~There Goes a Fighter~
BPOV
I'm sitting at the head of the dining room table. Edward's pulled up a chair alongside me, and has his hand clasped over mine. I just spent the last five minutes explaining what happened during my phone call with the hospice nurse.
I'm torn and I need to hear from my friends. They've never let me down before, I know they'll all help me work this out and fast. Apparently, Royce doesn't have much time for me to hem and haw over this decision to visit.
"So, what do I do?" I ask the sea of faces. They all show varying degrees of bewilderment and anger...a reaction akin to my peeing in their cornflakes.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me. He doesn't deserve anything from you, Bella. Least of all your time and energy in schlepping all the way up to New York City to be next to him at his deathbed."
"Emmett-"
"No Jazz, FUCK THAT!" Emmett jumps up from his chair and starts pacing the dining room floor like a crazed, caged tiger. "Where the fuck was he? Where the fuck was he for the three months she was in a goddamn coma!"
"Em... hon, calm down," Rose whispers, stunned at her husband's uncharacteristic outburst of fury.
He whips his head to face her, nostrils flaring; he's so wound up, he can't help but continue. "WE were there, Jazz. You and I! I was there stretching her arms and legs every fucking day. Talking to her, willing her to wake up so her aunt could find some peace. Every day I was next to her, hoping to God that this beautiful girl could open her eyes and have the brainpower to form a fucking word! I was with her! A complete stranger, imagining all the things I wanted to go right for her so she could get some semblance of her life back together. He's got NO fucking right to call for her after all this time!"
I have never, EVER seen Emmett so visibly upset. He's beet-red in the face. Multiple veins are popping in his neck and forehead, and his eyes are glassy like he could break down and cry at any moment.
I've always known that Emmett loves me and looks at me like a little sister...but I've never seen him so riled up and beside himself in all the years I've known him.
Emmett's reaction stirs conflicting feelings in my heart. I don't want him to hurt, but my God, look at this amazing person I've had in my corner since the moment my chart was dropped on his desk.
"Bella, what do you think? I mean, would you want to see this guy after all this time?" James questions, quietly.
I shrug and see Emmett's eyes widen, his chin jutting out at the mere thought that I'd entertain going to New York to see Royce. Before I get a second to defend myself, Jasper speaks up again.
"Emmett, I know. We were there every step of the way. And we have no clue what King was thinking at the time. No, he never showed up to Bella's bedside, but he'd just buried his son, too."
"Yeah, and his best friend and lover, now that we know all the shit from Bella's journal. This guy sounds like the scum of the fucking earth!" Rose adds her two cents. "He doesn't deserve a minute from her."
"Okay, everybody, take a deep breath," Jasper attempts to soothe the crowd.
Emmett continues to seethe, his hands crossed on top of his head. He's still pacing, probably wearing down the tread on his Nikes.
"Hey," Edward turns toward me, his voice calm and collected, "this is your call, you know that, right?" I'm watching Emmett while Edward studies me. "Whatever you wanna do." He's holding both my hands now, his thumbs rubbing across my knuckles. I chance a quick look at Alice who's staring down her brother.
"Emmett, come on. Don't put more pressure on her than she already feels." Alice chimes in, softly.
"Bells, look," Emmett starts, "you gotta do what you've gotta do...I just...I don't know...you owe him nothing, okay?" He throws his body back into the dining room chair and chugs what remains of his beer.
Poor Emmett. This caught him so off guard.
HA! I suppose he should get in line.
"I think...I think I really want to know what he could possibly want to say to me." My friends give subtle, reassuring smiles...some more than others. "I guess I'm just hoping that he can answer more of my questions. I'm not looking for a relationship with him, that's for sure."
Everyone is silent, some nodding here and there. Emmett fiddles with his napkin, shredding the thing to smithereens, and then looks up at me.
"Alright. I've taken a breath...and I'm ready to speak rationally," he looks me right in the eye, his index finger poking the table with every syllable he utters. "You have every right to do what you want to do. And I will support you...we all will, I'm sure. But...please, tell me you won't go alone."
"Hell no, I wouldn't ever let her do that," Edward interrupts. "It's non-negotiable."
I nod my head, never even remotely considering the possibility that I'd go alone to see my...former father-in-law. Holy shit. I can't believe this is going to happen.
"Alright. Executive decision. I'm going, Edward's coming with me. I just wanna hear what he has to say. I mean, the man's dying...like, days...maybe only hours left to live. For all I know, he'll be on ice by the time I get up to New York."
Everyone sits silently, absorbing my words.
"Okay, next topic. Moving on." I casually state, my final words on the matter.
"Yeah, let's talk about good stuff... like we have a baby on the way!" Alice claps, bouncing in her seat.
"When did you find out, Roe?" I ask while reaching across the table to squeeze her hand in excitement.
Emmett laughs and smiles, his dimples suddenly a mile-deep and I know he's feeling better now that we've switched gears. A proud papa already.
"Em and I were on the boardwalk in Ocean City last Saturday night. We snacked on Johnson's caramel corn while mini-golfing…and I felt fine, right?" She looks to her husband for clarification and he nods.
"After that, we headed to Mack and Manco for pizza and I only ate one slice and felt kinda nauseous—"
"And you KNOW Rosie can put away dang near half a pie when she's good and hungry," Emmett chimes in.
"I know!" Rosalie agrees. "So after one slice, I'm feeling sick. And the next thing I know, I'm across the way at the Music Pier barfing!" She cringes when she gets to the end of her sentence, probably realizing that maybe now's not the best time to share this graphic stuff when we're ready to serve a huge dinner. "Sorry, that was really inappropriate dinner chatter," she mutters, causing all of us to crack up in laughter.
"No worries. Just get to the peeing-on-a-stick part!" Alice shouts, excitedly.
"Yeah, cause THAT'S appropriate dinner chatter!" Jasper interrupts, chuckling, earning a smack on the backside of his head by his wife.
"Well anyway, my brain just started going a mile a minute and I was suddenly convinced I was pregnant! I made Em stop at the CVS before we got home and three minutes after we walked in the door that night, we knew!"
She's absolutely glowing, sharing her happy tale.
I breathe a sigh of relief looking around at all my friends, listening with rapt attention to Emmett and Rosalie tell their story in tandem. The cloud of doom, which descended a mere fifteen minutes ago, has blown out to sea, replaced by sunnier skies and a spectacular horizon.
"Well, I'd like to propose a toast," James stands, holding his beer. "Here's to the fantastic summer we've all had...I think it's clear that some things are meant to be." He winks at Charlotte and then turns to find Edward who's just put his arm around my shoulders. "We all have a lot to be thankful for and to happily prepare for. So, for this awesome summer and many more to come, happy Labor Day!"
We all echo with shouts of "Cheers!" and clink glasses.
The one thought that lingers with me as I look on the smiling faces of the people I love most in this world: definitely meant to be.
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
Our friends have gone and the kitchen looks immaculate. You'd never know we just hosted a Labor Day party for the last eleven hours.
James and Edward outdid themselves in the kitchen. Barbequed spare ribs, chicken breasts, burgers, dogs and kielbasa. Potato salad with garlic and dill, tomato salad, grilled vegetables, marinated Portobello mushrooms, corn on the cob…it was an obscene amount of food. And then for dessert, Charlotte made the most decadent banana pudding known to man and Rosalie made this phenomenal chocolate Kahlua trifle, even though she didn't allow herself a bite. Jasper told her that a splash of liqueur baked into the cake wouldn't hurt the baby, but she didn't want to take any chances. Poor thing. She's probably nervous that we got the little zygote all schnockered up on sangria during that girls' bonding session we held last month!
We all ended up in the pool before the night was over. Splashing wars led to chicken fights which led to smack-talk about who could make the biggest splash with a cannonball. You might think Emmett would've cleaned up in that category, but somehow James's splash stretched farther and higher, much to Emmett's chagrin. He vowed there'd be a rematch next summer, which James gladly agreed to.
It was an awesome day and evening we spent together. The last night we'll all be in the same spot for a while, I think. The school year is about to start, which means Rosalie is bound to a Monday through Friday schedule working with kids. With Tristan starting kindergarten next week, Alice will be tied to their home in Philly. Emmett and Jasper never truly had their summer off…they just managed to take days here and there, aside from that two-week vacation surrounding the Fourth of July that Jasper was off from the hospital.
Charlotte is living in New York City, helping her Mom look after her Dad. She also just got a fantastic position with Fendi and secured a luxury apartment on the Upper West Side overlooking Central Park. James helped her move into her new place last weekend. I suppose they're both about to log a boatload of miles on their cars.
Switching the towels from the washer to the dryer, I hear Edward punching in the alarm code for the front door.
"Hey." He suddenly appears in the doorway to the laundry room, leaning on the door jamb in the sexy way that only my boyfriend can pull off.
"Hi." I straighten up from my crouched position. "I just needed to get the towels into the dryer before bed. Tonight was so much fun."
He gives me that crooked grin, nodding, "It was."
"Thank you." I wrap my hands around his waist and bury my face in his chest. "For everything."
"You're welcome, but I don't know why you're thanking me. There's nowhere on earth I'd rather be than here with you, Bella." He leans down and claims my lips. After a few soft kisses, he traces his tongue along my bottom lip. Our tongues tangle gently while he cups his hands around my jaw. My fingers dance up the length of his arms and weave into his hair, causing him to groan.
"C'mon. I need to get you upstairs and out of this wet bathing suit," he whispers, nibbling on my earlobe, "you've got chills all over your body."
"Pretty…sure…you're the rea-heee-son…for the…chills," I gasp out as he's sucking and biting my neck. He moves his hands down my side and under my ass, lifting me with ease. I love when he picks me up; wrapping my legs around his hips is like a reflex.
"Upstairs, pretty girl. I've been eyeing you in this bikini for the last two hours. Stop playing with my emotions."
I giggle into his neck as he takes the back stairs two at a time and busts through the master bedroom door.
We get to the foot of the bed and he stands me up on it. I'm now towering over him by at least a foot, putting his mouth at perfect nipple-level. He face dives onto the mini-triangle excuse for a bikini top and starts blowing his hot breath through the damp fabric. It's driving me wild.
While his fingers work the strings behind my back, I'm trying my best to pull his shirt up and over his head.
After freeing me from my top, he pulls away to yank his shirt off and unbutton his jeans. He tugs them down just enough so I can see he's gone commando, though he doesn't pull them all the way off.
Tease.
Next thing I know, he wraps his arms behind my knees and tips me back so that I flop onto the bed in a fit of laughter.
He chuckles as he crawls up my body and attacks my mouth with his. His kisses are hungry and needy, which helps because it's exactly how I'm feeling right now. He pins my arms with his into the soft sheets, weaving his fingers through mine as I tighten my hold on his hands.
"Edward…please," I manage to beg as he moves back down my body and begins untying the sides of my bikini bottom...
With.
His.
Teeth.
His lips and tongue assist in the untying process. Meanwhile, he slips two fingers under the fabric, circling my soaked core, teasing me mercilessly but never dipping inside. I'm writhing in want and I don't think I can take much more of this exquisite agony.
Unnnnngh. This man, EVERYTHING about him, will surely be the death of me.
Once both knotted bows are undone, he slips the fabric out from under me and pins my thighs open urgently. One torturously slow lick up my pussy and I can feel my legs starting to twitch. His hot breath and soft lips assault my wet heat unlike anything he's ever done before. The stubble from his chin is creating a delicious burning trail along the sensitive skin of my inner thighs.
"Oh God, please…please!"
Moments before I feel myself reaching the edge, he whispers, "I can't deny you any longer."
Edward rises up on his bare knees, he managed to get his jeans off and he's such a ninja that I don't even know when he did it. Then, in a quick but sexy as hell motion, he slips one arm under my back, while the other remains across my chest, and delicately flips me over onto my stomach.
I turn my face to the side and feel him crawl up my back and rest his body on mine. I help by spreading my legs apart as I feel the tip of his cock at my very slick, very ready entrance. He gently kisses and bites my shoulder as he pushes inside, eliciting a groan of pleasure from both of us.
"Oh, my God," I sigh. This position is one we've not tried yet, but it feels fabulous. His strokes are long and deliberate, his cheek now resting on mine. With each thrust, I squeak and mewl in pleasure from the fullness.
"Edward," I start panting.
"I know. Damn, you're so fucking sexy," he moans in response. "If you could see what I see."
The friction building is incredible as his pace increases. "I feel you, baby. You're right there. Come on, pretty girl."
Edward's hand slips under my breast and tugs on my nipple, pinching, rolling it between his fingers while his lips and tongue come back to my neck and attack me in the most enticing of ways.
"Ohgodohgodohgod," I cry out and my eyes squeeze shut, my orgasm taking over.
The sound of our skin slapping together gets louder as Edward's hips piston until he digs his forehead back into my shoulder. I'm clenching my inner walls, knowing that drives him crazy after he's come. He's so sensitive and it draws out his pleasure even more.
Seconds later, he collapses on my back, breathing heavily and placing lazy kisses along my arm until he rolls off my back and gathers me into a perfect spoon position.
"That was…"
"Yeah…it really was."
Our heavy breathing calms as a minute of silence goes by. "I love you, Edward," I call out to the darkness since I'm not facing him. He tightens his hold around my waist and snakes his hand up to find mine. We thread our fingers together and he kisses me again between my shoulders.
"I love you, Bella. So much…it overwhelms me sometimes."
I turn over in his arms so he can pull me close, entwining our legs.
"Me, too. This has been the best summer of my life. The last three months have given me the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. And you've been next to me... right there with me, for every single one of them. I don't know how to repay you…to ever thank you for all you've done for me." A lump has formed in my throat and a tear escapes over the bridge of my nose, slipping into my other eye.
"Hey," he tips my chin up to meet his eyes in the moonlight shining into the bedroom. "No repayment necessary, no thanks necessary. I told you earlier, I'm exactly where I wanna be, where I'm meant to be, Bella." He kisses me softly, his lips pulling gently on mine.
"I have an idea," I whisper, hopeful.
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"
"Move in with me. Stay with me here. Come home to me every night."
He huffs, smiling widely and kisses me again. His arms wrap tightly around my back as he pulls me on top of his chest. "There's no going back on this offer, love. If I move in, you won't ever get me to leave, you know." My hair dangles down, tickling his face and causing him to chuckle as he tucks it back behind my ears.
"Promise?" I smile, nuzzling my face into the welcoming crook of his sexy, scruffy neck.
"Promise."
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
 |
| Inside the Lincoln Tunnel, New York City |
"How you doing? You okay?" Edward questions me for the forty-seventh time in the last hour.
It makes me smile, and also makes me want to leap out of the car, vomit, and run right back to Long Beach Island.
I may want to wait another minute, though. We're currently driving through the Lincoln Tunnel and tunnels creep me out. If the narrow sidewalk running its length shows one speck of gathered moisture, I'm convinced the whole thing will collapse and we'll be swimming in the Hudson River in no time.
I have issues.
I nod and squeeze his hand. I love that he always holds my hand, always wanting to keep me assured that he's by my side.
It's just another aspect of never-ending comfort that Edward provides. I think I fall more in love with him every single day. And I can't wait to get back to LBI to help him pack up his belongings at his parents' home and move them into my house.
I can't believe I'm going to live with a boy! My inner teenager starts squealing, jumping around and doing a cheer, complete with pom-poms and a megaphone.
"I'm good. I'll be better once we're there and just in the moment, I think. It's the anticipation that's driving me bonkers right now."
It's his turn to nod and kiss my hand. "I get it. I'm gonna be right there with you, okay? Unless…" he trails off and I notice him swallow hard.
"Unless?"
He shrugs, "Unless…unless you want to be alone with him. Hear what he has to say without me listening in. He might say some stuff…"
"Edward, I don't think he could say anything that I wouldn't want you to hear as well. My journal might not have mentioned it, but he sure as hell had a hand in keeping you and me apart all those years ago, too. He owes us both an explanation." I get my back up. "He couldn't possibly say anything that would hurt or embarrass me any more than my journal has already done. I brought bitchiness and entitlement to a whole new level. Anything he mentions won't add or take away from my opinion of who I was back then…"
"Bella—"
"No, seriously. I'm not trying to act crazy or get all self-loathing again…I'm just stating the facts. I know and accept that you've moved past the girl I was and what I did to you back then. I may never understand it, but I'm beyond grateful for it. I can only imagine the level of pain I inflicted on you over the years, yet somehow, you're still here holding my hand. But as far as Royce is concerned…there's nothing he'll say that I'd be worried for you to hear."
His fingers readjust on the steering wheel, he purses his lips and considers my last statement thoughtfully, "Okay, babe. Whatever you need, I'm there."
I allow my head to fall back onto the seat and I turn to him. "Thank you," I whisper, "again…for everything."
~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~
"Hi. I'm Bella…Isabella King. Here to see Royce King…my-uhh," I clear my throat of the bullfrog that's suddenly taken up residence, "father-in-law; FORMER father-in-law."
The receptionist smiles and grabs a chart from a sorter tray on a shelf behind her. "Certainly, Miss. Just sign your name for yourself and your guest. Here are some visitor passes. Please return them when you come back down."
I smile and thank her, locating the elevators to ride up to the third floor, the hospice wing.
Edward hasn't said a word since he put the car in park and handed his keys off to the valet.
"Are you okay? You nervous?" I ask him, jokingly, but also concerned that maybe this is too much for him to handle all of a sudden.
He shakes his head rapidly, eyebrows scrunched toward the center of his forehead, lips sort of frowning. "No, no… I'm good. You good?"
I smile, huffing and standing on my tip-toes to whisper in his ear. "I'm perfect; because you're here with me."
He steals a quick, chaste kiss as the doors open to allow us in.
I walk confidently up to the nurses' station and introduce myself. A young girl in pink scrubs leads us to the first room of the corridor whose door is slightly ajar.
"Since he arrived on Sunday, he's spent most of his time sleeping or reading. He doesn't say much, but I know he'll be thrilled to see you. When he does talk, you're his favorite topic!" the nurse cheerily adds, having no clue of the history behind my relationship with her patient.
"Thank you," I offer as she smiles and walks back to the desk.
Edward and I have a silent conversation with our eyes.
I'm ready, you ready?
Yup, let's do this.
I knock on the door with three hard raps, there's no audible response, so I push the door open and walk in, Edward right on my heels.
"Royce?" I speak softly, concerned that he might be sleeping. His head is facing the window overlooking a lush garden with a brick path, benches lining its trail. His face looks tanned. His hair, once jet-black, is now smattered with a salt and pepper look. He has a plastic tube stretching across his face, most likely providing him oxygen.
I walk closer to the foot of his bed and stop, seeing that his eyes are open.
"Royce." He blinks and turns to face me.
"Isabella?" I nod in response, offering no smile. He doesn't deserve one; of that much I'm certain.
He smiles. "Thank you for coming, I didn't think you would. The girl I knew all those years ago wouldn't have come, that's for sure." His voice is scratchy.
"I'm fairly confident that you contributed to the character of 'the girl you knew'," I use air quotes to emphasize my irritation.
He nods. "You're right. Your mother; Gianna and I…none of us was ever too concerned about Alec's or your behavior or your treatment of others…we gave you a life of privilege and it held no boundaries. I suppose the only reason you're here now is because you have your father's DNA coursing through your veins."
"That and the fact that I've been surrounded by loving, caring and honest people for the last three and a half years since I woke up."
"You look well. How've you been?"
How have I been? Is this guy kidding me?
"Royce, did you really want to talk about how I've been? You didn't bother to find me at all in the last few years since the accident. Let's not be stupid and pretend you ever truly cared about me. If I ever mattered to you, you might have shown up to my bedside, called me, sent me ten dollars in a birthday card…something!" I can feel the heat creeping up my neck, I'm sure my face is flushed in anger and anxiety.
Edward, who's been standing quietly in the entryway, must have moved, because Royce quickly turns his head to focus on the distraction.
"And you are…" he starts and then understanding dawns on him. "Wait…I know you. The Flanders pool boy, right?" Even years later, Royce's tone sounds supremely condescending.
"Cabana boy, yes." Edward answers, his tone sober.
Royce chuckles, laughing at an inside joke where only he knows the punch line.
"And you're here with Isabella?" His look is incredulous.
"Bella and I are together, yes."
Royce turns back to me, a shocked and almost impressed look on his face.
"Maybe you never did change, Isabella," he bites back. "You always had a thing for this kid, always denying my Alec. Was this guy by your side from the moment you were hospitalized after the accident?"
"Hospitalized? You make it sound like I was admitted for a staph infection, Royce! I WAS FIGHTING FOR MY FUCKING LIFE! Unlike my mother and your son who were D.O.A.!" He flinches at my harsh words, but I'm on a tear and couldn't care less if his feelings are hurt. "And my poor father who suffered through two surgeries only to die on the table with his chest cracked open. Merry fucking Christmas to all of us! Jesus! Does it really matter when Edward found me?" I throw my arms in the air. "You weren't there, that's for damn sure! And I'm sorry; what was it you called me? Your daughter-in-law? That's the funniest thing I've heard since I woke up from a GODDAMN EIGHTY-EIGHT DAY COMA! You should take your act on the road!" My chest is heaving. I never fly off the handle like that. His snarled accusation just made me lose it!
"Are you finished?" Royce asks, eyebrows raised.
"That depends…are you?" I temper my anger as best I can.
He nods and lifts his hand, palm up, offering me a seat in the high-back chair next to his bed. Edward walks over as well and drags the other chair to the foot of the bed. My man wants a front row seat for this one. I can dig it…I wish there was a concession guy wandering around offering cotton candy, popcorn and glow-in-the-dark necklaces, or even those light-up wands that twirl around with characters on the end. Tristan always suckers me into buying those things for him. Anyway, they'd be great right now.
"I didn't summon you to New York to fight. I just wanted to make contact with you. Staring death in the face is an eye-opening experience, to say the least. It's made me question many of the choices I've made in my life."
It's my turn to raise one pointy eyebrow at him. I've managed to perfect it in the last ten minutes. "Which choices in particular are you questioning?"
"I loved your mother, Isabella. My life ended the night she perished."
"Uh huh. And your son? Did he matter to you?" Unmoved, my comebacks are flippant.
"Of course he did, he was my pride and joy…but he wasn't mine to hold onto. When you're a parent, you have your children under your wings for a finite amount of time. I cherished the years I had with him, but I was sending him off to live his life on his own accord…it was your mother I wanted and needed by my side for the rest of my years."
I shake my head. I don't know this man at all. I have a very vague recollection of who he was from when I was a little girl, but my everyday interaction with him didn't come into play until my high school years, when I started dating his son.
"You know Royce, this would really be a lovely sentiment, if you hadn't been a married man and my mother hadn't been a married woman. I mean, your poor wife…didn't she matter to you at all?"
He takes a deep breath and fiddles with the call button dangling from the side railing of his bed.
"Of course she did. Gianna was the mother of my son. But Alec was her whole world. She was a doting mother who became consumed with being only that, a mother. Being a wife wasn't as important to her. Alec was always her number one priority. And I'm a selfish bastard."
"Ya think?" I cut in, not at all concerned that I sound hideous right now. Being in this man's presence has stirred something in me. I don't like it. I don't feel comfortable being so hostile. It's not in my nature…at least…not anymore. I can't speak for the old Isabella right now. She's a stranger to me, thank God.
"Anyway, Gianna and I were good friends. Whether or not she knew about my affair with your mother is a mystery."
"Well, I knew about it. I started suspecting the two of you when I was fifteen years old! I imagine a woman with a brain, more than twice my age, probably assumed something was going on."
He sighs and looks back out on the garden. "Perhaps we weren't able to hide our feelings as well as we'd hoped."
I close my eyes and turn away for a minute. I find Edward's gorgeous face staring back at me…bolstering me. He gives me a small smile of encouragement right before I address Royce again. "Didn't you care about my father at all? I mean, you were his friend and business partner long before you started the affair with my mother, am I right?"
"Yes. Charles and I were very close. He loved me like a brother and I took advantage of him in the most reprehensible of ways. Do you remember the trips we all used to take to the Caymans?"
I shake my head. This guy is seriously twisted. One second he's talking about his wonderful friendship with my dad and the next he's all blasé about his cheating and lying to keep up an affair with my mom. Oh, and now we're talking about family vacations, I guess?
Seriously fucking whacked.
"You don't remember the Caymans? We went every year!" He asks again, perplexed by my first answer.
"Royce, I don't remember anything! I was in a fucking coma for over three months! The brain injuries I suffered caused me to lose my memory!" I shout that one a little too loudly. A nurse walking by stops short and peeks her head in the room.
"Everything okay in here, Mr. King?"
"Fine, yes, fine."
"Okay, then." She smiles and steps back out.
Royce turns back to me and narrows his eyes, mulling over what I just said to him. "I don't understand." His mouth opens and closes a few times before he continues. Clearly he knows nothing of what I've gone through since the accident. "You have some kind of amnesia, then? Do you even know who I am?"
"Of course I know who you are. I remember you from when I was a very little girl. I found a journal from my high school years and you're mentioned throughout the entries as well. I've also seen pictures of our family times in Ocean City…so yes, I know who you are. Getting the call on Sunday though, that you listed me as your next of kin was a little shocking. Considering you never bothered to track me down even when you knew I survived the crash."
"Like I said earlier, my life ended when your mother died. I was sad to lose Charles and Alec, of course. And then Gianna couldn't go on after Alec's death, so she took her own life. It was a very heartbreaking time…but in the end, it was the loss of your mother that put me over the edge."
A silence settles in the room. I honestly don't know where to go from here. I know I want to ask him about what he did to Edward and me, but he seems to just want to get things off his chest. Maybe the topic of us will come up.
"Well, since you don't remember much, I have to ask…do you at least remember Alec?"
I shake my head. "No. Unfortunately, or maybe it's fortunately, I don't remember him at all."
"Why would you say, 'Fortunately'?"
"Because he was cheating on me for almost all of our relationship and possibly until the day he died. What a fabulous way to start a marriage," I deadpan.
"Isabella, Alec did love you. He treated you well. He doted on you. You were never very affectionate with him. And much like what happened in my marriage to Gianna, he went elsewhere seeking an intimate connection." He trails off, lost in thought…reminiscing, perhaps. "You can't help who you love."
I look back over at Edward and give him a sad smile. He leans forward, his elbows on his knees and digs his fingers into his eyes. God, things were so screwed up back then. Everyone stood in our way years ago, but it didn't matter…it never changed how I felt about him. At least, Royce speaks the truth on that point. You really can't help who you fall in love with.
"It was my understanding that you and…" he trails off, raising his eyebrows at Edward, waiting for one of us to fill in the blank with his name.
"Edward."
"Yes, you and Edward…were an item back then. Was that not the case?"
"No. From what I read in my journals, we were ordered to break up when I was fourteen years old and then I spent the next few years on Alec's arm. Until one day…" my voice is rising, "I was blackmailed by my mother into saying 'yes' to an engagement!" I'm feeling bold at the moment, so I decide to go for broke and challenge him. "Apparently, I would never have accepted Alec's proposal, but my mother forced my hand. She said you had a part in that. Is that true?"
He nods, solemnly. "It is. Alec cared for you, yes, but he knew marrying you was a smart financial choice as well. The merging of our families guaranteed us a fortune if it worked out. All the same, I knew it wasn't going to stop his affair with that Brooke girl, but that didn't matter to me. I was only concerned about the dollar signs."
"You're a real romantic, Royce. Let me tell ya." I roll my eyes at his calculated insensitivity. Cheating assholes, the lot of them.
"Hey, here's a question. How did you ever get my father to agree to a marriage when he was told that you and Alec tried to bet me in a poker game? Trying to give me away to the winner as some sex prize!"
"I simply denied it." He turns to Edward and quirks his eyebrow. "Alec and I figured you ratted us out. Even if the two of you weren't sneaking around behind Alec's back, nobody was blind. You spent years ogling Isabella from a distance." Royce barbs in a slimy tone and turns back to me. "Anyhow, we explained to Charles that Edward spoke purely out of jealousy and that we'd never compromise your safety. Your father believed us," Royce shrugs as he concludes his vile explanation, "he had no reason not to."
I make eye contact with Edward. His jaw is tense, his nostrils, flaring. He exhales loudly and shakes his head. A fool could see that Edward is beyond furious right now. If Royce wasn't on his deathbed, I'm pretty sure he'd have a broken nose and two black eyes by now, courtesy of my pissed off boyfriend.
"Charles only ever saw Alec treat you with respect and love, showering you with the gifts you demanded. And from what I recall, you always kept a smile on your face. To your father, you seemed perfectly content. It was how your mother behaved toward him. He simply accepted that you were happy because he assumed your mother was happy in their marriage."
I rub at my temples. What a fucked up bunch we all were. I wish I had been gutsy enough to be honest with my dad. This was just as much my fault as it was his for not recognizing my sadness. He wasn't a mind-reader. And he was dealing with his own issues, apparently.
"The engagement was all business, Isabella. I was in an outrageous amount of financial trouble. Your mother was very concerned for me…for us…and we couldn't think of another way out of it," he states matter-of-factly, like he's not blowing my mind with this little tidbit.
I shake my head, not sure I heard him correctly. "Wait a second, WAIT a minute…YOU were in financial trouble?"
"Yes."
"Did you know that my mother told me that it was my father who was having money troubles? That if I breathed a word of a fake upcoming marriage to my Dad you were going to hang him out to dry! Did you know that?" The hair is standing up on the back of my neck and on my arms. My heart feels like it's about to beat right out of my chest; the heat of my rage is spreading all over my body.
"Yes. Renee told me the line she gave you. I was in so far over my head, that it didn't matter to me we were using you and Alec as pawns in our game. The love you had for your father was evident and Renee knew that. She figured the only way to get you to agree to the marriage was to convince you that Charles's livelihood hung in the balance."
I leap up out of my chair and stomp across the room toward the door, breathing hard and yanking my hands through my hair. This is such bullshit. I can't believe I was made to believe those awful things about my dad. He never did anything my mother accused him of!
"You're a sick, fucking bastard, you know that?" Edward can't stay quiet. I don't blame him. He basically took the words right out of my mouth.
"You do what you have to do," he shrugs, unapologetically. "I created my own Ponzi scheme, just like that Madoff character, only I managed not to get caught. I was able to access the money I needed after your father died and paid off all the debts. The remainder of his half of our company was left to you in his will."
I take a deep breath and decide to speak calmly rather than scream like a Looney Tune again. We are in a hospital, after all. "You are so evil. You took so much from me, you and my mother. You robbed me of an honest relationship with my dad. You stole time I could've had with Edward all those years ago. Even Alec and his cheating heart didn't deserve the treatment he got from you, not to mention Gianna. Why did you even call me up here? Was it to clear your non-existent conscience?"
"In part, yes," he answers, softly. "I wanted to make sure you knew the truth. I also needed to let you know that when I'm gone, you'll be named as the sole heir to everything with the King name. It's a lot of money, Isabella. You'll need a good lawyer who can help you sort through it all."
"I don't want anything to do with your filthy money, Royce. I don't need it. I don't want it, no way."
"Isabella, it's your money. Think of it as what I stole from your father. Take it, spend it, save it, give it away. I'll be long gone and I won't care," he sighs. "I owe it to your father to at least give back what I took from him, and essentially, you."
I don't know what else to say to him, so I remain silent. I look over at Edward who raises his eyebrows, coaxing me to say whatever else I came here for.
"For what it's worth, Isabella—"
"It isn't worth a fucking thing."
Royce huffs and shakes his head. "Well, that may be, but I am sorry. I'm sorry that you lost your parents. I'm sorry that so much was taken from you. Time, love, money…all of it. Your mother and I couldn't see past our greed or the love we felt for each other. Nothing was going to stand in our way. So, for that callous behavior, I do apologize. I was a heartless bastard back then. Even now, facing imminent death, it's still not in me to beg for your mercy. I don't know what else to say, Isabella. I just hope you can find some happiness…some peace."
Edward stands and walks over to meet me, holding out his arm for me to wrap myself into his embrace.
"I have found the happiness and peace that you denied me," I spit, attempting to control my temper. "I don't really know what to say to you, Royce. I will thank you for your honesty. It makes me feel better to know that my father didn't think so little of his family as to put them at risk with selfish decisions. You know, he probably would have helped you if you'd been truthful with him. He was your best friend."
He nods in agreement. "I think about that now, but I can't change what happened. All I could do was what I did. I contacted you. I've gotten the truth off my chest. It will help me rest a bit better."
"I should be pissed off that you're using me again…just to make yourself feel better. Only the fact that you've cleared my father's name makes up for it in my book."
"Thank you for coming. I'm sure you'll hear from my lawyers soon. My doctor says I don't have much time. The kidneys and the heart are battling each other to see which can fail first."
I nod once curtly, turn and walk toward the door, Edward holding me at my waist.
"Be happy, Isabella," I hear Royce call out. "Your father would want your happiness."
I spin around with daggers in my eyes. "You don't get to speak for my father. He was a better man than you ever were. You don't deserve to speak his name…ever. And my father is watching over me. He already knows how happy I am…how loved I am." And with that, I turn and walk out the door.
Edward and I quietly approach the nurses' station.
"I'll hear from you when he…" I trail off, unable to find words blunt enough to say that I want a phone call when Royce dies. He may be a disgusting, sub-human monster…but I still can't change who I am. And if he listed me as his emergency contact or whatever, I want to follow through with it.
"Of course, Ms. King. As his sole next of kin, you'll be notified immediately after."
"Thank you."
I grab Edward's hand as we walk to the elevator.
"Hey," he tugs on my fingers, "I'm so proud of you. Everything you said. It was perfect."
I swallow hard and nod as he wraps me up in a warm and very needed embrace.
"It's over now. I know everything I ever needed to. At least I know my Dad was the good man I always believed him to be."
"He was. He'll always be that for you. I was so glad to hear it, too."
I smile as we walk out of the building together.
This chapter is over; I've read the entire book. And I don't ever need to pick it up again.
"Whatcha thinking about?" he asks as we watch the valet attendant pull up with the car.
"Nothing." I smile, "I just want you to take me home. To our home."
He leans down to kiss me quickly before he opens my door with a smile, "Gladly, pretty girl."
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