Malicious Compliance Chapter Twenty

Emmett was funny, and not exactly what Bella had expected. The little she’d gathered about him from what Edward said and the brief time they’d interacted in the hospital belied the gentle nature of the beast. He was large and hairy, beefy arms and muscles banding around his arms as though he was set to lift a truck off a stranded kitten, but he was also tender. All anyone had to do was watch him interact with his wife to witness the difference. Bella liked to think the word dichotomy suited Emmett McCarty. 

Without Wings Chapter Three

The hours while James was gone were some of the hardest Edward had ever lived through. A headache brewing, he skipped lunch before he and Bella went upstairs to wait in the living room. There was so much he wanted to say, but the words remained jumbled in his head and wouldn't fall out of his mouth. His wife was devastated, and he couldn't help feeling completely responsible. Quinn was an adult, he'd made an adult decision, and yet Edward would take full blame for what they now faced. 

Without Wings Chapter Two

Waking from a rough sleep, Bella lifted her head from the pillow and tried to make herself get out of bed. Dreams—nightmares—had plagued her throughout the night. Edward still slept on, his graying copper hair buried in his pillowcase, but she heard the telltale sound of small feet pounding down the hallway. Hurrying to dress, Bella made her way downstairs in time to nab Aerinn before she could plow into Tyler coming out of the kitchen. 

Without Wings Chapter One

Mentally running over the list of things she had to do that day, Bella rinsed toothpaste out of her mouth and put the brush back where it belonged. Movement in the mirror caught her eye, and she watched her naked husband come up behind her as she dried her hands.

"Why do you wear my shirt like this when we both have places to be?"

Without Wings Prologue

Pacing behind the man bound to the exposed pipe, Bella focused on her surroundings. Water dripped in the distance, the plop plop plop echoing throughout the vacant warehouse. Air whistled in and out of his lungs, laboring under the stress of his wounds. Her own heart roared in her ears, nearly drowning out all of the above. Darkness surrounded her, and if not for her infrared goggles, she'd be blind.

Malicious Compliance Chapter Nineteen

Garrett was gathering his things together when Bella came home from Luscious Bites. Behind him, she spotted Edward sitting on the foot of the bed.

“Everything okay?” she murmured to Garrett.

He nodded, shooting a glance over his shoulder. “Tough PT session today.”

Malicious Compliance Chapter Eighteen

The first few days after the accident were undoubtedly the toughest. Edward hated being stuck in a hospital bed, and there was only so much Bella could do to entertain him. She spent as much time with him as possible while also ensuring Tanya's sabotage wasn't successful. Both Tanya and Victoria remained guests of the state, held without bond because they posed considerable flight risks. As much as Bella tried to put them out of her thoughts, she couldn't comprehend what she'd done to deserve the petty behavior they aimed at her. 

Malicious Compliance Chapter Seventeen

Standing alone in the stark white hallway, Bella hugged herself tighter in an attempt to warm up. The others had made a coffee run, and now she regretted insisting she'd be fine by herself. At least she wasn't stuck in her cocktail dress, since Austin and Eric had gone to her apartment to get some clothes for her. The sweatshirt she wore nearly swallowed her whole, a pair of leggings clinging to her thighs as she heaved out a heavy sigh. Raising her shoulder, she inhaled the fresh laundry scent, which should have brought her a sense of familiarity in the midst of the generic hospital decor.

Malicious Compliance Chapter Sixteen

Thankfully, Bella had been entirely too busy to worry about Tanya's antics. Edward was proud of her for not letting that horrible skank ruin her day. They’d enjoyed a fun dinner with their friends; Eric was perfect for Austin, as they were all learning the more time they spent together. He could perfectly temper the too-serious nature Austin tended to fall into without even realizing it. They were obviously in love, making it so much easier for Edward to let go of any feelings of jealousy or resentment he’d once felt toward him. He might have been Bella’s sugar daddy at one time, but that was so far in the rear-view mirror, it nearly didn't exist. 

Malicious Compliance Chapter Fifteen

Cleaning was not Bella’s favorite thing to do. She’d spent her share of time doing it at the restaurant, between clearing tables to give the bussers a hand and keeping her workstation in the kitchen clean. However, this was a whole new level of hell. The building wasn’t filthy, per se, but the health department held higher standards for a bakery than they did a florist. What display cases she could keep had to be sanitized, and the new ones had to be unwrapped after delivery and then cleaned before she could put them in their place. Bella had taken to wearing gloves, so she didn’t leave fingerprints on the glass each time she adjusted the position of something. Too many shelves had been Windexed to death because she wasn’t satisfied with the spacing and kept changing them. 

Malicious Compliance Chapter Fourteen

Therapy was, frankly, exhausting. Edward didn't know how Bella managed to go more than once a month without having to hide under the covers for the rest of the day like a child in need of a nap.