Chapter Music: You and Me by Lifehouse
A/N: Thanks to miztrezboo, who laughed with me through this chapter, and to annanabanana, for making sure you weren't distracted by my mistakes.
LINK TO CHAPTER UNDER THE COMMENTS BAR
:: Edward ::
My truck rumbled to a stop at the end of the driveway, and I blew out a slow breath. Coming here was always hard. I knew he would never improve—he had better days than others, of course, but he would always be deteriorating.
I made my way up the steps to the front door, and as the fifth one from the top creaked under my weight, I made a mental note to fix it before I left. The door opened as I reached the top step.
"Mornin', Edward."
"Mornin', Carmen. How's he doin' today?"
"He's been better, but it's not a bad day." She smiled kindly, and I squeezed her arm gently as I passed her in the doorway.
My grandfather sat in the sunroom, his frail body tucked under a blanket even in the morning Texas heat. My grandmother's photograph rested in his lap, his fingers reverently tracing her face as he stared out of the window. In the almost nineteen years she'd been gone, I'd never seen him without her picture.
As I moved into the room, he lifted his head and smiled. "Anthony." His voice quivered in greeting, and my heart sank.
"It's Edward, grandpa. Dad's with grandma, remember?" I knew he wouldn't.
"Yes, of course. Edward." He nodded absently, turning back to the window to watch two birds playing in the stone bath out on the porch. I sat down in the armchair opposite him, letting him think for a moment and digest the information about his son—again. "You didn't bring that girl of yours, did you?" he asked after a few minutes. "Libby?" he probed, his top lip turning up.
This exact conversation was why I dreaded coming here. I looked just like my father had at twenty-six.
"Now, Aro," Carmen interjected, offering me a wistful smile, "you know that Edward doesn't have a girl. In fact," she said, turning her attention to me, "have you ever had a girl?" I laughed, and my grandfather looked at me with mild indignation etched across his face.
"Of course he's had a girl! Little Victoria Williams," he said with conviction.
"Vicky Williams? Second grade, Vicky Williams?" I asked incredulously. He couldn't remember what he'd eaten for breakfast, but my first kiss he remembered with perfect clarity.
"Who else would I be talking about? Your grandma loved her bouncy red curls. The two of you would always run about the yard, and you would tug on her hair…" his voice trailed into a laugh.
I laughed again, with him, as he reminisced over my childhood, and though it often hurt to spend time with Aro, it was moments like these that made the difficult times bearable.
"It was a shame she moved away," my grandfather lamented. "She would have been good for you." His eyes shifted, becoming vacant once more. "Far better than that Libby woman."
And just like that, he was gone again. I let my chin drop to my chest, sighing in defeat. He had never liked my mother.
"Edward, can I have a word?" Carmen kept her voice low, and I glanced up at Aro before meeting her eyes. A small smile graced his lips, and I followed his line of vision to see a butterfly hovering over the cut daisies sitting on the table just inside the window.
Getting up, I leaned over my grandfather, bracing myself on the back of his couch and kissing the side of his head. "I'll be right back." He hummed in absent acknowledgement, and I followed Carmen into the kitchen.
"How're you doin'," she asked, handing me a glass of iced tea.
"I'm okay; business is good." I nodded and set the glass on the table. "Is he giving you any trouble?"
"No," she scoffed, pulled out a chair, and sat herself down. Carmen pushed the chair parallel to hers out with her foot and jerked her head. "Park your backside, sunshine."
I chuckled at the endearment she had used for the last eleven years, but took the seat anyway.
"So, how's he doing?"
She laughed. "I'm doing fine, thanks for askin' Edward." She pushed at my shoulder playfully, calling me out on my rudeness.
"Christ, I'm sorry, Carmen," I said ruefully, dragging my hand through my hair. "I don't know where my head's at this week." Out of nowhere, Bella's brown eyes, filled with timid apprehension, flashed behind my closed lids. The lights from the ferris wheel caught her face, momentarily blurring my vision, and I knocked my glass over.
"You ain't kiddin'." Carmen reached for a towel and began to mop up the golden liquid as it pooled across the table. "You wanna talk about it?"
I shook my head. "Nah, it's nothing." Even as the words came out of my mouth, they didn't sound right, but I had more important things to think about. I knew Doc Garrett had been out yesterday for a start. "How's grandpa doin', really? And don't go holdin' anything back and tryin' to spare my feelin's like last time." I raised my eyebrow, challenging her. It had been almost a month before I'd found out that he wasn't bathing himself anymore.
"Well, you know the doc was here yesterday," she started slowly and I nodded in encouragement. "He had to change your grandfather's meds." I knew it was coming, he'd suggested as much during his last visit.
"What else?"
"That was pretty much the extent of the excitement with the doc. There have been a couple of other…incidents. He fell out of bed two nights ago. His hip's pretty bruised, but he didn't break anything, thank God. The doc isn't sure how he avoided it. He was a little disorientated, but that could have been from hitting his head or from being, you know, Wednesday," she said with a shrug, widening her eyes.
More and more frequently, my grandfather had been losing his balance, taking dizzy turns and tripping over his own feet, and muddling one day with the last.
"I don't know how you can joke, Carmen. Not when you see him like this everyday." I wasn't berating her, far from it. She spent more time with Aro than I did, and I found it heartbreaking. It must have crushed her to see it day in and day out.
"It's my job, Edward. I'm used to it."
"Don't give me that BS," I almost snarled before softening my voice.
"If I didn't joke, just a little, I wouldn't be able to face it—face him."
"If you need to take a break, you know you can—"
"I shouldn't," she cut me off, not meeting my eyes.
"What aren't you tellin' me, Carmen?" My stomach started to churn and cramp as I feared the worst. "Come on, just like when I was a kid. Like a band-aid, remember?" I tensed my jaw on reflex, steadying myself for the coming news.
"Doc Garrett says he doesn't have much time."
And just like that, she ripped the air from my lungs. I ran my hands over my face, replaying her words over in my head.
"Nothing needs to change, Edward. He wouldn't want anything to be different." She reached over and squeezed my arm.
"How can it not be?" I implored.
"Because he doesn't know any different." Carmen smiled sadly, tilting her head. "He still smiles when he gets up in the morning. He believes he sits with your grandma during the day, and in his head, he still gets to see his son as well as his grandson." I stared up at the ceiling and wiped at my eyes before the tears fell. It didn't seem right. Aro was the only family I had left.
"Still, I should have been here, come by more often," I said regretfully.
"You shouldn't feel guilty, twice a week is plenty. We both know he doesn't remember how often you're here anyway. Don't change your life for this now, Edward. I won't let you. Your grandfather would hate it."
Carmen was right. Aro would despise knowing that I was doing nothing but sitting by his side waiting for the inevitable to happen, but it was just a few months.
"I should—"
"I won't have it," she argued, interrupting me. "You've entrusted me to know what's good for Aro, and you sitting here, wallowing in grief before he's even gone, is not going to do your grandfather any good, Edward Masen."
I laughed. "You sound so much like my momma used to when you scold me like that." I stood up and kissed her forehead. "Thank you." Carmen always had a way of putting things in perspective.
"I'm not old enough to be your momma," she grumbled, walking over to the sink and rinsing out our glasses. "And you're welcome."
I smiled as I walked back into the sunroom and sat down next to Aro. For the next hour, I read aloud from his worn copy of Tom Sawyer, his eyes staring unfocused out at the trees in the yard and his smile never faltering. I took a moment to study his profile. He almost looked like the same man I'd watched growing up. The lines on his forehead were a little deeper, his hair had whitened with age, his lips had become thinner, and his nose seemed more pronounced as his cheeks had hollowed.
Time had evaded us all, but it had stolen something richer from my grandfather.
I continued to read until the familiar sound of Aro's heavy breathing and sleepy murmurs reached my ears.
"Sleep well, old man," I whispered, closing the book and placing it on the end table, kissing his forehead again before I left.
Carmen was standing out on the porch, holding her face up to the sun, enjoying the heat. "He asleep?" she asked without opening her eyes.
"Yeah."
"See you Monday?"
"Not sure what day it'll be yet—next week looks busy. But I'll be here," I assured her.
"Good," she said, a self-assured grin across her face, satisfied no doubt that my world was still going to spin despite her news about Aro. "See you then."
"Not so fast," I laughed, taking the steps back down to my truck. "I'm comin' back up to fix that damned step."
"Leave it," she called back, waving her hand dismissively.
"Like that's gonna happen." I grabbed what I needed out of my tool box and ran back up, taking the steps two at a time. "Come on, get outta the way," I teased, and she laughed as she relented, letting me get to work.
~oOo~
"Come on, Edward, it's the weekend," Alice griped. "Lose the serious, pensive face."
"Ally," Emmett warned in a low voice. He knew I'd been to see Aro.
"Nah, it's okay, Em. She's right." I shielded my eyes from the sun and squinted at Alice from across the water. "Sorry, Alice. It's just kinda been a long week."
"All the more reason to kick back and watch the world go by." She dipped her arm into the lake and flicked her hand in my direction, splashing water everywhere.
"Hey!" Bella yelled. "That got me, Alice." The two girls bickered playfully back and forth as Emmett and I continued to row our boats further out onto the lake.
Bella reclined back into the stern, lifting her legs and resting her feet carefully on the bench between my thighs. I watched as she wiggled her toes, letting my eyes follow the line of her bare legs. She looked happy as her fingers grazed the surface of the lake—far happier than the last time the two of us had made the same journey in the small boat.
"You two be careful with my girls," Charlie yelled from the bow of the Bella-Marie as he set up his fishing gear.
"Just you be careful with my wife, Chief," Emmett shouted back, cupping his hands over his mouth and wedging the oars to the side of the boat with his knees, rocking it in the process. Bella laughed as Alice's eyes opened wide in momentary terror, before chiding her brother. She hated being stuck in the boat with Emmett, but Jasper was sifting through receipts from the bar, ready for an appointment with his accountant on Monday, while Rosalie graded papers. Both were keeping Charlie company up on his boat.
It was the first time we'd all been out on the lake since Bella's return, and although we'd usually all be on the Bella-Marie, Alice and Bella had wanted to go out in the smaller row boats. We all knew Emmett would do just about anything to keep Alice happy, and for some reason, I had felt compelled to do the same for Bella.
I kept an easy pace through the water, taking my time. We weren't in any rush; we had all day.
"I love this," Bella said, closing her eyes, and lifting her arms up, tucking them behind her head. I watched as her top rode up, resting just above the button on her shorts. Her sun-browned, honeyed skin looked perfectly soft, and I watched, lost in the motion of her stomach rising and falling with each breath she took.
"Edward?" Bella laughed as my eyes snapped to hers. "Are you even listening?" she asked, amusement coloring her tone.
"Sorry I was miles away," I replied, hoping that my staring had gone unnoticed.
"I said, do you want to talk about it?"
Did I? Although Emmett may have known about my day at Aro's on Wednesday, he didn't know about the changes in his health. It would be nice to talk to someone impartial, someone like Bella, who didn't have the same familiar, current connection to Aro as the others did. But I knew that Bella was dealing with her own issues—she didn't need to hear about mine to boot.
She was looking at me expectantly, and I considered telling her for a moment before shaking my head.
"Sure, I understand." Bella sat up, shifting to straddle her bench and stare out at Alice and Emmett. "It's personal and we're not…" she trailed off, waving her hand between us.
"We're not what?" I asked, lifting the oars and allowing the boat to ghost through the water so I could focus on Bella.
"Well, you know," she mumbled, avoiding looking at me. "I just thought…" Bella shrugged and her bare shoulders dropped in defeat. I watched as the string tie from her top swayed between her shoulder blades and the sun shimmered off her lightly oiled back.
I didn't know, but I was pretty sure I could guess what she meant.
"Bella…" I wasn't sure exactly what to say.
"Two weeks ago," she hesitated, casting a brief, unsure glance in my direction before looking back out at Emmett and Alice, "someone told me you still have your friends. They led me to believe that when times are hard they can catch you, or at least provide an ear or a shoulder for support."
I swallowed thickly, remembering our conversation in front of the fireflies on Charlie's porch.
The boat rocked as Bella slipped off her sandals and lifted her legs over the side, letting her toes dip in the water. I lowered the oars, providing a little extra balance, and saw a smile spread slowly across her face in appreciation as she closed her eyes.
"I know we're not—" she stopped abruptly and sighed. "Not like Emmett or Jasper, or even Rose, but I can listen, Edward. Maybe it'll help a little," she offered.
"Bella, it's not that," I rushed to explain. "Of course we are." I could hear the doubt in her voice, could hear her questioning her self-worth again. All I was trying to do was keep her from having to deal with any more problems, and instead I was making things worse. "I know you're already dealing with—" I stopped as she inhaled sharply.
"Please? It's selfish, I know, but it'd be refreshing to think about something else for a change." The optimism in her voice was unbearable. Although I couldn't argue with her logic, my grandfather was dying; there was no way that news would be 'refreshing'—even with the emotional turmoil Bella had been through in the last few months.
I sighed. Maybe we could both be a little selfish today.
"Do you remember Aro?"
Bella nodded, leaning forward on her legs and wrapping her arms under her thighs. I shifted my body backward, counterbalancing my weight to hers, allowing the small boat to rock and dip in harmony. Being with Bella was becoming so easy. Her deep brown eyes pooled like warm maple syrup as she watched me intently, and the gentle wind blowing across the surface of the lake stirred the loose hair around her face.
She was no longer the girl I'd teased and taunted in school. The Bella sitting here in our boat—broken and fighting to find herself—harbored a vulnerable sweetness that I was slowly becoming enamored by.
"He's sick," I said, watching as she bit her lip in trepidation. Needing to focus on something else while I spoke, I sank the oars beneath the glassy reflection of the lake and indicated to Bella that I was going to start moving us. She unfolded her body, leaving her legs over the side, but reaching back and gripping the edge of the boat behind her.
"Sick?" she murmured before lapsing into quiet contemplation. I let Bella have a moment, trying to decide how much I was going to tell her. She was no stranger to sickness herself, and the last thing I wanted was to dredge up heartbreaking memories from her own past. I knew it was hard for Charlie; it would be no different for her.
"How sick is he?" Bella asked, squinting at me as I turned the boat through the water and the sun hit her face.
"Sorry," I said, quickly trying to maneuver us so the sun was to the side.
"It's fine," she replied quietly. "I like the warmth." But as she spoke, her voice was flat and filtered with the sorrow I was hoping to avoid. There was no warmth there, only the absence of it.
"Maybe we should talk about something else," I hedged. I wasn't so selfish that I would deliberately force her to suffer. I could see the shift in Bella's demeanor as her shoulders become stiff and her jaw set in determination. She was going to be stubborn, just like I knew her father could be.
"Are we friends or not?" she said curtly.
"Bella." Her name sounded faint, and I shook my head as I laughed quietly. I was right, and just like Charlie, there was no beating around the bush. "I already said we are."
"Okay then." She nodded her head, happy with my answer, and obviously happier knowing that she would finally get hers. "So, how sick is he?" she repeated.
That was all it took and I didn't hold back. I told Bella everything that had happened over the last eight years since Aro's official diagnosis. The difficulties I'd faced during my senior year, my decision to stay in Masen and work as an apprentice instead of going off to college, and the continual strain of not knowing what to expect whenever I was with my grandfather.
Bella listened quietly, allowing me to share my burden without interruption. Still holding onto the oars, but leaning forward—my elbows digging into my knees—I explained how, for a long and weary time, Aro's health had balanced on a knife's edge, and from one day to the next, the people around him never knew how much he would remember of his own life.
It was with a sense of unease that I finally revealed what I had learned earlier in the week. That death had a plan for my grandfather, and he wouldn't be with us much longer.
I allowed the stillness of the lake to settle over us; only Emmett and Alice's tomfoolery filtered through the air. It was Bella who spoke first, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Edward." Her voice was pained. "All this time?" She struggled with what she was trying to say. "You've kept this to yourself all this time?"
I leaned back, pulling the oars slowly through the water as I moved, turning my head to focus on their movement. Had I? Not really. Everyone in town knew Aro wasn't well, and Charlie had been more than supportive, in his own way, given his own memories. But at the same time, I always went to see my grandfather alone. The journey down the long drive was always lonely, knowing what awaited me at the end of it.
"In a way, I guess," I reasoned. "But he's my family, and I'm all he has." I smiled sadly at Bella, knowing that soon enough, he'd be gone, and although I'd still have my friends, a large part of me would be missing.
"That may be true," Bella agreed, "but he's not all you have." My smile widened as she voiced my own thoughts. "I could go with you."
"Huh?" I faltered for a moment, almost losing the oars. I wasn't sure I'd heard her right.
"To see your grandfather. You know, so you aren't alone?" she offered, her warm eyes sparkling as the sun's rays reflected off the lake's surface.
"I'd really like that," I said sincerely, meeting her eyes. "Thank you."
She afforded me a smile so radiant that it made my own face hurt as I smiled in return. It wasn't that Rose and Alice hadn't offered before; but there was something about the way Bella had asked, leaving herself open and exposed, and I wasn't about to reject her.
"Great, just let me know when," she enthused. "I can't wait to say hi." Bella relaxed back into the boat again, and the anxiety and pain I'd felt earlier evaporated swiftly as she began humming a tune I didn't recognize.
I rowed us closer to Emmett and Alice, their bickering getting louder as we approached.
"I ain't sittin' in here with you any longer," Emmett goaded his sister.
"You sit your ass back down, Emmett McCarty!" Alice glowered at him as he stood up, rocking the boat he was in.
"Don't you tell me what to do, woman!" he gibed back as he began to straddle the two row boats.
Bella shrieked, trying to sit upright, but not quite quickly enough to unhook her legs from the side of the boat. "Don't you dare! Get your foot out, Emmett. You're gonna tip us both!"
"Come on man, she's right," I tried to reason, doing my best to steady Bella's and my boat with our oars.
"Shut up, dude, you're bein' such a girl," Emmett quibbled as he wobbled with his arms outstretched.
As Emmett shifted his weight from one foot to the other, Bella attempted to shuffle backward to make some room. At the same time, Alice also moved, trying to stop her own boat from spinning away from ours, while Emmett lunged desperately for the side closest to me, his foot catching on the boat he was trying to exit.
"What the hell are you boys doin'?" Charlie's voice rang out across the lake amid shrieks and guffaws. But it was too late, the damage was done.
Emmett hit the water first, followed by his sister, and I watched helplessly while Bella slid of her bench and into the water behind Alice, as both boats tipped, taking on water. I heard Charlie laughing from his anchored position a few yards away, and I pulled the oars into the safety of the boat before reaching out a hand to haul Bella back into the craft.
"That better not be a smile on your face, Masen," she spluttered, treading water, and glaring at me.
"Wouldn't dream of it," I replied, covering my mouth with my free hand to hide my smirk. Before I could stop him, Emmett reached for my extended arm and yanked me from the boat, submerging me a few feet from Bella. "You happy now?" I asked with a grin, as I came up for air.
"I'd be happier if I was dressed for it, but the water's nice and cool." She smiled playfully, splashing me as she spoke. I splashed her back, enjoying the fact that Bella was smiling more and more frequently, and for the next twenty minutes the four of us soaked each other in our attempts to get back into our boats.
"I can't," Alice finally gasped. "My arms…too weak…" she trailed off, pulling herself up awkwardly into Bella's and my boat.
"Ally, that's the wrong boat," Bella said, swimming over to her.
"No way," Alice replied, lounging back on the bench, draping an exaggerated arm over her forehead in mock exhaustion. "You row back with him. I've had enough," she laughed.
"Come on, Baby Bell," Emmett whooped, pushing me under the water in an effort to get to Bella. By the time I resurfaced, Emmett had his arm hooked around Bella's waist and was swimming an awkward one armed backstroke to his own boat.
"Emmett!" Bella laughed. "Let me go." Her wriggling was useless, and as Emmett lifted Bella into the boat, without effort, Alice offered me her hand. I smiled, and raised an eyebrow, mockingly questioning the futility of her gesture, as she shrugged and withdraw her arm.
"Thanks anyway," I said as I drew myself out of the water. Charlie signaled that he was heading back to the dock, and I waved back, showing we would follow.
Alice and I sat in a comfortable silence, and it wasn't long before the sun began to dry the beads of water off our skin. Bella's laughter sounded from the short distance between us and Alice smiled.
"She's so different," Alice marveled. "It's like she never left, but at the same time, she's grown so much. But you've already noticed that, haven't you Eddie?" I did know what she meant, though there was a teasing tone to her voice that I didn't quite understand.
"Bella does seem happier, though, you'd know that better than anyone." After all, Alice and Bella had been friends since they were little.
"You looked like you had a pretty good idea last weekend." Alice picked at the hem of her shorts, a little too casually.
"Last weekend?" I asked, not sure what she was getting at.
"The ferris wheel, Edward," she said, almost sounding frustrated, and I laughed.
"She was terrified, Alice, that's all," I reasoned.
"That's not what it looked like from my car," she teased. I pulled back hard on the oars, satisfied with the way our boat coasted through the water swiftly. My eyes sought out Bella, as my mind cast back to the events of the town fair a week ago.
Her panic and the way she rambled, spilling her secrets—and Alice's. Her plea for a distraction and the feel of her hair under my hand. The need I felt to protect her and soothe her fears. The way her eyes searched mine and the warmth of her breath on my jaw.
Those were the things I had a good idea about, I just didn't know why I was only noticing them now.
I felt my forehead pinch as I thought about what it might mean. Bella was unavailable to me. Even though she was separated, she was still married on paper, and emotionally she was still healing. Alice's laughter drew my attention back to her.
"Oh, Eddie," she sighed. "Don't hurt yourself. I see you thinking hard over there; just let what happens, happen." She laughed again sweetly, though obviously at my expense. Changing the subject, I looked back across at Emmett.
"What did you say to get him all riled up, anyway?"
"Jasper and I were playin' pool late at the bar last night," she said, averting my eyes.
"And…?" I probed.
"Let's just say, Emmett's probably gonna think twice before rackin' 'em up next time." At least she had the good grace to wince.
~oOo~
Before we'd left the lake, Jasper had gotten a call to say that he'd be short at the bar tonight. I knew Whitlock's inside and out and I'd offered to help without a second thought. I usually pitched in when it was busy anyway, so with the live band playing tonight, I'd probably end up behind the bar at some point.
I'd been right, it was busy. For the first hour after the doors opened, the bar was stacked two deep, helped by the fact that people had driven from Kimble and Gillespie Counties for the band.
Emmett had brought the girls, and Jasper had reserved the big booth near the bar for them. It hadn't escaped my attention that Emmett was staying clear of the pool tables.
"Hey, Eddie, I'm outta bourbon. Can you cover me while I run down to the cellar?" Lottie shouted over the music from her end of the bar.
"Sure thing." I winked over my shoulder, as she slipped through the door, and turned back to continue mixing drinks for the group at the bar. Lottie—Charlotte Milton—had worked at Whitlock's for a little over a year. She was new to town, growing up in Austin, and her father owned a chain of bars and restaurants, but she didn't want success based on nepotism. Lottie was happy to work her way from the bottom to the top, and that's exactly what she was doing.
She was easy on the eyes, with legs as far as you could see, thick blonde hair that hung in waves down her back, and sun kissed skin. But Lottie tolerated none of the usual teasing from the regulars, holding her own and taking it all in her stride. She kept the customers happy, the glasses full, and her register balanced at the end of the night. She was good for business, and Jasper knew it.
"You seen Lottie?" Jasper yelled as he rounded the bar.
"Cellar," I called back. Just as Jasper opened the door, Lottie reappeared carrying two bottles of bourbon and a bottle of gin.
"Hey, boss." She smiled at Jasper as she stowed the bottles with the others behind the bar.
"How you doin', darlin'?" Jasper drawled. He knew as well as I did that Lottie was doing just fine, but with the bar full of more than just his regulars, he liked to keep a check on things.
"You worry too much, Jas. You're startin' to sound just like my daddy," Lottie teased, and I laughed as Jasper grimaced.
"Thanks, I just don't hear that often enough," he deadpanned.
"Right, so get out from under my feet." Lottie swatted him on the ass as she ushered him toward the booth that held Alice and the others. For the next forty minutes we worked together, getting through the patrons lining the bar. I poured liquor while she collected empties, then while she filled the ice buckets, I wiped down the bar and swept up the broken glass by the pool tables.
The band was good, putting their own twist on some country classics and covering newer and alternative tracks too. I watched as Alice and Rose pulled Bella up to dance, the three of them twirling and twisting through the crowd and kicking up their heels to the music. Bella's head fell back as she laughed and Rose pulled her forward before spinning her back out toward Alice. I lost them in the crowd but knew they were having a good time.
Checking the clock, I saw that Lottie and I only had twenty-five more minutes before Peter and Claire arrived. Jasper had pulled them from their usual midweek shift to help out tonight. Not that it would make a difference to Lottie—she'd just sit at the end of the bar and watch Peter all night anyway, waiting for the day he pulled his head out of his ass and asked her out. She wasn't for being manhandled but she was nothing if not traditional.
"Gimme a beer, and a shot of anything from the back."
"Burton," I acknowledged my old classmate as he slumped down onto a stool at the bar. "Always a pleasure," I murmured under my breath.
"Just get me my damn drinks, Masen, don't be smart," he bit back. I pulled a longneck from the fridge and twisted the cap off before putting it down in front of him. Grabbing a glass, I poured a shot of whiskey and slid it next to his bottle. He handed me a twenty and I turned to get his change.
"Hey, Edward!" Bella's voice called out over the sound of the music, and I smiled before turning around, handing Burton his money. "You nearly done?" she questioned as my eyes met hers.
"Gimme about twenty minutes," I replied, grabbing another longneck from the fridge and passing it to her.
"Keep 'em comin', Masen," Burton ordered as he raised his bottle to his mouth. Bella glared at him and then glanced back at me.
"Swan." He nodded in her direction, leering at her from head to toe, and I felt my face twist into a scowl.
"Burton," Bella mocked as she rolled her eyes in my direction. I laughed, loving the fact that she wasn't intimidated by him.
"I see you're here all by yourself tonight," he sneered, downing his shot.
"Nope. I'm here with Edward," Bella smile at me and winked, "and the rest of my friends. You on the other hand, are here alone," she said, pointedly sweeping her hand out in front of her before taking a long pull from her bottle. "No Lauren tonight?"
"Someone's gotta stay at home with the kids," he deadpanned. It was no secret that he had only married Lauren because he'd knocked her up. "But you wouldn't know anything about that now, would you?" Bella's smile faltered, and I could see he'd hit a nerve. Jacob's broken promise sprung to mind, and I knew it would be brought to the surface of Bella's.
"Back off, James." I glowered at him, and grabbed two more beers, handing them off to Bella. "Why don't you take these to Emmett and Jas?" I asked gently over the din of the bar, brushing the back of her hand as I did.
"Sure," she said with a thankful smile, licking her lips before disappearing from view.
"Fuck, Masen. Is Black's side of the bed even cold yet?" James goaded, chugging his beer back, making me want to shove the bottle right down his throat.
"What did you say?" I dared him to repeat it.
"Is she still nice and tight? Christ, after twins, Lauren just don't feel like she used to, know what I mean?" He motioned with his hands and his hips, and I felt my blood boil at the crude way he spoke about both women.
"Get the hell outta my bar, Burton!" Jasper's voice sounded over the music as he appeared behind James. "I mean it. Right now." Emmett pushed through the crowd and, grabbing James' elbow, began to maneuver him toward the door.
Jasper leaned over the bar, staring at me intently. "You okay, man?" I nodded, taking a deep breath. "That can't have been easy to hear."
"Not especially. I now know more about Lauren than I ever needed, or wanted, to know." I exaggerated a shudder through my body to emphasize my point.
"That's not exactly what I meant," Jasper said as he raised an eyebrow at me.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I didn't think so, but you heard it too, right? So, what's the difference?"
"Seriously? Are you that oblivious?" Jasper swept a hand through his hair as he shook his head at me.
"What?" I shrugged my shoulders and raised my hands, really not having any idea what he was talking about.
"Whatever you say, man."
No sooner had Jasper joined Alice on the dance floor—causing Emmett to head for the sanctity of the booth—Rose appeared at the bar.
"Don't think I don't see you watching her, Edward." She smiled at me before her eyes drifted back across the dance floor.
"I don't know what you're talkin' about, Rose. Watchin' who?"
What was up with people tonight?
"Bella. Who else?"
"I promised Charlie, that's all." I had right? I cast my mind all the way back to when I had first seen Bella rocking up on her balcony. Yeah, I was pretty sure that during that time I must have given Charlie some indication that I would look out for her. "Yeah, I'm just lookin' out for her," I reaffirmed aloud.
"Uh huh, sure," she replied, dragging out the words before she drained the last of her beer. She placed the bottle on the bar and I cleared her empty. "But you know what's funny?" she asked, trying not to smirk.
"No," I sighed. "But I'm sure you're just dyin' to tell me." I shook my head and laughed, waiting to hear what she had to say.
"You didn't seem so intent on 'looking out for her' until last weekend." Impressively, she winked and hitched an eyebrow at me before slipping through the crowd, heading back to Emmett and leaving me even more baffled. Why couldn't any of them just say what they meant?
A/N: Thanks for reading. I'll tweet with any updates or links, but in the meantime, teasers in the usual places this week.
Mojo Music: Perfect Day by Lady Antebellum; Heartache Tonight by Michael Bublé; Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy by Big & Rich.
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