Chapter 7

My mind was reeling at the thought that Drew could be Victoria. It made perfect sense. She could’ve gotten Bella’s new cell number from Tommy. Drew could’ve easily slipped that gift under the tree when Tommy wasn’t looking. If Drew was Victoria, that would explain the animosity she constantly displayed around Bella. I just wondered how serious Tommy was about his feelings for her.

Bella gently kissed my temple trying to get my attention. “Edward, please tell me what’s wrong.”

I shook my head slightly to clear it. “Just thinking, love. Hey, Tommy, how serious are you and Drew?”

Tommy looked at me skeptically. “We’ve only been going out for about a month, but I really like her. I wouldn’t say that I love her. It’s still too early for that. I think what we have could develop into something serious. What’s on your mind, Edward?”

“Nothing. I was just curious. You already know that Bella and I will be heading to Forks on Monday for a few days. Do you think we could spend some time with the two of you? We would love the chance to get to know Drew better.” Bella smiled sweetly at me and squeezed my hand.

Tommy’s face lit up. “That would be awesome. Bella, you know how important it is to me that you and Drew like each other. Your opinion means more to me than Dad’s. I’ll call Drew and set up a few things for us to do while you’re in town.”

Tommy hurried out of the room and shut the door behind him. Bella turned my face to look at her. “Thank you so much for talking to him about that. I know how bad he wants us to try and get to know Drew.”

“Bella, have you ever considered the possibility that Drew is actually Victoria?” Bella shook her head. “That would explain her behavior at dinner that night. If she were Victoria and using Tommy to get to you, then she would definitely flinch anytime he would touch her and look at you with utter disgust.”

Bella’s eyes opened wide and she gasped. “I never thought of that, Edward. How do we tell Tommy?”

“I don’t think we can right now. Let’s stick with the plan to get to know her better. Maybe we can tear down her defenses and figure out who she really is.” I lay next to Bella and pulled her close to me.

“I wonder if Mark will have Drew’s background check done tomorrow? That could help a lot. Remind me to ask Dad about that in the morning.”

“No problem, love.” I rolled on top of Bella and started peppering her face with light kisses. I finally made my way to her lips and molded mine to hers. Bella licked my bottom lip, and I quickly deepened the kiss. Our tongues danced together so perfectly. We rolled over, and she was on top of me now. I broke away from the kiss to catch my breath. Bella continued to kiss down my neck and gently bit down where my shoulder met my neck. I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped my lips. I felt her smile on my skin. This woman was driving me crazy.

“You’ve been such a good boy, I think you’ve earned a special Christmas present,” she teased as she continued to assault my neck with kisses.

“I like special presents,” I purred.

Bella continued to assault my chest with open-mouthed kisses, working her way down my body. She darted her tongue out occasionally, paying special attention to my abs. She slowly unbuttoned my jeans and lowered the zipper one tooth at a time. The slow torture was driving me crazy. She finally pulled my jeans and boxers from my body, leaving me completely bare.

Bella dragged her tongue up my left leg and nibbled my thigh before dragging her tongue up the length of my erection. I was shocked by her actions. “Bella, you don’t have to do this.”

“Edward, I want to, so please shut your mouth and enjoy it,” she ordered. I loved it when Bella took charge.

Bella slowly ran her tongue around the tip, licking up what had already formed there. “Mmm. You taste divine.” She quickly took my entire length into her hot mouth. I dropped my head back onto the pillows and let out a low moan. The feeling of her mouth around me was indescribable. I was quickly losing control as she bobbed her head up and down. I almost lost it when I hit the back of her throat. She didn’t flinch or gag. I had to grab the sheets to keep from grabbing her head like a Neanderthal.

I was lost in utter bliss when she started massaging my balls as she continued to take me in and out of her mouth. I knew I wouldn’t be able to last much longer. “Bella,” I said breathlessly.

“Hmm?” she responded. The vibrations drove me crazy, and I bucked my hips, driving me deeper into her mouth. She still didn’t gag. “I…can’t hold…out…much longer. If you…don’t stop…I won’t be…able to stop…before you…can…oh God…pull away.” I was panting as I talked.

Bella attacked me with renewed vigor. Was she going to do what I was thinking? I thought most girls hated for a guy to finish in her mouth and swallow. Bella was relentless with her ministrations. I couldn’t hold back any longer. She took me all the way into her mouth, and I exploded when I hit the back of her throat again. I was chanting her name over and over while I fisted the sheets. She swallowed every drop I gave her and licked me clean when I was done. She was amazing.

Bella looked up at me, unsure of herself once she was done. I smiled sweetly at her and gently caressed her cheek. “Merry Christmas,” she said sheepishly.

“You have no idea, love. I never expected that kind of Christmas gift. Bella, you were amazing.”

Bella blushed and curled up next to me, and I kissed her lips reverently. “I love you, Edward,” Bella said, yawning.

“I love you too, Bella.” I kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to me. I slid my hands down her body to hip and started to work my way inside her panties when she grabbed my hand and brought it to her mouth. She placed a few kisses on my knuckles. “Edward, this was your gift. Honestly, I don’t think I have the energy to do anything but sleep,” she chuckled.

“Are you sure?” She nodded her head and yawned again. I kissed the top of her head again. “Sleep well, love.” We drifted to sleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

I only slept a few hours that night. I kept having dreams of Bella and me walking into her father’s house and finding Drew stabbing Tommy repeatedly. Once she would realize we were in the house Drew would attack Bella and stab her in the heart before I could stop her. Every time the knife would pierce Bella’s skin, I woke up. After three attempts at sleep I gave up and held Bella tight the rest of the night.

Bella was starting to stir when there was a light knock on the door. I got out of bed, careful not to disturb her, and quickly put on a pair of boxers. I was surprised to see Charlie waiting when I opened the door.

“Sorry to wake you, Edward,” Charlie said, nervously.

“You didn’t wake me, Charlie. Is something wrong?”

“Mark called. Is Bella awake?”

“She was starting to stir before you knocked. Give us about twenty minutes. We’ll meet you in Carlisle’s office.”

“Sure thing.” Charlie looked relieved as he walked away. Was he afraid he had interrupted something? I chuckled at the thought as I closed the door.

I carefully situated myself on top of Bella and started placing butterfly kisses on her face. Her arm snaked around my neck, and she pulled me to her lips. We kissed for a few minutes before I pulled back.

“Morning, love.”

“Mmm. It’s definitely a good morning when I wake up to this.” She ran her hands down my side, grabbed my boxers, and started to slide them over my hips.

“Bella, as much as I’d love to ravage your naked body this morning, we don’t have time. Your dad is waiting for us in Carlisle’s office. Mark called this morning and Charlie wants to talk to us about it.” I got up and headed to the closet to pick out clothes for the day. Bella let out a frustrated sigh and got dressed too.

“Edward, should we talk to Dad about the possibility that Drew is Victoria?” Bella asked as we walked towards Carlisle’s office.

“Let’s see what Mark found out first. I don’t want to upset Charlie and cause problems between him and Tommy if it isn’t necessary.”

Charlie was sitting in one of the chairs in front of Carlisle’s desk. He and Carlisle seemed to be having an intense conversation. I knocked on the door frame to alert them we were there. Charlie had a defeated look on his face.

“Come in, kids. I’ll leave you three alone to talk.” Carlisle shook Charlie’s hand and left us alone.

“So, what did Mark find out about Drew?” I decided to get right to the point.

“Honestly, he found nothing new. Drew Sinclair was born in San Diego April 24, 1990. Her parents are Tom and Judy. She has a sister named Carrie that is 22. She received a few traffic tickets in San Diego, but other than that she has been a model citizen.” Charlie shook his head and rubbed his chin in frustration. “Something just doesn’t feel right about this. I can’t put my finger on it, but I get a bad feeling about her.”

“Charlie, Bella and I both feel the same way. Last night Tommy found a gift that didn’t get opened from the ones you brought from Forks. The tag had Bella’s name on it. Inside was a note from Victoria and a black rose. After seeing the gift from Victoria, I started thinking and came to the conclusion that Drew could be Victoria. It makes complete sense. How could Victoria assume this identity of Drew Sinclair with such ease, though?”

Charlie sat quietly for a few minutes. He was obviously thinking over everything I hhad just told him. “It is very easy to assume another person’s identity. All you need is their name, date of birth, and social security number. Tommy is pretty serious about this girl. I think we need to be very careful how we handle this situation.”

“We’re going to Forks after my appointment with my therapist on Monday. We told Tommy last night that we want to spend some time with him and Drew so we could get to know her better. We’re hoping to catch her off guard and finally learn the truth. Even if she isn’t Victoria, something isn’t right about her. I don’t think she is who she claims to be.” Charlie liked our plan and agreed to do his part and try to get to know her better as well.

As we were leaving Carlisle’s office, Alice blocked the hall. The little pixie had her arms folded across her chest and was tapping her foot.

“Bella, when do we get to start shopping for your wedding dress? Have you even decided on a date for the wedding?”

“We haven’t had time to discuss possible dates. Alice, I don’t want anything elaborate. A simple ceremony with family and close friends will be my dream wedding.” Bella smiled sweetly while thinking about our wedding.

“Even if you have a simple wedding, you have to have the perfect dress,” Alice whined.

“Alice, I promise you will be the first person I call when I’m ready to look for the perfect dress. I couldn’t trust anyone else to help me make such an important decision.” Bella was so good at appeasing Alice.

The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out with our families. The girls spent a lot of time discussing wedding plans. Alice wasn’t happy that Bella wanted a small wedding in our meadow. Mom reined Alice in quickly. She promised Alice that she could have the wedding of her dreams when the time came. Alice reluctantly agreed to not pressure Bella into a huge wedding. Bella asked Alice and Rose to be her bridesmaids. Since she was only having two bridesmaids, Bella decided not to choose a maid of honor. She felt that she couldn’t choose between Alice and Rose. Of course, both of them squealed with delight at Bella’s decision.

My nightmares continued during the weekend. I kept having the same dream of Drew killing Tommy and coming after Bella. I always woke up as the knife penetrated Bella’s skin. Luckily I hadn’t screamed in my sleep. The last thing I wanted to do was wake her up.

I never thought I would be so happy to wake up on a Monday morning. I was anxious to get through my appointment with Dr. Young and get to Forks. I was more than ready to start figuring out everything I could about Drew.

Bella was talking with Leah when Dr. Young opened the door to her office to let me in.

“Edward, did you have a good Christmas?”

“It was a wonderful Christmas. Bella and I talked a lot about our pasts. I haven’t had a nightmare about my parents’ accident since we talked about it.”

Dr. Young wrote a few notes then looked at me confused. “You are obviously still having nightmares. Would you like to tell me about them?”

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I didn’t like talking about this particular dream. It hurt too much to think about Bella dying. After a few minutes I took a deep breath and told her everything about the latest nightmare. She wrote a lot of notes while I talked. When I was finished, she looked at me sympathetically.

“Edward, I think it is very important for you to get to know Drew. Do you still plan on spending the next few days in Forks?”

“Yes. We’re leaving for Forks when we’re done here. Bella and I both planned on spending a lot of time this week with Tommy and Drew. We decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Our issues with Drew are slowly tearing Tommy and Bella apart. I can’t let that happen. They are too important to each other.” I took a deep breath.

“I’m proud of you, Edward. You are thinking things through and making decisions like a responsible adult. I honestly don’t know if you have a reason to be so concerned about Drew. I think the fact that you don’t know Victoria or what she looks like makes you weary about Drew. These fears are obviously manifesting themselves in your dreams. This week I want you to continue to open up to Bella about your past and fears. Let her help you through your problems. She loves you and would do anything for you. Get to know Drew this week and see if it helps ease your worries about her.”

Dr. Young escorted me out of her office and had Leah confirm my appointment for Monday next week. Bella talked with the ladies for a few moments before we left for Forks.

Tommy and Drew were watching a movie at the house when we finally made it to Bella’s house. Bella sat in Charlie’s recliner while I took our bags to her room. I came back down to find Drew and Bella laughing and Tommy beet red. I was surprised to see Bella and Drew actually getting along.

“What did I miss?”

“Bella was just filling me in on a few embarrassing Tommy stories. I think I’m going to like Tommy having a sister that can fill me in on all the little things he refuses to tell me.”

Drew’s demeanor was different from that first night at dinner. She was actually open and not defensive to every action and word from us. She and Bella were laughing and having a good time. Maybe we were all wrong about Drew. Maybe she was just freaked out meeting Bella for the first time. I’m sure Tommy built Bella up to Drew and made her worry about meeting her.

We spent the rest of the afternoon learning about Drew. She told us stories about her family. Her sister was as important to her as Bella was to Tommy. Apparently her parents traveled a lot for business. They were currently in London. They would be gone until March. Her sister, Carrie, was attending the University of Florence in Italy. She was all alone on Christmas. No wonder she was constantly on the phone to Tommy.

Bella and Drew headed to the kitchen and made dinner together. They laughed and carried on like old friends. I looked at Tommy, and he had the biggest smile on his face. I grinned at him and turned the TV on to ESPN. Tommy decided to help the ladies in the kitchen and left me alone in the living room.

Charlie came home about an hour later and sat next to me on the couch.

“Hello, Edward. Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes, it was fine.”

“So, I noticed that Bells is having a nice time in the kitchen with Drew and Tommy. Anything I need to know about that situation?”

“I honestly don’t know what to tell you. Drew is like a totally different person than the one we met the last time we were here. I don’t know if I totally buy her new attitude. We can’t meet her family and confirm anything she told us today. Conveniently her parents are in London until March, and her sister is going to school in Italy. Give me a few more days to work this out some more.”

Charlie agreed to give me a few more days to figure Drew out. We enjoyed a nice dinner. The food was great, and the conversation never stalled. Bella and Tommy kept us entertained with stories about their mother. I was surprised that Charlie didn’t seem uncomfortable talking about Renee. They obviously had a civil separation. Drew stayed a few hours after dinner. Before she left, we made plans to meet for dinner the next night.

Tommy and Charlie headed to bed after Drew left. Bella and I decided to stay up and watch a movie. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Bella put the popcorn in the microwave and get us some drinks. How did I get so lucky to end up with such a beautiful, intelligent, funny woman? She was everything I could’ve ever asked for in a woman. Bella smiled when she caught me staring at her.

“What is that goofy look and smile for?” she asked as she sat next to me.

“Just thinking how lucky I am to have such a wonderful fiancée.” I placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

We had decided to watch The Princess Bride. How could I resist watching such a classic? We snuggled up on the couch and hit play on the remote. I was surprised when the movie didn’t start. Instead of seeing Fred Savage sick in bed I saw a young girl walking through the halls of a school.

“What’s going on, Bella? Did you put the wrong movie in?” Bella sat there motionless for a few minutes. She was starting to worry me.

The scene changed several times. It was the same girl, but in different settings. It took me a few minutes to realize the girl was Bella. Someone obviously put a home movie in the wrong DVD case. I was enjoying seeing Bella as a child. She was beautiful even then. I turned to smile and Bella and was shocked to see tears in her eyes.

“What’s wrong, love?”

“I don’t know where this DVD came from. I was about eleven or twelve when this was taken. I don’t remember this.” Bella was shaking. I wrapped her in my arms and tried to comfort her.

I was surprised when we heard James’s voice on the video. “There is my darling Bella. You are such a lovely girl. You will always be my Bella.” My anger exploded at his words. Even in death he was taunting us. Victoria had to be the one to slip this video into Bella’s favorite movie. What was she up to?

Bella jumped up and practically ripped the DVD out of the player. She was headed to the kitchen to throw it away when I stopped her. I pulled her back into my arms.

“I’m sorry, love, but I think we need to hang on to this movie. Let’s give Detective Aro a call in the morning and see what he wants us to do with it.” I stroked Bella’s hair trying to comfort her.

“Edward, I’m scared. I have no idea who this Victoria is. She could be Drew or my next door neighbor. How do I keep my friends and family safe from her when I don’t know who she is?” Bella was starting to hyperventilate.

“Calm down, love. I promise to keep everyone safe. I won’t let this Victoria bitch anywhere near you, our family, or our friends. James didn’t get you, and I’ll be damned if Victoria gets as close as he did.”

Bella cried for a few more minutes before she finally calmed down. Neither of us were in the mood to sit through a movie after the first attempt. We headed up to bed. Bella held me tight and cried a little more before she finally drifted off to sleep. I wasn’t able to relax enough to sleep. I was afraid Victoria would pop out of the darkness and snatch Bella away while I was sleeping.

It was time for me to dig deeper into who James really was. There had to be some evidence of Victoria’s identity linked to James. Maybe she was a childhood friend, a distant relative, or she could’ve even been a girlfriend. I would call Carlisle’s private detective in the morning and get started on the search for Victoria.