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💍Ring💍


The final story in the Locke and Key Trilogy

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The trial may be over, but the tribulations aren’t.

With newfound success comes attention, but not all of it is good. After the death of the killer, Jasper and Bella thought they could finally move on with their lives, but a vandalized car is just the start of a rollercoaster of events that will change them for the rest of their lives- in both remarkable and catastrophic ways.

The best revenge is finding happiness in the face of real evil. But not is all as it seems, and there is more than one kind of mask. Will they be able to see who is behind it before it’s too late?

Warnings: This story contains violence and graphic sexual content. 18+ only.




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1/21/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-three: In the Middle of Manhattan

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Chapter Twenty-three:
​In the Middle of Manhattan


There, in the middle of Manhattan, was the biggest Barnes & Noble I had ever seen. It was at least three stories, and it was filled with people waiting to hear me read and sign for two hours. It was the largest public event I ever had, and the most I had interacted with a crowd. I was in the backroom, awaiting my cue. I was shaking, rocking back and forth on my heels. This was so different. I never talked to the audience on the shows. They just clapped for me. The hosts asked me questions to make me look intelligent and interesting. I was on my own.

Also, I hadn’t read in public since college. 

“Ms. Swan?” Nervously, the general manager came up to me. She was treating me as if I was an actual celebrity. A couple of years before, I would have been a few bad months away from working for someone like her. I wasn’t special. “We’re ready for you if you’ll follow us this way.”

I repeated the word ‘goddess’ in my head as I trailed behind her. Jasper’s hand rested on the small of my back. His fingers curled comfortingly against my spine.

She went to the podium. There wasn’t even standing room. Adjusting the microphone, she smiled. “Thank you all for joining us today,” she said in a librarian’s voice. “Ms. Isabella Swan.”

That was it. What an introduction. 

There was a subtle round of applause. I cleared my throat as I came to where she was. I was going to read the first chapter in its entirety. Suddenly, I felt as if I should have practiced with my husband first. My eyes scanned the crowd to find him. He was in the third row. Then I realized a few rows directly behind him were one of the DAs from the trial, and she was there with her partner. I smiled to myself because I knew she was also there to support me.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for coming today. So, I’m going to jump into it, and afterward, I’ll take some questions.” Jasper encouragingly grinned at me. I opened the book to the first page and licked my lips. I gazed only at him. This was his gift, after all. This was his novel. “When one joins the force, they always have a vision of selflessly improving the world. Or at least the average citizen imagines they do. Heroes with gold and silver badges in navy blue who put their lives on the line every day. To protect and serve is an honor and a privilege. There is a reason little boys want to grow up to be them. Paragons, one and all.”

“When I began at the paper, I was one of those naïve fools. A wide-eyed innocent middle-class white girl, more wholesome than Clark Kent fresh from Smallville on his first day at the Daily Planet. Reality wasted no time slapping me in the face. Injustice was everywhere, but no more so than amongst those meant to protect us. But I was no Lois Lane, just a junior writer in the crime department. Nobody cared about what I had to say until one cop was brave enough to tell me a wild story drunkenly one night in a dingy hotel. It was filled with corruption, sex, drugs, and murder, and it involved some of the biggest players in the city.”

“He had told it before, but no one took him seriously. Not even his partner. Honestly, I really didn’t believe him either until his body was pulled from the Devils River the next day, several hundred miles away.” When I looked up, I met my husband’s eyes. He seemed so proud, a slight smile on his handsome face. He was practically glowing. Squaring my shoulders, I took a deep breath. “His colleague needed no further convincing that something nefarious was afoot. What he wasn’t sure of was whose side I was on. It was something we had in common.”

When I spoke the last word of the chapter, I closed the book and lifted my eyes. The crowd erupted in unprompted applause. They jumped to their feet, filling the place with overwhelming noise. Automatically, I laughed in surprise, then did a little bow. The questions were thankfully mainly about my books or the movie. These people were readers. Only one person asked me about the trial, and they inquired if I would write a story about it. I couldn’t say either way. I never wanted to think about it again, but I felt like I was still in the middle of living it. Maybe in a decade, it would be different, but no one would care about it then. 

The manager came back to the stage. “Ms. Swan is going to take a twenty-minute break while we set up the signing table. If you could form a line this way.” She pointed to the right, and like a principal at school, they all listened to her. So many people were eager to have my autograph. It was crazy.

I hopped down from it and slid into Jasper’s waiting arms. He was beaming as he held me tightly. “Have I ever told you how much I love that first chapter?” I giggled and pushed my nose into his neck. As I looked up, I caught a glimpse of the lawyer. 

“Ms. Rachelle!” I called before she could get too far. I waved at her to get her attention. Turning, she smiled when she noticed me. I wasn’t going to miss her as I did at Christmas. She and her boyfriend came closer, having to push through the crowd. “It’s so good to see you again! Thank you so much for coming!”

“Of course!” She grinned. “I wanted to come out to encourage you. I loved the first book, too,” she continued to gush. “Plus, it’s just a nice excuse to come into the city. It’s so great that something positive has come from this case. It was a shit show from start to finish.” Then she remembered something. “Oh, Jessica is here, too, actually!”

It took me a moment to realize that she was talking about the curly-haired chief prosecutor. I only thought about her as Mrs. Stanley.  

She turned around, getting on her tiptoes. Even though she was a couple of inches taller than me without her heels, it was hard to see over the crowd. There were just so many people crammed into the already tightly packed building. Finally, she shoved her way through to come greet us, too.

“Ms. Swan!” She quickly drew me into a hug. She was dressed comfortably in blue jeans and a sweater, her curly brown hair pulled up into a ponytail. “Congratulations on the new book!”

“Thank you. Um… Actually, it’s Mrs. Hale now,” I corrected her politely and brought my hand up to show the two women. “Just Ms. Swan for work.”

They both seemed surprised. She clapped her hands together. “That’s incredible!” Mrs. Stanley declared. “When? I didn’t even realize you were engaged.”

“It all happened really quickly in December. Right after the trial,” my husband explained with a proud smile. “We couldn’t wait.”

She took my hand to look at my ring, bringing it up to her face. Lifting it so that Ms. Rachelle could see it, her eyes got wide. “Oh, Bryce, look at that. It’s stunning. Good work, Dr. Hale.”

“And it’s made from his grandmother’s old wedding rings, so it makes it even better,” I added, looking at it myself. I wiggled my fingers. “I love it so much.”

“Ms. Swan, we’re almost ready for you,” the manager came to me, lightly touching my shoulder to get my attention. I could barely hear her over the crowd.

“Right. I’m sorry. I’ll be right there,” I mumbled before I glanced back at the ladies. “Sorry. I have to get back to it.”

“Well, as much as I’d love an autograph, I am not waiting in that line,” Mrs. Stanley said with a brief laugh. It looped around like a snake, filling the aisles. We all looked at it for a second. I swallowed back some of my nervousness that returned.

“Same,” the younger lawyer added. She brought her hand up, her face apologetic. “No offense.”

“Um, none taken,” I softly laughed. “I wouldn’t wait for a signature, either. You know, if you’re really interested in one, I can just send a couple of signed copies to you. I’ll mail you my new one and everything.”

“Really?” Ms. Rachelle replied, looking at her boss.

Someone called to Jessica. It was a huge black man in slacks and a sweater. I remembered him from the pictures with her kids. They seemed like such a happy family in it. He smiled when he got her attention, lighting up his entire face. 

She looked back at him, then at me again. “That would be awesome. Thank you. Um, that’s my husband.” She hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “We need to run because we have a reservation.” She plucked a card from her purse. “Just send it to my office if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” I promised. “Thanks for coming.”

We watched her go to him. She looked so tiny beside her man. He kissed her cheek lovingly before they melted back into the crowd. Ms. Rachelle pulled out one, too. “We should let you work too, but if you don’t have any plans tonight, would you like to go out for a drink with us?” She squeezed the arm of her boyfriend. I couldn’t remember his name for the life of me. He had been silent the entire time, letting us gossip. His eyes moved over me slowly before flicking over to Jasper.

“Oh, we can’t.” My hand automatically went to my stomach. “Um, I can’t drink, but we actually have plans, anyway.” She seemed confused as she stared at my belly. It was like she was doing some calculations, her eyes narrowing in thought. That happened a lot when you rushed to get married, and people found out you were with child. “I’ll be four months pregnant next week. We’re not telling everyone yet, though,” I explained bashfully. “It’s my little honeymoon baby, I think. You never know these things for sure.”

She gazed at her boyfriend. He had a slight smirk on his face. Swallowing, she glanced back at us. “That’s awesome. Wow, it’s been a really great year for you.” The way she said it was as if she was overwhelmed for me. She had no idea.

“It’s been a dramatic one at the very least,” Jasper mumbled to himself. “But awe-inspiring all the same.” He leaned in to speak in my ear. “Ms. Swan, as your bodyguard, I need to let you know it’s time for you to go.” The other two gentlemen that were standing behind us would let me chat forever.

“Right, right,” I laughed. It had been so long since I had interacted with people, it made me eager to chat. Our friends and family had come to the townhouse, but this was different. “I’ll send those as soon as we get back. Thank you again for coming. You don’t know what it means to me.”

I didn’t know it was possible for my hand to hurt that much from writing. I did it constantly at home when I made notes. It made me hot and sweaty too, but that might just have been the anxiety and baby. Pregnancy glow was actually perspiration.

Jasper came up behind me in the middle of the hotel room and rubbed my shoulders. “Do you still want to go to dinner tonight?” He asked softly. I scrunched up my face and shook my head a little with a pout. I was too tired. “Stay in and order, or do you want to go down to the restaurant?”

“Let’s just order. I think I’m all done with being in a crowd now,” I explained. He nodded in understanding, pushing his nose in my hair. We were silent for a moment. “I want to do a scene,” I complained. “I don’t want to think anymore, sir.”

We hadn’t played since Valentine’s. It was a couple of weeks before we could even have sex comfortably again. The real pain from the accident came in the days after. Though our lovemaking was fun and passionate, it wasn’t the same. He chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

“Are you sure you’re up to that?” He inquired worriedly. I nodded. His lips rested against my temple as he thought. “We can do that. But before we get started, I have something I want to give you.” Jasper went to his luggage to retrieve a small white box and handed it to me. “It’s more practical than romantic, I’m afraid.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I rolled my eyes. Inside was a new phone. I smiled to myself as I ran my finger over the shiny edge. “Thank you.”

“You’ve been trying to ignore your cracked screen, but I know it bothers you. It’s the latest model with the largest amount of storage you can have. Plus, it has fancy tracking software, so if it ever gets stolen or you lose it, you can pop onto the computer to find out where it is,” he continued to explain. “Also, it shouldn’t be easy to hack. You know, since you’re a celebrity now. We wouldn’t want any naughty photos of you to get leaked when I have you take them for me.”

I giggled. “That’s probably for the best. You always think of everything, sir,” I cooed as I kissed his cheek. “When would you like to get started?”

His hand slid down to my ass and gave it a squeeze. “Right now, Isabella. Go take a shower and get ready for me.”

With those words, I got a second wind. I rushed through my bath. When I came out, one of the chairs had my wand tied to it with red rope. I hadn’t even known he had brought toys with us. We were only coming for a couple of days, and I didn’t think we would have time. On the table were more in different colors, as well as his drawing pad.

He was already in blue jeans and a t-shirt, his feet bare. Slowly, he smiled as he took in my damp appearance. I was just in my towel. “I want to draw my favorite model all wrapped up in rope. If you’re a good girl, that will be your reward, but I can also use it as your punishment.” He held my chin so I would look into his eyes. “You will be silent, and you will listen to my every command. The decision on whether you enjoy that or not is up to you. Either way, you’re making a mess tonight.”

We both knew I would, either way. Grinning, I nodded my head in understanding. He brought my Tiffany’s collar from his pocket. It made my cheeks heat. He really thought of everything. Something about knowing he wanted this to happen so badly he prepared, just in case, filled me with joy. 

Jasper slipped a ball gag into my mouth. “We don’t want those poor bodyguards to hear you screaming like a little whore.” It was hard not to smile around it. He picked up the pink rope first, twisting it in his long fingers. “Get on the bed on your knees and sit back.”

By the end, I was wrapped in a combination of pink and baby blue. It was artfully tangled around my breasts, legs, and thighs. It enhanced the bump rather than hid it, but that was by his design. My ankles were tied to my wrists, pushing my tummy and tits out. Finally, he walked to the table and plucked a flower from the vase, snipped it with the safety scissors, then placed it behind my ear. Jasper smiled at his handiwork.

He picked up my new phone. “It’s supposed to take incredible pictures,” he teased as he snapped one. “I think I’ll film you when I allow you to cum. So I can watch it over and over again. It’ll be so pretty. Trying not to scream while you shake as it drips down your delicious thighs.” He was trying to make me blush, and it was working. His fingers went between my legs to check how much I was enjoying myself. “Fuck so wet just from getting tied up. Do you like being at my mercy?” I nodded eagerly. 

Sucking on his fingertips, he looked me over. He plucked one of my nipples. They were taut from being wrapped in the silky soft rope. “Your tits really are bigger. Fucking gorgeous.” He trailed his nail lightly over the top of one. Sliding it down to my stomach, his palm pressed against my curved belly. “I have to admit, I love this.” He placed his hand on the other side. “This is mine. There is a piece of me inside you right now. Something beautiful I made with you. Even when we’re not together, it’s there. Growing.” I whimpered quietly. “Shh…” he cooed as he ran his knuckle over my jaw. “We’ve both missed this. Haven’t we, Isabella?” I nodded again. He forced me to look into his eyes. “Are you comfortable?” I did it once more. There was no other way for me to communicate. “Good.” He went to pick up his tablet, a confident smirk on his face. “I hope so. We’re only just getting started.”


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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💍Ring💍
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1/19/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-two: Into the Right Mindset

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Chapter Twenty-two:
​Into the Right Mindset


It took a full month for me to leave the house for anything other than doctor visits. My new vehicle sat in the garage, barely used. Jasper was looking into a new one for himself, but he couldn’t decide and didn’t want to go for test drives. Especially without me. He wouldn’t admit it, but driving now scared him. He was probably the only reason we were alive, though.

The security guard followed behind the Uber we took to the airport in a plain unmarked black car. Another would be waiting for us when we arrived in New York City. They were hired by the publisher for the bit of press I was doing. Two would follow me around while I went on different shows to talk about my new book that would be released that week. 

The Rabbit in the Snow was currently at number two, knocked out a couple of weeks before by a new release. I wasn’t mad about it. I couldn’t hog the limelight forever. And they wouldn’t have it for long, anyway. The Cop’s Story pre-orders already put it at the number one spot, and there was no way anything was going to even get close to it. I wasn’t sure where that placed my other book, but I was about to have two novels on the New York Times bestseller top ten list at the same time. It wasn’t even something I dared to dream about. 

At fifteen weeks, my bump was starting to lead the way. Between me, my sister- and mother-in-law, and best friend, I already had plenty of maternity clothes to last me the entire time. The baby was low on my hips, and my stomach was oddly hard. We had an ultrasound a couple of weeks before to check on their growth. At just five inches long and around four ounces, they were happy, healthy, and their little numbs had grown into real arms and legs. This was when they were the most active, but they were too small to feel unless you knew what to look for. From the books I had read, they were fully formed with fingers and toes, tastebuds, and eyebrows. It was incredible. Once we came back from the trip, we would find out the sex.

Jasper tried to pretend he didn’t care what it was. Girl or boy, it didn’t matter. And we weren’t going to force them into a gender they weren’t comfortable with. These were the sorts of things we spoke about late at night. But when he talked about the possibility of a baby girl, he glowed. How he would protect her and let her be whatever she wanted, whether it was a princess or the president. Or both. When he was a child, he was so rough and tumble. But as an adult, he was ready to be gentle. He needed soft, sweet things in his life. He described her as beautiful beyond words, with her mother’s sweetheart face and maybe his eyes. 

I didn’t know what I wanted, other than for my husband to be happy. It felt like we were always on the edge of happiness before it was snatched away. It was all tainted with fear. He deserved every bit he could get in this harsh life.

Every night, he spent an hour or two looking at the security footage to search for the tiny terrorist. He wrote notes in a book about the cars he saw regularly. There was a creepy drawing in it of them in a jacket with the featureless mask. It was like peering into a colorless abyss. We would take walks around the neighborhood, and I knew he was noting which vehicles belonged where. He said it was so I could get some exercise, but I knew better. If he could keep me locked away, he would. Nothing else happened, but it didn’t ease our anxiety. It made it worse. It was like waiting for a jack-in-the-box to pop and not knowing if the next surprise would involve confetti or a bomb.

There would be a guard in front of our home the entire time we were gone to make sure they did nothing to it. I knew in my heart that they would. They would punish me for this joyous moment, I just didn’t know how they would do it. I loved my house and didn’t want anything to happen to it. The spare room that had only been filled with a few boxes was now overflowing with all the things we would need for our child. Online shopping kept me entertained when I couldn’t sleep.

Eric met us at the airport, bright and early. We left before dawn, and it wasn’t afternoon yet. Dallas had been sticky and a little too warm, but New York was a far more pleasant temperature. I took off my hoodie to feel it on my bare arms. Stretching, I popped my back with a sigh of pleasure.

I hadn’t told him about my current state. His eyes got massive as he looked at my stomach. He glanced between my husband and me. “Um, I want to ask you a question, but I don’t wanna seem like a prick if I’m wrong,” he began carefully. Whenever I met his mother, I would have to thank her for teaching him to be such a gentleman. At least he was going to be as tactful about it as possible. 

“Yes, it’s a baby and not a burrito,” I smirked at him as I patted my sides. Jasper snorted. “Actually, it might be both. I shouldn’t lie.”

“You’ve lost a pound since the last time you weighed in, so it’s not,” he retorted with a roll of his eyes.

My publisher excitedly put his hand on my shoulder as his mouth dropped open. “Congratulations! How far along?”

My husband answered for us. I felt as if I was repeating myself a lot since people were noticing, but because I was chubby, they didn’t want to assume. “Almost four months.”

“Can you feel anything yet?” He questioned, looking down at the little bump. “Kicking?”

I quickly shook my head. “It’s too early for that. Soon, though. Within the next month.”

His grin was enormous as he wagged his head from side to side. “Oh, this will be an amazing thing to talk about in interviews. Perfect. Let’s distract from King with something happy.”

Pausing, I glared at him. “They will not bring it up. I will wear loose-fitting clothing, and no one will notice,” I said so firmly that it surprised even him. It was my Dom voice coming out in a context it never had before. “I will not entice this psycho to take another swipe at me because they find out,” I explained. Protectively, I held my belly. “No announcements.”

It was the first time I added a question to my ‘did not’ ask list. I would have attached Royce to that, but there was just no way to ignore him. He would always haunt me from the grave.

He sighed and nodded in agreement. “Fine. Yeah, you’re right. That makes sense. I’m sorry.” He turned to the two black-suited men behind him. They were both like brick walls of muscles. “This is Ben and Seth. They’re going to be your security guards for the next few days. They work for the agency and follow our bigger authors when they need it for press events. Usually, they’re just for show.”

We shook their hands before they led us to a car. One would follow behind us. Ben opened the door for me with a smile.

“So, what’s going to happen with the movie?” Eric questioned when we were on our way to our hotel to get dressed. Lauren was waiting for us with a team of people. It felt like too much for just me.

“I don’t think there should be any problems with what we’ve already got planned,” I replied anxiously. “We don’t mind getting out of town for a little while,” I admitted with a quiet scoff. That was an understatement. The urge to run away was almost as strong as it was to hide. “I’m so nervous about that. I’ve been working on my own draft. You know, just to practice. I wanted to see what I could condense and take out. Jasper says it’s good, but he likes everything I do.”

He laughed and took my hand to give it a squeeze. “Because it’s great.”

“Can I read it?”

I brought up the documents on my phone and sent it to my agent’s email right away. “Keep in mind it’s a rough draft, and there may be mistakes. This version also has my notes,” I explained as I typed.

“Yes! I can’t wait to see what you’ve got for me. Thank you,” he grinned, checking to make sure he got it. He slipped it back into his coat pocket. “So, hair and makeup, then we’re off to Laurent’s first. We like him. Then the Late Show, and-” He continued, listing several more interviews with journalists at different studios. Most of them were basically riding an elevator to the next one. I would be hustled around until well after dark.

I could tell Jasper zoned out, but I liked that he was there the entire time to hold my hand.

Eric was still talking when we got into the room. There were several people waiting for me with Lauren in the middle. She already had a black apron on with her name sewn into the pocket. Makeup tools could be seen sticking out of the top.

“There’s my favorite author!” She came to me, giving me a tight hug. Halfway through it, she looked at my tummy. She put her hand on it, confused.

“Yes, she’s pregnant, and it does not leave this room,” my agent said loudly to everyone like an announcement from a teacher. “Mrs. Hale needs complete privacy. Her security is our main concern. We keep this golden goose and her little egg safe.”

Lauren looked behind me and raised her eyebrows. “You are not one of the regular security guys. You’re much better looking. Hello.” She offered her hand to Jasper.

“That’s my husband,” I whispered to her loudly. She flushed, her eyes going wide in surprise. “Not only is he my personal bodyguard, but he’s an FBI agent and a doctor of psychology too.”

His face was beet red, staring at her in surprise with his back stiff. I could see him try to swallow it down awkwardly. 

She laughed. “Oh, my god! Girl! Good for you!” She playfully swatted my shoulder, making me giggle too. “So, we need to hide the pregnancy then?” She pointed at my belly.

“Yup.”

“Gotcha,” she mumbled as she went to her rack of clothes. She tapped her chin in thought. “Pencil skirt, untucked oversized pointy oxford, and a blazer. I hope it fits.”

“I haven’t changed sizes yet, just shape,” I explained. “It’s moving all around. My boobs are a little bigger, but that’s it.”

“The shaper will smooth you out some, too,” she declared thoughtfully as she brought the shirt up to me to see what she thought of it. “Oh, I like that. This will work. Bold makeup to distract, too. Alright, come with me,” she stated as she held out her hand and wiggled her thin fingers. “If you want to hang out here, you can. The remote is on the table.” She showed Jasper as her eyes scanned over him slowly. Yes, he was exquisite and all mine. Then she looked at my agent. “Eric, go get us coffee,” she ordered with a snap of her finger.

“You know I’m not an assistant, right?” He questioned her sarcastically with a raised palm. “And should she be drinking it in her condition?”

I snorted. “She should be drinking a green tea latte, please. A large with two sugars,” I declared over him, already starting to get annoyed with people telling me what I could or shouldn’t eat while pregnant. It was rude. I had already cut down on coffee on my own because it was destroying my stomach. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “Of course, sweetie.” He patted my arm, changing his attitude completely. “Let me get that for you.”

It took a full hour in hair and makeup with three individuals doing it. By the time I got done, I seemed like a different woman. Both Eric and Jasper stood when I walked out of the room, trailed by people.

“Oh, Mrs. Hale, you look incredible,” my husband whispered to me. I could tell he wanted to kiss me but couldn’t. 

I peered down at myself, flushing as I did. “Do I look pregnant?” He shook his head. “Are you sure?” I glanced at my agent for reassurance. 

“Not at all,” he promised. “Come on, we gotta get moving.”

I was so nervous I couldn’t speak the entire ride there. We were taken into a back entrance where no one could see us. We had to drive past the crowd in a long line around the building, making my heart thump wildly. 

Ben opened the door and helped me to stand. Seth walked behind while Jasper was on one side. I had a literal entourage. Lauren came along for makeup touch-ups with a backup outfit if I needed it too. A production assistant led us to the green room.

Wrapping my arms around my stomach, I took deep, calming breaths. My husband stood close, rubbing my forearms. I couldn’t stop my trembling. He leaned in and whispered in my ear. “You are a Goddess. You are strong, smart, and beautiful. Everyone should be grateful to be in the same place as you. You are charming, witty, and funny. Your art is incredibly detailed, well-written, and all future classics. You are powerful beyond words.”

My heart jumped for another reason. “Can you always be my hype-man?”

“Until the end of time,” he promised. 

I waited in the wings for my cue. Laurent stood from his desk when someone behind a camera pointed at him. He was in a slick black suit that matched his dark eyes. “Tonight’s guest’s debut novel has been on the New York Times bestseller list for twenty-eight weeks. Her next book, The Cop’s Story, comes out next week and is already set to premiere at number one! Let’s welcome back, Ms. Isabella Swan!”

Coming in with a big smile, I strolled to the desk while keeping my head high and my shoulders back. I gave a brief bow to the audience who was proffering a standing ovation. The clapping was so loud. “Thank you!” I giggled.

“So, wow! A lot has happened to you since the last time we spoke,” he said seriously. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Well, we should begin with The Rabbit in the Snow,” I smiled as I led the conversation towards the most positive thing I had to talk about. “Because I can’t really chat about the new book too much without giving away spoilers. So, I feel as if my job right now is to hold the novel and look pretty,” I told him as I picked up my copy and grinned stupidly. The crowd chuckled gently, like a ripple.

“Yes! I’ve heard it’s going to be a movie!” He cheered, and they did too. “I’m serious about Ryan Reynolds being the villain. I’m going to start a campaign.”

I laughed. “I’d sign that petition. Do you have his number?” He pouted and shook his head. “Darn. Ryan, call me, please?” I asked playfully, making them laugh again. “He should play Deadpool playing Ryan Reynolds playing the bad doctor.”

Laurent threw his chin back in laughter. “It sounds like an SNL sketch.”

“It does!”

It felt so easy once I got into the right mindset. Jasper looked almost shocked when I came back with my chin held high. They had been watching on a big-screen television. He was stock still with wide eyes as everyone else got ready to move.

“You’re incredible,” he breathed to me as we hurried to the elevator. I leaned into him as his hands rested on my belly. “My gorgeous Goddess.” 


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1/14/2021

Ring: Chapter twenty-one: Three Neighborhoods over

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Chapter Twenty-one:
​Three Neighborhoods Over


It was two days before I could get myself out of bed. Between my grief and my pain, I slept for hours the next day and barely moved. Jasper didn’t rest at all from what I could tell. He sat beside me silently the entire time, either reading, working on his laptop, or drawing. He was doing his best not to bother me.

But I knew I couldn’t lay there forever, even if I wanted to. I wasn’t depressed, just overwhelmed. There were plenty of things I was happy about, but the bad was tainting everything with its anxiety and fear.

Rosalie informed Alice and Tanya what had happened in general, and they were all freaking out for me. She hadn’t told them I was pregnant yet, though. We weren’t going to make any public announcements about it, just in case they were watching our social media. It killed Caroline not to brag, but she also knew it was for the best to keep everyone safe.

The three of them showed up at my doorstep in the afternoon a few days later, when I was finally ready to be around others. They were on a list of people allowed to come onto our property. There was still a cop parked on the street, as well as a security guard that stayed in a car in front of our house. There would be someone there twenty-fours a day until we figured out what was going on.

“Oh, my god!” Alice shouted when she saw my scrapped up appearance, her hand flying to her mouth. Everything had time to turn fully black, and my cuts scabbed over grossly. “What the fuck?! You’re like the nicest person I know. Why would they do this to you? You didn’t do anything!” She pulled me into a hug. 

“It’s not just Bella. I think maybe they’re going after certain people connected to King,” Jasper explained to them as he stood behind me. She pouted when she saw him. Hurriedly, she embraced him too. He patted her back as she whimpered. “It’s alright, baby. I’m okay.” He held his sister next. It still surprised her when he was affectionate towards her, but she didn’t dislike it either.

Tanya put her hand on my cheek when she finally got to me. “Ow.”

“Yeah,” I remarked as I put my palm on top of hers.  “How are you?”

She sighed, then clicked her tongue. Her eyelashes fluttered dramatically as she rolled her eyes. Then she shrugged. “I don’t know. Sad, frustrated, unsurprised, relieved. It’s complicated.”

“We have so much to catch up on.”

“We do,” she agreed and forced a smile.

Jasper cleared his throat. “With that, I’ll leave you ladies alone to talk for awhile. I’m going to be working in the office, darlin,” he said before he kissed my temple lightly.

I pulled him into a deeper one on the lips. His grin tugged at his cheeks. There was a long thin scratch across one of them that was already starting to fade. We were both lucky that we weren’t hurt worse. Fortunately, we rolled into a grass embankment and not into more traffic where people could have been injured. 

“I’ll come to get you when we order food.”

He bowed his head in acknowledgment. “Let me know if you need anything.”

We all watched him go up the stairs silently. “Drinks?” I offered the girls. “So, where do we begin?” I questioned as we went towards our kitchen to get something. I pulled a ginger ale from the fridge. “Not it. Someone else goes first, please. Or we won’t have time for anything else.”

Tanya got a beer and sat at my island at the same spot her ex had just days before. “I’ll go!” She popped the lid and dropped the cap on the marble with a metal clink. “My boyfriend of over three years broke up with me on Valentine’s Day because he’s hung up on the fact that someone he ignored rightfully doesn’t want him. Like I didn’t always encourage him to get to know you. But as soon as you turn him down, it’s all he wants. What the fuck is that?” She took a big slurp. “Suddenly, he notices you’re stunning and interesting, which-” She waved her hand over me as if it was obvious. “It’s not like you’ve ever hidden how awesome you are. And I’ve repeatedly stated you could be a model. Those pictures you took for the book prove it!” She shook her head until her pretty strawberry blond hair bounced around her shoulders. “I don’t get it. I’d let him do whatever he wanted.”

I looked away. “He said it was because it made him realize he was shallow, and he felt hollow. I think he saw what Jasper and I have and how we’re partners in everything, and he wanted that. In his head, he convinced himself I could fix that hole. I don’t think I could have been that for him, though. Not really.”

“You’d be willing to try things I wouldn’t,” she countered. “In the bedroom.”

“But I don’t want him! I want my sweet, shy, serious artist. I would have hated being around his Dad or at their house. And I don’t want to go to galas or wear ball gowns. I don’t fit there. Justin and Caroline are filthy rich too, but they’re inviting, and their place is cozy. I’ve never felt bad about myself around them.” I put my palms over my eyes, pushing them into my skull. “Ugh, I can’t believe he showed up here. Edward’s lucky Jasper didn’t end him. It was like a chain reaction of awful.” I pursed my lip, then blew a raspberry. “What a fucking idiot.”

“Amen,” Tanya and Rosalie said at the same time. They smirked at each other.

She shook her head. “He’s not terrible. I’m not even mad. Just what a waste of energy. I put so much effort into that man.” She pointed at her chest. “Like I’m a model, and I let him fuck whoever he wished. Does he not think I have choices? Frankly, I don’t know what else he could have wanted from me.”

I loved my friend, but I could see what else he did. I smiled at her and reached for her hand. “Fuck him. He didn’t deserve you and should have asked you to marry him years ago, anyway. He needs to grow up.”

Alice took a sip of her canned wine. Her eyes were carefully aimed at the countertop. My friends were going to have to drink all my liquor for me before it went bad. “He texted me yesterday and apologized for being rude to me in the past, which is whatever, but he asked if we could go out for drinks and just talk.”

Everyone was silent for a beat. My mouth dropped open. He was an ignoramus.

“What did you say?” Rose questioned as she leaned in to hear. This wasn’t something any of us expected, especially this quickly. 

“I haven’t responded.”

“Are you going to go out with him?” Tanya asked next curiously.

Alice’s face automatically scrunched up in disgust. “What? No! He’s your ex!”

Loudly, she scoffed. “I didn’t care when we were together, why would I now? At least he won’t be biting me anymore.” She sipped her beer.

I snorted into my soda. Quickly, I wiped my chin to get the spittle. “T! Because we’re being supportive. We don’t want to hurt our friends. That’s why I never could.”

“And I thank you for that. It’s very sweet, and I know that you ladies are on my side. Hoes before bros, always.” She patted our friend’s hand. “Use him for all he’s worth, baby. Even if it’s just getting a few free drinks out of him while he makes an ass of himself. Rebound, much?”

Alice stared at her for a long tick. “You’re one cold bitch, and I respect you so much for it.” They fist-bumped.

Laughing quietly, I rubbed my forehead. A headache was thinking about kicking up in the back of my skull. My friends were all strange.

“You sure you don’t want to switch to something with a little alcohol? I think you need it more than either of us. Your week has been fucking nuts,” Tanya offered, lifting her bottle. “Honey, it’s okay to start day drinking. No one here will judge you.”

Rose smiled because she was the only one that knew. I couldn’t look directly at her, my cheeks flushing. “No, I can’t, sadly.”

“Why? Oh! I forgot about pain meds.” She wagged her fingers as if she figured it out. “You’re not supposed to drink with those.” She said the word ‘supposed’ too dramatically. She did finger quotes after.

“First, don’t do that. And I’ve just been taking aspirin, actually,” I explained with a slight smirk. I tapped my nails on the counter. “So, it’s my turn!” I began cheerfully. “Guess what I forgot?”

My best friend looked between the three of us slowly. She didn’t understand why I was acting the way I was. My tone was odd, especially with everything that was going on in my life. Rosalie said nothing, looking down at her soda. “What?”

“My birth control because I’m the dumbest fucker on the planet!” I spoke in the same bright voice.

My sister-in-law laughed. Her expression was funny. “A literal fucker?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, obviously. Or I wouldn’t be nine weeks pregnant right now.”

Cackling, she threw her head back and clapped her hands together. “I love how you’re handling this.” 

Tanya’s jaw dropped in shock. She just glanced between the two of us. Alice squealed loudly, jumping down from her stool to run to me. She began hopping up and down while her arms were still around me.

“Ahhh! You’re going to have a baby!” She yelled in my ear, unable to control herself.

Jasper popped his head into the kitchen and looked around for a moment. “Okay, just checking. Random screams make me nervous.”

She dashed over and threw herself at him next. She flung her entire body through the air. Alice’s feet dangled a foot off the ground. “You’re going to be a DADDY!”

He blushed at her reaction and her words because I knew it instantly went somewhere dirty in his head, and he didn’t want it to be there. Chuckling softly, he put her down. “Yes, ma’am, I am. And I’m pleased as punch about it.”

“A human will exist because I hooked you up! YES!” She high-fived him, then turned to me. “I am going to buy so many things for them! Baby clothes and toys!” She was vibrating in place with excitement. “We are, for sure, doing a shower, and it will be amazing.”

“You have time to plan. It’ll be a while off,” he assured her, coming to me to give me a kiss before he got a bottle of water. Wrapping his arms around my middle, he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Has she figured out she’s godmother yet?” He asked me in a teasing voice.

Her high-pitched squeal of delight could call dogs three neighborhoods over. “Really?” We both nodded. “Who’s going to be the godfather?”

“Sam, his former partner,” I replied for us as I put my hand on his. It was something we had discussed over the past few days. We also got our wills in order. “But if anything happens to us, we’re hoping Rose and Em will take care of the baby,” I added as I looked at her.

She wasn’t expecting this. Gasping, she pursed her lips to keep in her emotions. “Of course. We’d love to. You should know that.”

“I’ve already started putting money aside for them, so they’ll always be well taken care of and have the education they want. I will give this kid every advantage I didn’t have, including a mother and a father together.” I turned my face to the side so I could kiss his cheek. “And they’re going to have the very best family.”

“Yes, we will,” he cooed as he pecked my lips, curling his fingers under my chin.

“I’m getting hungry,” I playfully pouted as I looked at my friends. “Do you want to order? It’ll take a little while for it to get here. Oh, and feel free to drink all my liquor since I won’t be able to for like the next year.”

“Um, whatever Mommy wants,” Alice said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. Smiling, she took my hand. “Of course! What does the baby want?” She asked in a cute tone, patting my tummy.

“Fried chicken.” I pointed to my face and spoke in the deadest voice possible. “It’s me. I’m the baby, and I want chicken.”

“She’s acting like everyone catering to her every whim isn’t exactly her fetish,” my husband responded with a shake of his head and a tiny, amused smirk. He smiled at me innocently when I glanced back at him. “And what may I get you, Goddess?”

“Popeye’s,” I impishly grinned. 


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1/12/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty: In the Family Way

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Chapter Twenty: In the Family Way


Emmett and Rosalie ran to get everyone some breakfast after the ultrasound. I was starving, and no one else had eaten either. Everyone was too anxious to even consider it. They came back with four white boxes of doughnuts stacked high in his thick arms. His wife had a bag hanging off of each arm, trailing behind him.

“There are six of us!” Jasper complained as he watched him walk in, his eyes wide with surprise. His family didn’t know how to not go overboard.

“I know! That’s why two of these are for the nurses,” he said back cheerfully, not bothered as he marched towards the small table in the corner of the private room. He put two of them to the side and brought the others to me. He placed them at the foot of the bed and opened with them a little dramatic flair. One with half chocolate half glazed and the other was a mix of the fancier ones. They were both crammed full.

“Oo!” I said excitedly. “Um, I need a plate.”

He handed me a pile of napkins before I grabbed myself an éclair and a glazed one. Rosalie came over with an offering of chocolate and regular milk, or orange juice. I took the chocolate with a grin. It was much better than anything we could have gotten in the cafeteria. My stomach growled in delight.

“Darlin, that’s a lot of sugar,” Jasper began in a worried tone, and I swear five heads swung in his direction at once to glare at him. His face turned white with embarrassment before he flushed. “It’s too bad you don’t have something savory like bacon to go with it,” he added in a rush as his eyes shifted to the floor. He cleared his throat.

“That was the worst save in the history of mankind,” Emmett laughed as he thumped down into the uncomfortable pink plastic recliner. The air pushed out of it like a sad dollar store whoopie cushion. It made me giggle.

“I’ll take these to the nurse’s station,” Justin offered with a shake of his head, then stretched. He had eaten a chocolate one hastily and claimed an orange juice. “Maybe I can encourage them to speed up your departure. Before the boy gets popped for telling a pregnant woman what to eat.”

“I didn’t tell her she shouldn’t or couldn’t,” he immediately defended himself. “I’ll get her another one if she wants. Shush.” He pouted at being teased by his playful family.

“When you get out, we’ll take you to lunch,” my mother-in-law promised, rubbing my knee over the blanket. They were still sore from hitting the tiles the day before when I threw up. “Mamaw wants to see y’all and make sure you’re okay.”

Quietly, Jasper laughed. “We’re literally eating right now.”

“One, this isn’t food. This is a breakfast dessert, and it doesn’t count. Second, you know she isn’t getting out soon,” she retorted with a roll of her eyes. I saw her children in her when she did that. I wondered if our kid would have their sass or mine. “You think of whatever you want to eat, and we’ll take you there, sweetie,” she encouraged in a baby voice. I would be pampered and spoiled. Getting knocked up had put me on an even higher pedestal, but I wasn’t sure how that was possible.

As I tried to figure out what I wanted, I considered my appearance… which was rough. I wasn’t certain what condition I was in. I hadn’t looked in a mirror yet. “What happened to my clothes from last night?” I questioned, looking around for a plastic sack with my belongings. It was the first time I had thought about it. “And my purse?”

My husband frowned. “They didn’t make it. They had to cut them off once you were out to check you out. Your bag is okay. I got it.” He handed it to me from its spot under the bed. One of the straps was broken, and there was blood on it. “I mean, it’s not good, but it survived, and I didn’t let anyone steal your things. I also have your necklace and ring in my pocket.” He patted his jeans.

“Thanks,” I grimaced as I held up the severed band with two fingers. “I’m going to need clothes to leave in. Ugh, and a shower before we see Mamaw. We both smell terrible.”

He nodded in agreement. “You could just drop us off at the house and go pick her up and bring her back. We should order lunch and have it delivered. I don’t think I’m really up to being in a restaurant right now. Or a car for longer than necessary.” I agreed with him, taking things out of my purse to check their condition. My phone had an annoyingly small crack in it. Other than that, everything seemed fine. It was about to die and needed to charge.

Rose, who was even quieter than normal, forced a smile. She had been eating doughnuts at the table while sipping on regular milk. “I can run to the store real quick and pick up some clothes for you. Text me your sizes. There’s a Target down the road.”

She was being so good to me. Just looking at her made me feel more guilty than I ever had before in my life. My birth control hadn’t lapsed that much by the time I got in the family way. I couldn’t imagine struggling for ten years with no results, and then her brand new sister gets it on the first attempt without trying. Though I had offered to carry for her, I wasn’t ready to be a mother myself. It was a different kind of commitment. I wanted to be selfish and play around for a lot longer with my newfound money and fame. Fantasies of glamorous parties and nightclubs in LA and NYC died. 

At least I wouldn’t have to do all the press and the book reading for The Cop’s Story the following month while heavily pregnant. I didn’t seem to have any symptoms, though. But as I thought about it, I realized my stomach had been slightly disagreeable on occasion, and my appetite swung around with my mood, switching between starving and not willing to eat a bite. It depended on nothing more than a whim.

“Can I have another doughnut?” I questioned. Emmett returned them to me instantly with a smile. “Thank you.” He offered them next to my husband. “Eat. You’re cranky when you’re hungry.”

He took one with a smirk. Jasper knew I was right, though. 

It took another four hours for them to release me. My sister-in-law brought me some sleep pants and a hoodie along with a pair of house shoes. She also bought me a maternity shirt. It was from Valentine’s Day. It was long-sleeved and red with pink, blue, yellow, and purple hearts on the belly. They said ‘love,’ ‘kiss,’ ‘xoxo,’ and ‘baby’ was in the middle yellow heart. It was right where the wand had pressed into my gut.

Showing it to my husband, I tried not to tear up as I looked at it. I wasn’t sure if they were good or bad tears. Rose was being so wonderful to me. I changed into it quickly in the bathroom. It made Caroline giddy when she saw it.

“I already hate how comfortable it is,” I complained as I took his fingers with my uninjured ones. He chuckled, kissing my forehead with his hand resting on my stomach.

My in-laws dropped us off at the house. When we turned onto the street, one cop car drove past us, and another was parked directly across from our residence. His family waited until Jasper did a check of the perimeter before they left to go get my medicine, and Rosalie and Emmett went to go get Mamaw. Everyone was so eager to be helpful.

We trudged up the stairs, taking every step heavily. I laughed when I saw the chair. It was hysterical. “You better put that in the closet if your parents are coming by. The entire thing. I’m going to use that eventually, goddammit.” I pointed at it.

He sighed, putting it away. “You won’t be up to anything for a while, and we’ll have to change the way we play while you’re pregnant.”

“How?” I asked as I plopped onto the bed. I kicked off my shoes with my toes. They were thick and fur-lined with heavy bottom soles. They matched my new purple hoodie and sleep pants.

“I can’t hit you now,” he stated earnestly, closing the closet door.

I snorted. He acted as if he regularly beat me. “You only leave marks when you really try. You’ve never struck me hard or anywhere near my stomach. I don’t think it’ll be changing any of that anytime soon,” I retorted. I was no different from how I was two days before.

“No, I mean, I won’t.” He came to the bed and kneeled down in front of me. “I could have lost you and our child last night. Someone is trying to hurt you. I cannot and will not do anything to put you in danger. Even if you think it’s silly or unnecessary. We’ll play, and I’ll serve you however you wish, but when you’re mine, I will treat you as carefully as possible. And that’s my choice as your Dom.”

Pouting, I closed my eyes. “But spankings don’t hurt.”

He pushed my shirt up over my stomach to expose my bare skin. It was purple and blue in certain places because of the seatbelt. Lightly, he kissed where the little heartbeat was. It had been fast, like a hummingbird. He put both hands on either side. “We can play in other ways, Isabella. Don’t worry. I’ll still have you. We’ll just have to be more creative.”

We were silent for a long minute while he pressed his face into my belly. I could feel his eyelashes fluttering against it. “Why are you not mad at me for forgetting?” I blurted out. “You should be.”

“You know, if you were poking holes in the condoms I wasn’t using either, I’d be a little pissed. But seeing as the last six months of our lives have been the biggest whirlwind, I think I’ll forgive you. You’re not the only one responsible for our birth control.” I smiled at his words as he kissed my stomach again. I played with his hair, scratching my nails against his scalp. “I will say one thing. If the last twenty-four hours has taught me anything, it’s that even if you’re having the very worst day of your life, it’s possible to be happy and grateful. And pleasantly surprised. So, I’m choosing to be happy right now.”

“So, what do you want?” I asked as I touched my sides, looking down at the bump that wasn’t there. I was already chubby, and I wondered how long it would take for me to look pregnant.

He looked at me with an innocent grin. “A shower.”

“Ugh, me too. They won’t be gone that long. We should hurry, actually.” I meant boy or girl, but that sounded better.

Mamaw gave Jasper the longest hug when she showed up with his twin. She pushed her bottom lip out as she ran her soft, wrinkled thumb over a small scratch on his jaw. “I’m going to kill ‘em,” she remarked in a gravelly voice. 

“I believe you would sincerely try,” he smirked at her as he rubbed her forearms.

His brother-in-law cleared his throat to get his attention. “So, dude, no one’s informed her, yet,” Emmett called as he sat in one of my chairs. He was right on the edge, perched like he was excited to see what happened next.

She didn’t sound pleased. “Told me what now? Oh, god. What else?”

Jasper bent his knees a little so he could look at her face. “Are you ready to be a Great-grandma?” He asked her in a calm and gentle voice.

Her reaction was instant. April screamed in happiness, surprising everyone in the room. If I had put money on it, I would have said Caroline would be the screamer. She threw her thin arms around his neck. Her toes barely touched the floor as he held her up. “Oh! I never thought I’d live to see them. That’s amazing!”

Poor Rosalie looked so crushed as she sat beside her husband. Her expression was the only one I could focus on. She wasn’t talking at all, and her eyes were glassy and red. In her fist was a tissue that she had been fidgeting with.

“Excuse me for a minute,” I blurted out, pushing myself off the couch to hurry to our room. It was suddenly suffocating. Without my permission, I ran into the bathroom. I couldn’t even bother to turn on the light. I leaned against the sink with both hands gripping the edge. My body was trembling, though I wasn’t sure why.

Footsteps thumped up the stairs. But it wasn’t my husband’s. My sister-in-law poked her head in the room. “Hey,” she whispered. “Morning sickness?”

I shook my head. “No,” I breathed as I looked up at her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just worried about you and Jasper. And my niece or nephew,” she declared hurriedly.

For a long moment, I stared at her before I began to cry. Every emotion was right on the surface. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. We weren’t trying. I forgot my shot. I’m so stupid. And I am so-” She stopped me by hugging me tightly. She rocked me back and forth in her tight embrace.

“No. I’m happy. Don’t be sorry.”

“I’m so scared.”

Her lips rested against the top of my head. “I can imagine. And so is Jasper. Now he has to protect both of you. He doesn’t know how to do it, and I don’t know what to tell him. Maybe buy a castle, build a mote, and fill it with gators.” I snorted quietly. “I’ll do anything to help, though.”

I pulled back so I could look in her eyes. “I know this hurts you.”

She shrugged. “The pain isn’t your fault. And it’s just a little sting. I feel it every time someone I know gets pregnant. But this is better. I get to play with this baby, which is great. I will babysit literally whenever, by the way.” She took my hand. “Want to come down to talk about food? I need something better than an éclair.”

“Yeah,” I nodded after drying my tears. I forced a smile, and she matched it.

“Woo, that puking will do a number on it,” Mamaw said as I came back down the stairs slowly. I held onto the railing to make sure I didn’t fall. “Ginger and crackers. Honey, get her some ginger candy, tea, and ginger ale next time you go to the store. And mints,” she added, directing it towards Jasper. “You know they only call it morning sickness because men are too stupid to listen to women when they say it happens all the time.”

I laughed at her blunt attitude. “I’m fine. Just a false alarm. But it does explain why I threw up yesterday,” I sighed and sat beside my husband on the couch. Emmett had given his seat to her. “I’m actually hungry, though. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m open to ideas.”

After his parents returned, we ordered a large Chinese food feast. It was delicious. Even if Jasper mumbled about needing to be careful with salt in the future as he read the soy sauce bottle. He worked out at home every day still, but I had never seen him study a label before. He was more of the ‘consume veggies and fruit daily and exercise’ type. It worked well for him because he could eat like a horse.

We were all sitting around the dinner table, just talking, when his phone rang. “Sam,” he mumbled to me before he picked it up. “Hey, man. What’s up?” I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but Jasper’s face went gray. “No. No… You can’t be serious? When? Shit. Shit. Okay.” He inhaled as he closed his eyes. “Yeah, I will. Thanks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“What?” I questioned instantly. Everyone had gone silent, waiting for him to answer.

He had to take a deep breath before he could speak. “Last night, in Rochester, New York, Bree Tanner’s mother was involved in a hit-and-run accident. The vehicle went over a bridge, and she sustained massive blunt force trauma to the head. She died this morning of her injuries,” he announced as calmly as possible as he placed his phone face down on the table. A shaky hand went to his mouth as he closed his eyes again.

“No!” I yelled as I collapsed into his arms. He pressed me to his firm body. “No,” I cried into his shirt as my fingers curled into his shoulders.

He was shivering just a little as if he were cold despite the heat being on. I could feel it in his grip as it twisted as tightly as he could around my middle. Jasper rested his head on top of mine. “There’s more than one.”


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1/7/2021

Ring: Chapter Nineteen: Floating in the Blackness

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Chapter Nineteen:
​Floating in the Blackness


It was hard to open my eyes. It was as if library paste was keeping them in place. Every time I tried, it felt half-dried and crumbly on my eyelashes. My head hurt, and I didn’t know why. I couldn’t remember anything, my mind floating somewhere off in space and time. My entire body seemed oddly heavy. A machine beeped, but I didn’t know what kind it was. It was soft, somewhere in the distance. It did it again. I turned my face towards the noise. Finally, one eye peeled open and then the other. Looking didn’t help answer my question. I blinked for several moments. My vision was blurry.

“Bella, darlin?” Jasper asked worriedly. He wasn’t in front of me. It took an effort to make my head turn to the other side to find him. He was sitting beside me in a chair, close to my bedside. “Hey. Focus on me,” he cooed. I tried to, my eyes still fluttering. Lightly, his fingertips combed my hair out of them. Finally, it became clear.

My poor husband was covered in scrapes and bruises. There was a small square bandage on his neck and some stitches on his forehead. Even so, he was smiling. I realized he was holding my hand and that it was in a brace. I wiggled my fingers in his grip to see what it felt like, but there was nothing.

“What happened?” I questioned softly.

“Someone purposefully ran into us. It made the car flip. We don’t know who yet. They drove off. The vehicle was reported stolen this morning, and it’s already been found abandoned in a parking lot,” he explained in a calm voice. Jasper was trying to keep me from getting too upset. “You hit your head pretty good, and you sprained your wrist, but other than that and a lot of bruises, you’re okay.”

That was something. “How long was I unconscious?”

Grimacing, he bit his lip for a moment. “They had to sedate you at the scene because you were panicking and struggling with the EMTs. But you were in shock and scared. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’ve been asleep for a few hours now.” He combed his fingers through my hair again. “You needed the rest.”

I opened my mouth a little, then shook my head. “I don’t remember,” I whispered.

“That’s normal,” he assured me as he scooted closer in his seat. He was right on the edge and leaning forward. Gently, he ran his hand over my stomach. “How are you feeling?”

“Confused. Numb. Sore.” I brought my other hand up to my skull, where it ached. It had an IV in it and pulled a bit, tugging at the tape. There was a huge goose egg at the top. “Ow.”

“Yeah, you’re going to be uncomfortable for a few days at least. I’m sorry,” he sighed.

“It’s not your fault, Dr. Hale,” I said in a soft, airy voice with a slight smile. Then I looked down at my line. “Oh, they’re giving me pain killers. That’s why. I don’t feel anything. It’s going to suck tomorrow.”

Jasper chuckled. “Probably.”

“They don’t know who? Did they find camera footage of them?” I questioned.

He shook his head. “No. Not yet. Hopefully, soon. You don’t need to worry about that right now. You just need to get better.” He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles of my injured fist. They barely peeked out of the brace. Clearing his throat, he gazed at my hand. “I don’t suppose there is anything you’ve needed to tell me?”

I stared at him in confusion. I literally spewed my every thought to him whenever I had them. It was a problem he found charming. “What?”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” he mumbled to himself before forcing a smile. Jasper finally glanced at me. His tongue darted out to moisten his lips. Scoffing, he peered at the ceiling for just a second. “So, guess what?”

“What?” I repeated. I wasn’t in the condition to figure out anything.

His hand rubbed over my belly again. “I’m going to be a father.”

“Who the fuck did you knock up?” I asked automatically, making him laugh loudly. The sound confused me. I shook my head. “No. I’m on birth control.”

“It’s not one hundred percent effective. When was the last time you got your shot?”

Blinking, I thought about it for several seconds. It was hard to find the information in my cluttered brain. I started from the beginning. The first time I got it in was November, then again in April when we were in Albany. And I was supposed to go six months later…

Supposed to.

“Oh no,” I gasped as I sat up quickly. It hurt, though. “Oh, fuck.” I put my hand on my gut. “No, no, no, no… Shit, I am so stupid. I am so sorry.”

Instantly, he moved to the edge of the bed. “Why are you apologizing?” Jasper questioned, taking my face in his hands. I was already beginning to cry. “I am so happy.” He rubbed his thumb over my cheek. “It’s okay,” he breathed before kissing me. “This is a good surprise- a fantastic one.”

“I’m not ready,” I whimpered as my bottom lip quivered. “We just got married and my career-” I leaned into him, gripping his shirt tightly. My nose was pushed into it. It smelled mildly of gasoline and burned rubber. I didn’t care.

“This won’t slow down your work. I promise. I will help every step of the way.” He brought his hand back to my stomach. He pressed it to the center. “We will make sure you have all the time and energy you need to continue being the kick-ass author that you are.”

“How far along am I?” I asked in a tiny voice.

“Eight weeks.”

I gasped. I was almost to the second trimester already. “But I’ve been drinking so much!”

He shook his head to keep me from freaking out and feeling guilty. “It’s okay. It’s still early. Just stop now, and it’ll be fine.” He curled his fingers over my tummy. “We’ll start eating healthier, and I’ll stop indulging, too.” Lightly, Jasper kissed my forehead. “My pretty little Mama.”

Loudly, I sobbed. Everything was too much. He rocked me until I ran out of steam and laid back. He held me in his arms until I fell into a drugged sleep. It’s what I needed. I had so many nightmares, but I couldn’t describe them beyond just terrifying and filled with screams. My own and an infant’s.

A nurse woke me up early in the morning to take out my IV and give me vitamins for the baby. When my breakfast tray came, it looked disgusting, so I pushed it away with a wrinkled nose. Jasper opened the milk and passed it to me with a straw. “At least drink this, so the pills don’t upset your stomach, and I’ll get you something from the cafeteria. Iron can be rough on your system.”

“Yes, sir,” I said a little sarcastically as I took it from him. It wasn’t cold enough for my tastes, but I finished it quickly. I made sure to slurp the end to make a point. He rolled his eyes but was still smiling.

There was a quick, sharp knock on the door before it opened. Caroline popped her head in. I looked at the clock, realizing visiting hours just started. She must have been waiting outside to come in. “Oh, baby!” She whimpered as she rushed into the room. She hurried to the bed, but Jasper stopped her from pouncing on me.

“Careful. She took the impact on her side,” he reminded her as he hugged her gently. He was sore too.

“Right, I’m sorry.” She gave him a pained grin and came to the other side. My mother-in-law grabbed my hand and gently squeezed it. “How are you feeling?”

Grimacing, I tried to sit up. I had slouched down on the mattress. “I’m in a lot of pain, but I’ll live. I’ve never been in an accident before.”

“That wasn’t accidental, though. It was a deliberate hit-and-run,” my husband reminded me. “They were coming for you.”

Caroline leaned in and brushed the hair out of my eyes. “Don’t you worry, honey. We’ll take care of you until you’re on your feet again. You can stay at our house. We have that gigantic wall, and we can get a bunch of big dogs with sharp teeth to bite ‘em if they try anything stupid,” she continued to rant in a thick southern accent.

It was hard not to grin at her. “I just need to rest.”

Nodding, she tried to smile for me. “I am so angry right now. When I find the person doing this, I’m going to give them exactly what they deserve.”

“Me too,” her son swore with every bit of anger in his heart. It was a frightening promise.

There was another knock on the door. I half expected it to be Rose and Emmett, but it was a nurse with a big machine. “Hi, everyone! Do we have the whole family?”

“Almost. His sister is on her way,” his mother informed us. She looked at her son. “She has just been beside herself, worried about y’all. It’s not a good idea for Mamaw to be at the hospital around all these sick people, or she’d be up here, too.”

“No, it’s okay,” Jasper said with an anxious laugh. “We understand. Everybody doesn’t need to run up here. We’re alright. Just bounced around.” 

The woman continued to set up as we spoke. She rolled it over to me, plugging it into the wall. “So, Mom,” she began talking to me. She had a big smile on her face. “We want to do another ultrasound to check on the baby. Do we need to kick everyone out, or can they stay for the show?” She pointed at the machine. “I’m fine either way.”

“You’re pregnant?” Caroline asked in a loud, high-pitched voice. Her hands flew up to her mouth in surprise.

“Oops,” the poor nurse breathed, her cheeks turning red. I lost any hope of keeping the information to ourselves for a day. I hadn’t even got around to thinking about telling everyone yet. I was still processing it myself.

“She’s two months,” Jasper answered for us in a soft voice. “We found out last night.”

She didn’t scream as I expected her to. Her mouth was opened wide as her eyes went glossy. A sound like a cough came from her throat. Then she fainted, going face-first into the bed railing with a thump. She slid down the side slowly until her knees were on the floor.

Her son, her husband, and the nurse all ran to her. She was only out for a second. Jasper kneeled in front of her, making sure she wasn’t bleeding. There was a mark on her forehead.

“My baby is going to have a baby. He’s going to be a daddy. Oh,” she wept right as she came to, leaning into him. Her fingers curled into his shirt as she held on as tightly as she could. He embraced her closely, rocking her as she let her overwhelming excitement out.

“I am so sorry,” the nurse began to apologize. “I didn’t realize everybody didn’t know.”

I brought my hand up to stop her, shaking my head. “It’s okay. We can’t keep things quiet in this family anyway,” I laughed as I sniffled.

Justin wordlessly leaned over the bed to hug me. He was silently crying. It wasn’t hard like his wife, but the tears were still there. His warm, wet kiss pressed against my cheek. “You’re going to be amazing parents,” he whispered to me.

“Thank you,” I tried not to cry myself. I wasn’t sure I believed him. Fear overwhelmed me. I felt simultaneously too young and too old to be a mother. All my energy at that moment was gone.

He patted his hand on my belly. “Oh, there’s a tiny Hale in there. If he’s a hellion like his father and aunt, good luck.”

“I hope it’s a girl,” Caroline added as she sat back in her chair finally. “I want to spoil her.”

“How about we hope they’re just happy and healthy?” Jasper offered lightly. “It’s a little early to worry about their gender.”

She nodded in agreement eagerly. She wouldn’t care what she got, as long as she received the grandchild she always wanted.

There was another knock on the door. This time it was my brother- and sister-in-law. She looked as if she hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before. They seemed confused by the scene they walked in on. I wasn’t sure what they were expecting, but probably not that.

“What’s going on?” Rosalie drawled, looking around at every teary-eyed face. “Is everything okay? What’s with the big ass machine?”

Jasper stood from his mother’s side. “Bella’s about to have an ultrasound.”

“On her wrist?” She questioned, pointing at my injury. “I didn’t think it was that bad. Do they think you broke it now?”

“No. She’s going to have a baby!” His mother said through her happy tears. “I’m finally going to be a grandmother.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Really?” She asked in barely a breath. She was hurt and jarred. 

Nodding, I instantly felt guilt fill me. They had been trying for so long, and we got that way by accident.

Emmett laughed with pure joy. His smile was huge. “That is CRAZY! Yes! Congratulations!” He brought Jasper into an enormous bear hug and slapped his back. “Good job, man.”

I giggled because I couldn’t help myself. He was pleased for us, no jealousy in his reaction at all. My emotions were getting the better of me again. “We weren’t trying to get this way! I forgot to schedule my shot. So much has been going on.”

The nurse stood beside the machine. “I hate to interrupt, but I still need to do that ultrasound. Everyone in or out?” She asked me because my opinion was the only one that mattered.

“In,” I said because there was no way that I would deprive any of them of this experience.

They turned off the lights, and Jasper sat on the opposite side of me so he could watch the screen. His mother and father were standing by the head of the bed. Rose and Emmett were at my feet. Everyone was silent as they waited to see the newest member of the family for the first time.

I had to adjust the blanket, so I didn’t show off my boring white underwear as I lifted the gown to my breasts. There was no bump or any telltale sign. The gel she squirted on me was surprisingly warm. The wand helped spread it all around before she flicked on the screen. She had to press harder than I expected. It dug into my bladder uncomfortably.

“There we go. Right there,” she stated as she adjusted something. She pressed several buttons, then turned the scan so we could see it better. There was a tiny blob floating in the blackness. “There’s your baby.”

“If you say so,” Emmett chuckled as he leaned in and squinted. “What’s what?”

She clicked on things, taking a still picture. Then she marked places on the screen. Leg, arm, butt, head. They were just little nubs, but I could see what she was talking about once she pointed it out. It wasn’t human, for sure, but it was turning into something like that.

The images moved again. She slid the wand lower. Finally, she clicked a button several times in a row. It made a noise like static fill the room. Then a pattern emerged. Bomp, bomp, bomp... 

“There is their heartbeat. Nice and strong. Looks like everything is normal.”

“What’s her due date?” Caroline questioned. It was a good one. I didn’t know that either, and I wasn’t sure if Jasper did.

She hummed, waffling her head from side to side. “I’m going to put it around September thirteenth. Give or take. These things are never exact.”

“That’s my birthday,” I squeaked with a little laugh. Jasper squeezed my hand. When I looked at him, he grinned. He had tears in his eyes, too. Great things kept happening to me on that day.

Rose touched my foot to get my attention. She smiled at me, happy and sweet. “What a wonderful gift.”

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1/5/2021

Ring: Chapter Eighteen: In my Cup

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Chapter Eighteen:
​In my Cup


It was late afternoon by the time we got done with the police and ordered Edward an Uber so he could go home. He refused a ride from either of us, not that Jasper would have left me alone with him. I offered a thousand times to buy him a new car, but he declined that too. It made me feel awful. I had the money to get whatever he wanted. I just needed to make the problem go away.

My husband pulled a card from his wallet and gave it to him. “My dad will, at the very least, give you the best deal possible. I’m sorry for being rude to you earlier and for things not working out with Tanya,” he mumbled as he handed it to him. The moment was awkward and tense, silence lingering heavily between them. Neither of them knew how to speak to each other. And as much as he disliked him, he didn’t want terrible things to happen to him. Only mildly inconvenient problems like getting stuck in traffic jams and paper cuts. Taking a deep breath, he stared into his green eyes. “Could you just stay away from my wife now? Please?”

“Yeah,” he promised, looking at the thick card stock as his cheeks flamed red. “I’m done making a fool of myself.”

We watched him leave in silence from the bay window, pushing the curtains to the side to peek outside. There would be a police car parked in front of the house for a while. It was a few homes over, but still in view. Obviously, the person watching us was getting bolder and had done well over a million dollars worth of damage. It was becoming more threatening with every action. 

Marching to our bedroom, he flopped back onto the bed with his arms over his head. His long legs dangled off the edge. He scrubbed his palms over his eyes for a moment, scraping them over his rough, unshaven cheeks. Jasper was understandably exhausted, and so was I.

“I’m going to the office to talk to a few people. This has got to stop,” he sighed. From the few minutes of video we had gotten of the tiny person, it was the same one. They tripped over their own feet, making him think once again that they were drunk. I could see it more this time than the last. They covered the lens and lights with paint. Their mask, which came fully into view, was like one of those morph suits to make them seem featureless. It was like looking into a black hole. “I’m going to take you to Emmett and Rosalie’s, so they can keep an eye on you.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” I automatically complained.

He pushed himself up with his arms on the bed. His expression was grave. He wasn’t going to play around with me. “Darlin, they were watching you this morning. What if you were alone? They’re obviously paying attention to the house. What if they saw me leave without you? No. This isn’t up for discussion. If you don’t want to go over there, then my parents. Pick a place, and I’m taking you there so I can look into something without being terrified the entire time.”

I felt my cheeks heat at the mild scolding. “Okay, fine,” I said with a pout as I marched into the bathroom to take a shower. I knew he was right, but I was in a mood. My stomach was angry because I hadn’t eaten much, but I was afraid to vomit again. My knees were bruised black from hitting the tiles from the time before. I knew it was only because of stress and that it would help if I put something in it, but I couldn’t bring myself to. The taste lingered even after I brushed my teeth and drank water. It was as if it was burned into my nose.

Jasper followed, hugging me from behind when we stepped into the water. “It’ll be okay. I just need to make sure you’re secure for a little while. Emmett would protect you with his life. I know he’ll keep you safe.”

“They should be more afraid of your sister.”

He kissed my cheek. “They should, but clearly, this person isn’t very smart.”

“Smart enough to ruin every special occasion we’ve had in the last three months as expensively as possible,” I sulked like a child. It felt as if they were trying to ruin every milestone of my new marriage.

“Cruelty is usually only intelligent on paper, elegantly designed to cause the most pain with precision cuts. But most of the time, it is running out of a place of animalistic instinct. To go for blood. And organizational skills don’t always mean intelligence. Sometimes, they’re just smart enough. And it might not be at all. They may always be here, waiting for chances, and that’s when they got them. I don’t have enough information to know. But I won’t give them opportunities.”

Leaning back into his grip, I gazed up at him over my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around his. They were curled protectively around my stomach. “Do you really think they’d hurt me if they got an opening?” He said nothing, his soft lips in a hard straight line. I sighed. “I just want to be left alone with you. Why me?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s obviously connected to King. Probably because you’re getting so much attention right now, and they crave some of it.”

“Why ‘Hello, Bella’?” I shuddered. “That phrase is so unnerving now. The Silence of the Lambs much?”

“Darlin, I know. I’m sorry.” He pressed another kiss to my temple. Jasper let his lips linger there. “We’ll figure it out.”

Emmett and Rosalie were waiting for us to arrive by their front door. Her arms were anxiously crossed over her chest, rocking back and forth on her heels as she rubbed her forearms. She rushed to give me a hug as soon as I got out of the blue BMW. She was almost as tall as her brother, and her embrace enveloped me. I pushed my face into her shoulder, clinging to her. 

“Come on. Let’s get you inside.”

His best friend came to Jasper and brought him into an unexpected one too. He took it, hugging him back closely. “Don’t worry. She’ll be safe here,” he swore.

“I know. Thanks,” he murmured, patting his back. “I don’t know how long I’ll be. Sam and I will look into what information we have. It’s a good thing I keep putting off quitting officially. They wouldn’t let me run around the office otherwise.” He came to me and gave me a kiss on the lips. It was slow and innocent. “Call me if anything happens or you need anything. Stay in the house, don’t go anywhere, and if you do, for the love of God, please tell me first.”

“We won’t go anywhere,” Rose promised, still standing behind me. “Don’t worry. No one will touch my sister.”

“I know,” he grinned and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. It surprised her. She briefly smiled.

She grabbed my hand and led me inside. We went directly to her couch in the middle of her cozy living room. There was already a pleasant fire crackling in the fireplace. Silently, I pouted as I sat. I gazed into the flame, just feeling heavier than I had in years. There was a weight on my shoulders. Sitting across from me, she took my hands. “So, um… What the hell happened last night? Why was Edward at your place?”

Sniffling, I played with the hem of my hoodie. “Yesterday, Jasper and I were doing a quiet Valentine’s at home, and we were about to go to bed when he showed up drunk off his ass. Just smashed. And ugh, crying. He was going to propose to Tanya, but he broke up with her instead because he said she wasn’t me.”

Rose gasped as her eyes got wide, her mouth dropping open in shock as she put her hand on her heart.

“Oh, shit!” Emmett stated in a dramatic voice as he sat in his recliner to listen. “And he let him live? I’d killed that bitch.”

“Poor Tanya,” his wife breathed to herself. She shook her head. “She hasn’t said anything to me yet.”

“Me either. I feel as if I should call her, but I also don’t want to make the situation worse. She probably doesn’t want to see me right now. He said she’s not mad at me, but I’m worried I’m going to lose her as a friend,” my voice became watery and thick with emotion. “I made it clear where I stand and that I was done with this. I don’t think it was ever really about me, but something he learned about himself and didn’t like. We let him sleep in the sunroom. Couldn’t put him in a cab like that. He was seconds from blacking out.” I cleared my throat, trying to force the bile back down as I recounted everything that was taking up a place in my anxious mind. “I woke up early to kick him out because I wanted a do-over of our messed up night. But then his car and the goddamn message,” my words sputtered out as tears slowly rolled down my face. “They watched us and waited. They were right there. What if I just woke up early to write alone?” I sobbed in earnest. My entire body was trembling.

My sister-in-law brought me into her arms again. Gently, she patted my shoulder as she tried to soothe my hysteria. “What can I do to help?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted through my tears, shaking my head wildly. “I’m just so tired and angry. And I’m hungry, and I want my brain to turn off and-”

“It’s okay, honey.” Emmett came to the other side of me and rubbed my back too. “Why don’t we order some dinner and I’ll get you a drink, okay? That’ll help, huh?”

Nodding, I wiped the snot from my nose.

Four hours later, they had me full of food and wasted. He was an amazing bartender. They let me rant and complain as much as I wanted, sitting in the middle of their living room while they nodded or spoke at the right times to make me feel better, but they were each tipsy, too.

“And my car!” My hand gestures were getting bigger with every drink. “I am so scared they’re just going to fuck it up when I get it. It’s so pretty! I was terrified to drive that other one,” I admitted as I put my palm on my chest. “But this one feels like mine. And what am I supposed to do with my truck? I can’t leave it in the streets, and I don’t want it to rot in a storage yard,” I whined, sloshing the draft beer in my cup. I wiped it away from their leather couch with my sleeve.

“No!” Rosalie agreed with me. “It’s too beautiful a machine for that! It’s a classic!”

“It is!” I pounded my fist on my knee. “What am I going to do?” I looked at my sister-in-law. Her full lips were pushed out in a pout as she shrugged. She didn’t have a good solution for me, and she loved it as much as I did. “Oh, I know what I’m going to do! I’ll give it to you!” I waved my hand in front of me. It was a simple fix. It practically slapped me in the face with its obviousness. “You can keep it, and I’ll even pay for you to do a restoration on it so it can be pretty again. At least I know you’d care for it.”

Her mouth dropped open again for the second time that night as she put her hand on her heart. “Oh, my god! You’d let me do that?”

“Um, of course!” I shook my head with a soft laugh. “I know you’ll make it the truck my father always wanted it to be.”

Rosalie whimpered as she clutched my knee. “You offer to have a child for me, and then you literally give me your baby.” Tears rolled down her chin. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.” I hugged her tightly.

“Wait, what?” Emmett said in confusion. “Child?”

She peeked at me and then him, almost forgetting he was there. She had been keeping up with me, and it showed. “Uh… Bella offered to be a surrogate for us.”

His bottom lip quivered instantly. “You did? That… Aw, sweetie.” He looked away as he tried to control his sudden emotions. “You are just an angel. Thank you. That is-” he stopped himself. Then he raised an eyebrow in my direction. “Wait, are we talking the old-fashioned way or what?”

“Or what, idiot,” his wife responded dryly.

“I’m kidding,” he laughed, wiping his nose. “That’s so sweet, though.” There was a knock at the door. He stood to get it. “I think that’s your ride, kiddo.”

“My Uber driver is sexy,” I joked, finishing the rest of my drink so it wouldn’t go to waste. I put it down on the coffee table. “I’m going to get one of those for the house.” I pointed at the cup.

“We’ve used it so much. It’s so good.”

“Why are you drunk?” I heard Jasper say loudly from the foyer.

Emmett wasn’t going to take it, though. “Man, would you calm the fuck down? Everyone is safe. Your girl needed to de-stress. She’s getting cheered up,” he retorted right away. “She’s leaving better than she arrived.”

“She can drink,” he snapped. “I asked you to keep an eye on her.”

“And I did!”

“I didn’t realize I had to specify while sober,” he barked as he came into the room to find me.

I stood up from the couch. “Hey! Don’t be rude to him. You are in his house, and he has taken great care of me! You can’t have people do it your way all the time.”

My husband frowned when he saw my appearance. ‘Sloppy drunk’ was a real state of being. I wiped my eyes with my sleeves. They smelled of strawberry ale. 

“Yes, but-”

“No!” I grunted. “I realize you’re anxious, but this is not the time to be an asshole to somebody who is helping! Calm down and take a breath. Sit down- have a beer. We aren’t in a rush to go back home, I think. I know I’m not.”

He rubbed his hand over his jaw. His skin was pink with embarrassment. Everyone was on edge. “Right. I’m sorry. I’m really high-strung right now. Obviously, I wouldn’t be pleasant company, and they have to work in the morning, darlin. Let’s just go.”

Jasper was at least correct about that. I didn’t want to keep them up. I sighed. “Fine.” I grabbed my purse before I turned to Rosalie. “You two can come by tomorrow, and you can take the truck home with you, okay?”

She smiled. “That sounds good.”

“I’ll make dinner,” I promised, kissing Emmett’s cheek. “Thank you for letting me vent and treating me to such a lovely meal. It was just what I needed.”

He grinned at me. “We’ll see you tomorrow,” he replied as he gave me a hug.

They both walked us to the car. My man was silent for the first few minutes.

“Look, I’m sorry I snapped. It’s been a stressful twenty-four hours,” he said in a quiet voice as his fingers curled around the steering wheel. Every muscle in his body was tense. I could see it in his face. “Between Edward and everything-”

“I know,” I sighed as I glanced out the window. “Why don’t we get a hotel tonight? We’ll go to The Canvas and go to the bar. You can get me drunker and use me all night long. Then we can sleep all day.”

He smirked a little. “I don’t know. It’s probably safer to go home where there’s a cop monitoring the place. And I definitely shouldn’t get drunk. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you while I was intoxicated.”

“No one will bother us at a hotel,” I argued. I made my voice softer and sweeter in the way I knew he liked. “There is security and cameras everywhere. They’re not going to be able to wreck your car in public like that either. There would be way too many people around.”

“Hm, that’s true,” he replied, and I knew I was winning him over. It would only take a little more pleading. I stroked his thigh, my nails scratching towards the center of his legs. “Mm, Isabella…”

“Please, sir,” I begged as I turned my entire body toward him, shifting in my seat. That’s probably why I didn’t see the impact coming. 


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💍Ring💍
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12/18/2020

Ring: Chapter Seventeen: On the Sunroom

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Chapter Seventeen: On the Sunroom


I woke up at dawn before Jasper. He was still out like a light, but he had several martinis once we retired to our room. He was ready to tear Edward to shreds for so many reasons. I believed him when he said it wouldn’t happen again, though. He just had to hit his rock bottom to make a change that had been needed for a while. Neither he nor Tanya was satisfied, even if they weren’t unhappy.

Going into the kitchen, I started some coffee. I brought it to the sleeping idiot in my favorite writing chair. I jabbed his shoulder with my other hand as I placed the cup on the table beside him. He groaned softly. 

When his eyes opened, they went wide with shock. “Oh, shit. Where am I?”

“My sunroom,” I replied as I pointed at the mug. I wanted to make sure he was fully sober and awake before I shoved him out of my front door. It wouldn’t do if he crashed because he was half asleep. I needed to make up the previous night to my husband in a big way. The chair with the toy still sat in the corner, unused. It teased me as I walked out of my room just a few minutes before. “Do you remember anything?”

Sitting up, he rubbed his palm over his face. He blinked for a couple of seconds. “Oh, fuck.”

“Your head or what you can recall?” I asked dryly, taking a sip of my drink.

“Both,” Edward smirked at my attitude. “Shit. I am so sorry. Jesus, I need help.”

“Yeah. Driving drunk wasn’t your finest decision, but I think what happened with Tanya was for the best. She wanted to convince herself she could marry you for the money and love you in her own way, but it wouldn’t have been good for either of you in the long run.” I sat on the couch, crossing my legs. “Was I brought up when you broke up?” I questioned. I needed to know for when I talked to my friend.

“Yeah. You definitely were, but I wasn’t the first,” he sighed as he stared out the window into my backyard. The birds were starting to chirp loudly, dancing in the dew-covered grass in search of a morning meal. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t blame you at all. It’s all me, and she knows it.” He picked up his cup and gazed down into the hot liquid. “We’ve been on the brink since last year. I thought when you left, my crush would go away. But it didn’t, and I don’t know why.”

“You know, I had one on you for a long time, and I never once pushed myself on you or told you I wanted you or anything in front of your partner. Because I have respect for my friend and for myself. Just because you feel something, it doesn’t mean you’re entitled to shove it onto other people. If you broke up with her and I were single, I would have never gone after you. There was never a world where we would end up together because I couldn’t do that to my girl because I would have always felt guilty. Even when she told me I could. What did you think would happen last night? What did you think you would accomplish?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted.

Shaking my head, I laughed. “Man, I am not going to run into your arms,” I bluntly informed him. “I am so happy with Jasper, and I won’t do a damn thing to screw that up. I have a real family. And they love me. They make me feel interesting and fun. They care about me and the things I have to say. And my sister is amazing.” I paused, remembering something. “And you got drunk and bit her!”

Chuckling, he took a sip of his coffee. I knew how he made it. I fixed it enough when I lived with Tanya. “Yeah, I’ve been dumb for years. Rose was pretty great, and I fucked that up, too.”

“Woo, you were barking up the wrong tree going after her like that. You’re lucky she didn’t knock your lights out,” I remarked. “I love her, but she’s way meaner than her brother.”

“She is,” he agreed. “But I would have had it coming. I’m ready to grow up. Thank you for the wake-up call.” He lifted his cup. “I’ve been trying to hold on to something that really wasn’t there in the first place. But three years ago, I didn’t even know a woman like you existed.”

“And what kind am I?”

“The best of both worlds,” he sighed and shrugged. “Honestly, I would have never known if I didn’t go to that hotel room. As mild-mannered as you are. And my parents are still asking me about you. ‘How is your lovely writer friend with the pretty lips and big eyes?’ You are literally the kind of woman you take home to Mother. Marriage and that just never mixed in my head. But damn, if my wife were willing to-” He stopped. His cheeks flushed as he smirked. “If I remember correctly, you looked incredible last night. I want that. A sweet-faced innocent girl who my mom respects and also wants to fulfill my fantasies as much as I wish to indulge in hers. Because I was always eager to do whatever Tanya wanted, but she never even budged. I wish it weren’t the reason. It’s only sex.”

“It’s not. It’s because you’re not compatible. That’s why most couples break up. You were together for a long time. These things are always tough. I’ll check on her today.” I sighed as I gazed out into the yard. The light was starting to streak across it, warming the chilly room. “But seriously, for your own safety, don’t come around anymore. I’m not mad, but I’m done explaining myself. Jasper’s job now is literally to protect me.” He had just gotten his first paycheck from the publisher. The salary they offered him was half of that from the bureau, but he didn’t care in the least. “He will end you if you keep pushing it. Three strikes and he will knock you out.”

“Got it.” Nodding, he finished his drink in a big gulp. Edward cleared his throat. “Um, can I use your restroom? Then I’ll leave.”

“Yeah, it’s under the stairs.” I stood to show him where it was. Putting our cups away, I went to the kitchen to get him a cold bottle of water and some aspirin. He took them with a little surprise when he came out. He forced a smile. “Good luck in the future. I hope you find your person. Just be more open-minded going forward. There are plenty of closeted weirdos out there. I’m sure Alice and I aren’t the only ones you overlooked.”

“You’re probably right,” he muttered before popping them into his mouth. He drank half of it in one go. “I would tell you good luck too, but I think you’ve got this figured out. I’ve already pre-ordered your next book, and I promise I’ll be first in line to see your movie.”

“Thanks,” I smiled as I blushed. “Go home and get some rest. Tomorrow will look better.”

I opened the door to show him out. He took a few steps, stopping on the top stair. Loudly, he gasped in horror as his entire body went stiff. I followed his gaze. When I saw his car, I realized the reason.

It was totaled. 

Every window was smashed, all the tires flat. ‘Hello, Bella’ was carved into every surface. Inside, the seats were spray painted red. It was the same color that had been used on the garage door a month before. I wondered if it was from the same can. 

Stumbling a few feet onto the porch, I screamed in pure rage. “NO!”
​
My husband came running down the stairs, shirtless, and in his sleep pants. He had obviously been listening to our conversation and was ready to jump into action if needed. He nearly fell into me. Skidding to a stop, he gasped too.

Edward said nothing as he stared in complete shock. Finally, he spun around with his whole body. “This is what they did to yours?” He questioned in a low, pained voice.

“Not the paint. But yeah,” I nodded as my fists balled up at my sides. “Why did they do that to yours?” I demanded angrily, then turned to look at my husband. “Why?”

Jasper took a couple of steps forward to just the second step. It was too cold to be barefoot on concrete, but he didn’t seem to notice. “They probably thought it was your new car.”

“What? I would never be stupid enough to park it-” I began before stopping myself. “Oh, I didn’t even think about them doing anything to yours.” I covered my eyes with my palms. “I’m so sorry.”

Edward took a step towards me. “No! You didn’t do this!” He waved his arm at the driveway. He glanced back at it and sighed. “Obviously. That’s horrifying. No wonder you’re nervous. That’s not sane.”

“No, it’s not,” Jasper agreed before spinning to go inside. “Both of you in the house. They still might be here.” He rushed up the stairs, and we both followed him like ducks in a row. I don’t know why Edward did. I think he was just in shock. “Get out of my room!” He snapped at him when he noticed.

“Oh, sorry,” he mumbled, turning to leave. He blinked several times when he saw the chair I wasn’t ever going to get to use. He put his head down and hurried out to the landing. “What should I do?” 

I slipped on my shoes after grabbing a thick pair of socks. “Go get more coffee from the kitchen. This takes a few hours. And you might want to get your car insurance stuff ready too.”

Edward nodded as he pouted. “I’ve only had it for a few months. Dammit! It’s an Aston Martin!” He complained.

“I don’t know what that means,” I mumbled as I put my hair up with a clip so that it was out of the way.

Rushing to get dressed, my man was ready for blood. “It means he’s a pretentious prick that likes James Bond too much.”

He frowned. “That’s why you started drinking martinis, so don’t give me that.”

“They taste good, and that is a quarter of a million-dollar-”

I smacked his arm to get his attention. “Not now. It’s his car! Be nice,” I remarked, grabbing my thicker jacket for when we went outside. I was in sweatpants and a hoodie already, but I knew we would have to be out in the cold at least a little while. 

Jasper got his service weapon from the safe in the closet. “Stay together and keep the door locked until the police come if I don’t return.” He pulled out his phone and dialed the emergency number.

We watched him go out the front door, locking it behind him. Edward visibly swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with anxiety.

It felt as if I weighed four hundred extra pounds, and my entire body was being dragged down towards the floor. “He’ll be back in a minute. Would you like another cup of coffee? It’s going to be a hell of a day.”

“Yeah, sure,” he breathed.

We trudged to my kitchen. Popping some cinnamon raisin bread in the toaster, I took out two fresh mugs from the cabinet. I poured our drinks before going to the fridge to get butter and creamer. He put a couple of spoonfuls in his. The utensil clinked annoyingly on the ceramic edge. I pushed my fruit bowl towards him. He picked an apple, so I grabbed it from him and washed it silently before passing it back. When my toast popped, I buttered it and got myself a banana. We ate without saying anything. 

It took way longer than I would have liked for Jasper to return. Every minute made my heart pound faster, my stomach beginning to ache with nervousness. It didn’t help that the man across from me was literally vibrating in place with his overwhelming emotions. He had broken up with his girlfriend and lost his pretty car in less than twenty-four hours. It wasn’t his week.

“They left a note on the sunroom,” my husband said in a rush as he came into the room to look for us. He still had his gun in one hand and his phone in the other.

The words didn’t make sense at first. I didn’t know how I could miss something like that. “What?” I questioned. There was nothing like that on it when we were in there earlier, I was positive. I rushed to go see what he was talking about. Both of the men trailed behind me quickly.

 In the middle of the glass pane, in bright red dripping paint, was, ‘Hello, Bella.’

“That was not there a few minutes ago,” Edward mumbled in shock. He looked at Jasper, his eyes blinking rapidly. “That- they must have-”

“Yeah. It’s fresh. It’s still wet,” he whispered. “That type of paint dries in under twenty minutes.”

My gut twisted so hard the food I just put in it instantly came back up in my mouth. I rushed to the half bathroom under the stairs, where I threw up violently. My knees cracked on the tiles, sending pain shooting up my thighs. 

“Why are they doing this to me?” I demanded through snot and tears. “I didn’t do anything! Leave me alone!” I sank to my rear and leaned my head against the seat.

Jasper rushed after me. He grabbed a towel and wet it to wipe my face before kneeling beside me. When he got down, there was a knock on the door. I took the cloth from him to do it myself. He went to get it while Edward stepped in to check on me. Offering me his hand, he tugged me to my feet.

“I just want it to stop,” I whimpered.

“I know.” Gently, he hugged me and patted my back. Letting me cry it out, I pushed my face into his peacoat. He pulled the bottle of water I had given him out of his jacket pocket and offered it to me. “I’m sorry.”

“Your car,” I pouted. I probably looked like a child, but I couldn’t control my emotions for a second longer. Everything came pouring out like a flood. “I’m so horrified and embarrassed-”

Placing his hand on my shoulder, he stopped me. “Don’t. It’s insured, and it’s not your fault. I’m just scared for you,” he swore as he rubbed my forearm. He went into the bathroom for a brief second to get some toilet paper to wipe my tears. “Let’s go sit down, sweetheart.”

We both sat on the edge of my sofa, two feet apart. I had the tissue wadded in my trembling fist.

“Edward, you need to talk to them,” Jasper called over his shoulder from the doorway after only a minute. “And I have to call Sam.” 

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12/14/2020

Ring: Chapter Sixteen: A Couple More Steps

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Chapter Sixteen:
​A Couple More Steps


It took me two weeks to pick out what I wanted. My sister-in-law was far more helpful than all the men combined. I eventually went with a car that was custom built for me, picking out each element until it was just so. It would take about a month to get to me from the factory, and then Rosalie would make some modifications of her own as well as getting a new flashy paint job. I was excited and pleased that it all came in under seventy-five thousand. It had every safety feature and would be the most comfortable ride ever while looking more my style. It was nice, but it didn’t stand out.

Once I paid it off in full, I donated the rest of the insurance money to the NAACP anonymously in Bree Tanner’s honor. I felt I finally ran out of new information about her, and I knew Jasper was doing his own quiet work without talking about it. It wasn’t like he could do anything while he was still on a leave of absence, though. I didn’t know what else to do.

I knew without her, I wouldn’t have the world I was living in. It made me feel guilty I was somehow benefiting from her death. It wasn’t my intention in the least. I didn’t want it like that, and it wasn’t how I figured my career would start. If I couldn’t thank her, even if it wasn’t on purpose, I would send something good out into the cosmos. If they had taken her seriously when it first happened, Royce wouldn’t have killed so many others. They didn’t listen because of her skin color, though. That wasn’t a universe I longed to live in.

As Valentine’s Day approached, Jasper and I began to plan. We knew we wanted to do a scene, and there was no way we were going to a restaurant the week of the holiday. The problem was we couldn’t determine who would be in charge.

So, we decided the old-fashioned way- with rock, paper, scissors.

He had such a cocky smile when he won. It wasn’t like there would be any losers in this game, though. That’s why we were having a hard time choosing. “Mm, I think I’ll have you serve me a nice home-cooked meal,” he began playfully as he adjusted his sleeves at his wrists. “And you’ll be wearing something special the entire evening.”

“Color me surprised,” I joked. “Do you have something in mind?”

Nodding, he smirked a little. “You’ll see, darlin.”

Luckily, he didn’t force me to cook in pleather. Jasper allowed me to spend the afternoon in the kitchen unbothered while he worked on things in the bedroom for later. As it got closer to dark, he leaned against the doorway quietly to watch me work with his arms crossed. He was wearing a tight black shirt stretched over his muscled chest, a pair of snug Wranglers, and my favorite soft brown leather belt. “How much longer does that have?”

“Ten minutes,” I replied as I wiped off the countertop. I was keeping everything tidy. It would cook just a couple more moments before resting, then plating. Everything was going to be perfect.

“When you’re done, go get changed before you serve me. There is something waiting for you on the bed. Put your hair up and no makeup.”

“Yes, sir.”

Grinning, he curled his finger to beckon me closer. When I came to him, he gave me a deep kiss. He pulled me to his chest with his hand on the small of my back. “I’m going to have so much fun with you tonight.” He rubbed his nose against mine.

Breathless and horny, my husband left me to finish up our meal.

I set the table before I went into our room. Inside, it was dim, but there were flameless candles everywhere as well as roses. In the center was a sturdy wooden chair with my favorite wand tied in a very certain position. It left nothing to the imagination.

“Good god, I’m going to make a mess,” I complained to myself as I looked at it.

Moving to our bed, I went to see what he had left for me. In the middle were thigh-high fishnet stockings in white and a baby blue latex mini dress that would barely cover my ass. I picked it up and laughed. There was nothing else.

I brushed my teeth and braided my hair, putting on my outfit as quickly as I could. It was a feat of determination. I was as squeezed in as I could be, my breasts popping out so much that my nipples were a sneeze away from bursting free.

When I came down the stairs, Jasper was waiting for me with my new fancy collar in his hands. His smile grew wide as his cheeks went scarlet. His tongue darted out to moisten his lips as his eyes moved over my body, over and over again. A bulge was visible through his jeans.

“Damn,” he sighed. “Turn around and let me see the back.” When I did, he rubbed his hand over my ass and gave it a good smack. It sounded like a cheap plastic kids drum. It made him chuckle to himself. “Hell yeah.”

He turned me around, taking a step closer so he could lift my chin. We gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment. There was nothing but love in them. “Are you ready to start the scene for real, Isabella?”

“Yes, sir,” I grinned.

Slowly, he put my collar into place around my neck. It was much tighter to my throat than my necklace. My lock and key sat between my high breasts. Jasper ran his finger over the links before peeking at me from underneath his thick eyelashes. “If dinner didn’t smell so delicious, I would eat you first.”

I giggled as I blushed. “I’d suggest enjoying the food first. It’s really good. And I even have a martini waiting for you, sir. With extra olives and everything.”

“Well, we don’t want that to get warm, at least,” he teased, taking my hand. Jasper made sure I walked ahead of him so he could look at my ass. “Go get it ready for us, darlin.” He swatted it again.

Bringing the covered plate to the table first, he was already sitting down. I left his drink in the freezer to keep it icy cold. I didn’t like how it tasted, but hopefully, he did. There was also a bottle of wine for us to share. A chocolate cake with fresh strawberries was waiting on the island for dessert.

I lifted the dome, and steam billowed from the meal. Underneath was a perfect filet mignon on a bed of pommes aligot and baked garlic sugar snap peas, drizzled with thick brown mushroom gravy. Beside it was four of the biggest scallops I had ever seen. They had been seared in butter and finished in the oven.

“Your dinner, sir.”

He genuinely gasped. “Oh, my god. You have somehow outdone yourself again, Isabella,” he cooed as his hand rubbed my ass. “You are always so good to me.” He pulled up the back of my dress over it, exposing my bare skin. “Come, have a seat and enjoy this incredible feast with me.”

He was so hard against my thighs. First, he took a sip of his drink and hummed in pleasure. His eyes fluttered closed as his chin tilted back. I had never made one for him before. “Perfect.”

“There is plenty to make you more, too, sir,” I promised. “I even have more glasses in the freezer chilling.”

“Don’t you just think of everything,” he purred as his hand moved between my legs to spread them a little. “Such a good girl.”

Dinner felt like an hour of foreplay. He only touched my ass and thighs, but it was also filled with tender kisses and dirty promises.

When we were done, he began to lead me to our room before stopping in the living room. I realized there was a riding crop on the table. He was prepared, too. “Get on your hands and knees.” I did so instantly. The dress had been pulled back down, but it still exposed so much. He walked around me to get a better look. He moved the bit between my thighs. “That’s exactly what I wanted to see. So wet already. I plan to test how far I can take it tonight. I want to see how many orgasms you can give me.” He smacked my ass with it. “They’re mine, and you won’t hold back. Now crawl to our bedroom.”

I got about as far as the stairs before I looked at them and then him. I sat back on my bottom. “Um… yellow? I don’t think I can do it.”

He laughed in surprise. “Why?”

“I just don’t…” I smirked. “And I don’t wanna.”

“Get your ass upstairs,” he ordered. I stood up. “On your knees, Isabella.”

“Ha, no. Red. I’m walking,” I said with a challenging giggle. “I’m not going to bust my nose because you want to see me struggle up the stairs in this too tight thing.”

Laughing loudly, he was a little tipsy, and it showed on his features. “Fine.” He shook his head, playfully swatting my ass. It wasn’t a punishment. He pointed with the riding crop. “Go, but know that you’re not making things easier on yourself.”

“Good. I don’t want them to be easy,” I sassed and took the first step.

Someone knocked on the door as soon as it touched. 

“No!” He growled at it, nearly shouting the word. I dashed up the stairs to the landing where no one could see me. Jasper threw the crop on the couch before stomping to it. He looked through the window. His head fell back. “Noooo,” he whined. He swung it open. “What the hell do you want?”

Edward was on the other side. I realized his face was bright red and stained with tears. I took a couple of steps down to get a better look. He was shaking, either with his emotions or the cold. “Uh, I’m sorry to be disturbing you-”

“No, you’re not,” he interrupted. “Why are you here? Why are you bothering us? Don’t you have a very beautiful girlfriend you should be with right now?”

“No, I don’t,” he sniffled. His hand roughly rubbed over his mouth. “Can I talk to Bella? Is she here?”

Jasper looked offended that he would even ask. “Why?” He took in a deep breath, sniffing the air. He cocked his head to the side. “Are you drunk?”

“Yeah, actually. I am. Very. Very,” he slurred.

He leaned through the door to look at the driveway. “And you drove here? Seriously? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

His eyes were half-lidded. “I just need to talk to Bella for a minute, then I’ll go.”

“What could you possibly wish to communicate to my wife on Valentine’s Day?” He growled in his face. “Trashed out of your mind. You’re not in college anymore!”

“Look, I know. But I broke up with Tanya tonight, and she’ll be the only one that’ll understand why.” His eyes were unseeing as he blinked away tears. He leaned against the doorway. “I was going to propose, but she wasn’t-” He stopped himself. I took a couple more steps, not even thinking about it. I was just so surprised. Finally, he noticed. “Oh, my.”

I held onto the banister to keep my balance. “Why did you break up with her?”

“Because she wasn’t you.”

“I don’t want you!” I threw my hands up, stomping one of my feet. “And I don’t know why you’d want me. I’m not special.”

Both men scoffed because they wanted to argue. “Look, I know you don’t. Those words are burned into my soul at this point. But it’s more what you represent and, and, and-” he stuttered.

“And what does she, huh? Because I have theories as a doctor of psychology,” Jasper snapped.

“My shallowness. My hollow, plastic, fake existence.” He pointed at me, babbling. “Because she didn’t fit into the idea of my world, I didn’t even bother to get to know her as a friend. For two years! Years! Can you imagine if I had pulled my head out of my ass for even a second and asked about your life or interests? Your writing. But my first reaction to finding out you’re into this is the desire to use you like a fucking object. I was a predator and a creep. And because of that, I lost the opportunity to be in your world. As a friend or a lover. I hate it and myself. And I didn’t deserve you. And Tanya doesn’t deserve to be strung along anymore. I’ve been trying to fight it for a long time, but I’m not my entire real self with her. But I could have been with you. I don’t want to pretend. I want someone to love me for all of what I am, not this well-kept shell.”

Sighing, I rubbed my hand over my face. “Come in. It’s cold. We can talk in the sunroom,” I mumbled as I pointed towards the back. I blew a raspberry through my lips, avoiding my husband’s annoyed gaze. “He can’t drive in this condition. Just give me a few minutes, okay?” He huffed. “He’s not going to hurt me.”

Jasper rolled his eyes. “I know, but he’s still a fucking prick for interrupting us on Valentine’s Day,” he shouted the last two words at the back of his head. “This shit couldn’t have waited until tomorrow?”

“Obviously, I’m not thinking clearly,” Edward garbled, not turning around.

“Obviously,” he repeated back in an insolent tone. “I’ll be in here if you need me.”

I led him into the sunroom. He plopped onto the chaise lounge. At least if he vomited, everything in the room was washable. “This is nice,” he grumbled to himself as he slouched down onto it. “I bet this is an excellent place to write in.” He put his feet up like he was on a therapist’s couch.

Sitting across from him, I shrugged. I made sure my knees were tight together, my arms crossed over my stomach. “It is. I’ve been working on my screenplay here a lot recently. I’m almost done with the first draft,” I over-explained anxiously. 

“Oh, yeah,” he briefly smiled. “That’s great about the movie. T told me about that. Good for you.” He nodded. For several seconds, he was quiet. “Bella, what am I doing with my life?”

“Pulling the wrong tiger’s tail if you keep showing up here unannounced,” I said sarcastically. “That man has the gentle soul of an artist, but he will wring your neck like a chicken if you come here again. Especially to tell me you’ve just broken up with my very good friend because of me.”

“It’s absolutely not you. I get that. I don’t know why I’m so hung up on you.” He looked at me longingly, his eyes moving over my legs. “Actually, I do.” He took his jacket off and handed it to me. “You should cover yourself up.” He waved his hand over his chest, looking away as he blinked. “You’re clearly cold.”

I pulled it over my shoulders. “Yeah, that might be because I’m in lingerie. You know, we worked all day to make tonight perfect. That was our gift to each other.”

“I’m sorry,” he sighed, pushing his palms into his eyes. “What am I going to do?”

“Stop drinking, go to a therapist, and date women into BDSM,” I started sardonically with a shrug. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I don’t know either.” He looked up at the ceiling. “All the girls I know who are into it aren’t into dating or not exactly wife material. I don’t suppose you know anyone?”

Snorting, I shook my head. “Only Alice.” He scoffed. “Really? Isn’t ‘shallow’ what you’re trying not to be anymore?”

Edward hastily bowed his head. He could barely keep it up. “No, she’s gorgeous. She’s just weird.”

Rolling my eyes, I threw his jacket at him as I stood. “Yeah, but so are you. I’m not putting you in a cab while in this condition. Sleep it off in here.” I pulled the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and grabbed one of the pillows. I passed them to him. “If I hear you’ve driven while drunk again, I’ll let Jasper have at you. It’s not okay. You could have hurt yourself or someone else. You gave me shit for it, too.”

He accepted the cushion and laid his head on it. His eyes were already closed. “I know. I’m stupid, but I wasn’t thinking.” He threw the blanket over his shoulder. “I won’t do it again, I promise.”


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


Click to download the epub of this chapter!!
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✨The next chapter of✨
💍Ring💍
will post on
December 18th!
💛See y'all then!💛

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12/11/2020

Ring: Chapter Fifteen: In the Engine

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Chapter Fifteen: In the Engine


Unsurprisingly, it took a little while to put a check that large into the bank. When Jasper saw the exact balances in my checking and savings, his eyes got gigantic. I had reached eight figures in about four months. And it was still coming, every new paycheck more than the last.

“We need to get you a financial advisor and an accountant, too,” he stated as he waved a hand towards the screen once the woman helping us got up to do something. “I’m sure Dad could probably help you with that,” he whispered while we sat in one of the cubicles. It was a quiet Tuesday, though. No one was paying attention to us.

She returned, a big smile on her face. “I’m sorry this is taking so long. We just need to make a call. It’ll only be a few more moments.”

“We’re in no rush,” I promised with a reassuring grin. 

Several minutes later, the manager, an old fat white man with no hair, came out with her following behind. She was holding a receipt and some papers for me to sign.

“Mrs. Hale, is there anything else you’d like us to help you with today?” He said eagerly after we finished up with the rest of the paperwork. It only took a couple of signatures. “Any services?”

“I’d like to add my husband to my account, get him a card, and order new checks, too, please.”

“Bella,” Jasper remarked in surprise. His eyes were wide as he looked down at his lap.

“What? What is mine is yours. It’s your money now too. You helped me.”

He quickly shook his head. “No, it’s not. That is yours. You worked very hard for it. I did nothing.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know we didn’t sign a prenup, right?” He blinked for a couple of seconds, his mouth hanging open. “So, it’s yours too.”

The poor woman didn’t know what to say. “We just need your ID and your Social Security number to get that started,” the manager who was still supervising our interaction interrupted our minor spat. I glared at Jasper until he huffed and pulled out his wallet. She took it from him slowly. “We’ll get that set up. Would you like a drink while you wait?”

“No, thank you,” I said politely. They left us alone again.

“We need to put you on my account then, too,” he stated quickly in a low tone.

Nodding, I adjusted my sweater. “That’s fine. I won’t ever use it, of course. But it might be wise to have me on it, anyway. Oh, we should start a retirement account together,” I replied unbothered. “Eh, I don’t know if we need it, but that’s what the accountant is for.”

“We’re getting a postnup,” he added.

“Nah,” I laughed. “We’re not getting divorced, and if I ever do anything to piss you off enough to leave me, I want you to take half of everything. None of it will matter without you. I don’t think I could live without you at this point, anyway. I’d die of a broken heart. It would be worse than that month.”

“Yes, exactly. That month. What if I screw up, hm?” He countered. Rolling my eyes again, I shook my head. “Isabella- Bella, be smart. I’m trying to protect you.”

“No,” I declared. He puffed again, his arms crossed over his chest.  “Okay, you know what? We’ll get one, but only if it says you’ll get seventy-five percent of everything.”

Jasper scoffed at my dramatics, smirking as he looked out the window. “I’m somewhere between totally annoyed and overjoyed that you feel so strongly about me.”

“Are you just now realizing that I like you?” I teased. “Jeez, honey. I thought I was coming on pretty strong.”

Laughing, he took my hand before giving it a gentle squeeze. “At least think about it.”

“Nope,” I repeated, smiling at him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he muttered like he was mad at me, but he wasn’t, really. He didn’t understand why I wouldn’t do it, especially if we weren’t ever getting divorced, but it was more than that. I knew I didn’t need that piece of paper. It was an act of submission I couldn’t even voice, though he wouldn’t see it that way. I was in every way at his mercy, and I trusted him with my whole heart to do what was right for us.

The main lot Jasper was talking about just wasn’t one, but several connecting over a literal mile. Hale/McCarty was above almost every kind of vehicle you could think of, each with their own massive mechanic’s bay. They even owned a tire shop, an oil change, a gas station, and the detailing place mixed among them. Rose’s shop was behind one of the biggest buildings, beside one that sold motorcycles exclusively. Fantastic vintage vehicles sat in the parking lot, waiting to be serviced. 

He led the way since I had no idea where I was going. All the ladies at the front desk smiled at us as we went. They sent out a weekly newsletter, and they often spoke about what was happening in the family. My father-in-law even shared the news about my books and claimed that everyone loved it. He knocked on the door with ‘Justin Hale’ on a plaque. There were only two offices on the floor we were on, which was the third.

Emmett opened the door for us. He was in pressed slacks and a blue polo shirt. McCarty was sewn onto the breast. “Yo! There’s my favorite sister.” He picked me up to give me a tight hug. It made me giggle as my feet dragged the ground. “It’s so fun to shop when it’s family. It’s so much easier. I can just tell you what’s shit.”

“Oh, thank you. That’s helpful,” I laughed.

His dad chuckled. “So, what are you thinking about getting?”

My brother-in-law put me down. “Mm, I don’t know, honestly. A car, I think. Four-door. I need a bigger backseat, so if I want to take my friends out, I can. But I definitely don’t want a truck or an SUV. Preferably a hybrid.” Then I shrugged because that’s all I really had. 

“That’s a very good start,” he reassured me as he gave me a quick hug. “And what are you looking to spend?”

We walked towards the elevators after he locked up his office. “Well, the check from my insurance was just under eight hundred thousand, but I am not spending all that on a vehicle. I’d like to keep it under a hundred thousand for sure. I don’t know how much environmentally friendly cars are.”

“They’re definitely in that range.”

“If you wanted two-door, I have a hybrid Porsche and a Tesla about that. But I’m guessing you mean that with all the bells and whistles,” Emmett added. “That Tesla would just be standard, but it’s still nice. It’s at the very upper end of your scale.”

I nodded. “And I was thinking about getting a custom paint job, too. But I don’t know how much that is. Not that price is a real issue.”

“What color do you want?” Justin continued. He was making a mental list for me. “We can have that done here, too.”

“I’d have to see my options, but a purple maybe. Something iridescent. Not like sparkly, but- I don’t know how to explain it. I just like that sheen.” He nodded his head as if he understood my babbling. I felt my cheeks blush.

“Girl, we can hook you up,” my brother-in-law promised in a loud voice. “You sure you don’t want another super nice Jag, though? That beast was sexy.”

I laughed. “No. It was cursed. Now it’s time to get something a little more humble and practical. I want this to last me at least a decade, and I intend to get my money’s worth. I don’t know how you talked Eric into all of that.”

“It wasn’t his money, so it makes it easier,” he chuckled. “We gave him a good deal, too. I actually wondered what it was appraised at. We tricked it out in every way possible.”

“And we’ll have the same done to your new one, whatever you pick.” He shook his head. “It is such a shame,” my father-in-law sighed. “Have you found out anything about it?”

Jasper shook his too, pursing his lips as his arms crossed over his chest. “No. We can’t get an unobstructed view of their face, and it’s definitely not one of our neighbors. And none of them have kids. I’m positive it’s a short woman, but that’s not much to go on. It’s got to be one of the groupies close to him or at the trial.”

“Eh, at least it’s a little chick,” Emmett offered. He winked at one of the old secretaries as we walked past her desk. She grinned at him.

“A small female with a gun can kill as many people as a man. It’s one of those great equalizers. I won’t let my guard down because of it. It just makes me more paranoid of everyone now.”

“I think I could take her,” I joked to ease his tension. He rolled his eyes. “What? I hit hard.”

“I know you do, darlin,” he cooed at me playfully. It was sarcastic. I pushed him gently, making him laugh. “You do, but I don’t think that would matter. You’d be surprised how strong crazy is.”

“Sometimes, a good smack just solves problems,” I declared. “I’m bigger. Maybe if I rattled her brains, it would make her right again. Because we all know she ain’t now.”

Justin turned his head to look over his shoulder at me. “I agree with you. Whoever this person is, they need a swift kick in the seat of their pants.”

Snorting, I bit my lip to keep in my laughter. “I was thinking more like a two-by-four to the back of the skull, but sure. Kicking asses works, too.”

“I’ll keep my gun, thanks,” my husband mumbled anxiously. “I’ll have to get a new handgun once I turn in my service weapons. I should get you a taser.”

“But I’d tase myself!” I laughed. “You keep the weaponry. I’ll stick to my words. You have the training. Actually, you are my weapon.” He rolled his eyes dramatically.

We went around the different lots for two hours in the back of a fancy black golf cart. I saw features in some of them I liked, but I was waiting for one to speak to me. We were looking at a BMW when I was hit by a stomach cramp. It made me wince, sulking at the gurgling that followed it. I leaned against the car to catch my breath.

Jasper noticed. “What’s the matter?”

I waved him off. “Ugh, I’m just getting really hungry, and it’s making my tummy upset,” I pouted. “I’ll be fine.”

He looked at his watch. “Well, let’s see. You only ate a banana and had a cup of coffee this morning… six hours ago?”

“I wasn’t hungry then!” I complained.

Emmett grinned. “Let’s go get Rosie and get some lunch. Want cheesecake? There’s a Cheesecake Factory around here.”

Shrugging in response, I glanced at Jasper. “Sounds good. I’m not picky.”

Everyone lit up when we walked into the shop, greeting us loudly over the noises of the machines grinding. I recognized some of them from her birthday party. The bay doors were open, so we could see inside. Rosalie was in a blue jumpsuit, her entire body inside the engine of a truck from maybe the forties. Only her butt was hanging out, one leg higher than the other. She had grease all over them.

Her husband slowly snuck up behind her. “HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” He shouted at her. It made her jump and smack her head into the hood with a loud thud. She instantly looked furious. “Oops! Shit! Are you okay?”

She whacked him several times about the chest. “How many times have I told you not to do that to me?!” Then my sister-in-law noticed me. It immediately changed her mood. “Hey! There you are! How’s the car shopping going?”

“I think I need your help,” I admitted. The men were more about facts I didn’t care about, and I needed a female opinion. “We were going to go to lunch. Would you like to join us?”

“Yes! Let me go take this off and wash up. I’ll be right out.” She sent her husband a nasty look before she turned to do that. “I’ll get you later.” She pointed two fingers at her eyes and then one squarely at his nose. He looked terrified. It was a genuine threat.

Justin was laughing to himself as he walked back out of the bay. “You know better.”

“I do, but I’m stupid, though,” he said with a southern drawl, then blew out a raspberry from his thick lips. “One day, she’s going to sew me up in the sheets and beat me with a frying pan.”

“Do you own a frying pan?” Jasper dryly asked.

“Ha, I don’t know,” he smirked. “But I bet she doesn’t know either.”

The place was busy for lunch, so we had to wait. Since they were the bosses, they could take as long as they wanted to, though. We chatted pleasantly about what I preferred in a vehicle the entire time. After about fifteen minutes, Rose pushed herself off the wall. It seemed like a sudden surprise, her eyes getting bigger. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

“I’ll go with you,” I responded, grabbing my purse.

I only had to pee and wash my hands. It took less than a minute. I was in and out before Rosalie wiggled her skin tight blue jeans to her ankles.

There was a sharp intake of breath. “Dammit,” she whimpered.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh… Um, I just started my period.”

I wrinkled my nose. That would explain the suddenness. “Oh, that sucks. I’m sorry, I don’t think I have anything on me.” Quickly, I looked in my bag to check. “I haven’t had one in months. I’ve been on the shot for over a year now.”

“No, I have something.” I heard the wrapper coming undone after she fished it from her purse. It was just a couple of moments later that she came out. Her eyes were red, and there were tears sliding down her cheeks. She was trying to pretend they weren’t there.

Touching her arm, I took a step closer. “Are you okay?”

She drew in a ragged, painful breath. “Yeah.”

“I do have some aspirin if you’re hurting that bad,” I offered. But she shook her head. She washed her hands. “What’s going on?”

She looked at her reflection for a moment. Her nose was pink, and snot was trying to come out of one nostril. She swiped it away. “I was just… hoping to not start, you know?” She smoothed her lips together as she soaked a towel and wiped her eyes. “I was a few days late this time, and I got my hopes up, which is stupid.”

Gently, I rubbed her back. “I’m sorry. You’re young, though. You’ve got plenty of time.”

“We’ve been trying for a literal decade.” She held onto the edge of the sink. “It’s not going to happen. Even with the shots and the pills and the fucking doctors.” She began to cry openly, bringing her fists up to her forehead. “I want a baby so damn bad. I can feel them in my arms when I dream about them every night. I want to look into his little face and kiss his nose,” she wept.

Bringing her into my arms, I held her to my chest. She rested her head on my shoulder as she let it out. Soothingly, I caressed comforting circles over her spine. “Okay. So, there are other options. If you can’t get pregnant yourself, maybe we can get some of your eggs, and I can be your surrogate. That way, it’ll be yours, even if you can’t carry it to term yourself.”

Rosalie pulled back in shock to look at me. “You would do that for us?”

“Yes, of course! I want to be an aunt, too! We were thinking in a few years we’d start trying ourselves. I can practice being pregnant.” I shrugged as if it was nothing. There were very few people in the world I would do this for, but she was at the top of the list.

Laughing, she rubbed her eyes. “We’ve actually been talking about that or adoption. I really do want a baby that looks like Emmett, though. I want a boy. With those dimples and curly hair. God, what would Jasper say about that?”

Again, I shrugged. “He’d understand why I want to help my sister, even if he doesn’t want his brother-in-law to knock me up.”

Rose cackled, giving me the reaction I wanted. Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. “I love you. I don’t know if I’ll take you up on it. I need to try a little longer, but thank you so much for offering. You honestly don’t know what it means to me.”

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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💍Ring💍
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12/7/2020

Ring: Chapter Fourteen: The Other Side of Fort Worth

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Chapter Fourteen:
​The Other Side of Fort Worth


Sam and his wife Emily lived on the other side of Fort Worth, so it was a bit of a drive, especially with the traffic. Everyone was heading home since the holiday season was finally over. It was a new week and a new year, so it was time to get on with real life. I would miss the lights. I was going to keep the ones that Jasper hung up for our anniversary in the sunroom. They just made me happy. They were a pleasant reminder of that night.

I spent the morning preparing some foods I knew our friend liked when I cooked for him in Albany. Potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and brownies. He said we didn’t need to bring anything, but we wouldn’t come empty-handed. They were all excellent things to have at a barbecue, anyway. Jasper also bought a case of beer. Sam would never argue with that.

They had a cute little house in the suburbs, wedged closely in a middle-class neighborhood. It was brick with yellow-painted shutters, and it looked like it was from the seventies. His car and truck were parked out front as well as a couple of dirt bikes underneath the carport. Some parts were laid out on a towel around them. Neither of them was in running order. 

Sam opened the door with an enormous smile. “WELCOME!” He said too loudly, holding his hands up. “Come in.” He beamed when he saw what I had in my hands. “You brought me food, too! God, I missed your cooking,” he mumbled as he drew me into a hug. “You smell like chocolate,” he added into my hair. Blushing, I giggled.

We followed him through the living room to the kitchen. It was a mismatched collection of Native American art and western designs. Everything was just so. His wife must have been good at keeping him in check because I knew he could make a mess.

There was a tiny woman with long straight black hair down to her waist standing at a stove. It was stunning, a solid sheet of shining ebony. She had olive skin, like Sam. They were almost the same shade. “Hey, baby! Where do you want me to put this stuff they brought?” He asked as he came into the room.

When she turned around, I realized that almost half of her face was horribly scarred and disfigured. It looked like it had been slashed by something sharp and large, drawing across her forehead, over one eye, and touching the corner of her lips. Automatically, I drew in a breath as my eyes got wide. It was a little too loud.

She took the plastic containers from him. “Hi!” She said pleasantly, then pointed at her face. “He didn’t warn you, did he?” I shook my head slowly. She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. Emily was smirking. “Uh, what an asshole. He knows better. I was mauled by a bear when I was on a camping trip when I was a teenager,” she stated calmly. My cheeks heated in embarrassment. I would have never asked, and I felt ashamed for acting as I did. It was just a split moment where I couldn’t control it. “It’s okay, everyone is surprised the first time they see if they haven’t been warned.” She purposefully glared at her husband.

Swallowing, he bowed his head as he looked at his feet. “I didn’t even think about it, and Bella is the last person to care.”

“Yes, but it’s still shocking!” She scolded, then turned to look at my man. “Jasper, you should have.”

He put his hands up in defense right away. “I’ve had things on my mind. And I’m not one to say anything about scars. Just most of mine aren’t on my face.” He pulled his collar away from the one on his throat by his ear.

“I’m sorry.” I shook my head. I didn’t mean to start anything. It made me feel guilty.

“No.” She walked to me and offered me her hand. When I took it, she put her other on top of mine. “I am so excited to meet you finally. He bragged about your food so much,” she giggled softly. It was a delicate, sweet sound. “Thank you for making sure he ate at least somewhat healthy.”

“It was my pleasure. Thank you for inviting us into your home.”

Smiling, she peeked over my head at the man right behind me. “The good doctor should know he’s always welcome here, and so is his wife,” she promised before looking at her husband. “Go start the charcoal before you have another beer, please. I don’t want you to set yourself on fire. Again.”

Instantly, he was offended. Sam pouted. “I did it once, and that was fifteen years ago.” He held up his finger. “One time.”

“You only have to do it once.” She wiggled her fingertip at him before booping his nose.

We followed him outside onto his deck. He had a massive grill and a big picnic table with a rainbow-colored umbrella. The patio was covered in small potted plants that seemed to be mostly herbs, and the entire backyard was a garden. Even with it being the middle of winter, there was still an abundance of things growing in it and producing. It was obvious it was something that Emily spent a lot of time working on. She must have had some time to spare since he was always traveling.

“Sorry about that,” Sam said to me after he shut the door in a low voice. “She’s obviously not shy about it, and I just don’t think about it. I don’t see scars when I see her face.” He shook his head. “I see my beautiful wife.”

I brought my thumbnail to my mouth to chew anxiously, but I caught myself before I could. “I’m sorry that I just automatically reacted. It was rude, and I feel like I should properly apologize.”

Sam snorted. “Trust me, you can’t not react. It’s a human thing. Don’t worry, it doesn’t upset her. It’s how you act after you get over the shock that matters. And people have done and said far worse.”

“People are jerks,” I complained as I sat down at the cast iron table. The metal chair scraped against the wooden deck.

“Yup, that’s why we have jobs.” He waggled his finger between him and Jasper.

“Why you have a job. I’m going to use up a little more of my paid time off, and then I’m done. I can’t do it anymore. If I had any doubts about it before, yesterday cleared it up for me.”

He paused to look at him, a container of lighter fluid in his hands. “Really?”

“My publishers are going to pay him to be my bodyguard,” I explained. “So, you still have one because people are the worst. It’s just that you’ve jumped specialties. You’re narrowing your focus.”

Snorting, he glanced at me. “I guess that’s true, but I don’t consider it a career.”

“Huh,” our friend said to himself, squirting the coals down liberally. He was shaking his head a little to himself, his eyes unseeing as he soaked them.

“What?” My husband questioned.

He peeked over his shoulder at us. “Uh, um… Well, they offered me that new gig you were supposed to start back to once the trial was over earlier this week. I haven’t responded yet since I’m on vacation right now.” He swallowed and looked back at the grill. “Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I’m flattered, but I didn’t want you to lose your position. Though I can understand why they’re looking for someone to fill it. They’re drowning. I realize I’m not a doctor like you, but I am qualified for it.”

“Oh!” Jasper beamed, his smile surprisingly bright. “That’s fantastic! You should take it! I know you’ve been ready to find a more steady path for a while now. And that has got to be a good pay bump.”

“It is. I haven’t told Emily,” he whispered, then cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to kick you out of a job, but if you don’t want it… I’m a loyal colleague first and greedy bastard second.”

Jasper laughed. “I don’t. Not at all. That would be great. It means we’ll be able to hang out occasionally,” he encouraged. “You should take it.”

Licking his lips, he considered his words. His dark eyes peered over at his friend. “Are you sure?”

“Nothing would make me happier,” he stated as he put his hand on his heart. “You are an amazing agent. One of the best I’ve met. Texas would be safer for it.”

Sam smiled. “I’ll write them an email later, letting them know that I’ll accept it.”

Emily came out with a pitcher of tea, placing it in the center of the table. “How’s it going?”

“Still working on it,” her husband swore as he hurriedly tried to get his lighter going. When it finally caught, a small ball of flames almost licked his arm. It was like a mushroom cloud. He drew it away quickly, his eyes wide in surprise. “I’m fine,” he promised automatically. “It didn’t get me.”

Shaking my head, I looked over at his partner. I think the men needed to talk a little more on their own. “Do you need some help in the kitchen?”

“That would be fantastic, thanks!” I stood up to follow her. Grinning, she turned to look at me as she opened the backdoor. “By the way, I’ve already eaten a bowl of that mac and cheese you brought. It’s incredible. Can I have the recipe?”

“Oh! Sure! I’ll write it down for you. It’s really easy, and you can actually mix it up a lot to change the flavor,” I began, and once we started, we were off. She was friendly, pleasant, bold, and funny. She loved to eat as much as her husband did. And she teased him mercilessly. They were perfectly matched.

We stayed late into the evening, playing games and talking. Jasper needed it. Being around his family helped, but no one understood his trauma like his former partner. They went through it together, like soldiers in war. By the end, we promised to do it again soon. We would do it at our place once the landscaping was fixed. I couldn’t wait to entertain our friends at our home.

The garage door had already been cleaned, and the following day people would come by to look at the yard to start that process. It was tedious, but it gave me a chance to add more flowers and shrubs to our garden. Fruit trees in the back and maybe gardenia bushes in the front. I would make the best of an unpleasant situation because I wasn’t going to let them take away from my happiness. 

The mail came through a slot beside the solid door and landed on the small table with a decorative metal pail on it to catch them. When I put my purse away, I went to check it. Peeking over, I hung it on my hook. There were some coupons and a couple of sales papers. Picking through it, I wasn’t impressed. They would go into the recycling. A thin plain envelope was at the bottom of the pile.

I opened it with my key, ripping up the simple white paper. There was a check from my car insurance company. There was no note or any more information. It was for three-quarters of a million dollars.

“Oh, my god!” I gasped, dropping it onto the floor as if it burned me. Both of my hands flew to my mouth.

Jasper was hanging up his coat beside me. “What?” He said hastily, picking it up. His eyes scanned the page. When he got to the number, he laughed. “Holy shit! This is for your car?”

“I guess so. They mailed that?!” I questioned in shock. “That’s so much money! Are you fucking serious?”

“I guess when you go car shopping, you can get whatever you want,” he continued to chuckle at my reaction. “Wow! That’s more than what I was expecting. I wonder what Dad did to that thing. He must have given you a real family discount.”

“What am I going to do?”

He snorted. “Buy a new ride,” he said sarcastically, then shrugged. “What else is there to do?”

“I’m not dropping this much on a vehicle. That would be insane. No one needs a car like that. I can’t even imagine spending one hundred thousand.”

“That’s easier to do than you think.”

“I can’t wrap my head around it.” I took it from his grip so I could look at it again. My eyes kept tracing the numbers. All the zeroes made me dizzy. “What should I buy?” I had been too busy to research what I wanted to get.

“Darlin, you are asking the wrong Hale or McCarty for that.”

“Ohhh…” I drew out. “You’re right. I should talk to Emmett or Rose.”

He pointed at the paper. “We could go to the main lot tomorrow. I’m sure they’re all working. They’d all be pleased as punch to help you, and you know they’ll be honest with you since they’re family.”

It was funny that even he thought car salespeople and mechanics were shady. His dad was far from it, which is part of the reason he did so well. “Rosalie is one of the most trustworthy people I know.”

“I was talking about Emmett. He is a good salesman for a reason,” he sardonically declared. 

I giggled in response, folding the check and putting it in my purse. We would have to go to the bank the following day, anyway. I couldn’t keep it in the house. “Yeah, make sure we won’t be bothering them, but I think that’s a splendid idea. I’ve never picked out my own vehicle before, so this should be interesting. I’ll need some help.”

“Really?” He asked in surprise. I nodded, then shrugged. He saw my nearly seventy-year-old truck. And I certainly wouldn’t have chosen a million-dollar car for myself. “Well, hopefully, we’ll be able to find you exactly what you want.” 


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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✨The next chapter of✨
💍Ring💍
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