Repentance - Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29:

Edward and I returned home refreshed and ready to face the challenges that lay ahead for us. I guess we just weren’t expecting quite so many all at once.

I felt like I rarely saw Edward anymore. He was usually gone in the morning before I pulled myself out of bed and I was in bed before he returned in the evenings. He was trying so hard to be the best he could be, at everything. I knew he had still been working with the state prosecutor with respect to James and a trial was set about six months out. Edward worked constantly at his new job. He felt it was important to do well and to make good contacts because he says the legal world is all about who you know and not what you know. He did research for big litigation cases his firm was working on. When he wasn’t at school or work, he was at the library working on one or the other. Edward was insistent that his trust fund wouldn’t support us forever and he wanted to be able to make a good living and provide our children with the same kind of support when they were older.

It was refreshing not to have to worry about school anymore. I just went to work, occasionally saw Edward at lunch, came home and entertained Masen. I never quite realized how much I missed Masen until I realized how much time I hadn’t been spending with him. I was really grateful to have a couple of months of bonding time with him before the baby arrived and changed everything.

I was growing at an alarming rate and I officially no longer felt anywhere near attractive. Edward hadn’t touched me in weeks, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I disgusted him or if he was just too exhausted to care.

Edward and I had planned to meet for lunch one afternoon on our lunch hour and I was eagerly awaiting the clock to strike 1:00 p.m. when I received his email.

Bella,

I’m sorry I can’t make it today. I have to cover a business lunch with a client for one of the other guys that is stuck in court. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you. I love you.

Edward

I sighed and deleted his email, almost instantly feeling tears sting my eyes. I wished them away and called Rose to see if she wanted to grab lunch instead. She eagerly agreed, advising she’d need a drink also because she had been having a terrible day. That made two of us.

We met at a little boutique restaurant near Rose’s office. Rose got there before I did and as I walked towards her she immediately jumped up and came towards me.

“Hey, let’s go some where else!” she said, hurrying me back the direction I came from.

“Why?” I asked confused as I looked passed her.

That’s when I understood. Edward’s business lunch was there and apparently it consisted of only him and a really attractive young blonde lady who was dressed to kill and had legs for miles. I immediately felt sick. “Oh, I see,” I told her. “Yea, we should go some where else.”

It was obvious they were there on business, based on the amount of documents spread across their table, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. I missed Edward and there was no way in hell I could sit in such close proximity to him while he was having lunch with her. It was obvious he saw us and as we turned to leave he excused himself from the table and came towards us.

“Bella, wait a second!” He called to us as he made his way to the front of the restaurant where we were.

I turned to face him, trying to smile.

“You don’t have to leave because of me,” he said.

Rose interjected. “Yeah we do. We are not watching you have lunch with legs over there,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of the blonde.

“Who?” Edward asked confused.

I laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Edward. We’ll go somewhere else. Go finish your lunch.”

“I don’t understand.”

Rose sighed. “Oh for God sakes, Edward. You weren’t born yesterday. That woman is really attractive and she’s scheming a way into your wallet and your pants as we speak.”

Edward turned to look at the woman who was just looking over some documents and eating her lunch. He turned back to face us. “Okay, yeah, you two do need to go somewhere else. Her husband just died! She’s not trying to get in my pants. I’m working on her deceased husband’s estate!”

Rose laughed. “She probably killed him for the money.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at Rose and Edward ushered us outside. There was no doubt the lady was very attractive, but even as unattractive as I felt, I really didn’t think I had anything to worry about with Edward.

Rose walked ahead of me a bit on her cell phone as Edward and I said goodbye.

He held my face in his hands and kissed my lips briefly. “I’m sorry I had to cancel. I love you.”

I nodded my head in understanding and sighed as he stepped away. When I didn’t say anything in response to him he asked if I was alright.

“I’m okay. I just miss you and I’m starting to feel like a single mom again.”

Edward’s face changed from one of concern to torment and he came to me, wrapping his arms around me. “Bella, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I know I’ve been busy, but this is important. I’ll try to get home earlier tonight, okay?”

I nodded my head, knowing in my heart it wouldn’t happen.

He told me he loved me again before disappearing back inside the restaurant.

~

He didn’t get home early that night. However, he did send a beautiful bouquet of flowers to my office just before I left work. They looked really nice on my desk. I chose to tell my co-workers they were “just because” flowers, instead of “I’m sorry I fucked up again,” flowers.

I decided that night that two could play at this game. Not that it was a game, I knew Edward was working hard and had a lot of ground to make up for all the time he missed in class when he was recovering, but I missed him so much it hurt.

When 8:00 p.m. came around and Edward still wasn’t home, I pulled Masen out of his pajamas and told him we were going out for ice cream. He was thrilled, of course. I actually did a little bit of shopping for the baby before we went for ice cream so we ended up being out pretty late.

“Masen, what kind of ice cream do you think sissy will like?” I asked as we peered over the glass counter into the freezer full of colorful selections.

I felt my phone vibrating on my hip and I knew Edward must have gotten home. I didn’t answer. He could worry about us for a little while.

“Sissy wants dat one!” Masen screamed excitedly and pointed to the cotton candy ice cream. The thought of cotton candy nearly made me sick.

“Sissy says it’s too sweet.” I responded. Since Edward and I had yet to name our future daughter, she was just sissy to Masen.

Masen frowned and studied the rest of flavors before he landed on mint chocolate chip.

“That sounds good. I bet she’ll like that.”

Masen nodded his head enthusiastically and insisted he wanted mint chocolate chip too.

We enjoyed our ice cream and then headed back home. By the time we got back, Masen was sound asleep in the back of the car and it was after 10:00 p.m.

I carried my bags and Masen into the building and up to our apartment. I put the key in the door and just a second later it swung open.

“Where the hell have you been?” Edward said loudly.

I was slightly taken back by his attitude, so I didn’t respond to him, and walked past him to put Masen in bed.

When I returned to the living room, I could tell Edward was fuming. I almost felt bad. I wouldn’t normally upset him on purpose, but I was almost eight months pregnant and I couldn’t predict my own behavior anymore. He hadn’t even changed out of his work clothes. He still had his nice dress slacks on and his white button up shirt. The first few buttons were undone, exposing his chest, and his tie hung loosely around his neck. Damn it, he was beautiful. I had to stay focused.

“Well?” he asked, still waiting for a response.

“Well what?” I asked. “You just expect us to be here when you finally decide to come home? I’m tired of sitting around this apartment waiting for you. Masen and I went out alone. I lost track of time, it’s not a big deal.”

“It’s not a big deal, Bella?” It’s not a fucking big deal?” he screamed louder now. He rarely raised his voice to me and I was really starting to regret my decision to piss him off. He continued, “It is a fucking big deal when the guy who tried to rape my wife and kill me is out walking around on the street somewhere!”

“Wife?” I asked. “Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Uh!” Edward threw his hand over his face and tried to not to grin, embarrassed. “I just think of you that way, you know what I mean,” he said softly.

I was silent. I guess it made him nervous.

“I mean, that’s still the plan isn’t it?” he asked.

My eyes met his quickly and I nodded my head.

He sighed, relieved, and I felt bad for making him so upset. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about James when I went out. I’m just not going to lock myself inside this apartment all night and wait for you to come home. It’s not fair to me or Masen.”

“That’s fine. I don’t expect you to wait on me, but for god sakes, answer your damn phone when I call.”

He approached me then, wrapping his arms around my enormous waist and pulled me to him. “I’m sorry; I was worried sick about you.”

I sighed. He looked and smelled entirely too good to stay mad at him. “I’m sorry, too. Oh, and my flowers were really pretty. Thank you.”

I looked up at him with full intent to kiss him, but the look on his face made me stop. “What?” I asked, confused by his look.

“Flowers?” he asked.

“Yeah, the flowers you sent today...”

“I didn’t send you any flowers,” he said seriously.

“Then who did?” I asked, not believing him.

“I don’t know. You tell me! I did not send you flowers. I probably should have, but I didn’t.”

Now I was confused.

“Who was the card from?” he asked.

“There wasn’t one. I just assumed they were from you. I got them just a couple hours after I saw you at lunch.”

“Do you remember who the florist was that delivered them?”

“No, I wasn’t paying attention. I was too excited that you thought of me, but you really didn’t.” I pretended to pout.

Edward laughed and kissed me. “I take back what I said earlier, don’t leave the house without me.”

I didn’t feel like protesting at that point. The mystery flowers freaked me out.

“And I’m always thinking about you...always,” he added.

“Will you come to bed with me?” I asked softly against his lips. His routine was normally to stay up studying, long after I had gone to bed, alone.

“I was going to study...” he trailed soft little kisses across my jaw and down my neck. “But I’ve missed you like crazy and I’m relieved you came home safely and I really just want to be wherever you are.”

I smiled as his lips founds mine again and we began to make our way back to our bedroom.

We spent the next few hours re-familiarizing our selves with each other and catching up. I missed everything about Edward so much. “Will you please just give me one night a week, like this? Just us.”

“I’ll give you anything, Bella,” he whispered softly against my neck. “I’ll give you two nights, but the second includes Masen.”

“Promise?” I asked.

“I promise,” he kissed my bare shoulder and pulled the covers more tightly around us. “I love you.”

I smiled at the words I felt like I hadn’t heard, with as much meaning, in so long. “I love you, too.”

“And I promise to call every damn florist in this city tomorrow to find out who sent you those flowers,” he mumbled, more to himself, than to me. I squeezed his hand before drifting off to sleep.

**CHAPTER 30 - CLICK HERE **