Chapter Song: Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie and the Blowfish
Characters belong to SM. The fate of these crazy kids belongs to me.
Chapter 24 - Second Thoughts
Alice's POV
Tuesday morning left me feeling excited for two reasons. First, it was Valentine's Day, and even though Jasper and Emmett's original plans to take us to dinner and a show fell though, they
now had a surprise in store for Rose and I. Second, Bella and Edward were coming home in a mere six days. I couldn't wait to hear stories from the road and see my best friend again.
Work was passing at a painful pace when a frazzled looking and winded Victoria White showed up at my office.
"Ms. White, what a pleasant surprise!" I clicked out of the spreadsheet I was working on and focused my attention on the woman before me. Victoria was once married to Collin Davis, a
highly sought after architect with boyish good looks and an impressively large bank account. Most of Manhattan envied their union, as it read like the perfect fairytale; dirt-poor Midwest girl
moves to the big city and captures the heart of one of the many charming princes roaming the streets. After five blissful years, rumors began to surface about Collin spending time at a
private gay club in Jersey. The proof was never there though, and Victoria chose to ignore the whispers, but six months later she caught him with their pool boy. She ended up walking
away with a large chunk of cash, which she then parlayed into a small chain of high-end boutiques that speckled the major cities on the country's East and West coasts.
Victoria was almost ten years older than me, but the woman didn't look a day over twenty-five. "Alice, please, it's Victoria and believe me, I wish I wasn't here." She caught the look on my
face and rushed to clarify. "Not that I don't want to see you, I just wish it was under different circumstances."
"I take it this isn't a social call?"
Victoria sank into the chair across from me and sighed. "I'm hosting a gala at the Waldorf Astoria in April and my party planner up and left the country."
"What do you mean 'up and left the country'?"
"It's a long story," she explained, throwing her hands in the air. "I need someone that can do good work on short notice."
"With all due respect, we aren't exactly professional event planners. Could I round up a good-looking guest list for you? Absolutely. Could I make sure there's ample press mentions about
the gala? Definitely. Could I make all the pieces of the logistics puzzle fall into place? I'm not so sure."
"Oh, Alice, c'mon. I heard your partner worked wonders when it came to Edward Cullen's book release party."
"With help from an event manager at the venue, yes." I didn't want it to seem like I wasn't interested in the project, because that was far from the truth. Victoria didn't work with just
anybody, and this was a fact that a lot of New York's high society knew. There were quite a few projects on our plate already, however, and I knew that Bella would likely need some time
to decompress before being tossed into another huge job.
"I'm sure the Waldorf has an event manager too." Victoria clasped her hands in her lap and fixed me with a desperate stare. "Please, Alice. I don't trust just anyone to do this for me."
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright, we'll work on it."
"Thank you so much!" She jumped out of her chair and rounded my desk, giving me a big hug. I patted her back awkwardly, not used to seeing such displays of gratitude or affection from
one of New York's most hardened women.
"I will draw up the contract and have it ready by Friday. Can you come back that morning to sign it, or would it be easier if I met you somewhere?"
She shook her head, smiling excitedly. "There's no need to meet me anywhere. I'll be here Friday."
"Bella will be back in the office next Tuesday, at which time I'll have her get in touch with you to schedule a meeting." I flipped open a small notebook and pushed it across the desk. "Can
you put your contact information on here so I can pass that along to her?"
Victoria scribbled her name, cell number, and email address onto the notepad before slipping it back to me. "Thank you so much, Alice. You have no idea how appreciative I am of your
being willing to do this on such short notice."
"I should be thanking you. It's nice to know that our office is so highly thought of."
"Highly thought of is an understatement," she said, standing and straightening the edges of her expensive coat. "You're more sought after than either of you know."
I stood and reached my hand out. Victoria shook it, smiling at me before leaving my office. I turned and glanced out the window, crossing my arms over my chest and smiling to myself.
Bella hated it when I took on big projects without consulting her first. Of course, this time around there wasn't a good-looking, wealthy asshole who she was subconsciously longing after
involved, so I had a feeling she might despise it a wee bit less than she despised planning Edward's party.
Oh please, who was I kidding? Someday Bella would thank me for not deleting Edward's message immediately after he identified himself.
My phone buzzed from the top of my crowded desk. I peeled my eyes away from the scene before me and checked my texts.
Car will come for you and Rose at six. Whose place should I send it to? – J.
I smiled and quickly composed a response.
Rose's. I'll let her know. xo – A.
Good. Can't wait. Love you. – J.
Me either. Love you more. – A.
I plopped back down at my desk, busying myself with the work I'd left when Victoria arrived. The hands on the clock weren't moving fast enough, and my anticipation for the coming
evening only seemed to slow them down even more.
I couldn't imagine what the guys had planned for us that night, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it didn't really matter.
There was nothing either of them could – or couldn't – do that would disappoint.
Rosalie's POV
The longer I stood staring at my closet the angrier I got.
Alice would be over any minute, the car was coming in a half hour, and I had yet to figure out what I was going to wear that night. Everything I tried on looked like shit.
"Knock, knock." My best friend poked her head around the bedroom door. Her smile faltered when she realized I was clad in nothing but a strapless bra and panties. "What's going on in
here?"
All it took was one look from Alice and the tears started to fall. "I don't know what to wear and I feel like a fat mess."
"Oh, sweetie." Alice pushed the door open, crossing the room quickly and wrapping me up in a hug. "You can barely tell there's a baby bump there, and that's only if you're looking for it,
which nobody will be."
"But nothing will fit, and I don't have time to go out and get something new." I never cried over fashion, but the little turd growing inside me seemed to enjoy making me cry over every
little thing these days.
"Have you even tried anything on yet?" I shook my head, wiping my face with the back of my hand. Alice stepped around the pile of discarded clothes and started sifting through the many
dresses that hung in the closet. Minutes later she produced an elegant looking floor-length dress. "Try this one on."
I slipped into the fabric wordlessly, waiting until after Alice zipped me up to look in the mirror. The dress hugged my curves perfectly, as it always had, and the bright red fabric stood out
against my pale winter skin.
"See, you look incredible! And what did I tell you – no bump in sight!"
I shifted to look at my side profile in the mirror. Alice was right; the bump was barely noticeable, and as she'd said earlier, people wouldn't be looking for it. I sighed and smiled, feeling
somewhat satisfied.
"Thank you."
"Anytime, sweetie." Alice grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze, leading me into the bathroom and emptying the contents of my makeup bag onto the counter. "You get your face on and
I'll handle the chaos that is your closet."
In the interest of time and because I was feeling just plain lazy, I decided to go the easy on the makeup. Once my lids were appropriately lined and my lips were thoroughly glossed, I
collected everything, put it back in the case, and went back to help Alice finish up with the closet.
"I'm thinking the fashion gods are frowning on you right about now," Alice joked, hanging the last discarded dress in the closet and arching an eyebrow in my direction. "I've never seen so
many labels lying on the floor."
I cringed. "Let's just pretend it never happened."
"Fair enough." Alice fetched my coat and held it out to me. "Come on, pregster. The car will be here any minute."
"Where do you think they're taking us?" I wondered while we waited for the elevator. My friend simply shrugged and smiled.
"Jasper refused to tell me anything."
I wrapped my coat tighter around myself before climbing into the back of the waiting Lincoln. Alice and I tried to coax the driver into telling us where we were headed, but he just smiled
and shook his head. When it became clear he wouldn't talk, we moved on to discussing how excited we were that the third piece of our puzzle was returning to New York in less than a
week.
Twenty minutes passed before the driver brought the car to a stop. "We've reached our destination, ladies." I opened the door and saw Emmett and Jasper standing on the sidewalk. Each of
them held a bouquet of red roses and a card in their hand. The lights of Hoboken shined behind them, reflecting off the surface of New York Harbor.
"Happy Valentines Day, baby," Emmett whispered, pulling me into his arms and pressing his lips against my cheek softly. "Surprise."
I leaned back and looked up at him. The wind had blown a tuft of his hair up, and that combined with his dimples and sparkling eyes made him look more like a boy than a thirty-something
man. Love bubbled up inside me and I couldn't help but smile.
"Happy Valentine's Day," I said, running my fingers through his hair. When we parted, he handed me the roses and card. I moved to open the small square envelope, but Emmett covered
my hand with his and shook his head.
"Wait until later. There may or may not be some cheesy sentimental stuff written in there."
"Great," I laughed. "What are you trying to do to this already overly-hormonal pregnant woman?"
He slipped an arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry, there's a blow up raft somewhere in my apartment for when you cry us the Amazon."
"We better get moving or we're going to be late," Jasper piped up, grabbing Alice's hand and leading us in the direction of the waterfront. An elegant looking yacht was docked at the edge
of the pier, and I was surprised when Jasper led us on it.
"What is all this?" I whispered to Emmett.
"You'll see." He smiled at me and squeezed my hand. Jasper stopped to talk to a well-dressed man, handing over what looked like four tickets and pointing his name out on a list. We were
escorted to the boat's third deck, where another man led us into a private room. A table was set for four, adorned with a white linen tablecloth, two tall candles, and china place settings.
Soft jazz music played in the background and two windows decorated one wall. The man took our coats and disappeared, leaving us to get settled.
"This is beautiful," Alice breathed, glancing out the window. The Manhattan skyline stared back at us, and when I looked closely I could see that a light snow had started to fall.
"There were no good groups playing in the city tonight," Jasper explained. "Emmett was going to try and get us into a show, but then my mom told me about these cruises and I realized
what a perfect evening it would make." He reached his fist across the table and bumped it against Emmett's.
"You did good, Jas," Alice said, smiling happily. I nodded and rested my head on Emmett's shoulder.
"I hope you're both this impressed after dinner," Emmett joked.
A waiter appeared minutes later, uncorking a bottle of champagne and a smaller bottle of sparkling cider for me. My eyes welled up with tears as I took in the sight before me. A year ago
Bella, Alice, and I were holed up in my apartment, eating Ben and Jerry's and cheesy heart shaped tortes and crying over How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Alice looked up at me, smirking when she saw my watery eyes. "What do we owe this round of tears to?"
"I'm just so … happy," I admitted, blushing when I realized how sappy I sounded. "We're all in such different places this year, but still standing together, if that makes any sense."
"It makes perfect sense." Jasper picked up his champagne flute and held it in the air. "I propose a toast. To standing together."
"To standing together," the rest of us chanted, clinking our glasses and smiling.
"Think they'll still be standing with us when Bella gets back next week?" Emmett asked Jasper.
"I don't know, man. I think Edward might have a hard time standing without Bella when they get back."
"And why is that?"
"They exchanged the three big words," Alice said, bouncing giddily in her chair. "From what I've heard, it sounds like things are getting rather serious."
I narrowed my eyes. "When did they say 'I love you'?"
"Oh gosh, three weeks ago? Maybe even four? Didn't Bella tell you?"
I shook my head and sipped my cider. "No, she didn't."
"I'm sure she meant to," Alice hurried to ease the awkwardness that had set over the table. "She probably just got busy or it slipped her mind."
"Maybe. I'll give her some shit for it when she gets home next week." The waiter brought out our appetizers and replenished the drinks.
"At least you've moved past wanting to punch the guy every time his name is brought up." Emmett jabbed me jokingly with his elbow.
"Or perhaps I just stopped vocalizing my desires," I snarked back, taking a bite of the tasty food.
"I'm telling you both, Edward is a changed man," Jasper interjected. "There's only one other woman I've seen him fall apart like this for, and that was ten years ago. Whatever magic Bella
has, by all means please keep letting her work it."
"It's not magic, it's fate," Alice said dreamily.
I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to gag. "Fate? Really? You're joking, right?"
She shook her head. "Not at all. Just look at the two of them. It's like they were lost souls wandering the city, waiting for the other to come along and act as a guiding light."
"What Harlequin novel did you pull that shit out of?"
"That, my dear, is coming straight to you from The Book of Alice."
Emmett's face scrunched in confusion. "The Book of Alice?"
The Book of Alice came about on a drunken post-college night. If I recalled correctly, Mike Newton was to blame for its conception, and Bella poked and prodded enough to keep the inside
joke going. "It contains Alice's rules for life. And other random stuff, like phrases not to use in bed-"
"How come I haven't heard of this yet?" Jasper interrupted, winking at me and turning his attention to the shorty beside him.
Alice shrugged. "There's never been reason to mention it."
Jasper arched his eyebrows. "I believe I need a formal education on this book."
"Can you please hold off on that education until after we finish dinner?" Emmett's facial expression made everyone laugh, and by the time our main course was brought out we were
engaged in a lively conversation about what we wanted to do when we went to Paris.
I cleared my throat and picked up my glass. "I want to propose another toast." The chatter stopped and the others turned to look at me. "To new life," I glanced at Emmett and rested my
palm on my abdomen, "and new beginnings."
Alice looked at me with teary eyes and held her glass in the air, smiling as she clinked it against mine. The others followed suit, and I couldn't help but giggle as I wondered when we'd all
become so fucking sappy.
"And to this Book of Alice," Jasper added in after sipping his drink. We all burst out laughing.
I'd never felt so fortunate. I could honestly say I had some of the best friends a woman could ask for.
My heart swelled at the realization.
-=-HC-=-
When dinner was done, the four of us made our way downstairs to where a string quartet was playing a version of "Unchained Melody." Emmett led me to the dance floor, grabbing my
hands and bringing them up to rest on his shoulders. He slid his own around my waist, pulling me close to him and swaying to the music. I sighed contentedly and rested my cheek against
his chest.
"Thank you for tonight."
"You're welcome." His face was buried in my hair, leaving his voice muffled. "And thank you."
"For what?"
"For being your witty, assertive self and making the first move four months ago. For changing my life for the better. For making me happier than I ever thought possible."
"You're not reciting the inside of my card right now, are you?" Cracking a joke was the easiest way to avoid tears. He tucked his thumb under my chin and tilted my face up until my eyes
met his.
"I mean it, Rosalie. I've never been as happy as I am right now. I love you."
"I love you too, Emmett." Tears welled up once again, spilling over on my cheeks. Wiping them away with his thumbs, he brushed his nose against mine and kissed me.
His lips melted against mine, moving fluidly in a dance I'd come to know very well. My feet were firmly planted on the floor, but I felt like I was soaring. Butterflies churned in my stomach,
a warm flush tingled beneath my cheeks, and my knees felt like they were going to give out at any moment.
"You know, we're going to have the luckiest kid around," he said when the kiss broke.
"What makes you think that?"
He slid his hand down my shoulder and over my hip, letting it come to rest on the barely noticeable bump in the center of my abdomen. "Because he or she will have an incredible woman
for a mother."
"If you keep talking like that I'm going to flood the boat."
He tipped his head back and laughed. "Incredible and funny. I'm telling you, this little jellybean inside you will have it made."
I whacked his arm playfully before pulling him down for another kiss.
"Thank you for being so incredible, Rose," he whispered in my ear.
"Thank you for helping make me so incredible, Em," I whispered back.
In the history book of us, tonight was definitely going down as the most memorable of them all.
Emmett's POV
I gulped down the rest of my beer, waving the bartender over and ordering another one. Jasper was running late, and as always I had arrived early.
"Hey, man, I'm sorry about that." Jasper tugged out the stool beside me and took a seat, dropping his keys and wallet on the bar in front of him. "I had to help my dad with some stuff and
you know how that shit goes. One thing turns into ten and then my mom gets involved and it's impossible to leave."
I chuckled. "I hope you at least thanked Charlotte for the Valentine's idea."
"Of course." Jasper ordered a beer and grabbed a basket of peanuts. "There wouldn't have been a date that night without her guidance."
I glanced around the bar, smiling at some of the memories that flashed through my mind. "You looking forward to Cullen's return next week?"
"Definitely," Jasper said with a nod. "I imagine your girlfriend is excited for his return as well?"
I laughed. "Oh yeah, you know it. Although I do think her heart has softened toward him, especially since the 'I love you' exchange."
"Ah, yes, the infamous three words." Jasper looked down at his hands, guilt clouding his features. "You don't think the bet had anything to do with those three words, do you?"
I narrowed my eyes. "The bet is still on?"
"No, no, no," Jasper met my glare and shook his head. "I put an end to that shit months ago."
"Why would you even ask that question then? You said yourself at dinner the other night that Edward is a changed man."
"He is," Jasper insisted. "I just worry sometimes that I helped get things with him and Bella off on the wrong foot, you know?"
"Have you talked to him about it? Called him out on it to see if his feelings are genuine?"
Jasper shook his head. "We haven't talked a lot since he left, especially after he found out I'm working alongside Jess. In fact, he didn't even tell me he said it himself. I found out from
Alice."
I drummed my fingers on the top of the bar while the bartender set two burger baskets down in front of us. "Let me get this straight; you think Edward is a changed man, but you think he
has ulterior motives behind his love for Bella? Am I following along here, because I feel like I'm way off the map right now."
"You know what? Forget I said anything," Jasper said with a sigh. "I haven't seen either of them in over a month, so I don't know why I'm even questioning Edward's motives at this point."
"Because you know him."
"You do too," he pointed out.
"I haven't known Edward – really known him – since college, and we both know how long ago that was." I fiddled with my drink coaster and contemplated whether or not to ask my next
question. "Does Alice know?"
"Like I said, Alice was the one who told me."
"Not about what they said, but about the bet. Did you ever tell Alice about the bet?"
I looked up in time to see Jasper's eyes widen. "Of course she doesn't know! Why the hell would I tell her? Do you want all of our asses to walk the plank together, because that's what
would happen."
"Maybe that's where all this worry over Edward is coming from," I offered, ignoring his miniature outburst. "Even if he genuinely loves her, the bet still existed at one point, and that's
something neither of you can take away. All it would take is one little slip up for Rose and Alice to find out, and then we'd all be toast, just like you said."
"And you think we won't be toast if I just come forward and tell her now, four months after the fact? Jesus Emmett, you're talking like an idiot!"
I looked back down at my beer and shrugged. "I'm sure she – and Rose – will be upset either way, but it's probably better for word to come out sooner rather than later. I think they'd both
be more willing to accept the idea of his feelings being genuine if we just told them about all of this now."
"I ended the bet. Edward has the keys to the Hamptons place. There's nothing on the line anymore, and I'm not telling Alice anything." Jasper looked at me with eyes that resembled
hardened steel. "The three of us are the only ones who know about this, and I can't imagine it getting unveiled unless it's on purpose. Do you have some intentions of trying to sabotage
things for me? Or for Edward?"
"Of course not! Why would you even say that?"
"Good, because I don't either. So can we just agree to disagree on this one and keep our mouths shut and let everyone stay happy?"
I wanted to argue with him, but I knew it was no use. His mind was obviously made up and there wasn't anything I could do to change it. "Whatever you say, man. I just hope you're right
and this doesn't blow up in our faces six months down the road."
Jasper picked up his burger and took a big bite, chewing harshly and refusing to meet my eye. I kept my attention focused on my beer, imagining what Rosalie's reaction would be if we
were in Paris and she found out her best friend was once a mere wager.
Time ticked by every day, and the bet continued to hang over our heads like a bomb waiting to detonate. Even if the three of us had the best of intentions at heart, there was no guarantee
someone wouldn't slip up and let some piece of incriminating information out one day.
Despite the fact that the bar was large and the crowd was fairly thin for a Saturday evening, I suddenly felt claustrophobic, like I was suffocating. I tossed some money down and grabbed
my coat, leaving without saying a word to Jasper or letting him say a word to me.
Several gulps of cold February air did nothing to ease my anxiety. Even though I wasn't involved with the bet itself, I had knowledge and that meant I was in just as deep as Jasper and
Edward were.
The nagging feeling inside me didn't want to desist, and that was when I knew:
Jasper wasn't the only one who would worry about this situation from here on out.
Jasper's POV
Alice's bed was far more comfortable than mine, and for that reason we usually took up residence at her apartment when we chose to spend nights together. Sunday night was no different,
except for the nagging feeling I had in the pit of my stomach.
I tried not to let my mind wander back to the conversation Emmett and I had at the bar the night before, but of course I couldn't stop it from happening. Knowledge of the bet wasn't public
to anyone outside of the three of us, meaning there was no reason for Rose or Alice to question Edward's intentions or the truth behind the three magic words he'd managed to utter while
away.
Nothing was guaranteed, however, and as much as I wanted to believe we would all three forever keep the secret, I knew there would always the possibility of the ladies finding out.
You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't, but probably less damned if you just get it out there like Emmett suggested.
"What are you thinking about?" Alice emerged from the bathroom, hair dripping and wrapped in a fuzzy blue towel.
"Work," I lied, sitting and scooting to the edge of the bed. I ran a hand through my own freshly washed hair and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "Look, there's something I need to
talk to you about."
"Can I dry my hair and get dressed first?"
"It's kind of important," I mumbled.
"Well then, I'll multi-task!" Alice dropped her towel and slipped on the pajamas she'd laid out, taking a seat in front of her vanity and plugging in the hair dryer.
"So, um, well," I was scared shitless. The next ten minutes could very well change everything, and not necessarily for the better. Alice eyed me curiously in the mirror, turning the hair
dryer on low and blasting the air against her head. "Remember that first night at the Guggenheim, when Edward and Bella met? He was pissed when she didn't eat up his pickup line, and I
thought it was funny because, well, he was an arrogant bastard at the time and it was nice to see someone knock him off his pedestal. Anyhow, one thing led to another and I may have
made a bet with him that he couldn't get Bella to fall in love with him."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for her reaction. When the dryer turned off, I opened my eyes and was surprised to find Alice smiling at me.
"I didn't hear a word you said," she admitted, sitting next to me on the bed and crossing her legs beneath her. "I'm sorry, I thought the noise would be low enough. Can you tell me again? I
promise I'll listen this time."
I blew out the breath I was holding and closed my eyes once more. When I opened them Alice was still there, looking expectantly at me. The love and trust in her eyes was enough to make
me realized that I just couldn't do this.
"I was just saying how I think Laurent and Mike had the right idea when they exchanged keys. I want to do that too." The words left my mouth before I had a chance to think twice. So
much for biting the bullet and being honest.
"Aw, Jasper that's so sweet! You must be reading my mind, because I had a copy made for you last week." She jumped off the bed and crossed the room, fishing a small envelope out of
her desk drawer. Setting the envelope in my hand, she climbed on my lap and straddled me. "I love you."
"I love you too," I whispered, pushing aside the guilt I felt and pressing my lips against hers softly.
It was too late to rock the boat.
Edward and I would just have to live with the repercussions of our actions if it ever got to that point.
I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping with everything in me that knowledge of the bet would never become public.
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