Ch 4 -Outtake- Oral Lessons

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Outtake - Begging For Forgiveness

I had really screwed up this time. I never thought spying on the girls from Alice’s closet would make Rose this mad. I let the fact that I was hiding in the closet slip that night when I mentioned role playing with her.

“Rose, it would be so hot if we could role play.”

“What did you have in mind?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

“Teacher Rose was so fuckhot. I need to be taught a lesson by Ms. Hale.”

Rose cocked her head to the side and gave me a cold look. “Where the hell is this coming from? How would you know Teacher Rose is ‘fuckhot’?” She actually used finger quotes.

“Um…well, you see…I…I,”

“Emmett, just spit it out. What the hell?” Rose crossed her arms over her chest and started tapping her toe. Oh shit. She was pissed.

“I was hiding in the closet and saw Bella’s lesson today.” I closed my eyes and prepared for the wrath of Rose.

“EMMETT CULLEN! I can’t believe you were spying on us! Bella would die if she knew you saw all of that!” Rose started pacing the room.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t resist. I heard Bella ask Alice for help. I slipped into Alice’s closet when they left to wait for you. Rose, I wouldn’t have missed that for the world. It was priceless.” I was laughing before I finished my confession.

Rose’s eyes lit with anger. “I can’t even look at you right now. Does the sanctity of girl talk and Alice’s room mean nothing to you?”

“You know it does. I knew what was going to happen, and I couldn’t resist the urge to see it. I’ve never done anything like that before. I swear I’ll never do it again. Please, Rose, forgive me.” I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around her waist.

“Emmett, you screwed up big time with this stunt. It’s not going to be that easy to apologize. I need a few days to work this out.” She pulled my arms away from her and walked out of my room.

She’d been giving me the cold shoulder for the last few days. It was driving me crazy. I could understand her not letting me touch her, but she wouldn’t even talk to me. She would go straight to Alice when she came to the house. This had to stop.

It was a mere three days until Christmas, and I had to figure out the best way to apologize to Rose. Christmas would be unbearable if Rose was still mad at me. My apology would have to be huge. It would take a lot of groveling to earn her forgiveness.

Rose hated flowers, so a large bouquet of roses was out of the question. She thought they were a complete waste of money. I remembered the girls gushing over a new store called Edible Arrangements. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was, so I Googled that bitch. Apparently making “flower” arrangements out of fruit was the new thing. I clicked on the tab labeled “I Am Sorry” and couldn’t believe what I saw. Every arrangement looked like a bouquet of flowers. It was awesome. Rose loved strawberries, so I searched for the arrangement with the most strawberries. I decided on one called A Blooming Apology. The description read, “A large Blooming Daisies™ blooming with fresh strawberries, chocolate dipped pineapple daisies, cantaloupe and grapes accompanied by two ‘I'm Sorry’ balloons." It was amazing. Rose would love it. I quickly ordered it and paid extra for rush delivery, which guaranteed delivery by five today.

It would take more than a bouquet of fruit to break through Rose’s resolve. I grabbed my keys and made a quick trip to the mall. An apology of this caliber demanded jewelry. Rose liked her jewelry simple, yet elegant. She didn’t like huge, flashy pieces. I decided on a half carat diamond solitaire necklace.

I was waiting for the necklace to be gift wrapped when my phone rang. I had recently changed Rose’s ring tone to “Hot for Teacher” by Van Halen. That damn teacher fantasy wouldn’t leave my mind. I smiled hearing David Lee Roth singing. Hopefully Rose received her bouquet.

“Hi, Rose,” I pouted.

“Em, I can’t believe you remembered about the fruit bouquets.”

“Of course I did. I remember everything you say.”

“Can I come over?” she asked sheepishly.

“Anytime. You know you don’t have to ask. I’ll be home in about 30 minutes.” I heard her breathe a sigh of relief.

“I’ll be there.”

I couldn’t stop the huge smile that spread across my face. The bouquet had worked. I knew I wasn’t completely forgiven, but I was well on my way. I grabbed the wrapped necklace and sped the entire way home. I had to make this apology the best one ever.

I made it home with ten minutes to spare. I ran to my room and quickly changed, brushed my teeth, and cleaned up the dirty clothes from my floor. My heart leaped into my throat when I heard the door bell ring. I rushed down the stairs and threw the door open. Rose was standing in the door wearing a long trench coat and red high heels. Her hair was pulled up into a bun with a few loose strands framing her face. She looked amazing.

We didn’t say a word. She walked past me into the house, and I closed the door. I was afraid to say anything. I wouldn’t be able to not comment on how hot she looked, and I didn’t want to ruin the moment with my word vomit. I grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs and into my room. I closed the door and turned around to see her standing there with a mischievous look on her face.

“Rose, I’m really sor-” She placed her hand to my mouth to stop my apology.

“Emmett, you have been a very bad boy,” she teased. What the hell was going on?

Rose circled around me, dragging her hand across my body as she went. I shivered at her touch. These last two days without it had been torture. She pushed me down into a sitting position on my bed.

I placed my hands in my lap and looked up at Rose with complete confusion. Rose pulled a pair of red framed glasses from her pocket, put them on, then slowly untied the belt of her coat and let it drop to her feet. She was wearing a black tight skirt that came to her knees and a tight white blouse. Holy shit! Rose was going to play out my teacher fantasy.

“Mr. Cullen, do you know why you’ve been given detention today?”

“No, Ms. Hale,” I said timidly.

Rose shook her head, “That little stunt you pulled of spying on the girls in the locker room is unacceptable behavior in this school.”

I lowered my head in remorse. “I’m sorry, Ms. Hale. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Rose walked over to my desk and leaned against it, crossing her ankles. She was so damn sexy standing like that. I knew she could see the bulge in my pants growing. I looked up to find Rose smirking at me.

“Mr. Cullen, there are a few things you still have to learn. A simple ‘I’m sorry’ isn’t enough. A good apology must include ample amounts of groveling. Begging for forgiveness on your hands and knees is always acceptable. Gifts always help emphasize the fact that you are truly remorseful for your wrong-doing.”

Rose stared at me, waiting for my next move. I decided to take her advice. I’d already given her the gift of the apology bouquet. It was time to grovel. I dropped to my knees and slowly crawled over to her. I folded my hands in front of me like I was praying and began begging for forgiveness. “Ms. Hale, I should’ve never hidden in the girls’ locker room. Please, please forgive me for my lack of respect.” I batted my eyelashes and smirked at her.

Rose narrowed her eyes. “Mr. Cullen, I don’t think you’re truly sorry for your actions. That little smirk of yours tells me you think this is a game.”

Oh shit, I screwed up. I thought that simple apology would fix it and I could have my wicked way with Ms. Hale.

“An apology is just words when there is no feeling behind them,” she seethed. Rose pushed off the desk, walked to the bed, sat down, and crossed her legs. “Will you ever learn?” she sighed.

I had to fix this fast. If my words were coming out wrong, then I needed to show her how sorry I was. I crawled back to her on my hands and knees. I kept my head tucked down. Once I made it to the bed, I kissed her feet and slowly made my way up her legs, alternating kisses on each limb. She stopped me when I reached her knees.

“Mr. Cullen, what exactly do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m trying to show you what I’ve learned, Ms. Hale,” I said sincerely. “I know that I’ve already apologized. Now, I’m trying to grovel. I want you to know how truly sorry I am for spying. These last few days without you have been hell.” I started my ascent up her legs again.

“Mr. Cullen, it really isn’t appropriate for a student to touch a teacher this way,” she panted. I was slowly winning this little game.

“Ms. Hale, I think it is inappropriate for a teacher to make a student serve detention in his bedroom.” I slowly uncrossed her legs.

“I don’t think the classroom would be appropriate for this type of lesson,” she purred.

I pushed Rose back onto the bed and kissed my way up to her ear. “Ms. Hale, can I show what I’ve learned?” Rose’s breath hitched, and she slowly nodded her head in agreement.

I reached behind her and untied her shirt. Rose tugged at my shirt, and I grabbed her wrists. “Ms. Hale, this is my apology. Please let me do it my way.”

“By all means, Mr. Cullen, please show me what you’ve learned.” Rose placed her arms on the bed above her head and surrendered control to me.

“I’ve learned that my words are not enough because I’ve said I’m sorry and you still don’t believe me. I’ve groveled. Hell, I’ve begged on my hands and knees. I’ve given you a gift, and you still don’t believe that I’m truly sorry. It’s time to really show you.”

I started at her ear and kissed my way down her neck. As I left wet kisses along her neck and chest, I removed her shirt then her bra. I’d missed the sight of her naked body. I softly whispered my apology to Rose as I worked my way to her already hard nipple. Rose moaned when I laved her pert nipple with my tongue. I showed the same attention to both of her nipples.

“Ms. Hale, I’m truly sorry.” I sat up and removed her skirt and panties, leaving her wearing only her shoes and sexy glasses.

“Mr. Cullen, do I need to teach you the basics of sex education too?” she smirked.

“I paid attention in that class, ma’am. I assure you I received all A’s.”

“For such an astute student you seem to forget that we both need to be naked for this to work.”

I laughed. “Patience, Ms. Hale. I will remove my clothes soon enough. I’m not done apologizing for my pervy behavior.”

I waggled my eyebrows at her and kissed her inner thigh. It was time to finally apologize properly. I made myself comfortable between her legs and placed my tongue at her dripping entrance. She gasped. I took one long lick from her entrance to her swollen clit. “Mmm, Ms. Hale. You taste divine.”

I continued to lavish her clit with my tongue while I traced her opening with my finger. Ever so slowly I pushed one finger into her and earned a growl from her. That noise from her made my already hard dick throb. I added another finger and pumped in and out of her.

“Oh...Em, I’m…ungh,” Rose moaned.

I gently bit down on her clit while pumping her with my fingers. It was enough to send her over the edge. I lapped at her until she had finished riding out her orgasm.

I looked up at Rose from my position between her legs. “Rose, I can’t apologize enough for invading yours, Alice’s, and Bella’s privacy. I promise to never do it again.”

“Em, I forgive you. Now get your damn clothes off and fuck me!” I couldn’t stop the smile that appeared from her demand. Hells yeah!

I quickly shed my clothes and positioned myself on top of my naughty school teacher.

“Ms. Hale, are you ready to be taught a lesson?”

“Mr. Cullen, I’m always ready to learn,” she growled. She fucking growled again. That sound went straight to my cock and it twitched. “Looks like someone’s eager to show me a thing or two.”

“You have no idea, Ms. Hale.”

I didn’t take it slow. Rose wanted to get fucked, and I was willing to oblige. I slammed into her with all the power I possessed. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she let out a guttural moan. “Do you like it hard, Ms. Hale?”

“Oh god, yes! Hard and fast!” Oh yeah, naughty teacher was quickly becoming my favorite.

I continued to slam into Rose as hard and fast as I could. She lifted her hips and met my every thrust. She was so tight and wet that I wouldn’t last much longer.

“Em, I’m so close. Please, don’t stop.” I slipped my hand between us and worked my way down to where we were connected. I found her clit and gently pinched it between my thumb and forefinger.

“Emmett! Oh god! Yes! Right there!” With one more hard thrust, I came hard. My pulsing pushed her into her orgasm. We were coming together, and it was unbelievable.

She was panting as she came down from her high. “Mr. Cullen, you definitely deserved that A.”

“Thank you, Ms. Hale.” I quickly kissed her lips and got off the bed.

“Who said you were dismissed, Mr. Cullen?”

“Sorry, Ms. Hale, but I wasn’t quite done apologizing.” She looked at me, confused.

I dug through the bags on the floor next to my desk and pulled out the gift wrapped package from the jewelry store. I turned around and held the gift out to Rose.

“I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am, Rose. Please accept this final gift as part of my sincere apology.”

I sat next to her on the bed, and she took the gift. She ripped the wrapping off and gasped when she opened the box revealing the necklace inside. “Emmett, it’s beautiful. Thank you so much.”

I leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “So, what lesson do you think naughty Ms. Hale can teach me next?”

Begging for Forgiveness by Jennmc featuring Donna Karan

Chapter 6

Bella was restless the entire night after receiving Victoria’s text message. I tried my best to soothe her every time she would whimper. I would kiss her forehead, whisper my love and promises to keep her safe in her ear, and hum her song. She finally started to wake at eight. Her eyes weren’t as bright as they had been the last few weeks, and it killed me to see her lose that sparkle.

“Morning, love.” I placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

“Mmm. Morning,” she said, sleepily.

“You were restless last night. Want to tell me about it?” I sat up, pulled her into my lap, and stroked her hair.

“Every time I would finally drift into sleep I would see James with a shadowy figure. I couldn’t get a clear picture of the person he was with, but I could tell it was a woman. They would laugh and comment about finally getting rid of poor Bella and her nuisance Edward.” Bella sniffed and threw her arms around my neck.

“She will never touch you, Bella. I will keep you safe.”

I rocked her in my arms a few moments before Bella pulled back and looked at me. “Are you ready to tell me about your parents?”

I sighed. “I know we need to talk about my parents and the accident, but I really don’t want to ruin Christmas. Can we put that off until Friday? I want to enjoy Christmas with my fiancée and make some wonderful memories.”

She nodded her head in agreement and started to get ready for the day. I lay in bed a while longer thinking about my parents. Holidays were the times I always missed them the most. Elizabeth loved Christmas. Our house was always decorated from floor to ceiling. We would spend Christmas Eve delivering gifts to the children in the hospital and singing Christmas carols in the community room with them. It was always just Mom, Dad, and I on Christmas Day. They refused to let anyone or anything interrupt. Dad always turned his pager off and unplugged the phone that day.

Bella’s soft lips on mine brought me out of my memories. “I’m gonna head downstairs and help Esme with breakfast.”

“Okay, love. I’ll meet you down there when I’m done getting dressed.”

I took my time in the shower. I was exhausted from my restless night and let the hot water relax my tense muscles. I was also worried about talking to Bella about the accident that killed my parents. That accident was nothing compared to the hell she has lived through. Could she honestly understand why it upset me? Would she just roll her eyes and tell me to get over it? Surely my Bella wouldn’t react that way.

I had to stop thinking about it. I was getting tense again. I didn’t want to ruin Christmas by being moody. I took a few deep breaths before I turned off the water and finished getting ready for the day. I quickly hid my fears and anxiety behind my smile and headed to the kitchen.

I stopped in the doorway and marveled at the sight before me. Esme and Bella were side by side rolling out some kind of dough. They were laughing and talking animatedly. I loved seeing Bella this happy. I decided that I would do anything in my power to ensure she was always this happy.

I walked behind Bella and wrapped my arms around her waist. “What are you two laughing about, love?”

“I was telling Mom about some of my past Christmases. Tommy can be quite entertaining,” she giggled.

“I would love to hear some of the stories too.” I gently kissed the back of Bella’s neck. She shuddered and turned in my arms.

“I promise to share all of my memories with you, but right now Mom and I need to finish the cinnamon bread. If we don’t get it in the oven soon we’ll be having lunch instead of breakfast.”

“So, what are the plans for today?” I sat on a barstool and waited for an answer.

“You know that we normally just spend the day playing games and just being a family.” I nodded, and Esme continued. “Well, Bella has a few Christmas Eve traditions we will be starting as our own,” Esme said, smiling.

“What wonderful new traditions will our family be starting?”

Bella cleared her throat and looked up from her bread. “It is tradition in the Swan household to make homemade hot chocolate from Granny Swan’s special recipe, put it in a thermos, and drive around for about an hour looking at Christmas lights. We have a neighborhood in Forks that goes all out on decorations and lights for Christmas. It’s so much fun to see what everyone adds each year. Once we are done with that, we go home and open one gift. I buy one new Christmas movie every year. That’s the gift we open, and we spend the rest of the night watching that movie.”

“I’m so excited. We’ve never done anything special for Christmas Eve. I love starting new traditions.” Esme was beaming.

“That sounds great, Bella. What movie did you get this year?” I snatched a piece of dough and Bella swatted my hand.

“Keep your hands away from the bread. I can’t tell you what movie I bought. It wouldn’t be a surprise, but I promise that you will love it.”

Everyone else made their way to the kitchen. Bella filled my family in on our new tradition. They were excited and couldn’t wait until the sun set.

“It’s nice to see you bringing a little culture to your future family, Bells,” Charlie teased.

“I’m easing them into it, Pops. I figure the bloody fried chicken tradition can wait for another year,” she smirked.

Charlie’s face turned bright red. “There’s no need to be bringing that up,” he huffed.

“You can’t make a comment like that and leave us hanging. Spill, Swan,” Emmett insisted.

Charlie sighed. “Things were tough our first Christmas after Renee died. The kids missed her terribly, and Bella was in no condition to even appreciate Christmas. I decided to skip the holiday that year. We didn’t decorate, buy gifts, or follow any of our traditions. Christmas Day I attempted to make fried chicken. Please note that I am not a cook. Any attempts at cooking usually end with a visit from the fire department. Anyway, I worked hard in the kitchen for two hours working from my mom’s recipe. The chicken fried fast. I burnt every piece. It wasn’t too bad, so I decided to put it on the table and call the kids down to eat. They both grimaced when they saw the blackened pieces of chicken but graciously sat at the table anyway. We all filled our plates, and the kids watched for me to take the first bite. I picked up a chicken leg, inspected it, and took a big bite. I spit it out as fast as I closed my mouth. The outside was burnt to a crisp, but the inside was raw. The kids burst out laughing. Dinner was a disaster, but it was the first time the three of us laughed since they got home.”

Emmett was roaring with laughter. “Note to self, don’t ever eat any food cooked, and I use that term loosely, by Charlie.”

Bella was holding her sides and laughing hard. “You didn’t even tell them the best part, Dad.”

Charlie grumbled and continued the story. “Apparently I hadn’t turned the heat off under the frying pan, and somehow a fire started. I told you all my cooking attempts end with a visit from the fire department. The neighbors must’ve heard the smoke detector going off and called the fire department. They walked into the house and burst out in laughter when they saw me flustered and fanning the flames rather than smothering them. They showed me how to properly put out a grease fire and invited us to the firehouse for Christmas dinner. This is the first year since then that we won’t be joining the guys on Christmas Day to eat.”

“I’ll make sure and stop by and tell the guys hi and Merry Christmas when we get in town on Monday,” Bella said.

“They’d love to see ya, Bells. They are so proud of you for getting that scholarship and going to such a great school.”

We spent the day with my family telling stories of past Christmases. It was wonderful hearing Charlie and Tommy tell me all about Bella as a child. I wish I could’ve known her before the tragedy of losing her mother. I loved watching her listen to my family’s stories. She was so emotionally involved in each one. She cried when Alice didn’t get the doll she wanted, laughed when Emmett was able to pull a prank on me, and “awed” when Carlisle told the story of giving Esme a mother’s ring. I found myself falling more in love with this amazing woman every day.

The sun was finally starting to set, and Bella and I went into the kitchen to make the hot chocolate. It amazed me that she didn’t need a recipe to follow. She said she learned how to make it when she was five and never forgot. She was truly beautiful when she was immersed in cooking. She loved it and it showed.

Fifteen minutes later we each had our thermos of hot chocolate and were bundled up and loading into the cars to look at Christmas lights. Once Rose and Jasper had become permanent fixtures in our lives, my parents purchased a Suburban. They wanted us to be able to travel together when necessary. Carlisle, Esme, Tommy, Charlie, Bella, and I all piled into the Suburban. Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett rode in Emmett’s Jeep.

One of the doctors at the hospital told Carlisle about a neighborhood in Portland with amazing Christmas displays. The homeowners association held a contest every year, and the residents would go all out attempting to win it. The displays were amazing. Most houses were decorated with a ton of lights and Santa displays.

My favorite house had a live nativity scene. We parked the vehicles and went up to the house to get a closer look. It was amazing. There were Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, and an angel. They even had a goat and donkey roaming the yard. We spoke with the homeowners for a while. They enjoyed Bella’s hot chocolate. Of course, she shared her recipe with the woman. They were very nice people. After thirty minutes, we decided to head home. We would definitely remember this neighborhood and come back next year.

Bella practically jumped out of the car when we got home. She was anxious to get to her next tradition. We went to the kitchen first and made a ton of popcorn. Then we settled into our seats with our popcorn and sodas. Bella jumped to the tree and pulled out the gift to open tonight. She handed it to me with a shy smile.

“I love you with all my heart, Edward. Starting tonight we will always open one gift on Christmas Eve. I hope you like it. It’s one of my favorites and a great place to start our collection.”

I smiled at Bella and started ripping the paper off the package. My eyes lit up and my smile grew when I saw A Christmas Story DVD in my hands. “This is perfect, love.” I pulled her into my arms and gave her a chaste kiss.

“Well, what is it?” Emmett whined.

I held the movie up for everyone to see. Emmett did a fist pump. “Excellent!”

Everyone got comfortable, and we started the movie. It had always been a favorite in my family. Emmett, of course, couldn’t resist repeating some of the more famous lines as they came up in the movie. It was really nice spending the evening watching a holiday movie with my family. This was one tradition I loved and was so happy Bella shared with all of us.

The movie was just finished when Tommy’s phone rang. We all knew it was Drew. Emmett gave Tommy a wicked grin. “Hey, Tommy, be extra careful talking to that hot woman of yours. I would hate for you to shoot your eye out.”

Tommy turned bright red and stormed out of the room. Bella was rolling on the floor laughing with tears streaming down her face. She finally caught her breath long enough to say, “Em, that was excellent.”

“Thank you, my dear. Happy to be of service,” he said, bowing to her.

Everyone cleaned up their mess and decided to head to bed. Bella insisted on leaving milk and cookies out for Santa.

“You do realize there is no Santa, right?” I asked.

“Of course I do, silly. I leave cookies and milk out every year. It’s another tradition. Christmas Eve just isn’t complete without it. Charlie always indulges me and eats the cookies and drinks the milk.”

I pulled her into a tight hug. “Bella, you never stop surprising me. I fall in love with you more every day.”

“Good. I gotta do something to make sure you stick around,” she teased.

“My dear, you are stuck with me forever.”

I wanted Christmas to be perfect, so I decided to take a sleeping pill. I was so exhausted that the pill was enough to completely knock me out for the night. I didn’t dream that night, and it was a huge relief. I woke up the next morning completely refreshed. Bella was already awake and was tracing patterns into my arm.

“Merry Christmas, beautiful,” I said before gently kissing her lips.

“Merry Christmas, Edward.”

She quickly turned my chaste kiss into a needy, passionate one. I pulled her on top of me and let my hands start to roam down her side. My hand was starting to slide under her top when our door burst open.

“Merry Christmas! You two need to get up and come downstairs. Esme already has breakfast ready. I want to open presents.” Alice was an evil little pixie.

“Alice, you are such a buzz kill,” Bella whined.

“Sister dear, I was having no problems getting up until you came into the room. Thanks for ruining my Christmas morning,” I scowled.

“Ew, gross,Edward. I really didn’t need that in my head. Thanks a lot,” she said sarcastically as she left our room.

“Sorry about her, love.”

“No worries. We really do need to go downstairs. Come on, lover boy.” Bella pulled me off the bed and headed toward the door. We always opened presents in our pajamas. Alice and Emmett weren’t patient enough to wait for everyone to shower and dress.

Everyone was gathered in the living room waiting for us so we could open presents. Bella and I took our time getting a cup of coffee and a bagel before we finally sat down.

“Took you two long enough to get down here. Was little Eddie wishing Bella a Merry Christmas?” Emmett teased.

Bella’s face turned bright red. I threw a pillow and nailed Emmett in the face with it. “No, you jackass. I was sleeping. Some of us are adults here and don’t wake at the crack of dawn to see if Santa thought we were good this year.”

“That’s enough, boys. Alice, why don’t you start passing out everyone’s gifts,” Esme suggested.

Alice joyfully jumped up and had gifts passed out to everyone within five minutes. Was she on speed this morning? Everyone started frantically ripping paper off of presents.

Emmett was restoring a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, so he received a lot of parts and accessories he still needed. Alice, of course, received a ton of clothes and gift cards. Carlisle received various articles of clothing and a few new medical journals. I loved watching Esme open gifts. She looked at each one like it was a new treasure. She received a lot of jewelry, a few clothing pieces, and a few new books she had been wanting.

My family bought gifts for Charlie and Tommy. They wanted them to realize they were as much a part of our family as Bella. Charlie received a lot of fishing gear. Tommy received a lot of clothes and CDs. Emmett couldn’t let the day pass without torturing the poor kid further. He apparently gift wrapped a box of condoms. I expected Tommy to get upset over the gift, but Tommy surprised me with his response. “Gee, Em, I never knew you felt that way. Sorry to tell you, but you aren’t my type. I don’t swing that way.” I had no clue how he said all that without cracking a smile.

“No way, man. I don’t bat for the same team either. I just wanted to make sure you were covered when you got home. The frustration oozing from your pores is enough to make the whole house uncomfortable.”

Tommy winced. “Thanks for your concern man, but it isn’t necessary. I’ve only been dating Drew for a month, and we aren’t even close to needing these.”

“I was a boy scout and had it drilled into my head to always be prepared.”

Bella laughed at Emmett’s statement. “What’s so funny, love?”

“I just can’t picture Emmett as a boy scout. It’s too funny.” We all laughed and continued to open our gifts.

My family gave me some CDs, clothes, and books. Bella was showered with clothes, jewelry, and shoes. She graciously thanked everyone for their thoughtful gifts, and I could tell she was uncomfortable receiving such expensive gifts from my family. She needed to get used to it, though. She was a part of this family, and there was no reining them in when it came to Christmas.

I was so nervous when I handed Bella her gift from me. I hoped she would love it. She cautiously removed the paper and turned it over to find a signed first edition of Pride and Prejudice. On the first page was written “For my father” and Jane Austen’s signature. I couldn’t believe it when Mr. Jones from the book shop in Forks called and told me about this book. I had given him my phone number and asked him to call me if he came across any first editions of Bella’s favorites. I paid quite a bit for it, but it was well worth it when I saw Bella’s eyes light up when she saw her gift.

“Oh, Edward, this is amazing. How did you find it?” She carefully studied the book in her hands.

“I had Mr. Jones keep an eye out for first editions of your favorite books. Open it and look it over, love.” I was anxious to see her reaction to the inscription and signature.

She gasped. “Edward, this is too much. You must’ve paid a fortune for it.”

“It was worth every penny. Seeing your beautiful face light up like that is worth all that I own. I’m glad you like your gift.” I gently kissed her lips.

“Edward, I love it! It’s time for you to open your gift from me,” she said nervously.

I couldn’t fathom why she would be so nervous about her gift to me. I tore into the paper and found a plain brown box. I quickly opened it and pulled out a red leather book with a heart on the front. There wasn’t a title on the cover or spine. I opened it to find handwritten pages. The first page was dated April 28, 2005, and I realized it was Bella’s journal. Why would she give me this? I quickly closed it and reached back into the box. I pulled out a Wicked journal and a Mickey Mouse journal.

“I don’t understand. Why did you give me your journals?”

Bella looked at her hands in her lap and started fidgeting. “I thought you would like to read them. You are supposed to open your life to me and tell me about your parents and how the accident made you feel. I thought this would be a way to open myself to you,” she shrugged.

I pulled Bella into my lap and wrapped my arms tightly around her. “Bella, this is an amazing gift. I can’t believe you trust me enough to know all of your thoughts, worries, and fears. I can’t begin to put into words what this means to me.” I placed light kisses on her forehead, eyes, and finally ending on her lips.

Bella and Esme spent the rest of the morning cooking Christmas dinner. I took Bella’s journals to our room and started reading. It was excruciating to read the pain she was in when she first moved in with Charlie. She blamed herself for everything that happened to her mom. The kids at school were cruel to her. They didn’t care why she acted the way she did. All they knew was that she was different. Of course, kids in high school only know how to torment anyone who’s different.

I couldn’t hold back the tears when I read that she wanted to die at one point. Amy had been particularly cruel to her the last week of school. Bella had already been pushed to her limit from lack of sleep. Amy took every opportunity to make fun of Bella, trip her, or humiliate her in front of the school. The last day of school every student would call her “freak” or “sugar.” I couldn’t believe her classmates couldn’t see the hurt they were causing her.

The last entry before Bella attempted to end her life was her tear-stained suicide note.

Mom’s death was my fault and I can’t take living with the pain of that truth any longer. I should’ve been the one James killed, not her. Please forgive me for taking her away from you. I was such a selfish and horrible daughter for running when she needed me most. Please forgive me, Mom.

The next entry was Bella explaining what stopped her suicide attempt. She was on her way to her bathroom to pull out her razor when Tommy came home. He saw the defeated look in her eyes and refused to leave her alone. He finally talked some sense into her. The following Monday she started therapy five days a week. She was determined to get better and start the new school year a changed person.

That was the hardest thing I ever had to read. I had to put her journal down and try to compose myself. My angel was hurt more than I ever knew. Someone had to be looking out for her in heaven. I wonder if my mom had been that person. Had she kept Bella alive all these years knowing that we were meant to find each other? I found a peaceful comfort thinking that.

I looked at my clock and realized it was already four. Dinner would be ready soon. I went to the bathroom and cleaned my face before I headed down to join the family. I smiled when I saw Bella leaning on the counter talking with Mom, Alice, and Rose.

“Hello, ladies. I’m starving. How long before dinner’s ready?” I kissed Esme on her cheek before I kissed Bella.

“Just ten more minutes. We’re waiting for the rolls to brown. Why don’t you let the other guys know so they can start wrapping up whatever they are doing?”

“No problem.”

I gathered the guys and we made our way to the dining room. The food was excellent as usual. Some things were a little different, so I assumed Bella had added her own touch to a few things. It made me smile. I loved the way she was incorporating her flair into everything. Once dinner was done the guys took care of clean up duty while the women headed to the living room to relax. We worked together and had everything cleaned up in thirty minutes. I think that was a record for us.

I grabbed Bella’s hand and pulled her off the couch. “We’re heading to bed. Night everyone and Merry Christmas.”

Everyone wished us a Merry Christmas and waved up the stairs. I was anxious to get to our room. I had so much to talk to Bella about.

I led Bella to the bed and closed and locked the door behind us. I didn’t want any interruptions.

“Why Mr. Cullen, do you plan on giving me a naughty Christmas gift now?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

“Bella, while I would love nothing more than to be naughty, there are other things I want to talk about.” I sat next to her on the bed and grabbed her hands.

“You started reading, didn’t you?” She dropped her head and stared at our hands.

“Yes, love, I did. I didn’t understand why you gave me journals at first, but after reading just one page I understood. I’m so glad you decided to share everything with me. It killed me to know how you felt. I wish I could’ve been in your life at that time. I would’ve never let any of those kids you went to school with talk to you or treat you that horribly. I can’t believe there are people that callous in this world.” I gently stroked her cheek.

Bella lifted her head, and tears were spilling down her cheeks. “Edward, I love you with all my heart and I want you to understand me completely. This was the easiest way I could think of to let you know the real me. I don’t think I could’ve actually told you everything that was in those journals without breaking down.”

“I haven’t gotten very far, but just the few pages I have read made me understand you in a different way. I’m eager yet reluctant to finish reading each journal. I want to know everything about you, but at the same time it hurts me so much to know how much you were suffering. I don’t ever want you to feel that hopeless ever again. I want you to promise me that you will always come to me and talk to me if you ever feel that way. I will promise you that I will always listen to what you have to say and never judge you or berate you for what is going on in that pretty head of yours. Deal?”

She took in a deep, ragged breath and slowly lifted her head. “I promise, Edward. Can we talk about you now? You now hold the key to every dark little secret about me. Are you ready to tell me about your parents and their accident?”

I leaned my head back and pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. “Yes, Bella, I am. Can we get changed into our pajamas first? We could be talking for quite a while, and I want us to be comfortable if we happen to drift to sleep.”

Bella agreed, and we both changed and cleaned up for bed quickly. I was sitting on the bed leaning against the headboard when she joined me. I pulled her close to me and took a deep breath.

“I lived a great life from birth. My father, Edward Sr., was a lawyer and my mother, Elizabeth, was a stay at home mom. They made sure we spent every moment possible as a family. My father passed on a lot of huge cases because they would take time away from his family. I loved my parents dearly. They were my whole world.”

I was trying to hold back the tears. It took me a minute to compose myself before I was able to continue.

“It was a Friday night, and we were on our way home from our usual family night out. We had just finished eating at my favorite restaurant after catching a movie. It was late and the roads were wet. I was whining because I wanted to stop for ice cream. My father glanced back at me for just a moment and missed that a car was heading straight for us. The car had run the red light and hit us head on going 75 miles per hour.”

I continued to tell her the story about the driver and meeting Carlisle in the hospital. That was the only good thing to come from that night. She was in tears by the time I had finished with the story.

“It still hurts to think about it. I should’ve died in that car with them. They were young and had so much life left to live. I never could understand why God would take my parents away from me and allow me to live. It was so unfair.” I dropped my head into my heads and openly wept.

Bella cradled me in her arms and ran her fingers through my hair. How did I get so lucky to deserve such an angel?

“Edward, I’m so grateful that you survived. You’ve made my life bearable. Hell, you’ve made me want to live my life again. I would hate to know what would happen to me if you weren’t here to keep me grounded.”

“Bella, I think you’re right. I would fall asleep every night wondering, “why me?” Why was I so important that I had to live? After meeting you and falling irrevocably in love with you, I have come to realize that you are the reason I survived. I was destined to meet you, and we were destined to save each other.” I lifted my head and kissed her lips.

“Thank you so much, brave knight, for saving me from myself,” Bella teased.

“Anything for my fair maiden,” I replied.

I lay on my side and pulled Bella next to me. I cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. She quickly responded and our tongues met in a fevered kiss. Our hands were roaming as our mouths moved in sync when there was a knock on our door. I reluctantly pulled away from Bella and let out a frustrated sigh.

“Yes?” I called out.

“Hey, Bells, can I come in?” Tommy asked.

I got up, unlocked the door, and let Tommy in. I quickly joined Bella back on the bed.

“What’s up, little brother?”

“Apparently we missed giving you a gift earlier. I found it at the bottom of the bag we had the presents from home in.” Tommy handed Bella a small box about the size of a paperback book. Bella carefully unwrapped it and found a note attached to the top of the box. She read the note and started taking gasping breaths.

“What’s wrong, love?” Bella couldn’t answer. She was hyperventilating. I started stroking her cheek and begging her to slow her breathing down. She finally regained control and started crying.

I grabbed the note from her hands and read it.

Rose are red, violets are blue, Know that I am always watching you

I took the box from Bella and found a single black rose inside.

How the hell did that bitch get this here? Tommy said it came from his house. Somehow Victoria was able to get into the house in Forks. No way. Could it be that simple and diabolical at the same time? Was Drew really Victoria?

Chapter 5

I awoke frozen in fear and drenched in sweat. I glanced at the clock and groaned when I realized I had only gotten three hours of sleep. I was hoping to avoid the nightmares tonight. My night had been amazing. Bella accepted my mother’s ring and was now my fiancée. My life seemed to be coming together. I couldn’t understand why my dreams wouldn’t settle.

I pulled Bella’s sleeping form closer to me. I buried my face in her hair and breathed in her intoxicating scent. I wasn’t able to go back to sleep but relaxed having Bella safe in my arms.

Detective Aro called later that morning. The police had investigated James further and found his accomplice’s name was Victoria Anderson. Charlie had been sent all of the information they had gathered on her. The Forks police couldn’t find any trace of her in town, and the Portland police were also keeping an eye out for her. Detective Aro had a gut feeling that Victoria wouldn’t let this go. James was extremely disturbed, and they were assuming she was the same.

I left Bella with Emmett and Jasper while I went furniture shopping with Esme. Hopefully Emmett wouldn’t tease her too much while I was gone.

“Edward, do you have a list of what is needed?”

“Yes. We need a living room set, a new bedroom set, and a dining set. We’ll have a second bedroom, so I would like to get a nice queen sized bed for it and a desk. It’ll serve as our guest room and office.”

Esme smiled and grabbed her purse. I gave Bella a quick kiss and headed out the door.

“Mom, thanks so much for your help yesterday. The picnic was perfect. Bella loved everything.”

“It was my pleasure, dear. I love Bella like my own daughter. I’m so glad you found her.” Esme grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

“Would you please try to help me keep Alice under control? I saw the look in her eye last night when we got back to the house. Bella won’t want a huge, elaborate wedding. She’s been dreaming of a simple ceremony in the meadow with our family and closest friends.”

Esme gasped. “That sounds absolutely perfect. I’ll have a talk with Alice. This is Bella’s big day, and she’ll have complete control over all the details.”

Esme and I had a wonderful time shopping. Her talent for interior decorating was unbelievable. We ended up with a microfiber plush sofa and loveseat with overstuffed arms. They were a nice deep brown color. We purchased a coffee table and two end tables that had a chocolate cherry finish. The coffee table had a mocha leather top. The set was simple, yet elegant. I had a feeling Bella would love it. The dining room set was a simple pedestal round table with a merlot finish. The chairs had the same merlot finish and cream colored upholstered seats.

We chose a king size bed. The headboard and footboard were a cognac finished wood with ornate metal accents between the wood posts. The set included two night stands, a dresser with a mirror, and a chest. We purchased a simple navy comforter and sheet set. I was thankful Bella wasn’t a frilly kind of girl. I could keep things simple and she would love it.

We selected a simple queen bed with a simple headboard. The desk was just as simple. There was no need to have anything elaborate in there. We didn’t expect many guests but wanted to at least have a bed available just in case.

I perked up when we got to the electronics. I took my time and chose a top of the line 47-inch flat screen LCD TV and surround sound system. I made sure to buy each of the top game systems. I wanted to be prepared if the guys wanted to play video games.

“Edward, do you really need three different game systems? That seems a bit much,” Esme scolded.

“Mom, it is necessary. The PS3 will play Blu-rays. That will eliminate a Blu-ray and DVD player. Plus, I love playing Guitar Hero on the PS3. The X-Box 360 is the only system I connect with the guys online and play. The Nintendo Wii is just fun to play.” I gave my mom the Cullen pout.

“Don’t even try the pout with me. I’m immune. I can’t believe you boys and your toys. How hard is it to find everything you need in one system? I still remember when all we had was a Nintendo. You boys played for hours with it.”

“Yes, Mom, in the dark ages there was only one real choice,” I answered sarcastically.

“Watch that tone, mister. I can still cancel the order for everything.”

“You wouldn’t do that to Bella,” I argued.

“No, I wouldn’t, but I would happily take back all of the electronics. I’m sure Bella would be happy without a TV.” Mom was sneaky. She knew Bella better than I thought.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” I gave her a big hug and kissed her cheek.

“You’re forgiven. Let’s get home. I need to get dinner started. Charlie and Tommy will be arriving shortly, and I don’t want them to have to wait for dinner.”

Bella ran into my arms when we got home. Emmett hadn’t teased her too bad while I was gone. We sat in the living room and I showed her the pictures of all the furniture I purchased. She loved all of it. We would be moving into the apartment on Friday, January 9. The furniture was scheduled to be delivered that afternoon between two and five.

Carlisle came in while we were looking over the furniture pictures.

“Bella, can I see you in my office, please. I would like to see how your injuries are healing.”

Bella looked at me with a shy expression. “Love, would you like me to be with you while Dad looks over your injuries?” She bit her bottom lip and slowly nodded her head. “Is that alright with you, Dad?”

“Of course it’s fine with me. You two will be married soon, and you will be a major part of any medical issues and decisions. No better time to start involving you than now.”

We followed Carlisle into his office and sat on the sofa. He sat next to her and examined her left hand. He asked her several questions about her pain. She seemed to be healing quite nicely. She wasn’t experiencing any pain, just that uncomfortable itch associated with wearing a cast. He repeated the process with her leg. Her cuts had all been healing fast. The shallower cuts were already healed, and a few of the deeper ones would be healed within the week.

“So, when can I get these uncomfortable casts removed?” Bella was whining. I knew she was miserable in the casts.

“It looks like your healing is staying on track. If nothing changes we’ll remove the cast from your wrist on January 5. Your leg needs a little longer to heal, so I plan on removing that on January 19.” Carlisle was making notes on a legal pad.

Bella’s face lit up at the news. “Thank you so much, Carlisle. I can’t wait to get rid of these things!” Carlisle gave Bella a hug and sent us on our way.

Charlie and Tommy showed up later that evening. Bella was elated. She loved them dearly and missed seeing them every day. Charlie took a week off from work so they were staying with us until the Sunday after Christmas.

Charlie gave Bella a big hug and kept his arm around her shoulders. “It’s good to see ya, kid.”

“I’m happy to see you too, old man,” she smirked.

“What’s that shiny thing on your finger?”

Bella’s face turned ghostly white. She was obviously worried about his reaction to our engagement. She reluctantly lifted her hand to him.

Charlie whistled. “That’s a damn fine ring you got there. Congratulations, baby.” Charlie gave Bella a kiss on the cheek and reached for my hand. “Welcome to the family, son.”

“Thanks, Charlie. It’s an honor to be joining your family.”

Bella looked confused. “Dad, I expected you to turn four shades of red and be upset. What am I missing here?”

“Well, Edward already asked for my blessing to marry you. I just kept waiting to hear that he finally asked you.”

Bella looked shocked. Did she honestly think I wouldn’t ask her father first? I loved her with all my heart and wanted to do everything right.

We spent the rest of the evening catching up. Emmett and Charlie had a blast telling dirty jokes back and forth. I never knew Charlie had it in him. Bella’s face was a permanent shade of pink all night.

Tommy wasn’t very good company. He spent most of the night talking and texting with Drew. I started to feel a little guilty for not inviting her but shook it off fast. Every time I thought about her being in my house I would get a horrible feeling of panic. I would rather have Tommy miserable with his separation than compromise the safety and comfort of Bella. I decided that Bella and I would sit down with Tommy tomorrow and talk more about Drew.

I woke up once again sweating and silently screaming. My latest nightmare was especially unnerving. Bella and I were in the meadow on our wedding day, surrounded by our family. Bella looked beyond amazing in a simple white gown. She was about to say “I do” when she collapsed. Carlisle rushed to us to check on her. She didn’t have a pulse and wasn’t breathing. Carlisle and I were giving Bella CPR when James and Drew stepped out of the woods laughing.

“I told you that she would never belong to you. She will forever be mine,” James sneered.

I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and choke the life out of him, but Bella was more important. I couldn’t leave her side. She had to come back to me.

Drew laughed and pulled James in for a disgusting kiss. “James, my love, our work here is done. Let’s go home and celebrate.”

“Beware, Edward. You are a curse to all women in your life. Your mother died in that accident. I have now taken Bella from you. Who will be next, Esme or Alice? Either way, they will both die soon just because you care about them.” James laughed menacingly and left the meadow with Drew wrapped in his arms.

“Bella, please don’t leave me. I can’t live without you, love,” I pleaded.

Carlisle stopped the chest compressions and placed his hand on my shoulder. “You need to let her go, son. There is nothing else we can do.”

I shoved his hand away from me and started doing the chest compressions myself. “NO! YOU CAN’T DIE. PLEASE DON’T LEAVE ME!”

That was when I woke up with tears streaming down my face. I spent the rest of the night holding Bella tightly. I refused to leave an inch of space between us. Every time I closed my eyes I saw her lifeless body cradled in my arms. My tears continued to flow. I couldn’t wait until Tuesday for my next session with Dr. Young. I wanted Bella to be present for it. I wanted her to hear my latest dream and know what Dr. Young had to say about it.

I started trailing kisses from Bella’s mouth to her ear around eight the next morning. Bella slowly stirred and smiled at me.

“I love that glorious smile. Did you sleep well, beautiful?” I continued kissing down her neck.

“I slept wonderfully. How about you? Did you get any sleep last night?” Bella lightly touched the dark circles under my eyes.

“I slept a little last night. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be sleeping all night soon enough. Are you hungry?” I kissed the tip of her nose.

“I’m starving. Let’s head downstairs and see if we can help Esme cook breakfast.”

We made it to the kitchen thirty minutes later. Esme was standing at the stove preparing an egg casserole and humming. No one else was up yet. Bella and I jumped in and quickly helped her finish breakfast. We had placed all the food on the table and were setting the juice out when everyone started stumbling into the kitchen.

“Morning, sleepy heads,” Esme teased. She was met with a mumbled chorus of, “Morning.”

We ate in silence. No one was quite awake yet. I kept glancing at Tommy. He seemed like a zombie. It looked like he would collapse at any minute. Bella and I pulled him into the music room when breakfast was over.

“What’s up, guys?” he yawned.

“We just wanted to talk to you about Drew. You two seem to be pretty serious,” Bella stated.

“B, we just started dating. We’re still getting to know each other. It’s hard to be away from her for a week. If I didn’t miss you two so much, I would’ve stayed home with her. Consider your selves lucky,” he teased.

“Have you met any of her family? I know you mentioned they all moved to Port Angeles together.” I figured it was time to get some info we could actually use.

“Yes, they all live in Port Angeles, but I haven’t met them. They’re always busy. We usually spend time at my house or out with friends.”

“Doesn’t that seem odd to you? You’ve been going out for quite a while now. You should’ve at least met her parents by now.” Bella was starting to worry.

“Look, I’m not worried about it. When things settle down, I will meet her family. Her parents travel a lot for business, and her older sister lives in Seattle. She hasn’t had a chance to visit Drew since they moved.” Tommy was getting very irritated at our questions.

“What’s her last name?” Bella asked, meekly.

“Her last name is Sinclair. Now, please drop it. We’re happy together, so you should be happy for us.” Tommy rolled his eyes and quickly left the room.

“Edward, I’m worried about him. He’s never talked to me like that before.” Bella’s eyes were full of tears she was holding back.

“I know, love. I am too. Let’s have Charlie check her out. Maybe we can set our minds at ease when he doesn’t find anything bad in her past.”

“That’s a great idea. Maybe he can call Mark, his deputy, and have it back before Christmas.”

We found Charlie and talked to him about Drew. He had only met her a few times and agreed that something wasn’t quite right with her. He called Mark and gave him all the information needed to run a background check. He said we should have it back sometime Tuesday.

Bella breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Charlie was on top of the Drew situation.

The rest of the day was spent playing board games and card games. Bella and I demolished everyone at pinochle. Emmett wiped us out in Monopoly. That boy could be a real estate mogul to rival Donald Trump. Maybe he had finally realized his true calling in life.

Monday passed quickly. Alice and Rose dragged Mom and Bella to the spa. The guys stayed home and just hung out. We were watching a Buffy marathon in the living room and eating pizza when Tommy ran out of the room with his cell phone ringing.

“Looks like the old ball and chain is calling. That girl calls and he drops everything.” Charlie rolled his eyes.

“There is nothing wrong with catering to your woman’s clingy needs, as long as he’s getting some. Otherwise, he is just whipped and that is sad.” Emmett could be so crass.

“Emmett, does Rose really like your caveman ways?” I questioned.

“Rosie loves everything about me,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

“Please, Em, I don’t need any mind-numbing mental images today.”

“You could benefit from a few educational mental images from Rose and me. I’m sure Bella could appreciate a thing or two I could teach you.” Charlie choked on his beer at Emmett’s comment.

“Emmett, could you please show a little respect? Charlie is Bella’s father.” I smacked him on the back of his head.

Tommy walked back into the room with a huge smile on his face. “Looks like someone had some pretty awesome phone sex,” Emmett laughed.

Tommy’s face turned bright red with anger. “Emmett, I think you need to lay off the teasing,” I whispered to him.

“Sorry, man. I’ll lay off. Are we cool?” Emmett offered his hand to Tommy.

“Yeah, we’re cool.” They shook hands and we started watching the TV again.

The girls looked relaxed and were glowing when they returned from the spa. I needed to make sure Bella spent more time there. The rest of the evening passed without any more teasing from Emmett. Tommy finally relaxed and had a good time with the family. It was good to see the old Tommy back. Drew only called three times throughout the evening. She was whining because she missed Tommy and was trying everything to get him to invite her over. He was insistent that this was family time and he would bring her the next time he came.

I shuddered when I heard him make that offer. It would be a cold day in hell before I would let her know where I lived. Tommy didn’t know that yet, but hopefully by tomorrow we would have some answers and be able to get him away from her.

I had another sleepless night. My dreams seemed to be rotating between James raping and killing Bella, Drew killing Tommy in the meadow, and our disastrous wedding in the meadow. Bella continued to talk in her sleep about marrying me. Hearing her glorious words as she slept made the lack of sleep well worth it.

The circles under my eyes seemed endless. Dr. Young would definitely have something to say about them. We checked in with Leah when we arrived at the office. My head was lying on Bella’s shoulder, my eyes were closed, and I was starting to drift off to sleep when Dr. Young opened her office door.

“Hello, Edward, Bella. It’s good to see both of you. I would like for Bella to sit in on this session if that’s fine with you, Edward.”

“No problem.” I grabbed Bella’s hand and escorted her into the office. We each sat in a chair in front of Dr. Young’s desk. I continued to hold Bella’s hand and rub circles on her palm.

Dr. Young sat in her chair and pulled out her legal pad and pen. “Edward, you have some pretty dark circles under your eyes. Have your nightmares gotten worse?” I nodded my head. “Would you care to tell me about them?”

I glanced at Bella, squeezed her hand, and started to tell both of them about the dream of the wedding. Bella had tears in her eyes by the time I finished. Dr. Young took several minutes to complete her notes once I was through talking.

“Edward, you do realize that James is dead and cannot harm you or Bella, right?” I nodded. “Edward, I think you have a problem dealing with trauma. You still haven’t fully recovered from the death of your parents. This recent trauma with James seems to have made it resurface. I’m also concerned about your feelings regarding Drew. You obviously don’t trust her. Why do you think that is?”

I once again squeezed Bella’s hand and then started rubbing the soothing circles on her palm. “Something just isn’t right with her. She claims to be Tommy’s girlfriend and in love with him, yet when he touches her she flinches. It’s a tiny flinch, but I still saw it every time. Why do you flinch when the person you love touches you? She seemed to not care for Bella. Every time she would talk to her or about her she would practically sneer her name. Bella noticed it too. She was uncomfortable around her the entire night.” I squeezed Bella’s hand.

“Edward, you obviously paid close attention to her that night. It sounds like your subconscious is reacting to your impression of Drew. The only way to get past these feelings is to get to know Drew. Until you truly know her you will continue to make assumptions about her.” Dr. Young wrote a few notes.

“I want you to make an effort to get to know Drew. I know this week is Christmas, so maybe next week you and Bella can make a trip to Forks and spend time with Tommy and Drew. Both of you need to give her the benefit of the doubt. Open up to her and see how she responds. Tension between both of you and Drew will only strain your relationship with Tommy. If nothing else, make an effort for him.”

“We can do that. I know I wouldn’t be able to stand it if Alice and Emmett didn’t like Bella. I would react the same way Tommy has.” Bella nodded her head in agreement.

“Bella, have you been having nightmares since James’s attack?” Bella looked at me hesitantly. I smiled at Bella and let her know it was fine to talk with Dr. Young.

“No. My nightmares have disappeared. I’ve never felt better. I sleep all night and have wonderful dreams. I don’t jump at every little sound. I didn’t know life could be this great.” Bella had a beautiful smile on her face.

“That’s great to hear, Bella. I hope that doesn’t change. If you ever need to talk, don’t hesitate to come to me.”

“I’ll remember that, thanks.”

“Edward, I’m amazed at the relationship you have with Bella. You two seem to rely on each other for strength. You opened up so much more today with Bella supporting you. Seeing her role in your life, I want you to spend the next week talking about your parents’ death with Bella. Tell her every detail you remember and how you felt after. If we can get past your issues surrounding their death, I feel we can move on to what is bothering you about James. Please don’t hold anything back when you talk to Bella. You need to be able to tell her everything, so you might as well start with this. When will you be going back to Forks?”

“Tommy and Charlie are going back on Sunday, so I figured we would head there sometime on Monday.”

“Good. I know Leah has you set up with your appointments for the next few weeks, but I want to adjust a few of them. Let’s move next week’s appointment to Monday at nine. I don’t want you to have to come back here once you get to Forks. The rest of your appointments should be fine.” Dr. Young led us to the door and held it open for us.

We changed my next appointment to Monday morning and headed home. The ride home was peaceful. A lot of the tension Bella had been feeling seemed to be gone. I grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. I was about to suggest going out for a nice dinner when her phone beeped. I wondered if it was Alice or Tommy sending her a text.

Bella’s face drained of all color when she read the text. “Bella, who was it? What’s wrong?” I pulled over to the side of the road and took the phone from her. I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

you will pay for what you did to james you bitch. i’m watching you.

That had to be from Victoria. I quickly checked the caller ID but was disappointed to find private caller. How did she get Bella’s number? We had all of our numbers changed when they couldn’t find Victoria. I wondered if she was a genius like James. If so, we could be in more danger than I originally thought.

“Bella, I promise she will not get anywhere near you. James didn’t get you, and I’ll be damned if she gets near you. You are safe with me, love.” I gently stoked her hair while I held her close.

Bella sniffed. “Is this ever going to end? It finally felt like my life was coming together. Why can’t the universe let me live in peace?”

“Bella, I swear to you that I will keep you safe. I will kill this Victoria if she comes near you. You are my life. No one will ever take you away from me.” I gently kissed her lips and pulled back onto the road.

I called Detective Aro as soon as we got home. He stopped by the house and looked at the message Bella received. He got our permission to have her phone records investigated. He was doubtful they would be able to find any information on the number, but they would try. He told us to be careful and call him anytime, day or night, if we get any more messages.

Bella was distant the rest of the evening. I knew my happiness was too good to last. I just hoped Victoria wasn’t as stealthy as James. Bella was finally over the whole ordeal with James. I loved watching her live life and actually love it. Victoria was going to send her back to being afraid of everything. That thought killed me.

Bella was restless all night, and I didn’t sleep at all. I was too worried about her. I wanted to be awake and alert if she needed me. The last thing she needed tonight was to be frightened by my nightmares.

Bella started tossing, restlessly. I pulled her closer to me and gently kissed her forehead. “Relax, love. I won’t let anyone hurt you,” I whispered. I softly hummed her song to her and most of her tension melted away.

I let out a frustrated sigh. “I will make you safe,” I promised my sleeping angel as I continued to keep watch over her. Sooner or later Victoria would mess up, and I would find her. I looked forward to the day I could see her face to face and end this mess once and for all.

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.