I
woke up, still on the couch in Charlie’s apartment. Bella was curled to my side
and she was out. Charlie was leaning
against the peninsula in the kitchen. “Are you happy?” he asked, his voice
quiet and reverent.
“I
am,” I said, kissing her forehead and holding her closer to my body. “We’re not
out of the woods, but I got the ring back on her finger.”
“You
should hate me, Masen,” Charlie sighed. “I helped her leave. I was there when
she took off her ring and she handed it to me. I don’t know who was shaking
more, her or me. She didn’t want to leave. Your mother’s words … they shattered
her. Broke her into pieces.”
“Trust
me, I know,” I snarled. Bella whimpered and I kissed her hair. “I’m sorry, cherie.” Charlie sat down across from
me. “I’m still tempted to abdicate.”
“Gevalia
would lose out on a great leader, Masen,” Charlie argued. “Look, a lot of what
happened is due in part because of me. If I’d stopped Alice’s behavior sooner, Bella
wouldn’t be so hesitant to trust or her self-confidence so shattered.”
“Regardless,
I’ve got her back and I’m not letting her go. I’m also not going to let my
mother get away with her words,” I hissed, shifting Bella into my arms. “After
… when I go back to Gevalia, I’m not going to stay in the palace. I want to
focus my attention on Bella, on helping her and improving our relationship. I
love her, Charlie. I love her more than words can say.”
“What
are you going to do now?” Charlie asked.
“Now?
I’m taking her to bed,” I answered. “We’ll figure out next steps after we both
get a good night’s sleep.” I stood up; Bella held securely in my arms.
“Charlie, thank you for letting me stay here. I couldn’t …”
“Son,
I get it,” Charlie smiled. “I’m just as pissed off at her as you are. And by
her, I mean your mother. And Bella’s sister and the assholes who spread those
lies about Bella.” He got up, running his hands down his jeans. “I’m going to
Linda’s. We’re going to have a nightcap.”
I
smirked. He’d been spending a lot of time at Linda’s, especially at night. I
carried Bella into her bedroom. Charlie had it cleaned up and renovated. All
traces of Alice’s immaturity had been erased and a sleek bedroom/home office
was in its place. I laid Bella down onto the bed. I removed her knee brace and
tugged off her sneakers. She was exhausted and she barely stirred. I tucked her
into the queen-sized bed. I removed my clothes and tugged on a pair of
sweatpants, curling around her. She turned, groaning and tucking her head
underneath my chin. “Shave the beard, Masen,” she mumbled, barely coherently.
“I miss your jaw.”
“Done,
cherie,” I chuckled and sliding my
arms around her body. “I love you. Always.”
“Love
you,” she said, her face pressed to my chest. I smiled and held her closer, my
eyes fluttering shut. For the first time in nearly three weeks, I’d gotten a
full-night’s sleep. When I finally woke up, I felt the soft caresses of Bella’s
fingers on my chest. She was tracing my tattoo. “Hey … I miss your face.”
“I’m
still here,” I quipped. “I missed more than your face, cherie. And not that I’m complaining, but what made you come back?
And where did you go?”
“I
stayed with Billy, Jacob’s dad,” Bella answered, her fingers gliding over my
belly. “Jacob, Charlie, Leah and Seth helped me. While there, I did a lot of
thinking and talking to both Billy and Rachel. They protected me when I needed
it. They also pushed me.” She sat up, running her fingers through her messy
hair. “And I came back because I needed to face my fears. Your mother showed up
about a week after I’d arrived.”
“My
mother came?” I asked, sitting up and staring at her. “That’s where she
disappeared to. My father returned to Gevalia after your accident, but my
mother remained. After he’d left, she disappeared. But, she came back after a
few days and hid out in the condo. I think she went back to Gevalia, but I’m
not certain. I haven’t spoken to her since the day of your surgery. I’ve been
avoiding her, avoiding the press.”
The
press had issued an apology, a very public and a much-needed apology. In
addition to the apology, Bella and Jacob received a hefty settlement. I know
that Bella wasn’t aware of it, but Jacob had already signed the paperwork
accepting the eight-figure amount from all of the major press outlets. Bella’s settlement
was slightly smaller because her injuries were not as severe, but my friend,
James, was going to bat for her to get her as much as Jacob. They both were
victims of the accident. They both would have to deal with the aftermath.
“Masen,”
she whispered, her fingers guiding me to look at her. “You’re a million miles
away.”
“Just thinking,” I said, taking her hand and kissing her palm.
