This Is Who I Am

Chapter Twelve

Edward's P.O.V

Emmett is pushed back with every punch I throw at the punching bag. Every punch harder than the last one, over and over and over again until my fists start feeling numb.

"Alright, alright, let's take a break." Emmett steps from behind the punching bag and grabs a towel from the stool beside us.

I grab mine and take a seat next to him. I'm dripping in sweat, like a bucket of water has been dropped on me but it feels good. I like the sore feeling in my arms, the exhaustion I feel that takes my mind off things. I chug on my water and pass it to Emmett, who does the same.

"I wasn't done." I breathe out and I take the bottle from him and drink from it again.

He laughs. "Man, I don't think I could have dealt with a couple more punches. I felt them even when I wasn't the one being punched."

I stand up, getting in my best professional boxer position and start throwing air punches at him. "Want to try, huh? Huh?"

"Hell no, you almost punched me through my damn bag." He stands up and walks to the punching bag. "Want to do some more or are you done for the day?"

"No, I'm done." I grab my towel and wrap it around my shoulders. The best thing about having Emmett as a annoying - almost frustrating friend - is that he has his personal gym in his basement-or more like his parent's basement. It doesn't even look like a basement, it looks like a mini professional gymnasium and his punching bag is the best part of it. Good thing he was up for a workout today. "Hey, what do you think the girls up to?"

Emmett motions to the entrance of the basement. I look back and catch Bella and Rosalie sitting at the bottom of the stairs with wide grins on their faces. How long have they been sitting there watching us work out? Not that I mind, Bella seems like she enjoyed the show.

"You guys hungry?" Bella asks, her beautiful brown eyes trailing up and down my sweaty body. When our eyes finally meet she gives me a grin amd bites her lower lip.

"For what exactly?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

She tilts her head to the side and says, "Well food, obviously. Unless you have something else in mind."

Rosalie then stands up with her hands in the air. "Alright, I'm out of here. I don't want to be witness of sketchy."

"Right behind you!" Emmett runs up the stairs behind her. "If you do anything nasty, just rub the surface with some bleach before you bring your ass back up here!" And then the door is slammed shut.

Bella laughs, putting her hand up in the air. I walk over to her, high five it and sit right next to her on the stairs. She lays her head against my shoulder and latches her fingers with mine. I kiss the top of her head and lean mine against hers.

"If it bothers you so much just talk to her," Bella says. She knows, of course she does. I told her the next day about it, about what I dreamt about without mentioning Ava and what I did afterwards. "You're her son. She'll have to tell you the truth, you have to demand it from her." She lifts her head from my shoulder and makes me look at her in the eyes. Her brown eyes gave me almost all the reassurance I need. "Look at her right in the eyes, Edward. Look at her right in the eyes and tell her you need the truth, to stop hiding things from you and give you those answers you are desperately looking for regarding your father... and yourself."

I frown. "I don't need answers regarding myself."

Bella doesn't say anything. She kisses me on the keep and pulls me up with her. Right after we came back upstairs from Emmett's parent's basement, we all gathered up at their backyard table to have a small barbeque. I had no idea how rich his parents were until I stepped foot inside this house. Their backyard is like a small greenhouse garden, with a shade over the large round table and barbeque grill, decorated with strings of roses, curling up and down the legs of the wooden shade.