EPOV
I had to have stepped into some parallel universe. I had pretty much accepted that I already lived in a world where almost anything could happen; seeing as I was a vampire and all, but coming home to find Bella in the garage with Rose patiently listening to an explanation on the function of the carburetor was not something that I could remotely fathom. Had one or both of them been hit on the head during our absence? I looked at Jasper who just shrugged; his face also reflected disbelief at what he was seeing.
Perhaps this was just a new facet to the woman I loved. I was very worried about Bella. Faking her death and seeing Charlie and Jacob had hit her pretty hard and I knew she was shutting me out. She and Jasper had tried to be subtle about it but I was aware that she had pushed him to get me out of the house so she could have time to grieve. I hated that she was hiding her feelings and dealing with them alone. I wanted to make it better for her, but I recognized the futility in trying. My Bella was a stubborn woman and she’d handle it the way she wanted to and clearly she’d chosen to deal with it on her own.
I knew she was protecting me. She knows me as well as I know her and I do blame myself for her being in this situation. I know she chose it but if I wasn’t a vampire, it wouldn’t be an issue now would it? I hated myself for causing her a moment’s pain and no matter what she said; this situation was a result of who I was and what I’d made her into. She could never be a monster but I could still be one.
“Edward!” Jasper growled next to me. “What did we discuss?” I sighed and nodded in acknowledgement, trying to get a leash on my guilt. He’d told me what Bella’s note said and that she was trying to spare me from taking these emotions on myself yet here I was doing exactly that while my wife was apparently doing just fine. That is, if she hadn’t hit her head because I still couldn’t figure out what she was doing with Rosalie of all people.
“How did this happen?” I asked Jas, gesturing toward Bella and Rose who had yet to acknowledge our presence.
“You got me, man. They don’t seem to be upset or angry. I’m actually getting contentment.” He was equally baffled judging by the expression on his face.
Rose didn’t bother turning around to address us. “Are you just going to stand there gawking and gossiping like girls all day or are you going to come and do something manly like helping us with the engine?”
I looked at Jasper and got a shrug so we went to join them. “Hello, love, how are you?” I looked into Bella’s lovely face and saw no sadness in her eyes. I wanted to shout with joy that my Bella was back but I refrained, not wanting to make her think about the last few days again. That would happen soon enough as the others were set to arrive within the hour.
Bella smiled at me, a radiant smile that illuminated her whole face. I couldn’t resist the beauty of that smile and captured her upturned lips with mine. She pulled back with a breathless laugh. “I’m good, how about you? Maybe I should send you out hunting with Jasper more often if he brings you back in this kind of mood.”
My lips traveled down her cheek and I nipped at her jaw. “He has nothing to do with my mood, it’s all you.”
“Good Lord, you two are sweet enough to give a girl a cavity. Are you always like this? Because I might have to go back to hanging out in my room if that’s the case.” I glanced over to see Rose’s lips twitching, her crossed arms nothing but an act.
“Yes, we are,” Bella answered for us, tugging my lips back to hers. Rose let loose a laugh then and turned back to the car.
“Jasper, since the lovebirds can’t be bothered, can you lift the car?”
“No, no, I want to do it!” Bella pushed me away and lifted the car with one hand. I have to admit, it was strange to see her use her strength. I still thought of her as my fragile human, needing to be protected, not lifting cars with a single hand.
“I see how it is; you’d rather play with an inanimate object than your husband.” I pretended to sulk but I was really glad she was spending time with Rosalie. At least I think I was.
“Actually I’d rather do both.” To my surprise and delight her other hand shot out and dragged me to her, her lips meeting mine urgently. It had been five days since we’d made love, definitely a first for us since we’d become physical.
“Alright, you really are making me sick now and I’d rather not have Bella drop her car on me because she’s distracted by you. Either take it back to your place or cut it out.” Rose sounded irritated now. Bella pulled back and looked contrite.
“Sorry, Rose.” She brushed me out of the way with a sway of her hips and turned back to the car.
“So, does anyone want to tell us what exactly happened while we were gone?” Jasper asked, gesturing between Bella and Rose. They exchanged glances before Rosalie turned back to the engine.
“We just talked. We agreed to disagree on certain issues and came to an understanding on some other ones.” She leveled me with a look. “And don’t you try getting in my head to find out specific details. If she doesn’t tell you, you don’t need to know. It’s locked up and you’re not getting at it.” How well she knew me. Curiosity was eating at me but for the moment I was content to see the two of them being civil to one another. Whatever happened had obviously been good for both of them.
I raised my hands in surrender. “I’ll leave your head alone; never know what I’m going to find in there.” She smirked and sent me an image of Emmett doing some kind of strip tease. “You’re evil, Rose, pure evil.”
Bella giggled. “What did she show you?”
“Nearly naked Emmett.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Like you haven’t seen that before.”
“More than I ever wanted to. Doesn’t mean I’m looking for more.”
She snorted. “You know you want to. Emmett’s gorgeous and then you get him naked with all those rippling muscles…” she broke off when Bella nearly dropped the car, she was laughing so hard that she forgot she was holding it. “You two are hopeless. Jasper, will you take over?”
Jasper went and grabbed the other side, still chuckling quietly to himself. Rose slid back under the car and started tinkering. I just watched Bella. The sparkle in her eye made me feel like the world had been righted again. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”
She walked over and wrapped her arms around me, placing her head against my chest. “It’s good to be smiling again. I’m sorry I shut you out before.”
I stroked her cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry about, love, you needed time. Anybody would. But promise me that you won’t forget that I’m always here for you. I’m ready to listen whenever you need me.”
She rubbed her cheek against my chest and I breathed in that lovely floral fragrance that was pure Bella. “I know. It was just something I needed to deal with alone. We’ve already talked it out but I needed to deal with how it made me feel.” I nodded my understanding and kissed the top of her head. She pulled back and looked into my eyes. “I don’t regret it, Edward, even though I feel guilty admitting that.”
Jasper cleared his throat and we were jerked out of the little bubble we were in. I was rather amazed that Rosalie hadn’t interjected a snide comment but I suspected that this had been one of the topics she and Bella had already discussed. “There’s nothing wrong with feeling guilty, Bella, but don’t hold on to that guilt. You made a choice and with choices come consequences. You deal with them and move on. For what it’s worth, I would have made the same choice to be with Alice.” Jasper gave Bella a small smile. Rose let out a tiny sigh from underneath the car but didn’t say anything.
They’re all so content with what they have. Do I really make Emmett feel like I don’t love him enough when I let it be known that I’m not happy? Why can’t I just be like the rest of them? Well apparently she and Bella had had quite a talk. I’m going to try, for Emmett I’m going to try to be happier and to embrace this life I never wanted. I have it and it’s time to try to enjoy it. My jaw dropped open and Jasper raised a brow at me. I mouthed the word “later” to him and he nodded. Bella continued to astound me, if she could get Rose to open up to change, what else could she do? How did she do it? I pressed another kiss to her head and just silently adored her.
Jasper’s head snapped up and his face lit up. “They’re home.” I listened but heard no car and picked up no new thoughts but somehow I knew Jasper was right. He felt Alice just as I felt Bella. Rosalie quickly slipped from underneath the car and scrubbed some oil off her perfect face with a red handkerchief and smoothed down her tousled blond hair. She looked anxious and excited, clearly looking forward to Emmett’s return. Jasper carefully lowered the car and sped around to the front of the house to greet Alice. The rest of us followed behind. Bella had tensed up a bit in my arms and I knew she was thinking about where they were returning from.
“Bella, you don’t have to hear about it.”
She shook her head emphatically. “Yes, I do. Maybe not everything, but I do need to know.”
I knew that but it didn’t make me happy. I didn’t want to see the light die out of her eyes again. I squeezed her to me. We’re baaaaaaaack!!!! I chuckled at Emmett’s mental greeting to me. Alice was anxious to see Jasper and Esme and Carlisle were just happy to be home. They hated the charades we were force to play and this was by far the worst they’d ever had to carry off. I wished we hadn’t had to ask that of them.
Carlisle’s Mercedes came around the bend and slowed to a graceful stop. Alice and Emmett were out of the car before it stopped moving, running into the arms of their loved ones. None of us were really used to being separated anymore. If we went off alone, it was usually as couples. Sometimes we hunted together, guys only, but that usually only lasted a day or two and we were within hours of one another. Across country was a wholly different thing.
Emmett swung Rosalie around and she tilted her head back and let her hair flow behind her. Alice pulled back from Jasper and just stared into his eyes, the two of them engaging in that silent communication they seemed to have perfected. Esme and Carlisle alighted from the car and walked over to Bella and me.
“Bella, how are you?” Concern laced Esme’s tone. I released my hold on her and Bella immediately nuzzled into Esme’s waiting arms. Esme stroked her hair gently and swayed her from side to side. I looked at Carlisle, who smiled fondly at the sight of his wife and Bella.
“I’m fine.” Bella smiled up at her and then rested her head on Esme’s shoulder. Carlisle glanced at me for confirmation and I nodded, for she was doing well all things considered and today she was immeasurably better.
Emmett broke away from Rose for a minute and pressed a kiss to Bella’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re doing well, little sis. I missed you.” Bella released Esme and gave Emmett a hug. He squeezed her back but refrained from swinging her around, perhaps not wanting to show joy when he wasn’t sure how she was really doing. “We’ll catch up soon but for now…” he broke off and looked at Rose. “I need some quality time with my woman.” Bella let out a peel of laughter and pushed him toward Rose.
“Go.” He didn’t need any more encouragement, scooping Rose up and racing inside. Clearly, we wouldn’t be seeing them for awhile.
Alice danced over to Bella and gave her a hug. “I missed you, too.”
Bella squeezed her tightly. “Same goes, Alice, same goes. I know you want your quality time with Jasper. We’ll talk later.” Jasper gave Bella a grateful bow and took Alice into the house as well.
Carlisle smiled ruefully. “Well I think we’ll leave the house to them for awhile. Can we go to your place?”
Bella took my hand and nodded. “Of course.” We filed into our house and went to the library, Esme and Carlisle seated on the sofa and Bella sat on my lap in the recliner. I wrapped my arms around her and held on tightly. I didn’t know what this conversation would do to her.
Esme glanced around and smiled. “I love this room, it’s so cozy.” It was, both of us considered the library to be our favorite room in the house and we spent the majority of our time there, well, when we weren’t in the bedroom that is.
Bella took a deep breath. “How are they?”
Esme’s face fell and Carlisle took her hand. “They’re doing as well as can be expected, Bella. The first day was very difficult, as I’m sure you know.” He watched as she nodded in the affirmative. “When we got back to Forks, Billy was already there waiting for us. He hasn’t left your father’s side as far as I could tell. They took your father back to La Push for a few days.”
Bella pressed back into me and I tightened my grip on her, giving her all the support I could. “That’s good.”
Esme scooted closer to our chair and took Bella’s hand in her free one. “Your mother helped him a lot as well. She told a lot of stories about you growing up and even made Charlie smile and laugh a time or two. She was a rock, Bella.” That didn’t surprise me. Renee may be flighty and inappropriate but she was a strong person.
Carlisle smiled sadly. “I don’t know if it helps or hurts you to tell you this but she’s pregnant. She doesn’t know it yet but Alice saw it the instant she stepped into the room.” Bella would have a half sibling that she’d never know. I looked at her face and was surprised to see a smile there.
“It does help, Carlisle. That will help get my mother through. But Charlie…”
“Billy told me to tell you that they would take care of Charlie.”
Bella’s mouth dropped open. “Billy asked you to give me a message?”
“He doesn’t hate you, Bella. He doesn’t approve of your choice but he actually does respect it, in a way. He was happy to hear that you had adapted to our lifestyle so well and that you were not harming humans. Though I wouldn’t go so far as to say he was proud of you, he was more open to your change than I expected.” Carlisle’s words were like a balm to my Bella; her eyes had started to shine again.
“How were the wolves?” I had to ask, though I suspected I knew the answer.
Carlisle sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Guardedly hostile. Sam let it be known that we were welcome this time only and not to return to Forks. You, in particular, are persona non grata.” His amber eyes met mine. “The rest of us could probably return someday but I have a feeling you’ll be part of their lore forever.” I expected as much. He had some very harsh words for Bella. I don’t see any reason to recount them in front of her. He gave me the memory and I tried to bite back the rage I felt at Sam’s description of the love of my life. “Monster, filthy bloodsucker, tease, leech, whore…” I let go of Bella’s waist and gripped the side of the recliner, holding myself in place. It was a good thing we were nowhere near La Push because if I was within 500 miles I would have gone and torn him apart. But here and now I had to stay calm and not let Bella know what Sam had said. She was what was important.
Carlisle watched me warily and I gave him a shake of the head, telling him to go on without speaking. I didn’t think I was capable of doing so at that moment. “Your friend, Angela, was there, Bella.”
“How was she?”
Esme smiled. “She was fine, such a lovely girl. She had nothing but kind words to say about you and Edward and she was glad that you two were together in the afterlife.“ That sounded like Angela, she was such a sweet girl, the one friend of Bella’s that was worthy of her.
Carlisle grinned. “Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley were there too.” Bella rolled her eyes at those two names. “Mike told everyone about how close you two were and said that if he’d had more time, you would have been with him and not Edward.” I growled and Bella giggled and turned to kiss my cheek. Would I ever escape that nuisance? “Jessica, meanwhile, told everyone that you and she had several moments” he put used air quotes to emphasize his point, “before and after your relationship with Bella.” Now it was her turn to growl while I laughed loudly at the thought of Jessica and me ever having a “moment”. I knew what Carlisle was doing, of course, distracting me from Sam’s comments and making Bella smile. I appreciated it even though I would never forget the vile things he’d said about her.
Bella bit her lip. “Was Jacob there?” Her voice was tentative, as if she was afraid of the answer.
Carlisle sighed. “No. He felt he’d done enough coming across country. He said…” he broke off and looked to Bella to see if she wanted him to continue. She did. “He said he’d participated in the farce far more than he was willing and he wasn’t going to mourn you, he’d done enough of that already.” Bella’s head fell forward and she closed her eyes for a moment and then she opened them and nodded.
“I didn’t really expect anything else.” Nor had I but I didn’t figure I should agree with that now.
Esme squeezed Bella’s hand again. “The service was lovely and you have side by side headstones at the Forks Cemetery. I don’t know if you really wanted to know that but I think it’s good that Charlie has a place to go when he wants to be near you.”
Bella smiled gently. “Yes, that actually is comforting.”
“And Bella, Jasper’s man called me. They found a policeman in Seattle who was more than willing to relocate his family to Forks. He wanted to get out of the city. We’ve already arranged for him to get a job on the police force and he’s got a house one street over from Charlie’s. He’s going to keep an eye on your father for us.” I put my arms back around Bella, hoping that this news would give her some comfort.
Her smile shook and then solidified. “That’s good, that he’ll be working with Charlie and be nearby. He’ll let us know if Charlie’s not doing well?”
Carlisle nodded. “He’s going to send us weekly reports through Jenks. I know it’s not the same as seeing him and talking to him but I promise you he will be looked after.”
She got off my lap and gave Carlisle a hug. “Thank you. I know it can’t have been easy for you to go and pretend we were dead and deal with angry wolves, but I thank you for looking out for my father.”
Carlisle held her tightly. “You’re part of our family and your family is our family. We will always look out for Charlie and Renee and your future sibling, I promise.”
“It means the world to me to hear that.” She curled into his arms and Carlisle looked both surprised and pleased to cuddle her on his lap. She needed a father right now and he was fitting the bill. I was never more grateful for him than I was in that moment. He held her for awhile while we talked about inconsequential things, work he needed to catch up on at the hospital, my hunting trip with Jasper. I mentioned Bella’s bonding with Rose and Carlisle looked as floored by it as I was. Esme just smiled happily, thrilled that her family was all getting along, at least for now.
Eventually Bella shifted, gave Carlisle another hug and got up and sat on my lap again. Taking that as their cue, he and Esme took their leave, giving us both a hug a goodbye. I cradled Bella in my arms. “Are you doing okay, love?”
She turned to face me and gave me a gentle kiss. “I really am. It wasn’t easy to hear about our funeral but knowing that Charlie’s being looked out for and that Renee’s going to have a baby makes me feel better.”
“I’m glad, love.” She rested her head on my shoulder and we sat in contentment for awhile, until she started pressing soft kisses to my neck. I shifted underneath her. “If you’re not trying to start something, perhaps you should stop kissing me like that.” She kept right on kissing me. “Should I take that to mean that you are starting something?”
She nodded. “It’s been too long.” I scooped her up and carried her into our bedroom, shedding both our clothes along the way.
“Far too long.” I laid her on the bed and lowered myself over her, kissing her passionately. I slid into her and we felt truly complete again for the first time since we went to Maine. We made love for hours, lost in one another and solid again.
BPOV
After a night spent loving and reconnecting with one another, Edward and I were ready to go see the rest of the family again. I couldn’t believe how quiet it had been around here without Alice and Emmett’s ever present energy. I’d missed them all but those two especially. We showered and got dressed after some more water games and headed over to the main house. There was a package sitting on the front stoop and Edward smirked as he picked it up.
“What is that?”
He chuckled. “It’s for Emmett, you’ll see soon enough.” Mystified I followed him into the house, where Jasper and Emmett were engaged in an epic battle of Halo while Alice sat at her sewing machine concocting some new outfit. Hopefully it wasn’t for me. Rosalie was flipping through a car magazine while Esme and Carlisle read books. It was so wonderful to be together again, it just felt right now, when the unit was whole. Rose looked up and gave me a tentative smile so I gave her a big grin and a wave back. I didn’t want to revert to awkwardness around her. We’d both said our piece and we were trying to respect one another’s views.
Alice bounded over and threw her arms around me. “Bella! Good morning, sorry we didn’t get to spend any time together yesterday but I needed some time with my Jazzy.” I hugged her and tried to force images of chains and cuffs out of my head when thinking about the two of them together. There were just some things I didn’t want to know.
“No problem, Alice, I know how it is.”
She giggled and nudged me. “I just bet you do.” I sighed; nothing could remain sacred in this family.
Edward interrupted my ruminations. “Hey, Em, there was a box outside for you.”
Emmett’s entire face lit up as he paused the game and raced to snatch his present out of Edward’s hands. Alice tittered quietly next to me.
“What is it? I didn’t order anything!” Rather than wait for an answer, Emmett tore into the box, not bothering to undo the tape, just ripping it right open. Something small fell out and he caught it before it could hit the floor. He sucked in a deep breath and turned to face our tiny sister, a look of rage on his face. He’d never looked scarier or more like a vampire in that moment and I instinctively stepped back. “How could you?”
Alice was nonplussed, smiling sweetly instead of cowering under his hulking form. “It was rather easy, actually, the limbs pop right off, don’t even need to have vampire strength to do it.” Limbs? What in the world were they talking about? I looked at what Emmett was clutching in his hand and saw that it was a tiny doll’s leg with a little Nike shoe on the foot. Oh no, it was Emmett Junior.
“You killed Emmett Junior!!!” He was shouting now, his voice shaking the room. The TV rattled precariously and Jasper ran over to save it. Edward smoothly reached over and pulled me away from Alice’s side, in case Emmett’s anger turned physical I guess.
Alice was wholly unconcerned about the menacing figure looming over her. “I told you I’d get back at you.”
“Where is the rest of his body, Alice? I want him back together right now!”
“I’m afraid that would be impossible. He’s scattered here, there and everywhere. I might have forgotten where I put a piece or two.”
“You don’t forget anything, Alice!” He roared. I was starting to worry that he’d pop a blood vessel he was so angry, though I guess that wouldn’t hurt him come to think of it. “I want my son back together now or…” he glanced around the room and his eyes lit with glee as they focused on her sewing machine. Before he could get to it though, Alice grabbed it and placed it in Jasper’s hands. “Damn it.” He started to look for something else to threaten her with when Rosalie stepped in front of him. Up until now she’d been silently watching the exchange.
“What do you mean, your son?” If Emmett’s screaming was scary, Rosalie’s icy tone was petrifying. I glanced at Edward who couldn’t conceal his smile. Everyone in the family seemed to be interested in the drama, even Esme and Carlisle watched with avid interest.
Emmett’s scowling face quickly morphed into one of remorse and fear. “I didn’t mean anything, Rosie. Let’s just forget all about it.” He tried to take her arm but she yanked it away.
“Don’t you Rosie me, Emmett, you tell me what you’re talking about right now!” Her voice was a menacing hiss. Alice giggled, pleased with Rose taking Emmett’s attention away from her. Emmett glanced anxiously around the room, looking for an out but not finding one.
His shoulders slumped, Emmett told her the truth. “When I was training Bella on her strength control, I used animatronic baby dolls that looked like us for her to try to catch.” Rose just raised an eyebrow. “She killed all of them except for Emmett Junior. He looked just like me and I liked him so I kept him. Now Alice destroyed him.”
Rose’s lips twitched but Emmett missed it since he was looking down. She quickly schooled her face into a mask of anger when he looked up at her. “And you kept it from me why?”
He scuffed his feet at the ground, looking like a child being chastised. “Come on, Rosie, you know how you feel about kids and babies. I thought if you saw a doll that looked like me, it would make you angry. Or even worse than that, hurt.”
Rosalie blinked in surprise and reached a hand out to take his. “Emmett, I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.” She glanced over at me and looked back at him. “I know I’ve said a lot of things that made you feel like you weren’t enough for me and I’m sorry for that. You are truly all that I need. I might want more sometimes but that doesn’t mean you’re not enough for me.”
So much emotion filtered over Emmett’s face at her words that I wanted to cry. He lifted a hand to her cheek and touched it softly, as if he was afraid she might shatter at his touch. “Do you mean that?”
Rose’s hand joined his on her cheek. “I do. I never knew what my dissatisfaction with this life did to you until someone pointed it out to me.” She shot me a smile. “And it made me realize that even though I want a family and children, I really wouldn’t want it without you. You’re my counterpart, Emmett.” His lips met hers then and I was pretty sure they’d forgotten the rest of us were in the room.
Edward drew me to the couch and I curled up against him. I was so happy to see Emmett and Rosalie having a moment like that. They pulled apart and just grinned at each other happily.
“Well then, now that that’s settled,” Alice clapped her hands and went over to Jasper to reclaim her sewing machine.
“Not so fast, Alice. Now that Rose knows about the doll, I can put him back together and keep him here. Please give me the pieces.”
Her little face scrunched up and she shook her head emphatically. “No, I don’t think so. You embarrassed me and Jasper.”
“Oh, come on! I had to think quickly.” A look of horror crossed Alice’s face and Edward’s body tensed next to me. She tried to speak but Emmett talked over her. “Bella needed a logical explanation for the key. I couldn’t tell her about what Renee said! And it’s not like you and Jasper don’t get a little freaky either!” All eyes in the room flew to me.
My mother? What did she have to do with anything? And Emmett lied to me? “What do you mean, what Renee said?”
“Uh…” Emmett looked around the room but wasn’t getting any help from the rest of our family. “I don’t know what I mean, you know me, I say random things all the time.”
“You lied about Alice and Jasper and the chains? Why would you do that?”
“I don’t know that I lied, exactly…”
“You just didn’t tell the truth.”
He frowned. “What is the truth really? Aren’t there degrees of honesty? As I said, Alice and Jasper are a little kinky so it’s entirely possible that…”
“That you lied to me.” I couldn’t believe he’d lied and they’d all known about it. I was angry and hurt and left out once again.
“I didn’t want to lie, it was just better than the alternative.”
“What alternative?” I crossed my arms and glared at him, anger winning out over hurt since he was still stalling.
“You may as well tell her, Emmett, there’s no getting out of it now.” Alice eyed me anxiously, no doubt having seen my reaction to whatever was coming.
“I don’t want to.” Emmett met my crossed arms with crossed arms of his own. I saw everyone wearing similar masks of nervousness and concern, including Edward. The fact that he knew what they were keeping from me was the last straw.
“Damn it, Emmett, tell me now!” I shouted at him with my mouth and with my mind, tired of the deception.
“Fine! Your mother told Edward at your wedding reception that the clitoris was the key to making you have a good time, sexually if you get what I’m saying?” My jaw fell open. Renee had done that? I was mortified. I couldn’t even call to yell at her now because she thought I was dead. That made me angrier, not having an outlet. “Anyway, we all heard it because, you know, vampire hearing, and I made up a song about the clitoris being the key. You may have heard me sort of singing it?”
Singing? The only thing he’d ever sung around me was…”The Farmer In the Dell? You turned a children’s song into a sexual one? That’s sick, Emmett.”
He threw up his hands in frustration. “It’s not sick! It’s hilarious! Did you see Edward’s face anytime we brought up the key in front of him? He was embarrassed as hell! It was great, we don’t often get to make fun of him since he can see what’s coming but with you around, all we had to do was bring up the key. It was perfection!”
I didn’t know what to say or do. I’d begun shaking, whether out of anger or embarrassment I couldn’t say because both were flowing through me in astounding amounts. And laced with that was betrayal. How could Edward do this to me? How could he let them make fun of me time and time again? I yanked myself out of his hold and stood.
“So every time the word key came up, every time you laughed about it, you were laughing at me?”
Emmett watched me warily. “I wouldn’t say we were laughing at you, more like with you?”
“Except that I wasn’t laughing, was I? Because I was the only one out of all of you not in on the joke!”
“Well no, but…”
“And that’s why you gave me the self-help book with key in the title?”
“Well yes, but…”
“And that’s why you were so amused when I asked Edward to help me find my key?” Oh the humiliation, putting that conversation in this new light…I wanted to die all over again.
“Yes.” He stopped trying to get another word in because I wasn’t going to let him.
“And that’s why you had such a fine laugh over the bellybutton ring, when I said Alice found it for me?”
“Yes.”
I turned to Alice then. “And you picked it out especially because it would bring a few laughs to the rest of the family?”
“Well partially, but I really thought it would be cute on you!”
“But you had me wear it the other day specifically to make everyone laugh. At me.”
Her eyes flashed with sadness. “Not at you, Bella, never at you. We just wanted to have a little fun.”
“Yes, well, I’m glad I could provide you all with some amusement.” I had to get out of there before I said or did anything I might regret later.
“Love, I’m sorry, I should have…” Finally he spoke. He couldn’t be bothered before now. I refused to look into that handsome face, knowing that what I saw there might weaken the anger that I was more than entitled to feel right now.
“Yes, Edward, you should have! I don’t want to hear it right now. How could you do that to me?”
“Bella, I just didn’t want to embarrass you, I never thought…” I could hear the regret in his tone but it wasn’t enough right now.
“No, you quite obviously did not think! You just sat back and let them laugh at me. Oh you made a token protest here or there but I remember your lips twitching. You were laughing along with them!”
He took a step towards me and I stepped away. I was not going to let him touch me right now. He didn’t get to work his magic on me. I felt a wave of calming come from Jasper’s direction and I cut him off with a glance.
“Don’t you dare! I’m allowed to be upset right now, Jasper! You don’t get to take it away from me.” I felt the calm still pushing at me, he wasn’t listening. “Do not use your power on me, Jasper Hale!” He backed off then, a look of surprise on his face.
I looked at Esme, who was regarding me sadly and Carlisle looked on in confusion. “You knew too?”
They both nodded. “I figured as much. I’m going to go now.” I looked at Edward finally, his expression was pained; he looked like he was being burned alive. A part of me wanted to go to him but I steeled that. “Don’t you dare follow me.” I took a step toward the door and nearly laughed at myself when I realized that I was wearing the ridiculous key bellybutton ring. Oh the irony. I yanked it out and threw it at Emmett. He caught it deftly out of the air. “Since you’re so fascinated with my key, why don’t you go ahead and keep that one?”
He shook his head. “Bella.”
“Better yet, go ahead and swallow it. That way it will always be with you.” He stared at me blankly. “You heard me, swallow it.” I didn’t really expect him to do it but he did, opening his mouth and dropping the key into it. That was weird. I turned my attention to Edward again. “I mean it, don’t follow me.”
I marched back to my home, going automatically to the library. There, the stupid key book from Emmett caught my eye and I hurled it into the fireplace, lighting it and the logs on fire. I glanced around the room angrily, looking for other things to destroy but I didn’t want to damage any real books. My eyes fell on a wedding photo of Edward and me and I started to grab it but stopped. I was mad at him, completely hurt by him, but I couldn’t destroy our wedding pictures. What could I do to hurt him like he’d hurt me? I glanced into the family room and saw the piano. I could smash it. It would be so easy. There was nothing he loved more than that piano other than me, if he even really loved me at all.
No, that wasn’t right. I knew he loved me, I just couldn’t understand why he’d let them make fun of me for months. I threw myself down onto the couch and watched the fire burn. I heard movement at the front door then, disturbing my destructive contemplation. “I thought I told you to leave me alone!”
“You told Edward to leave you alone and he did. I’m here to talk to you.” Rose swept into the room, regarding me warily.
“What could you possibly have to say to me? Up until a day ago you hated me beyond belief. I’m sure you enjoyed the hell out of making fun of me.”
Rose perched on the end of the couch and shrugged. “It was fun; I’m not going to deny it.”
I sighed. “Why are you here, Rose? What could you possibly have to say to make things better?”
“I shouldn’t have to say anything, if you’d stop being over emotional you would see what that really was back there.”
“What do you mean?”
“Bella, do you think they would have bothered making fun of you like that if you weren’t part of the family?”
“Yes.”
She rolled her eyes. “Really?”
“Emmett makes fun of everyone.”
She laughed. “Yes, but does he do it repeatedly?”
“How do I know, I haven’t been around that long.”
She smiled triumphantly. “Yes, exactly, and that’s why you need to listen to me.”
“Go on.”
“Like it or not, this is how this family works. We are together all the time. We know each other as well as superhumanly possible. Even more so with Alice and Edward in the bunch.” I flinched at the mention of his name. She narrowed her eyes at me. “That’s what has you most upset, isn’t it? Edward’s part in all this?”
I nodded and she went on. “Bella, you fool, don’t you realize he’s been protecting you all this time? I mean, you know him, right? Edward Cullen, the guy who saved you from being crushed by a van, the guy who kept you from being murdered in Port Angeles and Phoenix. The guy you married? Overprotective may as well be his middle name.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, do you think he wanted you to know what your mother said to him? Do you think he didn’t know just how humiliated you would be if you knew that she told him how to please you sexually and our entire family heard it? Could you honestly have faced us then, especially your human self? You’d have been the color of a cherry tomato every time you were around us.” This was true, I would have been mortified.
“But I’m still humiliated now.”
“And if it were up to Edward, you’d never know. Not because he enjoyed us making fun of you, but because he wanted to keep you from being hurt. You know how he is, Bella.” I shrugged. I did know but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow.
“Besides, we weren’t really making fun of you; we were making fun of him.”
“How so?”
“Do you know how hard it is to get something over on a mind reader? Of course you don’t, he can’t read you! But the rest of us can’t keep anything from him, so for us to finally have something we could tease him about; something he couldn’t stop us from using against him was great.”
I bit my lip as I contemplated what she’d said. “So really you were making fun of both of us?”
She laughed. “Duh.”
“He still should have told me.”
“Maybe he should have, but you should have told him how you were feeling about your fake death, shouldn’t you?” I glared at her. “We all keep things from our spouses, Bella, particularly things that would hurt them. You helped me see that I was hurting Emmett by not keeping certain things from him, so why can’t you see why Edward would do that for you?”
“I know, I know. You’re right. And I know he wasn’t trying to hurt me. Edward would never hurt me on purpose. It’s just that I was embarrassed. I still am!”
“We all get embarrassed in this family, it’s part of the package you signed on for. You know what’s great about it though?”
“What?”
“You have endless amounts of time to get back at them; an eternity to plot and plan and compile things to blackmail them with.”
That was fun. I smiled at her. “You do have a point.”
“Of course I do.” She smiled triumphantly and got to her feet. “You already made a good start. Every single one of them is sulking over at the house, feeling terrible about making fun of you.”
“Maybe I’ll let them suffer for awhile.” Rose grinned in approval.
“It’s the least they deserve. Except for…” Edward. Even though it hurt me terribly that he’d kept something like that from me, I really couldn’t blame him. If the situation were reversed, I would have done the same.
“Thanks for coming to talk to me, Rose. You helped, a lot.”
“Just returning the favor. I haven’t seen Emmett smile at me like he did in that living room for a long time.”
“I can’t believe he swallowed that key.”
Rose frowned. “Me either, you must really have him feeling bad. I’ll go see if he’s coughed it up yet.”
She headed toward the front door. “Could you tell Edward to come home?”
She nodded. “Sure. Don’t be too hard on him but don’t be too easy either. You’re the only one who can keep things from him, so make it count!” I laughed and watched her go then returned to the living room to wait anxiously for my husband to arrive.
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