No copyright infringements are intended. The plot is mine I'm just borrowing the characters

Bring Him Home - Chapter 12

I wasn't quite sure how to handle the fact he was standing there in front of me. I was the only one who had seen him in person, the others had only seen him on the video clip. While the quality of the clip was good, you only ever saw him from side on, so no one had seen his full face.  I tried to meet his gaze to let him know I wouldn't do anything to embarrass him but he wouldn't meet my eyes.

I put the pan of pasta down in the warmer and stepped back so Rosalie could finish serving everyone. The line was dwindling and the room was nearly full so I was happy that everyone had had at least one hot meal today. I stood in the doorway and looked around to see where ‘Green Eyes' had gone to eat, I couldn't keep calling him ‘homeless guy ‘in my mind. My gaze was drawn to the side of the room where he was sitting away from the crowd eating his dinner. His eyes were flicking almost wildly between the food on his plate and me, well I presumed it was me because he was looking in my direction. I smiled at him, hoping that it would ease any tension he had that I was here but it just seemed to anger him, he slammed down his cutlery and stood up. Not wanting to be the cause of his distress I quickly backed into the kitchen and set about washing the pans I‘d used because there was going to be a mountain of washing up to do with the number of people we had fed tonight.

Ten minutes or so later I poked my head out of the door to see how everything was going, a few more people had turned up and as the room filled the noise level grew. There were all ages, children included in and both sexes present, it was such a sad sight, so many people without homes and families to support them or just in need of a hot meal. I tried looking for green eyes but I couldn't see him anywhere, it upset me to think that I had made him so uncomfortable that he had left sooner than he needed to.  As people started to bring their plates and cutlery back I remembered the two big boxes of protein bars I'd bought and I brought  them from the back to hand out. I passed them to Rosalie and she started to pass them first to the children and then on to who ever wanted one. I watched for a minute or two then went back in to the kitchen. There standing by a back door was my homeless guy, he had obviously come round the back and in through the kitchen door.

"Hi, how are you?" a stupid question I know, but I wasn't sure what to say.

He stood wringing the beanie hat he had in his hand but said nothing. I could tell he was warring with himself over whether to speak or not so this time I just gave him the time and space to do what he felt best. I walked back over to the sink and started to wash the first load of plates that had been brought in. I kept looking over to him to make sure he was still there, I was praying that no one would come barging in to the kitchen because I knew that would startle him and he would probably run.

"I need to speak to Emmett"

His voice was croaky and almost raspy but it was a relief to hear, I'd secretly worried he couldn't talk or that he had a problem with his throat or vocal cords, I'd even considered a personality disorder, but all that went out of the window with those six words.

I looked round to answer him and his face was a picture, it must have been a while since he'd heard his own voice because he looked surprised at the sound. He looked at me and then towards the kitchen door and back to me, he was willing me to hurry up and answer him I could see that.

"Emmett owns the gym in the building he is there most days, but you know that don't you, that's why you have been standing outside, you've been watching for him haven't you?"

He looked down at the floor but before I could ask him anything else he looked at me and nodded.

"Does Emmett know you?"

Again he nodded his head

"Why don't you just go into the gym then, he'll be around if not on the reception desk"

"I tried" he said quietly.

"You tried, I don't understand" I said but as I thought about it I realised what he meant.

"They wouldn't let you into the gym because of how you look?" I asked

He nodded again, the reception staff had obviously taken one look and decided he just wanted a shower or to get out of the cold. Instead of helping him they had thrown him out.

"Ok well would you like me to speak to Emmett for you?" I asked

He shook his vigorously, ok so he didn't want me talking to Emmett for him.

"Well how about I try to get him to meet you? If he knows you he should agree, tell me your name and I'll arrange it, ok?"

He looked at me for quite a while and I was wondering what the problem was, it was almost as if he was trying to decide whether to trust me or not. I couldn't help him if he didn't give me something to work with. I could just see Emmett's face when I asked to meet up with a homeless man because he said he knew him.

Finally he seemed to make a decision, a look of almost defeat flashed across his face as he uttered one word. "Edward"

"Well Edward, I'm Bella but you already know that, but it is nice to meet you properly. How about you come to the office tomorrow evening about six o'clock, everyone will have left for the day and you Emmett can chat in private."

He shook his head again and said nothing.

"You don't want to come to the office, ok what about the diner?"

Again he shook his head and pointed to his filthy coat.

I understood then that he was telling me he had problems getting into places because of the way he looked.

"I know why don't I get him to meet you in the park? You can wait on the park bench I saw you on when I gave you my business card, I'll bring him there and leave you two to talk."

He nodded and for the first time he smiled, a huge grin that lit up his dirty (but I suspected under all that dirt) beautiful face.

"Ok shall we say seven o'clock tomorrow? I'll speak to Emmett and if for any reason he can't make it or I don't see him I will come and tell l you so you aren't left wondering "

He nodded again and disappeared out of the back door.

I went back to the sink and started washing up again, I was amazed we had been able to have the whole conversation without anyone interrupting he was far too jumpy to have coped with anyone else in the room. I started to wonder how he knew Emmett and more importantly how Emmett would take the news I'd set up a meeting.

So we know for sure now it's Edward ........

Thank you to AJG and Edlovesme for doing a great job of beta and prereader. I know my American English is a little off sometimes, but  hey  AJG and I are English, that's my excuse.

To any of you that fancy reading some original work, Ladyletters has started posting here , it's all pre written and she has posted the first three chapters , so please pop over and have a read, it is worth your while. She is using the same author name so she is easy enough to find.

I'm really enjoying reading your reviews, you all seem to be getting into the plot and poor Jake is getting your backs up already and he has only just arrived.....