Imperfectpictures

10/26/2020

Episode One-hundred-fifty-four: Magical

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Episode One-hundred-fifty-four: Magical

We arrived at the cabin a couple of hours before sunrise. My siblings were already awake and getting ready. Vanessa was in her dress from the shoot while my sisters were still in robes. This way, we could get even more maternity shots for them. Jake was only in traditional tanned leather pants with no shirt or shoes. His hair was mostly down with several small braids and wooden hand-carved beads in it. His tattoos were on full display. He would have been intimidating if I didn’t know he was as soft as a teddy bear and had a gentle, kind heart.

“Come on in, baby. The chief said he’d be here before sunrise,” he mumbled. He was already smoking. My brother was also a bit of a pothead. He was only trying to get relaxed. I think our grandpa made him nervous and stressed. He was just so serious compared to him.

“These will be some amazing pictures,” I smiled as I walked past him.

“Coffee?” He offered with a smile, patting me on the shoulder as I came into the house.

“Mm, please,” I said with a yawn. “I need some caffeine. Ugh, I miss my bed. I didn’t get nearly enough sleep.”

My sisters were grinning. Rebecca stepped forward and held out her hands. “Bella, come to the bathroom with us. We’ll do your hair first, then we’ll get dressed. We’ll do our makeup last. It’s just easiest that way.”

I glanced back at my boyfriend. “Go on, dove. I’ll help with the drinks. I know how you like it.” Jasper put our camera bags down.

I followed the girls to where there was a chair waiting for me. It was something I had done a thousand times with Alice and Rose, but it was the first time I was getting ready with my sisters. It made my heart skip a beat. Smiling to myself, I sat slowly.

“Your friend is so fucking hot,” Rachel whispered in my ear, looking over her shoulder as she played with my hair. She peered back towards the kitchen. “Mm. He’s just… yummy. And polite. Charming. He could talk my panties right off if he wanted too.”

Giggling softly, I nodded in agreement.

“It’s the accent,” Vanessa added, watching from her bed. “It’s sexy. Eddie’s is, too.” She fanned herself playfully.

“It’s awesome,” I agreed with a snort. “I love them so much.” Them and their accents. “I think Jasper would be an amazing voice actor, too. He’s so funny. He doesn’t have the same range, but he’s got a great comic sense of timing.”

My boyfriend came into the room, bringing me my drink. It was the perfect shade, and I could tell by the smell I was going to like how it tasted. Leaning down, he kissed my cheek lightly. “Seriously, the genetics in this family are insane. You’re all stunning. Your girl is going to be gorgeous, too,” he complimented Vanessa. He paused. “Oh, your kids will look so much alike,” he mumbled as if he just realized it. He looked between my sister-in-law and me. “People will know they’re related, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, it’s been discussed,” Ness smirked at him, holding her belly. “You Blacks have a type. Redheads.”

“Yeah, I get it. Actually, I think they’re pretty hot, too,” he teased, winking at her in the mirror. She laughed, falling back on the bed to her side. “So, you Blacks might just have good taste.”

“Yup. Mine,” Jake said as he came into the room to bring his wife tea. He set it on the table before grabbing her ankle and pulling her toward him. She squealed and giggled as he hovered over her for a kiss.

“Ew… don’t,” the girls spoke at the same time, grimacing. “You look like you’re about to do some weird-ass roleplay,” Rebecca concluded.

Our brother deflated instantly, collapsing behind his partner face-first into the mattress. He groaned loudly. “I can kiss my wife in my house.”

“No,” Rachel snarked, shaking her head as she did.

“Just go. It’s too early for you all to get started.” Vanessa pushed his arm roughly. “Go play outside or something.”

“Excuse me?” He turned his head to the side. “Play?”

She didn’t even really look at him, rolling her eyes. “Yeah.” She flexed her fingers towards the door. “Go outside for a smoke or play in the shed. Go show Jasper around. Whatever you do to entertain yourself.”

“You could have worded that differently,” he complained as he pushed himself off the bed.

“If you’re going to act like kids, I will treat you as such.”

Frowning, he shook his head at her before glancing at my boyfriend. “Care for a smoke while I show you around? I’m going to need it. It’s too early for this shit. I don’t know why you’re all so mean to me when you’re together.”

“Because it’s hilarious,” Rebecca snorted, her head falling back. “Okay. We better hurry before Grandpa gets here. Go away.”

The makeup we were wearing was actually traditionally made from natural products. The pattern we were using was our family’s personal design, passed down for generations. They whited out my face. A two-finger wide yellow bar moved over my eyes with another one over my lips in red. Thin black stripes lined both with tiny dots on my cheeks. They braided my hair with feathers, ribbons, and beads. Everything had meaning. It almost felt like getting ready for church.

Jasper started taking pictures of us once we were all finally dressed. We switched places, so I could get my sisters doing theirs and our brother’s face. It was beautiful to see them work, each action delicate and precise. Doing this felt so natural to me. We were preparing for a performance we were born to be actors in.

When there was a knock on the door, Jake ran to get it. Our grandfather was in full dress, his face matching ours. He had a headdress in his arms. We all stood as he came in, almost automatically. He was so regal that it brought us to our feet. This was a great leader, not just our gramps.

My boyfriend never stopped filming. I was glad he got his reaction. He was still for a long moment, gazing at us before a grin spread over his face. “My beautiful family. Thank you for doing this for me.”

“Of course,” I smiled.

Jake stood beside me. “Yeah, we’re all thrilled to be doing this. Would you like some coffee before we go?”

“Yes, please,” he mumbled but continued to smile a little.

We went to the beach just before sunrise. The fog was floating over the smooth black stones and murky water as it lapped at the shore. White foam formed with every pass, then washed away when it came back again. The wildlife in the surrounding forest sang as they woke up.

Jasper was an amazing photographer. He had taken classes, though. We took pictures as a family, just my sisters and me, and with each of them separately. I snapped photos of my siblings with my grandfather and him alone. The final set was only my grandpa and me. The sun was fully over the horizon, the sky fire-red behind us. The den fog still lingered but thinned.

“I feel like I should apologize to you,” he began softly. We were standing a good distance away from everyone. I looked at him in confusion. “I didn’t do all I could to help your father find you, and that was a mistake. I see that now. I’m-” he paused and swallowed. “I was just so angry he got her pregnant. He was the first to go to college. I had such-” he stopped again. “Billy would be so proud of you. He was. He always told everyone that he had four children. Your dad never hid it or was ashamed. I want you to know he loved you, and so do I.” He put both of his hands on my shoulders and lightly kissed my forehead. “And your grandmother isn’t here, but she does too. I promise.”

I let out a broken breath. “Please don’t apologize for that. There have been so many mistakes made by so many people. We can’t pick that apart. It’ll hurt everyone for no reason. I love you, too. Thank you for welcoming me into your life. I realize I’m white and-”

“No,” he interrupted. “You’re not. You’re Quileute. Just like Jake and the girls. Just like that baby will be. This is still who you are, and that won’t change.”

“I want to be a part of this family,” I declared. “I need to be a force of good for it.”

“You are.” He hugged me tightly to his chest. Tenderly, his hand moved over my cheek. “You are my granddaughter, and I am honored to be your grandfather.”

At one o’clock, we were on a flight out of Port Angeles. I brought my grandmother’s clothes with me in my carry on. My hair was still styled as it was in the morning, but my skin was clean. I wrapped my arm around Jasper’s, staring out the window. I was right. The weekend was an adventure, but it kind of kicked my ass.

“Are you okay?” He whispered in my ear. I nodded slowly. “You looked incredible with your relatives. That was… God, something. I’ve felt nothing like that before. It was kind of spiritual.”

I pushed my face into his shoulder, sucking in a deep breath. “Thank you for taking such wonderful pictures. I can’t wait to edit them. I’m going to be doing it all week. But tomorrow, I want to sleep until at least noon, though.” Closing my eyes, I took another. There was almost a weight on my chest.

He nodded, gazing ahead. “Sounds good to me. We don’t have anything to do.” He wove his fingers with mine. Jasper was silent for a beat, lowering his voice. “Thank you for sharing this entire weekend with me. I feel like I was a part of something magical.”

“It kinda was,” I agreed softly. “For so many reasons.” I mouthed that I loved him. He grinned, squeezing my hand in response.

When we came out of the airport, people called my name. It was a little jarring. I wasn’t expecting it. There were several paparazzi with big cameras standing close by. Both of our hands were full with luggage. We were waiting for a taxi, so it wasn’t like we were doing anything interesting.

“Hey, Bella! Where’s Eddie?” One of them yelled loudly. It echoed in the enclosed space.

“Working.”

“Where did you go?” Another asked, still taking our pictures.

I smiled slightly. “To see my family in Washington.”

“Are you excited about the premiere?” The same one pushed.

“Of course,” I giggled. “I can’t wait to watch the movie. I’m sure it’ll be phenomenal.”

As soon as the car came to a stop, Jasper rushed to get our things into the trunk and me inside the back as if he was my personal bodyguard. He was obviously uncomfortable, ignoring any questions thrown at him. They wanted to know who he was, mainly. When we were moving, I put my head on his shoulder, and we returned to holding hands like on the plane.

His mouth moved before he spoke, considering his words. “You’re so good with them. I just want to shout to leave us alone.”

“I know, sweetie. You’ll get better at it.”

He snorted softly. “I won’t need to. I won’t be a celebrity. You and he will be, and that’s fine with me.”

We said nothing else for the rest of the ride home. We were both so tired already.

Edward’s car was in the driveway when we got there. It was a little unusual to see. It was in the garage normally. We were expecting him to still be at work, too. As soon as we parked, he came out of the front door with a big smile. His hands were behind his back.

“Oh, no. He did something stupid,” Jasper mumbled, glancing over at me. “Look at that shit-eating grin. He’s already so pleased with himself. Brace yourself, dove.”

He rushed to help us get our luggage, giving me a quick kiss first. “Oh, I see we came back with way more than we left with,” he chuckled as he pulled out a new duffle bag.

“Uh, you have no idea. I’ve got you some gifts,” I replied, grabbing my things. I double-checked the car before allowing it to leave. My grandmother’s clothes and my camera were in my arms.

Edward paused at the front door, not letting us inside. His grin returned. “Um, so… I got you both something too,” he drew out each word innocently. It was his worst acting to date.

“I told you,” Jasper sassed as he peeked at me. I swatted his stomach. “What did you do?”

Laughing awkwardly, he looked down at his feet. “You’ll see.”

“You don’t have to-” I began, but he stopped me with a kiss.

“You got me things. Right?” I rolled my eyes and shrugged before finally nodding. He beamed and pecked my lips again. “Okay, but here’s the thing… They’re actually kind of for the channel. It’s practical. But they’re kind of big.”

“They?” I questioned.

“Well, I got you each something. You’ll see,” he babbled. “You won’t miss yours. It’s first.”

He opened the door, bringing my baggage inside. I walked in slowly, looking around to see if I could find what was different. Within a second, a black grand piano in the corner of the living room came into view. I gasped loudly, dropping my backpack to the ground with a gentle thud. I looked at Edward, then Jasper, my jaw hanging open.

“It’s for the channel?” I laughed brokenly.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he nervously started as he strode towards it. “See… it’s electric. It’s got Wi-Fi, and it can record.” He pointed at different parts of the instrument. “You can make more music for the channel whenever you want. And I know you don’t have anything like this.”

Slowly, I walked to it. It was, by far, the nicest I had ever seen. And it was for me. I ran my fingers over the keys. My lip quivered as my heart hammered in my chest.

Everyone was still and silent, waiting for me to react.

“Is it not good? Do you not like it?” He questioned after a painful minute.

“I love it,” I cried. Everything came falling down on me at once, the full weight pressing on me. Both of them rushed towards me automatically and wrapped their arms around me. My hands went to my face as I shook my head. “I’m sorry. It’s been an emotional weekend,” I explained. “And I am so tired and-”

“I figured it would be, that’s part of the reason I wanted to get you something nice,” Edward cooed before kissing my forehead. Though we had talked some, I didn’t want to stress him out with everything I was going through while he was at work. Most of our messages were wishes of sweet dreams or pictures of pleasant things we were doing if we had the time.

“I’ll fill you in later. It’s a lot,” Jasper mumbled to him, rubbing my back.

“So much nice stuff has happened,” I breathed, leaning into both of them. “But it’s so much, Edward!”

“But, but, but… It’s for the channel!” He said in a playful voice. He pushed his bottom lip out. “It’s a tax write-off- a business expense. You produce all the music now, so you need the best equipment.”

I shook my head. “Our accountants must hate you.”

He snorted. “Are you kidding? I make them so much money. Do you like it?” I nodded. He smiled a little, kissing my lips. “Will you play for us later?” I nodded once again. “When you’re ready. No rush. Once you get some rest.”

“Thank you.” I kissed him gently.

“You’re welcome,” he sighed in relief. He licked his bottom lip before glancing at Jasper. “Are you ready for yours?”

“No,” he scoffed

“Okay… look…” He cleared his throat. He was having trouble preparing himself for whatever was about to happen. Edward was trying to be confident. “It’s big, but it’s honestly for the channel, just like hers, and I think we need it.” He dragged him towards the garage.

“Oh, no. What…?” He stuttered. “What did you do? No. What’s in there, Tony?”

When we got to the door, he flipped on the light. Inside was a brand-new SUV. My hands flew to my mouth. Edward pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed it to Jasper. “Since Bella doesn’t want to drive.”

Our boyfriend shoved them back at him, turning in the opposite direction to flee.

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!

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10/21/2020

Episode One-hundred-fifty-three: A Connection

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Episode One-hundred-fifty-three: A Connection

When we got inside, I stopped in the middle of the room. I felt so drained. All of my tears and anger had taken so much out of me. Jasper put our bags down and walked behind me, soothingly rubbing his hands over my shoulders. I leaned back into him.

“I want you to know you are the very best part of this trip,” I breathed as his hand moved around my front, pulling me to him. He pushed his face into my hair, taking in a deep breath. I felt him smile against my temple. “Being around my siblings is great, but it’s better because of you. I couldn’t have done this alone.”

He sighed softly, breathing in my scent. “I promise you are the best part of every day.”

“What about Tony?” I teased lightly.

He smirked a little, kissing my cheek. “You two are the best parts of my life. I look forward to waking up every morning just so I can see both of you. I have never felt more loved or cared for, and I’ve never been happier,” he whispered affectionately in my ear. I tilted my head back to peer at him, both of my hands on his forearm as it wrapped around my shoulder.

“I feel so lucky to have you both. You make me feel…” I trailed off, trying to gather my thoughts. “I seriously wonder if the universe is attempting to make up for its mistake with my mother by giving me two wonderful men to get me through this.”

“Hm… I don’t know. I don’t think the universe really cares about us. But I think you’re an amazing woman, and Tony and I got lucky. You came into our lives and guided us together. Being here for you, for this, is the least I can do for giving me my happiness.”

“God, you’re so sweet,” I mumbled, pulling him down to kiss his mouth lightly. “I love you so much. I love you both.”

“I know,” he breathed against my lips. “You show us every single day in so many ways.”

“So do you,” I declared, making him smile. His fingers squeezed my shoulders. “I am so glad I have you. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to, I swear. We’re always here for you, dove.”

I closed my eyes for a moment. “I know,” I replied with a sigh.

“So, what would you like to do now? Want to have a drink?”

Slowly, I nodded my head. I turned to the dresser and went to take the bottle of Jack Daniel’s from the brown paper bag. He had gotten some Coke too. I unwrapped the plastic from one of the glass tumblers and filled it three-fourths of the way to the top. I gulped it down before he could fully get his squeak of surprise out. Then I poured myself another.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, you told me not to let you get drunk.”

“I said too drunk. I intended to get at least somewhat smashed. And I mean to do it quickly because I’m really getting tired of being inside my head,” I admitted, taking another gulp. I could already barely feel the burn. Licking my lips, I closed my eyes. “This bottle isn’t even enough to give me too bad of a hangover, I think.”

He scoffed. “You will not be drinking all of that alone.”

I offered it to him. He frowned for a moment before taking it from my grip. He threw back several gulps. Tears streamed down his face by the end. When I took it back, I topped up it again.

It only took about twenty minutes for it to get blurry for me. I sprawled out on the bed with my cup, now filled with ice too. Jasper had switched to a glass, but he wasn’t drinking nearly as fast as me.

“Am I wasting time not saying yes?”

“What?” He questioned in confusion.

“To Edward.”

He shook his head. “Saying yes to Tony about what?”

“Getting married.”

“Oh,” he murmured, then looked away for a moment. “He’s not asked you, has he? Gotten down on his knees with a ring and begged as he should?”

“No,” I laughed. “Not like that. It’s never so direct.”

Jasper bit his lip. “You’re not ready to get married, and if you said to me at this very moment you were, I’d call you a liar to your face. You keep saying you’re not and dove, I believe you. Just because you saw your mum get engaged, it doesn’t mean you need to run off towards the deep end yourself. When you are, you’ll know, and you’ll be the first to tell him.”

“It wouldn’t be a mistake.”

“Yes, it would. Did you see that woman’s reaction? She wanted it with her whole heart. Every time marriage comes up, you half panic. Have you glanced at your ring yet?” I shook my head. “If you were ready, it would already be on your finger.”

“I want to be, though,” I whispered.

“But it’s not the same thing as being ready.”

“I’m glad you’re on my side.” I laid my head on his chest, taking another sip of my whiskey. I peeked up at him. “I love you.”

“You’re going to be saying that a lot, aren’t you?” He smirked, putting his cup onto the bedside table.

“I am. Every chance I can get,” I stated right away. I put my glass away too so I could hold his face in my hands while we kissed. “Make love to me. I need you.”

I woke up nude in his brawny arms. His intense cuddles had restorative powers. He was lightly kissing the back of my shoulder. I didn’t move, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness.

“What time is it?”

“Just after nine.”

“That’s not too bad,” I mumbled, bringing his arm around me tightly.

Tenderly, he kissed the back of my neck. “How are you feeling?”

I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Emotional,” I admitted. “I wish even more now that we were open with everyone. It’s too soon, but I want to hold your hand today.”

“You still can.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”

Jasper sighed softly. “I do. And I do, too. Maybe one day. Let’s not start with your family, though.”

I played with the hair on his arm. It was pale white and curly. “Edward’s sisters will be fine.”

He hummed. “And if they’re not- Well… they’re across the ocean. His mother won’t be okay. At all. She’s going to lose her shit.”

“What do you think about his grandparents?”

“I don’t know,” he confessed in an almost pained voice. “They’re very loving and understanding. I’d hope they’d be alright with it. I hope they don’t hate me if we do. I do love them like they were my own nan and grandpa. It would break my heart.”

“And Edward’s,” I agreed. Pushing my nose in his arm, I took a deep breath. “I’ve never been in a poly relationship where I wanted to be open before. I don’t know how to do this. Frankly, if it was ten years ago, I would have told everyone and not given a shit. But I’m so scared about ruining his career.”

“Me too,” he lamented as he shook his head. “So much broken glass to tiptoe through. I’m glad you two are both worth it.”

“Am I, though?” I breathed. “You’re perfect together. Honestly, if you two would be happier as-”

Turning my face by holding my chin, he kissed me to shut me up. “No. Don’t start that. How can you think that? We’d both be miserable without you. How can you say that when we’re both so in love with you?”

A tear rolled down my cheek as I took a shaky breath. “You both love me, and everything is going to be alright.”

“Yes, it is, my pretty little dove. You are loved, you are safe, and we will both take care of you for the rest of our lives because we adore you and everything you do for us. Because you are brilliant and a joy to work with. And we will wait until you’re ready for every step of our relationship because you are worth it. Your value as a person has nothing to do with the mistakes of your family or past.” It was the exact words I needed to hear. It was like therapy. He let me cry against his chest for a few minutes. Pulling me back, he pecked my lips. “Let’s get cleaned up and get you fed, hm? That’ll make you feel better.”

Since we were going to meet up with my entire clan, I dressed nicer in a sweater dress, leggings, and boots. It was still raining and cold outside. Los Angeles was going to be such a shock.

I put the necklace on that my aunt made me while staring at my rings.

“You should wear your hair like you did on Friday. It was lovely. Braided.” He made a halo with his finger around his head. “It makes your neck even longer. Perfect for that choker.”

Nodding, I went to get my brush. “Do I look Native American?” I questioned as I twisted it in place.

He hummed, then chuckled. “You look exactly like all of them I’ve met so far, so… yes?”

I laughed. “We do all look like Dad.”

“You do. He was smoking hot, too.” I paused to study him in the mirror. “Your brother is too. Damn. I would hit that if he were into it. I never thought I’d be into siblings like that.” He blew out a dramatic raspberry as he made his eyes wider. “But Tony was right. Good fucking genetics. We lucked out with the foxiest of the bunch, though.”

He kept going until I was laughing hard, my head falling back. “Shut up. Jake’s the hottest. He’s like… pretty-pretty. Take off his shirt, grease up the abs, get a fan, and he could be on every slutty novel.”

Jasper chuckled too. “Okay… The hottest girl.”

“But they’re so tall!”

“I prefer short women, actually.” He held his chin up in the air as we had this stupid, joking conversation. He was trying to keep his face as serious as possible. “Tony liked his ladies tall until he met you. And then he saw the light.”

I finished with my hair, spritzing on more perfume. “Do you actually like short girls?”

He nodded. “The shorter, the tinier, the better. I adore just being able to manhandle them, and they always love it. Getting scooped up and carried. I like when I can pin her up against the wall and fuck her until she cums, moaning my name.” He kissed the back of my neck. Goosebumps raised in his wake.

“Oh, like how you enjoy being ‘manhandled’ by Edward?” I teased, bumping my ass against him. He nodded again. I giggled. “Too bad we don’t have more time.”

“Tonight,” he promised.

My siblings were already at Jake’s cabin when we showed up. They came to greet us with umbrellas. We had a couple of hours before we had to meet our family at one of the restaurants close to town. They had reserved a whole room.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jacob asked gently as we ran back to the house.

“Oh, yeah. I just got overwhelmed by seeing her so happy. I had a few glasses of whiskey and went to bed. I’m fine,” I assured him right away. I hugged Vanessa and my sisters once we got into the cabin. “I’m so sorry I freaked out last night.”

He held onto my shoulders when it was his turn. “I feel so bad-”

“What? No! Don’t. I was thrilled I got that gift… I’m just so fucking furious about what could have been.” I shook my head and shut my eyes as I took a ragged breath. “I’m sure your mom was amazing, and I’m glad you’re here, but I wish with all my heart they had run away and had you guys. Or even if it didn’t work out, and they divorced- Just anything else. I don’t know-” I stopped myself from getting emotional. “We can’t change the past. I’m mourning something that was never given to me. But I’m grateful for what we have now. And I am so blessed to have gotten to see that moment. If that’s the only one I ever get with my parents, then it’s perfect. They were happy, they were in love, and it was a good day. And I was with them, in her belly. Like a tiny time-bomb of chaos,” I muttered the last sentence to myself.

Jasper put his hands on my forearms from behind. “Nope. Not a bomb- a gift,” he reminded me. “To everyone around you.”

“I can’t afford your therapist’s fees, honey,” I grumbled, looking back at him. He winked.

“He’s right. This time with you is a gift,” Jake said as he took my hand. He pulled me into another embrace. His heart thumped against my cheek. Our sisters wrapped around us too. It was warm and secure.

Ness waddled to Jasper. “I’m glad she had you to keep an eye on her last night.”

He ducked his head, a bashful smile on his face. “Oh, every moment was my pleasure. She really is my best friend, and I would do anything for her. In this case, it was merely buying liquor and taking it away when she had way too much. You know, standard stuff.”

My boyfriend was acting as if the night before wasn’t one of the most important of my life. But we couldn’t share that.

“You kept me from getting a hangover!” I laughed from our embrace. “That’s hard!”

“Small miracles,” he uttered in a thick accent. “I promised Tony I’d return you in perfect condition, and you’ve already scraped your knees. Made me sign a paper and everything. That’ll cost me extra. I knew I should have gotten the insurance.”

I snorted. “That’s the rental car, and I definitely got full coverage.”

He snapped his fingers. “Oh, shit! You’re right!”

“What did you do to your knees?” Rebecca questioned. I peered over my shoulder at Jasper and gave him a look.

“The floor- uh, we went clubbing after lunch on Friday, and we had been drinking and-” I waved my hand, implying that I fell as I rolled my eyes. I did, just to my knees to give him a blow job. Then I rode him before getting it from behind. Nobody in that room needed to know that, though. Flushing, I pushed my lips together.

Rachel sighed. “You got our clumsy genes. I’m sorry.”

“No, it was the liquor.”

“Both,” my sisters stated at the same time. I giggled. “Abrasions suck,” Rebecca finished. “Do you need anything?” Of course, the nurses would be concerned.

“Meh, it’ll be fine in a few days. It’s just itchy.” I looked around at them. “So, we have a little time to kill… I brought my camera. Want to take some more photos together?”

We took pictures outside for a little while in the rain with Vanessa because we thought it would look cool. I stayed under the porch with my equipment despite having a rain cover on it. Mostly, it was just us playing. The girls all took shots together while the men held two umbrellas over their heads. They would have done anything we told them to, though. It was cute that they were so willing.

When we arrived at the restaurant, half of our family was already there. People surrounded grandpa, but he literally pushed them out of the way to come see me. He pulled me into a tight embrace before kissing both of my cheeks. The aroma of peppermint lingered on his skin. “You are so beautiful,” he declared earnestly. “You look just like your grandmother.”

“She does,” my aunt Sue agreed, coming to greet me. He touched my cheek lightly. “Hello, sweetheart.”

“Who are you?” My grandfather demanded as he glared at my suddenly nervous boyfriend. There was no preamble. He just went after him.

“Gramps, this is Bella and Edward’s close friend and roommate, Jasper,” Jake introduced him for me. “He’s been helping her with the pictures. He’s awesome and been really helpful.”

He nodded, then looked at me. “I see. Where’s your man?”

I glanced back at him before looking at the older gentleman. “He had to work this weekend. He’s recording something for Disney right now, but he wishes he could be here.”

“How exciting!” Sue gushed. “I can’t wait to watch it.” She was trying to talk over her blunt father and be polite.

“Me too!” I agreed. “Whenever it premieres, I’ll invite everyone, trust me,” I promised. “Jasper, this is my Aunt. And over there is my dad’s twin, Harry.” He waved at me and smiled. “And that is my cousin Quil.”

He grinned and greeted him with a fist bump. “Hey. I watched your video together. That was… cool,” he drew out, looking at my boyfriend slowly and almost hungrily. I glanced at Jake, but no one said anything else.

“I’ve watched some of your cooking videos,” Grandpa interrupted as he guided us towards the table with his hand on my back. “I read about the charity event you did the other day. Who was it for again?”

“The Los Angeles food bank.”

“Yes! That’s it. That is amazing. I am so proud of you,” he said sweetly as he pulled out my chair for me.

“He’s never been this nice to me,” my brother muttered under his breath. His wife smacked his stomach. They sat across from us directly.

He looked him squarely in the face. “Young man, don’t make this about you.”

Both of my sisters laughed to themselves behind their menus. They were beside Vanessa.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself. “Um, so, there was something I wanted to talk to you about before we get started. Money-wise.” I was actually scared because I had no idea how he would react, but I couldn’t wait the entire meal to tell him.

He literally reached for his wallet. “Do you need some?”

Laughing nervously, I took his hand. “Oh, god! No. No, no, no. The opposite. Um…” I felt Jasper under the table give my thigh a quick squeeze. “I have been lucky enough to come into a lot of cash recently and… I don’t want it.” I laughed again. “Not at all. I want enough to live this cool lifestyle and be secure, but I have that, and so much more. And I want to give it back. To my family. To my people. I would like to finance the building of a new office for you and the future chiefs and maybe a visitor’s center. So far, I have two hundred thousand dollars I’d like to put towards it, which is a good start, but I promise that won’t be the last.” I pulled out the check from my purse with the amount before passing it to him after my rambling.

He looked at it for a long minute, his hands trembling. Everyone in the room was still and silent, watching what was going on. Grandpa took an uneven breath. “I don’t even know what to say, baby.”

“Please, accept it. I want to be a part of this family. I want to do my part.”

His wrinkled hand came up to my cheek, pushing against my skin. “You are. You don’t need to give us anything.”

I placed my palm on his. “I want to. Please,” I begged, feeling myself beginning to cry again. He pulled me to him, patting my back.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“I’ve looked into some stuff, but I didn’t want to plan anything serious without your help. I want you to decide everything. It’ll be your workplace.”

He nodded. “I guess we’ll have to do some research, won’t we?” I nodded too, grinning at him. He wiped my cheek. “I have something for you too.”

My grandfather hauled out a huge heavy sack and put it onto my lap. There were only a couple of pieces of tissue on top of it. I pulled out what appeared to be a traditional handmade dress. It was made with a combination of tanned leather and luscious gray fur. It had elegant embroidery all over it.

“This was your grandmother’s. She wore it to ceremonies and special events. I want you to have it.”

There was no chance I wasn’t going to sob openly in front of my entire family by the end of the meal.

“It’s so beautiful,” I said in a tiny voice, placing my hand on it. It was so heavy on my lap. “We should put this in the visitor’s center. We should display important stuff like this so others can see how gorgeous it is. This is art.”

“I’d like to see you wear it,” he replied softly, hope in his dark brown eyes.

I pressed my lips together for a moment. “I’ll take pictures wearing it for you, then I’ll have it preserved, so maybe Jake’s daughter can wear it someday too. So future generations can see it. It’s too precious not to save and share.”

He squeezed my hand again. “I’d like that very much. Could I have photographs of all of you together?”

I looked at my siblings. “Of course, but I don’t know when we can arrange that.”

The girls peered at each other. Rebecca spoke for them. “Ours is in the cabin. We don’t work tomorrow. If we stay the night, we can do it. When do you fly out?”

“One.”

“Would we have enough time?”

“We’d have to get up early,” Rachel said, looking over at Jake.

“That’s not a problem,” he responded. I nodded in agreement. I would do anything to make this happen for him.

“Would you like to be in the pictures, too?” I offered our grandfather, still holding his hand. It was warm and soft. It wasn’t uncomfortable. This person wasn’t a stranger, but someone I felt connected to.

Bowing his head, he squeezed my fingers. “I would like that very much.”

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!

Click to download the epub of this Episode!!

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✨The next episode of✨
📸Imperfect Pictures📸
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October 26th!
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10/19/2020

Episode One-hundred-fifty-two: A Surprise

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Episode One-hundred-fifty-two: A Surprise

I had terrible rug burns on my knees and ass. The stinging was actually what woke me up, which was great because we forgot to set the alarm. We only got up an hour later than I wished to, though. I quickly slapped Jasper’s chest, instantly wide awake.

“Shit! We’re running behind.”

“Oh. Whoops,” he mumbled, sitting up a little. He looked at his phone. We wanted to be on the road in about ten minutes’ time. “Meh, not too bad. We just need to grab a quick shower, and we’ll get breakfast when we stop for petrol.” He stretched his arms above his head. “How long does it take to get there?”

“About four hours.”

“And what time are we supposed to meet them?”

“I wanted to be at their place by two. We were going to take pictures in the afternoon around the reservation and then sunset photos at the beach.”

“Oh. We’re not running that late. It’s only eight.”

“That’s because I planned on us stopping for stuff. Like food. And traffic.”

Smirking, he pulled me towards him. “Or sleeping in a little. It’s fine.” He kissed me for a long moment. “Go start the water, and I’ll pick up real quick and make sure we’ve got everything ready to go when we leave.”

“Okay,” I grinned against his lips before kissing him again. “You’re right. It’s fine. I’m just anal.”

“It’s alright. We’ve got this.”

Thirty minutes later, we were on the road with donuts and coffee. I had planned for nicer, sit-down meals, but this was perfect. I wasn’t too tired or hungover, despite my aching knees. We were still able to have a pleasant lunch along the way.

We arrived at my brother’s cabin at one forty-five. He was waiting for me on his porch, smoking. Jake stood, putting out his joint before running down the steps. I jumped into his arms just like the first time I saw him. He waggled me back and forth, his face in my hair.

“There’s my sister. I’ve missed you,” he breathed. It instantly made me want to cry. My heart always beat a little faster when I was around him.

“I’ve missed you, too. How are you?”

“I’m on top of the world. My wife is about to have a beautiful baby, and my amazing sis is here to be a part of it. God, I wish Dad was here for this.”

I pushed my face into his neck. The tears came whether I wanted them to or not. “Me too. So much.” His fingers bunched into my hoodie. It was surprisingly cold, despite it being May. At least it was sunny. It was more than what we could have hoped for in Washington.

“He’s watching, though. He’s our guide now.”

“I hope so,” I murmured as he placed me down to my feet.

Jake took my shoulders, looking at me seriously. “He is. He has to be. Dad put everything in motion so we could find each other.”

“You know,” I laughed as I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, “even if that’s not true, I’m going to believe it because it sounds so nice. So, where’s Mommy?”

We both turned to look at the porch. Vanessa was standing barefoot in her pretty dress. It was long-sleeved and flowing in a deep, velvet green. Her lovely red hair was curled, and there was a crown of flowers on her head. Her smile was strained, trying not to cry with us and ruin her makeup. Hopefully, she was smart and invested in waterproof stuff like Lauren did when I shot hers.

“Hi,” she grinned.

I rushed to give her a hug. “You look like a wood spirit or something! You need some cute little wings, and you’d be a fairy!”

Laughing, she sniffed deeply. “I’m too fat to be one.”

“Shut up,” Jake snapped at her. “We’re not doing that today. You’re exquisite. Everyone agrees that you’re ethereal. Stop it.”

Pouting playfully, she smiled at her man. “Okay. Fine. Thank you. Go get changed,” she directed. Nodding, he patted me on the shoulder as he passed. “You must be Jasper! It’s so nice to meet you!” She went to hug him, too.

“What a beautiful home you have,” he complimented. “And you are just stunning. I agree with your husband. You look like some fairy tale creature. It’ll be perfect for the pictures, especially in this setting.” He looked around. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“We’re so happy to have you here. So, you’re staying for dinner, right? I’ve got stuff planned.” She took my hands to lead me inside the house to wait for him. At the very least, she needed her shoes.

“You don’t have to cook-”

“No, no. It’s already ready. I just have to pop it in the oven. I’ve been making freezer meals all week for when the baby comes. And I want to see how they turn out.”

“We’d love to,” my boyfriend replied for me graciously.

She beamed. “Wonderful. Let me finish getting ready, and we’ll get this party started!”

I had fun when I took pictures for my friends, but it was even better when it was my family. They had special spots they wanted for the photos, and we hopped all over the reservation. The last location was thankfully right in front of their home. When the sun set, we just walked inside. It was the best tour I could have asked for. Our land was beautiful.

“So,” Jake began after the delicious dinner Vanessa made as Jasper and I sat outside with him with a joint. He grew his own weed in a little garden behind his house. Apparently, our father did it before it was legal, but we weren’t supposed to tell grandpa that. He used it for his pain. “I kind of have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” I questioned with a brief smile.

“Yup.” He took a hit before blowing it out slowly. “I was looking through Dad’s old videos for something to show you. He had a major love for his big ass awkward as fuck video camera from the eighties. It’s mostly us as kids. But I found a tape with ‘Renee’ on it.”

I gasped in shock. “What was on it?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I decided to wait until you were here to watch it. So, it could be nothing. That’s the ‘kind of’ part. But I’ve never seen this one before.”

Biting my lip for a moment, I took a hit of my own to calm my nerves. “Oh. Well, do you want to watch it now?” I asked, looking at Jasper, then back to him. Jake nodded in response before putting his smoke in the ashtray.

The VCR was set up in their bedroom. My boyfriend offered to help Vanessa clean up in the kitchen to give us a little privacy. My brother and I sat at the end of the bed, the remote in his hand. We both stared at the black screen nervously.

“What if this is porn, and we end up seeing our parents doing it?” I jokingly whispered.

“Why do you think I waited?” He laughed loudly, tilting his head to the side as his eyes got wide. I snorted too. “I guess… Here we go.”

The scene popped up, static going across the television for a minute before it stabilized. The camera was being set up on something, adjusting to make sure it was in at the right height. It was obviously being pointed towards a bed and a pale, sleeping woman.

“Oh, no,” I squeaked, then laughed. “I’m scared.” He chuckled awkwardly beside me.

Then I saw our father move onto the mattress. He was wearing sleep pants and no shirt. He looked exactly like Jacob. Muscular and handsome. Detailed tribal tattoos covered his arms and shoulders, and his long black hair went in waves down his back. He smiled at the camera, winking at it.

“Oh, no,” Jake repeated.

And then he sang happy birthday, smoothing the curls away from the sleeping woman’s face to reveal that of my mother’s. But I barely recognized her. All the pictures I had of her were from after I was born. She looked gaunt and sickly, miserable in her shell. Here her skin was lovely and clear, her cheeks plump. I could see my features in her too. I brought my hand to my mouth to hold in my whimper. When he finished the song, he kissed her temple and whispered that he loved her. As she woke up, her grin grew.

I had never seen her smile before. Not like that. Genuine, warm, and pure.

“I love you too,” she cooed as she rolled over to look at him. Slowly, she ran her hand over his cheek, pulling him into a slow and tender kiss. The way they looked at each other reminded me of the way Edward peered at Jasper or me, with absolute adoration in their eyes.

“The first words I’ve heard my mother speak since I was five are ‘I love you,’” I blurted out as I cried softly. Jake put his arm around my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “This is amazing. Thank you.”

“So, what do you want to do today?” My father asked as he hovered over her, playing with her hair. “We can do whatever you want. It’s your day.”

She hummed and then giggled, drawing the covers up to her nose. “Can we stay in bed?”

“Uh, we might still be watching a porno,” Jake whispered, making me giggle through my tears.

“If that’s what you want,” Dad agreed readily.

Mom brought her hand up to his hair, bringing it over his shoulder. She was smiling as she dragged her fingers down his arm. “Is there anything you wanted to do today?” She offered, then bit her lip. Obviously, she was fishing to see if he made any plans.

He instantly beamed. “Actually, I’m so glad you asked that,” he began in an almost overly cheerful voice. “There was just one thing I wanted to do.” Then he brought something out of his pant’s pocket. It was a tiny velvet black box.

“Is that my present?” She lit up with excitement.

Dad shook his head, grinning at her. “No. It’s mine. Renee Swan.” He opened it, and inside was a silver ring. I couldn’t make out anything else about it since it was so far away, and the picture was a little blurry. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Wailing, both of my hands flew to my mouth. Jasper came bolting into the room, knocking the door so hard it rattled the walls, and Ness waddled behind. Both of them looked at me, then at the screen.

“Yes! Oh, my god! Yes, of course, I’ll marry you,” my mother practically screamed in his face, her arms flying around his neck. He fell back on the mattress with her on top of him. “Are you serious?!” She was obviously in his t-shirt and just panties.

“Um, nope. I’m practicing for April’s fools,” he said dryly, rolling his eyes. “Yes, I’m serious, silly woman.” She giggled before kissing him furiously. Finally, he put the ring on her finger. “I know it doesn’t have a stone, but I didn’t want it to look like a traditional engagement ring just in case-”

She quickly sat up. Mom looked terrified as the color drained from her face. “Oh, shit. What am I going to do about my parents? What if they find out?”

“Don’t worry,” he swore as he sat up too. “When I graduate, you and I will go to Washington. It’s that simple. I’ll help you escape and get you away from them. It’s only a couple of months away. There’s a little house waiting that is all mine. We’ll get married on the beach, start a family, and we’ll forget those bigots exist. Everything will be perfect. I promise.”

Mom nodded vigorously before finally looking down at her finger and smiled. “It’s already perfect. I love it. Oh, my god! We’re getting married. I love you so much!”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I felt Jasper put his hands on my shoulders to comfort me. Jake held my hand while Ness took the other. My heart had never been so hurt and so filled with joy at the same time. This was the best gift my brother could have given me. They looked so perfect and young- happy and full of life. And then to see my mother’s justifiable fear and know that she wouldn’t be that person by the time I was born.

“She was pregnant with me already,” I whimpered. “Probably not even that far along.”

Dad went to get the camcorder and brought it onto the bed. When he returned, they snuggled close. She lifted her hand to show the camera her ring. I instantly recognized it because it was on my own. My grandmother had given it to me when I was a teenager.

Both of my hands flew to my mouth again before I doubled over in pain, pressing my forehead to my knees. Jasper came to kneel in front of me, stroking my back. I sort of melted off the bed into his waiting arms.

I watched from Jasper’s grasp as my parents repeatedly kissed, longer and deeper each time. Finally, Mom looked at the camera, flushing and over the moon. “Okay. Time to put this away, or we won’t be able to show it to our kids.” Dad laughed loudly, mischievously biting her shoulder after he tugged down the neck of her shirt to expose it, then turned the video off.

“Shh, shh, shh,” my boyfriend hummed quietly in my hair, rocking me back and forth as he smoothed his hand through my curls. “It’s okay, dove. It’s okay.” I just shook my head, the tears coming in endless streams. “I know, I know. It’s okay. It’ll be okay. I’ve got you.”

“They were so happy! It’s so unfair! They should have left then!” I sobbed. “Why couldn’t he find me? Why couldn’t they be my parents? Why?” I demanded. “Why?”

He shook his head, kissing my temple. “I don’t know.”

“I’ve been wearing my mother’s engagement ring since I was a child,” I whispered. “I didn’t know. I didn’t know,” I chanted into his chest, my fingers gripping tightly at the back of his shirt.

“Are you really?” Vanessa asked in surprise. I slowly nodded and brought my fist up to show her from my spot on the floor in Jasper’s comforting grip. It was on the ring finger of my right hand. The one Edward purchased for me, that was similar in design but bigger, was on my pointer.

“Eddie bought the other for Christmas so he could sneakily find out what size I was. So he could buy me an engagement ring,” I informed her, looking at my shaking fist. “It makes it even more special somehow. He got it because he knew how much I loved my little one. Oh, god.” I clutched my fist to my heart.

Jasper squeezed me to his chest, and I buried my face in his neck. He kept patting my back lightly. “Mate, would it be possible for me to get that tape from you so I could make a digital copy for you both? I promise I will return it in perfect condition.”

“It’s Bella’s,” Jake said in a whisper. “I’d love a copy, though. There aren’t a lot of tapes of Dad walking. Are you okay, sis?” I only shook my head, not moving my face. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize!” I laughed. “This is-” I stopped myself, unable to find the words.

“I think you’ve had enough tonight,” my boyfriend muttered into my hair. I slowly nodded in agreement. “I’m going to get her back to the hotel, and all tucked in with a bottle of something.”

“Jack,” I breathed.

“I was thinking wine and aspirin, but that works,” Jasper countered as he stood, bringing me to my feet too.

“Don’t let me get too drunk. I need to be able to see straight tomorrow,” I implored. He kind of smirked as he rolled his eyes. “I can’t vomit in front of my grandpa.”

He kissed my temple as he put his arm around my waist. “Yeah, dove. I know. I won’t,” he spoke a bit sarcastically as he took the tape from Jake’s hands. “I wouldn’t expect us too early in the day.”

“That’s okay,” Vanessa promised, coming to give me a hug.

“Thank you again for dinner. It was delicious,” I whispered to my sister-in-law as she squeezed me. I felt the baby kick against my stomach, making me look down. I touched the bump gently, and she kicked at it several times. “I’m sorry I’ve got her so riled up.”

“She’s just worried about her aunt,” Jake answered for his wife as he came around to her. He pulled me from Jasper’s grip and hugged me. “I should have watched it first to prepare you.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s okay. Thank you for sharing it with me. I’m so glad you found it.”

“Me too.”

As soon as we got into the rental car, I began to sob loudly. Jasper buckled me up, kissing my temple again. Immediately, he looked up something on his phone. About forty minutes later, we were in front of a liquor store. He didn’t even ask if I wanted to go inside. He just leaned over, kissed my lips, and murmured he would be right back. I was still quietly crying.

He returned with a large brown paper bag, swiftly putting it in the back seat before typing in the address for the hotel into the direction’s app. It only took ten more minutes to get there.

We didn’t get out, just staring at the entrance. Darkness surrounded the car, and everything was silent except for the rain on the windshield. It had stayed away only long enough for us to have a perfect shoot.

“I never saw my mother’s smile,” I finally began. “I never got to hear my father’s laugh. If they had run away together, he would still be alive. He’d never been shot, and he would have been healthier in the first place. My mother would be alive and happy. I’d grown up in that cabin, and I would have had brothers and sisters. Maybe not Jake, Rachel, or Rebecca, but- I can’t even imagine what kind of person I would be. But I wouldn’t be this nervous wreck,” I bemoaned through my tears. “Perhaps I could have been that actress I wanted to be growing up and not have loathed myself so much I can’t even stand to hear my voice or look at my face. I still would have found you and Edward, just been confident because I knew no matter what happened, I would have this wonderful and loving support system back home waiting for me if I need them. Who believed in me and loved me,” I howled the last two words as I covered my eyes. “I’m sorry. This is embarrassing. I’m just so angry.”

“Don’t be embarrassed,” he said as he unbuckled my seatbelt so he could turn me in his direction. “I want to be here for you. It’s okay to let it out.”

“I’m so glad you are,” I whimpered. “I wish Edward was too, so you could squish me between you until I fall asleep.” He chuckled quietly, kissing the top of my head repeatedly. “Thank you for this.”

Both of his muscular arms wrapped around my shoulders, squeezing me tightly. I pulled back just a little to look into his blue eyes. They were glassy and red, and I could tell he was trying not to get too emotional for me, hoping to calm me down. With my fingers on his cheeks, I drew his mouth to mine. We kissed slowly and tenderly for a long, pleasurable minute.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he swore against my lips.

“I know,” I smiled, swallowing. I gazed into his eyes once more. “Jasper, I love you,” I blurted out. I hadn’t even thought the words before, but I knew that’s what I had been feeling all along.

He drew in a quick, surprised breath before capturing my mouth again in a more searing kiss. His fingers moved to my hair, holding me to him. I felt tears roll down his cheek. “Oh, dove. I love you, too.”

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Thanks to Gina for Proofreading!

Click to download the epub of this Episode!!

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✨The next episode of✨
📸Imperfect Pictures📸
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October 21st!
See y'all then!

10/12/2020

Episode One-hundred-fifty-one: Sisters

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Episode One-hundred-fifty-one: Sisters

“You’re here!” Rebecca shouted as she ran to me in front of the restaurant. She picked me up off the ground with her hug, my feet dangling in the air by at least two feet. I giggled as I squeezed her back. “We’ve missed you so much!”

“I missed you, too,” I breathed, clutching her neck. She smelled of lavender. It wafted from her hair and clothes.

Rachel hugged me from behind. “Stop hogging our sister!” When I was put down, I twisted to take her in my arms too. “You are so cute,” she whispered into my curls.

“Thank you.” When she placed me down to my feet, I shifted to glance at my boyfriend, who was grinning from ear to ear. It was so innocent and full of joy. “So, I’d like you ladies to meet mine and Edward’s best friend and new roommate, Jasper.”

I hated telling a lie, but it wasn’t wrong. It was just… omitting the rest of it.

He stepped forward so he could offer his hand to each of them. They both looked at him with wide eyes. “My goodness.” He wrapped his fingers around theirs as he kissed their knuckles. Rachel visibly fluttered at his touch, a girlish giggle falling from her lips. “You all have the exact same face. Absolutely stunning. Your father must have been a very good looking man to make such beautiful daughters.”

Laughing, Rebecca’s cheeks flushed a soft shade of pink. “Aw, thank you. Dad wasn’t bad looking, no. We come from decent genes.”

Our sister leaned in. “It’s nice to meet you. We watched your video together just earlier. I mean, yesterday. Last night. It was very sweet,” she stuttered, glancing at me after she shook his hand again. I think she only wanted to touch him once more because he was so handsome and charming. “Everyone in the tribe subscribed. All of us. Seriously. It’s all anyone is talking about right now.”

Her words made me anxious, though I couldn’t say why. Maybe it was knowing folks I was related to were watching, and I wished to perform well for them. “That explains how I got so many so fast!” I joked awkwardly.

Jasper put his arm around my shoulder and rubbed it for just a moment. “Mm, I don’t think there are that many people in your family,” he replied with a smirk. He was trying to help me relax. “You ladies ready to head inside to get something to eat? I’m starving. Breakfast was years ago.”

“Me too,” I agreed as I wrapped my arms around his. He stiffened up beside me, but I didn’t let go. I would hang off of him if he were just my friend too, and my family needed to be okay with that. It would be weirder if I didn’t.

He opened the door for us, allowing us each to go inside first as we went to the hostess stand. I was taking my sisters to The Capital Grill for lunch. I allowed them to pick the spot since I didn’t know what was good around Seattle.

“So, get whatever you want. All of this is on me,” I insisted.

“No!” They both said at the same time, then turned to look at me in surprise.

Their reaction made me laugh. “Um, yes. Didn’t you see? I’m a famous YouTuber now. I’m made of money,” I replied sarcastically just as the host got to the stand. Politely, I smiled at them. “Hi. Black- party of four. Thanks.”

“We wanted to treat you,” Rebecca countered. “That’s why we picked here! It’s so good!”

I scoffed loudly as I shook my head. “My younger nursing student sisters are not taking me out to an expensive place like this. I’m the older sibling. This is my right. I am buying you lunch to celebrate. This is my treat.”

“Tony is rubbing off on you,” my boyfriend muttered under his breath. I glanced at him. “He is. You adore giving your cash away.”

His comment made me smirk. “I always did, actually.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh, yeah. I guess that’s true. That’s one of the first things that made him really fall in love with you. Your generosity.”

“Aw,” Rachel sighed then looked between us. “That’s so sweet. Are you sure? We saved up-”

I brought my hand up to stop her from going on. “You do not have to save up to get anything for me. Ever. I mean it. I have everything I need, and I am very well taken care of by a man who is determined to just shove money at me. All I want is to know you and be in your lives. So, yes, I am positive. Let me buy my sisters’ lunch. I’ve never been able to before.”

They both nodded vigorously. We hugged for a moment before we walked to the table.

Jasper pulled out my sisters’ chairs for them first as he talked, shaking his head the entire time. “It’s because he thinks once you get enough money, you won’t doubt your skills anymore. But I’ve seen that idiot’s bank account, and it’s done nothing for his confidence levels. The only thing it’s changed is he’s becoming better at acting like it doesn’t bother him.” He pulled out my chair. They were both impressed. He sat on the opposite side of me. “It doesn’t matter that you keep getting annoyed about it because he won’t stop now. Especially with how you acted at Easter.”

“But those were gifts for all of us, and supporting museums, and the money for Culture for All is-” I stopped myself. “I just don’t feel like I’ve earned it!” I ranted before I closed my eyes. “No. I will not get riled up about it anymore, especially when it’s giving me the ability to do things like this for you guys.” I peeked at my boyfriend. “And buy your plane ticket from another continent.”

He winked at me before glancing down at his menu.

We sat for a long time after our food was done, just chatting. They told me about their classes, work, and total lack of sleep. But they both loved their jobs. I was so proud of them. There was no doubt in my mind that my sisters were much smarter than me, and I was amazed at their strength.

“I wish we could come down tomorrow, too,” Rebecca complained. “And that we could hang out all night. Take you out. It sucks that we have to work the graveyard shift.”

“Isn’t it a little creepy to call it that when you work in a hospital?” I asked with a quiet laugh.

Rachel nodded quickly. “Oh. It is. Fun fact, nurses are morbid as fuck. We’re a dark bunch. Half our jokes are about death, and the other is about how stupid either the patients or doctors are.”

“Ah, gallows humor. Another trait you share with your siblings,” my boyfriend teased. “We just spent the other day recording short videos on famous murderers. I’ll be editing that for a couple of weeks.”

“Oo! I can’t wait to watch that,” she remarked with a big smile.

“Vanessa will love it too,” Rebecca agreed. “So, you make whatever you’re interested in?” I nodded. “That is so cool. It’s the perfect job.”

“Well, I don’t know if this part of it counts as working. That’s coming, though. We just signed a contract with Lay’s and-”

“Lay’s. Like the potato chip company?” Rachel interrupted in surprise. She leaned in and whispered as she gripped the tabletop. “Frito-Lay?”

Shyly, I nodded. It just came out. I didn’t mean to sound as if I was bragging. “Yeah. I have a feeling that’s going to be when the actual work begins. I’ve got to make original recipes with their chips. We’ll film a lot for them. Some commercials- Edward is doing more voice-overs too.”

“I loved his Super Bowl commercial,” she giggled. “It was the best of the year.”

“I love it too,” Jasper agreed with a chuckle. “Normally, I detest the fake dumb big ass voice he uses for things like that, but it was perfect.”

“Why do you hate it?” Rebecca questioned.

“He sounds like he’s about to call footie matches at any moment. ‘And look at him go! He’s going for the goal! Oh, rough play! Yellow card!’” He mocked, copying his tone. He did a great impression.

I snickered at his mild meanness. “It’s not that bad. It’s just what he has to do to get himself motivated enough to go out and be in front of people. When he uses that voice, he’s not our- my boyfriend, he’s Eddie. Edward and Eddie are friends, but they are in no means the same person.” I took a sip of my wine, trying to act like I didn’t slip up. They didn’t notice, of course. I cleared my throat. “I haven’t met your Tony yet, I think.”

Jasper pushed his lips to one side, then shook his head. “Oh, you have, but he doesn’t come round often. That’s good, though. I may still call him that, but he’s not that person anymore. He was a very shy lad, and nervous with low esteem. Tall and awkward, and a bit of a fattie.” He snorted. “Puberty hit him like a freight train and dragged him a few meters down the tracks.”

“I can’t see that,” Rachel admitted, ducking her head. She lowered her voice. “He’s so freaking hot.”

Leaning in, I touched her hand. “I’ll show you videos once I get a chance. They were so fucking adorable as teenagers. Oh, my god. I love it. His grandma gave us a hard drive that he tried very hard to lose, but I copied it all to a couple of places. It’s too good,” I gushed.

“I have it too,” Jasper said into his beer and laughed. “I should have just posted those. I don’t think I’d have to come out then. Everyone would know.” He glanced at me. “Just like you did.”

Cackling, I put my hands over my face. “Well… It’s only obvious if you’re one of us,” I teased. “The Britney Spears karaoke is a giveaway, I have to admit. That one the straights might even notice.”

“Tony was obsessed with her, and he wanted to bang her.” I blew a raspberry in disbelief. He placed his hand on his heart as he feigned insult. It was too big and loud. “That is my story, and I am sticking to it.”

“Mmhmm,” I hummed. “Shaking that wee baby gay ass like it was pride. So cute.” I pinched his cheek.

He was turning red in the face. Both of my sisters were laughing. “You know, it’s not smart to mock the man who has your fate in his hands.” He wagged his finger at me. “You lost that bet, and I’m still deciding what horrible thing I’m going to make you do for me.”

“I’m not scared of you. Go ahead. I have no shame. Film me, I don’t care,” I said with my chin in the air. I glanced at my siblings to explain since they looked confused. “Something to do with the channel. It’s dumb.”

“No. No, it’s not,” he stopped me. “It’s very important. You need to see that these people want to follow you, too. Eddie is a success, yeah. But you are as well while boosting up his rising star. This network thing with the group was only a dream of his, but because of you, it’s more successful than he ever imagined. I don’t think you understand how many things will snowball after this point.”

I lifted my glass. “I think you’re right about that part, at least. Because I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just showing up when I’m told and cooking food I want to eat.”

“I’m so jealous,” Rebecca sighed. “Your entire life is crazy and incredible. And you seem so happy. And you have wonderful friends and a gorgeous fiancé.”

Taking her hand, I gave it a squeeze. “It is great, but it’s even better now that I have y’all. I have literally everything I’ve ever wanted. An enormous family that loves me, a job that is fulfilling and rewarding in so many ways. Friends that give me a reason to smile every single day.”

She sniffled deeply through her nose. “We’re so happy to have you with us now too. It’s so amazing. We never thought it would happen.”

“Me either,” I breathed softly.

After we finished eating, we spent a little time walking around Pike’s Place Market. It was an incredible spot for photographs and one place in Seattle I always wanted to visit. It was so much fun to shop with them. Jasper was happy to carry our bags the entire time. So many times, I found myself wanting to kiss him but was unable. It made me sad, but maybe one day, I could share that part of my life with my siblings. My older relatives might not understand, and I didn’t want to ruin those relationships yet. Everything was so fresh.

We stood in the parking lot afterward, hugging. It was hard not to cry. “So, we’re going to come down for Sunday dinner. We’ll see you then,” Rachel spoke in my ear as she held me close to her firm body. They were both very fit.

“Gramps is so excited about that,” our sister added. “He’s got something arranged, but I don’t know what. He invited everyone, so get ready. It’s going to be a thing.”

“That’s actually perfect because I have something planned too.”

“And it’s pretty big, too,” my boyfriend remarked with a smile as he put my bags into the trunk of our rental car. I bought pickles, jellies, jams, honey, and other stuff I didn’t have to refrigerate. I was probably going to have to buy another suitcase just to haul all of it back. There were also wines, beers, and liquors to make videos with for Edward. I knew how much he liked those. I didn’t bother to look at the price for once, determined to get out of a certain mindset. This was for work. The cost didn’t matter. It would make us more cash in the long run. Plus… I could buy things for the people I loved, and it didn’t hurt me money-wise, and I was going to take advantage of that fully.

“Oo, mysterious,” my sister teased. “I can’t wait to find out.”

We watched them drive away while sitting in our car. Jasper reached over and took my hand. “They are lovely.”

“They really are. Wait until you meet Jake,” I paused for a moment. “I love my sisters, but I’ve never felt a connection like I have with him. It’s so different.”

“I wonder what that’s like,” he whispered to himself before shaking his head. “So… We have all night.”

“That we do. Is there anything you’d like to do?” I offered as I leaned in to kiss him. We were all alone once more, and no one could see us unless they were looking directly into the windows. We did for a long, pleasant second with his fingers in my hair.

“Would you like to go out on a date tonight?”

Grinning, I pecked his lips again. “I’d love to.”

We cleaned up at the hotel we were staying at for the night. We would drive to La Push in the morning and stay in a humble lodge in Forks, the small town closest to it. I didn’t have the fanciest of dresses with me, just modest stuff because I was spending time with my family. So I did my makeup fiercely to contrast it, braiding my hair around my head like a crown. I was in the bathroom while my boyfriend looked up things for us to do. He got ready much quicker than I did, so he relaxed on the bed.

“So, I thought we could go to a movie because I don’t know about you, but I’m not hungry yet.”

“You ate so many samples at the market,” I giggled. “Sounds great.” I spritz some perfume on all my pressure points, then right between my tits. The only thing I was lacking was my jewelry.

“I did. But it was so good!” He said with a laugh. “After the movie, we can go out to eat and then go-” He paused when I came out.

I slipped in one of my earrings. “What?” I put on the choker my aunt made next before putting on both of my silver rings, the one from my grandmother and the other from Edward. I was adding a lot of accessories to brighten up my look.

“Wow, you are so lovely,” he breathed. He was lying back against the headboard, his ankles crossed. He always dressed so sharply, his blue turtleneck making his eyes glow. His slacks were tight, charcoal gray.

Finally, I put on my Rolex, so we could match. “Thank you, handsome. I’m just trying to keep up with you, though.”

Chuckling, he scooted off the mattress. “Nah, pretty sure I’m chasing your coattails, gorgeous.” He came up behind, putting his hands on my hips as he kissed the back of my neck. I leaned my head forward to give him better access.

“I think you’re back there on purpose because you like the view,” I breathlessly teased.

“Can you blame me? Who wouldn’t fancy staring at this ass all day and night?” He squeezed one of my cheeks. Giggling, I rested against him completely. “Do you want to go dancing after we eat?” I nodded. “Perfect,” he smiled against my skin. “Why don’t you pick the movie?”

“Anything you’d prefer to see?” He just shrugged and shook his head. “No preference at all?”

“Nope, I want you to choose.”

I turned, taking his hand. “Okay, but you have to pick dinner.”

He brought it up to peck my knuckles. I could tell he craved my lips but didn’t wish to mess them up. He dragged my fingers over his smooth cheek. “Sounds good.”

Jasper was totally shocked when I picked a bloody sci-fi action movie. He tried to convince me I didn’t have to select a guy flick. We could really see whatever I desired. I wasn’t sure why I would want to see a bad rom-com or a kid’s film over that. It wasn’t the gruesome part that surprised him, but the science fiction. He had yet to figure out how much of a nerd I was.

We held hands in the theater. There weren’t many people in our showing, but it was an earlier one that had been out for a couple of weeks. It was seven when we walked, and there was a line to buy tickets. I was glad we weren’t crammed in with so many others.

For dinner, he chose a little family-owned seafood restaurant. It was so intimate with candles on the table and the lights down low. Someone played piano music in the background. We held hands underneath the tabletop, my foot rubbing against his ankle the entire time. It felt like we couldn’t keep our eyes off of each other.

The club we went to was simply called Queer, and I knew instantly why he picked it. It was just after nine in the evening, and it wasn’t too busy yet. We walked right in. The bouncer smiled at us as we did.

“A couple of drinks first?” He offered with his hand on the small of my back. I nodded with a smile. He pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.

We went to the bar, taking up a pair of empty stools. The bartender came right away, giving us a big grin. She was a butch blond woman with a very cool undercut and tons of piercings. “Hey, guys! What can I get you?”

“Let’s start with two shots of Jack, and I’ll have… uh,” he drew out. “Give me something local on draft. Lager.”

“Sure, I’ll let you a taste first.” She nodded, getting a tumbler and squirting a little into it. “What about you, beautiful?”

“Mm, I’ll take a hard apple cider if you have any.”

“We have six kinds. What brand?”

“Oh! My kind of place. I guess Woodchuck or Redd’s if you have those.”

“Woodchuck in a bottle, coming up. We have an apple, pear, and raspberry.”

“Raspberry!” I said excitedly. “That sounds so good. Thank you!” Jasper liked his taste of beer and offered me a sip. “That would be marvelous with a burger.”

She poured our drinks, giving us our shots. He slipped his debit card to her to start the tab. I wanted to argue since he paid for dinner, but he was making money off the videos too. I knew how sensitive I could be about the cash, and I didn’t want to step on our good time.

We had our Jack at the same time. “Another round, dove?”

“Yes, please.”

She poured us some more instantly. “You two look so familiar. Have you come in before?”

We shook our heads. “We’re from LA, actually. I’m just visiting some family, and I’m dragging him along to carry the luggage.”

He laughed. “There is no dragging. I wanted to, and I’m glad we are. This is fun.”

The woman peered at his credit card for a minute. “Jasper… and Bella.” My boyfriend and I looked at each other. “Your ‘coming out’ video was awesome. A bunch of us the other day watched it. Welcome to the family, my man.” The bartender fist-bumped him.

Chuckling, he turned a little pink in the face. “Thank you. I’m glad I’ve finally found my people.” He put his arm around my shoulder. I leaned into him, resting my head against him.

“It’s so much easier when you have supportive friends.”

“Yes, it is,” I agreed.

“Aren’t you dating that famous dude? Shit… what’s his name?” She mumbled to herself.

“Eddie. He’s a voice-over artist and actor,” I answered, realizing she watched the video not because of our boyfriend but because of the content. “He’s recording right now. Otherwise, he’d be carrying bags too.”

Jasper laughed again. “Yeah, but they’d be his own. That man loves to shop way more than you do. And you were practical about it earlier in the market. You were purchasing things mainly for the channel. He has no chill. And he would have bought the whole damn place.”

The bartender smiled at us. “Maybe I should check out some of his stuff since he’s obviously an ally. Anyway, let me know if you need anything else.”

We danced for a couple of hours, getting more drinks in between. We were playful and innocent, but I could feel it in his touches- he wanted more. But people in the club knew who we were, and we wouldn’t put Edward’s career at risk. I liked it most when he pulled me close from behind, my back against his chest. His mustache kept tickling me.

He took a deep breath through his nose. “You always smell so good.” His lips were almost pressed against my temple. “I’ve never wanted to kiss someone more than I do right now,” he whispered in my ear.

“I constantly feel like that when I’m with you.” I turned my head slightly to the side to look into his eyes. “It’s so hard to resist.”

Lightly, he pecked my cheek. “Sometimes, I just can’t.”

Around midnight, we took a brief break. It was getting late, but neither of us wished to leave. We kept saying one more. We sat at a table across from each other to keep the temptation to a minimum.

A waiter, a different one from who took our order, came to us with a single beer. It was the kind Jasper had been sipping on all night. “Hi, someone wanted to send you a drink,” he said in a bright voice to my man, putting a little square napkin on the tabletop.

Looking around, he laughed in surprise. “Oh, um… who?”

“Me.” He put it down on the table, then offered him his hand. “How are you doing, sexy?”

His mouth dropped open, then he peeked at me. Gossip must have gone around the bar about who we were, and he thought we weren’t together as a couple, which was both good and bad. “Uh… I’m doing great, but I’m missing my boyfriend.”

The waiter clicked his tongue, then glanced at me. “Did I ever stand a chance?” I shook my head, trying not to giggle at what was happening. “Aw, nuts. Well… enjoy the drink on me, anyway. Congrats on coming out of the closet. We’re thrilled to have you.”

The only one who was going to have him that night was me. I wasn’t jealous, but proud. He was mine.

As soon as he was out of range, I laughed loudly. “Hey, sexy,” I cooed at my boyfriend, sliding my hand over his. I bit my lip dramatically, fluttering my eyelashes.

“We should have gone to a straight club. No one would have known us there,” he murmured, taking a sip of his free drink. He offered it to me. “Let’s head back after this. I think I’m done being out for the night.”

As soon as the hotel door closed behind us, I was in his arms, and he was kissing me. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. He easily caught me, his thick hands going to my ass. He pressed me against the wall, my heels falling from my feet with the force of it.

“Fuck me,” I begged against his mouth. “I need you. Please.”

We didn’t even make it to the bed.

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Thanks to Gina for Proofreading!

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