“Emmett, what did you expect Father Pat to say?” Rose asked. “Sure Emmett, continue living in sin with your fiancée, because I know you’re a twenty-eight year old horndog and can’t help yourself ?” Rose said in her best Father Pat voice.
Emmett looked at her incredulously “While the word horndog never entered into my mind, yes I thought he would see reason. I even offered him money.”
“You tried to bribe Father Pat?” I asked, appalled.
“Not bribe per se. I offered to finance the new parish hall that he wants to build. I offered to pay for the entire thing if he’d just forget this abstinence stipulation. He wouldn’t budge.” Emmett slumped into a chair in defeat.
I looked up to see my father grinning, then he proceeded to chuckle, then out-right belly laugh at Emmett’s predicament. I couldn’t help myself, I soon joined him as did Edward and Rose, while my brother scowled at us.
“Laugh it up nearest and dearest, but now I’ve got some serious thinking to do.”
We quieted our laughter, and soon I started to feel awkward.
I shouldn’t laugh at my brother. Haven’t I been struggling enough about wanting to have sex with Edward? I need to show compassion.
“Sorry Emmett, but you have to admit that this is kind of funny.”
His brow creased, and then he grinned. “Look, if it was happening to anyone else, I’d be laughing my ass off.” He chuckled.
After that, everyone seemed to scatter. Edward and I went back to cooking dinner. Charlie suddenly felt the need to go to the hardware store. I personally thought he just wanted to get away from the ’weird’. Emmett and Rose disappeared into the basement to play pool.
Edward and I worked in silence for a while as I pondered the ridiculousness that is Emmett.
While frying the fish, Edward realized he’d left his cell phone in the basement and headed down there to retrieve it.
A moment later I heard a muffled “O fuck” in Edward’s voice come from the vicinity of the basement stairs. A couple seconds later, he bolted into the kitchen, looking more than a little freaked out.
“What the heck Edward?” I asked.
“Your brother and Rose….Jesus that was awkward.” He sounded distressed.
Just then the voice of my brother wafted up from the basement “Sorry Eddie, my bad.”
I was still confused. “Edward, what…?” Then realization dawned. “They did not..” I stared at him wide-eyed.
“They most certainly did, and are doing” He answered while shaking his head in semi-disbelief. “I should have stopped when I heard the grunts and moans, but it didn’t register until I caught a glimpse of them ‘doing the deed’. Thank God it was only a glimpse.”
“Oh shit.” I muttered. “On the sofa?” I was horrified.
“No” He answered shaking his head “On the pool table” He answered quietly.
“You saw them?” I was beginning to feel sick.
“Well, no, not them. Actually, almost one hundred percent of my ‘glimpse’ was limited to your brother’s bare ass.” He blurted out.
We stared at each other for one silent moment before bursting into laughter.
If I’d only known then that Emmett intended to use the next couple of weeks as his own personal Mardi Gras of sex, I would have found a way to pack myself in Edward’s suitcase and gone away with him.
To hell with graduating on time.
--V&V--
“Let’s go people. I need to get my drink on!” Emmett boomed from the front door.
It was our last night in Forks, and we’d all decided to go out to a local bar. Knowing that I wouldn’t be coming back here until the middle of May, I decided going out was better than staying in and feeling sorry for myself.
Besides, they had live music. I kept telling myself that it would be fun, even though I’d never been there before, and had no idea if I‘d enjoy it or not.
Charlie declined going with us, but did drive us there in the hummer, reminding Emmett to call him when we were ready to come home. Besides being a cop, Dad had witnessed too many accidents caused by drivers ‘under the influence‘. Emmett and I always respected the law and Dad‘s wishes where that was concerned.
We arrived just as the band was setting up, and scooted into a large semi-circular booth in the corner. As expected, our table drew most of the customers’ attention. I was pretty sure that almost everyone we knew stopped at least once to say hi to Emmett. I was also sure that every one of the women stopped by merely to ogle at Emmett or Edward.
As long as they don’t try to touch, I will not have the urge to cut a bitch.
Rose must have read my thoughts because I caught her smirking at me. She seemed to be reassuring me that we had nothing to worry about.
I found myself relaxing, but then again, it may have been the beer.
The band was pretty good, although I didn’t recognize many of the songs. Their repertoire consisted of mainly country music tunes. When they started performing a slow song that I’d heard on the radio a few times, Edward asked me to dance.
Picture-perfect memories scattered all around the floor, Reaching for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore,
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind? For me it happens all the time
“The lyrics are a little ironic, don’t you think Mister Movie Star? All about lovers being apart and missing each other” I tried to smile.
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call, but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now
Edward sighed. “Unfortunately, we’ve been through this too often in the relatively short time we’ve known each other Bella.“
Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door.
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind? For me it happens all the time.
“Bella, after this trip, I’m going to try my best to not have any more long separations. I really can’t bear it.” He breathed into my hair as he held me close.
It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now.
Oh whoa. Yes I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all..
I was thinking back to when we danced in the jazz club on our first date. Edward had said then that he would keep that moment with him for the three weeks we would be apart. It would be the one he would think about when he missed me the most.
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now.
And I said I wouldn't call but I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now, I just need you now.
“Is this our moment Edward?” He caught onto my meaning immediately.
“Yeah baby, I think it is.” He said as he bent down and gave me a tender kiss, neither of us caring about the curious stares from those around us.
Oh baby I need you now
After we’d been in the bar for a couple of hours, Rose and Emmett disappeared. “Edward, maybe you should go looking for them?”
In response, he raised an eyebrow at me “Seriously Bella? I have no desire to walk up on what I did in the basement this afternoon.”
I don’t know how I managed to forget about that.
“Good point Mister Movie Star.” I said as I grinned. We’d had more than enough alcohol, and decided to switch to soft drinks. Edward went to the bar to get us each a coke, while I headed to the rest room.
“Well if it isn’t little Bella Swan” A familiar voice slurred from behind me as I entered the hallway leading to the rest rooms. I shouldn’t have turned to look, but I did, coming face to face with a tormenter from my past.
Tim Carver.
He, along with his girlfriend Michelle, had made my senior year of high school a living hell. It started with snide remarks and insults, but before the end, they’d resorted to pushing or tripping me every time they thought they’d get away with it. I never told anyone, I just wanted to graduate and get out of there.
I didn’t respond to him, he didn’t seem to notice though, I could tell he was very drunk. “I see you’re not that shy little Swan anymore.” He smirked. “I saw the video on youtube. You know, the one with your tits hanging out. You must be a quite the little freak in bed to have pussy whipped someone like Masen.”
I stood there, frozen in place, not believing what I was hearing.
My tits were not on display. This fool doesn’t know the difference between tits and cleavage. Is this indicative of what everyone thinks of me?
Tim inched closer. I was having flashbacks to the ranger, and that made me angry. “Come on little Swan, how about a taste of what I wanted in high school, for old times sake. Michelle was so jealous of you, but she never has to know. I bet you like it rough. That‘s my specialty.”
That fucking did it. “Hey Tim?” I said mustering up a fake smile.
“Yeah little Swan?” He was leaning closer to me, his breath about to bowl me over.
I looked down towards my feet “Do you like these boots? I’ve been told they’re sexy.” I almost choked on the bile in my throat.
Rose had forced me to wear her very high-heeled boots with my jeans tonight. Not wanting to fight, I had given in.
“Yeah little Swan, they are mighty sexy. I’d like to see those boots resting up on my shoulders while I pound into you baby.” He breathed.
Um….eww
“I’m really glad you like them Tim, because if you touch me with any part of your nasty body, I’m going to see how far I can shove one of these boots up your ass.”
Tim looked a little confused. I decided to elaborate for him.
“After that, I’m going to find my brother Emmett. I’m sure you remember him don’t you? As a matter of fact, he‘s around here somewhere.”
Tim’s eyes started to widen in panic.
“I’m not sure what Emmett will do to you, he’ll probably have to argue with my overprotective boyfriend to see who gets first crack. Then, after they’re done, Chief Swan will come down here to pick up what’s left of you and throw it in jail.”
“Sounds like a lot of fucking fun for you.” I snarked. Tim got smart and took a step back. Finally.
“Cheer up Tim, maybe if you keep molesting women, you’ll eventually be arrested for assault. You won’t have to hang around bathrooms in small town bars, hoping for some drunk dude to shove his dick in your mouth, you’ll get lots of dick in prison.”
I wheeled around to walk away, the urge to use the bathroom suddenly gone. I was met by the stunned faces of Edward, Emmett and Rose. Evidently, they’d seen and heard a good portion of my performance.
Rose had her hand on her heart, looking a little misty-eyed. “And to think, I raised her from a pup.” She said admiringly.
Emmett and Edward glared at Tim as he scurried away. “Are you okay Bella” Edward asked, full of concern.
“I’m fine Edward. He didn’t touch me.” They all looked relieved, and Rose grabbed my arm pulling me into the bathroom with her.
I had a feeling that the guys weren’t going to let Tim get away that easily.
“Bella, that was awesome. I am so proud. By the way, who was that prick?”
“Just some jerk from high school. He tormented me daily then, but I’m no longer anybody’s victim.” I was startled with the truth of my own words.
I proceeded to tell her all the things that Tim and his girlfriend had done to me. Then I told her the part of the confrontation that she’d missed. She and the guys had arrived just as Tim suggested how sexy the boots would look perched on his shoulders. She said she had to hold our men back in order to hear my answer.
Rose smiled. “I hope our guys fuck him up.”
Rose got her wish. By the time we caught up with them, they were outside and had Tim and his two very drunk friends on the ground.
Edward told us that one of the drunks had ended up throwing the first punch, so he and Em were able to claim self-defense for beating the living daylights out of them.
Emmett had a bruised and swollen jaw. Something he said he’d received by jumping in front of Edward at exactly the right moment. In Emmett’s words, he didn’t want the “pretty boy’s face damaged because he had to shoot a movie next week.”
I had to admit that I loved Emmett a little more at that moment.
Emmett also had bruised knuckles from landing several punches to the drunk dudes’ faces. I immediately examined Edward’s hands to find them perfectly normal.
Edward grinned. “I followed Emmett’s advice and only threw body punches, trying to keep the damage to my knuckles at a minimum.“ He laughed. “And I did land a couple of kicks while I was at it.”
Chief Swan arrived just as Deputy Mark hauled the three losers in for drunk and disorderly. Mark smiled and waved at us as he drove away. I hugged Edward as we climbed into the hummer, noticing that he winced slightly.
“Edward what’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing Bella, I just caught a couple of punches.”
Once we arrived back at Charlie’s I made him lift his shirt, only to find red marks on his abdomen and ribcage which were already starting to turn purple. My heart clenched.
“Oh Edward” I sighed as I kissed the marks. I wanted to cry, but held it in.
Rose examined Emmett and found the same bruises forming. “You’re lucky those guys were falling down drunk Emmett, otherwise they might have seriously injured you both.”
“It’s alright ladies, nothing broken, and bruises heal quickly.” He answered with a smile. “I get worse than this during practice.”
Edward smiled too. “It’s not often I get to defend your honor in such a satisfying manner Miss Swan. Let me enjoy the moment.”
All I can say is those paparazzi had better watch themselves, especially if Emmett and Edward decide to team up against them.
--V&V--
I missed my mom. It was always hardest during holidays. And, if I was being honest, I was also feeling a little sorry for myself over the impending separation from Edward. These two factors were the only rational explanation for the irrational behavior which I exhibited that night.
I had gone to bed with a heavy heart, thinking about spending another Easter without Mom. Christmas I could handle. After my parents divorced, they made sure that Emmett and I spent our Christmases together, in Forks. That had always been our home and they felt it important for us to spend that particular holiday there. So, even though I missed Mom after her death, it was easy to fool myself into believing that she was back home in Arizona celebrating Christmas with her sister.
Easter on the other hand, was Mom’s holiday. The location varied from year to year, but Emmett and I always spent it together, with her. Since her death, we’d been spending it in Forks, and I’d tried to pretend to be unaffected by her absence.
I was usually successful in bottling up my feelings around Dad and Emmett, although I was pretty sure that Rose was wise to me. This year, I held myself together until after Rose had fallen asleep. Sleep, however, eluded me. So I spent the next hour crying silently in my bed, soaking the pillow with my tears.
Even getting angry at myself for my pathetic behavior wasn’t enough to pull me from my pity party. Here I lay, distraught, while the man I loved, and would soon be separated from again, slept two floors below me, all alone.
Realizing that sleep wasn’t going to come any time soon, I slipped from the room and went downstairs. I halted when I reached the door to the basement. Now that I was there, I didn’t really know what to do. Do I go downstairs and defy my father? Or do I go back to my bed, letting insomnia rule the rest of the night?
In the end, I decided to sit down on the floor next to the basement door. It was the closest I could be to Edward without actually breaking Charlie’s rules. I leaned my head against the wall and quietly cried.
My mind was filled with memories of the years spent with my mother. My heart ached for her. At times like this, when I allowed myself to think about the fact that I‘d never see her again in this lifetime, the pain was almost unbearable. I knew that some day, at the end of my life, we’d be together again, but the many years that lay between now and then seemed such an unbearably long time to be without her comforting hugs, loving smiles, and encouraging words. I just plain missed her.
There were so many things I wanted to talk to her about. I longed to tell her about Emmett and Rose’s wedding, about my graduation in June, but most importantly, I longed to tell her about Edward. She would be so happy for me.
I pulled my knees up and laid my head on them as I cried. I could feel my body being wracked with sobs, but couldn’t do anything to stop it. Suddenly a strong pair of arms pulled me into a warm embrace.
Edward
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? What‘s happened?” His voice full of concern as he brushed my hair away from my face.
I couldn’t answer, I just continued to cry and hold onto him. “Bella please, you’re scaring me.” His voice still low, but frantic.
I took a few deep breaths, trying to quiet my crying as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I just, I really try you know?” I took another deep breath and wiped my eyes with my shirt. “I try to be strong. I try not to think about her, but I just miss her. Sometimes it‘s hard to bear.”
Understanding dawned on his face along with an expression of profound sadness. “Oh Bella, I can only imagine how it would be to lose a parent.” He wrapped his arms tighter around me. “I wish I knew what to say to help…” He trailed off.
“You do help Edward, more than you realize.” Then I remembered he was leaving in a couple of days, and a new wave of sobs hit. “And now you’re going to leave. I‘ll miss you so much.” I blurted out between sobs. Edward held me for a while, soothing my distress with quiet words.
When I finally calmed and pulled myself together enough to stop the crying altogether, he half-carried me to the living room sofa. His pillow and blanket were already sitting there. “Edward are you sleeping up here?”
He smirked then. “Yes Bella. There’s no way I want to sleep downstairs after the porn moment I witnessed earlier. It would be too freaky.”
I had to giggle at that. He pulled me down with him, and eventually I fell asleep in his arms.
“Isabella Marie Swan, what the hell is going on?”
I started from a sound sleep to the sound of my father’s angry voice. I felt Edward start to stir from behind me. We’d both been lying there, sound asleep, spooning. It had been quite comfortable until Charlie scared the crap out of me.
We both jumped up from the sofa. It was clear from our attire that no ’funny business’ was going on, but Charlie was a dad, and I guess I’d technically broken his rules.
“What do you have to say for yourself Bella?” He asked me as he shot daggers at Edward.
By this time, Emmett and Rose had both stumbled down the stairs to watch the show.
“I was having a bad night Dad. I…” I stuttered out as I tried to answer.
“Chief Swan, this is my fault not Bella’s. She was crying, I carried her over here and held her until she fell asleep.”
“You know I can’t control what happens at my daughter’s apartment, or at your big fancy home in L.A., but I sure as hell should be able to say what’s allowed in my own damn house.” Charlie was pissed. “I’m just very shocked that Bella would disregard my rules..” He ranted.
“Dad, I didn’t disregard any rules. It’s just like Edward said, I was missing Mom. He was comforting me.”
“Humph” Charlie still wasn’t satisfied, although I noticed that his eyes softened at the mention of my mother. “I still don’t like it.” He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I’d just hoped that you’d take a little time before jumping into that part of your relationship…” I had a feeling that Charlie’s words weren’t necessarily about finding us on his sofa any more. I was starting to realize that he had been distraught over the thought of me in a ‘sexual’ relationship for some time now.
“Dad, stop right there. Nothing is going on, not now and not before now.”
Well, disregarding a few things like that lap dance in the Mercedes….
“Edward’s been a perfect gentleman.” I happened to glance at Rose, she was smiling smugly, enjoying every moment of this.
bitch
“Sure he has, Bella.” Dad muttered.
“Dad, I really wish you weren’t making me say this.” I sighed loudly. “I’m a virgin, and that’s not likely to change any time soon.”
My Dad’s eyes opened a little wider in shock, but I could tell that he believed me. He still, however, didn‘t trust Edward. “Well, with his reputation I’m sure it’s only a matter of time…”
“Pops you really need to lighten up.” Emmett suddenly chimed in. “They are both adults, and this is not anybody’s business but theirs.”
Charlie looked at Emmett in shock. “What the hell Emmett? I don’t care how old Bella gets, she’s still my daughter and I don’t want her to make any decisions that she’ll regret. No offense Edward, but your past is pretty sketchy.”
Emmett guffawed. “Pops if you only knew.” He said as he continued laughing “I think our little Bella is perfectly safe with Andy, at least for now.”
I shot Emmett a warning look. I was mortified. I couldn’t believe my entire family was discussing my non-existent sex life. One look at Edward told me he felt the same way.
Charlie narrowed his eyes at Emmett. “There you go again Emmett. You keep calling Edward by the name Andy. At first I thought that must be his middle name, but then while we were fishing you referred to him as Andy Stitzer. I googled that shit and found out that’s the name of the guy from The 40 Year Old Virgin.” Charlie looked puzzled.
“Oh yeah that. Uh, it’s just my nickname for Eddie ever since I found out he was a v-” He was cut off when Rose elbowed him in his already bruised abdomen. “Ow Rose, that shit hurts. Do you mind?”
Emmett’s a dead man.
“Found out he was a what?” Charlie was still confused. “He’s no where near 40 years old and he certainly isn’t a vir-”
At that exact moment Charlie caught the panicked expression on both Edward’s and my faces.
Damn it I wish he wasn’t so good at reading people.
Charlie just stared at us, his eyes shifting back and forth between our blushing faces. “Holy shit.” He muttered before collapsing into his recliner.
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