Thank you for all of the love that you gave the last chapter. Bella appreciates your support! I'm sorry for how long this took - life is kicking me down at the moment - but I promise I am doing my best to get the chapters written as quickly as possible.

Hereafter
Chapter 29.

June 30th, 2019
Edward.

I knew it had been a long day when I was ready to sleep by eleven o'clock; usually it's gone midnight before I start to feel tired. Nothing major had even happened today, but I think the late nights and early mornings had started to pile up on top of me. The plush pillow and soft comforter felt like a blessing as I readied myself to sleep, in hope that I would wake up the following morning rested and ready to face the day ahead.

Of course, luck was not on my side. I swear it had only been five minutes after my eyes had closed when my cell phone began to vibrate dramatically against the wood of the bedside table. Unless there was a family emergency, I already knew who would have been calling before I looked at the phone screen.

"Hey, Charlie." I tried my best to hide my groggy voice, but he caught on instantly.

"I'm sorry for waking you, Edward."

"It's okay. What's up?" I couldn't hear heartbreaking screams in the background, so at least that was one good thing.

"I'm needing to attend an incident near La Push. Are you able to come and keep an eye on Bells?"

I was already out of bed before he had asked me that question. I knew that Charlie wouldn't get called out unless it was necessary, plus I was used to my father doing the same thing. "Absolutely. I'll be fifteen minutes?"

"Thank you. I appreciate this."

After ending the call, I located a pair of sneakers, threw on a hoodie, and a pair of pajama pants, and found an outfit to wear tomorrow. Fortunately, I already had my laptop and other essentials packed, so all I had to do was grab my bag, and then I was good to go. There was no way of knowing how long Charlie would be out for, plus he had work tomorrow anyway, so I didn't see much point in coming home. Depending on how tired I felt in the morning, I had a feeling that Bella and I were going to have a relaxed day at home.

I barely saw another car on the road as I traveled across town from my hours to theirs. That is a plus point to living in a small town. I arrived precisely on time and found Charlie standing at the front door.

"Thank you." He said again and gave my back a solid pat as I made my way into the house. "I've told Bella, however, she is fast asleep so I doubt she took the information in."

"No need to thank me." I smiled and dropped my bag onto the floor. "It must be serious if they got you involved?" We kept our voices down so as not to awake Sleeping Beauty upstairs.

"I'm not sure about the details just now, but they know I'm not easily available for this type of job." That gave me the answer I was looking for. We didn't say much more after that - Charlie thanked me once again, and said that he would do his best not to disturb me when he arrived back home again.

Last year, when the three of us made the trip back to Forks, I would spend every evening sleeping on the old couch in the living room. It never bothered me too much, and I had much more to worry about than the state of my back. However Charlie felt awful that he couldn't offer me a proper bed to sleep in, and so he graciously disposed of the old couch, and replaced it with a sleeper sofa. Even when I'm spending the nights in my place, Bella often uses this to nap on during the day if she didn't want to make the trip upstairs.

In the fifteen minutes between our phone call and my arrival, Charlie had found some spare cushions and a blanket and had even pulled out the bed for me. I double-checked that the door was locked before I toed off my shoes and tried to sleep for the second time that evening. I left my pants and hoodie on, mainly for warmth, but also in case Bella needed me during the night. I didn't want to run into her room with just a pair of boxers on, y'know?

I don't know how long I had been asleep for, but it didn't feel like any time had passed before I woke up once again. This time it was from the whisper of my name.

"Edward…" At first, the voice blended in with my dreams. "Edward…" It took me a second to realize where the voice was coming from, and when I opened my eyes I spotted a timid-looking Bella standing right next to me. Luna had followed her down the stairs and stood patiently beside her.

"Hey, sweetheart." I wiped the sleep from my eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Where's Charlie?"

"He's been called out to La Push. Do you need him for something?" She shook her head slightly. After our ordeal with the court sentencing, we had noticed a big difference with her voice. It took a few days for Bella to speak openly after that had happened, however, her short sentences no longer held much of a delay. We have a feeling that it had something to do with the strength Bella felt after standing up to James and showing him who was boss. We still had days where the mutism took control and she would say very little, but I suppose that is only to be expected.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" I asked.

"Can I sleep here? I don't like… being upstairs alone." Her longer sentences would hold a short gap, but it is a major improvement from before.

"Of course you can." I would jump off a cliff if she asked me to.

I shuffled over to the side of the bed and opened out the covers for her to curl into. "Just as long as Luna isn't going to sleep here too - there might not be enough room for all three of us." I joked. The two of them often shared a bed, even though Luna had a perfectly good bed of her own.

"No." Bella laughed quietly.

"That's alright then."

"Thank you." She whispered into her pillow.

"For what?" Honestly, the number of times she apologizes for the silliest of things.

"Letting me sleep… here."

"You don't need to thank me for that, sweetheart."

I found myself stroking back her hair as she fell into a blissful sleep. It took me a little longer before my eyes finally closed, however it was more important to me that Bella felt safe and comfortable. I wouldn't want to leave her awake and possibly fearing the world around her.

0-0

July 1st, 2019.

I vaguely remembered Charlie arriving home at one point during the night, but I wasn't awake long enough for it to cause any damage. However, when I woke up properly the next morning, I was surprised to see Bella curled up beside me with her arm placed across my chest. I don't know whether she usually hugged Luna and so automatically did the same thing with me, but it amazed me how comfortable she was sharing a bed with a guy. After everything that she had been through, you would have thought that this would be one of her biggest fears. Not that I minded, of course, but it was definitely a nice surprise.

I laid there for thirty minutes, scrolling through my phone mindlessly before Bella also woke up. Her arm never moved in that time, and I wasn't going to be the one to change that. I couldn't help but wonder, however, whether or not Charlie had noticed us when he arrived home. No doubt he would have checked on Bella, and perhaps he came downstairs again when he saw that her bed was empty? I don't think he would have had an issue with it, but you never can tell.

When Bella realized what she was doing, and how she was lying, she swiped back her arm like somebody had held a flame against it. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"Did I look uncomfortable?"

"No…"

"Then there's no need to say sorry." I shot her a smile before I turned my attention back to Twitter.

We stayed like that for several minutes. I wasn't sure whether Bella was a fan of the news articles I read on Twitter, however she read them with me. It was a sweet silence, and both of us were quite comfortable until Luna needed to be let out. I could have happily stayed there for some time.

0-0

"So, what would you like to do today?" I asked as I handed Bella her bowl of oatmeal with banana.

"Um… go for a walk?"

"Sure! The weather is meant to be nice."

I brewed a fresh pot of coffee and sorted out Luna's breakfast before I fixed my own. I was too tired to make anything special, so I went for a simple bowl of cereal. It was as I was placing the milk back into the refrigerator, that I spotted the raw chicken sitting on the bottom shelf which reminded me of something.

"Are you wanting to make dinner tonight?" I asked Bella - she had mentioned wanting to get back into cooking, and so we had picked out the ingredients for easy meals.

Bella swallowed her mouthful of oatmeal as she thought over my question. "I can… see how I feel?"

I shot her a wink. "That's all we ask, beautiful."

We enjoyed our breakfast in silence until we heard Charlie making his way down the stairs. The sleep was clear in his eyes, which told me that he could have done with an extra couple hours of sleep. It didn't surprise me when he headed straight for the coffee maker.

"How did it go last night?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "Some drunk kids were messing about on the roads. They could've handled it without me."

That sounded pretty serious to me, but what did I know? I had a feeling that Charlie wasn't pleased with being called out, especially as they all knew that he was no longer available for off-duty calls. Especially in the middle of the night.

"Are you okay, Bells? I saw you downstairs last night?"

Fear and anxiety rushed through me. It could have been that he was looking out for his daughter, but chances are he saw us cuddling and I had no idea whether or not he approved of that sort of thing. I think I hid my panic pretty well. Hopefully it didn't show in my eyes.

"I didn't… like being upstairs alone… Edward said I could… stay down here."

I swear I just about jumped out of my seat when I felt a strong hand clap my shoulder. "Thank you."

I let out a nervous laugh when I realized that Charlie wasn't pissed with me. "Oh, er, yeah, it's no problem." 'Cause that doesn't sound at all suspicious…

Once the breakfast had been cleared up, and Charlie had set off for work, Bella worked on her morning exercises and I tidied up the covers and cushions from the night before. My anxiety from earlier had passed, and now I could relax and properly enjoy our morning.

I kept Luna entertained with a tennis ball as Bella went upstairs to get changed. The happy puppy bounded around the room as she followed said ball, and let out soft growls when it rolled under a seat and she could no longer reach it. We continued this game right up until Bella returned, and Luna snapped back into the protector. She knew the difference between working and playing and knew that she had a job to do every time her harness was clipped on, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't look out for Bella everywhere they went. Charlie couldn't have picked a better companion, or a smarter one.

"All set?" I asked as I zipped up my outdoor jacket. The sun was shining through the overcast clouds, but it's always best to be prepared for a downpour.

"Yep." She smiled, pulled her hood over her head, and held out Luna's harness for the dog to poke her head through. Bella double-checked that everything was in the right place before she clipped the harness together. "Good girl." She praised.

It always felt good to go for a walk, especially when we didn't have a route in place. We'd set off in one direction and see where the path took us. Sometimes we would take a short walk around the block, but other times, if Bella felt up to it, we'd head into the direction of town. Because of Luna's size, on the days that she isn't training, Charlie or I would take her for a second walk later on in the day. Just to make sure that she received the right amount of exercise.

"It's cold…" Bella commented once we had cleared her driveway. It was the middle of 'summer' in Forks, and she was dressed in a hoodie, a jacket, and pair of sweatpants, and yet she still felt cold. I had a feeling that this walk was not going to last long if she continued to shiver.

"There's meant to be a heatwave next week," I said that in an attempt to brighten her mood, but regardless of the weather, Bella's outfits never changed.

"We could… have a barbecue?"

I appreciated the question, as a chance to change the subject. We discussed all the food items for said barbecue - steak, potato salad, corn, burgers… it was enough to make me salivate. Bella said that Charlie's main skill was operating a grill and that he would love nothing more than to spend an afternoon manning his station. He wouldn't allow anyone to help, and of course, he would have an ice-cold beer constantly in one hand.

"Let's pray for some sun then, shall we?"

During our walk, I noticed how Bella would constantly shove one hand into her pocket, or she would pull the sleeve over the hand that held Luna's leash. She must have been colder than I first imagined. "Hey," I pulled us to a stop. I rubbed my hands together to warm them up, and then took Bella's free hand between them both. I brought the bundle close to my lips to blow some warm air inside. "Is this doing anything?" I laughed. It seemed appropriate in my head.

"…Yeah." A rosy blush blossomed over her cheeks. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Once the first hand had been warmed up, I asked Bella to drop Luna's leash briefly so that I could work on the other hand too. Like before, I blew warm air into our mass of hands and prayed that my breath was warm enough to do the job. When it came time to continuing onwards, Bella didn't hesitate to take a hold of my right hand. At first, I thought it was for the warmth again.

"Is this okay…?" She asked hesitantly.

It wasn't for the warmth - she just wanted to hold it.

And I was more than okay with that.

They stayed together for the rest of our walk.

0-0

Luna brought the situation to our attention as we were nearing the house again. She pulled Bella to a halt and took a step forward to make sure that she was that little bit in front. A small growl vibrated through the dog. Bella focused on nothing but the ground beneath our feet. We both knew that the dog wouldn't make us stop if it wasn't something serious.

Luna never took her eyes off of the man who had his hands cupped around his eyes to get a better look through the living room window. The man was tall, well-built, and a complete stranger to me. Luna's reaction told me that he was a stranger to her, too.

"Sweetheart, I need to see who's at the house." I stroked Bella's cheek to try and get her to respond to me. The fear rippled from her body. "Do you want to stay with me, or do you want to sit here with Luna?"

"Edward…" Her voice was quiet - like a soft whisper. A plea to keep her safe.

I held her face in my hands. "You're perfectly safe, love. We wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

"Bell?"

The second his voice was heard, two things happened at once. I threw my arms around Bella and held her in my protective cage. Luna lunged as far as her leash allowed her too, and warned the man not to take another step further. Her bark echoed down the street.

"Bell…"

Part of me wanted to let Luna off her leash, but the other part knew that she needed to stay beside Bella.

"It's best if you stay exactly where you are," I warned him.

"Who is it?" Bella's tiny voice rose from my chest.

"I don't know, but Luna has him under her command."

"Bell, it's me!" For whatever reason, the man refused to listen to me and took another step closer. I was seconds away from letting Luna show this idiot just how sharp her teeth are.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The man stopped walking and ran a hand through his jet black hair. "I'm Jacob - Bella and I have been friends for years."

Unfortunately, I recognized his name. I recalled seeing 'Jacob' on Bella's old weekly planner.

"It's Jacob," I whispered down to her.

Bella moved her face away from my chest so to look for herself. Her teary eyes widened at the sight in front of her. "Jake…" A small smile played on her lips. I'd never seen her react like that after having such a shock, and for some reason that didn't sit well with me.

I called Luna down from her guard, and on Bella's command, we closed the distance between ourselves and Jacob. She practically flung herself into his arms once we were a step away. I could just make out her saying how she had missed him, and he replied with his apologies for taking so long to get here. I was sure that he meant well, and that he was simply concerned for his friend, but I couldn't help but wonder why it had taken him so long. All of the important people in Bella's life - her mother and Jacob - hadn't immediately traveled over when Bella came home. They hadn't phoned to see if she was okay, and would turn up in their own time. Bella accepted whatever bullshit excuse her mom made, and I knew that she would accept Jacob's as well. Maybe it is simply the person that she is, but I'm not like that.

Charlie needed these people for love and support when Bella went missing, and then Bella herself needed them when she returned. Fortunately, I was there to help both of them, but what if I hadn't been? What if I had cut my ties once the police were involved and Bella came back to Forks? They wouldn't have had anyone to help them, yet Renee and Jacob would use some shitty excuse and leave it at that?

"Edward." I shook my head briefly to rid myself of those frustrated thoughts. Bella had pointed an arm towards the front door, telling me that she wanted to go inside now. I dug around in my pants pocket to locate the keys and then unlocked the door. I noticed how Jacob had his arms carefully around Bella, almost as if he was helping her up the short flight of stairs. She no longer needed help, especially if there is a rail to hold on to, but he didn't know that. Once again my anger boiled up - he doesn't know what she needs help with, he doesn't know what she is capable of doing. He doesn't know anything at this point. If I had offered my help like that, Bella would have been quick to push me away - she's very stubborn. Yet Jacob makes the same mistake and gets away with it?

"What would you like for lunch today, sweetheart?" I asked once they were settled in the living room. I wasn't angry with her, so I needed to make sure that it didn't come across that way.

"You got any cold chicken?" Jacob cut in before Bella had the chance to talk.

"Uh… we might do?"

To that, Jacob rubbed his hands excitedly. "Why don't I make those chicken club sandwiches we used to love?"

I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes, mainly because Bella had reacted badly to that particular word. Thankfully I knew that it was nothing serious, and nothing that Luna couldn't handle. "Why don't you leave the decision making up to me, okay?" I spat towards Jacob before I crouched down beside Bella and gave her a quick squeeze. "Charlie has vegetable soup in the cupboard. Would you like that?" She wanted vegetable soup, so I left the two of them 'talking' in the living room, as I prepared the food.

Jacob's deep voice carried through, which gave me the chance to listen in on everything he was saying. From what I could understand, Jacob lives in New York with his disabled father. He said that treatment was going well, and so I just assumed that they had moved out there for medical reasons. He made a joke about technology and not quite knowing how to use it, and after Bella's original phone had been stolen, he found it harder to get in contact. He apologized for staying away for so long, but that it was difficult to leave his father unattended until now.

Maybe he was telling the truth, and maybe he genuinely wanted to come over sooner but he couldn't find the time, but I still didn't believe him. I don't know anything about this guy, but I didn't get a good vibe from him.

I returned to the living room just as Jacob was asking what Bella had planned for tomorrow. She gave me a grateful smile as I placed the bowl of soup down in front of her. "Charlie's at home." She replied quietly. "Edward's working."

"Would it be okay if I came over again tomorrow? I'd love to see Charlie."

"Sure."

As the two of them talked, I loaded up my laptop so to check my emails and get as much work done as possible. I had been struggling recently to balance everything, which is why tomorrow when Charlie had a day off, I wasn't going to leave my house. Bella comes first, and always will come first, but I knew realistically that I wouldn't get very far without a solid income.

"Edward." Her sweet voice interrupted my thoughts once again.

"Yeah?"

Bella nodded her head in Jacob's direction. He understood her gesture and asked me the question that I must have missed. "I asked Bella if she'd want to go for a walk with the dog tomorrow? I could meet her in the park?"

At first, I wasn't sure why they needed to run that past me - I was certain that Charlie would have been more than happy with it. But then I caught onto what they were really asking me - whether or not Bella could go there by herself and meet Jacob alone. The park they were talking about wasn't far from the house, and it would only take Bella ten minutes to walk there, however, this would be the first time she had made that walk with only Luna for company.

"How do you feel about it?" I asked her. I needed her honest answer before I could decide anything.

"I think… I can do it."

Now, I don't want to be the person who crushes her dreams or who makes her feel less than capable, and as long as Jacob was there to meet her then I'm sure everything would be fine. I just didn't want her to risk anything.

"I think you should ask Charlie what he thinks of the idea. Maybe he'd offer to come with you?"

"Okay." Bella's smile told me that she was absolutely fine with my response. She knew that we were only looking out for her and that we'd make the right decision.

My anger towards Jacob only continued to bubble as they started up another conversation about funny times from years before. Along with a story where Bella once TP'd Jacob's house on Halloween. Apparently, a neighbor saw the act, phoned the cops, and Charlie turned up to find out that the vandal was his own daughter. I hadn't heard Bella laugh as much as she did when that story was told. It almost hurt that he had the ability to create such a reaction, but I didn't.

It was clear that the Bella I know, and the Bella that Jacob knows, are two completely different people.

As long as my Bella stays the same, I'll be okay with that.

Thankfully, for my own mental sanity, Jacob only stayed for a couple of hours before saying that he had to book into his B&B and was on his way. He promised to meet her at the park tomorrow. I tried to act normally - I tried to put my jealousy and anxiety behind me, but that was easier said than done. It was clear that Bella had loved having Jacob's company, and her happy mood vanished the minute that he left. I couldn't help but wonder whether or not she would have reacted the same way if I had left? I knew that she constantly begged for me to return when I lived in Oregon, but the devil inside of me made me think that was simply for protection.

Bella and Jacob have been friends for years, and it was clear that he was very fond of her, but did she hold the same feelings? She had mentioned having feelings for someone - is this the 'someone' she was talking about? Is that why she had reacted differently after the first initial shock of finding him at the house?

I hadn't felt jealousy in a long time, and it almost felt like a new feeling to me.

But why should I be jealous about this?

It would be wrong of me to stop her from having other friends, and I should be happy that he had made the trip over from New York. But part of me knew that that wasn't the case.

Part of me knew that my jealousy was for an entirely different reason.

0-0

Jacob has finally arrived! What are your thoughts? How do you feel? And has Edward finally realised that he may have feelings towards her…? Let me know!

I have started a new story if you're wanting to check it out? It's called Chance Encounters, and the chapters are being uploaded much more regularly ;)