**Author’s Note: I know some of you were concerned about the condition Bella would be in when Edward finally goes to try to find her... Keep in mind, a year has past for Edward, but he’s just catching up to Bella. All of Bella’s POV’s were in 2006, so Edward is just catching up to her, she’s not fast forwarding a year! Sorry if that is confusing. Enjoy!
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CHAPTER 16
Phoenix, AZ - 2006 (Edward)
The flight to the states was uneventful. I spent a day in Los Angeles meeting with some clients before finally heading to Phoenix. When I got off the plane, I wanted to go straight to the hospital, but I decided I should wait until the following day since it was getting late.
I checked into my hotel at the Hilton. It was fairly nice. I got a suite, unsure if I would really only be here a week. I tossed and turned all night. I couldn’t believe I was in the same city as her, only a few miles down the road from her. It was maddening. All this time, thinking she had returned to Jake, that she didn’t want me.
It was then that I considered how she must feel, having never heard from me. I felt terrible for accepting what her mother had told me and giving up. I didn’t believe for one second that Bella could kill her father. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body. Something very fishy was going on, and I was determined to figure it out before I left.
~
I rented a car and was at the visitors entrance of the hospital by 9:00 a.m. the following morning. A small dark haired girl was behind the counter. Her name tag read Bree Tanner, the same girl I had spoken with on the phone.
“I’m here to see Isabella Swan.”
“Just a moment, please.” She typed some information into a computer.
“What’s your name, sir?”
I hesitated for a moment. I didn’t want her to know my name. “Jacob Black,” I responded.
“I’m sorry, sir, you’re not on the list of approved visitors.”
“Approved visitors?”
“Yes sir.”
I sighed. This was ridiculous. “I’d be able to visit her if she were in prison, why can’t I here?”
“She’s under the care of a physician and has a power of attorney for all healthcare and other decisions.”
“Who is the power of attorney?”
“I cannot release that information, sir.”
I hit the counter with my fist. Someone came up behind me and I moved out of the way and went back to my car. This was so frustrating. I contacted the PI I had worked with and got directions to Bella’s mother’s house. I’d just have to pay her a little visit.
The neighborhood was a little nicer than I expected, with all of Bella’s talk about being a simple middle-class girl. These homes definitely looked a little more upper class in my opinion. I pulled into the driveway behind a black Mercedes. Interesting.
I knocked on the door. A man answered who looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite remember where I had seen him before. He was casually dressed, but his face is what looked so familiar. It caught me off guard.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“I’m looking for Renee,” I said in my best American accent.
He turned away from the door. “Honey, somebody’s here to see you.” He walked away. Honey? Bella’s mom moved on pretty fast.
Renee walked down the foyer towards the open door and towards me. Bella must have gotten her good looks from her father. Her mother was just average in my opinion. Her skin was overly tan and her hair was short and wavy. She looked like she was trying to be younger than she really was.
“Yes, can I help you?” she asked.
I took a deep breath. “I’m Edward Cullen. I want to know what happened; I want the truth.”
Her eyes grew large and she instantly started retreating from the door. “You have no business being here. I don’t owe you an explanation for anything.”
“Why did you lie to me, Renee? What are you hiding?”
“John!” She yelled for the man that answered the door, “Get him out of here!”
John? Jonathan Cope? Bella’s defense attorney. That’s why he looked familiar. Why on Earth was he at Renee’s house? Why was he calling her honey? What the fuck is going on here? The pieces started to fall together as he came to the door and Renee told him who I was.
“You need leave,” he told me.
I stood there speechless, looking at both of them. Eventually, words I wouldn’t normally use, left my mouth. “Were you fucking him before, or after, he sent your daughter to prison?”
Renee’s mouth fell open and John slammed the door in my face. I pounded on the door, demanded answers. When the police showed up, I relented, and left peacefully. I was so angry. Her mother definitely had something to do with this.
I met with the private investigator and told him of what I learned. He thought Cope was married, so he was going to look into it. In the meantime, I had to find a way to get to Bella. After a lot of thought, I knew the only way that I could do it legally and safely was to put Plan B into place. My father would be so angry. This would extend my stay in Phoenix indefinitely. I went to the business center in the hotel and got started.
~
I did all sorts of research on the hospital Bella was in and about the available positions within the facility, specifically within the psychiatric ward. I would just have to get a job there. I already had a work visa to be in the states, I just had to come up with a reason why I’d want to work in a hospital.
There only position that didn’t require any previous training was a janitorial position in the psych ward, but it wouldn’t give me any access to patients. I certainly wasn’t going to school to be a registered nurse, I didn’t have that kind of time. The only plausible option appeared to be a nurse’s aide. It consisted of basically menial tasks such as food preparation, cleaning, delivering meals to patients, and transporting patients to various areas within the facility. It sounded exactly like what I needed. Now, I had to figure out how to get there. There was some sort of certification I had to get first. I did some research and discovered I just had to get CPR certified, take a class offered through the hospital for six weeks, and pass an exam. It sounded simple enough, with the exception of the six weeks. My dad was going to lose it. I had to get his approval before I moved forward, because I would need some financial assistance from him. I had plenty of savings, but it would run out quickly having to pay rent for a place here, paying Bella’s rent in London and paying my regular bills. Plus, I needed a car. It was impossible to get around this city without a car. I wondered if I’d still get a paycheck from Cullen Enterprises. I was dreading the conversation I needed to have with my father.
“Hello, son.”
“Hi, Dad. How are you?”
“As good as can be expected. Things are busy at work, but that’s always a good thing. How are things in Phoenix?”
“They’re good. I was in Los Angeles for a bit, things seem to be going well with the accounts there. I’m going to put a presentation together for WestCom to try to get some of their global accounts.”
“Oh, that’s great, son. We have been hoping to get some more of their business. You should definitely keep me posted on how the presentation goes.”
“I will. I actually wanted to talk to you about something else.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Well, I think I may need to stay here a little longer than I expected.”
“Why? How long?”
“Because I haven’t been able to see her. They won’t let me. Six to eight weeks.”
I could hear my father nearly choke on whatever had just taken a drink of. “Six to eight weeks? Edward, that is a long time. Why so long?”
I sighed. This was the hard part. “Well, I’m going to try to get a job at the hospital she is in. It’s the only way I can get access to her. I would have to take a six week course to even attempt to get a job.”
There was a long pause. “Edward, have you lost your mind? What about your job? What about your career, everything you’ve worked so hard for? What are you going to do when you get in there? Break her out? End up in jail? This ludicrous, son. I cannot help you with this. I think you’re in over your head.”
Damn it. I sighed. “Dad, please. You don’t understand. I would bet my life on the fact that she didn’t murder her father. Something else is going on, please believe me. I mean, her freaking mother is sleeping with her defense attorney.”
“Edward, I understand your concern, but I think this situation is bigger than you. Perhaps her mother and her attorney became close in the process, it happens.”
“Or perhaps they were involved before it happened and that’s why Bella agreed to such a ridiculous plea bargain.”
“Really, Edward. I understand your concern, and I agree something does sound a bit, off, but what will really be the outcome of this? Best case scenario she hires a different attorney and they file an appeal, things like this could take months, even years to resolve.”
I was deflated. He was right. This would be a long battle. I could hear my mother in the background pleading with my father.
“I understand that, but I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t try. You would do it for mom; you would do anything for her. Bella is to me what mother is to you. There will never be anyone else,” I said solemnly.
“What if you’re wrong, Edward?” he asked seriously.
“About what? I know that Bella is the only one for me.”
“What if she killed her father. What if all this work is done in vain?”
“Then I know that I made every attempt to learn the truth, and I had closure, and I’ll be able to move on.”
He sighed, there was a long silence. “I’ll have to discuss it with your mother and I’ll get back to you.”
Whew. “Thank you, Dad.”
~
Although I didn’t have the okay to proceed from my father, I knew it wouldn’t matter. I also had a gut feeling that my mother would talk him into it. So, I continued with my plans. I spent the remainder of the day looking for a relatively cheap apartment to rent. I wasn’t sure if I would still have an income, so I tried to be modest. I found a decent one bedroom apartment near the hospital. The place felt more like a resort than an apartment complex. There was a huge pool, and it was always sunny and warm. I signed a three month lease. Even if I wasn’t here three months, it was cheaper to do it that way. I was scheduled to move into the apartment the following weekend.
After I had crossed that hurdle, it was getting late. I ordered some food to go and retired to my hotel for the evening. I later crawled into the oversized bed, alone. It was disgustingly lonely here, lonelier than in London. I couldn’t shake the thought that she was only a few miles away, alone and scared in an unfamiliar place.
~
Early the following morning, I heard from my father. He agreed, only if I continued to work on expanding our U.S. accounts. I would still get a pay check, and somehow I would have to juggle two jobs eventually, but it would be worth it.
I quickly researched the best way to go about getting this certification I needed. There were some private places that did it in four weeks, or I could go directly through the hospital and I would likely have a greater chance of being hired on after the class. The next class started in two weeks. It was quite a set back, but it gave me time to get a few more things in order.
I started researching criminal defense attorneys and also had my private investigator researching as well. I knew I’d eventually have to hire an attorney for Bella, depending on what happened when we spoke. God, the thought of talking to her again, of hearing her voice, of seeing her smile, the wait was pure torture. I wondered if she would be happy to see me, or angry that I hadn’t come for her sooner. There was so much gray area, so many misunderstandings and unanswered questions. I hated the unknown.
~
I spent a few days in Los Angeles and then returned to Phoenix and moved into my apartment. It was actually quite nice, just on the small side, but I was fairly used to that from staying at Bella’s place. It was just a one bedroom on the first floor, but it looked out at the pool and it had upgraded carpets and an upgraded kitchen. I had to buy a bed. Shopping for a mattress was bittersweet. I wish Bella was with me to pick out the bed. I tried to pick one similar to hers, similar to the one we picked out in London. The one I finally decided on wasn’t perfect, but it would do. I also bought a couch, a coffee table, and a small flat screen TV. I had the necessities, and a few luxury items. I spent the weekend getting settled and making sure everything was in line with the class at the hospital. Apparently, I got the last spot in the class.
I gave a few big presentations in Los Angeles the following the week and secured three new accounts. It satisfied my father for the time being and I hoped it was enough to hold him over. My class was in the evening, so if I had to be in Los Angeles during the day, I could make it work.
~
Three weeks into the class I was bored and mentally and emotionally exhausted. I was by far the only educated person in the class. I knew everything they were teaching, it was common sense in my opinion. Other students thought it was rocket science. I was exhausted because I was constantly flying back and forth between L.A. and Phoenix. I was up all hours of the night working on presentations and bids for new business. If I wasn’t required to be in that class every single night, I wouldn’t be.
The highlight of the class came during the final week. We got a very thorough tour of the facility. I was certain I had to of walked past Bella’s room at some point, we had covered every square inch of the hospital. I was constantly trying to spin my head around in circles checking every room, but we were going too fast and I couldn’t tell. There were multiple long haired brunette’s sound asleep in their beds, or doing other strange things in their beds. It killed me that one of them was Bella and I didn’t recognize her. I got home that night and was frustrated. I was so close. What if I didn’t get a job? What if they didn’t hire me and I never had access to her again? What if that was my only chance and I blew it? I didn’t sleep at all, not only because of the frustration with my situation, but because there was clearly some sort of domestic dispute going on in the apartment above mine. I almost felt like I had to get out of bed and intervene. Clearly a girl was getting knocked around. Just when I got up and put some clothes on I heard the door upstairs slamming and footsteps down the stairs, but they seemed to stop short. I cautiously stepped out my front door and immediately heard the sobs of a young lady. I stepped around the front of the stairwell and immediately recognized the young girl. Bree Tanner. I wasn’t sure if she remembered me as Jacob Black, or Edward Cullen. We had been introduced on a few occasions while I was in class.
“Bree?”
She looked up and I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. Her face was tear stained and her lip was bleeding profusely. Her right eye was red and quickly swelling.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Aren’t you in the NA class?”
“Yes, Edward Cullen. I guess we’re neighbors.”
“I guess so.”
“Are you alright?”
“Do I look like I’m alright?” she asked sarcastically.
I shook my head. We both glanced up towards her door when we heard something slam against it. She quickly got up and ran down the stairs. “We have to get out of here. He’ll kill me, and you, if he sees me with you.”
“Who?”
“James, my boyfriend. He gets like this when he’s drunk. We have to go.”
We? I wasn’t going anywhere. “Why don’t you come inside my place and we’ll get your face cleaned up, okay?”
She cautiously nodded her head and followed me inside. I turned the lights on and started to lead her into the bathroom.
She laughed, “I know where it is, it’s the same layout upstairs, genius.”
“Oh, right.”
She went to the bathroom and when she came back she looked cleaned up but her lip was still gushing blood.
“Let me take a look at it,” I offered.
She removed the bloody paper towel. There was a large gash in her lip. “I think you need stitches, it’s really deep.”
She shook her head profusely.
“Why not?” I asked.
“They’ll ask questions and I don’t have any money or insurance or anything. I can’t.”
I sighed. “Well, put some ice on it and apply pressure.” I made her a little bag of ice. She looked terrified.
“Where are you from? Why do you have an accent?”
I forgot I tried to sound American at the hospital. I didn’t want anyone to inquire about my background.
“I’m from London.”
“Why are you here?” she asked.
I ran my hands through my hair. “It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
I thought momentarily. I could certainly use her help down the road, she had access to things I needed access to. I felt bad for her, she could barely be 18 years old. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll drive you to the emergency room and get a doctor to take a look at that. We’ll say you fell or something and busted your lip. I’ll pay for it, and I can fill you in on my story on the way.”
She pulled the ice and paper towel from her lip, it was all blood covered and a trail of blood went down her chin and neck, getting on her shirt. She sighed, “Okay, I guess. Are you sure? I mean, it will be expensive, this isn’t the first time...” she trailed off.
“I’m sure. Why do you stay with him?”
“James is all I have.”
“You have a job, why do you need him?”
“He’s taken care of me since I was 15. He controls my money. He’s all I have. He’s just upset. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay, let’s go.” I grabbed the keys to the rental car and we cautiously exited the complex separately.
It was a long drive to the hospital across town. She didn’t want to go to the one nearby where she worked. Even though it was a completely different area of the hospital, she was afraid someone would find out and she would lose her job.
I began from the beginning and started telling her about Bella and I. Half way through I paused. “I don’t know if I should actually be telling you all of this.”
She grabbed my arm. “You have to finish! Did she ever come back after Christmas?”
I looked at her, her eyes were wide, like she was on the edge of her seat, as if nobody had ever told her a story before. I laughed at her excitement. “You have to promise you cannot tell anyone, especially at work.”
She gave me a questioning look. “I promise!”
I continued. I told her the truth. Why I was confiding in her, I didn’t know. I think I was hoping she would take pity on me and help me out.
When I finished, she sat there with her mouth open. “I remember you. Before, you were in class, you were looking for her.”
I nodded my head.
She looked out the window. “I remember hearing about that on the news. My older sister went to high school with her. I think everyone had a hard time believing it, but she pleaded guilty.”
“I think she was coerced.”
“How will you prove it?” Bree asked.
“I’m still working on that.”
“That’s so sad, if she didn’t do it and she has to be stuck in that hospital...”
I nodded in agreement.
“I bet she misses you.”
I looked at Bree, but couldn’t speak. Fortunately, we arrived at the hospital at the same time, effectively ending our conversation.
Bree got all stitched up and after some uncomfortable questions we both left. I, unfortunately, left with $1,200 less than I started with. Healthcare in the states was outrageous.
“I’ll try to pay you back little by little. I told you it would be a lot.”
She looked like she really felt bad. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”
“But I feel terrible. You don’t even know me, why would you help me?”
“I’m just that kind of person.”
She sighed and looked out the window, seemingly in thought.
“Maybe I could help you,” she said turing to face me suddenly.
She played right into my plan. I went along with it. “How?” I asked, confusion apparent in my voice.
“With Bella. I mean, I could get access to her records, get you some information that might help you, nothing too crazy, I cannot lose my job, but I could see what I could do.”
“You would do that for me?” I asked.
She nodded her head. “It’s the least I could do. Oh, and I’m good friends with someone in HR, I can let her know about your application, I can talk you up, make sure you get hired, you just have to do good on the certification exam.”
“I can do that. I’d really appreciate any help you can give me.”
She smiled and nodded her head. “I’d love to help!”
“You have to keep it quiet, though, you know?”
She nodded her head eagerly. “I understand.” She grabbed my arm. “It’d be so great if you can prove she didn’t do it and get her out of there! You’re like her prince charming!”
I laughed. “I guess so, if it works.”
“It will. You have to stay positive!”
We returned to the apartment complex a few minutes later.
“Are you sure you’re okay to go back up there?” I asked.
She looked scared. “I’m sure. He’s probably passed out now.”
“Well, put my number in your phone, just in case you need anything.”
I recited my phone number and she quickly typed it into her phone. “Thank you for everything tonight, Edward. Bella is a lucky girl.”
I smiled. “You’re welcome. I’ll probably see you tomorrow.”
She nodded her head and exited my apartment. I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn’t. All was quiet upstairs. I couldn’t understand how such a seemingly sweet young girl got caught up in an abusive relationship. Sometimes girls could be so dumb. Fortunately, for me, this girl was going to be of great use to me.
***Author’s Note: I’m sooooo sorry this is so late. The past few weeks have been completely insane and drama filled in my real life. Things should be calming down now, so regular updates should be back! Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for the wonderful reviews!
Twitter: AllOrNothingKR
Facebook: AllOrNothingKR at gmail (dot) com
