Chapter Fifteen

~The Winds of Change~

EPOV

Sunday passes much the same way as Saturday did. There's a steady stream of mourners coming to pay their respects to Bella's aunt. Not as many as there were yesterday, but well over a hundred people again. I was glad to see her friends Rosalie and Emmett with her from the start of the day, not that they made it easy on me.

"I'm onto you; you know that, right?"

"Pardon me?"

"I can't tell if you're really an asshole or not. You made Bella cry like a baby and you don't even know her. Maybe you think you did, but you don't. Yet here you are, helping her out."

"Listen, Rose, I—…"

She interrupts. "Rosalie. Only my friends call me Rose and you haven't earned that right."

"Right, sorry, Rosalie. Look, I know I said some shitty things about Bella when you and I first met. I apologize for that. She told me what happened to her. I really regret what I said now."

"You regret what you said because you feel sorry for her? Or you regret what you said 'cause it isn't true? Because if you're just feeling sorry for her, believe me, she doesn't need or want your pity. She runs from it like it's the fucking bubonic plague. Don't pity her, not ever."

"No, I'm not pitying…well, maybe I am…ugh, I don't know. How am I supposed to NOT pity her? She's got nobody left!" I whisper shout to Rosalie.

"No. That's where you're wrong. She may have no blood family left, but she has me. And she has my husband, Emmett. And his sister, Alice, and her husband, Jasper, and their kids. She may be lacking in people who've known her since she was born, but we've known her since she woke up in 2008. We're her family and we protect her from jerks like you."

"I understand that you're upset with me, but I don't think this is the time or place to get into this. My history with Bella is…extremely complicated."

"Hey, what's goin' on kiddies?" The big guy approaches us with a happy but quizzical look on his face.

"The hired help was just telling me about his complicated history with Bella."

"Baby, don't do this today. It's not what Bella needs. What she needs is her friend, and she was just asking for you upstairs."

"Fine." She turns to me with ice in her eyes, "We're not finished."

I nod solemnly. She's only trying to protect her friend. I'd do it, too.

Rosalie kisses her husband on the cheek and makes her way up the staircase off the kitchen.

"Emmett McCarty," he says, extending his hand for a shake, which I gladly accept. "Sorry about my wife. She gets pretty fired up when she's in Mama Bear mode."

"It's alright. I deserve it, to a degree. I mean, I'm certainly not looking to get yelled at, but I understand that what I said to her back when she and Bella first came into Last Call a few weekends ago was pretty abrupt and hurtful."

"Yeah well, you didn't know," he shrugs and continues, "but Bella's told us what a decent guy you've been to her since you hired her, so I knew it would all blow over. She's pretty irresistible our Bells, isn't she?"

"Uh, yeah. I mean…" I rub my hand across the back of my neck. Irresistible, he doesn't know half of it!

"I'm just saying I know it's hard to not fall in love with her now…I really don't know what she was like then. I'm guessing you weren't her biggest fan."

"Ha! Yeah, something like that."

"Well, Jazz said you're a real standup guy and I believe my brother-in-law. Whatever it is you said, must've been just a knee-jerk reaction to seeing Bella again. I can see you aren't feeling that way anymore, so you're good to go in my book. And, as for Rose, she's gonna want to press you for more information, but don't worry about it. She's just always looking out for Bella. She told us your brother was really decent to her when she told him about the accident, I'm guessing she told you, too."

"Yeah, she did. Last night, actually."

"Wow. So your head's spinning, huh?"

"You have no idea."

He smiles and looks at me out of the corner of his eye. "Well listen, I'm gonna go be the husband and best friend, but hey, no hard feelings. You and your staff have been taking care of Bella since you hired her and I appreciate that more than you know. You're a good man, Charlie Brown."

I sigh inwardly and mumble to myself, "If you think so. 'Cause right now, I'm not so sure."

"Scotch and soda, please."

"Yes, sir." I finish pouring and slide the lowball across the bar.

"Thanks."

As I'm pouring the two glasses of white wine for the lady who's just approached the bar, a familiar figure comes into view from the back of the slow-moving crowd in the foyer. Suddenly, the recognizable dark brown spiky hair confirms it. Mutt and Jeff are heading my way, or more accurately, Jasper and Alice.

"Hey gorgeous! Wow, you clean up nice!"

Jasper & Alice Whitlock

"Thank you, Alice," I roll my eyes, returning her hug and kissing her rosy cheek.

"Whatssup, man…good to see you, brother," Jazz offers me his hand and pulls me in for a tight hug.

"Hey, I'm gonna go find Bella. I'll see you soon?" Alice says, pecking Jasper on the lips before scooting off.

"So, you were saying? How are things?" Jazz questions.

"I'm well. Sad for Bella, but I'm okay...and the season has taken off like a shot at Last Call, so things are good."

"Good deal. So she's working for you, huh? I'm glad she's not sitting at home by herself."

"Uhh, yeah, about her. You and I need to have a great, big talk, my friend," I whisper to Jazz as he leans in to hear me clearly.

"Okay…everything alright?" His eyebrows are furrowed in concern.

"Well, this isn't the right time, and we can definitely talk next week when you come down for your vacation, but at least let me plant the seed for you…Bella…is Isabella."

"Huh? Oh, well… yeah, I mean, we don't call her that, not since she woke up, I don't know what her family used to call her, though."

"Yes. But I do, and they used to call her Isabella. Isabella Swan. Jazz…you following?"

Jasper's eyes get wide as saucers and his mouth falls open.

"No," he shakes his head in total disbelief, "You're fucking kidding me."

"I wish I were, dude, but I've never been more serious. Bella King is Isabella Swan from the Ocean City cabana."

"Your Isabella is my Bella?" Jazz is beyond incredulous.

"Hahaha, would you believe me if I said you were the third guy to say that exact sentence in less than two weeks?" I roll my eyes remembering the insanity of last week with my brother and figuring out we were talking about the same girl…same…but totally different. Ugh. I feel my heart clench as the pit forms in my stomach, again.

"Glass of champagne and an Absolut on the rocks, please," an older gentleman requests.

"Of course, sir." I glance over at Jazz who's gone mute. Poor guy, he's only had 30 seconds to absorb the news; I've had three weeks. I'll give him another minute.

The man collects his drinks and walks back through the crowd. Jazz hasn't moved. If I didn't know any better, I might assume he'd looked directly at Medusa.

"Need a drink, Jazz?" Quirking my eyebrow, I can't help but chuckle a bit.

I pop the top off a Yuengling and hand it to my best friend with a hand to his shoulder. "Snap out of it, man. I'm still alive and miraculously, so is she!"

Between the chill of the bottle in his hand and my words, Jazz blinks a couple of times and shakes his head again.

"Okay, we definitely need to get into this next week, but can I at least ask you how the hell you ended up hiring her to work for you all summer long?"

"Don't even go there. I didn't know who I was hiring when I said yes. James was actually the one who found her. Like I said, we need a full day on the golf course or out on the water fishing to deal with the ins and outs of what's been going on here for the last three weeks. If it weren't so fucked up, it'd be comical."

"Jesus. This'll be one for the books. I assume, since you're here, that you at least get along with each other?"

"Well, it's not been the smoothest ride, but we're getting there," I half smile thinking about the hug Bella and I shared last night. I wonder if we'll ever really get there.

"Okay, let me go spend some time with Bella and the family. I'll swing back in a little while. I don't wanna get you fired," he laughs.

"HA! Yeah, don't do that. Let me do my job, wouldja? We'll talk more later."

~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~

Several hours later, I finish packing the van with the last of the supplies, and head back toward the house to do a final walk-through and say goodnight to Bella. Jasper and Alice left about an hour ago, and Emmett and Rosalie are saying their goodbyes as I approach.

Rosalie ignores me when I walk past her but Emmett extends his hand, wishing me a good night. I reciprocate.

In the kitchen, I feel Bella's presence behind me.

"How are you tonight?" I ask without turning around.

"Better. Better than I was last night, that's for sure. I was just beyond overwhelmed yesterday. I think being alone without any friendly faces in the house made it infinitely more difficult to navigate through the day." I nod my head in agreement, while I continue to put away serving pieces, pretending I don't feel the sting of her comment about not having any friendly faces in the crowd yesterday. I deserve it, I know. We've barely tolerated each other up until late last night, how else is she supposed to feel about me?

The silence starts to envelop us. I reach down to grab the dishwasher door to shut it as Bella's soft voice starts, "Edward, I just—…"

She's interrupted when our attention focuses on the sound of the front door slamming.

"Hey, there you are!" James's jovial voice echoes in the enormous space.

I turn around at hearing my brother's voice but am met with the vision of Bella and him in a fierce lip-lock. My breath hitches and my spine stiffens…I have to look away.

"How'd it go today? Are you alright? I got here as soon as I could," James questions her quietly, his voice sincere and genuine. My brother is a good man, who just happens to be dating the girl who's got my heart and mind twisted like a damn pretzel. I desired and detested her all at the same time for four long summers.

Why can't I just put all of this in the past and move on?

Why am I still so drawn to her after all these years, not to mention our convoluted history?

Before Bella has a chance to answer, I interject.

"Hey, listen guys, I've gotta get going. Bella, I hope we were able to do everything you needed this weekend."

"Yeah, by all means. It went as smoothly as I could have hoped it would. I do owe you, Edward. Thank you… so much."

"My pleasure. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at the bar?"

"Yep, be there at 4."

"See ya, bro," James offers me a fist bump as I smile and nod at Bella.

I walk out of the kitchen to the wet sounds of their kisses as my soundtrack.

I think I'm gonna be sick.

An hour later, I'm walking in the door at my parents' place. I don't even bother dealing with the lights downstairs; James will turn them off when he gets home…if he gets home.

I pinch my eyes shut lumbering up the stairs while I try and erase all the images that my brain conjures up, and all of the various scenarios as to why James might not come home tonight.

I flick on the bedroom light and I'm surprised to find a freshly-showered, towel-clad, smiling fiancée.

"Hey baby…miss me?"

~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~

BPOV

I watch the headlights back out of the driveway as James pulls off into the darkness. He wanted to spend the night with me. I'm sure he wasn't implying that we'd fool around, but he said he just wanted to hold me while we slept. I respectfully declined, saying I wouldn't be any kind of decent company because I'm completely exhausted.

If I had been thinking clearly, I would have requested to be off tomorrow as well. Edward had indeed suggested that an additional day off would be smart, but I insisted I would be fine and would want to get back to work.

So not the right move, but I'll get by. I made a commitment, and I'm gonna stick with it.

All day long, I kept replaying the memory that Edward shared last night over and over in my head.

A dancer.

He saw me dancing.

He said I was amazing.

He said I smiled, and danced with my Dad, my friends and then a male dancing partner.

Who was the partner? Alec? Another friend from long ago?

I'll have to press him further.

But just to know that bit of a memory made my heart soar. Before I even knew what I was doing, I had my arms wrapped tightly around him, with my face buried in his neck. I'm sure he can't begin to understand how long I've waited for someone to give me a clue, a detail that I didn't stumble upon by endlessly scanning police reports or the nurses' notes from hospital records.

I don't know how long I held onto him, but it was long enough for the tears to stop streaming and for me to get a handle on my emotions. Being tucked in his neck for a few moments granted me access to the faint scent of Edward's cologne. Just the hint of it was intoxicating. I didn't want to pull away.

But then I remembered I was dating his brother.

And that he has a fiancée.

Rational thinking won, and I backed off.

Watching Edward leave last night triggered something in me, and I knew what I had to do.

It's not right to keep dating James if I'm having these thoughts and feelings for Edward. They're brothers and I don't ever want to come between them.

I sit on the bottom step and take stock of my life.

These dreams I've been having. Thinking about Edward's hair and his eyes, or his body language when I think something bothers him. I've noticed all these little things.

The way his eyes sparkle when I overhear him telling a customer excitedly about the plans for the bed and breakfast or the renovations over in the hotel.

Watching him help out the cooks as he plates a meal for a customer, his tongue peeking out from the side of his mouth in concentration to achieve perfection.

The smile he gets when one of his favorite songs comes on the jukebox. He starts bobbing his head to the beat and mouthing the words…I find myself staring, every single time.

Sighing, I whisper to myself, "I can't do this."

Toss out the fact that Edward's engaged to Tori…trying to be intimate with one brother, while you're thinking of the other is as wrong as two left shoes.

I don't want us to end up on Maury.

It just isn't right. And it needs to end.

That's mostly why I sent James home tonight. I didn't get specific yet, though. I'd rather be able to gather my thoughts and speak to him with a clear head, not having spent the last 48 hours immersed in a sea of virtual strangers, all of them mourning the passing of my last living relative.

There's a time and place for everything…and tonight after Didi's memorial wasn't it.

~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~

As I pull into the parking lot behind Last Call, I notice that Edward's car isn't there. James's car is, but that's not unusual, because he said he was working the early shift with the delivery truck. Edward would've been here by now.

Hmmm.

"Hey, lovely lady. How ya doing?" James leans in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek after I've clocked in.

"Mmm, I'm okay. Got a good night's sleep, and didn't move until close to 11 this morning. I think my body was catching up. I feel good now."

James smiles, "Awesome."

"So uhh, where's Edward? Shouldn't he be here by now?"

"Haha. Well, E called me this morning at about 9. Seems Miss Tori paid him a surprise visit a few days early and they've barely surfaced from the bedroom…horny little lovebirds that they are."

I instantly regret the egg salad sandwich I ate for lunch. I can feel it rising in my throat.

"Can't say that I blame them though, they've been apart for over four months. And phone sex and Skype only help but so much," he chuckles, cashing out a customer's bill.

Yep. Egg salad definitely wasn't the best choice, but after hearing James joke about what Edward and Tori are doing and have been doing for the last 18 hours, I think I'd feel sick even on an empty stomach.

"I told him not to worry about coming in today or tomorrow. Hopefully they'll emerge from his love shack by Wednesday, so I can get over to Four Seas and get going on the prep for the reunion we're catering this weekend and food orders for next weekend's engagement party. You're still coming, right?"

"Umm, yeah." Ugh, Edward's in Tori's arms right now. But I can't put off talking to James…it doesn't feel right. And it would be even more wrong of me to try and hold onto James just because Tori and Edward are off having a sexcapade for the next couple of days.

"James, can I speak to you in the office?"

"Yeah, hang on. Dave, can you handle things for a few minutes?"

I walk back into the office and sit on the leather sofa, my hands clasped at my knees.

Please God, help me choose the right words and not hurt James's feelings too much.

"So what's up?" James plops down right next to me, but not before diving into my neck and planting a quick peck. I should have pulled away, but he surprised me.

I sigh inwardly…one for the road, I suppose.

"Listen. You've been nothing but amazing to me. Taking me out, showing me around the island, hell, hiring me even though I seemed unemployable. You listened to me when I poured my heart out last week and told you the story of my accident and my family. I want to thank you. You've made my introduction to LBI so much smoother than I ever thought possible."

"Aww, no worries! It's been my pleasure. I've loved showing you around…and showing you off," he waggles his eyebrows. "I can't wait for you to meet my parents next weekend! They're gonna love you."

Ugh…kill me with your kindness, why dontcha?

"Clearly, I'm bad at this, so please don't hate me. I don't think I could stand it if you did…but I just…I don't think we should see each other, like that, anymore."

He cocks his head to the side and looks to where I'm wringing my hands with nervousness.

"Why? You don't think we've hit it off? Did I do or say something to upset you?"

"No, GOD no. You've been beyond wonderful to me. And I don't want to hurt you, I really don't. But my head and my heart aren't in this and you don't deserve that from me. You don't deserve that from anyone. Maybe jumping into dating while I was in the midst of planning the memorial for my aunt was a mistake. And I suck, because I didn't say something sooner."

James reclines back with his head lying on the top of the couch, eyes staring at the ceiling. After a minute of silence where I wish for the ground to swallow me whole, he speaks again.

"Did Edward say something to you about Charlotte?"

"No…who's Charlotte?"

He shakes his head and sighs. "She's my ex. She showed up on my doorstep from outta the blue almost a week ago. Told me she still loves me. I sent her away. It was too much and too out of left field. Plus, I wanted to give you and me a shot."

"Wow. Where has she been that you feel like it's out of left field?"

"She was studying fashion in Italy for the past year. I won't bore you with the heartache, but she came home to the states because her dad is sick…and allegedly, because of me. I could be an afterthought though. I don't know what to believe. She really hurt me last year. I did the best I could to put her out of my mind once she left, but it wasn't always easy. We basically grew up together."

"Jeez. I mean, I may not be the best at giving out relationship advice, but did you ever think that maybe everything happens for a reason? Maybe you guys needed that time apart to realize what you had all along?" I suggest hopefully, with only a twinge of jealousy lurking in the corner of my mind.

He sighs and looks at me. "I don't know. Never believed much in fate…but maybe I should. You've come back into Edward's life…thrown him for a helluva loop!"

My eyes bug out of my head.

"I shouldn't have said that…you guys have a lot of talking to do. It'll be okay. Anyway— I understand about wanting to stop before we really start. Charlotte coming back last week shocked the shit out of me, that's for sure. Maybe you and I would be better off as friends. Can I still keep you as my friend?" He turns his head to me, offering me a sweet smile that almost reaches his crystal blue eyes.

I don't deserve him. I'm also a chicken-shit for not telling him the real reason why I can't keep dating him. Thing is, that real reason is sexing up his fiancée as we speak. Talk about a moot point.

"Of course we'll stay friends. I just need to get my head together. And hey, maybe you should think more about Charlotte. She wouldn't have sought you out if she didn't still care, you know?"

He smiles sadly. "Thanks. Maybe you're right. Promise me things aren't about to be weird between us?"

"Oh my God, no way. You've been so amazing to me. I'd love for things to be exactly as they've been…maybe just without the kissing." I end my sentence, crinkling up my face…nnnngh, the kissing was one of my favorite parts…but I have no business doing it when my thoughts are elsewhere.

"You got it, no kissing, but still good friends." He holds out his right hand for me to shake, "Sold!"

I smile and shake his hand and he pulls me up from the couch. We stand there hugging for a minute and he pulls back still holding his hands on my hips.

"We're good," he adds with a nod and a wink. I smile back and mouth the words "thank you."

He smiles and leaves me in the office.

Surprisingly, tears spring to my eyes.

I don't know if it's because I just broke things off with James and hurt him a bit.

I suppose it could be because Charlotte is back; and her re-entrance into the picture has confused him even more than I just did…a guy who, quite possibly, couldn't have a kinder or more generous heart…and I feel responsible and a little bit protective of that heart.

Imagining all the things that Edward's doing to and with Tori isn't helping matters…at all.

More than likely, though, my eyes are misty because I feel alone again.

But it's by my own hand this time.

I need to straighten myself out before I get involved with somebody else.

I need to get into the basement and look through those photo albums.

I need to sit down with Edward and hear what else he can tell me.

I have to find the silver lining in the cloud that's descended.

It's gotta be there somewhere.

I have to believe that what Edward can share will be the key to unlock what's been missing all these years.