Chapter Thirteen
Two weeks passed and I was finally getting out of the house. My injuries were healing nicely and I was headed to the doctor's office with my mother to get the stitches removed from my abdomen and an all around check up on my lung and arm. The cuts and gashes had all but cleared up and my bruises were turning a weird yellow color. I had been able to walk up the stairs at a slow pace last night and sleep in my bed. The best night's sleep I had had since I woke up in the hospital. I was happy to be recovering, but even that feeling couldn't compare to the feeling I had about the person sitting next to me in the back seat of my mother's car.
"Why are you smiling so goofily?" Bella smirked, squeezing my hand with her fingers that were braided through mine. I had agreed to Bella's proposal of course, but due to the fact that I was completely bedridden, we weren't able to leave the comfort of my living room. Adding the lack of privacy to the fact that my sister did everything in her power to make Bella feel as unwelcome as she could, we hadn't been on a date nor done anything date like yet.
So because we weren't allowed to do anything that involved moving on my part, we talked constantly for hours until either she or I realized that it was past her curfew. I learned that Bella's favorite movie is a tie between Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Bella's favorite ice cream flavor is Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate and she buys pints during the winter season and stores them in the freezer for ice cream emergencies. She hated the green M&M's because Ronnie in the second grade shoved one up his nose and then ate it. Her favorite color was blue-green, and when she was little she wanted to be a veterinarian, until she killed every one of her goldfish after a couple of days.
After the accident that killed her two best friends and getting the help she received from Garrett Damon, she decided that she wanted to become a grief counselor for such cases. Bella learned that my favorite movie is Transformers, my favorite ice cream flavor is lime sherbet and that I hated M&M's, choosing Reese's Pieces instead. As a child I wanted to be a professional gamer, but now I was more interested in teaching, even though the economy had pretty much killed any hope for future teachers.
It was weird, but in a good way, the two of us becoming almost completely inseparable after hardly being acquaintances. At night after Bella would rush home she'd text me about how Renee embarrassed the hell out of her about being out past curfew. We'd talk until one of us passed out and the next day Bella would go to school and text me when she could while I did absolutely nothing.
She'd come over immediately after school, bringing me a special surprise each day, like Red Vines or Hostess cupcakes. Alice would bring my homework to me and leave, muttering under her breath the entire time, but we'd just ignore her. The rest of the day was spent doing homework together, stealing glances at each other and then snuggled together on the recliner watching TV or a movie and talking.
Bella would worry about hurting my injuries, but I liked having her tucked under my good arm, so I'd just shoot down her offers to move over to the love seat or down onto the floor in front of me. The first time we sat together on the recliner, my mother came home with an arm full of groceries that she proceeded to drop on the hard wood floor in surprise. Bella jumped up, blushing madly and offered to help her clean up the cracked eggs and spilled milk, and my mom asked her if there was any way Renee would like to trade daughters with her.
Bella ate dinner with my family that night, much to Alice's chagrin. I loved being close to her and danced internally every time she touched me, whether it be a quick hug, a kiss on the cheek or when she linked our fingers together.
"Nothing," I answered, breaking out of my thoughts about the past couple of weeks. I shrugged and looked out the window.
"You're a liar," Bella accused, pinching my hand. "Hmm, if you won't tell me, I'm going to have to guess. You're happy that you're finally out of the bat cave?"
The bat cave was the new nickname for the living room, Bella's attempt at making my time a little brighter. It was so good to see her joke around and laugh without worrying about her feeling guilty almost immediately. The first couple of times we joked around, I'll admit I was on edge waiting for her to freeze up and start getting upset, but she didn't. Another thing I found out about Bella was that she's extremely ticklish on the inside of her right elbow. The giggle she emitted when I lightly touched it was worth the slaps.
"How about you're happy to have such fabulous company on your way to the doctor? I mean seriously, your mom is the best to hang out with. That's the only reason I ever come over."
"Thanks, Bella," my mom chuckled from the front.
"Fine. She gets off at five thirty and is usually home by six fifteen. You can come at six thirty and hang out with her and stop bothering me after school until she gets there," I played along. "Because you were really starting to grate my nerves."
"Pfft, whatever. You know my coming over is the highlight of your day," Bella beamed. If only she knew that her statement was absolutely positively true. "So what is it?"
"Everything. I'm happy to be out of the house for the first time in forever. I'm happy that I have such wonderful company." I squeezed her hand to let her know I was not talking about my mother. "And I'm happy that you decided to come with me."
"Of course, what else would I do on a Friday when we have no school? Sleep in? Nah. That's what freshmen do," she snorted, covering her mouth with her hand in embarrassment.
"Aww, how cute. I'm dating a piglet," I poked her in her side, chuckling when she squealed.
"I hope you get the all clear to go back to school Monday." She bounced once and managed to compose herself. "School is so boring without you. Seriously, no one talks to me except for Rose and Emmett, and the library is so quiet without you there bothering me while I read. I miss you so much."
"How can you miss me when you see me every day?" I smiled, unable to hide my happiness. Bella cared for me, probably not to the extent that I do for her, but that was alright. I'm sure I was starting to cross the border into obsession.
"You know what I mean."
"Alright kids, we're here," my mom called as she pulled into our parking spot. As much as I wanted to jump out of the car and get this over with, I couldn't. My left arm being in a cast made things awkward, seeing as I forced Bella to sit on the right side so that we could hold hands. My mom had to open the door for me and then Bella rushed over to my side of the car to help me stand up. Can we say humiliating?
"I changed my mind. I'm more happy that after this appointment I can take a shower." I sighed missing the feeling of the water cascading over me. I'd managed to take a bath a couple of days before in shallow water so as to not get my stitches and cast wet, but ended up getting stuck, so it's been sponge baths all the way.
"I know, baby. I've already gotten the jumbo trash bags and duct tape to cover your cast," my mom said, walking ahead of Bella and I. She kept turning around and looking at our joined hands, smiling like we'd just told her we eloped last week and she was going to be a grandmother tomorrow. My mother is a weird woman. That's all I'm going to say.
"Is it bad that your mom creeps me out with the way she keeps staring at us?" Bella whispered when we were situated in the waiting room. My mother had gone to sign me in.
"Yeah, I mean your mom uses me to hang shelves and wants to read my palm, but I don't say such mean things about her." I feigned hurt. "I thought you liked my mother?"
"Oh, shut up." Bella rolled her eyes and proceeded to ignore me until the nurse came out and called me back. Bella and my mom stayed in the waiting room looking over the same cooking magazine and talking over recipes while I was poked and prodded. My stitches were removed and the hole was covered with this weird glue like stuff that was waterproof. I couldn't wait to get home and take a three hour shower. I was given an almost clean bill of health and sent home with a milder pain medication so that I could function when I went back to school on Monday.
"So now I get to beat you up without feeling so bad," Bella joked as we drove down the winding roads toward home.
"You felt bad before?" I chuckled. "I hope you don't mind that I'm going to leave you with my mother while I take a shower. I'll try to make it quick."
"I was planning on stealing Bella away for an hour or two anyway. She's staying over for dinner and promised to teach me how to make chicken parmesan. So she won't be bored," my mom offered.
"Yeah, nothing like going over to your boyfriend's house to be used and abused by his mother," Bella giggled, kissing my hand that she still held in hers.
We hadn't been on a date yet, but Bella refused to leave my house the day she asked me out until I agreed to go steady with her. It was a joke when I told her that I wanted to ask her out because that's what boys do, and we argued for twenty minutes about how I was being sexist until Rose came out and acted as judge while Emmett played referee.
My dad wasn't home yet and Alice's car was gone, so it was just the three of us. My mom went to pull out the ingredients for dinner while Bella offered to help me tape my cast up, stating that she had plenty of experience with water proofing limbs. She'd seen me without my shirt a couple of times, but never in the privacy of my bathroom. I was sort of frozen as she unbuttoned my shirt and helped me shrug it off.
"Oh god Edward stop being such a baby. So what if I see your moobs. It's nothing I've never seen before."
"Moobs?"
"Yeah. Man boobs," Bella cackled squeezing my pecks in her hand until they looked like cleavage. "See?"
"Bella!" I squealed, swatting her hands away. Fuck, I just squealed. "Jesus, woman. What's happened to you?"
"Nothing. I'm happy," she said, crinkling her nose. "You really do need a shower. I'm pretty sure that will make me happier."
"Do I stink that bad?" I raised my arm and tried to force her closer.
"If you don't stop, I'm going to duct tape your mouth shut and your good hand behind your back." Bella warned holding up the roll of silver duct tape.
"Fine." I held out my cast covered arm and watched as she expertly taped a trash bag around it. "Ew, my hand is already sweating."
"Stop being a baby."
"Why do you keep calling me a baby?"
"Because you're acting like one and not one of those cute little pudgy ones either. Your acting like one of those ugly, bald, unibrow babies that do nothing but cry twenty-four-seven," she stated, tearing the last piece of duct tape off and leaning up and kissing my lips softly.
One of the most important things I learned in the past two weeks is that Bella Swan loves kiwi flavored Lip Smackers and so do I. The first time she kissed me was when I rented The Nightmare Before Christmasthe day after she admitted that she liked it. I was surprised when she leaned up and pressed her plump lips against mine, and even more so when she forced her tongue into my mouth. After that, I wanted to write a thank you letter to Lip Smackers for their choice in the kiwi flavored product.
I wrapped my good arm around her, drawing her closer to me as our lips worked together, but she pulled away. "Nope, you need to shower, you grimy man. And you might want to trim up a bit." She rubbed my Shay Carl beard before touching her mouth. "I'm starting to get beard burn."
"I'm shaving it all off," I stated reaching for my electric razor.
"No. What? WHY?" Bella screeched, pulling it out of my reach.
"Because it's annoying and you've already said you're getting beard burn?"
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I want you to shave it all off. Just trim it up a little so you don't look like a hobo."
We argued the pros and cons of keeping my facial hair or not for almost ten minutes before Alice banged on the bathroom door, causing the both of us to jump a foot in the air.
"Will you two shut the hell up! Edward, it's your body. Do whatever the fuck you want to do. Shit." She then stomped down the hall
and slammed her bedroom door as loudly as she could.
"She's right. Do what you want." Bella handed me my razor. "I'm going to help your mom cook dinner."
"Bella," I sighed. "Don't let Alice get to you like this please."
"I'm not. She just had a point. I mean I wouldn't listen if you asked me to shave my head because you liked girls with butch haircuts. I'm going down to the kitchen so don't take too long, 'kay?"
"Alright." I pecked her lips once more, then locked the door behind her and turned to the mirror, turning on the razor. After getting rid of the scruff, I jumped into the shower, enjoying the feel of the water cascading on me. Oh, how I missed showering. Sure beats sponge baths. After scrubbing my hair clean, conditioning three times and scrubbing my body as best as I could with as much soap as I could, I finally managed to dry off and put on a fresh pair of boxers and a under shirt.
I tossed my clothes and towel into my hamper and went to my bedroom cutting the trash bag and duct tape off of my arm and inspecting my cast to make sure there wasn't any water damage. Bella was right; she's an expert. I could hear my mother and Bella talking when I finally managed my way down the stairs as slowly as I could. I felt lighter and, if possible, happier now that I was clean until, I heard a third voice.
"You do know you have a home right?" Alice asked, her voice laced with venom.
"Alice Bianca," my mother scolded.
"Yeah, I do. But this is also my boyfriend's house and whether you like it or not, Edward and I are together, Alice," Bella snapped almost as acidly. "I know you don't like me, but you're going to have to get over it because I'm not going anywhere."
"Uh-huh," Alice scoffed.
"I'm serious. What would you do if Edward didn't like Jasper? HUH?" Bella demanded. "You'd tell him to fuck off, right? Esme, I apologize for my language."
"It's fine, Bella," my mother replied, her voice laced with amusement.
"Yeah, I'd tell him to fuck off." Alice screeched. "I've been dating him for almost four years, you twit."
"I'm not talking about now, you friggin' idiot," Bella laughed. "I'm talking about the first time you brought him home. If Edward had told you that he didn't like Jasper, what would you have done?"
Alice got quiet and I looked around the corner to find her seated at the bar faced towards the inside of the kitchen where my mother and Bella were breading chicken. My mom stood with her hands midair covered with batter watching the two of them argue. Bella had washed her hands and her hand was on her hips, her face flushed with anger.
"I would have told him to go to hell because I love Jasper," Alice said after a minute, not looking up from the counter.
"Then why are you acting like this?" Bella asked moving closer as her voice softened. "I mean I'm not saying I'm in love with Edward. Yet," she stressed, causing me to smile. "But you're not even giving me the chance. You were one of the only people to talk to me in school, and now you're treating me like crap because I was a little confused? And don't even try to blame Edward's car accident on me, Alice."
Alice suddenly stood up, her arms flying into the air. "I NEVER SAID IT WAS YOUR FUCKING FAULT!"
My mother made no move to control the altercation, so I entered the kitchen, but neither Alice nor Bella saw me. They stared each other down and I was waiting for them to result to blows with the anger rolling off them.
"Then why are you being such a bitch to me?" Bella demanded. "You were so nice until Edward told me to leave the hospital room. You've already heard what happened and the reasons behind his actions, so why are you still so ignorant to me?"
"Because," Alice said defiantly, crossing her arms in a huff.
"Are you kidding me?" Bella screeched. "'Because'. That's the reason? Damn, I've never wanted to hit someone so badly in my friggin' life."
"Ladies, if you're going to fight, please take it into the back yard," my mother said calmly, going back to her task with a smile on her face. "Or Alice you can get over whatever hold you have on hating Bella. It's obvious she's not going anywhere and the grudge you're holding isn't worth it."
"How can you side with her?" Alice stomped her foot like a two year old. "I'm your daughter."
"And you're being a little immature." My mom turned and washed her hands. "Bella's here to stay, so say your peace and get over it so that she and I can get back to cooking."
When Alice made no move to speak, I grabbed her shoulder and turned her so that she would look at me. "Tell us Alice. Or stop your shit because I'm getting tired of it and I'm pretty sure everyone else is too. You've all but stopped talking to Rose because she brought Bella over here and now you're trying to make her miserable every time she's over here. So either answer the damn question or get over yourself."
"Fine," she huffed, turning to Bella. "I don't like you because you treated my brother like crap and you didn't care that he was hurting. He got in that wreck on the way home from your house from not paying attention because I was bugging him about you."
"I thought you said you didn't blame the accident on me?" Bella asked, her eyes filling with tears.
"I don't. I blame myself. Me wanting to help you after what I found out about your life in Forks. It had taken over my brain and instead of waiting for Edward to just come home and tell me what happened, I badgered him about you. I can't stop thinking that if I'd hung up the phone, he'd have been able to see that car before it hit him. I blame myself." Alice started crying, hugging herself. "I won't ever forget the sounds that I heard on that phone or my brother's voice when he called my name."
"It's something you'll never forget, Alice," Bella said, walking over to my sister and pulling her into a hug. "Coming from someone who's been there, that's something that will haunt you until you learn to deal with it."
"How do I deal with it?" Alice sobbed, throwing her arms around Bella.
"I'm going to introduce you to a friend of mine. His name's Garrett and I think he can help you now that he's done with me," Bella said softly.
I turned to my mom who was smiling widely. "What in the hell was that?" I whispered, gesturing towards Bella and Alice.
"Girl stuff. Don't question it. It's not something that can be explained," my mother shrugged.
Later that night, Bella and I were sitting on the front porch when she turned to me. "Did you know that the accident was bothering Alice so much?"
"No. I just thought she was being a bitch," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "I thought her issues were just with you. Do you think she really has post-traumatic stress or something?"
"Or something. Garrett will be able to help her, though," Bella smiled.
I just hoped she was right.
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