."
"Be quiet and watch the movie," she chuckled, playfully pushing his hands away a
nd then pushing a button on the remote to order the movie.
It was the first time the two of them ever sat down and watched a movie together
where they were both awake. The only other time they had tried was when Bella w
as sick and she slept through most, if not all, of it.
This time, the two of them quoted the movie word-for-word, laughing at their fav
orite parts and butchering Inigo's accent. At the end of the movie, they found t
hemselves curled up next to each other, their bodies barely touching.
When Bella turned off the TV and the room was filled with silence, the charge in
the air between them became increasingly noticeable and she attempted to breath
e normally while she argued with herself over her feelings for Edward.
"Thanks for the movie," he finally said, lifting his hand to brush a strand of h
air off Bella's cheek, placing it behind her ear.
The path his fingers trailed along her skin burned and she stared at him, wantin
g him to lean in to her. He hesitated a moment as his fingers lingered and then
he pulled back. "We should go pound on their door. We don't have much time until
Jazz and I need to be at the park."
"Right," she sputtered. "Am I dressed okay for lunch?"
"You look perfect," he gushed with a crooked smile.
A few minutes later, Edward and Bella were at Jazz's room, knocking on the door.
They heard a few giggles and then Jazz groaning about something and Bella looke
d at Edward, holding in her laughter, shaking her head.
"Maybe we should just ditch them," she mused. "I have a feeling they aren't quit
e ready to go eat."
The door opened suddenly to reveal Jazz wearing a plush white bathrobe. "Sorry g
uys," he said distractedly. "We're gonna order room service."
"So," Edward started after Jazz closed the door, "what are you in the mood for?"
They decided to walk around the city to find something since neither of them had
a preference for anything in particular. They ended up at a Chinese restaurant
overlooking the river and Edward got up the nerve to ask about her date the nigh
t before.
At first Bella was hesitant in sharing much about it, considering they talked a
lot about him, but she finally relaxed. "The food was amazing," she told him and
then went into full detail of everything they ate.
"I think Garrett and Kate have been there," Edward said before he took a bite of
his ham fried rice.
"We have to go sometime, you'll love it! It was nice and cozy and dark . . ." sh
e trailed off, not finishing her sentence. She was about to say that it was roma
ntic.
"How did everything go with Jake?"
Bella shrugged. "It was a little awkward, but I think he understands now that I
only want to be his friend."
"You're frowning."
"Okay, it was a horrible date happy?"
"Should I be?" Edward chuckled.
"He was just so boring," She griped. "I had thought that I stopped spending time
with him in High School because I had started dating Emmett and I just didn't h
ave time for him as a friend, but after last night . . . well, I think I stopped
hanging out with him because he loves to talk about himself."
When Edward's only response was a sarcastic smirk, she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't tell me you've never had to put up with someone who loved to talk about
themselves."
"All the time, actually," he stammered. "It's one of my biggest pet peeves."
"It's such a big turn-off! You know, I didn't look at last night as a real date,
but at the same time, I was disappointed afterwards."
"Are you going to see him again?" Edward's voice sounded funny.
"As friends," she shrugged. "We have plans to go to a couple Cubs-Sox games toge
ther this summer."
"He's a Sox fan, right?"
"He shouldn't be," she muttered. "Did I tell you how fast he abandoned the Marin
ers?" Her voice raised an octave as she spoke and Edward's lips lifted in humor.
"Some people just don't feel the same loyalty to a team as you do," he offered,
but she wasn't buying it.
"Would you abandon the Cubs if you lived in a different city?"
"Bella, if I lived in a different city, it would be because I had been traded. S
o in a way, yes."
"Does that mean you'd never choose to go to a different team?"
"I don't know," he said sluggishly. "I've always been a Cubs fan since I was a k
id, but if I wasn't happy here and I was a free agent . . . I don't know what I'
d do."
"God, Jazz could leave and take Alice with him." Bella looked intensely at Edwar
d. "I didn't think of that."
"Bella, we're both under contract with the Cubs right now, I don't think you hav
e to worry."
"But you can be traded at any time!"
"I wouldn't sweat over it. Here," he sighed, trying to change the subject by off
ering her a fortune cookie.
Not sure which one to pick, Bella closed her eyes before blindly choosing one. "
None of that 'in bed' stuff, Masen."
"What?" He asked as he cracked his cookie open.
"Emmett always adds the words, 'in bed,' to the end of every fortune he gets fro
m these things.
"I knew there was a reason I liked him," he chuckled and then he read his fortun
e, his eyes narrowing on the words in front of him, confused about what it meant
.
"What's it say?"
Looking up from his fortune, Edward responded with a gleam in his eyes. "You fir
st."
"Okay," she said, "'Someone is interested in you. Keep your eyes open'."
"In bed," Edward added with a laugh.
"That just sounds so wrong, like some guy is stalking me and I have to be carefu
l that he doesn't climb into bed with me while I'm asleep." She shuddered purpos
ely and Edward frowned.
"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound that way."
"No need to apologize," she snorted before asking him to read his.
"It's lame," he sighed, "'Your sparkle will never fade'."
"In bed," she added for him and then giggled as her blush tinted her cheeks a br
ight red.
"When we were kids, the fortunes actually made sense, these are just odd," he hu
ffed.
They took their time walking back to the hotel, their bodies as close to one ano
ther as they could get without touching. Bella was deep in thought over the conv
ersation she'd had with Alice in the car on the way up, considering whether or n
ot to make a move on Edward. Her fingers twitched as she thought about how easy
it would be to grab a hold of his hand and lace their fingers together. Pulling
her arms up, she crossed them, jailing her hands underneath her arm pits.
"Are you cold?" Edward asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and her heart
soared as the rush she had spoken of earlier gushed through her body, envelopin
g her, and turning her into mush.
"Thank you," she whispered, leaning her body further into his. She took a couple
of deep breaths in, rejoicing in his scent. They were both chewing a piece of h
is raspberry gum, so that smell was on him, but she also enjoyed his aftershave
or was it cologne? She wondered. "What are you wearing?" she asked quietly.
"Clothes," he said lethargically, dragging out the 'o' sound in his confusion to
her question.
"No, I mean what scent? It smells nice." Her head bowed down as she timidly look
ed at the ground, shielding herself from his view.
"Woods," he shrugged.
"Hmm, I like it." She nuzzled her face in the shoulder of his shirt and her hear
t stopped as she heard his quicken.
Once back at the hotel, Edward invited Bella up to his room, but she declined, i
nsisting she wanted to take a nap before the game. Instead, Edward walked her to
her room. Upon entering, he walked over to her window and shut her blinds while
she sat on the bed watching him. He was so masculine, every single inch about h
im, and Bella found herself staring at his muscles as they moved beneath his clo
thes.
Admitting her feelings to Alice was obviously the wrong thing to do because she
now couldn't get him out of her head at all. She desperately wanted to pull him
down on the bed with her, covering his body with hers.
"Will you be up late tonight?" Edward asked, pulling her out of her fantasy-haze
d mind.
"Um, yeah, I think so."
"Can I drop by when I get back?" He stood at the foot of her bed, nervously watc
hing the different emotions ghost across her face.
"Yeah," she smiled, "I'd like that."
Edward took the two steps he needed to close in the space between him and Bella
and then bent down, his hand resting against the side of her face as he leaned i
n and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you after the game." With that, he w
alked out of her room, closing the door behind him.
Bella kicked off her shoes and lay down on the double bed, her eyes staring up a
t the ceiling. Her heart was beating erratically, unable to calm down from the g
entle touch of his lips on her skin. I'm sorry, Dad.
The last thoughts that crossed through Bella's mind before she fell asleep were
of her dad and how guilty she felt for falling for the enemy. Edward Masen repre
sented everything that she had come to hate, and here she was wanting this man a
replica of her father's nemesis to kiss her, and touch her, and make her his. S
he wanted him badly and she didn't think she could hold back any more.
During her sleep, Bella thought she heard someone in her room and the drawers in
the dresser opening and shutting. Alice, she moaned out in her sleep and then s
he pushed the thoughts of reality out of her head. Rolling over, she moaned and
concentrated on her dream Edward biting along her neck and shoulder. Not long af
ter that, Bella was interrupted by a frantic voice.
"Bella! Bella, wake up! Shit, Bella, why was your door open?"
The cause of the voice was shaking her and she remotely recognized it as being A
lice, but she pushed her hands away and groaned. "Stop interrupting my dream wit
h Edward."
"Bella!" This time, the little pixie's voice was stern with a hint of fear in it
.
Abruptly sitting up in bed, Bella took some time to open her eyes, adjusting to
the bright sun light that poured in from the open blinds. "Why did you open my b
linds? Edward closed them for a reason," she mumbled, still trying to wake up an
d make sense of Alice's urgent tone and expression.
"Bella, the blinds were open when I got here."
"Hmm?" she asked, not comprehending what Alice was trying to say.
"When I got down to your room, your door and the blinds were both wide open. Why
didn't you shut your door? Anyone could've come in here and . . . Bella, I don'
t want to think of what could've happened."
"My door wasn't open," she said agitated. "Edward closed it when he left. I watc
hed him." Running her hand through her messy sleep-hair, she stood up from the b
ed and stretched and then stared at Alice's scared expression. "What?"
"Your door was wide open, Bella. I'm not making it up. I thought maybe you kept
it open for me, and I didn't open your blinds."
"Oh man," Bella breathed out shakily, startled from what she had remembered. "I
thought I heard someone in here earlier. I thought it was you." Bella's eyes nar
rowed on Alice. "Were you going through the dresser drawers, putting my clothes
in them?"
"No," she responded quietly. "Bella, we need to talk to the manager. I think som
eone has been in your room."
~GO CUBS~
The game seemed to drag on, well, in all honesty, it did. Nearly four hours for
nine innings and the Cubs lost to the Brewers, 12-6. Edward didn't hit very well
, his average dropping even more, and he was restless after the game, anxious to
get ready and out of the club house and he wasn't the only one. With Chicago be
ing so close, many families had made the weekend trip to Milwaukee to be with th
eir ball players, waiting for them, just as Bella and Alice were waiting for him
and Jazz.
It was a bit unnerving to know that Bella was at the game because he had no idea
where she was sitting. He scanned the crowd numerous times looking for her or A
lice, but came up empty. He couldn't wait to get back to the hotel and spend mor
e time with her. They'd had such a great time together earlier, even though they
didn't do anything exciting. And that was just it he didn't have to do anything
extravagant with Bella in order to have fun. They could walk around or sit and
talk all day and it was special to him wonderful.
Though Edward and Bella had made great strides with their relationship, Edward s
till wanted to take it slow. In that one moment at the zoo, all he could think a
bout was taking her, claiming her as his own, and he was just about to until she
had pulled away. As disappointing as it was to not get to feel her lips against
his that day, Edward was glad for the interruption. There was one thing he need
ed to do before he could declare his feelings to Bella. There was one thing that
stood in his way; something that could possibly ruin everything for them Jane.
He needed to tell Bella about Jane before the team travelled to San Diego at the
end of the month. The Cubs were scheduled to be there the twenty-second through
the twenty-fourth of May it was approaching too fast. There was no reluctance o
n his part to do what he needed to do; what he wanted to do. With as much fun as
he'd had with Jane in the past, she never meant more to him than a mere acquain
tance, and he was sure she felt the same. Everything about their set-up had been
casual no strings attached, but he still felt uneasy over the whole situation.
"You all right, man?" Jazz asked from the seat next to Edward in the cab.
"Yeah, I'm just thinking." Edward and Jazz had left the club house as early as p
ossible, with Edward's hair still wet, to get back to the women waiting for them
.
"Excited to get back to Bella?"
The subject of women was one they didn't discuss much. Edward had always been cl
osed off on it before. But now, with the way his feelings for Bella had been mat
uring, Edward found himself wanting to talk about nothing but Bella. "Yeah," he
sighed, not really sure how to talk to Jazz about his feelings.
"She's pretty amazing."
That was an understatement, where Edward was concerned. Bella was more than amaz
ing but there really weren't enough words to describe her. She had a brilliant p
ersonality that just mesmerized Edward, drawing him in like a vampire to a blood
y wound, she was secure in her intelligence, not afraid to let others know there
was a brain behind the beautiful face and shapely body, and she had a certain w
it that both amused and astounded Edward. She was perfect.
"Yes," Edward agreed, "she's amazing."
Stepping out of the taxi and walking into the Pfister Hotel, the first thing Edw
ard wanted to do was go to his room and change into some comfortable clothes bef
ore heading over to Bella's room. But as he walked into the lobby with Jazz, the
y both halted in their tracks, shocked by what they saw.
Bella and Alice sat curled up into each other on a couch in the lobby, a yellow
blanket wrapped around them. They looked frightened, and as soon as they noticed
the men, they both jumped up and ran over to them. Alice threw her arms around
Jazz and Bella didn't hesitate once as she threw her arms around Edward's waist,
burrowing her head into his chest.
Edward's arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer into him, rubbing her back,
trying to comfort her. He looked over at Jazz, a questioning look in his eyes a
nd Jazz shrugged in response. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Edward asked, his lips
pressing a kiss on the top of her head. When Bella looked up, Edward could see
unshed tears in her eyes and his heart crumbled. What had happened to her?
"Let's sit down," Jazz said with concern, leading Alice to the couch and then si
tting down and pulling her into his lap.
Edward brought Bella over to the couch, but he sat down next to her, his arm wra
pped around her as she leaned into him. She was definitely frightened by somethi
ng, which only worried him more.
"You tell them," Bella squeezed out, staring at Alice.
"After you guys left for the park," Alice began slowly, "I went down to hang out
with Bella. When I got to her room, the door was wide open and she was asleep o
n the bed with the blinds open."
Edward shifted his gaze to look at Bella, who had turned to look up at him. He k
new he had closed the door and he couldn't think of any reason why Bella would h
ave opened it up before taking her nap. "I closed it when I left," he said quiet
ly, his eyes turning back to Alice.
"That's what Bella said. And the blinds," she said pointedly, "she said you had
closed them."
"Right," he responded as his heart started to beat faster.
"And the drawers, Alice, don't forget the drawers."
"You'll have to tell them that part, Bella, I didn't hear it."
When everyone looked at Bella, she took a deep breath and began to speak. "While
I was sleeping, I swore I heard someone opening up the drawers in the dresser.
I thought it was just Alice putting my clothes away, so I ignored it and went ba
ck to sleep."
"Was anything missing from your room?" Edward asked, one arm rubbing over Bella'
s back, the other one squeezing her closer into him.
"No, everything was just as I had left it."
"We should talk to the hotel manager," he decided, ready to head over to the fro
nt desk.
"We already have," Alice stopped him. "They sent a couple of people up to the ro
om and everything is fine. There was no forced entry, and no evidence of anyone
being in there."
"There's more," Bella shivered and Edward tightened his hold on her. "When we go
t back from the game, we were hanging out in the room and there were noises."
Edward froze when she mentioned the noises. He had heard some strange things the
night before, but passed it off to having odd dreams. Not only that, but there
were all the other stories he had heard from other people on their team as well
as other ball players in the league. "I don't think anyone was in your room, Bel
la," Edward said with concern.
"Come on, Edward, do you really believe all those stories?" Jazz had finally spo
ken, knowing full well what Edward was talking about.
"That's exactly like the story that Crowley told us last year after staying here
."
"What do you mean?" Bella asked, snuggling closer into Edward.
"There are tons of ghost stories about the Pfister Hotel. Even Tony LaRussa beli
eves the hotel's haunted."
Both women shivered as he spoke and Jazz rolled his eyes before showing his anno
yance with his friend with a grimace. "Don't listen to him," he drawled out, pul
ling Alice in closer to him.
"It's not just me, Jazz," Edward huffed. "There're a couple players on our team
who are doubling up in their rooms because they're frightened and we're not the
only team that stays in the Pfister. Ask around the league, a lot of guys from d
ifferent teams have experienced weird things even some of the Brewers who've sta
yed here during the off-season are freaked out about this place."
"What happened to Crowley last year?" Bella asked, her skin paler than normal.
"He swears he shut his door and even closed the hinge over the bolt before he we
nt to bed one night, and when he was woken up by strange noises that sounded lik
e something banging around he noticed that the door to his room was wide open."
Edward was smacked in the back of the head by Jazz and he jerked his head to loo
k at him. "What was that for?"
"For scaring the ladies," Jazz bit in his southern accent.
"Wait," Alice said, squaring her shoulders and shooting daggers at Jazz with her
eyes. "You had us come up here to Milwaukee to stay in a haunted hotel?"
"Baby, it's not haunted. Edward and some of the guys just let their imaginations
run wild sometimes."
"I didn't imagine the door being open, Jazz!" Alice seethed.
"And I shut the door behind me, I know I did," Edward said quietly, looking down
at Bella.
"He did, I watched it shut." Bella turned her head to Jazz. "The door and the bl
inds were both closed when I fell asleep." Her fingers nervously played with a b
utton on Edward's shirt.
"You can't stay in that room alone tonight. Edward," Alice said, turning her ple
ading eyes on him. "You can't let her stay there alone."
"I saw a Motel 6 not too far from here," Bella interjected. "I could get a room
there for the night."
"No." Edward turned to look at her. "I'll make sure everything's safe for you."
"But if it's haunted, there's nothing you can do."
They stared at each other for a moment, all four of them silent. Edward did not
want her staying at a different hotel but it did make sense. There was something
not right with the Pfister, and he definitely believed that, but he also knew t
hat she'd be safe. The strange occurrences were unnerving, but there had never b
een anything malicious done, that he knew of.
"I could sleep on your floor," he said, uneasily. He really didn't want her to b
e so far away tonight, but if she preferred to move to the Motel 6, then he'd he
lp her check in and carry her bag over for her.
"How about your room?" She asked. "Has anything strange happened in there?"
"There were some loud noises last night, but my door stayed closed."
"Which room do you think would be better?"
He wasn't expecting her to go along with them sharing a room and his heart leape
d into his throat from the excitement that coursed through his veins. "Which eve
r is easiest for you?"
"You're closer to Jazz, right?"
"He's just a few doors down from me."
"Can we stay in your room?" Bella asked shyly, her forehead pressed against Edwa
rd's shoulder as she looked down at her fingers, which still played with his but
ton.
~GO CUBS~
Edward stared in the bathroom mirror as he brushed his teeth. He had brought Bel
la back to her room to gather all of her things before bringing her to his room.
She took her time in the bathroom while he changed into some shorts and a blue
Cubs t-shirt and then they switched.
Bella had been so frightened earlier and as worried as he was, he was also elate
d that she threw herself into his arms; he wanted nothing more than to comfort h
er and to hold her all night. And now she lay in his bed dressed in the cutest M
innie Mouse tank top and skimpy sleep shorts they must've been the pajamas that
Alice got her from Florida.
Having her in his room all night would be dangerous though. He wasn't sure if he
could keep himself from touching her, holding her . . . stick to the floor! If
he could just stay on the floor, he should be fine, but if he were in that bed w
ith her . . . no, he wouldn't let himself think about that. Great, now look what
you did.
Sitting on the closed seat of the toilet, Edward leaned his head back against th
e wall and closed his eyes. Old men in thongs, baseball, Newton dancing naked in
the locker room . . . It didn't take long for him to get his arousal under cont
rol and then he took a deep breath in, opened the bathroom door and walked into
his hotel room.
Bella sat up in his bed leaning back against the headboard, the blankets pulled
up to her waist. "Are you ready for bed?" He asked her, unsure if she was tired
or wanted to stay up.
"I don't think I could fall asleep right now," she whispered.
"Would you like to watch TV?" Edward grabbed the remote and was about to turn th
e TV on until her voice stopped him.
"No, actually," she said, patting the bed beside her, "I thought maybe we could
talk."
"Sure," he replied as he made his way to the side of the bed and then sat down o
n top of the covers, leaning back, just as she was, against the headboard. "What
did you want to talk about?"
"Anything really," her voice shook and then she spoke more surely, "actually, we
never finished our conversation from Tuesday night."
"That's right," Edward smiled. "What were we talking about again?"
Bella scooted down into the bed, leaning her head back on her pillow, and then t
urned on her side to face him. "You were just about to tell me about the crazies
t flirts you've encountered."
"Oh man, that's right."
"You said there were all different types. So tell me, what types are there?"
"Some aren't so bad, just your basic flirting, but others . . ." He paused think
ing if telling her all of this would set them back any or not. Honesty. The one
word hung in his head, dangling around, taunting him. He needed to be honest if
he had any chance at a relationship with her.
"Others?" She coaxed him.
"Let's just say that some aren't so subtle."
"You're not playing nice," she pouted and he scooted down further into his pillo
w to join her.
"Well, sometimes they're very touchy-feely, and I don't just mean a simple gestu
re of their hand on my arm."
"Where do they touch you?"
Edward saw the anger flash through her brown eyes and he smiled. "Are you jealou
s, Swan?"
"Tiuh! No!" Bella's facial expression and rapidly beating heart betrayed her and
Edward's smile turned soft.
"They touch my legs, hair, face, chest, ass, and . . . well . . ."
"They don't!" she interrupted. "That's not flirting, that's sexual assault!"
Exhaling loudly, Edward thought of how the wives and girlfriends of other player
s handled things. He knew that Esme and Carlisle had a policy that he wasn't sup
posed to tell her about the blatant flirting from women fans, but he also didn't
put himself in any position to get hit on. On the other hand, Jazz and Alice, f
rom what he had gathered, were extremely open and Jazz told her everything. They
were the two extremes and he suddenly wished he had Garrett right there to talk
to about this he needed a third example.
"Bella, I don't allow girls to touch me like that . . . well, what I'm trying to
say is that I let them know I don't appreciate that type of attention."
"Not to all of them," she cut in.
"Why would you think that?" He frowned over at her, wondering why she thought he
'd enjoy that type of attention.
"Well, you obviously appreciate some of their attentions or you wouldn't have th
e reputation you have."
"My reputation," he said dryly. "Shall we go over how I got my reputation?"
"We don't "
"No, I don't mind," he said tersely and he noticed Bella stiffen next to him. He
became alarmed when he noticed he was scaring her. "I'm sorry Bella," he frowne
d. I think this is something we should talk about though." He needed to tell her
everything and suddenly, he wasn't afraid to, at least the little stuff he'd ge
t to Jane eventually.
"But," he continued, "if I'm going to share all the gory details of my past, I'd
like the same back."
"I'm sure my past would bore you," she chuckled.
"I'll be the judge of that," he winked.
"Okay, then, why don't you start with your reputation?"
"I've told you about Lauren," he scowled down at her. "After she and I broke up,
I swore I'd never fall for another blood-sucking fan again. She sucked every ou
nce of life I had right out of me. I had stopped hanging out with my friends for
her and her pseudo friends and my parents had also taken second-fiddle to her f
amily when it came to holidays."
"You fell hard," Bella whispered and he smiled dryly.
"I guess you could say that. I swore I'd never let anyone get close to me again.
One-night-stands were pretty much all I had. Or sometimes, I'd spend a weekend,
a week, or even a couple of weeks with someone if they were totally clueless as
to who I was or what I did for a living. But as soon as the next road trip came
, I'd disappear and never contact them again."
"How did you avoid the annoying phone calls or them showing up at your condo?"
"I never gave them my phone number it shows up as private and I've never had a g
irl in my condo before."
"Except for Lauren?"
"No, not even her. I bought the place after we had broken up."
Turning on his side, Edward made himself more comfortable and Bella motioned for
him to get under the covers with her. "You don't mind?"
"No, it's fine."
After getting comfortable under the covers, Edward turned to look at her. Their
faces were so close, yet they still seemed so far apart. "Well, I'm sure you've
heard of the two women," he started back up again, looking at her face for recog
nition of what he spoke about.
"Yes, I read about that. You were with two girls and a reporter knocked on your
door, getting a beautiful picture of you with them."
"Well, to be honest, I don't remember the night at all. I was out with a couple
of guys from the team having fun and then the next thing I remember is the pound
ing on the door. My question is why was a reporter banging on my door and how di
d he know which room was mine?"
"One of the girls called him," Bella grimaced.
"That's the only thing I can think of too."
"You seriously don't remember any of it?" She asked confused.
"Nothing."
"How much had you been drinking?"
"A couple of beers, nothing major. I normally don't go out and get drunk on nigh
ts when I have a game in the morning. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, but
it's not normal for me." He immediately thought of the night in St. Louis, it w
as totally out of character for him for both things. He usually didn't drink to
get drunk and he also didn't just run off with a girl not knowing her name or an
ything about her. He usually took his time with a lady and talked to them first,
or at least flirted a little, and at the very least asked for a name.
"I know it's not normal for you," Bella mused and Edward wondered where her mind
was. She seemed to be thinking deeply about something. "You never heard from th
e girls again?"
"No," he shrugged, "like I said, I never gave out my phone number or address."
"But with the picture, and if they did call the reporter themselves, they could
have contacted him again, which would get them to you, if they needed to."
"What are you trying to get at?" He asked because he could literally see the whe
els turning in her head.
"It all just seems so suspect, you know? Ah, never mind," she laughed. "I have a
n overactive imagination."
"So, your turn," he said with a yawn.
"You seem tired," she frowned. "I don't want to keep you up too late."
"I thought I was clear earlier today," he teased as his fingers lightly grazed h
er side, getting ready to tickle.
"Okay," she gasped with a laugh. "My life is so boring. You know about Emmett,"
she shrugged. "After him, I had a boyfriend in college named Sean. We dated for
a couple of years, but after finding him in bed with my so-called best friend, w
ell, that was the end of that."
"He cheated on you with your best friend?"
"Yeah," she sighed. "I should have known better. They had been going behind my b
ack for months."
"And after that?" he prodded.
"After that, I graduated from college and lived in Seattle until my parents died
. Emmett flew out for the funerals and planted the bug in my head to move to Chi
cago. A couple months later, I hopped on a plane."
"And other than all the blind dates Alice set you up on, you haven't had anythin
g serious?"
"No, not serious," she replied unsteadily. "When I got to Chicago I was mad at t
he world and didn't quite do things the way I would have wanted."
"How's that?" He queried, wondering why she had blushed.
"I kind of got drunk one night and brought a guy home." She exhaled loudly and E
dward could tell it was a sore subject for her. "I had never done anything like
that before."
"A one-night-stand?"
"Yeah. I felt so empty afterwards and dirty. I didn't even recognize myself. Tha
t's when I got out of my miserable slump and started to focus on my friends and
my love for them."
"And since then?"
"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"
"Say what?" he asked bewildered.
"No one has mentioned the name 'Danny' to you?"
"No," he shook his head.
"Fine," she mumbled. "After my one-night-stand, I thought I found the man of my
dreams. He was the perfect boyfriend," she rolled her eyes. "I should have seen
it coming that time."
"Seen what coming?"
"He cheated on me," she groaned, her face turning bright red.
"Not your best friend this time, I hope," he smirked.
Bella snorted. "No, but I'm sure he would have been all too thrilled to have bee
n with Emmett."
Edward's eyes opened wide in shock. "He was gay?"
"Apparently," she chuckled.
"Did you?"
"Have sex with him? Yes. And yes, we did use protection and I did get tested. An
d just so you know, anyone who has casual sex needs to do both those things." Wh
en he didn't respond, she peered into his eyes. "Do you use protection?"
"Always," he responded calmly.
"Even the one time you blacked out and don't remember?"
"There were used condoms in the trashcan," he muttered. "So," he said brightly,
trying to change the mood of their conversation. "How long has it been for you?"
"You didn't just ask me that," Bella moaned. When she saw that he was serious, s
he responded automatically. "A little over two years."
"Don't look at me that way," she scolded Edward when she saw his look of shock.
"I'm not looking at you in any way," he whispered as his hand lifted to move a l
ock of hair from her face. As his fingers made contact with her skin, he swallow
ed hard, his breathing shaky as desire coursed through him, thankful for the cov
ers hiding the evidence. "I'm impressed," he whispered, looking down at her lips
.
"Edward," she sighed as her hand moved to rest on his chest and his throbbing ne
ed began to ache. "It's been a long time for me." Bella's eyes shifted to Edward
's lips and he licked them in anticipation, waiting for her as he watched her le
an in toward him.
Jane.
What's one kiss? He argued with himself. I can tell her about Jane later. But hi
s heart cramped up and his breathing became unsteady. Honesty! That word started
fighting against the throbbing in his shorts and he closed his eyes and took a
deep breath in, leaning his forehead against Bella's.
Bella's hand gripped at his shirt and she placed her lips against his. A fire ig
nited in Edward's heart and he wrapped an arm around Bella's body, pulling her i
n closer to him, their lips moving ardently against each other. It was their fir
st kiss, a kiss that was only between the two of them and not for any benefit or
gain on either's part.
This kiss was better than anything he could ever have imagined, better than any
kiss they had ever shared and while their lips moved together and Bella opened u
p to him, he sucked in her flavor, inhaling her breath as he opened his mouth. A
low moan escaped Bella's throat as their tongues found each other. His heart ra
ced as he deepened the kiss, moving against her more urgently as Bella's hand li
fted from his shirt to run through his hair. You have to stop this!
Edward suddenly pulled away from Bella, leaning his forehead against hers once m
ore and they laid in silence, listening to the sound of their heavy breathing. T
heir hearts beat against each other through their heaving chests and Edward felt
sick to his stomach at what he needed to do. He hadn't expected her to give int
o him so quickly, he thought he still had time to tell her, but he didn't, and h
e needed to get everything out in the open right now. Otherwise, the secret woul
d linger between them, eventually breaking them apart.
"I need to tell you about something," he strangled out. "About someone."
Chapter 14 May 9 11, 2009
"I'm not looking at you in any way," Edward whispered while his hand lifted to m
ove a lock of hair from Bella's face. At the feel of his fingers against her ski
n, a wave of excitement sped through her body, rushing down to her toes, her pan
ties instantly becoming wet. "I'm impressed," he continued and Bella noticed him
look at her parted lips.
Moving her hand to Edward's chest, she leaned in closer to him. "Edward," she si
ghed, "it's been a long time for me." Her eyes shifted to his mouth, watching hi
s tongue sneak out and wet his lips and she leaned in more. There was no longer
any doubt in her mind that she wanted Edward Masen and she wanted him badly. All
her inhibitions were gone, erased by not only Alice's words of wisdom, but from
how wonderful of a person he had turned out to be.
And the honesty! She was so amazed with how open he had been with her. She never
expected him to be so forthcoming it actually made her want him even more, if t
hat was possible. To listen to him talk about his sordid past, to know that he s
poke of everything in past-tense, and to know that he wanted something more out
of life and out of a woman than just sex. God, could he be more perfect?
Edward leaned in closer to her as she stared at his lips and then, before she kn
ew it, his forehead was pressed against hers. Gulping down the excitement that s
hot out from her heart to her throat, Bella moved through the last bit of space
to place her lips against his, grabbing his shirt and pulling him even closer.
They had kissed a few times before, but nothing had prepared her for the burning
hunger that blew up in her heart. It was almost painful, but pleasurable; and t
hen, just as quickly as it exploded, it shot down to her center and her wet pant
ies became soaked.
When Edward wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him, she opene
d up to him, exhaling as her tongue sought his. The flavor of minty toothpaste a
ssaulted her senses and she moaned from deep within her throat, clinging to this
man that set every sense of hers on edge.
Bella's hand traveled up to stroke through Edward's hair, pulling him in closer,
and then, without warning, Edward suddenly broke away from her lips and she imm
ediately felt empty, alone, and alarmed. Shit, shit, shit! What have I done? I j
ust attacked Edward! Fuck! Shit!
Awkwardly remaining in Edward's arms, Bella swallowed the bile that threatened t
o escape. Had she just ruined their friendship? Would he let her down easily, or
play it off as if it hadn't happened? My God, I'm such an idiot! As her labored
breaths began to calm down, her hold on him loosened but he held onto her still
and she silently wished she could disappear. And then he spoke.
"I need to tell you about something . . . about someone." His words sounded tort
ured, as if he were in pain, and Bella froze, sensing the seriousness of what he
was about to say.
Both of them pulled back from the other, peering into each other's eyes, Bella s
eeking answers, wondering what was going on. Who did he need to tell her about?
Why was this person so important that he would stop kissing her . . . Shit!
Immediately, Bella's thoughts went down hill, thinking that he had a girlfriend,
and she started cursing him in her mind, angry at him for playing with her emot
ions. But it didn't make sense to her. He didn't have a girlfriend, he couldn't
have a girlfriend. He had just recently decided that he wanted a relationship he
only recently gave up on casual sex.
Maybe he had decided that he wanted to go back to that life of ambiguity, a life
where he could fuck someone one minute and then walk away, never looking back t
he next. Maybe he liked that lifestyle so much better than the thought of a real
relationship and all the problems that come along with one.
"Bella," he started, "there's something that I need to tell you," he breathed ou
t, one of his hands lingering on her waist beneath the covers. Clenching his eye
s shut, he took a moment and sighed deeply before opening them again, and captur
ing her eyes, penetrating into their depths, searching for a flicker of hope tha
t he would not lose her. "Can you promise to listen to everything I have to say?
"
"Sure," she replied, alarmed and confused. Deep in her stomach, her insides star
ted to knot together. She knew this was going to be bad and she internally began
to prepare herself for the blow.
Edward sat up in the bed, leaning his head back against the headboard and looked
down at his hands that now sat in his lap. The coolness of the air that replace
d his hold on Bella chilled her and she shivered slightly. Covering herself with
more of the blankets, she remained down on the bed, her head burrowed in her pi
llow as she stared up at the man who had unraveled her entire being.
"A couple years ago I met a woman in San Diego." Edward's eyes shot to Bella's t
rying to gauge her reaction, but still not sure if she understood where he was g
oing with this. He turned to his side and scooted down a little under the covers
so he could get a better look at her. "Bella, I've wanted to tell you about her
for so long but something always gets in the way."
"You have a girlfriend?" she asked calmly with a shaky voice.
"No," he corrected her. "She's not a girlfriend." With a short exhale of his bre
ath, he focused on her eyes again, his hand reaching out to take one of hers in
his and he began to play with her fingers. "We meet up whenever I'm in San Diego
." His voice wavered at the end and there was a stinging from the onslaught of t
ears prickling behind his eyes.
Bella's mind was instantly flooded with images of her mom, a man she had never m
et in a Yankees uniform, and the plethora of love letters she found one day in t
he attic. She didn't realize her breathing had become unmanageable until she sta
rted to hyperventilate and Edward freaked.
"Bella! Are you okay?" He asked worriedly as he jumped out of the bed to lean ov
er her. "Bella, talk to me."
Struggling to catch her breath, Bella's body shook as tears wretched from her ey
es. How could he do this to her? How could he keep this secret from her? Shit! H
e's just like Phil! Pushing at the man that loomed over her, Bella fumbled out o
f the bed and over to her bag, forcefully throwing everything in and zipping it
up.
"Bella," Edward pleaded, but she ignored him, keeping her back to him.
On shaky legs, she made it to the door of Edward's hotel room and as her hand gr
abbed hold of the knob, she realized she had no where to go. Leaning her forehea
d against the door, she debated over her options: her haunted hotel room, interr
upt Jazz and Alice, walk over to the Motel 6, or find a way home to Chicago as f
ast as possible. The latter of the list was what she wanted most, but there was
no way she was going to find a ride to Chicago at one in the morning.
Be brave, Bella. She barely recognized the thought as her own and it confused he
r. Be brave about what? About the haunted room she was destined to sleep in toni
ght, or be brave and listen to everything Edward had to say? Why can't my consci
ence make sense?
"Bella, please let me finish," Edward asked softly from across the other side of
the room and another tear dropped from one of her eyes, landing on the floor be
low.
Staring at the dark spot her tear had made in the hotel's rug, Bella swallowed t
he influx of saliva in her mouth. She didn't make any move to leave the room, bu
t she also didn't make any move to stay and Edward took the opportunity to speak
some more.
"I was wrong to keep this from you, and I'm sorry," he said a little closer to h
er and her body tensed. "I've been trying to find the right way to tell you abou
t her." His voice suddenly became haggard, tired. "But I guess there's no right
way now, is there?"
"No," she hiccupped, not sure why she would give him the benefit of a response.
Shut the hell up, Bella!
His voice was stronger when he continued. "The day of the Cullen's barbeque, I m
ade a huge decision. Bella, I knew that I needed to break things off with her. W
hat I did to her was wrong. Keeping her on the side, at my will, for my pleasure
was wrong."
More tears fell from Bella's eyes as she listened to his words but pictured her
mom and dad in her head. The craziness that ensued after she confronted her pare
nts was maddening. For the next three years they hated to be around each other a
nd were only civil to one another if Bella was with them. Phil had destroyed her
family. It wasn't just Phil, it was mom too.
"Do- . . . does she have a family?" she sputtered. Please say no, please!
"I don't believe so," he sighed and sat on the end of the bed. "Bella, she was n
ever anything more than a fun time to me, and I know that that probably makes th
is worse, but I want you to know that she never held a piece of me."
"Your right," she snapped, "that does make it worse." Phil had actually loved he
r mother; at least the letters he had written her said he did. Did he really lov
e her? Alice's voice had somehow made its way into Bella's head now and she shoo
k it, trying to drive it out.
"As far as I know, she doesn't have a family," he choked out, outwardly showing
his pain from the knowledge of hers.
"Is that supposed to make this all better? She doesn't have a family, so it make
s what you've done less severe? Have you ever thought about how you've abused he
r emotionally by leading her on these last two years?" Her words came out more b
itter than she had meant, but they were out and there was nothing she could do n
ow.
Turning around, Bella sank against the door, sliding down along its length until
she was sitting on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest. Leaning her chi
n on top of her knees, she inhaled while taking in Edward's form.
He was hunched over while sitting on the end of the bed, his elbows resting on h
is knees while his face was planted in his upturned hands. He looked miserable,
which turned a switch in Bella's heart and she suddenly felt bad for him.
"Tell me about her?" Bella asked quietly and Edward's head raised, his eyes show
ing his confusion at her request.
"She's blond," he smirked and Bella rolled her eyes. "And just so you know," he
added, "I'm partial to brunettes, not blonds."
"Right," she said sarcastically, and for the first time since he stopped their f
evered kiss, he smiled genuinely.
"I really don't know much about her. When I'm in San Diego we may go out to dinn
er, but other than that and the one trip we took to Sea World, we just mainly st
ay in my hotel room."
"Do you love her?" she asked, unable to make eye contact.
"No."
"Why didn't you keep this a secret from me?" Her eyes lifted, meeting his, and a
lump immediately formed in her throat from the pain she saw in his melon eyes.
The melon eyes that she loved to see sparkling when he laughed or smiled, the me
lon eyes that held such warmth when they looked at her, and the melon eyes that
darkened when he touched her. Passion. God, there was passion in his eyes when h
e normally looked at her and she missed seeing it now.
"I needed to tell you because . . . well . . ." Edward's eyes closed for a momen
t and when he reopened them, that passion was burning behind them and Bella's he
art soared. Her Edward was back. He still looked to be hurting, but he hadn't lo
st the passion she was so desperate to see in him again. "Bella, I care for you
and I didn't want there to be any secrets between us especially this. Can you ev
er forgive me?
"How can you ask me that when you haven't even told me where you stand with her?
Do you still plan to see her when you go to San Diego?" Though she focused on t
he last part of what he had just said, her mind was going crazy over what he sai
d first he cared for her!
"It's over between us," he insisted.
"Does she know that?"
"No," he muttered. "I plan on telling her when I'm out there at the end of the m
onth." When he looked up and saw her sad eyes, he continued. "I can't do it over
the phone, Bella. I won't treat her like that."
"I don't expect you to," she mumbled, upset with herself for being angry that he
was going to see her in a couple of weeks.
"Tell me," he said, sounding eager and hopeful, "tell me there's still hope for
us."
"Us?" she asked, craziness starting to tingle in her heart at his implication.
"Yes, us. I know you feel it too, Bella."
"Yes, I feel it." She blushed, thinking about the electric current that coursed
through her veins whenever they touched. "But we can't . . . Edward," she forced
out, staring straight into his eyes, "We need to take things slow and, to be ho
nest, I can't be with you until you break things off with . . . what's her name?
"
"Jane," he said hoarsely.
"Jane," she whispered, staring at the floor.
An immeasurable period of time passed as they sat; Bella against the door and Ed
ward at the foot of the bed. Neither of them spoke, nor did they look at each ot
her and then a voice sounded in the room, giggling. Both their heads snapped to
each other and as realization hit, Bella jumped from the floor and ran into Edwa
rd's arms.
"This place is really creepy," she stuttered, burrowing her head into his chest.
It felt so good to feel his arms around her again and though she still hurt fro
m his revelation, she gave into her desire to be close to him. "Can we go to bed
now?" she begged softly against his skin.
"Yeah," he sighed and started to get up from the bed.
"Where're you going?" she asked forcefully, holding him down on the bed.
"I thought . . . I mean . . . I was just going to get some blankets for the floo
r."
Bella's teeth bit into her bottom lip as she looked up at him. "You can stay in
the bed with me," she said sheepishly. "I . . . the noises . . ." She looked up
at him expectantly. "If you wouldn't mind?"
"I don't want to take things too fast, Bella," he rasped.
"We won't," she squeaked. "I just thought you could . . . um, hold me?" It came
out as a question and she was suddenly nervous that he would turn her down. She
really had no idea where they actually stood, what he expected from her, or what
she expected from him. But at that moment, she just wanted to be held.
Edward's cockiness was back as he got under the covers of the bed and held out h
is arms for her. "Come here," he sighed slowly and she complied.
They lay in comfortable silence, Bella's head resting on Edward's chest, one arm
and one leg draped over him and his arms securely around her, holding her tight
. It felt wonderful for Bella to be in his embrace and she let herself enjoy the
moment, pushing the thoughts of Jane out of her mind.
"Thank you, Bella," Edward whispered against her hair before placing a kiss agai
nst it.
"For what?" She lifted her head to look at him.
"For listening to me; for letting me explain."
A slight, saddened smile covered her face before she laid her head back down on
his chest. "It's not over yet," she said quietly. "We still have to get through
your trip to San Diego."
"We?" he asked smugly.
"Shut up, Masen. You're supposed to be comforting me," she huffed and he chuckle
d before planting another kiss on her hair.
"Goodnight, Bella."
"Goodnight," she yawned back, snuggling further into his side.
~GO CUBS~
Standing in line at the Portillo's on West Ontario, Edward impatiently pinched t
he bridge of his nose. He wasn't sure how much time Bella would have for lunch,
but he was hoping she'd be able to give him some time. Having called and asked h
er to lunch this morning, he was a bit saddened by her refusal. She said she pla
nned to eat at her desk and get as much work done as she could before she met up
with Chad before class.
The thought of not seeing Bella today didn't sit well with Edward. He had to see
her, had to make sure that they were okay. The last time he saw her was at brea
kfast in Milwaukee on Sunday morning and it was awkward. When he had awoken yest
erday morning, Bella was still in bed with him, in his arms, her back to him. He
had pulled her in closer to him her back pressed against his chest and enjoyed
the feel of her there.
They lay like that for nearly an hour while he listened to the soft murmurings o
f her sleep talking. She said his name a couple of times along with two other na
mes; two names that angered him: Jane and Phil. It was obvious that she was havi
ng an unpleasant dream and when she woke up, she immediately flinched before rel
axing and smiling at him. She didn't seem to be upset to be in his arms, yet she
acted very shy and unsure of herself traits that he rarely saw on her he knew s
omething wasn't right.
Bella used the bathroom first, taking her whole bag into the small enclosure wit
h her. When she emerged, some twenty-five minutes later, she was fully dressed a
nd ready to go. Edward had been sitting back on the bed they had shared, watchin
g TV and when he got up to take his turn in the bathroom, she hurriedly excused
herself and left his room, telling him she'd meet him down in the hotel restaura
nt for breakfast.
"Next!"
Raising his head, Edward noticed a young lady behind the cash register at Portil
lo's staring at him. He quickly ordered three meals, one being for Angela as she
had told him what floor her and Bella worked on and also told him she'd meet hi
m when he got off the elevator. The least he could do was buy her lunch. He wasn
't sure what either of them would like, so he got them each one of his favorites
; a chili cheese dog and cheese fries.
Portillo's hotdogs were probably the best he'd ever tasted ever. There were a fe
w restaurants he considered to be like home, and Portillo's was one of them. He
always knew he was back in Chicago when he could sit back and eat a Chicago-styl
e dog from Portillo's, or even better yet, a chili cheese dog they had the best.
As Edward waited for their food to be finished, he thought back to breakfast at
the Pfister on Sunday morning. When he had gotten down to the restaurant, Bella
was already seated with Alice and Jazz. While saying 'hi' to some of the players
also in the restaurant, Edward made his way over to their table and everyone sm
iled warmly at him as he sat down next to Bella. Her smile was genuine and he re
laxed back in his chair, thankful that she wasn't acting awkward any more.
But breakfast was over quickly and he and Jazz had to get to the field by ten an
d they still needed to check-out. The girls were planning to walk around town be
fore the game and so Bella gave him a hug to say goodbye. He embraced her tightl
y, her body molding itself against him. How he hadn't noticed it before was beyo
nd Edward, but they fit together perfectly, as if they were two pieces of the sa
me whole that had been broken apart.
"Good luck," Bella whispered into his shoulder, her heart beating, pounding agai
nst her ribs and he smiled down, thrilled by the reaction he invoked in her.
"I'll call you later tonight," he said quietly, wanting no one to overhear their
conversation. When she smiled back at him, he bent his head and placed a kiss o
n her forehead. Seeing her blush from his simple affection made his day, but jus
t as fast as the kiss, Bella was walking away from him.
"42!"
Drawn out of his memories by another Portillo's employee, Edward walked up to th
e counter and grabbed the bags of food and drinks waiting for him. Ignoring the
many stares of the people around him, he made his way out of the restaurant and
jumped into his Volvo, hoping to make it to Bella's office in good time so their
food wouldn't get cold.
He felt like a delivery boy as he walked from the parking garage to Bella's buil
ding. Angela had told him that he'd need a visitor's pass to get past the securi
ty and that she'd submit his information so he could obtain one. Surprising Bell
a with lunch turned out to be a lot more work than he thought it would be. What
had happened to the days when you could just show up at someone's office and wal
k right in?
Upon approaching the security desk, Edward could tell they had been waiting for
him to show up. After a few autographs and a call to Angela, Edward had a sticke
r across his chest with his name and PWC written on it as he rode up the elevato
r to the fourteenth floor.
"Hi, Edward," Angela greeted him in the elevator lobby.
"Hey, thanks for helping me."
"Anytime. I've had to bother her with work for the past half hour to keep her fr
om heating up some soup. Here, let me take some of that for you."
Angela grabbed a bag from Edward and then led him to the glass doors of their of
fice. "Unfortunately, Jessica is already back from lunch."
Jessica. Edward had forgotten about her. Hopefully he'd be able to pass her by w
ithout any notice. "Is there another entrance?" he asked hopefully
"No," she groaned as she opened the doors.
As they entered, Edward heard Jessica before he saw her. She was talking loudly
and just the shrillness of her voice made him cringe. When he caught sight of he
r, she was sitting behind a large desk in the reception area with the office pho
ne pressed against her ear as her free hand willowed about dramatically.
It was obvious when she noticed Edward because her voice suddenly cut off, leavi
ng the room dreadfully quiet. "I've got to go, I'll call you back," she said hur
riedly before jumping out of her chair and rounding the desk.
"Edward!" she said enthusiastically. "We weren't expecting you today."
"Actually," Angela spoke sternly, "we were expecting him."
"You didn't go through me to get a visitor's pass for him," Jessica said with ex
tra sugar, eyes shooting daggers at the tall brunette.
"You weren't in the office when I made the request," Angela bit back and Edward
stifled a laugh. "Come on, Edward."
"It was nice seeing you again," he politely let out before following Angela past
the reception desk and into a room full of office cubicles.
When they made it to Bella's cube, Edward stood back while Angela stood in the o
pening, Bella's back to them. Her desk area was a bit messy, pieces of paper str
ewn along the three surfaces of the cube, a picture of her, Rosalie, and Emmett
in one corner, a picture of an older couple he assumed was her parents in the ot
her corner, and then a picture of her and Alice pinned to the wall, right next t
o multiple plain white pieces of paper with black typing on them. One looked to
be a list of phone numbers and another, a table of acronyms and their definition
s.
Angela quietly knocked on the fabric-coated wall of Bella's cube and without tur
ning around, Bella knew who it was. "What do you need, Ang?"
"Are you ready for lunch?" Angela asked with a smirk.
"I told you I don't have time for lunch," Bella said, turning in her chair, and
then her jaw dropped. "Edward?" she asked, eyeing the bags of food and drinks he
and Angela held. "What are you doing here?" Her eyebrows scrunched together, th
e skin between them puckering up.
"You said you couldn't meet me for lunch, so I thought I'd meet you instead." Hi
s cocky smile held her attention and she just stared at him.
"Um," Angela said, clearing her throat, "I'll leave you two to your lunch."
"Wait!" Edward stopped Angela. "I picked up something for you too for helping me
break through security and bypass Jessica."
After separating Angela's food out from theirs, Bella and Edward said goodbye to
their friend and then looked at each other. "So," Edward began, leaning his sid
e against her cube entrance. "Do you want to eat here?" He motioned to her tiny
cube with one chair. "Or do you have a lunch room we can go to?"
"Oh, yeah, of course," she stuttered before swiveling back toward her computer.
"Let me just save this and lock my screen."
Edward watched as she speedily typed a few things before saving her document and
then turned her AIM status to 'away'. "Are you ready to face a lunch room full
of Cubs fans?" she asked humorously. "I don't think I ever told you about Nick,"
she continued as she stood from her seat and grabbed the cup holder and drinks.
"Maybe we should find an empty conference room," he suggested.
"Oh, no, Masen. You decide to barge in and interrupt my work, you're gonna have
to put up with a little attention," she taunted.
"You're plain evil."
"But you love it."
The mischievous gleam in Bella's eyes excited Edward and he once again had hope
for them. They never spoke about where they stood relationship-wise. She had tol
d him that she couldn't be with him until after he broke things off with Jane. H
ad she meant that she couldn't be with him intimately, but she would date him, o
r did she mean she wouldn't even date him until his situation with Jane was over
? Take whatever she'll give you, moron.
As always, the break room TV was tuned to ESPN, which was currently showing high
lights of yesterday's MLB games. A round table consisting of five guys sat with
their lunches in front of them, watching the TV and talking amongst themselves a
bout the Cubs.
Swallowing nervously, Edward followed Bella to an empty table near the guys and
they sat down, her evil gleam still flickering in her eyes. "The guy behind you,
" she started in a whisper, "is a huge Cubs fan. If you think I'm scary, just wa
it, he takes the cake!"
Edward took a deep breath as he started emptying the contents of the single bag
they had left after giving Angela her lunch. He noticed that she sat at another
table with some girls, gossiping about celebrities as they skimmed through an is
sue of US Weekly.
"Do you normally sit with them?" he asked, motioning toward the table of girls.
"Sometimes," she shrugged. "I actually prefer to be at the table behind you." Th
e fiendish look was back in her eyes and he groaned.
"I hope you like chili cheese dogs," he said pulling one out and handing it to h
er.
Bella's eyes narrowed on him. "Did Ang tell you what to get me?"
"No, I took a guess. Cheese fries?" he queried, offering the little cup of chees
e to her.
"They have the best hotdogs at Portillo's," she started before she was interrupt
ed by loud whispers from the table behind Edward and she grinned wickedly at him
, lifting her eyebrows in amusement. "Maybe you should have worn my Mariners hat
today." Bella popped a fry dripping in cheese into her mouth and chewed as she
watched the mayhem behind him.
Luckily for Edward, the guys that had noticed him were too tongue-tied and star-
struck to go absolutely crazy. Instead, Nick approached them alone, sitting down
in a seat next to Bella, across from Edward him and his son's hero.
"Hey Bella," he said, his voice uneven from nerves.
"Hey Nick, this is my friend, Edward," she said, innocently fluttering her eyela
shes in Edward's direction as she pursed her lips around her straw and took a si
p from her coke.
"Edward," Nick said cautiously, holding out his hand for a shake.
"Bella has told me about you." Edward smiled. "It's nice to finally meet someone
who can rival Bella." Their hands shook a little longer than normal before Nick
finally released Edward's hand.
"She told you about me?" Nick beamed.
Edward turned his attention to Bella who was looking up at him through her eye l
ashes, biting down on her bottom lip. "She says you're a huge fan."
"I've watched the Cubs since I was a kid." His voice raised an octave.
"Have you been to any games this year?" Edward asked, making small talk.
"A couple. I'm still waiting for Bella to miss a game so I can take my oldest so
me day."
"I miss a lot of games, Nick," she huffed.
"But Marcus seems to always get your tickets," he teased her.
"How many kids do you have?" Edward asked.
"Two boys, six and three."
"I can get you four tickets to tomorrow's game if you'd like," Edward offered, s
hrugging his shoulders.
"Seriously?" Nick asked surprised, glancing back and forth between a shocked Bel
la and a sincere Edward.
"Sure, it's not a problem. Just give your name at the ticket office tomorrow."
"Thanks, man!" Nick exclaimed and then nervously looked at his friends staring a
t him from the other table. "I'll let you get back to lunch."
"What was all that about?" Bella whispered once Nick was gone, her head leaning
over the table to get closer to Edward.
"I just thought I'd give your friend some tickets. You did say he was a bigger f
an than you, right?"
"Yeah, but you don't need to pass out tickets to my friends, Edward, it makes me
feel uncomfortable." Her eyes were scrunched together, the adorable pucker show
ing up on the skin between them.
"Relax and enjoy your dog, Swan." Edward took another bite from his and watched
her scowl down, begrudgingly chewing as she glowered at him. "If it'll make you
feel any better," he continued after taking a sip of his coke, "I can give your
two tickets away too."
Their lunch didn't last long and Bella needed to get back to work. It was hard f
or Edward because he had the whole day off and all he wanted to do was spend it
with her, but she'd be at her class tonight.
"Will you call me when you get home from class?" he asked, walking next to Bella
as she led him to the doors that would take him to the elevator lobby.
"Sure, I shouldn't be too late, it gets out at nine. Although, we may get out ea
rlier, it's all presentations tonight."
"Are you giving yours tonight?"
"No," she mumbled. "Chad and I have ours next week."
"So you could skip then?" he asked, cocking one brow, hoping she'd play hooky so
they could go out tonight.
"I wish it were that easy," she whispered, leading him past the reception area.
They paused at the glass doors, ignoring the curly, brown mop of hair behind the
 desk. They looked at each other, delicately leaning in, watching each other's m
ovements until they were practically touching. Jessica's voice no longer trilled
out behind the desk and Edward was sure that she was staring at them.
Taking a chance, he pulled Bella to him, his arms wrapping gently around her. "H
ave a good day, Bella," he whispered against her ear, placing a kiss where his l
ips had vibrated against her skin.
"Thanks for lunch." Her muffled voice was barely heard, but he felt her hot brea
th seep through his clothes, tickling his skin underneath.
When he pulled back to let her go, the look in Bella's eyes fueled him. She wasn
't looking at him with her usual adorable eyes bright with mischief, but with ho
oded eyes, darker than normal, something burning deep within them. He swallowed
twice as the charge between them flickered against his skin, and then he leaned
down, cupping his right hand behind her neck, planting a chaste kiss on her lips
. Only Bella wanted more and her arms went around his shoulders, pulling him in
for a moment longer, not that he would complain.
When he finally pulled back, he flashed his cocky, lopsided smile, enjoying the
red flush that tinted her cheeks. "I'll talk to you later," he said hoarsely and
it was her turn to smirk cockily at him.
~GO CUBS~
Jane glanced nervously in the rearview mirror. It had been twenty-two minutes si
nce she packed everything she needed from her trailer along with Bobby and his s
uitcase, and left her home for the last time. The only thing she left behind was
a packet full of divorce papers on the table for Carlos.
Today would be hard for both her and Bobby, but she needed to do it. As much as
she wished she could take him to Chicago with her, she just knew Edward wouldn't
be ready for him yet. She'd have to break the news to him gently, after she had
been living with him for a while.
The thought of being with Edward every day, waking up in his arms each morning a
nd going to bed after making love to him at night thrilled her. Ever since meeti
ng him, he was all she thought about and she treasured the time they did get to
be together whenever the Cubs were in town.
"Your daddy has a new wife now," Jane said, saddened that another woman would so
on be taking care of her son. "I expect you to mind them both."
"Will you come back for me?"
Jane would always be amazed at how perceptive her seven year old son was. All sh
e told him was that he was going on a vacation to his father's house, yet he cou
ld tell that something wasn't right. It broke her heart to have to do this, but
she wanted a better life for him. She had to snag Edward he was the only light i
n her miserable existence, the only way out of the tunnel.
"Once I get everything settled in our new house," she stuttered, fighting the te
ars that threatened to fall down her cheeks. "Baby, we're gonna live in a big ho
use now! You're gonna have a humongous room with lots of toys you're gonna love
it!"
Her eyes strayed to the little boy sitting in the seat next to her. She had made
sure to give him a bath this morning and it was remarkable how different he loo
ked without the smudges of dirt all over his face, arms, and legs. She always th
ought he was darker from the sun, but apparently his color washed off. Not only
would their new life bring them comforts they had never known, but she'd have th
e time to become a better mom. With Edward's salary, she wouldn't need to work a
nd she could stay home and take care of him properly.
Bobby's head turned to look out the window, ignoring her word-filled promises an
d she sighed. She couldn't understand how they had grown so distant toward each
other. He was her little baby boy, but recently, he had seemed so detached. Mayb
e spending some time with his father would be a good thing for him. A sick feeli
ng engulfed her, her nerves acting up again.
Rob didn't even know that she was bringing Bobby to stay with him and his new wi
fe. The only reason she even knew how to find Rob was from the address on his ch
ild support checks that he sent each month. Other than that, they had no communi
cation, even though Rob had scheduled visits with Bobby every other weekend. At
first he showed up for every single one, but once he got remarried and had anoth
er child with his new wife, he had stopped coming. At least the checks still arr
ived.
Jane's cell phone went off and she flinched from the ring, scared to see if it w
as Carlos. But when she looked at the caller ID, it said, 'PRIVATE'. She only kn
ew one person who called her with a private number and the thought of that perso
n sent butterflies in her stomach.
"Don't say anything while mommy's on the phone, Bobby," she said quickly before
answering. "Hello?"
"Jane?"
"Edward! I was just thinking about you!"
"Um, I just wanted to call and let you know that I'll be in town on the twenty-s
econd."
"Should I meet you at the hotel for lunch?" Hearing Edward's voice again was mak
ing her giddy, especially since she hadn't expected him to call this early. Mayb
e he was just as excited to see her as she was to see him.
"Actually, we'll be getting in later than normal," he said shortly and Jane sudd
enly became worried. His voice sounded different to her, strained.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Yeah, everything's fine. Can we meet up after the game Friday night?"
This conversation was turning out to be weird. They always met up before the gam
e and had a little fun in his room first. Why did he not want to see her as soon
as he could? "Sure," she finally replied. "How about the usual place?"
"That sounds fine. I'll call you after the game and let you know when I'm on my
way."
"I ca " She was cut off by a click on the other end. "Edward?" she asked confused
.
"Are we almost there?" Bobby whined from his seat.
"What did I tell you?" she shrieked, glaring at her son, who recoiled in his sea
t and turned his head to look back out at the scenery passing them by.
She couldn't believe the way Edward had just blown her off. Normally when he cal
led, they talked a little after making their plans. And what was up with him not
wanting to see her before the game. Fuck! She had just realized that he didn't
mention tickets for her for the games while he was going to be in town. Somethin
g wasn't right.
The insides of her stomach churned while she thought about her plan B. It wasn't
really something that she wanted to resort to, especially since it would mean s
he'd have to remain here, in California, for a bit longer than she wanted. And w
here would she go? She wasn't sure if Mila and Dom would be okay with her extend
ing her stay with them. She had told them it would only be until the twenty-seco
nd of May. But that date was dependant on Edward's reaction to her plan A. I'm s
o screwed.
Looking over at Bobby, she realized it could be longer than she anticipated unti
l she saw him again. But she would definitely come back for him. When all was sa
id and done and everything fell into place, she would come back and get him.
"Don't ever forget that I love you," she said quietly as her right hand reached
out and ran through his dirty blond hair.
"I know, mom," he scowled, pulling his head away from her loving hands.

Chapter 15 May 12 14, 2009

Driving up to Winnetka was second nature to Edward. It was where he grew up as a
kid; his parent's home right on a golf course where both of them played regular
ly. The schools and parks were all the same from when he grew up in the town. Ha
lf the neighbors, if not more, were all the same as well. His childhood friends'
families all lived in the same houses it was like going back in time whenever h
e entered Winnetka.
His mother had called early this morning and after a few minutes of conversation
, he found himself agreeing to have lunch with her. In all honesty, he was thril
led to see her again. Though they lived about twenty miles apart, a thirty minut
e drive give or take a traffic light, they rarely saw each other during the seas
on. He was hoping to have lunch with Bella again today but absence makes the hea
rt grow fonder, he reminded himself. He frowned, knowing that not seeing Bella r
ight now was better than over-burdening her with his presence. They had spoken o
n the phone Monday night after she returned from class, staying up until one in
the morning. Maybe it was best to give her some time alone.
His parent's home a large, white, French Normandy manor had been in the family f
or the past couple of generations, originally built for his great-grandparents,
William Edward Masen and his wife Sarah. When they passed away, Edward's grandpa
rents, Edward Anthony Masen Sr. and his wife, Violet, moved in for a few years b
efore giving the house to his parents, Edward Anthony Masen Jr. and his wife, El
izabeth. It had been through many renovations over the past eighty-years, but no
ne more-so than since Edward Anthony Masen III had been born.
The manor now had an indoor and outdoor pool along with a batting cage in the at
tic, which was put in when Edward started playing high school ball. The things h
is parents did for him, to help him achieve everything he dreamed of, he would a
lways be thankful for. Edward had never gone through a rebellious stage growing
up. For some reason, he was able to skip that part of life, even when his friend
s had gone through it. It all had to do with respect, and Edward respected his p
arents a great deal. Yes, they burdened him with rules about where, when, and wi
th whom he could do things with, but on the other hand, they provided him with e
verything he ever needed and were always there for him with honesty, love, and o
pen arms.
The black and white checkered tiles of the entryway welcomed Edward home as he s
tepped over the threshold and breathed in deeply, enjoying the smell of home. Th
ere was a certain scent that his parents' house always held. Maybe it was from h
is mom's cooking, or even the type of cleaner she used on the tile and hard wood
floors that filled the huge house, but whatever it was, the smell always settle
d his nerves, comforting him, making him feel relaxed.
"Mom!" he called out, walking down toward the kitchen, where he assumed she'd be
. "Mom!"
"Eddie!" She said excitedly, wrapping her arms around her only child. "I'm so gl
ad you came by!"
Pulling back from his mother's embrace, Edward looked down at her hazel eyes and
auburn hair. He had gotten his hair color, fair complexion, and lips from his m
other, but his green eyes, aristocratic nose, and jaw structure from his father
he was the perfect combination of the two. "You look beautiful," he sighed, cast
ing a crooked smile across his face.
She playfully slapped him on his arm. "You and your father, always full of compl
iments," she teasingly complained. "Now go sit down on the porch, I'll bring lun
ch right out."
"I can help," he offered, following her into the kitchen, from which she had ori
ginally emerged.
"All right, take these on out," she said, handing him a tray full of plates, for
ks, napkins, glasses, and a carafe of ice tea.
She and Edward ate in perfect silence while they watched birds flit from tree to
tree in the expansive back yard. The golf course wasn't too far away, Edward co
uld see one of the greens in the not too far-off distance, but it was far enough
so that their yard was still private. There didn't seem to be many people out g
olfing today. He remembered how bad it could get on a Sunday during the summer m
onths and smiled at his mom.
"What's that for?" She asked, wondering what had made her little boy so happy.
"Just remembering when I was a kid," he mused, mischief twinkling behind his gre
en eyes. "I used to stand right over there," he motioned with his hand, "and sho
ot balls at the green." His face turned red as he laughed, remembering his mom y
elling at him to stop.
"You were always up to no good," she teased him, taking another bite of her sand
wich.
"I'm so glad you kept the place." A few years back his parents had considered se
lling his childhood home, a home that had been in the Masen family for three gen
erations now. It wasn't that he expected them to pass it down to him some day, b
ut he had envisioned his own kids running around the yard, splashing in the pool
, hitting golf balls out at the green. The kids looked different in his mind now
. They no longer had auburn hair like him and his mother and green eyes like him
and his father. No, the kids he envisioned now had mahogany colored hair with d
eep brown doe eyes.
"I'm glad too," she answered, her thoughts in a far-off place.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Just reminiscing like you," she smiled brightly. "Actually, I was wondering whe
n I would hear the pitter patter of little feet in this house again." Her soft e
yes prodded Edward's and watched as he took a deep breath and smirked at her.
"Is this your way to try and get information out of me?"
"Information about what?" She asked, trying to sound innocent.
"If you want to know about Bella, just ask."
"So it's true? You're finally in a serious relationship?"
"No," he sighed, not sure what to classify his relationship with Bella as. He st
ill didn't know where they stood and he couldn't explain it all to his mom she d
idn't know about Jane. "Bella and I are close friends, that's all."
"Close friends don't kiss each other the way you two do," she retorted, her eyes
narrowing on him.
"Look, it's complicated," he exhaled, placing his napkin on the table next to hi
s plate.
"Eddie," she sighed, "true love always is." She patted his hand across the table
and he looked at her, watching her hazel eyes twinkle. Depending on the color s
hirt she wore, they changed color. Today, they looked almost perfectly green, on
ly they had a splash of gold around her pupils.
"You can get that," she said when Edward's cell phone rang.
Looking down at the screen on his cell, Edward saw that it was Bella, but wasn't
sure if answering in front of his mother was a good idea she'd probably want to
talk to her, so he placed it on the table in front of him. "It can wait." He sm
iled softly and then took another bite of his sandwich.
His mom wasn't having any of that. She was sure it was Bella calling, so she gra
bbed her son's phone, pleading him with her eyes to let her answer. His eyes lif
ted in disbelief, and then he shook his head and raised his hand, giving her per
mission to answer. Please don't refer to me as Eddie. His mom was the only perso
n allowed to call him that anymore. As a kid, it was all he was ever known as, b
ut as he grew older and wanted a more mature name, the only two options he could
come up with were Ed or Edward. His father and grandfather both went by Ed and
so he decided to go with Edward. No one called him Eddie anymore, except for his
mom.
"Hello," Elizabeth said in a jovial voice followed by a pause. "Are you looking
for Edward?" Another pause, and then she giggled. Edward sat back in his seat, f
inally relaxing as he listened to his mom talk to Bella.
"This is his mom . . . oh, no, please call me Elizabeth. I haven't heard enough
about you yet." Elizabeth looked up at her son then and smirked the same smirk h
e always used. "So tell me, how is it you come to know my son?
"So you're a Cubs fan?" Elizabeth's eyes shot up to look at Edward again they tw
inkled with the same mischief his did as a boy. "Really? Is it empty tonight . .
. Oh, that's too bad," she frowned slightly and Edward wondered what they were
talking about. He tried to grab the phone away from her, but she shooed him away
.
"Tomorrow night? Really? I'd love to come. It's so nice for you to invite me." E
lizabeth beamed at her son, the twinkle in her eyes turning from mischief to lov
e.
"Where should I meet you?" she continued. "Oh, that's a good idea, anywhere in t
he area is good for me . . . I like all kinds of food, you decide . . . oh, that
's fine, the more the merrier!
"It was nice talking to you," she crooned, standing up and walking over to stand
next to Edward. "I'll put Eddie on now. See you tomorrow, Bella."
Edward's cell phone was shoved into his hands and he stared at it for a moment,
and then looked up at his mom, liking the happiness he saw in the crease of her
eyes. Putting the phone against his ear, he took a deep breath. "Hello?"
"Eddie?" Bella laughed on the other end.
"What do you want, Swan?" he said dryly, earning him a disapproving glare from h
is mom. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her, apologizing with his eyes.
"I just thought I'd call to see if you wanted to meet for lunch," she said meekl
y and his smile grew bigger.
"I'm sorry I didn't call," he sighed. "My mom called me early this morning and "
"No need to explain," she cut in. "You're mom seems very nice, I can't wait to m
eet her tomorrow."
"What exactly are you two gonna be doing?" His mom had left the porch, giving hi
m some privacy as she cleaned up their lunch dishes.
"She's coming to the Cubs game with me my extra seat was empty."
"I'll pay you for the ticket," he said automatically, without thinking.
"You'll do no such thing!" she exclaimed, a little too loudly. "I'm taking your
mom out tomorrow, it's between her and I, and you have no say in this."
"You have a date with my mom?"
"Jealous?" She giggled and Edward could tell that she was enjoying teasing him.
"Yes," he sighed. "You've been out with Jake on a date and now you're going out
with my mom, but you haven't let me take you out."
"You know the reason behind that," she murmured quietly, reminding him of the on
e thing standing in their way.
"Jane," he groaned.
There was an unsettling silence over the phone and Edward closed his eyes, regre
tting speaking Jane's name. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I "
"How about you plan a perfect first date for when you return from California ins
tead of apologizing to me again?"
"The perfect first date?"
"You've had all this time to plan and prepare," she taunted him. "I'm afraid my
expectations are pretty high."
"Are they, now?"
"Mmhmm."
"Okay, the perfect first date," he mused. "I'm sure I'll score better than the g
uys Alice set you up with."
"Score?" she choked.
"Ah, that's not what I meant." Edward's face immediately turned red, just in tim
e for Elizabeth to walk back in the room and take notice. "I just meant that . .
. we'll talk about this later, Swan."
"Don't want to get into that conversation with your mom in the room?"
"Something like that."
"All right, I'll let you off the hook. I'll talk to you later?"
"I won't get home until late after the game tonight." Edward scowled down at the
table, aware that his mom was watching him. "How about I take you out to lunch
tomorrow?"
"I can't tomorrow," Bella said regretfully. "We have this stupid lunch training.
They seriously think they can get more out of us by scheduling training during
our lunch hour. All they end up doing is screwing us out of an hour break that i
s legally owed to us while they feed us cheap, disgusting food as we day dream a
bout other things while they speak about nonsense. It's really counter-productiv
e."
"What do you daydream about, Bella?" He leaned back in his chair waiting for her
answer until he saw his mom's disappointed scowl. Shit, she taught me to be a g
entleman. "Never mind, you don't need to answer that," he mumbled.
"I've got to get going, Eddie. Maybe I'll catch your eye at the game tonight," s
he teased. "Oh, and think about our first date, Eddie, I know I will be."
"I'll see you later, Bella." Edward sat in his chair, dazed by her parting words
to him. She'll be thinking about our first date.
"Is everything all right?"
"Yeah," he said, coming back down to reality once he heard his mom's voice. "I j
ust have a lot on my mind."
"She seems like a very nice girl," his mother said, looking intently at him.
"Mom, if you and Dad ever want tickets to a game, you know all you have to do is
ask, right?"
"Of course. It's just that your Dad has been so busy lately getting ready for a
trial and it's no fun going to the games alone."
"If you had asked me, I would've gotten you and Bella seats together."
"Why would you do that when she has season tickets? That's just a waste. Besides
, she told me that we'd get a better view of you at the plate from her seats."
~GO CUBS~
"How is it that you all know my son?" Elizabeth asked, staring at the four peopl
e sitting around the table with her. Directly to her left was a cute little girl
named Alice, who had a wise look about her, and next to Alcie sat a beautiful b
lond named Rosalie, who looked like she had been sucking on a lemon all day. Nex
t to Rosalie was a big burly man with curly hair and the cutest dimples named Em
mett and then between her and Emmett was Bella.
Elizabeth was ecstatic to finally meet Bella, the beautiful woman that had her s
on glowing with love. It didn't go unnoticed to her yesterday how Eddie's eyes s
parkled and the corners of his mouth twisted up into a smile whenever he spoke a
bout her.
"Alice is dating Jazz Whitlock," Bella stated, a stunning smile on her face and
Elizabeth's heart grew larger, providing more space for Bella. "Jazz and Edward
are good friends and Alice is my roommate, so we all just sort of met at a bar o
ne night after a game."
"Well, he speaks very highly of you all," Elizabeth said pointedly, her gaze foc
used on Bella. "Do you guys come here often before the games?" She took a bite o
f her cheeseburger, enjoying the taste as she waited for someone to answer her.
"Not really," Bella replied after swallowing a bite of her burger. "We normally
grab a dog or sausage at the park and eat while watching the players warm up and
stretch." A light blush tinted Bella's cheeks and she looked down.
"Well, the food here is very good. You'll have to bring Edward here sometime."
"This place is way too close to Wrigley Field for him to venture into," Bella re
plied, wiping at her face with her napkin. "He tends to gravitate toward dive ba
rs or places he can go unnoticed."
"Yeah, I guess being who he is puts him in a place where he couldn't enjoy a bar
with a huge picture of Wrigley Field on the wall." Elizabeth laughed before tak
ing a sip of her drink, relaxing as she saw everyone else laugh along with her.
She felt a bit out of place, being the oldest one in the group, but her anxiety
was starting to dwindle.
"So," Emmett goaded Elizabeth, "can you tell us anything we can tease Eddie abou
t?"
"Emmett," Bella scolded, but Elizabeth laughed, wiping her mouth with her napkin
.
"It's okay," she told Bella. "I have a good feeling about this guy." Elizabeth w
inked at Emmett, drawing out the cutest dimples in his cheeks when he smiled bac
k. "One thing that always gets him going is when people talk about West Side Sto
ry."
"Why's that?" Bella asked, intrigued.
"He played Tony in his High School's production and was teased relentlessly by t
he guys on his baseball team. He did such a good job though."
"Isn't that the play you did in High School?" Emmett asked Bella, a wicked gleam
lighting up his eyes.
"Yes," she mumbled in reply, her face turning an adorable shade of pink.
"Let me guess," Alice joined in before looking at Rose, nodding, and then lookin
g back at Bella. "You played Maria!"
"Yes, and I hated every minute of it. The only reason I got the part was because
I was the only girl who tried out that looked somewhat Puerto Rican."
"You don't look Puerto Rican," Rose insisted, her lips puckering up even more.
"Exactly!" Bella exclaimed, rolling her eyes.
"I'm sure you did a great job," Elizabeth said supportively, grasping Bella's ha
nd.
"No, actually she didn't," Emmett said seriously. "She has a hard time singing i
n key. Simon would chew her up and spit her out if she ever auditioned for Ameri
can Idol."
"Thanks, Em," Bella said dryly. "Can we change the topic?"
"I don't know," Rose piped in. "Edward was Tony and you were Maria? It seems lik
e destiny," she said dreamily, fluttering her eyelashes mockingly.
Everyone at the table laughed except for Bella, who buried her head in her hands
. "I never should have invited you guys to dinner with us," she moaned. "You're
supposed to be my friends."
"Ooh!" Alice jumped in her seat excitedly. "Did you tell Elizabeth about our tri
p to Milwaukee?"
"We haven't heard about that either," Emmett chimed in and Rosalie looked at him
cockily.
"You mean you haven't heard about it. I know all about what happened." Her eyes
roamed over to Bella, giving her a knowing smile, piquing Elizabeth's interest i
n the subject.
"Tell them, Bella," Alice nearly whined.
"It was nothing, really, just some haunted hotel."
"It was more than nothing, Bella!" Alice shrieked before taking over, telling ev
eryone at the table about Bella's hotel room and how she found the door and the
blinds in Bella's room wide open and how Bella heard weird noises while she was
sleeping.
"You stayed in a haunted room all by yourself?" Emmett asked, surprised.
"Not exactly," Bella replied nervously. "Edward offered to sleep on the floor, b
ut I didn't want to stay in my room, so we stayed in his. And for the record," s
he said pointedly, her eyes boring into Emmett's before looking over to Elizabet
h apologetically, "nothing happened. It was all very innocent. He was concerned
for my safety."
"Of course," Elizabeth interrupted, grabbing Bella's hand again. "We wouldn't th
ink anything otherwise," she said, then looked over to Emmett. "Would we, Emmett
?"
"You're teaming up on me now? Edward's not going to believe the two of you are g
etting along so well." Bella shook her head in wonderment.
"Actually, I'm sure he suspects exactly that," Elizabeth purred. "I can tell he'
s nervous by the amount of times he's texted me since we've been here. How many
times has he texted you?"
Bella stared wide-eyed at Elizabeth, not sure how to take her. "Um," she hummed,
trying hard to remember the question. "Let me check . . . six times since I tal
ked to him a few hours ago," she mumbled.
"His last text to me was a threat," Elizabeth stated. "He's so nervous I'll say
something embarrassing. Like the fact that he slept with a teddy bear until he w
ent off to college."
The whole table erupted in laughter, Emmett's booming voice overpowering everyon
e else's. "What else?" Emmett asked, coming down from his high.
They spent a few moments longer at the bar at Edward's expense before heading ov
er to Wrigley Field. There were a couple things waiting for them at the park whe
n they arrived. First, all the girls got Cubs makeup bags as they entered the pa
rk and they all 'Oohed' and 'Aaahed' over their new bags, unzipping them and loo
king inside, each of them trying to figure out what they'd use it for.
Secondly, the player's wives organization had put together an autograph signing
session before the game and a few of the players were at large tables throughout
the ball park signing autographs. Elizabeth and Bella both texted Edward to see
if he was out signing, asking where he was.
"Argh! He's on the other side of the park!" Bella groaned.
"Let's go see him!" Elizabeth grabbed a hold of Bella's arm and pulled her along
.
"Hey, get me an autograph!" Emmett yelled out to their retreating forms.
"Okay, he told me to just walk up to the security guard and tell them who we are
, they'll be expecting us."
Elizabeth looked over at the woman walking next to her, seeing the inner beauty
that she knew her son must see in her as well. Bella was like a breath of fresh
air to her. The many years of Edward's indiscretions and treating women as toys
that he could play with for a moment and then discard so easily had hurt her; bu
t whenever she brought up the subject with him, he tuned her out, ignoring her.
Yesterday had been the happiest she had seen her son since he'd realized what a
cold-hearted bitch Lauren was.
Putting an arm around Bella's shoulders, she leaned in and squeezed her gently.
"I'm so glad my son has found you," she whispered as they approached the line of
people lined up for Edward's autograph, leaving Bella no time to reply.
After explaining to the security guard who they were, they were led up to the fr
ont of the line to see Edward behind moans and disapproving looks from everyone
in line. "Hey!" Edward bellowed to the disapproving crowd. "This is my mom!" Eve
ryone quieted down after he spoke and he leaned in, embracing her first before w
rapping his arms around Bella and planting a kiss on her cheek.
"We don't want to keep you from your fans," Elizabeth gushed with pride. "We jus
t wanted to stop by and say hi." Her heartbeat picked up as she watched her son
and Bella together. Neither of them could keep their eyes off the other and they
both oriented themselves around the other, almost touching, but not quite. She
could tell that whatever was going on between them was still very new.
"Before we go, Emmett would love an autograph," Bella suggested.
"Would he now?" Edward asked cockily and Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Some things
never change.
"Oh, and make it good. He and your mom are conspiring against us."
Edward sat back down at the table, grabbed a picture, and then winked at Bella b
efore writing on the bottom corner. He then pulled another picture over and wrot
e on that one as well before giving both of them to Bella. "One of them's for yo
u."
"I don't need "
"Just take it, Bella. I'll see you two later."
Bella and Elizabeth watched him for a few minutes after they took a couple steps
away. He was very good with his fans, talking to them before signing his pictur
e. "He's a natural," Elizabeth sighed next to Bella. "So, what did he write on y
our picture?"
"Let's see," Bella responded as she looked at the two pictures she held in her h
and. "Figures," she laughed as she handed one of them to Elizabeth.
"'Bella'," Elizabeth read aloud. "'Here's something for you to throw darts at. Y
our BFF, Edward'." Elizabeth cocked any eyebrow at Bella, looking so much like h
er son. "Your BFF?"
"Private joke," Bella laughed. "Here, look at the one he signed for Emmett, he's
gonna flip!"
Elizabeth looked over Bella's shoulder and read, "'Em, I'm thinking about you. L
ove, hugs, and kisses, Edward Masen #13'. Emmett will be able to sell this on Eb
ay to someone named Emily or Emma." Elizabeth shook her head while she laughed,
falling into step next to Bella as they made their way to their seats.
Elizabeth really enjoyed her time with Bella and her friends, but was disappoint
ed to find that sweet, little Alice didn't get to sit with them. Bella promised
that the next time she wanted to come to a game they'd have Edward get them tick
ets so they could sit near Alice. But Bella's seats were perfect for when Edward
was up at bat; Bella had been right about that.
Before Edward stepped into the batter's box, he'd look up and make eye contact w
ith Bella, giving her a small intimate smile or a wink. Elizabeth had never seen
him act like that for any girl even Lauren and she hoped that things would work
out for the two of them. If there was one thing she learned today, it was that
Edward and Bella's relationship was very new and fragile. It was delightful to w
atch them together for the short time they got to talk to him. It almost looked
like he had to restrain himself from touching her and Bella looked the same way
toward him.
What's holding them back? She could tell that something was keeping them from be
ing together, but she just didn't understand what. She knew that Edward was sing
le, so there was nothing on his end that could keep them apart, but what about B
ella? Was there someone else in her life? No, she decided. The way Bella looked
at her son, she could tell he was the only one who kept her attention. She'd hav
e to invite them out for dinner or lunch some day and get down to the bottom of
it all.
~GO CUBS~
Bella wore a new Cubs shirt to the game on Thursday afternoon. Edward noticed it
as soon as he saw her sitting in the stands behind the visitor's dugout. It was
 Cubbie blue with a red number 13 and the word Masen across the chest followed b
y the Cubs logo. The sight of her wearing his name on her chest made his heart s
well with pride. They may not be officially dating, but in Edward's eyes, the sh
irt was a declaration of sorts. She was his.
It had been such a long time since they actually got to spend any quality time t
ogether. Other than their quick thirty-minute lunch on Monday, the last time the
y actually sat down and really talked was Saturday night in Milwaukee. That conv
ersation had been strained once Edward had brought up Jane, but that kiss. Edwar
d often thought about that kiss. It was different than the other kisses they had
shared. Bella had freely given her full self to him in that kiss. She held noth
ing back, and neither did he.
"That's so cute," Towne sneered from Edward's side on the field. Edward was play
ing catch with Cullen and Towne had walked up from behind.
"What's cute?" Edward asked, taking the bait.
"Your little girlfriend is wearing your shirt."
"It's not my shirt," Edward bit, turning his attention away from Towne, focusing
once more on the ball flying through the air toward his head and catching it.
"Then you won't mind if I try to remove it . . ."
The glove and ball in Edward's left hand fell to the ground as he charged into T
owne, pushing him back. The fans' reaction from the stands near them caused Edwa
rd to pause, allowing him to stop himself from making a big mistake. "I don't ca
re what it is that you and your wife do but stay away from us. Bella and I are n
ot interested in your games."
"Edward?" Cullen called as he ran up to the two, holding up his hand to hold bac
k a couple other players, but Aro still advanced on them.
"What's going on boys?" Aro asked as he made it to the three men.
"Nothing," Edward spat, bending over to pick up his glove and the ball he had di
scarded.
"Towne?" Aro asked when he noticed the other man still had his chest pushed out
and hands balled up in fists.
"You keep him off me, coach!" he growled in response, throwing his hands up and
backing away from the other men.
Aro turned his glare on Edward, who tried to ignore him. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," Edward muttered. "It won't happen again." Edward's right hand palmed the
ball and he looked down at his fingers, his mind totally far away from the game
ahead of them.
"We've only got a couple more minutes on the field. Get back in the game, Masen.
" With his parting words, Aro left the remaining two men, Edward watching his re
treating form.
"What did he say?" Carlisle asked.
"It doesn't matter," Edward rasped out. "Go on, let's finish this."
Carlisle ran back to where he originally started and Edward threw the ball to hi
m, his mind focusing on the game ahead, pushing Towne and his comments out of hi
s head. After they finished throwing, it was time to head back into the dugout t
o get ready for the National Anthem. Edward's eyes roamed over to where Bella sa
t; proudly wearing her Cubs shirt and baseball hat, and holding a Cubs golf towe
l the free handout at Wrigley today. She caught him looking and smiled at him, m
aking his whole day. He couldn't wait to see her after the game.
Edward had a great game. His fielding was spot-on, at one point picking up a gro
und ball and stepping on second base before throwing it to first for the double-
play. He also went 3-4 at bat, hitting two triples and a double, scoring twice.
One thing he was aware of the whole game, was Bella sitting in the stands, twirl
ing her towel along with the other fans, cheering him on. He had never had a gir
lfriend come to all his games and support him before and it felt great. She's no
t your girlfriend yet. Yet . . . that word hung in his thoughts as he showered i
n the locker room after the Cubs 11-3 win over the San Diego Padres. Just thinki
ng of the name of the team they had just beat made him feel sick to his stomach.
Edward and Jazz finished getting ready and grabbed a bite to eat at the club hou
se before heading out to meet their friends at a local dance club. It had been a
while since Edward had willingly agreed to go to a dance club and he figured Be
lla didn't have a say as to where they went either since she hated to dance. All
he knew were the instructions Jazz told him and the complaints that Bella sent
him via text messages on his phone, which he didn't get until he was in his car.
He had to dress nice, no jeans or t-shirts, so Edward had on a pair of charcoal
grey pants and a white button down shirt with a blue and green embroidered drago
n on one half of the front. Bella's texts warned him of the crowd outside the cl
ub, especially for a Thursday night and how they were in the VIP section, appare
ntly using his and Jazz's names, so they had to show up. He laughed as he finish
ed reading her messages, the last one threatening him if he didn't arrive soon.
Walking up to the crowd out front of the club, he caught up to Jazz, whom was wa
iting for him off to the side. "Whose idea was this?" Edward growled, not hiding
his dislike for the place. He had to bring Lauren here a lot.
"It'll be fun. Alice has been dying to come here for a while."
"Figures, I'd say she's more like an ogre than a pixie at this moment though."
"Come on," Jazz groaned, walking up to the bouncer and cutting in front of all t
he people waiting to get in.
Upon entering the club, Edward took a moment to adjust his eyes to the darkness
of the room and the smoke that thickened the air. His ears hurt from the loud th
umping of the music and the strobe lights annoyed him. This was not his idea of
fun. All he wanted to do was find Bella right away and maybe talk her into leavi
ng.
"Where are they?" he asked, leaning over to yell in Jazz's ear.
"She said they'd be by the bar in the back."
As they made their way to the back, past the dance floor, Edward let his eyes ro
am over the crowd. The people surrounding him were a bit scary in some ways and
he avoided eye contact with any of them. His only hope was that Bella would be m
ore than eager to leave this place after a dance. Yes, he wanted to dance with h
er first, it had been a while since her last lesson.
Edward kept his eyes on the crowd; not really looking at anyone in particular un
til he heard a high-pitched squeal and Alice came bounding toward Jazz, throwing
 herself into his arms. At that point, Edward looked in the direction from where
the little pixie had bolted from and he saw her.
Bella was standing with her back against a pillar and a glass of beer in her han
d, staring up at a tall dark-haired man who was leaning in toward her. But that'
s not what caught Edward's attention the most. Bella was wearing a deep blue dre
ss that hung on her, accentuating all her curves and stopping mid-thigh revealin
g more skin than he'd ever seen her show while out in public. It was a plain dre
ss compared to the flashy outfits of the crowd around them, but sexy and elegant
with the way the material gathered between her breasts and fell loosely down he
r torso.
Edward paused and stared at her. He had yet to see her wear anything but jeans,
black work pants, or pajamas. Her legs were long and toned, beautiful, silky-loo
king and his palms itched at the thought of running up along them, caressing her
skin. Closing his eyes, Edward took a deep breath, trying to think of something
other than the enchanting beauty before him, struggling to restrain his sudden
arousal.
When he opened up his eyes again, he noticed Bella's right hand playing with one
of her earrings while her eyes strayed in his direction. With a smirk, Edward w
alked over to Bella and wrapped one arm around her waist, ignoring the man that
she was talking to. He leaned his head down and smiled at her as his free hand l
ifted, stroking softly along her cheek. Without thought, his head leaned further
in and he captured her lips with his.
It wasn't what he had planned to do when he took his first step toward her, but
as his hand stroked down her soft skin, it was what felt right. It had been so l
ong since they had shared a kiss and he didn't want to waste another opportunity
. Ever since the kiss from Milwaukee, he couldn't stop thinking about her lips a
nd how soft and silky they felt against his own.
She responded to him immediately, opening her mouth, letting his tongue slide in
. Her free hand found its way into his hair at the nape of his neck and he groan
ed when he felt her pull softly, but as her pulling became more fierce, Edward's
restraint crumbled and he deepened the kiss, crushing his body against her as o
ne hand ran down the length of her dress, coming to stop at the hem, his fingers
itching to run along the bare skin on the other side.
Out of breath, Edward broke the kiss, his lips never wandering from her skin as
he trailed kisses along her cheek and jaw line. Feeling bold, his fingers travel
ed down Bella's leg, landing behind her knee, lifting it up to place around his
hip.
"Edward," she groaned.
The husky sound of Bella saying his name fueled the burning within him and he pr
essed her further into the pillar, moaning her name against her skin, delighting
in the feel of her fingers raking through his hair, across his scalp.
"Ed . . . ward."
His name sounded different from her lips this time and his head lifted from her
neck, his eyes finding her half-lidded gaze. Realizing he had gone too far, he s
lowly let her leg slide down his as he leaned his forehead against hers. Both th
eir eyes were closed and their breathing ragged as they stood wrapped in a lover
's embrace. Edward could feel her chest heaving against his own. She felt it too
, he knew she did. But he had gone too far, they were supposed to be taking thin
gs slow and waiting until after San Diego he felt like a complete ass.
"I think I spilled my beer," Bella sputtered between uneven breaths.
Edward chuckled softly, but remained in his position against her. Finally, after
catching his breath, he pulled his head away from hers and opened his eyes. She
looked up at him nervously and guilt ripped through his heart. How could he hav
e treated her like this? She deserved better; she deserved someone who wouldn't
ravage her in the middle of a bar, in front of her friends and hundreds of stran
gers.
"I'm sorry," he exhaled, swallowing a lump that formed in his throat.
Before either of them had a chance to say anything else, Jazz was at their side
with two glasses of beer, awkwardly looking at them. "We're over in the VIP sect
ion," he said, motioning toward a roped-off area where they could see Alice sitt
ing on a plush couch with Emmett and Rosalie, waving at them.
"You go ahead," Edward whispered in Bella's ear, his lips lightly brushing along
her skin. "I'll grab us some beer first."
You've really screwed up this time, asshole. What the fuck were you thinking? Ed
ward berated himself as he waited at the bar for the bartender to notice him.
Oblivious to his surroundings, Edward didn't notice the tall blond with shoulder
length, curly hair batting her eyelashes at him. While he waited, silently scol
ding himself, the blond woman tried everything from sticking her generous rack i
n his face to licking her lips and inviting him over with her tongue.
"Looks like you've got a friend," the bartender laughed as he approached Edward.
"What?"
"The lady," he said, his eyes wiggling, gesturing over to the blond, whom was no
w getting annoyed that her attention went unnoticed.
Inhaling slowly, Edward averted his eyes from the woman and ordered two beers an
d waited. The blond sidled over to him and pouted. "I've been known to turn a fe
w," she purred in his ear.
"Excuse me?" He turned to face her.
"I may not be your type," she purred with the cock of her brow, "but you'll neve
r know the difference, when I'm do-"
"Excuse me," Edward flared, placing some money on the bar and taking the two gla
sses of beer from in front of him.
By the time he made it to his friends, he had forgotten the whole encounter beca
use sitting down and looking majestic in her short blue dress, was Bella. She lo
oked relaxed and happy as she spoke animatedly with their friends and every ounc
e of stress in his body disappeared.
Placing a glass in front of Bella, he sat down next to her and put his arm aroun
d the back of her on the loveseat they shared and she smiled up at him. But it w
as more than a smile to Edward. The simple gesture meant so much more in that mo
ment because after mauling her earlier, he was expecting her to be upset with hi
m, but instead, she beamed alluringly in his direction.
"So, Alice," Edward said purposely, "was there a reason you chose this club?"
"You've got to live a little, Edward," she pouted. "This place is fun and you'll
 have fun tonight. Right, Bella?" She asked innocently.
"Two beers," Bella said, holding up two fingers. "I promised you two beers and t
hen I'm outta here."
Edward squeezed Bella's shoulders with his one arm, glad she felt the same as hi
m. But he wanted to make sure she danced with him once before he took her home.
And he would take her home, he'd insist if she tried to refuse. Even if he had t
o follow her there, he'd see to it that she made it home all right.
"Thanks for the autograph," Emmett shouted from the couch opposite him and Bella
, a wicked looking quirk in his smile.
"Hey, anytime," Edward replied, laughing as he held up his glass of beer to Emme
tt.
"At least yours was nice. Mine instructs me to throw darts at it," Bella said, r
olling her eyes.
"I figured you'd need something to do while I was on the road later this month,"
he said seriously and she frowned in response. He was referring to when he'd be
in San Diego and he could tell by her response that she understood his meaning.
"Maybe I'll burn it instead," she bit before downing the rest of her beer. "Okay
, that was two," she gasped, taking in a full breath and standing up.
"Hold on," Edward practically yelled over the music as he grabbed a hold of her
wrist. "You can't leave yet, I just got here."
"I promised two beers," she said firmly, leveling her glare on him. "You bought
me my second thanks, by the way."
"But you spilled your first. You actually have more to drink."
"Why are you trying to get me to stay?" She asked, her eyes narrowing on him as
she sank back down in the love seat next to him.
"How about you give me one dance and then I'll drive you home?"
"A dance?" She asked incredulously. "Have you seen the way these people move? I'
ll end up hurt. Or worse, you'll end up hurt and on the DL! They're like animals
out there!"
"I'll take care of you." He spoke as quietly as he could through the loud music,
his mouth not far from her ear as his hand reached out and grabbed hers. "Pleas
e?" He pleaded, a small pout forming on his lips.
"One dance," she said firmly, ignoring the squeal that Alice let out and the kno
wing smirk on Rosalie's face. "I'll see you all later." She waved to her friends
as she left their seats with Edward's hand laced through hers.
Edward led her to the dance floor and spun her around so that her back was to hi
m. One hand grabbed a hold of her waist as the other snaked around to her front,
his palm resting intimately on her lower stomach. "Remember to relax," Edward w
hispered into her ear, "close your eyes, and feel the rhythm of the music."
His body moved to the beat of the song, his hands guiding Bella's hips to follow
him. He had forgotten how wonderful she felt in his arms and how great she move
d with him. "That's it, baby," he sighed, taking her hands and lifting them up t
o place behind her head and she immediately grabbed a hold of the back of his he
ad, pushing his face closer to her neck. He kissed along her exposed skin, hummi
ng against her flesh while his hands trailed down her exposed sides.
"You look so sexy in that dress," he purred in her ear, his hands coming to rest
on her hips.
"Edward," she moaned, her head turning toward his.
Their eyes locked, their lips moments away from touching and Edward swallowed ha
rd, using his eyes to question her, asking if she wanted him as much as he wante
d her. Her eyes fluttered shut and then she leaned in further, pressing her lips
against his.
"God Bella," Edward moaned against her mouth, opening up to allow her tongue acc
ess. His fingers inched higher along her blue dress, caressing her stomach and t
hen rib cage, lingering just below the swell of her breasts while his other hand
lightly flitted along her side, leaving a trail of tingles along the skin of he
r arm as he ventured up to her hand.
Swiftly spinning Bella around, their lips remained locked onto each other and Ed
ward's hips ground into Bella's, moaning from the pleasure of the heat emanating
from her center through to his pants. Her fingers pulled at his hair, twisting
it harder, and harder as her lips left his to explore his jaw line, her teeth ge
ntly biting into his skin.
"So you do like to bite," he murmured, enjoying the feelings she unleashed in hi
m.
"And be bitten," she slurred, her lips taking a break from caressing his chin.
"Bella," he said hoarsely, "do you really want this?" At that very moment he had
every intention to take her back to his place, not releasing her until he heard
his name screamed from her lips multiple times. But he had to make sure it's wh
at she wanted too. The last thing he wanted to do was take things too fast with
her and ruin everything.
Bella suddenly stilled, her lips leaving his body, allowing a draft of air to wa
ft against his heated skin. He gripped onto her tighter, pulling her in against
his length. "Slow," he whispered into her ear before placing a kiss on her templ
e. "We'll take things slow."
"I "
"Sh. I'll take you home." Edward laced his fingers with Bella's and led her out
of the dark, damp club and into the fresh cool air of the Chicago night.
Once they were settled in his car, he turned to her, his eyes pleading for forgi
veness. "I'm sorry about that," he stuttered. "I "
"No," she interrupted. "Don't apologize. It's not that I don't want you," she sa
id, blushing horribly in the dimness of the dashboard lights. "But we really do
need to wait."
"I know, Bella," he reassured her, grabbing a hold of her hand.
They rode the rest of the way to her townhome in silence, each one stealing quic
k glances of the other when they didn't think they'd get caught. When Edward par
ked, Bella didn't invite him in this time and though he desperately wanted to sp
end more time with her, he didn't ask because he knew what it would lead to his
body was still aroused from their dance.
"Will you come over after the game tomorrow?" Bella asked.
"Sure," he said hesitantly.
"I'll make dinner, so you don't have to eat at the club house. I just don't feel
like going out again."
Edward smiled warmly and leaned in to place a kiss on her forehead. "Can I walk
you to your door?"
"I don't think that's a good idea right now," she said brokenly. "I'm not in com
plete control, if you know what I mean." She looked up at him apologetically and
he chuckled.
"Neither am I."
"Thank you, Edward. I can't think of any other guy who would have stopped that."
"Would you like me to bring a movie tomorrow?"
"That would be great!" She beamed, happy that everything was still good between
them.
"Tomorrow, then," he whispered, leaning in one last time for a kiss, this time o
n her lips.
They lingered together a little longer than they should have and Edward moaned s
ilently as he finally pulled away. "I hate to kick you out of the car, but if yo
u don't leave now, I can't promise you that I'll stop."
Bella leaned back into him and innocently kissed the tip of his nose. "Sweet dre
ams, Edward," she said before exiting the car and walking briskly to her townhom
e.
Edward waited until she was safely inside her home before pulling away from the
curb and heading back to his condo. It took everything he had to stop their kiss
on the dance floor and also in the car. He needed to get home and take a cold s
hower and then get to bed. But once he made it to his bedroom, the cold shower w
as far from his mind as he lay down and started to stroke himself. Something tha
t he did so regularly as a boy had once again become a big part of his life. If
anything his father said about the subject were true, the past three weeks alone
should have made him blind.
Chapter 16 May 15 - 16, 2009
The day started off gloomy, with an overcast sky and a chill in the air, the hig
h expected to be in the mid-sixties. Bella travelled to work the same as she had
the past week and a half, with her head down and her hair hiding her face from
the crowd of people on the El. There were more pictures in the paper the past co
uple of days and the worst was the picture in Thursday's paper of Bella leaning
over to talk to Elizabeth at the game on Wednesday. The caption read, 'Edward Ma
sen's mother, Elizabeth Masen, and Bella Swan get friendly at Cubs game'. The ar
ticle was about the game and only briefly mentioned Bella and Elizabeth thank Go
d.
Today's picture was of her and Edward leaving the club last night, his arm wrapp
ed around her waist, Bella leaning into him intimately. The caption for the pict
ure was, 'Masen gets cozy with Bella Swan after leading Cubs to 11-3 win over th
e San Diego Padres'.
Between the rain and the pictures in the paper, Bella's day dragged on miserably
and she was even more disappointed when the Cubs game was postponed, landing he
r at home with Alice while she started to get everything ready to make dinner. E
dward showed up at their place earlier than expected with Jazz in tow and the fo
ur of them decided to run to the movie theater to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
After fighting over who was going to pay for Bella's ticket, she and Edward made
their way to the concession stand. "What do you want?" Bella asked, eyeing the
Twizzlers and Junior Mints. She could never decide between the two and usually e
nded up with both.
"Just a small popcorn."
"That's it?" she asked, giving him a look of disapproval.
A small boy walked over to the two of them with a piece of paper and a pen, hesi
tantly looking up at Edward. While he bent down to talk to the young boy, Bella
stepped up and ordered a large popcorn, Twizzlers, and Junior Mints along with t
wo large cokes.
Her hands were full when she turned around and saw that Jazz was now with him an
d they were both talking to a few older fans, signing movie ticket stubs and oth
er pieces of paper, and then three teenage girls walked up to get autographs. Al
ice stood beside Bella and the two of them watched as the three girls flirted wi
th their men. They were both very polite, then Jazz turned and asked Alice to ta
ke a picture of them with the girls, handing her a pink cell phone.
Once the three girls left, Edward and Jazz had to turn away other people that ha
d begun to crowd around in hopes to get an autograph, telling them that they had
to go into the theater. "Nothing will ever be normal with you, will it?" Bella
asked, picking up the few snacks left after Edward piled as much as he could in
his hands.
"You've been around me long enough to know that that wasn't the norm, Bella. Som
etimes we can go out and never be bothered for an autograph and then other times
"
"Other times you get hounded," she sarcastically finished for him.
"I'm sorry if the attention bothers you, but I'm not going to turn them away."
"No," Bella sighed, stopping to let the people behind them go ahead. "I'm sorry.
" Her voice sounded defeated as she leaned back against the wall. "I'm just not
used to watching girls flirt with . . . um . . ." She had almost said, 'my boyfr
iend', and frantically tried to think of something else to say.
Edward chuckled when he noticed the panicked look on her face. Taking a step clo
ser to her and leaning in, he placed his lips against her ear and whispered. "Yo
u can call me your boyfriend."
Bella pulled her head away from his, shocked by what he had just said and also t
rying to hide the affect his soft voice and warm breath had on her. "But you're
not," she insisted, pushing herself off the wall, moving her legs quickly to cat
ch up to Alice and Jazz who were waiting for them at the entrance to the theater
.
They sat near the back in the middle of a row, the two women next to each other
and the guys flanking them. Going to a movie with Edward seemed like an actual d
ate to Bella and she suddenly became nervous as she noticed Jazz and Alice talki
ng quietly together, leaving her and Edward alone.
"You must be hungry," Edward chuckled, looking through the candy and huge bag of
popcorn. "We are having dinner after, right?"
"Um, yeah, I just wasn't sure what I'd be in the mood for. Besides, it ended up
costing more than the movie tickets, so we're even." Edward had insisted on payi
ng for her ticket, so buying all the snacks made her feel like she was chipping
in and paying her own way.
"Just so you know, you won't pay for anything when we finally go out on an actua
l date."
Bella's heart leapt to her throat, excitement bubbling through her veins from hi
s words. She couldn't wait to go on a real date with him, yet at the same time,
she was scared to death. What if he didn't like date Bella? She could be a total
ly different person when on a date with someone compared to when she was just ha
nging out with them.
"When exactly is our first date?" she asked, not sure what he had planned.
"We get back from San Diego on Sunday night but Monday and Tuesday are both nigh
t games, so either Wednesday or Friday, I'm not sure yet." Edward stuffed some p
opcorn in his mouth and chewed, turning his attention back to the screen to read
the trivia questions.
After swallowing his food and then taking a sip of his Coke, he turned back to B
ella. "Robert Redford," he stated.
"Huh?"
"The answer to the question: 'Who played Roy Hobbs in the movie The Natural?'"
"Oh, I wasn't paying attention. Is it your favorite baseball movie?" She knew hi
s favorite movie was Reservoir Dogs from interviews she had read, but she wasn't
sure about baseball movies. There were so many good ones.
"No."
"Really? Most guys I know love that movie."
"It's a great movie, but it's not my all-time favorite. What's yours?"
"I've got mine at home if you want to watch it later. That is, if we aren't all
movied-out after this." Her all-time favorite baseball movie all-time favorite m
ove in general was Major League. She could watch that movie over and over again
and never tire of it.
"As long as it's Major League, I'm game for another movie."
Bella smiled brightly in response. "Wild thing," she whispered close to his ear.
"I think I love you!" She giggled, pulling away from him.
"Perfect. I haven't seen that movie in a long time."
"Neither have I. I used to watch it all the time, but then life happened." She f
rowned.
The lights suddenly turned off, darkness taking the place of the light and the c
harge between Edward and Bella instantly multiplied. The pull from one to the ot
her was exponentially stronger and they both fought it, trying to ignore the des
ire and need to be in constant contact with the other.
The movie was captivating right from the start and Bella started in on the Twizz
lers first, every so often grabbing a handful of popcorn or handing a Twizzler o
r Junior Mint over to Edward. She was hoping to accidentally bump into his hand
with hers in the popcorn bucket, but it never happened.
At one point in the movie she jumped, a small squeal escaping her lips, and Edwa
rd put his arm around her. For the next half hour, Bella sat uncomfortably again
st the arm rest separating her body from his until she had finally had it. She l
ifted the arm rest and then nuzzled close against him, enjoying the heat he put
off since the movie theater was cold. They finished the movie in this position,
neither of them wanting to move for fear that the closeness would be lost and wh
en the lights turned on, they both groaned internally, knowing they'd have to se
parate.
~GO CUBS~
"Hold on a sec," Bella said into her phone after greeting Emmett when he called.
She then covered the receiver with her hand as she turned to Edward in the driv
er seat of his car. "Do you mind if Emmett and Rose join us tonight?"
"That's fine," Edward replied, berating himself for not speaking the truth. No,
he didn't want Emmett and Rosalie to crash their evening. He had been looking fo
rward to spending some time alone with Bella tonight and now he would have to sh
are her with not only Alice and Jazz, but also Emmett and Rosalie.
"Thanks," she said softly before inviting Emmett and Rosalie over.
She received another call, but after checking the caller ID on the first ring, B
ella stared at her phone. Edward could sense her anxiety. "Who is it?" he asked,
his eyes swiftly glancing in her direction before returning to the wet road.
"Jake," she muttered.
"Oh."
The two of them listened to her phone ring a couple more times and then a few se
conds later, it beeped, letting her know that she had a new voicemail. "Do you m
ind if I listen "
"Go ahead," he interrupted.
She listened to the message that Jake had left her and then closed her phone and
stared out the windshield at the street. After a moment of silence, she finally
spoke. "He wants to know what I'm doing tonight."
"Do you want to invite him over?" Edward hoped her answer would be no, but at th
e same time, he knew he'd have to meet Jake eventually. Only, he was hoping it w
ould happen after he and Bella were officially dating.
"I guess," she mumbled. "I have to warn you though he can be annoying at times."
"Well, you know the sign. Just play with your earring and I'll be right there."
"You always seem to be the one saving me," she teased him, knowing full well tha
t the last two times she had done it deliberately, wanting to be close to him ra
ther than needing help with the men she had been talking to. Both times, she cou
ld've easily walked away from the guys, neither of them was threatening in any w
ay.
"Maybe you should carry a big stick when you go out at night."
"Maybe you could lend me one of your bats," she suggested with a wicked twinkle
in her eye.
Once they were back at her townhome, they settled in on the couch each with a bo
ttle of beer while Jazz and Alice took a trip upstairs. "Let's just hope they ar
en't loud." Bella rolled her eyes, but as she did, she heard the faint words of
an argument. Her eyes grew big. "I don't think I've ever heard them argue before
," she muttered.
"It's healthy to argue," Edward said slowly, wondering what her parents were lik
e when they argued. His parents did it just as much as the next couple, but it p
robably depended on how a couple argued to be considered healthy or not.
"I know. I guess I just kind of thought they had the perfect relationship."
Edward snorted. "There's no such thing as the perfect relationship, Bella."
"Well their's is pretty darn close." Bella took a sip of her beer. "I remember y
ou saying you don't like Alice much," she whispered.
"And you don't like Jazz."
"I never said I didn't like him, just that I didn't trust him."
"But now?"
"Now I know that it's none of my business and as long as Alice trusts him, that'
s all that matters. The same for you and Alice?" she asked, watching him finish
off his beer.
Edward shrugged. "Pretty much. Since I've gotten to know you, I've been able to
see how she didn't fit the stereotype I kept trying to fit her into." Edward's a
rm lifted to the back of the couch and Bella leaned into the opening he created
at his side.
"I tried to stereotype you too," she said meekly, unable to look away from his e
yes.
"I did the same to you," he whispered.
A knock on the door shook them from their conversation and Bella jumped up to an
swer it. Emmett and Rosalie stepped in and Rosalie hugged her tightly as Emmett
headed straight for the kitchen to put his case of beer in the fridge.
Rosalie and Bella sat down in the living room and then Emmett came in with a pla
stic grocery bag. "I brought you a little something to say, 'thanks', for the au
tograph." Emmett pulled out a brown stuffed bear and forced it in Edward's face.
Dumbfounded, Edward's hands lifted up and grabbed the bear from Emmett. "What is
"
"Emmett!" Bella roared, her eyes shooting daggers at the dimpled bear of a man i
n front of them.
Turning to look at Bella, Edward didn't see the wicked gleam in Emmett's eyes wh
en he spoke. "We thought you might get lonely on the road."
"She didn't," Edward moaned, his eyes digging into Bella's, looking for confirma
tion.
Bella nodded. "She did."
"I brought a little movie to watch too," Emmett chuckled, bringing both Edward a
nd Bella to turn toward him.
"Emmett, what is wrong with you?"
"Oh, come on. You invite me over and don't expect me to bring this?" He held up
a VHS tape in his hands and Bella gasped.
"I can't believe you!"
"What is it?" Edward asked, tossing the bear to the other side of the couch away
from him. He wasn't going to argue about the subject change. Why his mom would
tell them about the bear he slept with as a child, he didn't know, but apparentl
y, she found it funny. Brown bear, which was what he called it, was given to him
when he was a baby and it was always in his crib. As he got older, he stopped c
uddling with it, but he kept it next to his pillow, in his bed, until he went of
f to college. He didn't know why, but it just made him feel safe as a kid. Now,
he always used the excuse that he was superstitious it was a stereotype he didn'
t mind using when the subject of his teddy bear came up.
"Bella's performance of Maria from our High School's production of West Side Sto
ry."
"Really?" Edward asked, turning his gaze to Bella. "I didn't know you were into
musicals."
"I'm not, well, I'm not into acting in them."
"But why "
"I was forced," she interrupted.
"You were not forced," Emmett groaned, disbelieving.
"You still have no idea, do you?" she asked him, shaking her head. "Renee loved
you, thought you were the most adorable boy. She even told me that I had to have
sex with you if I wanted to keep you interested."
"Yeah, she wasn't shy in telling me that stuff either," Emmett mumbled uncomfort
ably.
"I don't want to know." Bella shook her head and sighed. "Charlie, on the other
hand, hated you. Well, not you per se, but the thought of you. He thought that I
was alienating myself from the rest of the student body because I spent too muc
h time with you. He was going to ground me from seeing you, but finally gave int
o me only if I joined an extracurricular activity at school. The only one that d
idn't consistently meet on Fridays was the drama club, so I joined."
"That's why you did this?" Emmett asked, wonder sounding in his voice. "I though
t you actually thought you had talent." He laughed full-heartedly. "You should'v
e seen her," he said, turning to Edward and Rosalie. "She kept telling me that s
he really wanted to try out for the school musical, was adamant that it was a de
sire of hers to be a singer." He laughed again. "She was horrible."
"She couldn't have been that bad," Edward cut in, taking Bella's hand in his and
squeezing it in support just as his mother had done two days before. "She got t
he lead female role, so she must've been good."
"No," Rosalie said, jumping into the conversation. "I saw the video last night,
it's pretty bad."
"Can we just burn that thing?" Bella moaned. "I don't even know how you got a co
py of it!"
"My mom bought one."
"You've had it all this time and never told me?"
Emmett shrugged. "I need a good laugh sometimes."
A couch cushion soared through the air, hitting Emmett in the head before bounci
ng soundlessly to the floor. "What was that for?" he screeched.
"For being a jackass! Now give me the video!"
"No way! I'll never get it back!"
"Get what back?" Alice asked, half way down the stairs with Jazz right next to h
er.
"The video of Bella in West Side Story."
"Ooh!" Alice exclaimed, running down the rest of the stairs, leaving Jazz in her
wake. "Let's watch it!"
"No!" Bella and Edward said in unison and she shot him a thankful glance. "Besid
es," Bella continued, "we don't have a VCR."
"I've got one up in my room," Alice said in a panic, her legs turning dramatical
ly, darting back to the stairs.
"ALICE!" Bella screamed at the top of her lungs and the room became quiet enough
to hear a pin drop.
"Fine," she huffed, over-dramatically plopping down on the couch next to Bella,
grabbing the teddy bear and playing with its ears. "Whose is this?"
"That would be Eddie's," Emmett said, his dimples deepening on his cheeks.
"Priceless," Alice chuckled, snuggling it closer to her chest.
"So," Bella said a little too loud, capturing everyone's attention. "How about w
e order some pizza?"
~GO CUBS~
A few minutes after the six of them started eating their pizza, the door bell ra
ng again and this time Emmett got up to answer the door. Bella was still perched
between Alice and Edward on the couch, the three of them, along with Rosalie wh
o sat on the floor, watched the Mariners-Red Sox game on ESPN. It was rare to ge
t the Mariners or the Red Sox game televised in the Chicago area, so Bella was p
syched.
"What're we watching?" a deep voice bellowed through the living room.
"Hey Jake!" Bella exclaimed before standing up and going to welcome him to her h
ome. Edward watched as she gave him a big hug and then pulled away. "Seth?" she
asked, looking at the man standing a little behind Jake.
"Hi Bella," he said sheepishly.
"It's nice to meet you." Bella held her hand out.
"We've already met, actually. Our parents were friends. You used to come to my h
ouse ever summer for my dad's fish-fry.
"Clearwater?" Bella asked, thinking back, trying to remember Seth.
"Yeah, you didn't play with me. I was four years younger and you were always off
with Rachel, Rebecca, and Jake."
"Sorry." Bella smiled apologetically and then held out her hand for his jacket.
"Come on in guys."
Seth and Jake followed Bella the couple steps into the living room and paused be
hind her. "Jake, you know everyone but Edward and Jazz, right?" she asked as she
motioned to the two people he didn't know. "Seth, you already met Emmett at the
door. This is his girlfriend, Rosalie; my roommate, Alice; her boyfriend, Jazz;
and, um, Edward." Bella gestured to each person as she said their names. "Guys,
this is Jake and Seth." She turned back to the two recent arrivals and motioned
to the kitchen, telling them to go ahead and grab some pizza.
Bella was seated next to Edward again when Jake and Seth came back into the livi
ng room with plates full of pizza and bottles of beer. They sat on the floor in
front of Edward and Bella, using the coffee table to put their food on.
"Cool, the Mariners are on," Seth said, a huge grin overtaking his face.
"At least one of you still likes them," Bella clipped.
"We live in Chicago now," Jake shot back, exasperated. "When in Rome . . ."
"We aren't in Rome, moron," Rosalie cut in.
"Hey Jake," Bella said, changing the subject. "I didn't know you could cut your
hair."
"Why wouldn't he be able to cut his hair?" Edward asked, confused. His left arm
lifted and he placed it over her shoulders as Jake turned his head to look back
at them. He wasn't sure how she'd respond to his possessive move, but he just co
uldn't stand the way the dog looked at her, as if she were a piece of meat. Ever
since he had walked into her home, his eyes were on her. She's mine. He wanted
to push the guy up against the wall and growl it at him, his primitive nature co
ming out. Unfortunately, he didn't think Bella would appreciate the move and als
o, Jake was huge. The guy could easily take him.
"I always thought it was a tribe thing." She shrugged her shoulders, looking at
Jake with his hair hanging down almost to his waist. It was longer than Bella's.
Seth's hair was cut short, which was why she was curious.
Jake and Seth both laughed, looking at each other first, then back at Bella. "We
can cut our hair, Bella," Jake said after downing a long drag of his beer.
"But you never did," she pointed out, confused as to why he wouldn't cut it if h
e could.
"I thought you liked my hair long."
"Yeah, sure." She shrugged again, a slight frown forming on her lips.
"I think she's trying to tell you that she prefers shorter hair on men." Seth bu
mped his shoulder into Jake's.
"Would you give me another date if I do?"
"No!" The answer was immediate and decisive, making Edward relax next to her.
He had wondered what her answer to that would be as well. Mine! His arm squeezed
Bella closer to his side and he bent his head to kiss her temple. She gave him
a questioning smile and then turned back to the TV just in time to see a two-run
homer by her team, putting them up by one in the bottom of the sixth.
Bella's hands shot up into the air, as did her body, exploding in a loud cry of
victory. She wasn't the only one celebrating, and she threw herself into Emmett'
s arms, accidentally kneeing Jake in the head in her eagerness.
"Thanks, Bells," Jake groaned sarcastically.
"That's what you get for being a traitor." She high-fived Seth on her way back t
o her spot next to Edward and then leaned into him as he put his arm around her.
A couple hours later, Edward found himself talking to Seth about football. It wa
sn't Edward's favorite sport, but he was glad to talk about anything other than
baseball with someone new. He honestly didn't think that Seth knew who he was. E
ither that or the kid just didn't care. Either way, Edward enjoyed the conversat
ion, which was why when he saw Bella rigorously play with her earrings, he let h
er be. She had been at the kitchen table for the past twenty-five minutes talkin
g with Jake. He kept his eye on them, making sure the punk didn't cross any line
s, but she looked to be doing okay so far.
"Rose!" Bella called out, her eyes finding Edward in the process and glaring at
him.
Shit, she's pissed. "I'll be right back," he said absently, excusing himself fro
m Seth. He strode over to the kitchen, arriving right behind Rosalie.
"Hey Bella," Rosalie garbled, the affects of alcohol obvious in her speech.
"Rose!" Bella exclaimed. "Jake was just telling me about the union he's in!" Her
eyes grew big in her fabricated excitement. "Jake," she continued, turning her
attention to the long-haired bore. "Rose is IBEW local 134." Bella's eyes connec
ted with Edward's, who stood just behind Rosalie. "If you two will excuse me," s
he said, standing up from her seat.
"You!" Bella narrowed her eyes on Edward as she approached him. Grabbing his han
d, she pulled him behind her to the back door that led out to a small, square, f
enced-in yard. There wasn't much outside except for a couple of chairs and a cov
ered grill still covered from the summer before.
"Having a good time?" Bella turned on Edward as soon as they were outside, her h
ands moving to her hips, trying to look intimidating.
"I am now," he said hoarsely, closing in the gap between them. His hands reached
out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her against him. "You gave the si
gn," he whispered, his head leaning down, his lips rubbing along her exposed fle
sh above the collar of her brown t-shirt that read, 'I'm what Willis was talkin'
about'.
"You never came." Her low, raspy voice shook as her arms moved up to his chest.
"You didn't look like you needed any help," he breathed out along her skin, his
nose leaving a tingling trail up her neck. "Why did you use the sign?" His breat
h was on her ear now, his lips gently grazing over her fleshy lobe.
"I . . . I needed you."
"No," he whispered, "you're not telling the truth." He bit down on her ear lobe
and Bella took a sharp intake of breath, her fists grabbing a hold of Edward's w
hite t-shirt. "Why did you use the sign, Bella?" He sucked on her ear lobe for a
fleeting moment and then planted his lips directly beneath it at the start of h
er jaw bone. "Why?" His lips moved over to her cheek leaving a wet kiss and Bell
a turned her head a fraction, hoping, anticipating his destination.
"What do you want from me?" he whispered, his lips moving a little closer, placi
ng another kiss against her skin. "Say it." His lips were at the corner of her m
outh now and they lingered there, waiting.
"Kiss me."
Without any hesitation, their lips were locked, moving together feverishly. Bell
a's hold on Edward's shirt intensified, pulling him closer and Edward's right ha
nd moved to the back of her head, entwining his fingers through her hair, pullin
g her head back as they moved together like a pair of savage beasts.
Edward crushed her up against the cold, brown brick of the townhome, his hand le
aving her hair, skimming over her side, moving down to her waist. He pressed his
hips into hers, pushing her further back against the hard, bumpy wall, his hard
-on rubbing against her stomach.
"Edward," she moaned, fueling his desire more.
His lips moved back over to her ear, catching his breath before sucking her earl
obe into his mouth. "Is that what you wanted, Bella?"
"Yes." Her chest heaved as she tried to get control of her breathing. He was sti
ll pressing her against the brick wall, but his lips moved slower against her sk
in now, giving her time to breathe.
"Me too," he breathed out against her neck, wrapping his arms around her, engulf
ing her in a huge hug. "I don't know how much longer I can wait." He breathed in
the scent of her hair tangled with the aroma from her skin a mixture of strawbe
rry and freesia.
"I don't usually kiss on the first date." She chuckled slightly, burrowing her f
ace back into his chest, enjoying the warmth his body provided.
"Not even a peck on the cheek?" he asked, one corner of his mouth lifting in a g
rin.
"If I'm feeling generous," she joked, tickling his side. Edward flinched from he
r wiggling fingers, laughing and avoiding her invading hands. "What? Eddie's tic
klish?" She laughed, maneuvering her body to flip them around, her hands aggress
ively assaulting his sides.
"I'm warning you, Swan," he choked out, "don't do it!"
"Do what?" she asked, going in for another barrage of tickles, pushing him back
against the cold, brick wall this time.
His hands reacted so fast that before Bella knew he had moved, her wrists were h
alted by his hands. "I warned you," he teased, spinning her around and pulling h
er back up against his chest, crossing their arms across her torso.
"Mmm," she hummed, enjoying the feel of being in his arms.
His hold on her relaxed and they stood quietly, staring out at the darkness of t
he night, every so often, a car driving down the alley in front of them. Edward
leaned his back against the wall, his head bending to place a kiss on top of Bel
la's hair. He was right where he wanted to be; alone with Bella.
"If you want to come over tomorrow, I'll cook you that dinner I promised."
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" he asked, not sure if he'd be able to
keep his hands off her if they spent the whole evening alone. "Maybe we shouldn'
t be alone until after . . ."
"I think you're right." Bella laid her head back against his shoulder and turned
her head to look up at him. "Maybe we could meet for coffee and pie again," she
suggested. "I just don't feel like going to another bar."
"I'd invite you over to my place " He stopped when she started laughing. "What?"
"As if that would help the situation."
"We could go see another movie," he proposed.
"Dark room, divider up?"
"Just not so much junk food this time."
"Is this a date?" Her head turned to look in his eyes.
"No, our first date won't be to the movies."
"So what is this then?"
"Two friends going to a movie together we can even sit with an empty seat betwee
n us if it makes you feel better."
"That defeats the purpose of raising the divider."
"BELLA!" Alice called from the half-opened screen door in the back of their town
home.
Edward quickly squeezed Bella in a tight hug and kissed her cheek before releasi
ng her. "I'll be right in," he told her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," he breathed loudly. "I just need to . . . relax." He knew the moment she
understood his dilemma from the blush that speedily rose into her cheeks, and t
hen she was gone.
~GO CUBS~
"I never thought of Captain Kirk as hot before." Bella giggled, placing her lips
around her straw and sucking hard.
She and Edward had gone to see Star Trek after the game Saturday and were now si
tting in a corner booth at Oberweis Dairy. Edward had a tall strawberry shake in
his hands and was watching her closely, enjoying the way her lips pressed again
st the straw, her eyes looking up at him through her lashes.
"I didn't realize you were a Trekkie," he teased.
"I hated the Next Generation. My mom always watched it, leaving my dad to listen
to talk radio about the Sea Hawks at the kitchen table and I hid in my room rea
ding books."
"So you don't like football?" he asked curiously.
"It's okay to watch, but not listen to guys talk about it on the radio."
"So I don't have to worry about you stalking any quarterbacks then?"
Bella rolled her eyes. "I'm not a stalker."
"How is it we ended up in the same bar three nights in a row?" He chuckled quiet
ly and then took a sip of his shake when he saw her eyes narrow.
"So," she said with mock excitement, "you leave Tuesday morning for St. Louis?"
"Yeah, and then we fly to San Diego on Friday." It was the subject that they had
both been avoiding since they returned from Milwaukee but Bella really needed s
ome answers. Ever since that night, questions kept popping up in her head.
"Do you have plans to see her?" Her voice trembled.
"We're meeting Friday night after the game." Reaching across the table, he grabb
ed one of her hands in his. "Bella, look at me."
Lifting her head, she finally looked him in the eyes, scared of the conversation
that she knew they needed to have. They hadn't been taking things slow, as she
had originally wanted and now her heart felt like it was going to break in two.
She had let herself get too close to him.
"I'm meeting her at a bar on Friday night and then that's it. I won't bring her
back to my room and I won't ever see her again."
"I just . . ." She paused to wipe a tear that snuck out. "Sorry," she squeaked,
taking a deep breath in. "I guess I'm just curious."
"About what, Bella? I'll tell you anything you want to know."
"Your arrangement with her, what exactly is it?"
"Our arrangement?" His hand let go of hers as he sat back in his seat, his hand
running through his messy auburn hair he needed a haircut. "We never had anythin
g official," he started, staring into Bella's eyes, wanting to say what she want
ed to hear, but knowing the truth was what she needed. "I'd call her to make pla
ns a few days before I was going to arrive and we'd meet up at the hotel. Bella,
she really doesn't mean anything to me. To be honest, she's the kind of person
you can only take in small doses. Please believe me that I never promised her an
ything, I never lied about who I am or what I wanted. I've never even promised t
o see her again even the last time I saw her, everything was left open-ended."
"When did you see her last?"
"Honestly," he exhaled, "I don't exactly remember . . . toward the end of last s
eason some time." Leaning forward, he took her hand again.
"What if she feels differently? I know girls, Edward. They don't just sleep with
a person on more than one occasion without having some sort of feelings for the
m. A one-night-stand, I can understand not having feelings involved. But a set u
p like yours?" She shook her head, trying to think of what that would be like an
d how she would feel. "I just don't think she sees it the same as you. I wouldn'
t see it the same."
"How would you see it?" His hand tightened its hold on hers.
"Does she know that she's the only girl you see on a regular basis?"
"I think so."
Bella closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping forward. "That's even worse." Bell
a took another big sip from her chocolate shake. "I'm sure she thinks that she's
special. If nothing else, you've given her that perception by letting her know
that she's the only one who gets a repeat."
"It's not like "
"It doesn't have to be like that. If the perception is there, it's there. My fat
her once told me that even the perception of an affair he was talking about my m
om and Phil was bad enough. He didn't need to know for a fact."
Edward's hold on Bella's hand released. "What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing. I just don't think you're prepared to break things off with her." When
Edward started to speak, Bella realized her words had come out wrong. "What I m
eant," she said, holding up a hand to stop him. "Is that you're going into this
thinking she's just going to give you a hug goodbye and smile as you walk away.
You need to be prepared for her to want to hold on. My mom did not let Phil just
walk away."
"What did she do?"
"She called his home, talked to his wife, made calls to reporters. Phil was luck
y because my mom was a crazy loon at times. One minute she'd be talking all phil
osophical and making sense, and then the next she'd start saying things that wer
e really disturbing. No one in the media took her very seriously. Their affair w
as reported but then the media turned it around and started bashing my mom. Phil
offered her money to shut her up but my father refused to let her accept it."
"And still no one requested a paternity test?"
"She was saying crazy things. One minute she insisted that I was his kid and the
n the next, she was telling everyone that Phil couldn't even get it up, and that
I was definitely her husband's."
Edward attempted to hide his laugh, but failed. "I'm sorry." Closing his eyes, h
e tried to get the image of a crazy looking Bella telling the media that Phil Dw
yer couldn't get it up out of his head. When he opened his eyes, he saw a little
smirk on her face as well. "You find it funny too?"
"What? Big, scary Yankee not being able to get it up? Yeah!" She laughed, relaxi
ng with each breath she breathed out.
"I don't think Jane's like that."
"You would know," she sarcastically bit, regretting the words even as they spewe
d out of her mouth.
"I deserved that," he muttered, raking his hand through his hair once more.
"No, actually, you didn't." It was only Saturday, they had a week before he'd be
free of Jane, and yet Bella couldn't find a way to act mature about the whole m
ess. "I'm not good at this sort of thing. I don't know how to act or react. I do
n't know what to expect or not expect. And when I don't know what to do or say,
I tend to do and say the wrong thing. I'm sorry."
"I'm not handling it very well either. You're only trying to help and you're rig
ht, I need to think of what I'm going to do if Jane tries to pull any of that st
uff on me."
"She was never pregnant when you saw her, was she?" At the look of incredulity o
n Edward's face, she held up her hands in surrender. "I just thought I'd ask. It
wouldn't have been the first time a major league baseball player had gotten a m
istress pregnant."
"I think I would have noticed something like that."
"Right. How about money?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you pay her money? Put her up in a nice place to live, send her a monthly ch
eck?"
"Bella, this was a casual thing, nothing was set in stone, I told you that alrea
dy."
"Are you prepared to pay her money if she threatens to talk to the media?"
"Now why would I do that? She doesn't have anything against me that I'd be afrai
d for her to tell anyone. Yes, I've used her for sex over the past two years. Wi
th my reputation, the reporters would just shrug their shoulders and say, 'who d
idn't he do that to?'." He frowned when he noticed Bella's shoulders slump. He d
idn't mean to be so crude, but her questioning was starting to get ridiculous.
"Do you have her last name?"
"Yeah, why?"
"If you give it to me, I can look into her a bit. I don't have my dad's connecti
ons, but I can find anything on the internet if it's out there."
"No, not yet. If things don't go well, then you can investigate all you want. I'
ll even hire a private detective, but until then, I don't feel right checking up
on her."
They finished what was left of their shakes and then drove back to Bella's townh
ome. The car ride was quiet, each of them thinking about their conversation and
Jane. Bella didn't think Jane was just going to turn over and let Edward go very
easily. She definitely wouldn't so why would a woman who had slept with him be
so willing to?
"Does she contact you outside of your meetings in San Diego?" Bella asked, break
ing the silence in the car.
"She doesn't have my phone number or address, but she has sent me stuff through
Wrigley Field."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Do you really want to know?" he asked, taking a hold of her hand across the cen
ter console, glancing quickly into her eyes.
"Yes."
"She has sent me a few letters and pictures."
"Did you keep them?"
"Bella "
"Did you keep them?" she interrupted forcefully.
"I kept the first letter and picture she sent, but after a couple of months of h
aving it in my place, I threw it away. I haven't kept anything else."
"Why?"
"Why what, Bella? Why did I keep it to begin with, or why did I decide to throw
it away?" His voice raised an octave in his frustration, causing Bella to flinch
away from him. "Bella, I'm just mad at myself, not you." His hand tightened aro
und hers, squeezing it gently to reassure her. "She doesn't mean anything to me.
Never has and never will."
They were parked in front of Bella's home where they stared at each other across
the small space that seemed so much more expansive to them now. Both wanted to
cross over and hold the other, but were uncertain about the moment. "Would you l
ike to come in?" Bella asked, biting her lower lip in uncertainty.
"I don't think it "
"Please?" she interrupted. "We're not done having this conversation. I promise "
Her words were interrupted by Edward's lips, and she melted into his hands as th
ey cupped her face. It was a gentle kiss, sweet and innocent, but powerful enoug
h to knock the breath from her lungs. "I can't promise you anything, Bella, but
I'll try to keep my hands off you." His crooked smirk melted every morsel of dou
bt in her body, curling her toes inside her shoes. Just one look and she was a g
oner. How was she ever going to last the next few days, or even the next few hou
rs?
Once inside, they sat on the couch, both turned a little toward the other so the
y could talk. Bella knew what she wanted to talk about, but was uncertain about
how to bring it back up the letter and picture that Edward had kept of Jane. "Ok
ay, I'm just going to blurt this out because I need to know. Why did you keep th
e letter and picture from Jane?"
Her question was said evenly and slowly, trepidation setting in as each word lef
t her mouth. Did she really want to know the answer to that question? Was this w
hat Alice meant about being truthful about everything to the point of masochisti
cally wanting to know everything? Would her knowing really help, or would it mak
e it worse?
Edward reached a hand over to Bella and stroked his fingers across her cheek. "I
t was stupid for me to keep it at first. She sent it after the second time we me
t and I wasn't sure what it meant. I have no reason why I kept it except that ev
en back then, I think I wanted something more out of life. But whenever I looked
at the picture, I felt sick to my stomach. She didn't mean anything to me and h
aving her picture around, well, it was odd not in a good way. I threw it away al
ong with the letter and everything else that she ever sent to me."
"What did her letters say?"
"They weren't love letters, Bella. They pretty much just said that she enjoyed s
eeing me again and that she was looking forward to the next time the Cubs were c
oming to San Diego. The pictures were not pornographic or nude, she was fully dr
essed. Well, the ones I saw were, anyways." When Bella looked at him questioning
ly, he continued. "After the second letter, I stopped opening them. I would see
her return address on them and immediately throw them away."
"So, she did mean something to you at one point though, right? I mean, you would
n't have thought to keep the letter or the picture if there weren't some feeling
s there."
"Why do women dissect every little thing?" His fingers immediately went to the b
ridge of his nose and pressed. "I don't know what to tell you, Bella. I'm not su
re why I kept it to begin with, it was a stupid idea and, as I said earlier, aft
er a couple of months, I got rid of both the letter and the picture. I have noth
ing in my house or my heart that ties me to her at all."
"Is this our first argument?" she asked sheepishly, her lower lip trembling.
Edward exhaled. "And it won't be our last. Come here," he said, pulling her into
his lap. Bella rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent, closing
her eyes to enjoy the feel of him surrounding her. "How would you like to come
to San Diego with me?"
"What?" she asked, shocked by his offer. She pulled away from him to look closel
y into his eyes. Was he for real? He wanted her to go to San Diego with him?
"We fly in late Thursday night and out on Sunday night. I can have you back well
before work on Monday morning. You can sleep on the plane."
"I can't," she groaned. "I have my final exam on Monday. I'll be studying all we
ekend for it." She frowned into his shoulder. "Besides, this is something you ne
ed to do alone. I'll be here waiting though," she offered, her fingers raking th
rough his silky, smooth auburn hair.
"I'll call you ever day and night, text you whenever I can. I won't be far, Bell
a." Edward rubbed his cheek against the top of her head and kissed her hair. The
y sat like that for hours, neither of them saying anything, listening to the sou
nd of their erratic heartbeats colliding against each other.
When Bella awoke the next morning, she was in her bed, though she had no idea ho
w she got there. There was a note left on the side table and she picked it up, r
ubbing the sleep from her eyes so she could focus on the words.
Chapter 17, May 17 18, 2009
"How does Jazz's arm feel today?" Bella asked, concerned after reading an articl
e in the paper about it bothering him.
"He said it was starting to feel better. I think they're talking about putting h
im on the DL for a couple weeks, but they're going to wait to see how he pitches
in St. Louis on Tuesday." Alice answered, her eyes straining to scan the Cubs b
ull pen.
"You going down for the game?" Emmett asked, leaning over both Rosalie and Bella
.
"No, I tried to get out of a meeting that day, but I can't." Alice frowned.
"Dang, they're at it again," Rosalie murmured, handing her binoculars to Bella.
"You need to use these, they're so much better."
Bella adjusted the binoculars to her eyes and then focused in on what she knew R
osalie had been staring at Edward and Cullen stretching together. She never thou
ght she'd be the kind of person to go to a baseball game and ogle the players bu
t here she was, enjoying the way Edward's muscles moved as he lifted Cullen's le
g up in the air. Or the sexy curves of his ass as he bent over. God, did he know
what he was doing to her?
"So, is it official yet?" Rosalie asked from beside her.
"Is what official?" Bella asked, giving the binoculars back.
"Come on, Bella," Fred from behind her said, "we've all been taking bets on it."
"Bets?" she asked, turning in her seat to face the fellow season-ticket holder.
"Fred, what bets have you been taking?" Usually, Emmett and Fred would bet on th
e weirdest things during a game. Like how many times a ball would be hit foul to
the Bartman seat, or how many times Yorkie would grab his crotch during the gam
e.
"Ah, let's see." Fred pondered for a moment and then smiled a big toothy grin. "
How many times Masen winks at you during a game, how many times he's caught star
ing at you while out on the field "
"Wait a minute," Bella protested, holding up a hand. "How in the world do you en
joy the game if all you're doing is watching for Masen to look over here?"
"You don't think I enjoy doing this?" he asked, clutching his chest mockingly.
"So, what's the bet for today?"
"There's always the bet to see if he'll throw a ball to you from the field. He h
asn't done that though." Fred looked down to the notepad that he held in his han
d and flipped a couple of pages. The guy was quite a geek, but such a loveable o
ld man. "Oh, if he'll come over and sign autographs so he can talk to you. Unfor
tunately we didn't have that one going the one time he did. Those are the big mo
ney ones."
"And the small ones?" she asked, dumbfounded by the little games these guys play
ed.
"Well, Sue," he said, referring to the lady four seats down from Fred, "has been
winning the little ones. The winks, staring, stuff like that. He's always watch
ing you during the seventh-inning stretch. But then this one here," Fred continu
ed, motioning to Alice. "Her guy is more subtle, but still does the smiles and s
taring. No winks though."
"Okay, that's enough," Bella moaned, looking up to see Edward grinning at her fr
om the dugout. Maybe Fred was right. Leaning over Rosalie, Bella pinched Emmett'
s thigh. "No more betting on me."
"I've never bet on you, baby, only Edward."
Bella rolled her eyes and then focused on the Cubs as they took the field. She w
atched them play catch so that Yorkie could warm up from the pitchers mound. Sal
dana was playing third base today, which meant Towne was sitting out again. He p
layed short stop the one day that Edward had off but didn't do very well and sin
ce then, had only been brought in as a pinch hitter.
"See," Fred said, leaning over Bella's shoulder. "He just looked over at you."
Bella watched the game in a dream-like state. Fred was right, Edward did look up
at her a lot and smile or wink. She had noticed this before, but never really t
hought about what it meant or whether or not it was distracting him from the gam
e which was her main concern. She didn't want to be a distraction to one of the
Cubs' best players and she must have been a distraction. Edward only hit 1-5, dr
opping his average even lower.
It was quiet on the El as Bella and Alice made their way home. Bella was dressed
in tight dark blue jeans, a grey Cubs t-shirt and a light blue and grey Cubs ho
odie. There was a frigid wind that blew though, thankfully not too strong, and i
t was only in the high 40's when they got off the El and walked the couple block
s back to their home. They walked in silence, Bella not wanting to discuss the l
oss and Alice biting her tongue she had promised to not meddle and the only thin
g she wanted to talk about would be considered that.
As the plan stood, Edward and Jazz were coming over to their place again this ev
ening but it would only be the four of them this time and the girls set to work
right away when they got home. It was a little after five when they started maki
ng dinner corned beef and cabbage; what Bella had planned to cook on Friday, but
with the way everything turned out, they had ordered pizza instead. Alice hurri
edly went to work to make Irish soda bread to go along with the meal sans raisin
s.
The girls took turns getting ready for the men to arrive, Bella dressing in a cl
ean pair of jeans and a green, long-sleeve t-shirt with a light green turtle on
it that said, 'I Like Turtles'. Alice eyed her as she strolled down the stairs.
"What's with the dorky t-shirts all of a sudden?"
"Huh?" Bella asked, looking down at her chest. "I like turtles." Bella sauntered
into the kitchen, passing her friend in the living room, paying her no mind. "Y
ou want a beer?" She called out, grabbing a couple from the fridge. Thanks to Em
mett and Jake, they were fully stocked.
"Sure, bring me one of the ones Jake brought the other night."
"Moose Drool?" Bella asked, making sure she heard her right.
"Yeah, it's really good, you should try it!"
Bella shrugged her shoulders then grabbed two Moose Drools and walked back into
the living room. Jake, apparently, had weird taste in beer. He said it was brewe
d in Montana American made, he had boasted. One thing about union laborers, they
didn't buy things that weren't American made if they could avoid it. Rosalie re
fused to shop at Wal-Mart and forbade Bella to do so as well. Bella still did in
 secrecy from time-to-time when she needed something from there, but luckily it
wasn't one of her favorite stores to begin with. Otherwise, the two of them woul
d have had a problem.
"So," Alice practically sang, "how is everything going?" Her eyes twinkled as th
ey watched Bella sit next to her and she grabbed one of the opened beers and too
k a long swig.
Bella took a drag from hers as well and actually was shocked. It really was good
. "Everything's fine." She shrugged and took another drink. Alice's lips pressed
together in a tight line and she stared at Bella. "What do you want to know?" B
ella huffed.
"You don't have to tell me anything." Alice frowned. "It's just that I'm your be
st friend and if you're not talking to me then who are you talking to?"
"No one," Bella sighed, turning her lips up into a smile. "There's really nothin
g to say. We aren't dating "
"But you're kissing him," she interrupted. "I accidentally walked in on your kis
s Friday night."
"We weren't kissing when you came to get me."
"No, before then; I walked out and saw you, then waited until it was safe to cal
l you in."
Bella's face turned beet red. She leaned forward, looking directly into Alice's
eyes. "I really like him. I just don't want to jinx it, you know? I got excited
about Sean, told my parents about him and everything and then he went and, well,
you know what he did. And then with Danny! God, I can be such a fool some times
. Every guy I've ever gotten excited about has let me down even Emmett. I though
t I loved Emmett, Alice. He was everything to me. We've managed to remain friend
s because I've never let him know how much he hurt me."
"Do you still love Emmett?" Alice looked at Bella sadly, not sure if she wanted
to know the answer.
"No. I said I thought I loved him. I know now that I never truly loved him like
that. I loved him as a friend, yes, but nothing more. He still broke my heart th
ough. I thought we were going to get married and have kids, live in Forks for th
e rest of our lives." Bella smirked and then started to laugh. "Could you pictur
e me and Emmett with kids and a house with a white picket fence?"
"Two dogs running around in the yard?"
"Exactly! We were never meant to be, but it doesn't mean it didn't hurt when he
broke up with me."
"I thought it was mutual." Alice cocked her head to the side, trying to remember
what Bella had told her about her breakup with Emmett.
"Well it wasn't, but he doesn't know that. We were in our first year of college
at different schools. I didn't have any trouble staying faithful to him, but . .
."
"He cheated on you?"
"No. He never did, but the desire was there and he wasn't sure how much longer h
e could hold out."
"So he broke up with you?"
"I told him that I felt the same way, but I really was just trying to make the b
reakup amicable and not awkward. He was my best friend and I didn't want to lose
him. Please don't tell him or Rose! Oh God, if Rose found out . . ." Bella shud
dered in her seat Rosalie was scary.
"Okay, so getting back on track," Alice said very business-like. "You're afraid
to be excited about Edward?"
"Yes. I don't want to talk about him and get all ga-ga over him because it just
hurts that much worse when they leave." She took another sip of her beer and rea
lized it was gone. "Need another one?"
"I'm good," Alice replied, watching Bella stand up from her seat and head into t
he kitchen.
The doorbell rang just as Bella took a step back into the living room and she tu
rned to answer the door. It was like déjà-vu with Edward and Jazz smiling at her whe
n she opened the door and she ushered them in and took their coats after receivi
ng a kiss on the cheek from each one, Edward's lingering a little longer, but no
t long enough to her liking.
"Can I get you guys a beer?" she asked. They both responded in the positive and
Bella disappeared again, returning with three Moose Drool's this time.
"Is this the stuff Jake brought over?" Edward cocked an eye at Bella, questionin
g her choice of beer.
"It's actually good try it!"
The four of them talked about the game until the timer went off indicating Alice
's bread was ready. The girls left the guys alone in the living room and Bella c
ould hear the sounds of a baseball game on TV. Shaking her head, she set the tab
le and got everything ready for dinner before calling them in.
Dinner conversation centered on the upcoming murder mystery charity night. Ticke
ts were expensive, but that was the whole idea. Emmett and Rosalie had purchased
theirs already and the guys told Bella and Alice that they were all set as well
. Jazz spoke in great detail about the chair he was putting together for the auc
tion and all three of them laughed at his idea, Edward feeling sorry for the per
son who ended up with a saddle. But someone would bid on it, of that he was sure
. Jazz was one of the greatest pitchers in the National League.
After dinner, the four of them worked together to clear the table and put the di
shes in the dishwasher; then Alice and Jazz disappeared upstairs in her room for
a little while. Bella got the movie ready and then sat on the couch with Edward
, each of them with another Moose Drool.
"I told you it was good."
"It's okay." He shrugged.
"I've got a question for you and I want you to answer it honestly, okay?"
Edward's eyebrows pinched together, concern gleaming in his eyes and Bella felt
bad, she didn't mean to worry him. "Okay," he said evenly.
"It's not bad, I promise. This is going to sound odd, but I was wondering," she
began, playing with the seam of her jeans, "if I'm a distraction to you at the g
ames?" Her face was turned down, too embarrassed to face him.
Edward reached out and placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her face to lo
ok at him. "Why would you think that?"
"Fred a season ticket holder that sits behind me has been taking bets on how oft
en you look at me." She frowned up at him. "You're not doing as well as you shou
ld. You went 1-5 today and your average is dropping, so I was just wondering if
. . ."
"If you were the reason I'm not hitting well?"
"Yes."
Edward pulled Bella into his side, squishing her against him, placing a kiss on
top of her head. "I am distracted, Bella, but it has nothing to do with you."
"What's going on?" she asked, pulling back to look in his eyes. They were a soft
green, but sad.
"This trip to San Diego just has me thinking a lot. What we talked about yesterd
ay and what I need to do I've just got a lot on my mind."
"One week from tomorrow you'll be back in Chicago," she murmured, snuggling agai
nst his side again. He smelled so delicious; he didn't have the scent of raspber
ries on him today, but his cologne Woods and the soap he used mixed with the sme
ll of beer from his lips.
Bella turned her head up and looked at the lips that she couldn't get out of her
mind. They were full and wet from the beer he was drinking, a drop of moisture
beaded on one of the soft lines . . . Before she could finish her thought, his l
ips had pressed against hers, a soft moan churning inside him. Kissing him had b
ecome such a guilty pleasure to Bella. She knew she shouldn't do it, not until a
fter San Diego, but she couldn't help herself, he just tasted so good and the wa
y his tongue darted in and explored her mouth, she felt like she would lose it f
rom his kisses alone.
Her lady parts started to tingle, feeling swollen as she threaded her fingers in
his hair. She pulled him closer to her, rejoicing from his hard muscles pressed
against her breasts. Even between the layers of clothing, his heat radiated off
his skin and through to her body he was electrifying, turning her flesh into a
pile of burning embers, snapping and popping as they flamed.
Edward broke the kiss first, pulling her head into his neck as he caught his bre
ath. "If we don't stop this," he gasped, "we won't be watching a movie tonight."
In that split second, Bella far from wanted to watch a movie, she wanted nothing
more than for Edward to pick her up and take her to her bedroom. Her face was b
uried in the flesh of his neck and she slipped her tongue out, tasting him there
, sighing from the tingles on her tongue and then she heard him groan, pulling h
er body away from him.
"You're not helping any." His eyes were little balls of green fire, darkened fro
m the passion with sparkly bits of light flickering looking savage.
Bella swallowed and tried to calm her erratic breathing. "When did you become th
e responsible one?"
Edward laughed, pulling Bella onto his lap and holding her like a child against
him. "I want to do this right, Bella. And this is the right thing to do for both
of us."
The two of them sat on the couch, Bella in his lap, and watched the White Sox ga
me on TV until Alice and Jazz reappeared downstairs. Bella ran upstairs quickly
to grab a pillow and blanket and when she came back down, Alice and Jazz had pos
itioned themselves on one of the oversized chairs leaving her and Edward the cou
ch, where she sat down next to him, barely touching his side.
Sometime during the movie, Edward's arm made it around Bella's shoulders and the
n her head found its way to his shoulder, eventually ending with Bella lying on
the couch with her head on her pillow in his lap, his arm resting over her waist
as his other hand played with the curls in her hair, wrapping them around his f
ingers.
It had been a while since Bella or Edward had seen the movie and though they rem
embered all their favorite lines saying them out loud during the movie neither o
f them thought about the underlying cause of why Jake and Lynn's relationship en
ded to begin with he had been having affairs while out on the road.
At the first mention of this in the movie, both Edward and Bella tensed up. She
couldn't believe she had forgotten about that aspect of the film. The first time
she saw the movie, she hadn't known about her mother and Phil and every time sh
e had seen it since then, it just reinforced her hatred for baseball players. No
w was different. Now, she wasn't sure how she felt, but her body didn't react ve
ry well.
Edward's hand began to rub up and down her arm and she turned her head to look u
p at him. He didn't look like he was doing too well himself. What would Alice do
? she asked herself. Bella was reminded of the conversation she had with Alice o
n the way to Milwaukee and how she and Jazz got through this stuff. What would A
lice do in this situation? Alice is in this situation, Einstein! She's sitting w
ith her boyfriend watching the same movie. Bella's eyes shifted to the chair to
see Alice and Jazz cuddling together, holding hands and kissing every so often.
Hold his hand, Bella, let him know you're okay.
When Edward's hand neared hers on his descent down her arm, Bella turned her han
d over and caught his. Awkwardly maneuvering their hands so that her palm was on
top of the back of his hand, she laced her fingers down through his and then pu
lled his hand to her stomach his palm burning through her shirt, penetrating int
o her skin. Too afraid to look at him, she kept her eyes focused on the TV, not
really paying attention to the movie anymore. Every so often, Edward's hand woul
d move a little or his fingers would wiggle slowly, grazing her stomach and igni
ting a fire deep within. Her body was hot, but her skin chilled and she began to
sweat from their connection.
Then another scene she forgot about came on the screen; Dorn's wife watching him
on TV as he left a party with a girl on his arm. This time, Edward leaned his h
ead down as far as he could and whispered, "Sorry," in her ear while squeezing h
er fingers. She squeezed back before bringing his palm to her lips for a kiss.
When the movie ended, Bella used the bathroom, returning to find Jazz getting re
ady to leave. Alice walked him out and Edward stood up, walking over to where sh
e stood. "I should get going too. I know you've got a presentation to get ready
for." Bella's heart soared he remembered her presentation. Unfortunately, she'd
been dragging her feet on it, spending time with him instead of doing her work.
She'd be up all night working on it now. She had promised Chad that she'd have t
he Power Point presentation ready to go for tomorrow.
Wrapping his arms around her, Edward drew Bella close to him, breathing in the s
cent of her hair. "Can we do lunch tomorrow?" he asked, breathing out against he
r temple.
"I actually have the whole day off," she said, pulling back to look at him. "If
I can get everything done tonight, we can do whatever you want."
"I'll call you in the morning. Is there anything you want to do? Navy Pier? Mich
igan Avenue?"
"I've never been to the top of the Cock."
The crooked smile that melted Bella's insides spread across Edward's face. "I th
ink we can take care of that."
"I bet," she chuckled. "Now, get going. I have a lot of work to do if you're goi
ng to kidnap me tomorrow."
Edward pulled her in close again and pressed his lips against hers. It was meant
to be an innocent kiss but, as always, he lingered longer than originally plann
ed and Bella opened her mouth to him, enticing him by running her tongue along h
is bottom lip. He was lost to her and the crazy pain that exploded in his heart
each time they kissed. The pain always did him in as it seeped through his heart
, down his chest and stomach to his aching hard-on. He groaned against her mouth
and pulled away.
It was becoming harder and harder to hold back and not take her over the side of
the couch as he was now envisioning. He wanted to be deep inside of her, sweaty
skin against sweaty skin. His vision blurred as he stared at her. Inhaling slow
ly and closing his eyes, he held her at arms length.
"You have no idea what you do to me," his voice quivered. Leaning in, he kissed
her gently on the forehead and murmured, "Goodnight," before slipping away and o
ut the door.
~GO CUBS~
Bella stayed up all night working on her project, knowing that the reward would
be well worth it a day with Edward roaming around Chicago. One of the things she
hadn't done since moving to the Windy City was go sight seeing like a tourist w
ould. She had done a few things, like take the architectural water tour through
the Chicago River. It was very interesting and she had Emmett with her, which wa
s great because he added more insight into the tour, considering he was an archi
tect and knew his stuff. She had also been to Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, Field M
useum, Grant Park had to see the famous Buckingham Fountain from Married With Ch
ildren, but other than those few things, she never got to enjoy the city the way
a tourist would.
She woke early too early to her cell phone ringing, 'Go Cubs Go!' singing out lo
udly by her ear.
"Someone better be dead," she moaned into the receiver, trying to figure out the
time, but her vision was blurred from the sleep in her eyes.
Edward chuckled on the other end. "Too early for you?"
"No," she groaned, sitting up in her bed and rubbing her eyes. Finally, she was
able to read the clock by her bedside 7:16 AM. "Yes."
"How late did you stay up?"
"I don't know." She yawned in his ear. "The last I looked, it was a little after
four." Bella's eyes scanned her room and she noticed that her laptop was still
on her bed at the foot and opened. She must've . . . well, she wasn't sure what
she had done, but now she wasn't even sure if she finished everything she needed
to.
"I'll be at your place at nine." There was humor in his voice and Bella suddenly
realized he was laughing at her.
"Bring the biggest coffee you can find and a Squagle from Cosi's."
"No one would ever dare call you a Trixie," he said sarcastically, the laughter
still in his voice.
"Did you just call me a Trixie?" She was awake now. Trixie's were the bane of Be
lla's existence. The one thing she loathed about living in Lincoln Park was the
thought of being stereotyped as one. But she had one thing going for her; she wa
sn't a blond.
"Bella, it was a joke."
"Oh, Eddie, you don't know who you're playing with, do you?"
He laughed heartily on the other end; "apparently the President for the Lincoln
Park Trixie Society."
"I'll see you at ten," she seethed, trying to hide the giggles that wanted to co
me out. She really wasn't mad, but she couldn't believe that he had the gall to
call her a Trixie of all things!
"Nine!" he said loudly into the phone before disconnecting.
At 9:00 AM sharp, Edward rapped on the door. Bella answered it wearing a very ti
ght light pink Cubs t-shirt and a very short skirt, which looked like it might h
ave been Alice's it was something Alice would wear, not Bella. She wore an evil
smirk on her face, her eyes playfully challenging him.
"You look lovely today," he smiled brightly, trying not to react to her outfit t
ypical of a Trixie at a Cubs game.
"You're not so bad yourself," she crooned, laying the sugar on extra thick. He w
ore jeans and a blue long-sleeved cotton shirt with the Abercrombie logo on it,
a white t-shirt underneath.
"You're going to be cold in that." He stepped into her home, shutting the door b
ehind him. "Why don't you go change into something warmer?"
"What, are you too embarrassed to be seen with a fan?" She fluttered her lashes.
"You can dress like a Trixie if you want, Bella. I'm sure the news papers will l
ove it."
He had her there. She really didn't want to be seen looking the way she did typi
cal Lincoln Park Trixie get-up. She huffed loudly before stalking upstairs to ch
ange into something more casual and warm jeans and a brown short-sleeved t-shirt
with her light blue and gray Cubs hoodie on top.
They drove into the city and parked in a parking garage on Michigan Ave. Once th
ey were out in the pleasant Chicago air, Bella smiled brightly, extending her ar
ms out and breathing in deeply. She loved the city. Living in a small town all h
er life, she was used to everyone knowing her business and she hated it. Here, i
n Chicago, it was rare for her to run into anyone she knew while walking down th
e streets there were so many people.
"Where to first?" he asked, enjoying the way the wind lifted her hair, twirling
it around.
"I'm not sure," she sighed, stopping where she stood to turn around in all direc
tions. "It's still kind of early, why don't we take a walk through Grant Park or
by the bean "
"The bean?" Edward asked, his eyes rising in confusion.
"The big silver looking bean thing," she said dismissively.
"The cloud gate?"
Bella laughed. "Is that what they really call it? I like the bean better."
"To the bean, then." Edward laughed, placing his hand on the small of her back a
nd leading her across the busy street.
As silly as the bean sounded, it was really a lot of fun. There were tons of peo
ple crowded around the shiny silver contraption, but none of them seemed to reco
gnize Edward, which was what Bella was fearful of. She wanted to have this fun d
ay with him without anyone bothering them and so far, she had gotten just what s
he was hoping for.
Once she was inside the opening of the bean, Bella put her hands up against the
structure, her reflection looking down upon her as she looked up. "Hey, stay lik
e that," Edward said, and she complied, turning her stare over at him. He pulled
out his cell phone and snapped a picture of her and the bean, her reflection lo
oming above her head.
"Your turn," she said, changing places with him. Edward placed his hands up agai
nst the silver bean and looked at Bella with his prize-winning smile. She took a
couple of pictures of him before a woman came over and offered to take one of t
he two of them together. Bella handed her phone over to the woman, a little afra
id that she would run off with it, and then jumped next to Edward and put her ha
nds up next to his. The lady told them to say cheese, and as they did, she took
a picture, then waited and took another one.
"I should've brought my camera." Bella sat on a bench with Edward looking over h
er shoulder as she scrolled through the pictures of them at the bean.
"Next time. Right now we need to get over to the fountain."
"That's a long walk in the opposite direction of the Cock," she said, turning he
r body to stare at the top of the Hancock building.
"We have plenty of time," he said, rolling his eyes and grabbing her hand to pul
l her along behind him.
They lucked out with the weather. Yesterday's high was in the high 40's, but tod
ay was in the mid 70's. Bella found herself to be too hot and she took her hoodi
e off, wrapping it around her waist. They held hands as they walked to the fount
ain through the gardens, which in a week or so would be even fuller of beautiful
blooms.
The fountain was not turned on yet, so they sat on a bench and stared at the dis
colored sea creatures. "Want to head over to the Hancock now?" he asked, disappo
inted that they would have to come back for the fountain another day.
They made it over to the Hancock building at a little after eleven and there was
a line. Unfortunately, Edward was also recognized by a few people, who he ended
up signing autographs for and taking pictures with. Though the wait was longer
than they had hoped, the views up on the 94th floor of the observation deck were
spectacular. Edward got to see Navy Pier and the parks from his condo, so he na
vigated over to the west side, looking at the city and buildings more than anyth
ing else. They tried to get a few pictures on their phones, but they didn't turn
out too well and they decided to come back another time with their cameras.
They were both starving by the time they got back down to the ground level and a
fter a few more autographs for security personnel who had gathered in the entran
ce of the building, waiting for him to come back down and people waiting in line
, they made their way down some city streets. A few blocks later Bella started c
omplaining, wanting to know how much farther and why they couldn't just eat at a
ny of the many restaurants they had already passed.
Edward had a plan. He had even called the restaurant in advance and told them th
at they would be there today, hoping to get some sort of privacy, since it would
be hard to in a Cubs-related place. When they finally rounded the final corner,
Edward knew the moment she saw the sign for Harry Carey's she'd know exactly wh
ere they were going.
"You suck!" She shouted at him, lightly punching his arm. "I haven't gotten over
here yet!"
"The number one Cubs fan hasn't been to Harry Carey's?" he asked in mock shock.
"Shut up, Masen."
They were immediately greeted by the manager when they entered and Edward tensed
up, waiting for what he was hoping wouldn't happen crowds of people recognizing
him especially after a poor performance yesterday.
The bar area was crowded, so they were extremely grateful to be discreetly escor
ted back to a private area of the restaurant where there weren't many other patr
ons. It was an Italian steak house, and Bella was thrilled because she loved ste
ak. Over the course of lunch, Edward told her about the Bartman ball and how Har
ry Carey's had purchased it for quite a bit of money, which was donated to a cha
rity, and then they destroyed the ball and then later, due to suggestions by the
fans, boiled it in beer and added it to one of their sauces in order to try and
reverse the curse.
Bella had read about the story but it was fun to hear Edward talk about it becau
se he didn't seem to be as superstitious as most baseball players and fans were.
Heck, she had a ring she wore every day the Mariners played because the one tim
e she didn't put it on, they had gotten creamed! She was just as superstitious a
s the rest of them and inwardly wished she could've been one of the lucky fans t
o get to eat the Bartman ball sauce.
The manager came over after their lunch plates had been cleared and politely ask
ed if Edward would sign a few autographs. Bella reached across the table and squ
eezed his hand when she saw his reluctant smile to the man waiting for his answe
r. When he looked up, she smiled and nodded to him and then he readily agreed.
While Edward chatted with some of the patrons at the bar, signing autographs and
taking pictures, Bella looked at the memorabilia and pictures around the establ
ishment and then sat in a seat that was donated to the restaurant from the origi
nal Comiskey Park, where the White Sox play.
After lunch, they both left the restaurant feeling sad. They knew that their tim
e today had come to an end since Edward had to get a few things done before gett
ing ready to leave and Bella still had a few things to go over before meeting wi
th Chad for her presentation. They took a cab back to the parking garage and hop
ped in the Volvo, heading for Bella's townhouse.
"I'll call you when I get into St. Louis," he said, grabbing a hold of her hand
and intertwining their fingers together. His fingers pulsed from the contact he
would miss even these simple touches while he was away.
"I won't be home until a little after nine," she said softly, looking out the wi
ndow at the lake as they drove north on Lake Shore drive.
Edward walked her to her door, but declined her invitation to come in. He wanted
to but he knew he wouldn't want to leave once he was in there. His hand trailed
down her cheek and when he got to her jaw, he wrapped his fingers under her chi
n and pulled her mouth up as his descended. There was nothing innocent about thi
s kiss, it would be their last one until he returned from San Diego and he wante
d her to remember it.
His head finally lifted from hers when he couldn't hold his breath any more, but
she didn't want to let him go. Her hands were fisted in his hair, her lips now
at his neck she was making it so much harder for him. "Don't leave," she hissed
against his skin.
"Honey, I have to go," he pleaded with her, pulling her face away from his neck
to look in her eyes. What he found there sent a searing stab through his heart.
She was obviously hurting more than he thought. He leaned his forehead against h
ers and they stood there, in each other's arms, foreheads attached, speaking in
soft whispers to one another.
"Everything will be fine. I'll be back before you know it."
"I hate the way I feel right now." Her heart was out of control, banging against
her chest she was sure he could feel it.
"Just keep thinking about our first date." He kissed the tip of her nose and she
giggled.
"Do you have it planned yet?" she asked defiantly.
"Friday after the game," he said, pulling back from their little huddle. His han
d lifted and pulled some stray strands of hair from her face, placing them behin
d her ear. "I'll probably only shower quickly and then meet you at my car."
"You're gonna make me wait until Friday?" She narrowed her eyes at him and shook
her head.
"You have to work on Thursday." He shrugged.
"Come here," she rasped out, pulling him by his shirt and landing her lips on to
p of his once more. Everything about this kiss was pure need and animalistic. He
r hands drunkenly moved over his body, greedily taking him in, her tongue attack
ing his, her body pressing hard, assaulting him.
His hands roamed freely over her, rounding the curve of her ass, squeezing her c
heeks and pulling her middle into his fiercely hard cock. She gasped from the co
ntact and he groaned into her mouth, promising her more with every touch and mov
ement from his body. He swung her around and pressed her against the wall, pract
ically dry humping her in broad daylight on her porch. He needed more and was ju
st about to lift her up and charge into her house for some privacy when a horn h
onked loudly in their ears they'd been discovered.
"I'd say I'm sorry," she gasped, head buried in his chest, "but I'm not."
"You should get inside," he breathed out unevenly.
"Take care, Masen," she sighed, kissing his chest where her lips lay against his
shirt.
"We'll talk tonight." He pulled away from her one of the hardest things he had e
ver had to do and watched as she opened her door. With one last look over her sh
oulder and a sad smile, she closed the door behind her. She was gone.
Chapter 18 May 20 23, 2009
The sun burned bright across her face and she moaned, her hand going straight to
cover her eyes, rubbing furiously at her forehead. She didn't recognize where s
he was, it wasn't the bed she had been staying in the past week and a half. Conf
used, she shot up and threw her clothes on, stumbling down a hall to find the ba
throom still drunk.
She brushed her wiry hair out with her fingers, running water through it hoping
to make it look somewhat presentable. She wasn't ugly or plain, more on the pret
ty side. She had been prettier, could still be if she had taken care of herself
over the years. Pretty soon you'll have all the money you'll need for the best f
ace creams, manis, pedis, anything you want.
Jane practiced her smiles in the mirror. She was still hoping for her original p
lan to work on Edward. A sob story, a few tears, and words of love followed by f
abulous sex no man could turn that down. She would've bought her ticket to Chica
go already if it hadn't been so expensive, then he'd have no reason to say no. H
e won't say no. She couldn't allow him to say no. But if he did . . . she didn't
want to think like that, but she had to. He wasn't his normal self on the phone
last week, something was wrong.
A genuine smile spread upon her lips, menacing, in a way, but a smile none-the-l
ess. Mila was fucking brilliant, a lifesaver. She knew for a fact now that if no
thing else, plan B would work it had to. At first she was scared because the tim
ing of Edward's visit didn't match well to her biological clock, but thanks to M
ila and her expertise as a pharmaceutical assistant, she was able to get some me
dicine for her, and she had already finished the last dose.
Taking a deep breath, straightening her hair and clothes, Jane walked out of the
foreign bathroom and eased her way down a hall to the smell of coffee. There wa
s a short sandy-haired man standing at the counter with his back to her and she
froze. Who the fuck is he? Fuck! Please no, please! This couldn't be happening.
She was not supposed to have sex with anyone until she followed through with her
plans. Edward was supposed to be the one.
Jane stood frozen in the entryway to the kitchen and counted in her head. She di
dn't know much about ovulating and the best times to have sex to get pregnant, b
ut if she could come up with numbers, Mila would help her. With the Clomid that
she had taken, Mila said she should ovulate on the twenty-third. God, how many d
ays before ovulation can you have sex and get pregnant? She was currently three
days away from her impending ovulation.
The man at the counter turned as he sensed her presence and smiled at her. "Good
 morning, Heidi."
Her instinct was to correct him, but the thought of him not knowing who she was
made her feel better. When if she had to follow through with plan B, she didn't
want this guy coming forward and putting doubt on the paternity of her child. Sh
e'd remain as Heidi to him.
She smiled back, walking over to the counter near the man whom she couldn't reme
mber and grabbed the cup of coffee he held out to her. He leaned down and kissed
her before she could get the cup up to her lips and she kissed him back. To her
, there was no difference in the kisses of this man, Carlos, or Edward they all
were wonderful kissers. The cup in her hand clanged against the counter, spillin
g the hot liquid on her hand, but she kept herself pressed against the man that
was now taking off her shirt, lifting it over her head.
She knew she really shouldn't be going for another round with this guy, but the
feel of his length pressed up against her fueled her desire even more. He wasn't
as big as Edward was, she could probably fit his whole hardened cock in the pal
m of her hand, but it would still be great all sex was for her it was more about
how you used what you had to work with.
Two hours later, Jane strolled into Mila's home and slipped up to her room. Mila
and Dom were still sleeping it had been a pretty rough night for all of them, a
pparently. She was lucky to be able to slide into her bed and fall back asleep.
Even Mila wouldn't know about her one-night-stand, she couldn't know no one coul
d ever find out.
When she finally awoke in the mid-afternoon, she looked at the missed calls log
on her phone and sighed. Carlos still called every day, though the number of cal
ls was declining drastically. From what she had gathered he had signed the paper
s and she had been told it would be a clean, easy break no kids, barely any asse
ts, and neither of them made a lot of money.
There hadn't been any more calls from Edward and she sighed softly as she laid h
er phone back on the bed-side table and then rolled over. Every day that he didn
't call just made her more uneasy. If he wasn't getting her tickets to the games
and didn't want to see her until late on Friday, well, she didn't like thinking
of it, but she really had to prepare herself for plan B.
~GO CUBS~
"You better get your stuff together," Bella lectured Edward over the phone, seri
ous about the Cubbies and their losing streak. "This is usually what happens aft
er the All-Star break, not before! What's going on?"
"Do you ever stop?" he asked from the other end of the line. He was lying on his
hotel bed, staring at the ceiling. It was Friday morning four days since he had
seen Bella.
"No. You guys are killing me. Emmett is threatening to shave his head if you don
't pull out of this slump, and Jake has called the past two days, rubbing it in,
trying to get me to cross to the other side."
"I thought you didn't pick sides," he chided.
"That was before." Bella looked around the office, making sure no one was watchi
ng her while she was on a personal call. She really should have taken this call
outside or in the break room.
"Before what?" he teased, knowing what the answer would be, but would she say it
?
"You really are a cocky SOB, you know that?"
"Did you just swear?" he asked, pretending to be shocked.
"Why do I even bother with you?" she huffed. "I really should let you go though.
" She had a lot of work to get done and then she needed to study more for her fi
nal exam that she had on Monday. "Thanks for calling and letting me know you got
into San Diego okay."
"What're you doing tonight?"
"Not sure," she mused, "the Sox are at home, maybe "
"I'll try and call you before I head off to the park this afternoon." He cut her
off, knowing she wouldn't be going to the Sox game.
"Bye, Edward."
Bella leaned back in her boring, gray, fabric chair and closed her eyes. The pas
t four days had gone by so slowly, yet at the same time, the rest of her life se
emed to be flying by. She didn't have much more time to study for her final test
and she really needed to. Every time she'd tried so far, she couldn't concentra
te.
She had spoken to Edward every day since he'd been gone and they texted each oth
er like crazy, sending pictures and jokes, anything for a reason to communicate
with the other. She silently wondered how people did long distance relationships
back when there were no cell phones or email because she didn't think she'd hav
e been able to stay sane. Her cell phone vibrated in her hand and she looked dow
n to see she had a new picture mail from Edward. It was a picture of his hotel b
ed, messy sheets with a little message sent along with it.
Going back to bed.
"Must be nice," Bella sighed, wishing she were back in her bed as well.
"What must be nice?" Jessica asked from behind her. The problem with office cubi
cles was that there was absolutely no privacy at all.
"It must be nice to get to sleep in every day," Bella said pointedly, indicating
that Jessica arrived late to work every day this week. "But it's Friday, so I s
hould get to sleep in tomorrow."
"I heard your boyfriend's in a big slump right now." She said the words cockily,
wanting to upset the plain looking girl that took her man.
"First," Bella started and then stopped. She was going to say that he wasn't her
boyfriend, but after this weekend, she was actually hoping he would be. "Never
mind," she muttered, turning her attention away from the curly-haired girl.
"Rumor has it," Jessica continued, undeterred by Bella's back to her, "that Edwa
rd bats for the other team." She waited for a reaction from Bella and when she d
idn't get one, she continued. "You know, the other team, Bella. Get it?"
Her whole office knew about Danny. She had introduced him to everyone right afte
r they first started dating she had gotten excited about him way too fast. He ev
en hung out with her and her work friends, so when Bella found out about his sex
ual orientation, so did the whole office the big rumor mill that it was.
"No," Bella said squarely, turning around in her chair to look innocently at Jes
sica. "I don't get it. What exactly do you mean?"
A soft giggle erupted in the cube next to Bella's and Jessica turned her head to
stare at the small Asian woman, Amy, and then back at Bella. Her lips puckered
up, her eyes squinted, and then she huffed loudly before walking briskly away.
Bella sent Edward a text during her lunch break, letting him know that Buckingha
m Fountain was working today. It was a Friday, so she and Angela met up with Ali
ce for lunch on State Street. While in the area, they ventured over to the park
and when Bella saw the beautiful spray of water in the air, she sighed. She took
a picture of it with her phone and then sent it to Edward, letting him see all
that he was missing in Chicago.
The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly and then while Bella was getting on
the El to go home, her cell phone rang out, the 'Go Cubs Go!' song loud and cle
ar for all to hear.
"Finally wake up?" she asked, answering the phone.
"I've been hiding out in Jazz's room, actually."
"Hiding out?" She stood in the middle of the train, grasping onto a bar. Many pe
ople were reading the Tribune's Red Eye where a picture of Carlisle Cullen grace
d the front page. She smiled.
"Guess I'm a little nervous that Jane will try to find me before the game."
"Oh." She wasn't exactly ready to talk about her again, but this would probably
be their last conversation before he met with her this evening.
"You still there?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
Neither of them spoke for some time, both of them going over in their heads the
words they wanted to say to the other, but hesitant to start the conversation th
ey knew they needed to have.
"Oh!" Bella said excitedly, glad to think of something other than Jane to talk a
bout. "Jessica seems to think that you bat for the other team." She laughed, kno
wing full well what his face probably looked like.
"I'm sure you set her straight."
"Nah, I thought it was funny."
The silence returned. Their conversation was very awkward. "So, what have you an
d Jazz been up to today?"
"Not much, we watched a movie and went out for lunch. We just got back."
"That's pretty late for lunch," she said, stepping of the El. It was a beautiful
day and she didn't need her jacket.
"Not really, we're a few hours behind you and we won't get to eat dinner until l
ate tonight."
"What time are you meeting her?" Bella asked, finally ready to bring her up, she
 just couldn't do it while on the train in front of all those people.
"After the game. I'll call her when I'm on my way to the bar."
"I " Bella closed her eyes as she stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the walk si
gn to light up.
"I wish you were here with me."
"So do I." Her feet moved fast across the street, her mind racing to think of an
ything other than Edward, the tears already threatening to let loose.
"Then hop on a plane and come meet me. I'll leave a room key for you at the fron
t desk, and you can come to the bar with me "
"You know I can't do that, Edward."
"I know."
"Are you nervous?"
"I wasn't until you told me about what your mom did. I never thought of things l
ike that. The thought of her wanting to get something out of me . . . Bella, if
she wants money, I might just give it to her to get her out of our lives."
"If that's what you think is best."
"I don't know what's best," he practically yelled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to
raise my voice at you."
"I'm sorry I brought all that crap up. Maybe Jane will be more mature than my mo
m was."
Bella had finally made it home and when she walked in the door, she saw Alice's
purse on the coffee table. She assumed she was upstairs and probably talking to
Jazz. "What's Jazz doing right now?"
"What? Oh, he's on the phone with Alice, I think."
"Have you told him about Jane?"
"He's known about Jane since I met him. She even tried to set him up with a frie
nd of hers once. I think her name was Nikki or something like that two k's in it
. And don't worry. It was well before he met Alice."
"Does he know you're breaking things off with her?"
"Yeah, we talked a lot about it at lunch today. I asked him to come to the bar w
ith me, but he said he had plans to talk to Alice after the game and then he was
going to bed."
"Maybe it's for the best. She probably wouldn't want an audience when you talk t
o her."
"You're already drinking?" he asked when he heard the distinct sound of a bottle
opening up on the other end of the line. He chuckled as he listened to her take
a long drink from her beverage and then swallow.
"I've been waiting for this all day. I was afraid that Alice would get to the la
st Moose Drool before me, but I won."
"I should let you go, sweetheart. Jazz just got off the phone and we need to get
to the park."
Bella's heart sank. She knew that this would be it, their last goodbye before he
was finally free of Jane. "Will you call me after?" she asked, her voice falter
ing on the last word.
"It'll be late, are you sure you'll be up?" San Diego was two hours behind Chica
go.
"I'll be up," she choked out, tears threatening once again to rain down on her c
heeks.
"Bella, please don't. This is already so hard."
"I'm not," she lied as the first tear fell. "Okay, I'm not doing a good job at h
olding it in, but I'm trying, Edward."
"I . . . Bella, I'll talk to you soon."
"Kay, good luck."
It was some time before Bella got up off the couch and threw her empty into the
recycle bin. The tears were done and she needed to freshen up so that Alice woul
dn't know that she was upset. The original plan was to go over to Emmett and Ros
alie's tonight for the game, but right now she felt like putting on her pajamas
and staying in all night eating a half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
It was pretty late when Bella and Alice arrived at Emmett and Rosalie's place. T
hey had a quaint little townhome, not too far from theirs but with a much larger
TV. The four of them sat around watching the game, cringing every time the Cubs
got up to bat. It was horrible really; Cullen struck out three times, Edward tw
ice, but was lucky enough to get a single not that it mattered. The Padres shut
out the Cubs 3-0, extending their losing streak to 5.
The game lasted three hours, making it midnight when the girls left to go home.
They both planned on waiting up for calls from their men, but after a little ove
r an hour, they both retreated to their rooms. Bella sat up in bed and started t
o read a book Edward had leant her. He had returned the first six books of her v
ampire series and had the seventh with him on the road. When he'd picked up the
seventh book, he had brought over a couple of his favorites for her to try. They
weren't love stories, so it was hard for Bella to really get into them, but the
y were interesting so far. The one she was reading tonight had a lot of guns and
swearing in it, reminding her of his favorite movie.
At 3:07 AM, Bella was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. Picking up her c
ell phone, she got out of bed and took a picture of the bear that Emmett had bou
ght for Edward lying on her ruffled sheets and sent it to him along with a messa
ge.
Having a hard time staying awake.
She turned off her lights, climbed into bed, and wrapped her arms around the bro
wn stuffed bear. Her mind was not her best friend at the moment as visions of Ed
ward and some skanky looking blond going at it in his hotel room surfaced in her
head. Would she ever truly trust him?
~GO CUBS~
The bar where Edward and Jane first met was very crowded on Friday night after t
he game. It wasn't far from Petco Park or the hotel where Edward was staying, wh
ich was why they usually met at this particular place after a game.
Jane sat at a table in full view for everyone to see as they walked in from the
street. She had a pitcher of beer on the table and two mugs. In the purse that s
he clutched to her side were three small vials of clear liquid. Mila had been a
big help to her the past few days. Not only did she get the Clomid for Jane to u
se, but she also talked to some friends and found a way to get the three pills J
ane carried into liquid form.
They were told to do it close to when they would be used, so a few hours before
Jane set off to meet up with Edward, the two of them mashed the pills down into
individual little piles of white powder and then added them each to their own vi
al before mixing them with enough water to dilute the solution. What was left we
re the three vials of clear liquid.
She had already psyched herself out of believing that her original plan would wo
rk. Edward was never going to willingly move her to Chicago with him, regardless
of any sob story she told or how many tears she shed. There were more pictures
of him and the homely looking brunette on the internet and it was pretty obvious
that they were more than friends. But he's meeting with you he wants you.
Jane's confidence soared with her thoughts. Edward called her. He made the plans
to see her. He wanted to be with her. Take that, you unseemly bitch! A small la
ugh escaped her lips as she thought about the girl sleeping in her bed in Chicag
o, thinking everything was perfect with her world while her boyfriend was about
to get the fuck of his life by Jane. The very thought of that raised her spirits
and she poured herself another beer while motioning to her waitress to bring an
other pitcher.
Her cell phone rang out and she picked it up to see that Edward had sent her a t
ext.
On my way.
Jane became giddy with the anticipation of Edward's arrival. It had been a long
time since she'd seen him about a year between last summer and now. She couldn't
wait to run her fingers through his hair, kiss his smooth lips, run her hands a
long the muscles in his back, and God, what she planned to do to his . . .
Her thoughts were interrupted by a man clearing his throat and when she looked u
p, she saw him, the object of her fantasies Edward. She gave him her wide, excit
ed smile. "Hi, Edward!" Bolting out of her chair, she rushed into his arms and h
ugged him tightly, unaware to the way his arms stayed at his side. "It's so good
to see you!" she exclaimed as they both took their seats at the high table.
Jane started to pour Edward a beer from the pitcher that sat at their table, reg
ardless of his obvious protest. "Relax," she cooed, reaching her hand over the t
able to grasp his. He pulled his hand back. Jane's heart immediately reacted, po
unding against her chest. This wasn't going well.
"Jane, I asked you here so that we could talk," Edward said, his eyes hard and c
old. They didn't hold the desire that they normally did when they met. He was go
ing to break things off with her, she just knew it.
"Baby," she purred, "it's been a long time since we've seen each other. Let's le
ave the talking for later." Her fingers trailed up his arm and he pulled away.
"Jane, we can't see each other any more."
"Why not?" Was his girlfriend forbidding him to see her? How did she find out?
"Listen," Edward sighed, his shoulders finally relaxing a little, and he took a
sip of his beer before proceeding. "I haven't been fair to you. I've been using
you for the past couple of years and it was wrong I was wrong."
"You didn't use me," she countered. "We both received pleasure, Edward."
"Would you say this thing we have is casual?" he asked, motioning between their
bodies with his hand.
"I guess, but we could make it more if you want. I'm willing to move to Chicago,
Edward. If it's more that you want, I can give you more." Her plea reeked of ea
gerness and Edward frowned down at her.
"Jane," he sighed. "I've never wanted more. Not from you."
The look in Jane's eyes was fierce. He didn't want her? She could feel her tempe
r boiling over and fought to contain it. She couldn't lose it here, in front of
him. Taking a couple deep breaths, she stared at him and he stared back, waiting
for her to respond.
She had a plan, she reminded herself, cutting off her emotions. Edward was nothi
ng to her now, nothing but a means to an end. She had to get in the mode to foll
ow through with plan B. She smiled sweetly at Edward. "One last beer then?" she
asked, clutching her purse tightly in her hand.
"Sure," he muttered, looking down at the empty pitcher. "I'll go get this refill
ed."
When Edward took off to the bar, Jane frantically unzipped her purse and pulled
out one of the three vials of liquid. He's forcing you to do this. Her heart and
her conscience were not getting along. She knew what she was doing was wrong, b
ut her anger was getting the better of her.
His glass was a little less than half-full, he would never know. She unscrewed t
he vial and looked over her shoulder at Edward's back before pouring the liquid
into his glass. He would never know what hit him. After placing the vial back in
her purse, she sat back and finished her drink, staring intently at the liquid
amber in Edward's glass. It didn't change color at all, nor did it fizz up as sh
e feared it would.
Edward didn't take long before he returned and he refilled her glass before topp
ing his off. "So," Jane said, taking a sip and eyeing his untouched glass. "Is i
t true about the girl in Chicago?"
"Yes." The smile that crossed Edward's face did not go unnoticed to Jane and she
cursed the dreadful girl in her head, calling her every name her perverted mind
could think of, all the while, maintaining a perfectly pleasant smile.
"Is she the reason you're breaking things off with us? Did she find out about me
?"
"I told her about you, but she isn't the reason, Jane." His glass was half-way t
o his mouth when he started talking but instead of bringing it all the way up wh
en he paused, he put it back down on the table. "I want something more out of li
fe, Jane, and I'm sure you want that too."
"Yeah," she whispered, taking another sip, hoping he'd catch on and take a swig
from his beer as well.
"Bella is everything I've ever wanted in a woman," he said, stopping abruptly wh
en he noticed who he was talking to. "Sorry."
"That's fine. I hope to meet someone who can be my everything someday."
Edward's attention was suddenly pulled away by his cell phone. Excusing himself,
he looked down at his phone, hidden by the table between them and smiled. When
he looked back up, his eyes were softer, twinkling from the lights almost.
"I'm sorry Jane, but I need to get going."
"What?" she choked out frantically. "But you just got here. One beer?"
"Sorry, it's pretty late in Chicago and I promised Bella I'd call her."
He stood up from his chair and leaned over, giving her a half-hug. "At least dri
nk your beer, Edward," she whined, panic setting in.
"I'm not really thirsty, Jane." He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and
placed a hundred dollar bill in her hands. "Here," he said, "for your drinks ton
ight."
With those words, he was gone, walking out the door. Jane sat alone, anger start
ing to churn within her once more. She didn't know what to do. She never thought
that he would skip on the beer. He always drank when they were together always.
She wasn't sure how long she sat staring at the full glass of beer that also hel
d the clear liquid that was supposed to have made Edward putty in her hands. She
also wasn't aware of the tears rolling down her cheeks. Where was she supposed
to go now? She had served Carlos with divorce papers, quit her job, told Mila sh
e wouldn't be staying long, and had given her son over to Rob.
That had gone over better than she had thought it would. Rob was ecstatic to see
his son when she showed up with him a couple weeks ago. His wife was pretty hap
py as well, introducing them both to their daughter, Lourdes. Why did people nam
e their kids after celebrity's kids? As if it was an original thought on their p
art! At least Bobby would be taken care of until she could figure out what she w
as going to do.
"Jane?"
The voice that said her name sounded familiar, yet she couldn't remember exactly
where she had heard it. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she refocused them on t
he tall blond man in front of her Jazz.
"Do you mind if I have a seat?" he asked politely, motioning to where Edward had
previously sat.
"No," she choked out, "that'll be fine." She looked over at him through new tear
s and saw the full glass of amber liquid in front of him. Maybe all hope isn't l
ost! Jazz Whitlock was just as big of a star as Edward was, maybe even more so.
She knew for a fact that he was under a multi-million dollar contract with the C
ubs. He wasn't married, very handsome, and currently sitting at the table with h
er looking concerned. He was perfect.
Jane genuinely smiled.
"That's better," Jazz drawled out, smiling in return.
"Would you like a beer?" she asked innocently, motioning to the beer Edward had
left untouched.
"Sure, but I think I'll get a new glass." He looked around for a waitress, but t
hey all seemed to be busy. "Wait right here," he said, standing up. "I'll just g
o grab one from the bar."
When he disappeared, Jane acted fast. She immediately downed the remainder of he
r beer and then refilled it quickly leaving only a little amount left maybe enou
gh for one more glass, probably less. She swiftly rummaged through her purse and
opened another vial, pouring the liquid into the waiting pitcher of beer.
When Jazz returned, he set Edward's abandoned glass to the side and poured the r
emains of the pitcher into his empty one. He took a big sip before looking back
at Jane. "Edward told me," he said softly. "I'm sorry."
Edward had told him that he broke things off with her? When? Before or after he
had met with her? Did he send him to console her? "Is that why you're here?" she
asked, curious about his answer.
"Yes and no. Edward asked me to come meet him here, but I turned him down. I had
a change of heart, but I guess I was a bit late."
"Yeah, he left a while ago."
He took another long sip and put his glass down. "How are you holding up?"
"Okay, I guess. I'm not really sure it's hit me yet."
"For what it's worth," Jazz said with a smile, "he never intended to hurt you."
"He said that," she said bitterly. "What I mean is, he "
"You don't have to hide your anger from me." Jazz took another long sip of his b
eer, almost finishing it. A waitress walked by and he held up the pitcher for he
r to take.
"I'm trying to be mature, but, it just hurts. You know?"
"Yeah, I know," he slurred and a satisfied smile started to sneak onto Jane's co
untenance.
The waitress returned with a full pitcher and Jazz downed the rest of his glass
before filling it once again. "Whoa," he rasped out, cringing from the way his b
ody was starting to feel. "I think I need to slow down a bit."
"Head rush?" Jane asked innocently.
"I hope that's all it is." His eyes closed and he moaned out slowly. "I think I
should head back."
"Are you okay?" she asked, standing up when he did.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, I just " He lost his footing before he could finish his thou
ght and Jane caught him, putting an arm around his waist and one of his arms aro
und her shoulder.
"I'll get you back to your hotel, okay?"
"Thank you, Jane."
The walk to his hotel wasn't far, but with him leaning on her, it took them long
er than it normally would. Once inside the hotel, he led her to his room and she
helped him inside, shutting the door behind them, and laid him on the bed.
She wasn't sure how long the medicine would work or when she could start taking
advantage of him, so she pulled the condoms out of her purse and placed them on
the nightstand. She and Mila had taken the pack and pricked holes through each o
ne, just in case Edward insisted on using one as he always did.
"Jazz," she whispered, running her hand through his hair while her other hand ro
amed down his chest and to the space between his legs, gently stroking his throb
bing mass.
"Hmm?" His eyes were glazed over, but he was looking at her and he was somewhat
coherent.
"I'm going to fuck you Jazz." She climbed up on the bed and straddled him, then
leaned down to kiss his lips. At first he didn't respond to her, but as she deep
ened the kiss and ground her heated center against the prominent bulge in his pa
nts, he gave in, pulling her to him, kissing her in return.
~GO CUBS~
Edward walked toward the hotel, his cell phone in his hand. Bella had sent him a
picture of the teddy bear that Emmett had bought him lying in her bed. She was
tired, and how could he expect her not to be? It was past three in the morning i
n Chicago. Heck, he was tired too.
Everything with Jane went so much better than he had thought it would. All of Be
lla's dramatic thoughts of what could happen had scared him, yet Jane had acted
exactly how he had originally expected her to rationally. Right now, at this mom
ent, he felt like the luckiest man on the face of the earth. Jane was no longer
a problem between him and Bella and she was waiting for him to call she answered
on the first ring. God, she's just as eager as me!
"Hello?" she answered, as if she didn't know who it was.
"Bella," he breathed out, so happy to hear her voice.
"You called!" She sounded tired, but happy to hear from him.
"It's over, sweetheart."
"Really?" Her smile was so big on the other end of the line, that he could hear
it in her voice.
"Really.
"How did she take it?" she asked nervously, waiting for the punch line.
"Better than I thought she would. She asked me to have a beer with her and then
she asked about you and we talked a little."
"That's it? She didn't demand any money or threaten to go to the press with anyt
hing?"
"I told you she was different, Bella. She seemed a little upset at first but I t
hink she just wants to find someone special herself."
"Someone special, huh?"
Edward exhaled loudly. "Someone very special, Bella."
"Are you back in your room yet?"
"Almost," he replied, pulling out his room key and getting ready to swipe it. "S
o you're not going to critique my batting stance tonight?" Edward laughed as he
got undressed down to his boxer briefs and turned off all the lights. He was tir
ed.
"Now that all this is over, maybe things will get better at the plate for you."
"Two days, Bella. I'll be back in Chicago in two days."
"I won't see you on Monday," she pouted. "I have my final exam that night."
"We can do lunch," Edward suggested, yawning as he rolled over in bed.
"You're tired," she yawned back it was contagious.
"So are you." He chuckled lightly, closing his eyes. He wouldn't mind if he fell
asleep while on the phone with her, but she'd probably be pissed.
"Would lunch be our first date?"
"I told you, our first date is on Friday."
"Are you going to give me a hint?"
"About lunch on Monday?"
"Very funny," she said dryly. "At least let me know what to wear."
"We'll talk about it when I get home. You can sing me to sleep, though, if you'd
like."
"I'm going to kill Emmett," she groaned.
The silence dragged on between them, both of them on the verge of sleep. It was
some time later that Edward woke up, his phone still pressed against his ear, bu
t his call had been dropped. He never got a chance to say goodbye. It was after
five in the morning and he knew she'd be sound asleep, so he rolled over and wen
t back to bed.
The annoying ring of his phone woke him a few hours later with a text from Jazz.
Come get me for breakfast door will be open.
Edward jumped in the shower, happier than he had been in years. He felt like a h
uge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and nothing could stop him now noth
ing could bring him down from his high. When he got back to Chicago he would fin
ally be with Bella he couldn't wait.
He whistled Bella's song as he walked down the hallway. Jazz's door was cracked
open by the bolt at the top of the door, so he walked right in, closing it shut
behind him. "Jazz," he called out, clearing the wall that hid the bed from his v
iew.
He didn't make it any further into the room though. As soon as he got a look of
the disheveled bed and Jazz lying naked on top of it, wrapped in the arms of a v
ery naked Jane, he froze. What the fuck? They both looked to be asleep still so
he picked up the ice bucket and went into the bathroom filling it with cold wate
r. Upon his return to the bedroom, he threw the water on the naked pair. "Get up
!" He roared, anger seething out of him.
Jane was the first to come through and she smiled up at him when she saw the rag
e in his face. Did she think he was mad because Jazz had slept with her? He shoo
k his head, mad at himself for thinking she would take the news last night so ea
sily. Was she trying to make him jealous? It wasn't working.
"Jazz!" He bellowed.
Jane turned to Jazz and kissed him on the cheek. "Jazz, baby, wake up."
"Alice?" he asked and Edward's rage intensified. His hands balled up into fists,
shaking from his anger. How could he do this to Alice? She trusted him.
"Baby, who's Alice?" Jane asked with a frown on her face.
"It's his girlfriend," Edward bit at the blond bitch.
"Oh," she said, unconcerned. "Jazz, honey, come on, Edward's here."
"Edward?" he moaned, rolling over and opening his eyes. His left hand rubbed at
his head, wondering why it was wet.
"Get up Whitlock, we need to talk."
"What about?" Jazz asked in a hoarse voice. "I feel like shit." It was at this t
ime that he finally noticed the naked girl curled around his own naked body and
he jumped back, grabbing the wet sheets to cover himself. "What the fuck? Jane?"
Jazz looked from a very naked Jane to an angry Edward and assumed that he was ma
d that he had slept with his girl. "Edward, I . . . God, I'm sorry, I didn't . .
. I don't know . . ."
"Don't apologize to me," Edward screeched at him. "It's Alice's ass you should b
e kissing right now."
"Well," Jane said awkwardly, standing up and gathering her discarded clothes. "I
'm gonna get going." Neither man said anything to her as she fumbled around the
room finding her clothes and then bolted to the bathroom door to get dressed.
"What the fuck have you done?" Edward asked.
"God, I'm sorry, she was crying and I just -"
"Why do you keep apologizing to me? I'm not the one you cheated on."
"Edward, you can't tell Alice. She'll freak out."
"Maybe you should've thought about that last night." Edward pinched the bridge o
f his nose, thinking about what Bella's reaction to all of this would be. "Bella
's gonna flip."
"You can't tell her, Edward."
"Like hell I won't. Aren't you the one who told me that honesty was the most imp
ortant thing in a relationship?"
"This is between me and Alice. Please, Edward, you can't tell her, not until I t
alk to Alice about it. Shit, she's gonna be so pissed."
Jane came out of the bathroom and looked at the two men. "I had a great time, Ja
zz," she purred with extra sugar. "Bye, Edward."
"I don't understand what happened," Jazz said, once she was gone. His hands went
to his head and he lay back on the bed. "And my head kills."
Edward turned the desk chair toward the bed and sat down, his eyes still on Jazz
. "Tell me what happened last night."
"I called Alice and then decided to meet you at the bar. I figured I could go fo
r a beer or two." He closed his eyes. "Man, can you get me some aspirin from my
bag?"
Edward got up and grabbed the bottle of aspirin out of Jazz's overnight bag and
then poured him a cup of water. "Here." He handed them to Jazz and then sat down
on the edge of the bed, looking at his friend. His skin was pale green and his
eyes were blood shot. "What happened when you got to the bar?"
"Jane was there and she was crying. She said you had left, so I sat down and had
a beer with her."
"And?" Edward asked when Jazz didn't continue.
"And I don't remember anything else until I woke up a few minutes ago. God, plea
se tell me I used protection."
Edward got up to check the trashcan and found three used condoms inside. "Yes, t
hree times."
"Three?" Jazz asked, shocked.
"Yup."
"Oh fuck," Jazz moaned, his hand trailing down to between his legs. "Four."
"You don't remember anything?" Edward asked again. It didn't seem right to him t
hat Jazz would drink so much that he'd black out.
"Nothing."
"I don't want to keep any secrets from Bella," Edward started, but Jazz cut him
off.
"This isn't your secret, it's mine."
"I can't keep this forever, Jazz."
"Not forever. I just need time. I'll tell her." He rubbed his eyes and then look
ed up at Edward. "I got her a ring, man, a ring!"
"You can't propose until she knows about this, it's not fair to her."
"I know, Masen, don't you think I know that?"
Edward filled his lungs with air and then exhaled loudly as he stood up. "I'll l
et you get dressed. Come get me when you're ready for breakfast."
"Remember, Masen, you can't tell Bella about this."
"I got ya," he mumbled on his way out the door.
Chapter 19 May 25 27, 2009
It was exactly one week since Edward and Bella had roamed around Chicago togethe
r. Edward left his apartment, half asleep from getting back into Chicago so late
at night or early in the morning. Coming from warm California weather, Edward w
asn't ready for the rustling chilly air of Chicago, the high expected to be in t
he mid-fifties today. On top of that, the Cubs' losing streak was now at six, wh
ich didn't help his mood either.
Though he was happy and excited to see Bella today, he also knew that she wouldn
't be at the game tonight and he probably wouldn't see her for any length of tim
e until Wednesday evening. That was why he woke himself up early this morning. H
e wanted to take Bella out to lunch as friends because he had the perfect first
date planned for Friday.
In addition to the losing streak, and not being able to spend time with Bella un
til Wednesday, Edward was still conflicted over what Jazz had done in San Diego.
He obviously wasn't thinking straight when he took Jane up to his room but it d
idn't change the fact that it had happened. All the remorse Jazz could work up c
ouldn't erase the mistake he had made. And, of course, it just made Edward mad a
t himself for not sticking around to drink that one beer with Jane. If he had st
ayed, he would've been there when Jazz walked in and maybe none of this would've
happened.
Jazz wasn't handling his mistake very well at all. He pitched horribly on Sunday
and was taken out of the game after only five innings. Not only was he the Cubs
' best pitcher, but he was the number 2 pitcher in the National league and would
most likely be going to St. Louis for the All Star game if he could get himself
back in line. Of course Edward wasn't helping matters any.
If yelling at Jazz on Saturday morning wasn't enough, Edward then closed himself
off to his best friend even though he knew it was the worst thing he could do f
or their friendship. He really didn't know what to do, think or how to handle wh
at had happened. If Jazz could do this to Bella's best friend, why wouldn't she
think that Edward was capable of doing the same thing to her? They had to tell t
he girls as soon as they got back, but Jazz was not giving into Edward's pleadin
g. Because of that, Edward ignored him all day Sunday not the most mature thing
to do, but he didn't feel like being around him, reminding him of how screwed up
everything was now going to be back in Chicago.
He had called Bella on Saturday, before heading off to the park, and she could t
ell that something was wrong. Being the ass that he was, he did the one thing he
was trying hard not to do he lied to her. 'Everything's great,' he had told her
, putting on a fake smile and fabricated joy. He would give Jazz time, though he
wasn't sure how much maybe a couple of weeks, or a month? How much time does on
e need to tell the person they planned on marrying that they had cheated on them
?
The cool wind blew the gnarly scent of Chicago around Edward's face as he walked
south along State Street, eliciting a derisive snort from his mouth. With all t
he years he'd lived in Chicago he would never get used to the disgusting smell.
Fucking onions! It was believed that Chicago was named for a word that the Potow
atomi Indians used for 'Onion' or 'Wild Onion'. Either way, it was a word that d
oubled for 'Bad smell', and boy did Chicago smell bad.
Making it to the corner of State and Adams, Edward turned west toward the restau
rant they had decided to meet at. He pulled out his cell and texted Bella, letti
ng her know that he was there. Her reply was quick.
Running a few minutes late brt.
Looking at his watch, Edward contemplated over checking in so that they wouldn't
have to wait long for a table or waiting for her outside the restaurant. It was
still early for the normal lunch crowd and from what he could gather from peeri
ng in the door of the restaurant, there wasn't a line to be seated yet, so he le
aned back against the stone wall of The Berghoff and waited.
Seven days, Edward thought, closing his eyes. He felt like his body had been thr
ough the ringer over the course of the past week and now all he wanted was to fe
el Bella in his arms again. This time though, he would not hold back. There was
nothing standing in the way for them anymore. All the loose ends in his life wer
e tied up, thrown away.
He sensed her presence well before he heard her pair of shoes clicking along the
sidewalk and he opened his eyes, turning his head west to see the vision of bea
uty walking toward him. There was a pause in her stride when she noticed his sta
re and then a wide smile radiated from her face. Home. Edward's whole body relax
ed at the site of her and he pushed himself away from the wall, his arms extendi
ng out to her as he moved to close in the gap. Her pace picked up and she practi
cally ran into his outstretched arms, throwing herself into him, squeezing him t
ight in her embrace.
"God, it's so good to see you," she moaned against his skin, face burrowed in hi
s neck. "And you smell better than I remembered."
Those were the exact same sentiments he had. The thrill of strawberries and free
sia stormed around their nestled bodies. He missed her, oh God, how he had misse
d her. His arms roamed up her back and he pulled away a little to look into her
eyes. She had turned to look up at him and he saw the eagerness flirting through
her lashes he was undone.
With his hands reaching up to cup her face, he leaned in and covered her mouth w
ith his. Bella responded immediately, her right hand combing through his hair wh
ile her left hand wrapped around his middle, pulling him closer into her. It was
a slow kiss, each one savoring the feel and taste of the other. Silent promises
travelled between them with every maneuver of their tongues, allowing their fee
lings to fully surface for the other, neither one holding back.
Eventually, Edward pulled back to catch his breath, his hands remaining on Bella
's cheeks. After staring into her eyes for an undetermined amount of time, he le
aned in and kissed her chastely, enjoying the feel of her full lips against his.
"I think we should get a table," he murmured breathlessly.
Bella was too affected to be able to react with anything other than a quiet, "Ok
ay," before following behind him through the revolving doors. The hostess recogn
ized Edward as soon as they walked in, squealing excitedly when she noticed him.
As always, Edward stayed calm, smiling politely while wrapping an arm around Be
lla's waist as he requested a table for two. She did not ask for an autograph, b
ut Bella figured it was only because she had to try and remain professional.
Edward leaned his head down and placed his lips against Bella's ear. "I've misse
d you," he whispered so only she could hear, squeezing her against his side. He
placed a kiss on the skin in front of her ear before pulling away and turning hi
s attention back to the hostess who was now motioning for them to follow her. Sh
e rambled on as she showed them to their table, talking non-stop and very fast c
ausing Bella to lose her breath just from listening.
Once the fast talker was gone, the manager of the restaurant made his way over t
o their table to introduce himself, letting Edward know what a huge fan he was.
When he finally left them alone, Bella started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Edward asked, one side of his lips curling up in a smile.
"After a whole week of waiting to see each other again, no one will leave us be!
"
"Yeah, it does seem like the gods are against us today."
Edward ordered sauerbraten and Bella ordered the wiener schnitzel. The Berghoff
was a treat that Bella rarely let herself indulge in. She had never had German f
ood before moving to Chicago and was so glad she let Emmett and Rosalie force he
r to try it in the first place.
They never spoke about San Diego or Jane, leaving that topic off-limits for now.
Neither one wanted the memory of her, especially Edward who was literally torn
up inside. He desperately wanted to tell Bella about Jazz and Jane. Even though
he knew she wouldn't react well to the news he knew he had to tell her, but he h
ad promised Jazz he would wait.
Lunch was over fast and they both pouted as Edward gave their waitress his card.
Bella reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet, withdrawing some cash t
o hand over to Edward.
"Put your money away," he moaned, watching her extend her hand, clutched onto th
e green, across the table.
"Are you saying this is a date?" Her eyes sparkled, catching him at a loss for w
ords. "Right," she said triumphantly when he didn't respond, placing the money i
n front of him on the table.
"I think it was my turn to pay," Edward pondered, eyeing the cash on the table,
and then he shrugged. "We'll just leave it for the tip then."
"Are you insane? That's 50 percent!"
"Did you ever need to ask her for anything? Wasn't the food brought out to us pr
omptly? Not only were we sat immediately, but the manager came over and introduc
ed himself to us." He was on a roll and didn't plan to stop just yet, but she he
ld up her hand to quiet him.
"Yes," she gritted out of her teeth. "The service was impeccable. We'll leave it
as a tip."
Neither one was willing to give in. They stared at each other across the table f
or some time until Edward's lips lifted in a smile. "All right, Swan, you win. I
'm sure the waitress will appreciate your generosity."
"Where are you parked?" Bella asked as they stepped out into the cool Chicago ai
r, the wind whipping at their legs it was strong today.
"Same garage from last week."
"Oh." His car was in the total opposite direction that Bella needed to go.
"I thought I could walk you back to your office," he suggested with a shrug and
a smirk.
"Sure," she said, smiling as he placed a hand on the small of her back, guiding
her further west down Adams.
The area near The Berghoff wasn't too busy with the lunch-time crowd, but just a
s they started nearing the financial district, the streets became packed. Every
once in a while someone would recognize Edward, do a double-take, or just stand
and stare at him. Bella felt as if they were on display so she kept her head dow
n, letting Edward lead her through the crowds of people, her hair falling down a
s a shield around her face.
They made the walk mostly in silence, but every now and then, usually when they
waited for a walk sign to light up, Edward would lean into her and whisper somet
hing funny in her ear. She always responded with a smile and sometimes a kiss to
his cheek. She felt so wonderful to be totally free with him.
When they made it to her office building, they both paused outside, turning to e
ach other with sad eyes. "I wish I didn't have to go to class tonight," Bella si
ghed, her arms reaching around his neck as his wrapped around her waist. She lea
ned into his chest and took a deep breath, losing herself in his scent once agai
n.
"Call me afterward?"
"You'll probably still be playing when I finish. How about you call me when you
get home?"
"I will," he sighed, looking down at her partially opened mouth. His erection in
stantly sprang to life and he gulped, hoping she couldn't feel it between them.
Her eyes focused solely on his full, sensual lips as she looked up at him, fight
ing against the urge to grind into the sudden bulge between them. His lips, Bell
a, focus on his lips! Those lips created so many feelings inside of her and she
couldn't wait to have them pressed against her skin again. She knew she would be
seen by someone from the office, but at this point, she didn't care. Edward was
with her, in her arms, and she wouldn't be able to see him again until tomorrow
.
Their lips met with the calm gentleness of the afternoon. Aware that it could be
nothing more than a kiss, they took their time, luxuriating in one another; tas
ting, feeling, loving. Bella's fingers stretched through his crazy hair, pulling
at the strands at the base of his neck while his held her close, tight up again
st him and his straining need.
It was a loud cat-call that finally separated them and though Bella blushed, an
amusing shade of red, she didn't shy away from Edward or what they had just done
. Remaining in his arms, she gazed up at him, elated and happy. It had been a lo
ng time since she had truly been happy.
"Good luck tonight." Edward's arms tightened as he said the words, not wanting t
o let her go.
"You too. I'll talk to you after the game." She lifted on her toes and brushed h
er lips against his. "I've got to go." Her smile turned upside down and she pull
ed away from his embrace, waving to him as she walked backwards to the revolving
doors of her building.
~GO CUBS~
Monday night saw the Cubs' losing streak rise to seven, Edward still not batting
very well. He had called her after the game and they talked for a while about h
er test and how good it felt for her to be free. She had a comprehensive exam to
take in a couple of weeks, but other than that, she was free no more Monday cla
sses.
They tried to get together for lunch on Tuesday but Bella was busy with work and
ended up cancelling on Edward. She felt horrible for having to do it but work h
ad to come first. She didn't want to get caught up in the world of Edward Masen
and let her other responsibilities falter.
At the game on Tuesday, Alice used Bella's extra seat. The girls got in on the b
etting action with Fred, putting money down on how many times Cullen shook his a
ss when up at bat he was a lefty so they got a great view of it. Rosalie had qui
te an obsession with Cullen that was bordering on psychotic. She used her binocu
lars the whole game to stare at him, watching him stretch with the bat lifted ov
er his head, slapping other players on the rear which actually made her swoon.
"I can do that," Emmett growled at one point when Cullen hit a line drive out to
center field. He only got one base out of it, which was fine with Rosalie. She
liked him stuck on first base so she could get a closer look at him.
Edward did much better this game, going 2-3, scoring once and getting an RBI for
bringing Cullen home in the fifth inning. Bella and the girls cheered wildly, t
he Cubs were up 6-1 and it looked like they were finally going to get a win afte
r seven straight losses.
During the top of the sixth, the sky opened up and rain started to pour down. On
ly Alice was prepared for the onslaught of drops and they huddled together under
her umbrella, watching as the players left the field, going down below to their
dugouts. The field was covered by the grounds crew and everyone else just sat t
here waiting.
Bella tried to use Rosalie's binoculars to look in the Cubs dugout to see if she
could find Edward, but she couldn't see through the water falling and landing o
n the lenses. While they all got soaked, many fans eventually got up and left, u
nwilling to sit in the downpour that was now ensuing. Finally, the game was call
ed the Cubs getting the win, 6-1.
After giving hugs and kisses to Rosalie and Emmett, Alice and Bella made their w
ay home, drenched and cold. They immediately changed into warm pajamas and then
sat on the couch, cuddling up together under a blanket with a bowl of microwave
popcorn.
"Have you seen Edward since they've been back?" Alice asked pensively.
"Yeah, we met up for lunch yesterday," Bella replied dreamily.
"Things are going good for you two." It wasn't a question, but an observation, a
nd there was a sadness in Alice's tone that caught Bella off-guard.
"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned for her friend.
"Oh, yeah."
"Are you going over to Jazz's place tonight?"
"I'm not sure," she said, doubtful.
"Is everything okay with you two?" Bella had never seen her look so depressed. S
he was always so giddy and full of life when Jazz was in town.
"Bella," she said in a serious tone, "I think something's wrong."
"With Jazz?" Bella reached her arm around her best friend's shoulders.
"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right." Alice took a deep breath in,
her eyes scrutinizing the wall behind the TV. "When I picked him up from the air
port, he didn't look happy to see me."
"They got in really late, Alice, maybe he was just tired and didn't expect to se
e you there."
"Shouldn't he have been happy to see me if he didn't expect to?" she pouted.
"Guys are strange."
Alice giggled a little, leaning her head down on Bella's shoulder. "I just have
a very bad feeling," she then stated in a serious tone.
"He hasn't been pitching very well lately. It could be the stress from the game,
" Bella threw out, hoping to calm her friend's worries. "Baseball players are ve
ry superstitious. Maybe you did something to mess with his mojo or something."
"That's absurd!" Alice huffed, rolling her eyes.
Bella's phone went off while she was laughing at the incredulous look on Alice's
face it was Edward. She hated leaving her friend when she obviously needed some
one to talk to, but Alice told her to answer it.
"Looks like your slump is over," she beamed, answering the call.
"Don't jinx me!" he teased.
"Oh, God! We all got soaked!"
"Yeah, I was watching you from the dugout. You know you could've gone under the
overhang."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, we thought of that after we decided to leave," she
said dryly. "Oh! I made some money at the game today."
"Really? What did you bet on?"
"Actually, if the game hadn't been cut short I would've lost big time." She gigg
led, thinking back to the bet about Cullen's ass. "You can't tell anyone on the
team about this," she warned him, embarrassed about what she was about to reveal
. "When Cullen is up at bat, he does this cute little wiggle with his butt and i
t drives Rose insane!"
"You're starting to sound like a Trixie, Bella." She was unsure if his tone was
sarcastic or angry.
"Anyways," she exaggerated, pulling him back to where she was originally going w
ith her story. "Fred started a bet for how many times he wiggled his tush in the
game. I guessed the number exactly!" she squealed, excited from winning money S
ue normally won all the petty little bets.
"So you spent the whole game checking out Cullen's ass?" She was now aware that
it was anger, not sarcasm.
"Cut the jealous crap, Masen, it was all for fun."
It was quiet for some time, both of them staring off into space, waiting for the
other to say something, not really sure if they wanted to take the conversation
any further. Bella's attention was dragged away from Edward when Alice got up a
nd went to her bedroom, blowing her a kiss on her way up the stairs.
"Edward?"
"Yeah?" He was moping.
"Is everything okay with Jazz?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I don't know. Alice just doesn't seem to be herself lately."
"Alice is acting different so you think something's wrong with Jazz?"
"Well the two of them used to always be together and now, I don't know." She was
going to say more, but decided against it.
"Jazz has a lot on his mind right now. His shoulder has been hurting him and he'
s not pitching very well, I'm sure he's just stressed out."
"Yeah, that's pretty much what I tried to tell Alice."
The pixie, herself, came down the stairs and sat on the couch again, her attenti
on on the TV. Her eyes were puffy and pink, her jaw set rigidly as she stared at
the screen in front of her.
"Edward, I have to go."
"Is everything okay?"
"I don't think so," she whispered, hoping Alice wouldn't hear her. "I'll see you
tomorrow?"
"I'm all yours after the game." His voice was finally light and happy, causing B
ella to smile, though her eyes were still on her sad friend.
"Tomorrow then. Call me before you go to the park and let me know where to meet
you afterwards."
"Goodnight, Bella."
"Night."
Bella immediately went to Alice as soon as her phone call was over. She held her
and let her cry on her shoulder. There were no words exchanged between the two,
just comfort and love. When Alice finally fell asleep, Bella got up and covered
her friend with a blanket before heading up to her room. She didn't want to wak
e her friend, nor did she want to try and carry her upstairs.
~GO CUBS~
"You need to talk to her," Edward hissed. It was Wednesday morning and they were
getting dressed in their practice uniforms to get ready for batting practice. T
he players that wouldn't be starting today were out there already, Jazz and the
rest of the pitchers would be next, and then Edward and the other starters would
follow them.
"I know," Jazz nearly whined, a forlorn look crossing his face. "I just don't kn
ow how to do it she's going to be crushed."
"It's affecting her already, man. I was on the phone with Bella last night and s
he kept asking questions about you because Alice wasn't doing too well."
"You didn't tell her anything, did you?"
"No," Edward balked. "But if you don't tell Alice soon, I will."
Edward was furious when he finally got his chance to hit during batting practice
. He took his anger out on the balls, ignoring the talking going on around him,
the lingering fans and smell of hotdogs that wafted out of the stands and onto t
he field.
He was totally aware when Bella arrived, her hand waving in a shy little display
as he got ready to head back down into the clubhouse to get dressed for the gam
e. She was sitting directly next to Emmett who sported a shaved head. He laughed
.
Newton was once again making an ass out of himself as he paraded around the lock
er room without a shirt on, sticking his butt out as far as he could, and alteri
ng his voice to sound like a girl. "Oh, Edward," he cooed out in his horrible re
ndition of a woman. "Please say it aint so!"
"Get a life, Newton." Edward could normally overlook Newton's immaturity. He was
an excellent fielder and a decent hitter, though he could definitely do a bit b
etter up at the plate. But as much respect as Edward had for him on the field, h
is actions off of it sickened him.
"Relax," Newton moaned, rolling his eyes at Edward. "I'd give up all the ladies
too if I had a girlfriend like yours."
Towne was next to Newton, nodding with an annoying sneer on his face. Taking a d
eep breath, Edward turned his back on them, fighting the urge to charge into the
two weasels.
"Oh look!" Newton clamored. "Bella's in Sports Illustrated!"
It wasn't news to Edward. He had a subscription to the magazine, so he had alrea
dy seen the picture of the two of them from the game where he had gone over to w
here she sat to sign autographs. It was the same picture that was on the cover o
f the sports section of the Sun Times the day after it happened.
"That's enough!" Cullen growled, suddenly standing in front of the two morons. "
Make fun of each other all you want, but our wives and girlfriends are off limit
s." His face had turned red in his anger, but the two men boys shut their mouths
and stared at the older and much more experienced player. Even at an age where
he was considered old in the game, Cullen was one of their best hitters even bet
ter than Edward.
The locker room cleared out, everyone heading up to the field for the Cubs' turn
to practice in the infield. Edward was the last to make it up to the top, Garre
tt Greene with him, talking crap about Towne and Newton, getting him to laugh, a
nd in turn, relax.
It was a pretty close game, tied at two in the bottom of the sixth. Edward came
up to bat, 2-2 already for the night. So far, he was not getting along with the
Pirate's pitcher. After crowding the plate in the first inning, the pitcher trie
d to brush him back, only to have him come back with the next pitch to hit a dou
ble, batting in one of the Cubs' runs. In the fourth, he was forced away from th
e plate by a pitch aimed at his head, which resulted in some words between Edwar
d and the pitcher, the Pirate's catcher having to get in his face, pushing him b
ack away from the mound.
Now, in the sixth, he tried crowding the plate once more. The first pitch was a
fast ball right down the middle but he let it go, receiving the called strike. H
is feet inched forward, getting closer to the plate. The next pitch was high and
aimed at his head again. This time Edward turned his anger to the ump, demandin
g the pitcher be ejected from the game. The umpire warned the pitcher and the ne
xt pitch was high and outside on the other side of the plate ball two. With a 2-
1 count, Edward inched forward again. This time, the pitch went straight at Edwa
rd and his arm instinctually lifted to shield his face, but the ball hit him in
his side.
Even though he could tell the ball was thrown slower than normal at least pitche
rs were nice enough to throw slower when they deliberately hit someone it still
stung like a bitch. Fuck! Edward bent down at the plate, wincing from the horrib
le pain. Crowley, whom was on deck, came rushing toward the pitcher's mound eage
rly ready to defend his teammate. Newton, Towne, and Greene left the dugout, cal
ling obscenities at the pitcher.
Edward stood to watch the scene in front of him unfold, the Pirate's catcher in
his face, blocking him from getting in on the action at the mound where most of
the players from both teams now congregated, pushing, shoving, and hitting. It t
ook a few minutes for the umpires to break up the brawl and when they did, some
of the players were ejected the first one being the Pirate's pitcher for deliber
ately hitting Edward. Crowley and Towne were also ejected for shoving players fr
om the other team, leaving Aro to substitute players in.
Edward was given his base, but he still didn't feel right, it hurt more than any
other time he'd been hit. He eventually scored when Cullen hit a double into le
ft center field and when he walked into the dugout, he didn't stop moving, his f
eet taking him back to the locker room. The team's trainer was on him immediatel
y, looking at his swollen, bruised flesh, gingerly touching it to make sure it w
as okay.
A little while later, Edward sat with a pack of ice wrapped to his side and a ca
n of beer in his hands. The game was showing on the big screen above one end of
the locker room and Crowley and Towne sat near him, all three of them watching.
As the bottom of the seventh inning came to a close, Edward's cell went of, lett
ing him know he had a text from Bella.
Are you okay?
I'll be fine. Not sure if I'll be up to doing anything later.
That's fine I'll see you tomorrow.
Never said I didn't want to see you. Maybe you can come over to my place.
We'll see. Call me when you're about to leave.
Edward didn't want to wait around too long so he took a shower after his twenty
minutes of ice were up and then started to get dressed. The game was nearly over
and the other two boys took a few pictures of his wound as he dressed, causing
him to try and hide behind a towel.
"Those pictures better not make it on the internet," he warned, not sure if he c
ould trust Towne, but he definitely trusted Crowley. He may be one of Newton's l
ittle followers, but he had a more secure head on his shoulders than Yorkie or T
owne.
"Nah man, just thought I'd get a picture of it to hang here in the clubhouse," C
rowley said, turning his phone around so that Edward could see the picture. "It'
s one of the ugliest bruises I've ever seen."
"Thanks," Edward smirked. As he finished getting dressed, he noticed that Crowle
y was whistling while he got himself a sandwich in the kitchen area. "What's wit
h the whistling?" he asked when Crowley stepped back in the locker room.
"Nothing." He shrugged. "I met someone."
"Really?" Edward was shocked. He actually thought he'd never see the day that on
e of those guys would actually find someone to settle down with and give up all
their whoring ways. If you could, why wouldn't you think they could?
"Yeah, her name's Jessica. Long curly hair, gives good head." He smiled widely,
flashing his stark white teeth. They were unnaturally white, as if he had them w
hitened, or maybe they were all caps.
Disgusted that Crowley would say something like that about a girl he claimed to
care about, Edward turned his back on him once more. "Sounds perfect," he mumble
d.
"I think she's friends with your girl," Crowley continued. "They work together o
r something."
Jessica the receptionist? Edward shuddered at the thought of her. "Yeah, I think
I've met her before," he clipped, hoping Tyler didn't know that he'd made out w
ith her at a bar once what a mistake.
A hurried noise started approaching the two and Edward looked up to the flat scr
een TV that was still showing the game the Cubs had won, beating the Pirates 5-2
. The rest of the Cubs filed raucously into the clubhouse and Edward sat down an
d waited he knew he needed to talk to Aro about the swollen, bruised knot on his
side and see what the trainer had to say. Hopefully he wouldn't be sitting out
any games.
~GO CUBS~
Two hours after the game, Bella and the gang were seated at a large table in Gio
rdano's, a couple pieces of pizza left and two more pitchers of beer delivered t
o their table. Rosalie had joined them after she had gotten off work. Angela and
Ben were there as well, having gone to the game using Rosalie and Bella's extra
seats.
Alice still seemed sad, but looked a little better. Jazz had talked to her befor
e the game, lifting her spirits and Bella was relieved, happy that whatever was
going on between them seemed to be resolving itself.
"I hope you cursed out that pitcher today, Bella," Rosalie bit, her face turning
vicious her war face as Bella liked to call it.
"It was horrible, Rose. But in all honesty, Edward was egging the guy on."
"That doesn't excuse what he did. It should be illegal for them to deliberately
throw at someone."
"It's all part of the game."
"He should've been thrown out the second time he threw at his head," Emmett adde
d, just as upset as Rosalie was. He felt protective toward Edward, considering h
e was seeing his best friend.
Bella's cell rang out, the 'Go Cubs Go!' song, now so familiar to her, ringing t
hrough the restaurant. There were quite a few fans in the restaurant, considerin
g it was a few blocks south of the ball park. She hurriedly answered the call, w
anting to know how he was doing.
"Hello?"
"Hey," he said quietly he sounded tired.
"How are you feeling?"
"Sore. I need to continue to ice this thing tonight."
"You on your way home?"
"About to get in my car, where are you?"
"Giordano's on Belmont."
"Any pizza left?" he asked.
"Um, yeah. You hungry?"
"I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Ask him if Jazz is with him," Alice whispered into Bella's ear.
"Um, is Jazz with you?"
"No, he's still in the clubhouse. I had a head-start at getting ready," he tease
d, his chuckle not sounding very sincere.
"I'll tell Alice. See you soon." She ended the call and then turned to Alice. "J
azz is still in the clubhouse getting ready."
It was obvious when Edward walked into the restaurant. There was a lot of murmur
ing going on at the tables, heads turning in his direction to look. His going to
a restaurant so close to Wrigley Field after a game wasn't the best idea they h
ad. His walk through the crowd of people who gawked at him was quite humorous an
d Emmett eventually got up to help escort him through the people that decided to
stand up and ask for an autograph.
Bella got up and pulled a chair from an empty table, setting it between hers and
Alice's. As she was getting ready to sit back down in her seat, Edward made it
to her side. "Thanks," he said before leaning down and kissing her mouth wholeso
mely.
As innocent as the kiss was, it sent the rush of fire through Bella's body, her
heartbeat picking up it's pace. They both sat in their seats and Bella passed hi
m her used plate, as there weren't any clean ones left.
"How're you feeling?" Rosalie asked from across the table.
"Not that great," he replied, loading the last two slices of deep dish pizza on
the plate. "I wish you had been there. I needed some help with that ump."
"Bella needs to grow some balls for when I'm not there." Rosalie scowled over to
Bella.
"Come on, Rose," Bella sighed. "Not all of us are as quick with our wit."
"That guy wasn't doing his job today," Rosalie lectured. "He should've given the
pitcher a warning the first time he threw at Ed's head."
Edward cringed from Rosalie's use of his father's preferred nickname. "Can we no
t talk about this?" he asked softly, before cutting a piece of his pizza and pla
cing it in his mouth.
"Yeah, let's talk about something lighter, like, say, Emmett's hair." Bella gigg
led softly, her left hand reaching down, landing on Edward's thigh. He swallowed
his food and then took a sip of her beer, since he didn't have his own glass. W
hen he turned to look at her, his eyes were full of desire. Bella squeezed his t
high and winked at him before turning her attention back to Emmett.
"If I hadn't shaved it all off, we'd be looking at a nine game losing streak rig
ht now," he griped.
"It has nothing to do with you shaving your hair, moron," Rosalie barked.
"Oh no? Ask Bella if she ever goes a day without wearing her Mariners ring!"
"You have a Mariners ring?" Edward asked from her side.
"It's not really a Mariners ring, it's just green. Here," she said, thrusting he
r right hand out for him to see.
Reaching over, he took her right hand and stared at the beautiful ring. "It's wh
ite gold," she started, her voice affected by his hand scorching hers from his t
ouch. "A round peridot with smaller round peridots around it and five little dia
monds down each side of the band."
"It's beautiful." He smiled brilliantly, their eyes transfixed on one another.
"Of course it is," Emmett said proudly. "I bought it for her when she turned 16.
"
Edward set her hand back on the table and Bella cringed. That didn't come out ve
ry well. "If it weren't the reason the Mariners' do as good as they do," she sai
d, trying to justify her reason for wearing the ring, "I'd have gotten rid of it
years ago."
"That's ridiculous," Emmett balked.
"I'm superstitious, Emmett you taught me well." She then turned her attention ba
ck to Edward who was chewing on another bite of his pizza. "If I don't wear the
ring, the Mariners lose."
Edward choked on his food from laughing as he tried to swallow. After a couple c
oughs and Bella hitting his back to try and help him, he downed the rest of her
beer. "You really believe that?"
"The one time I didn't have it on when they played, they got CREAMED!"
"And it was entirely your fault for not wearing that ring?" he asked skeptically
.
Nodding her head in affirmation, her eyes grew big as his squinted together, his
lips turning up at the corners. He was laughing at her. "Are you done eating ye
t? We need to get some ice on that bruise of yours," she bit sarcastically, tryi
ng to change the subject.
~GO CUBS~
"That was an excellent movie," Bella sighed, stretching her arms out above her h
ead. The movement made Edward more aware of her lying next to him on the couch a
nd his dick twitched in recognition. "I always believed Reservoir Dogs was your
favorite movie," she mused, turning her body so that she was lying on her left s
ide, facing Edward now, instead of on her back. "Why do all the websites have it
wrong?"
"I'm not sure," he breathed out, trying to calm his heart that started racing fr
om the feel of her breasts pressed up against his chest. His left arm circled ar
ound her waist, pulling her in closer to him so that she wouldn't fall off the c
ouch. "Snatch has been my favorite from the moment I saw it."
"Hmm, maybe they got Reservoir Dogs from before you had seen it."
"Maybe," he exhaled hoarsely.
Their eyes connected at that time, both their expressions becoming serious. Thei
r chests heaved against each other, breathing labored, hearts racing. His dick t
witched against her stomach and she bit her lower lip, sending him over the edge
.
His lips crashed against hers and she immediately opened up to him, pushing hers
elf closer to his body while he pulled her in. This was a dangerous position for
them to be in. "Bella," he moaned into her mouth, his left hand softly stroking
up and down the side of her body. His fingers kept inching closer and closer to
her breasts and he was finding it harder than normal to stop himself.
She pulled her head away from his and looked into his eyes. "Are you hurting?" H
er voice was low and husky, inciting another twitch from his now aching desire.
"No," he whispered, moving his lips back to brush against hers. His hand finally
moved the last needed inch to lightly trail over the underside of her right bre
ast.
"Mmmm," Bella moaned, her back arching as she pushed her breasts out, wanting mo
re.
His hand continued on, slowly cupping her fabric covered breast, squeezing gentl
y at first as their lips found each other again. As their parrying tongues moved
faster and harder against one another, his fingers squeezed and stroked more pu
rposefully and this time he groaned, feeling the hardened nub beneath his palm.
His fingers moved to pinch the bud underneath her gray t-shirt and bra, and she
groaned.
"Fuck," she hissed, pressing her breast further into his hand.
"Bella," he moaned, but she shut him up with her lips crashing against his once
more, her center grinding fiercely against his straining cock.
They enjoyed the pleasure of new touches, her hands roaming down to grab his ass
, squeezing his cheeks, pushing his hardness into her heat and his hands trailin
g down to the hem of her shirt, slowly, erotically, fluttering over her fevered
skin and under her bra to finally feel the hardened bud against his skin.
Before either of them could comprehend what was happening between the two of the
m, Bella's shirt was removed and Edward effortlessly unclasped her bra, sliding
it off as he lifted himself on one arm, towering over her frenzied flesh.
What he found underneath her lacy blue bra created the most pain in his need tha
t he had ever felt. Not only were her breasts a nice size a handful with beautif
ul, perky, pink nipples, but her left one had a thin silver three-quarter circle
ring through the nipple with a green ball at each end. Fuck!
"Bella," he rasped out hesitantly, his fingers gently touching her nipple ring.
"What's this?"
Her teeth bit down into her bottom lip and she shrugged her shoulders. "A nipple
ring?" she asked, unsure of his reaction.
"It's beautiful," he whispered, his fingers now gently pulling on the ring. She
arched her back and moaned softly, her eyes closing. "Does that feel good?" His
mouth was against her ear now, and he whispered against her skin, hardening her
nipples even more.
"Yes," she croaked, swallowing a lump in her throat. "It feels amazing."
Edward wasted no time after her reply, his head bending down and taking her pier
ced nipple in his mouth, sucking softly at first, enjoying the sultry moans from
her lips and her fingers running through his hair as he flicked at her pink bud
, playing with the ring in his mouth. His other hand massaged her other breast,
pinching and pulling, rolling the nipple between his fingers and she arched into
him.
Her fingernails dug into his clothed shoulders and accidentally trailed down, ov
er the bruise on his side. He immediately shot up, accidentally kneeing her in t
he thigh as he winced back from the pain her fingers had caused.
"Shoot! I'm so sorry, Edward." She cringed into the couch, embarrassed about rui
ning the moment and terribly sorry to have hurt him.
His body settled back against hers, pinning her down against the couch, and his
forehead resting against hers. His breathing was labored, his body aching from a
need he really needed to have relieved. "Unfortunately, I need to ice it again.
"
Reluctantly, he pushed himself up to sit on the couch, and Bella covered herself
with her arm. "Um, where's my shirt?" she asked, her checks turning pink from t
he way his eyes stared at her left breast. His tongue slipped out and licked at
his lower lip.
He couldn't keep his eyes off the green mystery in her nipple. Just the mere tho
ught of it alone would keep him hard for a week, but to actually see it and touc
h it, taste it in his mouth, the hard metal against his tongue he had enough mem
ories to feed his fantasies now for a lifetime.
Bella swiftly put her bra and shirt back on and then stood up from the couch, ma
king her way into the kitchen to get Edward a large zip-lock bag full of ice. He
watched every movement she made, enjoying the unsteady sway of her hips and her
 shaking hands.
"How long do you need to do this for?" she asked, still in the kitchen.
"Twenty minutes at a time," he called back, pulling his shirt over his head. He
lifted his left arm and tried to look down at his side to see how it looked.
When he looked back up, she was standing in front of him, holding out the bag of
ice, her eyes glued to his stomach, tongue licking her top lip. "If you don't s
top looking at me like a piece of meat, I can't promise you'll leave here the sa
me way you came."
"Too late for that," she murmured under her breath, dropping the bag of ice in h
is hand before escaping to the bathroom.
Chapter 20 May 29, 2009
The crowd at Wrigley roared raucously with Tyler Crowley's game tying homerun, e
veryone on their feet. Bella stood and clapped along with her fellow fans, but h
er mind was elsewhere. Not only was Edward not playing today due to the huge bru
ise on his side but she was still day dreaming about Wednesday night.
To have Edward's bare hands and fingers on her breasts was wonderful enough, but
his tongue, lips, and teeth it was ethereal. After returning from the bathroom
from when she had reminded him of his bruise and gotten him ice, she had sat nex
t to him on the couch. He needed help wrapping an Ace bandage around the ice to
keep it in place and then they sat back. He placed his arm around her and they w
atched some TV as she leaned into him. His shirt was off and totally distracting
her from the show she was trying to watch except that she wasn't really trying
to watch it at all.
She couldn't keep her fingers off his chest, the skin so warm and smooth, a litt
le bit of hair at the top, swirling around his nipples and a distinct reddish-br
own line trail from his naval to below his . . .
"Did you see that?" Emmett yelled, jumping out of his seat along with the whole
crowd to cheer on Cullen who had made a great fielding play.
Bella stood on her feet and clapped, her eyes focused on the dugout where Edward
stood inside in his uniform. He hadn't been placed on the DL but he'd been give
n the day off. He actually played the day before, but somehow, playing had made
it hurt worse. By the sixth inning on Thursday he had been in so much pain that
Aro pulled him, putting in Towne, who was now at short stop again.
"Where are the binoculars?" Bella asked when they sat back down. Rosalie had to
work and Alice was in her seat behind the Cubs' dugout Jazz was pitching. Using
the two other seats of Emmett and Bella's four were Nick and his eldest son, Jak
e.
"Jake's got 'em," Nick said apologetically.
"Oh, that's fine," Bella mumbled, waving him off. She was only going to use them
to see if she could find Edward in the dugout she was turning into an Alice.
A soft moan escaped my mouth and I arched my back while Edward's fingers pulled
at the green ring through my nipple. "Edward," I breathed out.
"Green, Bella?" he whispered against my ear. "For the Mariners?" His fingers tug
ged on the small ring, his thumb brushing against my eager, hard bud.
"Fuck!" I groaned.
His lips trailed kisses down to my collar bone then down to the valley between m
y breasts. "You haven't answered my question," he murmured against my skin befor
e biting into the side of my left breast.
"Yes," I whimpered, "the Mariners."
His tongue playfully flicked at my hardened bud and ring and I ran my hands thro
ugh his hair, twinges of electricity pulsing from my pleasured nipple down to th
e wet heat that was building between my legs.
"Bella!" Emmett bellowed, pulling Bella up out of her seat. "How can you just si
t there?" The crowd was once again on their feet, screaming for Cullen who had a
pparently hit a double, bringing in the go-ahead run the Cubs now led the Dodger
s 2-1.
She really needed to stop day dreaming about what happened on Wednesday night. N
ot only was she going through underwear like a potty-training two year old, but
she was finding it hard to concentrate on anything but Edward. It was especially
bad at work where she really needed to be able to focus.
It was easier for her to get through the last two innings, since Nick's son had
given her the binoculars back. She looked over in the stands at Alice, who gazed
at Jazz on the mound. His arm seemed to be back in shape, his pitching stellar
today. She also looked into the dugout numerous times to find Edward. He stood u
p at the edge of the dugout leaning against the metal poles that formed a fence,
high-fiving everyone as they came back in from the field, laughing and joking w
hile the others waited for their turns to bat. He looked happy and relaxed.
~GO CUBS~
"Ow!" Bella hissed, slapping the small hand away from her hair.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Alice had accidentally pushed the pin into Be
lla's hair a bit too rough.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Are you almost done in there?"
Bella and Alice made faces toward the door before they hurriedly gathered all th
eir makeup and hair stuff together. "Thanks for doing this, Al," Bella said, zip
ping up the makeup bag.
"You just remember to have fun and don't let your mom or the douche-bag Yankee r
uin it for you."
"He really is a douche," Bella muttered, taking one last look in the mirror. She
smiled brilliantly before giving Alice a big hug.
"Hurry up in there!" The same irate person started banging on the door again.
"Sorry," Bella and Alice both mumbled to the fake blond in a tight, light pink C
ubs shirt as they exited the small, single bathroom. They made their way to a co
rner of the crowded bar and leaned up against the wall.
"So?" Bella asked, dropping her hands to the side and turning in a slow circle.
"Am I good to go?"
"Yes!" Alice beamed, her eyes sparkling from her excitement. "I'm so glad you tw
o are finally going on a date!" The last word slurred together with a high-pitch
ed squeal, causing Bella to cringe just a bit.
"Me too," Bella breathed out before grabbing the attention of a waitress and ord
ering two MGD's.
"Do you know where he's taking you?"
"No." She shook her head as she spoke, her nerves starting to break through. "He
only said to wear what I would wear to a Cubs game." She shrugged. "God, Alice,
why am I so nervous?" Holding up her right hand, she extended it out, parallel
to the ground it shook.
The waitress came by just in time to hand them each a bottle of beer. Alice insi
sted on paying and, since her mind was in a different world, Bella let her. Afte
r downing half the beer in one long gulp, Bella closed her eyes and leaned back
against the wall.
"Now I'm going to have to redo your lipstick," Alice whined.
"I love you, Alice." Her beaming smile didn't appease her friend, but it did get
her to laugh.
"If you don't watch it, you'll be too drunk for your date."
"We need to stop talking about this. Tell me about Jazz. Things seem to be going
better, right?"
"I think so." Alice shrugged and then took a long swig of her beer. "We're going
to hang out tonight when he's done. He takes longer to get ready after games wh
en he pitches."
"He has to ice his shoulder and stuff, right?"
"Yeah, it's pretty sore for a couple days after."
"Is his PMS over?"
Alice giggled and took another sip from her beer. "I guess." She rolled her eyes
. "Everything seems to be normal except . . ."
"Except?" Bella asked, helping her along once she had stopped.
"We never did get a chance to talk about the last road trip, and for whatever re
ason I can't get past the thought that he's holding something back."
"Do you think something happened?" Bella got a sinking feeling in her stomach. S
he had always worried about him cheating on her. I'll rip his balls off!
"No," Alice insisted, "nothing like that. He'd never do that to me."
"Then what?"
"It's probably nothing. I'm just turning into you with your over-exaggerated ima
gination. Here," she said, handing Bella her empty bottle. She then opened up th
e makeup bag and reapplied Bella's lipstick. After touching it up with the tips
of her pinky and thumb, she stood back and smiled.
"Are you going to let him kiss you on the first date?"
"I'd kill him if he didn't try to get to second base." Bella giggled, a pink tin
ge rising in her cheeks.
"You slut!" Alice shrieked sarcastically, turning a few heads in their direction
.
"I feel like we've been dating for a while now, yet I'm so nervous. I feel like
I'm going to puke!"
"Rose told me to tell you to just be yourself and to relax she knew you'd freak
out."
"I'm not freaking out," she bit nervously.
The 'Go Cubs Go!' song rang out and Bella literally jumped. "It's him." Her hear
t stammered against her rib cage and her breathing became labored. "God, please
don't let me pass out!" Alice placed a hand on Bella's back and rubbed gently wh
ile Bella pulled out her cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Are you ready?" His voice was up-beat and he sounded eager, causing Bella'
s shoulder's to relax a little.
"I think so. Where are you?" Turning to look out the window, she could barely se
e the player's parking lot from where she was.
"I just left the ball park and will be at the parking lot in about three minutes
. Meet you there?"
"Sure. I'll see you soon."
Alice squealed when Bella shut her phone. "I heard him! He sounded so excited to
see you."
"This!" Bella exclaimed as she began to freak. "This is why I don't like to get
excited. Everything is good between us already. What if dating ruins it for us?"
"It won't," Alice groaned as she practically pushed Bella out of the bar.
Once outside, Bella looked over to her friend. It was still light out. "What are
you going to do until Jazz is ready to leave?"
Alice shrugged. "I haven't figured that out yet. I'll probably end up at home."
They walked down the street to the corner of Clark and Waveland. There was a sma
ll gathering of people on the sidewalk near the four foot fence and Bella's nerv
es were getting so much worse. Then she saw him. He had a black beanie on his he
ad and was wearing his blue North Face fleece jacket. She could make out his swa
gger one that was all his own the way his legs moved and his arms swung down at
his side, his head tilted down to the ground to avoid eye contact, it was defini
tely him.
"Okay, Al, I'll see you tonight . . . or tomorrow." She engulfed Alice's tiny bo
dy with her arms.
"Slut!" Alice whispered next to her ear, laughing.
"I meant that in case you stayed over at Jazz's whore!"
They were pulling away and giggling when Edward made it to the line of fans hopi
ng for an autograph. Looking over the heads of a few of the girls, he winked at
Bella and then began to sign some balls and pieces of paper.
"Love you, Al! Have a great night!"
"See you tomorrow." After winking at Bella, she turned and started to walk down
the street back toward the bar from where they came, pulling out her cell phone
when it vibrated in her purse.
"Hey!" Bella yelled, drawing Alice's attention. "Are you going to be okay alone?
"
"Jazz just texted me, he'll be out soon."
"Okay, have fun!"
Bella turned back to watch Edward sign autographs. Looking up at her, he smiled,
motioning with his head for her to join him. Taking a deep breath, she drew up
her courage and walked over, pushing her way through the few people who were sur
rounding him.
"All right guys, I've got to get going," he said, reaching his arm around Bella'
s shoulders. "You look beautiful," he whispered against her ear so only she coul
d hear. Some of the fans moaned and begged for him to stay and sign 'just one mo
re', but he ignored them and escorted Bella over to his car, the line of fans fo
rgotten on the other side of the fence.
"I didn't realize that people actually stalked you guys by the parking lot."
"It's never too bad. It'll make for a cute picture though."
"Picture?" she asked, pausing at his car so he could open the door for her.
"You didn't see the guy with a camera taking our picture when you got close to m
e?"
"No." Shaking her head, she sat down in the car.
"He got a few of you and Alice too." He smiled down at her before shutting her d
oor and then rounded the car to sit behind the wheel.
"I really should pay more attention to my surroundings."
"Come here," he whispered, leaning over the console, his eyes boring holes into
hers.
Without any hesitation, she leaned over and met his lips, smiling against them a
s she thought about her first date rule. "What's so funny?" he asked, pulling aw
ay.
"I never kiss on the first date," she smirked.
"I must be special." His smile was radiant and he winked at her while she just s
tared. "Here," he said nervously, leaning back in his seat and pulling something
from the bag he had in the back. His hand came forward and in it was a baseball
. "I figured you weren't the type for flowers, so . . . I . . ."
"A baseball?" she asked, a little confused.
"Well, I figured it won't die in a few days, and would actually be worth somethi
ng years down the road." His voice shook anxiously.
Taking the ball out of Edward's hands, Bella looked down to see Carlisle Cullen'
s signature with a little note made out to her written in blue ink. "You had Cul
len sign this for me?"
Edward shrugged. "Yeah."
His hoarse voice sounded sexy to Bella's ears and as she really took the time to
look at him, she noticed that he was just as nervous as she was if not more. Th
at realization made her feel powerful. "I love it!" She leaned back over the con
sole, the ball clutched in one hand to her chest. "Come here, Edward," she whisp
ered, her free hand reaching out to grab the back of his head where the beanie s
at.
Their lips came together, Edward's a bit hesitant, but Bella's demanding, roughl
y seeking more from him. She pulled the beanie off his head and dropped it, comb
ing her fingers through the wet, silky strands of his auburn hair. When their to
ngues finally met, Bella moaned, sinking deeper into the kiss.
"Bella," Edward whispered against her lips.
"Hmm?" She pulled back a little, her eyes searching his.
"I don't really want to stop this," he smirked, "but we're running late as it is
."
"Oh." She pulled back and dropped her hand from his hair. Edward caught her shou
lders quickly and brushed his lips against hers for one last innocent kiss befor
e the drive.
They pulled out on the street and Bella stared down at the ball in her hands. No
one had ever picked her up for a date with flowers before. Emmett was too young
to do anything like that except for prom and homecoming dances, where his mom b
ought him a corsage to bring for her. How odd was it that Edward was the first?
"So how many dates until I have one for each person on the team?" She smiled ove
r at him, a wicked, playful gleam shining in her eyes.
"There are 25 guys on the active roster." He looked over with a wide grin. "That
's 6 months if we go out once a week."
"There might be some players on the DL I'm interested in too," she mused.
"We could go for the 40-man roster," he suggested. "That should include those on
the DL." They both laughed with a knowing look exchanged between them.
They listened to Edward's iPod as they drove south down I94 toward I57. Bella's
curiosity was getting the better of her, though she tried not to seem too inquis
itive. "Are we going to be indoors or outdoors?" They were playing a game like t
wenty-questions, only there seemed to be no end to it.
"Out."
"Are we having a picnic?"
"No."
"Will there be music involved?"
"Yes."
"Will there be food?"
"Yes."
"So we're eating outside too?"
"I already answered that."
"But it's not a picnic?"
"I answered that too."
"Will I be cold?"
He smirked. "I'll keep you warm."
"Will I get dirty?"
He chuckled softly before answering. "Maybe."
They exited the highway and she noticed that they got off at an exit for 147th S
treet in Midlothian. "I've never been down here before."
"I've been a few times, but I'm not very familiar with the area."
"Can you tell me now?" she practically whined.
"Okay, let me just make sure I make the right turn. I think its Crawford or Pula
ski . . ."
"There it is," Bella said, pointing at the first light they came to.
"Okay, now we're looking for the Midlothian Turnpike."
They drove through three lights north on Crawford/Pulaski before they saw the st
reet they needed and Edward turned left. Everything was a mix between residentia
l and industrial, confusing Bella.
"Where exactly are we going?" she asked, peeking out her window at one of the so
uth suburbs of Chicago and noticing all the White Sox signs on lawns or in windo
ws. "This isn't a very Cub-friendly neighborhood is it?"
"I wouldn't expect so. Here we are."
Bella looked out of the driver-side window and then back at Edward. "Standard Ba
nk Stadium? Home of the Windy City Thunderbolts? Are we going to a baseball game
?"
"They're part of the Frontier League," he offered, unsure if she was interested
in watching another baseball game or not. "They're the 2007 and 2008 League Cham
pions."
"For real?" Her voice raised an octave, a genuine smile broadening her lips. "Ho
w come I've never heard of them?"
"They're minor league." He shrugged as he pulled into the parking lot and paid t
he five dollar fee to park.
There were people in the parking lot tailgating, roasting dogs and burgers on th
eir grills, throwing the ball around. "Wow, they're pretty serious about their t
eam down here," she said thoughtfully.
Edward pulled into a spot and turned off the car. Reaching over, he grabbed her
right hand and played with the peridot ring on her third finger. "Aren't you ser
ious about yours?"
"Touché." Her voice came out in a whisper; her eyes stuck on Edward's lips as he b
rought her hand up to his mouth and kissed her ring.
The walk from their car to the entrance of the park was quite entertaining. The
south suburbs were like a whole different world from the Lincoln Park Trixievill
e area. The women dressed even manlier than Bella. Okay, maybe not all the women
, but for the most part, Bella was dressed up pretty spiffily in her tight jeans
and long-sleeve, v-neck, blue t-shirt.
One thing that Bella immediately noticed was a live country band playing music n
ear a huge beer tent. There was a group of people line dancing in front of the b
and and Bella squeezed Edward's hand that she was holding to get his attention.
"I don't think we're in Kansas any more."
Edward laughed and squeezed her hand back. "I forgot to tell you, its country ni
ght."
"Aaah. So it's not always like this?"
"I don't think so."
A little boy about the age of five came running down a ramp that they were about
to walk up, ringing a green cow bell, giggling as his father chased after him.
Edward stepped to the side to let the man pass and Bella pressed up against him,
enjoying the feel of his hard muscles against her. She could've easily just sto
od next to him, but that wouldn't have been nearly as much fun.
"Have you been to a game here before?" Bella asked, taking her place next to him
again as they walked up the ramp. She stared over at a huge Dino-jump that was
set up for the kids in wonderment. Only in the minor leagues.
"No. Garrett has though and said it's . . . how do I put it nicely?"
"That bad?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"We'll see." His smile was mischievous, building up her excitement for the game.
She loved baseball and honestly, even if the players weren't that great, it's b
aseball it couldn't be that bad, could it?
Pulling out two tickets, Edward pulled Bella in front of him, wrapping one arm a
round her waist as he walked behind her. At the gate, they were each given a gre
en cowbell to commemorate 'country night' and then they fully stepped into the p
ark. There were a few tables set up to the left next to a shop with baseball mem
orabilia lined up for sale. There were baseball cards and autographed pictures a
nd balls along with jerseys not only from the Thunderbolts players but also the
White Sox and Cubs.
"Oh my God!" Bella exclaimed, pulling Edward over to a headless mannequin wearin
g a Cubs jersey. "It's you!" She giggled, touching the shirt delicately.
Edward rolled his eyes and then looked on the back of the pin-striped jersey to
see the number 13 proudly displayed. On the table near it was an autographed bal
l in a see-through acrylic box that he had apparently signed at some point in ti
me. Bella watched him looking at it and then leaned in closer to see.
"Hmm, I wonder when I'll get one of those?" she teased.
"Let's see," he pondered out loud, "forty-man roster and I'm the last one . . ."
"What?" she jokingly shrieked, hitting him lightly on his right arm.
Pulling her into his chest, Edward brushed his lips against hers quickly before
getting the attention of a balding, middle-aged man in a White Sox t-shirt. "We'
ll take the Masen jersey," he stated, motioning over to the mannequin.
"What?" Bella asked, jolting her head up to look at him. "Why would you buy some
thing "
"Sh." Edward placed an index finger over her lips while he handed the man his cr
edit card. "It's not for me, Bella, it's for you."
"But I don't need a shirt," she protested.
"I told you to come dressed for a Cubs game." He pulled away and looked down at
her blue t-shirt disapprovingly.
"Oh, and you are?"
Edward unzipped his fleece jacket and revealed a blue t-shirt underneath that re
ad, 'Property of the Chicago Cubs', written in a circle around the Cubs' logo.
Now that, I'd love to get into. Bella stared at Edward's shirt, her hand rubbing
over the words as she read them silently in her head. She felt his heart beat q
uicken and she looked up at him to see the apples of his cheeks color with pink.
Edward grabbed the bag with the jersey in it while he gave back the signed credi
t card receipt. The man looked down to make sure the signature matched Edward's
card and then he looked back up at Edward's face, confused, and then shocked.
"Um . . . thanks, Mr. Masen," he stuttered out, giving Edward back his card.
"Here you go," Edward said a few moments later after he led Bella away from the
table where the man who sold him the shirt was now whispering to another man and
pointing in their direction. He pulled the shirt from the bag and removed the t
ag before helping Bella put it on over her long-sleeved t-shirt.
Bella stood still, watching Edward's eyes as he buttoned up the Cubs jersey, sta
rting from the bottom. The air between them crackled as his fingers ascended hig
her and higher, the back of his fingers brushing against her chest. She struggle
d to control her breathing so he wouldn't be able to tell how much he affected h
er, but it didn't work. Well, it worked to his benefit instead of hers, as it on
ly pushed her chest out even further.
"There you go." Edward inhaled slowly, his hands never letting go of the pin-str
iped jersey. "It looks perfect on you." He abruptly let go then and took a hold
of one of her hands, pulling her behind the back of the stands.
"Edward?"
There were a few tall round tables set up by a concession stand and Edward pause
d near one, turning his head to look in the direction they had just come. "I'm s
orry, someone mentioned my name and I was afraid . . . never mind, let's go find
our seats and then we can come back down for food."
"No one seems to have followed us," Bella mused, looking back as well. "How abou
t we grab our food now I'm starving!"
Between the two of them, they got four hotdogs, an order of nachos, a bag of pea
nuts, a Snickers bar, and two beers. Carrying the food to their seats was the tr
icky part, but they finally made it and settled down in their seats, which Bella
found to be amazing.
"These seats are awesome!" she exclaimed, looking over the rail. They were in th
e upper deck, section DD, row A front row. Looking down below, they were directl
y over the third row behind the Thunderbolt's dugout. "These are better than my
seats at Wrigley!"
"They're better than my seat at Wrigley."
Bella rolled her eyes at him and then leaned forward, resting her arms on the ra
iling and looked down at the fans below. There was a little league baseball team
directly beneath them that had lined up along the dugout, shouting out the play
ers' names, hoping for autographs.
On the field in front of them, the Thunderbolts were all hanging out in the outf
ield, talking and doing some stretches nothing professional. They looked more li
ke a group of friends getting together for a pick-up game after work. When Bella
sat back, she realized that Edward's arm was resting over her seat and she snug
gled up closer to him, watching him take a sip from his beer.
"You spent three years in the minors," she stated, watching his profile. "Was it
as laid back as it is out there?"
"No." Edward shook his head and put his beer down on the ground at their feet, c
oming back up with a flimsy cardboard box with the four hotdogs in it. "We could
n't get away with hanging out on the field like that," he said, motioning toward
a group of four Thunderbolts players who were obviously joking around about som
ething.
"Do you miss the minors? No one knowing who you were, no one peeking into your p
ersonal life?"
He shrugged. "Having to carry my own stuff while on the road? Sharing hotel room
s? Riding a huge bus to the games? Nah, I don't miss it." He laughed softly. "Ta
ke a dog and just enjoy the moment, Bella."
They ate in silence, each one not only watching the players fooling around, but
also the spectators gathering in the seats. There were a lot of young families w
ith little kids. There were also a few party boxes, which were full of very drun
k people and the game hadn't even started yet. Out on the Right field line, Bell
a thought she saw a hot tub in one of the private boxes.
"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, leaning close to Edward.
Following her pointing finger toward what was definitely a hot tub with four peo
ple sitting in it, he started laughing. "Could you imagine hot tub boxes at Wrig
ley?"
"Next time," Bella said pointedly, "we're getting tickets to the hot tub."
The festivities started with a group of kids being introduced, shadowing the Thu
nderbolts as they made their way out onto the field. Everything about the game w
as so different than MLB. Between each half of an inning, there was some sort of
entertainment from competitions between fans to line dancers on top of the dugo
uts it was bizarre.
The game itself was interesting and Bella found herself cringing into Edward's s
ide too many times when players screwed up royally. The worst was when one of th
e Thunderbolts hit a double and after he made it safely to second base, the thro
w to the bag was wild. Unfortunately, the runner was too busy adjusting his pant
s that he missed the signal to run. By the time he realized he could run, it was
too late, but that didn't stop him; he proceeded to try, getting caught en rout
e to third.
Regardless of the lack of talent on the field, Edward enjoyed the game; sitting
next to Bella, eating peanuts, talking shop with her it was better than he ever
could have imagined.
"I almost feel like we're on Candid Camera," Bella giggled, watching as a simple
double play was fooled up, not one runner getting called out.
"The sad thing is that they're in first place so far and are expected to win the
championship again."
"Well, I guess there's a reason they aren't in the majors then," Bella mused, wa
tching as the Thunderbolts finally got the third and final out of the inning. Th
ey were up by two going into the seventh.
The entertainment this time was three wooden and paint-faded cow cutouts that we
re held by three people outside of the park. A few young college-aged men and wo
men chose three people from the crowd which were given a colored cow to cheer fo
r in a race that was about to begin between the three. Suddenly, the people hold
ing the wooden cutouts began to run, the cows showing above the fence in center
field. Bella and Edward watched in complete and utter shock.
"I say the pink one wins," Bella laughed, watching as it trailed behind.
"Nah, the blue one," Edward said, sitting on the edge of his seat, watching the
blue one in the lead. Just then, the person holding the blue cow started slowing
down and the person with the pink one sped up. "This is fixed," Edward complain
ed as the pink cow passed his blue one.
"I win!" Bella exclaimed, throwing her arms around Edward's neck. Her lips attac
ked his something they'd wanted to do the whole night and he took her in, openin
g up to her. It was a short kiss, but one that drove them both over the edge wit
h desire. They pulled back and smiled sheepishly at each other as the next innin
g began, Edward's arm remaining around her shoulders, her hand finding his thigh
and lingering there.
The rest of the game went as well as the beginning of it had stupid errors and e
mbarrassing moments. There were a lot of supportive fans though and it made it e
asier to handle for Bella. She wanted to start booing at one point, but Edward g
ave her a threatening look when she suggested it. "You're no fun," she huffed at
him, though the smile that creased the corners of her lips showed that she was
anything but annoyed.
The Thunderbolts somehow won the game and just as Bella was ready to stand up an
d leave, all the lights in the stadium and those that shone down on the field we
nt off, leaving everything in pitch black. Bella clutched at Edward's shirt, a b
it scared from the sudden darkness. "Sh," he soothed her, "there's a little surp
rise after the game tonight."
A hissing noise drew her attention from Edward and she looked over to the center
field, seeing a little red spark soar out into the sky. Fireworks! Bella leaned
back in Edward's arms and they watched the show before them. He leaned down and
kissed her head or cheek, sometimes her lips every so often while they watched
the explosions, bright colors reflecting off each other's faces.
Bella turned to him and smiled, admiring the colorful sparkles that were lit in
his eyes.
Edward leaned in and grazed his lips against hers innocently. "Now you can't say
you've never seen fireworks when we've kissed."
They both turned back toward the fireworks in the sky and she snuggled deeper in
to his side. He was right she could never say that now. I couldn't truly say it
before either. Everything about their first date had been perfect. From the base
ball he gave her, the jersey he bought her, watching a game with him, and the fi
reworks everything had been wonderful.
~GO CUBS~
It was late by the time they made it to her townhouse. Edward walked her to her
door to say goodbye, and she invited him in. He was hesitant at first because he
wanted to take things slow, but he didn't want to leave her yet either.
As soon as the door was closed behind them they were in each other's arms. Their
kiss was hurried at first, but eventually they slowed it down, Bella enjoying t
he taste of raspberries she was glad she thought to ask him for a piece of gum s
o that he'd have one too.
They somehow managed to make their way to the living room and landed on the couc
h, Bella pressed underneath him. Their hands frantically sought each other out;
Edward's aiming straight for the one piece of jewelry he'd been fantasizing over
since Wednesday. The soft moans that flooded from Bella's lips amplified his de
sire, propelling him to discard both her shirts swiftly.
"Watch out for those buttons," she scolded, trying hard to keep some sort of con
tact with him while his fingers worked at disrobing her. Her hands flew to the h
em of his shirt, working the fabric up and over his body and eventually his head
before his arms came back down and finished with hers.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked, gently tracing her fingers over the now yellowi
ng bruise, his skin bare from the waist up.
"A little," Edward rasped out before devouring her, his arms encircling her wais
t, pulling her up to straddle his lap. There were no protests from her lips and
she ground herself into the solid flesh she felt beneath his pants.
"God, Bella," he groaned, his lips attacking hers before trailing down to her ja
w. "I want you." His lips made their way even lower, to her neck, and he sucked
and bit at her skin while her hands roamed up and down his chest, getting acquai
nted with the skin beneath her fingertips. His nipples hardened from her touch a
nd she sighed happily, glad to know that she affected him in the same way he did
her.
His hands played with the skin on her stomach, slowly roaming up and over her gr
een silk bra. "Green again?" He laughed, nuzzling his face in her cleavage to pl
ace gentle kisses there. "Does everything you own revolve around the Mariners?"
"No," she breathed out, her hands escaping his chest to twist behind her. "I hav
e a lot of blue for the Cubbies." She unclasped her bra and pulled it off, dropp
ing it to the pile of shirts on the floor. Edward immediately took the opportuni
ty to suck her left, pierced nipple into his mouth, playing with the ring with h
is tongue. Her back arched, and she moaned whimpering almost as he flicked at he
r taut bud.
"Bella," he whispered into her fleshy mound. "Maybe we should take this to your
room." The thought of Alice coming home and finding them in the living room was
enough to cool his blood.
"You're right," she sighed, tucking her head into the crook of his neck and biti
ng gently at his skin. Her arms released her hold on him and she stood, self-con
sciously covering her chest while bending over to pick up the discarded clothes.
When she started to put her t-shirt back on, Edward stopped her, grabbing her h
and and leading her up the stairs.
There were no words between the two as they made the ascent, their fingers laced
with each other. Once inside her small room, Edward closed the door and held he
r in his arms, slowly kissing her neck, her throat, collar bone, and the swell o
f her breasts. The clothes she was holding dropped down to the floor, her arms s
eeking him as his tongue reclaimed her pierced nipple.
Her hands were no longer patient, though, reattaching to his skin, roaming down
further than she had originally gone. They played at the waist of his jeans, thr
ee fingers from each hand sneaking between his pants and his skin, sweeping lowe
r and lower each time. "I want to touch you," she moaned, one hand plunging into
his pants and grabbing a hold of his hardened length under a thin layer of cott
on. She sighed, feeling complete once she found him. He hissed from her contact
and she sought his mouth, their lips meeting again, demanding, yet patient, each
one still wanting to enjoy every moment.
Bella's free hand hurriedly unbuckled his belt and undid the button of his jeans
before unzipping the material and then freeing him of his boxer briefs, pushing
them down with his pants. "Fuck, Edward," Bella roared when she squeezed his ba
re, massive cock in her hand.
Looking down at his length, Bella gulped then looked up at him, capturing his mo
uth with hers as her hand softly stroked over him. As his mouth found its way to
her nipple again, Bella looked down between their bodies with wonderment. Edwar
d regarded her amazement as she gazed at her hand while it stroked up and down h
is length. He enjoyed the feel of her hands on him, hissing and moaning as she s
lowly, yet deliberately gave him pleasure with each caress.
He twitched in her hand and she giggled a little before grasping onto him tighte
r, increasing the friction and speed of her movements. Looking back up, she capt
ured his mouth again, her hand twisting over his silky, yet hard flesh on each d
own stroke, his ache straining out with joy from the new sensations she unleashe
d in him. No one had ever fondled him or lavished such attention to him in this
way before. Most girls were all about receiving never giving.
"Fuck, Bella," he groaned, "faster."
Without hesitation, she followed his command, her second hand reaching down to r
ub her palm over his tip each time she twisted her other hand down, her fingers
bending to play with the rim of his head.
Her face lowered to watch what she was doing. He was so close to his release. Hi
s head fell back and then Bella lowered herself to her knees. "Fuck," he hissed
when he realized what she was about to do.
On the next down stroke, Bella replaced her second hand with her mouth, covering
just his head at first, her tongue flicking and swirling over the tip. She had
been waiting for this moment him in her mouth and was so elated to finally taste
him that she moaned against him, causing his hips to buck forward. Her free han
d reached out and wrapped around his hips, grasping his ass and pulling him clos
er as she opened up and fully took him inside.
He was too big for her and she had to use her hand at his base as she worked him
with her lips and tongue, her mouth creating a vacuum around him. "Fuck, Bella,
" he moaned, his fingers running through her hair.
A loud crash downstairs caused them both to pause abruptly. Bella's eyes shot op
en, his cock down her throat. She immediately pushed the disruptive sound out of
her mind as she pushed forward, working around Edward, wanting so much to show
him how she felt because she was too scared to use the words that had started to
plague her mind when she thought of him. I love you. God, it sounded so right,
yet she was so afraid to say it out loud, so she chanted it in her head as she c
ontinued showing her love for him physically.
And then her bedroom door burst open and a loud shriek of shock and then a curse
from Alice's lips resonated in Bella's head. Edward pulled away from her mouth
and hands, his body bending at the waist as he tried to hide behind something, a
nything. Then her door slammed shut and Bella could hear sobs coming from across
the hall. The only sound in her room was the pounding of her heart and Edward's
erratic breathing.
"This isn't happening," she half whined, half groaned, hiding her face in her ha
nds. She was still on her knees, her top off.
Edward sank down to the floor beside her and pulled her into his lap, which was
now covered by his pants. "I think you should go to her," he whispered in her ea
r, his hands rubbing along her back, warming her from the cool air in her room.
"God, Edward." Bella shook her head into his chest, unsure of what she should do
. Alice was her friend and it was obvious that she was upset and needed to talk
to her but she didn't want to leave Edward. She looked up at him, a frown creasi
ng the corners of her once full mouth.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault "
"I should've locked the door. Alice comes into my room sometimes to talk, I wasn
't thinking!" She burrowed her head into his chest again, shaking it.
Alice's sobs continued to pierce through the quiet room. Edward righted them bot
h, setting Bella on her feet, and grabbing their clothes from the floor. He hand
ed her a shirt and threw his t-shirt on over his head.
"I should get going," he sighed, his hands rubbing over her arms, holding her at
a safe distance away from him.
"I "
"Sh. Just make sure she's okay." He leaned in and kissed her forehead, wrapping
his arms around her for a tight hug. "I had a great time tonight."
"Me too," she whispered into his chest. "I wish you didn't have to go though," s
he said with hope, her face turning up to look at him. "Will you stay?"
He wanted to say yes to her, wanted to wait in her bed, ready for her return, bu
t he had a feeling that Alice needed her more. But then he wondered if Jazz had
told Alice everything. His heart started racing, his own thoughts unsure of what
he should do. Should he prepare her for what Alice was probably going to say to
her?
"Sure, I'll wait for a bit," he replied, finally deciding that he should be ther
e when Alice told her what Jazz had done.
"Thanks." She pulled away and threw on her long-sleeved t-shirt. It was tight ag
ainst her skin and he could make out the ring that pierced her left nipple. His
fingers lifted to rub softly over it.
"Don't start that unless you expect me to ignore my best friend," she warned sad
ly.
"Sorry." His smile indicated his apology was anything but sincere. "I'll just wa
it here." He hugged her once more and then stepped over to her bed and sat on th
e edge.
She walked over to him and stood between his legs, wrapping her arms around his
neck. "I'll be right back." She leaned down and kissed his lips gently and then
darted out of the room.
Edward watched her leave and heard the light knock on Alice's door and then, oth
er than a few of Alice's tears, he heard nothing.
He paced back and forth through her room, waiting for her to return, wondering w
hat they were talking about and when she'd come storming back, wanting to know w
hat he knew. Eventually, he sat back down on her bed and leaned against the head
board.
A short while later, Bella quietly walked back into the room and sat down next t
o him; "I'm sorry," she said sadly.
"Is she okay?" He shot right up, waiting for her to accuse him, yell, scream, so
mething.
"Not really. I'm not sure if you've noticed but they've been arguing a lot latel
y." She had been looking down at her comforter, but now her eyes darted up to pe
er at his. "She's still pretty upset. I told her I was coming over here to, well
. . . say goodnight."
"That's okay." His arm reached up and he stroked his fingers through her hair. H
e leaned down and kissed her innocently on the lips, sighing gently as he pulled
away. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Thanks, Edward," she said softly, rising from the bed with him, "for being so u
nderstanding."
"Just take care of her," he whispered, pausing at the door. Unable to keep from
touching her again, he leaned in and placed one more kiss on her forehead, and t
hen walked out the door and down the stairs, disappearing from Bella's sight.
Chapter 21 June 1 - 2, 2009
Edward grasped the baseball in his hand and stared down at the colorful flowers
drawn on it. Garrett Greene had insisted on at least making the ball look pretty
if it was going to take the place of flowers for Bella. Ball number three. This
 would be the third ball he'd give to Bella. He hadn't originally planned on giv
ing her more than the one from Cullen, but after her reaction to it on Friday ni
ght, he figured he'd see who else he could get to sign one for her.
They met briefly on Saturday night after the game. It wasn't a date no ball but
they spent the evening huddled together in the corner of a bar, just the two of
them, while their friends acted rowdy at a table not too far away. Bella's frien
d, Jake, had gone to the game with her and was at the bar as well, watching the
two of them all night, but she was oblivious to his attention Edward wasn't, he
noticed. He also noticed the way that Jake scowled at him whenever he would touc
h or kiss Bella. He didn't like Jake but he knew he couldn't say anything he did
n't want to push her about the issue.
Unfortunately, the night ended for them at the bar with Bella going home with Al
ice when she and Jazz got into another argument. Once Bella arrived home that ni
ght, she called Edward and explained everything that was going on. She didn't ha
ve to say anything to him, he knew exactly what Jazz was doing he was pushing th
e pixie away. He wasn't doing it on purpose and was actually hurting just as muc
h as she was, but he refused to tell her about what was eating him up inside. Of
course, Edward couldn't tell Bella all of this, so he listened to her, consoled
her, and even offered to talk to Jazz.
It was the next morning, on Sunday, that he gave her the second ball, signed by
Hugo Saldana. They met for a quick breakfast before Bella took off with Alice an
d Rosalie to shop for the charity murder mystery apparently Alice and Jazz were
doing better less than twelve hours after their fight.
Edward stepped out of his Aston Martin, which he feared leaving alone outside of
Bella's townhome for more than a couple of minutes, and hurried to her door. He
was dressed in a black formal suit by Ralph Lauren with a pale, celadon green n
eck tie with little flecks of gold in it. Since Alice and Rosalie both of whom h
e had called wouldn't give out any information as to what color dress Bella woul
d be wearing, he went with the green tie for the Mariners a little inside joke,
which he hoped she got.
Tossing the ball up in the air, he caught it with ease and smiled down at Garret
t's drawings and signature one last time before ringing the doorbell. Alice answ
ered the door looking like a vision from a runway. She really was a remarkable b
eauty. Her dress was tight across the bodice, a strapless black lace ensemble wi
th white ribbons woven through vertically. It was very much like a corset, but c
onnected to it at the bottom was what appeared to be a black tutu puffing out fr
om a low waist.
"Edward," she sang, and he was happy to see a genuine smile on her face. She had
been in such a sour mood since their return from San Diego. His stomach turned
inside out, knowing that he wasn't being a very good friend to her or Bella. Tru
thfully, he was on her side and she had every right to kick Jazz in the ass and
say, 'good riddance.'
"You are stunning tonight, Alice," he beamed, leaning in for a hug, the skirt of
her dress keeping him from being able to get very close.
"Thank you! You look very handsome, yourself." She winked at him, stepping aside
for him to wait in the entryway. "Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thanks," he replied, "I'm fine." It was a bit uncomfortable to be alone wit
h her considering she had walked in on him and Bella in a private embrace. Priva
te embrace, my ass, she was sucking your cock! God, he didn't even know what exa
ctly she had seen. Bella told him that she said she only saw the top of his head
and his shoulders, but he had a feeling that either Alice was just being nice o
r Bella was purposefully lying to him to make him feel more comfortable around h
er best friend.
"Jazz should be here soon," she chimed, disappearing around the corner in the di
rection of the bathroom.
"Good, I'd hate to have to call him for being late again."
"He says everyone down in Texas is slow like that." She giggled as she came back
in view. "He thinks everyone up here is in too much of a hurry all the time."
She disappeared again, this time coming out with a black wrap. "This is for Bell
a," she said, handing the wrap over to him. "She has no idea that I bought it fo
r her she planned on wearing her every-day coat." She snorted. "If she had her w
ay, she'd probably wear a Cubs jacket."
Edward smiled, knowing full well she was right. Bella probably owned one or two
jackets that were only used because they fit their purpose, not because of what
they looked like. "Thank you," Edward said warmly, watching as she pulled anothe
r wrap, very similar to the one she had just handed him, out of the closet and d
raped it around her shoulders.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, staring down at his hand. "Another baseball? Whose signatur
e is on it this time?"
"Garrett," he replied, a bit embarrassed that she knew about the balls.
"Garrett?" she asked, trying to remember who he was.
"Greene," he supplied. "Garrett Greene is our catcher."
"Oh, right! I get them all confused. He's married to Kate, right?"
"Yes, he is." He smiled at her, amazed that she could remember his wife, whom sh
e had met only a few times, but had no clue who Garrett actually was.
"I sit near her at the games sometimes," she huffed, noticing the amused look on
his face.
"Right, I forgot."
A sound echoed down from the top of the stairs and Edward shot his eyes up to st
are, waiting to see Bella emerge. "She should be right down. I really tried not
to pry or make any suggestions, but sometimes I can't help it."
"Suggestions for what?"
"Right now she's up there changing things the way I suggested even though she ye
lled at me and told me to keep out of her business. She's probably hoping I'll b
e gone before she comes down so that I can't give her the 'I told you so' look."
The doorbell rang again and Alice silently jumped up and down. "Will you answer
it for me?" she pleaded. "I'm going to hide around the corner real quick, okay?"
"Sure." He smiled warmly as he watched her dart behind the wall toward the bathr
oom again.
"Okay, I'm ready," she called out.
Edward opened the door to see Jazz waiting with a bouquet of flowers. "Way to sh
ow me up!" he beamed while slapping his friend on the back, but his eyes shot da
ggers at him, letting him know, again, how he felt that he hadn't said anything
to Alice yet.
"Hey, Edward," Jazz said politely, hoping to hide the tension between them.
"Alice will be out momentarily," Edward said aloud so that she would hear.
"Drinks," a voice hissed from behind the wall and Edward chuckled.
"Can I get you a drink?" Edward asked Jazz, motioning into the kitchen.
Jazz rolled his eyes and then said very loudly, "No thanks, we're running a bit
late."
"You guys are no fun," Alice huffed, stepping out from her hiding spot.
"We need to get going," Jazz said softly, taking Alice's hand and bringing it to
his lips. "You look lovely."
Jazz and Alice were no sooner out the door when Bella called down the stairs to
Edward. "Are they gone yet?"
"Yes," he chuckled back, "they just left."
"Oh, thank God! If she told me to change one more thing I was going to go postal
on her." Bella started her descent down the stairs but paused on her way, gaspi
ng as she caught sight of Edward in his formal suit. "You look amazing." She smi
led, walking the rest of the way down, her eyes never leaving the curves of his
body and the way the suit fit around him, forming to his muscles.
Edward was in a similar daze, caught up in her beauty, just as he had been the f
irst time he saw her. My enchantress. It was as if she had bewitched him, his mi
nd unable to think coherently as he stood there, gazing at her long pale legs th
at danced out from under the red fabric with every step she took.
Her body was covered by a strapless red cocktail dress, the fabric looking a lit
tle thicker and stiffer than he normally saw on women, but it was elegant and cl
assic, the material crisscrossing over her curves, tight on the torso and flarin
g out at the high waist in a sort of bubbly-poof.
Her hair hung down in loose curls, a few strands from her sides pinned up, frami
ng her face beautifully, which was covered lightly in makeup. Edward had never s
een such a more beautiful creature than the woman who stood before him and he wa
s immediately nervous and aroused all at once grateful for the long jacket of hi
s suit.
"You're mesmerizing," he whispered once she finally made it to the foot of the s
tairs. Taking her hand, he brought it to his mouth for a gentle kiss before pull
ing her into him so he could brush his lips against hers, his other arm snaking
around her waist. She even smelled divine. "I don't know how I'm going to rememb
er my lines tonight."
"Your lines?" she asked, her eyes glazed over as she stared up at him.
"For the mystery," he said slowly, shaking his head to clear it. Stepping back,
he held the ball in front of her. "This is for you." His crooked smile replaced
his look of hunger and he watched as she laughed, a bright smile forming on her
lips from Garrett's flowers and message.
"Thank you. You really don't have to give me one of these every time we go out,
but I do like them."
"Alice seems to think it's the safest thing," he teased, "for the flowers, that
is."
"Yeah, everything I touch seems to die. Let me put this somewhere safe and then
we can go."
Edward waited a couple minutes more while she disappeared into the kitchen and t
hen came back out holding a little red bubble of fabric. "Don't laugh at this th
ing," she said drearily. "Alice explained how my normal purse wouldn't match the
dress . . ."
"Come on," Edward said, laughing a little at the way she held the red purse by t
he top instead of the strap. He held out the wrap for her and Bella muttered Ali
ce's name under her breath while shaking her head and allowing him to drape the
fabric around her shoulders.
~GO CUBS~
"You didn't tell me you'd be driving this!" Bella exclaimed, trailing her hand d
own the side of the car, oblivious to Edward's scowl and slight cringe as he wat
ched her.
"It's a special occasion." He shrugged before grabbing a hold of her hand that s
till touched his Aston Martin, pulling it away from the car.
"It's a darker gray than your Volvo." Her mouth hung open as she stared at the c
ar in front of her. She'd be lying if she said the car didn't turn her on just a
little okay, a lot.
"Yeah," he said somewhat embarrassed. "Come on, I'm supposed to be there early t
o get set up."
Edward opened her car door and helped her in before rounding the car and steppin
g in behind the steering wheel. Bella's hands were once again on his car, rubbin
g softly over the all black interior. This time, she noticed his reaction.
"Oh, sorry," she squeaked, pulling her hand back.
"No," he started, but then stopped. "It's not that . . . it's just . . ." His fi
ngers lifted to his nose and he began to press against the bridge. "This is my b
aby," he finally got out, his eyes searching hers, hoping she'd understand.
"The way you're dressed," she gulped, reaching out to run her fingers down his c
heek, "and this car. . ." Her eyes never strayed from his. She leaned in, closin
g the distance between them. "It just . . ."
"Come on, Swan," he drawled out, sounding too much like Jazz. "Let's get going b
efore I take you back into your house."
They arrived at the event earlier than those who held tickets were supposed to.
Edward ushered Bella into the building and got her situated next to Alice at a t
able before disappearing with Jazz and the other players and wives that were all
a part of the show.
Alice and Bella got up a few minutes later and walked around the hall that wrapp
ed around the banquet hall and looked at all of the chairs that were on display
for the silent auction. All bids were slid into a box and the highest bidder at
the end of the night would win the chair along with everything on/in/under it. I
t was hard to decide what to bid without knowing what everyone else was going to
bid.
After getting an idea about which chairs they were each interested in Alice insi
sting that no one would go for the saddle the girls found their way back to the
banquet hall. They were seated at different tables, but Emmett and Rosalie looke
d to be at Alice's.
"They needed all the players separated." Bella turned around to see Edward frown
ing down at her. "I can see if there's an extra seat if you want to sit with you
r friends instead," he continued, apologetically.
"No," she insisted, "I'd like to sit with you."
He smiled then, pulling her next to him. "People are starting to arrive, he whis
pered into her hair. "I thought I'd get you a drink, but then I've got to go min
gle."
"Are you going to give me any hints?"
"About what?"
"Who the murderer is. Is it you?"
Edward laughed. "I'm not saying anything." He leaned down and kissed her nose. "
Would you like anything, Alice?"
"A Jack and Coke, please?"
"Sure. How about you?" He turned his eyes back to Bella.
"Would it be totally classless if I had a beer?"
"No," he chuckled, "I'll be right back."
For the next half hour, Alice and Bella hung out with Emmett and Rosalie, drinki
ng, laughing, and joking around. Bella's eyes constantly searched the area for E
dward, who always seemed to be talking to someone. She knew he had to mingle wit
h the fans it was part of his participation they paid big bucks for these ticket
s and part of the package was getting to schmooze with the players.
Finally, it became time for the actual dinner and murder show to start. Edward c
ame over and apologized to their friends before taking her away with him to thei
r table. Edward was very at ease with all the fans at their table a gorgeous blo
nd sitting on his other side. He draped his right arm around Bella's shoulders,
leaning in every so often to whisper silly things in her ear. He had made nick n
ames for each person at the table, though some of them were a bit rude, referrin
g to the men that he was obviously jealous of as if he had any reason to be.
Kate Greene stepped up to a microphone and explained how the murder mystery woul
d go and then announced that everything said by the players and their wives from
that point on could be used as clues or evidence.
It was only a few minutes later that a ruckus started out in the hall and then a
huge man dressed in a White Sox shirt and hat carrying a bat came roaring into
the banquet hall, swinging his bat and threatening everyone in the room. At firs
t, Bella jolted in her chair and clutched onto Edward's arm when she realized he
was getting up to confront the guy. He looked over at her with an amused expres
sion and then shot up out of his seat.
Bella watched along with the other occupants of the room as all the players and
some wives exchanged some words with the man, all retreating out into the hall.
A short while later, they all came back in, the man now sporting a Cubs hat on h
is head, bat removed. Aro stood and handed the man what was supposed to be his d
rink that had been sitting alone on a table and the man drank from it. He smiled
hesitantly to the crowd and uttered, "Go Cubs," resulting in the crowd of fans
erupting in applause.
Bella looked back at the table where Alice, Emmett and Rosalie sat and smiled ov
er to them, laughing. It was worse than she thought it would be, but it was a lo
t more fun as well. Drunken fans dressed up nicely, cheering and roaring at the
embarrassment of a White Sox fan who was really a paid actor was just too funny.
The glass the White Sox fan held fell to the floor in a loud crash. Edward was b
ack in his seat by this time, trying to hide a laugh. "It's horrible," he whispe
red in Bella's ear and she laughed back, nodding, unable to speak.
The White Sox fan then wavered on his feet, gagging from what was an apparent po
ison, before falling over. Kate and other wives screeched and ran to the man, ma
king sure he was okay, calling for a doctor. Another actor came forward, claimin
g to be a doctor and some players helped carry the body into the hall.
The doctor came back in and explained to everyone that the guy had been poisoned
, resulting in his death. A fake cop arrived shortly after and began the investi
gation, which really turned out to be an attempt on Aro's life that went awry. B
ella paid close attention, writing things down, especially when Edward was broug
ht up as a suspect and she listened to him say his lines, holding back her laugh
ter from how awful of an actor he was.
All the players were questioned by the fake investigator and Bella looked around
the room, watching everyone, enjoying having Edward's arms around her, his smel
l radiating from him, covering her in a cloud of comfort. She was happy. Leaning
into him, she lightly kissed his neck, right above the collar of his shirt. He
squeezed her closer to his side and then leaned down next to her. "After this, t
here's a little bit of time where we have to mingle again and let the fans ask u
s their own questions before people get to submit their guesses." He kept his vo
ice low, in a whisper. "You can bid on the chairs at that time, if you want, or
hang out with our friends." He kissed her then and turned back to the investigat
or, whom was now giving everyone instructions on the next portion of the night i
nterrogating their favorite players and their wives to figure out who murdered t
he fan.
Emmett and Rosalie really got into the mystery. They each had lists of questions
for each of the players and they set off as soon as they could to do their own
interrogations, Rosalie complaining at what a horrible job the 'real' cop had do
ne.
Alice refused to leave Jazz's side, and after talking with the two of them for a
while, Bella decided to walk around the hall, keeping her eye on Edward as he s
poke with fans of all kinds even gorgeous, long-legged, women. She had already c
ome to her conclusion on who had been the murderer Carlisle Cullen.
"Excuse me." A rough, male voice spoke nervously behind Bella where she was star
ing at Garrett Greene's chair for auction. She was thinking of what to bid on it
. Turning around, Bella found herself staring at a tall, handsome, older man wit
h sandy blond hair and hazel eyes. "Hi," he said awkwardly.
"Hi." Bella wasn't sure what to say to the man that stared at her, so she just s
tared back and then, as if an actual light turned on in her head, she gasped fro
m shock. "You!" The word came out strangled, her heart racing as she realized wh
o was standing directly in front of her.
"Isabella," he said softly, his hands going up in a submissive, non-threatening
way. "I just wanted to . . . I . . . well, shit." He dropped his hands and slump
ed forward, his head falling with his shoulders.
"What do you want?" she forced out, her eyes searching for Edward and finding hi
s back to her.
"Isabella," he started, lifting his face to look at her again.
"It's Bella," she bit, anger obvious in her tone.
"Bella," he gulped, "I just wanted to say hi."
"You've said that already," she snapped.
"Right," he sighed, a slight smile creasing the aged lines at the corners of his
mouth. "You look so much like your mom."
"You have no right to talk about her!" Bella's eyes searched for Edward again, h
er breathing was becoming labored and she didn't know if she could deal with thi
s man alone.
"You're right," he stated sadly. "I . . . God, Is- . . . Bella, please, can we j
ust speak for a moment? I only came here tonight for you."
"What do you want?"
"I've been trying to gain the courage to talk to you for years," he said, chuckl
ing nervously as a hand reached up and almost touched her hair.
Bella pulled back from him, disgusted that he'd even think to touch her. "You ha
ve two minutes."
"Okay," he said evenly. "I, well, I wanted to give you something." The man reach
ed into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope, handing it over to Bella.
She took the envelope and opened it up, pulling out three pictures. The first on
e was of a young lady around Bella's own age, only it was an old photograph, age
d around the edges, the woman dressed in clothes from a different time. She look
ed a lot like . . . exactly like . . . Fuck!
Tears started to trickle out of Bella's eyes and she ignored the man standing in
front of her as she looked at the next picture. It was more recent, but still a
bout forty years old, of another woman, maybe a bit older than Bella. Again, the
resemblance was palpable. With shaking hands, Bella looked at the final picture
. This one was very recent and had three people in it. Two were around her age,
a little older and the third was about ten years younger than her. Two of the pe
ople both girls had long wavy brown hair, the third person, a boy, with sandy bl
ond hair and a red goatee.
Struggling to keep her tears in check, Bella put the photos back inside the enve
lope. "What . . . why . . ." Her voice shook she couldn't find the words she nee
ded to say.
"Isabella," the man said softly, reaching out a hand to touch her face.
Bella jerked back from the man, hatred seeping out of her pores. "What do you wa
nt, Phil?"
"I just wanted you to have those. With your parents gone," he choked, "I thought
you might like to know that you still have a family."
"A family?" she shouted, getting the attention from everyone around them. "This,
" she said, holding the envelope up in the air between them, "is not my family."
"The first photo is of my grandmother," Phil said with a quiet, gravelly voice.
"Her name was Marie and holds the most resemblance to you, I think. The second p
icture is of my mom. Her name is also Isabella." His eyes started to water and B
ella's heart shrunk toward him. Did he think his little show of emotion would ma
ke her waver? "The third is of," his voice broke and he paused to regain himself
, "of your brother and sisters."
"I don't have any brothers or sisters." Her chin darted into the air in defiance
, hoping to find the strength to walk away, but she couldn't move.
"Bella, Charlie did a great job raising you, and for that, I'll always be gratef
ul to him."
"Fuck you!" she bit. "You have no right mentioning my dad to me. He took my mom
back after what . . ." She stared at the man in front of her. He was a stranger.
She could tell by the pictures she now held in her hands that he was most likel
y her father, but it didn't change anything and she would not disrespect Charlie
by speaking to him any longer. "You're not worth it," she muttered, shaking her
head in disgust.
"Bella?" Edward's voice brought her out of her Phil-hating frenzy and she turned
into the arms that he now wrapped around her, crying into his jacket. "Phil, wh
at are you doing here?" Edward's words were edged in anger and the old-timer fro
wned back.
"Hi, Masen, I was just . . ."
"He was just leaving," Bella spat, lifting her head to shoot daggers at the man
who ruined her life.
"Isabella," he said, cringing when he saw the way she reacted to her full name.
"Bella," he corrected himself, "there's a sheet of paper inside with names and p
hone numbers in case . . . well, I'll let you be now." Phil smiled stiffly to Ed
ward before turning and walking away, defeat laced in each step he took.
"Bella?" Edward asked, allowing her to try and hide herself in his jacket. "Are
you ready to leave?"
"I'm so sorry," she sniffed, looking up at him. Her makeup was horribly ruined,
her eyes swollen and red, and cheeks flushed from anger.
"Sh," he soothed, pulling her back into him. "I'll let Kate know that we're leav
ing. Would you like to go to the restroom before we leave?"
"No," she choked, "please don't leave me." Her hand clutched onto the white enve
lope and Edward wondered what was inside, what other than Phil's presence had ca
used her to be so upset?
~GO CUBS~
"Did you know he'd be there?" Bella asked, finally making eye contact with Edwar
d as she stood motionless in the entryway to his condo.
The ride home had been silent. Edward drove slowly, watching out the corner of h
is eyes as Bella held on tightly to the envelope she still clutched in her hand.
She stared out the side window, her jaw set, tears streaming down her cheeks ev
ery so often. He hadn't thought of where he would bring her, he just drove and e
nded up at his place. She didn't hesitate when he opened her door for her, leani
ng into him and letting him lead her up to his condo.
"No."
Grabbing her free hand, Edward pulled her over to sit on his couch, his arm wrap
ping around her shoulders, once again pulling her into his side. They sat there
for a long time, Bella's fingers playing with the envelope in her hands.
"He's my dad," she finally said. There was no emotion in her voice, not even ang
er it was flat.
"How do you know?" His voice was unsteady as he spoke, afraid to say the wrong t
hing, but wanting her to talk to him about it.
Bella held out the envelope to Edward and he opened it up, looking at the three
pictures. Unbelievable. He stared at the pictures for some time, noting the fami
liarity between her and the two ladies and then the three kids in the last shot.
"Who are they?" he asked pensively.
"One is Phil's grandmother, Marie. The other woman alone is his mom, Isabella."
She said the name as if it were a curse. "My name is Isabella Marie, Edward. My
mom named me after Phil's family." A lone tear snuck out and Bella wiped it away
. "I'm sure my dad had no clue she did that. God, it would've broken his heart."
"And these three?" he asked, holding out the picture of the group shot.
"He never gave me their names," she said softly. "Apparently they are my brother
and sisters."
"Do you want to have a paternity test?" he asked softly, afraid that he'd offend
her again.
"There's no point," she said, defeated. "I really couldn't care less if I am Phi
l's daughter. My dad will always be Charlie." The tears started back up and Edwa
rd pulled her into his chest, rubbing his hands up and down her back. "I'm so so
rry for ruining your evening," she sniffed, pulling away. "I've ruined your suit
." She tried to laugh, but it came out like a croak, which made Edward laugh a l
ittle.
"I can get my suit cleaned." He pushed a chunk of her hair behind her ear. "Mayb
e we should change our clothes."
"I don't have anything," she hiccupped.
"I'll get you a t-shirt and some shorts." He leaned in and kissed her forehead.
"I'll be right back."
Edward retreated to his room and changed into a t-shirt and shorts and then grab
bed a pair of draw-string shorts for Bella and one of his favorite t-shirts. It
was nothing special, but it was comfortable and he wore it a lot, so it was fade
d and had a couple of holes. It had been bright blue at one point in time, but n
ow was a grayish-blue color and on the front, in crackly white letters, was writ
ten, 'I've got a fever and the only prescription is more cow bell'. He hoped tha
t her love for silly shirts would at least make her smile.
When he returned to the living room, Bella was curled up into the side of the co
uch, crying. His heart dropped. "Sweetheart," he cooed, pulling her back into hi
s arms.
Edward held her for a long time while she cried into his chest, periodically kis
sing the top of her head or forehead, sometimes her nose or even her lips. Final
ly, after what seemed forever, she looked up at him, a balled-up tissue in one h
and wiping the tears off her cheeks.
"It'll be four years on June twenty-fourth." The words hung in the air, neither
of them saying anything, both thinking about what the soon approaching day would
mean for Bella. "You'll be gone," Bella grumbled into his chest, her hands fist
ing in his shirt to pull him closer.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"It was a car accident," she answered emotionless.
"I know that, Bella," he said softly, his hands rubbing gently up and down her b
ack. "But you once said something about it being your fault. What exactly happen
ed?"
"I can't remember what I've told you already," she sighed, her hands loosening u
p on his shirt. "Did I tell you that my mom left my dad because she thought I wa
s Phil's?" Her body twitched when she said Phil's name and Edward's arms wrapped
around her tighter.
"Yes."
"Well, Phil wanted nothing to do with her so she came back to my dad who took he
r in, but under one condition."
After a few moments of silence, Edward decided to help her along. "What conditio
n was that?"
"If their child, me, ever found out about her relationship with Phil Dwyer, he w
ould leave her." Bella snorted. "I guess you could say that my dad was a bit vin
dictive, but his wife had cheated on him and the child she was carrying could ve
ry well have been another man's." She let out a derisive chuckle before continui
ng. "I don't blame him for the stipulation he put on their marriage, but . . . G
od, Edward, it was my entire fault! I found the letters that Phil had written to
her in our attic and I asked her about them right in front of my dad!" She shoo
k her head against his chest, burrowing further into the crevice where his arm a
nd shoulder met.
"Their marriage was never the same after that." She continued, leaning her head
back against his arm and looking up at his eyes. "They argued all the time and I
know it must have been worse when they weren't around me. They didn't sleep in
the same bed anymore and my mom would call me crying all the time.
"I started to hate going home for school breaks, but from what Emmett's parents
told me, they got along better when I was around they were more civil to each ot
her. Once I had finally graduated from college and had gotten a place of my own,
my dad decided to finally file for a divorce. It was my fault, Edward. If I had
n't of confronted her in front of my dad, none of this would've happened he didn
't need to know that I found out."
They sat together for a while, Edward chewing over everything she had just revea
led, wondering what kind of life Bella had lived with her parents, what kind of
marriage had they shown her? His parents had a great marriage, showing him how t
o give and take in a relationship and how to truly share your life with another
person. It didn't seem as though Bella's parents were able to show her a healthy
relationship and it saddened him.
"The day of the accident, I had invited them both to my apartment in Seattle." B
ella's voice shook from her emotions. "I knew that the divorce wasn't final yet
so I figured if I could get them together to talk . . . well, I just thought tha
t . . . I wanted to try . . . I didn't want them to split up," she finished sadl
y. "I thought that I could help them find the reason they fell in love with each
other in the first place."
"How did it happen?"
"They were originally going to ride separately since my dad had already moved ou
t of the house, but I insisted that they drive together." Bella grimaced. "They
say it was my dad's fault. They think the two of them had been arguing and my da
d had turned his attention away from the road."
"How would they know "
"Someone behind them saw them arguing in the car and then they swerved into onco
ming traffic not long after. I should've just let them get their stupid little d
ivorce. I mean, why would I have wanted them to live in a loveless marriage? I w
as so horribly selfish."
Bella's shoulders started shaking she was crying again. Edward let her cry as he
held onto her, his hands running up and down her back and arms, over her legs a
nd down to her feet, where she had taken her shoes off already. When his fingers
started to massage the ball of one of her feet, Bella choked as she tried to gi
ggle through her tears, pulling her foot back.
They turned their heads toward each other and Edward got a quick glimpse of desi
re burning in Bella's eyes before her mouth attacked his, her body shifting so t
hat she could straddle him on the couch.
"Bella," Edward gasped out, trying to hold her away. "We don't need to do this,
love. Just let me hold you."
"I don't want you to just hold me," she scoffed. "Please touch me." Her eyes ple
aded with him, her hands working their way down his chest to the hem of his shir
t.
"It's been an emotional night," he protested. It was so hard for him to turn her
down like this, but he knew she was too vulnerable right now. He wouldn't be ab
le to forgive himself if he took advantage of her. "Change into the shorts and s
hirt I got for you and we can "
Her mouth did not let him finish as it descended upon his, crashing against him,
pushing his lips hard against his teeth. Her hands worked furiously to lift his
shirt, allowing him to breathe for a moment as she pulled away to bring the shi
rt over his head.
Her hands then disappeared behind her back and the sound of a zipper vibrated in
Edward's ears before Bella stood up from his lap and let the red fabric fall fr
om her body, leaving her in nothing but a pair of cobalt blue ruffled panties. S
weet mother of God!
"Blue?" his raspy voice asked.
"For the Cubbies." She winked, moving to straddle his lap once more.
Edward's hands moved of their own accord, running up along her back, to her side
s, and then over to cup each of her mounds, squeezing and massaging lightly whil
e his lips sought hers out. He was weakening. He could no longer remember how be
ing with her tonight would be taking advantage of her, all he could think about
was the way she felt in his hands and the way she tasted in his mouth.
"Mmmm," Bella moaned, pushing her center against his now throbbing cock. "I want
you, Edward," she whispered against his lips and he grabbed a hold of her, quic
kly spinning, pinning her against the couch, his hips pushing into her heat, one
hand holding up her right leg, pulling it up around his waist.
"Fuck, Bella. Are you sure you want this?" His mouth left hers so that he could
look into her eyes. He wanted her so badly that he couldn't think straight any m
ore. All thoughts of her parents' death and her vulnerability had fled and were
replaced by thoughts of getting inside of her hot, tight body. He had wanted thi
s for so long.
"God, yes," she gasped, pulling his head back down to hers and taking over his m
outh.
Making out had never felt so good to either of them and they took their time, de
lighting in the way their hearts fluttered, waves of heat seeped down through th
eir bodies, and the sheer ecstasy every time Edward pushed himself against her t
ingling center.
Bella's hands trailed all over Edward's back, rubbing up and down his well-forme
d muscles, down over his fabric-covered, tight ass, pulling him into her humming
need as she pushed up, grinding against him.
His mouth toured down to his favorite breast, teasing as he licked around her ni
pple, playing with the metal ring attached there before flicking at her rosy bud
and then taking it in his mouth.
"That feels so good," she breathed out, arching her back so he'd have better acc
ess.
While Edward's mouth and tongue played with her fevered flesh, Bella's hands mad
e their way around to the front of his gray shorts and effortlessly untied the d
rawstring that kept her from the prize she longed to hold in her hands. She took
no time in pushing the shorts down to his knees boxer briefs included.
Her hands immediately found his need and she gasped from finally having him in h
er hands once more. He was so big and strong, yet soft and silky at the same tim
e. Her fingers trailed up over the ridge that ran along his length, then back do
wn while her hips positioned her opening to where his tip gingerly rubbed agains
t her fully soaked panties with every thrust of her hips.
"Bella," Edward hissed, lifting his mouth from her skin. He leaned down and bit
her bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth.
"Now, Edward," she groaned, fiercely grinding her purring pussy against him.
Edward chuckled, his head leaning against her shoulder. "Patience," he whispered
. Sitting up, he awkwardly adjusted himself, pulling off his shorts and tossing
them across the floor before running his hands up Bella's legs. He had waited fo
r this moment for so long, he didn't want to rush it.
She had obviously shaven recently, her legs silky smooth and glistening from the
 soft light in the room. He ran his nose along her flesh, breathing in her scent
freesia and lavender, he thought, but he'd have to ask her what exactly it was.
His nose made it to the inside of her thigh and he smelled her desire. So sweet
!
Maneuvering his head, he leaned in and rubbed his nose over the crotch of her we
t panties and she hummed. "You smell so good," he whispered, his fingers latchin
g onto the waist of the blue fabric, pulling them down and over her feet.
She was absolutely beautiful and he couldn't force himself to slow down any long
er. His fingers found her first, stroking over her wet folds while he leaned in
and kissed her lips, his tongue searching for hers and she moaned into his mouth
as one of his long fingers penetrated her, plunging into the treasure he had so
long waited for.
Her hips moved with his hand and he pushed a second finger in, marveling at how
tight she was. "Bella," he groaned, repositioning himself once more, unable to w
ait any longer. "Are you ready for me, love?" He spoke against her lips, his for
ehead resting against hers as his fingers thrashed inside of her, his thumb rubb
ing along her clit.
"Yes, Edward," she hissed. "I need you inside me." Her hips jutted up, pushing h
is fingers deeper and she groaned, running her fingers through his hair, pulling
him close for a deep kiss, her tongue invading his mouth.
Edward's fingers retreated and Bella whimpered, saddened by the sudden emptiness
. Positioning his aching cock at her opening, he pushed forward, his head enteri
ng her tight, hot body, moaning from the pleasure of how good she felt around ju
st his tip, and then he froze. "Fuck," he groaned, pulling fully out, "condom."
Giving her no time to think, he picked her up and whisked her back into his bedr
oom, placing her on his bed. Before she could question him, he had a square foil
wrapper in his hands and was ripping it open, rolling the rubber onto his harde
ned cock.
Edward looked at the woman lying on his bed. She no longer cried, but her eyes w
ere still swollen and red. She looked so fragile, yet open she trusted him. What
are you doing? He shouldn't be taking advantage of her like this. She meant mor
e to him than a romp between his sheets he could wait for this. Now wasn't the r
ight time anyways because he wouldn't be there in the morning. A limo was coming
to pick him up very early to bring him to the airport for a road trip he'd be g
one for 10 days. He couldn't do this to her. No, he wouldn't do this to her. His
shoulders fell and he began to take the condom off.
"Edward?" Bella asked, sitting up, stopping his hands with hers. "What are you d
oing?"
"Bella," he sighed, sitting on the bed next to her. "We can't do this right now.
"
"You don't want me?" she asked shakily.
"What? No! That's not what I said." He looked into her eyes and got caught by th
e need and desire that penetrated through him.
"So you do want me?" Her voice was small, timid.
"More than anything," he said, reaching out and pulling her to him.
Before Edward knew what she was doing, Bella had him pinned down to the mattress
, her lips sucking and biting at the skin along his neck. "Please," she whispere
d, "I need you."
Grabbing a hold of Bella's roaming hands, he flipped her over so that he was now
on top. He caressed her cheek, his eyes penetrating hers, his length pressed up
against her stomach. "I need you too," he said in a hoarse voice before crashin
g his lips against hers, taking control of the situation as he moved his body to
rest between her legs.
Opening up for him, she wrapped one leg around his waist, bucking her hips up, a
s their mouths moved together. Pulling his head back, Edward propped himself up
with his arms. "Bella, love," he whispered, leaving a kiss on her nose.
Her eyes opened and as they made contact with his, he pushed himself into her, p
ausing to let her body adjust to him. Bella sighed out in what sounded like reli
ef, her eyes gazing intently at his. It had been two years since she'd had sex.
Her walls were tight around him, and he struggled against pushing further in, no
t wanting to take things too fast.
Bella's hips bucked up again and he laughed, leaning down to capture her lips wi
th his as he pulled out all the way and then plunged back in, fully sheathing hi
mself in her heat. "Fuck," he groaned and she moaned against his mouth, deepenin
g their kiss.
Lifting her other leg, Bella wrapped it around his waist, locking her feet toget
her as she moved her hips to meet each of his thrusts. Edward rested his forehea
d against hers, both their eyes fixated on each other, watching one another's ex
pressions.
Rolling her head back, leaving Edward's to fall to her shoulder, Bella moaned lo
udly as the pressure began to build up inside her. Suddenly overwhelmed with his
emotions, Edward pumped in and out of her, sucking along her neck and biting do
wn whenever he thought he'd lose himself to tears.
Her hands moved down to his ass and she squeezed him in closer to her. "Fuck, Ed
ward, harder!"
"You feel so good, Bella," he gasped, raising himself on his arms to better posi
tion himself. He pushed harder and faster, enjoying the loud moans and murmuring
s that were now escaping her lips.
With her hair splayed out against his pillow, her eyes shut, mouth opened in a s
light 'o' shape, and the sexy sounds coming from her mouth, Edward stared down a
t the beauty beneath him with every thrust of his hips. She was the most exquisi
te woman he had ever known and she was here, with him, in his bed it was incompr
ehensible to him.
Nails dug into his ass and he moved faster, following her cue. Lifting his right
hand, his fingers rubbed against her clit, wanting to get her closer to her rel
ease because he wasn't sure how much longer he would last.
"Oh, Fuck! Faster!" she commanded, opening her eyes to stare at him for a brief
moment before they rolled back in her head again.
He was very close to his release and he worked his fingers along her nub, thrust
ing harder and faster. His eyes caught on the green balls attached to the metal
ring in her left nipple and he knew he wouldn't be able to hold on any more. Lea
ning down, he sucked her nipple into his mouth and flicked his tongue against he
r bud and ring, lifting it, sticking his tongue through the middle, pulling at i
t gently.
"God, yes! Yes, Edward, don't stop, FUCK!" she screeched, her head frantically t
ossing on the pillow.
Her body shuddered underneath him and she screamed out his name as her short nai
ls dug into his back, her walls contracting against him, milking his aching cock
as he continued to push into her. "Fuck, Bella," he cried out, his own body eru
pting in a frenzy of jerks and twitches.
Collapsing on top of her, he was embraced by her sweaty arms and legs which wrap
ped tightly around him, his face buried in her neck. He kissed her moist flesh t
here, and she giggled, trying to pull away. "That tickles."
Chuckling against her skin, causing her to giggle more, Edward pulled her alongs
ide him as he turned on his side and slid out of her. Then he kissed her softly,
his tongue darting out to find hers for a brief interlude, his hands running up
and down her bare back leaving goose bumps in their wake.
A few minutes later, he excused himself quickly to dispose of the used condom an
d then climbed back in bed with her, where she had gotten under the covers. "Are
you cold?" he asked concerned.
"Not if you hold me," she yawned, moving closer to him.
He wrapped her in his arms and held her, listening to her frantic heart beat aga
inst his chest. He wasn't sure what had just happened between them, but he had n
ever felt anything like that while having sex before. It wasn't sex, asshole, yo
u made love to her. Edward's hand skimmed over the skin on Bella's arm while he
thought of the ecstasy of being inside her. Everything had been different with B
ella, an emotional ride along with the physical something he'd never experienced
before.
Leaning his head down, he placed a kiss on her temple and listened to her now st
eady breathing she had fallen asleep. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her on
ce more, and then he closed his eyes and tightened his grip around her, berating
himself for being too chicken to say the words aloud when she could hear.
Eventually, he dozed off, only to be jolted out of his sleep with alarm. Bella's
body shook as she whimpered into his side. Pulling Bella closer, he tucked her
up, snuggling her against him, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. "Bella?" h
e said softly, pushing some hair out of her face. "Bella," he said a little loud
er, confused as to why she wasn't responding.
Bella's shoulders shook violently and more tears streamed down her face, though
her eyes were closed. Then she mumbled something and Edward froze. Her words wer
e garbled and hard to understand but he could make out something about Phil and
her parents as she burrowed her head closer into his chest. He pulled her in clo
ser, rubbing his hands over her back, his stomach suddenly becoming unsettled.
Earlier, she had poured her heart out to him about Phil and her parents' deaths
and he then turned and did the unthinkable. He took advantage of her, taking her
vulnerability and need for comfort and turning it into something more. God, wou
ld she ever be able to forgive him? His heartbeat picked up, his nerves getting
the better of him. It was just a few hours before that he was finally able to ve
rbalize how much he cared for her, saying the words that had been fighting to be
released, and yet he didn't treat her the way one who loved her should. He had
failed her.
How would she react in the morning when she woke up? Would she hate him? Yell at
him? Would she never want to see him again? But she had wanted him too, had sai
d she needed him. But what if it wasn't like that? What if she meant that she ne
eded his comfort and support? It wasn't your dick she needed, ass-wipe! She had
started it though, had been the antagonist. Shit, now you're thinking like a pre
schooler.
Edward lay stiffly in the bed next to Bella as she snuggled into his side. Event
ually her tears stopped and a smile spread across her face. She mumbled somethin
g that sounded like his name along with some other words, but it was very faint
and hard to understand.
An hour later, he was still lying in the bed, unable to sleep. The limo would be
there to pick him up in a little over an hour, so he decided to just get up and
get ready to leave. Before he climbed out of the bed, he leaned down and kissed
Bella on her lips. "I'm so sorry, Bella," he whispered against her skin. He wan
ted to say the words again, to tell her he loved her but he didn't deserve to do
so, not after what he had done to her.
~GO CUBS~
An annoying buzzing sound woke Bella out of a deep sleep, but it didn't sound fa
miliar, and when she went to hit the snooze button on her alarm, she found air i
nstead. She jolted upright in bed and took a few seconds to adjust her eyes, rel
ief slowing her heart as she remembered where she was. Then her cheeks filled wi
th color as she remembered what she had done with Edward last night.
Last night had been the most amazing night the best sex she'd ever had. God, but
it was something more than sex, it was as if they had been in a whole different
realm, the two of them in a world where only they existed . . . She shook her h
ead, getting rid of the day dreams that were starting already she'd never be abl
e to concentrate on work after last night.
Instead of finding Edward in bed next to her, there was an envelope on top of a
change of clothes. She pulled on the sweatpants which were too big and t-shirt b
efore opening the envelope and removing the sheet of paper inside.
Bella ~
I had an early flight to Atlanta and didn't want to wake you. Help yourself to w
hatever's in the kitchen. I left my car keys on the counter and let the garage k
now that you'd be taking the Volvo. I'll be back on the 12th.
~Edward
The letter left Bella feeling indifferent. There was no hint of any sort of emot
ion in it and she knew he'd be flying in on the evening of the 11th, did his let
ter mean that he didn't plan to see her then? Seriously, Bella? Ever hear of sta
tic cling?
Re-reading over the note, Bella started to worry. Why hadn't he woken her up to
say goodbye? Even just a little peck on the lips and telling her that he was lea
ving was better than shocking her with not being there at all. And why was the n
ote so void of anything intimate. She didn't expect any, 'I love you's', or anyt
hing cheesy like that, but maybe telling her that he'd call later or that he'd m
iss her would've been nice something more personal wouldn't have hurt.
"Oh, God!" Bella moaned, hiding her face under her hands. What if he hated the s
ex? What if what she thought was some supernatural experience was horrible for h
im? Maybe he didn't wake her up to say goodbye because he couldn't face her afte
r the disaster? Maybe he wouldn't even want to see her again?
Bella hurried out of his bed and went to the bathroom before fixing her hair to
make it look some-what presentable. She made the bed and then walked into the li
ving room to find her clothes from last night folded neatly and placed in a plas
tic bag that sat on the counter next to his keys. Was this his way of packing he
r up? Was he trying to get rid of her?
She found her cell phone in her puffy purse that was also in the bag with her cl
othes and noticed that there were no messages or missed calls from him or anyone
else for that matter. She put on her heels from the night before and then grabb
ed the bag with her stuff and left the keys on the counter she'd take a cab.
As she stepped out of his condo, she looked back and her heart rose to her throa
t as she choked back the tears that threatened to leave. Something didn't seem r
ight with the way he had left without saying goodbye. And that note, she thought
sadly. Something was definitely off. With one last look and memory of their nig
ht together, Bella made sure the door was locked and then closed it behind her,
a small tear trickling down her cheek when she took her first step toward the el
evator.
Chapter 22 June 2 12, 2009
It was a long Tuesday for Bella. If she wasn't staring at her phone, hoping for
a call from Edward, she was off in Neverland, day dreaming of the things they ha
d done with each other the night before. By the time she made it home from work,
she was on pins and needles, wondering what it meant that he hadn't called or t
exted at all.
Alice seemed to be in a good mood when she returned home and they ordered a pizz
a for dinner before Bella disappeared to her room to study for her comprehensive
exam that was coming up on Saturday morning. She didn't watch the game that nig
ht because she didn't want to have to watch him on TV, wondering why he hadn't c
alled.
Wednesday went pretty much the same way. She had kept the note he left for her a
nd she picked over it, wondering what he meant with each word. The more she thou
ght, the more she worried and, with him not contacting her, she could only think
the worse.
She struggled over calling him herself, picking up her phone numerous times, but
she couldn't think of what to say, so she never made the call. The pain from hi
s silence was starting to wear on her and that night when she got home she went
directly to her room and locked the door before burying herself in her blankets,
crying in her pillow.
Alice tried to talk to her, but she ignored her pleas, hiding alone in her room.
This was why she didn't like to get excited about anyone it gave them the power
to hurt her. Skipping dinner that night, Bella attempted to study more for her
exam, but found herself day dreaming and crying even more. She didn't even think
about watching the game or any game for that matter any thoughts of baseball co
njured visions of Edward.
Thursday was the worst day for Bella. Already hurt, angry, and tired from lack o
f sleep she was accosted by Jessica once she stepped into the office. Having hea
rd that Jessica was dating Tyler Crowley, Bella had tried to avoid her even more
, afraid that she'd ask to go to the games with her. Since starting to date the
Cubs' outfielder, Jessica had gotten a lot of new Cubs accessories: earrings, wa
tch, hair band, purse, jacket, key chain, and a slew of pens just to name a few.
This day, Jessica couldn't stop talking about Crowley and how he had called her
every day since he'd been gone and that she was thinking of joining him in Cinci
nnati over the weekend. Though Bella tried not to let the girl's ramblings bothe
r her, the pain in her chest tightened and she struggled to keep her tears from
falling.
The encounter with Jessica bothered her so much that she was unable to make it t
he whole day and ended up leaving work early under the guise of needing to study
for her exam which, if she could concentrate on anything other than Edward, she
would have actually done.
After purchasing a half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream and a one pound
bag of peanut butter M&M's, Bella went home and put the movie Beaches on she nee
ded a good cry to get it all out of her system. Alice came home shortly after th
e movie ended and plopped herself down on the couch, taking note of the empty ca
rton of ice cream and empty bag of M&M's. Knowing there wasn't anything she coul
d do but comfort her friend; she held Bella in her arms and let her cry.
Alice didn't know what was going on between Bella and Edward, but she knew it wa
s bad it had to be for Bella to be acting as she was. She had asked Jazz about E
dward over the phone this afternoon and only got the response that he seemed fin
e. She wasn't a fool though. She knew something was up everything had been diffe
rent since the guys returned from San Diego in May.
On the night of Edward and Bella's first date, Jazz had started to talk to Alice
about a girl that Edward had been sleeping with for some time. Her name was Jan
e and, as Alice listened to what Jazz said, she started to get worried. He sound
ed so nervous and at one point looked so guilty that Alice had assumed he had a
girl like that as well.
Without letting him finish what it was he was trying to tell her, she stormed ho
me needing to talk to Bella. Jazz had said that Bella knew about this other girl
and it made Alice curious about what was going on. Did Edward expect Bella to s
hare him? But the worst thing that ran through her mind that night was the thoug
ht that Jazz had a woman like that stashed away somewhere too. She figured that
was what he was trying to tell her and all she could think about was that she re
ally needed to talk to Bella!
When she had walked in on Edward and Bella doing, well, what they were doing, Al
ice felt horrible. Shocked to see Bella come over to talk to her, she refused to
bring Jane up in the conversation because though Jazz said Bella knew about her
, she really wasn't sure what Edward had told her about Jane. Maybe she knew tha
t she was a friend of Edwards, but not what type of friend she was. And as much
as Alice wanted to enlighten Bella to what Jane was to him, after finding his di
ck in her mouth, she wasn't about to tell her just then.
In the end, Bella listened to her cry and moan about Jazz and his mixed signals
lately and then they fell asleep in Alice's bed, cuddled up together. The next m
orning, Alice called Jazz with a newfound sense of hope and flat out asked if he
was seeing other women. That phone call cleared a lot of stuff up, but it still
left a lot of issues to be discussed. Why had he brought Jane and Edward up in
the first place if he didn't have someone like that hiding somewhere? Was Edward
still seeing Jane? If so, was Bella okay with that? And, of course, why was Jaz
z behaving so odd lately?
As Alice held Bella on the couch Thursday night, all she could think about was J
ane and she wondered if she was the reason for Bella's tears. Bella still wasn't
talking about anything and when she went up to her room that night to study, Al
ice decided an intervention was needed. She called Rosalie.
Friday started out like the past three days for Bella; waking up with a full, si
nking feeling in her stomach, looking at her phone to make sure she hadn't misse
d any calls, and then showering before heading off to work. She felt numb in so
many ways today. After crying all night, she was finally ready to accept that Ed
ward wanted nothing to do with her.
She worked in silence, plugging away at her keyboard all day, not taking a lunch
for fear of having free time to think. When five o'clock rolled around, she dec
ided to go to a bar instead of home. She wanted nothing more than to get drunk a
nd wallow in her sadness. Fuck Edward!
Strolling into a bar not far from her townhouse, Bella sat down and ordered a Be
lvedere Martini. When the bartender gave her the drink, she turned off her phone
and plunged in. She didn't want to think about Edward, work, or the exam she ha
d in the morning. She didn't want to think anymore at all, she just wanted to le
t loose and forget.
Four Martinis later, Bella stumbled out of the bar and made her way home. She wa
nted to stay longer, but the Cubs game was starting and she had no desire to wat
ch it. She had no desire to see Edward. Fuck Edward!
Being in the state she was, Bella did not notice the Chevy truck parked outside
her townhouse, so she was shocked to see Rosalie in her living room when she wal
ked in. "What the fuck's up, Hale?" she asked enthusiastically, slurring her wor
ds together and throwing her bag down on the floor with a resounding bang.
"Bella?" Rosalie asked, unsure what to do with a drunken, swearing Bella. She ex
pected the downcast, depressed, quiet Bella that Alice had described to her.
"Where's Emmett?" Bella launched herself into Rosalie's arms, hugging her tight,
but leaning all her weight on her as well.
"He's at home watching the game." Rosalie helped Bella to the large, oversized c
hair and sat her down on it.
"Screw the game," Bella grumbled, waving her hand in dismissal.
Alice and Rosalie exchanged a furtive glance. Bella never missed a Cubs game eve
r.
"Bella, what's the Cubs record right now?" Rosalie asked, hands on her hips. She
knew it would be a tough night, but she didn't realize how bad until just now.
"The Mariners are sucking ass!"
"I didn't ask about the Mariners!"
"Bella," Alice chimed in, "have you watched any games this week?"
"You know I've been studying," she snapped, a bit of drool dripping out the side
of her mouth. Rosalie laughed when Bella wiped it away with the sleeve of her s
hirt, only to be elbowed in the side by a very concerned Alice.
"Get her a cup of coffee," Rosalie muttered under her breath. "Bella," she said
louder, trying to make eye contact with her. "What have you had to drink?"
"Shaken, not stirred," Bella giggled, holding up four fingers to indicate how ma
ny she'd had.
"When did you start drinking?" This wasn't normal for Bella. She could usually h
andle her liquor without any problems especially Martinis.
"Five thirty," she replied, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. It was a
lmost seven.
"You had four Martinis in a little over an hour?"
"I think I'm gonna be sick." Bella was up on her feet, walking as fast as she co
uld to the bathroom before the words were fully out of her mouth. "Stop spinning
!" she yelled to no one or anything in particular, and then she proceeded to hea
ve into the toilet.
"Make her some toast too," Rosalie called out to Alice. Leaning over Bella, she
pulled her hair out of her face, trying not to breathe in or actually see inside
the toilet.
"No popsicles," Bella moaned, heaving again.
Two hours, four pieces of toast, and three cups of coffee later, Bella sat in th
e same oversized chair staring at her two good friends. She felt horrible, not o
nly physically, but mentally. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and go
to sleep, but they wouldn't let her.
"Fine!" Bella huffed, frowning at the two. They had been badgering her for infor
mation about Edward and what he had done to hurt her. "We had sex." The frown st
ill lingered and a few tears escaped. Alice slunk down on the floor in front of
Bella, putting her head in her lap, looking up at her.
"That bad?" Rosalie asked, a hint of humor in her eyes and at the corners of her
mouth.
"Fuck you," Bella moaned, more tears falling out. Rosalie couldn't be closer to
truth, Bella thought.
"Bella, what happened?"
Fighting against the tears wasn't working, so Bella gave up and let them fall as
she took in a deep breath. "I don't know," she wailed. "Monday night started of
f great and then Phil showed up "
"Phil showed up where?" Rosalie cut in.
"Sh!" Alice hissed, narrowing her eyes at Rosalie. "Let her talk."
Bella half-heartedly laughed. "Phil was at the charity thing, but it's not impor
tant." She wiped the tears from her eyes before continuing. When she was done ex
plaining everything about the note and how she felt as if he were packing her aw
ay and sending her off and how he hadn't contacted her since, she slumped forwar
d, hiding her head in her hands as she cried.
"Do you still have the note?" Alice asked, standing up from the floor.
"Yeah," Bella croaked, "it's in my purse."
"You've been carrying it around with you?" Rosalie asked, disappointed.
"I just," Bella blubbered out, the tears starting to flow faster, "just . . ."
It didn't take long to find the note. It was folded neatly in the envelope right
in the opening of Bella's purse. Alice read it first and then handed it over to
Rosalie who snorted before giving it back to Alice.
"Bella," Alice said softly, "I don't know why he hasn't called or texted you in
the past four days, honey, but this note doesn't sound like a goodbye to me."
"It wasn't a love letter either," Rosalie added, receiving a disapproving stare
from the pixie.
"He gave you the keys to his Volvo," Alice started. "If he didn't plan to see yo
u again, he wouldn't let you borrow his forty-some-odd thousand dollar car!"
"But he hasn't called," Bella sniffed, a little hope starting to grow inside her
. She knew that Alice wouldn't lead her on, she would never make excuses for som
eone to try and make her feel better neither would Rosalie.
"Have you tried calling him?" Alice asked.
"No."
"Maybe it's just a misunderstanding."
Rosalie snorted again, drawing both the other girls' attention.
"What do you think?" Bella asked.
"How was the sex?" Rosalie countered bluntly.
Tears started up in Bella's eyes again. "Good."
"That's it? Just good?" Rosalie inquired, disbelieving her good friend would cry
over sex that was only classified as good.
"It was amazing," Bella said, a sparkle starting to shine in her eyes. "Wonderfu
l, magnificent, out of this world!" Her shoulders slouched down. "Is that what y
ou want to hear?"
"Only if it's the truth."
"It is," she mumbled before blowing her nose in a tissue that Alice had handed t
o her.
"So, tell us everything," Rosalie said, leaning forward in her seat.
Thirty minutes later, Rosalie still refused to believe that Edward was as big as
Bella suggested. Nor could she believe that Emmett was only number three in Bel
la's list of best sex. It was only fitting that Emmett would arrive while they w
ere arguing over whether or not Danny could be considered great sex.
Taking one look at Bella, he could tell something was wrong and Bella sat back a
s the girls filled him in on everything, including how Bella felt that she was n
o good in the sack because of Edward's recent behavior, or lack there of.
"You don't suck in bed," he said, pushing Bella over to sit next to her on the l
arge chair. They didn't quite fit together and she ended up in his lap, her head
resting on his shoulder. He still wore Old Spice, which she found to be funny,
even though it was one of her favorite scents on a man.
"You have to say that," she mumbled.
"No I don't," he quipped. "You're my friend, Bella, but I'm not going to lie to
you. You're the second best girl I've ever had."
Rosalie started laughing when he said the words and Bella shot daggers out her e
yes at her, knowing full well she was laughing because he was only number three
on her list. What he would find worse was that Danny was ahead of him in the num
ber two spot.
"What's that for?" he asked Rosalie. "She needs our support and you're going to
laugh at her? I'm serious, she's really good. She does this thing with her "
"EMMETT!" All three girls screamed at him.
"What?"
"I don't doubt that she's good in bed," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes. "I was l
aughing at "
"Enough!" Bella screeched, standing up from Emmett's lap. "I appreciate you tryi
ng to make me feel better." She looked around at her three friends. "All of you,
" she stressed, looking at Emmett. "But I'd like to be alone now."
Emmett and Rosalie gathered their things and then gave Alice and Bella hugs good
bye. Emmett held Bella extra long and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Bells. You
know that, right?"
"Yes," she sighed into his chest.
"Just forget that asshole. There are other guys out there better guys."
Without responding, she pulled out of his arms, allowing him to place one more k
iss on her forehead.
The next morning, Bella woke up later than she had planned and hurried through b
reakfast, unable to take a shower before running out for her test. It wasn't as
hard as she had imagined and she finished sooner than she thought she would. Aft
erward, Bella stuck around to talk with Chad and some of the other people from h
er class.
They were all comparing the answers they gave for the massive case study and Bel
la's mind was elsewhere as always. "What did you do for part seven?" Chad asked,
rousing Bella from her Edward-induced haze.
"It couldn't be done," one of the girls said.
"Yeah, I just wrote that we weren't given enough information," another one said.
"That's what I did too," Chad agreed. "How about you, Bella?"
"Number seven?" she asked, thinking about the exam she had just finished. "Oh, I
assumed the missing variable to be one. Whenever we had a similar situation in
other case studies, we were told that we could assume the variable to be one, th
ough we had to state that in our response."
Everyone in their little circle just stared at her, mouths hanging open. "I'm su
re if you wrote that you didn't have enough information to work the problem that
you'd get credit too. We weren't given the one variable, so we really didn't ha
ve everything we needed," she said, back pedaling.
By the time Bella made it home, she was hungry and tired. Her stomach hurt, not
only from a lack of food, but from puking the night before and she just wanted t
o lie on the couch and watch TV. Alice wasn't home and she didn't leave a note,
so she scrounged through her purse to find her phone to call her friend.
Snorting, Bella stared at her blank phone she had forgotten that she'd turned it
off at the bar last night. Waiting for her phone to turn back on, she surfed th
rough the channels on the TV, hoping to find something funny she was in the mood
for a laugh. What she saw though, when she looked back down at her phone, was a
few missed calls, one of them from Edward, but there were no voice messages and
not texts.
The rest of the day, Bella argued with herself over calling him back. Alice was
right; Edward had given her use of his Volvo while he was gone, so he must have
planned on seeing her again. But why hadn't he called? Why haven't you called hi
m?
It was too late to call him now; he would already be at the ball park for battin
g practice. For the first time since Sunday, Bella sat and watched a Cubs game.
She found out that they had won two and lost one so far on the road, with the fo
urth game being postponed. Anger started to set in. Edward had all day Wednesday
off and he didn't bother to call? Something else Bella noted was that Edward wa
s hitting okay. The road trip hadn't been great for him so far, but it was bette
r than the last road trip, at least his average wasn't dropping anymore.
After the game had ended, the Cubs losing to the Cincinnati Reds 4-3, Bella went
to her room and lay in bed. She played with her phone, flipping it open, rubbin
g the screen numerous times, and typing out text messages to Edward that she nev
er sent. Two hours later, she was still awake, still holding onto her cell. As m
uch as she didn't want to be rejected over a phone call, Bella decided to take t
he leap.
~GO CUBS~
Lying down in the king-sized bed in his hotel room, Edward closed his eyes and t
hought of Bella. It had been five days since he had seen or talked to her. When
he left on Tuesday morning, he had kissed her goodbye, hoping they still had a f
uture together after what he had done.
Leaving without saying goodbye had been hard, but she really hadn't slept well d
ue to the nightmares she'd had. As the limo drove away from Lake Point Tower, he
knew he had made the wrong decision, but it was too late. He almost called her
right then and there to apologize, but he second-guessed himself once again. Wha
t was he afraid of? Bella telling me it's over.
That's when he had made the decision to let her call him first. That way, he'd b
e able to gauge her reaction to what they had done. What was he thinking? It had
been a stupid idea, and now he found himself five days without her, wondering w
hat was going through her mind, thinking the worst possible things.
Finally giving in, using his better judgment, he called her on Friday night afte
r the game but got her voicemail. Unsure of what to say, he hung up. It was now
24 hours later and she hadn't returned his call. Turning over onto his side, Edw
ard hugged the extra pillow to himself, burrowing his head into the softness of
the case surrounding it; he had totally screwed this up.
At a little after midnight, Edward jolted out of bed at the song that sang out f
rom his phone, Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison it was Bella.
"Hello?" he answered, his heart in his throat, suddenly petrified to talk to her
.
"Edward?"
"Bella," he sighed, tears actually gathering behind his eyes. Closing his lids,
he wiped away the tears before they could fall.
"I . . . well, I saw that you called," she said hesitantly.
"Yeah."
There was silence between them for a while until Edward thought he heard a soft
whimper on the other end. "Bella, are you okay?"
"Sure," she choked, "I'm fine." There was silence again for a brief moment and t
hen she gathered her courage and spoke with more conviction. "Actually, Edward,
that's a lie."
"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up in bed, instantly worried about her.
"What's wrong?" She laughed sarcastically. "Well, for starters, it sucks to wake
up after a night of mind-blowing sex to an empty bed."
"Bella "
"No!" she interrupted. "You hurt me," she said forcefully, trying hard to contro
l her emotions. She was too upset now for the tears to fall, but her anger was s
tarting to get the better of her. "You left without saying goodbye and left a st
upid, cryptic note that had no promise for me to see or hear from you again, and
then you ignored me for four days."
Leaning back against the headboard of his hotel bed, Edward closed his eyes, his
stomach turning over from the realization that this could be it he could possib
ly never get to see her again.
"Will you let me say something?" he asked with a racing heart.
"I don't know if I'm ready," she said in defeat.
"Ready for what, Bella?"
"For it to really be over. I fell for you against my better judgment and now . .
. God, Edward, you really had me believing . . ." The tears started then; thick
, hot balls dripping down her cheeks.
"Bella, don't cry, sweetheart," he soothed over the phone, his own tears threate
ning to escape.
"I should let you go," she choked and Edward's skin broke out in goose bumps.
"No, Bella, please don't hang up." His raspy voice betrayed him, his emotions su
rfacing in his throat. "Please, Bella. I've screwed up and I'm sorry, but please
don't hang up on me."
The silence on the other end encouraged him, giving him hope that she was willin
g to listen. "I have no excuse for not calling you, Bella, but please hear me ou
t."
"I'm listening," she croaked, no longer trying to hide the fact that she was cry
ing.
"Thank you," he sighed. "It sounds so stupid right now as I try to form the word
s to tell you, but I did have my reasons to not wake you up when I left. After t
he emotional rollercoaster from Phil, you had nightmares all night. Did you know
 that you cry in your sleep?"
"No," she whispered. "I talk in my sleep all the time, but I didn't know that I
cry too."
"Well you do. You tossed and turned all night crying about Phil and your parents
. God, Bella, it broke my heart. I thought . . . well, thinking back now, it was
stupid, but I thought you were going to hate me for taking advantage of you lik
e that."
"You didn't take advantage of me," she snapped, a little too loudly.
"Let me finish," he said, his heart finally starting to slow down a bit, his bod
y now heated from the myriad of emotions that were fighting for position inside
of him. "When I held you Monday night, all I could think of was that I didn't de
serve your trust after what I had done and we can talk about that later, just kn
ow that I truly thought I had taken advantage of you and I was angry with myself
.
"I got dressed while you slept and originally planned on waking you up to say go
odbye, but you were finally sleeping peacefully and I just didn't have the heart
to wake you. I grabbed you some clothes and gathered your stuff so that you cou
ld go home and get ready to work in a hurry if you didn't wake up in time. When
the limo arrived, I did say goodbye, but you were sleeping."
"What about the note?"
"I don't know what you mean about it being cryptic, Bella. I was in a hurry and
just wrote what I needed to tell you. I wanted you to know to take my car I felt
bad for not providing you with a way home. I couldn't even tell you what it sai
d, Bella. There were no hidden meanings in anything."
"Then why did it take you four days to call?"
"Why didn't you call me?"
"You're the one who skipped out without a goodbye, Edward. I thought something w
as wrong. I thought . . . oh, never mind."
"No, Bella, tell me. What did you think?"
Taking in a deep breath, Bella let the words fall out of her as fast as she coul
d while she exhaled, "!" Bella cringed, waiting for the moment of truth, but he
was silent on the other end. "Edward?" she asked slowly, wondering if maybe thei
r connection got dropped.
"Bella, making love with you was the single most wonderful experience of my life
."
"It was?"
"Why do you sound so shocked? I have never felt anything like that ever. Are you
saying it wasn't anything great for you?"
"Heavens, no!" she practically screeched. "It was everything, Edward. I never kn
ew how amazing it could be."
Another silent moment passed. "I truly am sorry, Bella," he sighed, allowing him
self to sink down into the pillows on his bed. "It was stupid of me to think and
do the things I did. Can you forgive me?"
"If you can forgive me," she squeaked. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions a
nd read too much into the note you left me."
He chuckled lightly, running his fingers through his hair, so happy that they we
re starting to feel comfortable with each other again. "Bella, I screwed up. I p
romise to never leave without saying goodbye again, and no more notes."
"Not all notes are bad," she thought aloud, "the first one you left me was very
nice."
"Let me guess," he teased, "you still have it?"
"Whatever gave you that idea?" she asked dryly.
"Oh," he chuckled, "I wonder."
Rolling her eyes, Bella relaxed into her covers, the fingers from her free hand
gently tracing over the curve of her lips, remembering the feel of his mouth aga
inst hers. "Edward?"
"Yeah?"
"I can't stop thinking about Monday night." Her hand trailed up from her lips, l
ightly caressing her cheek on its way up to her hair. Running her fingers throug
h her brown waves, she exhaled slowly while her eyes closed and she let her memo
ries from Monday override her thoughts.
"I can't either," he replied, his hand going to his forehead, trying to get the
images out of his mind because they were suddenly awakening a need inside him.
"I miss the feel of your lips on my skin," she sighed in a low voice, her hand l
eaving her hair to caress the side of her neck where he liked to nip and bite at
her skin.
"Bella," he groaned, "you don't know what you're doing to me."
"Mmmm," she moaned, "I know what you're doing to me." Her hand trailed down to h
er t-shirt and over to her breasts, rubbing gently against her soft nipples. The
right one sprang up under the feel of her fingers and then she moved to the lef
t breast, rubbing along its nub and pulling at the ring there.
"It feels so good when you pull on my ring," she whispered. "It doesn't feel the
same without your fingers . . . and your tongue."
"Fuck, Bella," he gasped. "Are you . . . touching yourself?" His free hand invol
untarily moved down to his thigh, laying impatiently, waiting as his erection gr
ew even more from the thoughts now taking over in his head.
"I miss you," was her reply.
"I miss you too, sweetheart."
"Say that again," she rasped out in a heavy breath.
"I miss you too."
"No, the last word, say the last word again."
"Sweetheart?"
"Mmmm." Bella's hand pulled at the ring in her nipple, hard and gentle, trying t
o figure out which felt best. "Will you do something for me?" she asked abruptly
.
"Anything," he replied.
"If I were there with you," she whispered into the phone, "I would have my hands
on your cock."
He gagged on the air he was breathing in and froze. Was she actually doing the t
hings he was currently imagining her doing in his mind; touching her breasts and
pulling at her nipple ring?
"Okay," he said unevenly, moving his hand to rest on top of his hardened length,
over the boxer briefs he wore.
"Tell me," she sighed, "how does it feel?"
"I, um, Bella "
"I remember it feeling so smooth and silky," she whispered, her hand trailing do
wn from her breast, along her stomach. "Yet it was hard like a rock "
Edward groaned and his hand moved under his briefs, gripping himself gently. "He
misses you," he chuckled, embarrassed, as he completed his first stroke. "God,
he misses you and your hands, and your sweet mouth. Bella, do you know how magic
al your mouth is?"
"Is that what you'd want me to do if I were there? Would you want me to take you
in my mouth?"
"Yes," he groaned, moving his hand faster over his throbbing need. "You didn't g
et to finish," he reminded her.
"I know," she said sadly. "Next time, I want to taste all of you."
"God, Bella," he gasped.
"You aren't going to finish without me, are you?" she asked in alarm. "Tell me w
hat you'd be doing to me right now, Edward."
"Bella, I've wanted to taste every part of your body for a very long time now."
"Any part in particular?" she asked, running her fingers up and down her wet lip
s, teasing her entrance.
"One," he whispered, a bit embarrassed to actually say it. What name do I use th
at isn't too offensive?
"Say it," she pleaded. "I want to swirl my tongue around your head, Eddie."
"Bella," he groaned, imaging the feel of her tongue doing just that. "I'm not go
ing to last much longer."
"Say it then. Tell me where you plan to put your tongue." Her fingers rubbed sma
ll circles against her clit and she found herself on the brink of release.
"Pussy," he said tenderly. "I want to fuck your pussy with my tongue."
"Fuck! Say it again. I'm so close."
"Pussy," he rasped out, quickening his pace as he neared his release as well.
"Not that! The fucking part say it!"
"The next time I see you, I'm going to fuck your pussy with my tongue, Bella. I'
m going to flick your clit until you beg me for release . . . fuck! Then I'm goi
ng to push my tongue inside of you. Bella, I'm going to fuck you like you've nev
er been fucked before!"
"Ed ward!" she screamed, riding out her release. She still hadn't caught her bre
ath when she spoke again. "I want to swallow, Edward," she finally moaned out, h
er voice hoarse from exertion. "I'm going to suck that huge dick of yours until
you cum down my throat!"
"Fuck, Bella, I'm . . . fuck!"
For the next few minutes, all that was heard over the phone was heavy breathing
and occasional gasps and moans. When Edward finally felt stable enough to talk,
he started to laugh he had no idea what to say to her after what they'd just don
e.
"What's so funny?" She was tired and it was evident in her voice.
"I've never done anything like that, Bella. I guess I just don't know what to sa
y afterward."
"So, I just popped your phone-sex cherry?" She giggled. "Well, as long as you sa
y something and don't just hang up," she whispered, sobering up.
"Touché." Edward got up and found a towel in the bathroom to clean himself off wit
h before going back to his bed, finally able to really relax.
"Edward?"
"Yeah, love?"
"I don't want to say goodbye."
"Oh, Bella," he groaned. "I wish I could tell you that I'll see you soon, but I
won't be home for another week."
"It's going to be a long week," she sighed, "but we can have more phone calls li
ke this, right?" There was a lot of hope in her voice and Edward chuckled.
"You're stuck with me now, Swan," he teased her. "I'm afraid you'll be getting a
goodnight call from me every night."
"I think we can handle that," she said triumphantly.
"I wish we could get the past four days back," he whispered, the sick feeling in
his stomach returning.
"How about you just make it up to me when you come home? There seems to be somet
hing you haven't gotten a chance to actually taste yet," she hinted.
"Don't get me started again," he warned, chuckling softly into his pillow as he
turned on his side.
"Edward, let's not let a stupid misunderstanding come between us again. The last
few days sucked!"
"You're right. Next time just hit me upside the head, Lord knows I deserve it."
"You joke, but Rosalie isn't very fond of you right now and she has a mean back-
hand!"
"You told her?"
"They had some sort of an intervention or something," she said, rolling her eyes
. "I came home . . . well, I kind of came home drunk and she and Alice attacked.
I had no choice but to lay it all out for them."
"I'm sorry, Bella."
"Don't be! It was worth it to see Rosalie's eyes bug out when she found out you
were bigger than Emmett."
"I don't need to know this," he struggled out.
She giggled. "Yeah, you'd probably be too embarrassed to face either of them aga
in if you knew everything we talked about."
"Great," he groaned.
"Oh, Jazz and Emmett should be scared too. Don't think it was only you we giggle
d over."
"It amazes me that guys get the bad rep for crude talking when you girls are ten
times worse."
"No one will believe you," she teased. "I will deny any and all accounts of this
conversation."
"I won't," he sighed. "This was one conversation I'll never forget."
"I never said I'd forget it, just that I'd deny it."
"All right, Bella," he yawned. "I have an afternoon game tomorrow and need to ge
t some sleep."
"Good luck tomorrow."
"Goodnight Bella, sweet dreams."
"You too," she yawned. "I wish "
"No more of your wishes. We both know where we'll end up with your ideas."
"Goodnight, Edward," she chuckled.
"I'll call you tomorrow."
"Bye."
~GO CUBS~
Sunday morning started off spectacular for Bella. Awoken by her cell phone, she
rolled over in bed with a smile, answering the 'Go Cubs Go!' song with a yawn an
d a, "hello."
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Edward asked from the other end.
"It's Sunday, Edward."
He chuckled. "I just wanted to say good morning before I get caught up in the da
y."
"What time is it?"
He laughed again. "I guess it's earlier there. It's a little after nine here."
"8:17?" she asked, adjusting her eyes to the light and looking at her bedside cl
ock. "You're lucky you're you and not someone else." Rolling over into a fetal p
osition, she closed her eyes.
"I wish you could be here with me," he said quietly. "Friday can't come quick en
ough."
"What about Thursday? Won't you be flying home that night?"
"We won't get into Chicago until very late, Bella."
"Oh." She shouldn't let it hurt that he wasn't like Jazz. Alice always picked hi
m up at the airport or he'd come straight over to their place as soon as he got
in regardless of the time.
"You need to go to work Friday morning and if I see you Thursday night, you won'
t be in any condition to make it to work on time."
"Promises, promises," she chided him.
"I've got to get going, Bella. I'll call you after the game."
With her day starting this good, Bella flew through her morning. She spoke with
Emmett and invited him and Rosalie over for the game. He had already planned on
hanging out with Jake, so he was going to come as well, which Bella was okay wit
h. She may not be best buddies with him, but he was a very nice guy and he had k
nown her parents, which made her feel connected to him in some way.
A few innings into the game, Rosalie got a call and needed to leave, taking Emme
tt with her. Alone time with Jake wasn't what she'd had in mind for her day, but
here she was and she didn't know what to do. He wasn't a bother really, but onc
e the game had ended Cubs winning 6-3 he didn't leave.
When Alice had returned from shopping uninterested in watching the game since Ja
zz wasn't pitching Bella was relieved. Not only did she meet her good friend at
the door, but she helped her unload her packages and carry them up to her room,
leaving Jake alone in the living room.
~GO CUBS~
It was a great game. Edward went 4-6 with two homers, one RBI, and scoring twice
. After he showered and dressed, Edward did a few quick interviews about the gam
e, ignoring any non-game related questions, unsure if Bella would appreciate him
talking about her to the media.
The Cubs were taking a bus directly from the Great American Ball Park in Cincinn
ati to the airport, where they would fly to Houston. Because of this, Edward was
 ready with no place to go, so he found a quiet corner to call Bella.
Nothing could describe the euphoria he felt last night when he realized that he
hadn't lost her. How could he have ever treated her so badly? He knew it was ent
irely his fault that they spent four days apart, hurting without each other. But
she still wanted him and he rejoiced over that, happy to get a second chance.
Her phone rang three times before it was answered, but Edward didn't recognize t
he voice on the other end.
"Hello?" a deep man's voice said, freezing Edward in his spot.
"Who's this?" he asked, trying to keep his anger at bay, but not succeeding.
The man chuckled mischievously on the other end. "Hi, Edward! Did you know that
Bella has that stupid 'Go Cubs' song for her ringer?"
"Jake," Edward sneered, "why are you answering Bella's phone?"
"She's upstairs with Alice right now," Jake said casually.
"Can you put her on?"
"What? You don't want to talk to me? Good game, by the way. Bella went crazy wit
h your home runs."
"Jake, don't take this the wrong way," Edward said, pinching the bridge of his n
ose, "but I'd really appreciate it if you put Bella on."
"You're lucky she gave you another chance," Jake said, anger evident in his voic
e, "but you're going to hurt her again, Edward." His voice turned quiet, almost
to a whisper. "And when you do, I'll be here waiting."
"Don't threaten me."
"That's not a threat, Edward, it's a promise."
"Jake?" Bella called down from the stairs and Edward could hear her through the
phone. "What are you doing on my phone?"
"You got a phone call," Jake said, his voice a little faint as it was held away
from the receiver.
"You have no right answering my phone, Jake." It sounded as if she was upset and
it made Edward feel a little better, knowing that she was at least mad at the i
mbecile.
"Hello?" Bella said into the receiver.
"Hi, Bella," Edward sighed. Hearing her voice had a dual reaction on him. It tot
ally relaxed him, yet it also made him instantly hard.
"Edward!" she said happily. "I wasn't expecting you to call so early. Great game
, by the way!"
"Thanks, that first homer was for you."
"Really? And who was the other one for?"
"My mom, of course," he chuckled, running his fingers through his wet hair. He e
xhaled heavily. "I miss you."
"I miss you too. Are you at the hotel?" she asked eagerly and Edward chuckled.
"No, and I'm not in a private place either."
"Dang," she grumbled. "Maybe you could call me later?"
"Probably not, we're flying to Houston tonight."
"Oh, maybe tomorrow then?"
"I wouldn't miss it."
There was a comfortable silence between them and they both sighed happily, enjoy
ing the connection they shared, even if it was over the phone from two different
states. "I should let you go," Bella finally said sadly.
"Yeah, everyone's getting ready to hop on the bus." He paused for a moment and t
hen closed his eyes, deciding to say what he knew she'd hate to hear. "Bella, ca
n you promise me something?"
"Sure, anything."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't hang out with Jake alone," he said, trying hard
to sound polite, yet knowing it probably made him come off as more of an ass th
an he was trying to be.
"You're being absurd, Edward."
"Maybe, but it would make me feel better."
"I don't like being told what to do," she stated and Edward suddenly felt that f
ear and sickness that he'd felt for the first half of the week.
"I'm not telling you to stop talking to him or to stop hanging out with him, jus
t asking for you to not do things alone with him."
"I don't "
"Let me put it this way," he said, interrupting her. "Would you be happy with me
hanging out with Jessica alone?"
"Why in the world would you do that?"
"Exactly, there's no reason."
"But Jake's a good friend of mine, and he knew my parents . . ."
"Jake also wants to get inside your pants."
"It's not like that!"
"Maybe not for you, Bella, but trust me; he's interested in you for more than ju
st friends."
"Can we talk about this later?" she said dryly. "I have company to tend to."
"All right, Bella. I'll talk to you later."
~GO CUBS~
They arrived in Houston late, and by the time Edward made it to his hotel room,
he was ready to crash. After stripping his clothes off and brushing his teeth, h
e fell into the bed and thought of Bella. She could be so naïve at times and it in
furiated him. She had no idea how men looked at her she was totally oblivious es
pecially with Jake.
Another thing that bothered Edward though, was that Jake seemed to know about wh
at had happened between him and Bella. Knowing that she would never tell Jake, h
e could only assume it was either Rosalie or Alice. It couldn't have been Alice
though; she had made it painfully obvious that she wanted Edward and Bella toget
her, so it had to have been Rosalie or Emmett.
The thought that one of Bella's friends had gone and told her their personal bus
iness to someone else angered Edward and he was suddenly fed up with them. Why c
ouldn't they all keep their noses out of each other's business? Why can't you ke
ep your nose out of Jazz's business? Touché!
Over the past week, he had done a lot of thinking about Jazz and Alice and him a
nd Bella. There really wasn't a best-case scenario for what they were dealing wi
th. The worst part was that Jazz really didn't remember what had happened and Ed
ward knew, without a shadow of doubt, that Jazz would never have intentionally h
urt Alice.
Staring at his phone, Edward considered calling Bella. It was 11:38 in the eveni
ng and she had to work in the morning, but he really wanted to talk to her. The
generic ring of his cell phone rang out, pulling him away from the idea of calli
ng her, and he reached over and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Edward."
Jane.
"How did you get this number?" he scrambled, jolting upright in bed.
"That's not important," she said icily. "I need to talk to Jazz and he's ignorin
g my calls."
"Listen, Jane, there is nothing for us to talk about "
"I need you to have Jazz call me, Edward. Please?"
"I don't know what is going on between you two, but it's none of my business. Do
n't call me again."
"Or what, baby? What will you do if I call again?"
"You don't want to mess with me, Jane. I have enough influence, money, and excel
lent legal counsel to ruin your life."
"Are you threatening me?" she asked tersely.
"No, Jane, I'm warning you. Do not call this number again unless you want to be
slapped with a harassment suit."
"You will get Jazz to call me, Edward, or this number won't be the only one I ca
ll!"
With her last words, she ended the call and Edward sat, staring at his phone in
bewilderment. How the heck did she get my phone number? "Fuck!" he growled, mind
racing over the morning he found Jazz and Jane in bed together. He had totally
forgotten about the text message he received from Jazz. But Jazz couldn't have s
ent it he was passed out.
Hurriedly, Edward threw his clothes back on and raced over to Jazz's room, bangi
ng on the door. He had a sick feeling that Jazz had been set up. The fucking bee
r! That one beer she had begged him to have with her. "My, God," he muttered, "i
t was me." Everything was suddenly clear to him. Jane had wanted to drug him, bu
t when he had walked out of the bar, leaving his beer untouched beer which he wa
s sure was laced with something Jazz had walked in and she went after him instea
d.
"Edward?" Jazz asked, confusion crinkling at the sides of his eyes as he scratch
ed at his scalp, a pair of boxers the only thing on his body.
"We need to talk," Edward whispered, "inside."
Chapter 23 June 8 13, 2009
He sat alone in his hotel room staring at his cell phone, wishing he didn't need
to make this call, but knowing he had to. From the moment Edward knocked on his
door last night, he knew something wasn't right. Jane had called him earlier in
the day and he hung up after telling her to leave him alone and to never call h
im again. She continued to call and he let his voicemail answer for him to which
she never left any messages.
Eventually, she must've called Edward, dragging him into the mess, which was why
he now sat ready to call her. Edward was adamant that she never had his phone n
umber before and could only have gotten it from Jazz's phone the night he had be
en with her. But that was where Edward went off on a tangent talking about beer
laced with drugs and some conspiracy shit that only made Jazz feel worse. Could
he have been raped? Color flooded to his face just thinking about it.
According to Edward, she had kept on him about having one last drink with her. H
e got up and left instead and that was when Jazz had walked in. He remembered th
e full glass of beer sitting on the table and Jane offering it to him, but he ha
d gotten up and grabbed a new glass. One beer, Jasper, you only had one beer. Ev
en then, he couldn't remember if he had finished it. How had he gotten back to h
is room? Jane. Who had sent Edward that text message, because he sure didn't rem
ember sending it? Jane.
He and Edward had a long talk last night and when Edward finally left his room,
it had been decided that Edward would let Jazz handle everything his own way no
questions asked. He would trust Jazz's decisions. Edward was ready to hire priva
te detectives and wage war on the witch as if they were guerilla troops but Jazz
didn't want that. He wanted this dealt with privately, without any outsiders kn
owing any of the details. If he had been raped, he didn't want the world to know
and he also wanted to have the proof he needed before talking to Alice about it
. Though he was still worried about her reaction, he was glad he hadn't told her
yet because now everything had changed he had been raped, violated he wasn't so
meone who had cheated on his girlfriend. She would have to understand that what
happened wasn't his fault.
He needed answers though and the only person he could get them from would be Jan
e. Picking up his phone, he found the number from which 90 percent of his calls
came from yesterday. He'd call her, just as she wanted, but he would demand answ
ers. With nervous fingers and a racing heart, Jazz selected her number from his
missed calls log and hit 'SEND'. She answered right away.
"Hello?"
"Jane?" Jazz asked nervously.
"Jazz!" she exclaimed, making Jazz's stomach twist into a knot. "I was hoping yo
u'd call me back. You know it's not polite to not call after "
"Jane," Jazz interrupted, "I need to know what happened between us."
"You don't know?" she asked, pouting on the other end and pretending to be offen
ded.
"Listen," he said shakily, "I had one beer and "
Jane's laughter cut him short. "One beer?" she asked incredulously. "Jazz, you h
ad way more than one beer!"
"No, I only remember one."
"Maybe just one glass, Jazz, but you kept ordering more pitchers from the waitre
ss. We went through almost seventy bucks in beer that night."
Sitting back against the headboard of his hotel bed, Jazz ran a hand through his
hair, trying to remember that night. He remembered drinking with her but everyt
hing was foggy, unclear. Could he have had more than one drink? He didn't rememb
er, but he also couldn't say for a fact that he had only had the one beer either
.
"How did I get to my room?"
"You were so wasted and asked for my help. What's wrong, you don't remember any
of this?"
"No," he sighed, shaking his head into his free hand. "What happened next?"
"We got to your room and I was going to leave, but you asked me to stay for a wh
ile and talk. One thing led to another and "
"I know what happened next," he bit, stopping her from continuing.
"Oh, so you do remember that then! It was so wonderful!"
"I don't remember it, I just . . . the condoms."
"Right, the condoms," she said hesitantly. "Listen, Jazz, there's a reason why I
needed to talk to you."
"What's wrong?" he asked, immediately recognizing the anxiety in her voice.
"Well, Jazz, I'm pregnant."
"It's not mine," he replied stoically, his heart racing from the sheer and utter
devastation that crept into his blood.
"Jazz, I haven't been with anybody else. I just took the test yesterday morning
and it came back positive. I don't know what to do either, really, I mean, I was
n't planning on this."
"You drugged me. You planned this. Fucking Masen, this was supposed to be his ba
by." His words came out hard and sharp, an edge lacing each word, scaring Jane.
"I, I don't know what you're talking about," she faltered. "Listen, I don't need
you to be there for me or the baby, I just want "
"What do you want?" he snapped.
"Money," she breathed out and then paused, waiting for a reaction. "I just need
a place for me and the baby to live and some money each month to take care of it
."
"It?" he asked, annoyed by the way she referred to what she considered his baby.
"Jazz, neither of us wanted this, but it happened and we can't take it back."
"No. You . . . the text message . . . it was you . . . you drugged me." His thou
ghts moved fast through his mind, making it hard to process and make a coherent
sentence at the same time.
"What text message?" Jane asked, playing dumb.
"To Edward. You texted him from my phone to come to my room. You wanted him to c
atch us in bed together."
Jane laughed. "Seriously, Jazz? You texted Edward because you were afraid that y
ou wouldn't wake up in time for the game. Check the date and time of the message
, it was sent well before we woke up. He must've just slept through it and saw i
t when he woke up."
Doubt. Everything Jane said left doubt in his mind. He didn't know what was true
and what was false anymore. Was Edward and his conspiracy theory correct or was
Jane telling the truth? Jane had every reason to lie, his mind argued, but Edwa
rd didn't. Even if Edward was correct, and Jazz was almost certain he was, there
was still the issue of the baby. Plus, he didn't want everyone to know he had b
een raped, if in fact that was what happened.
"Listen," he said calmly, "I'll pay you whatever you need, buy you a house, pay
for the best schools, but under one condition."
"What's that?"
"I want a paternity test."
"I can't do that until after the baby is born," she seethed over the phone.
"There's something that can be done beforehand," Jazz replied, thinking hard abo
ut what it was called. "Amniocentesis, I think it's called."
"I'm not having a huge needle stuck in my belly and risk this baby's life!" she
huffed. "You'll wait until the baby's born if you want a paternity test!"
"You won't get a red cent from me until the test is done, Jane."
"Oh, we'll see about that. I wonder what the media would say about this."
"Jane," he said threateningly, "don't involve the media. We can work something o
ut."
"Money, Jazz, I need to make my first doctor's appointment."
"If this kid turns out to be someone else's you will pay everything back to me."
"That won't happen, Jazz, this baby's yours'."
~GO CUBS~
Rolling over, Bella stretched out her arms, reaching across the now empty bed, a
smile plastered to her face. This morning was different than the last time she
woke up in Edward's bed. This morning, he had woken her up with kisses to the ba
ck of her neck, his hands roaming along her naked skin, touching, and teasing un
til she couldn't take it any more. This morning, he had made her scream his name
one more time before he jumped into the shower and headed off to Wrigley field
for the afternoon game with promises to see her again tonight.
"Tonight," she mumbled, thinking about having to share her time with him. They h
ad spent his first night back together, just the two of them, but now all their
friends planned on meeting up at a bar after tonight's game and Edward told her
that he was going to lift weights and eat at the club house before joining them.
Apparently, he hadn't been working out as much as he normally did since she had
come into his life. A small smile lifted onto her face and she stretched her ar
ms over her head.
Friday night had been one of the most wonderful nights of her life. Edward had c
ome through with all his promises from their phone conversations over the past w
eek he definitely did not disappoint. Sighing heavily, Bella stood slowly, and t
hen ran to the bathroom, realizing she was buck naked and Edward's windows had n
o blinds he insisted that no one could see up into his condo.
In the shower, Bella washed herself quickly, her mind returning to the night bef
ore as her hands rubbed soap along her skin. Edward had paid close attention to
her body, his fingers exploring every inch of her, worshiping her in a way. Abru
ptly bringing herself out of her Edward-induced haze again Bella quickly finishe
d, trying hard not to touch herself in a way that would once again remind her of
Edward and the night before.
Prepared this time, Bella had packed an overnight bag for the weekend. After pul
ling on a pair of dark blue jeans, she scrounged through Edward's drawers for on
e of his Cubs t-shirts. He had told her she could wear whatever she wanted of hi
s, so she took him up on the offer and found a 2008 National League Central Divi
sion Champions t-shirt from last year. Smiling to herself, she slipped it on, ta
king in a deep breath as she did. His clothes had a unique smell to them, a mixt
ure of Tide and something else that she couldn't place. Sighing wistfully, Bella
made her way into the kitchen to grab something to eat.
After spreading peanut butter on a piece of toast, Bella licked the knife, ignit
ing the memories from last night in her mind. Edward's tongue. If there was one
thing Bella was not prepared for last night, it was the amazing wonder of his to
ngue. It was strong, yet flexible and fast it was magical. She never knew the po
wer one could wield with that soft piece of flesh.
Placing my left leg over his shoulder, Edward moved his lips closer to my heat,
kissing along my inner thigh. "You smell amazing," he whispered, breathing again
st my swollen folds.
My hips bucked in anticipation and he emitted a low chuckle, sending goose bumps
up along my arms. "Edward," I moaned, knitting my hands into his messy hair.
"Patience," he murmured before meeting my need, his soft, ample tongue turning i
nto a device of sheer pleasure, teasing my heated lips until unleashing its atta
ck on my now throbbing clit.
"Fuck, Edward," I rasped out, pushing his face in closer to my flesh.
Assaulting me with his clever tongue, I wasn't sure which was up or down and whe
n two of his fingers entered me, I bucked my hips again, wanting to take more of
him in. He worked me hard, his soft, fleshy tongue turning hard and methodical
as it unleashed its power on me. Never had I felt so completely out of control b
efore.
At some point I kept thinking he had turned his head or I was somehow turned aro
und, his flicking and sucking had moved, coming now from the side something I ha
d never encountered in any sexual experience to date and it felt amazing.
And then, before I could ponder what was happening, his fingers left me and his
tongue entered, long, stiff, and hard, filling me over and over while his finger
s played with my tingling nub. He definitely hadn't been kidding during our firs
t time having phone sex. He was now fucking me like I had never been fucked befo
re.
Moaning from the absence of his tongue when it pulled out, I gasped in delight a
s his fingers reentered me, his tongue making its way back to my aching clit. Hi
s ministrations became more pronounced, harder and faster as his fingers propell
ed forward.
"Edward," I cried out, "I'm so close."
Between the fast, rhythmic pounding of his fingers inside me, the quickness of h
is side-flicking tongue, and the loud moan he let out, I felt my skin vibrate. "
Oh, yes!" I screeched, pulling at his tangled hair while pushing his face in clo
ser. Who needed a battery operated toy when they had Edward's mouth and fingers?
"Yes, Edward! Fuck!" I screamed as my legs stretched out in agonizing bliss, my
toes curling, sending spasms up my calves, my knees squeezing together, creating
a vice where his head became squished between them. "Oh Fuck!" I moaned, afraid
to relax my muscles. Out of breath and weak, I was afraid to move, fearful of f
alling apart from the orgasm that wracked through my body. Never had I experienc
ed anything so . . . so . . . words could not define!
Bella's memory of the night before was cut short as she heard the loud ringing o
f a phone. Without thinking, she picked up the receiver that was near her, lying
on the kitchen counter. "Hello?" she gasped, not fully in control of her breath
ing.
"Bella?" the woman's voice asked.
"Oh, um, yes?" she responded, embarrassed to have answered Edward's home phone.
"This is Elizabeth, how are you doing?"
"Oh! Hi, Elizabeth! Everything's good here," Bella said, embarrassed even more f
or it to be Edward's mom that had called. "How's everything going on your end?"
"Very well," she replied properly. "Is Edward around?"
"Um, no, he's already at the ball park for the game today. Would you like me to
give him a message?" Her heart had started to slow down, finally becoming comfor
table with Edward's mom catching her at his condo.
"Actually, I noticed that the Cubs have Monday off and was calling to see if the
 two of you would like to come over for dinner that day?"
"Oh," Bella replied, not sure if she should answer for him. "I'm free, but I'll
have to ask Edward. What time would you want us over?" Her heart beat picked up
again, not sure if she was over-stepping her bounds with him and his family.
"Would five be too early? I know you work downtown "
"Five would be fine," Bella interrupted. "I'm able to get off early without a pr
oblem. I'll make sure it's okay with Edward first though. What would you like me
to bring?"
Elizabeth chuckled on the other end and Bella instantly was reminded of Edward.
There was something about the way she laughed that Bella had become familiar wit
h in Edward. "Nothing, dear. Just be here with Edward at five."
"Okay, we'll see you then."
"Oh," Elizabeth interrupted quickly, "I was wondering if you have an extra ticke
t to the game tomorrow? Ed is still working on his big case and I have no plans
for the afternoon," she hinted.
"Um," Bella thought out loud, "actually, I've already sold my extra ticket, but
I'll talk to Edward I'm sure he can get us tickets."
"I don't want to be too much of a bother."
"No, not at all, Edward would love to have you at the game." God, Bella, you rea
lly need to watch for that line and stop crossing over it! "We can meet up for l
unch, like we did before."
"Or eat at the game," Elizabeth suggested.
"Yeah, we could get there early and catch the end of the Cubs' batting practice,
if you'd like."
"Sounds good, Bella. Call and let me know what time and where you want to meet."
Immediately after ending the call, Bella texted Edward to see if he could get he
r and his mom tickets to tomorrow's game and then sent another separate text inf
orming him about dinner on Monday. She knew he wouldn't get the messages until m
uch later, but she felt better having sent them in case she forgot to mention th
em later on.
Edward rubbed the tip of his cock against my wet entrance, teasing me, making me
beg for him to enter. "Please," I practically whined, wanting to feel the fulln
ess of him inside me.
"What did you learn earlier?" he chuckled, biting down on my neck and sucking li
ghtly on my skin.
"Fuck patience, Eddie!"
With one swift movement, he was fully sheathed inside me, setting a pace that al
lowed for a lot of kissing and touching, his tongue finding his favorite nipple
as I reached down and played with my other one.
"You always neglect this one," I whispered, frowning down. Catching my eyes with
his, he winked before stealing my lonely right breast into his mouth, his finge
rs pulling on the forgotten nipple ring.
Lowering my right hand, I slowly rubbed small circles over my clit, bucking my h
ips to meet his every thrust. "Yes, Edward," I moaned, wanting to feel that ecst
asy again.
"Bella," he said shakily, lifting his head to capture my lips with his.
We met each other, thrust for thrust, our bodies moving in unison, rubbing, sque
ezing, and fondling one another as we brought each other over the edge. As we bo
th cried out in our release, it was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I loved
him, but I held back, not wanting for it to come out in the throes of passion. F
or as much as I loved him and I truly did I wanted him to know that I really mea
nt it and not just for how he made me feel in the bedroom.
It was Bella's cell phone that interrupted her vivid memories from Friday night
this time, and she scrambled to pull her phone out of her purse and answer befor
e her voicemail picked up it was the pixie. They spoke for a few minutes about w
here they would meet up after the game and then Bella grabbed her stuff, holding
onto her key ring which now held a new key Edward's condo key. He had insisted
she have one, though she felt weird taking it. They had only officially been dat
ing for a couple of weeks and over a week of that time was spent separated while
he was out on the road.
Turning to take one last look at his condo, Bella caught sight of the ball Edwar
d gave her last night when he picked her up at her house complete with Tyler Cro
wley's autograph. He had called it his make-up roses and she giggled, loving the
ball more than she ever could a bunch of roses that would soon die. "I love you
, Edward," Bella whispered to the empty room now full of wonderful memories, and
then shut the door behind her, smiling with each step she took to the elevator.
~GO CUBS~
It was a cloudy and cool Saturday morning and Jake found himself shivering outsi
de of Wrigley Field in front of Gate F, waiting for Bella. It was a lot cooler t
han he expected it to be, only wearing a short sleeved blue t-shirt and hiding a
brand new Cubs hat in his hands. He would wear it during the game, but not at a
ny other time. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why Bella would choos
e the Cubs over the White Sox. The Sox were the laboring man's team and she came
from a family of laborers. Her father may not have been in the trades, but he w
as a hard-working, blue collar man.
"Hey Jake!" Bella called out, half-running to meet up with him, her hands thrust
inside the pockets of her Cubs hoodie.
"Bella!" She was breathtaking, her eyes bright, cheeks rosy from the cool air hi
tting against them, and her smile radiant. Right before him was the reason he mo
ved to Chicago. For so many years, Jake had dreamt of Bella and after learning t
hat she had moved to Chicago without any sign of returning to the Seattle area,
he fought with himself over what to do. Seth, though, was the one to give him th
e reason he needed; the reason to move to Chicago.
Yes, he did move to Chicago to be near his good friend, but only because the gir
l of his dreams lived there as well. If it hadn't been for Bella, Jake would mos
t likely still be in Port Angeles working as a mechanic at the Firestone there.
Though he enjoyed the work, it wasn't the life he wanted. He wanted a family, an
d the vision he had included a brown-haired beauty Bella.
Unfortunately, he waited too long in contacting her and by the time she had cont
acted him thanks to his father she was already interested in someone else Edward
Masen. Of all the dumb luck, Jake thought to himself as he stared at the beauty
 before him. There was no way that he could compete with a professional baseball
player. Instead, he'd have to wait until Edward screwed up.
He had already heard about one screw up, which made him happy, yet sad that Bell
a had to be hurt that way. What kind of guy had sex with a woman and then totall
y blew her off? Emmett didn't mean for him to find out, but it had slipped out o
ne day when they spoke and he made Jake promise he'd never repeat it. Well, he t
echnically didn't repeat it to Edward on the phone, but he did make note of it,
wanting the pretty boy to know that he was being watched and that he did have co
mpetition. One more mistake and Jake just knew that Bella would be his.
After a brief hug, the two made their way into the ball park, grabbing some food
on their way to bring to their seats. Jake was amazed at how good the seats wer
e and proceeded to ask too many questions about them, including the price. It wa
s obvious that Bella didn't want to talk about money because she avoided the pri
cing all together, but Emmett was pretty vocal about it, letting Jake know that
they each paid $14,000 for their respective seats for the regular season.
It didn't go unnoticed that Bella was more into watching Edward during the game
than anything else and it angered Jake. Edward was no better, winking and smilin
g at her, scowling over toward Jake when he thought Bella wasn't watching. For t
his brief moment, though, Bella was his. She commented on his hair cut, which he
had gotten for her the day before. If she liked short hair, then he'd cut it an
ything for a chance.
Rosalie was not as impressed with his hair cut or his Cubs jokes so she ignored
him, yelling insults to the umpire and players as they pissed her off. It was ac
tually entertaining to Jake, to watch Rosalie run her mouth off at the players,
a few of them looking over to her. Once he even caught Edward laughing, his chee
ks turning red when she called out to him, "Stop thinking about Bella, Edward, y
ou're missing the game!"
Bella wasn't too fond of that though, and she elbowed Rosalie in the side, hissi
ng at her, but everyone around them, including strangers well, strangers to Jake
laughed along with Rosalie, finding humor in her words.
The Cubs lost their fourth straight game and Emmett left the ball park with his
head down, swearing he was shaving his head again when he got home. The group me
t up with Alice right outside Gate F and took the El to Giordano's one of their
favorite places to eat after a game. Angela and Ben met up with them along with
Jessica, whom everyone wondered how she knew where to show up since they hadn't
invited her purposely.
Upset at finding himself between Ben and Jessica during the meal, Jake moped the
whole time while Bella and Emmet spoke animatedly about the game with Ben who w
as unable to watch it in person. Bella proceeded to invite him to tomorrow's gam
e because Edward was getting her and his mom seats and Jake became insanely jeal
ous. If she was meeting his mom, it must be more serious than he had originally
thought.
Everything about the night became focused on Bella for Jake. The way she laughed
, moved her hands while she spoke, chewed with her head turned down and her lips
closed together, pushed her hair behind her ears so that she could see the peop
le she spoke to, it was all Jake was able to concentrate on.
Tuning out her words, Jake no longer heard what she actually had to say, wanting
only to think about a time when Edward would be out of their lives, a time when
he would have Bella all to himself. By the time they got to the bar, Jake was p
retty hard-up and itching for alone time with Bella. She, on the other hand, was
constantly looking at her phone, checking the time, and watching the door for E
dward to enter. It was the last moments that he would get with her, so Jake did
the only thing he could think of to get some time with her he asked her to dance
.
"Sorry, Jake," she giggled after finishing a sip of her beer, "I don't dance."
"Come on, Bella," he coaxed, "you never did give me that one dance you promised
me at your prom." Though he didn't go to the same high school as Bella, he did g
o to her senior prom as the date of one of her classmates. She had promised him
a dance, but never got around to it she had been too caught up in Emmett at the
time.
"God," she choked, "how do you remember that stuff?"
Rosalie cocked her head to the side, staring at Jake and about to say something
when Bella stood up. "Bella," she cautioned, "don't give in to his games."
"What games?" she asked lightheartedly. "Jake's an old friend, right Jake?"
"Yeah, we're just friends, Barbie," he chuckled snidely at Rosalie, taking Bella
's hand and leading her over to the small, crowded floor.
~GO CUBS~
"Hey Masen," Newton said, taking a seat next to Edward in the locker room after
the game Saturday night.
"What's up, Newton?" Edward was in high spirits, excited to finish getting dress
ed so he could meet up with Bella and their friends.
"I want to sign a ball for your girl," Newton chuckled, a ball already held in h
is hands.
It had become known among the other players what Edward was doing and he knew it
was only a matter of time before he'd have to deal with Newton, or even worse,
Towne. "Sure," he responded, shrugging his shoulders.
Newton scribbled something on the ball and handed it over to Edward. "You giving
it to her tonight?"
"Nah, probably tomorrow." Looking down, he read the words Newton wrote, 'Bella,
Welcome to the family. Mike Newton'. "Hey," Edward said, catching Newton before
he walked off. "Thanks." Edward smiled and nodded a silent understanding of grat
itude passing between them.
Walking to the player lot, Edward and Jazz didn't speak. It wasn't an uncomforta
ble silence there just wasn't anything to say to each other. Edward had felt hor
rible in Houston when he realized what had happened and he knew there was nothin
g he could do to make it up to Jazz. What Jane had done to him was just too over
whelming for words. He checked his opinions and judgment at the door and decided
to just be there for his friend, which turned out to be keeping silent and lett
ing Jazz take care of things his way that was all Jazz had asked of him.
They hadn't spoken about it since that night and though Edward knew that Jazz ha
d called Jane since her phone calls to him had stopped he had no idea what they
spoke about or what was currently going on. He still wanted to hire a detective
or do something, but he had promised Jazz he would let him handle it, so he kept
silent, finally okay with the decision, knowing that Bella would never hold it
against him she couldn't. He would never expect her to reveal that a friend of h
ers had been raped so how could she ever expect it of him?
Entering the crowded bar, the first thing that Edward noticed was a table full o
f their friends and no Bella. Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Angela, Ben, and even Seth
sat around a group of tables, talking, laughing, and having a great time. Jessi
ca came over shortly after, carrying a pitcher and Edward's stomach turned. Grea
t. If Jessica was there, it meant Crowley would arrive, which wouldn't be too ba
d, but he would have Newton, Yorkie, and most likely Towne with him too. He need
ed to find Bella and get out of there quickly.
"Edward!" Emmett called above the loud, vibrating noise of music and voices.
"Hey, Em," Edward yelled, grasping his hand and pulling him in close. "We need t
o talk," he said near his ear and Emmett pulled him over to a secluded corner.
"What's going on?" Emmett asked, his hand absent-mindedly running over the now s
oft fuzz on top of his head.
"Jake," Edward said evenly, staring him squarely in the eyes. "How did he find o
ut that Bella and I "
"Shit," Emmett moaned. "That was my fault, Edward, don't say anything to Bella."
"I understand you're close with Bella," Edward started, not sure if he could con
tain his anger. "And I know that she tells you things "
"Actually," Emmett cut in, "she didn't want to tell me anything this time, but I
walked in on the conversation." He ran his hand over his fuzzy head again and s
ighed. "Listen, what you did to her sucked and if she hadn't forgiven you so eas
ily, we would be having a totally different conversation right now, but I want w
hat's best for Bella, Edward, and right now, that's you.
"I also didn't intend to tell Jake. I just mentioned getting together with her a
nd Alice to cheer her up and then tried to back peddle, but made it worse. I suc
k at lying, man."
Edward's shoulders relaxed, his anger subsiding. Emmett was Bella's good friend,
and he could see now that he didn't mean to cause trouble, but it still bothere
d him. If he slipped up so easily, what would happen the next time, if it were i
n front of someone else, someone who would leak information to the media?
"Emmett, I don't want to have to go into detail, but the personal information yo
u have on both mine and Jazz's lives, it could be bad if you accidentally let so
mething slip in front of the wrong people."
"Shit, Edward, I'd never . . . I mean, I wouldn't intentionally . . . Dude, you'
ve got to believe me."
"I do." Edward smiled at Emmett, glad that he didn't have to worry about him, ye
t now just mad at himself for being such an asshole to Bella's best friend. "So,
" he smirked, "how about I buy you a beer?"
"Actually," Emmett chuckled, "you should go rescue Jake from the foot-stompin' B
ella's giving him."
Turning in the direction of Emmett's stare, Edward watched as Jake tried to grin
d up against Bella, Bella's body awkwardly moving away from his as she kicked hi
m in the shin. At first Edward was angry, mad that she would think of dancing wi
th another guy where did this possessiveness come from? but the more he watched,
the harder it was to not laugh at the pair.
Jake was desperately trying to get close to Bella but the closer he got, the har
der he'd get hit. Shaking his head, Edward laughed all the way back to the group
of tables and the friends that awaited him, his eyes never leaving Bella's quir
ky dance moves. She was doing this on purpose he just knew it. He'd seen her dan
ce with other men before and she would step on their feet or kick them a bit, bu
t never with such force or quite so often. After seeing her mumble, 'sorry,' one
more time, he decided to go and rescue Jake yes, Jake was the one that needed r
escuing.
~GO CUBS~
"Sorry," Bella mumbled again, frustrated with herself for being rude, yet annoye
d with Jake for trying to grind into her. He knew she had a boyfriend okay, she
wasn't sure if she could technically call Edward her 'boyfriend', but that's how
she felt about him and Jake knew that she was seeing him.
"Bella," Jake whispered in her ear, pulling her in closer, "relax a little," he
chuckled.
Swaying with the music, Bella tried to let Jake lead her in the dance, but when
he pulled her hips in closer to his again, she stepped on his foot deliberately.
"Sorry," she mumbled one more time, grateful for the darkness of the room that
hid her guilty expression. God, Edward, please get here soon! Why she had ever a
greed to dance with Jake, she wasn't sure, but she was now starting to really un
derstand why Edward was leery of him.
If his haircut wasn't enough evidence, though it did look good on him, Bella now
had plenty of reasons to stay away from Jake the bulge that he kept trying to r
ub against her being the main one. As if! Making it look like another accident,
Bella contorted her body and kneed Jake in his thigh that was for the roaming ha
nd that 'accidently' landed on her ass.
"Oops." She shrugged, trying to look apologetic, but her eyes shot daggers at hi
m.
Suddenly, Jake's expression changed and Bella immediately felt guilty. Why am I
being so mean to him? Before she had the time to inwardly chastise herself and a
pologize to him, a strong, warm arm wrapped around her waist from behind, pullin
g her away from Jake. Instantly, her body relaxed, recognizing the feel of Edwar
d and she softly moaned, "Edward."
"I'll take it from here," Edward bit at Jake and the two of them exchanged a sco
wl. Bella smiled in a small apology to Jake before he sulked away.
Leaning back into the strength of the hard body behind her, Bella reached an arm
up and placed it behind Edward's neck, playing with the auburn hair that clung
to his nape. His body moved, luring her along with each sway of his hips.
"Bella," he breathed into her ear, "I don't like other men touching you." She di
dn't reply, but closed her eyes, leaning her head back against his shoulder.
"This," he said distinctly, a hand rubbing along her flat stomach pulling her ti
ghter against his mid-section, "is mine." His voice was low and hoarse, fueled n
ot only with possessive anger but lust . . . desire . . . need.
The words he spoke should've repulsed her, but Bella was highly turned on. Never
in her life had a guy been so blunt with her before, showing his jealous insecu
rities. Desire immediately spread through her body that warm rush washing over h
er, tingles dancing in all the right places. Instinctually, Bella pressed her as
s back against the hard mass between them Edward hissed.
"Only I can touch you," he continued in her ear, his lips brushing against her s
oft skin, "here." His hand moved lower, his fingers barely grazing over her burn
ing triangle before landing on the inside of her right thigh.
Gasping quietly, Bella concentrated on keeping her hips moving with his, despera
tely wanting his hand to move up but knowing it would be improper they were on a
dance floor in a bar.
"This is mine," he growled, suddenly moving his hand up and cupping her wet sex.
Bella moaned, pushing her hips into his hand as he rubbed her over the fabric o
f her jeans.
"Edward," she gasped, turning her head to his voice, wanting the connection of t
heir lips as his other hand started moving up toward her breasts.
"Not here, love," he murmured against her lips. He spun her around then, and Bel
la was shocked to find herself facing him, her head now planted in his chest. "Y
ou look sexy in that shirt," he rasped, grinding his now aching cock into her st
omach. It drove him crazy to see her wearing his clothes.
Reaching up, she lifted her face and pulled his head down to hers, attacking his
lips with all the desire he had unleashed in her. Their dance halted as they co
nsumed one another, their bodies instead, swaying to the music behind their pant
s and moans as their hands roamed along each other. One would think they'd have
gotten the lust out of their systems last night, but it seemed they had some sor
t of magnetism pulling them together at all times, their bodies instinctually, a
nimalistically, drawn to each other and neither of them had the strength to reel
the need in.
"Get a room," Emmett boomed from their side, pulling them both out of the tight,
little bubble they had created for themselves.
Mortified by their very public display on the dance floor, Bella pulled away fro
m Edward's lips, burrowing her head in his chest. His arms protectively rubbed u
p and down her back, and then he began to lead her body in a much more innocent
dance. "Bella," he said hoarsely, his lips right next to her ear, "I'm sorry abo
ut that, I "
"Don't," she scolded, turning her head up to look at him, a twinkle in her eyes.
"As embarrassing as it's going to be when I see the pictures, I . . . we . . .
God, let's get out of here!"
Smiling down at the woman he loved, Edward leaned in and kissed her chastely bef
ore pulling her away from the small dance floor of the bar, leading her over to
the group of tables where their friends sat. Crowley was now there, Jessica lean
ing on him, kissing his neck. As disgusted as Edward was to see their display, h
e couldn't comment on it, not after what he had just done to Bella.
Newton and Towne were there, but not at the table, thank God. They were flirting
with some girls at a nearby table, Yorkie approaching them with a pitcher from
the bar. One thing Edward did notice was Alice and Jazz looking at each other wi
th love again. It had been a rough couple of weeks, but it looked like Jazz was
finally treating her right. He still didn't know if Jazz had told her, but he do
ubted it. Though he didn't expect her to be as mad, considering Jazz was more th
an likely raped, he knew she wouldn't be all over the guy the way she currently
was. For some odd reason, he got the worst sinking feeling in the pit of his sto
mach seeing the two of them so comfortable and happy almost seemed like the calm
before the storm.
"Are you okay?" Bella asked, leaning into him, tightening her hold around his wa
ist.
"Yeah," he replied, smiling down at her.
"Hey, Edward," Jake called out, breaking up an intimate look between Edward and
Bella.
"Yeah, Jake?" he replied, sounding bored.
"What does a bear on the pill and the World Series have in common?" Jake laughed
hysterically, obviously drunk.
"I don't know," Edward scowled and Bella rolled her eyes at Jake, shaking her he
ad she'd heard this one before.
"NO CUBS!" He laughed gaudily, his whole body shaking as he doubled over. "Get i
t?" He continued laughing, wondering suddenly why no one else was joining in.
"Ha, ha, Jake," Bella said dryly. "What have flour, yeast, and White Sox fans go
t in common?" she then asked innocently. "They're all inbred," she bit when Jake
didn't respond.
"Your doctor must've told you to avoid excitement and large crowds," Jake said,
accepting Bella's challenge, "it's the only explanation why you got season ticke
ts to the Cubs."
Ben laughed this time and Bella turned her glare to him. "What?" he asked. "It w
as kind of funny."
"I heard the White Sox installed a new pitching machine the other day," Bella st
ated, "it threw a no-hitter."
Edward and Jazz looked at each other, both wanting to laugh, but afraid that Bel
la would turn her fury on them. Alice, on the other hand, stood up to stand besi
de her friend, ready to get in on the action. "Did you know that union workers b
uilt the pyramids?" she asked, hands on her hips. "They were originally designed
to be cubes, but each shift did less and less until just one block was thrown u
p on top."
Jake laughed. "Do you know the difference between Wrigley Field and a cactus?" J
ake stood, puffing out his chest, "with a cactus, all the pricks are on the outs
ide."
"How many union workers does it take to screw in a light bulb?" Bella shot at hi
m quickly.
"Seriously, Bella?" Jake started laughing at her child-like joke.
"Fifty," she stated, "it's in the contract."
Edward and Jazz laughed, watching Rosalie's eyes widen at Bella's joke as she ap
proached them. Not only was Rosalie in a union, she was in the electrician's uni
on light bulbs were her specialty. She didn't say anything though, she was too c
urious about the exchange going on. She and Emmett stood back a couple of feet f
rom Bella and Alice who were now standing toe-to-toe with Jake.
"Why do ball players make such lousy lovers?" Jake's eyebrows lifted up in chall
enge, wanting one of them to try and answer but when they didn't, he laughed. "T
hey always wait for the swelling to go down."
Emmett let out a small chuckle, avoiding eye contact with either of the two men
who were now scowling at Jake, Edward on his feet.
"When your mom looks back to the night you were conceived," Bella seethed, "she'
s just grateful you didn't come out barking."
Seeing Jake's eyes turn dark, Edward knew Bella had crossed a line so he walked
over and put his arm around her, trying to lead her away. Jazz got up as well an
d was able to get Alice to sit back down with him, but Bella would not budge, sh
e was infuriated by this point.
"Jazz Whitlock and Edward Masen are in a bar," Jake started and Edward instantly
froze.
"Don't say it, Jake," he warned, taking a step to stand a little in front of Bel
la.
She took a step up as well, positioning herself next to Edward again, now closer
to Jake. Emmett had a sinking feeling in his stomach, trying to remember the jo
ke because he was sure he had heard it before only with different player's names
but he couldn't remember what the punch line was. Instinct drew him into the fr
ay, positioning himself on the other side of Bella. Jake didn't back down.
"A gorgeous blond walks by and Whitlock says, 'I'm going to ask her out.'"
"Jake," Emmett threatened, his hands balling into fists at his sides.
"Masen replies, 'You can't do that, she's carrying my baby.'" Jake took a step c
loser to Edward, glaring at him, challenging him to make the first move.
"That's it," Emmett bit, forcefully stepping in between the two and grabbing a h
old of Jake to pull him away.
Grabbing a hold of Edward's hand, Bella squeezed, pulling him back to her. "Let'
s go," she said, defeated. She had hoped to be able to stand her ground against
Jake, but she failed.
Rosalie saw them getting ready to leave and she grabbed a hold of Bella, pulling
her in for a hug. "I'll let the union joke slide," she said sweetly in Bella's
ear with a laugh. "You did just fine, but next time, let me handle him."
"There won't be a next time, Rose," Bella sighed, pulling away. "I should never
have done that it was wrong. I can't believe "
"Don't worry about Jake, he deserved everything you said." When Bella tried to c
ontradict her, she held up a hand and Edward wrapped his arm around Bella's wais
t, pulling her to him. "Go have fun with your ball player," she teased, leaning
in to kiss Bella on the cheek.
After a couple more hugs with Angela and Alice, Edward and Bella finally made it
out of the bar. Her nerves were still riled up, on edge, and Edward tried to so
othe her, but she had a hard time calming down.
"He makes me so mad," she ranted, squeezing Edward's hand as they walked to his
car.
"Bella," he sighed, stopping along the sidewalk and pulling her into him, his ar
ms circling her waist. "Don't let him ruin our night he's not worth it."
Exhaling, Bella leaned into Edward and then took a deep breath, enjoying the sce
nt of Woods and Irish Spring soap. "You used different soap," she stated.
Edward laughed. "What brought that on?" he asked, pulling back to look in her ey
es.
"Nothing, it's just that you normally don't smell like Irish Spring." She nuzzle
d her head back into his chest while he rubbed her back.
"I use Lever 2000, but I ran out at the club house and Cullen had an extra bottl
e of Irish Spring."
"Mmm," she hummed, breathing in his scent again. "I like it."
"I'll let Carlisle know."
Bella laughed this time, then leaned up and placed a kiss on his neck, right abo
ve the collar of his shirt. "You're cute when you're jealous."
"Whatever, Bella," he groaned, pulling away to continue their walk to his car.
"I'm sorry," Bella said softly when they got in the car. "I really should've jus
t let the first comment go. It's just that, he's just . . . he had already pisse
d me off."
"You don't need to explain."
"No, I do. I'm not normally that confrontational. But he . . . you know, he . .
."
"I know what he was doing to you, Bella. Next time though," he said, turning his
eyes from the road to look at her, "leave him on the dance floor." He turned ba
ck to the road, a small smile lifting on his face. "Although, it was funny to wa
tch you kick the crap out of his shins."
Reaching over, Bella placed her hand on his thigh and giggled. "I think you were
in the middle of trying to show me something before Jake rudely interrupted us
tonight."
"I was?"
"Mmhmm. Something about where other people can and can not touch me . . ."
The smile on Edward's face brightened, his eyes sparkling when he turned to look
at her. "I remember trying to show you where they couldn't touch you, but never
where they could."
"I guess you'll need to have that lesson with me again then. It seems I've forgo
tten."
The moment they made it into Edward's condo, they were all over each other, fran
tically grasping and pulling clothes off, leaving a trail to his bedroom. The fi
rst few times they made love had been passionate, but this went beyond anything
they'd done together. Tonight was about need and lust, and they both were excite
d to see what limits the other one held.
Chapter 24 June 15, 2009
It was overcast and drizzling outside as Bella got on the El, heading home after
a short day at work. Mondays were always busy so time in the office flew by and
 now she was nervously trying to get home. In just a few short hours, she would
be meeting Edward's dad and sitting down to have dinner in his childhood home. P
erhaps nervous didn't describe it Bella was terrified.
Meeting up with Elizabeth for the game yesterday afternoon had been a blast; Eli
zabeth was a lot of fun to be around and they sat right near Alice, so the three
of them spoke a lot. And then, after the bottom of the seventh inning, as Edwar
d made his way out of the dugout to take the field, he stopped and turned toward
the three giggling girls and called out Bella's name.
They weren't very close to him, about five rows back from the dugout, but Bella
heard his voice and turned to him, watching in confusion as he hurled a little w
hite ball toward her. Though her hands rose instinctually for the catch, she fum
bled the ball and cringed until she saw it topple down into Elizabeth's lap.
"What was he thinking?" Elizabeth asked, chuckling from the chagrined look on Be
lla's face she was embarrassed to have missed the ball.
Looking up, Bella caught the slight wink and smile that Edward gave her before t
he inning started. "He's probably trying to win someone money," she joked, takin
g the ball out of Elizabeth's outstretched hand. Looking down, she saw the messa
ge written by Mike Newton and froze. Welcome to the family? Elizabeth and Alice
both looked at the ball and Alice explained to Edward's mom about the balls he h
ad been giving her.
After deflecting questions about Edward's romantic side, Bella was finally able
to get the girls back on track watching the game but not before raising the ball
in the air and nodding over to Fred, who was standing and waving at her, trying
to get her attention. Someone must have won money, Bella figured, because he di
dn't look too happy entertained, yes, but not happy.
The El train suddenly jerked and slowed down, jutting Bella's body forward. Stru
ggling to maintain her balance, she reached out and grabbed a hold of a metal ba
r until the squeaking sound of the train's brakes stopped. Pushing her way throu
gh the few people standing near the door, she exited the train and then made her
way to the street level, walking along the wet sidewalk she couldn't wait to ge
t home.
Just as he said he would be, Edward was sitting on her living room couch with th
e TV on and a book in his hands when she walked in the door. Excusing herself qu
ickly, Bella ran to the bathroom before returning and leaning over the back of t
he couch, wrapping her arms around him to run her hands over his chest, her lips
grazing against the hot skin where his neck and jaw met. Looking over his shoul
der, she snorted as she saw what he was reading and then rounded the corner of t
he couch to sit next to him, leaning against his side.
"You're actually going to read the books?" she asked humorously.
"You got me curious last night," he said, reaching an arm around her shoulders t
o draw her in for a quick kiss.
After a quick dinner with Elizabeth last night, Edward and Bella went back to hi
s place and watched the first episode of the second season of True Blood on HBO.
Without thinking, Bella made a comment about the books, which started a series
of twenty questions between her and Edward after the show had finished. Apparent
ly, Edward was a little more than curious about what she had said and decided to
read the second book of the Southern Vampire Series, 'Living Dead in Dallas'.
"I thought you might want to read it, but keep in mind that the show is totally
different, one person that died in the book is still alive in the TV series."
"It's kind of disappointing," Edward sighed, putting the book down on the coffee
table and then pulling Bella into his lap.
"I don't think so." Bella giggled as Edward started to run his nose along her ja
w. "They made the character so much more in the show and everybody loves him; wi
thout him the show wouldn't be as funny."
"That's not what I was talking about," he said hoarsely.
"Oh, what do you mean?" Bella leaned her head back, allowing him access to her n
eck, humming as his lips brushed against her skin, leaving a trail of tingles al
ong her flesh.
"I was expecting a lot more smut." He bit down on her earlobe and then sucked it
into his mouth.
"Mmmm, the show's a bit more graphic in that area," she stuttered out, unable to
concentrate on their conversation any longer.
An unfamiliar song rang out from Edward's phone and he sighed heavily against Be
lla's neck, releasing his tight hold on her to answer it. "Yes, mom," he started
, rolling his eyes. "We'll be on the road in a couple of minutes . . . okay, lov
e you too . . . bye."
"I guess I should get changed then," Bella moaned, not wanting to leave her posi
tion on his lap, but hopping off anyway.
"Here," he smirked, holding a baseball out for her.
"Another one?" Looking down, she saw a little note from Peter Mock, the Cubs cen
ter fielder. "Thanks, Edward," she said, leaning down to kiss his lips gently be
fore pulling away, taking the ball with her as she ascended the stairs.
"Don't forget a bathing suit," he called over his shoulders, watching her hips m
ove with every step she took.
~GO CUBS~
They spent the drive up to Winnetka talking about the upcoming series with the W
hite Sox. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday would be the first half of the Cross
Town Classic where the Cubs would battle the Sox at Wrigley. The games were alwa
ys a lot of fun and Edward had promised to get her tickets to the games that the
y would play later in the month at The Cell. She didn't mention the fact that Ja
ke was supposed to get her tickets to one of the games she really didn't want to
sit with him anyway.
The village of Winnetka was gorgeous, the homes huge and beautiful, surrounded b
y aged trees because it was an older neighborhood. The differences in life-style
that she and Edward had grown up with finally dawned on her, making her feel sm
all and provincial.
"Maybe after dinner we can go for a drive," Edward said, grabbing her hand and l
acing his fingers with hers. "I'd like to show you where I played little league
and in high school."
Bella laughed. "You know, most people point out places where they worked or went
to school, you want to show me a couple baseball diamonds where you used to pla
y."
"Yeah," he said with a shrug.
"Well," Bella said, squeezing his hand reassuringly as she saw his discomfort, "
I'd love to see where it all began."
The huge three story white house was absolutely breathtaking and Bella gulped do
wn the fear that started to rise as Edward parked the car and rounded the front
to open the door for her. "Is everything okay?" he asked with concern.
"Yeah, I just . . ."
"You just never let me make it this far. By the time I'm rounding the front of t
he car, you're usually already out."
"Oh." Bella blushed and looked down at her khaki shorts and brown sandals. Thoug
h it was drizzling, it was a little warmer than it had been a few days before su
mmer was finally approaching. Edward watched as Bella smoothed down the front of
her baby blue shirt, her hands slightly shaking from nerves.
Reaching out, he grabbed one of her hands and held on, pulling her toward the fr
ont door. "You have nothing to worry about," he whispered into her hair. "My mom
loves you and I know my dad will too."
"Thanks," she said nervously, taking in a deep breath to try and calm her nerves
. "Your parents will be a first for me."
Leaning down, Edward brushed his lips against hers, wrapping his hands around he
r waist and pulling her close against him, letting her feel how affected he was
by her. "I'm the one who should be embarrassed," he chuckled. "It's going to be
hard to hide this," he said, pulling her hips in as he ground against her, "from
my mom."
Giggling, Bella pushed out of his arms and slapped him playfully on the shoulder
. "Behave yourself!" she scolded, lifting up for one more chaste kiss before pul
ling her courage together.
The entryway into Edward's childhood home was absolutely remarkable. Bella stood
in awe, gaping at the expanse and beauty around her. My parent's whole house wo
uld fit in this one room. Sensing Bella's hesitation to step further onto the im
maculate black and white tiled floor, Edward grabbed her hand and pulled her for
ward.
"Eddie! Bella!" Elizabeth called as she rounded a corner from down the hallway,
walking briskly, and Bella couldn't help but notice she had a look of concern on
her face. Reaching her son, Elizabeth gave him a tight hug and kiss on his chee
k before engulfing Bella in a hug as well.
"I'm so glad to see you two," she sighed, letting go of Bella. "I just wanted to
warn you," she said pointedly at Edward, "that Eleazar and Carmen Denali are jo
ining us tonight," she finished, still looking at Edward.
"That's fine," he replied with a shrug.
"Their two daughters are also here." With Elizabeth's last words, Bella felt Edw
ard stiffen beside her and she turned to look at the forced smile on his face.
"Um," Edward said tentatively, "I'd like to give Bella a tour of the house first
and then we'll be right down."
"That's fine," Elizabeth said, smiling kindly at Edward and then at Bella. "We'l
l be on the back porch when you're done." After taking a few steps, she paused a
nd turned. "Put your suits on if you want. It's not very nice out but the pool i
s heated and there's also the hot tub."
The place was huge there was no denying that. After a tour of the second floor a
nd the four bedrooms on it, they made their way up to the third floor where Edwa
rd showed Bella yet another guest bedroom before moving over to the last bedroom
his. Upon entering, Bella stared at the walls in amazement. Covering every free
space were posters of baseball players, mostly from the 80's and 90's, includin
g one of Phil Dwyer.
"Sorry about that," Edward said hurriedly, rushing over to take the poster down.
"No!" Bella stopped him. "It's fine. He actually was a good ball player." She sh
rugged her shoulders and then took a couple of steps to look at his book shelves
. There were trophies all over the place as well as plaques and even some signed
baseballs.
On the top shelf sat a black leather-bound notebook and Bella grabbed it and sta
rted ruffling through the pages. She wasn't sure what she'd find, but was shocke
d to see the musical notes written along the pages. "Your compositions?" she ask
ed, stopping her perusal to look at him.
"Yeah."
"You know, you still haven't played for me."
"Soon," he promised, coming over to take the book from her hands. "I haven't loo
ked through this in years."
"Do you have them written down somewhere else?"
"Some," he shrugged and he tossed the book on top of his dresser. "But I can pla
y most of them from memory."
Bella continued in her inspection of his childhood bedroom while Edward sat on h
is double bed, watching. "There's something I need to tell you," he said shakily
, drawing Bella's attention back to him.
"What's that?"
"Well, my parents' friends, the Denali's, are old family friends of ours."
"It's fine, Edward. I don't mind meeting some of your parents' friends."
"It's not just that. You see, Tanya, one of their daughters, is an ex-girlfriend
of mine."
"And she's downstairs right now?" Bella turned fully to face him, leaning back a
gainst his dresser, hands crossing over her chest.
"I guess. Listen, we dated in high school "
"You don't need to tell me all of this," Bella interrupted, only to be interrupt
ed back.
"Bella, the last thing I want is another misunderstanding between us." He breath
ed in deeply and then patted the bed beside him and waited until she sat down be
fore continuing. "We dated during the last two years of high school and then she
broke things off before we left for college."
"Okay," she said, shrugging. Though it was going to be awkward to be in the same
room as one of his ex-girlfriends, it had been a while since they had dated, so
she didn't understand why he seemed to need to tell her everything.
"All through college, whenever we'd see each other, we'd . . . well, we'd end up
together."
"Dating again?" she asked, confused.
"No, we didn't date; we just sort of ended up in bed together."
"Oh." Now she understood where he was going with this. Would Tanya expect someth
ing from him today? Was that what he was trying to tell her?
"Bella, I just want to be honest with you. She's married now and I haven't been
with her in years, but . . . you see, she still tries. Even on the day of her we
dding, she tried."
Edward wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders and pulled her into him, kissing
the top of her head. "I haven't been with her since before she got married and I
have no intention of ever being with her or anyone else now that I have you. Do
you understand?"
"Yes," she sighed, turning her head for a kiss, with which he was all too happy
to oblige her with.
The kiss was soft and chaste, but Bella clung to him, threading her fingers in h
is hair, pulling him into her, deepening the kiss with the sweep of her tongue.
Moaning against each other, they opened up to one another and Edward lowered the
m to lay on his bed, his hands roaming over her curves.
"Can you be quiet?" he gasped between breaths, grazing his fingers over the tops
of her breasts where her nipples were already hardened buds.
"Now? In your parents' house?" As much as she wanted to jump on top and ride him
, she also knew that now was not the appropriate time.
"They're all downstairs, no one will ever know," he whispered against her skin.
"If you can be quiet, I promise that later we'll do that thing you want to try."
Edward's hand roamed down to her ass and cupped it, squeezing hard and elicitin
g a gasp from Bella.
"I'll fuck you in the ass," Edward groaned in her ear, biting down on her lobe.
"Just be quiet for me now, Sweetie."
As quiet and innocent as Bella seemed, Danny had turned her on to some fun thing
s in the bedroom one of them being taken in the ass. Danny loved to do that to h
er and Bella actually enjoyed having it done and had said as much to Edward the
other night when they explored each other in bed.
Though he had done it a few times, he knew that it was something that could be u
ncomfortable for a woman and at first wasn't sure he liked the idea of doing it
to Bella. It was something he had done while drunk with random girls whom he had
considered sluts especially the ones that liked kinky things. But the more he t
hought about it, the more he wanted to do it with her. She had told him that as
much as she loved their love making, she also liked it hard and rough being fuck
ed.
"Will you let me do that to you Bella?" he asked, biting her neck as his hands w
orked to unbutton her shorts. "There's still one room I haven't showed you. I've
always wanted to fuck a girl in that room."
"Your parents," she moaned, lifting her hips to help Edward pull her shorts and
panties off.
"They'll never know," he said before taking her mouth again, his fingers strokin
g over her wet entrance. "I'll fuck you now with my tongue, but you have to be q
uiet, love. Can you do that?"
"I want you too," she groaned, reaching her hand to grab at his hardened length
over his shorts. "In my mouth, Edward. I want you to fuck my mouth." Her hands h
urriedly worked at his buttons, pulling his shorts and boxer briefs down to his
thighs and releasing his straining erection.
Their lips met, moaning and groaning into each other's mouths as their hands wor
ked along each other's sex, stroking, thrusting, rubbing, and squeezing. They te
ased each other until Edward couldn't take it any more. This part of Bella was s
omething that he never dreamed of. He had assumed that with being in a relations
hip with her, they would have good, normal sex, but she had proven herself to wa
nt more than what he could ever have imagined. And right now, as he positioned h
imself to lay next to her, his cock near her head and his mouth inches from her
heated center, he couldn't believe what they were about to do.
Again, he'd done this all before, but never in a committed relationship. Lauren
was never into anything kinky it was mostly the missionary position for them wit
h an occasional blow job from her. And in high school, he never really knew anyt
hing other than a couple of positions and Tanya hated to take him in her mouth.
After the first and only time, she had cut him off. He had experimented a lot in
college, but it wasn't until the past few years that he had experienced the kin
ky side of sex, though only with total strangers he never even tried this stuff
with Jane.
Bella ran her tongue from the base of his dick to its tip, following the ridge,
moaning as she enjoyed the feel and taste of him. "Sh," he moaned against her we
t lips, his tongue lapping at her swollen folds, teasing her entrance with his t
ongue. They had definitely been gone a bit too long and he knew his mom would ev
entually come up and look for them.
As Bella's tongue swirled around the tip of his cock, one of her hands grasped h
is base, and Edward pushed his tongue into her sweetness, enjoying the feel of h
er walls around him. Two fingers from one of his hands reached under his chin an
d started rubbing her clit in small circles as his tongue continued to thrust in
and out of her, her hips bucking to meet him as her mouth opened up, surroundin
g his aching need, her teeth lightly grazing over his sensitive flesh, purposely
bringing him to thrust into her. She liked it when he was an active participant
to her mouth on him. She loved for him to grab a hold of her head and thrust in
to her throat.
Bella moaned against him, sending vibrations down to his balls and he groaned ag
ainst her, pulling his tongue out and swiftly replacing it with two fingers as h
e licked and flicked at her lips, making his way to her tingling clit and suckin
g it into his mouth.
"Fuck," Bella moaned against him and he smiled. The word came out muffled from h
is dick filling her mouth, her head bobbing up and down as her hand skillfully s
troked at what wouldn't fit inside.
Inserting a third finger, ramming them into her hard the way she liked it Edward
assaulted her bud, flicking, licking, and biting down on it, fucking her as bes
t he could while her vacuum-like mouth sucked him roughly. Her hand twisted arou
nd his base, moving up with her mouth, leaving a little bit of him exposed where
the cool air blew against him.
Her legs tensed up and he could tell that she was close, her movements around hi
m speeding, her lips tightening, letting his cock hit the back of her throat as
she tried to take him in further. She gagged a little, but held on tight, never
pulling away from his ache and just when he thought he couldn't take it any more
, she sucked harder, as if she was trying to suck a grapefruit through a straw,
her lips a vice around his width.
His long, rigid tongue flicked at her clit, hard and fast, the way he knew she l
iked it best from the side and he wiggled his fingers inside her, finding her g-
spot and then stroking over it repeatedly until her body convulsed. Finally lett
ing himself go, he exploded into her mouth, his tongue pausing as his body spasm
ed through his orgasm before continuing to lap up the juices that poured out of
her, licking her clean as she shook and swallowed.
Moments later, they both lay on the bed, panting and sweating, waiting until the
y could catch their breaths. "Was I quiet enough?" she asked, raising her head o
ff the bed to look down where his head lay against her stomach.
"Mmhmm," he moaned with a smirk.
"Good," she sighed, laying her head back down on the now ruffled bed. "I can't w
ait until you show me the secret room."
"First," Edward groaned, sitting up and pulling his shorts back on, "we really s
hould get downstairs or my mom will be up here soon."
They quickly got dressed, Bella putting her bathing suit on underneath her cloth
es and Edward stole her panties, pushing them down into his right shorts pocket.
"Please tell me I won't ever find those on some flagpole somewhere."
Edward laughed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He kissed he
r tenderly and she moaned from the taste of herself on his lips. "You might want
to wash your face before we go downstairs," she giggled.
As ready as she thought she was to face Edward's parents and their friends after
what they had just done, Bella blushed a deep shade of red when she was introdu
ced to everyone. Elizabeth caught on to her embarrassment and immediately shot E
dward an incredulous look, making him smirk in apology.
Ed, Edward's father, jumped up and gave Bella a huge hug, kissing her on the che
ek, making her blush even darker. When he pulled away from her, she studied the
man, taking in everything about him. He had Edward's build, though not as muscul
ar. He definitely had muscles, just not as defined as Edward's but they might ha
ve been in his youth, she thought. He was maybe an inch taller, if at all, and t
hough his hair was brown with a hint of gray at the corners, he had the same cow
licks as Edward, his hair standing up at odd places in disarray.
His jaw was the same as Edward's, chiseled and defined and the way he stood alon
g with his mannerisms, was all Edward as well. He was an older duplicate of the
man she loved. In twenty years, that would be her Edward and she smiled, happy w
ith how wonderful he would age. The same green eyes that she loved on Edward sta
red at her from Ed and she blushed again. Shit, he caught me checking him out! E
d winked at her and then turned his attention to the man next to him.
Smiling, Bella let her eyes linger on him a moment longer, noting the way he dre
ssed. His clothes were finely tailored, sitting on his body perfectly they must'
ve cost a fortune. He wore khaki shorts with a light green polo shirt, but it wa
s below his knees that had her giggling to herself. On his feet were black socks
pulled up over his shins with brown sandals for shoes. It was a bit geeky and B
ella loved it. It was exactly the kind of thing she'd expect from Edward when he
became too old to care and instead let comfort override fashion.
Eleazar and Carmen were very nice and both shook her hand, asking her questions
about Chicago and how she liked living in the city. The two people not around we
re their daughters, whom she figured were in the pool as she could hear splashin
g and giggling from outside.
The boys huddled together at a table talking about baseball, which was where Bel
la wanted to be, but she found herself on a small couch with Carmen and Elizabet
h, talking about gardens and vegetables. Elizabeth kept shooting apologetic eyes
her way, throwing an Edwardesque smirk toward her when Carmen wouldn't stop tal
king, letting neither of the other ladies get a word in. The best way to make su
re your tomatoes grew large and plump was not a topic that Bella was interested
in so she got up and excused herself to go to the bathroom Edward's eyes on her
every move.
When Bella returned, two women and a young man were now on the porch with everyo
ne. They were all sitting around in their bathing suits, soaking wet from being
in the pool. Bella wasn't sure which sister was Tanya, but she assumed the one s
itting on the guy's lap was her, since she knew that she was married. The other
girl beautiful, slim, strawberry blond hair was sitting next to Edward, leaning
in toward him and trying to get his attention. Shrugging the flirtatious girl ou
t of her mind, Bella sat back down next to Elizabeth on the couch and continued
to listen to Carmen's boring conversation. Elizabeth put a hand on Bella's leg a
nd squeezed, throwing her an eye roll when she looked up at her.
"Bella," Edward called to her, motioning for her to come to him.
"Yeah, Edward?" Bella stood up and walked over to where he sat. One of his arms
wrapped around her waist and pulled her into his side, her breasts squishing aga
inst his head. She giggled, pulling away, embarrassed at his display.
"I want you to meet Eleazar and Carmen's daughter, Tanya," he said pointedly, lo
oking in her eyes to make sure she knew she was the one he had dated. "Tanya," h
e then said, turning slightly to look at her, "this is my girlfriend, Bella."
His girlfriend! Bella rejoiced inside from hearing him say the words. She consid
ered him her boyfriend, but they never really mentioned exactly what they were t
o each other, and though it seemed childish, she always wanted that confirmation
. Now she had it. She was his girlfriend!
"Hi," Bella said, offering her right hand out to Tanya. "It's a pleasure to meet
you."
"Likewise," Tanya replied, limply taking a hold of Bella's hand for a weak shake
.
Edward stood up then and pulled Bella over to the couple cuddling on one of the
porch chairs. "Irina, this is my girlfriend, Bella. Bella, this is Irina and her
fiancé Dave."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Bella said politely, holding out her hand to
shake each of theirs.
After the quick introductions and a couple of words with Irina and Dave about th
eir upcoming wedding, Edward brought Bella back into the house and into the kitc
hen. "I'm sorry about that," he said sadly. "I expected Tanya's husband to be wi
th them."
"It's okay." Bella smiled, encircling her arms around his waist and burrowing he
r head into his chest.
"Let's get some of this stuff out for my mom," he prompted, pulling away from he
r after kissing the top of her head. "I usually don't help out in the kitchen, b
ut I'd rather be hiding in here than out there with them."
The two of them worked together getting plates, cups, silverware, napkins, servi
ng spoons, and condiments set on trays to bring out to the porch where Edward fi
gured they'd be eating. His father was grilling steaks and potatoes out on the g
rill along with vegetables so there was no cooking being done in the kitchen.
"Hey!" Elizabeth said in surprise, walking in on them. "You two don't need to do
this." She shooed the two of them out of her kitchen, suggesting they go out an
d talk to the others so she could finish preparing everything.
Edward and Bella walked back onto the porch and then out the door to stand with
Edward's dad at the grill. "So, Bella," Ed started, turning over a tin-foil pouc
h full of vegetables. "How do you like your steak cooked?"
"Medium," she replied, watching him work his magic.
"Which one would you like?" he asked, motioning toward the ten steaks on the bot
tom portion of the grill.
"The smallest one," she said, pointing to a small steak by the edge.
"Perfect," he said, winking at her.
"Come on, Dad," Edward moaned. "You're too obvious."
"Oh, she can check me out but I can't flirt with her?"
"What?" Edward asked, turning to look at Bella, whose face had turned pink.
"Well, he just, I mean . . . Edward, you're the spitting image of him! I was jus
t looking, I mean, well . . . ugh!" Storming away, Bella walked over to the in-g
round pool and took her shoes off. That was the most embarrassing thing ever and
she could hear the two of them laughing behind her. Edward had Elizabeth's laug
h, but voice-wise, the two men sounded almost exactly the same it was bizarre!
Sitting down, Bella put her feet in the water and sighed the water was warm. Loo
king around, she noticed a stack of pool towels on a table under an umbrella to
keep them dry. It wasn't raining hard, just a light drizzle and the water was ni
ce, so Bella decided to take a dip. Pulling off her shirt, she threw it over to
a lawn chair and then stood up and pulled her shorts off, tossing them on the ch
air as well.
Still standing next to his dad, Edward watched as Bella pulled off her shirt and
he gripped the bottle of beer in his hand, grinding his teeth together to keep
himself from running over to join her he didn't want to look like an over-eager
fool. When she stood up and then bent over to pull her shorts off, he became ins
tantly hard. Looking at her ass, he couldn't help but think of what they would b
e doing in just a short while and in the one room of the house he had always fan
tasized about fucking someone. No, he didn't think about having sex in that room
, he thought of fucking; hard, rough, and dirty.
Adjusting himself, he looked up at his father who was still talking to him, aski
ng him about his batting stance, going over pitches and stuff. It was what they
always did when they were together. His dad was his first coach and would always
take that role with him. His answers came automatic, his mouth moving, sproutin
g off the things he was dealing with in the games talking about baseball was sec
ond nature to him while his eyes stayed on Bella as she swam through the pool.
"That should be it," Ed said, pulling his son out of his lustful thoughts. "Why
don't you call Bella out for dinner?"
Walking over to the pool, Edward stopped and grabbed a towel off the table, open
ing it up to hold out for Bella. When her head emerged from under the water, she
looked up and smiled at him. "Are you done making fun of me?"
"It's kind of gross," he chuckled. "He's like twenty years older than you."
"I wasn't checking him out that way," she said, rolling her eyes. "I was just no
ticing how much the two of you look alike."
She pulled herself up the ladder and walked into the open towel that Edward held
in his arms. Wrapping it around her body, Edward let his hands linger a moment
on her back, rubbing up and down her spine as she nestled herself close to him,
getting his clothes wet.
"I can't wait until my dick's inside your ass," he whispered into her ear, grind
ing himself into her wet stomach. Bella groaned into his chest, her girly parts
tingling in anticipation from his promises.
"Eddie?" Elizabeth called out and Bella shook her head back and forth into Edwar
d's chest, groaning from being interrupted he really was horny today.
Dinner was great, the food cooked perfectly and Bella sat next to Edward, listen
ing to the chatter around the table. Ed and Eleazar had work to do later in the
evening, both of them working on the same case that had kept Ed busy the past fe
w weeks. Everything was going fine around the table until Carmen started speakin
g to Edward.
"How hard is it for you to get tickets to the games, Edward?" she asked, pausing
to wait for his reply.
"It's not too hard," he replied. "What game are you interested in?"
"Oh, it's not for me, I thought maybe you could get a ticket for Tanya."
"Sure," he said, turning to look at Tanya who sat across from him. "I can get yo
u and Brian tickets, just let me know when."
"Brian won't need one," Tanya replied firmly.
"Is he busy with work?" Edward asked, wondering why Brian hadn't made the journe
y to Chicago with her this time.
"Tanya has moved back to Chicago alone," Carmen cut in, causing Tanya to hiss at
her.
"Mom, you don't need to be blabbing about my personal life to everyone."
"The Masen's are family," Carmen huffed, dismissing Tanya. "Anyway," she continu
ed, "Tanya hasn't lived here in a while and just needs some friends. I thought y
ou might be able to get her some tickets and take her out, and show her around t
own."
Bella tried to keep her eyes from bugging out of her head, but she didn't do a g
ood job. Edward's hand came to rest on her thigh and he squeezed it reassuringly
. "Just let me know when you can make a game," he said to Tanya, "and you can ha
ng out with Bella and I and our friends any time."
Inside Bella was fuming, but she knew she shouldn't let this exchange bother her
. These were close family friends of his he couldn't very well ignore them or bl
ow them off. Bella looked over to Elizabeth, trying to decipher the look in her
eyes. Ed was in a deep conversation with Eleazar and Irina and Dave were in thei
r own little bubble.
"Anyone ready for desert?" Elizabeth asked, breaking the tension at the table.
After dinner, Bella helped Elizabeth and Carmen in the kitchen, listening to the
two older ladies talk about some charity event they were both planning on atten
ding. Elizabeth had tried to include her in their conversation, but Bella's mind
was in a different world. Leaving Edward alone with Tanya wasn't what she had w
anted to do, but she felt forced to, wanting to help with cleaning up, as any go
od guest should. She was a bit peeved that Tanya hadn't done the same.
It took a little over a half an hour, but they had finally finished and made the
ir way back out to the huge porch. Edward was standing outside with a beer in on
e hand talking to Tanya who stood next to him. His dad and Eleazar were close by
, Ed hitting golf balls away from the house while Eleazar gave him tips on his s
wing.
"Let's sit at the table," Carmen suggested, pulling out a deck of cards and a wo
oden board. "We love to play a round of Cribbage after dinner," she told Bella.
Not having played before, Bella tried hard to understand what she was doing. It
wasn't too hard, but she couldn't keep her eyes off Edward and the slut who kept
touching his arm and leaning in to him, brushing herself against him at every p
ossible chance. After five excruciating hands of the game, Edward had turned and
saw that she was sitting on the porch and he smiled warmly at her.
Only a few minutes later, Bella noticed Edward pinching the bridge of his nose a
nd she smiled, knowing full well what he wanted. She finished the hand that she
was playing and then excused herself, apologizing for not finishing the game and
then walked over to Edward and Tanya.
"Bella!" Edward said, pulling her in to his side. "I was just telling Tanya abou
t how we met," he said, smiling with a look of desperation lining his eyes.
"I'm sure you told her how much I hated you that first night."
Edward laughed. "It was the other way around, I hated you. You couldn't get enou
gh of me."
"Pft," Bella snorted. "He actually expected me to drool all over him and act lik
e some love-sick fan," she said to Tanya rolling her eyes.
"He does attract some weird ones," Tanya mused and Bella wasn't sure how to take
her comment.
"So," Bella began, "you promised to show me a certain room," she said to Edward,
the apples of her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink as she thought of what t
hey were going to do in the secret place.
Edward cleared his throat then gulped, turning to Tanya to make their excuses to
leave. Wrapping an arm around Bella's waist, he pulled her along with him back
onto the porch. After a quick excuse to his mom, Edward pulled her into the hous
e and led her to the stairs. "Ready?" Desire turned Edward's smooth, velvet voic
e hoarse.
"Yes," she said from deep in her throat her desire showing as well.
Edward led Bella back to the third floor but in the opposite direction from earl
ier. Instead, he opened a door at the end of a hallway and motioned for her to e
nter. What Bella saw inside amazed her. She knew there were indoor batting cages
, but she never in a million years would have guessed that Edward's parents had
one in their home.
There was a small space between the door and where the long chain-link enclosure
started. Edward opened a door into the cage and motioned for Bella to step insi
de. "This is awesome," she said, looking at a row of bats on a side wall.
"My parents had it built when I was in middle school."
Picking up a bat, Bella turned to face Edward. "Can I try?"
Edward smirked and Bella got the feeling that this was all part of his fantasy a
s well. "Let me get some balls loaded for you."
Moments later, Edward's arms wrapped around Bella from behind, his hands positio
ning themselves over hers on the wooden bat underneath. "Like this?" she asked,
spreading her legs apart.
A ball whizzed by, crashing into the fence behind the plate. "Okay, get ready,"
Edward whispered in her ear. "Keep your eye on the ball." He let go of her then
and stepped back, leaving her alone.
As the next ball flew down toward the plate, Bella swung the bat forward, missin
g the ball again it had been her third try. "I suck at this," she moaned.
Edward laughed and grabbed a hold of her again, positioning her as another ball
flew by and hit the fence. "Help me this time?" she asked, wanting his arms to s
tay around her, swinging with her.
This time when the ball flew down, Edward hung onto the bat with Bella, holding
her arms in place as she tried to start her swing too early. Then, he let her ar
ms fall, his strength keeping the bat in position, connecting it with the ball.
"I hit it!" she screamed, jumping up and down and turning to hug Edward.
Edward pushed her out of the way as another ball came whizzing by. "Bella," he g
roaned, his body covering hers against the chain link wall which he had pushed h
er into. "You can't stand on the plate with the pitching machine on."
His words were overshadowed by the hardened mass that he pressed against her bac
k. "Fuck, Edward," she moaned, pushing her butt out against his obvious erection
as her hands grabbed onto the chain link fence. "Do you like this?" she asked i
n a husky, low voice.
Edward's lips caressed Bella's neck, teeth nipping along her skin while his left
hand reached around and squeezed her left breast, his right hand running down h
er back to rub over the small firmness of her ass. "Yes, Bella," he whispered.
Pressing himself against her back once more, Edward's hands left her curves and
undid the button of her shorts, pushing them down to the floor before he swiftly
 undid his own, leaving them both naked from the waist down. He backed up and re
ached his right hand down between her legs, stroking along her wet folds, spread
ing her wetness to cover other areas that they'd need to be lubed.
"I don't think I can wait any longer," he breathed into her neck as another ball
hit, sending vibrations through the fence that Bella held onto. His fingers ent
ered her then, pushing in and out as his thumb rubbed over her clit with each th
rust.
"I want you to fuck me, Edward."
This was it, what Edward had fantasized about, only this was better than his dre
ams. He couldn't wait to get inside her tight ass, but first, he wanted to fuck
her pussy she was so wet and ready for him. He positioned himself at her entranc
e, grasping her waist as he pushed up, entering her with one hard thrust. "Fuck!
" they both groaned at the same time.
She felt so good around him he had never fully been inside a woman without a con
dom and the feeling was so tantalizing, her walls so warm and smooth around him.
He paused to enjoy the sensation and she pushed her ass out, prodding him to mo
ve. "Fuck me," she moaned, bending her head and sticking out her ass.
He pulled out slowly then pushed hard inside her again, setting a slow pace as h
is fingers dug into her hips roughly. The enjoyment of being inside her without
any barrier was too much, he wasn't sure if he would be able to pull out and mov
e to her ass. "You feel so good," he rasped out, pushing into her once more, eli
citing another moan from her lips.
"Edward," she groaned, "I want your dick in my ass!"
Leaning over her back, Edward bit at her skin, hissing from the feel of leaving
her hot, wet pussy. "Are you sure?" he said in his sexy, hoarse voice and Bella
whimpered, sticking her ass out more, letting him know just how ready she was. S
WACK! The balls had stopped flying by them, the pitching machine now empty, so t
hat sound came from Edward's opened palm as it landed forcefully on Bella's bare
ass, leaving a red hand print in its place while she gasped out in excitement.
"Bella," he groaned, positioning himself at her back entrance. "If I hurt you,"
he started as he pushed in a little, the tip of his head now inside her tight as
s. Fuck! It felt better than he could have imagined. Every other time he'd done
this, he had been drunk, not as aware as he was now.
Giving her time to adjust to his width, Edward leaned his head down on her lower
back, his hands still grasping her hips. "Edward," she moaned, "don't stop!"
Pulling out a little, he then thrust slowly back inside going further in before
pulling out again and then going even further as he thrust back in once more. Fi
nally, after slowly progressing, he fully entered her and she moaned, pushing he
r ass out, begging him with her sexy, white, silky cheeks to move. "I'm ready,"
she groaned.
Setting a slow pace at first, Edward paid close attention to every moan and grun
t from Bella, making sure she was receiving pleasure with each thrust of his hip
s. "Faster," she commanded and he sped up. She was so tight this way and just th
e fact that he was living out a fantasy had his arousal peaked to begin with he
wasn't sure how long he'd be able to last.
"Tell me," she breathed out, "how does it feel?"
"So good," he groaned, "you feel so good."
"Harder!" Bella pushed her butt back meeting each of his thrusts, moaning as he
pummeled inside her and grabbed a hold of one of his hands that still dug into h
er side, pulling it down to her throbbing clit. He began to rub small circles al
ong her nub, his thrusts becoming harder, picking up his pace as his fingers mov
ed faster over her.
"Yes, Eddie," she moaned, "I'm so close."
He was close himself and he groaned loudly, feeling himself start to shatter. "I
'm going to cum, Bella," he warned her, not sure if she was okay with him doing
so inside her.
"Don't leave me," she pleaded, her face pushed up against the chain link fence,
her body jolting forward with each thrust of his hips.
"Fuck, Bella," he growled loudly as he pushed ferociously into her, spilling his
seed deep inside her, his body collapsing down on her as his fingers continued
rubbing against her clit, wanting her to find her release.
"Don't stop," she begged, "and don't pull out yet." She enjoyed the feel of his
pulsing cock inside her ass while his fingers brought her closer. As she approac
hed her orgasm, she took a deep breath and yelled at him to pull out and as he d
id, she climaxed, her body jerking in frenzy under Edward's weight he was still
wrapped around her back.
Pulling Bella's sweaty body down to the floor with him, Edward wrapped her in hi
s arms and sat her in his lap, kissing her cheeks, temple, mouth, anything he co
uld place his lips against, while his hands rubbed along her body, comforting he
r. He knew that as much pleasure as she had received, what they had done also ca
used her some pain and discomfort.
"You okay?" he asked, trying to get her to look in his eyes.
"Perfect," she sighed, burrowing her head into his neck, where she placed a kiss
against his hot, sweaty skin. "Did it live up to your fantasy?" she asked, pull
ing her head back, a touch of humor etched in the lines at her eyes.
Edward chuckled, pulling her back into him. "Better," he sighed.
"Really?" Bella pulled away from him again, staring up at him.
He felt lost as he looked into her eyes. He wanted to tell her exactly how he fe
lt right here and now, but it probably wasn't the best time. But God, he loved h
er and he couldn't wait any longer to tell her. What they had just done was bett
er than anything he ever fantasized about because it was with her the woman he l
oved. That's what made it so amazing, remarkable
"Bella," he whispered, cupping her face in his hands, "I know you like to fuck,"
he chuckled, all the love he had for her shining in his eyes. "But that was mor
e than just a fuck, and that's why it was better." He leaned in and kissed her l
ips, savoring the feel of her against him before pulling back. "I love you, Bell
a."
She blinked. Not once, or twice, but three times, trying to focus. Did he really
just tell her that he loved her? After fucking her in the ass? She giggled then
, shaking her head as she nuzzled back into his neck. Edward was right though. A
s rough, wild, and fulfilling the act they just participate in was, there was lo
ve in every movement between them it was so much different than what she had don
e with Danny, and so much better.
"Bella?" Edward's heart raced as he tried to figure out her reaction.
"Edward," she sighed, pulling back to look at him, the love she held for him flo
wing out of her eyes.
"I love you," he said again, interrupting her before leaning down to kiss her li
ps once more. Grabbing her hand, he pulled it over to place on top of his still
racing heart. "See what you do to me?"
There was a part of her that needed him to reassure her of the words he just spo
ke. She had longed to hear those three words from him, but after what they had j
ust done . . . she just wasn't sure it was the right time. Or was it? Heck, she
had wanted to shout those same words out while he was still sheathed inside her.
Was there ever a 'right' time to say it? She constantly found herself wanting t
o tell him how she felt maybe there was no perfect time, maybe every moment of t
he day was the right time.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this now . . . here . . . after what we just d
id," she giggled, moving to her knees in front of him. Placing a hand on his che
ek, she smiled, her heart pounding against her ribs, nervous for what she was ab
out to say. "I love you too, Edward." She leaned into him then, overtaking his l
ips with hers. "I almost screamed it while you were inside me," she moaned again
st his mouth, opening up to let her tongue brush against his own, sighing heavil
y from their contact.
Embracing her, tightly clinging to the woman he loved, Edward laughed. It was de
finitely an odd moment for them to declare their love to one another, but he'd h
ave it no other way. What they'd just done, well, it was all in love; every touc
h, every caress, every thrust of his hips seeped with the love he had for her.
"I guess this isn't the kind of story we can tell our grandkids," he joked, nuzz
ling his face in her neck and breathing her in strawberries and sex delicious.
"Let's just hope your mom doesn't want all the gory details of this romantic mom
ent." Bella giggled and then brought his face back to hers for another kiss she
couldn't get enough of him.
"So," he sighed, pulling away from their embrace, "I think there's only one othe
r room you haven't seen."
"Really? What're you holding back?"
"Another day," he mused.
"Another fantasy?"
Edward cocked his eyebrows up, a mischievous look overtaking his smile. "We'll c
ome for a visit some day when no one is here."
"Now you've got my attention," she said in a low voice, her hand trailing down t
o his hip, caressing the bare skin there.
"Come on," he sighed sadly, standing up and pulling his clothes back on. "We nee
d to get back downstairs before they miss us."
With one last look at the batting cage, Edward smiled. This wasn't what he had p
lanned on doing with her today. It wasn't until he started showing her around th
e house that he thought of this room and what he had always dreamt of doing in i
t, but now, after the fact, it was the single most wonderful experience of his l
ife he'd been having a lot of those lately, each new one topping the last. The o
ne thing that made this day different better though, was that she loved him too.
He couldn't imagine there being a better day than today.
Minutes later, Edward and Bella walked out onto the porch and blushed simultaneo
usly as all eyes turned to them. "We hit a few balls in the cage," Edward stutte
red out, trying to explain why they both looked exhausted and disheveled. The re
st of the evening was spent with silent, private glances across the yard, blushi
ng at one another as they thought of the fun they just had in the batting cage.
Chapter 25 June 20 - 21, 2009
Stretching her arms across the empty bed, Bella grabbed hold of a stiff, folded
piece of paper and rubbed her eyes with her other hand. Yawning, she sat up in b
ed and looked down at the note.
Bella ~
Thanks for my gift this morning. I love you.
~ Edward
Closing her eyes, Bella brought the piece of paper up to her face and lightly ru
bbed it along her lips and then down to her collar bone. Earlier this morning, B
ella had woken Edward up in his bed with her mouth around his cock. He had been
sleeping so soundly and she just couldn't resist he was already hard after all,
so why not? He really did seem to enjoy his special birthday gift, now she only
hoped he enjoyed his real one he was so hard to shop for.
Before she was able to start fantasizing about what they would do later this eve
ning, Bella's cell phone rang Alice's special ring and she jumped out of bed and
ran into the living room searching for her phone.
"Hello?" she said breathlessly catching Alice on the very last ring.
"Good morning!" Alice beamed, and by her tone, Bella could tell she was smiling.
"I better not have just woken you, Bella. What happened to getting up early and
making Edward a huge birthday breakfast?"
"I did wake up early," Bella groaned, sitting down on the living room couch and
covering herself up with a dark blue fleece blanket. "I went back to bed after h
e left for the park."
"What's the plan for after the game?"
"I'm not sure," Bella mused. "I thought maybe we could have everyone over at our
place and we could grill out. What do you think?"
"You don't want to just go to a club or something? We could get into the VIP sec
tion over at Crowbar?"
"You know that Edward can't stand that scene. Besides, doesn't it get old with a
ll the women flirting with them?"
"Speaking of which," Alice bit, "who was that girl last night?"
"Edward's ex-girlfriend from high school," Bella groaned, not wanting to remembe
r the night before and how Tanya had hung all over both Edward and Jazz.
"What is he doing hanging out with her?"
"She just moved back to Chicago and is going through a divorce," She was trying
to be generous about it but she couldn't stand that Tanya was hanging out with t
hem.
"And Edward's okay with her hanging all over him?"
"No, but he also doesn't want to be rude. Her parents and his are best friends.
God, did you see what she was wearing? I was so afraid she was going to bend ove
r and we'd all end up seeing everything."
"It was pretty slutty," Alice agreed.
"I'm going to warn you, she'll probably be there tonight too."
"You invited her?"
"No, but she overheard someone talking about us doing something and so she asked
me in front of Edward what we were planning to do for his birthday. I was put o
n the spot. She had him get her tickets to today's game too."
"You should come and sit with me," Alice suggested, hoping to not have to endure
any more time with Tanya. She had been snobbish and condescending at the game y
esterday, before she even knew who Alice was, and at the bar she just looked at
Alice with disdain, disregarding the fact that she was even with Jazz.
"How about you come and sit with me instead?"
"I like to sit behind the Cubs' dugout when Jazz pitches," Alice pouted.
"If she bothers you too much, just text me and we can meet up by the bathroom an
d I'll come and sit with you for a bit. Don't forget the extra ticket!"
"Oh," Alice said excitedly, "did you and Edward get an invitation to the Cullen'
s for next weekend?"
"Edward mentioned something. He said that Esme's been out of town for like a mon
th and is returning this week. I feel bad because I didn't even realize she was
gone." Bella got up and rummaged through her over-night bag to grab her clothes
for the day.
"I asked Carlisle where she was the night of the murder mystery thing and he jus
t said she was away visiting family."
"Huh," Bella said with a shrug. "I can't imagine being uprooted from your family
, living so far away."
"You left everything you knew in Washington to come to Chicago."
"But I didn't have any family left in Washington. Actually, Emmett was my only f
amily then, so coming here just seemed . . . right."
~GO CUBS~
"How could you have hid this from us?" Alicia bit. "All these years and you neve
r said a word?"
"Your mother was insistent," Phil sighed heavily, knowing he had made a huge mis
take all those years ago. "She didn't want you two knowing about her, she . . ."
"Why didn't you say anything after the divorce?" She was pissed now. All these y
ears . . . why had he waited all these years? If Alicia had known she had anothe
r sister, she would have called her right up and gotten to know her, she had alw
ays wanted a sister. Even though her father's second wife had eventually provide
d her with one, she would've loved to have grown up knowing Bella. It seemed lik
e they were only a few years apart.
"By the time Bella was older, I figured if she wanted to know me us that she wou
ld contact me. She never did, Ali, and I had to respect her wishes on that."
"How old is she again?"
"She'll be 27 in September." Alicia was 29 would be 30 in December and her broth
er, Kevin, 32. It was sickening to think that their father had been sleeping wit
h someone else while they were still kids, yet at the same time, they had alread
y been down that road before. Once a cheater, always a cheater, Alicia thought w
hile looking at her dad. She couldn't even count the many women she knew about a
nd she was sure there were plenty more. Even now, with his new 23 year old girlf
riend, Alicia was sure he was cheating on her as well.
"Are you sure she knew you were are her father?"
"Of course. Her mother sent me pictures of her all the time, progress on how she
was doing, everything. I even received pictures she had colored as a kid that s
aid, 'I love you', on them."
Alicia looked over to her older brother with concern. He still hadn't said a wor
d to their father's revelation that they had another sister. Unfortunately, Beth
still lived with her mom in a different state, whom their dad had also divorced
, so wasn't around for the big reveal. Phil was spending Saturday with Alicia an
d Kevin to celebrate Father's Day and then flying out to Boston to spend time wi
th Beth tomorrow the actual holiday. She'd have to call Beth tomorrow. She was o
nly 17, would be a senior in high school in the fall, and would probably need so
meone to talk to after she heard this news.
"And you just went up to her out of the blue and gave her pictures of us? Are yo
u insane?"
"I didn't know what to do!"
"I'll be lucky if she gives me the time of day," she muttered to herself. "Do yo
u have any information on her that you can give us?" she asked out loud.
"Why would you want that?" Kevin asked, finally speaking up.
"So I can call our sister and get to know her," Alicia spat at him. "According t
o our dear, devoted father, she doesn't have any family left. Don't you want to
get to know your own sister?"
"Half-sister," he corrected her. "And, no, I don't." Kevin stood up from the cou
ch and left the room, retreating to where his wife sat leisurely with their daug
hter talking to Alicia's fiancé.
"Well I do," Alicia said, staring at Phil.
"All I have is an address and an office number. I think her home and cell number
s are private or something, I can't find them." Pulling his wallet out of his ba
ck pocket, Phil pulled out an old, folded piece of paper and handed it over to A
licia who then took it and programmed the information into her iPhone.
"Don't make this worse, Ali. If she doesn't want to talk to you, don't push it.
Please?"
"I won't, Dad. I just want her to know that I think you were a stupid shit that
didn't do anything right and that I would like to get to know her."
~GO CUBS~
"Bella," Emmett called up the stairs as he ascended them. "Where are you?"
"In my room," Bella replied, opening the door to watch her friend take the last
few steps toward her.
"Why aren't you downstairs? Everyone's looking for you."
"Yeah, about that, Jake is freaking me out!"
"What did he do?"
"It's not so much what he's done but what it looks like he wants to do," she sai
d, closing the door once Emmett walked in her room. He sat on the edge of her be
d and she followed suit, sitting next to him. "Edward warned me to not be alone
with him and I got mad. I mean, who is he to tell me who I can and can't spend t
ime with? Right?"
Emmett didn't respond because he knew exactly why Edward had told her that and a
fter the past few days, he too, didn't feel it would be right for her to spend t
ime with Jake. He was starting to act stalkerish, constantly asking about Bella,
wanting to know what she's up to all the time, and lately he'd been trying to f
ind out what she was doing on Wednesday, the anniversary of her parents' deaths.
"But as mad as it made me when he said that to me, I think he's right. I think J
ake has some hidden agenda. He makes me feel weird."
"And that's why you're hiding up here in your room?"
"Yes, no; Tanya is getting on my nerves too."
"What's up with her?" Emmett asked dumfounded.
"She's his ex-girlfriend from high school like us."
"So all of a sudden he wants her around because you have me around?"
"No, it's not like that. I think Edward's just as annoyed with her as I am, but
she's his parents' best friend's daughter and she just moved back to town and is
going through a divorce. They want him to help her fit in or something."
"Elizabeth wants him to hang out with her?"
"No, Elizabeth pulled me aside at their house last week and apologized about thi
s. Apparently Ed, Edward's dad, is clueless when it comes to issues like this an
d told Tanya's parents that Edward would get her tickets to games and show her a
round. Then Tanya's mom asked Edward about it in front of everyone put him on th
e spot so he couldn't back out."
"She flirts with him too much."
"You think?"
Emmett laughed, wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders, and pulled her in for a
quick kiss on her head. Someone knocked on her door then and they both yelled o
ut, "What?"
"It's just me," Rosalie said, opening the door a crack to peek in. "Is everythin
g okay?"
"It's fine," Bella sighed. "Come on in, join the party," she finished dryly.
"That mutt is driving me insane!" Rosalie closed the door quietly; making sure n
o one saw her come up to Bella's room.
"Which one?" Bella asked, laughing.
"Jake or Tanya?" Emmett clarified when Rosalie looked confused.
"Actually now that you mention it, both. What's with her anyway?"
"Personally," Bella began, "I think she wants to get with Edward."
"I figured that much but why does he put up with it?"
"Long story," Bella moaned, grabbing for her phone that had just rang she had a
text message. "Edward will be here soon," she sighed after reading her message f
rom him. "I need to get downstairs. Can you guys keep Jake away from me? He's re
ally freaking me out!"
"We need to keep them both away from you," Emmett reminded her.
"Hey," Rosalie said, grabbing a hold of Bella's arm as she started for her door.
"Why don't we try and get the two together? If they're busy with each other, th
ey can't bother you and Edward."
Laughing, Bella nodded her head in agreement. "Could you imagine the rich bitch
with Mr. Union?"
"There you go dogging unions again," Rosalie huffed.
"I don't mean it like that, and you know it. I just think it would be funny for
Tanya, who has lived off her daddy and then her husband and has never made a red
cent on her own, to fall for a blue-collar worker. Ooh!" Bella jumped up and do
wn a bit, something she must've picked up from Alice, and giggled. "We have to l
ie to her! We have to tell her that he inherited a lot of money millions and tha
t he works a blue-collar job to keep it real."
"She'll find out as soon as she talks to him that it's all a lie," Emmett retort
ed.
"Not if we tell her that he hates talking about it and that it's a sore subject
with him because too many gold-diggers keep trying to get with him." Bella's eye
s turned devious as she plotted out her plan. "We'll tell her that any mention o
f the money is a big turn-off for him . . . that he refuses to associate with an
yone who even acts like a snobby rich bitch."
"I don't think I like how much you've been swearing, or scheming," Emmett commen
ted with a frown.
"Give little goody-two-shoes a break, will ya? Everyone deserves a little mean s
treak in times like these." Rosalie smiled mischievously at Bella. "Now, go on d
own and wait for your man to get here. I'll have a little talk with Tanya. Emmet
t, you need to have a chat with Jake."
"What do I tell him?"
"I don't know, what do guys say to each other about girls? Tell him how hot you
think Tanya is and how you caught her looking at him. Make it sound like she's t
otally interested in him."
~GO CUBS~
"You giving this to her tonight?" Aro asked, looking down at the ball he just si
gned. He hadn't met Edward's girlfriend yet, but he had heard about this ball th
ing and thought it was genius. His wife would actually love a nice gesture like
this.
"Yeah."
"Hey, you think you could sign a ball for my wife?" When Edward looked at him od
dly, Aro laughed. "I think you're rubbing off on me."
"Sure," Edward said, grabbing a ball from Aro's hand, which he had pulled out of
a drawer.
After signing the ball, Edward took the one Aro had signed for Bella and met Jaz
z back in the locker room to grab his stuff. He had Jazz pick him up on the way
to the park this morning so that he could ride with him to wherever they were go
ing for the evening. He figured he'd be drinking tonight, considering it was his
30th birthday and Bella would get him home safely.
"How many balls does that one make?" Jazz asked motioning to the ball in Edward'
s hand.
"This will be number eight. I gave her the ball you signed for her on Tuesday."
The first game in a three-game series against the White Sox had been postponed d
ue to a heavy rainfall that day, providing him and Bella time to hang out at her
place. They watched a couple of movies and made out on her couch before she kic
ked him out of her house so they could each get some sleep before having to work
in the morning.
"What's the smile for?" Jazz asked as they approached his car.
"Just thinking." About Bella, he wanted to add, but didn't. He didn't want to lo
ok like a total pansy. He was already the butt of jokes in the locker room becau
se of the whole ball thing.
"Things are going good for you two, huh?"
"I think so. How're things with Alice? You seem to be getting along better."
"Yeah. I think everything will work out. I haven't told her yet though . . . I'm
not sure how." Jazz kept his eyes on the road, not wanting to chance a glance a
t Edward. He knew he'd find a look of disappointment on his face.
"What're you going to do?"
"Nothing for now," Jazz replied. He had yet to tell Edward about Jane's big reve
lation to him two weeks ago. As far as he was concerned, no one needed to know w
hat was going on until he knew for sure that Jane's baby was his. Until then, he
would keep it a secret, even from Alice. In the mean time, he had sent Jane a c
heck for $5,000 and planned on doing so each month. That would be $60,000 a year
. Surely that would be enough for her to live on and take care of the baby with,
he thought. She hadn't agreed, but until the paternity test was completed hopef
ully soon that was all she was going to get from him. Afterward, if the baby was
indeed his, they could get things figured out legally.
Edward didn't reply to Jazz, he just let the subject drop. He had promised not t
o question his decisions and to just stand by him and support him. Right now he
wanted to yell at him, but he didn't. The longer Jazz waited to tell Alice, the
worse it would be when the truth did come out. But he had already made his case,
told Jazz exactly how he felt, and now it was all up to Jazz Edward had to trus
t that he would do the right thing.
The two men walked into Bella and Alice's house, not bothering to knock because
the music inside was extremely loud and no one would've heard them. Once inside,
Jazz took off to find Alice and Edward spotted Bella right away in a corner tal
king with her friend Angela. He didn't want to interrupt, so instead, he just wr
apped his arms around her from behind and kissed the top of her head while he le
t them finish their conversation. Angela wasn't oblivious though and she made he
r excuses, walking away shortly after.
"Great game!" Bella said, turning and wrapping her arms around him, lifting up o
n her toes to receive a proper kiss from him. "You were more patient at the plat
e today," she mused, her lips lingering against his.
"Is that all you think about?" Edward captured her lips again, hoping to keep he
r from talking about baseball. All he really wanted to do was whisk her away, up
stairs, and lock her in her room with him. It was his birthday after all, right?
He should be able to do whatever he wanted tonight. "Upstairs," he whispered ag
ainst her lips, pulling her along as he headed in that direction.
"We can't," she moaned, planting her feet on the ground. "Everyone's here for yo
u. You can't disappear."
"Great," he sighed.
"Don't be such a spoil sport," she laughed, taking his hand to lead him over to
the kitchen. "Want a beer?"
"MGD is fine," he said, lacing his fingers with hers. Out of the corner of his e
ye, he saw Jake talking with Tanya, leaning in a bit too close. "That's odd," he
murmured.
"What's that?" Bella looked in the direction he was staring and laughed. "Oh, th
at."
"Oh, that? What's going on, Swan? What aren't you telling me?"
"They were both annoying us, so we sort of took matters in our own hands."
"Tanya would never go for a guy like Jake," Edward said, turning to the woman he
loved. There was a quirky look in her eyes, she was up to something he just kne
w it. "What did you do?"
"What's wrong with Jake? Okay, that was a stupid question." She giggled, passed
him his beer, and then grabbed one for herself. "I think it's great that they've
found a liking to each other."
"Great?"
"What? Are you jealous?"
Edward's head jerked toward her, his eyes penetrating through hers, trying to fi
gure out what was going on. "No, Bella, just confused. I know Tanya and she woul
d never willingly give a guy like Jake more than the time of day it's just odd."
"Well I don't care how odd it is as long as she leaves you alone."
"Aah, so you did do something," he mused, taking a swig of his beer.
"So what if Rose and I want to hook them up together? They aren't going to hit i
t off if there's nothing there, it can't hurt to try."
"No," he said, pulling her in close to him. "It can't hurt to try. You know, it
was Alice who tried to hook us up, remember?" His lips brushed against her neck,
rubbing down to her collar bone where he nipped at her skin. "And you're right;
it will never work out if there's nothing there."
"Right."
"So," he said, his lips planting kisses along her skin as they made their way up
to her ear. "Does that mean there was something between us that first night?" H
is tongue slipped out and swirled around her earlobe, pulling it into his mouth
where he sucked on it.
"Mmhmm," she moaned, her arms wrapping around his neck, carefully as not to spil
l her beer on him.
"I thought you said there weren't any sparks or butterflies . . ."
"My heart," Bella whispered, her free hand threading through his auburn locks. "
It pounded just like this that first night."
"Bella!" A familiar voice yelled out, but she didn't care, she ignored the perso
n.
"Edward," she moaned, grinding her hips into his. "Can we kick everyone out?"
"Tell me first," he insisted, letting go of her ear. "Were there fireworks?"
Pulling back, Bella stared into Edward's eyes. Her hand left his hair and came t
o rest over his pounding heart. "We do this to each other," she stated, feeling
his heart beat pick up under her palm. "But do you feel the charge surrounding u
s? I don't know how to explain it and that night I denied it, but even when we s
at next to each other at the table, not even touching, it was there."
"I felt it too," he said in a rough voice, his arm pulling her closer into him.
"I don't know what people mean when they talk about sparks, but there has always
been something this between us some sort of force that I can't explain or deny.
"
"I've been drawn to you since the first moment I saw you." Edward leaned down ag
ain to reclaim her lips and she melted into him, their tongues mingling, explori
ng one another as people spoke around them, watching them. They didn't care who
saw because everyone there had been invited; everyone was a friend.
"I love you," Edward whispered, his lips moving along her cheek to her neck. "I'
ve never felt this with anyone, Bella. This is different, it's special."
"I've never felt this before either."
"Not even with Emmett?" Edward's head shot up to look at her, hoping her words w
ere the truth.
"Oh God, no!" she giggled. "Breaking up was the best thing that ever happened be
tween me and Emmett. He's like my big brother."
"How about Sean or Danny?"
"I've only ever felt this with you, Edward. You're the only one I can truly say
I've ever been in love with."
"Edward!"
"Just ignore them," Bella moaned, burrowing her head into his chest.
"Here," Edward said, pulling a baseball from the pocket of his khaki's. "Take th
is upstairs and I'll meet you up there in a few minutes."
"But you'll miss your party."
"I just want to be with you," he whispered, kissing her innocently. "I'll be the
re soon. Now go!"
Bella obeyed, quickly walking out of the kitchen and to the stairs to go to her
room. Angela and Seth both tried to start conversations with her, but she made e
xcuses, determined to get to her room and wait for Edward she was excited to be
alone with him.
There was barely any time between when Bella shut her bedroom door and it opened
again, Edward walking in and closing and locking it behind him. She was over by
her dresser placing the new ball next to all the others and he came up from beh
ind, his arms reaching around to grab her breasts one in each hand. "I want to f
uck you," he moaned against her neck, placing wet, open-mouthed kisses against h
er flesh.
"Not yet," she breathed out, turning in his arms to face him. "First, I wanted t
o give you something."
"You already gave me the perfect gift this morning." He smirked, his eyes dancin
g with the lustful thoughts that filled his mind.
"Okay, I guess I can return it then," she sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "But
you'll need to remember that all I need for my birthday is a little tongue actio
n from you nothing else."
"Fine," he chuckled, pulling away from her and then sitting down on the bed. "Wh
at do you need to give me?"
"Here." Bella held out two packages. One was a small rectangular box and the oth
er a small, skinny square. "Open the larger one first," she said, pointing to th
e rectangle.
Taking the rectangle, he tore off the paper. "A DS-i?" Edward looked at the box
and then up to Bella, humor in his eyes as he stared at her. "You trying to get
rid of me?"
"No, that thing is off-limits when you're in town. It's for road trips; the plan
e, hotel rooms, bus rides, that sort of thing. When you're home, you're all mine
." She sat on the bed next to him. "There's a bag of games and accessories in my
closet, I didn't feel like wrapping all of them."
"Thank you," he said, putting an arm around her and pulling her in for a kiss. "
Can I open the next one now?"
"Sure," she said nervously. "Before you do though, it's okay if you hate it. I m
ean, it was just an idea that Alice and I had."
"I'm sure I'll love it," he said brightly, smiling at the package in his hands.
It felt familiar, like a notebook or something, but under all the paper was a ph
oto album. Edward opened it up to a picture of the two of them at the bean in Ch
icago. "When did you get this developed?"
"This week. I wasn't sure if the quality would be all that good, but it's not ba
d."
"I love it! Is this for when I'm on the road too?"
"Yeah," she said meekly, a faint pink blush rising in her cheeks. "There're more
pictures in there."
Edward flipped through the small book big enough for one picture per page and sa
w pictures of Bella, his parents, more pictures of Bella, Bella's bed, and then
he stopped. Staring back at him from the next page was a close-up picture of som
eone's chest under a tight Cubs' t-shirt, the word, 'Masen', stretched across th
e woman's unbound breasts. One of the nipples . . . Fuck! The left nipple was pi
erced. It was Bella's chest.
Slowly, Edward turned the page to see a pair of Cubs boy-shorts stretched out ac
ross a fine, tight ass that was sticking in the air. It was a close-up of Bella'
s ass and if he looked closely . . . Double fuck! Edward was instantly hard as h
e stared at the picture seeing the hint of deep pink under the lift of the Cubs
boy shorts.
On the next page was a close up of her crotch covered by the blue ruffled pantie
s she wore the night of the murder mystery. She was sitting down with her legs s
pread wide, her hand resting on the inside of her upper thigh. This book held so
me great spanking material.
"So," Bella said, pulling him out of the lustful images that were clouding his m
ind. "What do you think?"
Chucking the album to the side, Edward pulled her into him, his lips crashing ag
ainst hers, moaning as they connected. He kissed her hard, pulling her to stradd
le his lap as one hand fisted in her hair, his other one roaming down to grab he
r ass.
"I love you," she moaned against his lips, her tongue mingling with his, explori
ng his mouth. Then she pushed him down on her mattress, and moved to kneel on th
e bed next to him. "It's time for your last present," she murmured, her head ben
ding to kiss at the sliver of skin showing just under his shirt and above his tr
ousers.
Hastily, she unbuckled his belt and undid his pants, pulling them off as he lift
ed his hips. Edward assumed she'd pull her clothes off as well and then ride him
, but instead, Bella left him and walked over to her dresser, pulling out a bott
le of something.
"What's that?" he asked hoarsely, wanting her back with him. Instantly, Edward s
melled raspberries and then her wet hands were on him, stroking, rubbing along h
is length and his cock started heating up as air blew against it. "Fuck, Bella,
what are you doing?"
"I love the way you taste like raspberries," she moaned, her tongue slipping out
and slowly licking up the ridge of his erection, tasting the sweetness she cove
red him in. And then she blew at his skin where her tongue had just been and hea
t nipped at his flesh.
"What is that shit?"
Bella didn't answer his question. Instead, one hand grabbed hold of his balls an
d massaged them gently while her other hand grabbed hold of his base and her ton
gue swirled around his head. "Oh, Bella," he moaned, "that . . . feels . . . so
good."
She stroked her tongue over his tip tasting his pre-cum and sighing before curli
ng her tongue around his head again, slowly enjoying the smoothness of him in he
r mouth. She was always so awed by the contrast of his perfect cock; smooth yet
hard, soft, yet strong it was amazing.
Her tongue continued to swirl around him as her mouth took more and more in, bob
bing up and down, finally full to the point where he kept hitting the back of he
r throat. She tried to relax the best she could but she still gagged a bit. His
hands fisted in her hair and every moan and whimper that slipped out of his mout
h, fueled her faster, her tongue lashing against him as her lips squeezed and su
cked, her other hand fondling his balls.
And then, out of nowhere, her hand left his balls and caressed the crack of his
ass. At first he jumped and she laughed against him, sending vibrations down to
his sack. He relaxed, enjoying the feel of her fingers caressing him and though
he hated to admit it, her fingers felt good as they teased his only entrance in
that area.
Her sucking became stronger, her grip tighter, and her head bobbed up and down f
aster, he was so close. "I'm going to cum, sweetheart," he choked out. As soon a
s the words left his mouth, something entered him her finger. "Fuck!" he cried o
ut, but it wasn't from pain, it was gratification. Her finger pumped in and out
of him as she sucked him off and he climaxed harder than he ever had before, his
body shuddering uncontrollably as if he were having a seizure.
"What was that?" he panted, trying to come down from his orgasm.
"Did you like it?" Bella crawled up the bed to lie next to him, his arms wrappin
g around her, pulling her in against his chest.
"I don't know what it means if I say yes."
"Nothing, you fool." Bella giggled, leaning up to kiss his lips. "It was just a
little something . . ."
"Danny?" he asked.
"Yeah." Bella cringed, knowing it wasn't right to bring up past partners at time
s like this.
"It looks like he managed to totally corrupt the sweet, innocent Isabella Swan,"
he chuckled.
"You're not mad?"
"Jealous, but not mad."
"God, you have nothing to be jealous about. Sex with him was just that sex."
"Mmmm," he moaned, his fingers playing with her soft, wavy hair. Sex with Bella
was anything but just sex. There was something between them that charge they tal
ked about earlier that intensified everything. "I love you, Sweetheart," he whis
pered into her hair as he placed a kiss on top of her head.
"Bella?" Alice's voice penetrated Bella's door before a fist pounded against it.
"I knew this wouldn't last," Bella muttered. "What?" she yelled to the evil pixi
e on the other side.
"Everyone's looking for you. Is Edward in there with you?"
"What do you think?" Bella shouted.
"You can't horde the guest of honor!"
"Twenty bucks she's out there with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot again
st the floor, glaring at my door."
Edward laughed and then kissed her one last time before sitting them both up. He
stood and pulled on his pants, buckling them up while Bella got up to stand in
front of the mirror and fix her hair and lip gloss after cleaning her hands off
with a towel.
"Bella! Edward!" There was more pounding on the door. Reaching his arms around B
ella from behind, he held her against him. "I love you," he whispered in her ear
before kissing her neck. Then he walked over to the door and pulled it open to
reveal exactly what Bella had described he laughed.
"What are you laughing at?" Alice asked in a clipped tone.
"You're so cute when you're angry," he said, trying hard to keep a straight face
.
"Come on," she huffed, grabbing his arm and pulling him behind her. "See you dow
nstairs, Bella," she called over her shoulder and Edward turned to wink and blow
her a kiss goodbye. "Nice sex hair," Alice said, staring up at the auburn mess
on top of Edward's head. "You might want to try and tame that."
"Bella likes it like this," he teased her, watching her eyes grow big and then s
quint in warning at him. His free hand reached up and ran through his tangled ha
ir. It didn't fix it or make it look any better, but at least he tried.
Once downstairs, Edward found himself talking to Seth and then playing the Wii w
ith Emmett. He actually liked playing video games, but had never even thought to
buy himself a DS for when he was on the road. A few of the guys had them, but h
e had never gotten into the craze. Leave it to Bella to buy him something he wou
ld probably spend too much time using it was going to be hard to not play when h
e was home.
For the rest of the evening, Bella had fun watching everyone, especially Jake an
d Tanya. Though Tanya still stole glances at Edward, she didn't hang all over hi
m all night and Jake had only cornered her once, leaving her alone when he notic
ed Tanya walk out the back door with one of Rosalie's male friends.
After a couple hours of trying to stay away from Edward she had been warned abou
t monopolizing him Bella had enough. Grabbing her keys, she snuck up behind Edwa
rd and whispered in his ear. "I'm so wet, Eddie," she breathed out, her tongue e
scaping to lick along the rim of his earlobe before biting down on it. Without a
word to her, Edward said goodnight to everyone in his immediate area then met h
er at the back door and they walked out to the garage hand-in-hand.
~GO CUBS~
"I'll get you that check on Monday," Jane said to Mila after swallowing a swig o
f her beer. She had just received a cashier's check in the mail from Jazz - $5,0
00. It wasn't as much as she insisted she'd need, but it was something. She woul
d use it to open up a bank account and then she'd get a cashier's check for Mila
to pay for all the time she'd been living off her and Juan. Right now, though,
she was celebrating. Finishing off the rest of her beer, she held her hand up, m
otioning for the waitress to bring them two more.
"Maybe you should get water," Mila suggested, worried about her friend.
"What fun is there in that?" she asked, her eyes scanning the crowd around them.
"Hey, check out that guy over there," she said, her head nodding in the directi
on of a man with straight, black, greasy hair. He had the look of a man that was
carrying what she needed.
"Ugh," Mila huffed. "What is it with you and druggies? I could bring you to a ch
urch and you would end up sitting next to the only drug addict in the place."
"I'll be right back," she said, grabbing the beer the waitress placed in front o
f her. "You get this one, Mila, and I promise to pay for everything next weekend
."
Jane had to get away from her friend they were getting on each other's nerves. A
s soon as she got a positive on her pregnancy test, Mila had turned into a witch
, telling Jane what she could and couldn't do, what she should and shouldn't eat
, and trying to force pills down her throat each day. Jane had a child already;
she knew that she didn't need all those prenatal vitamins and crap to have a hea
lthy kid. She also knew that she could drink and do a few things for fun without
having to worry about much. Heck, she did all of them while pregnant with Bobby
and he turned out just fine.
"Hey there," she slurred, approaching the man she knew would have a little bit o
f fun up his sleeve. Somehow, for some reason, she always could pick out the one
s carrying shit. Jane wasn't a huge drug user, never bought the stuff, only usin
g what others offered to share with her. Usually it involved certain favors, but
hey, it was worth a quick blow job or hand job for a little bit of fun.
"What's with your friend?" the man asked, looking over her shoulder to see Mila
glaring daggers at him.
"She's PMS'ing," she said, giggling.
The man chuckled. "You looking for some fun?"
"Sure, what ya have in mind?"
"Let's go," he said, grabbing a hold of her arm and pulling her behind him towar
d the back entrance. Two other men followed and Jane looked over her shoulder an
d waved goodbye to her friend, who scowled at her in return.
Sandwiched between two men in the back seat, Jane started sucking on one's dick
while the other fondled her breasts, waiting his turn. She never swallowed for s
omething like this, so when the man was about to come, she finished him off with
a hand job and bent over to take the next man in her mouth, sucking him off bef
ore the end of the trip as well.
They ended up at an apartment where there were more men hanging around smoking s
tuff; heroin and pot, mostly. There were a few women there as well, all high, gl
aring at her as she walked in no one liked new competition.
The men she was with started getting needles ready and she froze. She never inje
cted heroin, only smoked or snorted it. For some reason, the thought of injectin
g frightened her, especially since she was pregnant. "Got any powder I could sno
rt?" she asked.
"That'll cost ya extra," the man with the straight, greasy hair said. "I still h
aven't gotten my turn though, so how about you let me in your sweet pussy?"
"You have to use a condom," she told him, resigning herself to doing it this onc
e. Letting him fuck her wasn't something she'd normally be up for, but she reall
y wanted this hit it would probably be a while before she did it again. She wasn
't a big user, only every now and then. It would be a few months before she did
this again, if at all before the end of her pregnancy.
"Bend over," he commanded as he fixed her a line. He lifted his hand under her s
kirt and pulled her underwear down to her knees and then released himself from h
is jeans. They were in the middle of a room, about fifteen other people sitting
around, watching, but Jane didn't care, she stared at the line, willing to do an
ything for it at this point.
One of the man's hands fondled her wet slit while the other one stroked along hi
s length. He watched her while she snorted the line and then she turned to smile
at him, letting him know she was ready. "Fuck me, asshole," she sighed, watchin
g him then roll a condom on his peculiarly small erection. Then, with one swift
movement, he entered her.
The next morning, Jane woke up in her bed at Mila's house. She barely remembered
getting home, but somehow she'd made it. She went about her afternoon routine j
ust fine, but when she went to the bathroom right before dinner, there was a pat
ch of blood in her underwear and she panicked. Fuck no! This can't be happening!
She'd only had a few beers and one line of heroin, there was no way that could'
ve messed anything up.
Taking a deep breath, she went to her bed and lay down, pulling out her pregnanc
y book. It was common to experience spotting in the first trimester, she reminde
d herself. What she read in the book reassured her further. She didn't have any
cramping, so that must be good. Also, the blood was brownish in color it must've
been old blood, she told herself, her fears finally starting to subside. But ju
st to be on the safe side, she stayed in bed the remainder of the day she'd rath
er that than lose her little meal ticket to be.
Chapter 26 June 24 28, 2009
"You've reached Bella, you know what to do. BEEP!"
"Bella," Edward started, "it's me, please call me back, I'm worried about you."
Closing his phone, Edward sat on the edge of the bed in his hotel room and stare
d at the floor. Where is she? At first he thought she was using the bathroom and
then, with his second call, he figured she was probably in the shower getting r
eady for work. Now, after his third call, she still hadn't answered and he was s
uddenly worried.
Running a hand through his wet just showered hair, he looked at the bedside cloc
k. He still had hours before he needed to get to the stadium for batting practic
e, but Bella should've been up by now, something just wasn't right. Flipping ope
n his phone, he found Alice's number and called.
"Good morning, Edward," Alice answered and he could hear wind blowing into the p
hone, sending loud annoying rushing sounds through the receiver.
"Hey, are you already on your way to work?"
"Walking down State right now."
"Did you see Bella this morning?" He stood and started to pace across the room,
the fingers from his free hand pinching along the bridge of his nose.
"No, actually, I didn't check in on her. She did . . . Edward, did she . . . I m
ean, you know what today is, right?"
"Yes," he sighed, wishing he could be in Chicago with Bella today. "That's why I
'm calling, I want to make sure she's okay, but she's not answering my calls."
"She probably turned off her phone, Edward. She took the day off work, and if I
know her, she'll spend the day in bed eating chocolate and ice cream while she l
ooks through photo albums or watches sappy movies."
"Someone should be with her," he clipped, mad that he couldn't be there. If he h
ad known she was going to take the day off, he would've bought her a ticket to m
eet him in Detroit for the game tonight.
"Emmett will show up soon, I'm sure. He usually takes the day off too."
"He does?" Why hadn't she said anything to him last night when they spoke on the
phone? Why hadn't she shared any of this with him? Edward was suddenly mad. "I'
ll give him a call then."
"Wait, Ed "
It was rude of him to hang up on her, he knew it, but he still did it. Finding E
mmett's number this time, he placed the call, pausing with his hand on his hip a
s he waited for him to answer.
"Hello?" Emmett's voice was low and groggy he had been sleeping.
"Emmett, it's Edward."
"What time is it?"
"Quarter after eight your time," he replied, feeling a bit guilty for waking him
up. "Are you heading over to Bella's later?"
Emmett groaned and muttered something under his breath. "Yeah, I probably should
get ready to go."
"Can you have her call me?"
"Slow down," Emmett said, yawning on the last word, drawing it out. "Have you tr
ied calling her?"
"She's not answering her phone."
"I'll head over there now and have her call you. She sometimes turns off her pho
ne in the morning on this day too many people call her." His voice was muffled t
hrough the phone, as if he were running his hand over his face as he spoke.
"Thanks, man."
"Anytime, bro."
~GO CUBS~
Lying on her couch, Bella flipped through the channels on her TV but there was n
othing on except for cartoons and televangelists this early in the day. Sighing
heavily, she stood up and scanned through her DVD collection, looking for someth
ing sappy and romantic. Ooh, perfect! She had found it, something that would tak
e a while to watch and would also keep her attention, the BBC version of Pride a
nd Prejudice with Collin Firth her favorite Mr. Darcy.
Before going to bed last night, Alice had made a couple of banana breads includi
ng one without nuts for Bella and some blueberry muffins, so Bella ran into the
kitchen and grabbed the whole loaf of the nutless bread, a knife, and tub of but
ter along with a couple bottles of water.
Sinking back into the couch, she pulled a blanket over her body and cut into the
bread. This waiting is killing me! She desperately wanted to call Edward, but w
anted to wait until he'd had enough sleep since he had gotten into Detroit early
in the morning yesterday and then had a late game she didn't want to wake him u
p. She grabbed her phone in her hand and contemplated turning it back on. Not ye
t. She couldn't turn it on until most of the calls had already come in today was
the day every last acquaintance of her parents would call her asking how she wa
s doing and if she needed anything.
Bella sighed happily when she saw Collin Firth's face come on the screen and she
let her mind go, drifting off into the fantasy world that Jane Austen had creat
ed, imagining herself as the lucky Elizabeth Bennett. Only moments later, she st
arted picturing Edward's face when Mr. Darcy came on screen and she closed her e
yes, letting her imagination carry her further away from reality.
"Bella," someone said, pulling her out of her kinky fantasy. Mr. Darcy looking j
ust like Edward was currently spanking a very naughty Elizabeth with a riding cr
op as she stuck her bare ass out, her hands tied in front of her to a fence post
. "Bella!" Someone was shaking her now and she swatted the hands away, mumbling.
"Wake up, Bella!"
Opening her eyes, Bella scowled at the blurry vision of Emmett looming over her.
"What do you want?" she groaned, rolling to sit up on the couch.
"Your over-bearing boyfriend woke me up," he said, sitting down next to her and
reaching out for the banana bread on the coffee table. He cut himself a huge sli
ce and took a large bite. "Damn good," he mumbled with a full mouth.
"You pig," she giggled, handing him a napkin from the table.
"You doing okay?" His mouth was no longer stuffed with bread and his concerned e
yes bore holes into her, making her feel self conscious.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Her arms crossed over her chest protectiv
ely.
"You aren't answering Edward's calls. I'm just concerned, that's all"
"He called me?" Bella reached for her cell phone and turned it on. "I turned it
off."
There were only three missed calls, all of them from Edward. Maybe it was too ea
rly for everyone else to call. After listening to his message, she felt horrible
. She could hear the worry in his voice and knew he was probably grinding a path
into the floor of his hotel room and pinching his nose furiously.
"Do you mind?" she asked Emmett, holding up her phone to indicate she wanted to
call Edward.
"Nah, go ahead, I haven't had breakfast yet." He took another bite and as Bella
wandered up the stairs to her room, she yelled down to him.
"There're blueberry muffins in the kitchen."
Once inside her room, Bella selected Edward's number and placed the call, pacing
as she stared at the clock by her bed, it was almost nine ten in Detroit. She c
ouldn't believe she had missed his calls and felt horrible because she had wante
d to talk to him so bad, but didn't want to wake him. Now, knowing that he had w
oken up early just to talk to her, well, she couldn't keep her heart from racing
and the tears from building up behind her eyes.
"Bella?" Edward answered urgently.
"Edward, I'm so sorry," she breathed out.
"I take it Emmett got a hold of you?" He sat down on the hotel bed and relaxed,
relieved to hear her voice.
"Yeah, I had my phone turned off and fell asleep on the couch while watching Pri
de and Prejudice. You'd make a great Mr. Darcy, by the way."
"You think?"
"Oh yeah. Have you ever ridden a horse?"
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I just had this dream," she said wistfully, trailing off and not finishin
g her thought. "What are you doing up so early anyway? You should still be in be
d."
"I wanted to talk to you. I wish you had told me you were taking the day off, I'
d have bought you a ticket to come to Detroit with me."
"I planned on working this year," she said sadly, lying down on her bed, staring
at the picture of them at the bean. "Do you have your album with you?"
"Yeah. Don't you think it's a bit early to "
"Just look at the first picture, Edward. You can save the others for later today
or tonight after we get off the phone."
"I plan on getting off while we're on the phone later tonight, not after."
"You're such a boy," she giggled.
"Okay, Swan, I'm looking at us at the bean."
Bella smiled. "Me too." Her shoulders relaxed and she exhaled loudly, the emotio
nal stress on her body leaving for the moment. "We need to go back there and get
more pictures with a real camera."
"And when the fountain's actually running."
"I wish you were here, Edward. Of all the days, you're being away is the hardest
today."
"What do you normally do on the anniversary?"
"Lie around and eat," she laughed. "Actually, the very first anniversary was the
day I got my piercing. Alice thought I was nuts, but I'm glad I did it."
"So am I," he chuckled.
"Pig!"
"Do you ever go to their graves?"
"Sure, whenever I go back to visit. I don't need to go to their graves to be aro
und them though. I've never felt close to them there; their bodies were like emp
ty shells in their caskets. I have them right here," she said, pointing to her h
ead, though Edward couldn't see. "My memories of them are all that I need especi
ally today."
"Hey," she choked out a few minutes later, cutting through the silence that fell
over them. "What would you say to me giving Phil a call?"
"Um, if that's what you want to do."
"I don't know what I want to do, but for some reason I've had this weird feeling
to call him." Her sentence was interrupted by a beep and Bella looked down at h
er phone to see that Pastor George was calling. And so it begins.
"Do you have another call?" Edward asked, hearing her voice break up from what h
e recognized as call waiting clicking in.
"It's not important."
"What would you want to get out of calling Phil?" he asked, bringing them back o
n subject.
"What do you mean?"
"If you called him, what would you say? What would you want from him? Would you
want to get to know him, meet with him sometime, and maybe meet your siblings?"
"God, no! That's a bit much, don't you think?"
"Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out what you'd say to him or what you'd want h
im to say to you."
"I don't know. I mean, I want to call him, have contemplated it for the last few
days, but I'm not sure what I would say or do. I guess I just want to hear his
voice. I keep trying to remember it, but I can't. I can remember Charlie's as if
we had just spoken together, but Phil, whom I've talked to more recently, I can
't remember at all. And he's . . . God, Edward, he's my dad." A lone tear escape
d, dripping down her cheek. Actually admitting that he was her father had sent a
chill down her spine. Throughout all the years since finding out about Phil, sh
e knew that there was a chance he was her dad, but she never fully thought about
what it would mean if it were true.
"Maybe that's why I want to call him, I'm just feeling sorry for myself."
"How about your siblings, have you thought to contact them?"
"Yeah, but I'm scared. What if they don't want anything to do with me?"
"Why don't you wait a week or so until after your emotions from today level out
and then make a decision?"
"Yeah, I think I'm just too emotional right now," she laughed, more tears starti
ng to fall. Reaching under her pillow, Bella pulled out a navy blue button down
shirt and laid her head on it, breathing in its scent she had stolen it from Edw
ard's dirty laundry. "I didn't realize how much I'd miss you," she whispered. "I
keep thinking that it wasn't this hard last year. I don't think I cried more th
an a couple times and only first thing in the morning. After that, it was almost
like a normal day."
"I can still get you a ticket. You could fly out here and watch the game and the
n fly back to Chicago with me after the game tomorrow night."
"As much as I'd love to, I shouldn't. I've got Emmett waiting downstairs and I d
o have to work tomorrow. With all the time I take off for Cubs games, I can't af
ford to just take off on such short notice."
"I've got you four tickets for each of the three games at The Cell this weekend.
I figured you'd want to bring Emmett and Rosalie with you."
"Great," she muttered. "I forgot about Jake."
Edward sighed heavily, but didn't say anything. The last thing he wanted to do w
as give her a hard time about him and push her into his arms. "You've got four s
eats, use them how ever you'd like."
"Believe me, I don't want Jake to sit with me, but a couple months ago I told hi
m I'd go to a White Sox game with him and wear a Sox hat."
"Bella, I'm not going to tell you what to do, but you don't owe Jake anything."
"Ooh! I've got an idea!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I wonder if Tanya would be in
terested in seeing the game."
"You're going to ask Tanya to go to the game with you?"
"Heaven's no! I'm going to make sure she goes with Jake."
"You're worse than Alice, you know that?" Edward chuckled, lying back against th
e headboard. Talking with Bella was so easy; being with her, laughing with her,
it was as if the two of them were made specifically for each other.
"Shoot, I've got to get going," Bella said sadly. "I just got another call. I th
ink people in Forks are starting to wake up for the day."
"Call me later?"
"You bet. Oh, I was thinking," she said softly. "Maybe I can take some more pict
ures for your album. Actually, I'd need you to take them, really. I tried to get
Alice to "
"What kind of pictures?" he asked, his voice cracking on the last word as his mi
nd conjured up visions of Bella in interesting positions and various states of d
ress.
"Well, Alice told me that most places won't develop nudity and "
"What did you have in mind?" he interrupted, his voice rushed and heavy.
"Make sure your camera's handy this weekend," she purred, trying to sound seduct
ive and totally hitting her mark. "I'll talk to you tonight, Edward. I love you.
"
"Love you too, Bella."
The next couple hours dragged on for Bella, and she quietly figured that she'd h
ave been better off if she had only went in to work then the day would've went b
y a lot faster. But then again, maybe not.
A little after two in the afternoon, Bella and Emmett were interrupted by a knoc
k on her door. Groaning loudly, Emmett paused the movie they were watching while
Bella got up to answer the door, totally surprised by what stood on the other s
ide.
"Isabella Swan?" asked a young man holding a huge basket wrapped up in vibrant b
lue and red cellophane.
"That's me," she replied, smiling, her eyes peeking in to see chocolates and coo
kies amongst tons of other stuff in the basket, many of it hidden still.
"Then this is for you," the boy said awkwardly, handing the heavy basket over to
her.
"Wait," Bella said frantically, "let me get you a tip first."
Before she could turn to grab her purse, the boy stopped her. "That's unnecessar
y, Ms. Swan, I don't usually work for tips."
"You don't?" she asked confused. "I thought all floral deliveries accepted tips.
"
"I don't work for a florist."
"Where is this from then?" Looking outside, behind the boy, Bella saw a small Fo
rd Focus parked in front of her townhouse. He wasn't from FTD or from a florist,
she thought, so where was he from?"
"Macy's," he replied sheepishly.
"Oh, is this from Alice?" she asked, holding the basket up and handing it over t
o Emmett who had joined her at the door.
"No, someone had Ms. Brandon make the basket for you, but she told me to make su
re you knew that it was not from her and it was not her idea."
A small smile started on her lips and then grew as it dawned on her who the bask
et was from. "Edward," she whispered to herself, but loud enough for both men to
 hear.
"I believe so," the boy said and then he bid her a good day and practically ran
to his Focus.
Once inside, Bella opened up the paper surrounding the basket and pulled out the
card first, opening it up to reveal Alice's hand writing, but the card was sign
ed from Edward.
Bella ~
Alice told me that you would most likely sit around and eat chocolate all day an
d watch movies, so I figured I'd help you indulge. The movies are two of my mom'
s favorites. I wish I were there with you. I'll call you after the game.
I love you,
Edward
P.S. Edward told me exactly what to put in this thing, I had nothing to do with
it. ~ Alice
"Come on, Bella," Emmett moaned, noticing a tear streak down her face.
"What?" Bella immediately wiped the lone tear away and smiled brightly, pulling
things out of the basket and showing them to Emmett. In the basket were two one-
pound boxes of Frango Mints, tons of Ghirardelli chocolate, some Ghirardelli hot
chocolate mix along with two blue Cubs mugs, a bag of Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chi
p Cookies, a blue Ralph Lauren spa blanket which was very soft, a pair of Cubs s
weatpants and a grey Cubs shirt with blue three-quarter sleeves from Victoria's
Seceret's Pink line, and the movies; 'The American President', and 'My Best Frie
nd's Wedding'.
"So," Bella started with a giggle, "what do you want to watch first?"
"Are you serious?" Emmett asked, looking at the two movies, they were both equal
ly as unappealing to him. "You pick."
"I'm going to change into my new comfies first," she said, grabbing the Cubbies
shirt and sweats and heading toward the stairs. "Make us some hot chocolate and
I'll be right down."
Once in her room, Bella grabbed her phone and turned it on, noticing that she no
w had eleven missed calls, all from different people and all of them from Forks.
She'd need to turn it back on for good in a few hours. Billy always called her
in the evening his and Emmett's parents' calls were the only ones she answered n
ow. Sighing heavily, she selected Edward's name and called him, thinking she'd l
eave a message.
"Hello?"
"Oh," she said in shock, "I didn't think I'd catch you."
Edward laughed. "Is everything going okay?"
"Of course it is," she giggled. "And I think you know why I'm calling. Thank you
."
"Ah, Bella," he sighed. "I just wish I could be the one there with you."
"Well, you did great on the movies. Emmett's all bummed about having to watch a
chick flick."
"Yeah, well if I were there, I would've gotten different movies for the basket."
"Oh, you will watch these with me some day," she threatened him, and he laughed.
"Hold on a sec," she said quickly, putting her phone down to pull off her shirt
and put her new one on. "Okay, I'm back."
"What're you doing?"
"Just changing my clothes. How did you know about Victoria's Pink line?"
"I have no clue what you're talking about. I told Alice to put a Cubs shirt and
some sweats in there for you. But she got you something from Victoria's Secret?"
"Yeah, a Cubs t-shirt and sweats." Bella rolled her eyes and pulled her shorts o
ff, placing her new sweats on in their place. "Well, I've got to get going," she
said, descending the stairs. The doorbell rang. Getting up off the couch, Emmet
t answered the door as Bella made her way into the living room.
"Is everything okay?" Edward asked.
"Oh, yeah, someone's just at the door."
"Well, I'll let you go then."
Before Bella could reply, Emmett walked into the living room with a huge vase fu
ll of deep red roses. "Edward!" she exclaimed. "You need to stop buying me thing
s. Really, I'm okay. Besides, you know I prefer something else instead of roses.
"
"I didn't get you any roses," Edward said unevenly, wondering what she was talki
ng about.
"Oh, maybe they're for Alice," she mused, motioning for Emmett to look at the en
velope and he shook his head and pointed to her. "Or not."
Taking the card from Emmett's hand, she opened the envelope and pulled out a sma
ll florist card that had a picture of flowers on the top with the words, 'Thinki
ng of you', written in bold, purple letters. Underneath was a scribbled message
to her.
Bella,
I'm sorry for your loss.
Love,
Jake
"Oh," Bella said, unsure what to do or think while passing the card to Emmett wi
th a smirk. For some reason, saying sorry for her loss seemed a bit odd, since h
er loss happened four years ago. Jake is strange.
"Who are they from?" Edward asked.
"Jake," she said meekly, not wanting to make him angry. After a few moments of s
ilence, she spoke again. "I didn't . . . I don't . . . I mean . . . Edward, say
something. It's not like I've encouraged him."
"I know, Bella. You've done nothing wrong."
"I'm going to throw them out; they'll just die and drop their petals all over th
e place anyway."
"You don't have to do that," he sighed. "Listen, I need to get going, I'm runnin
g a little late."
"Will you still call me after the game?"
"Wouldn't miss it, Bella, and don't worry, everything's fine. I'm not silently b
rooding or anything."
"Good, because I'm going to need my big, strong boyfriend to beat Jake's stalker
butt when you get home."
"I'll talk to you soon," he chuckled.
"Edward?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't forget I love you. Jake's an annoyance, that's all."
"I know, Bella. Are you going to call and thank him for the flowers?"
"I probably should, but no. I'll have Emmett call and let him know that I receiv
ed them but that I'm too upset to talk."
"Be careful, I wouldn't put it past him to just show up at your place."
"Okay, you need to get going because Emmett's getting annoyed with me and I want
to watch one of these movies before the game starts."
"I love you, Bella."
"Love you too."
~GO CUBS~
"Mila!" Jane shrieked, storming into the living room, her eyes wide, terrified.
"Jane, what is it?" The expression in Jane's eyes frightened Mila and she jumped
up from the couch to go over to her.
"It's the baby," Jane cried, her face pale with red, puffy eyes from her tears.
"I'm bleeding and cramping bad. I think I'm losing it." After the first sight of
blood a few days before, there wasn't anything else and Jane thought that she h
ad been in the clear. Now, it had started again. Only this time, it was bright r
ed, there was more of it, and she was having painful cramps.
"We need to get you to the hospital," Mila said evenly, trying to stay calm as s
he stuffed her feet into her bright orange Crocs and grabbed her purse, pulling
Jane's arm to lead her to the door.
It was quiet in the car as Mila drove down the road, neither of them knowing wha
t to say. Sometimes karma had a way of catching up with you and Mila was sure th
at's what was happening now to Jane. Everything had been working out perfect wel
l, almost perfect. The baby wasn't Edward's, as Jane had wanted still wanted but
 at least she had her little bargaining chip to get money out of someone. Now, i
f she lost the baby, not only would Jane lose the money from Jazz, but Mila woul
d lose the money that Jane had promised her from the help she had provided in th
e whole scheme she couldn't let this happen, Jane couldn't lose this baby.
Pulling up to the emergency entrance, Mila threw her car in park and rushed out
and around to the passenger side to help Jane out, supporting her weight until a
n orderly came out with a wheel chair to place Jane into. "She's pregnant," Mila
yelled to the man, desperate to make sure they looked at her immediately.
~GO CUBS~
"You'll be home tomorrow night, right?" Alice asked, eager to see her man again.
"Yes, but it'll be late. The game should end around ten local, and then we have
to shower and stuff. I'm not sure when our flight leaves, but we won't get into
Chicago until very late. How about we do lunch the next day?"
"I can meet you at your place at eleven," she offered, hoping for a little alone
time with him.
"That sounds perfect," Jazz drawled out slowly and she smiled.
"Okay, it's late and I hear Bella getting off in the other room," she giggled. "
I should probably let you go."
"Wait, she's masturbating?"
"Phone sex," she said longingly, reminding him of her thoughts on the matter.
"Edward does that with her?" He was too nervous to do it with Alice, though that
hadn't stopped her from trying to change his mind.
"I guess. She hasn't come out and said so, but she'll tell me she's going to cal
l him and then a few minutes later, I hear her in there. I can only assume," she
supplied.
"I had no idea," he said quietly, his mind wandering to images of Alice on the p
hone, touching herself. "And you still want to try that?"
"Jazz," she huffed. "Not tonight, we've talked about it too much now."
"We'll have to make a date while I'm in Pittsburgh next week."
"Really?" she asked.
"Really."
Jazz was excited to do something for Alice, even if it was giving in and trying
this phone sex thing she had been badgering him about. It wasn't like he didn't
jack-off while on the road, so it wasn't like he'd be doing something different,
really, and he did like the idea of Alice touching herself, he was just nervous
over what to say during the whole thing. It was a whole different kind of sex t
han he was used to having.
"I love you," Alice whispered sadly.
"I love you too. I'll see you for lunch in a couple days," he reminded her, and
then they ended the call.
It was lonely in his hotel room without her or her voice, and he lay down on the
bed, staring at the ugly picture of a sunset over a lake, wondering if the arti
st had any idea what a real sunset looked like. Pastel purple wasn't a color he'
d ever seen the sun turn even during a sunset.
Those thoughts didn't last long in his mind though. His cell phone rang out and
he answered immediately. "What's up?" he asked hurriedly, anxious to speak with
the person on the other end.
"She was just brought to the emergency room."
"Is she okay?" An odd feeling fell over him fear. As much as he didn't want the
baby, the thought that something could be wrong scared him. He suddenly felt sic
k to his stomach for even caring. The baby's not yours, idiot. That was why he h
ired the private detective to follow Jane around. He didn't give specifics on th
e whole night in San Diego or that he suspected she had drugged him; he just wan
ted the guy to follow her around to see what she did, who she talked to.
So far, he hadn't found out much, Jenks had only started working for him two day
s before. All he knew was where she lived and who she lived with. She didn't hav
e a job, as far as Jenks could tell, and she'd spent her whole day yesterday sho
pping, spending money the money he had most likely sent her for the baby. Yet, w
hen he'd asked Jenks about her purchases, he never mentioned any baby related it
ems.
"They won't give me any information and her friend keeps eyeing me weird, I don'
t want to blow my cover."
"Where are you now?"
"I'm right outside the emergency room."
"Okay, thanks for letting me know."
Once he got off the phone with Jenks, Jazz stared at his phone, wanting to call
Jane to see how she was, but knowing he wasn't supposed to know that anything wa
s wrong. Instead, he decided to make up a reason to call her they still hadn't h
ammered out all the details about the child support. Taking a deep breath in, he
closed his eyes, bracing himself for the call. The phone rang four times before
clicking over to voicemail and he hung up. Five minutes later, he tried again,
this time with a different result.
"Hello?" asked a man with a deep, grainy voice.
"Um, I'm looking for Jane," Jazz said nervously, wondering if it was a doctor or
a nurse that answered her phone.
"Who's calling?"
"Um," Jazz wasn't sure what to say, but if this was someone from the hospital, h
e wanted to be able to get information. "This is Jasper, I'm the baby's father."
He used his real name, not wanting the person to recognize who he really was.
"Huh," the man chuckled. "So you're the lucky man!"
"Uh, yeah, that's me," he said awkwardly.
"I can only assume," the man said with a hint of humor in his voice, "that you'l
l be happy to hear the good news."
"The good news?"
"I just got off the phone with Mila. Jane's going through a miscarriage."
Jazz's heart pounded in his chest. I'm free! And then the sickness in his stomac
h returned. How can I possibly rejoice from the death of a baby? "Who is this?"
he asked, suddenly alarmed at the thought of the hospital staff calling the deat
h of a baby good news.
"Juan, Mila's husband. I don't know the whole story, man, but I know Jane's quit
e a piece of work, and I can only assume that you couldn't care less about the b
aby since you're never around."
"I'm . . ." You're what? What could he say to this man? It was true that he wasn
't around, and it was true that he secretly had hoped for her to miscarry, but n
ow he was feeling guilty. Regardless of how the baby had been conceived, he or s
he was innocent in this whole mess. "Do you know when Jane will be home?"
"Tomorrow, I think. Mila said something about them wanting to keep her overnight
."
"Thanks, Juan."
"No problem, I bet you're feeling better tonight!" Juan laughed and as much as J
azz was feeling a bit lighter, a heavy burden no longer weighing him down, he wa
s also revolted by the fact that he felt that way.
"Hey, can you do me a favor?" Jazz asked suddenly.
"Sure, whatcha need?"
"Can you keep this conversation to yourself? Don't tell Jane? I'd like to call a
nd talk to her myself."
"Sure. Us guys need to stick together, right?" Juan then let out a loud belch an
d chuckled.
"Thanks, Juan."
It was hard for Jazz to fall asleep, he kept thinking about Alice and how he was
going to tell her about San Diego. He was sure that he had been violated, force
d to do something while drugged he couldn't bring himself to use the word Edward
had: raped. And though he knew she'd be upset, he also knew that she loved him
and would be there for him. And now with Jane and the baby no longer an issue, t
here would be no long lasting affects from that night; he could tell her with a
clean conscience. He'd have to tell her as soon as he got back to Chicago though
because they only had the three days in town before they would be on the road a
gain. Shit, that's not enough time we'll need time to talk. After the road trip,
he decided, stalling yet again. He'd tell her after they returned from Pittsbur
gh.
~GO CUBS~
It was finally over, the last game in the series against the White Sox and the C
ubs had lost again. After returning home from losing all four games while on the
road, the Cubs won the first game against the Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, but t
hen lost the next two. Frustrated with himself, Edward sat in the visiting team'
s locker room at The Cell, staring down at a baseball Yorkie had signed for Bell
a.
So much had changed in his life the past couple months and he had a hard time th
inking back to how he had gotten through his days before. What had he filled the
m with? Right now, he couldn't imagine being without Bella. His days would be fi
lled with nothing, he figured, because he literally could not think of one thing
he did for fun before she had entered his life.
"You ready to go?" Jazz asked from behind him.
"Huh?" Edward turned to look at his best friend. "Oh, yeah. Bella texted me, she
's already there with Alice. They stopped off at some store and bought gifts."
Carlisle had shocked everyone the other day, announcing that Esme hadn't been aw
ay visiting relatives, but instead had been in China picking up their adopted da
ughter. He had gone on to explain the process and how it had taken almost two ye
ars for everything from the time they contacted the adoption agency to when Esme
was able to travel to China and pick up their baby. Well, she also wasn't exact
ly a baby, she was 15 months old. They had decided to keep her given name, Lian,
and were throwing a party for her today.
"Let's get going," Edward said, standing up and grabbing his bag. Some of the gu
ys from their team were meeting up with some of the Sox players to celebrate the
end of the series, but he had no desire to go out and drink without Bella.
"I know I'm not supposed to pry," Edward started as he turned his Volvo out onto
the street, "but I was wondering how everything is going?"
"I'm going to tell her when we return from Pittsburgh." Once they returned from
Pittsburgh, they would be in Chicago for eleven straight days, giving Jazz and A
lice time to talk about things without him having to fly off to some random city
. He knew she would need time they would need time to get through this.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Nah, well, maybe you could make sure that Bella's available for Alice? I'd real
ly appreciate that."
"Can you let me know when you're going to tell her so that I can tell Bella?"
"Yeah," Jazz sighed, his stomach suddenly feeling unsettled.
There were tons of cars parked in the driveway and loud voices carried out from
the back yard. It was a beautiful, sunny day, the high about 75 perfect weather
for a barbeque. Instead of going through the house, they decided to walk around
the side and enter in through the gate. Once in the back yard, Bella and Alice w
ere easy to spot, sitting under a tree in the yard talking with some young girls
he didn't know.
"Edward! Jazz!"
They turned to see Esme walking over to them, one arm stretched out for a hug, t
he other clinging to a little Asian baby on her hip. "Esme! It's so good to see
you!" Edward said, wrapping his arms around her and the baby quickly and kissing
Esme on her cheek. "This must be Lian," he said, smiling, pulling out of her em
brace.
"It is," she said, turning to give Jazz a big hug.
"She's beautiful," Jazz said softly, reaching out a hand to grasp hold of Lian's
little fingers.
"Thank you both for your generous gifts," Esme beamed, "you really didn't need t
o get her anything, but thank you."
"You're welcome," Edward and Jazz said in unison, looking uncomfortable. They ha
dn't had the time to ask the girls what they had bought for Lian.
"You guys have no idea what you gave her, do you?"
"That obvious?"
"Yes," she chuckled. "Now, go ask your girls what it is they bought."
The past couple days had not been enough time for Edward to spend with Bella. He
had missed her so much and now he'd have to leave again tonight. He'd return in
four nights and then have eleven days with her and he couldn't wait.
It was so wonderful to see her on Friday at the game, even though Jake and Tanya
had been sitting with her and Emmett Bella with Edward's Cubs jersey on and a S
ox hat on her head. They'd used the four seats he had gotten for her and Jake ha
d given his two to Seth. After the game, they all met up and though Jake and Tan
ya were supposed to be there together, it was obvious that they would've rather
been there with other people Bella and Edward respectively.
The next day, Emmett and Bella sat at the game alone decked out in a blue Cubs s
hirt and hat, leaving the other two seats empty. Later, Edward met Bella back at
his place where they watched a movie before making love all night literally. Be
lla had turned out to be quite a sex-kitten and she tended to like things on the
kinky side, which Edward was enjoying as well.
Approaching the tree where Bella sat, Edward made note of the way her hair fell
down around her shoulders; the way the skin at the corners of her eyes crinkled
when she smiled or laughed; the way she crossed her legs her shorts riding up to
expose the tops of her thighs; the way she looked at him as she saw him approac
h, her eyes sparkling in the sun light, her mouth opening a little with a faint
blush darkening her cheeks. She was exquisite, enchanting.
"Edward," she said sweetly, standing up to meet him as he and Jazz approached. A
lice stood as well and practically ran into Jazz's arms.
Edward wrapped his arms around her and picked her up so her feet were barely off
the ground and swung her around while she giggled into his neck. "You look too
beautiful under that tree," he whispered against her ear before placing her back
on the ground.
"Now I'll look like a crazy lady when I try to walk." She grabbed on tightly to
his shirt, trying to regain her balance. "Edward, this is Brittany and Jessie, E
sme's nieces. Girls, this is Edward and that's Jazz," she said, pointing first t
o Edward and then back to Jazz, who was buried behind Alice's face she was still
ravishing him.
After the young girls giggled a little, they said their goodbyes and walked away
. "Alone at last," Edward whispered, pulling Bella against him, a ball held in h
is hand around her back.
"Looks like you've got something for me." Her lips brushed against his neck righ
t above the collar of his shirt as her arm twisted around her own back to grab t
he ball from him.
Pulling back, she brought the ball between them and looked down to see Yorkie's
signature. "He's kind of quiet, huh?"
"Well, he didn't have much to say after he pitched so lousy today."
"Is he going to show up?"
"Nah, I think he took off with Newton to meet up with some of the Sox."
Edward followed Bella into the house where she put her ball in her purse and the
n pulled him into the formal living room where all the gifts were sitting out. "
This is what we got her," she said, pointing to a huge box.
"Step 2 Neighborhood Fun Center?"
"You do the shopping next time," she huffed. "I had no idea what to get a kid."
"It looks like a lot of fun," he said softly, pulling her into his arms again. "
How did you and Alice manage to get that into her car?"
"Well, we didn't really get it into her car. She got that over there." Bella poi
nted to a horse that stood about three feet tall. "Go on and pet it, it moves an
d eats a carrot," she said, nudging him to go over and see it.
"This thing is scary," he chuckled, holding the plastic carrot while the pony 'c
hewed' on it.
"Alice thought it would be cool since Jazz is from Texas or something like that.
"
"Hey you two!" Kate Greene walked in with one of her little boys. "We're getting
ready to play a game of wiffle ball, you want to join us?"
Edward and Bella looked at each other; Edward's eyes gleaming, the idea of playi
ng wiffle ball with Bella exciting him, but Bella looked scared. "We'd love to,"
he responded to Kate and then wrapping an arm around Bella's shoulders, pulling
her to follow Kate and her son out the door. "Just relax, it's for fun."
"I'll end up hurt or hurting someone else. If I injure one of you guys, I won't
ever forgive myself."
"It's a wiffle ball, Bella, it doesn't hurt."
"You'll see," she mumbled.
The teams were divided up and of course, for fun, couples could not be on the sa
me team. Bella had Jazz, Garrett, Victoria, Charlotte, Aro, Brittany and her dad
, and Garrett's son Evan on her team while Edward was on a team with Alice, Kate
, James, Peter, Aro's wife, Lucia, Jessie, and Carlisle on his team along with G
arrett's other son, Ryan.
One of the rules that every one decided on was that none of the Cubs could play
the actual position that they normally do, which didn't really matter in the lon
g run. Aro immediately took control of Bella's team, assigning them positions, p
utting Bella at short stop and she froze.
"Um, you probably don't want to do that," she stuttered out, walking over to him
. It looked to Bella as if Aro was putting the girls in the positions where thei
r significant other's played. She had just met the man, but didn't know him very
well and felt a little intimidated to tell the Cubs manager that he was wrong.
"Short stop is a busy position, I'd be better somewhere where I don't have to th
row the ball or move very much."
Aro chuckled a little and shook his head and then called Jazz from behind the pl
ate. "Jazz, you relieve Charlotte in the outfield, tell her to take short stop a
nd Bella will take catcher."
Carlisle and Edward figured out a batting order for their team and then the game
began. Everything seemed to be going well and Bella had the best seat in the ho
use while her team was in the field. She got to see Edward up close as he came u
p to bat. Ron, Carlisle's brother-in-law was pitching and Edward swung at the fi
rst pitch, sending it soaring. It went pretty far for a wiffle ball.
When Bella got her chance to bat, she did horrible. Aro tried to give her pointe
rs, as did Jazz, helping her with her stance, making sure she was holding the ba
t correctly, and even yelling out to her when to start her swing, but she didn't
have much luck.
Alice was doing great though, hitting the ball, running the bases fast, and even
scoring for her team a couple of times. She was the pitcher for her team and di
d a great job she rocked. All the other girls were good, really and Bella was bu
mmed. Edward tried to cheer her up a few times, giving her hugs or kisses when h
e'd come up to bat, and it worked.
It was late in the game and Bella was hot and tired, feeling all sticky and swea
ty. She was up at the plate with the yellow plastic wiffle bat in her hands and
at this point, she wasn't even trying to hit it. Alice let the ball soar toward
her and Bella heard Jazz and Aro both yelling for her to swing. It was the oddes
t feeling, the bat actually hit something and Bella stood there, staring at the
wiffle ball fly over Peter's head, landing in deep left field.
"Run! Run!" everyone on Bella's team screamed, jarring her out of her daze.
Turning her body, Bella ran as fast as she could down the first base line, her e
ye on the heavy rubber base lying on the ground. What she didn't see was a branc
h hidden in the tall grass and her foot caught hold of it. Her body continued fo
rward, but her leg stayed behind, her arms reaching out to catch her fall and as
she came into contact with the ground, her body slid along the grass, stopping
short of first base.
No one had to tell her she was out she knew it the minute she looked up to see J
essie standing over her, the ball in her hands and foot on the base. How freakin
g embarrassing! Someone's strong hands grabbed a hold of her and pulled her up f
rom the ground, looking at her to make sure she didn't have any cuts.
"You okay, Bella?" Aro asked from her side with Jazz right next to him. Edward w
as there too, touching her legs, dusting the grass off her shorts where huge gra
ss stains covered her.
"I'm fine," she mumbled, pushing everyone's hands away.
One set of hands didn't leave her though and they trailed up over her hips, up h
er arms and came to rest on her shoulders as Edward's eyes became level with her
s. "Are you sure you're okay?" His eyes were bright but pinched together at the
outer corners, worry lines gathered there, showing his age.
"I'm fine . . . really," she said, limping over to where the rest of her team sa
t in lawn chairs.
Following her to a chair and helping her in, Edward stared at her right ankle, w
hich was a little swollen. It didn't look too bad, but he also didn't want it to
get any worse. "Esme," he said softly, sensing the woman's presence, "can you g
et us some ice?"
"Really, Edward, I'm fine. It was just a branch. Please?" she begged with her ey
es. "Go finish the game, I'll be just fine."
"Okay, but only if you stay in this chair and don't get up," he said sternly, lo
oking in her eyes to make sure she meant it when she nodded her affirmation. Lea
ning down, Edward kissed her gently and started walking away, but stopped abrupt
ly and turned to look at her. "Oh, and Swan," he said with humor in his eyes, "y
ou're supposed to over-run first, not slide into it."
"Thanks for the pointer," she said dryly, splashing him with water from her open
ed bottle.
"You'll pay for that," he teased with a wink before running back out onto the fi
eld.
Bella spent the rest of the game brooding in a chair. No one would let her play
even though her ankle felt fine. Aro insisted she had a sprained ankle even thou
gh it no longer bothered her and Edward told her that if she got up to play, the
y'd leave right away.
Now, as she watched him up at bat again, Victoria now in as catcher, she wished
she had insisted on playing. Maybe then the two of them would be wrapped around
each other in his condo instead of at the Cullen's house while Victoria flirted
with him. She has got to leave my man alone!
Finally, the game ended and Bella and Edward left shortly after, Edward practica
lly carrying her to the car despite her protests. He would be leaving in just a
short couple of hours and they didn't have much time, so they stopped at his con
do first so that he could grab his bag for the road trip and then they went back
to Bella's where they both needed to shower off all the dirt and grime from the
day. Being conservationists, they decided to save on water and take a shower to
gether. Of course one could argue how much they conserved considering how long t
heir shower actually lasted.
Chapter 27 July 2 4, 2009
"Are you meeting Edward for lunch?" Jessica asked excitedly, plopping her butt r
ight on Bella's desk. "Tyler's taking me to Nick's Fishmarket on Clark."
"Well, have fun."
"Where're you and Edward going? You wanna double?"
"Ah, actually, I'm having lunch with Alice today. Tell Tyler I say, 'hi', though
."
The Cubs finished their series with the Pirates late on Wednesday night and didn
't get home until very early this morning Edward had texted Bella at 1:47 AM tel
ling her he was back in Chicago. Because of that, Bella was giving him time to s
leep and wouldn't see him until the game which wasn't until seven this evening a
fter which, she would go home and not get to spend time with him until after the
game tomorrow afternoon. Though Edward was back in Chicago, it still seemed lik
e ages until she'd get to see him.
"Well, have a great time!" Jessica walked briskly away, an extra bounce in her s
tep.
Sighing heavily, Bella opened up an internet browser and pulled up the Cubs webs
ite. Edward was on the main page, a picture of him stepping into the dugout from
yesterday's game giving Tyler, Garrett, and Carlisle high-fives after his solo
homerun. God he looks good. His crazy hair was pushed under a blue batting helme
t, but his eyes were vivid green and his pale skin especially his cheeks was flu
shed red from the exertion of playing ball. He was smiling crookedly in the pict
ure, his teeth white and straight, and his forearms looked so strong; powerful.
Ugh, it's only been three days and I'm going crazy with lust!
It was a bit early to start her lunch, but Bella had to get going to meet up wit
h Alice. The Taste of Chicago was going on and they planned to meet over at the
fountain and spend the afternoon wandering around all the booths eating as much
of everything they could stomach. The Taste of Chicago was a 10 day food festiva
l in Grant Park. All types of restaurants participated and usually provided a fe
w selections usually special or popular dishes in different sizes; Bella's favor
ite size was the 'taste' portion just enough for a taste, leaving you hungry for
a taste of something else. Alice and Bella loved The Taste and looked forward t
o it every year, which always started at the end of June and ended around the fo
urth of July with a huge fireworks display on Friday night.
"Hey Ang, I'm leaving now. Are you sure you don't want to join us?" She stood in
the entrance to Angela's cube, leaning against the frame of the wall. Luckily,
she was able to dress very casual today in a khaki skirt that went down to right
above her knees and a brown and pink sweater-blouse. She barely wore pink, but
she loved the colors together of course Alice gave her approval of the cute shir
t with a pink ribbon tied in a bow on the bottom left corner.
"No thanks. Ben and I went to it over the weekend and are going back again for t
he Fourth."
"Oh, are you coming to the party after?"
"Are you sure we're invited? We don't want to impose."
"Of course you are. Alice specifically told me to invite you and Ben. Believe me
, Alice does not hand out pittyvites." Jazz had decided to have a small gatherin
g at his place on the Fourth of July after the Cubs game. All their friends had
been invited, except for Jake and Tanya. Heck, Seth had been invited, which worr
ied Bella because he might bring Jake with him without knowing he wasn't wanted
there.
"I'll talk to Ben about it. I know he wouldn't pass up hanging out with Edward a
nd Jazz again."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm taking the rest of the day off." Secretly, Bel
la was thinking of stopping by Edward's after lunch, just to say hi and for a qu
ick kiss and to be held in his arms she really missed him.
It was a bit cloudy out, but in the high 60's, nice enough to enjoy Chicago outd
oors, and nice enough for Bella to decide to walk down to Grant Park. The sounds
and smells of Chicago were so common to her, that she barely made any notion of
the smelly sewer or loud honking from cars and cabs nothing penetrated her mind
today, not even the Pace city busses blowing smoke in her face as they passed b
y. Instead, her thoughts were on Sunday and what had happened in her townhouse b
efore Edward had to leave for Pittsburgh.
The hot water fell down around us as Edward rubbed soap along my back, caressing
my ass with his coarse hands, squeezing roughly, his tongue lashing out against
my ear, pulling my lobe into his mouth and biting down on it.
"Edward," I moaned, bracing myself against the light blue tiled wall with my han
ds, leaning my forehead against their coolness.
"Bella, I don't want to leave you," he murmured against my neck, his teeth bitin
g down into my flesh he knew I liked it hard and rough.
"Then don't," I stammered, whimpering from the feel of his cock pressing against
my entrance. "I want to see you," I hissed, but still pushed my hips out, forci
ng his head inside me.
"Bella," he groaned, his body tense, "I need you."
Without any obvious effort, Edward pulled away and flipped me around so that my
back was now braced against the cool blue tiles. My arms went around his neck an
d I pulled him down to me, attacking his mouth, hungrily seeking him out, liftin
g my right leg around his hip, and rubbing myself against his rigid cock.
The hot, pounding water pulsed over our bodies, making it hard to breathe in the
thick air surrounding us. Edward wrapped one of his arms around my waist and pu
lled me closer into him, his other hand playing with my breasts, teasing my nipp
les, and pulling on my piercing. With one leg on the slick, wet floor bracing my
self, and one around Edward's hip, I moved a hand down to position him at my ent
rance.
"Are you gonna fuck me?" I asked, thrilled with the anticipation of feeling him
inside me again. I'd been waiting for this all night, enduring the party so that
we could have this moment together.
"Beg me," he growled, thrusting his hips forward just a little so that his tip e
ntered, and then pulled back.
"Fuck me, Edward," I pleaded, grabbing his ass with my hands, trying to push him
into me. "Please, I need you inside!"
"I love to fuck you, Bella," he groaned, slowly pushing forward, filling me half
way.
"More!" I commanded, thrusting my hips up, biting his shoulder as I fought again
st his control, trying to get more of him in. "I want all of you!"
A small whimper escaped my lips as he pulled all the way out and then his right
arm dipped down, lifting my left leg up to wrap around his waist, hooking my fee
t together. His body rammed into me then, his erection filling me, my back pushe
d into the tiles and I cried out. "Yes, Eddie, like that!"
He set a vigorous pace, fucking me hard against the wall, the water blinding me
as I nuzzled on his neck, biting down when I felt pain. Oh, but I loved the pain
, the pain was good. It always pushed my senses over the edge, and I dug my shor
t nails into his shoulder blades, pulling him into me as he slammed me harder ag
ainst the blue tiles.
"I love you," he growled, his fingers pinching at the skin in my thighs as he he
ld me up, supporting my weight. "And I love to fuck you like this, Isabella." Wh
ere did that come from? Oh, but I liked it. He could call me Isabella all he wan
ted while he was fucking me.
The pressure building up inside me was about to explode and I couldn't hold off
any more. "Yes, Eddie," I panted, "I'm so close! Fuck me harder! Faster!" The fe
elings swirling around in my mind were hard to contain and make sense of. All I
knew was that the feel of Edward's long, hard cock inside me along with the fric
tion between our bodies had my head twisting back and forth and I felt like I wa
s going to fall, but I held on tight with one arm and the other, instinctually l
ashed out at whatever it could find and pulled down, finding leverage for me to
buck my hips, and my clit rubbed against his skin, pushing me over the edge.
"Fuck! Eddie! Ugh, fuck!" My screams were drowned out by the water spilling over
us, but I felt my walls constrict around him and my body twitched against his c
hest as whatever I had grabbed a hold of gave way, the sound of ripping shot thr
ough my ears, but I paid no attention.
"Isabella," he groaned, crashing his hips against mine. "Fuck, you're so tight!
Bella!" he hissed loudly. His body then jerked a couple times and then he shudde
red against me, crushing me against the wall, his heart bashing against mine err
atically, his forehead resting on my shoulder, and his chest heaving with each u
ncontrolled breath he took.
"Now that was some shower," I breathed out, letting my feet slowly slink down to
the tub floor once he had pulled out. "I think we may have to clean ourselves a
gain." Pulling my face out from the crook of his neck, I laughed and then sighed
sadly as I realized that this was it he had to go.
"Excuse me," a woman said, her shoulder bumping into Bella's.
Her mind had been so caught up in her memories from the shower with Edward that
she hadn't realized she was now standing directly in front of Buckingham Fountai
n in Grant Park. Looking at the beauty of the water spraying into the air, she w
as suddenly saddened by the fact that Edward wasn't here, experiencing it with h
er. Pulling out her phone, she took a quick picture and then sent it to Edward w
ith a message.
Wish you were here. See you at the game tonight. Love you!
She always ended her messages to him with a quick 'love you' now. Looking back a
t her parents' marriage, she never really heard them say those words to each oth
er very much actually, never. How had she been so blind? How did she not see tha
t her parents didn't love each other? Well, actually, her dad loved her mom, she
did recognize that, even if he didn't say the words enough. And that was why sh
e didn't want to miss an opportunity to tell Edward how she felt.
What if her dad's lack of expressing his feelings was the reason why her mom fel
t the need to look elsewhere? Maybe she didn't feel loved because she never hear
d the words? Anyone who knew Charlie knew how much he loved his wife, even if he
wasn't good at expressing it. Even after she had cheated on him. That thought i
rritated Bella and she became angry at her mom, wondering how she couldn't see t
he love that Charlie had for her. How could she not recognize it or understand t
hat he expressed himself differently than others?
Before Bella could expound on her thoughts, her cell phone rang out with a new t
ext message.
Too bad you aren't here with me. I love you too!
Along with the message was another picture of Buckingham Fountain, but from a di
fferent angle than where Bella was looking at it. What the . . . he's here!
Closing her phone, Bella frantically looked around her, searching for a mop of m
essy auburn hair, but there were too many people around. "Edward?" she said alou
d, hoping he was close by and would be able to hear. When he didn't answer and s
he couldn't see him, she tried to find the angle from which he had taken his pic
ture.
As she rounded the fountain, excusing herself as she bumped into people because
she wasn't looking where she was going, she finally saw him. Sitting on a bench
across from the fountain, Edward stared at her, watching her search for him and
she loved it. When he saw that she had found him, he stood and started walking o
ver to her. Without hesitation, Bella ran as best as she could through the crowd
to where he was and into his arms.
"Oh my God! I can't believe you're here!" she squealed, kissing him on his cheek
and neck as he whirled her around.
"I couldn't stay away," he said before planting his lips against hers. It had on
ly been three days, but it was a long three days and he was so happy to have her
in his arms again.
"How did you know?" Bella pulled away from him, placing her feet on the ground a
s he relaxed his hold on her. "How did you know I'd be here?"
"I called Alice and told her I wanted to surprise you."
"She planned this?" Her body swiveled to look around them, expecting to see her
friend hiding behind a tree or a group of people. "Where is she?"
His arms wrapped around her waist again and pulled her in close, her face burrow
ing in his chest where she relaxed against him, breathing in his scent. "Jazz an
d Alice are over by the beer tent waiting for us."
"Oh. Do we have to find them?"
Edward laughed and then leaned down to kiss her chastely. "We don't have to, but
I do need to eat."
"Yeah, me too. Come on."
Just as Bella tried to grab a hold of his hand and pull him behind her, he pulle
d her back. "First, I have something for you." He pulled a ball out from a littl
e black bag and handed it to her. "Don't get too excited, it's Towne's signature
. I had to hover over him and make sure he didn't write anything inappropriate."
"Thanks for that. He always has a way of saying the creepiest things." A shiver
ran down Bella's spine as she thought of the weird things he had said to her at
the Cullens' party on Sunday. She had ignored him, but it didn't take the weird,
freaky vibes she got from him away. "Thanks for the ball," she said after readi
ng Towne's little inscription that pretty much just said, 'To Bella, with love,
James Towne'.
"There's one more thing," Edward said, his eyes scanning the area before pulling
Bella up to the railing that surrounded the fountain. "Stand right here and don
't move." It was at that time that Bella noticed he had his camera with him and
she smiled as she watched him approach a woman with a stroller and handed her hi
s camera, motioning over toward Bella. "Okay," he said as he came to stand next
to her, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her against his side, "try a
nd look happy."
The woman took a few pictures of them, having them pose differently, even one wh
ere she had them look at each other. Bella couldn't hold in her laughter as she
stared in Edward's eyes and the lady had to retake the picture many times. But E
dward kept saying stupid things, getting her to laugh it was his fault. When the
y were done with their mini photo session, the lady gave Edward back his camera
and stared up at him.
"Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked; a look of confusion on her face. She
had obviously recognized him, but couldn't figure out from where. It was a bit i
ronic, Bella thought as she looked down at the lady's son who wore a long sleeve
d Cubs shirt.
"I play for the Cubs," Edward said, shrugging his shoulders. He normally wouldn'
t come out and tell someone in public like this, but the lady had been kind enou
gh to take their picture.
"Edward Masen?" the lady shrieked. "Oh my God! Can you sign something for my hus
band? He is going to freak out! Oh my God!"
"Sh, sh, sh," Edward said hurriedly. "I'll sign whatever you want, just keep it
down." His eyes scanned the crowd around them and though a few people had turned
to look at the woman, no one seemed to notice him.
After fumbling through a bag, the woman pulled out a small composition book and
a pen and as Edward signed a little note to the woman's husband, she began talki
ng. "Can I get a picture of you with me and my boy? My husband is a huge fan and
"
"That's not a problem," he interrupted, just wanting to get this over with.
The lady handed Bella her camera and then pulled her son out of the stroller, st
anding next to Edward with a big, cheesy grin on her face. Bella took a few pict
ures of the three and then held her breath as the lady handed Edward her little
boy and stepped back, wanting to get a few pictures of just Edward and her son.
The lady took over with the camera then and Bella watched Edward hold the boy ef
fortlessly, humming into the baby's ear, bouncing him up and down gently he was
a natural. Something inside Bella's heart expanded and the love she felt for him
grew, the pounding becoming heavy and distinct in her ears. Please don't let an
yone else hear this!
"You okay?" Edward asked from her side, an arm wrapping around her waist.
"Um, yeah. Where'd she go?" Turning her head, Bella looked for the woman.
"I don't know, but our friends are waiting," he smirked, his adorable smile send
ing a wave of lust through her. The feelings his touch always invoked in her wer
e still there. She had gotten used to the rush that filled her body, but it was
always present and for some reason, the feeling was more pronounced in this one
moment she loved it.
Holding hands, fingers entwined, Edward and Bella made their way over to the bee
r tent and Bella tried to leave and get tickets for the booths, but Edward pulle
d her back, showing her a huge collection of tickets that he had already purchas
ed. "This is a date," he reminded her, motioning toward her bag which held the n
ewest addition to her ball collection.
After grabbing a couple of beers, Edward took a few pictures of Jazz and Alice a
nd then some of Alice and Bella and some of just Bella when he thought she wasn'
t looking. The four of them walked around, going from booth to booth, talking, l
aughing, joking around, and just having a great time together. The one thing mis
sing, Edward mused to himself, was Emmett and Rosalie. When the two of them had
become a fixture in his life, he wasn't sure, but he knew that he wished they we
re there with them. The six of them just seemed to click together as a group and
he couldn't wait to spend more time with Emmett whom he had come to see as a br
other and Rosalie at Jazz's party on the fourth.
Between Jazz and Edward, the four of them couldn't get far before having to stop
 and take pictures with a few fans and sign some autographs. The girls took it a
ll in stride though and usually huddled together to make fun of their men while
the girls flirted, the men stuttered around them nervously, and the young kids s
tared at the two men in awe. It was interesting to watch the varied reactions th
ey invoked in their fans. They even got hit on by a few men, which only caused m
ore giggling from Bella and Alice.
It was almost half-past noon when they made it over to the sports pavilion and s
omeone called out Edward and Jazz's names, resulting in all four of them to turn
and groan at the same time. But what they found had them all smiling.
"Rick!" Edward shouted first, walking over to the White Sox's first baseman with
an outstretched hand. The two men shook hands and talked quietly, with Jazz joi
ning them. A couple other Sox players came over. They all had on their batting p
ractice uniforms and were throwing some balls around with some kids, signing aut
ographs, and taking pictures.
Bella knew the Sox would be there, but didn't even think about stopping by. All
of the Chicago sports teams were spending time at the sports pavilion at some po
int during the festival to play around with their fans. Every Chicago team, exce
pt for the Cubs that is; the festival just didn't fit well with their schedule t
his year.
The guys introduced Alice and Bella to Rick and a couple other players and then
they signed a few autographs for some fans that happened by before they finished
walking around the food booths. At the end, when Bella was too full and felt li
ke going home and putting on a pair of sweats anything with an expandable waist
the four of them walked over to the bean.
Alice took a few pictures of Edward and Bella with the bean and then they got sh
ots of Alice and Jazz and then Bella and Alice and then some fans came over and
got their pictures taken with Edward, Jazz, and the bean. They had spent nearly
45 minutes at the bean taking pictures and finally found someone to take one of
all four of them before calling it a day.
Edward and Jazz needed to get ready to go to Wrigley, as they needed to be there
no later than four, and the girls were going home to take a nap before the game
. While Alice and Jazz had a private moment together, Edward wrapped his arms ar
ound Bella and just held onto her, kissing the top of her head and enjoying the
feel of her in his arms.
"What are your plans after the game?" he asked into her head, swaying their bodi
es very slightly.
"Going to bed."
"Will you go home to my place? Wait for me?"
"Edward," she moaned sadly into his shoulder, "I have work in the morning."
"Please?" He looked down at her then and kissed her innocently, letting his lips
linger against hers. "I live closer to your office than you do you could sleep
in a little later."
"I don't know," she started, but was cut off.
"We can try something new," he suggested, his lips rubbing gently along her neck
, sending a rush of electricity through her, exciting her. "Please? I need you."
"You don't play fair."
"Never claimed to."
Lifting up on her toes, Bella placed her lips against his. "I've been to Kinderg
arten, Edward; I know how to share my toys." She kissed him then and pulled away
, a wicked smile lighting her face and Edward watched as she turned and walked t
oward Alice.
"Wait!" he called after her. "Is that a yes?"
Turning to look over her shoulder, Bella blew him a kiss and waved sweetly. "I'l
l be waiting for you," she yelled back to him and then winked. "Make sure you're
well rested!"
~GO CUBS~
"I'm what?" Jane asked the doctor, staring at the screen before her. It had been
nine days since she was told she was going through a miscarriage. Once back in
her bed at Mila and Juan's house, Jane had lain around and did nothing but sleep
and eat. She knew she had lost everything and didn't know where to turn.
But that's when things got weird. The bleeding had stopped, as did the cramping
and her pregnancy symptoms never went away. Her doctor had told her that her bod
y was going through the miscarriage just fine if that word could legitimately be
used in this context and she wouldn't need anything done medically to help the
miscarriage along, but the fact that everything had stopped scared her she didn'
t want a D&C, the thought of any type of surgery, no matter how common upset her
.
That was how she found herself in the doctor's office today to see what was goin
g on. The first thing her doctor wanted to do was an ultrasound to see if the ge
stational sac was still inside her. What they saw on the screen was more than ju
st a gestational sac. They saw a bean shape with two arms and two legs, and some
what of a head. Not only was there a developing fetus inside her, but it was mov
ing and its heart was beating.
"You're still pregnant," her doctor said again, a huge grin plastered to his fac
e.
"What happened then, I mean, why the bleeding?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I have a theory," he said, pulling the ultrasound wa
nd out of her spread legs and throwing the condom away. He sat back on the round
stool and exhaled loudly. "With your high numbers, my first thought is that you
miscarried a twin."
"Is that possible?" Jane asked, not sure if that meant the remaining baby was in
trouble or not.
"Yes, and very common."
"Will this one . . .?"
"This one should be fine," he reassured her. "You are seven weeks and five days,
which puts the due date," he mused, pausing to look back at the screen, where a
snap shot of her baby was still visible, along with her estimated due date, "on
February 13th." He smiled warmly down at her then. "I'm going to have the nurse
take some more blood so we can run some numbers on you and then I'll need you t
o come back in two days and redo the test. This is just a precaution to make sur
e everything is going well nothing to worry about."
"Okay," she mumbled, excitement building up inside her. I'm still pregnant!
Too excited to go home, Jane went to the diner where Mila worked and told her th
e great news. The two friends spent the rest of the day giggling and talking abo
ut their next plans and what Jane needed to do. Her original plan Edward as the
father had her moving to Chicago and being with him. But now, with the baby bein
g Jazz's, that wasn't necessarily ideal, though she still wouldn't mind a change
of scenery. Instead, she would do whatever she could to get as much money out o
f him as possible. Right now, he was sending her $5,000 a month, but that just w
ouldn't be enough, they wanted more.
~GO CUBS~
It was a room she had been in before, but not with Edward not until now. The onl
y thing in the room was a shiny, black baby grand piano and a matching bench. Th
e other times she had been in here had been while she waited for him to come hom
e from a game or in the mornings after he had left for the ballpark. She had sat
on the bench and played a few notes, fantasizing about how it would be when he
played for her. Now, here she was and she couldn't wait to hear his music.
So far, the night had been perfect. The Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 and
then Bella scrambled back to Edward's place to cook a nice, romantic dinner for
two. They ate at his small table set up right next to the large windows off to t
he side of his living room, looking down at Navy Pier and all the people gathere
d there, waiting for the fireworks display. Chicago's Fourth of July fireworks w
ere scheduled for tonight, the third of July, and Bella couldn't wait to watch t
hem from Edward's condo he had the perfect view.
They bantered about his music all through dinner, Bella practically begging him
to play for her. It wasn't that he didn't want to play for her, but he was nervo
us. His music was something he did for himself and only his parents and a few ot
her random family members had ever heard him play his own compositions, which wa
s what Bella wanted to hear. Specifically, she wanted to hear the song he starte
d writing the second night they met; the music he was composing as he sat on her
porch swing.
"Over here, Bella," Edward said, patting the bench with his right hand.
"I don't want to be in your way," she said sheepishly, not really sure where wou
ld be a better place for her to sit.
"You won't be in my way," he said, rolling his eyes. "Come on."
Finally giving in, she sat next to him, trying to give him as much room as possi
ble, watching his fingers softly stroke over the ivory keys, yet not pressing th
em down yet. "Relax," he teased her, deliberately bumping into her shoulder, "it
doesn't bite."
Bella giggled. "But you do."
Edward smiled over at her with a wink and then began to play softly. "This is th
e song from the night on your porch," he whispered, his eyes searching hers for
a reaction.
"It's beautiful."
He didn't speak much to her as he played, but they exchanged quite a few glances
, Bella blushing every time. She had no idea what songs he played for her; wheth
er they were something he had written or not. Her mind was jarred into wondermen
t by the first one the one from the porch and after that, she just relaxed and e
njoyed everything else.
There was never any pause in his playing between songs and she watched from his
side, mesmerized by how fast and fluid his fingers moved and how strong his shou
lders and forearms looked, his muscles tensing and relaxing as he played. It had
n't been too long before the sky started to darken and Bella looked past Edward
to the window that sat to his left and smiled. It had been a beautiful day.
A small gasp escaped her lips as she saw the first sparkle of lights in the sky
the fireworks had begun. Turning to stare out at the large, bright, splashes of
color, Edward abruptly changed the song he was playing to 'America the Beautiful
' and Bella smiled at him, their eyes locking for a brief moment. For the next 1
0 minutes or so, Edward played anything patriotic he could think of to go along
with the blasts of color that seeped into his home through the windows and the l
oud, shaking booms of the explosions.
Wanting to get a better view, Bella got up from the piano bench and turned off t
he lights in the room and closed the door. She then walked over to stand before
the window, gazing out at the expanse of colorful blasts in the sky. Edward watc
hed her, changing his song once more, back to the song he started with; her song
.
"It really is beautiful," she murmured, her eyes still on the explosive sky. "Th
e song, Edward," she said, turning her head to look at him. "Have you given it a
name?"
"Not yet," he said, shrugging his shoulders, the corners of his mouth turning up
in a small smile she had recognized the song. "I was thinking about naming it,
Bella's Song."
She walked back over to him then and put her hands on his shoulders, looking dow
n at his fingers as they danced along the white and black keys. "Why?"
"Because," he whispered, turning his head to look at her, "it's your song."
"Mine?"
"Mmhmm," he hummed, turning his head back to the front.
When the song ended, Edward turned around on the bench, but remained seated, wra
pping his arms around Bella's waist and pulling her stomach into his head. Lazil
y, her hands brushed through his tussled hair as the booming thunder from firewo
rks shook the condo around them.
"I love you, Bella," Edward whispered, kissing her shirt over her stomach and tu
rning his face up to look at her.
"And I lo-"
A ringing noise interrupted their intimate moment and Bella paused, frowning dow
n to Edward who was contemplating whether or not he should answer the phone. He
could tell by the ring, that it was the front desk of the building, which made h
im wonder why they would be bothering him now, he wasn't expecting any guests.
"Are you going to answer that?" Bella asked, pulling away from him.
"I guess," he sighed. Standing up, he kissed Bella on her lips and then pulled h
er into the living room where he answered his house phone.
"Hello? Hey Roger, what's going on?" Roger was the night shift security guard at
the desk in the lobby.
"Who?"
"No, Roger, I'm not available right now . . . she wasn't invited over . . ." Edw
ard reached an arm out toward Bella and she walked over to him, allowing him to
wrap his arm around her as he kissed the top of her head.
"Then let her sit downstairs all night, she'll get tired eventually and leave."
Bella threw him a questioning glance and he grimaced and mouthed the word, "late
r", to her.
"All right. Thanks for letting me know. Yeah, just tell her I'm not receiving an
y guests tonight. Bye."
"What was that all about?" Bella asked as Edward hung up his phone.
Leaning back against the bar between the kitchen and living room, Edward wrapped
both his arms around Bella and pulled her in for a tight hug, kissing her on th
e forehead. "Nothing important," he murmured against her skin.
"No? Then why are you upset?"
"I'm not upset, Bella."
"Oh yes you are. Your mouth flattens out into a line and the creases at the corn
ers of your eyes squish together when you're mad you're doing it now."
Exhaling loudly, Edward rested his forehead against hers and kissed her softly b
efore pulling away. "Tanya's downstairs."
"What? Why?"
"I don't know. Roger said that she looks upset and has been crying."
"And you sent her away?" As much as she didn't like Tanya, Bella had a sick feel
ing in her stomach. If Jake had done something to upset her, then it was all her
fault because she had been the one to devise the lie to get Tanya together with
him.
"I tried," he said dryly. "She's refusing to leave and has sat down on one of th
e lounge chairs in the lobby."
"Oh." Bella didn't know exactly how she felt about this. On one hand, she was wo
rried that Jake might have done something to her, but on the other, she really d
idn't want her to ruin their night. It had been perfect so far.
"What do you want me to do, Bella? I can see the wheels turning in your head, bu
t I don't know what you want."
"I don't know either."
"Then what has you frowning at me?"
"Promise not to be mad?"
Edward rolled his eyes at her and tightened his arms around her waist. "I promis
e not to be mad," he said sarcastically.
"Oh, that sounded so sincere."
"It's the best you're going to get right now. I am mad that Tanya is downstairs
and won't leave, and from the sound of your voice, I'm afraid you have something
to do with it."
"I don't know, I mean, I'm not sure . . ."
"What happened?"
"Remember how Rosalie and I wanted to hook Tanya up with Jake?"
"Yeah." He smiled at her, wondering why their little try at match making would h
ave her so worried.
"Well, you see, we kind of lied to Tanya."
"Lied?"
Bella explained everything to him about the night of the party and how she under
stood where he was coming from about Jake and how Tanya wouldn't keep her hands
off him and so she and Rosalie had come up with the plan. Other than a few cocky
grins from Edward over Bella being jealous, he let her get everything out befor
e responding.
"So you think that she's downstairs crying because you lied to her about Jake?"
"Technically, I didn't do the lying."
"Ah, but it was your idea."
"God, don't remind me. It's not my proudest moment."
"Do you know how they're getting along?"
"No, I don't speak to Jake at all, but Emmett told Rose that they had slept toge
ther, although I'm not sure what that all means considering he sent me those ros
es."
"Do you want me to have Roger send her up?"
"No . . . yes . . . I don't know. I don't want her to ruin our evening . . . yet
she already has, hasn't she?"
"It's up to you, Bella. Personally, I'm fine with letting her sit downstairs unt
il she comes to her senses and leaves."
"What if Jake did something to her? What if I'm responsible for whatever she's g
oing through right now?"
Edward sighed loudly and kissed Bella's forehead once more. "I'll call Roger."
~GO CUBS~
"I can't believe you actually did that!" Bella giggled, nuzzling her head into E
dward's side. For the past hour they had lain in bed and talked about Tanya and
her visit.
Upon entering Edward's condo, she proceeded to try and throw herself into his ar
ms looking for comfort, to which he had pried himself away from her and sat her
down on his living room couch. Bella sat on the couch next to her and Tanya told
not asked Bella to leave.
After a few choice words from Edward, Bella stayed in the living room and listen
ed to Tanya recount the story of her and Brian's marriage, painting the man as a
monster and claiming that he abused her. In her heart, Bella felt horrible for
thinking that Tanya was lying, but at the same time, she felt as if her speech w
as a little too rehearsed.
Over the next twenty minutes or so, Tanya then went on to tell Edward about her
phone conversation with Brian this evening and how he had called her a whore and
said some very nasty things to her nasty things that she was too embarrassed to
repeat. Bella rolled her eyes at this, causing Edward to give her a warning loo
k to keep quiet and to not say anything it seemed to Bella as if he was buying h
er load of crap.
Tanya's crying her heart out to Edward and looking for sympathy and comfort from
him had become too much for Bella and she eventually got up and walked into the
kitchen, leaning on the counter. That was when Tanya tried to get closer to Edw
ard and he shot an exasperated pair of eyes over to Bella.
"So this has nothing to do with Jake?" Edward asked, his eyes looking at Tanya f
irst, then over to Bella, to let her know that he was right in not wanting to le
t her up in his condo.
"Jake?" Tanya choked out. "Why would this have anything to do with him?"
"I don't know," Edward sighed. "We were just worried that he had done something
. . ."
"Jake's a sweetheart," she crooned sappily.
"Then why didn't you go to him tonight? Why did you interrupt me and Bella?"
That's when everything went downhill. Piercing blue-grey eyes turned to Bella, s
hooting poisonous darts at her and the accusations then started to fly. "She's c
hanged you!" Tanya exclaimed. "We used to be friends; you used to be there for m
e."
"Tanya," Edward groaned, getting up from the couch to walk over to stand next to
Bella. "We can still be friends," he said, trying to console her, causing Bella
's body to tense up beside him. Noticing the change in Bella's posture, Edward r
ealized he had said the wrong thing. No matter what he did or said, he couldn't
win in this situation. Turning to look at Bella, he cocked an eyebrow, inviting
her to jump in at any time.
"No, it's different," Tanya said, rounding the couch to face them. "What? Is she
afraid that I'll get you back?"
Groaning, Edward just put his head down and shook it back and forth. This is not
happening!
"I'm right here," Bella stated sternly. "If you want to know how I feel about so
mething, ask me."
"He doesn't like overbearing, jealous girls, Bella," Tanya said. "You keep this
up and you'll lose him forever."
"That's it, Tanya, you need to leave," Edward growled.
"I'm sorry if the truth hurts," Tanya sighed, grabbing her purse off the coffee
table. "Thanks for being there for me. I know I can always count on you."
"Next time, find Jake," Edward said dryly, walking behind her to the door, closi
ng it as she stepped out.
Once she was out the door, it was Bella that engulfed Edward in her arms, wrappi
ng herself around him and apologizing for making him invite Tanya up to his plac
e. "Let's go to bed," she whispered in his ear.
That was how they found themselves, hours later, laughing and cuddling in bed, t
alking about Tanya first, but then shifting the conversation to nothing importan
t or consequential. It was so easy for them to be together and so easy to talk a
bout anything, everything, or nothing at all. Home. Without Bella here, in his a
rms, Edward felt empty and alone, but with her, he felt safe, complete, he felt
like he was home and he never wanted to be without her again. She's the one. Rea
lizing how strong he felt about Bella and acknowledging in his head what he want
ed with her marriage turned him on. Edward leaned into her and kissed her mouth,
shutting her up, his hands rubbing along her curves. Tonight he would make love
to her; wonderful, passionate, old-fashioned love.
~GO CUBS~
"Here," Emmett said in a hushed whisper, "what do you think?"
Extending her hand out to his, Bella took the small box that he held and opened
it up. "It's beautiful! When are you . . . wait, not today! I mean, not at the g
ame, right?"
"Why not?" He took the box back and tucked it in his shorts pocket.
"Em, we're at a Cubs game."
"Exactly! I was thinking of doing it during the seventh inning stretch. It'll be
perfect."
"For you," Bella said, shaking her head.
"She loves the Cubs!"
"Yeah, but a proposal is, well, it's personal, Emmett."
"You really don't think she'll like it?"
"Hey, Fred," Bella called over her shoulder. "What odds would you put up for Ros
e accepting a marriage proposal here at Wrigley?"
Fred laughed and then wrote something in his notebook before looking up. "Is he
really gonna do it?" His gravelly, yet nasally voice matched his unkempt grey/br
own mop of hair and facial stubble along with his coke-bottle glasses. Bella lov
ed Fred because he was who he was and never apologized for it. He was just Fred.
"That's the plan," Bella said, a huge grin on her face.
"You can't propose at a baseball game," Sue cut in, giving her disapproval.
"It's too tacky," said Sue's friend, shaking her head.
"Wait," Emmett snapped, "you don't think she'd say yes?" His face finally turned
 serious and Bella felt some relief. If he ever proposed to Rosalie at a Cubs ga
me, she would kill him. Correction: she'd castrate him first and then kill him.
"Actually," Fred said, pushing on the nosepiece of his glasses, "I can't think o
f any scenario that would have her saying yes. Not at Wrigley. Now, you take tha
t pretty lady out to a nice dinner, be a gentleman, and you can't lose."
"Dinner?" Emmett pouted. "That's so boring." Running his hand over the growth of
hair on top of his head, Emmett mumbled something to himself and Bella turned t
o see Rosalie making her way back from the bathroom. "How about tonight with the
fireworks and everything?" It had taken him months to get the courage to finall
y ask her and now he was being turned down by Bella and Fred, telling him his id
ea was all wrong. He was about to freak out.
"That sounds a lot better," Bella said softly. "But we can't talk about it right
now." She motioned her head to the aisle where Rosalie was descending the stair
s.
"Fred?" Emmett asked, hopeful.
"Fireworks sound a lot more romantic," he mused with a nod.
"I wish I could hold it in as long as you do, Swan. That bathroom is disgusting!
" Rosalie scooted past Bella and sat in her seat between her and Emmett. "What d
id I miss?"
"Masen actually hit a double while your man blabbered on like a girl. Even this
one," Fred said, pointing to Bella, "missed it."
"What?" Bella jerked her head back to the field to see Edward at second base. Fr
owning, she sadly berated herself for not paying attention and missing him get a
hit. At least I can make it up to him in bed. The images that filtered through
her mind now were pretty naughty and when Edward made it to third off a single b
y Carlisle, he looked up at her briefly, catching her flushed cheeks and goofy g
rin.
It was the Fourth of July and after the game everyone was heading over to Jazz's
place for a barbeque. Alice missed the game so that she could set everything up
and Bella and Rosalie, along with Emmett, would go over directly after the game
to help her out. It would be a small gathering and Bella was excited to just re
lax with her and Edward's group of friends and hang out.
Once at Jazz's place, Rosalie and Bella dove into their work, helping Alice prep
are food and snacks for everyone while Emmett disappeared. Angela and Ben arrive
d shortly after with a chili and cream cheese dip and chips and then Alice took
them around for a tour, with which Ben was mesmerized. He was in one of his hero
's homes life couldn't get better for him.
By the time Edward and Jazz had arrived, the music was turned on loud and the sm
all group of friends gathered around a coffee table playing monopoly. No one eve
n noticed them walk in until Edward sat down next to Bella with a beer in one ha
nd and a baseball in the other, kissing her on the cheek.
"Who bought the Moose Drool?" he asked, looking through Bella's properties. She
owned almost the whole side of the board with Boardwalk, Park Place, North Carol
ina Ave, Pacific Ave, and Pennsylvania Ave. The only thing she didn't own on tha
t side was the Short Line Railroad. She was raking in the money too, he noted, a
nd had numerous houses and hotels built on her properties.
"That would be Emmett." Grinning, she leaned in for a proper kiss from him, tast
ing raspberries on his lips. He was constantly chewing his raspberry gum during
the games. Though some players still chewed tobacco while playing, a lot of them
had turned to sun flower seeds or gum and thankfully, Edward was one of them.
"Demetri," Edward said, handing her the ball.
"Thank you," she said, blushing as she felt everyone's eyes on them.
It didn't take long for the Monopoly game to end because not only did Bella own
one side of the board, but she also owned all the orange and red properties a ma
jor corner. "How did you manage that?" Edward asked as Alice and Angela put the
game away.
"Emmett," she giggled. "He can't say no to my offers."
"I can say no," Emmett pouted, taking a sip of his beer.
"Right," Bella taunted him, "that's why you gave me New York Avenue for a pass f
or only that one property! That was stupid!"
"It wasn't stupid," he brooded.
"Emmett, you always land on the oranges, and not just New York," Bella sighed, s
haking her head. "You are one of the smartest guys I know, Em, but man, you can'
t play Monopoly for "
"Don't' say it, Bella," Emmett said, standing to his feet and covering his ears
with his hands. "You know I don't like hearing my naive girl cuss."
"I was going to say socks," she giggled, standing up to give him a kiss on his c
heek.
For some reason, the innocent exchange between Bella and Emmett had Edward's blo
od boiling. He knew they were close friends and he understood her need to remain
Emmett's friend. Heck, Edward liked Emmett a lot, but Emmett had been Bella's p
rotector for so long that he still let comments of her being 'his' slip although
, he had called her naïve. He mustn't know her too well.
It dawned on him then. Bella didn't get kinky in bed until she was with Danny Em
mett didn't know her like that at all. A small, giddy smile erupted on Edward an
d he pulled Bella into him, kissing her soundly on the lips. "You amaze me," he
whispered. The look she gave him back melted him turned him to mush. That look c
ould get her anything she wanted from him.
The group of friends sat around drinking, talking crap about each other and shar
ing embarrassing stories. Alice made a point to mention her and Bella's new show
er curtain, asking Edward if he knew what had happened to their old one. Choking
on his beer, he looked at Bella with worried eyes while everyone around them st
arted laughing word had already spread about that, apparently. At some point, th
ey broke up into groups and Edward and Bella found themselves across the room fr
om each other, sharing stolen glances and smiles.
Once it got dark out, Emmett disappeared outside and it was a while before anyon
e noticed he was missing, but Bella finally found him through the window. "What
is he doing?" Edward asked from her side.
"I'm not sure. I think he's . . . oh, no!" she gasped. "Where's Rosalie?"
As Bella turned to call out Rosalie's name, Emmett walked in the door and called
for her first. Rosalie came down the stairs and Emmett led her outside.
"Crap!" Bella muttered, her left hand rubbing along her forehead. "I don't know
what to do!"
"What's wrong?" Alice asked, coming to stand near Bella, looking out the window.
"It can't be!" Bella groaned.
Jazz had joined them by now, as well as Angela and Ben and they all watched as E
mmett started bending over with a lighter while Rosalie stood in what appeared t
o be a circle of cone shaped fireworks.
"This can't be happening. She's so going to kill him."
"Will you please tell us what is going on?" Alice asked, pushing her face closer
to watch Emmett light another cone as sparks started to erupt in a circle, litt
le fountains of sparks all around them.
"He's going to propose," Bella whispered with a hint of a giggle.
Just as her words were said, Emmett dropped to one knee and the gaggle of friend
s in the window watched as he held up a tool box in his hands and lifted the lid
. "Is he giving her tools?" Jazz asked, unsure as to what he was actually doing.
"He wouldn't be giving her tools if he were proposing."
"Oh. My. God." Bella hid her face in Edward's chest and felt the rumbling of his
laughter against her cheek. "She will never forgive him."
"Oh man!" Edward chuckled. "He put the cones too close together." The laughter a
round Bella had increased so she looked up and gawked at what she saw Emmett's f
oot was on fire.
"Why are all of you laughing? He could get hurt."
"He'll be fine," Jazz choked out, trying not to laugh. "See?"
Jumping on one foot, Emmett hit at his other one which he had lifted, probably b
urning more of his jeans in the process. When the fire was out, Emmett got back
on his knee and took Rosalie's hand in his. They couldn't hear what was being sa
id, but they could see Rosalie's lips moving from her profile.
"She's so not happy." Alice shared a look with Bella, both of them shaking their
heads.
"Isabella! Marie! Swan!"
The shriek pulled both Bella and Alice out of their private, silent conversation
and they turned back to stare out the window just in time to see Rosalie stormi
ng toward the front door.
"What did you do?" Edward whispered into Bella's ear.
"I don't know."
"Isabella," Rosalie seethed. "Did you, or did you not tell Emmett to propose to
me with fireworks?"
"She did!" Emmett accused from behind Rosalie. "She told me it would be romantic
."
"I did not!" Bella said, the humor of it all finally getting to her as she erupt
ed into laughter.
"You did too!" Emmett whined, pointing a finger at her.
"Oh no, Emmett, this was all you!"
"Tell me," Rosalie seethed.
"It could've been so much worse!" Bella laughed, unable to control herself. "He
was going to propose to you during the seventh-inning stretch at the game today!
"
"He what?" Rosalie snapped, turning to scowl at Emmett.
"I told you she'd like that better," Emmett said proudly, as if his original ide
a had vindicated him.
"Oh no," Alice gasped, trying hard not to laugh. She knew very well that being p
roposed to during a Cubs game was Rosalie's worst nightmare.
"You were going to propose to me at a Cubs game? Who do you think I am? Some fuc
king trixie?"
"Well, no, honey, I thought you'd like it. You love the Cubs." Emmett looked up
at the other men in the room, hoping for some support but found none. Even Ben's
eyes were wide with fright.
"Okay," Rosalie said levelly, turning her back to Emmett and looking at Bella ag
ain. "Why would you tell him to propose to me surrounded by a spray of cheap spa
rks?"
"That was all him," Bella stuttered, choking back the laughs.
"Not true! You and Fred "
"Emmett!" Alice shrieked. "Did you get all the fire out? I smell burning!"
Surrounded by a sea of laughter, Emmett patted himself down, making sure nothing
was still lit in his pants. "I think I'm fine," he said irritated, turning back
to glare at Bella. "This really was all Bella's idea."
"Give it up! Fred and I told you not to propose at the game and you came up with
the fireworks proposal. I had no idea you were going to light . . ." She starte
d laughing again, her left arm grabbing a hold of Edward's shirt, trying to stea
dy herself. "You lit fountain cones in a circle, Emmett! What were you thinking?
"
"You said fireworks were a good idea."
"If you were sitting down and watching them together, not standing in the middle
of a circle of cones spewing sparks all over the place. You set your leg on fir
e!"
"Yes!" Alice shrieked, drawing everyone's attention away from Bella and Emmett's
tirade. "She said yes!" Holding Rosalie's left hand up to show everyone, Alice
jumped up and down excitedly, pointing to the large diamond sitting on Rosalie's
third left finger. It was a two carat princess cut solitaire in a platinum sett
ing simple, elegant, and beautiful.
Bella and Angela both squealed, rushing over to look at the ring and giving Rosa
lie hugs and congratulations. The enormous smile plastered to Emmett's face show
ed the men just how happy he was and he received a few jokes about the old ball
and chain as well as congratulations with pats on the back.
"See, Bella," Emmett bellowed out, "I did good."
Rosalie walked over to him, placing her arms around his waist and planting a big
kiss on his lips. "It was the tool box," she beamed. "Where'd you get the idea
of putting the ring inside a tool box?"
"That was all me," he replied cockily. When the girls weren't paying attention,
Emmett nodded his head in Edward's direction a silent thank you. Edward hadn't r
eally given him the actual idea, but when Emmett had called him from Jazz's hous
e in a panic earlier, he had told him to think about what Rosalie was passionate
about other than Emmett, himself and to go from there. That was when he rummage
d through Jazz's garage to find a tool box; she valued her tools so much that he
wasn't even allowed to go near them.
The rest of the evening found the girls huddled at the table looking over Alice'
s shoulders to view wedding dresses and different Chicago venues on her laptop.
The men sat in front of the TV playing video games and discussing the Cubs' loss
to the Brewers only hours before. At around nine at night, loud explosions drew
the friends out of their little bubbles and they all headed outside onto the ba
ck porch and looked up to see the sprinkling of amateur fireworks from neighbori
ng houses.
The four couples stayed up late talking about the upcoming wedding, which seemed
like it would be planned for the next summer, and recounting Emmett's unforgett
able proposal. Bella sat on Edward's lap for most of the night, cuddled up in hi
s arms, and eventually fell asleep while listening to the sound of his voice and
feeling the vibrations through his chest as he spoke. The draw he had on her wa
s not letting up at all, she wasn't sure how she would take the next road trip i
t was going to be a long one.
Chapter 28 July 13, 2009
"It's too early," Bella mumbled, taking the coffee from Edward's hand.
"The car's here, Bella, we really need to get going."
Feeling frumpy in her jeans, t-shirt, and sweatshirt, Bella let her eyes roam ov
er her boyfriend, liking the dress rules that teams had for their players when t
hey travelled. He was dressed in a light grey suit with a crisp white shirt and
blue, white, and black diagonal-striped tie. Today Bella was flying with Edward
to St. Louis for the All Star Game that he was playing in tomorrow.
Had it not been for the makeup game the Cubs needed to play, they wouldn't have
had a double header yesterday and Bella and Edward would already be in St. Louis
, probably sleeping. "Alright," she groaned, grabbing her purse. Edward had alre
ady brought their bags down to the lobby and was sure that Joe, the doorman, wou
ld have already loaded them into the car.
Three Cubs players made the All Star team this year; Jazz, Edward, and Carlisle.
Carlisle had turned down his spot, wanting to take the couple extra days off to
spend with Esme and Lian before the Cubs headed out on a seven day road trip. J
azz was the number 2 pitcher for the National League, so would be pitching in th
e 4th, 5th, and 6th innings as long as he did well.
"Are we picking up Jazz and Alice?" Bella asked as she settled into the town car
. Edward stepped in and sat down, pulling her against him.
"No, they're meeting us at the airport." He leaned down and kissed the top of Be
lla's head. "Now go to sleep."
"Mmmm," was the only reply she gave as she drifted back off to sleep in his arms
.
It was only an hour flight and then the four friends were in a limo on their way
to the Four Seasons Hotel. The rooms were spacious and beautiful and they had a
view of the St. Louis Arch. Their rooms were directly next to each other, and B
ella wondered about how much work went into setting something like the All Star
Game up. She couldn't imagine all the planning that had to go into this. There w
ere around 64 players in the game; not to mention some players that didn't make
the All Star teams that would be participating in the Home Run Derby this evenin
g.
Edward sat on the bed looking through an information packet while Bella stared o
utside. It was a gorgeous day and she was excited to get out and explore St. Lou
is. "Is this where you usually stay?" she asked casually, turning back to look a
t him.
"Yeah," he answered uncomfortably, worried that she'd realize that this was the
hotel where he had picked up a girl in the bar downstairs.
"It's beautiful," she sighed, coming to sit on the bed next to him and looking a
t the papers in his hands. "There's a breakfast tomorrow?"
"It's for players and their families."
"Oh." She wasn't sure if he would want her to go with him because she technicall
y wasn't his family.
"There's also some red carpet parade thing we have to do. We'll be driven around
in Chevies."
"When's that?"
"Tomorrow before the game. I'm assuming it would bring us to the club house and
we'd get ready from there, but I'm not sure."
"It's your first All Star Game," she said brightly, proud of him. Leaning in, sh
e kissed his cheek.
"I'm not even sure what I should be doing right now. There's something at eleven
a luncheon and then a team meeting a little after that. But Fan Fest is going o
n and I figured you'd want to go to that . . ."
"Don't worry about me. You do what you have to do and Alice and I will have our
fun."
"You're going to the Home Run Derby with me tonight," he said in a low voice, pu
shing the papers in his hands to the side and pulling Bella down to lie on the b
ed with him. He kissed her softly, enjoying having her in his arms. "I love you,
Bella," he sighed against her lips, embracing her in a tight hug.
~GO CUBS~
"Are you sure, Jane?" Mila asked, wrapping her arms around her friend. "He doesn
't even know you're coming."
"He won't listen to me. He has to know I'm not lying."
After finding out that she was still pregnant, Jane waited for the next check fr
om Jazz to arrive, but it never did. The day after she was expecting it, she gav
e him a call and he called her back shortly after. His tone with her was clipped
, telling her that he knew she had lost the baby and that he would not be sendin
g her any more money. She had tried to explain that the baby was fine but he hun
g up, not giving her a chance to get it all out.
Since then, she had tried calling him every day and had tried calling Edward as
well, but neither of them would answer their stupid phones. Fed up with everythi
ng, she went to her doctor's office and got a copy of her records, determined to
show them to Jazz. That was why she was now about to board a flight for Chicago
.
"Call me when you get in," Mila said, pulling away from her friend. "I'll miss y
ou."
"I'll be staying at the Sheraton," Jane whispered, a tear in her eye. The hormon
es from her pregnancy had really been getting to her lately, turning her into a
blubbering mess. She really would miss her friend, but in actuality, this was wh
at she had wanted from the beginning to move to Chicago. She wasn't with Edward
any more and it wasn't his baby, but the thrill was still stirring in her heart,
excitement flooding through her. Today would start the next chapter of her life
. And maybe, she hoped in the back of her mind, maybe she and Edward could resol
ve their issues.
~GO CUBS~
"Who'd you get to sign that one?" Jazz asked Edward walking into the hotel's ele
vator.
"Otis," Edward replied, holding up the ball in his hands.
"You should keep that one for when you want something from her she'd probably do
anything for a Mariners signed ball!"
"It's for our date tonight." They stepped off the elevator and started down the
hall to their rooms.
"Oh, you're not going to the home run derby?"
"Of course we are; she's my date." Edward smiled and then headed toward his and
Bella's hotel room. "Want to do dinner together and then head over for the derby
?"
"Sure, call and let us know what time."
Upon entering their room, Edward stood and watched Bella as she slept soundly. H
e loved the way she curled up into herself, one hand under her pillow and the ot
her balled in a fist by her face. She looked so innocent and fragile when she sl
ept and the protective side of him came out, wanting to shield and shelter her f
rom all the evil in the world. Where the heck is my mind getting this stuff?
Bella was nothing like what she seemed to be on the outside he had learned that.
Everything he originally thought of her had been flipped. She was a bright, viv
acious, saucy, secure, witty, beautiful vixen. Yes, a vixen. The sweet, innocent
girl he loved was so much wilder in bed than he was he never would have imagine
d that. He had so much more experience number-wise, but Bella had more experienc
e intimacy-wise. When he decided to court her, he immediately just assumed that
his sex life would be good and normal, nothing out of the ordinary with her, but
she had more than surprised him in a good way. She was everything he never knew
he wanted she completed him. There would never be another for him ever.
Laying the ball on the dresser, Edward kicked his shoes off and then sneaked und
er the covers next to Bella, pulling her back against his chest, surrounding her
with his arms. He didn't bother with an alarm because he didn't care if they mi
ssed dinner. All that mattered to him was being with Bella. After kissing the to
p of her head, Edward closed his eyes and fell asleep next to the woman he loved
.
He wasn't certain how much time had lapsed when he woke up, but Bella was not in
bed with him, though he could hear her voice she was talking on her phone. Roll
ing over, he saw her sitting on the love seat to his left and she smiled at him,
holding up one finger to ask for some time.
"I don't recognize the name," she said into her phone with a frown. "I'll give h
er a call when I get back to Chicago though. Okay . . . bye Ang."
"Something wrong?"
"No," she said, coming to lie down in the bed next to him, resting her head on h
is chest. "I had my calls forwarded to Ang and some lady called for me that neit
her of us recognize."
"You're on vacation," he said, pulling her flush against his body, kissing her l
ips.
Edward's phone rang at that time and he groaned against her mouth, not wanting t
o answer but knowing he needed to. "One moment," he mumbled, pulling away.
"Hello? Hey, Felix, how was the flight?" Felix was Edward's agent and lately the
y had been talking about an endorsement deal that would have Edward shooting a c
ommercial during the off-season. "Tonight?" Edward then asked, looking down at B
ella in his bed. He hadn't introduced the two yet because he hadn't really felt
the need. Though he liked Felix, Edward didn't care for the whole marketing side
of being a major league ball player. The endorsement was something that fell in
his lap the company wanted him and Felix had begged him to do it it wasn't some
thing he actually sought out himself.
"Yeah, we'll meet you there . . . four of us . . . okay, see you then. Bye."
"What was that about?" Bella asked, running her hand up and down Edward's forear
m.
"You've always wanted to meet my agent, right?"
Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Doesn't matter to me."
"Well, he's here for the game with his family and wants to take us out to dinner
before the Home Run Derby tonight." He laid down next to Bella again, running h
is hands over her curves he was done sleeping. "He'll probably want to talk abou
t my trip to L.A. this fall."
"Mmhmm," Bella moaned, her lips kissing along his neck.
"You really couldn't care less," he laughed as his left hand explored underneath
her t-shirt.
"We really should shower," Bella said lazily, her hands trailing down his back t
o grab his ass.
Out of nowhere, Bella jumped up and skittered off the bed, pulling her clothes o
ff as she ran to the bathroom. "Come and get me," she giggled, sticking her head
out of the bathroom door to look back at him. The confusion on his face turned
into excitement and he leaped up, throwing his clothes down on the floor with he
rs before joining her under the hot, pulsing shower spray.
~GO CUBS~
Dinner with Felix had gone well, Edward thought. His wife seemed to get along we
ll with Bella and Alice while his two boys lingered on every word that Edward an
d Jazz had said. Bella found it funny that Edward would be doing some commercial
spots as well as some print ads for a major underwear company with the famous C
hicago Bull himself. Apparently, the ads were going to be centered off the retir
ed Bull giving Edward advice on his underwear as Edward gave him advice on his b
atting stance. Bella couldn't wait to see the ads since the former NBA star also
tried and failed in Minor League Baseball.
After signing a few autographs for Felix's boys, Edward, Bella, Jazz, and Alice
said their goodbyes to Felix and his family and then left for Busch Stadium. Ali
ce talked non-stop on the way over about how much she loved the idea of Edward d
oing the underwear endorsement, wondering if he'd be walking around in just unde
rwear for the commercials. The look on Edward's face when she asked made the who
le dinner worth it he looked petrified.
The Home Run Derby was a fun time. They sat in the Champions Club which had a fu
ll buffet they could've eaten during the derby, two full-service bars, flat scre
en TV's, tables and lounge furniture to sit at inside, along with reserved outdo
or seats along the left field line. It was amazing and huge! There were tons of
people there, most of them big names in Major League Baseball a world that Bella
really never wanted to know.
The best part of the night for Bella was meeting the two Mariners players that w
ere on the American League All Star Team; Lenny Otis and Pete Maechin. She thank
ed Lenny for the ball that he had signed for Edward to give to her and he seemed
genuinely happy to meet her. Pete felt left out and trotted off to find a baseb
all, then signed it and gave it to her not wanting to be outdone.
The one thing that neither Bella nor Alice anticipated though was the rude recep
tion from some of the players wives. Some of them were pretty cool, and they had
no problems with any of the girlfriends in attendance, but more times than eith
er of the girls would like to acknowledge, as soon as some of the wives found ou
t they were only dating ball players, their attitudes turned snippy toward them.
Bella had noticed the same thing happen at the Cullen's that first day. Though s
he hadn't been dating Edward at that time, she did notice how Alice got the snub
at times from some of the wives and she didn't understand it. Maybe it was a li
ttle club they all were in and didn't like outsiders, or maybe they thought all
the girlfriends were money-hungry sluts, who knew? Either way, Bella was thankfu
l that she had Alice with her she could never have made it through without yelli
ng at one of the hurtful women if Alice hadn't been there to calm her down.
While Bella and Alice talked among the women at the Home Run derby, Edward and J
azz chatted with players, coaches, and front office personnel from the various t
eams. There wasn't a moment though, that Edward did not have his mind and eyes o
n Bella. Just watching her from afar was heaven for him. She seemed to glow arou
nd the other women, stealing the spotlight he couldn't wait to get her alone onc
e the event finished.
Edward's phone rang out and he knew the ring instantly; 'Evil Woman' by Black Sa
bbath Jane. She had been calling him a lot lately and without answering any of h
er calls, he told Jazz to take care of it. He had long ago washed his hands of t
he situation, promising Jazz that he wouldn't get involved. Without any idea as
to what Jazz was doing if anything to deal with the situation, all he could do w
as ask him to keep Jane from calling him. The only reason he left her number pro
grammed in his phone now, was so that he could distinguish her calls from legiti
mate ones and not accidentally answer hence the 'Evil Woman' ringtone.
It had been about two weeks since Jazz had told Edward that he was going to tell
Alice and yet, their stay at home was now over, they were heading back out on t
he road, and Alice still didn't know. Mumbling to himself, Edward went in search
of Jazz to tell him, once again, that Jane needed to be dealt with.
~GO CUBS~
Damn Edward and Damn Jazz! They were both assholes in Jane's eyes. Right now she
sat at a bar not far from Wrigley Field, trying to figure out how to get a hold
of them if they weren't going to answer. The media would be her last resort bec
ause she feared that once she went that route, a paternity test would definitely
be forced upon her and she wasn't absolutely sure the baby was Jazz's.
Another call to Jazz without an answer resulted in another beer for the pregnant
lady. It was hard being in a different city, a place where she knew no one. Aft
er arriving, she made her way to the Sheraton, where it seemed she'd be staying
longer than originally planned. She had hoped to find Jazz at a Cubs game and ge
t him to put her up in an apartment somewhere, but upon finding an empty Wrigley
Field, Jane landed in the closest bar and asked the bartender when the next hom
e game was. His reply floored her. It wasn't for another eleven days the 24th of
July.
She called Edward this time, hoping he'd finally answer. Nothing. Hanging up, sh
e didn't even bother to leave a message. She was being ignored by them both. She
called Bobby then, hoping to feel some comfort from his sweet voice. He was get
ting ready for bed so didn't have a lot of time to talk. He sounded so happy to
be with his dad and when he asked about when she was coming to get him, he sound
ed sad, worried, as if he didn't want her to come for him anymore.
One more beer, she told herself sadly. One more and then she'd go back to the Sh
eraton and wait. For how long though? How long should she wait before contacting
the media? And what would she say to them? She didn't have any proof that she h
ad ever been with Jazz except for Edward, who probably wouldn't side with her. A
few sips into her last beer, she started thumbing through the phonebook on her
cell and halted shortly after. Bella . . . She had forgotten that she had stolen
Edward's girlfriend's phone number from Jazz's phone. I wonder what she would t
hink of all this?
~GO CUBS~
Searching through the crowd inside the Champions Club, Bella searched for Edward
. Finally, she found him through the large, panoramic window talking with Jazz o
ut in one of the stadium seats. At first, she started toward them, but soon noti
ced their conversation looked intense. Not wanting to interrupt, she headed back
over to the bar to grab another beer.
As the bartender placed her bottle of MGD in front of her, Bella's cell phone ra
ng out. It was an unknown caller from an area code she didn't recognize. "Hello?
"
"Is this Bella?" a hoarse female voice asked. It reminded Bella of all the women
from her college dorm who smoked and stayed out late all the time they all soun
ded like frogs disgusting.
"Um, yes," Bella replied, trying to hear the woman on the other end it was loud
in the club box.
"I'm not sure . . . Jane from San . . ."
Putting a finger into her free ear, Bella pressed her phone against her other on
e. "What was that?" she asked, thinking maybe it was the lady who had called her
at work earlier in the day. "I can barely hear you."
"Jane," the lady said louder and Bella froze. Jane? As in Edward's ex? She knew
that Edward was out in the stadium seats talking with Jazz, but her head still l
ifted, her eyes roaming the enormous club for any sign of auburn hair.
"Jane?" Bella asked, not really hearing her voice, but knowing her mouth had mov
ed. The shock was taking over and she couldn't understand why Jane was calling h
er or how she had gotten her number.
"Edward said . . . who I am."
"Edward?' Bella asked. Had Jane still been seeing Edward during this time? No! D
eep inside, she knew it wasn't true. Edward didn't have the time to be with anyo
ne else. They were always with each other and when he was on the road, she talke
d to him every night. Besides, he hadn't been back to San Diego since May when h
e had broken things off with her.
"Yes, Edward . . . told you . . . me."
"Yes," Bella whispered.
"What?" Jane asked. "I can barely hear you."
"Yes," Bella said loud, yet flat, "I know who you are." Her eyes continued to se
arch, lingering on the door that led to the outdoor seats, waiting for Edward to
walk in.
"Then I assu- . . . know why . . ."
"Why what?" Bella shouted. She was having a very hard time hearing what Jane was
trying to say.
"Why I'm calling," Jane shouted back.
"No. No, I don't know," Bella said. Her eyes caught a hold of Alice's and just a
s her good friend started walking over, Bella held up a hand to stop her, shakin
g her head. Alice respected her wishes and turned to continue talking with some
women.
"I'm try- . . . Jazz . . ."
"What about Jazz?"
"Ja- . . . Edward aren't answer- . . . calls."
"I really can't hear a word you're saying," Bella said loudly. "I'm in a bar." S
he thought about hanging up on the girl, but there was something about the urgen
cy in Jane's voice that caught a hold of Bella, keeping her glued to every word
she could understand. And she also wanted to know why she was contacting her, wh
at was she trying to say about Edward and Jazz?
"Jazz . . ."
"Are you on a cell phone too?" Bella asked loudly, a finger still in her free ea
r and her eyes staring down at the shiny, smooth, mahogany bar.
"Yes," Jane replied. "And I'm . . . loud . . . outside . . ."
Bella's eyes lifted again and saw Edward's tuft of auburn hair by the door he ha
d come back in. Relief settled inside her and her shoulders relaxed. "Jane? Are
you still there?"
" . . . Chicago," Jane said and Bella's blood boiled, her whole body heating up.
"What? Are you in Chicago?" Why would Jane be in Chicago?
"Yes . . . Ja- . . . can't get . . . Edward . . . pregnant . . . talk to him . .
."
Pregnant? A cold chill ran down Bella's spine and she stared into eyes that she
knew would be deep green if she were close enough to see the color. He smiled ov
er to her, waving a hand while her heart pounded in her throat. "Did you just sa
y that you're pregnant?" she asked shakily.
"What . . . think I've . . . talking about?" Jane sounded annoyed but Bella stil
l couldn't make out what she was saying.
"Jane, are you pregnant?"
"Yes . . . Jazz won't . . ."
Not wanting to listen to another word, Bella ended the call and closed her phone
. Jane's pregnant? Tears immediately formed behind her eyes and she fought to ke
ep them away. What the fuck? The room started to spin around her and she closed
her eyes, hoping to calm the storm that was erupting in her gut, threatening to
heave out of her at any moment. I've got to get out of here.
When she opened her eyes, she made a bee-line for the exit, her body instinctive
ly dodging the crowd around her she had to get out and get some air, everything
was closing in on her.
"Bella!"
Spurring her feet to move faster, Bella picked up her pace and ran from the voic
e behind her Edward. Of course he would come after her, he had been looking righ
t at her as she connected what Jane was saying in her head. Jane was pregnant. T
he thought alone hit her hard in the gut and she clutched at her stomach with bo
th her arms, crossing them protectively around her waist.
Somehow, she outran Edward to the gate exit and was able to find a taxi. Once se
ttled into the seat, the driver already headed for the Four Seasons, Bella let t
he first tear fall. How could he do this to me? She wasn't even sure how this ha
ppened. Had she gotten pregnant while he was visiting in May? Had she asked for
one last fuck and he gave it to her? Pushing the images out of her mind, Bella f
ocused on the blur of city lights that passed outside the window.
The Four Seasons was less than a mile from Busch Stadium and Bella was quickly p
aying the driver and stepping outside of the cab. The first thing she'd do, she
thought to herself, was book a flight home. She had to get out of St. Louis and
away from Edward, she couldn't face him. Not yet, she was too angry. But she wou
ld some day. Some day, she'd have it out with him.
~GO CUBS~
Stopping half way down the ramp, surrounded by tons of ogling fans, Edward pause
d in his pursuit of Bella. He had no idea of what had happened, but Bella looked
like she was going to be ill when she looked up at him from the bar. Right now,
he wasn't sure what he should do, but his feet kept moving, even if it were slo
wer than before. She had to have heard him calling for her, so why hadn't she st
opped?
Once he exited the gate, he waited for a taxi to arrive and jumped in, heading b
ack to their hotel, hoping she'd be there. Not wanting to scare her off, he didn
't bother texting her, he wanted to talk to her in person and find out what was
wrong. She had been on the phone and he worried that it was with the woman who h
ad been trying to contact her earlier in the day. What did the woman want?
Upon entering their hotel room, he saw Bella frantically packing her suitcase sh
e was leaving. "Bella?" he asked tentatively.
Pausing briefly, Bella couldn't stop her eyes from wandering up to look at him.
She had never been a coward before, never shied away from a fight, so why was sh
e reluctant to have it out with him? Was she afraid the truth would hurt too muc
h? "I . . . Edward, I . . ." Her tears poured out then and he took a few more st
eps into the room, throwing his room key down on the dresser as he approached he
r.
"Bella, what's wrong, sweetheart?" He was so close to her now and he wanted to p
ull her into his arms, but the look in her eyes kept him from doing so.
Closing her eyes, Bella took a long, deep breath and her heart beat loudly in he
r chest, both of them hearing it. "I . . . Edward!" She broke down again, her bo
dy sliding down the side of the bed, coming to sit with her back against it, her
head resting in her hands and knees pulled up to her chest.
Still unsure of how close to get to her, Edward took a few more steps and then s
at down in front of her, reaching out his hands to rub up and down her legs. She
flinched from his touch, but he kept his hands against her, rubbing slowly. "Be
lla, please talk to me. We promised each other no more misunderstandings. I need
you to tell me what's wrong." His voice was shallow and weak, straining to get
the words out because he, himself, was about to break down in tears. Just seeing
her broken, crying as she was, was wrenching him apart.
Her hands dropped from her face then, wiping the tears from her eyes. She stared
at him for a moment while she tried to get her breathing under control. "Jane,"
she whispered, sobs erupting as her tongue left the roof of her mouth after pro
nouncing the 'n'.
"Jane? What about her?" Fear engulfed him and she caught the look in his eyes, c
onfirming everything that Jane had said to her.
"God, don't deny it anymore, Edward!" Her voice was strong, the words spoken in
anger.
"Bella, I don't know what it is I'm denying. What . . . why are we talking about
Jane?"
"When was the last time you spoke with her?" Her eyes peered into his, knowing t
hat whatever he was feeling would show in them. What she saw was guilt and more
fear, making her stomach turn over.
"Early June," he whispered, swallowing hard. "Listen, Bella "
"Don't," she croaked, the tears taking over again. "She already told me, Edward.
"
"Told you? When did you talk to her? What did she say?" It dawned on him then; J
ane had called Bella while they were at the Home Run Derby. That was who she was
on the phone with. He should've expected this.
"She t- told . . . me . . . about her . . .p- pr- pregnancy," she stuttered, sob
s breaking through, her shoulders shuddering between words.
"Her what?" he shouted, unsure he heard her correctly.
"Her pregnancy," Bella said more firmly, yet with a hoarse voice.
"She's pregnant?" Every conversation Edward had with Jazz over the past month ci
rculated through his mind and he chastised himself for not picking up on it. No
wonder Jazz had been so closed off about Jane.
"You didn't know?"
"Bella, I had no idea that Jane was pregnant, you've got to believe me."
"It doesn't change anything," she said unsteadily. "It doesn't change the fact "
"Bella," he interrupted, nervous to make sure he said the right thing. "Please l
isten to me. I wanted to tell you as soon as we got back from San Diego I did. P
lease, believe me."
"Why didn't you then?" she snapped, pain spilling out of her eyes beneath the ra
ge that burned in them.
"I promised Jazz," he said softly, defeated. He knew he had screwed up. He knew
that they should've told the girls as soon as they had gotten back. Now, it coul
d be too late to reconcile and he was suddenly scared. If this was how Bella rea
cted from him keeping Jazz's secret, how would Alice react? And now, it wasn't j
ust about the rape, there was a child involved. This is fucked up!
"Jazz?" she bit, suddenly jolting to her feet. Edward slowly stood up to face he
r, unsure of what he should do. "Who cares about Jazz? Why should Jazz have a sa
y as to whether or not you tell me about knocking up Jane?"
Confusion first crossed Edward's mind followed by a light bulb turning on in his
head. "Bella, what did Jane tell you?"
"You know damn well what she told me, Edward!" she screamed, turning her back an
d zipping up her bag that lay on the bed.
"No, Bella, I don't. What you're saying isn't making sense. I need to know exact
ly what she said to you."
With her back still toward Edward, Bella lowered her head and let her shoulders
fall. She really wasn't ready to know the truth. Deep down, she was still hoping
that she had misunderstood Jane, but everything Edward was saying especially th
e fact that he had spoken with her after his trip to San Diego in May was making
it more real, less likely to be just a misunderstanding.
"She told me that she's pregnant," Bella mumbled.
"That's it?" Edward asked and Bella turned to look at him.
"That's it? Isn't it enough?"
"No, it's not." He took a step closer and reached out to touch her but she pulle
d away. His hand fell to his side. "Bella," he sighed. "If Jane is pregnant," he
started, but stopped when she shot him an annoyed glare. "Bear with me here," h
e said, "I'm just finding out about this. If Jane is pregnant, it's not mine."
"Then why is she calling me? Why is she whining about you and Jazz not calling h
er? Why is she in Chicago right now waiting for you to get back?"
"She's what?"
"She said she was in Chicago."
"Well, I'm not the one she's waiting for! Bella, the baby is not mine!" Between
his frustration and annoyance with the conversation, his anger was getting the b
etter of him and he raised his voice.
"Then whose is it?"
"I think you need to sit down," Edward said, motioning for her to take a seat on
the couch. "I promise to tell you everything."
Once Bella was seated, Edward started with his story about Jane and the trip to
San Diego. There were a couple times when Bella wanted to interrupt but Edward h
eld her off, asking her to wait until the end. When he finished, he rested his a
rms on his knees and looked at her, waiting for a reaction.
"She wanted to do this to you." Her voice was so low, the pain in her so raw. "S
he raped Jazz? What kind of person does something like that?"
"Bella, I promised Jazz I wouldn't say anything to you until he spoke to Alice a
bout it."
"Does Jazz know she's pregnant?" she asked before catching herself. "You don't k
now," she said, answering her own question and shaking her head. "This is so . .
."
"Fucked up?"
"Nice language," she teased him with a small, forced smile.
"Bella, I'm sorry for not telling you . . . I wanted to, but . . ."
"Don't, Edward, he was raped. There is no way I'd ever expect you to share that
with me. And she wanted to do that to you! If I hadn't texted you, it would've b
een you! God, I want to kill her!" Bella closed her eyes, tears streaming down h
er cheeks and Edward scooted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders
, pulling her close against his side as she nuzzled into him.
"We need to call Jazz," Edward sighed against her head. "He needs to know that J
ane contacted you and that she's in Chicago."
"He needs to tell Alice," Bella said, pulling her head up from his chest to look
at him. "When we get back to Chicago, she'll be there. Alice needs to know."
Pulling out his cell phone, Edward made the call to Jazz. "Hey Jazz, what're you
and Alice up to? How much longer? Can you stop off at our room when you get in?
No, we'll be up."
While Edward was on the phone, Bella had pulled out her laptop and opened it up.
"What're you doing?" Edward asked, coming to stand behind her at the desk.
"I need you to tell me everything you know about Jane. Phone number, address, fu
ll name, nick names, friends of hers, where she works, everything you can think
of."
"What for?" he asked, watching her pull out her cell phone.
"We need to find out the truth. You said that you believe she drugged Jazz and h
ad sex with him without his consent. We need to find proof."
"We'll hire an investigator, Bella," Edward said, massaging her shoulders.
Holding up a finger to stop him, Bella held her cell phone to her ear. "Chad?" s
he said into the phone. "It's Bella, how're you doing?" Standing up from the des
k, Bella walked over to the bed and pulled her suitcase off, setting it on the f
loor. "Yeah, I'm in St. Louis right now. Listen, remember when your roommate bla
bbed to the Sun Times about who I was? Yeah, I need to cash in on that favor."
Sitting down on the bed, Bella patted the seat next to her, motioning for Edward
to join her. He sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist as she snuggl
ed close to his side, kissing the side of his neck before speaking into her phon
e again.
"I need Brian to get some information for me. Yeah, that'll be great." She looke
d up at Edward then and whispered to him, "What's her full name?"
"Jane Schenck, S-C-H-E-N-C-K," Edward said, spelling out the last name for her.
"Hi, Brian? Yes, it's Bella Swan . . . Not very well, actually. I need you to do
me a favor . . . Thank you. What I need is information on a Jane Schenck from S
an Diego. I have a phone number," Bella said, looking to Edward, who produced hi
s phone, looking up Jane's number for Bella. After reading off the number to Bri
an, she explained that it was a private matter, but if he could find a reporter
to help them, that Edward would give an exclusive interview to them. She hadn't
asked him, but felt his hand rub along her arm reassuringly, letting her know he
would do it.
Once she got off the phone with Brian, Bella rested her head against Edward's ch
est again and sighed into his shirt. "He should've told her sooner. She's not go
ing to take this very well."
"When they get here," Edward said softly, "go with Alice to their room so that I
can talk with Jazz. He needs to know that Jane is in Chicago and that you know
about everything before he speaks with her."
"I'll try to prepare her for it," she mumbled into his chest. "If I had found ou
t any other way, I don't know if I would've reacted as well."
"What do you mean?" Edward asked, kissing the top of her head.
"I thought it was you," she whispered. "I thought that Jane was pregnant with yo
ur child. When you told me that it was Jazz's baby, I felt a flood of relief soa
r through me. It's horrible to say, but I'm glad it wasn't you."
"Sh, I know exactly what you mean."
"I don't think you do," she said, looking up at him. "If Alice had found out and
came to me crying about this, I don't think I'd be very happy with you. Actuall
y, I'm not happy with you, but . . . relieved. God, Edward, I'm just relieved it
wasn't you."
"I'm sorry "
"Sh." Placing a finger over his lips, she smiled sadly at him. "I love you, I re
ally do. There is no need to apologize any more; it's just a frustrating situati
on."
"I love you too, Bella," he whispered, kissing her chastely on the lips.
"So, was the whole Jane thing why Jazz was acting all weird for a while there?"
"Yes."
"What changed? I mean, he acted strange for a while and then out of the blue did
a complete 180 and started acting normal again."
"At first we thought that he had willingly had sex with her. It wasn't until she
called my phone that I realized she had been the one to text me and everything
just seemed to fall into place. Once we realized that he had been drugged, he di
dn't feel as guilty anymore."
"You still have her number on your phone," Bella stated with a frown.
"I took it off, but when she called, I saved it again with a different ringtone
so that I'd know not to answer. Bella, she's nothing to me."
"I know," she said softly, resting her head on his chest. "It doesn't take the p
ain away though." Lifting her head, Bella placed a kiss on his neck as his hands
rubbed along her back comfortingly.
There was a knock on their door at that time and Edward looked down into Bella's
eyes. "I love you, Bella." He kissed her chastely on the lips before standing u
p, Bella following behind, and opened the door to their hotel room to reveal Jaz
z and Alice.
"Alice," Bella forced out brightly, "let's go to your room real quick." Grabbing
a hold of Alice's arm, Bella pulled her next door. Once inside, Bella paced bac
k and forth across the room, her mind racing with what she should say.
"Stop pacing," Alice said, grabbing Bella's shoulders. "What's wrong? Why are yo
ur eyes all red?" Alice pulled Bella over to her bed and sat down, patting the s
pot next to her for Bella to do the same. "Is it Jane?" she asked as soon as Bel
la sat down.
"You know about her?" Relief shot through Bella, maybe Jazz did tell Alice about
her.
"Jazz mentioned her. Bella, you don't seem as upset as I expected you to be over
this "
"Over what?" Bella was confused now.
"I wanted to tell you about Jane and Edward, but you seemed so happy and I figur
ed he'd stop seeing her." Alice's expression looked worried and sad.
"Alice, Edward stopped seeing Jane in May, before I started dating him."
"You've known about her all this time?" Alice was the one to look confused now.
"Alice, what did Jazz tell you about Jane?"
"He said that she was someone that Edward would screw around with when they went
to San Diego . . . I didn't stay around for the rest." Alice's eyes turned wate
ry, tears starting to drip down. "It was back when Jazz wasn't acting like himse
lf, and I was afraid he was going to tell me that he had a girl on the side too.
"
Reaching an arm around Alice's shoulders, Bella pulled her into her side. "He do
esn't have a girl on the side, Alice. That guy loves you. Unconditionally."
"I know," she sniffed, pulling away from Bella. A smile rose to her face then. "
He really does love me!"
"Yes, and you love him, right?"
"Of course, he's my life, Bella." Alice's fingers wiped away the tears that had
fallen.
"And you'll be there for him no matter what? Through thick and thin?"
"Are you trying to hint at me that he's going to propose?"
Shaking her head, Bella pulled Alice close into her again. "You think too much i
nto things. I just . . ." What could she say? She didn't want to be the one to t
ell her, Jazz needed to do that.
"Just what?" Alice asked, pulling away again; worry starting to crease around he
r eyes.
"Just remember how much the two of you love each other. Whatever happens, never
forget that."
The door to Alice and Jazz's hotel room opened then and Jazz slowly, hesitantly,
walked in. Bella stood up and bent to kiss Alice on the top of her head just ho
w Edward always did to her. "I'll let you two be alone," she said shakily, squee
zing Jazz's arm reassuringly as she walked by him and stepped out of the room, c
losing the door behind her.
"You're crying," Jazz said sadly, taking another step toward Alice. "What did Be
lla say to you?"
"What's going on, Jazz? Why is everyone acting all weird around me?"
"Alice," he choked out, sitting down on the bed where Bella had sat previously d
irectly next to Alice. "I don't know how to say . . . I've tried many times . .
." Running a hand through his blond curls, Jazz huffed loudly. "I'm never going
to get this out."
"Jazz," Alice said softly, resting a hand on his thigh. "I love you. Whatever it
is, you can tell me. I'm here for you." Thick and thin. Suddenly, the words tha
t Bella had used only minutes before were sitting heavily in Alice's throat.
"Okay," Jazz said, closing his eyes. Determination solidified his countenance an
d he opened his eyes, ready to say the words. "Back in May I was drugged and rap
ed."
Silence. Jazz wasn't sure if Alice had heard him correctly. Her hand still sat o
n his thigh and he was very aware of it because her fingers had tightened, squee
zing him just a bit too hard.
"Wha- . . . What did you say?"
"I was drugged, blacked out, and woke up in bed with someone. Alice, I don't rem
ember any of it, other than having a beer."
"Who did this to you?" Her hazel eyes turned dark, almost as deep brown as Bella
's, her skin paled, and her lips pulled into a tight line.
"Her name is Jane "
"Jane?" she shrieked, standing up from the bed. "Edward's Jane?"
"Yes."
"How? Why?" she asked, staring down at him, her hands on her hips. This was why
he had brought up Jane, he hadn't been trying to tell her he had someone like he
r, he'd been trying to tell her what had happened.
"We don't think she was trying to get me at first," Jazz started and then procee
ded to tell Alice everything, starting with Edward inviting him to the bar, all
the way through to where he called Jane's cell phone and spoke to Juan and then
how Jane called him and acted as if she were still pregnant.
Anger bubbled up to the surface of her mind and she lashed out at the only other
person in the room. "Why are you just telling me this now?" she screeched. "It'
s been weeks since you've returned from San Diego!"
"Alice, I wanted to "
"No!" she yelled. "If you really wanted to, you would've told me!" Her body shoo
k from the anger taking over inside her. She had never been this angry.
"I'm sorry, Alice, I just . . . I wanted to get it all resolved, to keep you fro
m the pain I'm going through."
Lifting her head, Alice looked at the man still sitting on the bed. He looked de
vastated. And you'll be there for him no matter what? Through thick and thin? Be
lla's words echoed in Alice's mind as she stared at Jazz. He wasn't the cause of
this. No, he didn't ask for this, didn't want to be with Jane, this wasn't his
fault.
"Oh, God, Jasper," Alice whispered. She rarely used his given name. Kneeling dow
n on the ground before the man she loved, she wrapped her hands around his torso
, her body between his legs and she nuzzled her head into his stomach, her tears
soaking through his shirt. She was mad, beyond mad, really, but not at Jazz at
Edward.
After giving Edward the benefit of doubt all these months, for him to turn aroun
d and get Jazz in this mess infuriated Alice. If he hadn't had the stupid whore
on the side, none of this would have happened. If he had stayed at the bar and w
aited for Jazz to show up he had begged Jazz, after all then it would've been Ed
ward who was drugged, not Jazz. This was all Edward's fault as far as Alice was
concerned. His little whore had done this and he would pay.
"Alice," Jazz said, his hands running through her short hair, "there's more." He
was so scared to continue on with everything, but she needed to know it all.
Pulling back, Alice looked up into his eyes. "Go ahead," she murmured, tears str
eaking down her cheeks, her mind still reeling with anger toward Edward.
"Jane called Bella tonight. She's in Chicago."
"What does she want?" Her tone had turned hard and stoic, putting on a front to
hide the destruction that was taking place inside her she needed to be strong fo
r Jazz.
"I don't know. I guess I should call her and find out. Baby, the one thing I don
't want is for this to be all over the media. This whole thing," he stuttered, "
is a mess I don't want anyone to know about."
"We'll take it one step at a time," she said with more confidence than she felt.
"First, we need to figure out what Jane wants and then we'll go from there."
"Bella is starting some sort of investigation. I gave Jenks' information to Edwa
rd as well as everything I know about Jane and things she's said to me over the
past six weeks. I think Bella's planning a trip to San Diego."
A fire lit up in Alice's eyes. "She's good at what she does."
Chapter 29 July 16 18, 2009
It was hard for Bella to get through the day. Instead of working on actual work
that she was getting paid to do, Bella's mind was on Jane and San Diego. She had
taken every bit of information that Jazz and Edward had given her and had spoke
n with Jenks earlier this afternoon to see what he knew about Jane as well. She
couldn't concentrate on anything else right now, so her normal work and the myri
ad of phone calls and voicemails that plagued her were ignored. She didn't blow
everything off entirely though. She did the minimum of what was required of her,
meeting the deadlines that needed to be met, but other than that, her mind revo
lved around her friends and Jane.
After Bella had left Alice and Jazz's room that night, she went back and lay in
bed with Edward. He held her as they listened to the noises coming from the room
next door. They couldn't make out any words but they heard a little yelling. No
t much, well, not as much as both of them had feared.
It wasn't long until Alice and Jazz came back over to their room and when Bella
got her first glimpse of Alice's eyes, she enveloped her into a tight hug, telli
ng her how much she loved her and reassuring Alice that she would do everything
she could to get all the proof they needed to press charges.
Edward had spoken then, letting Alice and Jazz know that his father was willing
to meet with them to discuss the situation of Jane's pregnancy and about taking
legal action against Jane for what she had done. She would have to be tried in C
alifornia for the rape, but he could talk them through everything and find them
a lawyer to use out in California. After Edward had spoken, all hell broke loose
.
"How dare you?" Alice screeched at him, shocking the heck out of Bella as well a
s Edward. Neither of them expected her to turn on him.
"Alice," Bella started, but was interrupted.
"No! Don't defend him to me, Bella. This is all his fault!" Alice turned her foc
us to Edward then, pointing a finger in his direction. "If you hadn't been screw
ing every whore who came your way, jazz wouldn't be in this mess!"
"Alice!" Bella hissed, stepping toward her friend.
"No," Edward groaned, grabbing a hold of Bella's arm and pulling her back toward
him. "She's right."
"You're damn right, I'm right," Alice snarled at him. "It should've been you!" s
he spit, tears starting to fall, and this time Jazz grabbed a hold of his woman
and pulled her back as she started to advance on Edward.
"How could you say that?" Bella asked dumbfounded she never expected Alice to re
act this way. "This shouldn't have happened to either of them. Edward didn't "
"If he had just waited for Jazz at the bar, this wouldn't have happened."
"Then blame me," Bella stated, puffing out her chest. "I'm the one who texted hi
m, I'm the reason he left the bar. Blame me!" Bella screeched, tears now falling
from her eyes.
"Enough!" Edward growled, pulling Bella back against his chest. "Blaming is not
going to get us anywhere."
From that moment on, Alice had stopped her verbal attack, but she made it obviou
sly clear that she was thoroughly upset with Edward. The rest of the All Star tr
ip was pretty tense for the four of them, and Bella found herself trying to make
both Edward and Alice happy, though not succeeding in either case. Alice was ma
d at her for defending Edward and Edward couldn't understand why she would think
to try and defend him he blamed himself as well.
Not everything was stressful though. Edward had insisted she attend the player b
reakfast the morning of the All Star game and he also insisted she ride in the C
hevy with him during the red carpet parade. She wasn't sure at first if she was
invited to do so, but Alice also rode with Jazz. Actually, the four of them rode
in the back of a Chevy pickup together, and as amazing as the experience was, B
ella had a hard time enjoying it with Alice's snide murmurings under her breath
and menacing looks at Edward.
So today would be very interesting for Bella. She and Alice were meeting up with
Ed and Elizabeth, Edward's parents. Edward had called his dad the night everyth
ing came out in the open and secured his help in this whole mess. Ed had already
spoken with Jazz over the phone but the girls were meeting with him to go over
a few things. Tomorrow, Bella would leave for San Diego where she would meet up
with Jenks and start looking into who exactly Jane was. If she had drugged Jazz
which none of them doubted then someone had to know something. One of her friend
s would have information and all it took was finding the right person with the r
ight information to prove it.
Directly after work, Bella and Alice made their way to Spiaggia after a quick st
op at home to dress appropriately. The restaurant was right on Michigan Ave, not
far from Edward's condo and the girls entered, unsure of what to expect. Bella
had heard about the restaurant, but never dreamed of eating there and Alice had
been once, but only to the café, never for dinner.
They were greeted and immediately led to a table where Elizabeth and Ed stood as
soon as they saw the girls. "Bella, Alice," Elizabeth called out in a quiet ton
e. "It's so good to see the two of you." She embraced Bella first and then Alice
.
"Bella," Ed said warmly, enveloping her in a huge hug. "And this must be Alice?"
he asked as he pulled away from Bella.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Masen," Alice said sweetly, showing off a forced bright s
mile her mood had been anything but cheery since St. Louis.
With everyone standing in greeting, Bella took the opportunity to look at Ed. He
looked different than he did at his house. Today he wore an impeccable grey sui
t with a light blue shirt and dark blue and grey tie. His shoes were a polished
black and he had a pair of wire-rimmed glasses covering his eyes that made him l
ook, well, even more handsome than she originally thought. He still looked like
Edward except for his hair color and his smile was a bit different but otherwise
, looking at Ed was as if she could see twenty years into the future with Edward
.
"Do I look better or worse in a suit?" Ed whispered next to Bella's ear and she
turned bright red, looking up at Elizabeth, mortified.
"Have a seat," Elizabeth chuckled and all four of them sat down, each one pickin
g up a menu.
After ordering, talk centered around the All Star game and work, leaving the mai
n order of business to wait until their meals had arrived. It was as if a switch
had turned on in Ed as he squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes upon the
two young women at the table.
"So," Ed began after swallowing the first bite of his mushroom ravioli, "I've sp
oken to both Edward and Jasper earlier today. They both have asked me to keep yo
u two in the loop on what we've done so far and where we plan to take everything
."
It was hard for either girl to concentrate on their meals once Ed started talkin
g his whole presence demanded their attention and they willingly gave it to him,
devouring every word that came out of his mouth. He was very good at articulati
ng his thoughts and using words that even they could understand.
"Jasper has called and spoken with Jane and has informed her that he will not gi
ve her any more money until two things have been done. First, she will have to g
o to an obstetrician of our choosing and get checked out and have her pregnancy
confirmed. Secondly, she will need to have a paternity test and there can not be
any question as to whether or not Jasper is the father. Until both of those con
ditions are met, all money to her has been suspended."
"What did she say?" Bella asked, interrupting Edward's dad.
"Well, she wasn't very happy, Bella, but there's nothing she can do for now. We
expect her lawyer to work out a deal for a set amount of money to keep Jane heal
thy during her pregnancy until the paternity test can be done. After that, it wi
ll all depend on the results."
"The media," Alice said with wide, frightened eyes. "She'll go to the media."
"Actually, that issue has been taken care of as well. Now, it's not to say that
the media won't catch wind of what is going on, we expect that they eventually w
ill, but Jane has been warned I spoke with her myself of the ramifications if sh
e speaks to anyone about Jazz and the paternity of her child."
"You talked to her?" Bella asked, swallowing a bite of her Fettuccini Alfredo.
"Yes, I wanted to make sure she understood everything Jasper told her and answer
any questions she had. The one thing we need to make sure of is that she is not
taken advantage of, more importantly, that the perception that she's being take
n advantage of isn't there.
"Now, Jasper's agent is on his way to Chicago as we speak. He was supposed to jo
in us for dinner, but his flight was delayed, I apologize." When the two girls s
miled at him, he continued. "He will deal with the whole PR side of things, but
we want you to understand that it is being taken care of, and part of that will
be Jasper providing Jane with legal counsel of her choosing."
"What?" Alice asked.
"Alice," Ed said softly. "She is young and uneducated. If Jasper goes after her
without her having the same advantages to legal counsel as he does, the media wi
ll be all over him. She can barely afford to stay here in Chicago let alone hire
a lawyer that's good enough to go head-to-head against me and my team."
"So she can just go out and hire the most expensive lawyer there is?" Alice aske
d, anger piercing through her sweet smile.
"No, her legal counsel will not be able to cost more than what Jasper pays for h
is. I won't get into all the details of that, but know that she will not have an
advantage in this area." The look he gave Alice settled her down, even though s
he was still fired-up inside.
"So that's it?" Alice asked stubbornly. "We just sit back and let her get a lawy
er and then have the paternity test done?"
"No," Ed replied, wiping his mouth with his napkin and placing it down on his no
w empty plate. How he managed to finish his food during that conversation was be
yond Bella she had only taken one bite so far. "I have spoken with Jenks, the pr
ivate investigator that Jasper hired. He has been given new assignments, new ave
nues to venture down. The paternity of Jane's child is only one aspect of this w
hole mess."
Alice let out a loud snort and Bella stared at her friend, lifting her eyebrows
in a warning to her. Above all else, Bella feared that Alice would go off about
Edward to his parents and she was afraid that was what the little, evil pixie wa
s just about to do right now.
"While we all agree that the whole situation that Jasper has found himself in is
suspect, we don't have any evidence." Turning his attention to Bella, Ed contin
ued. "That is where you come in, Bella. Edward has told me about your skills as
a researcher and that you plan on flying out to San Diego tomorrow evening. I to
ld Jenks about you and he's agreed to work with you and Elizabeth "
"Elizabeth?" Bella asked, turning her stare to Edward's mother. "I don't underst
and."
"Bella," Elizabeth said, breaking her silence, "did Edward ever tell you how Ed
and I met?"
"No," she replied, shaking her head with a frown.
"We met at law school," Elizabeth said, eyes shining. "We fell in love so quick,
that my whole world was turned upside down. Instead of studying for my bars, I
found myself planning a wedding." Elizabeth reached out a hand and placed it on
Bella's forearm across the table. "After the wedding, I worked as a paralegal in
Ed's firm until I had Edward."
"She's the best paralegal I've ever worked with," Ed beamed, flashing a radiant
smile toward his wife.
"I know the ins and outs of the law."
"She's also a mean interrogator," Ed provided, winking at Elizabeth.
"Either way," Elizabeth playfully snipped at Ed, and then turned toward Bella, "
you'll need me out there. The two of us can work much better together, as a team
, in the short amount of time that we have."
"Okay," Bella replied, her stomach twisting in knots. Things seemed so above her
head right now. She was just planning to go down to San Diego and start asking
questions of people that Jane knew, she wasn't sure she was at the level that th
e Masens' expected now.
"Until we have evidence of any foul play on Jane's part, we can not make a move
against Jane with rape charges."
"So what happens next then?" Alice asked; her brows furrowed together. "After we
get the paternity test and evidence to prove that she raped Jazz, what do we do
?"
Sighing heavily, Ed focused on Alice. "There are a couple different options, but
I want to go over those with you and Jasper together. We'll also need to speak
with his agent about this to make sure everything plays out to the media with a
good reception. I have certain ideas of things that Bella and Elizabeth are goin
g to find in San Diego and if everything pans out the way I think it will, you a
nd Jasper will have some big decisions to make. That is, if the baby is his. If
the baby isn't even his, then this is all moot and we can just concentrate on th
e rape charges."
It was quiet at the table for a moment and Ed looked at the two young ladies and
his wife sadly. "Do any of you have any questions?"
When Alice didn't ask anything, Bella spoke up. "I want to thank you for Edward
and I "
Another snort sounded from Alice and Bella raised her eyebrows to her again, but
she didn't heed the warning. "He should be thanking his father for bailing him
out of this mess, if it weren't fo- OW!" Alice's tirade was cut off from Bella's
foot kicking her under the table. Just as Bella was about to lay into her with
words, Elizabeth reached out and stopped her with a squeeze of her hand.
"Alice," Elizabeth said calmly, yet dryly. "I understand that you're upset with
my son. Edward obviously didn't show the least bit of good discernment in gettin
g into a relationship with Jane, but what happened to Jazz can not be accredited
to him. My husband and I are taking time out of our busy lives and schedules to
help you and Jazz. Not because we feel our son is to blame, but because you are
close friends of his and Bella's. Whatever ill feelings you have toward Edward,
it would be wise of you to not voice them to us."
~GO CUBS~
"Are you sure?" Jane asked into her phone. It was Friday morning and she sat on
the edge of her hotel bed, writing down the information that Mila gave her off t
he internet. Without a laptop to do her own browsing, Jane felt helpless.
"According to this website, that's the address associated with her phone number.
"
Yesterday had been very discouraging for Jane. She first received a phone call f
rom Jazz insisting she make an appointment with some doctor he had already picke
d out. That didn't faze her at all; she'd do whatever it took to prove to him th
at she was still pregnant. But he also insisted she have a paternity test done,
which frightened her, but she couldn't voice her concerns to Mila. For all her g
ood friend knew, there was no way the baby could be anybody's but Jazz's.
Unfortunately, her threats to speak to the media fell on deaf ears with Jazz thi
s time as he proceeded to give her a warning about doing so, telling her that he
was willing to be extra generous in child support as long as she didn't talk to
anyone regarding the issue. He then had given her information for his lawyer, w
ho apparently was Edward's father. Things couldn't get any worse. The immense fe
ar that shot through her body when she realized he had already spoken to a lawye
r was overwhelming.
He wasn't done though. The big shocker came when he told her that he would be pa
ying for her own lawyer, one that she got to choose herself as long as her fees
didn't exceed a certain amount of money, which he had yet to name.
Edward's father, Ed, had been helpful on the phone when he called yesterday and
she wondered if he knew about her relationship with his son. He was extremely pr
ofessional and never mentioned Edward or hinted at knowing anything about her on
any intimate level, but she doubted her relationship with Edward wouldn't have
been brought up when he talked with Jazz. Ed had given her a list of lawyers tha
t he recommended, though he told her to interview them and to find the right fit
for her.
So that was the original intent of the phone call she was now on with Mila to fi
nd a lawyer. It all seemed so tedious though and she still wasn't sure where a l
ot of them were located in comparison to where she was. It was quite obvious tha
t she wouldn't be able to stay in the Sheraton for much longer though and she ne
eded to start looking for a place of her own. It only took around thirty minutes
for both women to get discouraged when they looked at apartments online, everyt
hing was too expensive in the area she wanted.
Their frustration then led to a search to see where Edward's girlfriend lived. T
hey couldn't find any variations of Bella Swan or Isabella Swan or even I. Swan
or B. Swan in the white pages for the area of Lincoln Park, where the papers sai
d she lived, so Mila had a good idea to do a reverse search off Bella's cell pho
ne number. They found a name and address for the number, but they weren't sure i
f it was for her or not; the number was attached to a Cynthia Gould with a Linco
ln Park address Jane wrote it down just in case.
They did a similar search for Jazz's girlfriend, but came up with nothing, and s
ince Jane hadn't known about her early enough to get her number from Jazz's phon
e, she had nothing else to go off, except for her name, which they got from the
internet. The only other thing they were able to figure out was that she worked
at Macys.
"Okay, Mila," Jane yawned. "I'm going to take a nap." Secretly, she was going ov
er scenarios in her mind of having some fun with Edward's new girlfriend. What f
un was having information like an address without actually using it?
"Don't forget to call those lawyers. Call the ones that Jazz's lawyer gave you t
oo. They really are being generous with you they don't have to pay for this."
"I know," Jane said, yawning once again the pregnancy had worn her out, taken al
l her energy and turned it into exhaustion. "I'll make the calls after my nap."
"Do you want me to fly out there and help?" Mila was worried about her friend; J
ane really seemed to be in over her head.
"I'll call you later and let you know. Right now, I just want to get some rest."
~GO CUBS~
"This will be the second night in a row that I miss your game," Bella pouted ove
r the phone. She was in her bedroom packing some last-minute items like her toot
hbrush and deodorant.
"You missed a good one last night," Edward replied as he checked his pocket for
his wallet, making sure he had everything he needed before leaving for Nationals
Park.
"I heard," she said dryly. "But, I did get to have a wonderful dinner with your
parents. I had never been to Spiaggia."
"It's my mom's favorite restaurant downtown," he chuckled. "What time are you me
eting her?"
"In three hours at the gate. O'Hare's so big and with all the security and stuff
, we figured it'd be easier this way." Bella held her phone away from her ear as
she heard the back door slam shut. "Shoot, Alice just got home."
"How's she doing?" Edward asked, concerned for Bella's friend.
"Not very good. I'm sorry about the way "
"Is that Edward?" Alice asked loudly from Bella's open doorway, hands on her hip
s and eyes squinting in a menacing glare.
"Alice," Bella warned, "not now."
"Tell him to go to hell," she huffed before turning and storming into her bedroo
m.
"Ugh," Bella groaned, sitting down on her bed. "I don't know what to do," she sa
id into the receiver. "She is totally taking this out on you and it's not "
"It's okay, I understand," Edward interrupted, not wanting to spend the little a
mount of time they had left talking about Alice.
"No, it's not okay. She crossed the line last night! You should be proud of your
mom, though."
"I always am," he said brightly, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, she really let Alice have it!"
"Okay, no more talk about this. I've got to get going and I have a very importan
t question to ask you."
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" Bella was suddenly alert, sitting straight u
p in her bed, a heart beat away from panic.
"I don't know," he said lazily. "Did you pack your photo album?"
The increase of Bella's heart rate wasn't from fear or panic this time. Relaxing
 back against her headboard, she smiled widely and grasped the black 9X9 photo a
lbum that sat on her bedside table. Opening it up, she let her eyes study the go
rgeous man with striking green eyes that stared at her from the first page.
"Not yet," she sighed, a finger trailing over the full, pink lips in the picture
before her.
"Well, don't forget it."
"It's in the bag," she said cheerfully as she closed the album and laid it on to
p of her clothes in her suitcase.
"How about, um, you know . . ."
"No, I don't know," she said teasingly, knowing full well what he wanted to ask
about.
"Well, you said that next time . . ."
"Did you bring yours?"
"God, Bella, what a way to ruin the images in my mind."
Giggling, Bella got up off the bed and rummaged through the top drawer of her dr
esser. "Okay, Mr. Baseball, which one would you like me to bring?"
"The double?" Edward asked in anticipation, it was the one he fantasized about i
n his head.
"Nah, I don't like to use that one alone."
"You won't be alone, Bella, I'll be right near your ear."
"Nice try," she laughed, her eyes roaming over the different pink and purple con
traptions in her drawer. "How about the butterfly?"
"Is that your favorite?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Bella lifted the pink vibrator from her drawer and turn
ed it on, watching the head of it twist in a circular motion. "It's okay."
"Which one's your favorite?"
Bella snorted. "My favorite's in Washington D.C. right now." She said disgruntle
d, turning off the butterfly in her hands and placing it back in the drawer. Edw
ard's tongue was by far better than any toy she owned.
"Oh, so that's all I am to you, a toy?" he teased.
"Okay, how about the rabbit?" she asked, purposely ignoring his question.
"Which one was that?"
"They're all pretty much the same, but this one has a lot more functions than th
e butterfly that I have."
"The rabbit it is then," he decided, smiling brightly as he closed his hotel roo
m door. "I actually need to get going though; I need to be at the park in less t
han 15 minutes. I'll call you after the game."
"I won't get into San Diego until around 9:00 PM California time. That's like .
. ." She threw the purple vibrator in her suit case, hiding it between layers of
clothes, and then zipped it up as she tried to figure out the time difference b
etween the east and west coasts.
"It'll be too late for me," Edward sighed. "I'll call you in the morning instead
."
"I love you, Edward," she sighed. "Good luck on the game tonight."
"I love you too, Bella. Give my mom a hug for me."
"You bet." Disconnecting the call was hard. This would be the furthest apart the
y'd ever been, each of them on a different coast.
While Alice moped in her room, Bella made her way downstairs and into the kitche
n. Chad had called earlier and was coming over with a packet of information for
her from Brian, who got everything from an anonymous investigative reporter for
the Sun Times. Bella was actually thankful that the source was anonymous for the
time being because she didn't want to know who all knew about Jane though she n
ever mentioned to Brian a connection with her and Edward or Jazz. The more eyes
looking for information on Jane, the more they would find, and that was all that
mattered to her.
After grabbing a bottle of water, Bella went back upstairs and knocked on Alice'
s door, pushing it open a little to peek inside. "Can I come in?"
"Sure," Alice sniffed, lifting herself from her bed she had been crying.
"How're you doing?" Bella asked, taking a couple steps into Alice's room.
"I just got off the phone with Jazz. He's not doing very well, Bella. Maybe all
this Charlie's Angels shit is a bad idea. He really doesn't want people to know
about what happened."
"Does he want me and Elizabeth not to go?"
"No," she sighed, lying back down on her bed and staring at the ceiling. Bella w
alked over and sat on the edge of the bed next to her friend. "He doesn't know w
hat he wants, really. He wants you to find the proof that he was drugged, but at
the same time, he doesn't. I think he just wants the proof to ease his mind, bu
t not to press charges against her. It's stupid really, but I don't want to push
him and I don't want to ignore him either. I'm just not sure what I should be d
oing. How am I supposed to talk to him? What am I supposed to say to him? Does h
e want me to comfort him, reassure him of my love, or would he rather me not men
tion it and pretend nothing happened?"
"Alice," Bella started, but was interrupted.
"Bella, this has screwed him up. It has screwed us up! I want to be there for hi
m but I don't know how, and whenever he pulls away, even just a little bit, I'm
not sure if I'm supposed to let him have his space or if I should keep on him, g
iving him my affection, even though he has clearly told me to back off. I don't
want to do the wrong thing, but I don't want to leave him to deal with it alone
either."
"Just love him," Bella said in a small voice.
"How do I do that?" Alice choked out, the sobs finally wrenching free of her sti
ffly kept demeanor. "How do I love him when he won't accept it? How do I respect
 his wishes and be there for him at the same time? He's pushing me away, Bella.
He did this for a little while right after it happened remember? Now he's doing
it again. He won't let me be there for him."
"I don't know," Bella cried, tears dripping down her cheeks now too. She leaned
down and wrapped her arms around her best friend and held onto her, kissing the
top of her head, whispering words of love to her.
The two friends held onto each other and eventually started talking about work a
nd giggling about Tanya and Jake. Emmett had told Rosalie, who told them, that h
e had caught Tanya sneaking away from Jake's apartment earlier in the week when
he had stopped in to say hi.
"If there were ever two people who deserved each other, it's those two," Alice l
aughed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She was so thankful to have such good fr
iends like Bella and Rosalie. Actually, without them, she wouldn't have any frie
nds at all. She had always been considered an outcast, an odd, weird, girl growi
ng up. When she had met Bella at Cosi's that day, she was so afraid of scaring t
he brown eyed girl off, that she almost didn't ask to sit with her. Now, four li
ttle years later, she was so glad she hadn't shied away.
The doorbell rang just as Bella had started to get up from Alice's bed. "I'll ge
t it," Bella mumbled, straightening out her hair. "Chad's supposed to stop by."
There was an extra lift in Bella's step as she trotted down the stairs and flew
open the big, front, entryway door. It was on the tip of her tongue to call out
Chad's name when her eyes adjusted to a tall, skinny, blond woman standing on he
r porch with big blue eyes. She looked tired and hungry. There were dark circles
under her eyes and her skin looked dry, creases at the corners of her eyes and
mouth showing age. Yet at the same time, her eyes held a certain spunk in them s
he was younger than her skin would suggest, Bella thought.
"Hi," Bella said cheerfully, "can I help you?"
"Bella?" the girl asked cautiously. "Bella Swan?"
"Yes," Bella replied suspiciously. There had been a couple of instances where re
porters had shown up at her door and she'd have to run and hide in her room and
sneak out the back. Luckily, after the initial shock that Edward Masen was in a
committed relationship, Bella and Edward had become old news. Their pictures sho
wed up in local news papers every now and then and she was in a couple issues of
Sports Illustrated, but other than that, she had been forgotten so she thought.
"And you are?"
"Hi," the woman said, holding her hand out for a shake. "My name is Jane. Jane S
chenck."
"Excuse me?" Bella snapped, pulling her hand back dramatically.
"Yes, you remember me." The blond smiled cockily, her eyes glancing up and down
Bella's body, measuring the woman who stole her Edward away.
"You aren't welcome here," Bella spit, her face contorting to one of hatred and
rage very unbecoming.
"Oh come on," Jane cooed, rolling her eyes. "You won. There's nothing for you to
get all bent out of shape over."
"I won?" Bella asked, shocked. "There was never any competition, Jane, or are yo
u just too naïve to know that? Oh!" Bella said in mock, humbled surprise. "It wasn
't naivety, now was it? It was stupidity." She said the last word with a venomou
s force, the fake innocent sound in her voice gone. "Let me be the first to clea
r it up for you; you were never anything but a fuck to Edward. Is that clear eno
ugh, or do you need a dictionary?"
The reception Jane was receiving from Bella didn't shock her so much than the fa
ct that Bella wasn't one to cower in a corner. Jane thought for sure that confro
nting Edward's girlfriend would cause her to cry and retreat back into a pool of
insecurity. That didn't look to be happening. Actually, it seemed to Jane as if
Bella Swan had grown a foot in just the short amount of time from when she had
introduced herself.
"You definitely have the city of Chicago fooled," Jane drawled out bitterly. "Ev
erything I've read claims you're as sweet as honey. I wonder if they'd all be so
happy about Edward's little 'girl next door' if they could hear you now." Bring
ing up the reference to what the Chicago papers had referred to Bella as didn't
faze her one bit she was used to that type of teasing from Emmett and the guys a
t work.
"Are you done now? You aren't welcome here. Go back to California and fuck someo
ne else's man."
"Bella?" Alice asked from behind her. "Is everything okay?"
"Alice," Bella warned quietly, trying to keep her friend from coming out onto th
e porch, "don't "
"Oh, hi," Alice said sweetly, stepping out to stand next to Bella. "I'm Alice."
She reached out a hand and Bella lifted hers to swat it away from the woman with
wiry blond hair.
"Bella!" Alice reprimanded.
"This is Jane," Bella said pointedly, her eyes wide, mouth pressed firmly into a
scowl.
"Oh." Staring at the woman in front of her, Alice's body froze. Knowing the woma
n was in Chicago and actually seeing her face-to-face were two different things.
Especially since Alice had just found out about Jane and what she had done to J
azz only days before she was still trying to digest everything.
"Golden," Jane practically sang. "You're the Alice? Jazz's Alice?"
"Jane," Bella warned. "I've already told you to leave."
"But I just got here. What, you aren't having any fun?" Jane giggled as she watc
hed the beautiful petite woman in front of her coil into herself exactly what sh
e had hoped Bella would do.
"Leave now," Bella growled, taking a step to stand between Jane and Alice.
"Oh come on, we can talk about . . . let's see . . . what do the three of us hav
e in common? Oh yeah! We can talk about Edward and Jazz, compare how big their d
icks are. Oh, but neither of you have seen both, like I have. Too bad, it would
be a fun conversation." Jane smiled cockily, proud of herself. "Or maybe we can
talk about "
"Enough!" Bella shouted, her right hand rising in a fist, pushing out toward Jan
e's face.
"No!" Alice screamed, flinging herself at Bella, grabbing a hold of her swinging
arm. "She's pregnant!"
Fighting against the constraints of Alice's hands on her arms, Bella hissed at J
ane, her eyes wild with rage. She couldn't believe that Jane had the nerve to sh
ow up at their house and start talking trash like that. What kind of girl was sh
e and why would Edward have ever found her appealing in any way? Maybe that was
what made it worse. The fact that she was obviously nothing but white trash and
Edward had willingly on numerous occasions had sex with her. It disgusted Bella.
"She's not worth it," Alice whispered into Bella's neck, trying to calm her down
as Jane laughed from the other side of the porch. Jane may have been laughing,
but she found the need to get away from a very irate Bella. "Not while she's pre
gnant, Bella, not now."
Once Bella had settled down, Alice stepped up to her side, grabbing her hand in
hers, her shoulders squaring off as she found her confidence. This woman before
her was a coward a wimp. Jane had drugged a man and forced him to have sex with
her there was nothing for her to be proud of and that made Alice feel that much
braver.
"Jane," Alice said evenly, coldly, "we will not stand here and listen to anythin
g else you have to say." Her voice wavered a little when Jane's lip curled up in
to a smug smile, but she found her strength again, pushing her newfound insecuri
ties aside. "Bella has asked you to leave and now I'm telling you to. Leave now,
before we call the cops. You don't want this mess to come up when your lawyers
meet with Ed Masen."
Just as Alice ended her speech, Chad sauntered up the porch steps. "Hey, Bella,"
he called out with a 9X12 manila envelope in his hands. "I hope this isn't late
." His eyes darted between the three ladies on the porch, his body feeling the t
ension surrounding them. "Is everything okay?"
"It's fine," Bella clipped, her eyes never leaving Jane's.
"Thank you, Chad," Alice said as sweetly as she could, taking the envelope from
his hands. "We'll call you later."
"Okay," he said awkwardly before stepping backwards off the stairs, his eyes on
Bella. "I'll talk to you later."
"I should get going too," Jane huffed, trying to sound bored, but missing her ma
rk.
"You do that," Alice snapped, "and don't come back."
~GO CUBS~
"Hello?" Bella called out, banging on the door of a dirty, beat up, trailer. The
trailer park itself was run-down, no green grass, just dirt dry, dusty dirt. "M
r. Martinez? Carlos Martinez?" Carlos Martinez was listed in the paperwork that
Bella had received from the reporter at the Sun Times, though his relationship t
o Jane was in question. The reporter thought he was her husband, but Bella, and
everyone else, assumed that Jane was single as she never mentioned a husband to
anyone and her last name, Schenck, was the same name listed on her birth certifi
cate.
Sighing loudly, Bella stopped pounding on the door and turned to see Elizabeth p
eeking into one of the dusty windows. "Someone's in there," she said, "knock aga
in."
"Mr. Martinez," Bella shouted, her fist banging against the door harder, sending
spikes of pain up her forearm.
"What do ye want?" The door opened abruptly, pulling Bella off kilter, and she s
crambled to find her balance.
"Mr. Carlos Martinez?" she asked out of breath once she got her footing.
"That's me," the stout, dark man said huskily. He was dressed in a pair of cut-o
ff jeans and a dirty, ribbed, white tank top a wife beater, as some preferred to
refer to it as. "Who are you?"
"Mr. Martinez, my name is Bella Swan. I need to ask you some questions about Jan
e Schenck."
"Jane Martinez," the man corrected her.
"Really?" Bella asked, looking over her shoulder to Elizabeth, who was walking u
p the creaky, wooden steps.
"Yeah," Carlos moaned, running a hand through his pitch black hair. "It's just t
he two of you?"
"Yes."
"You're not cops, right? I mean, you'd have to tell me, now that I asked."
"We're definitely not cops," Bella said sweetly. "We're just concerned about Jan
e."
"How do you know her?" he asked, ushering the two ladies into his home and then
shutting the door. "Here, sit down." Carlos motioned for Bella to sit at the tab
le and then cleared off another chair for Elizabeth.
"Well . . ."
"Carlos," a woman's voice whined from a back room.
"Vuelve a la cama, son sólo unas señoras preguntando por Jane," Carlos hollered back
to the woman and then a door shut. "Sorry about that," he said sheepishly.
"No problem," Bella said. "As I said earlier, my name is Bella Swan and this is
my friend, Elizabeth Masen."
"How do you know Jane?"
"Well, I only recently met her," Bella said honestly, trying hard not to remembe
r the encounter on her front porch because she kept getting upset over it every
time she did. "Carlos, we're worried about her."
Carlos snorted while taking a cigarette out of a pack and lighting up. He took a
long drag and then smirked at Bella. "Drugs again?"
"I'm not sure," she said stoically, not revealing her shock to him. "She's just
not acting herself."
"I thought you just met her."
"I did, but I've been talking on the phone with her for a while now, and she "
Carlos's laughter interrupted Bella's thought process. "She's always one for the
atrics," he mused, "I'm sure she's playing you."
"Carlos, she never told me how she knew you."
"Really? You mustn't know her well then," he laughed. "I'm her husband."
Bella's eyes grew and she gulped down the dryness that crept into her throat. "S
he didn't . . ."
"She probably told you we're divorced," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "She l
eft me the papers and all, but I didn't sign them." He took another drag off his
cigarette then ashed in a cup next to Bella. "She thinks I did though." Chuckli
ng to himself, he took another drag and then looked over at Elizabeth with a smi
le, blowing smoke out his nose. "Doesn't matter to me if she took the kid and le
ft "
"Wait," Bella interrupted, "what kid?"
"Her son. He's like five or something, name's Bobby."
"Five?" Elizabeth asked and Bella could feel the older woman's body tense up nex
t to her. Knowing what Elizabeth must've thought, Bella desperately wanted to re
assure her that the child wasn't Edward's the kid was too old.
"Carlos, Jane didn't have her son with her when we met. Do you know where she mi
ght have left him?"
"Probably with his dad."
"Do you have a name and address? We'd like to make sure he's okay."
"She's back on the drugs again, eh?"
"Yes," Elizabeth said sadly. "Carlos, you wouldn't happen to know what she takes
, would you?"
"Heroin mostly, but she's done coke and pot, of course. She never did it all tha
t much though, only once in a while. Is that why she left? Is she all strung out
?"
"I think she's going to be fine," Bella said reassuringly.
"Like I'd care!" he chuckled. "She was a two-bit whore who opened her legs for a
nyone."
Bella's eyes lifted in shock, a sick feeling twisting in her stomach. Edward had
slept with her and she had slept with . . . San Diego! And Jazz! Trying hard to
concentrate, Bella mentally made a note to have all four of her, Edward, Jazz,
and Alice go and get tested for STD's and HIV when everyone was back in Chicago.
"¡Nena, vuelve a la cama!"
"Ah, I need to get going," Carlos said; eager to be rid of the two women before
him.
"First we need Jane's son's father's name and address," Bella said firmly.
~GO CUBS~
"That's five people who all have mentioned drugs," Bella said sadly, looking dow
n at her notebook. "I hope her friend, Nikki, is able to give us more informatio
n."
"We may never find out where she got the drugs from. We'll need to approach Nikk
i differently," Elizabeth mused. "She's not going to talk to us if we just start
asking questions like we did with everyone else."
"Why don't you think so?"
"She's one of her closest friends. Everyone else we've spoken too probably didn'
t like her that much to begin with, but Nikki will be very closed off. We can't
let her know our true intentions."
"What should we do then?" Bella asked then took a bite of her BLT sandwich, star
ing at Edward's mom. She had turned out to be quite an observant person. She did
n't say much when they spoke with people, but afterward, Elizabeth would start t
alking about everything she noticed in the surrounding areas, like a list of nam
es and numbers of friends on Carlos' refrigerator. Not only did she notice the l
ist, but she had somehow written down every single one of them in her notebook.
"We'll meet up with her tonight and get all friendly with her."
"And?"
"I don't know . . . start talking about roofies or something?"
"We don't know that's what she used."
"If it's not what she used, then maybe Nikki will suggest we use something else.
"
"And if it is?"
"If it is, then maybe she'll give us pointers, or lead us in the right direction
."
Looking down at her watch, Bella noted the time before taking another bite and a
sip of her coke. "We have about an hour until our meeting with Jenks, I'm going
to give Edward a call."
"Tell him I love him," Elizabeth sighed, beaming a bright smile at Bella.
"I will."
~GO CUBS~
"Hey beautiful!" Edward said excitedly, answering his phone on the first ring.
"Hi."
"What's wrong? You don't sound right."
"It's been a long day," Bella sighed, leaning her head against the wall outside
the restaurant. She had left Elizabeth inside with money on the table Bella insi
sted on paying for their meals since Edward had funded the air plane tickets and
hotel rooms.
"No, there's something else. What did you find out?"
"It can wait until you get back," she said dryly. "I'll only say that Jane is no
thing what you perceived her to be."
"That bad?" he asked in a low voice after a long moment of silence.
"Worse?"
"Bella, tell me. What's going on?"
"Your mom says hi and sends her love," Bella said upbeat, hoping to change the s
ubject. "We watched a rerun of yesterday's game last night."
"I love you, Bella," Edward chuckled, delighting in her stubbornness.
"I like hearing you say that. Actually, why don't you call me later and I'll let
you say it to me all night?"
"Only if you promise to pull out the rabbit," he said extremely quiet and Bella
giggled.
"What?"
"You're near someone, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm sitting in the club house."
"I'll let you go. We'll be meeting up with Nikki tonight. Any pointers on how to
handle her?" Nikki was the girl that Jane had set Jazz up with a year or so ago
before Alice.
"She's actually not that bad."
"Well, I'm sure you thought the same about Jane, but let me tell you, she's quit
e a piece of work!"
"All right, Swan, I've got to get going. Tell my mom I love her too."
"I love you, Eddie," she whispered, a small tear escaping down her cheek.
"One more week, sweetheart; we'll be together in six days."
~GO CUBS~
"Wow, Bella," Elizabeth said from behind her. They were both standing in Bella's
hotel room getting ready to go out and meet up with Nikki, who was supposed to
be at a bar, according to Nikki's roommate, whom they spoke with not too long ag
o.
"Edward would probably kill me if he saw me dressed to go out like this," Bella
muttered, grimacing in the mirror. She had on a pair of skin-tight, black jeans
and a red halter top that didn't have much fabric to it, especially in the back
she was practically naked and it felt odd.
"I'll be there for you, as will Jenks. We won't let anything happen to you."
After ending her call with Edward, Bella and Elizabeth met with Jenks and combin
ed information. Jenks was a real interesting guy; mid forties, grey hair with a
spatter of black still mixed in, hard, steel-grey eyes that were aware of so muc
h more than one would assume, and a smile that could melt your heart. His face w
as cold and hard until he smiled and then it was as if you couldn't look away he
looked like a baby when he smiled, drawing all the ladies in to say, 'Aah'.
Jenks had been busy keeping an eye on one of Jane's friends, Mila, and her husba
nd, Juan. He had actually spoken with Juan and had gotten some interesting infor
mation. For instance, Jane had a tendency to disappear at night. She'd be out un
til three or four in the morning and then come home drunk and high. After gettin
g the name of the place where Juan thought she was hanging out, Jenks went there
and asked around, finding a man who did recognize Jane. It turned out he had gi
ven her drugs one night, had even brought her back to his friends house to do li
nes and everything.
"While she was pregnant?" Bella had asked, appalled that someone would do that w
hile carrying an unborn child.
"It looks that way. He said it was about two weeks ago that he was with her." Je
nks was trying to sugar-coat things, but it was hard to do when speaking about o
ne such as Jane.
"With her?" Bella asked, confused by the selection of words he used.
"In exchange for the heroin he gave her, she, um, performed . . . favors for him
and a couple of his friends."
The picture that Bella and Elizabeth were getting of this girl wasn't a very pre
tty one and for some reason, Bella was disappointed, disgusted really. This girl
had somehow captured Edward's attention. No, he never had a serious relationshi
p with her, but she was the only ongoing relationship he had at that time in his
life and it sickened Bella to think that she was the type he hooked up with. In
Bella's mind, she had fantasized Jane to be some tall, long-legged, beautiful p
rofessional who didn't have time for a relationship, so she got involved with a
man that she knew wouldn't want anything back from her in return. Jane was far f
rom the romanticized version that Bella had conjured up in her head and the more
they found out about her, the worse she felt.
"Are you ready?" Elizabeth asked from Bella's side in front of the rowdy bar. Th
e conversation with Jenks was still playing over in Bella's head, but she nodded
to her boyfriend's mom and smiled a little, grabbing a hold of her hand. Elizab
eth was dressed rather sexually tonight as well and it gave Bella a better feeli
ng knowing that she was going to be there with her.
After sitting in a booth, the ladies each ordered a beer and just started talkin
g about nothing in particular. The conversation eventually moved to Edward, thou
gh neither of them mentioned his name in case someone in the bar Nikki or anyone
else for that matter knew about him and Jane.
Quite a few men came over to the table and chatted with the ladies. They talked
to each and every one of them, trying to get any information out about the bar a
nd the people who were regulars, which they were told Jane was. No one came out
and mentioned Jane or Nikki, and they didn't push the subject. Nor did they flir
t with any of them, which was probably why they were ending up dry in the inform
ation business.
"There she is," Bella said under her breath, her eyes quickly darting to watch N
ikki over at the bar. Jane's dear friend looked to be a tad intoxicated as she t
ried to hit on some guy that sat directly next to Jenks. "Jenks just winked at m
e," Bella said, turning to look back at Elizabeth. "What does that mean?"
"Just do everything we planned. He'll find a way to lead her over to us."
Not long after, Bella looked up to see Jenks talking with Nikki, his hands playi
ng with the gaudy bracelets on her wrists. She still had no idea what she was su
pposed to do or how she was supposed to get information out of her. In the neat,
little, organized bubble that Bella worked, information was obtained from onlin
e sources as well as people, but she mainly dealt with the online variety, or so
me type of print. Though there were people in her profession that actually went
on fake interviews to get information from companies or even attended conference
s disguised as clients, she had never participated in any of that type of inform
ation gathering because she wasn't a good actress everyone knew that.
"You look like you could use a place to sit," Elizabeth hollered over the bangin
g of the live band.
"What?" a very confused Nikki asked, turning around to stare at two women sittin
g in a booth.
"You look like you need a place to sit," Elizabeth said again with a lazy smile.
"My name's Liz and this is . . ."
"Renee," Bella offered, holding out her hand. "Come and join us," she suggested,
scooting over in the booth.
"Hi," Nikki said cautiously as she sat down next to Bella. "I'm Nikki."
The three ladies ordered a pitcher of beer and talked, getting to know each othe
r. Neither Bella nor Elizabeth pressed the conversation into too much detail. Th
e plan was to get Nikki drunk enough to talk but not too drunk and to also get h
er to trust them. After a while of the three of them giggling like school girls,
an unexpected opportunity arose Bella's cell phone rang out, the 'Go Cubs Go!'
song hard to hear anywhere but at their little table.
"You're a Cubs fan?" Nikki asked suspiciously, watching as Bella hurriedly silen
ced her phone without answering it.
"No, it's the guy I'm interested in, he is."
"Oh, go ahead and answer it, I don't mind."
"Well I do," Bella snapped. "He's been playing me lately and I'm sick of his gam
es. I just wish there were a way I could get him to be more willing you know?"
"What do you mean?" Nikki asked, taking a sip from her beer as she eyed her new
friend.
"Sometimes I think he just needs to loosen up and then he'd see me the way I wan
t him to."
"She's been thinking of some really strange ways to do that," Elizabeth laughed
from across the table. "Tell her your latest one!" she suggested to Bella.
"Oh, it's bad. It wouldn't really work anyway, I don't think."
"What did you have in mind?" Nikki asked.
"I don't know," Bella said in mock hesitation. "It's "
"Oh, just tell her already," Elizabeth cut in. "She was thinking of dropping him
a roofie."
"What?" Nikki asked, shocked.
"I told you it was too drastic," Bella said dejectedly.
"That's definitely not the way to go," Nikki said. "Take it from me, drugging a
guy doesn't always work out the way you planned."
"You've done it?" Bella asked, trying to hide the excitement she felt at getting
Nikki to open up even this much.
"No," Nikki sighed, "but a friend of mine did."
"Did it work? Will it work for me?" Bella was eager to get answers, yet at the s
ame time wanted to keep the focus on her, not Nikki's friend, whom Bella and Eli
zabeth hoped was Jane.
"I guess it worked," Nikki shrugged.
"What, she decided she didn't like the guy after she got him?"
"No, nothing like that." A worried look crossed over Nikki's face and then she d
owned the rest of her beer before filling her glass again. "It's a long story, b
ut she was trying to trap the guy into marriage. He has money lots of it and he'
d been screwing her for a couple years, so she figured if he wasn't going to mak
e the move, then she would. It was a stupid idea, really." Nikki took another dr
ink from her glass of beer and shook her head.
"What do you want to know?" she asked, seeing the eager faces on the ladies next
to her. "I'll tell you though; it's not all fun and games. It cost a lot of mon
ey because they don't make white roofies anymore they're hard to find."
"They don't?" Bella asked, trying to sound interested, but really wanting to tur
n the conversation back to Nikki's friend.
"It cost my friend two months of her salary for three small pills, she was livid
!"
"She only got three pills? Well, it only takes one, right? I mean, you only need
to use one on a guy?"
"I guess," Nikki said. "Listen, I didn't like helping my friend get the pills I
won't do it again."
"That's okay, we're just interested in how it all works. We'll get our pills on
our own, we have connections."
"I guess you can just put the pill in any liquid and it dissolves clear and tast
eless," Nikki said quietly, looking around to make sure no one was listening in.
"J-, my friend," she corrected, "told me that she ended up crushing them into p
owder and pre-dissolving them the day she used them."
"What happened? Did it work for her?"
"It worked all right, but on the wrong guy." A slow smile spread over Nikki's fa
ce and she started to laugh. "I'm sorry, it just served her right. I mean, if yo
u're trying to trap a man, don't turn around and roofie his friend and get pregn
ant by him! Stupid, if you ask me."
"Oh, so she wasn't trying to get pregnant?" Elizabeth asked.
"No, she was, but not by Ja-, um, the guy's friend. She wanted to get pregnant f
rom . . . Damn, this is so hard to not name names!" Nikki giggled then she was d
efinitely feeling good.
"We don't know the people you're talking about, honey," Elizabeth said reassurin
gly, her hand reaching out to grasp a hold of Nikki's softly. "It's just such an
interesting story."
"Okay," Nikki said slowly, sobering up a little as she looked at the women befor
e her. "My friend, let's call her . . . Jane, wanted to trap, um, we'll call the
guy, Ed. Well, she wanted to get pregnant by Ed so that he'd marry her. He's th
at kind of guy, you know, noble and all. Well, he took off without drinking the
beer I'm not sure why, she didn't get into detail and then his friend, we'll cal
l him, um Ja-, err, Jessie, yeah, well, he came by and drank the beer, or someth
ing like that, and she figured, what the heck. See, Ed's friend has money too."
"Did it work? Did she trap him?" Bella asked, trying to put off excitement.
"Yeah, I guess," Nikki said deflated. "Look, I see that you two look at what my
friend did as inspiration, but honestly, it's horrible. Taking the decision away
from someone like that, well, it's wrong. I wish I had never gotten those pills
for her! If I had known how everything would turn out, I never would have given
in."
Elizabeth squeezed Nikki's hand again, comforting her. "Dear," she said sincerel
y. "We understand. Actually," she said awkwardly, her eyes darting over to Bella
for support. "We agree with how wrong an action like that is can be. It's why w
e haven't gone through with it yet."
"Huh," Nikki snorted. "Now you're going to judge my friend? Jane's not a bad per
son, she just has daddy issues."
"No, we're not going to judge her," Elizabeth said soberly.
"Nikki," Bella cut in, "we don't agree with how Jane treated Edward or Jazz eith
er, but we understand that your friend was in a bad position . . ." Bella was fa
iling miserably at trapping Nikki into a confession. This was why she didn't do
the covert stuff; she liked her position behind a computer much better. What she
had just said didn't even make sense!
"What?" Nikki asked, flinching back from the two women. She knew that she had de
finitely not mentioned Jazz's name and she had made sure to refer to Edward as E
d. "Who are you?" Nikki demanded, her face turning hard and cold.
Elizabeth smiled softly at Nikki, in apology. "My name is Elizabeth Masen, I'm E
dward's mother. And this," she said, motioning toward Bella, "is Bella Swan, Edw
ard's girlfriend."
"You lied to me? You tricked me to tell you about the drugs? I won't repeat it."
Nikki's shoulders straightened out and her eyes focused on the women at the tab
le with her she was cold stone sober now. "I will deny everything I've said to y
ou. I won't go against Jane. She needs help," she implored, tears starting to fo
rm in her eyes.
"And what about my friend, Jazz?" Bella asked. "How does he fit into all of Jane
's needs? What she did was wrong, Nikki, and you are the one person that can mak
e things right. Without you, he could lose everything."
"I won't go against Jane. You'll have to find another way." With that, Nikki got
up and left the bar, leaving Bella and Elizabeth alone. Jenks hurried over afte
r and sat down where Nikki had previously sat.
"Nicely done," Jenks said with a huge grin on his face.
"What?" Bella asked incredulously. "We screwed up! We got the information we nee
ded, but it won't help us any. She won't testify against Jane and we have no oth
er proof, nothing physical."
"Actually," Jenks said with a twinkle in his eye, "we have this." Putting his ha
nd into his light jacket pocket, he pulled out a small recording device.
"Did you bug us?" Elizabeth asked, a huge smile spreading over her face.
"No, not you, Nikki. You've seen all the spy movies, I'm sure," he said, looking
into each woman's eyes. "Well, a lot of that stuff actually exists. I stuck a s
mall microphone to the underside of that large orange bracelet she wore."
"So you can still hear her now?" Bella asked, eyeing the ear phone snugly placed
in his ear.
"Yes, she's on the phone with Jane as we speak."
Chapter 30 July 18 25, 2009
The flight home was rough for Bella. It was hard for her to relax because her mi
nd wouldn't stop picking at every little piece of information they had found out
about Jane. Early on Sunday morning, Edward had called her and she just felt so
dull, drained, and in a way, depressed. The plan that morning was to drive out
to find Jane's son, Bobby, who was now staying with his father, Robert Wells, wh
o lived about 45 minutes outside of San Diego. Bella wasn't looking forward to s
eeing the boy, she felt so sick to her stomach just thinking about what his life
must've been like from everything her and Elizabeth had gathered about Jane.
Edward could tell that something was wrong with Bella when they spoke and he tri
ed to listen and be there for her, but she wouldn't give him any specifics, she
kept telling him that they'd talk about it when he got back to Chicago. She didn
't even talk to Elizabeth about it it was too depressing; Jane made her feel phy
sically ill.
"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked as she walked Bella to her front door.
"Yeah, I'm just tired," Bella replied, keeping her eyes down to hide the lie.
"Jane isn't a very likeable person. I'm sure you're wondering what my son saw in
her," Elizabeth said quietly. "Please talk to him about this," she implored as
she enveloped Bella in a comforting hug.
"I will." Bella smiled at Edward's mom, thankful that she didn't press the issue
, but glad she had brought it up just the same.
"I'm going to go over everything with Ed this evening and hopefully he'll have a
better idea how to proceed. You make sure to tell us if Jane tries to contact e
ither you or Alice again, okay?"
"Yes." Bella smiled again. As soon as Bella had shared her story about how Jane
had shown up on her and Alice's door step, Elizabeth was on the phone with Ed ma
king sure he did something about it, and he did. He had called Jane and warned h
er about contacting Jazz, Edward, Alice, or Bella without going through him and
also implored her to hire representation, giving her even more names of lawyers
in the area.
With the first step Bella took into her townhome, a flurry of movements jolted h
er out of her daze. Rushing toward her were Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice while Set
h stood in her living room, watching their friends approach her.
"Bella!"
"How was it?"
"Bells!"
The three of them started talking all at once and Bella put on a fake smile, hol
ding up her hands to keep them away for a moment. "Hi guys," she said as cheerfu
lly as she could.
"Something's wrong," Alice said flatly, taking a step back while Rosalie and Emm
ett embraced Bella, both of them holding onto her tightly, ignoring Bella's hand
s to keep them away.
"How're the wedding plans coming?" Bella asked sheepishly, pulling out of the hu
g.
"Next summer," Rosalie beamed. "We need next year's Cubs schedule though so that
you and Alice will have dates."
"Oh," Bella replied looking up at Alice. "It won't come out for another month or
so."
"Did you find anything?" Alice asked and immediately Bella's eyes started to tea
r up. "What's wrong?" Alice moved closer to Bella, wrapping a hand around hers,
grasping onto it roughly.
"Can I just bring my stuff upstairs and then we can talk?"
"I'll do that for you," Seth offered, grabbing Bella's bag and heading for the s
tairs.
"Thank you," Bella called out and headed into the living room, quickly sitting d
own on the couch, her legs folded up against her chest as her arms wrapped aroun
d them, pulling them close to her.
"So?" Alice asked impatiently.
"Well," Bella began, not sure if she wanted to think about what she had learned.
"Jane's quite an interesting person."
"What did you find out?" Rosalie asked from the other side of the couch.
"We have proof that Jane drugged Jazz."
"What proof? Is it enough?" Alice asked, scooting closer to Bella.
"I don't know, Alice!" Bella exclaimed, flinching away from her friend. "It was
horrible," she continued as tears started to fall again. "She's married and has
a seven year old kid." Bella and Elizabeth had learned Bobby's true age when the
y visited him earlier this morning. "She does drugs and has practically had sex
with the whole city of San Diego! She's a horrible mom she's usually drunk or hi
gh and leaves her kid with the neighbor for hours on end, never telling her when
she would pick the poor boy up, and then she dropped him off at his dad's witho
ut a word of when she'll pick him up again. It was horrible, Alice." Bella's sho
ulders shuddered and she lowered her head, hiding her eyes as she cried into her
 knees.
"Bella," Rosalie said, leaving the couch and coming around to put her arms aroun
d Bella from behind. "What happened? Why are you so upset?"
"It was just . . . don't you get it? She has slept with a lot of people and she
does drugs; heroin, coke, pot," Bella choked out. "We need to get tested, Alice,
" she said turning her head to look at her good friend. This is such a freaking
nightmare!
"Why? What does she have?" Alice asked.
"I don't know if she has anything, but don't you want to make sure nothing was p
assed onto us and the guys?"
"Fucking Edward," Alice mumbled, pulling away. Seth entered the room then and Em
mett grabbed a hold of him, pulling him toward the back door and outside, giving
the girls some time alone.
"Alice," Bella begged, "not now. Please? You have no idea what I've been through
the past two days."
"Seriously, Bella? Jane's having Jazz's baby and you tell me that I don't know w
hat you've been through?"
"Alice," Bella sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just so exhausted and mentally drained."
"No," Alice clipped, standing up from the couch and shaking her head, "you have
no idea what I've been through." Without saying another word, Alice retreated up
the stairs.
"I'm such an idiot," Bella moaned, turning her head up to look at Rosalie, who s
till stood behind her.
"Listen," Rosalie said, coming to sit next to Bella on the couch. "I'm going to
give you my unbiased opinion. You are both hurting and you're both being selfish
by not acknowledging the other's pain."
"I acknowledged "
"No, you didn't. You walked in here all depressed and sad looking and never once
asked how Alice has been doing." Holding up a hand, Rosalie held off Bella's at
tempt to protest. "Let me finish. She also needs to see that you're hurting too.
I can't imagine digging up the disgusting past of this bitch and to know that E
dward was with her for two years ugh!" Rosalie's body shuddered quickly, shiveri
ng from the thought of him with someone as disgusting as Jane.
"That's just it," Bella sighed. "I can't understand what he saw in her."
"It was the past, Bella. He hasn't been with her in months close to a year, righ
t?"
"Yeah. I think in September it'll be a year."
"Do you think it would be fair for him to judge you based on the actions of an e
x-boyfriend of yours?"
"It's not what Jane did, Rose, it's the fact that he found her appealing enough
to be with."
"He's a man, Bella! He thinks with his dick!"
"What does that imply about me?"
"You know you're different. Don't even try to play the depressed, insecure girl
on me; I know better."
"I miss him," Bella whispered.
"I know," Rosalie breathed out, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"I feel like I can't function without him and it scares me. Is this normal?"
"If it's not, then lock me up too because I can't get through the day without kn
owing that Emmett is there waiting for me at home."
"Rose?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you're here, but I'm so tired."
"Go on up to bed. I'll grab the boys and lock up."
"Thanks!"
After kissing Rosalie goodbye, Bella went upstairs and lay on her bed, grabbing
the picture of her and Edward at the bean the first picture they had of themselv
es together. Not a picture from the paper, but one that they took well, a strang
er took of themselves using Bella's phone. I love you, Edward! Thinking those wo
rds over and over in her head as she clutched the picture to her breast, Bella c
losed her eyes and fell asleep.
~GO CUBS~
Monday morning was always the busiest for Bella but it was even more so today be
cause her heart just wasn't in her work. Upon waking up, Bella checked her cell
phone to find that Edward had called before he got on a plane to Philadelphia la
st night, but she hadn't turned her phone back on after turning it off on her fl
ight home yesterday. So not only was she depressed over Jane, but she also had m
issed Edward's call, which made for a very cranky morning.
Noticing Bella's aggravated state, everyone in the office stayed away, leaving h
er alone to do her thing. Right before lunch, Bella got a call from Edward and s
he sighed audibly, eager to hear his voice. Unable to talk long, Bella apologize
d for missing his call and then told him she missed and loved him. He asked how
she was doing, sensing her sullen mood and she avoided answering, telling him th
at they'd talk when he got back into town only a few days away now.
At lunch, Bella's spirits were higher, a smile now showing on her face as she at
e and talked with Angela and some other girls from the office. Angela reminded h
er of the woman who called over a week ago and Bella felt bad, asking her to for
ward on the lady's information to her because she had misplaced it.
So that was where she sat now, at home in her room looking at the scribbled name
and number on a post-it note. The rest of Bella's day had been so hectic that s
he never got a chance to call the lady; Alicia Williams. Taking a deep breath, B
ella punched in the lady's number and waited for the phone to ring.
"Hello?" a woman answered.
"Um, hi. This is Bella Swan with PWC, I'm looking for Alicia Williams?"
"Bella?" the woman asked in a whisper.
"Yes, do I know you? I'm sorry, but I don't recognize your name."
"No," the lady said and Bella could tell that Alicia's breathing had picked up s
he was nervous. "We've never met. I'm sorry to mislead you, Bella, but my last n
ame isn't Williams yet. It will be," Alicia rambled, excited and nervous to be s
peaking with the sister she had just recently found out she had. "Oh, but you pr
obably don't care about that yet. I hope you will, because I hope you'll come to
my wedding, it's in the spring in May and I really would love for you to come "
"Excuse me," Bella interrupted, "but I don't understand what you're talking abou
t. I was under the impression that this was a work call?" Bella looked over to t
he picture of her and Edward beside her bed and frowned, hoping to get this woma
n off the phone soon. She wanted to sit and watch the game tonight, which would
be starting soon.
"I'm sorry about that, but your work number was all we had."
"Who had? Listen, I've got things I need to be doing and if this is just some jo
ke "
"Bella, please just give me two minutes to explain myself," Alicia requested. "M
y real name is Alicia Dwyer. Phil Dwyer is my dad."
Suddenly, the Cubs game was forgotten as Bella's mind raced back to the pictures
that Phil had given her and the three people in the last one; one man, two wome
n well, one looked rather young and was probably a teenager. The note that accom
panied the pictures had a couple names and phone numbers on it, but she didn't r
emember seeing an Alicia on the list.
"Bella? Are you there?" Alicia asked.
I have a sister? Though Bella had seen the pictures and knew they were Phil's ch
ildren, she never accepted the idea that she had siblings as fact; it was just a
ll so surreal before. But now, talking to this other woman on the phone, everyth
ing hit Bella like a ton of bricks. Only a couple of weeks ago Bella thought she
was ready to call Phil and talk to him. Now, hearing the voice of her 'sister',
Bella realized that she had just been too overcome by the emotions she was feel
ing on the anniversary of her parents' deaths. She couldn't do this; she didn't
want to know these people. Without saying anything else to Alicia, Bella ended t
he call and threw her phone onto the bed, staring at it as if she expected it to
scurry to life and attack her.
The game ended up being all a blur to Bella. After reading about four wins in a
row games she never got to enjoy because of her trip to San Diego she was annoye
d to have to watch the Cubs play lousy and lose to the Phillies.
A couple hours later, Edward called for their nighttime chat, something else the
y hadn't been able to do during her trip due to the time difference and being ou
t at a bar one night or on a flight the other. It was very tempting for Bella to
cry into the phone and let everything out to Edward, but she knew she should wa
it. The conversation about Jane needed to be done in person and the whole Alicia
thing hadn't yet fully registered in her mind she was still unsure whether it w
as real or not.
~GO CUBS~
Picking out the dirt from under her fingernails, Jane nervously sat, waiting for
her lawyer to come and bring her back to his office. After meeting with him onc
e, she knew he would do. Laurent Renaut's name came to Jane from Ed Masen, but s
he had a feeling the two of them didn't get along too well. One of the first thi
ngs he did was tell her that he was going to charge her way more than normal and
submit his bill to them, letting them pay the maximum, and the remainder would
be dropped, no charge to Jane. She loved him for it.
"Ms. Schenck?" the receptionist called out and Jane lifted her head. "Mr. Renaut
will be out in a moment."
"Thanks," Jane mumbled, taking a deep breath and running her fingers through her
hair.
"Jane," Laurent said with a cold stare and a fake, plastered smile on his face.
"Come on back, we have a lot to discuss."
Once seated on the edge of her chair in front of Laurent's desk, Jane fought to
control her breathing. She was nervous beyond nervous. She knew that the sneaky
little Masens had been questioning everyone she knew out in San Diego. After the
call she received from Nikki, Jane made calls to other people she knew, all of
them had spoken to Elizabeth and Bella.
"All right, Jane. I had a long conversation with Ed Masen this morning. Now, I k
now that you have told me everything about the night your baby was conceived, bu
t they have a witness now that corroborates the recordings. You need to tell me
if you drugged Mr. Whitlock."
"Um, I told you everything," Jane said weakly, disturbed by how direct Laurent w
as being. She thought for sure he'd be on her side.
"Listen, I need to know the truth before I go and fight for you. They're ready t
o bring criminal charges against you out in California, charges that could resul
t in jail time."
"They wouldn't do that," she said smugly. "Jazz would never go public with it."
"So it's true? You drugged him?" When Jane didn't respond, he continued. "Look,
I'm here for you. I want to make sure you come through this mess with everything
you want, but if I'm fighting without all the facts, I'm going in there blindly
and I won't be able to do anything for you. Right now, they have agreed to pay
you living expenses until the paternity of the baby is known, but if it comes ou
t that the baby is not Mr. Whitlock's, that's it. That battle is over, and will
only leave us with the criminal sexual assault charges."
When Jane didn't make any attempt to respond to him, he continued. "Jane, they'v
e put an offer on the table and, well, it's not a bad one. I'd still fight to ge
t more out of them, but for what it is, it's something I would encourage you to
agree to if their accusations are true. If not, then I'll turn them down right n
ow. I just need to know what happened that night. How do they have a witness tha
t says you drugged him with the intent to have sex with him and get pregnant?"
"She wouldn't!" Jane screeched, her mind finally clicking on who their witness w
as. She had thought she reassured Nikki over the phone on Saturday night, though
t she had calmed her down. Why would she turn on her now?
"Who is she? And what wouldn't she do?"
"No one . . . nothing," Jane mumbled. "What's their offer?"
Frustrated, Laurent leaned back in his chair and stared at Jane. "First, you tel
l me why you're interested in hearing their offer? If their allegations aren't t
rue, you wouldn't need to even think about accepting it."
"Just tell me the fucking offer," she bit.
"They are willing to not pursue any criminal charges as long as you agree to put
the baby up for adoption."
"What would I get?"
"You would get off scott free for drugging and raping a man. That is, if their a
llegations are true. Are they?"
"I would want money."
"Jane, before I'm willing to fight for you, I need to know the truth."
"Yes," she said dejectedly.
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, I drugged him."
"I need to know everything, Jane. From the beginning."
It took a while, but eventually, Laurent was able to get the whole story from Ja
ne even the part where she wasn't sure if the baby was Jazz's. He was the first
person she ever told that to.
"I'm going to be honest with you, Jane. If you were my daughter sitting there, I
would beg you to take their offer. Their offer will provide medical care for yo
u and a monthly income up until three months after the baby is born. They would
be paying you for maternity leave, so-to-speak. It's very generous."
"But I'd have to give my baby up." Jane shook her head, not wanting to even thin
k about doing such a thing.
"I was just giving you my honest opinion. If you choose to turn down their offer
and fight, I will fight my hardest for you. The first thing we'd do is get the
media involved."
"Not the media," she choked out. "They told me that if I spoke to the media they
would lessen their offer of child support."
"I never said anything about you talking to the media. I would arrange a leak."
"It would come out that I drugged him?"
"Yes."
"Do you know the name of their witness?"
"No. Until they press charges, they don't have to release that to me. Right now,
they're using it as leverage to get you to accept their offer. Mr. Whitlock doe
s not want this all out in the public, Jane. We can play to that, like I said, b
y getting the media involved. But once that happens, and it's out, they may take
this offer away. We can't make a move like that until we know for sure that you
want to fight."
"What if the baby isn't Jazz's?"
"The offer still stands. They will pay for your medical and living expenses for
up to three months after the baby is born and you have to give it up for adoptio
n."
"Why? Why would they keep the offer up when there wouldn't be any need for it?"
"They have proof of your drug use and they've spoken with your son. They don't b
elieve the baby will be well taken care of by you."
"I need to think about this," Jane whispered.
"Okay, but don't take too long. The sooner I get back to them, the more leverage
I may have on getting more out of them."
"I just need to think. I've scheduled the procedure for the DNA thing for next w
eek." Jane couldn't remember what it was called, all she knew was that the docto
r would somehow extract DNA cells from her uterus or something, she really had n
o idea.
"I'll call you if anything new comes up. Let me know if you have any questions o
r if you make a decision."
"I will."
~GO CUBS~
"Are you going to the airport tonight?" Alice asked cautiously, sitting down nex
t to Bella on the couch. She was watching a rerun of 'Friends'. The two friends
hadn't spoken much to each other over the past couple days, each of them feeling
bad about how they reacted the day Bella returned and not sure how to broach th
e subject of their argument.
"No, but I'm going to wait for him at his condo. Don't tell him if you see him t
hough, it's a surprise!" The Cubs were scheduled to arrive back in Chicago at a
little after nine tonight and Bella planned on surprising him by being in his be
d waiting. It actually was for selfish reasons though she needed him. With every
thing she had been through since St. Louis, she needed his arms around her, reas
suring her it was all going to be okay.
"Listen," Bella said, taking a deep breath in as the silence between them thicke
ned. "I haven't been fair to you and I'm sorry. No, please let me finish," she s
aid, keeping Alice from interrupting. "I can't imagine what you're going through
. . . well, I've been trying to, but I'm sure it's so much worse than what I im
agine. Jazz didn't deserve what happened and neither do you. Jane is the most di
sgusting human being I've ever had the displeasure to know about, and I'm sorry.
"
"What are you sorry about?" Alice asked, resting the side of her head on the bac
k of the couch. "You didn't do anything."
"I haven't been there for you, Alice. You seem so well put together and strong,
I just didn't realize how hard this has been on you, and I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too, Bella. I talked to Jazz and he told me about everything that you
, Elizabeth, and Jenks dug up on her. It couldn't have been easy finding all tha
t stuff out, knowing Edward had been with her willingly."
The willingly part cut through Bella and she instantly tensed, recognizing the j
ab for what it was Alice still blamed Edward. Trying to be a bigger person than
how she felt, Bella shrugged it off. "Do you mind me asking what's going on now?
I haven't heard anything since my return."
"Well, Jane has finally hired a lawyer and has met with the obstetrician that Ed
insisted she see. She is definitely pregnant and her estimated due date is in m
id-February sometime. I don't remember the exact date, but conception dates back
to when the Cubs were in San Diego." Though Alice spoke so matter-of-factly, Be
lla could detect the exhaustion and pain in her voice.
"Hey, there's still a big chance that the baby isn't Jazz's. That girl is a whor
e!"
Alice giggled half-heartedly. "Thanks, but I'm not going to think about that too
much. Right now we're building a case against her and trying for . . . I don't
know . . . I'm not sure if I should talk about it. Ah, what the hell! Since Jazz
doesn't want the whole rape thing out in the open, Ed is pushing to get Jane to
agree to adoption in lieu of rape charges."
"Really?"
"With everything you guys uncovered, Jazz and I are worried about the baby even
if it isn't his. I mean, she's been doing drugs during her pregnancy!"
"I know about the one time," Bella said, thinking about what Jenks had told her
and Elizabeth in San Diego. "Has she done it more than that?"
"Sadly, yes. Ed hired another private investigator to follow Jane around Chicago
and he's caught her pictures and all snorting something a couple times since sh
e's been here."
"What is wrong with her?" Putting an arm around Alice, Bella pulled her friend c
lose to her side. "She can't keep this baby, Alice. I met her seven year-old and
the stories he told me . . . Alice, she doesn't deserve to have this baby."
~GO CUBS~
Edward sat down inside the town car that waited for him at the airport and almos
t asked the driver to take him to Bella's place, but decided to go directly home
instead. When he spoke with her right before boarding the plane, she'd made it
clear that she needed to get to bed early because she had a big day ahead of her
tomorrow. Hiding his disappointment that she wouldn't be picking him up at the
airport, Edward asked her out for lunch. He needed to see her and he wouldn't ta
ke no for an answer. Luckily, he didn't have to beg or plead.
Bella had been acting different lately. So different, that their phone conversat
ions had been nothing but generic discussions of how their days were. The last t
ime she sounded normal was when she was packing for her trip to San Diego, packi
ng a toy that eventually was never used during any of their phone calls.
Frowning, Edward stared out at the light of the city as they drove through. He w
as sure that something had to have happened in San Diego, but Bella wouldn't say
anything to him. Desperate to get information, he called his mom, and though sh
e gave him the basics of their trip, she told him that he'd need to talk to Bell
a for the specifics they were joining forces against him now.
Jazz wasn't much help either, although he did get more information out of him th
an he had gotten from his mom, telling him details of Jane's visit to Alice and
Bella along with some stuff they discovered in San Diego. After hearing about Ja
ne's visit to the girls, Edward wanted to confront Bella about it, but she had b
een telling him that she wanted to speak to him in person, and that was what hel
d him back. He'd give her the opportunity to tell him everything when he saw her
next. Of course it seemed like a long way away still.
"Hey Roger!" Edward called out as he passed the desk in the lobby of his buildin
g. It had been ten days since he'd been home and at that time, he was with Bella
. Now, as he walked over to the elevators, he dreaded going home alone. It both
scared and amazed him with how accustomed he had become to having her with him,
wanting her there all the time, aching for her when she wasn't around, and not b
eing able to keep himself away when she was within reach. Once again, he fought
the urge to rush over to her townhouse.
When he walked into his condo, the scent of strawberries assaulted him and he su
lked a little more, wanting to turn around and head over to Bella's once again h
e couldn't believe that his place still smelt like her after all these days. Dro
pping his bag on the floor near the bar separating the kitchen from the living r
oom, Edward intended to sit down and turn on the TV, hoping to relax a little be
fore going to bed, but a light coming from under his bedroom door stopped him.
Thinking he had left the light on the whole time he was away, Edward immediately
approached his room to turn it off, but what he found on the other side of the
door floored him. Bella lay in his bed in an awkward position looking very uncom
fortable with a book down against her chest. She had fallen asleep while reading
. Her hair was tangled and strewn across his pillow the one on his side of the b
ed, not hers while a serious expression inhabited her countenance.
Immediately, Edward flicked the light off and shut the door, stripping down to h
is boxer briefs in a hurry before joining Bella under the covers. Placing her bo
ok on the bed-side table, Edward pulled Bella to him, wrapping his arms around h
er, her face burrowing in his chest, while he buried his nose in her hair and br
eathed her in. Home. He was finally home.
"I love you," he whispered against her temple as he placed a kiss there and then
closed his eyes.
"Edward," Bella moaned, pushing one of her legs between his, her arm reaching ar
ound his back and pulling him closer. Her head lifted and her lips crashed again
st his chin, moving up to his lips while she moaned.
Inside, Edward knew he shouldn't succumb to her attack she was sleeping but he n
eeded to feel her lips against his, needed this contact between them. So he kiss
ed her back, opening his mouth to hers, tasting her tongue as she pushed hers in
to his mouth. "Bella," he hummed, pulling away briefly for some air.
"I've missed you," she whimpered, her right hand threading through his hair and
pulling his mouth back to hers she was definitely awake now, if she hadn't been
before.
Their mouths moved together, playing with each other as their hands explored, un
able to keep from touching one another, feeling every piece of flesh that they'd
missed. Edward swiftly discarded Bella's tank top she wore, tossing it to the f
loor and immediately attacked her perky nipples with both his mouth and his fing
ers, pulling, sucking, and rubbing the taut pebbles between his fingers and with
his tongue as she arched her back to give him better access.
"Eddie," Bella moaned, thrusting her hips out so that her wet panties rubbed aga
inst his thigh, his aching cock twitching from the realization of how close her
entrance was.
Moving his hand from her breast, he trailed his fingers down and hooked them int
o her panties, pulling them over her thighs. Her legs kicked out, maneuvering th
e unwanted things down her legs until she finally kicked them off, sighing happi
ly from being free and naked against him.
"I need you," Edward groaned against her mouth, claiming her lips again as his f
ingers teased the skin on her inner, upper thigh, coming so close to where she n
eeded his touch. She bucked her hips and he laughed, moving his mouth down to he
r neck where he sucked and nipped along her flesh.
"Please, Eddie," she begged, her hand trailing down to remove his boxer briefs.
"Make love to me." Her hands trailed back up after ridding him of the barrier be
tween them, cupping his ass in the palm of her hand and squeezing as she pushed
him into her thigh, his dick throbbing against her.
It was the words she used that did him in. Make love to me. She enjoyed being fu
cked, so to have her ask him, no, plead with him to make love to her was thrilli
ng. His fingers immediately delved into her folds, fondling her lips, and then s
inking deep inside her flesh, pumping in and out as his thumb put pressure on he
r clit.
"Yes, Eddie," she gasped, her hips moving to meet his hand.
There was something so intimate and loving in the way she called him Eddie. For
anyone else, he would've been annoyed. But hearing his childhood nickname from h
er lips as he loved her with his hands almost had him coming against her leg. "B
ella," he groaned, biting down on the skin where her neck met her shoulder.
As Bella's hips started thrusting harder and faster, Edward pulled his fingers o
ut and maneuvered their bodies so that he was lying on top of her, his hips betw
een her legs and she immediately hooked her feet around his waist, opening up fo
r him.
Pushing himself up by his hands, Edward looked down into Bella's opened eyes and
smiled. "I love you," he whispered, rocking his hips gently so that the tip of
his cock pushed against her soaking wet entrance.
His right arm then lifted and grabbed a hold of her left leg, pulling it from ar
ound his waist and lifting it to rest over his shoulder. Bella gasped and he smi
rked down at her as he thrust his hips forward, filling her half way. They both
exhaled heavily, reveling in their connection as their eyes stayed fixed on one
another. When Edward started to pull out slowly, Bella cried out, "No," one of h
er hands reaching around to push his hips back in, not only keeping him inside h
er, but sheathing him further, deeper, and she moaned, closing her eyes.
"Bella," he gasped, his body about to shake from the effort of not taking over a
nd fucking her senseless. "Look at me, sweetheart."
Opening her eyes, Bella bucked her hips, pushing Edward in deeper, fully filling
her and that was it; he lost his control. "Don't close your eyes," he growled a
s his hips took over, thrusting into her and pulling almost all the way out with
each drive.
With one arm balancing his weight, Edward grabbed a hold of one of her hands and
laced their fingers together, pulling her arm up, above her head. He leaned dow
n into her then, his hips moving a little faster, but still slow enough to savor
each stroke, their eyes still locked together. "I . . . love . . . you," he gas
ped, pushing down with his body, stretching her left leg that still rested over
his shoulder she was even tighter this way.
Amid moans and groans between the two lovers, their eyes never strayed from the
other, their fingers clenched together painfully as Edward's thrusts became hard
er and faster; the headboard banging against the wall.
"Yes!" Bella screeched as his head dipped down and his tongue shot out to play w
ith her nipple ring, never missing a beat as he rammed into her.
Her free hand reached between them and found her clit, rubbing small, fast circl
es around and over it. "I'm close," he gasped, pressing her uplifted leg back ev
en further and Bella squeaked from the pain but he knew she loved it.
Their bodies worked in unison, Edward's teeth grazing over the flesh on her neck
and biting down as he moved up and down from her jaw line to her collar bone. B
ella's head lay back on the pillow, her eyes now closed as she grew closer to he
r climax, allowing room for Edward to nibble on her she loved the feel of his te
eth against her skin.
"That's it! Right there!" Bella called out and her body started to shudder under
neath Edward, her walls contracting around his throbbing cock while she screamed
out his name, her fingers squeezing his firmly in a vice-like grip.
Continuing to pump into her tightening center, Edward rested his forehead agains
t her shoulder, his hips pushing brutally against her until his back arched, his
head rolling back as he cried out his release and then collapsed against her.
Their chests pushed against each other with their heavy breathing and pounding h
earts and Edward kissed Bella's neck, licking the sweat from his lips as he lift
ed, pulling her to lie on her side, facing him. They stared into each other's ey
es, neither of them saying a word, neither of them having to. They had both need
ed each other tonight. Tucking Bella's head under his chin, Edward ran his hands
up and down her damp, bare back, accidentally tickling her.
"Hey," she giggled, writhing away from him.
"Ticklish?" he asked deviously.
"Don't even think about it, Masen!"
"Or what?" he countered, smirking at her flushed cheeks and messy, knotted hair.
"Or I won't do this," she sighed heavily, her hand reaching down to grab a hold
of him he was instantly hard again. "Oh, so you really did miss me!" she exclaim
ed cheesily, leaning her face up to kiss him.
"We really should go to bed," he moaned, not really wanting her to stop stroking
his dick. "You have to work in the morning."
"Uh, huh," she whispered, her tongue reaching out to lick along the outside of h
is ear. "I have the day off."
"Fuck, Bella," he groaned, thrusting his hips into her skillful hands.
"Oh, that's exactly what I plan to do, Eddie fuck you!"
~GO CUBS~
"Please believe me, Bella," Edward whispered, running his fingers up and down he
r bare back. She was lying on her stomach, her head resting on her pillow and tu
rned toward him, where he laid on his side.
They had just finished talking about Bella's time in San Diego and everything sh
e had learned about Jane. To say Edward was shocked would be a gross understatem
ent. He never knew about the drugs and definitely had no idea that she was marri
ed or that she had a kid. Disappointed in himself, he allowed Bella to finish ev
erything before he asked her what she was thinking her mind looked a million mil
es away. That was when she asked him why he had ever been attracted to Jane.
What could he say? There were no excuses for his lack in judgment when it came t
o Jane and there was nothing he knew he could say to ease her pain and worries.
Instead, he tried to explain to her how she meant nothing to him, how she was ju
st someone who was there; easy, available, and problem free. If only that last p
art were true, they'd be in a better position right now.
"I do," she hiccupped, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It's just all so disgust
ing. I mean, the drugs and sex with everyone . . . what did you see in her?"
"Bella," Edward sighed. "I saw her a few nights at a time a couple times a year.
There was nothing special about her except for maybe she didn't talk about base
ball or who I was. I never saw her do drugs, nor did she ever give me reason to
believe she was screwing around with lots of other men. I always used condoms wi
th her always."
"Condoms aren't 100 percent affective," Bella squeaked out, burrowing her face i
nto her pillow.
"I've been getting tested twice a year for the past four years, Bella, and you a
re the only woman I've ever been with without a condom." They had really been ca
reless lately, especially last night never once thinking about putting one on, w
hich infuriated Bella because she knew that she knew better!
"How many do you think you've been with since the last time you were tested?"
"I don't know," he said, aggravated. "I got tested right before I headed down to
Arizona for spring training."
"And we met in April, so there shouldn't be a lot, right?"
"The one from St. Louis and a few from spring training and being on the road bef
ore we met . . . that's all, really maybe 6 or 7?" He didn't like talking about
this with her. The life he had led before she came into his life was over that E
dward no longer existed. "Bella, I'm not that person anymore."
"I know," she whispered, her watery eyes staring at him. She sniffed then, reach
ing a hand up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "When are you getting tested ne
xt?" It was obvious from her quivering voice that it was hard for her to ask.
"Bella, do you want me to go now? Today? I'll go whenever you ask."
"I want to come too . . . I think I need to be tested too."
"Sweetheart," he cooed, leaning in closer to her, his nose almost touching hers
as his left arm attached itself to her waist, pulling her body closer to his. "Y
ou were tested two years ago, right?" He continued when she nodded, yes. "You ha
ve nothing to worry about then."
"Except for what you . . ."
"You think I gave you something?" His eyebrows lifted in shock.
"I don't know. Edward, if you could've seen where she lived and the places she f
requented. The guys in those bars and the drugs . . . Edward, it was just so gro
ss!"
"I haven't been with her since before I was tested last, and I came up clean." H
is voice shook with his agitation.
"I'm being stupid, aren't I?"
"No," he sighed. "I'll call my doctor and set something up for us both to go in,
" he said slowly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "Until then, I have to show
er."
"Where are you going?" she asked, throwing her arms around him and pinning him d
own to the bed. "You can't leave me! I planned to spend the whole day in bed wit
h you!" Her lips attached to his then, greedily moving against him harshly, clai
ming what was hers.
Fisting his hands into her hair, Edward pushed Bella's face into him, allowing h
er to take control and open his mouth with her tongue. He immediately found hims
elf hard again and he pulled her on top of him, grinding himself into her. "Show
er with me," he growled, pushing her hips into his iron-hard erection.
"You're still leaving me?" she whispered sadly, pulling back to look in his eyes
.
"I have to be at the Boys and Girls Club at nine," he said brokenly, both his ha
nds running down her back to grasp onto her ass and squeeze her into him she moa
ned. "I'll make it up to you though," he smirked, attacking her mouth and flippi
ng her over so that he was now on top of her.
"I don't know," Bella mused, "I can't think of anything that would " She stopped
talking and a loud moan escaped her mouth as his fingers dipped inside her. His
head was excitingly close to the one area of her body that needed his touch espe
cially his tongue and she purred with the thrill and anticipation of feeling his
mouth on her.
~GO CUBS~
"Alice?" Bella asked as she opened the door to Edward's condo. Immediately, she
ushered Alice inside and sat with her on the couch, resting an arm around her tr
embling shoulders. It was only a half an hour ago that Alice had called Bella ri
ght after Edward had left crying and asking to come over to talk with her.
"I don't know what's wrong with me!" Alice sniffled, wiping under her eyes with
an overly used tissue.
Reaching over to the coffee table, Bella pulled out a few new tissues from a box
and gave them to Alice. "Why do you think something's wrong with you, Alice?" s
he asked softly, pushing a clump of hair away from her reddened face she looked
horrible.
"I blew up at Jazz this morning and I have no idea why!" Her shoulders shook as
she buried her head into the new tissues.
"Alice, what happened? What did you say?"
"He had a meeting with Ed this morning and I wanted to go with him," she hiccupp
ed, blowing her nose before proceeding. "He told me that he had to do it alone!"
"Oh sweetie," Bella sighed, rubbing her hand over Alice's back.
"I blame him," she whispered softly, her head turning to stare at Bella.
"I know you blame Edward," Bella exhaled, not wanting to go down that road again
.
"No, not Edward," Alice choked out, "Jazz. I know it wasn't his fault. I know th
at he was the one violated, yet I can't help blaming him, thinking about what he
should've done. I'm mad at him and I know I shouldn't be."
"Sh," Bella cooed, leaning her head into Alice's and kissing her temple.
"It's wrong! He's the victim right? I mean, how can I blame him? How can I sit h
ere and be mad at him for something that bitch did to him?"
"You're upset," Bella said, pulling Alice in close to her side.
"I don't want to feel this way. I keep telling myself to forgive him, and then I
realize that he didn't do anything that needs forgiving. All the while, I can't
help but blame him!" Alice blew her nose again and leaned forward to grab a cou
ple more new tissues.
"Have you tried talking to him about how you feel?"
"Yes, but he doesn't want to talk about it. He gets all closed off and pulls awa
y from me. When they were out on the road, I was fine, I had focus. But now that
he's back and I've tried to talk to him, everything seems to be spiraling down.
Bella, I don't want to feel this way!"
"I know, sweetie."
"And I know that it's not Edward's fault either," Alice whispered, pulling away
from Bella so that she could look her in the eyes. "I've been horrible to him, a
nd I'm sorry."
"You can talk to him later if you want, he should be home shortly."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad at him. And Jasper. Why didn't they tell us s
ooner? Why did they keep this a secret? It makes no sense! You could've gone to
San Diego earlier and we could have tested Jazz's blood for drugs, what were the
y thinking?"
"I don't know. Edward wanted to tell us right away, you'll need to ask Jazz why
he decided not to."
"If he'd talk to me about it. Over the phone, when he was hundreds of miles away
, he was fine, but as soon as he got home last night I could tell something wasn
't right. Has Edward talked to you about it?" She blew her nose again.
"Just that night in St. Louis. We talked a lot about Jane this morning. He's bee
n getting tested twice a year for a while now and is clean, but we're going to g
o get tested together. How about you and Jazz?"
"He said he'd go get tested too."
"And you?"
"Me too," Alice whispered, turning her eyes to the large picture window in front
of them. It was a beautiful summer day in Chicago and she had no desire to be o
utside.
"Alice?"
"Yeah," Alice sniffed, turning back toward Bella.
"Please don't give up on Jazz. I know you're mad and hurt, but so is he. He need
s you right now and you need him. If anyone can get through this, it's you and J
azz, I know how much you both love each other."
Alice managed to give Bella a small, watery smile. "Thanks, Bella. You're right;
he does need me. Even if she agrees to the adoption and we don't press charges
for the rape, he'll still need me."
~GO CUBS~
Thursday had been wonderful; just the two of them together and Bella wished toni
ght could be the same, but they had agreed to meet up with Emmett, Rosalie, Alic
e, and Jazz for dinner before going out to a bar. Last night at this time, Bella
and Edward were on their way to a nice restaurant where they enjoyed their meal
s and then went back to Edward's place to cuddle and make love. There were no wo
rds to describe how amazing it had been.
"Just pick a date," Bella suggested to Rosalie, not wanting to hear her complain
again about needing the Cubs' 2010 schedule to choose a wedding date. "If the C
ubs are out of town, then so be it. Alice and I will go dateless. Heck, we can b
e each other's dates!"
"That's fine," Edward said, shrugging his shoulders. "The schedule won't be out
for a while longer. Besides, even if we're here in Chicago, chances are we'll be
playing at some point during the day and would miss either the actual wedding o
r the reception if not both." Edward grabbed a hold of Bella's thigh under the t
able and squeezed it gently as he looked at her, apologizing to her for making t
hings like a simple wedding so much trouble.
The only two people not in on the conversation at the moment were Alice and Jazz
who were huddled together discussing something and Edward looked over at them w
ith a frown. Rosalie started talking about centerpieces and Bella stared over at
Edward's lips, zoning out while Emmett argued with Rosalie. She concentrated on
Edward's hand that still rested on her thigh, rubbing gently every once in a wh
ile as she remembered yesterday morning before he took off for the Boys and Girl
s Club.
He lifted my legs over his shoulders and looked up at me quickly before diving i
n, his tongue lashing out at my most sensitive flesh. "God!" I hissed, immediate
ly threading my fingers through his auburn hair, pushing his face in against me.
While his tongue circled around my clit, his fingers rubbed up and down my wet l
ips, teasing my entrance and then, as he bit down on my nub, his fingers entered
me. "Fuck!" I cried out, bucking my hips, meeting his thrusts as he pumped in a
nd out.
He had such magical fingers and my God, the most amazing tongue. Never had I ima
gined an orgasm could be so overpowering, but when he flicked his tongue against
my nub sideways, God, like he was doing now . . . "Yes," I moaned, pulling on h
is silky locks . . . my body just seemed to explode and vibrate all over the pla
ce it was the best.
Adding a third finger, Edward rammed into me harder as his tongue became sharper
and calculated, flicking sideways against my clit, faster and harder. "Yes, Edw
ard," I mumbled, lifting my head to watch. It was such an amazing sight to see h
is head of auburn hair between my thighs and it did me in every time.
"Fuck! Yes! Don't stop! Eddie!" I screamed, throwing my head back and pushing hi
s face further into me. His fingers wiggled inside me, hitting my g-spot while h
is tongue vibrated roughly against my nub and I came violently. First my legs sh
ook and then the trembles moved up my body, totally incapacitating me as I moane
d and breathed in heavily, trying to regain control over myself.
"Aah, God," I panted, relaxing my hold on his head it was squished between my th
ighs.
"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked against Bella's ear and her body shuddered n
ext to him as she gasped. Oh my God! I actually felt that! That was a first for
Bella. She had never actually felt even close to having an orgasm while day drea
ming or fantasizing before.
"Oh, yeah," Bella replied, turning her hot pink cheeks toward him. "I'm fine. I
think I ate too much."
"Are you sure?" he asked, raising a hand to caress her flushed cheek. "You're no
t looking very well."
"I'm fine, Edward." She raised a hand of hers to her cheek and grabbed his, brin
ging his palm to her lips for a kiss. "I just wish we were going home instead of
to a bar."
"Say the word and we'll go straight home." Inside, Edward was flying. She had re
ferred to his place as home!
~GO CUBS~
It was a little after nine in Chicago on Friday night. The Cubs had won another
game and Jake and Tanya sat in a bar splitting a pitcher. For now, their exploit
s together were just about sex and nothing else. Shortly after sleeping with him
the first time, Tanya had figured out that he didn't have millions of dollars n
ot even thousands. Right now, he was just a toy until she could find a real man.
For now, that man would be Edward since she had made a deal with Jake. It seemed
that Jake had it really big for Edward's girl, Bella, and to get back at her an
d her prissy little friends, Tanya agreed to help him split them apart. How they
would manage to do that, she didn't really know. Their first attempt had failed
miserably.
It had been all Jake's idea for Tanya to show up at Edward's condo on the day be
fore the Fourth of July. Everything was his idea all the way down to her sorry e
xcuse for a sob story that didn't seem to get her any sympathy. In a way, she wa
s now angry at Bella because she obviously hadn't believed her. What if the stor
y had been true? What if she really had been beaten by Brian? That girl had no s
ympathy for other women women in need and that made Tanya mad.
"They should be here soon," Jake said, staring at the door to the bar. He knew t
hat Bella and her group of friends were going out tonight and he was pretty sure
that they would show up at the dive bar that Emmett and Rosalie frequented It w
as right near their apartment. All of Rosalie's friends were there already, so J
ake just knew they'd arrive eventually.
"You seem awfully eager tonight," Tanya said snidely, eyeing a tall blond man at
the bar. He was dressed very nicely. She could tell his jeans had cost him a pr
etty penny.
"I don't know all the details," Jake said, pulling his eyes from the door to loo
k at Tanya. "But I think something happened. Seth said that Bella went to San Di
ego and came back upset."
"And you think she's mad at Edward?" Tanya took a sip of her beer and winked ove
r to the blond with a smirk.
"Who else would she be mad at?"
The door to the bar opened and Rosalie breezed in, almost all the men's eyes tur
ning in her direction as she made her way over to the bar, Emmett on her tail. T
hey were alone and Jake scowled, figuring that Bella wouldn't be coming out toni
ght. "Stop frowning," Tanya said, taking another sip. "Why don't you go on over
there and ask where they are."
"You go!" Jake said stubbornly. Emmett had told him that any conversation about
Bella was off limits he couldn't just go up to Emmett now and ask if she was com
ing out.
"You're such a wuss!" Tanya giggled.
Three hours later, too drunk to walk without running into a wall, Jake followed
Tanya out of the bar. Edward and Bella never showed up. All he wanted to do was
talk to her, he told himself, but it wasn't the truth. He was desperate to try a
nything to get her away from Edward. He had waited so many years for her and he
wasn't ready to give her up.
Chapter 31 July 24 August 12, 2009
It was a little after ten in the morning on Saturday and Bella settled into her
seat, watching the Cubs finish up with their batting practice as Emmett and Fred
joked around. Rosalie was talking with Sue, so Bella let herself go, thinking b
ack over the past 48 hours. She had gone from depressed to blissful in such a sh
ort amount of time, but her heart still ached for Alice.
The friends had made some sort of reconciliation and Alice had apologized to Edw
ard, although it was a bit strangled and the air remained tense between them aft
erward. Bella understood that although Alice knew it wasn't Edward or Jazz's fau
lt, she still had ill feelings toward both of them. Together, they would work on
that, she had told Alice. The four of them really needed to get through everyth
ing together, be there for each other, and that was just what Bella planned to d
o.
Early on Monday morning, the four of them were planning a trip to the doctor's o
ffice to get tested. Edward and Bella were going together to one office and Alic
e and Jazz to another as to not draw too much attention to them. Jazz also had a
n appointment to get a cheek swab done for a paternity test and Jane was suppose
d to go in for a procedure referred to as a CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling).
All this testing would take place at the beginning of the coming week and it mad
e the friends all antsy around each other. Bella sat in her seat at the game and
watched Edward talking to a reporter. He looked so relaxed and comfortable, as
if he had no cares in the world, yet Bella knew better. She knew about his anxie
ty over the Jane issue; knew he blamed himself for everything she was putting hi
s best friend, Alice, and Bella through.
The Cubs players eventually left the field to give the Cincinnati Reds time for
batting practice and Bella sat back and closed her eyes. The Cubs were now only
one and a half games out of first place in their division, the St. Louis Cardina
ls taking the top spot. Normally, the Cubs did worse after the All Star game eac
h year, but Bella couldn't fathom that, since they hadn't done very well before
it. She could only hope, like the other thousands of hopeful Cubs fans, that the
y would turn that pattern around and continue to do well for the remainder of th
e regular season.
The sound of Bella's phone finally pulled her out of her thoughts and she answer
ed without looking to see who it was. "Hello?"
"Bella?" a familiar female voice asked.
"Yes?"
"It's Alicia," the woman said nervously. "Please don't hang up on me again. I ju
st want to talk to you."
"I . . . Alicia?"
"Bella, I promise if you just listen to me now, I'll never call or bother you ag
ain, just please listen to me?"
"Can you hold on a minute?" Bella asked, looking over toward Emmett and Rosalie
who were both still in deep conversations. "Emmett," she hissed, trying to get h
is attention. When he looked over to her, she motioned toward her phone. "I need
to take this call, I'll be back later."
"Sorry, Alicia," Bella huffed as she walked up the steps toward the concession a
rea. "I'm not exactly at a good place to talk on the phone right now." As she wa
lked down the corridor, getting jostled by excited fans, Bella searched out an a
rea that would be quiet enough for her to sit and listen.
"Would you rather me call back later?"
"No," Bella sighed. "Let's do this now. I'm just looking for a quiet, private pl
ace."
"Where are you?"
"Wrigley Field," Bella said with dry sarcasm. The very thought that she was havi
ng this particular conversation because of an idiot baseball player and the fact
that she was at a baseball game was actually quite amusing to her, just not in
a good way.
"I know my contacting you must have been a shock, but I just found out about you
the day before Father's Day and I really wanted to get to know you."
"Alicia, I grew up believing my dad was my actual dad. To have all of this throw
n in my face right now is just . . . sickening, really. I have so much going on
in my life right "
"What did you say?"
"This is all too much!"
"No, you said you thought the man who raised you was your real dad?"
"What else would I believe? Phil abandoned my mom and my dad took her back. I di
dn't know anything about this until I was in college."
"Your mom was married? You didn't know? What did your parents tell you?" Alicia'
s questions came out fast, one right after the other as her mind tried to proces
s everything that Bella was telling her.
"Hold on," Bella said, sidestepping into a little corner near a concession stand
. There weren't too many people near there and she could see outside the ball pa
rk, so the reception was a little better, not that it was bad to begin with. "Wh
at was that?"
"Start from the beginning, Bella. I want to know everything."
"Why? Why is my measly little life so important to you? You've lived this long w
ithout knowing I existed, so why contact me now? Why bring up bad memories?"
"I seriously didn't know about you. Not until recently. Listen, I think Phil's a
horse's ass, I really do. He has screwed around with so many women that honestl
y, there could be many more siblings of ours floating around. I won't defend any
thing he has done because to be quite honest, he isn't a respectable man. Unfort
unately, he's my dad our dad and I'm stuck with him."
"Well, I'm not and I have no intentions to ever be."
"I can understand that, Bella, but please don't turn your back on me too. Regard
less of all the bad decisions our parents' made, neither of us wanted things to
be like this. I didn't want my sister to go through life not knowing who her rea
l dad was and not knowing me. I wish I knew you when we were kids."
Bella turned her back to the crowd passing by and stared at a concrete wall. The
words that Alicia just said hit brutally hard in her heart. Growing up as an on
ly child was so lonely and on top of that, her dad worked a lot and her mom was
extremely flighty. It was Bella that took care of the bills as soon as she was o
ld enough, getting everything in order for her dad to sign checks for. Then she'
d put everything in envelopes and put them in the mailbox. It was Bella that pla
nned their meals and dragged her mom shopping. She never questioned it before, n
ever thought anything was wrong with the way their family functioned, it was jus
t how things were. But when she got older, she realized that the way she grew up
wasn't the norm and she started to long for normalcy.
A dad and mom with brothers and sisters she could only imagine such a thing. She
used to dream up a sister in her head and pretend to play with her in her back
yard. To know now that she had a sister that whole time weakened her. She would'
ve loved to have known her, even if they had only seen each other a couple times
a year. It still would have been nice to have her.
"Bella?" Alicia asked. "Are you still there?"
"Yeah," Bella gasped, choking back tears. "So tell me, what do you want from me?
"
"I just want the opportunity to get to know you. Can you give me that?"
"I don't know," Bella whispered into the receiver.
"What was that, Bella? I can barely hear you."
Staring at the gray painted concrete in front of her, Bella took a deep breath a
nd dove in. "You asked a few questions earlier," she started. "Yes, my mom was m
arried. She had an affair with your dad. I found out later that she left my dad
and tried to get Phil to leave your mom but he wouldn't." She knew she was being
too blunt, but stating everything as fact was easier for her, it helped separat
e the words from her emotions. "I was never told that Phil was my dad. Even when
I found out about my mom's affair with him, I always believed Charlie to be my
dad. I only found out in June when he showed up here in Chicago."
"You didn't know? He thought you already knew, Bella! Your mom sent him pictures
of you and pictures that you had colored for him."
"I never colored pictures for him," Bella spat.
"Even if you didn't, your mom sent them to him. He has always kept tabs on you,
you know. As much as the guy irks me, he does care for us for you."
"I read the letters he sent to my mom, Alicia. He wanted nothing to do with her
or me. That's probably why my parent's never told me about him."
"As much as I don't respect the guy, Phil did think that you knew he was your da
d."
"And how does he even know that I'm his? So what if I look like his mom and gran
dmother? So what if you and I look a lot alike? Charlie had dark brown curly hai
r with brown eyes too!"
"Did he have red in his hair, Bella? Or pale skin that never tanned?"
"No," Bella grumbled into her phone. "But that doesn't prove anything."
"Do you want to take a paternity test? I know that dad would pay for it."
"No, it would be useless right now."
"No it wouldn't," Alicia argued. "Wouldn't you like to know for certain?"
"I looked into it, okay? They said that though they can do the test without my m
om's DNA, it wouldn't be as accurate. They need my mom's DNA in order to isolate
the DNA I got from her so that they compare any potential father's DNA to only
non-matched DNA in me. I don't know, but it just sounded like a test wouldn't re
ally prove anything to me right now."
"I didn't realize that."
"I didn't either until . . . Listen, you sound like a nice person and we've sat
here for about a half an hour and have had a descent conversation, but I really
don't know if I'm up to having a relationship with you."
"I understand," Alicia said. "Does that mean you don't want me to ever call you
again?"
"I don't know."
"How about if we plan a day when I can call and we can talk some more?"
"Can I ask you something?" Though Bella wasn't sure what she wanted, she was cur
ious about her brother and other sister.
"Sure."
"What are your brother and sister like?"
"Well, Kevin is the oldest and has taken dad's infidelity the hardest. Phil divo
rced my mom when we were still young you would only have been five years old, I
think. When he remarried, Kevin, well, he never fully recovered. He feels that d
ad abandoned us and has a very strained relationship with him, they hardly ever
see each other. Beth is the daughter of dad and his second wife, Emily. She'll b
e 18 this year and a senior in High School in the fall. She's sweet and fun, but
so much younger. We don't have much in common, but we talk from time-to-time."
"Do you all live close to each other?"
"Beth lives in Massachusetts in one of the suburbs of Boston and Kevin and I liv
e near our mom in Phoenix it's where we grew up during the off-season." Alicia g
iggled a little, remembering her life as a young kid, spending summers in New Yo
rk and winters in Arizona.
"Huh!"
"What's wrong?"
"My mom used to always threaten my dad that she'd pack everything up and take me
with her to Phoenix. I can't believe this! Back then, I always wondered what th
e big deal about Phoenix was because my dad would get extremely mad when she'd s
ay that. Now I know."
"I'm sorry, Bella."
"Nah, it's not your fault. Are you with your brother and sister now? I mean, the
Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is tomorrow. Are you all in New York g
etting ready for it?"
"Yes, we're all here. It's why I called; I was wishing you were here with us."
"Not a chance," Bella said sarcastically. "No offense, but Phil has done nothing
to deserve my support."
"Kevin feels the same way. He tried to get out of it, but his wife insisted they
come. Oh! You're an aunt! Kevin has a baby girl named Cassandra! She's seven mo
nths old, I think. I'm not very good at those things." Alicia laughed and tears
started to form in Bella's eyes again, this time because she was happy she was a
n aunt. "Would you mind if I emailed you pictures of her?"
"No," Bella choked out, "I'd love to see her. Can you also send pictures of you
and your fiancé?"
"Of course. I'll send you pics of all of us except dad so that you can see what
we're all like."
"I'll send you pictures too, if you want," Bella said nervously.
"I'd love that! Do you have a boyfriend or anything?"
"Um, yeah, I guess you could say that."
"Send us a picture of him too then!"
"I will."
"Bella?"
"Yeah?" she sniffed.
"I just . . . I want to thank you. Giving me this opportunity to get to know you
, well, I appreciate it."
"I appreciate you taking the chance to contact me." She meant it. Though she was
n't sure what she wanted, she did know that she enjoyed talking with Alicia. If
nothing else, maybe they could become friends. "Listen, I hate to cut this short
because I really am having a great time, but the game is going to start soon."
"So you're a Cubs fan?"
"Um, not really. I'm a Mariners fan, but my best friend is a Cubs fan, so we got
season tickets." Bella was embarrassed to tell Alicia about Edward because she
didn't want her thinking she was just like her mom going after ball players.
"You love baseball too?" Alicia squealed.
"Um, yeah, I guess you could say that."
"I go crazy over it. I always thought it was because dad was a ball player, but
I totally get into all the stats and stuff. I can't play worth a bean, but I lov
e to watch and coach from the bleachers!" Alicia giggled.
"Wow, I'd say we have a lot in common."
"I can't wait to meet you!"
With that comment, Bella broke out in a cool sweat and everything around her bec
ame fuzzy as things started to turn black around her. Bending her head over to k
eep the dizziness away, Bella took a deep breath before responding. "Um, let's t
alk about that later, okay?"
"Sure, Bella. I can't wait to talk to you again."
"Me too."
"Text me your email address and I'll send you those pictures of Cassie!"
"Okay, bye Alicia."
~GO CUBS~
Palming a ball in his hand, Edward rode up the elevator to his condo. Originally
, he was supposed to meet Bella out for dinner with their friends, but she had t
exted him that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to stay in tonight. That didn'
t bother him; he also wanted to relax at home and do nothing. The past week and
a half had been nothing but stressful and chaotic and all he felt like doing was
lying down with Bella in his arms.
Upon entering his condo, Edward noticed Bella curled up on the couch watching on
e of the movies he had given her in her gift basket 'The American President'. "M
y mom has a huge crush on him," he said softly, placing his keys and wallet on t
he counter.
"He's pretty hot for an older guy," Bella said, turning her head to look over at
him. "I ordered a pizza, I didn't feel like cooking."
"That's fine. Want a beer?"
"Sure." Bella sat up as Edward came into the living room and sat next to her aft
er placing her beer on the coffee table and handing her the baseball. Wrapping a
n arm around her shoulder, he leaned in and kissed her chastely then moved his l
ips to her temple.
"This was for our date tonight," he whispered, motioning down toward the ball si
gned by one of the relief pitchers, Connor Fitz. "But I'm so glad we're staying
in," he breathed against her skin.
"Thank you, I just didn't feel like going out." Bella turned her head and gave E
dward a quick peck on his lips before placing the ball on the coffee table and g
rabbing the remote. "Now, I know you don't want to watch this," Bella giggled, "
so what should we put on?"
"First let's talk," he whispered, playing with the soft, wavy curls of her hair.
"You seem a bit sad."
Sighing heavily, Bella leaned her head back against his arm that surrounded her
shoulders. She was afraid he'd notice her mood he had a way about gauging her fe
elings, sometimes before she even knew she felt them. "One of Phil's daughters c
alled me."
Edward's arm stiffen around her and she stared at him, not sure how he would rea
ct and not sure how she felt she was still confused.
"What did she say?"
For the next ten minutes, Bella detailed both of her conversations with Alicia t
o him and he held onto her, letting her cry in his arms as she let herself go. S
he had been holding in so much lately and for some reason, the phone call with A
licia this afternoon had been the last straw, the one that broke the camel's bac
k.
"I don't know what to do," she whimpered into his chest. "I actually enjoyed tal
king to her, but . . . I love Charlie, Edward. He's my dad, not Phil."
"I can't tell you what to do, Bella," he said softly.
"Wait here," she said hurriedly, jumping up and running into his bedroom. When s
he came back, she had her laptop in her hands. "I sent her my email address and
then she texted me back saying she sent some pictures."
After connecting to Edward's wireless network, Bella opened up her email applica
tion and stared at the screen, her fingers trembling over the keys. She had an e
mail from Alicia. The message in the email was short, but as she scrolled down,
she found the attachments and opened them up.
"Who's that?" Edward asked from over her shoulder, looking at a beautiful baby g
irl.
"Cassandra. She's my niece." Bella's eyes swelled with tears as she looked at th
e precious little girl. She was practically bald, so she couldn't make out her h
air color, but her eyes were a deep, slate gray and she had the cutest dimples.
"I never thought I'd ever have nieces or nephews." Bella's voice was extremely l
ow, hard to hear. "I never imagined I'd ever be an aunt."
"Sh," Edward soothed, rubbing her back softly. The ringing of Edward's home phon
e interrupted them, the pattern alerting them that it was the desk downstairs th
eir pizza had arrived.
~GO CUBS~
"Nikki, what did you say to him?" Jane asked again, infuriated with her ditzy fr
iend.
"I told him I wouldn't go against you, but he has a tape. Those girls I told you
about?"
"Bella and Edward's mom?" Jane was beyond pissed when Nikki called to tell her a
bout their deviousness. And now, she was stuck because they knew about the roofi
es and Nikki had been the one to tell them. Looking back, she regretted not keep
ing Nikki closer to her. Maybe if she hadn't let their friendship stray when she
went to stay with Mila, Nikki wouldn't have been so willing to blab her mouth o
ff to the first people who showed her any attention.
"I told you they used fake names!" Nikki huffed and Jane could hear her friend t
ake a drag off a cigarette through the phone.
"Fake or not, you shouldn't have been telling anyone about my business. Now what
did you say to their private investigator?"
"I tried to talk around the issue, but he kept asking questions in a weird way a
nd I got confused and . . . I don't think I did a good job."
"Listen, Nikki, Jazz is insisting I give the baby up for adoption. He wouldn't b
e pushing that issue if he didn't have a good case against me. I know you're wor
king with them! I know you've agreed to testify." Jane raised her voice, but kep
t it as low as possible, hissing into her phone she was in mixed company.
"I didn't! Jane, I didn't agree to anything. I told him to go to hell, I told hi
m "
"Nikki! You must have told him something. Did you give them the name of the supp
lier?" Jane hissed.
"He doesn't even know your name, what good would that do for them?"
"They have a witness, Nikki! I know it's you, it has to be you. You're the only
one!"
"If this is the way you're going to treat me, maybe I'll just give this Jenks gu
y a call. After all, you're already blaming me for it."
Sitting in the waiting room of her obstetrician's office the same one that Jazz
had told her to go to originally, Jane slammed down the cover of her cell phone,
staring at all the happy women in all states of pregnancy around her. Each of t
hem had a man sitting beside them, some with younger kids with them as well. Nei
ther of her pregnancies had been happy. When she was pregnant with Bobby, Robert
had already broken up with her after catching her in bed with someone else. She
went through that pregnancy alone too.
"Jane," a nurse called out and Jane immediately stood up and followed her back t
o an exam room.
Laying a hand on her belly, Jane smiled. She was showing a little already. She h
adn't shown with Bobby until she was around fourteen weeks, but with this one, s
he was showing earlier. The books said that it was normal, but she still felt aw
e at the hard, round bump on her stomach.
This appointment wasn't her normal, monthly one that she had scheduled, but the
nurse still took her weight, tested her urine for protein, and took her blood pr
essure. After that, she gave Jane a white, paper cover and told her to disrobe f
rom the waist down.
After the doctor had taken the sample of DNA to send to the lab for the paternit
y test, the nurse came back in and took a vial of Jane's blood. She didn't under
stand why they needed her to provide DNA for the test, but at this point, she di
dn't question anything. She had Laurent going over everything with Ed Masen. Wha
t a nightmare! The simple little plan she had devised seemed so seamless and eas
y, but now Jane found herself dreading the pregnancy and wishing she had never m
et Edward Masen.
Which brought her back to the decision she needed to make; adoption. Could she a
ctually do it? Carry a baby for nine months and then just give it up? But if she
didn't, Jazz was going to press charges against her for drugging him and then h
aving sex with him against his will. Laurent was ready to get the press involved
to help their case if she decided to fight, but Jazz was a well known sports st
ar and Jane would be looked at as an evil, money-hungry whore. She had no levera
ge.
She still had time, she reminded herself as she walked back to the hotel. Right
now Laurent was supposed to be meeting with Ed to finalize their agreement for l
iving expenses until the paternity test was completed. It wouldn't be the $5,000
a month as Jazz had originally sent her, but he would need to provide her with
something to live off and to take care of his unborn baby. All of this will go t
o hell if it's not his! "Please, oh please, oh please," Jane murmured with her e
yes looking at the sky, praying to a God she never believed in. "Please let the
baby be Jazz's!"
~GO CUBS~
"What do you want from me?" Mila whispered, her eyes burning from staring at the
computer screen for so long.
It had only been about forty-five minutes since the man named Jenks had shown up
at her doorstep and at first she yelled at him, throwing slurs out to him, maki
ng a big fuss so that someone in her neighborhood would call the cops. Jenks had
been the epitome of politeness, standing, waiting for her to finish her tirade
until he spoke to her again.
With soft words and an alarmingly adorable smile, Jenks had made his way into he
r home. It really wasn't the smile so much as the mention of Jane's baby being a
t risk that bade him entrance. He wouldn't get into any detail about what he mea
nt, just that Jane's baby was in trouble and he needed Mila to help. Who wouldn'
t trust a man with that beautiful smile though? It softened up his hardened face
, turning him into a little boy, or a cherub. Yeah, Mila thought, he looked ange
lic when he smiled.
What Jenks had to say though was a totally different story. He didn't beat aroun
d the bush or try to talk around the issue; he laid it flat out on the line, nev
er once sugar coating anything for Mila. Jane was harming her unborn child by do
ing drugs and drinking, not to mention the promiscuity.
After turning on the laptop he had brought with him, Jenks opened up picture aft
er picture of Jane doing lines of heroin, Jane drinking and smoking, Jane suckin
g numerous guy's dicks. It was disgusting.
Slipping a guy a roofie; having sex and getting pregnant with him without his co
nsent; using the unborn child to get as much money out of him as possible; these
were all things Mila didn't think twice about. Heck, she'd actually helped Jane
do all these things. Well, not the having sex part; she wasn't there for that.
But she helped plan and get Jane advice on the actual usage of the roofies, and
had also helped her scheme up ways to get more money out of Jazz. Mila was okay
with everything Jane had done to get where she was so far.
What Mila didn't agree with was harming an unborn child. Hurt an adult, no probl
em, but harm a baby or animal, and Mila wasn't a happy person. Staring at the im
ages on the screen in front of her, Mila's heart turned cold and bitter. How cou
ld Jane do this to her child? Especially after losing a twin if that was what re
ally happened. Either way, Jane had gone through a scare and now she was druggin
g it up and sucking strange men's dicks just to get high? She knew she did that
when she wasn't pregnant, but come on; Jane had someone else to take care of now
.
"We want you to give a statement and be willing to testify against Jane if this
goes to court."
"If this goes to court? Are you saying there's a chance that he won't press char
ges against her?"
"There is. But that may only be dependent on having someone willing to testify."
"What do you want?"
"Mila," Jenks said slowly, a small smile lifting on his lips. "We know you helpe
d Jane in this. If Mr. Whitlock chooses to press charges, you will be tried as a
n accessory. He won't just stop with her."
"What. Do. You. Want?"
"Mr. Whitlock is willing to not press charges against Jane or you as long as Jan
e agrees to give the child up for adoption."
"What do you need me for then?"
"In case she won't willingly do so. If she chooses not to give the child up and
it turns out to be his baby, then he will push for the baby to be taken from her
."
"Why?"
"He doesn't feel that Jane is stable enough to raise a child. Can you honestly s
ay that she's a good mother to Bobby?"
"No," Mila sighed, her hand slipping under her hair at the base of her neck, rub
bing along her skin. "Bobby's better off with his father."
"And this baby will be better off with someone who will care for it. Don't you t
hink this baby deserves a chance at a good life?"
"Yeah," she said dejectedly. "What about me? What if Jane doesn't accept the off
er?"
"If you give us your statement and testify against her help in bringing justice
down on her no charges will be brought against you. And, you get the satisfactio
n of knowing you did everything you could to help this baby."
"Okay," she said shakily, "where do we start?"
"There's an office not far from here where you can give your statement make it o
fficial. From there, it's a matter of waiting and seeing what Jane will do. She'
s already been given the offer. If she takes it, we wouldn't need anything else
from you. But if she chooses to fight, charges will be brought against her and y
ou will need to testify. Can you do that?"
Taking one more look at the screen before her, Mila stared at the image of Jane
pulling away from a table with three lines of a white powdery substance still on
it. Her nose was covered in the white powder, her eyes were closed, and there w
as a big grin on her face. Mila looked lower to the small bump underneath her ti
ght shirt and cringed. That poor baby. She couldn't allow Jane to ruin this baby
's life.
"I'll do it."
~GO CUBS~
"They did?" Alice gasped into the phone, happy to hear the great news from Jazz.
The last few days, Jazz and Alice had been anxiously awaiting news from Ed about
Jenks' ongoing investigation. They knew they had a shot at getting Jane's frien
d, Mila, to agree to testify against Jane, so they had used the threat with Jane
's lawyer. Unfortunately, they didn't actually have her, not until yesterday. Al
ice was thrilled with the news.
"She's already given her statement. She helped her, Alice. She's the proof we ne
ed, I was . . . I didn't . . ."
"I always believed you, Jazz," Alice squeaked. Yes, she believed him, but she ha
d also blamed him in some twisted way. She was getting better though. They were
getting better. It had taken a lot of prying and keeping on Jazz, but Alice had
finally gotten him to open up to her a little more and she was starting to feel
closer to him again, starting to feel her anger at him dissipate.
"I know," Jazz whispered. "I don't deserve you."
He was right, Alice thought, he deserved better. "Don't say that," she breathed
out, guilty for the thoughts that had plagued her mind since this whole Jane thi
ng had blown up in their faces. "You're the most amazing person I know. It's I w
ho doesn't deserve you."
"Ed wants to meet with both of us when I'm back in town."
"Is everything okay?"
"He's hoping to have the paternity results soon and we'll need to . . . discuss
them."
"Any word on whether or not she took the offer?" Alice asked, hopeful.
"Not yet. God, I hope she takes it. I really don't want this all out in the open
."
"And we can't allow her to have that baby, Jazz."
Her call with Jazz had been shorter than Alice would've liked, but he was out in
Miami for a series against the Marlins and he had to get going to Dolphin Stadi
um. Since Bella was still sound asleep upstairs, she decided to bake. Baking had
always been an outlet for Alice. Whenever she was stressed, sad, depressed, or
even happy, baking provided her a way to think things through, or just relax. Th
is morning she made blueberry muffins, which she knew Bella wouldn't go near, an
d some banana muffins, both with and without nuts so that Bella could have some.
Once the last batch of muffins was cooling, Alice decided to bake some brownies
without nuts so that she and Bella would have a little something to snack on dur
ing the game. Just as she put the brownies in the oven, Bella breezed into the k
itchen, rubbing her eyes and yawning and Alice looked over at her with a smirk.
It must have been another late night of phone sex for Edward and Bella, she thou
ght.
"Good morning, glory!" Alice beamed at Bella, a huge grin on her face.
"You're in a good mood this morning," Bella moaned, pouring a cup of cold coffee
. "It's not hot." Bella frowned down at her cup and then snapped her head in Ali
ce's direction when she heard her good friend laugh. "You're laughing. I haven't
heard you laugh since . . ."
"Since St. Louis?" Alice chirped.
"Uh, yeah," Bella said hesitantly. "Is there anything you want to share?" Her ey
es focused on the muffins cooling on a rack on the counter. "Nuts?"
"No, those are for you," Alice buzzed, grabbing a blueberry muffin for herself.
"And I've got great news to share with you! They got a witness!" Alice was pract
ically bouncing and Bella dropped her muffin back on the counter before wrapping
her arms around Alice with a squeal.
"That is awesome! So she took the deal then? Is it over?"
"No, it's not over," Alice said as she pulled out of Bella's arms. "We will find
out the results of the paternity test when Jazz gets back and then I guess we w
ait to see what she decides."
"I think it's great that you're trying to get her to give the child up for adopt
ion "
"But?" Alice interrupted, afraid to hear what Bella had to say.
"Jane really should pay for this, Alice. She did something illegal "
"He doesn't want this out in the open "
"But "
"But what? You want him to be the poster boy for male date rape? He doesn't want
this to get out."
Knowing it wasn't her place, Bella didn't continue on with her thoughts about wh
at she thought Jazz should do it really wasn't her place to say and she also did
n't want to ruin the great mood that Alice was suddenly in. They spent the eveni
ng watching the Cubs lose to the Marlins. As depressing as it was to watch, Bell
a enjoyed getting to see Edward, even if it was only on TV; it made her feel clo
ser to him in some way.
This game ended a three-game series with the Marlins and then the Cubs would be
on their way to Cincinnati for three games and then over to Colorado for four th
ere was still a little over a week until Bella and Alice would see their men. To
pass the time, they both worked a lot, coming home late and eating together bef
ore watching the games together in the living room. Luckily, all the games on th
is road trip were in the evening so Bella didn't miss any while she worked.
Rosalie and Emmett came over a few nights and the girls went over to their house
a couple times as well. Emmett found himself alone while watching the games wit
h Bella jumping in to sit next to him from time-to-time as Bella, Alice, and Ros
alie talked wedding plans. Rosalie and Emmett had picked their date and had deci
ded on a location for both the ceremony and the reception. All they were waiting
 on now was a confirmation for the date that they had chosen for their reception
.
If everything panned out, Emmett and Rosalie would be getting married on the eve
ning of June 26th at the University of Chicago's Bond Chapel and then would have
the reception while cruising around Lake Michigan on The Odyssey Cruise Line. E
verything seemed perfect, and since the cruise wouldn't board until 7:30 in the
evening, Emmett and Rosalie hoped that if the Cubs had a home game that day, it
would be during the day and they'd be able to meet up with all of them for the c
ruise. Emmett's only worry was that late June was normally when the Cubs and Whi
te Sox played one of their series against each other and he hoped it wouldn't be
that weekend.
The week went by extremely slow and the only happiness Bella and Alice received
was getting to talk to their men over the phone. It was normal for the two of th
em to retreat to their respective rooms a couple hours after a game and close th
eir doors, not speaking to each other until the next morning, and then it was ab
out their men and how much they missed them.
Most mornings, Bella would wake up extremely tired, desperate for a cup of coffe
e to jump start her day. She was greedy in the time that she got to spend on the
phone with Edward and wouldn't let him hang up, usually making him talk to her
until she fell asleep, or sometimes, he'd fall asleep on her. Either way, she fe
lt so much closer to him when his voice was the last thing she had running throu
gh her mind before passing out for the night.
Another weekend passed and both Bella and Alice chose to stay in the whole weeke
nd instead of going out to the bars with Emmett and Rosalie or Angela and Ben. B
ella was actually fearful of running into Jake and she just didn't feel it was w
orth the risk. Instead, the two girls had some very deep discussions about adopt
ion. The whole Jane thing had both of them thinking and somehow, somewhere, the
discussion led to Carlisle and Esme Cullen and the adoption of their daughter, L
ian.
After talking about the new Cullen family for a while, Bella had asked Alice abo
ut Jane's baby and if Jazz would want to know the outcome of the adoption; who t
he baby ended up with. It definitely wasn't the right question to ask, Bella rea
lized after Alice's whole demeanor changed, but she was still curious. Everythin
g that Alicia had told her about Phil keeping tabs on her affected her in some w
ay, as if he hadn't fully abandoned her not that she cared.
But Bella wondered if a person would wonder about a child all their life if they
knew it existed . . . would Jazz wonder about this child if it turned out to be
his, even though it was brought into this world under such horrible circumstanc
es? After all, it wasn't the baby's fault that Jane had done what she did. It wa
s a legitimate question, even if Alice wasn't ready for it.
Though Alice didn't want to talk about all the ramifications for the future from
the whole Jane mess, she did listen to what Bella had spoken about and let ever
ything sit in her head, digesting everything. Would Jazz wonder about this child
for the rest of his life? Would they really know if the adoptive parents were t
aking good care of it? And what would happen when Jazz and Alice had kids? Would
they both sit and wonder if this other child, Jane's baby, looked like theirs?
Would they be able to recognize the child if they walked by him or her on the st
reet one day?
Those were the questions running through Alice's mind as she walked into Ed Mase
n's office with Jazz on Wednesday morning. It had been two weeks since Jazz had
gone into the doctor's office and had a cheek swab done for the paternity test a
nd now they would find out the results. Both of them were extremely nervous, Jaz
z couldn't even keep his legs still as they sat in the reception area, his knee
vibrating as he leaned his elbow on it.
When Ed came out to get them, the first thing Alice noticed was a grin on his fa
ce and she felt such hope from that one look. Once they were all seated in Ed's
office, Ed started talking to them about the company that did the paternity test
and the accuracy of the test, making note that the company they chose to go wit
h will only state a match with a 99.99% match, which is the highest percentage a
ttainable in the test.
Alice's hand squeezed a hold of Jazz's wet, clammy one, her nails digging into h
er skin as she tried to listen to everything that Ed was saying. She really coul
dn't concentrate on much. She heard the words and she knew he was trying to be p
rofessional, but she could see the creases in the corner of his eyes, under his
glasses and she knew this was personal to him. She and Jazz were personal for hi
m.
Looking to her right, Alice focused on Jazz this time, watching his pale face pa
le from nerves and wide blue eyes as he listened to what Ed had to say. His leg
had ceased it's bouncing, but instead, his heart was rocketing against his ribca
ge, the sound alarmingly loud and Alice wished she knew what she could do, so sh
e squeezed Jazz's hand tighter, letting him know that she was there.
The flash of something orangish-yellow across the corner of Alice's eye caught h
er attention then and her head darted back to Ed's desk to see him holding a lar
ge envelope in his hands. Her heart beat quickened as she realized that this was
the moment of truth, they would find out if Jazz was indeed the father of Jane'
s baby or not. Tears started dripping out of her eyes and she quickly wiped them
away with her free hand.
"Jasper, Alice," Ed said softly as he slipped the papers from the envelope. "The
re is a lot of information on these sheets of paper, but I'm sure you're just co
ncerned with the over-all result. You can look over these after I tell you the r
esults, but I'd like to keep the original copy here until everything is cleared
up."
"Okay," Jazz rasped out. He was having a hard time breathing, his anxiety level
was too high. Why can't he just read the stupid results?
Chapter 32 August 12 14, 2009
"Without further ado," Ed stated as his eyes skimmed over the report. "Jasper, w
ith a 99.99 percent . . ." A gasp from Alice's mouth made Ed pause momentarily b
efore continuing. ". . . match, you are the father of Jane Schenck Martinez's ba
by."
Other than the pounding of hearts and soft whimpers from Alice, Ed Masen's offic
e was extremely quiet. It can't be! Jazz couldn't believe what he had just heard
. Blinking several times, trying to clear the screams that raced through his min
d, he focused on the face behind the desk, watching Ed's mouth begin to move, bu
t he couldn't hear the words.
Turning his head to look at Alice, he saw the tears streaking down her cheeks, a
tissue raised by her own hand to wipe them away. This can't be! I . . . Compreh
ension was lost to him. Around him, Ed and Alice were there, and he could tell t
hat they were making noises; Ed talking and Alice crying, but all Jazz could hea
r was the pounding of his own crazy, erratic heart and the breaths he was exhali
ng a little too quickly.
Suddenly, something gripped Jazz's hand and he looked down to see the small, tan
ned hand of Alice's, her long, beautiful fingers wrapping around his skin, squee
zing gently. She was with him and that fact alone got him to take a full, deep b
reath, breaking him from the dreamlike daze he was in.
"Jasper," Ed said, his voice finally resonating inside Jazz's head, "there are s
ome things we need to discuss, but I'll leave you and Alice alone for a bit. Go
over the reports and talk . . . I'll be back in a little while."
Nodding his head, Jazz watched Ed stand up from behind his desk and walk toward
his office door, stopping along the way to put a hand on Alice's trembling shoul
der, squeezing it gently. That's my job! I should be comforting Alice. As the do
or closed behind Ed, Jazz got out of his seat and engulfed Alice into his arms,
pulling her up from her sitting position. She shuddered against him, her sobs ca
using a quake between the two. This can't be happening!
There was no saying as to how long the two of them stood, holding onto each othe
r in Ed's office, but eventually, Alice's sobs grew less and less and Jazz final
ly helped her sit back down before scooting his chair across from hers so he cou
ld face her. Sitting down, Jazz took Alice's damp, shaking hands in his and held
onto them, squeezing for dear life as he tried to swallow. It was as if his thr
oat was swollen and he felt his adams apple bob as he painfully pushed his saliv
a down so he could speak.
"Alice," he said brokenly, staring into her wet, glistening eyes. They looked so
loving and tender, even in all her pain. "I don't know what to do." Jazz broke
down then, tears finally releasing from his eyes and Alice removed a hand from h
is to wipe his tears away.
"Sh," she cooed, running her fingers through his curly, gold locks. "We continue
on with everything, right? We make sure she puts the baby up for adoption. Noth
ing's changed in that, right?"
"Right." His voice was raspy, yet firm and Alice smiled a watery, toothy grin at
him. The two of them needed to get back on course. They knew there was a strong
possibility that the baby would be his, so they really needed to accept the fac
t and move on. Only, the thoughts that plagued Alice's mind earlier had resurfac
ed.
"What are you thinking about?" Jazz whispered, watching the myriad of expression
s dance across her face.
"Do you . . . I mean, will this . . ."
"What's wrong?" he interrupted, realizing she was having a hard time getting her
thoughts out of her head.
"This baby will always hold a piece of you." Alice's shoulders shook and Jazz le
aned forward, pulling her crying body into his chest. "I wanted to have your bab
y!" she wailed, shaking her head against him, and she fought against the anger s
he knew she shouldn't feel she wouldn't let it control her anymore.
"Alice?" Jazz pulled back, looking down at the small, frail, woman in his arms a
nd the pain that suddenly hit him made his stomach feel twisted and hard. "You w
ill have my babies, we'll get married and have a happy life, I promise "
"But this baby will always be out there, Jazz! Don't you get it? This child will
be walking around with your eyes and beautiful hair. Oh God! What if the baby l
ooks like Jane? God, a mixture of you and Jane . . . It just . . . it breaks my
heart." The last four words were said softly, almost as if she didn't want Jazz
to hear them, but he did.
"What do you want me to do? I'm stuck here, Alice, and I don't know what to do!"
"Nothing," Alice whispered, leaning in to grab a hold of Jazz around his shoulde
rs, pulling him into her. She needed the feel of his arms around her. "Just let
me hold you."
"Baby, as long as I have you, I can get through this. Please . . ."
"I'm not leaving you, Jazz. I love you too much." Pulling away from his embrace,
Alice cupped both his cheeks in her hands. "You did nothing wrong. Regardless o
f how my stupid heart feels right now, I don't want to lose you over this. Not t
his. This will not break us."
Leaning into her man, Alice gently brushed her lips against his, showing him jus
t how much she still needed him, how much she still loved him. They both needed
the contact and soon found themselves in one chair, Alice sitting in Jazz's lap,
holding onto each other and comforting one another. Somehow, they would get thr
ough this together. A knock on Ed's office door broke through their silent medit
ation and they both hurriedly straightened out the chairs and righted themselves
before Jazz called out for Ed to enter.
Taking his seat behind his desk, Ed sadly watched the two people before him. The
one thing that he couldn't get out of his head was that this could be his son s
itting in front of him right now and it made him feel worse. There were too many
crazy people out there in the world today.
"I hope I didn't interrupt too soon," Ed said with a small smile. "I actually to
ok the time to call Mrs. Martinez's lawyer. They had made a counter offer earlie
r in the week but I hadn't spoken to him about it I wanted to know the results o
f the test first."
"Counter offer?" Alice asked. The space between her eyebrows scrunched up, her e
yes narrowing.
"They want to increase the amount of money you will pay Mrs. Martinez during the
pregnancy and for the three months following delivery."
"How much?" Jazz asked.
"Another thousand a month." Ed watched as both Alice and Jazz sat stoically, bot
h with scowls on their faces. "We won't accept this. What I was thinking was goi
ng back to them, offering another five hundred a month with half of the money th
at she receives from the adoption going to you as well."
"She's going to get money from the adoption?"
"Yes. I'm not sure what agency she will choose to go through, or if she'll want
to meet the family first "
"It has to be private," Jazz stated. "I don't want the adoptive parents to know
I'm the father. I don't want them coming back to me some day wanting money."
"Jasper, Alice, there is another option in all of this." Edward swallowed hard,
knowing what he was about to suggest would not be taken very well by either of t
hem, but he needed to bring this up, give them this option. "Legally," Ed said,
holding up the paternity test results, "you are the father of this baby. You hav
e just as many rights to the child as Mrs. Martinez has more so considering the
drugs and abandonment issues with her son."
"What are you saying?"
"Jasper, you and Alice can raise this baby."
"No!" Jazz replied without thinking. It wasn't something he was willing to do; h
e couldn't make Alice raise another woman's baby.
A few minutes passed as Ed allowed Jazz and Alice to sit in his quiet office, ho
ping they were thinking about what he had suggested. Jazz was torn during the lo
ng moment of silence because there was a part of him that felt for the baby, a p
art of him that knew he would always wonder about it, but he didn't want to do t
hat to Alice. He couldn't make her care for the bitch's baby.
It was Alice that was moments away from a breakdown, though. The mere thought of
raising Jane's baby had her on the brink of crazy. Shaking her head, she tried
to clear the thought from her mind. How could she ever look at a mini-Jane for t
he next 18 . . . no, it would be more than that . . . 20, 40, 50 years? How coul
d she do that?
"There is still time to make a decision. I'll give you both some time to think a
bout Mrs. Martinez's counter offer and how you want to proceed with it. Do eithe
r of you have any questions about . . ." Ed paused in his question.
Both Alice and Jazz looked at Edward with empty eyes they were both still deep i
n thought over his awkward suggestion from earlier so he didn't continue on with
what he had begun to ask. "I'll call you on Friday if I don't hear from you bef
ore then." With Ed's dismissal, Jazz and Alice stood up and shook hands with Ed
before saying their goodbyes and leaving. It was a very quiet ride back to Jazz'
s house.
~GO CUBS~
The call Bella received as she stepped onto the El alarmed her Alice was crying.
It was hard enough to stand with her hand grasping onto a skinny metal pipe, be
ing pushed against all the people standing with her, trying hard to keep her bod
y still so as not to fall into anyone around, but she also was trying to underst
and the muddled words out of Alice's mouth.
Today was a hard day to get through. Edward had arrived back in town very early
in the morning but she hadn't seen him yet, allowing him to sleep as late as he
needed. He had begged her to meet him for lunch, but she had a meeting and could
n't get out of it, so here she was, two hours from the first pitch at Wrigley an
d Alice was crying into her ear through her cell phone. Perfect.
Though she couldn't make out what Alice was saying, she assumed that the paterni
ty test results weren't what they were all hoping they'd be. With a frown on her
face, Bella let her sad, little pixie cry and mumble her way through a one-side
d conversation that she couldn't understand, and as she rounded the corner to th
eir townhouse, she sighed in relief, telling Alice she'd see her in mere seconds
.
Three hours later, Bella was still in her townhouse, cuddling up with Alice, wat
ching the game. She had texted Edward and Emmett to let them both know that she
wasn't going to be at the game tonight and it killed her she really wanted to se
e Edward but Alice was worth so much more to her than a missed game.
"Maybe you should talk to someone like . . . um . . . Esme!" Bella suggested exc
itedly. "I know that the thought of adopting the baby upsets you, but if you tal
ked to her, maybe you'd get a different perspective."
"That's different," Alice mumbled. "Esme and Carlisle adopted a baby that neithe
r of them had a tie to."
"We can go online and find a message board or something for you to ask questions
of people," Bella said, thinking about running upstairs to grab her laptop. "Ot
her people have been through this. There are many women in the world taking care
of other women's kids with their husbands, Alice. The mom doesn't always get or
want custody now-a-days."
"That's different too; those children weren't conceived through rape."
"I'm sure you'd be surprised. There have got to be women out there that have got
ten pregnant from being raped and have chosen to keep the child and raise it." I
t was silent for a moment after Bella spoke and she took the time to study her f
riend's demeanor. Alice didn't look so closed off at this moment, she actually l
ooked as if she were considering what Bella was saying and that's exactly what A
lice was doing.
Alice thought about that for a moment, thinking about women who could be so self
less to take care of a baby that would always be a reminder of a bad event in th
eir lives. Was Alice that kind of a person? Could she actually take Jane's baby
into her home and play nursemaid to it? And how would that work anyway? She and
Jazz didn't even live together, let alone have plans to do so anytime soon. Shak
ing her head, Alice inhaled deeply and let it out slowly, turning her head to wa
tch the Cubs getting their butts kicked by the Phillies it was already 12-3 in t
he top of the sixth.
"Aren't you glad we aren't there tonight?" Bella giggled, turning to watch the g
ame as well.
"I'm sorry I took you away, I know you wanted to see him tonight."
"Don't worry about it. He's going to come over later, I think."
"Yeah, but you're losing money with your seat being open."
"Not a big deal," Bella sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She
was extremely exhausted. "I'm actually glad to stay home. I can't believe how ti
red I've been lately!"
"It's all that work you do while they're out on the road."
"You and me both," Bella chuckled, playfully banging her shoulder into Alice's.
"You spend a lot of extra time at Macy's."
"Yeah, it makes the time go by faster . . . kind of."
"I know what you mean."
"How do you think they do it?"
"Who?"
"The wives? How do they go through all of this and have to take care of their ki
ds alone too?"
"I don't know," Bella mused, wondering what it must be like to be the sole paren
t while your husband was away playing baseball. Guys get it so easy!
~GO CUBS~
"Thanks, Butch!" Edward exclaimed, taking the ball from another relief pitcher.
The guy didn't speak much English, so they never really spoke to each other, but
Butch had gathered what Edward was doing with the balls and wanted to participa
te. Of course, his real name wasn't Butch. That was just what everyone, includin
g the commentators on TV, called him it was much easier to pronounce than Baatar
saikhan.
"Hey," Jazz said quietly coming up behind Edward.
Turning, Edward smiled softly. "Hey, how're you holding up?" Earlier, when they
had first arrived at the club house, Jazz told Edward about the results of the p
aternity test. To say that Jazz was a walking train wreck was an understatement.
He looked strung out; his eyes red, face pale, hands trembling and legs jittery
he needed to calm down.
"Okay. Are you going over to Bella's?"
"Yeah, do you need anything?"
"Can you tell Alice I'll be a little late? I'm going to work out a little bit mo
re."
"You sure?" Edward asked. "You're pitching tomorrow."
"Bob's staying with me," Jazz said, motioning over to one of the assistant physi
cal therapists.
"All right, I'll let Alice know."
It wasn't too long before Edward was at Bella's house, walking in unannounced an
d finding Alice sitting alone on the couch, curled up under a blanket and watchi
ng one of the numerous CSI shows. Instead of heading up to see Bella, he sat dow
n next to her and smiled.
"How're you doing?" Edward asked, taking note of Alice's red, swollen eyes.
Sitting up, Alice grabbed the remote and lowered the volume on the TV, wondering
why he was sitting next to her instead of going upstairs to be with Bella. "I'm
okay," she said softly, afraid to look him in the eyes. She had been horrible t
o him since St. Louis, and though she did apologize, things weren't back to norm
al between them. "Did Jazz tell you?"
"About the paternity test?"
"Yeah." Alice lowered her head, her feet fidgeting against each other on the flo
or.
"Yes. I'm very sorry."
"Edward," Alice said forcefully, her head snapping up to look at him. "I really
did mean it when I apologized. I know it's not your fault. I was wrong, and I'm
very sorry."
Reaching an arm around Alice's shoulders, Edward pulled her in against him and g
ave her a tight squeeze. "Thank you, Alice. It means a lot to me."
Pulling back, Alice smiled, her eyes starting to fill up with tears. "Did he tel
l you about what your dad said to us today?"
Edward's lips straightened out into a firm line and he shook his head, thinking
about everything Jazz had told him. "Other than the results of the paternity tes
t, nothing."
"Well, he suggested we consider raising the baby ourselves."
"Oh." Not knowing what to say, Edward looked down to his lap and the ball that h
e held in his hand. No wonder Jazz was freaking out tonight! "Are you going to d
o it?"
"What? No!" Alice exclaimed, shaking her head. "Could you imagine taking care of
a child created from this mess?"
"It's not the child's fault," he said tentatively, not sure how she would react
to what he was thinking of saying.
"No," she sighed, "you're right." Frowning, she looked back up at him. "Inside,
I feel like a horrible person for not wanting to raise Jane's baby."
"It's Jazz's baby too," Edward interjected and Alice's body froze she hadn't tho
ught of it that way. To her, the baby had always been Jane's and only Jane's. "W
hat if the roles were reversed?" he asked, kicking himself for even thinking of
asking this question he just knew she'd be mad at him again for even thinking th
is.
"What do you mean?"
"What if you were the one who was raped and you became pregnant?"
"Well, that would be different," Alice balked, her eyes squinting up, the skin b
etween her eyebrows puckering.
"How so?"
"It would be my baby."
"This baby is Jazz's." Edward tensed up, waiting for her to hit or yell. Her cal
m demeanor and response shocked him.
"It's not the same."
"Why not?"
"Because the woman carries the baby for nine months, Edward. There's a special b
ond that comes through the whole process and no matter who the father of the bab
y is, the mom bonds with the baby, in some way."
"And you don't think adoptive parents bond with their children?"
"I didn't say that," she mumbled.
"I'm not trying to piss you off, Alice. It just seems that maybe you and Jazz wo
uld be the perfect parents for this baby. Jazz is, biologically, the father of t
he baby and he has the money to take care of it."
"But he's never around. I'd be the one at home raising it. And Jane would probab
ly be knocking on my door all the time we'd never get her out of our lives!"
"Not unless you have her sign over her parental rights. Instead of having her gi
ve up the child for adoption, she could give up her parental rights and allow yo
u to adopt the baby. Legally, Jazz already is the father."
"You make it all sound so simple."
"I'm sure it won't be simple," he said softly, grabbing her hand that rested in
her lap. "Why don't you give Esme Cullen a call? I'm sure she must have been thr
ough a time of bonding with Lian, maybe she could give you advice."
"You and Bella think alike," she said with dry humor. "She suggested the same th
ing. But, Edward, we don't want any one to know about this. You know that."
"Just think about it, okay?"
"It's all I have been thinking about . . . you brought up a very good point."
"I did?" he chuckled, not sure what exactly she was talking about.
"If this had happened to me, I know for a fact that Jazz would be beside me in e
verything and he would love the baby as if it were his own."
"He truly loves you," Edward said softly, squeezing her hand, confirming her own
thoughts.
"Yes, he does." Her eyes finally filled with tears that needed to be shed and sh
e let them fall. It wasn't a violent cry or even anything painful, it was from t
he awareness of how much Jazz really loved her. He would definitely be there for
her, he wouldn't even consider any other option he would be the baby's father.
Could she be that selfless? Could she raise Jane's baby? No, not Jane's baby; Ja
zz's baby. Could she raise Jazz's baby with him? Would he want her to? God! Here
I am planning our future and he hasn't even proposed!
~GO CUBS~
"Never again," Edward moaned, pulling Bella's back up against his chest as he tr
ied to reposition himself on her small bed. It was the first time since she had
been sick that he had spent the night at her place in her double bed, which was
not big enough for two fully grown adults.
"It's not that bad," Bella huffed, turning over to face him. "Come here," she co
oed, pulling his face down to hers for a morning kiss. Just like most of their k
isses, it lasted longer than initially planned, but they were both jolted from a
ny dirty thoughts of progression as Bella's alarm clock chirped loudly by their
ears. "I don't want to go to work," Bella moaned, pulling away from Edward and l
ying on her back, taking up most of the room on the bed.
"So don't." Edward nuzzled her neck, nipping the skin along her collar bone. "Co
me over to my place for the morning."
"You have to be at Wrigley in what? Four hours? By the time we make it to your p
lace, you'll have to leave."
Groaning loudly, Bella sat up in the bed and massaged the back of her neck. She
wouldn't admit it to Edward, but she was getting spoiled by his bed. It was so m
uch more comfortable than hers and lately, she was waking up all achy, missing h
is large, firm mattress. "I'm going to jump in the shower. Don't leave until you
say goodbye," she threatened him, leaning down for one last chaste peck on the
lips.
Once she had disappeared, Edward got dressed and went down to the other bathroom
to relieve himself shocked to hear Alice and Jazz talking quietly in the kitche
n. After he finished, he ventured in to say hi and found them at the small table
, eating muffins and drinking coffee.
"Pour yourself a cup and come join us," Alice invited with a smile. "The ones wi
thout nuts are for Bella, so don't eat those unless you can take her wrath."
"You must have a bigger bed," Edward grumbled, plopping himself down next to Jaz
z, noticing his friend's broad smile and relaxed shoulders. He'd give anything t
o take the soreness from his muscles right now. Mentally, he made a note to buy
Bella a new bed for her birthday that was coming up.
"A firm king," Alice glowed, "but it takes up almost my whole room!"
"You're not going to work today?" Edward asked, noticing how Alice was dressed i
n a pair of tight fitted black cotton pants and a tight long-sleeved black t-shi
rt she looked comfortable and definitely not ready to go into Macy's to work. Ac
tually, he didn't think she'd ever be caught dead outside her home dressed as sh
e was.
"We're taking the day off to . . . be together," Jazz replied, smiling sweetly o
ver to Alice.
"We have some things to discuss," she chimed.
"I tried to get Bella to call in, but she thinks it'd be a waste for only a few
hours together."
"It's a waste for her to go into work for a couple of hours!" Alice huffed as sh
e jumped from her chair. "Bella!" she then called out, resulting in Bella callin
g down to her.
"What?"
"Call in! You're working from home today!" Alice screamed up the stairs.
"Alice!" Bella breathed, pounding down the stairs to join everyone in the kitche
n. "I can't just call in whenever the mood hits me."
"It'll take you longer to commute to and from work than the time you're actually
going to spend in your office."
"Seriously guys? You're teaming up on me?" Bella grabbed a nutless muffin and sa
t on Edward's lap, grabbing his coffee cup to take a sip. She gave him a wicked
glance when he began to protest and he smiled back with a chuckle. "A few days a
go, you hated him, Alice. And now you're what? His best friend?" She was teasing
and thankfully everyone in the room got her humor.
"What can I say?" Alice giggled, ruffling her hand through Edward's hair. "He's
a pretty smart man."
"Really?" Bella asked skeptically, turning her head to look at a now red-faced E
dward.
"No offense, Bella, but he gives better advice." Alice tried hard to hold in her
giggles, but failed.
"None taken," Bella sighed, leaning back against Edward and turning her head to
kiss his cheek. "So, what kind of advice were you dishing out last night?"
"Actually," Alice cut in, "it was similar to what you were saying; only he said
it in a way that clicked."
"I didn't mean to pry," Edward said to Jazz, looking over at him in apology. Thi
s whole situation had everyone on edge and the last thing that Edward wanted to
do was cross a line or over-step his bounds.
"No! I needed to hear that!" Alice moved to stand behind Jazz's chair and she wr
apped her arms around him, bending down to kiss his cheek. "We have a lot to tal
k about, but we'll get through it."
~GO CUBS~
"Jane, trust me," Mila stressed, "you need to take this deal. They aren't going
to keep playing with you for long and if this goes to trial, you'll lose the bab
y anyway. There's no way that a judge will let you keep the baby with all the dr
ugs, alcohol, men . . ."
"I get it," Jane grumbled, sitting on a pea-green comfy reclining chair the only
chair in her new apartment. The apartment had only been hers for about a week a
nd she didn't have much in it yet, but each day she was going out and buying som
ething new to put in it.
"No, you don't get it. Otherwise, you would've jumped at their offer as soon as
it was relayed to you." Though Mila had given her word to testify against Jane,
she really didn't want to. She would if it came down to it, but if she could get
Jane to accept the deal and give the baby up for adoption, then everything woul
d be taken care of. It was the best thing for all parties involved especially Mi
la because she didn't want Jane to know about her involvement.
"Why are you bailing on me? I promised I'd give you a cut of the child support p
ayments!"
"Are you listening to a thing I'm saying?" Mila screamed into her phone, finally
losing her control. "You. Won't. Get. Any. Money!"
"Why not?"
"Just face it already! You've lost, okay? All that Jazz wants right now is to ge
t that baby away from you. If you don't accept their deal, they'll do it the har
d way, Jane. They will bring charges against you. Who in their right mind would
award custody of a child to a woman who is constantly out drinking, getting high
, hooking up with random guys, and sometimes never coming home until late in the
morning? Who?"
"I took care of Bobby!" Jane huffed.
"And he's better off with his dad."
"You don't mean that!"
"Jane, even you commented on how clean he looks in the pictures that Rob sends y
ou. The smiles on his face tell you how happy he is, honey." Mila's voice turned
soft, loving. "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but he's being very well t
aken care of in Rob's home."
"So, what? I just give this child up to a stranger and walk away? Walk away with
nothing?"
"You'll have me," Mila whispered, her heart pounding, hoping her friend would ta
ke the final offer. It was more than it started out at originally, but less than
 what Jane was hoping for. Jazz would pay her a living expense and for all her m
edical bills pertaining to the pregnancy and delivery of the baby until the birt
h and then he would pay her living expenses and medical bills for her post deliv
ery care for three months after to help her get back on her feet; move back to C
alifornia, get a job, etc. The amount was increased by $500 per month from the o
riginal offer, but with the stipulation that the adoption had to be closed his n
ame could never be released to the adoptive parent's of the child.
"After the baby's born, or before if you'd like, come back to California. There'
s an apartment just down the road from me that would be perfect for you. I can g
et you a job at the diner near my house and you can start everything over, from
scratch."
"Do you really think I'd end up in jail?"
"Jane, if Jazz has to go public with this, I think he'll be out to do as much da
mage to you as he can and from what I've seen so far, he has a lawyer that can a
ccomplish it."
"How did everything get all twisted?" Jane murmured, staring at a blank, white w
all. She saw images on the empty canvas. Images of Bobby as a baby and how happy
she was when he was born, images of Bobby frowning, dirty, not wanting to talk
to her, images of Edward at the bar where he told her everything was over, image
s of Jazz the morning after her plan had come to fruition. How had she gotten in
to this mess? How had she turned from the happy-go-lucky, fun-loving girl that e
veryone desired to be around to this? Jane didn't even recognize herself anymore
.
"Remember," Mila said, "after the baby's born, you come back to California and s
tart all over get your life back in order."
"And the baby?"
"You need to agree to this deal, Jane. It's the only way."
~GO CUBS~
"You forgot to turn your phone off again," Edward moaned, rolling over in his be
d and burrowing his head under his pillow.
"I don't know who could be calling me this early," Bella groaned, turning into E
dward and wrapping her arms around him. "I don't want to get out of bed," she po
uted.
"Good morning," Edward whispered, pulling Bella's body on top of his as he turne
d onto his back, kissing her soundly on her lips.
"A very good morning," Bella giggled against his lips, feeling his erection twit
ch between them.
"Do you really have to work this morning?" Edward kissed her again, not allowing
her to answer his question, instead trying to show her what he had planned for
them instead.
Just as Edward cupped Bella's breast in his hand, his phone rang out and Bella g
iggled, pulling off to lie next to him on her back. "Who in the world would call
early on a Friday morning?"
"It's not that early," Bella mumbled, taking note of the time from the clock on
his wall. It was well past nine in the morning later than she had hoped to wake
up.
Stumbling out of the bed, Bella dove into the bathroom to shower. When she emerg
ed, a towel wrapped around her torso, Edward was in the kitchen talking on the p
hone, so she hurried up and got dressed, leaving her hair to air dry.
"Is everything okay?" She asked, walking into the kitchen to grab a bottle of co
ke out of the fridge.
"It was Alice."
"Alice?"
"She said that her best friend was avoiding her calls," he chuckled.
"Is everything okay? Why did she call us this early?"
"Jane accepted the offer."
"She did?" Bella shrieked, throwing her arms around Edward, kissing him on his n
eck.
"They want to go out tomorrow night after the game and celebrate. I told them we
'd be there, I hope you don't mind."
"Of course I don't mind! I'm so happy for them!"
"Are you feeling any better?" Edward kissed the tip of Bella's nose, worry seepi
ng from his eyes into hers. The night before, Bella didn't feel very well and wa
s afraid she was coming down with a cold.
"Just fine," she teased, tickling his sides to pull out of his embrace. "My nose
is a bit stuffy still, but I feel fine otherwise."
"Good. I'll meet you back here after tonight's game. Be dressed to dance . . . n
o," he interrupted himself, stopping her from protesting, "be dressed to dance a
nd don't eat."
"Not even a little snack?"
"Nothing big. Have a hot dog at the park or something toward the end of the game
."
"No hints at all?" she pouted, biting down on her bottom lip and he shook his he
ad, no. "Okay then, how much time do we have before you have to leave?"
"A little more than an hour," he groaned, wishing there were more time for them
to spend with each other today. "Bella," he squeaked out, as he realized what sh
e was doing.
"Sh," she whispered, pulling his pants and boxer briefs down to his knees, relea
sing his instantly hard dick.
Bella's mouth and hands skillfully moved over his length, sucking, licking, stro
king, drawing out Edward's pleasure as she mixed up her speeds, bringing him clo
se, but not close enough before slowing down. The feel of her soft, warm tongue
curling around his head, twisting, circling his circumference as her eyes looked
up at him made his knees weak and he held onto the counter for support.
"Bella," he groaned, moving one hand down to thread through her hair, loving the
 way her lips stretched around him. She looked so devilishly erotic with his coc
k in her mouth and he pushed his hips into her, eliciting a moan from her that v
ibrated down his length to his balls.
"Fuck!" he hissed, taking over as she steadied herself and he thrust into her mo
uth, banging against the back of her throat.
Bella's arms wrapped around him, cupping his cheeks in her hands as she helped p
ush him into her. She had gotten better at receiving him like this, her gag refl
ex not as bad as it once had been, but she still moved a hand around to the fron
t to help stroke the part of him that would not fit inside her mouth.
"Do you like that?" Edward gasped, watching her greedily suck as much of him in
as she could before he pulled out to ram back in.
"Mmm," she moaned, and as the vibrations scurried down his cock, he came violent
ly in her mouth.
~GO CUBS~
It wasn't every day, or even every year, that a girl got to experience a romanti
c date out to dinner and dancing. Okay, typical dinner and dancing, yes, Bella h
ad done that many times before, but this was different she had never dreamed tha
t this was what Edward had on his mind when he told her to be ready to go dancin
g. Bella felt as if she were in the twilight zone or something.
Twirling around on the huge dance floor to the sounds of a live band playing big
band music, Bella smiled in Edward's firm, leading arms. He was a remarkable da
ncer and, luckily, had the skills to even make her look good.
Shortly after the ball game, where the Cubs demolished the Pittsburgh Pirates 17
-2, Bella and Alice fled to their townhouse to pick something out for their resp
ective dates. Jazz had decided to take Alice out for a romantic evening as well.
Though they were going to different places, the two girls had a lot of fun gett
ing ready together for their nights out, laughing and giggling like school girls
. All the stress and worry from the past month simply vanished into thin air and
the two friends danced and sang along to Alice's dance mix from her iPod. Once
they were ready, they parted with a hug and a kiss and Bella left for Edward's c
ondo while Alice waited at home for Jazz to pick her up.
Not long after Bella made it to Edward's place, he arrived home with another bal
l signed by the Pirate's starting pitcher and a bottle of wine. While Bella pour
ed two glasses of wine, Edward hurriedly changed into a suit and tie before join
ing her for a drink.
A limo waited for the pair down at the entrance to Lake Point Tower and after ma
king out in the backseat, they were delivered to a nightclub, but it wasn't just
any nightclub. Transported back in time, Edward escorted Bella into a scene fro
m the movies a wide open area full of dining guests dressed extravagantly while
many waltzed on a large dance floor in front of a stage filled with a live band.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" Edward asked, pulling her in t
oo close for the dance and nuzzling the base of her neck.
"Only about 18 times," she giggled, "but who's counting?" Actually, she was. He
first told her how beautiful she was when he entered his condo, then when he cam
e back out of his room after getting dressed, then as he settled in next to her
in the limo, and finally, when he said it as he helped her out of the limo, she
started counting, starting then at four. And now, he had just told her how beaut
iful she was for the 18th time.
"Are you having fun?" he murmured in her ear and Bella noticed a few scowls from
some older couples dancing by them.
"I am, but I think you're making a scene," she hissed, trying to pull back to ge
t some room between their bodies again.
Chuckling, Edward straightened out his posture and continued to lead Bella to th
e simple two-step rhythm. "Do you know what I'd like to do right now?" he said q
uietly a few minutes later?
"What's that?" she asked, missing a step and landing on his foot. Bella's face s
crunched up as she cringed and Edward laughed, pulling her in a little closer an
d holding onto her tighter.
"There's a coat-check room that's not being used right now," he leered, wiggling
his eyebrows for effect.
"Are you serious? If there were coats in it, that would be one thing," she said,
shaking her head, "but no one brought a coat out tonight, it's so warm outside.
"
"So you'd prefer to fuck on strangers' coats but not in an empty room?"
Just the way he said the word, 'fuck', had Bella tingling between her legs and e
xcitingly wet. Oh, Lord, she was wet soaking wet. She could feel it on her thigh
s. She really wanted him to do dirty things to her right here and now. "Maybe th
ere's somewhere else that isn't so wide open," she suggested in a strained voice
.
"If I knew we wouldn't be arrested, I'd take you right here, with the music play
ing . . ."
"In the middle of the dance floor?"
"Why not?"
"There're tons of people around us?"
Pulling Bella in even closer, ignoring the stares and glances from the couples a
round them, Edward placed his lips against her ear and traced the curve of her e
arlobe with his tongue. "I want you," he breathed out, tickling her skin in an e
rotic way and she noticed her nipples were erect, pressed against his chest. She
wasn't wearing a bra there was no way she could walk away from this embrace wit
h dignity in front of all the scowls.
"Bathroom," she stated, ready to pull away and march in the direction of the lad
y's room.
"Too many people," he groaned, pulling her back into his arms.
"Edward," she moaned, holding herself back from attacking him with her lips in t
he middle of the dance floor. They were no longer dancing the way they should ha
ve been the way everybody else was. They were wrapped around each other, almost
at a standstill in the middle of the floor, softly swaying back and forth.
"Come on," he finally said, pulling her behind as he maneuvered their way throug
h the now waltzing couples. Once at their table, Edward threw a wad of cash down
and then grabbed Bella's purse and handed it to her before putting his arm arou
nd her and ushering her out of the restaurant.
The limo was waiting down the street but Edward led Bella away, in the opposite
direction. "Where are we going?" Bella asked, tightening her hold on Edward and
looking around. The further they walked, the further they got from people. Then
Edward turned down an alley, pulling Bella along with him into the shadows.
"What are we " Cut off from being pushed up against the cool wall of a building,
Bella gasped.
"Sh," Edward cooed into Bella's neck, his left arm pulling her right leg up and
around his waist as he ground himself into her. "I can't wait," he hissed, his o
ther hand diving under her dress. "Fuck, Isabella," he groaned, his fingers comi
ng into contact with her wet, uncovered pussy. The thought of her dancing with h
im on the dance floor without any panties on almost made him come in his pants.
Without hesitation, he slammed two fingers inside her and attacked her mouth wit
h his, his tongue invading as his fingers rammed.
As Edward fucked her with his fingers, Bella's hands worked to free his engorged
cock, moaning as her hands found his silky, hard flesh and started to stroke hi
m. "Now, Edward," she hissed, pulling away from his mouth to take a breath, eage
r to be filled by him.
Without any delay, Edward removed his fingers from her and drove himself into he
r, crashing her back up against the brick behind her. "Uugh," she cried out from
the pain and he paused, realizing what he had done. "Don't stop, Eddie!"
His thrusts were determined and hard, his face buried in her shoulder and hands
bracing him on the wall behind her as her hands grasped his hair, pulling on it
as a multitude of sounds escaped her mouth. They heard noises around them; movem
ents, voices in the distance, cars driving by, and horns honking, but neither pa
id any attention. They were both focused on only one thing each other.
"Bella," Edward groaned, his dick pulsing as he neared his climax.
"I'm so close," she gasped, pulling his face to hers by his hair that was entwin
ed in her fingers.
Their mouths moved together, tongues exploring and Bella's body started to shive
r, heat spreading from her center down to her curled toes and up through her arm
s as she shuddered underneath Edward. Her mouth froze open as his tongue licked
inside and then his lips hardened against hers, his body shaking uncontrollably
as he came.
Heavy, deep breaths were all either of them could take as they stayed in positio
n against the wall, listening to the hustle and bustle of the street that wasn't
far from where they had stopped down the dingy, dark alley. "That was a first,"
Bella giggled, hiding her head in Edward's chest and kissing the sweat that soa
ked through his shirt, under his suit Jacket.
"For me too," he sighed, happy to have found something that neither of them had
done before something that they could do for the first time together. "I can't g
et enough of you."
Smiling, Bella lifted her head for a short, intimate kiss and then disentangled
herself from Edward. He backed away and they both did as best as they could to s
traighten out their clothes and make themselves look presentable before walking
back into civilization.
~GO CUBS~
She had had enough! The little voice inside her head had started to get louder a
nd louder and now, here she was, fed up with the man that sat on the other side
of the door she stared at. Tonight, she would get back at him, and then she woul
d need to find a way to make amends.
In all actuality, yes, she did love Edward at one time in her life. Didn't all w
omen who met the man? He had been her first lover, her first sexual experience,
and her first heart break. If anyone asked him, he probably would have told them
that she had broken his heart. Maybe that's how it happened, she couldn't even
remember anymore. But one thing was for sure; her heart had ached for Edward for
many years.
Even on her wedding day, she had wanted him. It really wasn't cheating because s
he and Brian had an understanding, an open relationship. There was always someon
e else in the mix, and more times than naught, they usually shared. Not Edward t
hough; he wanted no part of it.
Frowning, Tanya put her hand inside her purse and gripped tightly to her cell ph
one, pulling it out to make a call. "Be at the address in 10 minutes," she said
to the person on the other line before hanging up. Jake had finally pushed her o
ver the edge and now, she was going to show him just how pissed she was.
When Tanya had first moved back to the Chicago area, she was heart broken. Yes,
she and Brian had an open relationship, and yes, it was okay for him to have sex
with whomever he wanted, just as it was okay for Tanya to have sex with whoever
she wanted. But falling in love was different. Brian was not allowed to fall in
love with any of his random fucks. Heck, the girl obviously wasn't so random if
he had been with her more than one time!
Anger built up inside Tanya as she thought of Brian and the girl that had stolen
his heart. When Tanya came back to Chicago, she was expecting Edward's arms to
be there ready and waiting to comfort her. Now that she was free of Brian, she f
igured he'd have no problem taking up right where they left off before she had g
otten married.
Unfortunately, Edward was in a relationship. At first, Tanya couldn't believe it
. Edward Masen didn't have relationships. She'd read the news and watched TV eno
ugh to know that Chicago's hometown boy was no Eagle Scout. After her, she had o
nly known of him to try one other serious relationship and he had been burned so
badly from it, according to Tanya's mom, that he swore off relationships all to
gether.
That first day she saw him at his parents' house, Tanya was determined to get wi
th him, prove that he couldn't be loyal to his so called girlfriend. But everyth
ing changed the moment she saw him with her. Bella had more than captured his bo
dy; she had obviously captured his heart. The way he watched her, his eyes light
ing up when they made contact with hers, and when Tanya was touching his arm out
side on the lawn, she could feel his heart speed up as soon as he heard Bella's
voice on the porch.
Tanya didn't give up on going for what she wanted unless what she wanted could n
ever be hers and she knew at that moment that Edward was lost to Bella. It didn'
t stop her mom from prying though. Edward had always been Carmen's favorite wher
e Tanya was concerned. Though she accepted Brian as Tanya's husband, when Carmen
had flown out to visit and caught Brian in bed with some random red-headed girl
; that was it. Tanya had tried to explain, but Carmen wouldn't listen and now th
at Tanya was back in town, Carmen was determined to get her back with Edward whi
ch had only made everything that evening so awkward.
Unfortunately, Carmen didn't understand Tanya's sudden desire to not pursue Edwa
rd. Earlier, when they had gotten ready to head over to the Masens' house, it wa
s all they could talk about. When Tanya explained later that night, when they ar
rived at their own home, that Edward was in love, Carmen still didn't understand
.
So Tanya went through the ruse of attending a couple games and hanging out with
Edward's friends to appease her mom. What she hadn't expected was the animosity
from Bella and her friends. When she was told about Jake, her interest was pique
d she wasn't at all shy to admit she wanted a man with money, but to find out th
at it was all a lie a set up by Bella and her friends, she was more than willing
to team up with the smelly, sweaty, mutt to try and get back at her.
Only now, Tanya just didn't have it in her anymore. Edward was obviously happy w
ith Bella. Even with being as mad at Bella as she was, she understood where the
girl was coming from. If an ex-girlfriend of someone that Tanya was dating had e
ntered the picture, Tanya would have done whatever she could to make sure she wa
s suddenly kicked out of said picture.
Besides that, Jake was annoying. All he ever did was talk about Bella, complain
about Edward, fuck Tanya until he got his release, and then complain some more w
hile she took care of herself. Tonight would be the end of that.
Knocking on Jake's door, Tanya waited with a smile on her face and as soon as he
opened the door, she kissed him passionately, making sure he moved quickly in b
ringing her back into his bed room. Once there, Tanya instructed him to lie on h
is bed.
"Let me take care of you tonight," she whispered huskily, trying to sound seduct
ive.
Complying, Jake laid back and allowed Tanya to take off all of his clothes as sh
e kissed her way across his skin, skipping his hardened cock. He wasn't small, b
ut he wasn't exactly big either more average than anything else. Actually, he wa
sn't bad at wielding the thing, only he never paid her the attention she needed
after his release. What a waste. Shaking her head, Tanya cleared her lustful tho
ughts she was on a mission.
Once she had Jake fully naked, she reached into her purse and pulled out restrai
nts. "Don't fight me, baby," she hissed, fastening his right wrist first. "I pro
mise not to bite." She leaned over him, allowing her breasts to fall into his fa
ce as she fastened his other wrist to the headboard. Her hands worked diligently
then, fastening both ankles to the footboard of his bed, thankful he had both a
headboard and footboard most bachelors didn't bother with such things.
With that, Tanya left the room and he called out to her, wondering where she wen
t. Making her way to his apartment door, Tanya opened it up and let in the two w
omen on the other side. They didn't speak to each other, they just smiled and wa
lked in and Tanya gave them each a wad of cash before they took off their long c
oats revealing exotic lingerie that just barely covered their bodies.
Leading the other two women into Jake's room, Tanya smirked when she saw his eye
s widen and then light up, his dick twitching from excitement. This is going to
be good.
"Jake," Tanya pouted. "Would you mind if my friends and I have a little fun?"
"N- No," Jake choked out, nodding his head in anticipation.
Without any delay, the two women undressed Tanya and then proceeded to pleasure
her at the same time, sucking on her nipples, licking at her pussy, fucking her
with their fingers until they made her scream out in intense pleasure. When they
were done with her, Tanya stood up and put her clothes back on, thanking the tw
o women.
Looking at Jake, Tanya smiled sweetly. "That was the best orgasm, Jake. Do you w
ant to know what it feels like to have their mouths ravish you?"
"Yes," he gasped eagerly.
"What do you want them to do to you?" When Jake didn't answer, Tanya continued f
or him. "They'll suck your cock so good, Jake. Do you want them to do that?"
"Yes."
"You want to fuck their mouths?"
"Both of them," he stuttered, "on me at the same time."
"Oh, I think they can do that," Tanya said coyly. "How about fuck you? Would you
like them to fuck you hard?"
"Oh yes!" he nodded. His dick was now dripping from his excitement.
"Jake, would you like them to have their way with you? Are you willing to let th
em do whatever they want to you?"
"Fuck, yeah!"
"They're into some freaky stuff," she warned him.
"I don't care. They can do it."
"Okay, Jake. I hope you enjoy every minute of it!"
Turning to the two ladies who had yet to speak, Tanya smiled brightly. "He's all
yours! Remember what I said, though." Then, turning to Jake, she blew him a kis
s and said, "Don't ever call me again, Jake, and keep your snotty little nose ou
t of Edward and Bella's lives."
After closing the door to Jake's bedroom, Tanya listened in a little, making sur
e he was receiving some pleasure. He was never a quiet lover and she smiled when
she heard him grunting and growling and then the loud shout of, "fuck," as he c
ame for the first time. They weren't done with him yet.
Smiling to herself, Tanya let herself out of Jake's apartment and whistled her w
ay to her car. She really hoped that Jake had a fun evening. After tonight, she
was sure he wouldn't bother Edward or Bella ever again. Now all Tanya had to do
was find a way to apologize to Bella and Edward. Oh, she remembered, she also ne
eded to call Bruce and Tony tomorrow morning to see how their time with Jake ton
ight went.
Chapter 33 August 15 24, 2009
"Jesus!" Edward hissed while trailing his fingers lightly over Bella's bare back
. She slept soundly on her stomach, her head resting against his chest. Under hi
s fingers were bruises from when he had pushed her up against the building last
night.
There were no excuses for his behavior, regardless if she had enjoyed it. Just t
he thought that he could do such a thing to her sickened him, but to actually se
e the marks, to trace their outline with his fingers, at this very moment, he ha
ted himself for what he had done; that he was capable of hurting the one person
he truly loved more than his own life. As his fingers stilled against her skin,
Bella's head moved, burrowing further into him and she kissed his chest, her rig
ht arm tightening its hold around his stomach.
"I'm cold," Bella murmured into his skin and he immediately pulled the blankets
up and covered her bruised back, gently wrapping his arm around her as he placed
a kiss on top of her head. "Thank you," she sighed from her newfound warmth.
Raising her head a few minutes later, Bella stared at Edward, watching him as he
looked back at her and she noticed right away something was wrong. Not only cou
ld she feel his body stiffen beneath her, but his eyes were cold and hard. "Is e
verything okay?" Leaning into him, she kissed him on his mouth and though he sur
rendered to her lips, she could tell that he was very hesitant in the way he han
dled her. "Something's wrong," she whispered, pulling away from him.
"I just can't . . . it's not worth it." His voice was harsh and jagged and Bella
didn't understand what he was talking about.
Fear was the first thing she felt as she muddled over his words, trying to figur
e them out. Can't what? What's not worth it? A sickness in the pit of her stomac
h started turning and for a moment she was afraid she'd need to run to the bathr
oom as the acidic mess inside her threatened to make its leave. Unknown to Bella
, her head started shaking back and forth as she fought to hold down her dinner
from last night.
"Sweetheart," Edward soothed, tracing one of the cheek bones on her suddenly pal
e face with his fingers. "What's wrong?"
Painfully swallowing down a huge lump in her throat, Bella realized her breathin
g wasn't normal and she lay back on the bed, next to Edward and stared up at the
ceiling. Had she imagined the words he'd said, she wondered.
"Bella?" Edward had turned to his side, supporting himself on his right arm to h
over over her. Her eyes were closed and her pale face had a little bit more colo
r in it, but she was still paler than normal. "Honey, please tell me what's wron
g," he pleaded and her eyes opened, confusion looking up at him.
"I'm not worth it?" she gasped in a small, quiet voice.
"What?" he asked incredulously. "Why would you say that?"
Her stomach rumbled and she put her hand over it, trying to silence the noises t
urning inside her. "You did," she stammered, trying to remember his exact words.
"You said that you can't do this . . . that it's not worth it."
Relief flooded over him and he leaned down, wrapping his arms around her. "I was
n't talking about you," he breathed into her neck, placing kisses where his hot
breath had sent tingles over her skin. "I meant the rough sex, Bella. I can't hu
rt you anymore. The bruises and scratches on you aren't worth "
"Bruises?" she asked, cutting him off and pushing him up so that she could look
into his eyes. She then looked down between their naked bodies and noted that he
r skin looked fine. There was a bruise on her hip from running into the table th
e other day and a few bruises on her shins from various obstacles she was unable
to successfully maneuver around, but other than that, she thought her skin look
ed normal.
"Your back," he choked as his eyes closed and jaw hardened.
Flexing her back, Bella winced from the minor pain and she remembered the alley
from the night before with a smile. "Edward," she moaned, "last night in the all
ey was so worth it!"
"Bella," he groaned, leaning down, his forehead pressing against hers.
"No regrets," she whispered, reaching her hand up to cup his face, pulling his l
ips to hers.
Deepening the kiss, Edward shifted Bella over to her side, sliding his arms arou
nd her, pulling her into him and the constant reminder of his desire for her. "N
othing rough today," he said against her lips, trailing kisses down to her neck.
He'd make love to her this morning and show her how a man should treat a woman,
especially the woman he loved.
~GO CUBS~
After another victory for the Cubs beating the Pirates 3-1 Edward and Jazz rode
together over to the bar to meet up with their girls and a couple close friends
to celebrate what Jazz and Alice were hoping was the end of Jane's terror. Since
agreeing to the deal, Jane had already signed papers stating she would never di
vulge the paternity of her baby's father and that she would put the baby up for
adoption. For now, what they all considered to be the first round of stress was
past them. The second round would continue on until the baby was born. As long a
s Jazz was paying Jane money, she would be a burden to him and Alice. But once s
he was out of the picture, then they'd celebrate again and none of them could wa
it.
Just before Edward opened his door to get out of his car, Jazz grabbed his arm.
"Wait," he pleaded, uncertainty shifting in his eyes. "I need to talk to you," h
e said.
"Sure, what's up?" Edward asked, wanting to be there for his friend, yet still u
nsure as to what Jazz needed.
"Not now," Jazz mumbled. "Alice is waiting for me. But later? Can you make sure
you talk to me before you leave tonight?"
"Sure," Edward agreed with a small smile a little worried about the context of w
hat Jazz needed to talk to him about.
Upon entering the bar, it wasn't hard for them to find their friends. Right in t
he middle, at a large table, sat Bella, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Seth, Angela, an
d Ben. Taking note that Jake wasn't around, Edward sighed in relief and then wal
ked over to Bella. She looked breathtaking tonight, as she did every night, but
there was an extra glow about her and he smirked as he thought about this mornin
g, thinking of the pleasure he had given her before he had to leave for Wrigley
he had put that glow on her face.
The welcome Edward received made him worried though. It wasn't as if he expected
her to throw herself into his arms and kiss him passionately, ravishing him in
front of everyone, but he did expect more than just a small smile and a hug as s
he stood to kiss his cheek. "You okay?" he asked, sitting down in her seat and p
ulling her on top of his lap.
"Yeah, just tired. Some guy woke me up way too early this morning," she teased,
poking him in the side.
"Why don't you stay at your place tonight," he suggested, tucking a clump of hai
r behind her ear as he noticed the exhaustion in her eyes. "I have to be up earl
y again in the morning." The only problem with afternoon games was that he had t
o be at the ball park early. It really wasn't too early, but earlier than Bella
wanted to have to wake up on a weekend.
"Actually," she said, leaning her head into the crook of his neck, "I think I ma
y take off and go to bed early."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, but I think I might be coming down with the flu or something, which is wh
y I probably should do what you say and sleep at my own place tonight." Frowning
, she placed a kiss on his neck and breathed in his scent, moaning against him a
s she exhaled.
"Why don't I bring you home?"
"No, I'm okay right now. I don't want to ruin the evening for Alice and Jazz," s
he said, pulling away to look at him.
"Yeah, I did promise Jazz I'd talk to him tonight about something."
"Is everything okay?"
"I don't know. He just asked to make sure I spoke to him before we leave." Crani
ng his neck, Edward searched the area for Jazz and found him on the dance floor
with Alice. "Do you feel well enough for one dance?"
"Nothing fast," she moaned. "My head is starting to hurt from all the noise."
There was no way the bar they were in was going to be playing any slow songs, li
ke they were able to dance to last night, so instead, Edward held onto his girl,
letting her rest against him. She felt a bit hotter than normal and he wished h
e could just take her home, but he had promised Jazz.
As soon as Alice and Jazz started to make their way off the dance floor, Edward
motioned over to Emmett and asked him to sit with Bella. She protested a little,
but once Emmett and Rosalie had flanked her, Edward knew she'd give in and let
them take care of her. He really wanted to get her home.
"Jazz!"
"Hey!" Turning on his bar stool, Jazz turned a lazy smile to his best friend.
"Can you talk now?"
"Um," he hesitated, looking over Edward's shoulder and seeing Alice walking towa
rd them from the bathroom. "Alice is right behind you, man. Can you wait until l
ater?"
"Bella isn't feeling well. I need to take her home."
"Can you come back? Or meet me somewhere in about an hour?"
"Sure, where do you want to meet?"
"I don't know," he said, running a hand through his hair. "How about you just co
me over to my place? Make it two hours though, that way I can make sure Alice is
sleeping before you show up."
"Sounds good. I'll see you in a couple hours."
The ride to Bella's townhouse was quiet. Laying her head back against the headre
st of her seat, Bella had her eyes closed the whole time, the soft rhythm of her
breathing filling the insides of Edward's Volvo she was asleep.
After carrying Bella up to her room, Edward placed her in her bed and undressed
her, putting her Cubs sweats on along with her t-shirt that he had bought her. O
nce she looked comfortable enough, he covered her up and lay down beside her on
his side for a bit, holding her in his arms.
Before he left, he bent down and kissed her forehead and felt her hot flesh bene
ath his lips she was burning up. "Bella," he whispered, shaking her shoulders a
little. Though she moaned and moved her hand a little, she didn't wake up. "Bell
a," he said louder, close to her ear, and though her eyes didn't open, she respo
nded.
"What?"
"Where's your Tylenol?"
"Bathroom," she mumbled.
It took some trying, but eventually, Edward was able to sit Bella up in her bed,
take her temperature 102.3 degrees, and get her to swallow a couple of Tylenol
tablets. After laying her back down, she reached out and grabbed his arm, pullin
g him down to sit on the edge of her bed. Her eyes glistened from the moisture t
hat formed in them tears from the strain of keeping them open.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to talk to Jazz, sweetheart. I'll be back soon." Leaning down, he ten
derly placed a kiss on her forehead, grazing his fingers over her cheek gently.
"You should go back to your place, Edward. I don't want you to get sick."
"Bella, I can't leave you alone," he said. "I'll only be gone a little while."
"No," she sighed, closing her eyes. "Please don't come back. You need to be heal
thy for the road trip."
"Bella "
"Please?" Her eyes opened and she lifted a hand to cup his cheek. "I don't want
to worry about you while you're on the road."
"Will I see you before I leave?" If he didn't come back here tonight, he wasn't
sure if he'd see her before he left tomorrow after the game he wanted to be able
to say a proper goodbye.
"I'll make sure you do," she hummed, her words slurring together as she closed h
er eyes again and started to doze off.
"I love you, Bella," Edward whispered, bending down to kiss her one last time be
fore he left.
"You too," he heard her murmur as he stood up from her bed, and his heart leapt
in his chest. The love he had for her was immeasurable and it just kept growing
every day there was no way to contain it and he didn't want to even try.
~GO CUBS~
"Do you think it's crazy?" Jazz asked, looking across his dining table at Edward
. The idea of him and Alice adopting Jane's baby sounded crazy to him, yet at th
e same time, it was something that tugged at his heart. Edward had been the one
to get Alice thinking about it, and now that the two of them were actually conte
mplating the adoption, he was scared.
"No," Edward stated. "As long as you make sure that Jane has no legal rights to
the baby, then it's not crazy. Keeping that woman in the baby's life your and Al
ice's life that would be crazy. What did my dad say?"
"He said that though Jane had already agreed to the first deal to put the baby u
p for adoption we can still approach her with a new offer. The only thing is tha
t if there's nothing for her to gain from it, she most likely won't accept it."
"What did he suggest you offer her?"
"More money. It seems to be the only thing she wants." Jasper shrugged his shoul
ders and both men took another long sip from their beers. "Your dad said he'd lo
ok into it and get some numbers together. He thinks that if we offer her another
thousand a month during her pregnancy that she'd take it."
"What about the media? What's keeping her from going to them? How haven't they e
ven gotten word about this yet?"
"If she talks to the media about this, she loses the money after the baby is bor
n and amazingly, so far, this hasn't gotten out. But your dad's going to leak so
mething if we decide to raise the baby."
"Really?"
"One of the stipulations would be that Jane would have to go along with the lie
that we are adopting the baby from her. He thought of using the whole surrogate
thing, but we didn't want all the attention on Alice and why she couldn't carry
her own baby when we do plan to have kids of our own."
"How are you going to explain away the adoption when you're not even married?" E
dward thought the story had a lot of holes, but he also was on the brink of into
xication so maybe he just needed to stop drinking before he thought about it mor
e.
"We're getting married."
"What? Congratulations! When did you ask her?"
"Well, I haven't officially proposed yet," he said sheepishly. "We've been talki
ng about the what-if's of raising the baby and I could tell that Alice was feeli
ng a bit odd because we aren't even married, yet here we were discussing raising
a child together. So, I told her that I wanted to marry her and that regardless
of our decision on raising the baby, she would become my wife."
Edward gasped, sending the beer in his mouth spewing out at the table and down o
n his shirt. "You didn't! I'm surprised you're still in one piece!" Laughing, Ed
ward ran into the kitchen and grabbed some paper towel to wipe up his mess. "Tha
t couldn't have gone over well," Edward sighed with a small chuckle as he sat ba
ck down at the table, two more beers in his hands; one for him and one for Jazz.
"No. She told me that I couldn't ask right then and there and that I had to surp
rise her. In the mean time, she's planning the wedding for the Saturday after Th
anksgiving. Put it on your calendar it's going to be in Texas."
Laughing, Edward raised his newly opened bottle of beer and tipped it in Jazz's
direction. "She's quite a woman," he said, shaking his head. "I take it you plan
ned on asking her last night?"
"Yeah," Jazz moaned, running his hand through his hair, remembering the romantic
evening he shared with Alice last night. "She knew I was going to, so as soon a
s I picked her up, she told me that I couldn't ask because it was too close to o
ur conversation about getting married and that I had to wait some, so that she w
asn't expecting it." Jazz laughed then, his shoulders shaking as he remembered h
is beautiful Alice putting her foot down, insisting he not 'pull out a ring' whi
le out on their date last night.
"Any advice?" Jazz finally asked after both of them started to settle down.
"Ah, man, you saw how well Emmett executed the advice I gave him," Edward chuckl
ed, remembering that whole fiasco.
"But that was all Bella's fault, wasn't it? Rose said she liked the tool box ide
a."
"That was Emmett's doing. All I told him was to think about what Rose was passio
nate about and he did the rest." Edward took a sip of his beer and then started
giggling, almost sounding like a little girl. "The fireworks were. . ." he giggl
ed, the alcohol making his memory of the night funnier than it actually was, "I
mean, he lit his bloody leg on fire!"
Jazz snorted, rocketing beer from his mouth this time, hitting Edward with it on
the other side of the table and the two friends were sent into an uproar, laugh
ing uncontrollably as the beer took hold of them. It really wasn't that funny, b
ut everything was skewed in their perception of that night and from the fact tha
t Jazz's table was again covered in beer and spit.
"Jazz?" Alice called from upstairs and the two men fought to get their laughter
under control. Snorting, Edward tried to hold it in, but the idea that Alice had
woken up and that Jazz was in trouble, made him laugh more.
"Sh!" Jazz hissed at him, laughing in between his determination to get himself t
ogether and lecturing Edward. Finally after a few seconds, he was able to stop l
ong enough to answer Alice, who had called out his name again. "What?" he croake
d and Edward snorted again, spewing more beer, making him laugh even more.
Footsteps sounded down the stairs and they both stared wide-eyed at a sleepy, be
d-headed Alice.
"Jazz?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes to adjust to the dim light above the tabl
e. "What time is it? Edward?" The shock on her face was enough to send Edward ov
er the edge again.
"It's late," Jazz said, swallowing the laughs that wanted to escape. She looked
absolutely adorable in his t-shirt only his t-shirt. Shit! His laughter was gone
and he sneered at Edward, who was still laughing even louder now that Alice had
come down the stairs.
"Come on, Alice," he whispered into the top of her head as he jumped up and drap
ed his arm around her, shielding her body from Edward's view. "Go back to bed. W
e'll be quieter down here."
"Why's Edward here?" she yawned, starting to wake up even more. "Is Bella here t
oo? Is she feeling better? Why are you guys laughing?"
"Sh," Jazz soothed, leading her back to the stairs. Turning his head back and lo
oking at Edward over his shoulder, he shot him an evil eye, causing Edward to la
ugh again. Shaking his head, Jazz focused his attention back on Alice and brough
t her upstairs to put her to bed.
~GO CUBS~
Two hours later, Edward stepped off the elevator on his floor and shuffled down
to his condo. Halting abruptly, he stared down at the small body sitting against
his door and frowned. "Tanya?" he groaned, not sure if he was seeing things cle
arly, though he was sure he didn't have that much to drink. "Tanya," he clipped
this time, angry that she was there.
"Wha- Edward!" she exclaimed, waking up from her uncomfortable, cold sleep. "Whe
re's Bella?" Looking behind Edward, she tried to see if Bella was in the darknes
s of the hallway, but she didn't see anything.
"What are you doing here?" Holding out his hand, he helped her to stand.
"I came to apologize," she said timidly with a shrug of her shoulders. "I though
t I'd wait for a little while, but I guess I feel asleep." Her right hand disapp
eared behind her hair as she began to rub the back of her neck.
"How'd you get up here?" He was surprised she was able to get to the residence f
loors.
"Some guy took pity on me," she said with a half-hearted smile. "What time is it
?"
"It's late, or early, depending on how you look at it," he moaned. "How did you
get here?"
"Taxi?" she asked, knowing he'd be mad because he wouldn't want to send her all
the way back out to Winnetka in a taxi at this hour.
"Come in," he groaned, pushing his door open. "You can sleep on the couch, but y
ou have to leave first thing in the morning."
"Bella's going to be mad, isn't she?"
"I'll deal with Bella," he sighed, knowing full well that she wouldn't be happy
about this at all. "What do you want to apologize about anyway?" Edward walked t
o his linen closet and pulled out a pillow and a couple of blankets for Tanya an
d gave them to her.
"Can you sit down?" When Edward didn't move, she spoke again. "Yeah, right . . .
about that, I was wrong to come over here that day the way I did, unannounced,
insisting to talk to you, crying on and on about Brian. I'm sorry. I guess I got
mad that Bella and her friends had lied to me about Jake."
"So you figured that out?" Edward smirked.
"You knew?"
"Not at first, but Bella told me. It's the only reason she allowed you to come u
p here that night. She was worried that Jake had done something to you."
"She was worried about me?"
"Why are you here, Tanya?" he sighed heavily he was tired. "Why am I risking thi
ngs with Bella for you to stay here?"
"I wanted to explain things. I'll admit that at first, I wanted to come down to
Chicago and take you away from your girlfriend and start over where we left off,
but after seeing you with her . . . Edward, I know you love her, and I'm sorry
I caused problems. I just want to apologize and clear the air, let you know that
I'm not after you and that I respect your relationship with her."
"Thank you," he said, leaning back against the counter that separated the kitche
n from the living room. "What Bella did wasn't right either and I know that thou
gh I can tell you how bad she feels and she does feel bad, believe me she has to
be the one to apologize for it."
"No, I don't need an apology. What Jake and I did "
"Jake?" he roared.
"Yeah, you need to watch out for him. Well, hopefully he got my message and won'
t bother either of you again, but he's got some weird obsession with Bella."
"I thought you were getting along great with him?"
"Maybe if he took the time to please me a little instead of rolling over after h
e got his fill . . . sorry, I didn't mean to . . . he was just something to bide
my time. It was fun at first, but when he showed his true colors his obsession
with Bella and started devising all sorts of plans to break you two up, it got s
cary. He's not all there, Edward."
"What is he planning to do?"
"I hate to think he'd go through with some of those things, but just know that I
took care of him and if he ever comes near you or Bella, he'll have me to answe
r to."
"And what did you do to him?"
"Nothing much. Do you remember my friends Bruce and Tony?"
"You didn't," he chuckled, hoping she did.
"I did," she said meekly. "I talked to them today and they said that he actually
enjoyed it."
"What? You didn't have them force themselves on him, did you?" That was too far.
Play around with his head, fine, but to force him to have sex with men or women
that was not okay. Thinking back to everything that had happened to Jazz, Edwar
d began to get upset with Tanya and her friends.
"No, he wasn't forced to do anything. He begged them to pleasure him and then af
ter they each had their way with him, Tony had him in his mouth again and Bruce
whipped his thing out. Scared poor Jake to death, but he didn't want Tony to sto
p."
"He probably didn't realize Tony was a 'he' yet." Edward shook his head, upset t
hat something like this had happened.
"Oh, he figured it out pretty quick when Tony turned while blowing him and put h
is dick in Jake's face."
"Ugh, let's skip all the details," Edward said, cringing from the visual that Ta
nya was painting. "How is all that supposed to keep him away from Bella?"
"Well, he wasn't supposed to like it," she agreed, "but apparently, Jake wants t
o get together with them again. He's thinking about batting for the other team,"
she smirked.
"Oh man, you didn't! He's not gay, Tanya."
"How do you know?"
"He's never once lusted for another man."
"You don't know that."
"He has spent how long, lusting after Bella?"
"Obsession doesn't mean anything. For all we know, he could've obsessed over Bel
la to prove to himself he wasn't gay. Maybe lusting after a taken girl was a saf
e way for him to deny his true feelings and not have to get together with a fema
le. Think about it! I asked him before how come he didn't make his move before s
he met you and you know what he said? He said that he was waiting. What the heck
was he waiting for?"
When Edward didn't answer, she did. "He was waiting for her to have a boyfriend
so that he could go on with his 'unrequited' love pity party while he silently l
usted after men. Heck, maybe it's you he wants and not Bella!"
"Now you've totally flown the coop!"
"I think I'm onto something," she joked, giggling a little as what she was sayin
g started making sense in her head. "Listen, all I know is that the plan was for
him to get mad and kick Bruce and Tony out last night, but that didn't happen.
As a matter of fact, the three of them went at it all night long."
"I just hope you haven't ruined his life with this. If he really isn't gay, then
this. . ."
"He consented. He liked it! They would never have forced him into anything they
promised that they would reveal themselves after giving him a few blow jobs, and
they did."
Sighing loudly, Edward rubbed his forehead he needed to get to sleep. "Listen, I
need to go to bed. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I'm going to be up
pretty early and I expect you to be ready to leave when I do."
"Not even a cup of coffee?"
"Tanya," he groaned. "Okay," he gave in, "one cup of coffee and then it's out th
e door."
"Thank you. I want to talk to Bella too," she said. "I want to apologize and exp
lain things to her. I really did like her before I found out about the lie."
"She was trying to get Jake off her and you off me, Tanya. If you hadn't been tr
ying to hang all over me, she never would've had to make up the lie."
"True. Well, goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."
~GO CUBS~
Turning over again, Bella groaned, mad that she was wide awake so early in the m
orning and Edward wasn't there to cuddle up against. Extending her legs and arms
and arching her back, Bella moaned, enjoying the feel of her stretching muscles
. She wasn't sure if she still had a fever, but she felt a bit out of it, though
not as bad as she had been last night before her fever broke.
Once out of bed, she reached over and grabbed her cell phone, noticing that Edwa
rd had texted her last night before he went to bed. It wasn't the short and swee
t message that had her eyes bugging out of her head though it was the time he se
nt it. What the heck had he done all night? Who stays up until after four in the
morning when they have to be at work by nine?
Nothing sounded good to eat, so she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge an
d sat on the couch, flipping through the TV channels, but her head still hurt. A
fter taking a couple of Tylenol, Bella decided she wasn't going to make it to th
e game today. Because of this and the fact that Edward was leaving for San Diego
this evening, after the game, she decided to stop by his place and bring him br
eakfast. Not only did she want to say goodbye to him she had promised him after
all but she also needed to get her laptop from his place.
With a bag of Squagles from Cosi's and a coffee for Edward and a mint flavored s
teamed milk for herself, Bella walked into Lake Point Tower and greeted Joe at t
he front desk with a smile and a wave. Over the past few months, she had gotten
to know the doormen and office personnel in Edward's building. In a way, she was
starting to feel as if this was her home too.
The elevator ride was a bit rough because she still wasn't feeling well and was
afraid that her fever was starting to come back. The Tylenol she took seemed to
be working, though her head felt a bit cloudy, almost like she was surrounded by
a haze. Reminding herself not to kiss Edward on the lips, Bella stepped off the
elevator and approached his condo.
Maneuvering her way through the door while holding the bag and large cardboard c
ups of coffee, Bella fumbled into Edward's condo and gasped at what she saw stan
ding in the kitchen. "Tanya?" she rasped, her voice shaky and weak.
The clothes Tanya wore were all wrinkled and her hair was knotted a bit, though
it looked as though she had tried to smooth it out. As Bella stared at her, taki
ng in the other woman's appearance, Edward's bedroom door opened and he walked d
own the hall fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with a blue towel in his hands
as he rubbed it over his head.
"The taxi should be here soon," he said, pulling the towel down from his wet hai
r and his feet stopped abruptly, his eyes widening, and face paling as he took n
ote of Bella standing, staring at him and then turning her head to look at Tanya
.
Run! Bella's first instinct was to turn on her heels and run, and that's exactly
what she planned to do, but as she started to turn, her stomach lurched and her
hands dropped what they were holding; her bag and the two cups clashed down to
the floor as her feet propelled forward, past Edward, and into his bathroom.
Everything happened in slow motion for Bella though. She saw the couch as she st
arted her run for the toilet, a couple blankets and a pillow resting on it, and
she heard Edward's voice, though she couldn't make out his words. As she ran thr
ough his bedroom, she noticed his large, king-sized bed where his side was ruffl
ed, her pillow turned at an angle, as if someone had used it like a teddy bear.
And as soon as she made it into the master bathroom, Bella slammed the door shut
, locking it in place before she lurched at the bowl, heaving into it.
Fuck, fuck, fuck! Her stomach protested again and she was thankful that she had
thrown her hair up into a pony tail before leaving her townhome. There were voic
es on the other side of the door and Bella knew they were from Edward and Tanya,
but she couldn't focus on them. Between her heavy breathing and her pounding he
art, she couldn't focus on much.
Images of Tanya in her wrinkled clothes and knotted hair, standing in the kitche
n with a coffee cup raised to her mouth haunted her and she leaned her head back
against the cool tile wall next to the toilet, allowing the coolness to relieve
her flushed skin. A heavy pounding on the door interrupted her thoughts and the
n she started crying. Large, horrible sobs erupted from her and she couldn't sto
p them once they had started.
Between the emotional rollercoaster her and her friends had been on lately and E
dward's upcoming road trip that had her on edge, along with the fact that she wa
sn't feeling well and most likely had another fever, Bella just couldn't even th
ink about what she had just walked in on.
"Bella, please?" Edward called through the door and she cried even harder, not w
anting to confront him, but knowing she'd have to eventually she couldn't stay i
n his bathroom forever. "Bella? Sweetheart, please talk to me," he pleaded. "It'
s just a misunderstanding. Bella?"
There were whispers on the other side of the door now, and Bella knew he was tal
king to Tanya. The jealousy that riled up inside her sent her over to the toilet
again, heaving into the pot, but only yellow bile escaped her this time. She ha
dn't eaten much the night before because she hadn't felt well, and this morning
she'd only had a bottle of water.
"Bella, honey? Are you okay?"
Why in the world had she reacted this way though? She couldn't understand why th
e thought of Edward cheating on her would cause her to be physically ill. When s
he had caught Peter literally caught him with her best friend in college, Bella
had been very upset cried for days. But she never, ever felt physically ill from
what he'd done.
When she had found out about Danny and his boyfriend, she had been upset and hur
t. Heck, she cried even more than she had for Peter's betrayal, but still, that
horrible episode hadn't pushed her into a physical frenzy either. Why was Edward
's betrayal so much worse? Why was she physically ill from the thought of him ch
eating on her? And that's all it was really, the thought of him cheating, becaus
e honestly, she really didn't know what was going on.
"Bella? Please let me know if you're okay?" He was still standing on the other s
ide of the bathroom door and Bella moaned, leaning her head back against the coo
l tiles once more.
The past twenty minutes ran through her mind; her walking into Edward's condo an
d finding Tanya, dressed in wrinkled clothes in the kitchen, the blankets and pi
llow on Edward's couch, the neatly made bed in Edward's room with the exception
of his side, Edward's wet hair he had just gotten out of the shower alone. Alone
.
A flurry of hope finally started to eclipse the pain that had settled into Bella
's heart as she realized that Tanya hadn't taken a shower with Edward she hadn't
taken one at all. Her hair was messy, straightened out, but still messy, as if
she had just woken up. And her clothes were all wrinkled she'd slept in her clot
hes. Or they got wrinkled lying on the floor in Edward's bedroom.
No, she thought, contradicting the evil side of her that wanted to believe the w
orst. Edward's bed was very neat. There was no way he'd had any type of sex in t
here last night. Only his side of the bed was messed up and her pillow had been
pulled over to his side he had cuddled her pillow. A small smile lifted on her l
ips.
"Bella?" Edward strangled out and she swallowed hard, not really wanting to conf
ront him yet she was still processing everything in her head.
When Edward had walked down the hall, he had told Tanya that her taxi would be h
ere soon he was sending her away in a taxi. That was definitely not the Edward t
hat Bella knew. Well, not with her anyway, but maybe he was like that with rando
m girls he screwed around with, she thought as her stomach growled loudly from b
eing empty.
But the couch, she reminded herself. The couch had blankets on it and a pillow T
anya had slept there last night, she decided, confidence soaring through her onc
e again. No, Edward hadn't been with Tanya last night there was no way.
When he saw that Bella was in his condo, he looked shocked, but not guilty. No,
he didn't look guilty at all because he didn't have anything to be guilty about.
Rising to her feet, Bella quickly pulled her toothbrush from its holder and bru
shed her teeth.
Her skin was still flushed and she felt incredibly weak, but she was happy; happ
y that she hadn't run away, happy that although she had assumed the worst at fir
st, she was able to realize what a mistake she had made. The only thing that pla
gued her though was her physical reaction to just the thought that he could do s
uch a thing. It wasn't normal. Edward's actions shouldn't have such control over
her body.
"Bella? Please come out," he begged one last time, and Bella could actually pict
ure him on the other side of the door, his fingers pressed along the bridge of h
is nose while his other hand nervously combed through his unruly, wet hair.
Taking in a deep breath, Bella slowly unlocked the door and then opened it. As s
he lifted her head to look at Edward, a lump formed in her throat and her heart
started to crash against her chest. Everything in her screamed to run into his a
rms, but she fought her emotions, unable to trust them. Why did her body react s
o physically toward him?
"Bella!" Edward exclaimed, relieved that he could see her and knew that she was
all right. "It's not what you think, sweetheart. Nothing happened. She was outsi
de my door when I got home and it was too late to send her away in a taxi "
"Don't," Bella said, raising a hand to stop his rambling. "I know nothing happen
ed." Taking unsteady, weak steps, Bella walked over to Edward's bed and sat down
.
Following behind her, worried from how weak she looked, Edward sat next to her,
reluctant to touch her for fear that he'd be rejected. "You do?"
"I didn't at first," she sighed, "but she had obviously slept on the couch, in h
er clothes."
"I kept my door locked all night just in case," he added and she gave him a feeb
le smile. "Are you okay?" he asked, finally raising a hand to brush against her
clammy cheek.
"No," she whispered. "Edward, I don't know what happened, but when I thought tha
t you had betrayed me, I " Placing a finger over his opened mouth, Bella silenced
him from interrupting her. "Please listen to me." She smiled when he nodded yes
and then continued. "I couldn't breathe, Edward. It was as if my lungs had clos
ed up and then my stomach twisted. It was the worst feeling."
Clutching her arms around her mid-section, Bella held her stomach close to her i
t was still upset. "I think we need some time apart," she whispered, a tear tric
kling down her cheek.
"What?" he gasped.
"I don't understand what's wrong with me," she stated, looking down at her feet
where they dangled off his bed.
His hand reached out and lifted her face so that her eyes were on his. "What are
you saying?"
"I think we need some time away from each other," she squeaked out, unsure if sh
e could say it while looking him in the eyes. It wasn't what she wanted, but she
was afraid that she had become obsessed with him, afraid that her physical reac
tion was a result of an addiction. "When we first met," she supplied, hoping she
could get him to understand, "I told you that I have an addictive personality.
Remember?"
"Yes."
"Well, I've never been like this with anyone, Edward. I've never felt so strongl
y for someone and I'm afraid. I'm afraid that I'm addicted to you, obsessed to t
he point where I physically need you. When you're gone, on the road, it's physic
ally hard for me to breathe. It's been like that for a while and I thought that
it was normal, but after this," she said, motioning toward the bathroom. "After
puking from the very thought of you being with someone else, I don't think it is
."
"Please don't do this, Bella," he said brokenly, raising his hand to wipe the te
ars that continued to flow from her eyes. "Please don't break things off."
"I'm not breaking up with you," she smiled, placing her hand over his that cuppe
d her cheek. "I just need some time to think things through."
"How much time?" he asked eagerly, a glimmer of hope back in his eyes.
"How about the road trip? You'll be gone for seven days and when you return, we'
ll talk."
"Talk?"
"I don't know what is wrong with me," she groaned, feeling as if he didn't under
standing anything she had said.
"Nothing's wrong with you," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her forehead. As he
pulled away, he frowned. "You've got a fever."
"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have come."
"Why did you come? You're sick."
Shrugging, Bella leaned in and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I don't
feel well enough to go to the game, but I wanted to say goodbye to you before yo
u left."
"So, what does this time away from each other entail?"
"Well, physically, it'll be easy since you won't be in Chicago," she said, hopef
ul that he would agree to her idea. "But I think it'd be best if we didn't talk
on the phone."
"How will I know how you're doing?"
"The idea is to take a break from each other."
"Are you going to see other men?"
"No. But if you . . . I mean "
"I don't want anybody else, Bella," he said, pulling her away from him so that h
e could look into her eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, we're still together."
"We are!" she said adamantly. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to be
tied to me in case . . ."
"I don't feel tied to you," he sighed heavily. "I want to be with you only you."
"So when will you be back exactly?"
"Early on the 24th. Can I take you out to dinner that night?"
"That sounds great. We can talk then?" she asked, unsure if he understood that s
he really needed to think about their relationship.
"Yes, we'll talk then."
~GO CUBS~
For the next three days, Bella fought hard against the flu that had weakened her
body. Alice was a great friend, taking time off work on Monday, but unable to d
o so the other days. Though she told herself she shouldn't, Bella watched what s
he could of Edward's games anything to get a glimpse of him. The no phone call r
ule was a hard one to make and even harder to keep. So many nights, she teetered
over the edge, wanting so much to give in and hear his voice.
After returning to work on Thursday, Bella came home and passed out, exhausted a
nd weak from her sickness still. Rosalie had come over to visit, but stayed down
stairs with Alice while Bella slept through the game. One thing was definite in
Bella's mind she couldn't breathe without Edward near her. Everywhere she went,
the air felt too thick and she realized that just his presence alone made the s
imple little task of keeping herself alive easier.
Friday was a day that totally did Bella in. She had been emailing Alicia back an
d forth, but nothing overly personal. It turned out that they had quite a bit in
common and she was beginning to enjoy their budding friendship. But on Friday,
Alicia emailed her, exclaiming that she found out who Bella was dating Bella had
forgotten about the media and pictures of her and Edward in magazines and on th
e internet.
Alicia seemed genuinely happy for Bella and her fears that her sister would judg
e her, thinking her to be like her mom dissipated. If only she could come to som
e sort of conclusion about Edward though, she thought as she closed her email an
d headed home.
Everything had turned so monotonous since she had last seen Edward. But on Frida
y, as she retrieved her mail, she had in her hands the results from her STD test
ing. Nervously, she tore into the envelope and pulled out a few sheets of paper.
The first one was a generic form letter where someone had written on empty line
s in blue pen. Negative. Everything was negative, even the HIV testing.
With relief, Bella stepped into her home to find Rosalie with Alice in the kitch
en. The two girls cooked up a great meal for the three of them and they ate, tal
king about Rosalie's upcoming wedding. That was when Alice spilled the news; she
and Jazz had decided to raise Jane's baby. Well, Alice was now referring to the
child as Jazz's baby a huge step for her and though Bella was excited for them,
she wasn't sure how to react it was such an odd situation.
For a while, Alice spoke about her fears and worried but how she was doing what
Bella said and had started reading a few message boards and trying to get connec
ted to others who were raising children conceived from rape situations. As Alice
spoke, Bella became amazed with her best friend after the way Alice had reacted
to the whole Jane situation at first, she really didn't think she had it in her
to do such a selfless thing.
"You're going to make a great mom," Bella beamed at her, and then it dawned on h
er the similarities between what Alice would be doing and what Charlie had done.
Bella knew that Charlie didn't know whether or not she was truly his or Phil's,
but she knew that he must have wondered all the time. Regardless of his struggl
e over the truth however hard it must have been he loved Bella and he was the gr
eatest dad ever.
"That means a lot to me, Bella," Alice whispered. "I'm so scared that I won't be
good enough."
"You're going to be wonderful!" Rosalie added. "Besides, when you're being the n
agging, mean mom, Auntie Rose can swoop in and take her shopping!"
"Her?" Bella asked. "It could be a baby boy and then he'd probably rather hang o
ut with Uncle Emmy or Eddie."
The girls giggled a little talking about how cute it will be to see the guys wit
h a baby and then they let Alice talk about all of her and Jazz's plans. Ed woul
d need to make the new offer known to Jane's attorney and there was one thing ab
out the new deal that they were afraid would be a deal breaker for Jane: how to
deal with her drug use.
With the adoption, they figured the adoption agency would handle the issue of dr
ug testing and all, but if they were going to take care of the baby, they needed
to take charge of that issue. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be an easy thing to fi
gure out. According to Ed, depending on the drugs Jane had been taking, withdraw
al symptoms during the pregnancy could be worse for the baby. So instead of maki
ng her agree to drug testing each week, they were going to make sure her obstetr
ician was aware of her drug and alcohol use and let him decide how to proceed in
order to keep the baby safe and healthy. The key was to make sure the baby wasn
't harmed any more than he or she already had been.
They had it all planned out, Bella thought with a smile, all the way down to a w
edding over the Thanksgiving holiday and with that news, Bella and Rosalie threw
themselves at Alice, hugging her tightly. The remainder of the evening centered
on wedding talk and though her friends were excited, they noticed Bella's sudde
n sadness. She hadn't told them about what she and Edward were going through, sh
e didn't want their pity.
"I talked to Edward," Alice said, noticing Bella's sullen mood. "He asked how yo
u were doing." Both Alice and Rosalie looked pointedly to Bella, expecting her t
o dish.
"I'm sorry, guys, I just . . . it's private," she said, not wanting to talk abou
t it with them.
"Well," Rosalie started; always ready to give her two cents worth on every topic
, "I, for one, see how much he loves you, Bella, and how much you love him. Don'
t you remember talking to me a few weeks ago about how much you missed him? Wond
ering if what you were feeling was normal?"
"Yeah," she breathed, eager to hear what she had to say because at that precise
moment, she didn't think her feelings were normal.
"Well, they aren't," Rosalie said and Bella felt a tear trickle down her cheek.
She was hoping Rosalie would say it was. "Bella," she soothed, reaching a hand o
ut to grasp Bella's. "Not very many people actually find true love. It's a speci
al gift. So, no, it's not normal for the majority of people to feel that way for
anyone, because they never find that person to love.
"For you, though," she continued, squeezing Bella's hand. "For you, you've found
your one true love and that is why you don't feel complete when he's not around
. You can't live without him. You feel less of a person when you're not with him
, right?"
"Yes."
"And you have a hard time breathing when he's away?" Noticing Bella nod in affir
mation, Rosalie continued. "You get physically ill at just the thought of your f
uture with him being destroyed?"
"How did "
"Is that what's bothering you?" Alice interrupted. "Did you and Edward get in a
fight and you felt sick?"
"Kind of," Bella muttered, "but I actually did get sick. I've never felt that wa
y before. When Peter and Danny cheated on me, I never felt like that. My body ju
st reacted and I didn't have any control over it. It scared me."
"Oh, Bella!" Alice cooed, wrapping her arms around her dear friend. "You love hi
m. Don't you get it?"
"She's right," Rosalie agreed. "I feel the same way for Emmett."
"Did you ever get sick? I'm talking, puking, did you ever do that?"
"Not yet, but the other day I woke up from a nightmare where Emmett was cheating
on me. I had to run to the bathroom. The only thing that kept everything down w
as my realization that it was just a dream. Otherwise, I think I would have lost
it."
"Really?" Bella felt hopeful.
"Really."
"I've gotten sick," Alice whispered. "This whole thing with Jane made me puke so
many times." Tears fluttered from her eyes, dripping down her beautiful cheeks
and Bella lost it, her eyes watering up, tears dripping down her skin as well sh
e had been having a hard time holding in the tears lately.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Bella asked. "Why didn't you come to me for help?"
"I didn't think you'd care," Alice broke out. "I was so mean to you and Edward,
Bella. I didn't deserve your comfort or concern."
"Alice," Bella moaned, tightening her hold on her dear friend. "As frustrated as
I was with you, you were still my friend, I still loved you."
"I know, but I just . . . can we not talk about that right now? We should be cel
ebrating!"
"That's right!" Bella said brightly, releasing her hold on Alice and wiping the
tears from her own eyes. Holding out her glass of water, she tilted it in honor
to her friends. "To Alice and Jazz and Rosalie and Emmett," Bella said, a bright
, watery smile on her lips. "We have weddings to plan!"
"Wait!" Alice stopped Bella's arm from lowering her glass to the table. "To Bell
a and Edward," she said pointedly, lifting her eyes at Bella, daring her to defy
her.
"Yes," Bella said with a large, watery smile, "to me and Edward!"
~GO CUBS~
It had been eight days since Edward had seen or spoken with Bella. When they las
t spoke, she had mentioned it would be seven days, but she was wrong, it was eig
ht, and that one extra day was torture to him; the past week had been torture to
him.
After taking the red-eye from Los Angeles after a four-game series with the Dodg
ers, Edward was now back in Chicago and it was a little after 5:30 AM. The past
week, if nothing else, gave him a lot of time to think about his relationship wi
th Bella he did exactly what she wanted him to do, and exactly what she said she
'd be doing.
There was only one thing that ran through his mind as he thought about how he fe
lt about her and what he wanted. Only one thing had encompassed his mind and now
that he was back and she was so close, he wasn't going to waste any more time.
They had dinner reservations tonight, and he still planned on taking her out, bu
t he wanted to see her now he couldn't wait.
The drive to Bella's apartment went slower than he had hoped and he hopped out o
f the town car, throwing a wad of cash at the driver. He pulled a baseball from
his bag and searched out the spare key to open the door he'd surprise her. "Bell
a?" he called out as he entered her home, hoping she'd already be awake for the
day.
When he ascended the stairs though, he realized the bathroom light was off and t
he door open she wasn't in there. Entering her dark room, he walked quietly over
to her bed and sat down, reaching his arms out to finally touch her again. His
hands came up empty. Where is she?
With Alice being at the airport earlier, he knew he was alone now and wouldn't k
now where she was until later. Maybe she went into the office early, he told him
self as he locked the door to her townhouse and put the key back in its hiding p
lace. He was lucky it was a weekday and late enough for taxis to be everywhere h
e found a ride easily.
Defeated and tired, Edward entered his building and threw a sad smile over to Jo
e at the front desk, waving half-heartedly. During his ride in the elevator, Edw
ard palmed the baseball, looking down at the signature on it. Tonight, he told h
imself, he'd see her tonight.
Upon entering his condo, he was instantly engulfed with the scent of strawberrie
s again and his eyes darted to his room, his legs moving fast as he practically
ran and threw his door open. She wasn't there. Sitting down on his bed, Edward c
hanged out of his travelling suit and threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt be
fore heading back out to the kitchen. Though he was tired, he was also extremely
thirsty.
It was then, as he walked down the hall toward the living room and kitchen, that
Edward saw a small figure curled up on his couch. Bella. His heart fluttered to
life, his hands turned clammy, and his breathing became labored. His life was h
ere, in his condo, waiting for him. He'd never been happier.
Walking over to the counter, Edward grabbed the ball he'd placed there and smile
d down at it. Then, he went back to the couch and scooped Bella up in his arms,
carrying her to his bed. She looked so uncomfortable in her jeans and long-sleev
ed polo shirt, but he also felt uncomfortable undressing her since he wasn't sur
e what she'd decided about them.
Instead, he left her as she was and covered her up, climbing into bed beside her
and wrapping his arms around her. In one hand, he held on tight to the baseball
he brought home.
The sun was bright and shining into Edward's bedroom; right into Bella's eyes. T
urning over, she realized she was no longer on Edward's couch but in his bed, an
d her heart leapt, knowing the arms around her were his. Snuggling closer into h
im, Bella ran her hands over his back, rejoicing in the feel of him under her sk
in again. Breathing in his rich scent, she smiled, happy that he smelt like rasp
berries he always chewed gum on flights. He had once told her it helped with his
ears.
"I love you," she whispered, placing a kiss against his lips and closing her eye
s again, relishing the moment of being in his arms.
"I love you too," he rasped, tightening his hold on her and she crushed herself
to him.
"You're awake!"
"Mmhmm," he hummed, breathing in the scent of her hair. "I hope you don't mind .
. ." he motioned to the bed with his hand. "You looked so uncomfortable on the
couch."
"I don't mind," she whispered sheepishly, suddenly self conscious. What if he ha
d changed his mind about them? "I'm so happy to see you!"
"Mmm," he moaned, placing a kiss on top of her head. "Did you have enough time t
o think?"
"Oh God, Edward," she sighed. "I'm so sorry to put you through that, but I reall
y think it was worth it."
"You do?" The crooked smile that she absolutely adored shone on his face and she
reached a finger up and traced over his lips.
"Yeah. I was extremely wrong to think we needed space. I need you, Edward. I nev
er realized how much we complete each other until I didn't have you here. I mean
, every time you're gone I feel that way, but this time was different. This time
I didn't get to talk to you and it sucked."
"It sucked for me too," he whispered, bravely leaning in and innocently kissing
her lips. She giggled.
"And I was right, I'm addicted to you," she laughed, "but not in a bad way. With
out you, I've realized that I'm just a shadow of what I can be what I am when I'
m with you."
"Bella," he sighed. "You have no idea how much you're stealing my thunder right
now." His words sounded sad, but his eyes were playful.
"What?"
"I'm the one who's supposed to be on my knee, groveling, begging for another cha
nce, telling you how I am nothing without you, how I can't breathe unless you're
in my arms. I'm the one that should be telling you that my existence was meanin
gless until I found you or should I say until Alice set us up?"
Giggling, it was Bella's turn to lean up and kiss Edward's lips, lingering longe
r than he had, but he pulled away sooner than she would've liked. "I would like
nothing more than to make love to you right now," he sighed, bringing one of his
arms around, between their bodies. "But I need to give you this first."
"We aren't on a date," she protested.
"Dates aren't the only reason a guy gives a girl flowers," he interjected, placi
ng the ball in her open hand.
Looking down, Bella wanted to quickly see who the signature was from and then sh
e planned to toss the ball to the floor she wanted nothing more than to have him
inside her. What? The message and signature staring up at her from the pristine
white baseball had her doing a double-take as tears started to pool up in her e
yes and she wiped them away so she could reread the message over and over again
to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
Then she abruptly sat up. "Edward?" she asked shakily. "We . . . I . . . it's on
ly . . ." Looking down, she read through the words again and as she did, she fel
t Edward move off the bed.
Bella ~
Let's go all the way! Will you marry me?
Edward Masen #13
When she looked up, Edward was kneeling on the floor, resting his arms on the ed
ge of the bed and he reached out and grabbed her hands. "If there is anything th
is past week has shown me, Bella, it's that I don't want to be apart from you ev
er again. It was torture not knowing when I'd get to see you, hear your voice, o
r even hold you in my arms. Those are things that I promise to never take for gr
anted again. Every moment I get to spend with you is special and I don't want to
waste any more time. Isabella Marie Swan, will you do me the honor of becoming
my wife?"
Her head felt as if it actually were spinning as she tried to decide if she were
dreaming or not. It's not a dream! Bella's realization came as she watched Edwa
rd stare at her nervously, his face blurry under the constant fall of her tears.
They had only been together for four months, no, actually, only dating for thre
e. What was he thinking? But she knew exactly what he was thinking because she f
elt it too. She couldn't be without him ever again. The pain from their separati
on was more than she could ever think to manage another time.
"I . . ." Looking down at Edward's expectant eyes, she knew what her answer was,
but she needed to make a stipulation, if one could call it such. "Under one con
dition," she said, wiping her eyes so she could focus on him and his body stiffe
ned. "I don't want to rush the wedding. Can we plan it for the next off-season?"
"Is that a yes?" he croaked, tears of his own threatening to fall, and Bella fel
t horrible for leaving him hanging.
"Of course that's a yes," she laughed, pulling him up and brining him back down
on the bed next to her. "I love you so much, Edward," she murmured, her moist li
ps attacking his slowly, passionately, enjoying the feel of his tongue as it pus
hed into her open mouth.
"You're my life now," he said, pulling back to look at her, making sure she unde
rstood him. His lips found hers again and after a moment, trailed down to her ne
ck, nipping at her skin. "Oh," he said, suddenly pulling away. "I do have a ring
for you, but it's at my parents' house. It's a family heirloom, but if you'd ra
ther a new "
"No!" she stopped him. "I'm sure it's perfect," she giggled. Her tears had turne
d to laughter she was happy.
"We can get it reset if you'd like. It belonged to my great grandmother, who pas
sed it down to my mom, who saved it for me . . . to give to you."
"Edward," Bella moaned, pulling his mouth back to hers. "I can't wait to see the
ring, but right now," she said between kisses. "I need you to "
"Make love to you?" he interrupted, knowing very well she was going to use anoth
er word. A word he didn't mind hearing her say at times like this, but this time
was different. This time, he'd be making love to his fiancé, not fucking his girl
friend.
Epilogue September 8 9, 2009
"I just want something simple and elegant," Alice chimed handing the magazine sh
e held back over to Rosalie.
"More like this?" Bella asked, handing her a magazine with a picture of what she
thought was the perfect wedding cake; it's what she was thinking for her and Ed
ward's wedding, but it was so far off, she was sure she'd find something else.
"That's perfect!" Alice squealed, tearing the picture from the magazine and star
ing at it. "I'll have to change the colors, but I love it!"
"White on off-white?" Bella asked, because that's how she pictured the cake.
"Exactly. If I didn't know any better . . . wait," Alice said, scrutinizing Bell
a's mood. "You want that cake! I'm not taking your cake, Bella."
"Come on, Alice," Bella groaned. "My wedding is over a year away. Yours is in li
ke three months."
"Less than three months," Rose corrected her, taking the picture from Alice's ha
nds to look at it. It was very beautiful and elegant, a fountain underneath a th
ree-tiered cake with real flowers on top of each layer. It was a white cake with
pink swirls along the sides. On the top there was an all-white bride and groom
cake topper with a sprig of something green sticking out, framing the porcelain
couple.
"I'm sure I'll find something else before my wedding, Alice."
"Are you sure?" The cake was perfect exactly what she had envisioned, but she di
dn't want to take it away from Bella. Planning a wedding while her two closest f
riends planned theirs was quite stressful.
"Positive. Besides, I'm sure that by the time I decide on my wedding cake, bigge
r and better things will be out." Bella teased with a wink.
"Yes!" Emmett bellowed from the living room and Bella jumped up to see what the
excitement was, but she had to steady herself as the sudden movement made her a
bit light headed and dizzy, causing her to pause briefly before heading into the
living room.
Luckily, Bella was able to catch a replay of Edward's two-run homer and she chee
red, wistfully wishing she could be with him. The Cubs were playing game two of
a three-game series against the Pirates in Pittsburgh and wouldn't be home until
tomorrow evening. Alice and Bella were over at Emmett and Rosalie's place, whic
h they had dubbed 'wedding central' since Rosalie had every wedding magazine and
local brochures for weddings in the Chicago area in their apartment.
"He's a keeper," Emmett said proudly, speaking of Edward and Bella giggled, plop
ping herself down on the couch next to him.
"He sure is," she whispered, leaning into Emmett's side and closing her eyes.
"Swan!" Rosalie then screamed, jolting Bella up from her rest.
"I'm coming," she muttered as she made her way back into the formal dining room,
where boxes, books, and magazines were strewn everywhere. Wedding Central. As B
ella rounded the corner, she heard the hushed voices of Rosalie and Alice and pa
used.
"Is she still getting sick?" Rosalie asked hurriedly, trying to be quiet.
"Yes, but she's been okay today." Alice's head lifted as she searched the openin
g of the dining room and her composure changed to open and cheery when she saw B
ella. "Hey, Bella! I was just telling Rose about your conversation with Tanya."
"Oh yeah," Bella sighed, ignoring what she had overheard and sitting down next t
o them. Her friends were worried about her and she understood that. She just wis
hed she had news to tell them. After tomorrow she should, she figured.
For the past month, Bella hadn't been feeling well at all. At first she thought
she had been coming down with something and then when the flu hit her, she figur
ed everything would turn to normal after she recovered. But she hadn't. Some day
s were better than others, but she always felt a little off in some way. Almost
every day she felt like she was going to throw up and she would get weird cramps
in her stomach but as soon as she started to worry about them, they'd go away.
Finally, she had decided that all the stress from the whole Jane fiasco must hav
e given her an ulcer. So she had scheduled a doctor's appointment and tomorrow s
he would go see her gynecologist Alice's insistence because a gynecologist would
know a woman's body better before Edward arrived home later in the evening.
"So?" Rosalie asked, her ears perked up in anticipation.
"She explained everything about her and Brian, which I don't want to get into de
tail about not my story to tell, and believe me, what a story it is!"
"You can't say that and not tell us!" Rosalie gasped.
"I tried everything," Alice said with a pout, "and I can't get her to budge."
"Anyway," Bella said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Tanya apologized for flir
ting with Edward. She said that she's a flirtatious person and she just wasn't t
hinking." When both her friends rolled their eyes at her, she continued. "Basica
lly, her mom wants Edward with her. Carmen always loved Edward and hated Brian,
so when she announced her divorce, the plotting started. She admitted to going a
long with it at first, but she said that once she saw him with me that she knew
she couldn't go through with trying anything."
"But what about the bar and your birthday party?" Rosalie asked
"And how mean she was to me?"
"She was playing along for her mom's sake to appease her, but she insists she di
dn't mean anything. And she was mean to Alice because she was jealous, I think.
I think she thought Jazz was hot and wanted to get with him and then when she re
alized he was with you she got annoyed. I don't really know. She said that she d
idn't remember being rude to you at the game the first day, but she did admit to
being rude on purpose the next day."
"She wants Jazz?" Alice gasped.
"She was interested in him, but she's over him now."
"And that's it?" Rosalie asked.
"Well, no, not really. When we played the trick on her, she got mad and that's w
hy she teamed up with Jake to try and break up Edward and I. Did Emmett or Seth
tell you what she did to Jake?"
"No, but Seth has been acting weird lately," Rosalie said. "I caught him whisper
ing with Emmett the other day and they got real quiet when I walked in the room.
What happened?"
Bella went into detail about Bruce and Tony and how Tanya had told her that Jake
had gotten together with them a couple times since the night she introduced the
m. What Bella thought was so funny though was that Edward had heard from Emmett
that Jake had come on to Seth and confused the crap out of him.
"Poor Seth," Bella said. "I think this whole thing has been about Jake's feeling
s for him and now he's freaked out and wanting to move back to Washington to get
away from Jake!"
"So his attraction to you was just a cover? I don't get it."
"I don't either," Alice sighed. "But as long as he stays away from you two, I'm
fine with it. I just wish he would keep his hands away from Seth. The poor guy."
"He threatened to call Billy Jake's dad and tell him. That's what Edward told me
anyway."
"Okay, enough about Jake and Seth. I want to know what you told Tanya." Rosalie
said, changing the topic.
"There's not much to say. I accepted her apology."
"That's it?"
"What should I have done?"
"Yelled at her, called her a bitch!"
"Rose, I don't have the energy to be angry anymore." Frowning, Bella mindlessly
started turning pages in a wedding magazine.
"You're avoiding her."
"No, I'm not. She'll be at the party on Saturday and I plan to talk to her."
"So, what? You're best buds now?" Rosalie asked, incredulous.
"No! But I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt. She didn't have to tell
Edward and I all about Jake's obsession and his plans to break us up. And she d
idn't have to get back at Jake, though I'm not exactly happy with how she did it
. She also didn't have to go out of her way to apologize." Sighing loudly, Bella
let her shoulders fall.
"Listen, you both know I haven't been feeling well, and I know you were whisperi
ng about me when I was in the living room with Emmett. I'm scared to death that
something is wrong with me and I'm hoping it's just an ulcer, but what if it isn
't?"
Opening their mouths to speak about what they thought of Bella's illness, Bella
cut them off, silencing them with her arm lashing out to halt them. "I don't wan
t to hear your theories. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow "
"A gynecologist," Alice said matter-of-factly, flashing a huge, knowing smile at
Rosalie.
"And," Bella said forcefully, "I don't have the time or energy to devote to hati
ng Tanya right now. There's way too much stuff going on in my life I just want t
o try and be civil with her."
~GO CUBS~
"It feels good," Bella moaned as her left hand played with her nipple piercing t
hrough her thin t-shirt. Her phone lay to the side while an annoying contraption
was attached to her ear, allowing her to talk with Edward and use both hands at
the same time.
After returning home from Emmett and Rosalie's apartment, she showered and lay i
n bed, waiting for Edward to call her. Today had been an okay day and she was fe
eling a lot better than normal well enough to get a little frisky.
"Pull on it," Edward said through his ear piece, his hands unbuttoning his jeans
before rubbing over the bulge he finally released, sighing from the freedom it
now felt.
"Ugh," Bella groaned as she pulled. "I need more, Eddie. Tell me what to do."
"Turn it on, Bella, but don't use it yet. I want to hear it."
Lifting a vibrator off the bed, Bella turned on both the shaft and the rabbit an
d brought it up to her mouth. "Can you hear it?" she purred before sticking her
tongue out and licking up the long, twisting, pink shaft.
"Mmhmm." Edward's hands pushed his pants fully off, leaving him in nothing but h
is black boxer briefs. "How about me, Bella? What do you want me to do?"
Turning her head toward her nightstand, Bella grabbed her photo album and turned
over the first few pages, focusing on the one that she loved to stare at when E
dward was on the road; his fully erect cock with a drop of glistening moisture o
n its tip thank God Edward had a great printer and photo paper. "I would taste y
ou right now, Edward. I want to run my tongue along your cock and around your he
ad, licking away the drips at the tip."
As Bella spoke, Edward put his hand down inside his underwear and lightly traile
d his fingers along his erection, imagining it was her tongue. It was hard to do
though, so he pushed his boxer briefs fully off and then resumed his movements,
taking in a deep breath as he did.
"My lips," Bella continued, "want to stretch around you. God, I want you to fuck
my mouth." With those words, Bella pushed the tip of the pink vibrator into her
mouth and sucked on it.
Hearing the muffled moans from Bella, Edward wrapped his fingers around himself
and started to stroke slowly up and down, knowing full well she hadn't given him
permission to do so yet. In his mind, he imagined her sucking on his cock, her
mouth fucking him, moaning against him. Shit! It dawned on him why her moaning w
as suddenly muffled and he nearly came before he was able to take his hand off h
is dick.
"Bella, move the rabbit slowly down your body and don't forget to let it rest ov
er your nipples."
"Where do you want me to stop?"
"When you get to your panties," he said, imagining her in the Cubs boy shorts he
had pictures of her in. "Are you there yet?"
"Mmhmm."
"Touch yourself," he groaned. "But don't remove your panties."
"Over or under?" she asked, stroking the fingers from her free hand over her cen
ter, feeling the wetness of the soft cotton that covered her.
"Over."
"They're so wet, Edward."
"If I were with you, I would be sucking on you through your wet panties, Bella.
God I want to taste you. Will you do that for me? Taste yourself?"
Without hesitation, Bella removed her panties and pressed two of her fingers ins
ide her pussy, moaning at the sensation of the penetration, and then pulled them
out, bringing them to her mouth and she licked at them, letting him hear the so
und. "It's sweet," she sighed, licking everything off her fingers.
Grasping onto his aching erection, Edward began stroking again as he listened to
the sound of her tongue licking her juices from her fingers. What he would give
to watch her right now. For Christmas he would need to get each of them video c
ameras for their laptops.
"God, Bella, I can't wait any more."
"Do you have it ready?" She asked, positioning her toy at her opening it was sti
ll turned on from earlier.
"Are you sure you want me to use it?" Feeling bad that all her toys only pleasur
ed her, Bella went out and bought Edward a pocket pussy and he really didn't kno
w if he wanted to use it it looked strange. "My hand works just fine."
"Edward, I have a pink silicone dick fucking me right now," she gasped, pushing
the vibrator inside her and moaning from the contact. "You better fuck that plas
tic pussy." For some reason, the thought of Edward fucking the pink yes, it was
pink pocket pussy that she found for him turned her on. And the best thing was t
hat it vibrated too. "And don't forget to turn it on."
Grabbing the weird, plastic contraption, Edward turned it on and held it in his
hand, positioning it at the tip of his dick. With his other hand, he grabbed the
bottle of lube and squirted some a little too much along his length before his
hand pushed down and he entered the plastic, vibrating toy. "Aaah," Edward moane
d, enjoying the feeling of the flesh-like plastic vibrating around him. He knew
he wouldn't last long. "Fuck, Bella, this feels so good."
"Mmm," she moaned. "The rabbit feels amazing too. God, Edward, I can't pound thi
s inside of me fast enough," she gasped, ramming the pink rabbit into her as she
lifted her left leg in the air. Every time she fully sheathed the toy into her,
the rabbit vibrated against her clit and she got closer and closer to coming. "
How does your pussy feel?"
Laughing at her choice of words, Edward shook his head, but then groaned as he a
ctually thought about what it felt like around him. It was definitely better tha
n his hand, but he really wanted Bella's mouth around him, or her hot, wet pussy
, or even better, her tight ass. Fuck! "Better than I thought it would be," he g
roaned. Grabbing his photo album from beside him on the bed with his free hand,
he hurriedly turned to his favorite picture; Bella's mouth around his cock.
"What picture are you looking at?" he asked her and she moaned, not really liste
ning. "Bella, I'm looking at your mouth around my dick; what are you looking at?
"
Frantically, Bella grabbed her album again and turned to another of her favorite
pictures; Edward's head between her thighs. Fuck, what a sight! "Auburn hair be
tween my legs," she moaned as her toes started to curl. "Edward," she gasped as
she pushed the vibrator in as far as it could go and she let the rabbit go crazy
on full blast against her clit. "Fuck, Edward, I'm coming!" Her legs started to
spasm first and then a rush of heat spread through her body as her arms and hea
d thrashed and she started whimpering from her orgasm.
Hearing Bella come on the other end, Edward sped up his hand, the pulsing, plast
ic pussy, moving effortlessly over him. "Bella," he roared, "I love to watch you
suck my dick!" In his mind, he pictured Bella's mouth around him and then turne
d to his album again to see it in print. His body jolted fiercely from his relea
se. "Oh, fuck! Bella!" Breathlessly, he whispered a slew of, "I love you's", thr
ough the phone as he turned off the pocket pussy and pulled it off him.
For a few minutes, the two of them lay on their beds, panting into their receive
rs and not saying any words. Finally, Bella got up and put her clothes back on,
rushing out her door and into the bathroom to wash her toy. Edward listened to h
er the whole time and then realized he should do the same thing if he wanted to
keep the thing; which he realized he did.
After they had both washed their toys and lay back down on their beds, Bella cur
led up into a ball and groaned. "I have my doctor's appointment tomorrow," she w
hispered, afraid to bring the subject up.
"How've you been feeling?"
"Okay, I guess. Today wasn't too bad. I found that if I keep something in my sto
mach, it's not as bad. I read on the internet that ulcers are very temperamental
and keeping bland food in your stomach can keep the pain and nausea away." She
had read that weight gain can be caused due to the increase in eating in order t
o keep the ulcer at bay and she thought for sure she was experiencing that too,
though not too bad. It really was only in the way her clothes were fitting.
"I wish I could go with you," he said sadly.
"You just worry about the game tomorrow." The Cubs hadn't been doing too well an
d it only seemed to be getting worse. Edward was doing just fine though. His bat
ting average was .322, which wasn't as good as last year, but was still decent.
Unfortunately, the Cubs just couldn't keep a winning streak going. "I'm picking
you up at the airport, okay?"
"No arguments here," he said, happy that she'd be there. It would be the first t
ime she'd picked him up. "You do realize there may be reporters there, right?" S
hortly after proposing, Edward and Bella brought his great-grandmother's ring in
to a jeweler on Jeweler's row on State Street in Chicago and ordered a new setti
ng for it.
Somehow, the media had gotten a hold of the news and now rumors of them had star
ted up again. Of course, these rumors were true, but they didn't comment one way
or another. Edward wanted to wait until the ring was actually on her finger bef
ore they let the word out and first thing Thursday morning he had an appointment
to pick up the ring and at lunch, he would be putting the ring on her finger, m
aking their engagement official.
"I'm sure there will be," she sighed. "I wish I had the ring already so they cou
ld just get a shot of it and then leave us alone."
"It won't be much longer, sweetheart."
"I know," she yawned. The exhaustion she was still experiencing was the only thi
ng that baffled her. No where, could she find it being a symptom of an ulcer, ex
cept maybe due to a lack of sleep at night, which she was having. For some odd r
eason, she could lay awake for hours yawning. She could be so exhausted at night
, but insomnia seemed to be taking hold of her lately.
"I need to let you go," he yawned back.
"Okay," she pouted, reaching for her phone.
"Call me after your appointment tomorrow."
"You'll be in the middle of a game," she laughed, "and by the time I do get to t
alk to you, you'll be boarding the plane. I'll just tell you all about it when I
pick you up!"
"Okay sweetheart, good luck tomorrow. I'll be thinking about you."
"Me too. I love you."
"And I love you. Now hang up so you can get some rest!"
~GO CUBS~
"How're you feeling?" Alice asked as she strolled into the kitchen. It was great
for Bella to see the confident Alice back. For a while, the Alice she had grown
to love and respect had disappeared. But now, ever since finding out the result
s of the paternity test and making the decision to raise the baby with Jazz, Ali
ce had become strong again. Actually, she was stronger now with a new purpose in
life.
The little pixie had taken up with Bella to get all the information she could ab
out babies born from women with drug addictions. Some of the information was sca
ry, but Alice took everything in and prepared herself with a positive, can-do at
titude.
"Not too good this morning," Bella groaned before downing half her glass of milk
. The research she had done said that drinking milk was good for ulcers.
"Is your appointment today?" Alice rubbed her hand up and down Bella's back with
a worried look on her face.
"Yeah. I hope there's something easy they can do for this stupid thing."
"Bella, have you thought that maybe this isn't an ulcer?"
"What else could it be?" Bella downed the remainder of her milk and then began t
o pick at the piece of toast in front of her. For some reason, the smell of it t
urned her stomach, but not enough to have to run to the bathroom. That was the w
orse part of her symptoms; the nausea without the release. If only she could puk
e, then maybe she'd feel better.
Her worries shifted to the numerous STDs that were out there and she wondered if
her test had been accurate. Sighing loudly, she took a bite of her toast and ch
ewed dramatically, forcing the rough substance down her throat. All four of them
tested negative for everything, including HIV. The day that Jazz got his result
s he was the last to receive them they all went out to celebrate. No, she didn't
have any odd, freaky STDs, she reminded herself.
Sitting down in the chair next to Bella, Alice took a deep breath before she cou
ld even think to throw out what she thought was wrong rather, affecting her good
friend. "When was your last period, Bella?"
"What?" Bella jerked her head over to Alice and stared at her. Seriously? There'
s no way! I know my body!
"There's no way I could be pregnant, Alice. I know my body and Edward and I use
protection during the risky times."
"Then tell me when your last period was."
Frustrated, Bella started to think back to the last time she had her period. She
knew it must have been in early August, but she couldn't remember having it. Al
though, she did remember a little bit of spotting at the end of July, but it nev
er really turned into anything. Maybe she had a light period due to all the stre
ss though. From the end of July, Bella thought back further and she remembered t
hat she had just gotten over her period right before they left for St. Louis for
the All Star game.
"It's hard to say," Bella said defiantly, looking at Alice as she tried to hide
the fear that was building up inside her.
"When was it?" Alice asked, not giving up.
"Early July?" When Alice gasped, Bella continued. "But I spotted at the end of J
uly, Alice. I think I just had a very light period because of all the stress. Yo
u know better than anyone else how horrible that time was!"
"Bella, I've been doing a lot of reading up on pregnancies and stuff," Alice sai
d softly and then she got up and grabbed the calendar off the wall and brought i
t over to the table. "Here," she said, "show me around when you think you had yo
ur period in July."
Looking at the month of July, Bella remembered that she finished right before th
ey left for St. Louis, on the 12th. Counting back, Bella pointed to the 7th of J
uly and paused, knowing full well that was the day she had started. She remember
ed then that she had started a few days after Emmett had proposed to Rosalie. "T
hat's it," she said, pointing to the 7th.
"And you said that you spotted at the end of July?"
"Yeah, but I can't remember exactly when."
"Do you have a normal, 28-day cycle?"
"Somewhat, depending on stress and stuff."
"So you ovulated around the 21st?"
"Yes, and Edward was out on the road! See!" she exclaimed, pointing to the date.
"They didn't come home until that Thursday, the 23rd." Relief washed over her a
nd she smiled.
"Bella, do you ever ovulate late?"
"Sometimes, but I normally pick up on the signs."
"I don't mean to worry you, Bella, but I think the spotting you had at the end o
f July might have been implantation spotting see? It's a little over three weeks
from the start of your last period."
"What?"
"Around a week after conception approximately three weeks after the start of you
r last period, the egg implants in the uterine wall. Some people feel nothing an
d have no symptoms at all when this happens, but some have said they felt cramps
and some experience spotting. Some people experience both, but not everyone doe
s."
Bella's heart beat picked up. She did remember feeling cramps that day. She only
remembered because she was confused as to why they hurt more than usual and las
ted for only about 10 minutes and then were gone. The spotting was short lived t
oo and then she had some more cramping, less severe, a week or so later without
any spotting and she thought she'd get her period then, but never did. Shit!
"Alice, you're scaring me."
"I don't mean to scare you, but all your other symptoms right now are also sympt
oms of early pregnancy."
"Why do you know all about pregnancies and stuff?"
"I told you; I've been looking into all of this to prepare myself for the baby."
One thing that Bella and Alice had in common was the ability to be excessive in
some things research being one of them.
~GO CUBS~
As Bella filled out all the paper work for her appointment, she got down to the
line that asked for her last monthly period and she froze she didn't know what t
o put. She still wanted the doctor to test for an ulcer, but she also wanted to
know one way or another if she was pregnant. So she put a question mark on the l
ine and handed her papers in.
When she met with the nurse, she was asked about the date and Bella explained as
best as she could what had happened to her body, heavily stressing that she was
under a lot of stress during that time. The next thing she knew, the nurse was
handing her a cup and telling her to pee in it.
Twenty minutes later, Bella sat on the exam table with her bottom half naked, un
der a paper drape, waiting for the doctor to enter. Her hands were clammy and he
r heart pounded, anticipating the news that she was starting to realize was goin
g to affect the rest of her life.
"Hi Bella," an older, gray-haired gentleman said as he walked into the room afte
r lightly knocking.
"Hi, Dr. Brown," she said politely and then painfully swallowed a lump had forme
d in her throat.
"Well, Bella, I'm sure you know why we asked you to give us a sample," he said w
ith a smile. "I was told that you think your last menstrual period was on July s
eventh?"
"I think so," she said as she followed the doctor's non-verbal instructions to l
ie back on the table.
Pushing down the white paper cover to the top of her pubic bone and lifting her
shirt to expose her stomach, Dr. Brown started to gently press in on her lower a
bdomen. When he was finished, he walked to the bottom of the table and pulled ou
t metal stirrups. "Can you put your feet in these?" he asked, motioning to the s
tirrups. Once she complied, he then asked her to scoot her bottom down closer to
the edge of the table.
Once she was in position, the doctor put on a pair of latex gloves and then put
some gel on two of his fingers. "This will be a little cold," he said and Bella
felt the sting of tears start to form in her eyes as he started the exam. All sh
e wished at this moment was that Edward was with her. She was suddenly scared ab
out everything and needed him.
"Okay, you can sit up now," the doctor said as he pulled off his gloves and thre
w them in the trash. Pulling a round stool closer to the side of the table, he s
at down and smiled warmly at Bella as she adjusted herself on the table.
"Normally when I give this news, the person on the table is ecstatic, but I have
a feeling you aren't hoping for what I'm about to tell you."
"No," Bella mumbled, knowing what the verdict was.
"According to the date you gave us of your last period and the size of your uter
us, you seem to be close to nine weeks pregnant."
"Nine weeks! That can't be!" Bella protested. "That would mean that I got pregna
nt while I had my period! That doesn't make any sense."
Chuckling softly, Dr. Brown pulled out a calendar and turned it back to July. "W
hen dating a pregnancy, we start with the date of the last menstrual period, whi
ch would give a conception date of around the 21st of July "
"The 23rd," Bella interrupted. "My fiancé was out of town on the 21st and I didn't
cheat on him."
"Until we can do an ultrasound and get a better date, we'll just use your LMP,"
he said with a smile, ignoring the fact that Bella knew her body and her sex lif
e better than him.
"When can I get an ultrasound?" she asked, hoping it would be soon because she w
as suddenly worried that if she told Edward she was pregnant and they thought sh
e conceived on a day that he was out of town, that he would assume she had cheat
ed on him.
"Well, I'm not an obstetrician any more, Bella, just a gynecologist the malpract
ice insurance is too expensive so one of us in the practice needed to back out.
My wife isn't so happy with my decision though, I'm home more often." He laughed
at his lame joke and then continued. "You can make an appointment with one of m
y partners on your way out. Normally, we make the first appointment at around 12
weeks, but since you aren't sure of your dates exactly, I'm sure we can see you
earlier. Make sure you tell the receptionist that you need an appointment with
an ultrasound."
Bella was sure of her dates, but she wasn't going to tell him that she wanted th
at ultrasound. "So I just make an appointment and that's it?"
"The nurse will be back in to take some blood, give you some literature, a presc
ription for prenatal vitamins, and a bag of goodies, but yes, just make an appoi
ntment for next week sometime and we'll go from there. There are three obstetric
ians here along with two midwives. Read up on the advantages of each one and dec
ide who you'd like to deliver your baby. If I had to give a recommendation for a
n OB, I'd suggest you see Dr. Norton. All the ladies rave about him." He winked
at her and then smiled and said goodbye before walking out the door.
The nurse came in then and gave Bella a diaper bag full of free gifts, coupons,
and magazines for her to go through, along with a spiral-bound booklet explainin
g the office's procedures for appointments and deliveries. Everything the nurse
said went in one ear and right out the other as Bella thought over how she was g
oing to tell Edward the news.
After the nurse finished her spiel, Bella was led to a small lab room down the h
all and the nurse started getting everything ready to draw blood. Just the thoug
ht alone, had Bella's head spinning and stomach turning as her face turned pale
white and her breathing labored. And just as the needle pricked into Bella's arm
, she fainted.
Waking up on an exam table in an empty room, it took some time for Bella to real
ize what had just happened. Subconsciously, her right hand lifted and gently rub
bed over her stomach. I'm pregnant. The thought wasn't exactly happy, but it was
n't sad either. She was definitely scared, but in an odd way, she was optimistic
. Tears started to form in her eyes and this time, instead of getting annoyed wi
th her loose water-works, she let them fall as she giggled she was going to be a
 mom!
On her way out of the office, Bella made an appointment for the next Wednesday m
orning, September 16th. Edward had an evening game at Wrigley that day and shoul
d be able to make a 10:00 AM appointment, she hoped. Now all she had to do was t
ell him the news.
~GO CUBS~
Waiting for Edward's plane to arrive was sheer torture! As soon as Alice arrived
home from work, Bella showed her all the stuff she received and told her the ne
ws. Bella still wasn't feeling very well and Alice started listing off advice fo
r morning sickness, though Bella insisted it was more than just the mornings she
had to deal with.
They rode in separate cars and Bella followed Alice out to O'Hare and parked rig
ht next to her. She had decided to tell Edward tonight, as soon as they arrived
home she just knew that if she waited to tell him, she'd drag it out and would l
ose her nerve. Besides, she wanted him to get used to the idea of the pregnancy
before the party they had to attend on Saturday after his game.
Due to their engagement and Bella's birthday, Ed and Elizabeth were throwing the
m a party. It wasn't Bella's idea of fun, but she'd do anything for Edward and h
is parents; even show up and smile graciously to a party held in her honor and E
dward's too. Birthday parties weren't always her favorite growing up because she
hated being the center of attention and never knew what to say when she opened
gifts from people she had never been good at lying.
"Here," Alice said, handing Bella a bottle of water. "This might make you feel b
etter."
"Thanks, Alice. I can't believe I've been so oblivious this whole time. How long
have you been suspecting this?"
"For a while now, but then you came down with the flu. It wasn't until a little
over a week ago that I realized your nausea never went away and you constantly c
omplain about how horrible things smell!" Alice laughed a little and patted Bell
a on her knee. "We're going to be moms together!" she then squealed, stealing Be
lla's breath away.
"Sh," Bella hissed, looking around to make sure no one overheard their conversat
ion. Not only were there wives and other family members waiting for the Cubs to
arrive, but there were journalists too and they had already taken a few pictures
of her and Alice.
In addition to the rumors of Bella and Edward's engagement flying around, Edward
's dad's office had started the rumor that Alice and Jazz were adopting a child,
so the media was really into the pair. They had even had to fight off a few ove
rly eager reporters at their home, calling the police to kick them off the prope
rty.
"Sorry, I just get so excited."
With those words, Bella studied her friend. She had been worried about Alice bec
ause she went from extremely upset and hating everyone to excitedly happy and ea
ger about everything. Deep down, Bella worried that Alice wasn't processing ever
ything correctly, as if she was shutting her true feelings away and that wouldn'
t be good or healthy for her, Jazz, or the baby.
"Alice?" Bella whispered. "Have you and Jazz thought of couples counseling for t
he adoption?"
"What did Edward say to you?" Alice asked defensively.
"Nothing, I just thought it might be a good idea."
"Sorry," Alice sighed, taking her turn to look around and make sure no one was l
istening in. "I was trying to keep it a secret, but Jazz and I have already deci
ded to see a counselor. Both of us have a lot of issues to deal with when it com
es to Jane and we wanted to make sure that we were doing everything we can for t
he baby."
"I didn't know that," Bella whispered.
"I was worried about it at first, but I just had my first appointment, and I thi
nk it's going to help a lot. Once the season is over, Jazz and I will meet with
the counselor together."
"I'm glad you're both doing that. I really think it will help a lot."
Just then, there was a bustle of noise as people stood up and started talking lo
udly about a group of men approaching the concourse's exit. Standing up, Bella a
nd Alice tried to fight their way to the front, and as they did, Bella got her f
irst glimpse of an amazing sight. Not all the players walked out at once, but th
ere was a group of them coming down the concourse and they were all dressed nice
ly in business suits and looking exhausted.
There was no denying the mop of auburn hair that was among the group and Alice g
rabbed onto Bella's arm and squealed as she recognized Jazz. "It's them!"
The confidence that Bella had felt, only moments before, simply washed away when
she made eye contact with Edward. Once he looked into her eyes and smiled, she
felt sick to her stomach and a cool flush ran over her as everything around her
started to close in. She grabbed a hold of Alice's arm to steady herself and whi
spered to her for help.
Wrapping an arm around Bella's waist, Alice led Bella over to a bench while a co
uple photographers snapped pictures. Alice hissed at them and growled some obsce
nities that only Bella could hear while trying to get Bella to drink the water s
he had gotten for her.
"Bella?" Edward called out, a hint of worry in his voice. "Alice, what's wrong w
ith her?"
Suddenly, Bella felt Edward's warm hand caressing her cheek and she opened her e
yes and smiled. Her body was clammy as her eyes refocused and the dizziness went
away. Jazz was hugging Alice around the back, looking down with worry at Bella
as Edward tried to assess what was wrong. The photographers continued to take pi
ctures and Bella immediately turned red, realizing what the rumors would be now.
"I'm fine," Bella said, standing up and wrapping her arms around Edward. "I'm ju
st so glad you're home," she whispered into his neck.
Pulling away from Bella's embrace, Edward looked down in her eyes and knew somet
hing was wrong but didn't want to push her for information at the airport. So in
stead of asking her questions, he gave her a kiss on her lips and then told her
he loved her before the four of them made their way to the parking garage.
Edward drove Bella's car to his building and escorted her up the stairs. They di
dn't talk much on the ride home because Edward was afraid to hear about her doct
or's appointment, thinking it was worse than what Bella had anticipated and Bell
a didn't say anything because she didn't want to tell him the news while they we
re driving.
Once inside his condo, Edward sat Bella on the couch and held her in his arms, w
aiting for her to tell him what was going on. He knew that she had to do it on h
er own he could see that she wasn't feeling well and his worst fears were starti
ng to bubble up inside him as he thought about various cancers and diseases that
could threaten to take the woman he loved away from him.
"Edward?" Bella asked, finally thinking of a way to tell him the news.
"Yeah, sweetheart?" he cooed, kissing the top of her head.
"Do you have a baseball lying around anywhere?"
"Sure," he said with a puzzled look on his face. "Do you want me to go get one?"
"Please?" she squeaked out, fighting back the nausea that continued to plague he
r. From what she had read earlier this evening, she could feel this way for anot
her five weeks or so. The thought of even another day like this made her just fe
el worse.
While he was in the other room grabbing a ball, Bella looked through her purse a
nd pulled out a pen. She couldn't bring herself to say the words, so she figured
she'd write them down. Up until she saw him at the airport, she had only been a
little worried about his reaction. Now, as she was getting ready to tell him th
e news, she couldn't be more petrified. Nothing could be scarier than telling yo
ur fiancé that you're pregnant.
Once Edward returned, he handed Bella the ball and sat down next to her, looking
away as she wrote something on it. In his mind, he was envisioning the worst po
ssible scenario, wondering what was so horrible that she couldn't say the words.
I have three months to live; I have cancer and there is no treatment; I have a
brain tumor; I have a rare disease and there is no cure. Every scenario he thoug
ht of resulted in her death and he started to panic as he waited for her to give
him the stupid ball.
Gulping down the fear that was caught in her throat, Bella handed Edward the bal
l and closed her eyes, resting her head back against the couch. She couldn't eve
n bring herself to watch the expressions on his face.
Taking the ball, Edward looked down at it and read the words over and over again
, trying to comprehend what they meant. Suddenly, relief washed through him and
his heart started to rejoice! Bella wasn't dying!
Edward ~
You're going to be a daddy!
Congratulations?
Love, Bella (aka Mommy)
Taking Bella into his arms, Edward held onto her tightly, tears of joy seeping d
own his cheeks as he kissed the top of her head. Bella's arms reluctantly went a
round his shoulders and he rocked her back and forth, thankful that she was goin
g to be okay; thankful that he wasn't going to lose her.
"I love you," he whispered into the top of her head and Bella pulled back, tears
 streaming down her face too.
"You aren't mad at me?" she squeaked, afraid he was going to yell at her, tell h
er he never wanted to see her again, and deny that the baby was even his.
"Of course not, Bella," he soothed, using his thumbs to wipe the tears from her
cheeks. "I've been so worried about you and all I could think was the worse. My
God, I had conjured up the most horrible illnesses for you. I'm so happy you're
going to be okay!"
His arms wrapped around her, pulling her back in for a tight hug, but Bella pull
ed back again. "Edward, did you read what the ball said? I'm pregnant." Her eyes
focused on his, making sure he understood what she had written.
"Oh, Bella," he sighed, leaning down to kiss her quickly. "It's not ideal, but w
e were going to start a family eventually, right?" Bella nodded and he continued
. "So we do things a little backwards," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "We wo
n't be the first couple to do it this way."
Pulling Bella closer against his chest, Edward felt the soft rumbles of her laug
hter and he smiled. Inside, he was actually petrified, but he couldn't tell her
that. It's not that he didn't want to be a dad, but he didn't think he was ready
, let alone the fact that they didn't have plans to get married for another year
and his condo definitely wasn't the kind of place he'd want to raise a child in
.
"Wait," he said, pulling away from Bella to look at her again. "What about the w
edding? Do you still want to wait until next fall or should we push the date up?
"
"I was looking at a calendar today," she admitted, a faint blush covering her ch
eeks. "If the Cubs make it into the post season, I was thinking of early Novembe
r, but it's so close to Jazz and Alice's wedding," she said with a frown. "So if
you don't make it, I was thinking of October 17th. How does that sound?"
"Do you really think we can get a wedding together in such short notice?" he ask
ed, frowning down at her.
"Well, I was thinking we could have a destination wedding," she said, cringing a
s she figured he wouldn't like the idea.
"What's a destination wedding?"
"We fly out to some exotic location with our closest friends and family and get
married on a beach somewhere and then we honeymoon while we're out there. We wou
ldn't have to plan anything really; we'd just show up and let the resort do all
the work."
"Did you already have a place in mind?" His hands played with her hair as he fou
ght to control his anxiety. Yes, he loved Bella and he wanted to marry her, but
the thought of having a family with her now so soon had his mind working overdri
ve. How are we going to do this?
"Not really. I thought we could decide on that together, but I'm too tired right
now," she yawned.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, helping her stand from the couch and leading h
er to his bedroom.
Bella shrugged as she started to pull her clothes off, dropping everything on th
e floor before she rummaged through his drawers, pulled out a t-shirt, and then
pulled it over her head. "I don't feel well, but it's not bad either. I'm not na
useas right now, which is a bonus," she smiled.
Edward undressed down to his boxer briefs and climbed into bed behind Bella, pul
ling her back up against his chest as he enclosed her in his arms. After kissing
her temple, he moved his left hand down and placed it over her stomach, realizi
ng it was a bit harder than normal. "I love you, Bella," he breathed into her ne
ck. Above all else, he loved the woman in his arms and no matter what life threw
at them, they'd face it together.
"I love you too," she whispered, turning her head to gently brush her lips again
st his.
As Bella started to drift off to sleep, Edward's voice interrupted her. "Charlie
," he sighed. "We should name him Charlie."
"What?" Bella asked, turning over to face him. "Don't you think it's a bit early
to think about names?"
"No," he said, his crooked smile lighting up his face as his eyes sparkled down
at her. He was wide awake from the news and all that was running through his hea
d right now was what they were going to name the baby.
"Well, what if it's a girl?"
"It's not," he said with certainty, rubbing soft circles against her stomach.
"How about Elizabeth? After your mom?"
"You'd want that?"
"I love your mom, Edward, and I think Elizabeth is a beautiful name. If not the
baby's first name, it could be the middle name at least. Like I said, we have pl
enty of time."
Leaning up, Bella placed her lips on his and he pulled her in closer, deepening
their kiss. His hand roamed down, around her curves, and over to her right breas
t. "I don't know how we didn't realize this," he chuckled. "You've gotten bigger
, you know," he teased, squeezing her full breast.
Laughing, Bella pulled away from him and then chastely kissed him before turning
back around and pulling his arms around her. "Goodnight, Edward," she giggled.
She was almost asleep again when she heard him start talking once more.
"As long as we don't give it some weird made-up name like celebrities do, or the
kind you read about in books. And make sure we spell it correctly," he said, pr
etty much talking to himself because she had laughed off his ramblings and tuned
him out, falling asleep in his arms.