Based on the reactions on the Facebook page, y'all are gonna pretty much hate Emmett by the end of this chapter.
I only had a short nap before more people showed up. First Esme, to reassure us that she was really okay. She stayed for the better part of an hour, and I noticed she didn't feel the need to focus over my shoulder. She tsked over my injuries, refilled my water cup, and brushed and braided my hair. She felt truly like my mother, and I caught her in a hug before she could flit off again.
"Thank you, Esme."
She smiled at me, and I watched as she sat on the foot of my bed and picked at the fuzzballs on my beige hospital blanket. "I hear Carlisle visited," she ventured.
"He did." I waited for her to gather her courage before saying what was weighing on her heart.
"I told him… when Edward was released, I told him he had to fix his relationship with his son. Instead, Carlisle worked longer hours and avoided us both." She looked up from the blanket. "After you were found, I insisted again that he repair his relationship with Edward."
"It might be irreparable, Esme," I murmured. My own heart was heavy with the thought that Edward's father had ruined his chances of truly knowing his son.
"They were always inseparable," she sobbed quietly, her trembling hand resting on her temple. "They were two of a kind, and Edward wanted nothing more than to make Carlisle proud of him. That's only one of the reasons he wanted to become a doctor." She worried her lower lip between her teeth for a second. "Carlisle was furious when I put up the bail before his trial. He told me he hadn't raised a rapist, and my response was that he was right, we hadn't. He wanted to disown him, and I wanted to prove his innocence."
"You've spent years at odds, haven't you?" I asked gently.
Esme nodded. "I don't want a divorce, but I can't forgive my husband. I don't know what to do."
Her cheeks were flushed as she looked back down at the bed. I felt terrible for her, stuck right in the middle between her husband and her son. Then the door opened, and Edward stepped in.
"Hey, sweetie, you're just in time," I greeted him. Esme's eyes shot to mine. "Your mom was kind enough to do my hair, and I feel almost like a real human again."
"That was really nice of you, Mom. I bought you a coffee while I was downstairs." I watched in true
jealousy as he handed her the paper cup, wishing I could have one right then, too.
Edward stepped over to me, leaning over and kissing me tenderly on the forehead. The scent of decent coffee wafted up my nose, and my mouth actually watered. "Here, love. This one's for you," he offered in his deep, smooth voice.
I could have wept with my gratitude; I nearly did just that. "Oh, God, thank you. They never give me coffee with breakfast, not that I think it would taste good if they did." I took a tentative sip, not wanting to burn my tongue.
He held up a greasy brown paper bag and rattled it in his hand. I barely resisted snatching it from him. "And this is for you, too."
"I knew there was a reason I love you." I pulled out the chocolate glazed donut, licking the icing from where it came off onto my finger.
Edward laughed, and Esme stood. "I should probably get going," she said, sounding reluctant.
"Don't leave on my account, Mom. There's enough room for us both." Edward settled in the chair next to me, where he practically lived.
"That's alright, your father's waiting to take me home." She bent and kissed my cheek before moving to her son. I busied myself with my donut as they said their goodbyes.
It wasn't long after she left that Mrs. Denali stopped by with her husband and young son. Oscar was an adorable little guy, who climbed right up on my feet and asked if my boo-boos would heal like his mother's had. She had tears in her eyes as she watched us interact. Everyone met Edward, and I had the chance to meet Carmen's husband Eleazar. They were a lovely family, and I noticed that Edward passed on his therapist's information to them.
I was exhausted by the time they left. "I think I need another nap," I admitted.
"If you'll be okay for a little while, I'm going to go home and change."
I watched Edward stretch, his shirt revealing a strip of bare stomach as it rose. I bit my lip, then boldly asked for what I wanted. "I need to touch you, for just a minute."
He frowned. "What do you mean?"
I gestured, and he came closer. My fingers trailed along that warm, smooth plane that was barely above where his pants rested at his hips. He gasped at my touch, vibrating muscles tensing to hold still. His hands grabbed mine.
"I…"
I smiled at him sheepishly. "Go have your shower. I'll see you when you get back."
He nodded, watching me as he backed out the door.
I dozed for a little while, opening my eyes to see Emmett and Dad were sitting with me. I raised my brows at Emmett.
"Rose said she'd been by. I thought I'd be nice and come, too."
I couldn't help notice he barely fit in the small visitor chair. He was drawn into himself, anger and guilt written all over his features; the tightness around his eyes and the deep lines across his forehead as he frowned made it clear how he was feeling.
"So, you see I'm in one piece," I said dryly.
Dad lifted his eyebrow, and I copied the gesture. "Has the doctor given any indication of when you'll be discharged?" he questioned.
"As long as I can keep my O2 levels up, within three days. My cough is productive, and the infection is moving out of my system."
"And the rest?" Emmett practically growled.
"If by 'the rest' you mean the cuts and bruises, those will take weeks to heal. If you mean the scars that will be left behind, those will possibly never go away. If you mean the emotional damage, who the fuck knows?" My lungs protested so much dialogue, and I spent a good ten minutes coughing hard as my dad and brother hovered.
"Are you okay?" Emmett asked nervously.
"Just peachy." I gulped down the ice water left on my rolling table, then shifted in a vain attempt to get comfortable.
"Bella-" Emmett started, but I interrupted.
"No, you know what? I'm pissed at you, and that's not likely to change any time soon."
"What the hell, Bella, you barely know the guy and you're picking him?" he exploded.
"You don't get to say that to me! I'm not choosing sides, Emmett, you are. You're too stubborn to realize that he did nothing wrong. I left the office alone, I chose to represent him and countless others through the Innocence Project. I chose to keep working on this when Dad told me to drop it."
"But fuck, Bella, you've never brought a con home with you!" Emmett shouted.
"Emmett Charles!" our father barked.
Emmett plowed on. "What the fuck are you thinking? You could've gotten yourself killed, and all because you let the little lost prisoner follow you home!"
"You liked him just fine when you were defending him from that bigot!" I shouted back.
"Yeah, I like him as a person, B. Just not your person."
That's how Edward found me, gasping for breath, tears and snot running down my face. He glared first at Emmett, then my father. "What the hell is going on here?"
His voice was so quiet and calm, belying his fury. He hurried to my side, handing me a tissue and smoothing my hair back. The water appeared before me, and I gave him a watery smile. The shuffling noise behind him caught my attention. Edward turned, standing in front of me.
"I'm sorry, Isabella. I didn't come up upset you," I heard my father say.
"You did nothing to prevent it from happening, either," Edward returned.
I heard my father's breath, and I figured he was keeping his temper in check for my benefit. "I'll be back tomorrow," he muttered. I peered around Edward as my father and brother left the room.
"How much did you hear?" I mumbled as he turned back to me.
"The end. Despite everything, I'm your person, Bella. Always."
Before you grab your torches and pitchforks (lol), he will redeem himself eventually. But, yeah, he was awful.
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