EP Read Along Week 11 - Chapters 30-32

Hey everyone!  

Welcome back to our weekly EP Read Along!

We decided to post this week's EP Read Along on Saturday 

due to the Birthday Blog train posts AND guess what?????

HisBella has volunteered to do this week's EP post!!!

Thanks for doing this HB!

So without further ado, here's HisBella.......

EP Chapter 30:

Hello Ladies!  I volunteered to do this weeks post on EP! We’re a few days late, not wanting to disrupt the Birthday Blog Train.  It was for a good reason, no?  Wow.  I picked the hardest chapters.  I’m long winded, so let’s just get on with it!  See you at the bottom…

Chapter 30:  We start out this chapter with Bella & Jasper.  Our Girl gets the bejesus scared out of her after finding Jasper’s room open and empty.  She instinctively prepares to be attacked when he finds her.  Me thinks she’s been punished for ‘trespassing’ before.  They enter Edward’s bedroom, aka the jungle, after Edward asks Jasper to have Bella do his laundry.  Why do you think he didn’t ask her himself? Edward’s room is a disaster area.  I’ve often heard that when someone’s home is a mess, it reflects back that the person is a mess.  Do you think this is true?  J & B have an eventful day of learning to write, text, sitting outside and speaking about her life in Phoenix.  Jasper is upset to hear Carlisle took her from her mother and who her father is.  Jasper asks her if she fears anything and instead of telling him that she fears being raped, she tells him it’s dangerous to feel hope.  Hope is her fear?  She explains it is better to accept life as it is than hope for anything, then you aren’t disappointed.  How sad is that???   Jasper tells her she is special, but she blows it off.  She feels Edward makes her feel like she is “something”, but won’t accept Jasper telling her she is special.   We learn that Carlisle’s cool indifference is more comfortable to her, after encountering him on the stairs.  Jasper offers to help clean with her, something he has not done with any other housekeeper.  I wonder exactly why he does that.  Lots of questions!!  Emmett takes his turn as her ‘babysitter’ and shares his love of “Shrek” (so cute!) and his awareness of Bella and Edward’s growing relationship.  He admits to being a loudmouth, but promises to not say anything that would put them in danger.  He explains that he knew Edward loved her when he apologized for calling her a bitch.  Edward doesn’t apologize,  ever.  While he trusts Bella’s assurance that she does not need constant supervision, his leaving her alone opens the door to James.  Bella’s worst nightmare is moments from coming true as James intends on assaulting her.  As he prepares for her to ‘pleasure’ him, Bella finds the courage to fight back.  Hello Rosie and your Red High Heel shoes!  Bella escapes relatively unscathed as Rose & Emmett take care of Aro’s nephew.  Her love arrives soon after and comforts her.

Chap 31:

This chapter is Edward’s actions and feelings before, during and after what happened with James.  We learn James tells him that Bella was asking for it and Edward loses it! He punches James but is restrained by Aro.   Aro calls our boy out, telling him he doesn’t have a problem with the couple being together but it is frowned upon in the organization.  Edward needs to do a better job of  putting things into perspective and think more with his head than with his heart.  Our boy realizes he hasn’t been hiding his feelings very well.  He comforts Bella and apologizes for not being there to protect her.  Bella wants to tell him he has made her stronger and given her more courage.  Why do you think she can’t tell him?  Carlisle comes to check on her and Edward finally recognizes that Bella is not just a “slave” to his father and that there is so much more being kept secret.  Will he pursue it or let it go and protect her?  The couple have an awkward conversation about ‘busting a nut’, thanks to Emmett, which leads oddly into them declaring their love for each other.  Did anyone else find it odd and sweet at the same time?  Who knew Emmett’s conversation with Bella could have such a profound effect on the lovebirds??  Edward has a nightmare recounting the day his mother died.  He tells Bella what happened and how he blames himself for her death.  He feels he let his mother down.  Bella explains to him that he did what his Mother needed him to do – survive.  Very profound for our girl.  I see some comparisons between our kids again!!!

Chapter  32:

Thanksgiving Day, a few weeks after the incident with James.  Bella explains that the rest of the visiting organization members did not acknowledge her while there, which leaves her baffled.  I found this actually a little heartening, she’s not so scared.  Edward tells her that they were trying to be respectful of her which she doesn’t understand.  She doesn’t get why they would want to be respectful of a ‘slave’.  She recounts Edward’s nightmare and story, telling us that they are both haunted by pasts they could not change.  They were both broken, but survived.  Edward warns her they have to tread lightly around Carlisle.  He assures her that his outward actions while around other people is needed, he loves her.  He’s trying to protect them – as UAB would say: SWOON.  It hurts her the first few times he’s cool to her, but she finally accepts it.

We learn of her shopping escapade with Emmett for the holiday, which has earned  the Bear of a Man being banished from shopping!  Carlisle hears her swear after she cannot find the eggs and she fears he’ll punish her.  Doc C mentions with all the time she spends with Edward it’s a wonder she doesn’t swear more.  He’s not so blind is he???  They set out to find more eggs and He tries to be nice to her which she finds uncomfortable.  At the store, Carlisle offers her a toblerone which she declines.  She notices this as a similarity between Father   & Son.  He tries to ask her about why she gets on so easily with his brash son.  He totally knows!!!! JMO.  Carlisle helps with dinner and asks that she eat with them.  The Cullen Family give thanks!  Who gives thanks for a gun?  Only Edward!  Jasper is thankful for Bella and what she does for their family.  Bella is thankful for the basics: food, water, shelter.  Carlisle shocks her when he is thankful for her safety. 

After dinner, Bella has a very enlightening bath and is concerned that Edward will be able to tell she has made herself “feel good.”  Oh Bella!  Instead of what she expects, Edward lashes out at her when he can’t find his phone.  Chill man!  They settle down for a movie, only to find that Bella has chosen “Boogie Nights.”  Bella + porn stars= awkwardness!  We get a little bit o’ citrus and Italian from our boy.  He professes that he felt connected to her the moment they met, he’s the happiest he’s ever been and that she’s the first and last thing he thinks of each day.  He’s not ready to tell her outright, so he tells her in Italian.  (Can I get my Hubby to learn it right quick?  Please?)  Oh sweet Edward, you’re getting there!!!

So, there you have it…my take on chappies 30-32.  I don’t have any cool video, book or lyrics to dress this up like our lovely UtterlyAbsurdBella.   Maybe if the ladies have me back, I’ll have something exciting to add.  Thanks to UAB & Kassie for letting me do this.  Let us know what you think of these chapters!  See you in the comments!!!!

Hisbella


Thanks again HisBella for jumping in and doing this guest post for us!


For next week we are reading
Chapters 33-35