Chapter 16 ~ Overdue Aeration

Edward POV

The morning arrived quickly, following my late night introduction to Bella's body, but still, it arrived, all the same, just like it had since I'd left Georgia. I checked the clock on Bella's bedside table to see that, yes, in fact, it was nearly oh five hundred again.

Thoughts of kissing, holding, feeling, touching...they all just, swarmed and I smiled into the unlit room, remembering how she felt against me.

I gave myself another thirty or so seconds, before sliding away from the warmth of her body, regrettably.

It was dark.

Really dark.

And I felt around the floor for my clothes but they were completely MIA.

I started wondering if Bella had hid them, in order to keep me there or something.

That would be very stalkerish of her, I decided, amused, but then, another idea hit me, that would have been even more like Bella, than the stalkerish tendencies and I snuck down the back stairs to the Hale's laundry room, then checked the dryer.

I was naked as a Jay bird...and hoping I didn't run into Rose or anyone, thinking, it amazed me, how well I remembered the layout of their house from hanging out when we were all kids.

When I was welcome there.

Fucking saint, that woman, I thought as I found dry jeans…dry shirt and…dry…everything else inside the machine.

Including my shoes.

I got dressed and started back up the stairway to leave a note for Bella but was stopped dead in my tracks by a wall, called Emmett McCarty.

"Edward…what the f…"

I put a finger to my lips, cautioning him to shut the hell up so as not to wake Bella and though he had a look of utter, typical Emmett fury on his face, he shut his yap and I pointed toward downstairs.

He followed me down and then out the front door and before I could turn around…

He sucker punched me.

I took it.

I knew how.

But I wasn't about to take anymore his dickishness.

I didn't know if it was Bella's influence, or Jasper's sudden appearance that had inspired me to utter sarcasm, but it didn't matter…what mattered was that these cryptic confrontations of his, needed to cease and desist.

"Still needs work," I told him, feeling my jaw a little to make sure he hadn't broken anything.

Nope.

"Fuck you Edward, what, is Bella, like, your booty call now?"

I let out a slightly fractured laugh and told him, "I don't owe you an explanation about what's going on between Bella and I, Em."

I don't think.

"I wasn't asking."

"What are you, my father, now?"

"Lucky for me, no."

"Fuck you."

Not my most eloquent choice of words, but it worked.

He went to slug me again but I weaved out of his reach and grabbed his wrist. "I don't give away a whole lot of freebies, Em, you might wanna save 'em up."

Then he snatched his hand back.

"Whatever, just…" he threw a hand toward the horizon. "Go home."

And I wasn't sure if he'd meant the vineyard, or Georgia.

But again, didn't matter.

"Right, just as soon as I leave Bella a note."

I started back into the house and he stopped me.

"Step aside, Em."

"Make me."

"What are we, twelve?"

We had a stare down for a minute or so and then he asked me, searching my eyes for something and I caught myself feeling like I was eighteen, again, trying to apologize for some stupid mistake I'd made. "What are you doing anyway?" he asked me. "Bella's a nice girl."

"I know that."

I knew that.

"Well?"

What was he wanted me to say, here? Did he want me to confirm I was a dick? Tell him I was using her? That she was using me?

Was I supposed to beg for his approval?

Something I'd stopped hoping for, a long time ago?

I scowled at him.

I wasn't giving him the satisfaction.

"Maybe you should take your head out of your ass, Em. It's much sunnier here on the outside."

He let out a grunt of sorts, followed up by a sarcastic nod.

"Typical."

And that was about it, for me.

"Excuse me?" I asked him, squaring my shoulders.

"You're just…you're still…always avoiding shit, Ed. Just like when we were kids."

"I'm not avoiding shit, Em…I came back here to…"

"To what? Clean up after your own mess? Sell the vineyard? Make a few bucks then…I dunno, go back to wherever you've been for the last four years?"

"I've been fighting wars, for your infor…screw it, you know what? Fuck off."

I pushed passed him but he wasn't done.

"That's right, run away…again."

Then I spun on him.

"What. Is. Your. Problem?"

"You wanna know what my problem is?" he asked, closing in on me.

"Yeah, I really fucking do," I answered.

Not backing away.

Not even an inch.

"You…you're my problem, Ed." He pointed at me and I held my ground, never looking away from him. I wanted to hear this. "You fight with Carlisle, you steal something…he grounds you, you cheat…on fucking…Algebra…you were acing Algebra, for Christ's sake…."

He was getting louder and louder but all I could really do was wonder why he was so bent out of shape over shit that had happened…years ago.

"He makes you work the vines, you break a church window…"

"We," I corrected him. "We…broke that window."

I couldn't help it, but he didn't seem to appreciate the subtle humor I was attempting, there.

"You blew it, Ed…with the Volturi's place…you blew it and you got flack for it. A lot of flack, but that didn't mean you had to leave, it would've been like everything else…"

And then I had to stop him.

Because I really couldn't deal with what had happened at the Volturi's, yet. I'd dealt with the reality of that situation, on my own, a long time ago.

I wanted to enjoy just…one fucking moment in my life for a little while.

One memory that hadn't been tainted by lies, or...anger...or...any of this other bullshit that Emmett was drudging up.

"Stop."

"What?"

"I said stop."

"Why?"

"Because It wasn't like everything else, Em…it was…" Something not entirely as it seemed.

"Fucked up…and really irresponsible," he spat, but there was something else in his voice.

I couldn't pin point it though, I was too busy pushing down the rage.

I wasn't gonna make it through that conversation without saying something highly offensive to him.

Without drudging up my own bullshit, that didn't matter anymore.

Not to me, anyway.

"I can't, keep, apologizing for the past, Em. I left. It was what I needed to do, for me."

"Yeah, for you, forget about the rest of us, forget about Carlisle…"

"This isn't about me leaving."

"It's about everything you've ever done, Ed…you just…threw us out like yesterday's trash and…"

Us?

"Wait."

I had to let out a chuckle. "You're telling me…your feelings were hurt? That…what? I left and you didn't have anyone that was more of a fuck up than you, anymore?"

"You would think that."

"I'm not doing this right now." I waved him off.

"Why not, Edward? Why not now?"

I pointed at the Hale's house, then, in the general direction of the bedroom I'd slept in. "Because I need to not leave the woman I shared a bed with last night, without some word of why I'm not in that bed when she wakes up...and then I need to go continue fixing up a vineyard I never asked for, because my father…whom you seem to be so fucking sympathetic towards, screwed it up, almost to the point of no return, and then I need to go see if he's gonna live through a stroke that he brought on himself, Em…not me, I didn't do that, and I'm not…doing this."

I walked back into the house, leaving him there, and made my way back up to where Bella was still, thankfully, asleep and found a piece of paper and a pen on the dresser.

I set the note I'd written for Bella next to her, in hopes she'd find it before freaking out that I was gone.

Quietly leaving her room, taking one last peek at her, sleeping soundly, I grinned as I closed the door in silence.

And tried to hold on to the night we'd had together, instead of the words that Emmett had forced onto my thoughts, about things I'd never be able to make right.

What's done is done, I reminded myself, as I started at a slow jog, down the road toward home.

The run back to the vineyard felt pretty invigorating, despite the anger.

Not as good as it would have in sweats and my good running shoes, but still...

I was hesitantly quiet when I first got back to the house, wondering if Jasper had already woken or not.

Not that he wasn't always up before the crack of dawn, back at base, but you never know the habits of an officer when they're on holiday.

I entered the kitchen and my questions were answered when I found him at the kitchen counter.

With Alice.

Laughing.

Which was abruptly interrupted by my presence and I suddenly felt like I was invading their privacy or something and then Alice stood up straight and started clearing their plates.

"Late night, I see, Sergeant," Jasper smirked and I looked from him, to Alice, then back to him again, cocking an eyebrow.

I see, indeed.

"Sorry about…"

"Oh it's all good," he said, stretching a little bit, then twisting his back to crack it. "Alice here is damn fine company, it turns out…" she looked like she was…blushing?

"Excellent cook, too."

"Ohh, kay…" I told him…them…something like that. "Um…well, it's, shower time for me, then I need to get some work done, up for it?"

"As ever," he said smiling and I made to get going when he stopped me.

"You uh…" he made a gesture with his hand, showing me he'd noticed the blood on my lips and I said, "Yeah…sucker punch."

"By the girl?" he asked, amused with his own insinuation. "I thought she liked you?"

Alice's shoulders bobbed a little and I told him, "No, I mean, yeah, she likes me."

I think.

I mean, she probably did.

She'd have to, to commit some of the sex acts she'd committed with me the night before, right?

"It was…someone else."

"Emmett still not talking to you, then?" Alice asked without looking over at me.

"More so than normal," I told her. Also not making eye contact when she finally looked over at me.

Take that, ambiguous Alice.

I started off, again and Jasper stopped me.

Again.

I just wasn't getting' out of that inquisition.

"Wait, you're sayin'…you let some guy hit you?"

I didn't answer.

He wasn't asking for a response.

Yet.

"My best hand to hand combat fighter, let himself get sucker punched?" he pushed, looking all kinds of disbelieving and I took a moment before telling him, "It's…a long story."

"Seems like a lotta things around her equate to long stories," he teased, eying Alice and I wondered what in the hell that meant, but didn't really let it sink in too much.

I had my own issues.

"Yeah," I muttered and then took off up the stairs to go get cleaned up so I could get dirty again.

The day went fairly quickly with an additional set of hands around. That wasn't dressed like Daisy Duke. And I managed to avoid getting too close to Japser's work area, so I wouldn't have to go into too much about life back at home.

He did manage to ask me about my plans as far as going forward with the Army, though.

I told him the same as I always did.

Another re-up was never questioned, in my mind.

It was where I belonged.

Where I fit.

I was anxious to get back to it, as a matter of fact. But at the same time, I was starting to want the time I had back in Napa to last longer.

No, maybe not exactly my time in Napa.

More like, my time with Bella.

But she had plans, now that she was freeing herself from her ties back in Chicago. She was giving herself a new opportunity to do the things she was passionate about.

Without someone else telling her what those things were.

It was almost like fate, I thought, that I would meet someone that had other obligations, much like I did…that we'd connect, and maybe even mean something to each other.

And I wondered, if after my next stint in the Army, if I'd ever see her again.

But I wasn't going to worry about that, just yet.

Wasn't going to dwell on the negatives. Only the fact that she'd entered my life and somehow, made this miserable trip a little better.

A lot better.

I was grinning like an idiot, at myself, into the mirror, later on, as I shaved, thinking about just exactly what parts of her were making this visit better, when she showed up.

"Hi," she said, holding a pie out, in front of her and I wiped the rest of the shaving cream off of my jaw, taking a deep whiff of the desert, in to my lungs.

Peanut Butter.

I looked up from the pie, to Bella. "Occasion?"

"Just…you know…" she blushed. I smirked. "Stuff."

I took it from her, letting my hands linger a little longer on hers and then she followed me into the kitchen. Then I set the pie down onto the counter and introduced her to Jasper, who nodded politely, but in no way shape or form, was the seductive Texan he'd been when he met Alice.

Which was interesting.

"So," I told Alice. "I'm gonna…go see what the day's deal is with dad, and then I'll be home."

"Are you going to eat?"

"I'll grab some leftovers if there are any, when I get back." I eyed Jasper. "You okay here...or..."

He in turn, eyed Alice and told me, "I think I can manage, take your time." And then Alice, who was avoiding all eye contact, all together, said, "I'll make enough for everyone."

I didn't question her.

I knew better.

But something told me that woman had multiple hidden agendas in the world of the Cullen vineyard.

Bella handed me the keys and I walked her around to the passengers side to let her in.

But not before taking her face into my hands and kissing her soft, enticing lips, again.

I couldn't help myself.

She was…

Addictive.

I might have taken her by surprise but she didn't seem to mind it, sayeth the hands that found my hips…then my ass.

I smiled as I breathed her in, wanting more from her.

Right there.

Against the truck, maybe.

In the truck.

And I hardened as I thought of the things I could do to Bella in the back of that truck.

So many…bad things.

But I had a task.

I needed to stay on track.

So I broke the kiss, and told her, "I'm sorry I had to leave so early," to which she smiled, twisting her mouth a little. "It's okay, you gave me time to…work some things out."

She was being purposefully mysterious and I wanted to question her.

Wrestle her to the ground maybe and tickle her sides until she told me.

But that wouldn't have been very productive, I thought. Besides, she clearly wanted to tell me in her own time, which would probably be more fun, anyway, so I left it alone, giving her one more small peck on the lips before heading around to the other side of the truck to hop in and go see dad.

As I drove over to Sonoma, Bella sat close, I held an arm around her shoulder, landing it around her waist and she played with my fingers, asking questions about the Army, what I did and why Jasper was in town.

I told her as much as I could, which wasn't a whole lot but she seemed content with the information.

She didn't push.

She never did.

"Do you think you'll do it forever? The Army, I mean," she asked and I thought, what a good question because in all honesty, I hadn't really thought that far ahead.

It was always just two years at a time, in my book.

"I suppose," I told her, watching the road darken in front of me.

"Until they don't want me anymore…"

"Or until you don't want them," she said quietly and I had to snicker a little.

"Is this a two-fold conversation, Bella?" I questioned and she buried her face into my arm. "I don't mean to pry, Edward, I just…I mean, I don't want to burden you with anything other than what you came to Napa to accomplish, I mean…"

"Hey." I nudged her, as I pulled the truck into the parking lot of the hospital.

I turned the trucks engine off and faced her. "I think we've accomplished that we're both adults and are making our own decisions here, right?"

She looked up at me.

"Right."

"And last night was…" I smiled, narrowing my eyes, slightly. "Mutually enjoyable?"

"Definitely," she smiled wider.

"Then let's not make it anything it doesn't need to be."

Right now.

Which is complicated.

"Agreed," she said, then with the seal of the kiss, of sorts, to our agreement, we headed into the hospital to see an old man about getting better.

Once we'd arrived at Carlisle's floor, and we were at his room, suddenly, I felt…uncomfortable…for reasons unknown.

"Do you think you could…" I hesitated.

I wanted her to feel at ease with coming into the room with me.

I wanted her there with me, but this visit, for some reason, felt…strained.

Already.

I didn't know how to ask her…how to request a moment, but then Bella took my hands into hers, as if she'd already previewed my minds thoughts.

"How about if I go…get something to eat and give you some alone time, and we'll see how things are going when I come back."

I let my eyebrows raise a little, the relief of her realizing my dilemma for me.

And the need to make the atmosphere just a tad lighter.

Maybe just to see her smile, again.

"Well just be careful," I told her, leaning in to speak, so that the nurses couldn't hear. "Hospital food isn't the most pleasurable, from what I hear."

And she did smile.

And I felt lighter.

"I'll take my chances," she whispered and then, winked at me before turning and to leave me there.

I watched her.

Then took that moment, along with a few deep breaths, before heading into Carlisle's room.

I stepped into the dimly lit place, and it was eerie.

Like the quiet before the storm, eerie.

"Dad," I said quietly, wondering if he was sleeping again, or not but he slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times, as I came into focus.

Then he grinned up at me.

"Edward." His breathing was labored and he seemed like he was in worse shape than the last time I'd seen him. "Please…sit."

I found my chair and pulled it up next to his bed.

"I brought you some stuff."

I handed him the magazines that I'd taken for him, as I sat down and he received them with a shaky hand. "Thank you…son."

And those words.

All of them.

Took me a minute to recover from.

Because, processing a conversation with my dad that didn't involve cursing or screaming was one thing but when you added please and thank you into that conversation?

It was like learning a new word, in Kindergarten, or something.

I knew I was scowling.

I just couldn't stop it from happening.

And when he pulled the reading material out of the bag, I noticed he seemed, thoughtful about one of them.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, thinking maybe he was having some chest pains or something but he shook his head, pointing at the magazine.

"You know…" he took a sharp breath. "Your mother…used to have a…subscription to this one…"

He smiled a sad smile and my head felt light, hearing him mention her like that.

He hadn't said her name, much less referred to her in any form or fashion in over…ten years.

He didn't wait for a reply.

Which was a good thing, because I truly didn't have one for that.

"She was…obsessed with the…movie star…gossip…"

And if I wasn't mistaken, I thought he'd choked out a laugh of some sort at that memory.

"Dad…"

I had no idea what I was going to say, no idea why I'd interrupted him. It was the most I'd learned about her, my entire life, but I did it anyway.

He looked up at me and like the question had been sitting there, on my lips, waiting to be asked forever, I said, "Why'd she leave us?"

I figured he'd ignore the question.

He just stared at nothing for a minute or two.

And I saw a flash of the old dad in his eyes.

The angry, cold, distant dad I'd grown up with.

I almost regretted letting the words slip from my mouth.

But then his hand lowered, setting the magazine down onto his chest as he continued staring off at his memory.

"She never….asked for a life of…taking care of grapes," he said and they way his chest abruptly fell, every time he took in some air, I worried this conversation would end him.

But I wanted to hear it.

Wanted to know.

So badly.

So I let him continue.

"She was….so angry when I…purchased that land." He seemed to stop there, but then he repeated himself, almost like he hadn't believed what he'd said, himself.

Like he wasn't the one telling the story.

"So angry…"

Then he looked over at me. "She didn't…wasn't meant to…be….working in the fields…you see."

"Dad…"

He put a hand up, stopping me…from stopping him.

"She deserved to be…taken care of…"

What was he getting at? I didn't know what he was even…

"But by then…I couldn't…leave…the vines…they owned me…more than…I…owned them, you see."

"Dad, what does this have to do with…"

"When Aro paid attention….she…"

Oh Jesus…why did I ask?

"Don't…"

He nodded. "She thought he was…going to….leave his family…run off…and…"

Like I needed to hear the rest.

"When he didn't…she tried…she did, son…"

Shit.

"How long did she…."

"About a year…" he said, struggling for air, again, then he looked away, again. "I tried…tried to make her stay….if not for…me," he breathed some more. Struggling more, then.

"For you, but…."

He didn't finish.

"But what."

He shook his head and I pushed.

"But what, dad?"

"She told me…you weren't even…weren't mine."

Speechless.

I was definitely speechless.

That was…a lot of information to take in. I couldn't even tell him to fuck off.

To fuck right the hell off with that story and forget I'd even stopped by, but…then I thought about everything. All at once. The fights, the harshness in his tone when he spoke to me about…every day shit, even.

It was all because of her.

Because of that last sentence that she'd said to him, when she left.

But it didn't make sense.

It was like…torture, living with him…so I had to ask another question.

"Why'd you even keep me, then? I mean, why bother? You could've had a whole life of your own…" I waved a hand. "I couldn't been…"

Happy?

Is that the word I was looking for?

"It was just her….last ditch effort, son…to hurt someone…like she was hurting…"

"Why didn't you check then, to make sure…maybe that would've…"

"Because…Edward…it didn't….matter…I know I…wasn't the best…father….but I did…I did love you."

I was reeling, from…something.

I was angry.

And I was getting a headache like you wouldn't believe, trying to process everything.

But mostly, I was just…I didn't get it.

Then he said something to make it even worse.

Or better.

I wasn't sure, which.

"It wasn't till…after you left…I checked…I made sure, son, you're mine. You always will be."

"Why."

"Why…what?"

"Why check? After all that time? And I mean, I was gone, what difference did it make?"

He started to drift off then.

Taking slow, shallow breaths of air and I wondered if it was going to be one of those things I just never knew the answer to.

But he spoke softly as he closed his eyes.

"I wanted…proof…wanted there to be…no shadow of a doubt for…"

"For what?"

Nothing…he was out.

"Dad."

I said it a little louder than I needed to.

Urgently.

Because I needed to know.

I deserved to know.

"The vineyard is yours, son, no one can…take it from you…but you."

Then he was really gone.

Asleep, that is.

Out like a light.

And I just sat there. Staring at him.

Letting everything he'd said, sink in and swirl around a little.

Why would he make sure the vineyard was mine? I didn't even want the thing.

Not to mention my new found disgust with my mother.

I mean, Jesus Christ. Aro Volturi?

Dad was friends with that guy.

After mom left.

I didn't get it.

I was lost in a trance full of memories and confrontations with my father that suddenly, all had new meanings, when I heard a small, "Um…" from behind me.

I'd completely forgotten Bella had even come with me to the hospital, until I'd heard her, walk up behind me.

"Hey," I said, and she put her hands on my shoulders, rubbing the kinks out a little.

"You okay?"

"That's a….loaded question, Pie Girl," I tried to tease, but she wasn't falling for it.

She also didn't push, though. Which was still taking some getting used to, on oh so many levels.

Too many to count.

No, instead, her hands slid down my chest, adoringly, and she let her chin rest on my shoulder.

Then a tender kiss made its way to my neck and I breathed in, deep as she whispered, "Just let things fall the way they're supposed to, Edward."

Her presence alone seemed to make things better.

Her kisses…well…they erased pain.

For a while, anyway.

And her words…I wondered how long she'd been at the door to Carlisle's room before she'd made herself known but I didn't ask.

It didn't matter.

I didn't mind Bella knowing things.

I wanted her to know things.

And it was a whole hell of a lot easier to have her have overhead that conversation, then to have to re-live it with her, myself.

"Let's head back," she said, next to my ear and she had a good point, I thought. I'd only sit there, condemning myself…or him, if I stayed, and there were…other things I'd rather be doing with my time, recently.

With Bella.

So I checked in with the good doctor, who said he was close to getting me some results on the testing they were conducting on dad.

That he'd get me a report by the next day.

And then we left.

And when we arrived at the vineyard, I was taken aback by the sight of Emmett's jeep in the front drive, letting out a fairly decent amount of air, wondering what he wanted.

I just didn't have the fucking energy for his shit.

But Bella, she smiled and held my hand as we walked up the front walk, assuring me, in her own, Bella way, that everything was going to be alright.

And I believed her.

Inside, it was quiet and I speculated about why he would be inside.

My question was answered pretty quickly as we rounded the corner to find him in the kitchen.

With Alice.

And Jasper, who seemed engrossed in whatever conversation was going on.

Emmett was eating some leftovers, talking pretty quietly with the two of them and when they noticed Bella and I, they all stopped talking all of a sudden.

"Hey," he said, wiping his mouth before standing up to make his way over to me. The silent conversation between him and Bella didn't escape my attention and I squeezed her hand a little, inadvertently in reaction to it.

"Hey," I answered him and that was when he stuck a hand out toward me and I thought, okay, that's new.

I eyed the hand, then Emmett and he took it back, awkwardly, sticking it into his pocket before telling me,"Sorry, Ed…about this morning. Bella's a big girl and…you're right, it's none of my business."

"Why do I have a sneaking suspicion that those are not your words you're speaking?" I asked him flatly.

Jasper stared, seemingly ready for a bar room brawl only…in my kitchen.

Alice's hand was on her spatula, probably ready to wack me with it for being so rude.

And Bella's hand…squeezed mine back.

"Well," he admitted. "They may not be my words….but, they should be."

Still dumbfounded, here.

"I've been pretty rough on you, Ed…a lot of it was just me, being selfish, and stupid...and I'm…sorry."

Another awkward minute or two, later, and I finally let go of Bella's hand, holding it out for him to take.

"Apology accepted," I said and then what couldn't possibly have gotten anymore perplexing, in my opinion, as the five of us stood there, saying nothing.

Until Emmett did.

"I think I'll just…go," he said, thumbing sideways at the foyer and, as though I was transported back to a memory of when we were kids, when I knew he didn't really want to head home to a family he barely knew, much less liked, I said, "Stay," partially wishing he'd just…go.

Partially wishing there was some way to mend what had been severed between the two of us.

He looked hesitant, until Bella added, "I made peanut butter pie, Em…we can't eat it all, ourselves."

Oh, but we can, Pie Girl.

I laughed at my own thoughts as Alice began opening the pie while Jasper got some plates down out of the cupboards.

Suddenly the kitchen was a flurry of activity as Bella had a silent battle of wills with Emmett, and then he finally gave her a smile before answering with a resounding, "Not gonna say no to that."

He clapped his hands together, rubbing them up and down as if to warm them and I pulled Bella aside to ask her privately, "That had your influence written all over it, Pie Girl," I told her, threatening her in a mockingly sort of way, with one eyebrow raised at her blazeness.

She didn't back down from me, though.

She never did.

It was one of the things I, oh so enjoyed about having her around.

"Well, you're both very stubborn, Edward. And he didn't say anything he didn't mean, he just…needed a little shove in the right direction."

She leaned up and kissed me, then trotted over to help Alice with the pie cutting and I took the scene in, for just a minute, before joining them, thinking, so far, this trip was filling voids I hadn't even realized were there.

And I wasn't quite sure I knew how to handle that.

A/N: Aearation is when you let a wine "breathe" before drinking it in order to soften the tannins, smooth out the wine, and allow the bouquet and flavors to open up.