770Last A/N:
This is it. Then end. Fine ́ Stick a fork in it, it's done…
I'm excited to FINALLY bring this story to an end and to allow all of you to enjoy it without waiting for me to get my rear in gear with the updates.
Don't let anyone tell you that writing is a solitary job. It takes a damn village to bring these stories to you and I'm very privileged to have an incredible group of people residing in my village.
To my beta, Mullet86, I cannot thank you enough for always being there for me. You fixed my mistakes, allowed me to bounce ideas off of you and you talk me down from the ledge when I'm at the end of my rope. You are the tequila in my sunrise.
Big thanks to Mauigirl for the emergency beta help and support.
Thank you to my readers who lifted me up when I needed it, who gently prodded me for updates and who came to my rescue when cowardly trolls decided to stop by just to be hurtful. To my regular reviewers, as soon as I hit the 'update' button, I looked forward to hearing what you thought for each chapter. Without all of you, there's no reason for any of us to even attempt this writing stuff.
My immediate plans are to work full time on Reflections and begin fleshing out a story titled, The Devil's Plan. I hope to hear from you all soon!
Tailspin
Chapter 24
"Jesus, Em, did you eat the whole dead Rhino or just the ass end?" I could barely speak without gagging from the smell that was emanating from the apartment.
"For your information, Assward, it was deer meat and I ate all of it." He didn't even look at me as he spoke. His gaze was firmly locked onto his game controller.
Deer meat? Where the fuck did he get deer meat? I quickly surveyed the room for random deer parts before flopping down onto the couch as far as I could get from him and pulled the collar of my shirt up over my nose to get a cleansing breath of my cologne, Dior Homme, that's right bitches, I like to smell good. Mixed in with my kick ass cologne was the slightest whiff of Bella.
Damn we smelled fucking amazing together!
"Where the fuck did you get deer meat?" I mumbled, still encased in my little sweet smelling cocoon.
Emmett glanced up from his game with narrowed eyes. "Um, I went out into the woods, killed it with your golf clubs, skinned it with your razor in your bathroom, processed the meat in the kitchen and ate the whole damn thing all while you were out canoodling naked with Bella."
Canoodling? My razor? What the fuck?
"I got it at Wheatsfield's on 9th, moron!" Moron?
"Something bothering you, Em?" His shoulders sagged, the game controller dangled from his hand.
"I'm sorry man. It's just…I want to call Rose so badly. But I'm damn pissed that she just threw us away…I don't know I'm unhappy and I don't know what to do about it. I don't mean to take it out on you…"
I held up my hand and stopped his explanation. " Stop. You don't need to explain. I understand."
"I know you do."
"My offer to call and try to smooth things over still stands."
"No. I've just got to get over her." A lot easier said than done my friend.
I nodded and watched my boisterous big brother retreat into his shell.
"Hey, why don't we call Jasper, get shitfaced and play some pool?"
His eyes lit up for a minute and then faded. "Are you sure? The last time we did that, you and Bella had another fight."
"We're good. I promise." In fact, we were perfect.
"You sure?" The light was back.
"Yes. 'J' and I can even play wingman to you for a change." I promised.
"Hot damn! You call Jasper and I'll get changed." He hopped up from his chair and started heading towards his room.
"Hey!" I called out trying to catch him before he got too far.
He stopped mid stride."Yeah?"
"No offense but you might want to seriously consider a shower. There's a rank smell in here and I'm pretty sure it's all you."
"You saying I smell? That's a load of bull…" He stopped and took a whiff of his tee shirt.
"Okay." He smiled sheepishly. "You might be right. But I want you to get cleaned up too. And tell Jasper he better not show up smelling like 'girl' either. It's boys night, bitches!"
Chuckling at my dancing bear of a brother, I grabbed my phone and called Jasper. He tried to give me some shit about needing to help Taz redo her sock drawer or something as equally fucked up. I shut him down immediately and told him to get his balls out of her purse and meet us at Wallaby's in an hour. After hanging up with him, I headed to my room for a quick shower and shave.
As much as I hated to wash off Bella's scent, I had to admit that the hot water felt amazing. Muscles I didn't realize were tense, released as the water cascaded down my body. Normally I'd take the opportunity to take myself in hand and release a little more tension, but I found that my dick, for once in its life was content and wasn't clamoring for attention. Maybe that's how you really know when you've found the one girl for you? When your dick stops searching for the next warm haven and is content because he knows what's waiting for him.
I looked down and pondered my limp friend. "I think you're right. We found her." I gave him a small comforting pat.
Afraid that anymore time in the shower thinking about Bella and all she represented to me would have me acting as pussyfied as Jasper sounded on the phone, I turned the water off and got out of the shower.
After a shave and some quick lotion application I was ready to get dressed. What? I guy can't take care of his skin?
I threw on a pair of jeans and a dark green Henley. I grabbed the first pair of shoes I came to and shoved my feet in them. After a quick spritz of cologne and a swipe off deodorant for each 'pit', I was ready.
The living room was empty. Guessing that Emmett was still in the back preening, I sat down and made the call to my girl.
The phone only rang a few times before her sweet voice answered. "Hey!"
"What's a happenin' hot stuff?" I asked in my best 'Long Duck Dong' voice.
"Does that make me your American style girlfriend?" She giggled and my heart swelled with happiness.
She gets me.
"It sure as hell does!"
"Good. I was getting tired of keeping all those other guys on a string." My mouth opened to make a jealous retort but thought better of it.
"Cut the strings baby. I don't share."
"Does that extend to food? I have a genetic mutation that makes it almost impossible for me to not eat off of other people's plates."
My grandmother was the same way and I hated it. I swear the woman carried a fork in her purse! As children we were taught to ignore that quirk and be prepared to share. A childhood of never eating a whole doughnut, brownie, hamburger… by myself had turned me into a selfish eater. But for Bella, I would make an exception.
"Well, Emmett has come away with a fork scar or two, but I think I can make an exception for you." Emmett had either inherited the gene or was just a dick. He was probably just being a dick.
"Speaking of that dick…"
"What?" She interrupted.
"I mean speaking of Emmett, Jasper and I are taking him out tonight. You know, try to get his mind off Rose."
I heard her sigh on the other end. "I feel terrible for him. I wish there was something I could do. I tried talking to Rose but she's letting her past dictate her actions."
I knew how that felt.
"Babe, you can't make her change. She has to want to do it." I was speaking from personal experience, having just let go of my own past, so I felt justified in my point.
"I know but Emmett is such a good guy. I know they'd work out if she'd stop being such a stubborn brat." She sighed wistfully.
I loved that Bella's heart was so big that she wanted to help my brother. As much as I griped about the big goof, I loved him more than Christmas.
"It'll work out." I promised.
"So, what do you guys have planned?"
"Pool, drinking, darts, the usual. What are you going to do?"
"Well, if you've managed to peel Jasper off Alice's hip, I'm thinking a movie, take out and girl talk with my best girlfriend." Images of naked pillow fights instantly sprang to mind.
No. Edward. One of those naked girls is your cousin. Just… no!
"Will you miss me?" I asked a little too wistfully for my liking.
I'll just be handing over my 'man card' now and avoid the rush.
"I will. But to be honest I could use the rest."
"Did I wear you out, baby?" I didn't even try to hide the cockiness in my voice.
"Yes." She giggled. Looks like I'll be taking that card back now.
"So, I guess I should be apologizing for loving on you so hard?" So not going to apologize.
"At the risk of inflating your already sizeable ego, don't you ever apologize for what we do in the bedroom." Or in the hallway, shower, kitchen, car…I mentally finished her sentence.
"You keep talking to me in that sexy voice and my ego won't be the only thing over inflated. What are you wearing?" I asked in a breathy voice and quickly palmed my suddenly active crotch.
"For the love of fucking Christ! Are you having phone sex with Bella? Now?!" I nearly dropped the phone at my brother's uncharacteristic stealthy entrance. Usually you can hear that moose moving around from a mile away.
"Fuck, Em. You scared me!" His answering snort was accompanied by Bella's giggling on the other end of the phone.
"Stop!" I ordered her. "You'll only encourage him." When did I start channeling my mother?
"It sounds as if I need to let you go. You guys have fun." After an all too quick goodbye, we hung up and I was left with a surly looking Emmett.
"What?" I demanded.
"You know what."
I ignored him and got off the couch.
I shrugged into my coat, opened the door and turned to him, "You coming?"
"One of us was sure as hell about to." He mumbled, brushing past me and walked out the door.
"What the hell?" I asked annoyed. I locked the door and followed him down the hallway.
We were in the parking lot headed for Vanessa before I got an answer.
"I leave you alone for twenty minutes and come back to find you talking dirty on the phone and seconds away from whipping your dick out!"
Oh no he didn't just slam my baby's door?
"First, show my car a little respect." I patted Vanessa's steering wheel and ignored the snorting coming from the seat next to me. "Secondly, I was not about to whip my dick out. I merely gave it a little pat."
"Whatever." He said dismissively. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Wallaby's. We were running a little behind. I hoped Jasper grabbed us a table. That place can get crowded on college football nights.
"Look," Emmett's voice was slightly less irritable than before. "Can we just have a night that's about us? Fuck! I sound like such a girl." I was just about to point that out. But wisely kept my mouth shut.
"I know that you and Jasper have found the 'one'." He continued. "And I'm happy as hell for both of you. I really need an evening of Dumb and Dumber quotes, toilet humor and the off chance that I might get arrested for doing something crazy."
I glanced at him, "Only an off chance you might do something crazy?"
"Okay, there's probably more than an off chance, but you know what I mean."
"Yeah, bro. I do." He was me the entire time I was without Bella.
We rode the rest of the way to the sport's bar in silence. I was right. The place was fucking packed.
After circling the lot twice and Emmett pointing out not less than five spots closer to the door than the one I finally chose, we walked in and began searching for Jasper.
"There he is." I nudged Em and pointed to the corner where 'J' was waiting in a booth.
"J-man, I might fucking love you." Emmett proclaimed as he flopped down into the booth and took a big swig of the beer Jasper had waiting at the table.
"I'm afraid you missed the boat, Em. You'll have to fight Alice for the right to claim my ass."
"Pffbbttt! I could totally take her." Em boasted and waggled his eyebrows at a laughing Jasper.
"Whoa. I just want to take a minute and mention that the conversation just took a turn that I'm a little uncomfortable with." I joked and took a drink of my own beer.
"Dude, you're just jealous that you can't get a piece of this." Jasper got up and pointed at his ass at the same time a group of fairly attractive females wandered by the table. He sat down all red faced and embarrassed, Em proclaimed that he's not 'with them' while I laughed.
"Damn it! They were cute."
I poked my dejected brother in the arm. "Hey, as far as they're concerned you could be bi."
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Yeah, that's sooo much better than them thinking I'm just gay." He deadpanned.
After two games of pool and three pitchers of beer, we'd moved way past flaunting Em's sexuality in front of coeds to him flaunting his ass to every passerby. Male or female.
"Ok gang, you know the rules, no humping, no licking, no sniffing hineys." I sipped my beer as Jasper racked the balls for another game.
"Why are you going to the airport…?" I offered, chalking up my cue stick.
"…you flying somewhere?" Jasper and Emmett both retorted laughing like a bunch of dorks.
We played our game, sharing Dumb and Dumber quotes along the way. There were several women who came around trying to catch my eye and engage me in conversation. I found it second nature to gently prod them either on their way or into Em's lap. Not that my brother needed any help. He was doing very well on his own. No surprise there. He was related to me, after all.
By the end of the night, he had several phone numbers and at least one hickey in a very visible place.
"I still got it boysssss!" Emmett slurred as we half carried, half drug his wobbly butt to my car and dumped him into the back seat. Jasper took the passenger seat as Vanessa started up and purred like a well cared for kitten. It had already been arranged, via Taz, that Jasper would be staying with Em and me tonight. She claimed that she wasn't going to miss out on time with her girl to care for a drunken ass man that wouldn't be able to finish what he started.
I didn't blame her, I'd be pissed too if Bella came stumbling home all hot and sexy but fell asleep before making good on her promise of sweaty monkey sex.
"Dude, turn it up! I love this song." I had to swerve as a big hairy arm reached across my shoulder from the back seat.
"Fuck, Em. Sit down. You're going to get us killed." I slapped his arm back and ignored his request.
How the hell did Katie Perry get on my radio in the first place?
"I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire. Cause I'm a champion. Louder than a lion.." Emmett's voice got louder as the song progressed.
By the time Jasper joined in with the drunken karaoke, I was praying for a brain aneurism. At least then the pain assaulting my sensitive ears would cease.
"Cause I'm a champion and you're gonna hear me roar… Oh,oh,oh,oh,oh…"
As soon as the song ended, I flipped the radio off.
"What the shit?" Em slurred from the back seat.
"We're almost home. You can handle no radio until then."
"That sucks!" He pouted, but flopped back silently into his seat. I felt a little bad for raining on his parade so I relented.
Slightly.
"Look, you can sing but no dancing and I pick the song." I could see his enthusiastic nodding in my rear view window. He was such a big kid.
Radioactive came on from Imagine Dragons and the two drunks started up again.
As soon as we got into the apartment, I headed right into the kitchen and grabbed three waters.
"Here." I handed one to Jasper and Em. I wanted to be sure they understood the drinking portion of the evening or early morning as it was already after one, was over.
I flopped down onto the couch next to Jasper and twisted off the cap. The cool water tasted like ambrosia. I could feel it cleanse my mouth and throat of the smoke and beer taste from the bar.
"I don't know what you two clowns plan to do, but I'm beat. You good here 'J'?" I got up and indicated the couch.
"Sure, sure." He nodded and began fiddling with a game controller. Emmett had started up a new game of Grand Theft Auto.
Normally I wouldn't pass up a chance to steal cars and run over street hoe's, but Bella wasn't the only one worn out after our marathon sexapade.
"Jasper, watch me gank this bitch! Die mother fucker!" The sound of squealing tires and gunshots rang out from the TV. I chuckled at my goofy brother and proceeded towards my room.
"Hey Edward," Em's voice was a bit loud for early morning, but it got my attention. I turned back to the living room. "thanks for tonight. It felt…it felt good to get back out there with my two best friends."
"You're welcome buddy." The sincerity was unmistakable in both of our voices.
"Hey, if you two pussies are done getting all touchy feely, can we get back to drug running and killing bitches?" Jasper asked annoyed.
I started to point out that his first choice for this evening's entertainment had been to play Alice's sock drawer bitch but Emmett beat me to it.
"Shut up, asshole. You're so far up Taz's butt I'm second hand embarrassed for you."
"Fuck you!" Jasper retorted, annoyed.
"See? He wants to fuck me! He's become a chick. Sorry buddy, I don't swing that way." Emmett giggled and picked back up his controller.
"Shut up and play." Jasper ordered..
Once again the sounds of street violence rang out as I walked away.
I peeled my clothes off and let them fall unceremoniously to the floor. I fell face forward onto my bed and vowed not to move for the next ten to twelve hours.
I turned to cuddle with my pillow and saw that the message light was blinking on my phone. The temptation to ignore it and fall into a deep sleep was overwhelming, but the thought of missing a message or a naughty nightie picture from my girl prompted me to make the effort to grab the phone.
Stifling a yawn, I scrolled through my messages. There was one from mom reminding me that Em and I were expected home next weekend to celebrate Grandma Platt's 90th birthday. I smiled at the thought that I'd be taking Bella home to meet my parents.
I kept scrolling through the list, ignoring the reminder to pay my gym membership. That could definitely wait and deleting the invitations from women to "call them if I needed company."
Yeah, that was so not going to happen.
I was just about to turn the phone off when I found what I was looking for. There it was, a picture of my beautiful girl. She was lying on the bed in a pair of white lace boy shorts and a tiny pink tank top. The tank was pulled up from her waist, revealing the softness of her stomach.
Holy shit! Her left hand was underneath the shirt grasping what I knew was a firm and delicious breast. I licked my lips at the memory of her taste. Closing my eye, I willed my breathing to slow and my cock to give me a break and relax. He promptly told me to 'fuck off' and continued to grow. Tempting fate, my eyes opened to take in the rest of the picture. Her right hand was twisted into her gorgeous brown mane and her eyes were hooded as she shot the camera a sex kitten look.
Wait! One hand was on her tit and the other was in her hair…who was taking the picture? Shit!
They were having one of those girls' only slumber parties that haunt the dreams of adolescent and adult males alike. My hands started to shake as I scrolled down hoping to find more shots. Not that I had any desire to see Taz in her underwear, but my hopes to see more of Bella were quickly overtaking my ability to think clearly.
To my dismay or possible salvation, there were no more pictures, only a brief message saying that she missed me and couldn't wait to see me tomorrow. Why wait? I frantically typed off a message telling her I was on my over and jumped off the bed to begin collecting my clothes. A 'whoop' of excitement from Jasper echoed down the hall from the living room. I guess Taz had sent him a little present too.
Grinning, I rushed down the hall hell bent on finishing what Bella's hands had already started. Jasper and I nearly collided at the door when both of our phones went off. I was half ready to ignore mine just so I could beat his ass out the door when I heard him exclaim, "Damn it!"
The dismay in his voice was unmistakable and caused me to pause at the door with my hand on the door knob. I looked back to see his face. His face looked like a kid's that had been promised ice cream but at the last minute was given broccoli.
"Dude, check your messages." He prompted, nodding at the phone still firmly grasped in my fist.
"No." I exclaimed petulantly. I was afraid of what it might say.
"Just do it." Jasper threw his phone down and got comfortable on the couch. I glanced quickly to my left and saw that Emmett had fallen asleep in the recliner. His game controller was lying forgotten in his lap.
"They're just screwing with us." Jasper grumbled and pulled his blanket tighter around his shoulders.
With a groan of disappointment, I looked at my phone to read Bella's message. "Sistah's before mistah's! It's, girls' night! I wasn't kidding. I need a rest. I'll see you tomorrow." The smiley face she used at the end of her message mocked me with its forced optimism. I was not amused. Neither was the impatient appendage in my pants.
I debated going over to her apartment anyway and demanding that she make good on the pic-tease but decided that perhaps we could both use a night away. Distance makes the heart grow fonder and all that bullshit. On my way back to my room, I grabbed the extra blanket and laid it over my snoring brother.
Sleep came quickly and so did the dreams of Bella in skimpy underwear.
~ Six months into the future~
Despite the uphill battle that we'd fought to be together, the last six months had been nothing short of amazing. Bella and I connected on all levels. That's not to say we didn't have disagreements or times where we needed a break from each other. It turned out that once I took the leash off the kitten, I'd created a sexy assed tiger in bed. I never thought the words, "Not tonight I have a headache", would ever fall from my mouth, but that woman wore me the hell out! And I loved every minute of it.
School had progressed and we'd just finished our junior years. As Em had just graduated and was moving back home to take a job as a physical therapist, specializing in sports injuries, Bella and I had decided to move in together. Taz and Jasper were doing the same. Luckily, Taz had decided that she and 'Jazzy', how he stomached her calling him that I'll never know, needed a fresh start. So Bella and I would be keeping their old apartment. Not only was it bigger and devoid of all Emmett sized fist holes in the walls, but I could also keep an eye on the blond creeper in the lobby. That little dude and I had a mutual dislike for each other. He disliked that Bella was mine and I disliked the way he leered at her ass every time she walked into the lobby. Seriously, the dude looked like he was a clown picture away from digging a pit in his basement.
"Hurry up. We need to get back to the house. I promised I'd help Bree with her hair before the party." I couldn't help but chuckle at my girl as she beside the car door with her hands on her hips, trying to look fierce, demanding that we hurry so she could help Emmett's girlfriend with her hair.
So fucking cute!
The remote dinged as I locked up. I gave Vanessa a comforting rub as I rounded the front of the car to find an impatient, foot tapping Bella.
"I swear, you and that car need to get a room."
"Don't be jealous. You know I save all of my best moves for you." My hands found her hips and I pulled her in for a toe curling kiss. I swear my toes curled!
"I know", She sighed and kissed my neck. "It's just weird."
"So says the woman that drives a car she named after her man." I watched in delight as her face turned slightly pink. She had the decency to stop denying she'd named that egg shaped monstrosity 'Eddie' after me months ago.
It felt so good to just stand on a crowded sidewalk, holding my girl and sharing a laugh without a care in the world.
"Okay, fun time is over. We need to get the cake and the flowers." I growled as she pulled out of my grasp and began walking down the street towards the florist.
"Don't be a baby. We can have more 'fun time' tonight." She promised, walking faster towards her destination. Almost every member of our family had needed proof that Em actually graduated college, so my parent's large house was filled with random relatives. Bella and I had been relegated to the room above the garage. As much as I hated the thought of my aunt and uncle sleeping in my bed, I was happy to be far enough away from the main house that no one would overhear 'fun time'.
"Do you think we have time to grab lunch after we pick up the cakes?" I asked, juggling the bunches of flowers in my hands as I unlocked Vanessa's passenger door.
"Bella?" I asked her again, snapping my fingers to get her attention.
"Oh, um, what?" Her eyebrows were drawn together and her beautiful mouth was pursed tightly together as she peered down the busy sidewalk.
I dropped the flowers in the back seat and tried to follow her line of sight. "What are you looking at, babe?"
She turned back towards me. "There's a woman staring at you."
"Well, have you looked at me?" Cocky Cullen in the house!
"I've been told I'm hot as hell. In fact I believe you made that very statement just this morning in the shower." I reminded her with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk that would make my father proud.
"Really?" She snorted, before going right back to staring into the crowd.
I walked over and put my arm around her waist, pulling her tightly into my side. "Bella you don't have to worry. I love you. Other women don't even register on my radar." I said reassuringly.
She turned and looked at me with a smile on her beautiful face. "I know, it's just that woman looked at you like she knew you and…I don't know… she wouldn't stop staring. She was in the flower shop and now she's standing over there," She pointed down the sidewalk to the café. "There's something weird…"
Bella's voice disappeared as all of the air was sucked out of my lungs. My vision clouded and I fell heavily onto the side of the car. Standing not twenty feet from me was Tanya.
My body was frozen. I couldn't feel anything and the only thing I could hear was the loud and rapid beating of my heart echoing in my ears.
"Edward? Edward?" I could vaguely here Bella's frantic words but my focus was on the blond headed towards me.
"Hello, Edward." Bella turned quickly to see Tanya standing in front of us.
I couldn't speak. Those two words had me paralyzed. Once again I was that Edward, the one that had been used and discarded like a ratty tissue. The Edward that cried for days after she declared I was useless. I was that boy that turned into a user himself in order to prove to himself that she was wrong.
"Edward, stop." Bella's whispered plea and the grip she had on my hand alerted me to the fact that I'd begun to shake.
"Baby, look at me." She ordered softly. I focused on her warm eyes and slowly my breathing began to slow.
"Are you OK?" She whispered.
I nodded quickly, trying to regain use of my body.
I lifted my eyes from the welcoming depths of Bella's eyes and forced myself to meet the icy blue of Tanya's.
"Tanya." I acknowledged stiffly. I heard Bella's gasp when she realized who was standing in front of us. I tightened my fingers around her hand.
"I thought that was you in the flower shop. You've changed a lot…you've grown up, but your hair…it's still uniquely Edward." She offered a small smile.
I nodded silently.
Tanya turned towards Bella and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Tanya, an old friend of Edward's."
I felt Bella stiffen beside me ignoring Tanya's offered hand. "I know who you are and you have quite the nerve to introduce yourself as his 'friend'. Her tone gave no misunderstanding that she knew exactly who Tanya was to me. My girl was not afraid to open a can of 'whup ass' on Tanya. I couldn't have loved her more at that moment.
"Oh." Her voice fell slightly at Bella's statement. "Well I'd hoped that I could talk to Edward for a moment. Alone."
"I have nothing to say to you." Tanya's eyes widened at my stern dismissal.
She recovered quickly. "Perhaps you'd allow me the chance to speak?"
Did I want to hear anything this viper had to say?
No. But I had a few things to say to her.
"'Allow you the chance to speak?' When did you ever ask my permission for anything?" Bella gave my hand an encouraging squeeze. "Did you ask my permission to declare in front of the whole school that I was a loser in bed and that you were using me? Did you ask my permission to toy with my heart and head while you and your boyfriend used me?" I lowered my voice at Bella's urging. I was making a bit of a scene.
"Did you ask my permission to change me from a relatively sweet and caring person into a raging manwhore who used woman to make himself feel worthy after you ripped out every piece of heart I possessed?" I spat at her.
To her credit, she had the good sense to look uncomfortable if not a little contrite.
"You're right. I did all of that and more to you." I watched in surprise as Tanya lowered her eyes to the ground as she spoke.
"Nothing I can say will ever make up for what I did to you, but I'm going to try anyway. I'm sorry. So very sorry."
For the briefest of moments, I saw the Tanya that the naïve, fifteen year old Edward fell in love with. There was something in her eyes I never thought I'd see again: honesty.
She was legitimately sorry.
"If it's any comfort to you, James was using me too. Once we got to college, he dropped me for the TA in his freshman political science class. I left my friends and family to follow him across the country only to be told that I wasn't enough for him. He'd been conducting an experiment. And I'd proved to be exactly what he'd hoped for, a devoted idiot who would do anything for the chance to be with him. I was a fool to have given up everything for him." She paused and stared right into my eyes. "I was an even bigger fool to give you up. You were the real deal and I destroyed you and any chance I had to have something good in my life."
My teenaged broken heart wanted me to scream at her. It wanted me to yell vile things in the hopes that she'd feel the tiniest bit of the embarrassment and pain that I felt all those years ago. I wanted to tell her that she deserved what she'd gotten. But I couldn't.
Because of what she'd done, I'd found Bella.
I reached out and touched her arm gently. "It's okay. I'm happy. I've found the woman I want to spend my life with and she's healed the holes you left." Bella hugged my arm tighter and leaned up to kiss my cheek. I turned quickly and captured her lips in a brief but passionate kiss that left her gasping for air.
Tanya frowned slightly at the display of affection. Jealousy danced quickly in her eyes before being replaced with understanding.
"I can see that she has. I should go. Be happy Edward." She stated simply and turned to leave.
"Tanya," She stopped and looked over her shoulder at me. "Let it all go and you'll find happiness too." I nodded at her thankful smile and watched her walk away.
"So, I'm the woman you want to spend your life with, huh?"
I grabbed my girl around the waist, pulled her in tight to my chest and let myself get lost in her welcoming brown depths. "Yes." I said solemnly.
"You healed me, Bella. I love you and want to spend my life trying to make you as happy as you've made me."
"You healed yourself, Edward." started to shake my head in denial, but she stopped me with a finger to my lips. "Yes. Once you let it all go and forgave yourself, your true beauty shone through."
She moved her hand to place it over my heart.
I moved so our foreheads touched. I didn't trust myself to not start crying like a baby if I looked into her eyes.
"I love you." I said with every ounce of sincerity and emotion I possessed.
"I love you too."
We stood there for a moment and allowed the crowds of people filter around us. Finally, Bella pulled away and broke our little bubble.
"You know, if we hurry up we could grab the cakes and skip lunch, we'd have time for you to start making me happy." She winked.
"Woman, prepare to be very fucking happy." I promised, dragging her down the sidewalk to the bakery.
Not an hour later, I was making good on the promise I'd made. A promise I vowed to keep to her for the rest of our lives.
The End.
Thank You!
ruinedbyrob