Bring Him Home Chapter 32

He was right on time, the doorman let me know he was downstairs, so I picked up my wrap and purse and went downstairs to meet him.

I wasn't sure where we were going so I'd played it safe and just worn one of my favourite tops with a pair of good jeans and my favourite high boots. It was good enough for a decent restaurant but casual enough for a drive and to stop somewhere for a bite to eat.

As I stepped out of the elevator he was waiting for me with a frown on his face and I wondered if I had misunderstood the arrangements for tonight.

"What's the matter am I not dressed suitably for where were going?" I asked as I took a quick look over myself.

"What? No not at all, I mean you look lovely, no I wanted to come and get you from your door but the doorman said I wasn't on the list"

Relieved that was all it was I quickly introduced him to Arthur and got his name as well as Carlisle's added to my list of visitors.

"So where are we going?" I asked as he opened the passenger door of his car.

"Well I thought we might drive out in to the suburbs and go to a restaurant my Dad owns. It's somewhere I haven't been for a very long time and I needed to go and visit I was hoping you would like to join me"

I was intrigued, I had no idea that Carlisle owned a restaurant, usually my research on my clients was thorough enough that I found any side enterprises but I'd obviously missed this.

"I'd love to" I said as I settled into the seat and put on my seat belt.

The drive took about an hour and we ended up in small town I‘d never heard of on the shores of Lake Michigan. The restaurant was busy and from the parking lot alone I could tell the place was popular with locals and people from out of town.

He opened my door and held out his hand to help me out of the low seat, it was a lovely gesture and the first time I had actually walked along holding his hand. We walked across the lot but as soon as he set foot inside I felt him tense up. I rubbed my hand up and down his sleeve to remind him he wasn't alone and then gently applied pressure to his upper arm. I was trying to reassure him but I was ready to physical drag him out if I needed to.

The hostess obviously didn't recognise him because she informed us that there was an hour wait at least for a table and we could wait in the bar. She didn't even ask him for his name just looked at him and then me. I had the feeling as we were out of towners we would probably have the last available table tonight by the kitchen or the Restrooms!

"Could you let Riley know that Edward is here please he is expecting us"

Whoever Riley was, just hearing the sentence caused her to look up and start to apologise.

"I'm so sorry Sir of course, he has a table reserved for you, please follow me"

With that we were shown through the restaurant to a private booth in the corner, the table was set in a charming old fashioned way, check tablecloth, wild flower in a small mason jar and mismatched tumblers and glasses. While the overall effect was lovely it was easy to see that a lot of thought had gone into each piece and its placement.

Once we were seated a waiter came over and passed us the menus, it was then I finally saw the name of the restaurant "Platt's".

"The restaurant name is that significant?"  I was curious, it was a strange name

"Yes it was my mother's maiden name and this was her family's restaurant. It has been in the family for years and my mother took over running it right up to her death, just over six years ago"

I didn't comment and I wasn't sure whether he expected me to because he had hidden his face behind the menu, but I hadn't missed the piece of information he had just dropped in my lap. She died around the same time he ended up on the streets.

"So what's good here?" I asked before I realised he probably hadn't been here in a while.

"Well the menu doesn't change apart from a seasonal side menu the chef does sometimes, so you really are good with anything, the recipes are mainly old family ones that have been passed down. My Mom had several siblings but she was the only one interested in food so they gave her the restaurant and shared any inheritance among the rest of them, Riley is my first cousin."

I looked at him blankly, who was Riley?

"Riley is the manager; Dad couldn't bear to part with the place after Mom died so Riley took over the running of it"

He went back behind the menu so I gathered the topic was finished and went back to choosing my food. The dishes were a mixture of sea food and classic American comfort food so I was struggling to choose between macaroni cheese and the sea food platter. As I was trying to decide a guy walked up to the table and just stood looking at Edward.

"Shit Cuz you look a lot better now than you did the time I last saw you, what is it three years?"

With that he leant forward and tried to hug Edward who was still seated. It was an awkward embrace and when Edward realised Riley wasn't going to let go he stood up and returned the embrace. I once again felt quite invisible but I understood how emotional this must be for all involved. Finally, they parted and Riley looked at me as he picked up a spare napkin and unashamedly wiped his tears away.

"Forgive me I am forgetting my manners; I am Riley Biers manager of this establishment but more importantly I'm Edwards cousin"

He stuck his hand out for me to shake so I accepted it and introduced myself. Once we had sorted all that out we turned back to Edward who was just looking around the restaurant trying to take in if there had been any changes I thought.

"Are you going to join us?" I asked Riley. This seemed to snap Edward out of his haze and he looked at us and shook his head.

"If you don't mind Riley, Bella and I need to talk, could you join us another night?" he said as he finally put his menu down.

Riley smiled and looked at me and nodded, "Certainly I‘ll send over your waiter and I'll see you later. Good to see you again Edward and lovely to meet you Bella"

With that he attracted the attention of the waiter and sent him to us. We both placed our order and I sat back waiting for him to start the conversation.

"I suppose you picked up on the fact that I came to see Riley a few years ago" I nodded but didn't say anything hoping he would explain.

"I was particularly low and I needed some connection to my family, I couldn't chance seeing Dad or Emmett because they would have tried to bring me home and at that time I wasn't ready to deal with what I thought was waiting"

"That's what I don't understand Edward what could you have possibly been so afraid of?"

"I will tell you Bella, but just not yet ok, I need to get to know me again as well as getting to know you, I don't want to spoil that with all my dark secrets "

"I understand that Edward, but you have to understand that I need to be able to trust you and I can't do that completely until I know what happened all those years ago."

"That's not really true though is it? I mean if you met me in a bar now you would never know about my past and we would just date and get to know one another" he said

"Maybe but that's not the case is it? I do need to know at some point Edward" I needed him to understand that it was not an option, I needed to know.

As soon as I'd said it I could have kicked myself, the look on his face was enough for me to know he had already mentally pulled back, as he looked at the door I wondered if he was planning to leave.  I sat back and waited to see what he would do and I couldn't help but hold my breath as I watched the confusion play out on his face, he was obviously trying to work out what his next step was.

The silence continued as we waited for our food, I tried to ask him about the restaurant but his answers were distracted and forced so I left him to his thoughts.

I sat back and waited and realised that maybe it was time to think about what Carlisle had said, maybe Edward just wasn't ready for anything other than a friend who knew him now, someone who didn't know about his past. Could I just let everything go and get to know this version of Edward ?

? POV

"Why do you need to buy the biggest the biggest box of chocolates you can find?"

"Because I need something that will definitely get and keep her attention, to make sure she opens it and finds the bundle of information that I'll pop inside for her"

"Why can't you just send the clippings through the post?"

"Because that bitch of a receptionist might open the post and believe me getting past her is a major task on its own"

"So you think she won't be able to resist the chocolates?"

"Exactly, they will think they are a thank you from a client or something and when she opens the lid all the details about her new pet boyfriend will be there staring up at her and she won't be able to ignore them"

"Look to be honest I'm not that concerned about Swan, I don't see why we need to do this"

"Let's just say it is an added bonus, long overdue payback from years ago"

"Well you are costing me money, between the several hundred dollars you've had so far to take her to fancy restaurants, send her flowers, buy her breakfasts and now this, well let's just say I need every spare cent to go towards the fighting fund, it better be worth it?"

"oh it will be, believe me"

"ok, so when are you coming out for a visit, I'm getting lonely again, I could do with a little bit of our special time"

"Soon sweetness, very soon"