Destination Date Update

Destination Date Ch. 16 on FFn

Destination Date Ch. 16 on AO3

Destination Date Ch. 16 on Stars

Destination Date Ch. 16 on Wattpad

The days following Emmett’s phone call about Miss Alice were hectic. Bella contacted the United States Consulate and got more definitive answers about reentering the country. Their biggest issue was the timing of when they needed to get their rapid COVID tests. Some websites were saying that the test needed to be done within a week of travel and other sites said it needed to be within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

Erring on the side of caution, the doctor was coming the day before Bella and Edward’s departure. They were not looking forward to having their nasal passages swabbed and the cotton swab practically touching their brains, but they needed a negative test in order to get home.

“Okay, Osvaldo is driving us to the airport. Our flight leaves at half past eleven and we fly into Dallas. We have a health screening and then we have several hours until our connecting flight to Seattle,” Edward said. “We will need to stay in one of the lounges, but there will be food for us.”

“Sounds good,” Bella murmured, unfocused as she was packing her bag.

“Hey, Glitter, look at me,” Edward whispered, gently turning her in his arms. He saw tears in her eyes. “Sweetheart, Miss Alice will be okay. You’ve talked to her on FaceTime.”

“She looked so pitiful. I’ve never seen her look anything less than curled and poofed and beautified,” Bella whispered, curling into his arms. “With the mask on her face and her skin looking grey? I’m so scared, Edward. I can’t lose her.”

“I spoke to my dad and despite her appearance, Miss Alice is in good health and is not as sick as other patients in the hospital. She’s also isolated from the more serious cases, but still on the COVID floor. She’s got a private room,” Edward explained. “Let’s get out of here. We haven’t eaten yet and all this stressing is counterintuitive.”

“Edward,” Bella argued.

“Come on. Nahuel is bringing a basket of food for a lunch on the beach. It’s a little chilly for topless times on the beach, but we can still eat,” Edward said, threading his fingers with hers. “We need to get out of this room.”

Bella frowned, but allowed Edward to pull her out onto the beach. They put on their masks while they walked to the beach, finding Nahuel spreading out a blanket, using a picnic basket to keep it from blowing away. Edward handed him a large tip before Nahuel left.

“This looks nice,” Bella murmured, taking off her mask and sliding on her sunglasses. She sank onto the blanket and curled up. “Thank you for being the voice of reason. Normally, I’m pretty even-keel, but with Miss Alice, all sense of calm dissipates. She is, for all intents and purposes, my mom.”

“I get it, Bella. I’d probably be as much of a mess if it were my mother,” Edward said softly, pulling out the food from the basket. “However, you’re not a mess, Bella. You’re strong and positive for Miss Alice when you talk to her. I can see how much she loves you. Her eyes light up and despite her being sick, she’s happy to see you, happy to talk to you.”

They made their plates and Bella huffed out a breath. “You know what pisses me off? Her family! Her kids and grandkids! They haven’t once contacted her. And yet, once she kicks the bucket, they will swoop in and pick over her shit like fucking vultures. They don’t care about her. What the hell?!”

“Have you met any of Miss Alice’s family?” Edward asked, sipping some beer.

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Destination Date Teaser

The days following Emmett’s phone call about Miss Alice were hectic. Bella contacted the United States Consulate and got more definitive answers about reentering the country. Their biggest issue was the timing of when they needed to get their rapid COVID tests. Some websites were saying that the test needed to be done within a week of travel and other sites said it needed to be within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.

Erring on the side of caution, the doctor was coming the day before Bella and Edward’s departure. They were not looking forward to having their nasal passages swabbed and the cotton swab practically touching their brains, but they needed a negative test in order to get home.

“Okay, Osvaldo is driving us to the airport. Our flight leaves at half past eleven and we fly into Dallas. We have a health screening and then we have several hours until our connecting flight to Seattle,” Edward said. “We will need to stay in one of the lounges, but there will be food for us.”

“Sounds good,” Bella murmured, unfocused as she was packing her bag.

“Hey, Glitter, look at me,” Edward whispered, gently turning her in his arms. He saw tears in her eyes. “Sweetheart, Miss Alice will be okay. You’ve talked to her on FaceTime.”

“She looked so pitiful. I’ve never seen her look anything less than curled and poofed and beautified,” Bella whispered, curling into his arms. “With the mask on her face and her skin looking grey? I’m so scared, Edward. I can’t lose her.”

“I spoke to my dad and despite her appearance, Miss Alice is in good health and is not as sick as other patients in the hospital. She’s also isolated from the more serious cases, but still on the COVID floor. She’s got a private room,” Edward explained. “Let’s get out of here. We haven’t eaten yet and all this stressing is counterintuitive.”

“Edward,” Bella argued.

“Come on. Nahuel is bringing a basket of food for a lunch on the beach. It’s a little chilly for topless times on the beach, but we can still eat,” Edward said, threading his fingers with hers. “We need to get out of this room.”

Bella frowned, but allowed Edward to pull her out onto the beach. They put on their masks while they walked to the beach, finding Nahuel spreading out a blanket, using a picnic basket to keep it from blowing away. Edward handed him a large tip before Nahuel left.

“This looks nice,” Bella murmured, taking off her mask and sliding on her sunglasses. She sank onto the blanket and curled up. “Thank you for being the voice of reason. Normally, I’m pretty even-keel, but with Miss Alice, all sense of calm dissipates. She is, for all intents and purposes, my mom.”

“I get it, Bella. I’d probably be as much of a mess if it were my mother,” Edward said softly, pulling out the food from the basket. “However, you’re not a mess, Bella. You’re strong and positive for Miss Alice when you talk to her. I can see how much she loves you. Her eyes light up and despite her being sick, she’s happy to see you, happy to talk to you.”

They made their plates and Bella huffed out a breath. “You know what pisses me off? Her family! Her kids and grandkids! They haven’t once contacted her. And yet, once she kicks the bucket, they will swoop in and pick over her shit like fucking vultures. They don’t care about her. What the hell?!”

“Have you met any of Miss Alice’s family?” Edward asked, sipping some beer.

Blockbuster Teaser

 When I woke up, the feelings I had were twisted, coiled. In the harsh light of day, the giddiness and feelings of safety, protection had dissipated. I was swept up in the entire previous day, in Edward. When I went through the motions of packing for my return to San Francisco, my underlying insecurities came rushing to the surface.

I had no right to feel happy.

I definitely had no right to lead Edward on.

I was damaged goods. I was irrevocably broken from my past.

“Knock, knock,” Jasper said, poking his head into my room. “How was your tour of Los Angeles with Edward?” He must have noticed my jerky movements as I was packing my bags. “Hey, sweet girl, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I mumbled. I closed my suitcase and fumbled with the zipper.

Jasper’s hand found mine and easily closed my bag. “No, you’re not. You’re trembling and you look like you’re about to cry. Talk to me, Bells,” he whispered, sitting down on the bed. “Did Edward hurt you? I may like the guy and think he’s a brilliant director, but I will not hesitate to kick his ass if he did something to hurt you.”

“No, Jasper. He was a perfect gentleman,” I whispered. “He was so kind and funny and generous. I had an amazing time with him. Probably the best time I’ve had ever …”

“Then, why are you freaking out?” Jasper asked.

“Because I don’t deserve it,” I replied.

“What the hell? You deserve a good guy, Bella. You deserve to be happy!” Jasper argued. “I know you play your emotions close to the chest. I see you smile, but it never reaches your eyes. The only time I see you truly relaxed and happy is when you’re with Seth. Why?”

“Because Seth is my sole purpose for living,” I said. “I lost sight of that while I was out with Edward. It was a fun day, but it can’t happen again.” I shook my head. As much I wanted to feel more with Edward, I couldn’t. I did not deserve that happiness. It was my penance. “Are we ready to go?”

“Bella, I don’t believe that you don’t deserve happiness,” Jasper sighed. “You’re the physical embodiment of goodness.”

“Believe what you want, I know the truth,” I spat. I rubbed my chest, trying to sooth the emptiness building behind it. I moved my hand up to the necklace, knowing I probably should take it off. I just couldn’t. It would be the lone reminder of the brief glimpse of joy I allowed myself to have. “We don’t want to miss our flight, Jasper.”

He shook his head, standing up and trudging to his room. “I don’t understand you, Bells. Why are you shutting yourself away from Edward? He clearly has the hots for you,” he muttered.

“He may have the hots for me, it’s not something I can act on. Anyway, I’m worn-out. I miss my kid and I want to get back to my life,” I explained tiredly. Jasper nodded, hugging me and ducking back into his room. Ten minutes later, we were riding down to the lobby. Liam was already there and he drove us to LAX. The car ride was quiet, but unlike the trip yesterday with Edward, it was tension-filled.

Jasper clearly didn’t understand why I refused to even broach a topic of a relationship with Edward. He probably never will because he would never know my story.

“Do you want some breakfast?” Jasper asked once we got through security.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I’m sorry, Jas.”

“I’m not going to push you, Bella. You know I love you, and I’ll respect your decision. It doesn’t mean that I have to agree with it,” he murmured. “I think you and Cullen would be a good couple. After that breakfast meeting, he could have walked away, but he came back to talk to you. He wanted to wrong his sister’s deplorable actions. Bells, I saw how he looked at you and how you looked at him. There was a connection there.” He took my hand and stared at me. “Even Alice saw it and she’s not your biggest fan.”

“I still can’t believe you had sex with her,” I snorted humorlessly.

“Me, neither, but it was the best sex I’d had. Ever,” he smirked. “I’m going to get food. I’ll be back.”

With that, he turned and left me at the gate to get food. While he was gone, I checked my cell phone and I saw a few texts from Edward. I also had an email from a studio executive from Summit. I ignored the texts from Edward, not wanting my heart to crack into million pieces and focused on opening up the email. It was the contract from the movie studio. I took a cursory look over it and was shocked at the money they were throwing at me to put my book onto the big screen. I was also surprised to see my requests had been honored, added to the contract, as per the conversation I’d had with Edward.

“Whatcha reading?” Jasper asked, handing me a blueberry bagel and a coffee.

“The contract,” I replied. “Look at what they’re offering me, Jasper.” I handed him my phone with an arched brow.

“Damn, girl,” he said, his eyes widening.