Pretend it's Tuesday! Here is your Teaser for Unexpected Circumstances, Chapter 28!
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The look on Esme’s face when I finally looked back up was similar to the one I had nearly pushed from the memories of my second night in Forks. It was the expression she wore the night she had chastised Edward on his knees for his treatment of me.
“I am sure he did not mean it,” I said quietly, suddenly fearful of her wrath, even with her mind still on her husband’s final moments in life.
“I am sure he is more foolish that the most adept of jesters!” Esme shot back. She inhaled deeply, and then let the air out through her nose over several seconds. Her hand patted mine as her eyes shot over to Edward. “I will be speaking to him of this.”
“Please, Esme-”
“I will be speaking to him!” she repeated with force.
I dropped my eyes in submission, trying to decide if I was glad she would speak to him those words I could not, or terrified of how he may react. What if he had decided he no longer loved me as he once did? What if he still protected me out of obligation only? I closed my eyes, trying to block away the thoughts.
“Isabella?” the Queen said softly, and my eyes went back to hers. “I had been so…overtaken with Carlisle health these months…I should have seen what he was doing. I should have known what was happening, and I should have suspected it, yet I did not. Can you ever forgive me for my neglect?”
“There is nothing to forgive,” I replied. “You could not have known, and your duty lies here, with Carlisle.”
“My duty goes far beyond his care,” she said. “I cannot ignore the rest of the Kingdom in my sorrow, and I know you are aware of this. I should have recognized Edward’s behavior and fixed this long ago. Please, forgive me.”
“Of course.” I nodded, knowing it was better to accept her apology than to argue the necessity of it.
We both looked to Edward as he stood from the side of the bed, and Carlisle’s hand dropped against the mattress. Edward walked slowly towards us, and Esme’s eyes went wide.
“Is he…?” she croaked.
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Uh oh...somebody's in trouble!
