I jumped on James' back as he continued to pound into Edward below him. I scratched at his face hoping to get him to back off. He stood up and ran me back into the wall, my head smashing hard enough to cause a dent and I fell off, sliding down to the floor. My eyesight became blurry and that pounding that was pushed away when Edward held me, was now back in the forefront, pulsating behind my eyes. I tried to catch my breath and focus my attention on the monster standing above me sneering. I watched as he pulled his leg back and threw it forward into my ribs. It seemed as if he was moving in slow motion; so slow that if I wanted to, I could stop him, prevent his foot from making impact. But I couldn't move. The adrenaline was fading quickly from my body; too quickly and I was now scared. I opened my mouth to scream in agony and all that came out was a gasp. Where was my voice? It was gone along with the air in my lungs.
I tried not to focus on the pain throbbing throughout various parts of my body. Instead, I turned my attention to my savior, to the man who wouldn't be here now if it weren't for me being so fucking stubborn. I didn't know where Edward was; I didn't know how badly James had hurt him. I could only hope the cops would show up soon. That thought and the image of Edward saving me played in my mind as my lids shut on their own accord.
I heard movement around me and grunting, and then a loud bang that made my body jump and wince. Not long after that, I felt strong arms pull me in to a hard chest. Then I heard what I think was supposed to be talking, but to me it sounded like the teacher in the "Peanuts" cartoons. Wha wha wha wha wha.
Light slaps on my cheek and shaking of my face pulled me up.
"Bella! Wake...up, Bella! No, don't...go to...sleep!" he yelled through labored breaths.
My eyes slowly fluttered, it hurt to open them, all they wanted to do was rest and Edward wouldn't let them.
"I ired, ward," I mumbled. "And y are 'ere more an one of ou ight now?"
"We need to get you checked out."
He pulled me tighter against him, his left hand curling under my thighs and his right circling around my upper back; I whimpered and bit my lip to reel in the pain.
"What? What hurts?" he asked, sitting back down.
He slowly lifted up my shirt and hissed at the shoe size welt already forming on the right side of my ribs.
"I'm sorry, baby. I have to pick you up, but I'm going to be gentle," he commented.
He moved to stand up again, and this time the cops came screaming 'Nobody move' with their guns raised. I whined, grasping onto Edward's neck tighter at the sudden noise in the small space.
Fuck, what's with the fucking screaming?! My fucking head feels like it's going to fucking explode. At this point, I wished it fucking would just to stop the fucking pain. Why am I using the word fuck so much?
Edward placed a soft kiss on my temple. They looked around then settled their eyes on us and lowered their guns.
"Is he dead?" the younger looking one asked.
"No, he hit his head pretty hard on the wall, I think he's just knocked out," Edward explained as he stood up. "His breaths are shallow so he could use some oxygen, but right now I don't have the heart to help him."
Two paramedics came through next toward the older looking officer who was checking James' pulse on his neck. He nodded to the paramedics and they rushed to James' side and started to work.
I slowly moved my head in their direction and immediately regretted it. Even moving in slow motion jostled the brain too much. I forgot that James was even still here. I hoped that they wouldn't be able to save him. In my opinion he deserved to die for all the things he put me through, not only this time around but two years ago as well.
"Do you know this man?" the younger one asked in an official tone.
"He's her ex-boyfriend," Edward answered.
"I didn't ask you. Miss, are you able to tell us what happened?" he asked, looking at me.
"Calm down there, Caius, this young lady looks like she has been through a traumatic experience. Don't treat her like a suspect," the older officer scolded. "I'm Sergeant Marcus. How are you doing?"
I moved my attention to the officer standing in front of me, but like before my mind couldn't comprehend the words that were coming out his mouth. I felt Edward's arms tighten around my legs, being careful to keep a looser hold on my upper body.
"Sergeant, do you mind if we do the questioning down at the hospital?" Edward inquired. "She has quite a bump on her head, some bruising around her neck and ribs and her hand is swollen. I'd liked to get her checked out if you don't mind."
"And you are?" Caius asked in disgust.
"I'm her boyfriend."
"You'll have to excuse Officer Caius, he's fresh from the Academy and a little overzealous to be working," Sergeant Marcus apologized.
"I understand, but would that be okay?"
"Yes, we'll meet you there."
"Northwest," he mentioned.
While they were conversing, my eyes moved back to the paramedics who were working on James. They had just finished taking his blood pressure and they put an oxygen mask over his mouth. I watched as they put a neck brace on him then strapped him to the backboard before putting him on the stretcher. His eyes remained closed as they wheeled him out. Deep down, I had a feeling that he was putting on an act, that he was really okay and that scared me.
"Bella, love, I'm going to take you to get checked out."
Edward kept my body cradled to his chest and I laid my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes as I breathed in the smell of him that wafted around me; the smell of Irish Spring and hint of maple syrup? My brain felt like someone pulled it out and decided to play basketball with it. I tried to focus on the questions swirling around in there, begging to be asked; I didn't know where to start so I said the first thing that came out.
"You were right and I'm sorry," I whispered.
"I didn't want to be right, Bella. Not if it meant you getting hurt like this." He grimaced.
"Thank you for coming," I said, staring into his eyes as he sat me in the passenger seat of his Volvo.
Edward pulled the seat belt over my chest and clicked it. He pressed his lips to my forehead before closing the door and walking around the front to the driver side. He opened the door and slid into the seat, buckling himself in and pulling out.
I watched his forearms flex and his knuckles whiten, his grip tightening around the steering wheel as we hit traffic. I stared at his scruffy face and I frowned seeing the bruises already starting to form around his eye and along his jaw. I slowly stretched my hand out to touch him, wanting to ease his tension.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked softly, trying not to use too much air.
He grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on each finger before intertwining our fingers and placing it in his lap. His grip was a little too tight, but I wasn't about to object.
"How you saved me from killing that guy. I wanted to, Bella. Believe me, I wanted to make him pay for hurting you, for touching you, for causing us to fight," he seethed. "But when I saw you lying there, motionless with your eyes closed, my heart stopped. I knew I had to put my anger aside to take care of you, my love."
He offered a small smile and my eyes started to droop; I didn't fight the need to sleep. My eyes had only closed for what felt like a nanosecond when Edward started yelling my name.
"Bella! Bella, love! Wake up! Don't go to sleep!" he exclaimed, trying to shake me awake.
"Ow, ow," I cried, gripping my ribs thinking that it would help stop the pain.
"I'm sorry. I know you're tired, but I need you to stay awake for me. I've missed those beautiful brown eyes and I want to steal glances to see them," he begged, gently running the back of his fingers along the side of my face.
I grabbed his hand and placed a kiss on the back of it, much like he had just done to me. He ran his thumb over mine as I placed it in my lap and the soothing feeling wasn't helping my need for a little shut eye. Edward's here. Edward saved me. But why is Edward here?
"Bella, hang in there, love. We're almost to the hospital."
Edward floored the gas pedal and within minutes, we pulled into Northwest Hospital. Why did he take me to Northwest? UW Medical Center is closer. He parked the car, ran around the back, and yanked the door open. In those seconds, my body became warm and the beads of sweat seeped through the pores on my forehead. The nausea was taking over and my vision blurred. As the lump came up my throat, I hurled my upper body out the side and threw up, grasping my side as a sharp pang ripped through my ribs. Edward jumped out of the way as the contents of my stomach splattered on the cement.
When nothing else was coming up, Edward maneuvered around the mess and helped me out of the car. He lifted me up as gently as he could and carried me against his chest. I nuzzled my face into his neck not caring that I had just thrown up. The cool air conditioning whooshing across my face felt good as we came through the automatic doors.
"Oh, Edward, look at you all grown up," a woman with beady eyes greeted. She had short blond hair that barely touched her shoulders, a small nose and a round face. Her features made her come across all sweet and warm, but her eyes, I shuddered...her eyes scared me. She reached out to touch Edward's face concerned, "Oh, what happened?"
"It's nothing, Jane. Do you know where my father is?" he asked, brushing her off.
"Again, what happened?" she inquired under her breath.
"We need to see my dad."
Her attention turned from Edward to me. I'm not sure what she saw in my face, but her brows furrowed as she looked me over.
"Why don't you put her down on that bed and I'll go page him," she pointed.
"Thank you, Jane," he sighed.
Edward set me down, tenderly. I tried to get comfortable in the hospital bed, which is a hard thing to do when your ribs felt like a knife had been jabbed into them and left there.
He cupped my face and looked into my eyes. I hoped he could see the love that I had for him and how sorry I was. His green eyes were filled with love, sympathy, concern and was that...guilt? What does he have to feel guilty about?
"Why didwecomehere?" I asked, in one breath.
"My dad is working today. I want him to check you out." He shrugged.
"But he'sthechief andikelybusy. I don't wanttopullhimaway," I argued.
"Bella, first, you need to breathe normally. I know it hurts, but taking breaths the way you are now isn't helping. Second, you most likely have a concussion, you have bruised ribs, a cut near your eye and you're gonna need a splint for that hand of yours. I want you to have the best. Humor me, please," he pouted.
I felt the urge to kiss his pout away, but I knew that movement was not in my best interest.
"Okay," I said, closing my eyes and clutching my chest.
"No, no, love. Stay awake, just a little longer," he ordered, shaking me.
"Here is some ice, Edward," Jane said, handing him a bag. "Your father will be down in a minute. Let me start cleaning up that cut near her eye."
Jane leaned over me, staring into my eyes and I recoiled under her gaze.
"I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart. I just want to get you cleaned up." She smiled, touching around the cut. "You're going to need some stitches. I'll be right back."
Jane stood up and came back minutes later with some ointment and bandages. She took a seat in a wheelie stool and rolled up close to the bed.
Edward held the ice to my head as Jane cleaned the dry blood that had trickled down the side of my face. She then spread some antibacterial wash over the cut making me hiss. Edward leaned over and blew on it. Now, that is some bedside manner.
"Bella, I'm going to numb the area, so hold still while I'm using the needle," she instructed.
Once the area was numbed, Jane started sewing it up. I stared at Edward, not wanting to see the needle and thread going through my skin. You'd think that I'd be used to this with all my accidents, but it still grossed me out. When she finished sewing, she put a bandage over it to keep it covered.
"This will need to be kept clean and dry," Jane explained. "I'm sure Edward won't have a problem helping you with that."
"Thanks, Jane." Edward smiled.
"I'll wait for your father to come before we do anything else. What is with these bruises on her neck, Edward?" Jane questioned, giving him the eye.
"She was attacked, which is why she's here with the injuries. The cops are supposed to meet us here."
"Edward, son, what are you...what happened to you two?" Carlisle asked, taking in our appearance as he closed the curtain behind him.
"She was attacked, Dad, by her ex. I think she has a concussion. She threw up when we got here. Her ribs are bruised and her hand is pretty swollen, I think she fractured it. Jane just stitched up her face. The cops are supposed to come here to take her statement and get some pictures of her injuries."
"What happened to your face?" he inquired, going into protective dad mode.
"I came at the tail end of the fight and the guy hit me. I'm fine dad, Bella's the one that needs to be looked at," he pointed.
"Hi, Bella." He smiled.
"Hi, Dr. Cullen," I greeted, remembering to take normal breaths as Edward had instructed. I continued to try not to show the pain in my face.
"Just because we are in my place of work does not mean that you need to call me Dr. Cullen. Please, call me Carlisle. I'm going to assess the extent of your injuries, right now," he mentioned, moving to the bedside. "Edward, will you leave us please."
"No! Edward stays!" I exclaimed, reaching for his arm. "Ah!"
Stupid, ribs. Forget the pain, think Edward. I just got him back. Never again will I do something as stupid as to make him walk away from me. He is too important.
"Bella, I do think it'd be best for both..."
"No..."
"Dad, I'm going to be the one taking care of her. I'm going to see it all anyway," Edward told him, running the pad of his thumb along my forehead, calming me.
"Okay, then." He nodded.
Carlisle started with my head; he removed the bag of ice and pressed his fingers on various parts. When I kept my emotions intact, he scolded me.
"Bella, I need you to tell me where it hurts. If you don't want Edward to know, I'll make him leave."
"No, no, sorry," I apologized.
"Okay, tell me where it hurts on a scale of one to ten."
His fingers went back to work, pressing down on the sides of my head and then moving to the back where I knew there was a massive knot from the times my head smacked against the hard surfaces. I hissed under his feather light touch.
"I barely touched that. Jane, she'll need a Head CT. And you're cut near your eye is clean. Jane did a nice job cleaning that up. Bruising along the neck, it looks like someone was holding her." He moved his attention to my right hand. "Her knuckles are swollen; let's get an x-ray for that. Bella, I'm going to lift up your shirt okay?"
I nodded and his cold fingers on my stomach reminded me of James touching me and I tensed, holding in my breath.
"Breathe, Bella. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," Carlisle said, trying to ease the discomfort.
I shook my head, trying to get the picture of James touching me out of my thoughts. "No, no, no, no," I repeated quietly, barely moving my lips as the words came out of my mouth. I felt the spot next to me sink and fingers rest on my jaw.
"Bella, come back to me, beautiful." My eyes focused on his as he lifted my chin. "That's right, look at me. Just you and me."
I patted the mattress seeking out his hand, unable to pull my eyes away from his emerald green ones. He slid his hand towards mine and intertwined our fingers. I held onto him tightly, as if he were my lifeline; the only thing keeping me from curling inside myself.
Carlisle lifted my shirt again and he pressed down along my stomach and ribs. I whimpered when he hit the bones on my right side. "We'll need to x-ray her ribs as well, Jane. Bella, do you hurt anywhere else? Did he touch you anywhere else? Do I need to get a rape kit?"
"No, no, he didn't get a chance. He touched my chest but through my clothes. My back is a little sore as are my legs, but that's about it," I reassured him as my cheeks felt warm.
"Okay, Jane and I will be back," Carlisle said, following Jane out and closing the curtain behind him to give us some privacy.
"Bella, did he really not touch you?" Edward whispered.
"No, he tried though. I knew if he had gotten in the door, he would have. I couldn't let that happen. I told him you were coming, I lied and he knew it. I made him mad."
"You didn't lie, I did come," he countered.
"I know, but at the time I didn't. Why did you come? I'm so grateful that you did, but why?" I asked as a tear slipped and I nibbled on my lip.
"I thought about you all night. If I didn't have Lexi, I would've come to you."
"I wanted to come to you too, but I was afraid that you didn't want to see me. You just left and it crushed me, Edward," I cried.
"Bella, my heart was breaking. I wanted to see you, to talk to you, but you weren't thinking clearly and I didn't want to have another fight with you. I knew it would lead to that when Jake told me that you weren't listening to anyone. You had to figure this out on your own, baby. I couldn't make you see reason as much as I wanted to," he explained, pulling me into his chest.
"I needed you so bad. My heart was in so much pain; it hurt more than my ribs. And I have no one to blame for that pain, but myself. How could I have fought with you like that? How could I have been so stupid? I could've ruined everything," I sobbed.
"Shh, it's okay. You weren't even close to ruining anything. It was a fight, Bella. Couples have them all the time. It was just worse for us because it was our first one since we became serious. I understand that you were upset. You weren't thinking clearly, I know that."
His voice was comforting, soothing. He waited until my sobs were hiccoughs before continuing. He lifted my face so that I was looking into his eyes.
"I woke up this morning from the little sleep I did get and I had this really weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. My mom called me to say that dad had to work and there wouldn't be brunch. She could tell in my voice that something was wrong so I told her that we had a fight. She offered to watch Lexi so I could talk to you. I turned her down at first, knowing that you needed your time and space to think, but I couldn't shake the feeling that you needed me. The feeling in my gut moved to my heart and I asked my mom to come right over. I just wish I could've gotten there sooner."
"You came at the perfect time. Edward, I feel free after kicking his ass. I'm no longer the victim. Yes, I have bumps and bruises and cuts, but I wasn't left sitting on the floor this time. He was. I know that I hurt him more than he hurt me. I never really thought he changed, I didn't know how to explain it. I just had this feeling that there was no closure between us and there wasn't. I needed to prove to myself that I was better than he was. That I was stronger. I needed to show him that I was no longer weak. I just wished I'd realized that before our fight."
"When did you have your epiphany?" he inquired.
"This morning when I was replaying the entire day in my head over and over. And Jake told me some things that I didn't know and that helped, but mainly it was you. Knowing that I hurt you, hurt someone I love. God Edward, I'll never forget the way you looked at me when we pulled away yesterday. I hurt you so bad and I'm sorry," I hiccoughed.
"I have some apologizing of my own I should be doing. I'm sorry I said you don't care about Lexi. I know that you love her as if she was your own. I'm also sorry for telling you to go home. I just figured we both could use the space to think and that wasn't possible with you at my place without a car to leave if you needed. I'm sorry I picked up Lexi without seeing you, but like I said, you needed to make the decision on your own. God, my home felt so empty without you there to greet me when I opened the door," he confessed.
"I love you so much, Edward," I told him, looking deep into his eyes, into his soul.
"I love you, too, Bella." He leaned forward, licked his lips and closed his eyes. I covered my mouth realizing he was coming in for a kiss. His lips made contact with the back of my hand and his eyes popped open.
"What?" he asked confused.
"I've row up eath," I mumbled behind my hand.
He pulled my hand away.
"What?" he inquired puzzled.
"I have throw up breath," I said sheepishly.
"I don't care about that. Bella, we just survived our first major fight. I'd be doing something else to you right now if it weren't for the fact that you are injured and in the hospital, so let me have my kiss," he growled.
I snorted, pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth. Edward shook his head as he brought his hand up to my face. He pulled my lip free and traced it with his thumb.
"I've gone twenty-four hours without these lips," he mentioned. "I don't want to do that again."
Edward slowly leaned in and pressed his soft, full lips against mine. My eyes fluttered closed and I smiled. Thank you to the powers above for bringing this amazing man to me. It takes a lot for someone to put up with me and he does it as well as challenges me. Not many men would've come back, their egos being too big of a deal for them, but Edward came back. He still wants me, stubbornness and all. His tongue lightly touched my bottom lip before he sucked on it. I grabbed his face and held him close to me; his right hand sliding into my hair and his fingers tangled into the nest, holding me to him as well. We both needed each other, needed more of each other and this; but our lips moving together in such fluid motion was going to have to suffice for now.
The curtain was pulled aside and someone cleared their throat. We both turned our heads to the curtain, but kept our hold on each other.
"Ahem, I don't mean to interrupt this moment," Jane said, with a smile playing on her lips. "But there are two gentlemen who would like to speak to you both."
"Later," he whispered, the glints in his eyes were back. He tucked my hair behind my ear and sat up. "We'll see them, Jane."
"Okay, they're in here gentlemen."
"Bella, this is Sergeant Marcus and Officer Caius. They are here to ask you some questions. Are you up to that?" Edward asked, grabbing my hand.
"Sure," I smiled, weakly.
"Okay, Bella. Do you mind if I call you that?" Sergeant Marcus asked.
"No."
"We came at the end of it all, so can you tell me what happened prior. How did the fight begin?"
"James and I have a history that goes back about three years. We used to date and it ended badly. He hit me and I had him put in jail. I hadn't seen him for about two years, so I didn't know if he was still in jail or not until I saw him working at Edward's house about four months ago. He works for a lawn service company. After that sighting, he approached me to apologize for what he did back in college. I accepted and thought I'd never see him again, but I saw him more and more after that and he'd wave, say hi whenever he saw me. Today, I went to the Starbucks near my apartment and he showed up there. He started talking to me and I felt creeped out so I told him I had to go." I hunched my shoulders and the hairs on my arms stood up remembering the way he ogled me. "He offered to drive me back to my place since I walked, but I turned him down. I didn't want him to know where I lived but when I got back to my place; he was standing outside the building smoking. He told me he lived there," I shuddered.
"I started going up the stairs and he followed me. I swear the hairs stood up on the back of my neck and I knew something bad was going to happen. He asked if he could see my view since I mentioned that mine sucked. I told him that Edward was coming over and it wasn't a good idea. He claimed I was lying, bringing up an incident from our past and started touching me. I pushed him and he slammed me against the door holding me by the neck. He called me a slut and pressed his body against mine. I felt sick, feeling him on me, licking me, and kissing me. Then he told me we were made for each other," I said with distaste as the tears flowed. "He punched me and that's when I fought back. I somehow got him on the ground and I just kicked him over and over again until Edward came in and pulled me away."
I looked up into his eyes when I said his name. There was a mixture of compassion, pride and love looking back at me.
"How did you all end up downstairs?" the sergeant asked, not looking up from his notepad.
"Edward carried me downstairs and called the police. He got off the phone and came towards me..."
"I saw James coming down the stairs about to hit Bella, so I pushed her out of the way and took the punch. He continued hitting me, knocking me to the floor. I threw in a couple of punches, but I couldn't get him off me," Edward explained.
"I jumped on James' back and scratched his face. He stood up and slammed me back into the wall. I slid to the ground and he threw a kick to my ribs. I passed out and when I came to, I heard a scuffle. I didn't see what happened."
"I stood up and ran at James from behind. I slammed his face into the wall. I guess it was hard enough because he just fell to the ground. Then you guys showed up."
"So, you're telling me that it was all self-defense?" Officer Caius asked.
"What else would it have been?" I argued, angry at his unspoken accusation.
"Ignore Officer Caius. So we have your statement. Can we take pictures of your injuries?"
"You can, but I don't want him in here," I replied, feeling uncomfortable.
"Okay. Leave us, Caius."
"But..." he objected.
"I said leave."
Officer Caius stomped away, closing the curtain behind him. Sergeant Marcus pulled a camera out of his pocket and began taking pictures of my injuries. He moved to take a picture of my hand and I stopped him.
"Why?" he inquired.
"I punched a wall. I also punched James which I'm sure doesn't help, but I got the injury before that."
Edward looked at me with his brows furrowed. I gave him a look that said 'I'll explain later.' He nodded his head then lifted up my shirt.
"Alright, Bella, we are ready for you," Carlisle said, joining us. "Oh, excuse me."
"Dad, this is Sergeant Marcus. He came to get Bella's statement and to take pictures of her injuries. Sergeant Marcus, this is my father, chief of surgery, Dr. Carlisle Cullen."
"Nice to meet you. Are you done here? Because I want to get Bella taken care of. How is your head feeling?" he asked, turning his attention back to me.
"I want to take my brain out to stop the pain, but otherwise fine," I replied seriously.
Carlisle chuckled. "Nice to see you still have your humor."
"Here is my card, if you have any questions, give me a call." Sergeant Marcus handed his business card to Edward.
There were questions that I wanted to ask; one in particular being James' condition, but I didn't think now was the right time. I wanted to get all the exams over and done with so that I could go home.
"Thank you, we'll be in touch."
He walked away and Jane joined us.
"We'll get that head of yours checked out first. It's a good sign that you're still awake and talking..."
"Yeah, that's not by choice." I glared at Edward, who chuckled along with Carlisle.
"And then we'll take care of your x-rays. I don't think anything is broken, just fractured or bruised, but I rather be safe than sorry. Edward, son, you'll have to stay out here."
I pouted when Carlisle mentioned that and Edward smiled.
"I'll be right here waiting for you to get back. I'm not going to leave you," he said, standing up. He lifted me up and placed me in the wheelchair.
I bit my bottom lip as they wheeled me away; I held onto his hand until I couldn't reach anymore. Jane made small talk as she pushed me to radiology. She asked how long Edward and I had been dating, how we met, about his family. I gave her short answers, still not comfortable around her. She then told me how she knew Edward. Apparently, he used to intern here when he was home from college and he was a hit with not only the nurses, but also the patients. She told me about one woman who would come to the ER at least three times a week complaining of something just to see Edward. He had the best bedside manner.
Getting the CT Scan was awkward; the table moved through the scanner and Jane asked me to take a deep breath and hold it in until I couldn't. She asked me to do that a couple of times. I grimaced feeling the sharpness shoot through my rib cage each time. She tried to console me, but it just wasn't the same as having Edward do it. I tried to tune out the buzzing, but since I already had a headache, it didn't matter. After a few minutes, the table slid back out and Jane entered the room.
"Okay, the radiologist is going to look at those while we go take some x-rays," she mentioned as I eased myself back into the chair, holding my chest.
In another room, another radiologist took a chest and a hand x-ray. That took about fifteen minutes. I started getting fidgety towards the end, having to sit still for so long. The cold rooms and sitting still didn't help my need for sleep. I found myself drifting a couple of times before Jane yelled at me. Finally, I was able to go back to my little bed in the ER and true to his word, Edward was waiting for me. His face lit up the moment he saw me come through the white curtain.
"How'd it go?"
"I just want to sleep," I whined.
"Soon, beautiful. I promise and I'll sleep with you if that helps," he suggested.
"It does, a little," I grumbled.
Edward scooped me out of the chair and laid me down on the bed. We sat there talking quietly about what Jake told me. Edward's jaw clenched and he was tense the entire time. He said he called Jake and Alice while I was in radiology. They wanted to come see me, but thankfully, Edward talked them out of it. Carlisle finally joined us with my x-rays and a woman in scrubs and a lab coat.
"Bella, this is Dr. Heidi Volturi, she is the radiologist who looked over your x-rays. You CT scan is clean, it's just a minor concussion. Heidi?"
"Thank you, Carlisle. You ribs are just fractured which is good, we didn't want to see displacement. There isn't anything we can do, but give you some pain meds. It will have to heal on its own. As for your hand, you've fractured it and it's dislocated a bit. We'll need to reset your bones then put you in a splint until the swelling goes down."
"You and Lexi will be matching," Edward joked. "She'll be so excited."
"Haha," I feigned laughter.
"Hey, that's what you get for punching walls," he whispered.
I narrowed my eyes at him and he sat there with a smug smile on his face.
"Thank you, Heidi." Carlisle smiled as Heidi left us.
While we waited for the orthopedic doctor, Carlisle numbed my hand. I knew I was getting the extra treatment; I was sure he didn't do this tedious work anymore.
"Carlisle, I hear we have a special patient here," a doctor commented, pulling the curtain aside.
"I really should have asked for a room. That curtain is annoying," Edward mentioned.
"I'm fine. Plus, we're almost done here."
"Ah, Demetri, yes this is Bella. She is part of my family and she needs her bones re-aligned in her hand. Apparently she punched a wall a couple of times and then a guy."
My eyes shot up to Carlisle when he mentioned that I was part of the family and I couldn't stop the smile that formed on my face. My heart felt as if it was going to burst out of my chest, I was so elated. Edward lifted my hand and kissed the back of it
"Well, aren't you a feisty one," Demetri teased. "Is her hand already numbed?"
"Yup, already did that."
"Wow, you have the Chief doing tedious work, impressive. We may need you to come around more often."
"Watch it, Demetri," Carlisle chuckled.
Demetri reset my bones then wrapped it up in a splint.
"Come back in seven days to get a cast. You were an excellent patient." He smiled.
"Thanks. Can we leave now?" I asked, complaining.
"Yeah, Dad. I want to take her home."
Edward wanted to take me home. I smiled. He called his home, my home. Wait, are we going to his home or my home? Now I'm confused. Should I voice my thoughts or just wait? Oh, I really hope he means his home. I don't think I'll feel comfortable going back to my place knowing that James lives there. I definitely need to find a new apartment.
"Yes, you need to fill out some paperwork and then you can leave. I'll leave a prescription for an anti-inflammatory and vicodin for the pain at the desk with Jane. Bella, I want you to take care of yourself. You're going to need a lot of rest, the less movement the better especially when it comes to those ribs. Remember to breathe normally even though it hurts."
"Can I..."
"Yes, you can fall asleep. We didn't see anything in your CT to worry."
"Thank you, Carlisle," I sighed.
"Yes, thank you, dad."
"No problem. Tell your mother that I'll be off around six."
"Will do, dad."
He left Edward and me to ourselves. He commented about how happy he was that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with my head, kissing my temple for reassurance.
"I'm going to get that paperwork for you. I'll be back." Edward stood up and walked away.
While Edward chatted with the staff at the front desk, I closed my eyes for a little rest but it didn't last long.
Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
Bad boys bad boys whatcha gonna do?
I groaned hearing the all too familiar ringtone. Edward approached chuckling as he looked at the screen.
"You really made that your father's ringtone?" he teased.
"Don't laugh; your dad's is the Doogie Howser theme song."
"Touché, here." He handed the phone to me and I accepted the call.
"Hi, Dad," I greeted then grimaced as he went on to berate me about the James situation.
He explained that an old acquaintance called him about today's incident and he is not happy that I didn't tell him that James had basically been stalking me. Edward watched me closely as I spoke to Charlie. He didn't need to ask what was being said on the other line since Charlie was screaming so much; I had to pull the phone away from my ear. I pointed to the paperwork and moved my hand, telling Edward to continue writing so that we could leave. He narrowed his eyes at me and begrudgingly got back to filling out my paperwork.
I tried to explain to my father, during the few moments he let me get a word in, that I didn't want him to worry and that there was nothing he could do from Forks. I quickly learned that that was a mistake because Charlie quickly got quiet, his heavy breathing being the only sign that he was still on the phone. I then apologized for making him feel guilty for not being there for me again, but that I had someone taking care of me, watching over me, who loved me. I gave Edward a small smile, raising my hand to brush his cheek as I talked about him and he gave me a quick wink. Charlie knew I had been dating Edward, but he didn't know it had gotten so serious until my little confession. I hadn't had the chance to update him on my life with everything that had been going on between Edward's schedule and mine lately. Charlie then asked about my injuries and where I'd be staying to heal.
I sat quietly, looking down at the bed sheets, unsure of how to answer that question. Edward grabbed the phone out of my hand and placed the clipboard there instead.
"Fill in all the blanks I left while I talk to your dad," he ordered with a smile. "Hi, Chief Swan, this is Edward, your daughter's boyfriend. She will be staying at my place while she recovers. I promise to take excellent care of her, so you don't have to worry about a thing."
I couldn't get rid of the smile that was plastered on my face. I filled out the information that Edward left for me; social and insurance information to name a few. Once done, we swapped again and he took the clipboard back to the desk. I said good-bye to Charlie and promised to call him in a couple of days. I put the phone down next to me and waited for Edward.
"Let's get you home, love." He grinned.
"Yes, please." I smiled.
Edward carried me into the house after parking in the garage. We made one stop at the pharmacy to get my prescriptions filled before heading to his place.
"Bella!" Alexis yelled, nearly falling out of her seat and running over to us. "Wat you do? Did you fall down, too?"
"Not exactly, but I did hurt it. Now, we match," I commented, sticking my hand out as Edward leaned against the island, still holding me.
I saw Esme stand up out of the corner of my eye.
"How are you feeling, Bella? Carlisle called and told me what happened," she confessed. "I hope you don't mind."
"No, that's fine. I'm actually really tired and the meds they gave me at the hospital are starting to wear off."
"Mom, I'm going to take her upstairs so she can sleep," Edward mentioned.
"Okay," she acknowledged, busying herself with the dishes.
Edward headed to the stairs and I saw Alexis following him like a little puppy. When he stopped to adjust his hands at the bottom of the stairs, she ran right into his behind. He wobbled a little from the unexpected hit and I grabbed onto his neck, moving in a way that my bruised ribs and injured hand protested. I bit my lip trying to keep the scream that wanted to escape from being set free and Edward got angry.
"Alexis Grace!"
"I sowwee, Daddy, I didn't mean to hit you. It was ackident," she quickly apologized, a scared look on her face.
"Lexi, sweetie, why don't you come finish coloring that picture for Bella," Esme suggested.
"No, I won to be wit Bella," she stated.
"I know you do, but Bella is going upstairs to sleep."
"I seep wit her. Nap time, nana."
"Oh, so that is why you were holding out earlier. But I'm sorry, sweetie, Bella needs to be by herself."
"But, I won Bella," she pouted, her bottom lip quivering. "I make her happy an she sad."
My heart was breaking as I watched this little girl argue to be with me.
"Edward, can she sit with me for a little bit?" I asked, softly.
He sighed as I ran my good hand through his hair, knowing very well that he would've done it himself if he wasn't holding me. He eyed me so I continued.
"While you get my meds and a glass of water, she can keep me company," I argued on Alexis' behalf.
"Fine. Go ahead of us, Lexi. I have to take the stairs slowly," he told her, moving out of her way.
She wiped her face with her hand then ran up the stairs. Even though, Edward took each step nice and easy, it still hurt.
"We're going to need a downstairs bedroom in the next house," I mentioned, holding in my breath.
"I have a smartass comment I want to say, but after everything we've been through I don't think it's appropriate. So, I'm going to say I agree. I could always convert my office into a bedroom in this house, but that's going to take a couple of days." I watched as his eyes sparkled as we discussed our future. I knew then that we were going to be okay and that we'd get past all this, stronger and more in love.
Alexis wasn't in the room when we entered. Edward closed the door behind him and locked it then sat me on the bed.
"What are you doing?" I asked, confused. "You said she could."
"I wanted to get you changed and out of these clothes. I'd burn them, but you're ass looks too damn good in these pants." He smirked.
I giggled as he helped me up and walked with me to the bathroom. He knew exactly what I needed in that moment, a toothbrush and toothpaste. I didn't even need to ask, that's how well this man knew me. He held onto me while I cleaned my mouth and got rid of the awful taste in my mouth, and then I slowly turned around in his grasp and gripped his shirt, pulling him down to my lips.
"Thank you, for everything," I mumbled against his lips.
"I...love...you," he said in between kisses.
"Mm, I love you too." I licked my lips, tasting Edward on my tongue as I pulled away.
He brought me back out to the bed and had me lean against the footrails as he tenderly took off my shirt, making me move very little. He then gently pulled me up against him to take the capris off. He hooked a thumb on both sides and pushed them down. I heard a groan escape from his chest and he was staring at my underwear.
"Do you always wear lacy panties under your workout clothes?" he gulped.
"No, I need to do laundry," I blushed.
"No wonder your ass looked so fucking good. God, if you weren't injured..."
"What would you do?" I asked, looking up at him through my lashes.
"Bella, you can't tease me like that. I'm already on edge with you against me wearing what you have on."
And he was right, his erection was pressing against his jeans.
"I wish I wasn't injured either. I suddenly have a new ache."
I felt the moisture seeping onto my panties as we stood, pressed against each other. My heart was beating wildly and I wondered if his was too. I lifted my left hand and placed it on his chest; his heart was racing just like mine. Edward placed his hands over mine and lifted it up to his lips. He kissed each fingertip before letting go and my hand fell to my side.
"You're so beautiful."
"And you are hot," I commented, trying to get control of my breaths as each quickened one caused my ribs to expand.
The jiggle of the doorknob pulled us out of our lust-filled state of mind.
"Daddy, you say I coud come," Alexis complained.
"Just a minute, Lex. Bella is changing," he said, pulling my undergarments off.
"Hurry, pwease. I won to come in."
He bit my bottom lip and pulled away with it between his teeth.
"I want to be the only one to gnaw on that," he said breathlessly.
"These lips only belong to you."
He kissed me once more then stood up and adjusted his pants as he walked to the door. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. My body was on fire and it was aching for him. He unlocked the door and opened it; Alexis fell backwards onto the floor, a pile of stuffed animals falling around her.
"Oh, Lex, are you okay?" he asked, crouching next to her.
She quickly stood up, forgetting about the toys and brushed him off as she ran around the bed to climb in next to me.
"Hi, Bella," she smiled.
"Hi, Lex, how's your arm?"
"It itches."
"I'm sorry, but hey, both of our arms can itch now."
Edward left us to talk.
"Are you okay? You have an owie," she pointed to the cut near my eye.
"I'm better now that I'm home." Alexis leaned over me and kissed the cut.
"I make it better. I don't like it when you not here and Daddy don't either. He miss you, I miss you. The fight ova?"
My face fell when she asked that question. She is too smart.
"Yes, the fight is over and your daddy and I are better. I'm sorry that you had to see that, Lex. You know it had nothing to do with you, right?"
"Yeah, Jakey-Poo tol me."
"Well, he was right. Your daddy and I love you so much."
"I love you too. Bella, will you be my mommy?" she asked so softly that I wasn't sure I had heard her right, but as her bright blue eyes stared at me through her lashes, waiting for my answer I knew my ears were not mistaken. I was stunned that she would ask that question. Yes, we acted like mother and daughter but I would never think she would ask something like that. Pill bottles dropping to the floor pulled my attention from her gaze.
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