Chapter 14 — And you look like one too!

EPOV

As I smoothly drove my Volvo into the garage underneath my apartment complex Bella's words echoed through my head.

Uhm, Why? Oh…I guess.

As if she actually thought that I wasn't dying to see her again. As if she didn't think that she was of enough value for me too see again.

This deeply bothered me. It had bothered me all afternoon, ever since she was out of my presence. I had half a mind to follow her to see her new place of employment, but I resisted that particularly stalkerish urge. I keyed myself and stepped into my apartment. Home sweet home it was not, but it was a place of safety and peace, The only person who had access to this place, besides Alice and Esme was the cleaner, who was, stereo typically enough, a portly Puerto Rican woman in her early sixties

I absent-mindedly wandered to my bedroom, and through to the shower, taking a shower while pondering my thoughts. Bella's lack of self confidence being a forerunner. It seemed so odd to me, I wondered what had happened to her to crush her faith in herself, and in other people so easily. By the way she had reacted when James had assaulted her, it probably had been caused by a man. Her father? Unlikely, seeing as she had taken on two jobs in order to financially support him. A brother or cousin perhaps? But obviously she had relatives that she was close with, or they would be helping her out at the moment she needed it, and she had never mentioned anything about siblings. That left the one option that I did not want to consider. A man, a past admirer or even boyfriend. I ground my teeth at the thought of anyone treating her with such disrespect.

I heard the landline ring and I grumbled as I struggled to wash the soap from my eyes. I had half a mind to ignore it, it was probably Alice, but if it wasn't I could miss a potentially important call. I quickly towelled off as I wrapped a towel around myself and answered the phone with trepidation.

"Hey Edward" said an overly chipper voice from the other end

I internally sighed, Alice 1-0.

"Hello Alison" I knew that annoyed her to no end, regardless that it was not her real name

"Fine. If that's the way you're going to be ill just let you go back to your sad little life and not tell you about Bella." Panic struck me, had something happened?

"Bella!? What about Bella?" I said urgently

"somehow I knew that would get your appreciation"

Alice, 2-0

"Alice…" I growled in waring

"Oh fine, spoil my fun then" She huffed, not saying anything else.

I was silent for the minute, waiting for her to be more forthcoming information.

She huffed again before picking up a horribly nasal tone and started singing, again, horribly

"I know something you don't know, I know something you don't know" Trying to crack my composure.

It worked, she knew as well as I did that I could not stand her singing.

"Alice!" I yelled above the incessant noise. "Tell me or I'm hanging up!"

"You would not do that little brother, especially since its about Bella" she said smugly. She had me there.

"well can you at least cut the teasing and just tell me? It's been an…interesting day" I said resignedly, trying to make this as quick and painless as possible.

"Oh I know" she said, something akin to innuendo in her voice.

I was once again silent

"Fine" she sighed theatrically, after my lack of response.

"Well, after I first met Bella, I ran a background check on her tomorrow." Her tone told me that she had more to say, but I was furious that she would invade Bella's privacy like that.

"Alice! Not only is that an illigeal waste of the agencies money and time but it is also a huge invasion of privacy!" I drew a breath to continue, but she intercepted.

"Oh calm down Edward, and you say that I'm the theatrical one." I could practically hear her eye roll

"I only did it to make sure she wasn't some psycho after your money and fame."

"And you couldn't have just pulled up her files on the system, seeing as she is an employee?"

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that" Of course she hadn't

"Anyways, we're getting off topic" She said briskly

"Which is…?"

"Don't get snarky Edward" She said, obviously finding some sort of sick pleasure in tormenting me

"Alice I swear to God…"

"Fine! I just found something interesting out that I thought you might like to know" She relented, finally

"Yes?" I asked, just willing her to go on and end this godforsaken call.

"Bella is turning Twenty one tomorrow. And I get the impression that that big, flashy, expensive car you're thinking of getting her won't sit well. Think more on a twenty dollar budget, think pracitcal" With that she hung up and I was left clutching the receiver, emitting a loud tone, the only sound besides questions tumbling around in my head.

BPOV

An incessant beeping ripped me from my, for once, pleasant dreams. The imagined warmth disappeared and all I was left with was the impression of warmth and safety— and above all, love.

I whimpered as I struggled to recapture the feelings that I had just experienced, It was what I craved most, and waking up to the stark reality of my life had left me severely disappointed.

I shivered as I abruptly sat up and took in the chill of my apartment. I let out a sigh and, grabbing clothes on the way, wrenched myself out of bed and into the shower.

After I was passably clean, I quickly got changed and twisted my hair into submission, applying a little makeup to mask the still yellowing bruises.

I surveyed myself in the rust-flecked mirror. I didn't look any different than yesterday. Though, thinking back to my last birthday, I certainly looked as if I had aged. Permanent black bags now resided under my eyes and my actual eyes themselves had taken on a weary, slightly worn look. I sighed and turned away from my lustreless appearance.

"Happy birthday to me" I said sarcastically as I exited my apartment, the back way, making sure to lock everything behind me and grab my waitresses' uniform and the ridiculous roller blades, whose wrath was still wreaking havoc on my feet.

As soon as I got into my truck I cranked the heat, and locked the doors. Once I had warmed up sufficiently I started the drive to the Whitehouse

***

I rolled through security with no problems, thankfully. I stashed my stuff in the lounge, in the locker I had been assigned and sighed as I clocked in. I smiled at Jessica, albeit not entirely pleasantly, who sat at the desk at the start of the tour, filing her nails absently. She narrowed her eyes at my new uniform, while she still had the old, daggy one on. Suck.

However, in an unexpected move she kept filing her nails with a smirk. It was almost like she was saying "I get paid twice as much as you to just sit here all day"

Bitch

I turned smiled pleasantly at the group before me and started the tour.

***

With a sigh and a slight grimace I slipped off the professional heels off and sat on the couch in the employee lounge. My feet had been stinging all morning and Jessica— in her true style— had made me take on two extra tours this morning, her tours. With each tour lasting the good part of an hour, and in addition to my three scheduled tours today I barely had the time to have a sip of water between each. My throat was almost hoarse and my feet hurt. Not to mention my lunch break was nearly two hours over due.

I my stomach grumbled as I filled it with water. Unappreciative thing. Out of habit, I went to curl my feet under me but stopped when my battered feet scraped the coarse fabric of the couch. I hurriedly removed them, checking to make sure that I hadn't left blood stains on the couch. Fortunately I hadn't. A dry cleaning bill was not what I needed right now.

I sipped my water again to try and soothe my throat and hoped that Edward had not come looking for me and been inconvienced. As if Bella. I said scathingly to myself. He had probably forgotten all about his offer to see me today. I sighed and lent back into the couch. Hoping to recuperate enough to get through this afternoons tours. Which, for the moment, totalled at three.

I sighed again heavily and rested the cool glass against my forehead. After a few minutes I looked around, hating to admit to myself that I was looking for Edward. Stupid Girl. Stupid, idiotic girl.

After another few minutes I felt disappointment settling into my stomach. He wasn't coming, of course he wasn't coming.

"BELLA!" The booming shout startled me and I sloshed my glass of water, somehow managing to avoid my clothing.

She looked around to find the perpetrator.

"Emmett! Long time no see" My glare turned into a grin as a I saw him. I quickly slipped my feet back into my shoes and stood up, not wanting to cause unnecessary fuss. The move did not go unnoticed by Emmett however and he gave her a disapproving frown. He however, did not comment and instead called out loudly "HEY ED! Found her!"

Edward?

EPOV

I heard Emmett's loud shout and felt relief sweep through me. Bella. Finally.

At about ten o'clock I had enquired with Jessica where Bella would be. She was less than forthcoming with the information that I wanted. She instead informed me that her schedule was full and that there was extra tours that had been added to her load today.

"She's not very good with the hands on part of this job If you get my drift." Jessica had said, a presumably sultry look on her face. I got her drift. Emmett got her drift. Someone with the IQ of a small dog would have got her drift.

When I enquired as to why Jessica wasn't helping her out with this increased number she had also replied in a…suggestive way.

"In my experience I'd say that Bella needs a lot of practise. Whereas me? I have been doing this since I was just out of high school, even a little before." She had added a wink and I had been disgusted, dismissing her with a barely imperceptible nod.

After that I had taken to roaming the hallways, hoping to intercept her. A few times Emmett had told me that it would be better just to wait out in the employee lounge on that floor— the deserted one that Bella preferred. But I was restless. I was dying to surprise her, and truthfully, dying to see her again.

A few minutes previously Emmett and I had split up in a last ditch effort to find her, her lunch hour long over.

Naturally he had found her in the threadbare and run down employee lounge.

I hurried into the lounge to find Bella staring curiously at me and my look of annoyance at Emmett finding her first turning into a grin. She was alive and unharmed.

She smiled back at me for an impossibly long moment. Emmett sighed and then spoke.

"We have a surprise for you" He prompted me back into coherence.

"A surprise?" she said, almost resignedly "I don't like surprises" she admitted, shifting from one foot too the other. I noticed the slight grimace on her face and my eyes flickered down to the source of her discomfort.

Almost unharmed, I thought, correcting my earlier assessment.

Blisters it looked like. Probably from all the running around she had done this morning. I then realised in dismay that I was probably the cause of her increased workload today, I had probably pissed Jessica off.

I let this go for the moment, vowing to patch her up later.

"Its not a bad one, I promise" I smiled assuredly as Emmett took her cup to the sink and I came closer, placing my hand on her back to direct her towards my office.

"Edward…" she asked anxiously "What's all this about?"

I gave her a dubious look, his smile faltering slightly, had Alice lied to me?

"Bella, are you serious?" I said, studying her face.

She nodded and bit her lip, a familiar gesture that I recognised; Nervousness.

My smile twitched back up a little as I practically threw my office door open

"Happy Birthday Bella"

Sorry about not updating in ages…months, its been a busy few months. I've been overseas (To New Zealand), had my heart crushed and got my learners licence. For driving. Watch out Australia. Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter, even though its relatively short (: