Letters from Delta

by

Sailor Angie

Lonely and paranoid, Edward Cullen, Hollywood's new 'It-Boy' decides to leave his

instant fame behind him. He re-locates to a small town in Northern Wisconsin where
he'll discover life out of the spotlight is just as complicated. AU/AH ExB

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of
their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the
author. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 1 – June 25

Dear Jane,

Effective immediately, I no longer require your services as my publicist
and manager.
I have decided to withdraw from all future projects and will be away
from Los Angeles indefinitely.

Sincerely,
Anthony Masen

P.S. Fuck you.

Staring at his reflection in the make-up trailer, Edward barely recognized the face staring
back at him. The wavy blonde surfer hair, unnatural cerulean colored eyes and carefully

maintained 5 o'clock shadow made him who everyone thought he was.

"Anthony, there's some lawyer on the phone, about your dad's cars." Edward's assistant
Jasper popped his head through the trailer door, disrupting Edward's self-loathing.

Jasper handed him the phone and slumped down in the empty chair behind him.

"Is this Edward Anthony Cullen?" An older gentleman spoke softly through the receiver.

"Yes, this is he." Edward was wary of anyone who knew his real name. Even his little

sister, Alice, had changed her last name to Masen, rather than Cullen, to keep up the
charade.

"I've been contacted by your lawyer and we've discovered your father was storing his

collector cars in a home your mother owned in Delta, Wisconsin." The man told Edward.

"The only house my parents owned is in Chicago, Illinois." Edward said with his brow
knit together in confusion. His father's car collection consisted of 18 various vehicles,

most of them were muscle cars from the late sixties. They were willed to Edward after
his parents died unexpectedly three years prior. He remembered every single vehicle as

they were his father's prized possessions. During the summers, when his dad wasn't
teaching he'd drive cross country and to car shows.

The only problem was that they were moved from the showroom where Edward

thought they were being kept, right before their passing. He had desperately been
trying to locate them ever since.

"Well, the deed belongs to your mother; I don't know what to tell you." The man

continued, "There are 18 cars in a hanger on the property."

Edward released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in, "That's them." He said
in relief. He wasn't exactly sure what it was about those cars, but he needed to see

them, however, at the same time he wondered if it would make their deaths more final.

"I can e-mail you the address if you'd like to see the cars and the property." The man
offered.

Edward sighed in frustration, "I'm not sure if I'll be able to come any time soon, but I'd

like the address as well as an inventory of the vehicles if possible." He would have given
anything to see those cars again, but the fact was, he was literally booked solid for the

next two years and could barely afford the time to go to the bathroom, let alone fly
halfway across the country to reminisce. The consequences of instant fame were never

ending.

"No problem Mr. Cullen. Your assistant has my information if you need to contact me."
He offered.

"Thank you very much, have a nice day." Edward said politely before ending the call and

returning the phone to Jasper.

"You found them, didn't you?" Jasper asked excitedly, "Alice is gonna want the
Roadster; she never shuts up about it." He informed Edward.

"You can tell my dear sister that she's not getting her hands on any of them. She's an

awful driver." He scowled, "Besides, if she remembers correctly, Dad wrecked the
Roadster when we were in college." He adjusted the uncomfortable leather gun holster

around his shoulders.

"Not even for a wedding present?" Jasper hedged.

"You know you have to propose first, right?" Edward gave Jasper a sideways glance.
Jasper was by far the only guy he had ever approved of Alice dating. She had terrible

taste in men and had always dated one of two types: tortured artists or bad boys. So
when he found out she'd secretly been seeing Jasper, it was a huge relief.

Sure, he had his doubts at first because Jasper was not only his friend, but technically his

employee as well. But in the back of his mind, he always knew it was going to work out

between them. Jasper was the only person aside from Edward that had the guts to call

Alice out on her shit and his relaxed demeanor countered her outspoken personality
perfectly.

"Shut up, dude." Jasper ran his hand nervously through his blonde hair, "I just haven't

found the right moment." He adjusted his coke-bottle glasses on his nose.

"You've been carrying that ring around for months." Edward said mockingly, "Just do it
already."

"Anthony." Jasper glared at him, meeting Edward's gaze in the mirror, "Have you met

Alice? I can't just propose whenever – however. She's lectured me plenty of times about
how it needs to be special because she'll be telling this story for the rest of our lives – to

our kids someday." He shook his head, stunned that Edward would even suggest he do
anything half-assed as far as Alice was concerned.

"You are so whipped," Edward chuckled.

"There you are!" Alice burst through the door, "Where's your walkie Jazz?" She scolded,

"They've been calling him to set for the last twenty minutes!"

Alice didn't look particularly threatening, that is, until she opened her mouth. "Why
aren't either of you moving?" She snapped.

Both men got up immediately, mumbling apologies as they shoved their way past her.

Alice rolled her eyes and followed close behind.

Edward took a deep breath and pumped himself up as he walked to set. It was the last
time he would have to appear on screen as the infamous private investigator and

vigilante, Phillip Kelley.

Momentarily he remembered the day he'd been discovered in that tiny coffee house in
the valley. At the time he'd been attempting to write a screenplay, but he found the

format exceedingly difficult to stick to.

"You'd think a masters in creative writing would help." He'd complain to Alice.

But everything changed that day, when a leggy blonde with an obviously surgically
enhanced body approached him. He was dubious of her offer at first, but she managed

to convince him to meet her on the lot the next day for a screen test.

They offered him the roll of Phillip Kelley on the spot, under the condition that he
change his appearance and public personality to adhere to the character. They wanted

an unknown to play the well-known literary anti-hero so they could bring him to life for

the fans.

The problem was, Edward was nothing like Phillip Kelley. He wasn't a suave womanizer

who oozed sex, charm and wit. He was a shy writer that was frankly afraid of women
after his heart had been broken by the love of his life in college. He told the people at

the studio about his fears and instead of brush him off they taught him how to change,
how to become someone he was not, how to become Anthony Masen.

Alice suggested the name. When he was younger he made everyone call him Anthony

because he didn't like the name Edward, so he usually went by Anthony and Masen was
their grandfather's name.

"Anthony Masen just sounds like a movie star!" Alice insisted and he rarely disagreed

with his sister – it was far too much of a hassle.

Thus Anthony Masen was born. And when his physical transformation was complete,
including sandy blonde hair, terribly uncomfortable contacts that hid his natural eye

color, scratchy stubble and ridiculously trendy clothes, he was truly Anthony Masen, and
by proxy Phillip Kelley. But Edward Cullen was gone.

Nobody could have predicted the success of the first of three Phillip Kelley movies.

Blockbuster didn't even begin to cover the frenzy the movie adaptation of the first book
created. It was a media phenomenon. And poor, naïve Edward was stuck in the middle.

Only, he wasn't Edward, he was Anthony Masen and Anthony was supposed to love the
attention.

It was shocking how quickly Edward became a household name and instantly

recognizable celebrity. At first, a sick part of him enjoyed the attention he received and
the women who threw themselves at him (well, not the creepy forty-something soccer

moms). The thing was, he always felt so plain and ordinary; he constantly surrendered
the spotlight to his baby sister and now that it was his moment to shine, he took his

time basking in the sun.

The elation of fame was short-lived, however, because along with the constant ego-
stroking came crazy super fans that screamed his name and followed him wherever he

went, an exhausting schedule that constantly left him unaware of what time it was, or
where in the world he was located and the bane of his existence: the paparazzi. He

didn't know how, but no matter where he was, they managed to find him. The fame
that so many people dream of, was turning into an absolutely terrifying waking

nightmare that Edward was powerless to stop.

Recently the tabloids had a field day with a photo that was leaked showing him and his
co-star conversing at a private party. Although the act was innocent, the angle at which

the photo had been taken made it appear as though they were kissing.

Suddenly everyone was obsessed with his love life and the nature of his relationship
with Victoria Shields. The original story snowballed when other women came forward

claiming to have been with Edward at the same time, then there were the engagement
and pregnancy rumors as well. He had never met any of the women mentioned in these

stories and it was never reported that Victoria had a serious boyfriend who, Edward was
almost sure, she had eloped with during the break between shooting the first and

second films.

Anthony Masen was slowly becoming a womanizing asshole, instead of the charming
media darling he had been at first. Edward had never asked for any of it, never wanted

to be famous. When he agreed to play Phillip Kelley, he remembered his mother's
favorite trope: 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' He thought acting would be fun, an

adventure, and something to take his mind off the loss of his parents. Edward couldn't
have been more wrong and had regretted signing his name on that dotted linea lmost

every day since.

When he saw himself in the mirror, it wasn't Edward Cullen that looked back at him. But
it wasn't his alter-ego Anthony Masen or his on-screen counter-part Phillip Kelley either,

not anymore. It was a stranger, a sad, lonely, angry, paranoid stranger, who would
eventually destroy him. It was no longer a matter of if but of when.

The crew clapped for Edward and Victoria when the director called cut and exclaimed

'That's a wrap!' It had been a long day that began before the sun even rose over Los
Angeles and Edward wanted nothing more than to sneak out the back door, avoid the

photographers who were no doubt lurking outside and go to bed. But everyone had
other ideas and Edward knew well enough by now, to do as he was told.

"Excited for the wrap party?" Alice slipped her arm through Edward's and followed him

back to his trailer.

"I'd rather go home," he muttered.

"Buck up, at least there's free liquor." She beamed.

"There's always free liquor, Alice." He sneered, "And there's no way I'm drinking in
public after what happened the last time." Edward remembered Alice's frantic phone

call asking him if he needed to check into rehab, when the tabloids leaked some photos
and declared he was an alcoholic.

"It wasn't that bad." She whined.

"Well, it wasn't your mug plastered all over every grocery store in America, making that

stupid face." He countered.

"You're such a baby." She released his arm when she saw Jasper sitting inside the trailer
responding to e-mail on his Blackberry. "Miss me?" She giggled, sitting down next to him

and slinging her legs over his lap.

"Always." Jasper gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Edward looked away. The awkwardness he felt upon witnessing their public displays of
affection never abated. And deep down he was envious of what they had. Given his

current situation, he wouldn't even consider trying to date. What would be the point?
Even if they weren't after his fame or money, he'd never want to expose anyone he

loved to the chaos of his world. He longed for the life he lived before Anthony Masen
existed.

Edward could barely see anything in the dim lighting of the latest Hollywood hot spot

where the wrap party was being held. The club was full of plastic women and equally
fake rich men. The production crew was actually nowhere to be found and he was

feeling rather disgusted at the blatant disregard for their hard work.

"I've the finalized contract for your next film with me." The devil's voice purred in
Edward's ear, "I need you to sign before you leave."

"Tonight, Jane?" Edward turned around to face Jane Darling, one of the most powerful

women in Hollywood, thanks to his success. One too many botox sessions had left her
face perpetually frozen with an annoyed expression of displeasure. She was only 33, but

somehow felt the need to immobilize the muscles in her forehead. Long bleached
blonde hair and fake boobs completed the ensemble.

"Yes, tonight." She hissed, then her eyebrows surprisingly unfurrowed.

'Time for another injection,' Edward laughed inwardly.

"But I also want you to have fun tonight." She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled

him down to her, "All work and no play…" She winked suggestively and released him.

Edward held his breath, her perfume was so thick, he thought he might suffocate.

"Find me later." She brought her index finger up to his face and touched his nose before
spinning on her precariously high heels and swaying her hips exaggeratedly in a skirt

that was just a bit too tight, even for her slim figure.

Edward sighed and was attempting to make his way over to the bar when he was
stopped by two twenty-somethings who had managed to get into the club.

"Oh my god, we're huge fans!" One shouted, "Can we get your autograph!"

"And a photo!" The other added.

Edward put on his best smile, "Of course ladies," he crooned.

The first girl found a passerby to take the photo and the three of them smiled as Edward

was temporarily blinded by the flash. He felt the second visibly shaking as she removed
her hand from around his waist.

"I don't have anything to sign." The second girl's voice cracked as she searched through

her purse, but she did have a Sharpie in her hand. She looked up at him nervously.

"I can sign your bag." Edward offered smoothly, it wasn't the first time this had
happened, "On the inside, so it'll be our secret." He grinned down at her.

If it was possible the girl visibly swooned.

"Who shall I make it out to?" He asked politely.

The girl was frozen, "Jessica." The first girl spoke, "Her name's Jessica."

Edward folded the inside of her tote bag back and signed 'Jessica, I couldn't have done it

without you. Always, Anthony Masen.' At the end of each movie and book a different
character would tell Phillip Kelley that they couldn't do it without him, so he thought she

would enjoy it. She gushed when he handed the bag back to her and her cheeks flushed
an even brighter crimson as she read what he wrote.

"It's Lauren." The first girl with more confidence smiled as she handed Edward the

Vanity Fair which he shot the cover and a ten-page pictorial for, just before the first
Phillip Kelley movie was released. "I'm seriously your biggest fan. We love you as Phillip

Kelley, I mean he's like our ideal man!" She babbled.

Edward nodded appreciatively, as he was taught and signed, 'To Lauren, my #1 fan,
you're my ideal woman. All my love, Anthony Masen.'

"I really appreciate all the support Lauren." He turned, "Jessica." She looked like she was

going to faint. "I hope you enjoy the second one, it comes out on Labor Day weekend."

"Oh, we know, we already bought our tickets for the midnight show at the Arclight."
Lauren prattled.

"Awesome." He grinned, "Have fun tonight, it was nice meeting you both." He gave

them a small wave as he slipped past them.

"Oh my god, he's so much hotter in person! I can't believe I froze like that. Did we
seriously just meet Anthony Masen!" Jessica jumped up and down with her friend.

He glanced back and saw them fawning over the photo they had taken. Edward sidled

up next to Victoria at the bar, hoping they had bottled water. Speaking to Jane and
dealing with fans always left him feeling slightly nauseous.

"What a ladies man." She joked.

"Right," he snorted.

"You're really great with them though." She said more seriously, "I mean sure I've got

my fair share of stalkers, but I don't know how you deal with the screaming and
everything else."

"I don't. I just kind of shut down; it's like I'm not there." He signaled the bartender and

tried not to think too much about the truth of his words.

"Are you glad it's over?" Victoria tucked a lock of her curly red hair behind her ear.

"It'll never be over." He laughed, "I'll be Phillip Kelley for the rest of existence."

She laughed with him, "Well, are you at least excited for a break?"

"What break?" He quickly asked the bartender for bottle of water, "I start work on an
indie film in two days."

"I heard about that." She smiled ; Victoria had always been sweet, but generally kept to

herself, "Shooting on-location in New York's gonna be a bitch in the summer." She
traced her finger around the rim of her wine glass.

"I'm not paid to worry about logistics. I'm paid to show up and shut up, unless I'm told

otherwise." He said humorlessly.

Victoria's eyes softened, "I'm gonna miss that optimism of yours."

Edward grinned, "I bet."

A tall, burly man came up behind Victoria and wrapped his arms around her torso. She
yelped in surprised, but relaxed as soon as she realized who it was.

"Keeping my girl company?" James, her boyfriend, perhaps husband, rested his chin on

her shoulder.

Edward nodded and took a sip of the water. Idly he wondered if Alice had any Tylenol in
her purse. He listened politely as James told him a story about having to punch an

overzealous fan they encountered while on vacation (the one when they 'didn't' get
married) and felt guilty as his mind wandered before James finished.

"You don't look so good." Victoria placed her hand on Edward's arm.

"It's just a little warm in here; I think I'm gonna go get some fresh air." He smiled weakly

and excused himself. Pushing past the hipster smokers, he rounded the corner, but
stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Jane's voice.

"I just got some amazing shots for you." She beamed. "Does it matter what he was

actually doing? It looks like Victoria's boyfriend is punching him and I've got a shot of
her touching his arm affectionately. Plus I snapped a ton of him holding a water bottle

filled with vodka. A story about him falling off the wagon will get you serious numbers."
She paused, listening to the voice on the other line.

Edward's stomach churned and he thought he might throw up. That harpy had been the

one leaking everything to the press.

"Obviously it's exclusive. Just wire the money to my account and I'll send you some
quotes." Edward walked around the corner to find her examining her nails, nodding

silently.

He tore the phone from her fingers in a rage and threw it on the ground, "You bitch." He
seethed.

She would have looked shocked, had it not been for the botox, but instead, she just

looked pissed, "Do you honestly believe anyone would give a shit about you if those
stories weren't on newsstands?" She placed her hands on her hips in defiance.

"They're all lies! YOU LIED!" He cried, and the flashbulbs that began to go off around

him went unnoticed despite his anger.

"Come now Anthony." Jane's mouth curled into a fiendish grin and he got the distinct
impression that she was striking a pose.

"You're ruining my life!" He encroached on her space.

She took a step forward and glared up at him, "Anthony, let's go inside and discuss this

like adults." She said calmly and placed her hand on his arm.

Edward violently snatched his arm from her clutches, "I'm not going anywhere with

you!" He shouted, "We're finished!"

He almost hit four paparazzi when he tried to drive away from the valet and sped off to

his home in the Hollywood hills.

The drive to his house was more dangerous than usual because the photographers
decided to give chase due to his uncharacteristic outburst at the club. He didn't even

want to think about all the stories that Jane would spin out of the photos taken.

Alice found him in his room while he was halfway through packing, or rather throwing
clothes and shoes haphazardly on his bed.

"What are you doing?" She said with concern as she got between him and the closet,

"What happened at the club?" She tugged on his shirt.

He shoved her away, harder than he intended, and she fell to the ground. Edward
stopped immediately and stared in horror at her sprawled on the floor in her cocktail

dress.

"Oh my god, Alice. I'm so sorry." His voice cracked as he bent down to help her to her
feet.

"It's fine." She mumbled dejectedly as she righted herself.

"I didn't―"

"Enough." She held her hand up, palm facing him, "I know you didn't mean it. But you

have to tell me what's going on." She rubbed her hand down his arm.

"Jane planted the stories." He swallowed thickly, still feeling sick about it all.

"That bitch." Jasper called from the doorway.

Alice turned on her heel to glare at Jasper.

He frowned apologetically.

"Can you cut my hair and dye it?" Edward asked Alice suddenly thankful she attended
cosmetology school while he pursued his Masters degree. Her affinity for fashion and

style had always been a nuisance before then.

"What? Why?" She turned again to face Edward.

"Dude, what's with the clothes?" Jasper asked.

"I'm leaving." Edward said matter-of-factly.

Alice couldn't help but let a small giggle escape, "You can't leave." She choked.

"Wanna bet?" Edward challenged, "I never signed those final contracts and now that the
movie's wrapped, I'm not obligated to do anything."

Alice stared at her brother, mouth agape, utterly confused. It may have been the first

time in their 28 years that he had rendered her speechless.

"Where are you gonna go?" Jasper stepped into the room and took his place beside
Alice.

"I'm not sure, anywhere but here. I can't do this anymore. I'm going insane." He shook

his head, begging them to understand.

"What color?" Alice whispered almost inaudibly.

"Huh?" Edward prompted.

"What color do you want your hair?" She said a bit louder.

"My natural color." He requested, "Can you cut it short like it was before?"

"Anthony, faux-hawks aren't really 'in' right now." She complained.

"Alice…" Edward rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine." She held her hands up in defeat, "It's gonna take a while since I want to do
foils as well as a semi-permanent color. Jazz can finish packing for you." She told them

both.

Edward followed Alice into her and Jasper's bathroom down the hall. She instructed him
to sit down on the toilet and he complied.

He watched his sister as she began to mix together the color and chattered aimlessly. As

twins, they had always been identical and inseparable.

Alice always wore her hair in short cut, even when they were kids, so she could be just
like her older brother, well, only by four and a half minutes, but he still lorded the small

time difference over her head.

In truth, she was his best friend and favorite ally. She followed him to the University of

Wisconsin, even though she had been accepted to Parson's School of Design in New

York and when he decided to stay longer than the standard four years to complete the
two year Masters program, there was never a question of 'if' Alice would stay with him,

she just did.

At the age of 25 though, their world collapsed around them when their loving and
doting parents died suddenly. Edward might have been older, but it was Alice who had

been stronger – braver. However, even her immense courage couldn't keep the
depression and weight of their parents' deaths at bay.

One night she came into Edward's room crying and slipped into his bed, like she used to

do when they were kids and she'd been frightened by a nightmare.

"I can't stay in this house." She sobbed, "I keep thinking they're going to walk through
the door, like they're just on vacation. But they're not coming back."

Edward knew then that she was going to leave. After all, he knew better than anyone

that she was destined for greater things. But he also knew that wherever she decided to
go, he would follow.

Two weeks later, they had used part of their sizeable inheritance and moved to Los

Angeles so she could finally pursue the dreams she'd put on hold to stay by his side. And
now, here he was, leaving her for the first time in his life. He hoped they'd both survive

the separation, but at the very least she had Jasper to comfort her.

Alice cringed when the first lock of Edward's infamous hair hit the bathroom floor, but
after she finished with him, she did seem somewhat pleased with the end result.

Edward took pleasure in ridding his face of the scruff that drove women nuts. He blinked

in relief when he popped out the custom contact lenses and slid on a pair of silver wire
framed glasses Alice picked out for him. He kept them around just in case, but rarely

took out the contacts as it was unnecessary and more painful than keeping them in, due
to some cutting edge technology.

Staring at himself in the mirror, he found it impossible to suppress the wide grin which

spread on his face. He recognized the green eyes behind the thin lenses, the shorter, but
still unruly bronze hair and clean-shaven angular jaw. For the first time in years, he felt

like the person he was before he moved to Los Angeles with Alice. Anthony Masen and
his on-screen counterpart Phillip Kelley were gone. Edward Cullen had returned.

Alice entered his bathroom, "It's perfect." He smiled at her.

"I hardly recognize you." She frowned.

Edward smiled broader, "I know. It's perfect."

She slowly walked up beside him and he wrapped his arm around her small shoulders, at

6'2" he had a good eight inches on her.

"We look like twins again." He squeezed her arm, thinking it would make her happy.

"I don't want you to go." She sniffled as she buried her face in his shirt, hugging him
tightly.

"I'm sorry Alice." He felt a lump begin to well up in his throat.

"Can I go with you?" She peered up at him, her usually vibrant green eyes were red,

puffy and filled with unshed tears.

"Not this time Ally," He held back tears of his own at the sound of her childhood
nickname crossing his lips.

"Will you at least tell Jasper where you're going, so I don't worry?" She pleaded.

Edward nodded somberly.

"Can I talk to you alone for a sec?" Jasper was leaning tensely against the door frame.

Alice removed herself from Edward's hold, wiped her tears away and the bubbly mask

she always wore returned. "Don't be mean." She poked Jasper square in the chest as
she exited.

He grabbed her finger and kissed the tip of it, before smacking her ass on her way out

the door.

"There's no way you'd reconsider?" He stayed put after Alice left the room.

Edward hopped up on the counter, "I just―" He buried his face in his hands, "I'm sorry."

"This is gonna kill her." His voice trembled slightly and Edward understood that Jasper
loved Alice just as much as he did, but Edward knew her better, having 26 more years of

experience dealing with her. She would survive.

"C'mon, you guys should be thrilled. You'll have the house to yourselves, although my
room is still off limits." Edward tried to keep the situation light and refused to think

about what he was doing, lest he change his mind.

"Fuck, Anthony. This is serious." Jasper growled, "I love Alice and I know how much she

needs you. You should care a little more about the fact that the second you walk out

that door, her heart is going to break."

Edward sighed, "Jazz, it'll be so much worse if I stay here and let her watch me self-
destruct."

Jasper ran his hand through his hair, knowing Edward was right. "You're gonna go see

the cars aren't you?" He guessed correctly. When Edward didn't respond, he continued,
"I won't lie to her if she asks me where you are."

"I'd never ask you to lie to her." Edward said defensively, "I just don't want Jane and the

media finding out."

Jasper nodded, but then a look of apprehension crossed his face, "They'll have a fucking
field day when they realize you're gone and that you dropped out of all those movies."

"Good, let them." Edward scowled.

"Have you thought about how you're going to get there?" Leave it to Jasper to worry

about the finer details, "If you book a flight, Jane will find out."

"I'm not flying. I'm driving." Edward jumped down from the counter.

"She can trace a rental car too, ya know." He said with concern.

"I have plenty of cash and accounts she doesn't know about. I'll figure something out."
Edward told him.

"You're really going to do this?" Jasper was still worried.

Even if the media found him, at least he'd have a break. He'd always wanted to take a

road trip cross country and he missed the Midwest more than he cared to admit. It was
then that his mind was completely made up. Edward met Jasper's gaze and smiled as he

said, "What have I got to lose?"

Chapter 2 – June 29

Dear Alice,

You know, it's funny, but this is about the tenth draft I've written of this
letter. I scrapped the other ones because it kept sounding like I was dying

or something and truly this isn't a goodbye, but I felt like I owed you
more of an explanation than I gave you and we both know I'm much
better at communicating my feelings through writing rather than
speaking. Speech was always your gift, little sis.

I've been unhappy for quite some time. I don't know if you were too busy
with Jasper, or if you did know and just tried not to think about it,
because you had to have known there was nothing you could do to help
me. Don't get me wrong; I don't blame you either way. I could never
blame you, I adore you. But regardless, I just had to get out of Los
Angeles.

In reality, Jane's actions were merely the catalyst and far from the cause
for my departure, and I will tell you again so you have it in writing that
this is not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to prevent
this. Even though there's a lot I regret from the last two years, I'll never
regret moving with you because you needed me and you'd already
sacrificed so much for me. I appreciate it more than you could ever know.

Over the last few months, ever since the first movie came out, I just, well,
I've been miserable. I hate who I've become and every time I looked in the
mirror, all I could think about was how disappointed Mom and Dad
would be if they were around to see what a wreck I've become. I can't
even go outside without fearing a mob of women and paparazzi attacking
me. There's nothing anyone can do to prepare you for fame and I'm
afraid I'm just not cut out for that lifestyle.

But I think leaving now is a good idea. Like I said, I don't have any future
contractual obligations. To be completely honest with you, I'm kind of
really excited. Thanks to your amazing work, nobody will recognize me
and hopefully I can have some time alone to fly under the radar and
write that novel I've been putting off for years. I was thinking about
writing about this gorgeous, brilliant girl with a pain in the ass twin who

inhibits her limitless talent. What do you think? I bet it'd be a best-seller!

I'm a few hundred miles outside of L.A. and I miss you already. How
pathetic is that? I do have a plan though, as I write this. Jasper knows
how to get a hold of me in a pinch and I know he'll be there for
everything else you need. Don't tell him I said so, but I wouldn't entrust
your care to anyone else. The longest we've been apart was when you did
that four-week design internship in New York and we survived that.
Barely, I know, and you called every day, but if you really need me I'll
always be there for you.

I suppose I should get going. I'm attracting some very unwanted attention
from a rather frightening-looking trucker in the next stall over at this
rest stop.

Be strong for me Alice. Hold down the fort, keep Jasper in line and I
swear to god, I will know if you have sex in my room.

I love you more than anything, Ally.

Yours forever,

Anthony

P.S. I'm not kidding about my room. It's locked for a reason and I expect
the house to remain just as spotless and sterile as it was when I left.

Edward pulled to the side of the road as the smoke began to billow out from the hood of
the car he purchased with cash just outside of Los Angeles. The 1984 Acura Legend

previously belonged to a friend of Jasper's and got great gas mileage despite its age.
Edward had initially been excited about the sun roof, but quickly found out that it

wouldn't seal properly when a sudden down pour in Texas left him looking like a
drowned rat.

But the car hadn't given him anymore trouble before the smoke and according to his

GPS, he wasn't terribly far from Delta. The issue was that he was on a deserted highway

in the middle of a state forest in Northern Wisconsin with no cell signal and no idea how
to do anything but put oil in a car.

The past three days had been a bit of a blur, but thankfully Alice had thought to pack his

camera, so he had plenty of photos to remind him of the grandeur of the country he had
just crossed.

When he left Los Angeles as the first light of dawn spilled over the horizon, he bid Jasper

and Alice a tearful goodbye and feared he was making the wrong decision – that is, until
he stopped for the first time in Arizona.

Edward adjusted his sunglasses and pulled a baseball cap with the Dodgers logo over his

head, praying that nobody would recognize him. Carefully he got out of the car, pumped
gas into the little sedan and nervously made his way into the station to pay, as he only

had cash on him. He was sure at any moment some teen would jump out and attack
him, or worse one of their mothers.

His face was on half the magazines and he thought surely he'd be done for when he

approached the bored-looking girl at the counter who was flicking through the latest US
Weekly and reading an article about his supposedly torrid affair with Victoria. Edward

braced himself for an ear-splitting screech – but it never came.

"Thirty-one seventy-five." She sighed and snapped her gum while she bagged the soda
and food he purchased in addition to the gas.

Edward dug in his wallet and handed her a few bills. He waited patiently while she took

her time gathering his change from the register and handed it back to him. As he walked
back out to the little car, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been able to do

something so normal without an audience of photographers or fans watching his every
move.

He was thrilled.

And as he traversed the country on his way to Delta, the farther away he was from Los

Angeles, the more comfortable he became. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his
shoulders and the fear and paranoia slowly began to melt away. He felt free and knew

beyond any shadow of a doubt that he had made the right decision.

Well, until his car decided to crap out on him.

He burned his hand trying to open the hood, then stared at the smoking engine for a
good twenty minutes before he realized he had no idea what he was looking for.

The humidity hung heavy in the air and the mosquitoes were eating him alive. "Not so

smart anymore," he scowled to himself as he leaned up against the driver's side door
and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Edward was considering walking when he heard the distant sound of an engine

approaching. And sure enough, a few minutes later a car rounded the bend.

But it wasn't just any car. It looked exactly like his dad's 1967 two-top convertible
Corvette Roadster, with two exceptions: the car was Marina blue instead of black and it

was running beautifully, not in pieces.

The car almost hit him as the driver zoomed around the corner past Edward, who was
trying to flag the driver for a ride into town at the very least. As the car flew by, he

thought maybe the driver hadn't seen him, until he heard the tires screech to a halt and
sighed in relief as the car was thrown into reverse and stopped about 100 yards ahead

of his vehicle.

Slowly the door opened and Edward felt his mouth gape, but was unable to shut it.

The woman driving the car was beautiful. And not fake-Hollywood beautiful, but girl-
next-door gorgeous. Her mahogany hair had a natural wave and draped over her

shoulders; her eyes were hidden from view by her sunglasses, but it was her pink pouty
lips, placed just below her delicate nose, that Edward couldn't stop staring at.

Wearing a tight wife beater with a halter bikini top underneath, in the same color and

short denim shorts that followed the curve of her backside perfectly, her pink plastic
flip-flops smacked against the asphalt as she approached him.

"Car trouble?" Her voice was sweet and friendly with a subtle Mid-west twang which

elongated her vowels ever so slightly.

"What?" Edward choked, embarrassed that he was so distracted by the girl.

She frowned infinitesimally and moved her shades from the bridge of her nose to the
top of her head. Two deep chocolate eyes stared up at him dubiously.

"Are you having trouble with your car?" She said slowly, articulating the words.

Edward looked down at her, realizing how short she was for the first time, then he met

her narrowed eyes and even though she was tiny in comparison, he had no desire to
upset her.

"Uhh – yeah." He stuttered, taken back by his own awkwardness. It was as if he'd never

spoken to a pretty girl before, even though he'd been propositioned by dozens.

"Where are you heading?" She glanced at the California plates.

"Oh – umm – Delta." He wiped more sweat from his forehead and tried not to picture
what he was sure was a hot little body under what little clothing she was wearing. He

wondered when he'd become such a pervert.

"Why Delta?" Her brow furrowed in suspicion.

"Business I guess – I'm meeting Hank Jenks." He scratched his head, "Are you from
Delta? Do you know a guy who can fix this?"

Her eyes narrowed again and she folded her arms over her chest, "No, I don't know a

guy who can fix it." She said almost too sweetly, but her sarcasm was lost on Edward as
he still wasn't able to completely focus.

"Oh, that's okay. Would you mind giving me a ride into town?" He tried.

The girl's brow furrowed again and she let her arms drop to her sides as she huffed.

Edward was unsure of what he'd done to upset her and he replayed their conversation
in his head so he could apologize. Alice always told him to just apologize, even if he

didn't know why.

Abruptly she turned and went to the front of the car, waving away the last of the
lingering smoke as she leaned over the engine. Taking a band from around her wrist, she

swept her hair up in a pony tail before she poked around a bit.

"How long have you been driving it?" She asked, still looking under the hood.

"Oh, I just bought it a few days ago." He muttered as his eyes moved from her ass and
met her glare. Edward gulped and wisely decided to stare at the ground then.

"How long have you been driving her today?" The girl rolled her eyes.

Edward looked at his watch; he hadn't stopped once since he left his hotel that morning.

"Like nine hours?" He replied in more of a question than an answer.

"You've had the air on the whole time?" She straightened up.

He met her gaze, "It's fucking hot out." He answered her question indirectly.

"You've over-heated." She said flatly, and Edward realized after a minute that she was
referring to the car, "It should be fine now, but I wouldn't drive it any farther than Delta

without letting it cool down for a while."

"Oh," Edward said, embarrassed that he wasn't able to determine the cause of the
malfunction on his own. "Thanks." He gave her a small smile and moved to close the

hood, but winced when the burned skin on his hand hit the warm metal. "Shit." He
cursed and dropped the hood.

"Did you burn yourself?" The girl grabbed his hand, sending a spark of something

Edward couldn't identify through his body as she examined his injury. Surely she had felt
the current that ran through them, but she didn't alert him to the fact if indeed she had.

Her own small hand had little smears of grease on the palm caused by touching the
engine, but it was soft and she handled the burn carefully.

Without warning, she dropped his hand and sprinted back to her car. She flung the

driver's side door open, balancing one knee on the seat when the other was planted
firmly on the pavement. Edward looked at the blister forming on his hand rather than

her ass, afraid she'd catch him staring again.

He was yanked from his thoughts as she grabbed his hand again and began to apply a
cool green gel over the small wound.

"It's just aloe; I sunburn easily, so I always keep sunscreen and aloe handy." Then she

tied a white cloth handkerchief around his palm, "You should know better than to touch
the hood of a car after it's been running for nine hours." She scolded.

Edward let out a soft chuckle, thinking the tiny girl would get along famously with Alice.

"Run it under cold water when you get to where you're going." She dropped his hand

and walked behind Edward, leaning into the car, she successfully turned over the
engine. "Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I don't know anything about cars." She

said poignantly and Edward instantly understood why she'd been cross with him so
quickly when they first met.

"Oh! No – I didn't –"

"Whatever," She cut him off, "You're welcome." She said after a beat. When Edward

didn't respond, still reeling from what had just happened, she scowled inwardly before
turning and walking back to the Corvette.

Edward snapped out of his daze as she reached her door, "Thank you!" He called to her.

She pivoted to give him one last look, "Gorgeous car, by the way!" Edward shouted and

he could have sworn he saw the corner of her lips curl into a knowing smirk before she
climbed into the car and sped away.

And just like that she was gone.

Edward shook is head, willing himself to forget what happened, but he was fascinated

with the odd effect the short woman had on him.

He was closer to the town than he originally thought, though the term 'town' was a very
loose interpretation of what Delta actually was. On one side of the highway was a retro-

looking restaurant, appropriately named 'Delta Diner' next to the diner was a small hut
with a banner that said 'Taste Budz Coffee House.'

Opposite the diner and café was a longer building with three doors along the front. The

door on the far right was open to the “Delta Store”, the middle door had a closed sign in
the window, but the vertical sign on the building read 'BAR' in neon. The last door on

the far left simply said 'Offices' and Edward assumed that was the place he was looking
for.

Unsure of where to park, Edward merely pulled up in front of the building and turned

off the engine. He walked up to the door and knocked.

There was no answer, so he knocked again.

Nothing.

Taking a chance, he turned the handle, and surprisingly found it open. Inside the room
was mildly dim as the overhead florescent lights were off, but the late afternoon sun

filtered in through the windows along the wall. Three desks sat in the long room, but
other than the furniture, it was empty. Regardless, Edward walked into the space to see

if perhaps there was another office. He wished he had called ahead, as Mr. Jenks was
not expecting him.

"He's not here," a familiar and mocking voice said from behind him.

Edward spun around to find the girl leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, an

eyebrow raised.

"I can see that." Edward said glibly before he could think about who he was speaking
with.

"Fine, I won't tell you where he is." She disappeared from the doorway.

"Wait!" Edward called after her as he ran outside, "I'm sorry about before!" He yelled

just as she was about to enter the general store.

She stopped with her back still facing Edward and he was wary of approaching her. "I

really am sorry." He said, hoping it would appease her, as he moved closer.

Edward smiled when her shoulders relaxed and she slowly turned to face him before

resting her hands on her hips. Without uttering a word, she removed one hand from her
hip and pointed across the street to the diner.

Edward's eyes followed her finger and when he looked back to thank her, she had

disappeared. A bewildered chuckled escaped his lips as he made his way across the
street and tried to deny the fact that he hoped he'd see the brown-eyed girl again.

Walking into the Delta Diner for the first time was momentarily disarming. There were a

total of six people in the small eatery and at the sound of the bell hitting the frame,
when Edward opened the door, all six pairs of eyes were on him. It was an awkward

feeling he had become accustomed to, but he realized in this situation they were
ironically staring at him not because they knew him, but because they did not.

"Welcome to the Delta Diner." The older woman behind the counter broke the silence.

Edward smiled at the woman, assuming her name was Nina because of the rectangular
name badge pinned to her apron.

"Hi," Edward grinned broader, suddenly able to turn on the charm his alter ego was

famous for, now that the stubborn girl was gone. "I'm looking for Hank Jenks. Do you
know where I can find him?" He requested sweetly, shoving his hands in his jean

pockets, causing the make-shift bandage on his hand to irritate his wound. He hoped
the stance would make him appear less threatening.

He watched as the waitress, the cook behind her and the old man sipping coffee at the

counter looked from Edward to the three men sitting at a booth in the far end of the
restaurant.

"Hank, you got a visitor." Nina yelled, then turned around to face the cook, "Those

hamburgers aren't gonna make themselves, Todd." She clicked her tongue and refilled
the cup in front of the man at the counter.

Edward made his way to the back booth, still under the scrutiny of all six people,

"Hank?" He questioned as he approached the table.

The oldest gentleman at the table, who couldn't have been over sixty, met Edward's
gaze, "What can I do for you?" He took a sip of his coffee.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch. I'm Edward Cullen, we spoke on the phone a few days

ago about the cars." Again Edward spoke softly to show the men that they were in
charge.

Hank's eyes lit up in surprise and in a bit of a stunning move, to Edward at the very least,

he stood up suddenly and shook his hand. "Hi, it's nice to meet you!" Hank beamed, "I
thought you said you wouldn't be able to visit." He continued to shake Edward's hand,

then looked down, embarrassed that he'd forgotten to let go, "Have a seat!" Hank
motioned to the empty bench and moved aside to let Edward slide in. "Nina, tell Todd to

put another burger on." He craned his neck to catch the waitress' attention. She waved
her hand, letting him know she heard him.

"This is Sheriff Buddy and Ranger Emmett." He motioned to the two middle-aged men

across the table who could have been brothers, as they both had muscular builds
beneath their uniforms and the same set of dimples, though Buddy was bald on top and

his skin a bit more weathered than Emmett, whose dark curly hair was cropped closely
to his head. They both grunted in approval after Hank introduced them.

"So what brings you into town?" He asked excitedly, "I've got Ms. Swan working on the

inventory of the cars for you." Hank added quickly, hoping that Edward didn't come
because he hadn't gotten back to him quickly enough. In such a small town, Hank didn't

have a lot of work to do, so he prided himself on getting things finished in a timely
manner when he did.

"Oh, no. I just decided I needed a break from my job and I haven't seen the cars in so

long, so I thought this would be the perfect place to take a vacation." Edward explained.

"Do your folks know you're up here?" Buddy asked suspiciously.

Edward frowned, "Oh, umm, they passed away a few years ago." He swallowed hard.

The three men stared at him blankly, obviously unaware of their deaths.

"I'm sorry," He turned toward Hank, "I thought, you knew that's why I'd been having
trouble locating the cars. My dad moved them before he updated his will with the new

location." Edward felt awkward and his chest tightened, wondering how well the men
knew his parents.

"I'm so – sorry." Buddy stuttered. "I didn't know."

"It's okay, I'm sorry you had to find out this way." Edward offered.

"Ms. Swan'll be devastated." Hank muttered, but Edward ignored the comment, instead

wondering if it'd be rude to ask about his parents.

"Did you all know them well?" Edward asked quietly.

"Well enough," Emmett spoke for the first time. "They were good people, kept to

themselves, but gave a lot to the community. Everyone appreciated their help." He said

reverently.

"Their help?" Edward questioned.

"They helped a lot of people in Delta; heck, the diner and the store wouldn't be here
without them." Buddy explained, "Your parents loved it here, especially your mom, so

she always made sure everyone was well taken care of."

Edward smiled sadly, his mother was extremely kind and there wasn't a day that went
by that he didn't miss her.

"When did it happen – if you don't mind me asking?" Hank fidgeted nervously.

"Almost three years ago, it was a car crash." Edward told them, knowing they'd ask how.

The three of them lowered their heads in silent contemplation, uncomfortable looking

Edward in the eyes.

"They were in and out of touch through the years, so none of us assume anything was
wrong; we knew how busy they were and there are plenty of empty vacation homes on

the lakes up here that rarely get used." Hank frowned, obviously guilty that none of
them had thought to worry about his parents.

"It's alright. I didn't even know about the house. My sister and I were very busy in

college, so my parents started traveling a lot." He tried to make them feel better about
their unintentional negligence.

Nina had perfect timing and arrived with their food just when the topic of conversation

was getting stale.

"Nina, this is Edward, Carlisle and Esme's boy." Hank told the waitress as she set the
plates down on the table.

"Well, it's nice to have a Cullen back in town. Tell your folks I say hi," She smiled,

ignorant of their earlier discussion, "You want something to drink?"

"Water's fine, thank you." He waved her away and she seemed pleased that he was low-
maintenance and polite.

Edward listened to Hank, Buddy and Emmett prattle on about town affairs while he

enjoyed his delicious burger and fries. He sighed in content, feeling like he was at home
in the Midwest. There wasn't a burger joint in the whole of California that could hold a

candle to the food he ate at the Delta Diner that day. In fact, beside the snippy little

thing he'd met, things were going rather well.

He stayed to listen to the three men continue to banter and he left when they did,

leaving a large tip for Nina, but warily hiding the cash from the three men, lest they
make some sort of judgment based on his generosity.

Hank explained to Edward how to get to the house and told him the entire property was

20 acres with its own private lake, and of course the hanger where the cars were stored.

Edward nervously bid the men farewell, knowing he was going to get lost trying to find
the house. Hank made it sound like it was hidden in the backwoods. He missed the turn

off for the gravel road that led to the house two times, but spotted it on his third pass.
Thankfully Hank told him if he passed a second deer crossing sign, he'd gone too far on

Scenic Drive.

He felt every single bump and divot in the road due to the crap suspension in his car. At
one point, he stopped to admire a view of the lake through a clearing. The place was

beautiful and he hoped it would inspire him to write, as he hadn't been able to pen a
single word since his parents'death.

Pulling up in front of the house, Edward was truly in awe. By no means was it a house; it

looked more like a manor, save for its contemporary architecture. It had white siding
with navy shutters and a brown roof. It stood three stories tall, with a beautiful wrap-

around porch.

Edward put the car in park and took his time gathering his bags from the trunk.
However, as he made his way toward the steps at the front of the house, he heard

leaves rustling and branches snapping before the sounds of snarling and barking scared
him into dropping the bags in the driveway.

He was frozen as he watched a wolf barreled around the side of the house, heading

strait for him. Edward's eyes widened and he braced himself too late as the wolf leapt
on top of him and sending him flying backwards, splayed on the ground.

Chapter 3 – June 29

Dear Jasper,

Delta is amazing.

I wish you and Alice could see how beautiful it is here. I've included
photos, but they barely do this place justice. It's unbelievable. The house is
huge. It's got five bedrooms and bathrooms, there's a private lake with a
dock and a boat house.

I know it's a little soon, but you and Alice should really consider visiting. If
you ever man up and make an honest woman out of my sister, you might
think about having the wedding here. There's a little diner that makes
some seriously killer food and I know they'd love the business, so think
about it.

The drive here was amazing. Do you have any idea how beautiful this
country is? Your friend's car worked out perfectly, so please be sure to
thank him again for me. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of
freedom I have here. Not a single person has recognized me and it's so
refreshing. I feel like myself again.

The people in Delta have been really welcoming, well, except for this one
woman, kind of… never mind. Anyway, they all knew my parents I guess
and according to Hank, the lawyer we talked to about the cars, the house
used to belong to my mom's great uncle or something random, so that's
why Alice and I never knew about it. I guess she used to come here when
she was a little girl.

I can't seem to get over the peace and quiet and beauty of the nature up
here. I just wanted you and Alice to know I'm doing well and I miss you
both, but I'm enjoying myself so far.

Send Alice my love,

Anthony

Edward thought for sure when that huge wolf jumped on him, he was done for. He

tumbled backwards when the animal tackled him, thinking of what the headlines would

say when – scratch that – if they found his body. But as he waited for the monster to

sink its fangs into his jugular, instead a large, wet tongue began to rake over his face,
knocking his glasses off in the process.

"Jake!" He heard a woman's voice yell from behind the house. He tried to push the wolf

off him, to no avail. "JAKE!" The girl's voice came again.

Edward turned his head to the side and tried to free his arms from underneath the dog's
enormous paws. He had just managed to release his right arm when he saw her emerge

from the backyard.

It struck Edward that this scene was like something out of a movie as the same short girl
came running toward him, dripping wet and clad only in her small white bikini. She was

a vision and Edward used every trick he could think of not to stare at her exposed skin,
knowing it would only trigger a less than desirable reaction from his body.

"Oh," She stopped about twenty feet from Edward as she realized who her dog had

attacked, "It's you." She said disdainfully.

"A little help here!" Edward grumbled, still trying to shove the wolf off him.

She sighed, then snapped her fingers and said, "Jake, come."

The dog's head snapped to meet her gaze and she forcefully repeated her command,
"COME."

Immediately the dog bounded over to the girl and sat down at her right side, "Good

boy." She patted his head then looked at Edward, who had raised himself to his elbows
and stared back at her in confusion, "What are you doing here?" Her brow furrowed.

"I could ask you the same thing." He sat up and brushed the dirt off his clothes.

"I live here." She snapped.

"What?" Edward gawked, "This is my house."

"Excuse you." Her hands went to her hips again and for a brief moment Edward feared

her wrath.

However, this was a matter he couldn't back down from, "I said, this house belongs to
me." He stood then and took a step forward, but halted when a low growl escaped the

dog.

"This house belongs to Carlisle and Esme Cullen." She sneered defiantly.

Edward realized his mistake, "I know that," he shook his head, "They're my parents."

The girl's eyes went wide and she visibly gulped, embarrassed at the way she had been
treating the son of two people she respected above anyone else, "Anthony?" She

questioned timidly, briefly displaying her vulnerability.

He nodded and ran his hand through his hair, still surprised by the absence of his golden
locks, "I'm going by Edward now," he took a step forward again and thrust his hand

toward the girl, "Miss Swan I presume?" Hank had made mention of her several times
and at the time, he thought she was merely helping him inventory the cars, but now it

seemed she was much more involved.

"Isabella – err, Bella." The girl closed the distance between them and took his hand in
her own though it was just as damp as the rest of her body. Realizing her state of

undress she quickly withdrew her hand, "I was just taking a swim in the lake." She
muttered an excuse, "He didn't hurt you did he?" She asked nervously.

"Who?" Edward had been too focused on not looking at her chest to follow her

rambling.

"Jake…" She looked down at the dog as he happily panted, laying on the grass at Bella's
bare feet. "He's all bark, but a little too overly enthusiastic with visitors."

"No, just gave me a scare." He said awkwardly, "He's some welcome wagon."

She nodded distractedly, "Are you here for the cars?" She blurted out after a moment,

"Is your dad moving them?"

She doesn't know, Edward thought and he remembered Hank said she'd be upset. He
decided to wait to say anything.

"No – I just wanted to see them." He told her.

"And that's why you're here?" She was very inquisitive.

"Kind of, I needed a vacation and I figured… it doesn't matter." Edward trailed off, and

then a thought struck him, "Was that my dad's Roadster you were driving earlier?"

She looked like a kid who'd been caught with their hand in the candy jar, "He gave me
permission." She said quickly.

"No," He waved his hand quickly, trying to avoid another misunderstanding, "It's just,

it's blue."

"Marina blue," She interrupted him.

"What?"

"It's Marina blue." She said again.

"But it used to be black." Edward said.

"Your dad had it painted; that was the original color." She offered, still waiting for him
to yell at her for driving an expensive car that did not belong to her.

"It was also totaled the last time I saw it." He explained further.

"I fixed it." She said quietly.

"What?" He felt like a broken record.

"I fixed it – your dad let me fix it." She said. And when Edward still looked confused and

hadn't said anything, she became angry with his silence. "What? You don't think a girl
can fix cars?""

"NO!" He shouted, "I believe you. I'm sure you're a great mechanic." He tried to sort out

why the girl constantly made him so flustered; the feeling was foreign.

They stared at each other for a while. Both of them unsure of what to say next.

"Will you show me the house?" Edward finally asked.

Bella's eyes fell to the ground and she sighed, "Yeah," she turned and walked away with
Jake on her heels. When she realized Edward wasn't following behind her, she craned

her neck around and said, "Stop looking at my ass and get over here."

Edward almost choked, but said nothing as he jogged to her side, "I wasn't –"

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes.

She pointed out the large private lake when they rounded the corner, not that Edward
would have missed it. Bella explained that there was a fishing boat in the boat house

and that she put the dock out each Memorial day and took it in on Labor day. There
were lots of fish in the lake, but mostly perch and blue gills.

"Your dad claims he caught a ten-pound bass once, but said it got away. Esme and I

were positive he was making it up and I've never seen any bass in that lake." Bella

prattled mindlessly and seemed almost bored with herself. But Edward was fascinated.

He hung on her every word, not only observing the sway of her hips as she walked and

her lean arm muscles as she pointed to different places around the property, but her
stories about his parents and the reverent, yet intimate way she spoke of them

immediately garnered his attention. It was painfully clear that they adored her and she
felt the same in return. But hearing her refer to them so casually broke his heart, not

only because he missed them terribly, but because he knew he'd have to tell her they
were gone – and soon. In fact, the longer they walked around, the more uncomfortable

he became with that knowledge and he feared she may never forgive him for not telling
her right away. For some inexplicable reason, at least to Edward anyway, he desperately

wanted Bella to like him.

Lost in thought, Edward suddenly came to the realization that they were standing in
front of a large building that resembled a barn, but was silver, not red.

"So this is the hanger. Carlisle spared no expense. It's got a security system and the

room is climate controlled and hermetically sealed so the Wisconsin weather won't hurt
the cars." She fiddled with an outdoor keypad mounted on the wall and slide the door

open.

At the sight of the cars Edward had searched for, for so long, all the good memories
associated with his parents, the car shows, the road trips with his dad – they all came

flooding back.

Slowly he made his way through the rows of cars, feeling the need to lightly trail his
fingers along the hood of the '65 GTO with blue and silver cobweb paint and the red '66

Chevy II Nova; his dad called that one the 'Red Baron' and they always listened to a
Kansas 8-Track when they drove it – Point of No Return was his dad's favorite.

Not all of the cars were muscle cars – Edward always laughed when he caught sight of

the orange Opal Cadet that he and Alice called the pumpkin car because it had black
interiors as well – but each vehicle meant something to his dad and sometimes for his

mom as well. They all had a story, like the '66 Chevelle SS called 'The Rat' in which his
dad never lost a drag race when challenged in his youth or the '66 El Camino that his

dad paid $150 for and completely restored with his best friends Matt and Bobby. The
local garage owner was so impressed with their devotion to the project that he did the

paint job for free; but it wasn't just any paint job, it was green metallic John Forseth pin-
striped. The only word his dad could say about that car was 'awesome.'

Edward eventually made it to the back of the hanger and consequently the Corvette

Roadster.

"She's my favorite." Bella said quietly as she observed Edward while he walked around

the convertible.

"I can't believe you rebuilt it – not because you're a girl." He was quick to defend

himself, "It's just, I saw it after he rolled it and I thought…" Edward trailed off, thinking
about the night he and Alice came home for winter break and saw it in the garage. Their

mom had mentioned something about an accident, but their dad had been fine,
miraculously really, given the state of the car. Even though his dad couldn't fix it, and no

mechanic wanted to take on the project, he couldn't bear to get rid of it and he always
felt his mom let him keep it around as a reminder – well, that and she couldn't really say

no to his dad when it came to those cars.

"You're gonna take them, aren't you?" Bella folded her arms over her chest and waited
for her world to collapse around her, as if it hadn't already.

Edward looked at her then – really looked at her. He studied her big brown eyes and the

pretty heart shaped face that didn't need a touch of make up. Her pink lips were poised
in a frown and she almost looked as if she was waiting to be hit.

"Bella," He searched her eyes for recognition, "I promise you, as long as these cars

belong to me, they will be here in Delta, under your care." Edward was completely
sincere in his conviction and he hoped she knew that.

"Thank you." She refused to look him in the eyes as the words escaped her lips.

"Let's go inside; I'm dying to see the house." Edward smiled, easing the tension. As they

proceeded back through the hanger, he held the door open for her, but made the
mistake of brushing his fingertips over the small of her back when he escorted her out.

Not only was the electric current Edward had felt earlier, still very present, but he
immediately knew she felt it too. The instant his warm hand came into contact with her

soft skin, she froze and Edward knew he made a big mistake. His hand fell limply to his
side and he uttered a quick apology before shutting the door, hoping Bella didn't think

he was coming on to her.

Much to Edward's relief, when he finished closing the door, Bella was already on her
way back toward the house. "I'm sorry the grass out here isn't trimmed, Carlisle told me

not to worry about it, so I just mow the front and a bit in the back by the dock."

Edward followed Bella wordlessly around the front of the house. She stopped on the
porch, just short of the screen door and knelt down to pick up a rag, "Jake." She called

the wolf closer and he took his time walking to her; he had been in the lake while
Edward and Bella visited the cars. Bella dried him as best she could and then inspected

each paw, looking for mud.

"He looks like a wolf." Edward said as she cleaned him.

"He is." She grabbed another paw, "Your mom found him with a broken leg as a pup and
the ranger said we could keep him after we nursed him back to health, because he was

too domesticated by then." Bella stood up.

"I bet my mom spoiled him rotten." Edward laughed. "I'm surprised she kept him
though; my sister and I never had a pet growing up… well, unless you count all the

goldfish she killed…"

Bella laughed then and held the door open for Jake and Edward, "I think they kept him
because they knew how much I fell in love with him while we took care of him and they

figured I'd feel safer when I'm here alone in the off-season."

"Do you?" Edward wondered.

Bella looked down at Jake, who was gazing up at her in adoration, "Maybe, if it was
possible to lick someone to death." She raised an eyebrow at the dog, as if to question

his ferocity, then looked up at Edward and said, "But he makes for good company."

Gracefully, she moved out of the foyer and into a sitting room, where Edward was
surprised to see a baby grand piano amongst the chaise lounge and various other

decadent furniture pieces. His mother had encouraged him to play piano, and he was
indeed quite talented. However, he hated to play; he would have much rather listened

to her play than do so himself. And she did play for him a lot, in fact that was when he
wrote some of his best stuff. However he hadn't heard her play in years. It was one of

the things he missed most about her and he couldn't hear Moonlight Sonata without
tearing up a bit.

Through another door, they entered a huge kitchen, complete with an island, granite

counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

Bella disappeared through a small doorway to his right and when he peaked in, he
realized it was the laundry room and she was just throwing the muddy towel in the

wash. She turned quickly and started when she saw Edward in the doorway.

"Did you want something to eat?" She bristled as she walked past him, seemingly
unnerved by his presence in the house she rightfully called her home.

Edward sensed her displeasure and followed her into the kitchen further, which granted

him a view of the sun patio and breakfast nook at the back of the house.

"No thanks, I just want to see the rest of the house, if that's okay." Again Edward found
himself avoiding looking at her body while she made her way through the kitchen as if

she belonged there.

"Suit yourself." There was a slight edge to her voice, "There's a half bath through the
laundry room and Carlisle turned the basement into a games room." She said as they

walked past the sun room and into the formal dining room. "I don't think anyone's eaten
here since your parents got the place; they always ate in the kitchen." She said in a

bored monotone as they had finished a circuit of the first floor.

Edward inhaled sharply as he was momentarily transfixed by the sway of her bare hips
again, while she ascended the stairs and he wasn't sure if he wanted her to put more

clothes on or keep parading around in a swim suit. Though he definitely knew what
decision certain parts of his body would make.

Rather than stay on the second floor, she turned a corner and walked up a second flight

of stairs to the third level where there were only two doors at the landing. "This is the
master." She opened the door and let Edward wander in, though she didn't cross the

threshold, "But your parents stayed in one of the larger rooms on the second floor, so
nobody's lived up here for a while." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's awfully big, even for two people." Edward remarked as he walked into the room,

taking note of the giant California King sleigh bed and the fireplace situated across the
room, as well as the seating area and vanity space. The walk-in closet was almost as big

as the bathroom, which was complete with a steam shower and claw footed tub. "This is
all so unnecessary." Edward muttered to himself at the decadence.

When Edward came back into the room, Bella pushed off the door and he eagerly

followed her into the hallway as she opened the other door, "This is my favorite room."
She said quietly, almost willing him not to hear the admission. But the moment Edward

got a view inside the room, he understood her sentiments. Floor to ceiling bookshelves
lined the practically windowless room, "It's the study." She bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Wow." Edward breathed as he tried to take in the size of the room and the volumes of

literature it held. At the far end of the room was a large mahogany desk, situated by the
only bay window that had a perfect view of the lake and backyard. Edward turned

around to find Bella in the doorway, "I think it's my favorite too." He smiled at her,
hoping she'd warm up to him.

Bella frowned and turned to walk down the stairs, Edward scrambled to follow her,

wondering how it was possible that he had upset her yet again.

Edward caught up with Bella on the stairs and realized that Jake hadn't followed them
up the second flight of stairs, but was waiting impatiently for them on the landing. "He's

not allowed on the 3rd floor because of the hardwood in the study." Bella answered
Edward's unspoken question.

"The sides are mirror images of each other. There's one bathroom on either side," She

flicked on the light in an empty bathroom and gave him a moment to peak inside before
she moved on, "There's a larger bedroom," she turned on the light in the next room,

"This is where your parents stayed."

Edward lingered there for a moment longer, making a mental note to go through the
room at a later date and see if they had left anything behind.

Bella had already turned the light on in the next room, which was a bit smaller, then

rounded the corner where she showed him an identical bathroom, although there was
evidence of her inhabiting the space because of the towels hung on the racks and the

few soaps and lotions on the counter. The next room was again larger, except the color
scheme was blue instead of green, as his parent's room had been.

Bella paused for a moment before she flipped the light in the final, smaller bedroom,

"And this is my room," she said nervously as she hesitantly entered.

The first thing that struck Edward about the space was how clean it was, but the second
thing was that it looked just like the other rooms – as if it hadn't been lived in for a

while.

Edward thought of Alice's room at the house they had grown up in and even the room
she shared with Jasper in L.A.; it wasn't that she was messy, but her crap was all over

the place. She had photos of friends up, posters of her favorite movies and countless
other knick-knacks she had acquired since they were kids. But there was nothing in

Bella's room to show that she lived there. Edward knew she had been in Delta for at
least three years, and yet she could walk away and nobody would ever know she had

been there at all.

He watched her move to the dresser and root around in a drawer before she pulled on a
pair of jeans, much to Edward's dismay and after looking in a second drawer, threw a t-

shirt over her head. Both items looked old and extremely well worn.

When Bella turned around, again she was startled to find Edward watching her from
outside the room, afraid to enter her space.

"I don't have much, if I can just stay the night, I'll be gone tomorrow." She said with a

melancholy lilt to her voice.

"Excuse me?" Edward was completely bewildered by her tone and wondered why she'd
be going anywhere.

"Well, fine." She huffed, "I'll just stay with Rose and come back tomorrow to pack up my

stuff." Her jaw was clenched and for the umpteenth time that day, Edward honestly felt

frightened by the girl.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding." Edward shook his head defensively.

"Listen," She pointed her finger at him accusingly. "Just because you're rich, doesn't

mean you get to be jerk." She barked, "I have every right to pack my things."

"Bella―" He tried to get her attention.

"You can't just kick me out without my stuff." She continued to rant.

"BELLA." He said more forcefully and finally her eyes snapped to his, "I'm not kicking you
out." He said firmly as he searched her face for some sort of emotion to alert him to her

reaction.

"What?" She blurted out, taken aback.

"This is your home; I have no intention of making you leave. If you don't want me here,
then I'll go." He tried to make her understand he wasn't the enemy.

"What?" She repeated herself in confusion.

Edward took a chance and crossed the room toward her, "You've met my parents," he

explained, "Do you really think they'd be capable of raising such a cold-hearted son?"
Edward inquired.

"No," she breathed, suddenly embarrassed by her outburst as her eyes fell to the

ground.

"Is it okay if I stay here?" He asked calmly, still several feet from her.

Her eyes darted to his briefly before they fell to the floor again, "This house belongs to
your family, not me."

Edward took a deep breath, trying to wrap his mind around her bi-polar behavior, "That

might be true, but you were here first and if I make you uncomfortable, I'll gladly leave."
He said quietly in an attempt to comfort her.

"No – you can stay." She swallowed hard and bit her lip again.

"Thank you," He smiled softly.

Immediately her mood shifted to the confident woman he had been with only moments

earlier, "I do laundry on Mondays," She brushed past him and turned off the light on her

way out, leaving him in the dim light from the sun setting outside her window.

"The sheets are changed Tuesday, I vacuum and dust on Wednesday and get groceries

on Thursday." She prattled as Edward and Jake followed her down the stairs.

"So, let me know by tomorrow morning if you have any food allergies or dietary
restrictions." She glanced wistfully at the piano before walking into the kitchen.

"Normally, I clean the floors and windows on Fri―"

"Stop." Edward said suddenly. She turned to face him, anger evident on her delicate

features. He quickly tried to diffuse the situation before she made anymore false
assumptions, "I don't expect you to do any of those things."

"Your parents pay me to take care of the house and whoever may be staying here." She

said matter-of-factly.

"But I don't." He told her. Edward didn't want Bella to feel obligated to do anything for
him; he felt he was imposing on her enough, "I can cook my own food and I'm perfectly

capable of leaning up after myself." He explained, hoping his words might make her
hate him a little less.

"Too bad. I'm going to do it." She stared at him defiantly.

That certainly wasn't the reaction Edward was expecting. He sighed, disappointed that

his self-sufficiency didn't please her and seemed to only add fuel to the fire, "We'll see."

"No. We won't." She dared him to challenge her. "It's my job and I wouldn't feel right
staying here if I didn't do what they asked me to." Her jaw was set and he knew it was

no use to argue with her.

"You're awful persnickety, aren't you?" He said with chagrin as he took a seat across
from her on a stool at the breakfast bar.

"There's nothing wrong with being persnickety." She scoffed.

Edward let out a frustrated chuckle, "No. There isn't."

Bella leaned back against the counter, "I just wish your parents told me you were

coming; I could have at least had dinner and a room ready." She said to herself as she
scratched Jake's head.

"I don't suppose they could have." Edward said.

Bella eyed him speculatively.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but…" Edward took a moment to compose

himself and stared at the granite counter rather than Bella, "They passed away." He told
her.

Edward heard a small gasp and when he looked up he saw that Bella's face had visibly

paled and tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"How?" She breathed.

"It was a car accident." He swallowed hard, trying to make the lump in his throat go
away. The feeling of dread sat in his stomach like it had the night he'd gotten the call

from the police. And it wasn't so much fear of life without his parents, though that
scared him as well, but he had no idea how to tell his sister what happened. In that

moment, as he watched Bella hold back sobs and take in what he had just told her – he
felt the same.

"When?" She choked out and was quick to wipe away the tears rolling down her cheeks,

not wanting Edward to see a chink in her armor.

"That's the thing…" He sighed again, knowing there was no delicate way to tell her, "It
happened three years ago."

"What!" Bella shouted in disbelief.

"Aunt Bella!" A little girl, no older than four or five came barreling into the kitchen,

shocking Edward and leaving Bella speechless as she bent down with her arms open for
the girl with curly blonde pig tails, bounding toward her. Bella scooped up the little girl

and held her close.

Edward was at a loss.

"Bells?" Another female voice called from the foyer.

"I'm in the kitchen." Bella responded to the woman as if nothing was wrong, "How are
you today Miss Vera?" Bella said animatedly to the girl in her arms.

"Can I play Wii?" Vera struggled to get out of Bella's arms.

"Sure, be careful going down the stairs." Bella set her on the ground and she scampered

toward the basement.

Just as Vera disappeared down the stairs, a strikingly beautiful and fit woman, who
Edward assumed was in her early thirties walked in to the kitchen, holding hands with a

toddler and carrying another small child. Both with the same blonde curls as Vera.

"Hi Chuck." Bella waved to the toddler, "Vera's downstairs with the Wii. I bet she'll play
the racing game with you if you ask nicely."

A brilliant smile lit the boy's face before he released his mother's hand and followed his

sister's path.

"He's gone." The woman said melodramatically as she handed her youngest son to Bella,
so she could refasten her thick blonde hair into a ponytail.

"Who?" Bella asked as her eyes followed the woman, while she made her way to the

fridge.

"I mean, I never thought he'd actually leave, but he's gone." She huffed, pulling out a
water bottle.

"Emmett?" Bella's brow furrowed.

"Oh – yeah, Emmett left me." The woman rolled her eyes sarcastically, "As if." She

laughed, bringing the water bottle to her lips.

"Rose, who are you talking about?" Bella asked, exasperated. The little boy squirmed in
her arms, trying to reach out to Jake. "Play nice Dave." Bella cooed as she set him on his

feet, watching him as he wobbled a bit before steadying himself and he began to pet the
dog reverently.

"Duh!" Lucy guffawed, "Anthony Masen."

Edward froze.

"Oh Jesus." It was Bella's turn to roll her eyes.

"The press release said he's in rehab, but someone on one of my boards knows

someone who works at the facility where they 'claim' he is and he is not there." She
stared at Bella and placed her hands on her hips.

Edward looked between the two women and felt like he couldn't breathe when Rose's

gaze slowly moved sideways as she realized she and Bella were not alone. "Who are
you?" She blinked at him. "You look really familiar… do I know you?"

"Anthony Cullen." Bella said quickly.

"It's Edward." He corrected her immediately, praying to god that Rose didn't recognize

him, especially since Bella had used his nickname. He extended his hand over the
counter, not wanting to incur the wrath of the equally frightening woman.

Rose looked at his hand, then looked at Bella, "Is he related to Carlisle and Esme?" She

asked.

Edward answered, "I'm their son." At the same time that Bella replied, "He's their son."

They stared at each other for a moment before Bella said, "He was just leaving to get his
stuff from the car."

Edward stayed frozen until Bella glared at him and he realized she wanted him to leave.

"Oh." He said abruptly and stood, "Yeah." Awkwardly he bolted from the room and out
to the car.

The humidity outside seemed even worse since he had just come from the air

conditioned house. He grabbed as much as he could in one trip and made his way back
to the house. He tried to be quiet when he re-entered, but the door smacked against

the wall as it swung open and the voiced of the two women were silenced when they
heard his loud entry.

"Sorry," He yelled to nobody in particular and made slow progress up the stairs. Once at

the landing he realized he had a choice to make. He knew immediately upon seeing the
enormous master suite on the third floor that he didn't want to stay in the room.

So that left three rooms on the second floor. His parent's room was out of the question,

it was just too weird. So did he take the small room on the opposite side of the floor, or
the large room, right next to Bella? Despite her claims, he knew she was uncomfortable

around him, but selfishly, he really wanted to stay in the larger room.

Edward walked toward her room and was momentarily tempted to snoop, which caught
him off guard, as he very much respected the privacy of others because his had been

violated so often. He stood in front of the door, which was ajar and saw that it could be
locked from the inside; so that decided him.

He picked up his bags and moved them into the room next to Bella's, thinking to himself

that he would use the other bathroom so he'd stay out of her way and if she really felt
the need, she could lock her bedroom door. Other men may not have understood, but

Alice had explained to him plenty of times the thought process girls go through
regarding strange men. Edward knew he'd never do anything to hurt Bella, frankly he

was scared of her, but she didn't know that.

It took him two more trips to bring in the rest of his belongings in from the car and he
was contemplating where to begin when he heard an annoyed sigh from the doorway.

He turned.

"You have the whole house and you pick―" Bella stopped herself, "Never mind." She
took a deep breath, "Dinner will be ready in an hour. I'm making lasagna." She gritted

her teeth and stomped down the stairs before Edward had a chance to respond.

Chapter 4 – July 2

Dear Alice,

It's not often that I ask for your advice, and I realize as I'm writing this
that you don't even have a phone number to contact me, but maybe by
just writing this, it will help me work some things out.

You deal with a lot of difficult people in your line of work and for the last
three years, save for you and Ben, not a single person has so much as
uttered the word 'no' to me.

This is going to sound like a line, and I swear that it isn't, but there's this
girl… let me be very forthright in telling you that I am not attracted to
this woman – okay, that's a lie, she's very beautiful, but I have absolutely
no intention of trying to start any sort of romantic relationship with her.
But the fact is that, without giving you too many details, I have to deal
with her every day and I'm at my wits end trying to figure her out.

I don't think she's ever given me a chance, so it's no surprise that she
seems to hate me. She shoots daggers at me whenever I'm in the same
room as her, refuses to acquiesce to my attempts at conversation and gets
genuinely upset when I try to help her. I would consider giving up and
chalking her up as a lost cause, but I just can't. Not only would ignoring
her be childish and petty because of the large amount of time we are

forced to spend together, but I can't seem to lose hope.

I get these tiny glimpses of the person she is behind the scary mask and I
really want to know that girl. Plus, I probably shouldn't tell you this, and
I hope it doesn't upset you, but she knew Mom and Dad. I really don't
know why she dislikes me, but I'm hoping you can help me figure out
some way to show her I'm not the asshole she thinks I am, or at the very
least find out why she has such a negative opinion of me. I just want to be
her friend Alice. But everything I do to make it better, only makes it
worse.

I'm clueless. Please, help me out. I'm begging you.

In other news, maybe coming to this particular place in July wasn't the
best idea. It's muggy as hell, the mosquitoes are bigger than birds and
there's not a heck of a lot to do here. So, yes, the novelty has worn off,
but I'd still rather be here than in L.A. dealing with Jane's bullshit.

I miss you Ally and there's so much of Mom and Dad here that it's
overwhelming. Nobody here knew they passed away, so having to tell
them and seeing their grief is like rubbing salt in an open wound. But I
see why they liked it here and nobody has a single bad thing to say about
them; in fact, everyone's been quite devastated to hear about the
accident. It baffles me how they could have had such a profound effect on
this community, yet, word of their death never made it here.

Also, I should tell you that I've seen the cars and not only are they even
more perfect than I remember, but they're being well taken care of. You'll
be beyond shocked when you see the Roadster.

Give Jasper my regards and like I've said before, he knows how to get a
hold of me in a pinch. I might try calling in a few days too.

I love you,

Anthony

There was no winning when it came to Bella.

When Edward tried to help with her chores or cooking, she became livid. Bella saw him
playing fetch with Jake in the backyard on Tuesday, muttered 'traitor' under her breath

and stomped off into the house. He ran into her in the hallway Wednesday morning on
the way back to his room from the bathroom and she almost body-checked him into the

wall.

Edward did his best to tread lightly around the girl, but constantly felt like if he even
breathed in her direction, she'd tear his head off. But the most nerve-wracking thing

was that she never said a word to him, only mumbled what he was sure were
obscenities under her breath.

Each day she made breakfast at nine, lunch at one and dinner by six. He'd seen her

cooking, but got the hint, via her death glares, that she didn't like him watching her. So
instead he'd wait until he heard her bedroom door shut, before going downstairs and

eating alone. It was a rather miserable experience, but every time Edward tried to say
something or apologize unnecessarily, either Bella would walk away or he couldn't find

the words he needed ended up babbling nonsense.

On Thursday he ignored her silent protests when she returned from Ashland with a car
full of groceries. He met her outside, having heard the truck from down the road. She

got out of the driver's seat, honestly stunned to see him. Bella watched him approach
her, waiting for him to tell her off or say he decided to leave and take the cars with him,

or worse… kick her out.

But Edward didn't do any of those things. He gave her a weak smile, not bothering to
make eye contact, and opened the tailgate before gathering as many bags as he could fit

in his arms. Her jaw clenched as she moved in front of him, blocking his path to the
door.

Edward stopped and looked down at her over the bags, "I don't care." He answered the

anger on her face. "My mother raised me to be a gentleman, so move aside, please."
And though it wasn't a request, Bella didn't budge, "Fine." Edward said and sidestepped

her quickly so she didn't have a chance to stop him. "I'm gonna help you whether you
like it or not." He yelled over his shoulder, knowing it would most likely infuriate her

more, but he didn't care. He refused to compromise his morals because she was
stubborn.

She couldn't fault him for trying and his new plan was to kill her with kindness until she
cracked. Edward was severely underestimating her determination, but witnessed it first

hand when she practically stumbled into the kitchen juggling the remainder of the
grocery bags from the car. "Oh for fuck sake." Edward growled.

"Don't you dare swear in this house!" Bella's girlish voice boomed from behind the

barrier of paper bags. Her tone stopped Edward dead in his tracks.

"And here I thought you'd gone mute." He mused, trying to take some of the bags from
Bella.

"Get out of my kitchen." She commanded.

"It's my kitchen." Edward finally succeeded in tearing two of the bags from Bella's grasp.

"You're right." She said angrily and practically threw the rest of the bags on the counter,

"If you want to help, then you put the food away!" She sneered and stormed out of the
room.

"Wait! Bella!" Edward called after her, but knew better than to follow her, lest she

shove him down the stairs. "I'm sorry!" He shouted through the front room. 'So much
for killing her with kindness,' Edward thought depressingly.

He turned to face the mountain of bags and realized he didn't know where anything

went. It took him a while, however, eventually he figured it out, but by then it was
quarter after five and he decided to take a chance and make dinner for the both of

them, himself. He figured he was already in the doghouse, so what did he have to lose?
The problem was that besides microwavable food, the only thing Edward had mastered

cooking was his mother's homemade macaroni and cheese.

Edward found what he needed and set to work making the comfort food his mom used
to make once a week and was his second favorite meal next to her spaghetti and

meatballs, though he had given up trying to replicate the old family marinara recipe.

He finished cooking just before six. Happy with the food's outcome, he grabbed a beer
from the fridge, Miller of course, since they were in Wisconsin and served himself,

deciding to eat at the breakfast bar so he wouldn't miss Bella when she arrived.

But Bella never came down from her room. Two hours and three beers later, Edward
slid off the stool, put away the leftovers and cleaned his dishes before ambling up the

stairs.

The buzz from the beer lulled him into a light and uneasy sleep. He woke up around

midnight to sounds coming from the kitchen because he hadn't latched his door

completely. Silently he made his way down the steps, praying that it wasn't a prowler
and hoping Jake wouldn't give him up if it was indeed Bella.

He tip-toed through the formal dining room and found Bella, in a tank top and white

cotton panties, moving the food around in the cupboards, fridge and freezer, no doubt
because Edward had put them away incorrectly.

Edward watched her move gracefully around the kitchen, admiring her small body,

curvy in all the right places. He thought it was interesting that the scowl, which seemed
to have been permanently etched on her face since he arrived, was missing. Her

forehead was creased in concentration as she tried to recount where she preferred to
store the extra water bottles; after all, it had been a while since anyone other than

herself occupied the spacious home.

He took a deep breath, trying to gather the courage to say something to her, but
decided she'd be more amiable in the morning when she wasn't caught off guard in her

underwear. Edward saw Jake sleeping soundly across the room by the breakfast nook
and thought it best if he left. However, just as he turned to leave, he spotted the

Tupperware container that he stored the leftovers in. It sat on the counter with a fork
propped inside of it – empty.

The next morning Edward felt different. He felt as though he was making some sort of

progress with Bella, even if it was slow going. He walked down the stairs just as she was
finishing breakfast, still in his pajamas.

"Morning, beautiful." He yawned, stretching as he walked into the kitchen.

Bella froze momentarily upon hearing his voice, but resumed flipping pancakes shortly

thereafter.

"I think I'm gonna go into town today for lunch, so don't worry about making me
anything." He strode across the kitchen and retrieved a gallon of orange juice from the

refrigerator, then moved next to Bella, reaching up to retrieve a glass, "Been cooped up
here too long."

Bella let out a small yelp, not realizing Edward's close proximity until he spoke.

Edward set the glass down and stared at her, "Please don't be scared of me." He

pleaded softly. But Bella didn't acknowledge him.

She made quick work of finishing breakfast then took her food and all but rushed out of
the room, followed by a slobbering Jake, hoping to get any scraps she didn't eat.

"Have a nice day," Edward yelled sarcastically.

When he was finished eating he cleaned his dishes, showered and got dressed. He

thought about asking Bella if he could drive the Roadster, but realized if there was one
thing he didn't want to do, it was mess with those cars.

He met a few new people as he sat at the counter at the diner, drinking coffee next to

Billy, the old man who hadn't seemed to have moved since the first day he saw him
there and chatting with Nina and Todd. He desperately wanted to ask everyone who

approached him about Bella and if she was behaving normally, but knew better. Delta
was way too small of a town and the second her name rolled from his tongue, she'd

know and he feared she'd castrate him while he slept – she did know where he lived.

At precisely one on the dot, the three men he met on Monday rolled into the diner from
their offices across the street. Being the gentlemen that they were, they offered him a

spot in their usual booth and he couldn't refuse them.

Again lunch was filled with idle conversation about town gossip. They were especially
concerned with making sure everything was ready for the big Fourth of July celebration

the next day. Somehow, Edward's cars came up as there was also a classic car show at
the diner during the day of festivities.

"I don't suppose you'd bring out a few of your father's cars for people to get a look at?

We know he's got some real beauties in that barn." Hank speculated.

Frankly Edward was all for it and he knew his father loved showing off his babies, but he
also knew that wasn't really his decision to make, "I'm not sure" Edward replied

cautiously as he took a bite of Nina's amazing apple pie. "I'll have to ask Bella; it's really
up to her."

"Nonsense, they're your cars." Buddy put in his two cents.

"I know, but if she hasn't shown them without my dad around – I'd just like to get her

permission." Edward said sheepishly, knowing how that must sound to the men at the
table.

"She's all bark, you know." Emmett said quietly, "Just like that dog of hers."

Edward chuckled darkly, "That might be true, but you're not the one that has to live

with her." Edward instantly regretted the words, he didn't mean to speak poorly of Bella
and he knew it would get back to her, "It's just – she's done such a good job restoring

and taking care of those cars, they're as much hers as they are mine and I wouldn't feel
right driving them into town without making sure she was okay with it." He finished his

pie, "Say what you will, but I won't cross Isabella Swan."

The table erupted in laughter and they all agreed that was the best decision. Sensing
Edward's unwillingness to linger on Bella as a topic of conversation, Emmett thankfully

switched subjects. However when the four men went to settle their bills, Emmett
stopped Edward.

"You're coming to dinner at my house tonight, right?" Emmett asked Edward

nonchalantly.

"I don't think so?" Edward was confused.

"Oh, I'm sure Bella just forgot to mention it; she makes the best spaghetti and meatballs
every Friday for me, Rosie and the kids." He beamed.

"Vera, Chuck and Dave?" Edward thought back to the three cherub-like children that

played in his house on the first night he'd been in town.

"That's right, you met the tykes when Rose brought them over on Monday." He laughed.

"You and Rose big Beatles fans?" Edward asked, making his way toward the register.

"Oh yeah, we met in a music history class in college." Emmett's dimples made him look
that much more cheerful as he spoke about his family.

"Lucky you had three then." Edward joked.

Emmett patted him a bit roughly on the back as he barked out a laugh, "You betcha!"

Against his better judgment, Edward inquired, "So, what time's dinner?"

Emmett grinned, "Always six, but Bella gets to the house around five. I can show you my

Harley while her and Rose cook." He sounded genuinely excited.

"Won't they need help?" Edward wondered.

Emmett snorted, "I gave up trying to help Bella do anything in the kitchen years ago. She
doesn't even let Rose do anything, just tolerates her in the area so they can gossip." He

shook his head. "See you at five." He waved goodbye and followed Buddy and Hank
across the street to their offices.

Edward was sure it wouldn't end well, but he was looking forward to the dinner as he

enjoyed the way Bella interacted with Rose and her children. Truthfully observing her
around other people was the only way he could learn anything about her. Though he

was happy to admit that Emmett's admission about Bella's individual and standoffish

nature, especially when it came to cooking and her other responsibilities, came as a

relief. It was clear the people of Delta loved Bella, but they had also grown accustomed
to her eccentricities long ago.

Edward still had a lot to learn.

At quarter to five, Edward walked into the kitchen to find Bella packing the food she

needed into paper bags. However, when she caught sight of him, she looked like a deer
in the headlights.

"Need any help?" He offered brightly, predicting she would ignore him – and she did.

"Emmett invited me over. I hope that's okay." Edward told her, hoping she wouldn't

vocally protest, even though he knew he wasn't welcome in her mind.

Bella glared at him for a split second before shrugging slightly and continuing to pack
the food.

"What car are we taking?" He stepped toward her as she threw the last box of noodles

in the second bag. Bella huffed when Edward swept the bags off the table and into his
arms. "After you." He said graciously, motioning with his hand. Edward held back his

laughter when he heard a low growl and decided it came from Bella as she stormed past
him, rather than Jake who looked up at Edward expectantly, hoping he was invited as

well. "Not tonight, pal." Edward chuckled at the dog and made his way out to the front
porch.

Bella had already taken the '65 Malibu out of the hanger. The silver two-tone paint was

illuminated by the low-hanging sun and Edward had to admit he was a bit surprised she
hadn't driven off without him. But she did have a reputation to uphold after all.

Edward unlatched the trunk and secured the bags before climbing in the bucket seat on

the passenger side, reverently running his fingers over the blue and silver leather
interior. Bella gunned it the moment his door was closed.

"So, I know you're not talking to me, which is fine. I get it; that's your right―"

Edward was interrupted by another death glare that said 'get on with it or I'll pull over

and shove you out.'

"Sorry – anyway, Hank and Buddy wanted to know if we could bring a couple of the cars
in town tomorrow for the Forth of July." He held up his hands already sensing her

displeasure, "I said I had to ask you, and I wasn't sure." He told her quickly. "So if you
want to, just let me know what car to drive tomorrow morning and if not, then I'll just

tell them I changed my mind." He wanted to make sure she knew Hank and Buddy

wouldn't be on her case if she decided not to show the cars.

"I didn't know if you'd rather keep them in the hanger, or if you just didn't want to let

people touch them without my dad's permission." Edward thought out loud. He turned
to gauge her reaction, but her expression was blank, focusing on the road instead. "Just

let me know." He sighed and didn't say anything else until they arrived at Rose and
Emmett's modest two-story home a few minutes later.

"You go inside; I'll get the groceries." He told her, faux-grin still in place. He was trying so

hard, but Bella just wanted to have nothing to do with him.

"Where's the food?" He heard Rose's bewildered voice when he entered the house,
hoisting the bags in his hands.

Bella turned and stared at Edward before stomping into the kitchen. "Oh, hello." Rose

raised an eyebrow upon seeing Edward, "Well don't just stand there." She laughed and
took a bag from him, "Please take your shoes off." She requested sweetly, silently

bidding him to follow her.

"Mommy says Anthony's gone into hiding!" Vera told Bella, conspiratorially while she
held the girl in her arms.

"You don't say!" Bella's eyes widened, playing along with Vera's theory.

"He is, you know." Rose said matter-of-factly. Edward tried not to look as uncomfortable

as he felt. "There were sightings of him all over the country this weekend." Rose
explained while she unpacked the grocery bags. Perhaps Edward hadn't been as stealthy

as he'd thought.

"I'm sorry Rose; it's not that I don't care – well, let's be honest, I don't." She set Vera on
the counter. "But how many times do I have to tell you, you don't know this guy. Why

are you so concerned about him when you have a family to care for?"

Edward wondered the same thing.

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm not like you, abstaining from all forms of media except sports." Rose
said mockingly, "So what if his movies speak to me and I like how vulnerable he is in real

life?"

Edward had never felt more awkward in his life. And he knew above all else, he was
walking a thin line and Rose could figure things out at any moment. Then it would be

over… and where would he go?

"Fine, whatever." Bella backed down, "I just don't get it, I mean he's not even that cute."

Without thinking, Edward audibly scoffed, which was a mistake as both women spun on
their heels and stared at him in disbelief.

Just then, the kitchen door swung open and Emmett bounded in.

"SHOES!" Rose cried.

"Oops," Emmett stepped back onto the welcome mat and sheepishly removed his

shoes.

"Daddy!" Vera hopped off the counter and lunged at his leg.

"Hi princess." He ruffled her hair affectionately.

"Do you think Anthony died?" She asked Emmett innocently.

Emmett shot Rose a look, "Rose." He said sternly.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow, daring him to say something.

"I'm sure he's fine, pumpkin." Emmett walked into the kitchen and kissed his wife on the
cheek, rubbing her back lightly, "Hi honey." He smiled, "Where are the boys?"

"Dave's asleep; Chuck's trying to go potty." She folded up an empty paper bag, "He

asked me to leave and said he didn't want an audience." She laughed.

"He actually said that?" Emmett narrowed his eyes.

Rose laughed again, "Well, no, he said 'Go away. I poopie alone.'"

The four adults laughed as Vera traced the threads on her father's pant leg.

"Edward!" Emmett said suddenly and slapped his back for the second time that day,
"Let's get some beers and I'll give you a tour."

Edward nodded, happy to be out of Bella's and Rose's watchful eyes. He still wasn't

quite sure how Rose felt about him. Knowing girls, he figured that she was required to
hate him on principle because Bella did, but she seemed to be giving him more of a

chance than Bella did. He suspected it was because Emmett had taken a shine to him.

Emmett showed him around the contemporary house. Chuck found them at one point,
proudly declaring that he went potty all by himself.

Edward had always liked kids and often helped Alice babysit. Emmett introduced Chuck

to Edward and although he was shy at first, the little boy was oddly curious with the
new visitor.

Before they went into the garage to see Emmett's Harley, Edward excused himself to

the bathroom and on his way out to find Emmett, he couldn't help but overhear Bella
and Rose discussing him in hushed whispers, while they cooked.

"He seems nice." Rose said.

"I just don't like him." Bella said defensively, "I don't have to like everyone."

"It's just that Esme and Carlisle were so nice, I don't understand what he did to you."

Rose was confused.

"He won't leave me alone. He bothers me." Bella complained, "Just because he's their
son, just because he owns the house and didn't make me leave, just because I'm forced

to live with him, doesn't mean I have to be his best friend."

"Bella, you know that's not what I'm saying. Have you seen the way he looks at you?"
Rose was curious.

"Yeah, like a piece of meat. I'm not some townie looking to screw leafers for kicks." Bella

scowled and Edward tried to think back to the way he looked at her when they rarely
interacted.

"I disagree." Rose told her, "He looks like you scare the crap out of him."

Bella laughed.

"Did you know Hank and Buddy asked him to drive some of Carlisle's cars into town

tomorrow and he said he wouldn't agree to anything without your permission?" Edward
rolled his eyes at the fact that Rose already knew about a conversation he had with

Emmett only hours earlier.

"Whatever, Rose. Don't take his side. He just irks me and I have a right to my opinion."
Bella said, "You're rolling the meatballs all wrong."

"Get over it." Rose said shortly and Edward didn't know if she was referring to her

inexplicable negative feelings for him, or the meat.

Deciding he'd eavesdropped long enough, and fearing that one of Rose's kids would
discover him, Edward made his way to the garage, thankfully undetected.

Edward was amused by Emmett's love for his motorcycle, but appreciated the fact that

he had so easily accepted him and spoke as if they had been friends for just as long as
Rose and Bella had known each other. But as that thought crossed his mind, he realized

he didn't even know how long that was.

"How long has Bella known your wife?" Edward asked Emmett when there was a gap in
conversation. He knew it wouldn't take long for Bella to find out about his questioning,

but he didn't care. At the very least, Bella would know he cared enough to want to get
to know her.

"Oh geez, let's see." Emmett pursed his lips in thought, "I guess she rolled into town

about five years ago." He nodded, confirming the time to himself, "She stayed with us
for a while, until your parents took her in. Rose was pregnant at the time, so she was

thrilled to have the help around the house." Emmett recalled.

"Where did she move here from?" Edward was completely intrigued that Bella had
come to Delta without knowing anyone or even having a place to stay.

"Shoot, I dunno. Rose might – I can ask―"

"Oh, no." Edward decided that was enough to chew on, "I was just curious. I'll ask Bella

about it later." Emmett chuckled, knowing that Edward was lying.

At precisely six pm, everyone gathered around the McCarty's dining room table and
Rose placed a sleepy Dave into a high chair next to her. Edward wondered if they might

say grace, but Bella and Emmett began a casual conversation as they served Vera and
Chuck then themselves. Meanwhile Rose alternated between taking a bite of her food

and then feeding Dave small spoon fulls of baby food from a little jar.

The sight of Emmett's family and the way that Bella so seamlessly fit into their lives
made Edward's heart hurt. The last time he'd been at a table like this, he sat across from

Alice, making faces at her, trying to get her to spit out her food while his mother and
father, on either side of him, pretended they disapproved as they held back laughter.

Dinner with these strangers, who had unquestionably embraced him (except for Bella)
was just as intimate as the last time he had dinner with everyone in his family.

As if the nostalgia wasn't enough to choke him up and make him desperately want to

talk to Alice, he finally took a bite of the food Bella had made for all of them.

It tasted almost exactly like his mother's recipe – except, it was better.

"Oh god." Edward stifled.

Bella dropped her fork from across the table with a metallic clatter and Edward met her

angry gaze. "If you don't' like it, don't eat it." She seethed, nostrils flared.

"What?" Edward was more than taken aback.

"Nobody wants you here. Emmett only asked you to come because he is a terrible judge

of character." She spat.

"Hey…" Emmett said, mildly offended.

"So if you don't like it, then starve." She finished.

"I never said I didn't like it." Edward said half-heartedly, debating on how far he wanted
to take their argument in front of an audience at a home where they were guests. But

then he thought, fuck it, better to have witnesses.

"It tastes wonderful!" He growled and saw Rose cover her mouth with her hands,
holding back laughter at the absurd situation, "Better than my mom's, okay!"

"She taught her." Rose said quietly and Edward looked at her imploringly, "It is your

mom's; she taught Bella how to cook."

Emmett's eyes darted between the three of them, unsure of what to do.

"Why do you hate me?" Edward pleaded with Bella, refusing to break their eye contact.

Bella's jaw set tightly, but very calmly she removed the napkin from her lap and pushed
her chair out so she could stand.

"Oh crap, don't go. I'm sorry." Edward stood up. "I'll leave."

"How?" Bella sneered and Dave started to cry. Vera and Chuck were miffed, but had

continued to eat through the heated exchange.

"I'll give you a ride home." Emmett offered.

"I'm sorry." Edward said softly to Bella, though she refused to look at him, "I'm sorry."

Emmett clapped him lightly on the back, "Be back in twenty, Rosie."

"Drive safe." Rose called to Emmett, distracted by Dave's cries.

"I'm so sorry I ruined your dinner." Edward felt awful that Emmett had to drive him
back.

"C'mon, it's not your fault." Emmett unlocked his state issued SUV, "She'll come

around."

"I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just leave." Edward confessed.

"Hey, give it the weekend before you do anything rash." Emmett suggested, "She just
needs to calm down. Rose'll talk to her."

"Okay," Edward agreed. "Two days."

Chapter 5 – July 4

Mom & Dad,

It's been a long time since I wrote to you, but it's also been a long time
since I was so lost that I needed to. I know she meant something to you. I
know you wouldn't have trusted her to take care of the house and set up
those secret accounts to pay for her food and the taxes if it were
otherwise. You went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure she was taken
care of, yet you never once mentioned her to me or Alice.

Maybe the fact that she's a mystery, such an enigma, is the reason I'm so
desperate to befriend her. But both of you meant something to her too, so
we have that in common. I don't think I've ever wanted someone to like
me so badly in my life. And it's not because she doesn't like me, more that
I just want to understand why she doesn't.

I don't think the fame's gone to my head, but I always thought I was that
nice guy. You know, the one who listens to girls when they break up with
their boyfriends, picks you up from the airport or helps you move into
your new apartment, no questions asked. I'm that guy who buys you a
round when you've had a shit day. But maybe that's the problem –
because she doesn't want anything, least of all me, invading her space.

But where am I supposed to go? I've got plenty of cash to last me a while
here, but not nearly enough to pay for a house elsewhere, without raising
any flags.

I don't know what to do to pacify her and I don't understand why I'm so
desperate to placate her. And I miss you. I always miss you.

Your loving son,

Edward

"You're braver than I thought." Rose sidled up next to Edward while he worked the
barbecue pit.

Edward didn't bother to turn and face Rose, partially because he was scared she'd finally

recognized him as Anthony Masen, but also because she was Bella's best friend and he
wasn't sure he could trust anything she said.

"Emmett told you I almost left last night?" Edward guessed and wiped the sweat from

his brow.

Rose laughed, "Of course he did."

"I'm sorry I ruined your dinner." Edward said softly.

"Ruined it?" Rose giggled, "I can't remember the last time I've been so entertained."

"Oh…" Edward adjusted his sunglasses, "Well, I'm still sorry. I was terribly rude."

"You say 'sorry' an awful lot." Rose observed.

Edward was unsure how to respond. "Did you need something?" He asked politely, "The
ribs are gonna need another twenty minutes."

"No, Bella sent me over here with sun block; she didn't want you to get burned."

Edward paused to look at Rose, "Why didn't she bring it over here herself?"

"Oh, you're not supposed to know she sent me." Rose smiled mischievously as she

handed him the bottle.

"Thanks," He put down his tongs and started putting the lotion on his arms and face. "I
don't suppose you know what I did to make her so upset?" He tried.

"You didn't do anything." Rose eyes softened, "She's grieving."

"They were my parents too." Edward said suddenly without thinking; he was still unable

to understand why she would blame him for their deaths.

"You don't get it Edward." Rose took the bottle from him when he was finished and put
a dab on her fingers, "It's not just their deaths that she's mourning." Rose rubbed a bit

of the sun screen on the tips of his ears that poked out from beneath his baseball cap.
He thought it was sweet that she couldn't turn off being a mother.

"I don't follow." Edward said honestly.

Rose sighed, "Bella is nothing if not a creature of habit. What is it? Laundry on Monday,

sheets on Tuesday, vacuuming Wednesdays, groceries on Thursday, floors and windows
on Fridays, cars on Saturday and yard work on Sunday." She laughed again, "And it's

been that way for five years. You should see the tantrums she throws if it rains on a
Sunday."

Edward laughed with Rose and was so happy that she was willing to talk to him and help

him, but then again, in a round about way, she was really helping Bella.

"So she sticks to this schedule for so long and then one day you come in and throw it all
off―"

"But I told her she didn't have to do any of those things for me!" Edward interrupted

Rose, "I don't want to be a burden."

"Ahh, but that was your second mistake." Rose chided, "Bella has a very strong work
ethic and the only way she'd agree to stay with your parents was if they let her earn her

keep." She picked up the tongs and began to turn the ribs over for Edward, "Your mom
taught her how to cook and clean and your dad showed her everything he knew about

cars. They rebuilt that Corvette together."

The thought of his dad working in the hanger with Bella or his mom flitting around the
kitchen explaining how to make the marinara sauce perfectly, made Edward's chest

constrict. "So how do I fix this if she doesn't want change but refuses to accept my
help?" Edward didn't see how he could win.

"Don't give up on her." Rose smiled, "She needs a challenge."

"I don't want to challenge her; I'm scared of her." Edward was completely honest as he

found that Rose seemed to put him at ease… maybe it was her maternal nature.

Rose laughed again and clapped him on the back like her husband, "Just keep trying to
help, but do what she tells you. You can ask if she wants help putting the groceries

away, but if she says no, then don't."

It was so simple… and Edward really hoped it would work; he thought it had more
potential than his other plans.

"Thank you, Rose." Edward took the tongs from her.

"She wants to like you. I think it's just easier to blame you for what happened – not their

deaths." She corrected herself quickly, "Just that she didn't know… I think she feels
guilty." Rose thought aloud.

Edward mulled over that as he finished with the food. He stayed on the periphery during

the festivities; helping when asked, but making sure he wasn't in the way.

Bella had driven the white '67 shorty stepside Chevy pick up and left the white Chevy II
Nova out front with the keys in the ignition for him to drive to the Delta Diner. He

figured she picked the Nova because it was automatic and Bella didn't know that
Edward could drive stick. His father had actually taught him how to drive manually in

the '67 Pontiac Le Mans sport coupe. The hot little car was a 4 speed with 326 horse
power, white interiors and light blue exteriors. It was his first car, though his dad

wouldn't let him drive it after there was snow on the ground, but he was glad about that
fact now, as the car was in considerably better shape than the '66 Pontiac Tempest he

drove during the winters. Alice always loved that car because her winter coat matched
the turquoise interiors.

After helping serve lunch to all the tourists and townspeople, Edward walked around

and admired a lot of the other collectors' cars which were brought to the show. Edward
preferred his father's muscle cars, but appreciated the models from the 40's and 50's

that were more abundant in front of the diner.

Occasionally he'd catch himself watching Bella animatedly explaining something about
one of the Chevy models they brought. She had such a passion for the vehicles. Jake was

at her side the entire day, as she had allowed him to ride into town in the bed of the
truck. He knew she wouldn't dare let him get anywhere near the interior of any of his

father's cars.

As twilight began to fall on the small town, the people who stayed allowed their children
to wave around sparklers while waiting for the fireworks. Dave didn't seem particularly

happy that Vera and Chuck got to play with the sparklers when he couldn't. Chuck didn't

know what to do with the spitting stick, so he just stood still with his arm stretched out

while it burned itself out. Vera on the other hand twirled around, her dress fanning out
like an open flower while she traced patterns with the light.

Emmett, Buddy, Hank and a few more locals left to set up the large fireworks. Edward

was decidedly relieved that they hadn't asked him to come, as he was more than
exhausted from helping non-stop since he dropped the Nova off in front of the diner.

It was almost completely dark when Rose had to run to the bathroom to change Dave.

Edward saw Vera start to throw a fit about the fact that Chuck got more sparklers than
she did – he hadn't. Chuck wandered away from Vera and Bella to find Edward.

"Hi." The little boy stared up at Edward, barely able to see through his mop of curly

blonde hair.

"What's up Chief?" Edward smiled as he squatted down to talk to the child face-to-face.

"Vera's mean." He said simply and Edward laughed.

Just then Bella realized Chuck had disappeared, so she began to frantically yell for him.

"Uh oh, you better get back." Edward said jokingly as he picked up the little boy and
strode toward Bella. "I've got him." He said quickly, not wanting her to worry.

Bella didn't say anything, just sighed in relief and moved forward to take Chuck from

Edward, but Chuck wouldn't budge.

"NOOOOOO!" He wailed; his little arms tightly constricted around Edward's neck.

Edward shrugged, "It's okay."

Bella seemed just as exhausted as Edward, so instead of arguing, she laid out a blanket
on the ground where they could sit comfortably and watch the show.

Vera refused to sit once the fireworks started. Chuck re-situated himself in Edward's lap,

but when he cried out in shock from the sound of the first display, he pressed one ear
against Edward's chest and Edward covered the other with his hand so Chuck could

watch the light show comfortably.

Though Edward was slightly preoccupied with making sure Chuck was okay, he found he
was acutely aware of the fact that Bella was sitting very close to him. There was some

sort of energy radiating the space between them. And when Edward was so close, it felt
like an electric current connected them. Knowing she was inches away – he felt a

ridiculous need to touch her.

Not knowing exactly what was possessed him at the time, Edward watched his free
hand move of its own accord, as if it belonged to someone else. He reached out and

covered Bella's hand with his own.

Immediately her eyes flew to his, but Edward was surprised to find they weren't angry,
rather they were wondrous… curious… questioning.

"I don't want to fight with you anymore." He said softly.

Bella's eyes darted from his to their joined hands and then back up again, "I don't hate

you." She whispered and he saw the guilt in her eyes from his accusation at diner the
night before.

"I know." He squeezed her hand lightly and was pleasantly surprised when she

reciprocated.

Edward kept hold of Bella until the fireworks ended and they were both startled by Rose
clearing her throat from behind them.

"They're so in love, Mommy." Vera proclaimed loudly, much to Edward and Bella's

dismay; their faces both pink with embarrassment.

Rose laughed and looked down at Chuck, "I see you made a new friend."

Chuck's little hands tightened around Edward's shirt as he nodded at his mother.

"You can keep him if you want." Rose joked.

"MOMMY!" Chuck cried in protest and bolted from Edward's lap to his mother.

"Fine, I guess you can come home with me." She stroked his curls gently, while she held
a sleeping Dave to her chest.

"Ready to go?" Emmett suddenly appeared and Vera was instantly at his side.

"Thank god, yes." Rose sighed.

Emmett squeezed his wife's shoulder affectionately before picking up both Vera and

Chuck, their heads immediately slumped on his shoulder. "They've had a big day." He
observed.

"So have I, let's go home." She gave Emmett a tired smile.

"Thanks for bringing the cars out." Emmett told Bella, then turned to Edward, "And

thanks for all your help today." He readjusted Vera on his hip, "I'm sure I'll see you at
the diner sometime this week."

"Night." Edward waved goodbye to the family.

There was a pregnant pause before Bella quickly said, "I'll meet you at the house – I

need to find Jake."

"Do you want help?" Edward offered automatically.

"That's okay." She stood there awkwardly, waiting for Edward to insist, but was oddly
pleased when he didn't.

"Okay, drive safe." He gave her a quick smile and walked over to the Chevy II. He made a

swift retreat so Bella wouldn't question the huge grin he had on his face because he was
honestly thrilled that not only had Rose's advice worked, but the look of animosity that

he had so often seen in Bella's eyes was gone. He just prayed it wasn't some sort of
trick.

Edward took his time on the back roads as he headed back to the house. He told himself

he should go slower to keep an eye out for deer, but as soon as he saw Bella's
headlights behind him, his anxiety faded, as she was the real cause for his worry.

When he arrived at the hanger door, he got out of his car to slide it open, but realized

he didn't know the code. Bella pulled up then and rolled her window down, "Eleven.
Twenty. Eighty-three." She dictated the code.

Edward punched it in and the door gave a slight hiss as it unsealed itself. Bella pulled in

first while Edward jumped back in the Nova and followed her lead into the only
remaining spot.

"Does it mean anything?" Edward tried to make conversation as he and Bella exited the

garage and walked to the house, with Jake following close behind.

"What does what mean?" She was confused.

"The code – it's a date." Edward observed.

Bella took a moment, contemplating how to answer him, "It's my birthday." She paused,
"Your dad said I was out here more than anyone, so he used a code I'd remember." She

paused. "It's probably not that safe because it's so obvious – I'll change it." She said
quickly.

"Oh, you don't have to do that; I'm sure it's fine." He reassured her as he opened the

front door for her. He was happy to be holding such a mundane conversation with her,
but in the back of his mind he still feared this was temporary.

At the very least he'd learned a little more about her. Her birthday meant she was

twenty five – twenty six in November. She was older than he'd originally thought, but
that assumption was mostly due to her small stature more than anything else.

Edward locked the door behind him and was a little surprised to see Bella halfway

through the front room on her way to the kitchen.

"You're not going to bed?" He asked.

She turned to look at him and shrugged, "I've got some stuff I need to catch up on."
There was a slight edge to her voice as if she wanted him to challenge her or tell her not

to stay up just to clean.

But he wasn't about to ignore Rose's advice when it had already worked out so well.
"Don't work too hard." He smiled at her and moved to go up the stairs when he heard

her.

"Edward," Bella said quietly. He stopped and met her nervous chocolate eyes, "Can we
just start over tomorrow?" She took her bottom lip between her teeth.

Edward was taken aback by the sudden urge he felt to close the distance between them

and stop her from such action. Thankfully, he didn't. "I'd like that – a blank slate." He
said.

"Tabula rasa." She laughed softly and Edward loved the sound so much he barely

stopped himself from moving toward her.

"Yeah," He agreed. Edward studied her for a moment, still concerned that there was a
catch because she looked so anxious, but Edward realized it wasn't because she was

tricking him, but because she genuinely wanted a fresh start. "Good night Bella." He
gave her a small nod before ascending the stairs to his bedroom.

The next morning Edward woke up to a few noises and smells. Rain softly fell against his

window and he took a deep breath of the way the forest smelled when it was damp.
Briefly he thought of something Rose said the day before, about how Bella worked

outside on Sundays and was especially upset when rain threw off those plans. But the
moment he opened his bedroom door, his fear abated.

The sweet smell of cinnamon lingered in the hallway and Edward could immediately

identify the mouth watering aroma as his mother's French toast. Bella was killing him –

he was going to get fat – and fast.

However the other thing he heard was the quiet tinkling of a melancholy sonata coming

from the baby grand piano in the front room. Immediately he wondered who Bella had
invited over that could play the piano. Edward quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a

shirt before he went to find out who the pianist was.

He was unable to hold back a quiet snort of incredulity when he found, none other than
Bella's fingers gliding across the ivory keys. Although the noise he made was not quiet

enough to go undetected.

Bella stopped playing instantly and gave Edward the same deer in the headlights look,
when he caught her trying to sneak over to Rose's to make dinner.

"Please don't stop," Edward told her, afraid to move from the entryway, "That was

really nice."

"No, it's – I'm too rusty." She stuttered and he found her vulnerability more than
endearing.

"I don't mind." He said kindly. "My mom used to play, I miss hearing it."

"Yeah," Bella looked down, "We used to play together sometimes."

"Did she teach you?" He wondered aloud.

"No." Bella said shortly.

Edward didn't want to press the topic, sensing her discord. "Well, you play beautifully."

He tried to complement her.

"Thanks, but I haven't played in years." She stood up.

"I couldn't tell." He reassured her, "Don't stop on my account. I can serve myself – if
that's okay." He added just in case.

"Of course." She said as if it was silly that he'd need permission to serve himself. But

she'd always made his plate before, so he took the safe route.

"Please tell me it's what I think it is." Edward said excitedly, referring to the food.

"French toast?" She replied warily.

"Oh my god, you're amazing!" He exclaimed and practically skipped into the kitchen.

Edward was not only pleased that the food was, as usual, better than he remembered,

but also that Bella began to play again, though quieter that time.

And as he sat, eating the syrupy confection for the first time in years, he felt the urge to
write. The thought of putting pen to paper again made him giddy with anticipation until

he could no longer handle waiting another second.

Edward almost choked on the last piece of toast, intent on finishing every last bite
before he snuck through the dining room up to his room where he grabbed an old

notebook and a black ball point pen.

Without saying anything, he sat down on the couch next to the piano so he had a nice
view of Bella's profile as she played, as well as the dreary sky out front. She had

perfectly erect posture as her arm muscles flexed while she extended them over the
length of the piano with complete grace. Edward was enraptured with her eyes, close in

concentration, the slight tinge of red coloring her cheeks as a result of her exertion, and
everything about the way that she moved and who she was. He knew then that he was

without a doubt attracted to Bella. He wanted her.

He was just about to start writing – what, he didn't know – when she stopped.

Their eyes met and Edward was the first to speak. "Please, keep playing. I haven't
wanted to write since my parents died. But I want to write today." He begged her.

Upon his admission, a look of surprise, then understanding crossed her face. "Is that

what you do? Write?" She asked, breaking eye contact to examine her fingers, resting
on the piano.

"Yeah – I guess, but like I said, I haven't for a long time." Edward hoped he hadn't scared

her off. He wanted her to keep playing. He wanted to be near her. He wanted her.

"Writer's block?" She mused as she pressed her fingers down on a few keys.

"Something like that." He sighed, waiting for her to continue or refuse him.

"What do you want me to play?" She said quietly after a long moment.

"Anything." He said quickly, "Whatever you want to." He said sincerely.

"Okay." She breathed and a moment later her hands took flight as another sonata filled
the sitting room.

Edward smiled at Bella though she didn't see it. He took in her small form in a short skirt

and pink t-shirt, she hit the pedals with her bare feet and continued to play song after

sad song while words finally flowed freely through Edward's pen. He wrote sweet but

sad words, mirroring the notes that emanated from the large instrument. Words about
her.

Hours later, Bella was so enthralled with the piece she was playing that she didn't notice

when Edward got up. She started when he placed his hand gently on the center of her
back, a familiar jolt of electricity shooting through both of them as a result of the

contact. "Can I get you something for lunch?" He offered sweetly.

"Oh, what do you want?" She stood suddenly as his hand fell to his side.

"I was just thinking sandwiches, nothing too complicated. But I can get it." He hadn't
meant for her to stop. He just thought she might be hungry as they'd been absorbed in

their respective activities for quite a while.

"It's fine, I can do it." She said, almost to the kitchen. Jake yawned and stretched before
trotting to her side. "What would you like on it?"

"Umm, do we have ham?" Edward took a seat on a stool at the counter. Bella nodded,

"Then ham, cheese and lettuce please." He requested.

"Drink?" She asked.

"Water's fine." He smiled. She seemed genuinely pleased to be helping him and
although he hadn't understood exactly what Rose told him the day before about Bella

wanting to earn her place in the house, watching her – he just got it. It wasn't work to
her; she honestly enjoyed helping him.

When she slid the plate and glass across the table to him, he took a risk, "Will you eat

lunch with me?"

Bella stared at him, uncertain what to do. She hadn't shared a single meal with him
since he arrived as neither of them counted the failed attempt at the McCarty

residence.

"Please." He said sweetly and the way his eyes softened caught Bella off guard.

"Uhh – sure, okay." She stuttered before retrieving what she wanted to make for her
lunch.

"I know the rain put you behind…" Edward said between bites as she ate, "I thought, if

you needed – err, wanted any help tomorrow so you could stay caught up – I mean, I
could help you." He didn't know how to offer his services without offending her.

"Oh," she swallowed, again unsure how to respond under their new accord, "Well…

maybe."

"Just if you want help. I don't mind, but it's okay if you want to do it by yourself. I'm sure
you've had to deal with weather delays plenty up here." He tried, feeling like he

sounded like an idiot, but unable to put his foot in his mouth.

Bella stifled a laugh, "Yeah, the weather can get pretty extreme. I'm just glad it's only
rain today." She prattled, "I hate thunderstorms."

Edward was curious, but for some reason decided not to pursue her fear, "A tornado hit

my house when I was seven." He offered.

"I remember your parents mentioning that. It must have been so traumatic at that age."
She was actually making conversation and Edward couldn't have been happier.

"They did a good job of making sure Alice and I coped with everything. I mean you know

my mom was a psychiatrist, so she knew what to do to make sure we were okay."
Edward said.

"Yeah," Bella replied wistfully, then snapped out of her reverie, "Alice? She's your sister,

right?"

"My twin." He laughed.

"Really?" Bella replied excitedly, "I didn't know that – that's so cool." She grinned
widely.

"It can be. I mean, I always had someone to play with, growing up." He took another

bite.

"Must have been nice." She sighed. Edward cocked his head imploringly, "I've always
been envious of people who have siblings." She clarified.

"You were an only child?" He guessed.

Bella nodded in confirmation, "It was kind of lonely," She laughed humorlessly, trying to

break up the tension. She hated when people pitied her.

"Where are you from originally?" Edward hedged, wondering if he'd gone too far, but he
didn't ask why she came to Delta; he had a feeling that topic was off limits.

"Seattle." She said after hesitating.

Edward easily sensed her discomfort, "But you're a Packer fan?" He changed the

subject.

Bella narrowed her eyes at him playfully, "Yeah – you wanna make something of it?" She
tried to sound tough, but ended up bursting out in laughter. Edward joined in as the

musical tone was positively infectious.

"Badger fan?" Edward asked, curious if she followed his alma mater's athletics.

"Just football and hockey." Bella smiled as she took Edward's plate out from in front of
him. "More hockey than football."

"Thanks for lunch; I can do the dishes." He offered.

"You're welcome, and thanks for the offer, but I like them cleaned a certain way." She

said from over her shoulder.

Edward got out of his chair and stood by her side, "You could show me." He said,
interested that she hadn't outright refused his proposal.

Bella turned and stumbled backwards, as she hadn't realized how close he was to her.

"Sorry, you don't have to." He told her, in case he had already upset her, when they

were really doing so well.

Bella put her hands on her hips, "You just don't give up, do you?" She searched his eyes
for an answer.

"I'm sorry – I shouldn't have said anything." Edward back tracked as he tried to make a

retreat.

"Stop." She rolled her eyes, when he began to step away from her, "Get over here." She
crooked her index finger, willing him closer. "I have different sponges for different

foods…" She began.

A huge grin spread along Edward's face as he inched closer to her, listening intently to
her instructions and relishing the warmth of her body, only inches from his own. He

wanted her.

Chapter 6 – July 11

Dear Rose,

I can honestly say I didn't get it before. She was the first person I met
and the last person I expected to find at my parent's house. Everyone in
Delta spoke so highly of her, as if she belonged to this town. But I didn't
see any of it.

I do now.

I wanted to thank you for your advice last weekend and I suspect you
may have spoken with her as well, though I know you'll never admit it
and I would never ask you to.

I came to Delta looking for something; I thought it was something in me.
Since my parents passed, I just haven't been the same. Not that I could
be, or even that I want to be that man, but I lost a lot of myself when I
lost them. I thought if I came here, if I saw those cars which were such a
big part of my childhood, maybe I could start to move on or at least start
trying.

I realize I'm rambling, but the intent of this letter is to inform you how
much I appreciate the fact that you not only welcomed me into your
home and made me feel like a part of your family, but that you were so
willing to help me repair my relationship with Bella.

Writing a letter may seem rather formal, but regardless of the fact that
it's so old-fashioned, I find it's the best way to articulate exactly what I
would like to say.

So thank you for all your help, I'm not sure if you could ever understand
how much it means to me to be on good terms with Bella. She was
important to my parents and is equally important to me.

Yours,

Edward

It had been a week.

A week since Edward and Bella had called their truce.

A week since Edward started writing again.

A week since Bella slowly began to open up and offer her friendship and trust to

Edward.

In that week, Bella had allowed Edward to follow her around the house and observe her
cleaning routines. 'If you insist on helping, you might as well do it the right way so I don't

have to re-do it later.' Bella had complained, but Edward knew she would have told him
to leave if she actually minded. Well, she did tell him she didn't want his help folding

laundry on Monday.

"What? Folding pants is too complicated for me?" He asked jokingly.

"No, I don't want you to see my underwear – pervert." She stuck her tongue out at him
teasingly before shutting the laundry room door in his face.

"But my underwear's in there." He protested from the kitchen.

"Nice. Boxer briefs." Her laugh was muffled by the door.

Once she finally let her guard down around him a little and came to terms with the fact

that he was staying, they both discovered they got along quite easily.

Bella liked to boss Edward around to test his limits, but found that he'd do whatever she
asked of him, not knowing that his previous profession, as well as a loud-mouthed little

sister primed him for her personality and demanded patience. No matter what she did,
Edward was always right there to graciously offer her help or make idle conversation if

she insisted on doing the task alone. It was however difficult to avoid talking about what
he had been doing for the last three years, but instead he tried to focus on bonding with

Bella using his parents.

Besides the laundry, the only thing she refused his help with was the cars. Regardless,
he followed her into the hanger Saturday morning after breakfast, Jake steadfast behind

them. Edward sat and watched her tune up the black '60 Pontiac Catalina convertible
with interiors that matched the paint job.

Bella's feet were planted on the cement as she leaned over the engine. Again Edward
found himself admiring her curves in the tight cut-off shorts she'd worn the day they

first met, but she had on a heather grey tank top instead of the white wife beater.

"Edward?" Bella glared at him, disrupting his ogling, "Pervert," she muttered, "I asked
for a wrench."

Edward stepped forward and handed her the heavy tool. "Tease." He whispered so low,

he didn't think she heard him until a soft giggle passed through her lips.

Edward blushed as he realized she had, in fact, been flirting with him. "So – uhh, what
kind of engine did you say this had?" He choked.

"It's a 389 automatic." She chuckled, knowing she made him uncomfortable, "Grab me a

towel, will ya?"

Edward found a rag on the floor and handed it to her so she could wipe the sweat from
her brow. But in doing so, she also managed to smear a streak of grease along her

forehead.

"Err – Bella?" Edward said hesitantly.

"What?" She asked innocently, throwing the rag over her shoulder.

"You have something…" He motioned to his forehead and she mimicked his action, but
only managed to make it worse. "Here―" Edward strode toward her and was mere

inches away from her face as he reached forward to help her get clean when she
suddenly flinched away. A look of fear flashed along her face for a split second before it

was gone.

"I can get it." She said frantically, hoping Edward didn't think twice about her reaction.
She pulled the hem of her tank top up and wiped her forehead clean. Edward tried not

to stare at her pale, flat stomach as she did so, but at the sight of her navel of all things
he couldn't stop thinking about how good she would taste.

Ignoring the obvious straining against his pants, Bella closed the hood of the car.

"Finished." She declared.

"Already?" He asked in surprise. They had only been in the garage for a few hours.

"It's too hot to work outside." She whined and breezed past him. Since the rain on
Sunday, the humidity had been steadily increasing.

"We should go swimming." Edward blurted out. Then mentally kicked himself, because

although his suggestion sounded like it was a way to avoid the heat, he knew he really
just wanted an excuse to see Bella in the white bikini top he'd seen her wear.

"Okay," she jovially agreed, while they made their way toward the house. "Then Jake

can come too." She said in a sing-song voice to her K-9 companion. "I'll meet you at the
dock." She told Edward before disappearing into her room.

"Thank you, Alice." Edward said aloud as he pulled out a pair of swim trunks from the

luggage he still hadn't completely unpacked. He grabbed two towels from the linen
closet at the top of the stairs and yelled, "Bells, I've got a towel for you," before

bounding down the stairs and out the back door.

The humidity was stifling, but it was a perfect day for a dip and Edward had also been
itching to spend more time by the lake. If it had been cooler, he could have written

outside, though he would have had to deal with the bugs and Bella couldn't very well
play the piano outside.

Edward sat down on the dock and let his long legs break the surface of the water. He

turned to look up at the house and saw Bella taking her time walking toward the lake
through the backyard with Jake running circles around her short form, clad in none

other than Edward's favorite white bikini. However, Edward was pleasantly surprised to
take in the white boy shorts that matched the halter top.

He gave her a loud cat call as she neared him and Bella stopped dead in her tracks. She

raised her arm and pointed her index finger straight at him, "I'll have none of that." She
tried to sound threatening, but the light girlish tone to her voice let Edward know she

wouldn't follow through with any actual violence.

"C'mere, squirt." He chuckled.

"Don't call me that." She huffed, but began walking toward him again. When she had
closed the distance between them, she thrust out her hand, shoving a bottle of sun

screen in Edward's face that he hadn't seen her holding as he was too busy looking at
her chest.

"Oh, I'm fine. Unlike you, I can tan." He beamed.

"It's not for you, idiot." She clicked her tongue and sat down next to Edward on the

dock, "I need help with my back." She said suddenly timid.

"Do you, now?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Please." She said seriously, silently asking him to stop joking.

"Turn around." He instructed her.

Bella swung her legs out from the lake and folded them beneath her as she repositioned
herself so her back was facing Edward.

He granted himself a brief moment to take in her small, flawless back. He swept her

mahogany hair to the side, accidentally brushing his finger tips across her neck. The
second he made contact with Bella, her skin erupted in goose bumps and the current

between them flowed freely.

"So soft…" he whispered to himself and hoped that Bella hadn't heard him – she had.

She offered him a quick thanks before taking the bottle from him, standing and
smearing more sunscreen on her face and neck. Jake began whining at her feet with a

Frisbee in his mouth. The disk was tattered and covered in drool, but Bella didn't miss a
beat as she bent down and won a quick match of tug-of-war over the toy. Jake finally

gave up and Bella flicked her wrist, sending the Frisbee soaring over the water. Upon
her releasing the toy, Jake leapt into the water in a very inelegant belly flop, but made

fast work of swimming out to retrieve the disk.

"You gonna get in?" Edward asked Bella.

"I dunno, it felt a little cold." She paused by the edge of the dock, looking over at the
softly rippling surface.

"Oh well." Edward laughed before picking her up, ignoring her shrill pleas and dropping

her into the water with a loud splash.

Moments later she surfaced, coughing and sputtering, "I can't swim – you jerk!" She
choked, while flailing around in the water.

"Oh God!" Edward leaned over the side and reached out to help her. He was only

playing and it would just be his luck to drown the one person he wanted to stick around.

However, the moment Bella grabbed hold of Edward's arm, rather than wait for him to
pull her up, she yanked forward, bringing him crashing into the water.

Edward gulped in air as he clawed his way above the water, but he met Bella's chocolate

eyes, sparkling with mischief as she smirked. "Payback's a bitch." Then she leapt on top
of him, dunking him under the water again, giggling all the while that he had fallen for

her damsel in distress act.

"You are so gonna get it!" He threatened, splashing her with water while she squealed

and tried to swim away. "Jake can't save you now!" Edward shouted maniacally, yards

away by the dock.

The two horsed around for a while, in between playing fetch with Jake and playing tricks
on each other. After a few hours, Bella declared that she needed to start dinner. When

she was safely out of the water and wrapped in a towel, Edward almost knocked the
wind out of Bella as he threw her over his shoulder and jogged back up to the house.

"Let me down, you Neanderthal!" She screeched, though she held onto him for dear life,

fearing he might drop her.

"You like it." He laughed and playfully smacked her ass. Bella yelped and pounded on his
back in protest. "Careful, I don't want to drop you." He teased.

"No! Don't!" She cried.

"Don't worry… I won't let you go." He whispered huskily as he gently set her down, just

as he crossed the threshold of the back door.

Their eyes met for a brief moment as Bella tried to comprehend his advances and he
tried to decipher her reaction.

"Jerk!" She said suddenly and half-heartedly punched him in the arm before taking off

up the stairs.

"You better run!" He called after her as he gave chase, only to have Bella slam her
bedroom door in his face. "Belllaaa…" he said sweetly from outside the door, "Let me

in." He coaxed.

"No!" She yelled from behind the door, "You can't come in!"

"Why not?" He wasn't sure how far he wanted to take the little game they'd been
playing.

"Because I'm changing!" Bella shouted.

"Are you naked?" Edward joked.

"Go clean Jake up before he gets mud all over the carpet, you pervert!" She

commanded.

"Fine, I'll get you later, tease." He chuckled, then quickly dried off in his room before
throwing on some fresh clothes and jogging down the stairs to find Jake.

Bella hesitantly walked into the kitchen a few minutes later in a pair of tight black yoga

pants and another tank top. "Don't try anything." She warned him as she skirted around
the edges of the kitchen, keeping as much distance between them as possible.

Edward raised an eyebrow as he released Jake, who was clean of all sand and mud. He

rushed to his owner's side while Bella tied her red apron around her waist.

"What do you think I'm going to do?" He asked curiously, slowly approaching her, but
leaving the kitchen island between them.

"I don't know; you just make me nervous." She eyed him suspiciously.

"You know I'd never hurt you, right?" Edward removed himself from behind the island,

fully aware of the double meaning to his statement.

"I know." Bella replied coquettishly as she set out the ingredients for dinner on the
counter.

Edward slowly came to her side as she began to wash the vegetables in the sink. "Do

you need any help?" He asked softly.

"Not tonight, thank you though." She tried her hardest to ignore the way he smelled so
good and how every nerve in her body stood on end when he was so close to her.

Unable to control himself Edward stepped closer to her and slowly slid his hand around

her waist. She stilled against him, her breathing patterns increased. He brought his nose
to the column of her neck, which was exposed due to the fact that she had tied her wet

hair up in a ponytail.

Edward breathed her in, noting that she smelled sweet and fresh and he almost laughed
aloud wondering if it was possible for someone to smell like sunshine.

"Will you play for me tonight?" He asked softly as he just barely nuzzled her neck.

After a minute she nodded slowly in agreement and relaxed a bit in his hold. Just as

Edward brought his lips to ghost over the tender spot right behind Bella's ear, the
kitchen phone rang loudly and the two practically jumped apart. The spell they'd been

caught under was broken.

"Hello?" Edward spoke into the receiver.

"Where have you been all day?" Jasper asked in exasperation.

"I was busy – is everything okay?" Edward was surprised to hear from Jasper.

"Yeah, no, things are okay, I just had some stuff I needed to talk to you about and Alice'll
be back any minute; she'd kill me if she found out I got you on the phone and didn't let

her speak with you." Jasper laughed.

"Can you hold on a sec?" Edward asked.

"Sure."

Edward turned just in time to catch Bella pretend she wasn't listening. He knew she had
to be curious because he hadn't gotten a single call at the house as Rose was really the

only one who bothered to use the land line. "It's my sister's boyfriend." He answered
her unspoken question.

Bella looked up at him briefly before returning her attention to cutting up vegetables.

"I'm gonna take this upstairs so I don't bother you." Edward told her, "Would you mind
hanging it up for me when I call down, please?"

"Of course." She smiled weakly.

Edward went to go upstairs but stopped, "Bella," He waited until she looked up at him,

"You can listen in if you want; I don't have anything to hide." He flashed her a brilliant
smile and she laughed. Edward wondered if she knew he actually had plenty to hide.

"Bella, I've got it – you can hang up!" He yelled down the stairs once he had picked up

the portable phone from his parent's old room.

Edward heard a click, signaling that Bella had indeed hung up the phone, so he
proceeded. "Hey buddy, how's everything been?"

"Really? You're gonna fuckin' ask me that like you didn't just take off randomly." Jasper

seethed.

"I'm sorry, I―"

"Dude, it's fine." Jasper huffed, "It's just Alice has been climbing the walls since you've
been gone. I barely see her anymore, she's been so focused on work, but it's hard to

ignore all the questions we get about you." Jasper told Edward.

"I really am sorry about that." Edward did regret that he hadn't taken the time to plan
out a proper cover story for where he was.

"I know you are." Jasper sighed.

"Listen, I don't want to sound like an asshole or anything, but is there a reason you

called?" Edward didn't really mean to be so blunt, but he didn't want to spend the rest
of the conversation waiting for Jasper to drop a bomb on him as he tended to beat

around the bush when it came to bad news.

"Oh – uhh, well, I need to book your flight back here for the press tour." Jasper said
quickly.

"The press – oh fuck." Edward sat down on his bed, he'd completely forgotten about the

press tour he had to do for the second Phillip Kelley movie, which was supposed to be
released on Labor Day.

"You have to do it." Jasper said adamantly, "They'll sue you for every penny you've got,

then go after Alice. I won't let you―"

"Relax," Edward said, "I know I don't have a choice." He pinched the bridge of his nose
in frustration, "When do I need to leave?"

"They want you here the second week of August to shoot some promotional stuff, then

the press junket, we're abroad for a week for foreign press then morning shows in New
York, before you hit the circuit in L.A. and finish up with the premiere on the 27th. I

made sure you didn't have any appearances after that." Jasper finished and Edward
could almost picture him on the leather couch in the living room on his blue tooth,

scrolling through the dates on his Blackberry.

"Can you ask Alice to start working on a wig? I don't want to do extensions and I hate it
when she bleaches my hair." Edward requested.

"I'm pretty sure she's already got one ready, in addition to a closet full of new clothes

for you to wear on camera." Jasper and Edward laughed together. "I just need to know
where you want to fly in from. I can book something as close as Hayward if you don't

mind a connecting flight." Jasper was professional as always, "Unless you want me to
charter a private jet."

"No, no, that's not necessary." Edward thought for a moment, "What about Jane? I

couldn't fly before because―"

"Dude, you fired her and so did CAA when they got a not-so-anonymous tip about what
she'd been doing to you. They assigned you a new agent. I figured you didn't want a

publicist and I've taken over the managing duties." Jasper informed Edward.

"Geez, thanks. Uhh – remind me to give you a raise." Edward joked.

"Hey Anthony, give me a raise." Jasper laughed. "Okay, but seriously, which airport?"

Edward thought about leaving from Hayward, but realized he'd rather be safe than
sorry. "Better make it Minneapolis." He told Jasper. He knew Duluth was closer, but the

twin cities had a bigger airport and there was a better chance he couldn't be traced back
to Delta if he left from there. "Can you schedule a flight around noon?" Edward hoped

Bella would give him a ride and though she'd lose a day, she'd get home in time for
dinner. He didn't want her to have to worry about driving in an unfamiliar place at night.

"Sure. I'll have you fly into Burbank since it's private." Jasper said.

"That'd be great – umm, are you and Alice traveling with me?" The last thing Edward

wanted was to be alone, across the Atlantic for a week. Idly he wondered if Bella had
ever traveled. He enjoyed the foreign press tour the last time because barely any people

knew who he was and nobody thought the first Phillip Kelley movie would amount to
anything, let alone become the blockbuster phenomenon it became.

"If you'd like us to join you, it can be arranged," Jasper replied diplomatically.

"Baby, who's on the phone?" Edward heard his sister's voice in the background.

"It's Anthony." Jasper barely got out the words before Edward heard Alice rip the

Blackberry from her boyfriend's hand.

"Hello? Hello?" She shouted, still in the background.

"I'm on Bluetooth." Jasper told Alice.

There was a bit more scuffling before Edward heard his sister again, "Anthony?" She
choked out his name.

"Hi Ally." He said quietly, secretly a bit choked up himself at the sound of her voice.

The second Edward spoke she began to cry hysterically. Edward managed to make out 'I

hate you,' 'Where are you?' and 'I miss you,' in between sobs.

"Alice, calm down, take a deep breath or you'll hyperventilate."

"I can't―" She hiccupped, "I'm sorry―"

"Ally, take a deep breath; it's okay." Edward reassured his twin.

It took Alice a few more minutes and a glass of water from Jasper before she could
speak coherently again. "Are you okay?" She sniffed.

"I'm doing really well." He smiled to himself.

"Is the Roadster really fixed?" She asked.

Edward laughed, "Yeah. Dad and a friend of his re-built it; they also painted it, it's

original color."

"Really? Marina blue!" She said excitedly.

Edward laughed again, especially since even Alice knew his dad's favorite car wasn't
originally black, "Yup."

"Will you tell me about the girl?" Alice tried.

Edward chuckled in embarrassment and raked his hand through his hair, "What do you

want to know?" He asked.

"Well everything, but mostly her name and how in love you are with her." Alice giggled.

"Her name is Isabella – err, Bella." Edward corrected himself, "She's the one who helped
Dad fix the car, she's an amazing mechanic."

"So when can I expect some nieces and nephews?" Alice asked seriously.

"It's not like that―"

"You can't fool me Edward Anthony Cullen!" Alice declared, "Since when do you ask me

for advice about girls?" When Edward didn't answer her question, she answered for
him, "What is 'Never' Anthony. The answer we were looking for was 'Never.' The only

time we've ever even discussed your love life was when everything went to hell with
Tanya―"

"Don't fucking bring her into this." Edward warned. "Bella and Tanya – don't even – just,

don't even go there."

"Wow, you've really got it bad for this girl." Alice was stunned.

"Shut up." Edward didn't even bother trying to deny it. He had learned at a very young
age that trying to keep things from Alice was nearly impossible and never ended well.

"You said she was beautiful in your letter, what does she look like?" Alice asked.

"She's tiny," Edward laughed, "But I think when people say 'dynamite comes in small

packages' they were referring to her. She's got these big beautiful, soulful, brown eyes

that are just so expressive and her laugh is just so infectious, you can't help but just –

god, I sound like such a fool." Edward said with chagrin.

"No, you sound smitten and let me guess – she has no idea." When it came to Edward,
Alice was an expert.

"I shouldn't do anything." Edward said, knowing that the way he'd acted in the kitchen

was more than inappropriate, "If she doesn't feel the same, I could put her in a really
awkward position and that's the last thing I want to do."

Edward wondered if she felt obligated to tolerate his advances because, essentially her

fate in Delta was in his hands. He made a decision then and there on the phone with
Alice that unless Bella approached him, he would have to deal with his growing

attraction to her and stop making unwarranted advances on her, "I'd rather be friends
with her – be a part of her life than ruin it all."

"That's awfully mature of you." Alice sounded a bit surprised with Edward's restraint.

"She deserves that much from me." Edward shook his head, he knew staying away from

Bella was easier said than done.

"I guess I better let you go." Alice said sadly.

"Okay, but listen, Jasper's worried about you, don't work so hard." Edward told her,
"And you can call me whenever you want; tell Jasper I gave you permission to have the

number."

"Thank you." She sniffed.

"I made the right decision." Edward said, "But that doesn't mean I don't miss you every
day."

"Me too."

"Bye Ally."

"Oh, Anthony, one more thing," Alice said quickly.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"You should consider a better hiding place for the spare key to your room than the

underside of the cookie jar."

"What!" Edward screeched, but the line had gone dead, "ALICE!"

He stormed back to his parents' room and slammed the phone on the receiver. There
was no way he'd be able to sleep in that bed, even with new sheets. He'd have to get a

new mattress, but even then if they got into his room there'd be no telling what else
they may have contaminated.

"Is everything okay?" Bella could easily tell he was still fuming when he stalked into the

kitchen.

"They've been fucking in my room just to piss me off." Edward scowled.

"Watch your language." Bella slapped his hand when he tried to steal a fresh cookie
from the cooling rack on the counter, "You can wait." She scolded.

"But you know how much I love chocolate." Edward whined, his bad mood all but

forgotten.

"Why do you think I made them?" She smiled before turning to stir something on the
stove.

Dinner was unusually quiet, despite the fun they'd had earlier in the day. But all Bella

could think about was how close Edward had gotten before dinner and all Edward could
think about was how it couldn't happen again. He knew he was abusing his position and

the guilt of his earlier actions was killing him.

After putting away the leftovers and finishing the dishes, Bella joined Edward in the
front room to play for him while he wrote. However the tension in the room grew so

intense that he threw in the towel after forty five minutes because he was unable to
focus on anything but Bella's small figure playing sad songs on her piano.

"Bella, I'm gonna go to bed, I'm more tired than I thought." He lied.

"Oh," She seemed disappointed, "Okay, good night then." She closed the lid over the

keys.

"Good night." Edward sighed, watching the sway of her hips as she disappeared into the
dark kitchen to let Jake out before she turned in for the night.

Edward closed his bedroom door and sunk down to the floor, covering his face with his

hands.

Things had been going so well, he should have known better. He should have known
better than to flirt so shamelessly with Bella because of course she couldn't tell him to

stop, she feared for her job too much. What she didn't know was that Edward would

have rather permanently vacated the premises than hurt her in any way.

Edward sat alone in his room for hour, just thinking and writing, always about her.

Around one in the morning, he decided to sneak down stairs and steal more of Bella's
chocolate chip cookies.

Just like the week before, he opened his door to hear the same haunting melody drifting

up to the second floor from the front room.

Edward was frozen on the landing, unsure of what to do, that is until he heard her begin
to cry. He silently descended the stairs and the sight of her tear stained face, illuminated

by the moonlight streaming through the skylights above her, both filled and broke his
heart at the same time.

She was so beautiful and he knew in that moment he needed to figure out a way to get

closer to her. The light made her look so pale and fragile, as if he might break her if he
touched her, but he had to take that chance.

He cleared his throat softly as he entered the room and made his way toward her.

Bella's tearful eyes met his when he sat down next to her on the piano bench and pulled
her tiny form, wracked with sobs against him.

Bella cried into is chest until she fell asleep in his strong arms. At that point Edward

carried her up the stairs to her room and tucked her into her bed, kissing her tenderly
on her forehead before leaving for his own room.

Though he often wondered what had made Bella so upset, he knew better to ask her

and sure enough, the next day she acted as if it had never happened.

Chapter 7 – August 3

Dear Alice & Jasper,

I'm eagerly awaiting my visit to come see you. I'm trying not to think
about the fact that this trip is more for business than pleasure.
Nevertheless, it will be great to see you both again, as I know that not
everything can be translated through a phone conversation or a letter for
that matter.

I should admit that a large part of me is extremely nervous to come back
and just be thrown back into the life of a celebrity. The best part about
my time away has been living in anonymity and not having to worry
about where I go, what I do or who I'm seen with. I left Los Angeles in a
very dark place and I'm honestly scared that the second I land in
Burbank, I'll be that person again.

It dawned on me a few days ago that I haven't told either of you I've been
writing again. What can I say, but I'm inspired. I still have minor bouts of
writer's block, but nothing compared to the three-year drought I
experienced after Mom and Dad passed.

The writing's been helping. I don't know exactly what it's going to be yet,
but I do know that I love it and I haven't gotten bored writing it yet.
Sorry I'm so weird about sharing the topic of my work in progress; too
many jinxed half-written manuscripts, I suppose.

The weather's starting to abate here, so I'm sure by the time I return I'll
have no need to continue complaining about how muggy it is.

I'll turn my cell back on when I land – I don't even want to think about
how many voice-mails I have. I still can't wait to see you both in a few
days.

Yours,

Anthony

Things had been tense between Edward and Bella to say the least. The easy-going,

flirtatious relationship they fell into immediately after they called their truce, was non-
existent.

On the outside they were all smiles and cordial pleasantries, but when one of them was

distracted, the other would stare, trying to figure out what had gone wrong and if there
was any hope of fixing it.

Edward was deeply troubled by the fact that Bella seemed to be quite honestly
depressed about something she refused to acknowledge. She never made mention of

the night he found her crying at the piano and she made damn sure he never caught her
in such a state again.

Bella on the other hand, while dealing with her demons, was desperately trying to cling

to some semblance of normalcy and did everything she could to convince herself that
Edward's sudden coldness had nothing to do with her. But she missed the way they had

joked and flirted for those few days, especially since it exhausted her to have to be so
guarded around him all the time. She didn't want his pity, but she did want his

friendship. Edward made it easier to deal with the fact that the two people who saved
her, who had been more like parents to her than her own, were gone – and certainly

weren't coming back.

The first week after the change in their interactions, she focused on teaching Edward
her cleaning routine so he'd stop bugging her. The second week, Bella threw herself into

cooking and showed him the basic techniques his mother had bestowed on her. The
third week, Edward was suddenly inspired to write, so she shortened her usual schedule

to make more time to play the piano for him.

One day during his writing frenzy, he broke protocol and asked her about the songs she
played. Bella nervously admitted that she had written them herself.

"They're all so sad." Edward remarked quietly.

"I told you I was lonely growing up." She replied before she realized what she had said.

And she hated the way he looked at her after that statement. Like he wanted to take
her pain away – like he wanted to fix her. She was the first to admit she was a lost cause

and she liked Edward too much to drag him down with her.

As the day of his flight grew nearer, Edward's mood became darker. He hadn't told Bella
he was leaving for several reasons. Firstly because he feared the second he spoke of it

out loud, it would become real and he was doing everything he could to pretend it
wasn't actually happening. Secondly, he didn't know how she'd react. Would she be

relieved? Saddened? Angry? Confused? And finally, he hadn't been able to figure out a
good way to tell her or even come up with an excuse as to why he was leaving. He

wanted to tell her the truth, but he never even considered that as an option. He knew
he'd chicken out and give her some bullshit excuse like 'business.' He even thought

about consulting Rose or Alice on the best way to approach Bella with his news.
However at the end of the day, he always went with his gut and his gut was telling him

to break it to her gently.

Edward woke up extremely early on Monday morning so he could beat Bella down to

the kitchen and make her breakfast as a peace offering before telling her about his

impending absence and requesting she drive him to the airport in Minneapolis.

He intended on making her biscuits and gravy but he burnt the biscuits and the gravy
quickly turned into lumpy, flavorless mush. So he gave up and opted for toast and eggs,

disappointed he couldn't offer her something more.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bella's confused, yet sleepy voice questioned as she
sauntered into the kitchen with Jake, in her robe and slippers, her hair was in complete

disarray.

"I was gonna make you biscuits and gravy for breakfast." He sighed.

"That doesn't look like biscuits and gravy." She laughed as she took a seat at the
breakfast bar.

"It's not – those didn't turn out so well." He winced, glancing at the garbage and

scooped half of the scrambled eggs onto a plate for Bella.

"Why?" She inquired, her brow knit together as he pushed the plate toward her.

"Well, I burnt the biscuits―"

"No, why are you doing this?" She interrupted him.

"Oh." Edward paused. "I guess I need a favor." He leaned back on the counter,
anticipating a negative response.

"Sure, what do you need?" She surprised Edward with her sweet intonation as she

began picking at the eggs.

"I was wondering if you would drive me to the airport on Wednesday." He swallowed
hard.

Bella's face fell. "Of course," She said in a quiet monotone.

"I don't want to leave, but I have some business to finish up." He blurted out, though

she hadn't asked.

"Of course." She said again, staring at the eggs in front of her.

"They probably taste awful – I'm sorry." He said quickly and went to remove the plate
from in front of her.

Bella stopped him, grabbing his hand as he reached for the eggs. Their eyes met as the

electric current passed through them and their hands flew apart. An awkward silence
filled the space between them.

"How long will you be gone?" Bella whispered after a few minutes.

"Three weeks." Edward frowned.

"What airport?" Bella asked mechanically.

"Twin cities. My flight's at noon, so you don't have to worry about driving back in the

dark." He wanted her to know that he tried to be considerate about it.

"We'll have to leave around six to account for traffic and airport security. It's a four-hour
drive to Minneapolis." Bella refused to look at him.

"Thank you." He said kindly.

"You're welcome." She replied softly, "I'm gonna go eat upstairs. Thank you for making

me breakfast."

Edward wanted to tell her to stop; he wanted to beg her to stay and eat with him. But
most of all he wanted to tell her the truth. He opened his mouth, intent on saying what

was really on his mind, but instead he said, "We have to leave at ten for Rose's" Bella
had agreed to babysit Rose's children days earlier and Chuck had requested – well,

thrown a tantrum – demanding that Bella bring Edward with her.

"I haven't forgotten." She sighed.

"I can let Jake out." Edward offered.

"Thanks." Bella rounded the corner, out of Edward's view, though he heard her softly
padding up the stairs.

Jake stared at him, unsure of what to do because he wanted to follow Bella, but knew

he had a better chance of getting food from Edward. "C'mon boy, let's go outside."
Edward ignored the food he had made for himself and patted his thigh, coaxing Jake to

follow him.

Edward played fetch with Jake until Bella came outside and told him the truck was
ready. He realized if they were taking the truck, Jake was coming along. He wasn't

surprised though, she rarely did anything without him and Rose's kids adored the dog.

"EDWARD!" Chuck exclaimed as he tore through the front door, bounding at Edward.

"Hey big guy!" Edward smiled and picked the little cherub up from the ground and
followed Bella into the McCarty residence.

"Hi Bells," Rose cheerfully greeted her friend with Dave perched on her hip. "Thanks for

doing this."

"You know I don't mind." Bella smiled as she took Dave from Rose's arms, he barely
protested. "Morning, sweetheart." She kissed his cheek and he hid his face in her

shoulder.

"Hi Aunt Bella!" Vera sang obnoxiously.

"What's on the schedule for today?" Bella asked her seriously.

"First we get to do the sprinkler, then we'll have a tea party when Dave takes a nap―"

"I don't want to play tea party!" Chuck whined from Edward's hold.

"Shut up Chuck!" Vera snapped.

"Young lady!" Rose scolded, "Don't tell your brother to shut up or you'll go on time out."

"Sorry, Mommy." Vera sulked.

"Maybe Edward and Chuck can play cars while we have a tea party." Bella suggested,
combing her fingers through Vera's golden ringlets.

"But I wanted Edward to come." She said in a hushed whisper, as if she didn't want

Edward to know.

"Okay, we'll figure something out. What happens after the tea party?" Bella wanted to
see what else Vera intended to do that day.

"Then Barbies, ScoobyDoo and Hi-ho Cherry-oh." Vera counted the activities off on her

hand.

"We've got a busy day ahead of us." Edward commented.

"Yeah, we better get started now!" Vera exclaimed and ran off toward her room.

Edward looked at Bella, bewildered. "She's getting her swimsuit and don't worry." She
grinned mischievously, "I brought yours."

"Great." Edward groaned, but secretly hoped his favorite white bikini might make an

appearance that morning.

"Try and fit a nap and lunch in for all of them before the tea party," Rose requested as
she double checked her purse for every thing she needed. "Walk me out to the car." She

said poignantly to Bella; Edward understood he wasn't invited. However, just before
they went through the garage door, he heard Rose say, "Anthony's confirmed for the

press tour."

Edward frowned, not only because he was still worried Rose would figure out who he
was, but also because the word was out and that meant he'd be sure to run into

paparazzi outside the airport, which was the warm welcome he had hoped to avoid.
"Dammit." Edward muttered under his breath.

"DAMMIT!" Chuck repeated, smiling widely.

Edward's eyes widened in shock and he attempted to convince Chuck that 'dammit' was

a secret word only they could say to one another. Though he wasn't sure if it would
work because Chuck kept telling him they needed to pick a new one, as his parents

knew the word too.

After Rose left, Edward set up the sprinkler while Bella changed. He got his wish as Bella
emerged from the house still carrying Dave on her hip in the white suit Edward adored.

"Tuck! Tuck!" Dave shouted, pointing to the driveway.

Edward looked at Bella questioningly, "He learned how to say 'truck' last week and

hasn't stopped saying it since." Bella explained, then pointed to the truck in the
driveway with Dave and tried to help him properly enunciate the word.

Vera took it upon herself to initiate a game of tag in which Edward was 'it,' so he spent

the good portion of the hour chasing Vera and Chuck around and through the sprinkler
while Jake followed them, barking playfully the whole time. Bella played with Dave in

the kiddie pool, knowing he couldn't keep up with his older siblings.

The three kids all but fell asleep while eating, so Bella put Dave down then laid with
Vera while Edward stayed with Chuck until he fell asleep.

Just as Vera planned, they had a tea party. Then Vera and Bella played Barbies while

Chuck and Edward played with Hot Wheels. Chuck insisted on picking the ScoobyDoo
movie to watch, but somehow Vera tricked him into picking the movie she wanted to

watch. The afternoon ended with a very veracious game of Hi-ho Cherry-oh, which Vera
won, to no one's surprise.

Emmett got home from work right on schedule and thanked Bella profusely for making

dinner, as she had had time while the kids were watching their movie.

"Think you'll be okay on your own for dinner?" Bella asked as they walked through the
front door.

Edward closed the door, but made no move to leave the entryway. He had been acutely

aware of the fact that as the day progressed Bella became increasingly short and cold
with him.

"Bella," He grabbed her arm, stopping her from going up the stairs, "Did I do or say

something to upset you?"

She turned suddenly and glared at him. Edward's hand recoiled, fearing he'd hurt her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to―"

"That's the problem!" She cried, "You never do."

"What?" Edward was thoroughly confused, "Is this about the airport?"

"Yes – no – I just―" Bella placed her hands over her face, completely flustered.

She stood on the stairs for a long moment. Edward was too scared to say anything,

instead he watched her take a deep breath to compose herself. Her arms slowly fell to
her sides and she kept her eyes firmly trained on the ground, "I'm going to bed." She

said in an even tone.

"Goodnight Bella." Edward said quietly, accepting her retreat, "Go upstairs, Jake."
Edward nudged the dog in the rear so Bella didn't have to come back down and get him.

Edward sat down on the steps and rested his chin in his palms, once again questioning

where he had gone wrong. Selfishly, he wondered how he was going to get to the
airport.

He didn't hear a single sound coming from Bella's room when he retired for the evening

later that night. And he made a point to stay out of her way the next day, choosing to
hang out upstairs in the study, trying to write alone, so she could change the sheets in

peace and have space to herself.

Eggs and bacon were left to warm in the microwave for breakfast. She used leftover
chicken to make soup for lunch and Edward was surprised to find Bella had deviated

from her schedule by making his favorite, spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Edward
knew it was no coincidence. He desperately wanted to thank her. He also wanted to

apologize for whatever he had done to drive her away but he couldn't bring himself to

face her.

He ate dinner alone in the kitchen before putting away the leftovers and doing the

dishes exactly how Bella liked them done. Edward turned in early after carting his
luggage down to the front door so he wouldn't wake Bella up when he left the next

morning. He figured he'd drive the Sedan he got in L.A. to Minneapolis – using the air
conditioning sparingly of course – and just pay to park it at a lot by the airport. He didn't

feel like he had any other option. Edward just hoped that when he returned at the end
of the month, he and Bella would be on better terms. The fact was, he kind of adored

her and couldn't stand to see her sad, especially knowing it was his fault.

At exactly two in the morning, Edward was torn from a deep sleep by Bella's blood
curdling scream, followed by Jake barking. Half asleep and thinking it was Alice who was

in trouble, Edward bolted out of bed, sprinted down the hall and practically ripped the
door from its hinges trying to get to her.

"What? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He shouted.

The moment he finished, he stopped dead in his tracks to see the scene before him.

Bella, clad only in a tank top and a pair of white panties, was pressed against the wall,
standing on top of her bed.

"What―" Edward tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"There!" Bella pointed to the food of the bed where Jake was barking, "On the floor!"

She squirmed against the wall, trying to get as far from whatever had frightened her, as
possible.

Slowly, Edward padded forward, trying to see what Bella was scared of and as he

approached the bed, he saw what had to be the largest spider he'd ever come face to
face with.

"Jesus." He groaned, "It's just a spider." He glared at Bella.

"That's not a spider! It's bigger than a raccoon!" Bella shrilled.

"What do you want me to do?" Edward bent over and cringed as it began to move

toward him. He wasn't afraid of it, but he didn't like bugs.

"Kill it!" She shrieked.

"Okay, geez." Edward looked around for something to squish it with since he was
barefoot. He spotted Bella's discarded book on the bed and took it.

"Oh, not my―" Bella cried out in vain, just before there was a deafening crunch when

the back of the book met the spider. "―book." Bella frowned.

"Sorry." Edward apologized and went to wipe the guts off on her trash can.

"Wait – can you put it in your bathroom?" Bella was still pressed against the wall.

"Why?" Edward's brow furrowed.

"In case it's not dead." She whimpered.

Edward turned the book over, "Trust me; it's dead."

"Please…" she begged.

Edward sighed and traipsed across the hall to his bathroom and at the last minute,
decided to flush it down the toilet so she wouldn't have to see it when she emptied the

garbage later. Just as he went to turn the bathroom light off and return the book to
Bella, he got a good look at the cover and had to stifle a laugh.

Bella had been reading a Harlequin romance novel, entitled 'Prescription for Romance,'

complete with a bare-chested man in scrubs holding a busty nurse as their hair blew in
the wind.

Bella hadn't moved an inch since Edward left the room, "Is it gone?" She choked.

"I flushed it, just to be safe." He told her as he leaned against the door frame, hiding the

book behind him.

"Thank god." She breathed as she slid down the wall onto her bed.

"Are you okay?" He asked sweetly.

"Yeah – I'm sorry I woke you up?" She said quickly.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your reading." He smirked and threw the book on the bed,
disappearing before she had a chance to respond, though he did hear some faint

sputtering noises just before he closed his door. Shaking his head as he turned off the
light; Bella never ceased to amaze him. The more he got to know her, the more he

longed for her.

Edward felt like he had just closed his eyes when his alarm sounded, but eventually he
was able to stumble out of bed and down the hall to get ready. The hot shower gave

him the energy he needed to completely wake up, but he was unable to squash the

nagging, ominous feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. He didn't want to go to Los

Angeles, he wanted to stay in Delta... with Bella.

Emerging from his room, disheartened that he was running early, Edward smelled the
unmistakably sweet smell of French toast, coming from downstairs. "What are you

doing?" Edward blurted out when he found Bella up and ready in the kitchen.

She started at the sound of his voice and turned quickly to stare at him, "I hate it when
you sneak up on me." She turned back around to flip a piece of toast on the stove.

"What are you doing?" He repeated himself.

"Making breakfast." Bella snorted mockingly.

"I can see that, but why? I mean – why are you up so early?" Edward stuttered.

Bella plated the toast and turned to hand it to Edward, "We have to leave in twenty

minutes and I didn't want to stop for breakfast." She took the maple syrup from the
fridge and set it on the counter.

"We?" Edward said, bewildered.

Bella's eyes met him, "You didn't think I'd go back on my word?" She asked innocently.

"I just thought―" Edward paused, "I didn't think you wanted to…"

"I made you a promise." She said firmly, but not resentfully. Bella mumbled something

else under her breath as she turned. Edward didn't quite hear her, but he thought it
sounded like she said she wasn't ready to say goodbye to him yet.

"Well, thank you." He sighed wistfully, watching her always graceful form move around

the kitchen. "And thanks for breakfast."

"It's the least I could do after last night." She replied nervously.

Edward laughed, "Any time."

They finished the rest of breakfast in silence. When Edward tried to help with the
dishes, Bella told him to put his luggage in the Roadster, which she had already taken

out of the hanger. After he finished with his task, he took one last look at the house
from the foyer, desperately wishing he could stay as he stared at Bella's piano in the

parlor.

"Ready?" Bella appeared through the dining room.

"I guess." He sighed and looked down at Jake, smiling up at him, "Take care of Bella for
me." Edward scratched his head.

"We're gonna be late." Bella swallowed hard and Edward was worried that she looked a

little flush.

"Sorry." He gave Jake one last look before ushering Bella out to the porch and locking
the door behind him.

The monotone voices of NPR talk show hosts and soft notes of classical music filled the

sports car as Edward and Bella made their way to Minneapolis. They only stopped once
along the way and though the silent space between them was charged, it felt so very

different from all the other times.

Edward tried not to look at Bella as he got the distinct impression that she was doing
everything in her power not to burst out in tears. He wanted to know what was making

her so emotional. Secretly – selfishly – he wanted it to be because she'd miss him as
much as he knew he'd miss her, but he knew better than to assume anything about

Bella.

All too soon, they arrived at the airport. Edward struggled to suppress the bile in his
throat as Bella pulled up in front of his terminal.

"I'll call you when I land." He tried to reassure her though he didn't know of what.

"Okay," She stifled and Edward saw her quickly wipe away a tear that escaped.

Unable to ignore his instincts to comfort her any longer, he took a step forward and

slowly took her face in his hands, tilting it upwards, forcing her to look at him.

"Bella…" He searched her expression, "What are you scared of?"

Two tears rolled down her cheeks and Edward removed them with the soft pads of his
thumbs.

"That… that you won't come back." She breathed.

At the sound of her fears, Edward wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and

just held her close to him the way he had been wanting to for so long. Every curve of her
body molded to his. He reveled in the feel of her body heat and small hands desperately

clutching at his t-shirt while her tears dampened the fabric.

Running his hand through her silky hair to sooth her, he tried to ingrain everything

about her in his memory, her smell, her warmth, her soft skin at the nape of her neck.

He pulled back slightly and looked down at her, "I'm coming back… for you." His eyes

pleaded for her to believe him.

"I hope so." She sniffed, eyes smoldering with desire.

And that was all the confirmation Edward needed. He dipped his head down and gently
brushed his lips against hers, wanting to let her know how he really felt.

But suddenly Bella's palms pushed against his chest, shoving him away. Edward's heart

sank when he saw the completely shocked and bewildered look on Bella's face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, taking another step back, "Oh god, I'm so sorry." He didn't
know what to do; he'd ruined everything. "I – I should go." He stifled, "Goodbye Bella."

Watching him rush through the automatic doors after he gave her one last, apologetic

look over his shoulder, Bella brought her trembling hand to her mouth and lightly
brushed her lips with her fingertips, still in awe of what had happened. She hadn't

meant to push him away – he'd caught her off guard and she hadn't wanted any kind of
physical contact with the only other man who had kissed her. But it was too late to take

it back and she realized that Edward was gone… possibly forever.

Chapter 8 – August 5

Bella,

I messed up.

I don't know how else to say it without cursing, which I'm sure you
wouldn't appreciate.

I am so sorry I misinterpreted your actions for anything more than what
they surely were.

You have to know it was never my intention to put you in such an
awkward position. Though I have never viewed you as my employee, I
know that is how you see our situation and I'll never forgive myself for

jeopardizing what I had come to see as a great friendship.

Writing this to you is so much more difficult than I could have imagined
and the slight turbulence I'm currently experiencing on my flight has
nothing to do with it.

There just doesn't seem to be a point in lying to you since you have an
insanely inane ability to see right through me.

I like you Bella, I really like you. I like you a lot more than one should like
a friend. I've felt this way for a long time. Definitely since our truce, but
now that I think about it, probably since the first day I met you.

I care a great deal about you. I want nothing less than your happiness and
I go out of my way to make sure you're taken care of, just as my parents
did. And yes, I do realize that's the last thing you want or need from me
as you've more than demonstrated complete confidence and independence
in everything you do.

But it's the brief moments when you let me in and let me see the
vulnerable side of you which
endeared you to me more than anything.

I've tried to stay away from you. I've tried to convince myself that I don't
want you. But it's a lie. There's so much I want to tell you. There's a lot
you don't know about me. But I want to share it all with you. Even if it
changes your mind about me – I still want you to know.

Make no mistake that the extent of our relationship is completely up to
you. You know how I feel about you, but our future is in your control. I
don't mean to put any sort of pressure on you by letting you have the
final say in this decision, but I'm hoping you'll decide to do whatever
makes you happy, as that's all that I want. Even if that means you'd

prefer I not return to Delta. Should you allow me to stay, but would
prefer we keep our relationship professional, I'd understand that as well,
and appreciate you letting me stay and enjoy your company.

Bella, I think you're an extraordinary woman and sitting on this plane,
less than an hour after I was finally able to hold you and kiss you the way
I've wanted to for so long, all I can think about is how much I already
miss you.

What will I do without your phenomenal cooking, or your musical talent
or your positively charming wit? I seem to be lost without you.

I'm tempted to throw this out, as I know realize how desperate I must
sound, but I can't bring myself not to send this to you because it's how I
feel.

Why on earth you would doubt my commitment to returning to Delta –
to you – is beyond me, but I can assure you, coming home to you is all
that will be on my mind for the next three weeks.

With complete adoration,

Edward

To say Alice was excited to see Edward was the understatement of the century. Had it

not been for a conveniently placed pillar behind him, she would have knocked him over
upon impact.

She spoke a mile a minute, updating him on every detail of her life, though he already

knew most of it, due to their phone calls. Still, he allowed her to talk, because it meant
he didn't have to.

Edward was more than annoyed to see the dozen or so paparazzi outside his home

when Alice turned down their street. He had tried to hide behind sunglasses, a baseball
cap and a hoodie at the airport, which had, much to his surprised, worked.

However, he knew it was inevitable he'd be able to escape the media for long. He was

just pleased that nobody had seen his unruly copper hair. Though he knew he'd abhor
having to wear a wig and those god awful contacts – oh god, he'd forgotten about the

contacts. Regardless it'd be worth it if he could return to Delta unscathed and in
anonymity.

"Did your flight go smoothly?" Jasper asked the moment Edward and Alice walked

through the door.

"Did you get me a new mattress and sterilize every surface in the house?" Edward
challenged.

"For the last time!" Alice exclaimed, "I was just kidding! You'll find your room locked

with a fine layer of dust settled over your things."

Edward breathed in the familiar scent of disinfectant and was pleased that Alice and
Jasper had cleaned, though he would miss helping Bella with the house while he was

away. "You'd better hope so." He pointed at Alice before making his way over to Jasper,
giving him a manly half-hug and a pat on the back. "I don't suppose I can ask you a favor

already?" Edward hedged.

"Sure, whatever you need." Jasper replied sincerely.

"Can you mail this to Bella?" He handed Jasper the folded letter he'd written on the
plane, "Overnight it if you can. I'd go myself, but―"

"Dude, don't worry about it," Jasper waved Edward off and took the letter, "I'll take care

of it." He smiled.

"Thank you." Edward took a deep breath, trying not to think about all the things he'd
written.

"We have to fit your wig and contacts." Alice said exasperatingly.

"Babe, give him a couple minutes to settle in." Jasper stood up for Edward and he was

grateful for it.

"Fine." Alice pouted.

The moment he closed his door, he pulled out his cell and called the house. But there
was no answer – it just rang. Edward hung up when he remembered they didn't have an

answering machine. They never really needed one.

Frustrated he wouldn't get to hear her voice, he dialed Rose's number instead. Vera

picked up on the second ring.

"McCarty residence, Vera speaking." She chirped.

"Hi Vera, it's Edward." He sighed.

"Hi Edward!" She beamed and her excitement to speak with him warmed his heart.

"Is your mom home?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied.

When a minute had passed, Edward realized his mistake and said, "Can you put her on

the phone, please?"

"Sure!" She dropped the phone with a clatter.

A moment later he heard Rose's voice over the receiver, "Hey Edward, everything
okay?" She asked, sounding concerned.

"Uhh – yeah. I told Bella I'd call her when I got to my sister's, but she didn't answer the

phone. Maybe she hit traffic on the way home." Edward thought aloud, "Anyway, I'm
not sure if I'll have time to call her later, but could you please let her know I got here

safely?"

"No problem." Rose responded, "Are you sure everything's okay?"

Edward sighed; Rose was a mother, of course she'd be able to pick up on his discontent,
"I'm just worried that Bella isn't home yet." He lied.

"I'll give you a call if I hear from her." Rose obliged.

"I'd really appreciate that." He would have to think of something he could do for Rose to

thank her for everything.

"Alright, well – oh, can Chuck talk to you?" Rose laughed.

"Sure." Edward smiled.

"Uncle Edward!" Chuck cried, and Edward wondered if he'd called him uncle before. "I
got a new Hot Wheel today!"

"You did!" Edward humored the little boy.

"It's a Corvette like you and Bella's car!" he said louder than necessary.

"Will you show me when I get back?" Edward asked.

"Duh." Chuck said, "How long is that?"

"Three weeks." Edward said begrudgingly.

"Oh…" Chuck sounded as disappointed as Edward felt, "Will you bring me a present?"

"Chuck!" Rose hissed in the background.

"Duh," Edward chuckled.

"You better get one for Vera too." Chuck said quickly.

"Good idea." Edward heard a knock on his door, "Hey Chuck, I'm sorry, but I have to go.

I'll talk to you soon okay?"

"Okay! Bye Edward!" Chuck hung up the phone loudly.

"Come in." Edward called.

"Who were you talking to?" Alice asked suspiciously.

"A friend." Edward shoved his phone in his pocket.

"Bella?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No." Edward said shortly, upset that she wasn't home yet.

"Sor―reee." Alice stuck her tongue out at Edward, "C'mon, we've got lots to do."

And indeed they did.

The next few days were a whirlwind.

After fitting his wig (which even Edward had to admit looked surprisingly real) it took
him almost a half hour to get his contacts in. Because he hadn't shaved since the

morning before he left, he looked just about as scruffy as his alter-ego Anthony Masen,
was supposed to be.

For appearances sake, he had dinner with Alice, Jasper and his new agent, Angela, at a

restaurant where they were sure to be seen. Alice reasoned that if he gave the

paparazzi what they wanted, they wouldn't be so vicious later. Edward didn't have the

energy to argue with her.

Angela was a pleasant surprise. She did little to hide just how hard she had fought to get
him as a client after Jane had been fired. And though she was certainly precocious,

Edward felt her intentions were genuine.

"Listen, I know you don't want to do anymore films right now, but if you change your
mind or decide you want to pursue any other careers in the entertainment industry, I'm

here to help you out." She smiled from across the table.

Edward thought she was too young to be an actual agent, rather than a junior agent at
CAA, but if her attitude was any kind of indication of how seriously she took her job, he

understood how she'd climbed the ladder so quickly. And the thought that someone like
Angela could get so far in the industry with merely a positive attitude gave him hope.

"Tell you what Angela," he sipped his coffee, "You can do something for me."

"Anything you need Anthony." She was excited by the prospect of helping him.

"I might be interested in publishing something in the future." He confided in her, Alice

and Ben looked more than shocked to hear the news.

"What genre?" Angela retrieved a pen and a small steno pad from her bag to take notes.

"Literary fiction, I suppose." Edward said thoughtfully, "But I'd want it published under a
pseudonym." He told her.

"Great, I'll look into it. Do you have a manuscript I can look at?" She was all business and

seemed un-phased by the fact that he didn't want to parlay his fame into automatic
book sales. If anything she seemed to respect him more.

"No, I don't like to share until I'm finished, but I'll get you a copy the moment it's done."

He reassured her.

"Perfect." She closed her notebook and shoved it back into her bag.

The next day Edward was up bright and early for a debriefing from the studio regarding
the upcoming press tour. He was told they would not be allowing any questions

regarding his absence, but should it come up he was instructed to play it off
humorously, like the suave Anthony Masen the public knew and loved. Then he was off

to wardrobe fittings with his sister for the rest of the day.

He tried Bella three times that day with no answer. Even though Rose had called to let

him know Bella was fine, he still just wanted to hear her voice. Idly, he wondered if

she'd gotten his letter. Sinking into his familiar depression, he wrote to her again after
lunch and sent Jasper to overnight the new letter.

Friday and Saturday were long days at the studio, spent shooting pick-ups for the third

and final installment of the Phillip Kelley movie he had wrapped before moving to Delta.
He wrote two letters to Bella each of those days, as he was still unable to reach her on

the land line.

He knew she was avoiding him, but he wanted her to know he hadn't given up on her.
He though about calling Rose again, but he felt bad putting her in the middle. With each

letter he hinted more at the fact that he had something he needed to tell her when he
got home. He thought he needed to tell her everything – he wanted to share every part

of himself with her. He knew he was bolder in his letters than he could ever be in person
with her, but he hoped his honesty in ink might make her realize she needed him as

much as he was sure he needed her.

The one upside to the pick-ups and impending press was hanging out with Victoria, as
he had always enjoyed her company.

"You look good." She said, sitting down next to him at craft services on the first day of

the shoot.

"You're an awful liar." He joked.

"How've you been?" She squeezed his shoulder affectionately.

"Good actually," He tried to convince himself, "I'll be happy when all of this is over."

"What's her name?" Victoria smiled.

Edward gave her a sideways glance, "Am I that transparent?" He chuckled.

"You look sad." She observed, "But not like you used to; you look like you miss her."

"Isabella," Edward smirked at Victoria, "She lets me call her Bella."

Victoria giggled, "Tell me about her."

"She keeps me on my toes. She constantly surprises me. And she has no idea about all of
this." Edward gestured to the studio space around them.

"Good." Victoria took a sip of water from a bottle.

Being on set, acting again and keeping up appearances as Anthony Masen felt like an

out of body experience for Edward. He went through the motions, but he wasn't really
there.

However on Sunday, Edward finally caught a break after a long weekend of re-shoots for

his final film. "Anthony, can I talk to you for a sec?" Jasper grabbed Edward between
takes.

"Is everything okay?" Edward was concerned with Jasper's tone.

"Well…" Jasper scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Do you want the good news

or the bad news first?"

Edward's heart dropped, "Is Bella okay?"

"She's fine," Jasper said quickly, "I mean, I haven't talked to her, but―" He shook his
head, "This has nothing to do with her." He tried to stay on track, "So… good or bad?"

Edward sat down in the nearest chair he could find, "Bad." He sighed.

"You have to come back in November." Jasper winced in anticipation of Edward's

reaction.

"WHAT! WHY!" He shouted, earning the attention of more than half of the cast and
crew.

"Calm down Anthony!" Jasper's eyes practically bugged out of his head and he moved to

restrain Edward, as he had lunged out of his chair, "They pushed the movie back to a
pre-Thanksgiving release because that big animated movie got moved to Memorial

Day."

Edward huffed, the last think he wanted to do was come back to Los Angeles again. He
needed to go home to Delta and stay there… assuming Bella would still let him. "Then

what's the good news?" He said through his teeth.

"You get to go back now. I already booked your flight," Jasper informed Edward, whose
jaw had dropped, "You leave LAX at noon, so you'll get into Minneapolis around six

because of the time change."

"I could kiss you right now." Edward was in shock. In a little over twenty-four hours, he'd
be back in Delta.

"Please don't." Jasper laughed, "They're telling the rest of the cast now, but it won't go

public 'til tomorrow morning."

"I gotta go make a phone call." Edward said frantically, pulling his cell out of his pocket
as he stood, "Thank you Jasper!" He beamed before running off to his dressing room so

he could call Bella in private. He desperately wanted her to pick up so he could tell her
not only was he coming back, as promised, but that he'd be home early. But just like all

the other times he'd called from L.A., she didn't answer. So Edward dialed the only other
person he could think of in Delta.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rose." Edward tried to mask the disappointment in his voice.

"How's your trip?" She asked sincerely.

"Okay – listen, I was wondering if I could ask you a huge favor?" He cut to the chase.

"Sure," Rose sounded amused and he could picture her twirling her blonde pony tail

with a smirk on her face.

"Can you pick me up from the Minneapolis airport tomorrow night?" He requested
nervously.

"I thought you weren't gonna be back for another two weeks." She replied in confusion.

"Uhh – some stuff got moved around and I have to come back in November, but I

already scheduled my flight." He tried to be vague and wondered if Rose even knew he
was in Los Angeles.

"Isn't this something you want to ask Bella?" She said coyly.

"I tried, but she hasn't answered any of my calls." Edward responded bitterly.

"I suppose she can't ignore the mail." Rose muttered and Edward finally got

confirmation that she had, at the very least, received his letters, but by the sound of it,
had also read them.

"So, do you think you can pick me up?" He hedged.

"Sure, why not." Rose laughed.

Edward gave her the flight details and told her what route he and Bella had driven, days

earlier. "I don't suppose this favor could stay between us?" Edward hoped he could
surprise Bella.

"I won't lie to Emmett." Rose said adamantly.

"That's not who I'm talking about." Edward tried to clue her in.

"Oh," Rose got it, "Of course. But she'll be mad that she won't have enough notice to

make up your room and get more food." Rose warned him.

"She'll survive." Edward chuckled.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow at six-oh-five. Have a safe flight." Rose smiled.

"Thanks Rose; see you tomorrow, good night." Edward hung up the phone and finished
the shoot in the best mood he had been in since he arrived in L.A.

Alice was predictably devastated that he'd be leaving early, but was excited to show him

the winter wardrobe she'd procured for him to take back to Wisconsin. She also helped
him find some souvenirs for Rose's kids.

Though the paparazzi followed him to the airport, he changed clothes and removed the

wig and contacts in the bathroom, he'd have to wait to shave until he got home.

Edward's anticipation and excitement to get back to Delta turned to anxiety as it sunk in
that perhaps the reason Bella hadn't been taking his calls was because she didn't return

his feelings and didn't want him to stay in Delta. He also tried to formulate some sort of
script in his mind so he could gently explain his double life to her. There was no right

way to tell someone that everyone else in the world thought you were a different
person. He just hoped she'd accept him, regardless.

Edward surprised Rose when he pulled her into a tight hug at the curb, just outside the

baggage claim. "Oh my god Rose, it's so good to see you!"

"Was the trip that bad?" Rose wheezed, smothered by his embrace.

"You have no idea." Edward released her, "I'm so glad to be back, I can't thank you
enough for picking me up and keeping this quiet." He lifted his luggage into the trunk of

her rusty sedan. He would have bought her a new one to say thanks if he thought she'd
accept it.

"Trust me, I'm happy to help." Rose hopped in the driver's side and Edward was terribly

curious about the annoyance in her tone.

"Should I ask?" He thought aloud as he fastened his seat belt.

"I didn't say anything, but a mutual acquaintance has been on a bit of a war path." Rose

chose her words carefully.

"Is that a good or bad thing for me?" He asked.

"You don't have anything to worry about." Rose told him, effectively closing the topic.

He spent the next four hours carefully avoiding the exact nature of his trip when

conversing with Rose. A sick part of him wanted to inquire about her love for his
celebrity doppelganger, but he thought it best not to tempt fate, especially since he was

still rocking Anthony Masen's 5 o'clock shadow.

Edward insisted on buying dinner just before they left the Minneapolis city limits and
told her about the gifts he'd picked up for her children on his trip. He learned that Rose

originally hailed from Ashland, Wisconsin which was about an hour north of Delta. Rose
didn't have the best childhood and filtered in and out of foster homes until she moved

in with a nice family. Her strength and ability to stay positive, regardless of all the
adversity she faced, impressed Edward beyond words. But he was happy she and

Emmett found each other and were able to raise a family like they had apparently both
wanted.

Before he knew it, Rose was pulling up in front of his home in Delta. Edward was slightly

dismayed that all the lights were out, which meant Bella had gone to bed early and he
wouldn't be able to see her until the next morning.

"Thank you so much, for everything." Edward hugged Rose after taking his luggage from

the trunk.

"Anytime Edward; you're family now." She smiled and he thought about how true her
statement really was. He felt so lucky.

After bidding her farewell, he lugged his bags up to the porch and fumbled with his

house keys before finding the right one and successfully opening the front door. He
knew it'd upset Bella if he left the bags in the foyer, in addition to alerting her to his

presence the next morning, so he took special care to be quiet as he dragged them up
the stairs, praying he wouldn't wake her or Jake up. He hoped she'd left Jake in the

laundry room as she tended to do on most nights.

However, the moment he reached the landing of the second floor, he stopped. The dim
light from his reading lamp filtered out into the hallway through the inch or so that his

door was cracked. Slowly, unsure of what he would find, he made his way forward and
gently pushed the door open, completely unprepared for what he discovered on the

other side.

Bella laid fast asleep in his bed, wearing only her underwear and Edward's favorite

cardinal red Wisconsin hoodie. Her mahogany hair was fanned out along his pillow and

Edward watched her tiny body slowly rise and all with each breath she took. When he
stepped forward he discovered another harlequin novel lying open on the floor where

she had dropped it after falling asleep.

Unable to resist her, he carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, slowly running his
fingers through her soft hair, he admired the serene expression she wore. Her cheeks

were slightly flushed, her beautiful long eyelashes dusted over the tops of them and her
pretty pink lips were just barely parted in a small pout.

Edward was unsure what would happen the next day when reality sunk in, but in that

moment he felt the same, familiar charge run through his body, every time he touched
her. He knew he could never leave her and if she didn't want him, he'd spend the rest of

his life trying to change her mind. He barely knew anything about her. But what he did
know was that he couldn't breathe without her and though it scared the shit out of him,

the feeling was just as invigorating.

Edward was so lost in thought, he didn't notice when Bella began to blink and lazily take
in her surroundings, including the man who was at that moment, caressing her face with

his knuckles.

"Edward?" Her quiet voice broke though his mental fog and his loving green eyes met
her deep chocolate orbs, brimmed with unshed tears, "What are you doing here?" She

whispered, hoping that this wasn't some torturous dream.

"I could ask you the same thing." He gave her a sly grin.

Ignoring his statement, she studied his form, willing him to stay as she tentatively
reached out and ghosted her fingers over the fabric of his shirt before grasping it tightly

in her fist and pulling him toward her. "Are you really here?" She choked, eyes darting to
his, as if to authenticate his identity.

He gave a small nod, unable to break eye contact with her and unwilling to move unless

she commanded him to do so.

Bella pulled him closer until he was mere inches from her face; his warm breath played
on her lips. "I missed you so much." She breathed.

And those five words were Edward's undoing. His mouth crashed against hers, fingers

feverishly wound themselves in her silken locks as they both clambered to get as close
as possible to one another. The kiss was pure passion and previously denied lust.

Edward had to remind himself several times to keep his hands away from the rest of her
body, afraid of what he might do if he allowed himself to touch her.

He thanked the heavens she didn't push him away like she had before. In fact, she had

practically initiated it. And when her tongue passed through his lips, he knew without a
doubt that she wanted him.

My, how she wanted him.

Through the open door, he heard the phone ringing and he knew it was Rose calling to

let him know she made it home safely as he'd requested before she left.

Hearing the ringing as well, Bella gently ended the kiss, bowing her head as Edward
nuzzled the crook of her neck, both were still panting from the encounter.

The phone continued to sound, so Edward wordlessly stood from the bed and walked

across the hall top pick up the cordless phone in his parent's room. "Hello?" He said
breathlessly.

"Sorry, I wouldn't have called if I thought I'd be interrupting." Rose chuckled.

"I take it you got home okay?" Edward leaned out the door frame, trying to see if Bella

had suddenly come to her senses and run back to her room, locking the door behind
her. But he couldn't see anything but the faint light from his room.

"Yeah, so I'll – umm, talk to you tomorrow." Rose held back her laughter.

"Thanks, goodnight." Edward said briskly and hung the phone back on the receiver. He

took a deep breath and placed the phone back on the receiver. He took a deep breath
before walking back to his room, where he was more than pleased to find Bella waiting

for him, exactly where he left her.

"So you got the letters then?" Edward asked huskily as he approached her. She didn't
have to verbally confirm his suspicions because the blush on her face spoke for her. "I

meant every word." She didn't take her eyes off him as he resumed his place next to
her.

She grabbed his shirt again, yanking him toward her as she burrowed her face in his

chest while he wrapped his arms around her. "Will you stay with me tonight?" He asked.

Immediately Bella tensed. Edward looked down at her, trying to decipher her reaction.
She was scared; he felt guilty for trying to move too quickly. "I just want to hold you."

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and was pleased when her body relaxed. He
studied her eyes and realized that he had ignored the dark circles under them before.

"Bells, you look so tired." He said sadly as he brushed the pad of his thumb along her
cheek.

"I – I haven't really been – umm – sleeping well, since – since you left." She stuttered.

Edward smiled softly; she did need him. "Let me go change and then we can go to bed."

He squeezed her hand affectionately, "And you don't need that sweater," he said while
rifling through his luggage, "I'll keep you warm." He grinned at her before leaving for the

bathroom. She giggled and the sound warmed his heart.

After changing quickly, he decided he couldn't stand the scruff on his face any longer, so
he shaved, hoping he didn't take too long. But when he got back to his room, Bella was

still there, gorgeous as ever, now in a tank top instead of his hoodie, which was neatly
folded and placed on top of his dresser.

Edward diverted his eyes from her chest, as the tight fabric of the small shirt clung to

her perfect curves. He begged his body to behave and was thankful he had thrown on a
pair of pajama pants, though he usually only slept in his boxers. He knew he was

pressing his luck asking her to stay; the last thing he wanted to do was make her
uncomfortable with his hard on shoved against her all night because he couldn't control

himself.

"You shaved." She said drowsily as he strode toward the bed.

"It was bothering me." He told her as he slipped into the bed next to her.

"Good, I like you better like this," she gave him a sleepy smile as her palm slid down his
smooth jaw line. "I can't believe you're here." Bella said just before he turned the

bedside lamp off.

"Me neither." He sighed happily as he pulled her back to his chest, loving the way her
body molded against his.

Chapter 9 – August 11

Alice,

I belong here.

If there was ever a doubt in my mind, it's gone now. I know this place
isn't for you and I would say that it saddens me, but for some reason I
can't help but feel like this time apart has actually brought us closer.

I haven't been back, since seeing you in L.A., for very long, but I can just
feel it in my bones, how very right all of this is. I know I've said it before,
but I've never meant it more than I do now, you need to come here. I
have to share this place with you.

Everything about it is just perfect. But the one thing missing is you being
able to see it up here and just how happy I am in this environment,
surrounded by these wonderful people.

I do, however, miss you already. And I very much regret not being able to
spend more time with you during my short visit. I mean, sure you were
around plenty, but we were working and to be perfectly honest, I was
wallowing. Though I'm sure you were already aware of that fact.

Although I am not looking forward to the press tour in November, I am
beyond thrilled that you and Jasper have rearranged your schedules so
that you might keep me company during my trip. It is more appreciated
than you could ever know.

Please give Jasper my regards and I look forward to speaking with you
soon.

All my love,

Anthony

Edward groaned and rolled over in his bed, reaching for the warm body he thought was
next to him. However, he found himself alone, tangled in his sheets, although thankfully

still at his home in Delta. His first thought was, 'Where's Bella?' but immediately he
wondered if perhaps he'd only imagined that she'd stayed the night with him.

Raking his hand through his bed head, he got up from the bed and saw his hoodie, still

neatly folded on the dresser and Bella's romance novel sat askew on his nightstand – at
the very least, she had been in his room.

He all but stumbled into the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth. He rolled
his eyes at his reflection, noting that he already needed to shave again, but he wanted

to find Bella first.

Quietly, Edward padded down the stairs, but he was surprised when he didn't find Bella
in the kitchen. Instead she was sitting on the sun porch with a cup of coffee in her hands

as she gazed out the window, watching Jake chase ducks down by the dock.

"I wasn't very happy to wake up alone." Edward finally spoke, standing at the threshold
of the sunroom.

Bella practically fell out of her seat and almost spilled scalding coffee all over herself,

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, "Stop doing that!" She glared at him angrily.

"Sorry," He replied sheepishly, "I didn't mean to scare you; I just wish you would have
slept in with me." He slid into the booth next to her.

Bella shifted in unease and continued to watch Jake outside, rather than responding to

Edward.

He frowned at her ambivalence and when a few minutes passed without another word
between them, he assumed the worst, "You changed your mind…" Edward's heart sunk

and a lump formed in his throat.

Bella turned suddenly to face him, "What!" She searched his eyes, hurt by the
accusation, "No! I just – I –" She paused, trying to find the right words to explain. Her

gaze faltered and she stared at the countertop, while Edward tried to understand. In an
attempt to appease her, he found Bella's hand in her lap and threaded his fingers

through her own.

"It's okay if you did…" Above all else, he didn't want her to feel like she didn't have a
choice.

She looked at him then and sighed, "I've been sitting down here… for three hours, trying

to figure out – for the life of me, I just can't understand why―" She shook her head and
broke their eye contact before whispering, "Why you'd want me."

"Bella…"

She squeezed his hand, "You don't know anything about me. You have no idea how

much baggage…" Her jaw clenched.

"It doesn't matter." He moved closer to her, running his free hand through her hair. She

leaned into his touch, "We all have secrets…"

"Apparently," She laughed humorlessly, then dared to look at him again, "So when are

you gonna tell me yours?"

"I was wondering when you were gonna ask me about that." He smirked.

"So…" She eyed him warily.

Edward took a moment, trying to remember the dialogue he'd gone over in his head
during his last flight. But his mind was blank. "I lied to you about my trip – well, not

technically, but kind of…" He backtracked, "I said I went back to L.A. for business," He
chanced a glance at her. Bella was watching him intently, as well as bracing herself for

his confession.

"I was there for a press tour – for a movie." He ran his thumb over her knuckles, "You
know that actor Rose likes…"

"Anthony Masen?" Bella said quietly.

"Yeah," Edward nodded, "Well, I'm kind of him – I mean, it's just a stage name and all

those stories in the papers aren't true." He babbled quickly.

"Oh." She replied, rather dejectedly.

Edward was unable to read her expression. "Now you really have changed your mind."
He swallowed hard, in disgust.

"No!" She said immediately, squeezing his hand again, reassuring him, "It's just… I

already knew that." Bella tried to be gentle.

Edward let out the breath he'd been holding in with a whoosh. He felt as if the wind had
been knocked out of him. "You – you what? You knew?" He choked.

"I didn't know it was a secret." Bella moved closer to him, afraid she'd upset him, "I just

thought you didn't want to talk about it."

"How – how did you…" Edward stuttered, still reeling from the revelation, "Does Rose
know?" He shouted suddenly.

"Well, she's kind of the one who figured it out." Bella winced.

"Wait – how long have you known?" Edward was confused.

Bella took a minute to think, "After the fourth of July. I guess Rose had her suspicions

because she thought you looked so familiar and when I said you had a sister named
Alice who lived in Los Angeles, she put it together. But she said you have different hair

and contacts." Bella slowly reached out and brought her palm to his cheek, "And he
doesn't shave," she smiled, "But you look so much more handsome like this."

"You're always beautiful." He countered and placed his hand over hers, admiring the red

tinge that crept along her cheeks because of his complement.

"So that's it? That was your secret?" She hedged, nervously.

Edward chuckled at her apprehension, "Yeah – what did you think it was?"

"Murder, robbery, ten wives in different states, secret agent…" she rattled off. Edward
looked at her incredulously, "What!" She guffawed, "I have a very over active

imagination and I was stuck here, alone – without you. What was I supposed to think?"
She laughed in relief.

"Did you really miss me?" He responded, suddenly serious again.

Bella shook her head, clearly embarrassed, "It's just – I've gotten used to you and you―"

Bella stopped, her eyes traveled up to Edward's face to meet his, "You make me feel
safe." She said with chagrin.

"Really?" Edward edged closer, flattered by her honesty.

She nodded.

Edward smiled.

"So, I showed you mine – kind of – will you show me yours?" He asked, "Tell me one of

your secrets." He whispered huskily in her ear, but moved back quickly when he realized
she'd gone stiff and her breathing had become erratic. "I'm sorry – I was just playing."

He tucked her hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry, Bella." Edward tried to get a response
from her. When she remained motionless, he used his thumb and forefinger to tip her

chin up so she'd look at him. "Bella, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me anything you
don't want to." He panicked.

"I know," she breathed, "I'll tell you everything – just not now, I can't―"

"Bells," Edward cut her off, "You don't have to justify anything. It's your business." He

tried to convince her, "I just want to get to know you better."

"I don't deserve you," Bella mumbled, tucking her face into the crook of his neck.

"That's not true." Edward wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him.
Gently he kissed the top of her head. After a few minutes, Bella grew restless in his

arms, "Is there anymore coffee?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'll get―"

Edward pulled Bella back down, as she had moved to get up, "I'll get it." He smiled at
her and squeezed her shoulder, "You stay right there. Can I get you anything?" He raised

an eyebrow at her while he backed into the kitchen.

Bella giggled and shook her head at his tone. But the moment he turned his back on her,
she got up anyway to let Jake in from outside.

"You told me why you left," Bella squatted down to pull out Jake's food from a lower

cabinet, "But you never said why you came back early."

"Oh, I can leave if you don't want me here." Edward joked

Bella nudged him as she passed him on her way to Jake. "Quiet, you," She laughed.

"They pushed the movie back. It's gonna come out around Thanksgiving instead."
Edward took a sip of his coffee.

"Rose is gonna be pissed." Bella grinned.

"I bet." Edward chuckled.

"So you have to go back in November, then?" Bella guessed correctly, her voice took on

a melancholy tone.

"Yeah." Edward frowned. He looked up from his coffee to find Bella leaning against the
kitchen island across from him. He set his coffee down and closed the distance between

them, "You could come with me, ya know?" He whispered into her hair, pressing his
body up against hers.

"No, I don't think so." She shook her head against him.

"It won't be very long… a couple weeks." Edward said softly as he rubbed his thumb

over the fine hair at the base of Bella's neck.

"Edward…" Bella half-heartedly shoved against him. He took a step back and looked
down at her, "Ugh – I can't believe I'm gonna ask you this…" She grimaced and brought

her hands to his chest. First her palms were flat against his stomach, but then she fisted

the material of his shirt between her fingers, "I need to know what this is." She peered

up at Edward through her lashes, "And I don't want some bullshit, 'whatever you want it
to be' answer." She called him out preventatively.

"You just said a swear word." Edward teased, bringing his index finger to the tip of her

nose.

Bella shoved his hand away, "I'm serious." She whined as she pushed herself off the
counter toward the sunroom.

"Hey…" Edward grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him.

"Edward, this is my life―" She began.

"And it's different for me?" His brow furrowed.

Bella stopped and took a good look at Edward. She knew he was serious, but she just

wasn't sure if he actually understood, "Edward, if this doesn't work out…" She didn't
want to be pessimistic, but she had to take care of herself first and foremost, "I won't

have anywhere to go." She finished quietly.

Edward nodded silently. He truly did understand. It was the only reason he'd stayed
away from her for so long – he didn't want to put her in this position. "Bella…" Edward

took her hands, "I'm serious about us – this." He tried, "But I was also serious when I
wrote those letters. I told you if you didn't want me – if I made you uncomfortable that I

would leave. I don't want you to be scared to give us a chance."

"But this is your home." In the back of her mind, she knew he would leave, but she had
been conditioned not to trust anyone.

"It was yours first." He said finally.

"You'd really – just – walk away?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

"If that's what you wanted me to do." His eyes softened, hoping it would never come to

that.

"But you don't even know me!" She protested.

"Hey―" Edward paced forward, pinning Bella between himself and the counter, "I know
you well enough to know that you love taking care of others more than yourself. I know

the only time someone would have any idea that you're not completely happy here is
when you play sad songs for me on your piano. I know you read all those silly romance

novels because secretly you want to be swept off your feet like that some day. And I

know that I can be that man for you."

Bella's mouth fell open in wordless awe as tears brimmed her eyes.

"God, I want to kiss you." Edward breathed.

Bella stood on her tip toes so she could reach him. Her mouth sought him out in

desperation. Her fingers threaded through his hair, pulling him even closer.

Edward groaned and inadvertently pressed his growing erection against her stomach.
But either she was unaware of the problem or just didn't care. Bella whimpered into his

mouth as he took his time sucking and nipping on her bottom lip before sweeping his
tongue in her mouth, relishing the taste of coffee permeating her lips. He allowed his

hands to slowly run down her sides until his palms were over the perfect curves of her
ass. She moaned loudly when he grabbed her gently, bringing her even closer to him.

Gradually their kiss ended; punctuated by slow, languid kisses minus the juvenile

groping.

"Is boyfriend okay?" Edward panted, kissing her soft, swollen lips again, "It seems like an
inadequate label…" He kissed the corner of her mouth, "But I just don't want…" then the

other corner, "Anyone else." He bent lower and ran his tongue across her collarbone,
blowing on the damp skin, causing goose bumps to form there.

Bella sighed in content, "You always know the right thing to say…" Her eyes rolled back

into her head, unable to handle his ministrations and the way he made her body feel.
She was putty in his hands.

"Will you stay with me again tonight? It felt so good to have you in my bed." Edward

sucked on the skin just behind her ear.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" She said apprehensively.

Her verbal rejection brought Edward out of his lust filled haze, "Why not?" He asked,
trying not to pressure her.

"Here's a secret about me―" Her hooded gaze met his, "It's been a while – a long while.

I'm afraid you're gonna expect things from me that I can't―"

"Bella, I don't expect anything from you." Edward rubbed her back soothingly, "But I
completely understand if you don't want to sleep with me. Although I can assure you, if

you change your mind, sleeping is all we'll be doing."

"Still, I just – I better not. I'm not sure I even trust myself." Bella thought out loud.

"Regardless, it's an open invitation." He kissed her temple.

"I need you to go slow with me." She bit her lip nervously.

"Of course." Edward complied, just happy that she was willing to give them a shot, "You
just have to promise you'll tell me when to cool off, or if you want more." He worried

she might not communicate with him, fearful of his reaction, "I mean it." He reiterated.

"Okay, deal." She smiled up at him. "So… now what?"

"I haven't been able to write a single word since I left." Edward reluctantly separated
himself from Bella to find his coffee on the other side of the kitchen. "I'm desperate to

hear you play for me."

"That's not true – you wrote those letters." Bella said suggestively as she approached
him.

"Oh – those? You got those?" He feigned innocence, "Not my best work." He shrugged.

"No one's ever done something so romantic for me." She ran her palm over his chest

again.

"You better get used to it." He tugged her hand, bringing her body flush against his, "I'm
gonna read all your trashy novels…" he leaned down and kissed her mouth, "And take

notes."

"No, don't…" She giggled. "There are naughty things in those books."

"Now I know why you like them so much." Edward licked his lips, "Bella, you naughty
girl."

Bella squealed, trying to squirm out of his tight hold.

"We'll get to those parts eventually." Edward breathed lowly into her ear, sending

shivers down her spine. "I'm awfully patient, Bells." He threatened.

"You'd better hope so, pal." She finally escaped his grasp and jogged into the living
room, where she began to play almost immediately.

Edward wrote for most of the day, until they had to leave for dinner.

Rose knew things went well, given her brief phone conversation with Edward the night

before. However, any doubts in her mind were effectively quelled when Edward and

Bella arrived, right on time for dinner, just like every Friday before. And Rose wasn't the

only one who noticed.

Edward held the door open for Bella, even though he was carrying all the groceries.

"Mommy! They're so in love!" Vera yelled to her mother when she saw them enter.

"Vera – don't be rude!" Rose rounded the corner, wringing her hands on a dish towel.
But then she saw Edward and Bella who were not only frozen in the foyer upon hearing

Vera's declaration, but also beet red. "Never mind." Rose smirked and took a bag from
Edward.

"Can I be flower girl?" Vera peered up at Bella.

"Only if you're good." Edward spoke for Bella, patted Vera on the head and strode into

the kitchen after Rose.

"You could have told me." Edward heard Rose whisper to Bella when she eventually
found her way into the room.

For once, Bella was tongue-tied and Edward didn't know what to do to alleviate the

situation. Luckily, Chuck tore through the room and immediately latched onto Edward's
leg.

"I missed you Uncle Edward!" He cried.

Edward picked up the toddler, "I missed you too kiddo!" He smiled, "And I brought you

something."

Chuck's eyes widened and Edward handed him a scale model of a red Lamborghini,
"They have these all over California." Edward told Chuck.

"Thanks Edward!" Chuck clutched the toy car like his life depended on it. Edward set

him down to go play and heard an angry gasp behind him.

Vera stood in the kitchen, arms crossed, her mother's patented glare and matching
scowl in place, "Oh c'mon Vera, you didn't think I'd forget you." He winked at the little

girl and handed her a fancy wrapped package.

Carefully she removed the ribbon and paper and let out a strangled cry when she saw
the designer Malibu Barbie, Edward had kindly asked his sister to pick out for her.

"She's so pretty…" Vera murmured, stroking the box, "Thank you, Edward."

"Take good care of her." Edward told Vera.

She nodded and slowly walked to her room.

"You're gonna spoil them rotten." Rose rolled her eyes.

"So you and Emmett don't want the wine I got you from Napa?" He quirked a brow.

"Hand it over." She said immediately; Edward complied.

"I got Dave some beach toys." Edward began to unpack the food he and Bella brought

over, "I didn't want him to feel left out."

"Why don't you go wake him up and show him." Rose instructed Edward, then grinned
at Bella, "We've got some catching up to do anyway."

Bella looked at him, a bit frightened, but there was nothing he could do. Dave loved the

toys and Chuck even let him hold his car for a moment. Vera tried to explain to Chuck
that his car was the kind of vehicle Ken would drive and how Ken and Barbie were

almost as in love as Edward and Bella and that since she was going to be the flower girl,
if he asked nicely, maybe Chuck could be the ring bearer. But Dave was a baby, so he

couldn't do anything to help.

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Rose kept making sexually suggestive comments
to which Edward would blanch and Bella would either blush or kick Rose under the

table. Emmett was blissfully unaware of everything going on and asked Edward about
his trip instead.

After they had all eaten their fill, Edward offered to do the dishes while Bella helped

Emmett put the kids to bed.

"Do I need to ask what your intentions are?" Rose came along side him, scaring him so
much that he almost dropped the plate he was washing.

"I've been meaning to get you alone so I could ask for your blessing – officially." Edward

commented.

"I'll castrate you if you hurt her." Rose said with a toothy grin.

"I know that." Edward said flatly. Then after a beat, asked, "So, why didn't you say
anything about Anthony Masen?"

Rose's jaw clenched, "Oh, yeah, how was I supposed to start that conversation?" She

snapped.

"I'll autograph anything you want." He laughed.

"Good – I'm gonna take you up on that. I'll make a pretty penny on eBay." She started
putting away the dishes he'd finished drying.

"You know I'm not that guy―"

"I know. I might be a fan of your work, but you've got nothing to worry about. I have no

interest in selling you out. But I am gonna make you sign a ton of shit for my friends
online and I want to know every detail about the last Philip Kelley movie." Rose

chattered.

"You're sure you want it spoiled?" He smiled.

"Oh, I already read a leaked version of the script. I want set gossip." She said seriously.

"Yeah, but that script wasn't the final draft; we filmed three different endings." Edward
said dramatically.

"What?" Rose exclaimed, "I have to know!"

But he never got the chance. Bella and Emmett returned from bedtime duty and Bella

politely told Rose and Emmett that they had to get going because they had stuff to do at
home.

"I bet you do." Rose snorted.

"Rosie, what's with you tonight?" Emmett asked her, befuddled by her behavior. He

turned to Edward and Bella "And why does Vera think you two are getting married?"

Rose burst out in laughter.

"What? Are you?" Emmett asked Edward.

"No – just an inside joke; it's not even funny." Edward told him.

Emmett shrugged, "Thanks for the wine and it was nice of you to think of the kids while
you were away on business."

"Anytime. Thanks for having us over for dinner." Edward replied politely, even though

Bella had been the one to cook as usual.

Edward and Bella made it out to the car without incident, thankfully, but Edward

couldn't help his curiosity, "What did she say to you while I was playing with the kids?"

"Nothing. She was just being vulgar. Asking if I wanted her to buy condoms for me and

saying you were practicing with her kids because you were going to make an honest
woman out of me before the year is out." Bella blurted out angrily.

"Oh…" Edward rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "Well, don't worry, I have condoms."

"Ugh!" Bella shoved him away as they both began to laugh, thankful that they were

alone with each other again.

Chapter 10 – September 13

Sweetheart,

I couldn't sleep any longer, so I got up early to take Jake for a run. Help
yourself to the coffee I made.

Don't forget Rose's family is coming over earlier than everyone else for the
game. I'll help you with the food when I get back.

XO, Edward

A little over five weeks after Edward returned home and things with Bella couldn't have

been going any better. Thankfully, Rose had stopped teasing them when Edward took
her aside and explained how awkward and embarrassed she was making Bella feel.

The two of them settled into a comfortable and affectionate new routine. Each morning

Edward woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and whatever delicious food Bella
made for breakfast. They'd eat together in the sunroom while Jake frolicked outside.

Edward was allowed to do the morning dishes while Bella started her chores for the day.

When he finished he'd read in the library until she was done with her housework and
called him for lunch. Bella was a genius when it came to re-purposing leftovers into new

meals.

After lunch, Bella would play the piano all afternoon while Edward wrote. And each
night they made dinner together. Carefully dancing around each other in the small

space, but enjoying each other's company too much to notice anything else.

In the evenings they'd cuddle up together in the library or in front of the wide-screen TV
in the basement, depending on what was on TV. Although they usually ended up talking

instead of paying attention to what they were reading or watching.

And when they were both too tired to talk anymore, Edward would escort Bella to her
room, where he'd place a chaste kiss on her lips, telling her to have sweet dreams

before retiring to his own room.

However, there was a growing tension between them, hidden just below the surface of
their chemistry. For as much as they talked, Bella was very careful to avoid talking about

anything that happened in her life before she moved to Delta. It was as if she didn't exist
before then. The little information she had accidentally let slip put her into a funk, so

Edward never tried to initiate a conversation about her past, lest he upset her.

But the longer she avoided the subject, the more curious Edward became and the more
he felt she didn't completely trust him. This fact wouldn't have worried him half as much

if he believed that she would eventually open up to him, but she was far harder to crack
than he could have ever imagined. Yet that made him all the more determined.

Their physical intimacy seemed to be just as stunted as their emotional relationship. The

interaction between Edward and Bella was punctuated with small, gentle touches, hand
holding, cuddling and playful flirting. Occasionally a short and tender kiss would turn

into something more heated, but Bella always ended up pulling away.

It got to the point where the sexual tension was so palpable that both Edward and Bella
were in a constant state of arousal. It was difficult for both of them, but Bella was far

from ready to take things further and Edward couldn't find it in his heart to pressure her
into anything when he was still so pleased that she agreed to be involved with him in a

romantic relationship at all.

He was in love with her and he was well aware of how deep his feeling ran. So the last
thing he wanted to do was scare her away. It was a delicate balance that Edward

worked very hard to keep in check.

When Edward returned from his run, he left Jake outside because he refused to follow
him to the porch, wanting to play outside more.

Edward was quiet when he made his way inside. He hadn't worn his watch, so he didn't

know if Bella was still asleep. Softly stepping into the kitchen to grab another cup of
coffee before showering, Edward smiled when he saw Bella's hips swaying to a silent

melody as she kneaded bread dough. The fact that she was wearing Edward's favorite
tight jeans under her favorite red apron only enticed him further – they made her

backside look beyond amazing.

"Morning honey," Edward whispered as he wrapped his hands around her waist from
behind.

"Edward!" She screeched, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Sorry," He kissed her just behind her ear, "What are we making?" He rested his chin on

her shoulder.

Bella stopped kneading, "We are not making anything." She spun around, "You're―"
Her breath caught in her throat when she laid eyes on Edward.

"What?" He said puzzled, "I'm what?" He looked down.

"Sweaty." Bella gulped.

Edward raised an eyebrow, amused that she was very clearly turned on by his

appearance.

"Is that a problem?" He whispered, stepping toward her so she was pinned between
him and the counter.

Without warning, Bella coiled her hands around Edward's neck, pulling his mouth down

to meet hers. She practically shoved her tongue in his mouth while he took his time
sucking on her bottom lip between his own. She pressed herself roughly against Edward;

he groaned in response as his erection had yet again become a painful reminder of how
much he wanted her when he couldn't have her.

When her fingers twined through his hair and tugged on his scalp he grunted before

grabbing her ass, swiftly picking her up and setting her on the empty counter, next to
her dough. Taking a chance he skimmed his hands under the hem of her shirt, running

his fingers along the bare skin at the small of her back.

"Edward…" She moaned, wrapping her legs around his hips, which caused him to press
himself against the heated apex of her thighs. Caught up in the moment, Bella bit down

on Edward's bottom lip.

"Ow!" Edward winced at the sharp pain.

"I'm sorry…" Bella murmured and tentatively brought the pink tip of her tongue out to
sweep it over the small trickle of blood on the corner of his mouth.

Suddenly both of them became aware of where they were and the breach of established

protocol that had just happened.

"Fuck." Edward muttered.

"Don't swear." Bella said quietly, bringing her palm to his jaw line, "Did I hurt you?" She
looked up at him through her lashes, deep pools of chocolate laced with guilt.

"No sweetheart." He slowly shook his head, willing his dick to soften. "It's my fault – I

was too rough with you." Edward rubbed his nose against Bella's before gripping her
waist and setting her back down on the ground.

"I don't mind so much." Bella said quietly, unwilling to make eye contact with Edward

upon her confession.

He chuckled lightly, "If you'll excuse me, I have to go take a very cold shower." Edward
kissed the top her head, interested that she sighed as he walked upstairs.

Edward began to wonder if perhaps the fact that he hadn't tried to push anything

physically with Bella made her think that he didn't want her nearly as much as he did.
He wasn't sure if it'd be rude to ask her; it wasn't as if he could ask Alice… maybe Jasper

though.

After showering and a quick but necessary release, Edward walked across the hall to his
room, only to catch Bella, just as she was setting a shirt down on his bed.

"Oh." She squeaked and immediately her eyes fell to the ground, away from his bare,

wet chest. Her cheeks were instantly crimson.

"It's okay, Bells." Edward rubbed her arm, "What've you got there?" He kissed her cheek
and sat down on the bed, careful that the towel around his waist covered everything

adequately.

Bella picked the shirt back up and handed it to Edward, still avoiding his gaze. "It's
Emmett's. You don't have a Packer shirt and I thought you might feel out of place when

everyone came over. They really go all out." She prattled.

Edward was curious why she'd borrowed a shirt from Emmett instead of just buying a
new one, but quickly it occurred to him she didn't have any money to do so. He knew

she'd never misuse the account his parents let her use to buy things for the house. He
wanted to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

"You are so sweet." Edward gently took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"Thank you, Bella." He smiled up at her, finally catching her eyes. She was happy she'd
pleased him.

"You're welcome." She said bashfully and for the life of himself, Edward couldn't figure

out how someone who was so fiercely confident could be rendered so timid in front of
him.

"Why are you so embarrassed to see me like this?" Edward blurted out.

Bella let out a nervous laugh and slipped her hand out of his as she stepped away, "You

think this―" she waved her hand at him, "Embarrasses me?" She snorted.

"Well, you certainly seem embarrassed about something." Edward stood up and Bella
took another step away from him, inching closer to the door.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stay right there, unless you want a repeat

performance of what happened downstairs." She swallowed hard and took another step
toward the door.

And then it dawned on him.

She wanted him.

She wanted him very badly.

She wasn't embarrassed; she was trying to control herself.

"I wouldn't mind so much," He mimicked her earlier sentiments with a predatory edge

to his voice.

Bella blanched, "I don't want you to get the wrong impression." She said quickly and
ducked out the door before Edward could respond. He was completely baffled by her

last statement and mixed messages.

After throwing on a pair of jeans and the Packer shirt Bella had so kindly procured for
him, he headed downstairs and rather than bother Bella any further, went outside to let

Jake in. He made sure to wipe the mud off his paws before allowing Jake in, Edward
didn't want to make more work for Bella if he tracked anything into the house.

Edward noticed Bella assembling snacks on serving platters when he came back inside,

but he headed to the basement to re-arrange the furniture around the TV as Bella had
asked him earlier.

"Need any help?" Bella offered sincerely as she set two trays down on the coffee table.

"I've got it, thanks." Edward told her.

"Be good," She warned Jake as he sniffed the food sitting right at his level.

"What else do you need me to do?" Edward switched the television on and flipped it to

the channel that the Packer game would be on later.

"Can you help me chop vegetables for the roast?" She patted her thigh so Jake would
follow her, "You're faster than me."

Edward smiled, "I'll be right up."

When Edward finished with the furniture, he made quick work of the vegetables for

Bella and barely had a moment to breath before the doorbell rang and he was ushering
Rose, Emmett and the kids into the house.

"Nice shirt," Emmett joked.

Edward looked down, "Oh – yeah, thanks." He grinned sheepishly.

"Can we play Wii?" Vera looked up at Edward.

"Vera, I told you we're watching the game." Rose scolded her eldest, then looked at

Edward, "Sorry, I already told her, but she said it was your house, and I couldn't decide
for you."

"That's okay," he walked the family through the foyer, "Maybe later Vera, but I know

Jake will be sad if you don't play with him. He's been waiting for you all morning!"

Vera grinned at the suggestion, "C'mon Chuck!" She grabbed her little brother's hand
and ran toward the kitchen calling for Jake.

Edward took a sleeping Dave and his diaper bag from Rose and told her and Emmett to

relax downstairs. He sat down in the sunroom with the infant, cradling him closely. He
couldn't help but let his mind wander, thinking about what it would be like to be a

father someday. Dave was such a quiet baby, always content as long as he had a warm
body to snuggle against.

"Hey," Bella said softly, sliding into the bench next to him, "Rose says he's never quieter

than when he's with you."

Edward wrapped his free arm around Bella's shoulder, "Kid's got good taste." Edward
laughed.

Bella leaned her head on Edward's shoulder, "Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure," He twisted a strand of her hair loosely between his fingers.

"The rest of the town doesn't really know about us―"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Edward understood she was asking him to keep his

hands to himself and the flirting to a minimum.

"It's just, I hate being the subject of gossip. I don't like that kind of attention." She
explained, nuzzling her face into his chest.

"I don't take is personally, Bells." He kissed her forehead, hoping that she understood he

was telling her the truth.

"You guys are so sweet, it's giving me a toothache." Rose complained, "He's all yours, if
you want him." She nodded toward Dave.

"You're all talk Rose; you'd never give him up." Edward smirked.

"Alright, you called my bluff." She rolled her eyes and held her arms out to collect her

youngest son, "But Vera and Chuck are a different story." She pointed at Edward, "Hank
and Buddy will be here in a minute." She warned Edward and Bella before turning on

her heel and heading back downstairs after grabbing a beer out of the fridge for
Emmett.

Unwilling to let Edward go, just yet, Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed

his chin. Edward smiled and pulled her closer, "You know I always want you, right?" He
mumbled into her hair.

She didn't respond.

"Because I do." He combed his fingers through her soft waves, "I don't push you

because you promised you'd tell me what you needed."

"I know." She snuggled further into his chest.

"All you have to do is tell me what you want – what you need – and I'll do it." He told
her.

Bella had just opened her mouth to respond when the doorbell rang. She sighed and

kissed him quickly on the lips before sliding off the bench to get the door.

Edward watched half the town parade through the kitchen and down the stairs into his
basement. Apparently he had the largest TV in Delta, so Bella had warned him to 'get

used to it' and said even more people would show up when the Badger football games

aired on the Big Ten Network because he was also the only one in the immediate area

who had satellite.

As everyone passed, he caught bits of conversations. The talk of the town seemed to be
a very large and very severe thunderstorm which was due to pass through Delta

overnight. He waited in the kitchen for a few of the stragglers and found a spot to
lounge on the floor in the basement where he was a good distance from Bella but had a

decent view of her. Edward loved to watch her interact with other people. She was so
outgoing, her sweet personality was impossible not to love.

Everyone debated the merits of each team, though Edward's company was extremely

biased and often had nothing nice to say about the Packer's opponent and perennial
rival, the Chicago Bears.

When the pre-game show was over, Edward followed Bella upstairs to help clean up the

hors d'œuvres and check on the brats which were soaking in beer on the stove.
However, when they got to the kitchen, Bella grabbed Edward's hand after they had

deposited the empty serving trays in the sink and led him into the laundry room before
locking the door behind them.

"Why Isabella Swan―" Edward smirked in the dimly lit room.

"Shut up," she scowled and hopped up on the dryer, "C'm'ere." She motioned her index

finger for him to come toward her.

It was the most assertive Edward had seen her in a long time, so he quickly obeyed.
Gently he rested his open palms on her cheeks and tilted her head up to place a tender

kiss on her mouth.

When Edward slowly withdrew, the fact that Bella's eyes were still closed, in addition to
the content smile upon her lips made his heart swell. He wrapped his arms around her

and held her close. Her hands rubbed up and down his back, soothingly.

"I just missed you." She mumbled into his chest, answering the question he wanted to
ask, "I think I take you for granted."

"No you don't." Edward disagreed, stroking her hair affectionately.

They stayed that way for a bit before they heard a few people upstairs and realized that

the first quarter was already done.

"You stay in here." Bella hopped off the dryer, "I'll let you know when the coast is clear."

"Wait." Edward grabbed her hand that wasn't on the door handle. She spun around just

as Edward hunched over to press his lips against hers in a quick but heated kiss, "I just

can't get enough of you." He chuckled darkly.

"Pervert," She accused.

"Tease," He raised an eyebrow.

Bella let a giggle slip out, unaware of the slight blush coloring her cheeks as she exited
the laundry room. A few minutes later she opened the door to let Edward out when she

had cleared out the kitchen. She went downstairs right away and Edward checked on
the brats before grabbing a beer and heading for the party himself.

Upon entering the basement, Edward was accosted by a very angry Chuck, who had

been looking for him forever. Edward apologized and said they could hang out for the
rest of the afternoon. At halftime he gave him a piggy back ride upstairs and Chuck

helped him serve the brats to everyone for lunch. They played with Chuck's Lamborghini
during the third quarter and Chuck dried dishes after Edward washed them during the

fourth.

"You did all the dishes?" Bella asked, bewildered when she walked into the kitchen just
after the game had ended.

"I wanted to help." Edward smiled softly.

"I helped too!" Chuck proclaimed, trying to get Bella's attention.

"Thank you very much Chuck, that was really sweet of you." She grinned at the little

boy, "I don't know what I'd do without you." She said, and though she was looking at
Chuck, her tone indicated that the statement was meant for Edward.

"What was the final score?" Edward put away the last of the dishes.

"21-15, Packers." Bella beamed, "I can't remember the last time I've been able to sit and

enjoy a game at the house." She told Edward.

"Well, get used to it." He joked, but the flirting was quickly put to an end when their
guests started filtering into the kitchen since the game had finished.

Like the perfect host and hostess, Edward and Bella escorted their company to the door

and waved goodbye from the porch, just as it began to rain.

"Emmett said the storm tonight's supposed to be pretty bad." Edward made idle
conversation with Bella as they watched everyone get into their cars.

"He exaggerates, but we need the rain." Bella said stiffly, nervously.

"I dunno, the Doppler radar shot they showed during the commercials looked pretty

bad." He waved goodbye to Chuck as Rose and Emmett's SUV pulled away.

"Since you already cleaned everything up, I think I'm just gonna go to bed early." Bella
said, biting her lip.

"Don't do that." Edward used his thumb to pull her bottom lip out from between her

teeth, "Are you sure? It's so early."

"I'm exhausted." She said quickly.

"Okay, well, I'll walk you upstairs." He wasn't sure what to make of her mood swings.

Edward pressed his hand against the small of her back as they ascended the stairs and
when they stood outside her bedroom door, she hugged him longer than usual and

avoided eye contact after he kissed her goodnight. Reluctantly he let her go, sensing
something was wrong. Just before she closed her door he asked, "Is everything okay,

Bells?"

She turned and fear briefly flashed in her eyes before he saw it replaced with
determination, "I'm fine; goodnight Edward." She told him.

"I'm right next door if you need anything." Edward felt it was necessary to extend the

invitation to her. She nodded in acknowledgment. "Okay, well sweet dreams Bella." He
said, still uneasy as he quietly latched her door.

He went back down to the basement to move the furniture back to the way it had been

that morning. Deciding he was still hungry, despite the late lunch, he heated up another
brat for dinner, idly wondering if Bella realized she'd skipped supper.

Noticing that the weather seemed to be getting worse, he let Jake outside quickly to go

to the bathroom and took extra long to wipe his paws and dry his fur when he came
back in, out of the rain. "Your mom would never forgive me if I let you catch a cold."

Edward told the dog, who seemed rather annoyed by the extra attention.

Happy with the clean and organized state of things in the kitchen, Edward put Jake to
bed in the laundry room, since Bella had already gone to sleep without him. Jake didn't

seem terribly happy with the fact that he had to stay downstairs for the night, but Bella
had been leaving him there more frequently so he was more used to it than before

Edward arrived in Delta.

Shutting off the lights on his way, Edward eventually made it up to his bathroom where

he completed his nightly rituals before retiring for the evening, though he checked to

make sure Bella's light was still off – it was.

Heavy rain fell in sheets against Edward's window as he read in his bed. After a while he
felt his eyelids drooping and decided to call it a night. However, just as he was drifting

off to sleep he could have sworn he heard his door open. And sure enough a moment
later he heard her.

"Edward? Are you awake?" Bella sniffed quietly.

"Yeah," Edward yawned and turned on his bedside lamp, but was shocked when he got

a good look at her.

Bella's cheeks were stained with tear tracks and her eyes were red and puffy from
crying.

Edward nearly bolted out of the bed, "Honey, what's wrong?" He said in alarm as his

arms wound around her.

A sudden streak of lightning, almost immediately followed by a deafening thunderclap
sent Bella over the edge. She let out a muffled shriek into Edward's chest and clung to

him, shaking violently.

"It's okay, Bella," Edward cooed, clutching her tightly, "I'm right here baby; you're safe."

She shuddered again as another loud crash rang out from the sky, "Calm down
sweetheart." Edward whispered gently, unsure of what to do, but knowing he couldn't

let her go.

"Can I – stay – with you – tonight – please?" Bella hiccuped through her sobbing.

"Of course you can." Edward said immediately. He scooped her up in his arms before
gently laying her down on the bed. He was careful not to sever their contact as he

moved her and drew the covers over both their bodies.

"Is it okay if I turn off the light?" He asked quietly.

Bella nodded quickly, still clutching his hand tightly.

Edward switched off the lamp, then turned to her and held her as close as possible as
she curled up against him, whispering sweet nothings in her ear while she cried.

As the thunderstorm eventually grew more distant her shaking lessened and the

sobbing subsided.

"I'm sorry Edward." She breathed after a long while.

"Don't you dare apologize." He replied softly, "I adore you; I'd do anything for you." His
fingers brushed away the last of the tears from her cheeks.

"You're not even gonna ask me why?" She sniffed.

"No," He responded automatically, "It'll upset you."

"Oh…" Bella sighed, clearly she was ready to share something with him.

"Unless you want to tell me…" He gave her permission.

Bella snuggled into her further. She paused for a moment before speaking again, "It was

storming out the night I left Seattle."

Edward ran his hand along her side, trying to sooth her, "Was it hard to leave?" He
wanted to know what happened to her, but only if she wanted him to.

"No." She said sadly, "I mean that night was hard. I was so scared. I didn't know where I

was going and I'd never been alone before."

"You never traveled by yourself?" Edward tried to clarify.

"I never did anything without a chaperone. I was never alone." She said bitterly.

Edward's brow furrowed, wondering if she was some sort of prisoner in her own home.
"How id you get away then?"

"My mother told me to leave and gave me cash and keys to a car." Bella's voice

trembled, "She told me drive as far away as I could get."

Edward kissed the top of her head, trying to wrap his mind around what she was telling
him. After she was quiet for another few moments he decided to ask her one question,

"Why did you leave that life behind you?"

Of all things she could do, Bella laughed, but quickly regained her composure and gave
Edward the answer he'd been wanting to hear, "Because it wasn't a life." She said coldly.

"My parents controlled everything I did, from what I wore to where I went and every
word I spoke. I was raised to be seen and not heard."

"Jesus…" Edward muttered and subconsciously pulled her closer, "Did they ever…" he

debated for a moment before deciding he had to know, "Hurt you?"

"No – they never laid a finger on me." She said flatly. "They never hit me, but they never
hugged me either. They had no reason to hurt me; I was completely obedient. I was

paraded around at social events, waited on hand and foot and eventually auctioned off
to the highest bidder." She said the last bit so softly he almost thought he misheard her.

"They sold you!" He growled.

"No – not exactly." She shook her head in his embrace. "But they saw me as a way to

merge families and companies in one fell swoop." Bella traced her finger along the neck
line of Edward's t-shirt, "I was just kind of told who to date."

"What do you mean 'kind of'?" Edward said angrily, wondering what kind of people

would pimp out their own daughter. He thought they had better pray to God he never
met them.

"Can we go to bed?" She changed the subject. "I'm just so tired."

Edward knew she was done for the night, "Okay," he sighed, "I'm sorry I pushed you."

"No – I needed to tell you." She said quickly.

Edward nodded and kissed the top of her head again, hoping she'd open up to him more

in the morning – on her terms of course. "You're safe with me Bella." He whispered, "I'll
never let them hurt you again."

She let out a quiet sob before breathing, "Thank you."

It only took a few minutes before her breathing evened out and Edward realized she

had fallen asleep just before he fell into a restful slumber.

Chapter 11 – September 14

To Whom It May Concern,

I don't know who the fuck you think you are, or why you believe you
have the right to control a person's life down to the last detail. How dare
you raise a child to believe they are nothing more than an accessory and
bargaining chip in a business transaction? You ought to be shot for the
way you traumatized Isabella.

If you could only see her now, though you certainly don't deserve to, she is
the most beautiful, sweet, kind and gentle woman you could ever know.
She's overcome the torture you put her through when she was younger
and has grown up to be strong, confident, and independent – traits you
certainly never could have instilled in her.

It goes to show just how much strength she has that she could possibly
find in herself the will to undo the years of submissive training you forced
upon her. Not only does everyone in this community see how brilliant she
is, but they hang on her every word and adore her the way she always
should have been by her parents, but never was.

What could possibly possess you to have a child only to ignore them unless
such interaction benefits you socially or financially is beyond me. I know
for a fact when we have children of our own we will lavish them with
attention and encourage them to develop their own identities and follow
their dreams, rather than hold them against an impossible standard and
suppress everything which makes them who they are.

You should be completely and utterly ashamed of your behavior with
regards to my Bella and have no right to call yourselves parents, as you
have never been anything close to nurturing.

With sincere disgust,

Edward

Edward couldn't have been more thrilled the next morning when he found Bella still

nestled up against him in his bed. He watched her for a while in the grey morning light,
ignoring the rain which was still falling outside and instead focusing on how soft and

smooth her skin was, how her pink lips formed a perfect pout while she slept and how
well she fit against him.

Eventually a distant crack of thunder woke her. Bella's eyes fluttered open in alarm until

they met Edward's gaze and he felt her whole body relax.

"Hi…" she said shyly, ducking her face into the crook of his shoulder.

"Morning," he chuckled, "Did you sleep okay?" He asked sweetly, placing a kiss on the

top of her head.

"Yeah," her voice was muffled against his body as she nodded.

"Are you hungry? Will you let me make you breakfast?" Edward offered, "I'll bring it up
here… it's still early."

Bella eyed him speculatively.

"What?" He frowned.

"You can't cook." She giggled.

"Oh – well…" He hadn't thought of that.

"You could make me toast." Bella suggested, rolling on her back and peeking up at him

through her lashes.

"I can make toast." He mused, leaning over her.

"So go bring me food." She commanded half-heartedly.

Edward laughed at her attempt to be demanding, "God you're adorable." He kissed her
quickly on the mouth before getting out of his bed, "Don't move." He pointed an index

finger at Bella, resulting in more giggles as he bounded down the stairs, trying to
remember where she kept the toaster.

He returned ten minutes later with four pieces of butter toast, two fresh cups of coffee

and Jake in tow, only to find Bella had fallen asleep again.

Edward commanded Jake to lie down in the corner before he climbed in the bed and
began kissing, nipping and sucking along Bella's exposed collar bone, dangerously close

to her chest.

Edward smiled when he felt her little hands tugging at the hem of his shirt, so he obliged
her and slipped it over his head, chucking it on the floor. Her hands splayed over his

bare chest, while he straddled her.

"That's no fair…" he whispered, placing soft wet kisses against her jaw line, "You've still

got yours."

Suddenly Bella sat up and Edward caught the mischievous glint in her eyes before she

grabbed the bottom of her tank top and tore it over her head, tossing it on the ground,
next to Edward's discarded shirt.

"Better?" She smiled lazily, laying back down in the bed.

Edward couldn't help but stare in awe – after all, he was only a man and her bare

breasts were nothing if not exquisite. Perfectly round, pink hardened tips and silky
smooth ivory skin was his for the taking.

"You are breathtaking…" He sighed, unable to look away from the sight below him.

"What? Haven't you seen boobs before?" She smirked.

"You and your smart mouth…" Edward rolled his eyes.

"Suppose you better shut me up, huh?" She stroked his chest playfully. When he made

no move to do anything and his jaw still hung slack, trying to fathom what he had done
to deserve her, Bella said, "You can touch them if you want."

Unable to deny her anything, he closed the distance between them, pressing his bare

chest against hers, and sliding his tongue in her mouth, while his hands ran up and down
her sides, occasionally touching places they were previously denied access.

Bella writhed beneath him, tugging at his hair the way she knew drove him into a frenzy

and sure enough, the second time she did it, he inadvertently thrust his arousal against
her own.

"Bella…" he groaned as he began a trail of kisses from the column of her neck down to

the valley between her breasts. He looked up at her for visual confirmation before
gently sweeping his tongue over her nipple and when she cried out in pleasure, he took

the whole tip into his mouth, sucking slightly and enjoying the way her hips bucked
when his teeth gently bit down on the tender skin.

"Oh God…" she sighed when Edward moved his mouth to the other side and brought his

hand up to palm the area he had just finished with "… so good…" she managed through
ragged breathes.

And eventually when he decided he had wound her up enough, he traced the exact

pattern he used before, to kiss from her chest up to her mouth, "You taste so good." He
moaned as he kissed her soundly, "My sweet girl…"

Bella hummed in content, just as Edward rolled off her and tucked her into his side. "I

can – help you―" Bella's hand ghosted over his painfully hard erection.

"No – it's okay." He gritted his teeth, desperately needing relief, but knowing it was not
the time to go any farther than they had. In fact he immediately felt as though he had

taken advantage of Bella's vulnerability. He was ashamed of himself.

"Let me know if you change your mind." She whispered as she snuggled closer to him, "I
just want to make you feel as good as you make me feel." She contradicted his self-

loathing.

"I don't deserve you." He mumbled, already half asleep from the sound of the rain
falling and the warmth of Bella's bare skin next to him.

Edward awoke a few hours later to find a pair of sleepy brown eyes staring up at him.

"Hi," Bella smiled lazily.

"Morning," Edward drawled, then shook his head, "Déjà vu," he and Bella laughed softly
at their inside joke. Edward peered down at her and after a moment said, "If I didn't

know any better, I'd have thought you were trying to distract me." He brushed her hair
off her forehead.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Bella feigned innocence, "Jake ate the

toast." She motioned to the night stand, where two cold cups of coffee sat next to an
empty plate, void of every last crumb.

Edward chuckled, "They were probably soggy anyway." He then turned to give Bella a

poignant stare.

"Yeah, I didn't think it'd work for very long anyway," She scowled and refused to make
eye contact with Edward when she said, "What do you want to know?" in a defeated

whimper.

Edward wrapped his arms tightly around Bella, pulling her to him in a close embrace. He
took a moment to breathe her in before he whispered, "I just want to know if you're

okay."

She pulled back to get a good look at him, "That it?" She swallowed in disbelief, "That's
all you want to know?"

Of course Edward had a million questions, but in that moment, he said exactly what he

what he was thinking, "It's all that matters."

Bella was momentarily stunned, not because she didn't believe he could be so sincere,

but because she knew it was the truth, "I'm okay – I'm just―" she paused, struggling to

find the right words, but the moment her eyes met Edward's gaze, she knew exactly
what she wanted to say, "I'm really glad you let me stay with you last night."

Edward couldn't hide his grin if he tried. "I love it when you sleep with me; you can

always stay in my room." He leaned in close to her and kissed her softly, but shortly.
"But it's okay if you like to stay in your room too." He told her so she wouldn't think she

had to stay with him.

Especially after getting a glimpse of what her life had been like before Delta, he never
wanted Bella to feel like she didn't have a choice, even in something small. And he

realized then, why her routines were so important to her – because she'd never been in
control of her life before and she didn't want anyone to take that freedom away. "You

always have a choice…" His words echoed his thoughts.

"You're so thoughtful." Bella sighed, running her hand along his neck, "I think it's time I
tell you everything – I owe you that much." She looked up at him imploringly, "Nothing's

off limits." She said firmly, "What do you want to know?"

"My curiosity isn't worth your pain." Edward countered.

Bella sat back on her elbows, bare chest still covered by Edward's comforter, much to
his dismay. "I'm ready – I want to talk about it – after all this time I can put it behind me.

And I need to―" When Edward looked at her, slightly confused, she elaborated, "Put it
behind me, so we can move forward." Edward nodded in understanding and

appreciation, "So – ask me… because I don't even know where to begin." She laughed
humorlessly as she lie back down in the bed.

Edward turned on his side so he could watch Bella, "You never talked to anyone about

the first 21 years of your life?" He questioned.

"Well, I talked to your mom a little…" She laughed, "And when I say 'talked' I mean your
mom used some of her magical psychiatrist powers to get me to spill what was

bothering me."

"She does that – did that…" Edward still had a hard time referring to his parents in the
past tense. "What about Rose though? She's your best friend and she doesn't know

anything about you before you got here."

"I know…" Bella said with the pain of her guilt evident on her face, "It's just – she's
always so busy with the kids, I don't need her to worry about―"

"That's bullshit and you know it." Edward called her out.

Bella glared at him and he was surprised when she didn't reprimand him for swearing,

"Fine," she huffed, admitting defeat, "I don't want her to look at me like – like – like she
pities me, or something. I don't need her pity and I don't want it – I just want her

friendship." She looked at Edward, expecting him to protest, but when he didn't, she
continued, "I know her well enough to know that when her friends – her family – feel

pain, she does too. And I know it's not right to keep her in the dark, but I'm not lying to
her!" Bella tried to justify her omissions, "This is who I am – I'm not that scared girl from

Forks!"

"Bella…" Edward tried to calm her down. He brushed his nose along her cheek and
kissed his favorite spot just behind her ear, "I understand," he cooed, "You're not that

girl, and you don't have to tell Rose anything you don't want to." He told her.

She relaxed after a moment and whispered, "Don't pity me Edward… please." She
begged.

"I don't pity you." Edward said almost immediately, making sure she held his gaze when

he said, "I admire you."

Bella's brow furrowed in confusion.

"You have overcome so much. You have so much strength and courage to start over like
you did, as opposed to just settling for a life you hated." Edward wiped away a tear that

rolled down her cheek, "Sweetheart, you are the strongest person I know."

And upon hearing that statement, Bella couldn't hold back the strangled sob that
escaped her throat. Edward held her for a while, but when she felt him growing restless,

she knew why, "Just ask me…" she said quietly, but directly, "I told you I'd tell you
whatever you wanted to know."

Edward groaned, "How many men did your parents 'tell you' to date?"

"Only one – just the one." She muttered.

Edward knew he was prying, but he felt he had a right to know about the men in her

past since they were in a serious relationship. And in theory, if she asked about his past,
he'd tell her about Tanya, even though he didn't want to. "How long did you date him?"

"Four years," she said curtly.

"What was his name?" Edward immediately regretted asking the second the inquiry left

his mouth.

Bella sighed, but said hesitantly, "His name was Michael."

"Michael…" Edward repeated the name, it sounded so innocuous. "Why did your
parents pick him?"

"My father works in foreign trade and so did Michael's. If the two companies merged,

they'd have a monopoly – but that's illegal." Bella explained, "However, there are other
ways to merge two businesses without actually, legally combining your assets. My

marriage to Michael would have ensured that both companies were tied together."

"That's disgusting." Edward spat.

"That's business." Bella replied, coldly.

"And that's it? Your parents just tell you to be with him and you have no choice?"
Edward said angrily.

"Not exactly…" Bella tried to think about how to phrase her story so Edward would

understand, "I told you every last detail in my life was controlled, chosen for me. I didn't
meet a single person my parents didn't know about―"

"How could they keep you so sheltered? What about when you went to school?" He

asked.

"I was home-schooled. The only people I interacted with were people hired to take care
of me, and family friends or business associates at social functions."

"Because you were a socialite?" Edward was confused.

"My mother was a socialite; I was a debutante." Bella corrected him, "I didn't really

meet men, because they didn't want me to fall for someone they didn't choose –
someone they couldn't benefit from, by association."

"Ugh," Edward rolled his eyes, sickened by her story, but hanging on her every word.

"So, they introduced me to Michael and I knew why he was there. We both did. He

started attending functions with our parents and eventually he began to accompany me
to those events. Sometimes we went out by ourselves, but someone knew where we

were and what we were doing." She laughed, "Our relationship was rather pathetic,
now that I think about it."

But there was more that Edward wanted to know, things he was unsure how to ask.

Bella looked into his eyes and just knew. He was completely mystified, but she always
knew. "You can ask." She said softly.

"Did you―" he paused, "Did you love him?"

"No." She said shortly, "I wanted to," she sighed, "I really tried. Michael was nice

enough, just―" she searched for the right word to categorize his personality, "Simple."
She finally said, "He did what he was told, never asked questions and never cared to."

Her words spoke volumes.

"Were you…" Edward gritted his teeth, "Physical with him?"

"Yes." Bella looked up at him then, her big beautiful chocolate doe eyes filled with tears
and begging for forgiveness, though Edward would never need her apology, "I'm―"

"Don't even think about saying you're sorry." He warned her, "You didn't do anything

wrong."

"But it felt wrong," She sniffled.

"Why! Did he hurt you!" Edward growled.

"No – No! I just―" Bella looked at him again, "At the time, I thought I could love him, he
wasn't a bad guy and I know Michael loved me; he told me so every day – but the way I

cared for him doesn't even remotely come close to the way I feel about you." Bella
confessed. "So I just feel like he ruined me for you." She choked.

"Ruined you!" Edward shook his head, "You're not ruined – I want you just the way you

are. What happened with him doesn't change anything." He tried to make her
understand, "I told you – I always want you." The statement was as close as he could get

to telling her that he loved her, because although he was aware of his feelings, he didn't
feel that it was the right time to tell her, in the midst of her admissions.

"Thank you," she said softly, Edward almost didn't hear her.

"I think we've talked enough for today." Edward decided.

Bella smiled softly and nodded, but when she made a move to get out of the bed,

Edward grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back to him, "Where do you think
you're going?" He growled playfully, sucking on her earlobe.

"I need to make you breakfast." She giggled as she squirmed in vain.

"Oh no, the only thing you need to do is stay in bed with me all day." Edward nuzzled

her neck and let his hands wander to her ribcage.

"All day? What are we supposed to do – in bed – all day?" She whined, still struggling to

get out of his hold.

"I could think of a few things…" Edward said huskily as he slid one hand over her

exposed breast and squeezed it gently.

Bella moaned quietly, but quickly recovered. "Only if I can touch you too…" She replied.

Edward loosened his grip on her with chagrin, he just didn't think they were ready,
though other parts of his body begged to differ. And especially after finding out that she

had only been with one other man, he felt she didn't have enough experience to know
he was right. Though he hated to make the decision for her, he knew he'd rather make

her angry than take advantage of her, only to have her regret the encounter and ruin
the trust they had established in their relationship.

"That's what I thought," Bella muttered to herself as she got out of bed. Edward took a

nice long look at her bare back and then her perfectly curved ass as she bent over to
pick up her tank top from the floor before throwing it over her head and covering

herself up again.

"I'll go make you something while you get ready." She smiled softly before she
disappeared through the doorway.

Edward practically sprinted to his bathroom and took care of the ache in his lower

extremity – twice – during his shower, unable to get the image of Bella's almost naked
body out of his mind.

He was feeling better until he walked into the kitchen and found Bella pulling cinnamon

rolls out of the oven, wearing cut-offs and her white bikini top. "All clean?" She chirped
before licking a bit of icing off her finger slowly – too slowly – and releasing her index

finger from her mouth with a pop.

"Sorry, I should have told you to put your swim trunks on – I know it's still raining, but
it's really warm outside, so I thought we could pull the dock in for the season." She

rambled while she put the buns on a plate in front of him.

Edward's jaw clenched when she turned and stood on her tip-toes to get a glass from
one of the higher shelves. On instinct he rounded the kitchen island and grabbed the

glass for her.

"Thanks," she purred, brushing her fingertips against his hand as she took the glass from
him.

"What do you think you're doing?" He said in a low tone.

"Getting you orange juice," She said coyly, as she shimmied past him 'accidentally'

rubbing up against him in the process.

"If you think that bikini―"

"You don't like it?" She pouted falsely, then made a show of looking at his crotch before
meeting his eyes again, "I thought it was your favorite." She smirked.

Edward's eyes narrowed as he encroached her space, shoving her back against the

counter, "Why do you say that?" He made no attempt to avoid pressing his erection
against her stomach.

Bella slipped her hands around his neck and pulled him down to her, "I know it's your

favorite because you pitch a tent every time I put it on." She breathed, "Let me help
you…" One of her hands made it down to the top button of his jeans before he grabbed

her wrist.

"No." He commanded.

"Why not?" She growled and shoved him away.

"Because I said so." He refused to give her any more of an answer.

Bella huffed and shoved the glass at him before storming past him, "C'mon, Jake." She
called the dog to let him out.

Edward set the glass down and grabbed one of the rolls, scarfing it as he went back

upstairs to change. When he returned to the kitchen he found Bella sitting outside on
the back steps, as the rain had let up for the time being.

"I'm sorry." He said as he sat down next to her, placing his hand on her knee.

"Just because I've only been with one guy doesn't mean you have to handle me with kid

gloves. I know what I want." She snapped, refusing to look him in the eye and instead
stared out at the lake.

Edward blanched at the fact that she could read him so well. And he knew she was right.

Maybe he'd been wrong to assume she didn't know any better, but then he realized why
he wasn't ready. "It's not you―" She opened her mouth to respond, her eyes burned

with anger as he covered her lips with his hand, "I don't trust that I can control myself
with you."

Her eyes softened and he removed his hand. "I want you too much." He looked away

from her, ashamed with his lack of self-restraint.

"I don't care." She argued.

"Shut up, Bella!" Edward barked, standing up so he towered over her.

"Hey!" Bella stood as well and shoved Edward roughly in the shoulder, "You don't get to
talk to me like that!" She shouted.

Edward stared at her, unsure of what to say, but Bella was over it. She paced toward

him wrapped her arms around his bare torso, "I don't wanna fight with you." She
pressed her cheek to his chest and Edward couldn't help but pull her closer, "Is this

about Tanya?" Bella guessed.

Edward froze. How did she know about Tanya? "You've been talking to Alice?" Edward
ventured, through his teeth.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Bella looked up at him and he thought she had to know all

she had to do was look at him like that with those big brown doe eyes and he was putty
in her hands.

"I don't want to talk about her." He said poignantly. If Bella thought Michael had ruined

her, she had no idea what Tanya had put him through. He'd barely come out of it alive.

"I know what she did to you." Bella rubbed her hands up and down his back.

"What did Alice tell you?" Edward said tensely.

"She cheated on you, manipulated you…" Bella said softly, "I wouldn't do that – I
couldn't―"

"I know that!" Edward growled and pulled away from Bella, "But what Alice didn't tell

you was that Tanya and I went too fast too soon and we both regretted it and she used
my guilt to keep me around longer than I should have stayed." He barked.

Bella took a step back from Edward, searching his eyes, unable to respond.

"I know you wouldn't do that." Edward shook his head, back-tracking so it didn't sound

like he didn't trust her, "It's just different with you – okay?" he said a little louder than
he'd intended, "I don't want to make the same mistakes―" His words still felt wrong, "I

just think we should wait―" He was flustered and frustrated.

"Okay – it's okay," Bella grabbed his hand between both of hers, "It's okay," she placed a
small kiss on his palm, "I'm sorry."

And his heart nearly broke hearing her apologize again. He pulled her into an embrace

and breathed her in before he said, "I just need you too much to screw this up. I'm―"
he took a deep breath, "I'm scared." He admitted.

"Me too." Bella kissed his cheek. "It's gonna be okay." She said reassuringly and Edward

believed her.

Eventually they separated and Edward took Bella's instruction as they broke the dock
down to store in the boathouse for the winter.

When they had finished, Bella made them a quick lunch before she began the laundry as

was customary for Mondays. Edward stayed in the library thinking about everything that
had transpired since the day before. He'd had a major breakthrough with Bella, but he

couldn't help but feel like they still had a few more hurdles to get past.

Dinner was a quiet affair and after they were finished cleaning up, they cuddled on the
couch in the basement watching Monday Night Football. When the game ended, Bella

switched the TV off and held Edward's hand as she led him up the stairs, but surprised
him when she stopped in front of his door.

"Am I still invited in?" She asked quietly.

Edward nodded.

"I promise I won't try anything." She smiled sweetly and pushed his door open, still

holding his hand.

"I have to use my bathroom first." He said honestly.

"Okay," she nodded, "I'll be waiting."

And sure enough, when he returned from performing his nightly rituals, he found her
nestled under the covers, in his bed. He crawled into the bed and turned the light off

before pulling her up against his chest, "I love you, Bella." He whispered as he kissed
her, just behind her ear.

"I love you too." She sniffed and clutched him tighter.

Bella didn't have any use for her room after that night.

Chapter 12 – October 22

Dear Rose,

Bella and I will be up at the Rittenhouse in Bayfield, WI from Thursday,
October 22 through Sunday, October 25. I've attached the contact
information for the location in case of emergency.

Jake gets fed two cups of food in the morning and at night. He will sit by
the door if he needs to go out. Please don't let the kids feed him human
food if at all possible. I'm sure you know he likes to play outside, but if you
lose sight of him, just have Emmett whistle and he'll come running.

He's used to sleeping in his bed in the laundry room at night, so it's fine if
you want to shut him in the basement or porch when you go to bed, but
he won't get into trouble if you leave him out.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. We have a pretty busy
schedule, but we'll get back to you as soon as we get the message.

Thanks for all your help; we really appreciate it.

All the best,

Edward

Bella glared at Edward.

"Jesus Bells, if looks could kill," Edward laughed.

"I still don't understand why you insisted on coming with me to the grocery store," she

huffed, folding her arms and turning to glare at his reflection in the window. "It's the
grocery store; it's not exciting or anything."

"I just wanted a change of scenery. Had I known you'd get so pissed―"

"I. Am. Not. Pissed." She growled.

Edward barked a laugh, but shut his mouth quickly when he realized it had only upset

her further, "Honey…" He said smoothly, rubbing his hand down her arm, "It was never
my intention to disrupt your routine."

Except that it was.

"Why did you have to drive?" She pouted.

"I told you, you always get to drive." He looked at her briefly, "I won't hurt your car."

They had taken the Corvette Roadster at his insistence. Bella argued it didn't have a lot
of room for groceries with two people in the car, but Edward told her they'd manage,

just before stealing the keys out of her hand.

"It's not mine…" Bella mumbled dejectedly and Edward decided to ignore the comment.
He knew he'd gladly give her the car, if only she'd accept it.

"You're not allowed to say anything about the food I buy at the store. I like the brands

I'm familiar with and I already have the menu planned for next week – so, I'm not
changing it." She told him.

"Am I allowed to talk to you at all when we're in the store?" Edward said with humor in

his voice.

"You think this is funny?" She scowled.

"You're just so cute when you're angry." Edward laughed and squeezed her hand before
she snatched it away.

"I have to stop at the library to return some books and I plan on getting new ones. So

you'll have to wait in the car while I take my time." Bella continued.

"I wondered where you got all that smut." Edward smirked. He always made fun of her
romance novels. Her latest book, entitled 'Unbridled Lust' was about a ranch in the old

West. When Edward jokingly asked if she wanted to role play, Bella promptly chucked
her book at him and refused to let him cuddle with her. He just waited until she was

asleep before pulling her up against him and falling asleep himself.

"EDWARD!" She screeched suddenly.

"WHAT!" He panicked.

"You missed the Ashland exit!" She turned in her seat to look at the road behind them,
"The next exit isn't for three miles." She whined.

"Oops." He snorted.

Bella's jaw hit the ground. "We're not going to the grocery store!" She shouted, "We

were never going to the grocery store!"

"Calm down Bella." Edward shook his head and continued to drive.

"I will not calm down! You're kidnapping me!" She accused him.

"Bella, sweetheart―"

"Don't sweetheart me! I demand to know where you're taking me!" She folded her arms
again and narrowed her eyes even more.

"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." He knew he shouldn't have found the situation

nearly as humorous as he did, but he never thought she'd react so furiously. He almost
burst out in laughter when he realized he'd be lucky if he got to sleep in the same bed as

her that night.

"I hate surprises." She scowled. "How long is this gonna take? I have a tight schedule to
keep."

"Just a few days." Edward said to himself, however he wasn't quiet enough.

"A few days!" Bella threw her hands up, "What do you expect me to wear!"

"Oh, don't worry, I had Rose pack you a bag." He patted her knee reassuringly.

"She knew!" Bella seethed.

"Oh, no!" Edward shook his head, "You can't be angry with her. She tried to talk me out

of this – said it was a monumentally bad idea―"

"Then why didn't you listen to her! Turn the car around. THIS INSTANT!" Bella ranted.

"I am not turning around." Edward said finally. "We are going to have fun whether you
like it or not." He finished, quite matter-of-factly.

The car was silent for a few minutes before Bella spoke again, this time quietly –

apprehensively. "How much longer until we get there?"

Edward eyed her warily.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh – uh – twenty minutes." He said quickly, "Do you need me to stop?" He didn't want
her to be uncomfortable.

"We're going to Bayfield, aren't we?" She speculated angrily, "The hotels up there are so

expensive."

"Why does it matter?" Edward shook his head, frustrated that she spoiled his surprise.

"Because I don't want you to spend any money on me." She snapped.

"Why not? What difference does it make?" He didn't understand why she had such a
problem with the money he spent – of all things, "You spend money my parents gave

you, every week, on food."

"That's completely different." She countered.

"What would you do if the vacuum broke?" Edward asked, going off on a tangent.

"Did you break the vacuum?" Bella threw her hands over her face.

"No, I didn't break the vacuum." Edward scoffed, "But what would you do if it broke?"

"Please don't break the vacuum." She pleaded.

"I'm not gonna break the vacuum!" Edward growled. "But if it stopped working
tomorrow―"

"I thought you said we weren't gonna be home tomorrow?" Bella asked.

"Isabella Swan!" Edward stared at her, knowing she was trying to tick him off.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her legs, "I'd fix it." She said simply.

"You can't fix it."

"Why not?" She replied. However, she immediately sensed his anger so she decided to

play along with his game, "Fine, I'd use Rose's vacuum until I could save up enough to
get a new one."

"Save up?" He asked.

"Well, I'd spend less on food; we'd have to skip spaghetti for a few months and people

would have to bring their own food to the house when there's a game." She shrugged, "I

don't think they'd mind doing a potluck. And I'd probably disconnect the satellite during

the off-season."

"You'd go without food to buy a new vacuum?" He asked in disbelief.

"Not without," She said defensively, "I'd just eat less."

"Why wouldn't you just ask me to get a new vacuum?" He questioned softly.

And there it was.

Her mouth parted and her brow furrowed when she realized what he was trying to do,
so rather than try to rationalize why she didn't want his money, she explained it in the

most simple and blunt way she could, knowing it would rile him up. "When you spend
money on me, you make me feel like a whore." Her eyes pierced strait through his and

her lips pursed.

Edward abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the road and Bella pressed herself
against the door, afraid of what he was going to do.

"How can you say that? How can you even think that!" Edward shook his head,

completely baffled as he leaned forward to take her hands in his.

Bella frowned, regretting that she had been so cruel, "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"Do I make you feel like that?" He swallowed hard.

"No, of course you don't." She replied immediately and brought one of her hands up to
his cheek, "I shouldn't have said that; I'm sorry. It's just, when I was in Seattle… people

gave me things because they expected something from me―"

"But I don't―"

"I know that." Bella closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"I just want to take care of you and make you happy." Edward nuzzled the crook of her
neck.

"You do make me happy," she stroked the back of his head, "I just need you, I don't

want anything else." She kissed his temple.

"I don't expect anything from you." He said adamantly as he withdrew.

"I know." She kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Don't you ever call yourself a whore again." He said with authority, "You know how
much I love you, but I'd rather let you go than keep you if that's how you felt."

"No! Don't leave me." She said frantically and pulled him toward her, fisting her hands in

his shirt, "I don't feel that way; I need you. I love you so much it hurts." She burrowed
into his embrace.

"It's okay…" He ran his hand through her hair, "I'm not going anywhere unless you tell

me to." Edward kissed the top of her head, "I should have listened to Rose. I'll turn
around so―"

"No." Bella peered up at him, "I want to go."

Edward stared at her, trying to make sure she was telling the truth, "You're sure?"

"You went to all that trouble…" she rubbed her hand up and down his chest.

"Okay," He relented and kissed her soundly before pulling back onto the highway.

"Bella?" He said nervously, after a moment.

She turned to look at him expectantly.

"I already got you a birthday present."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued, "I can't return it."

Her mouth snapped shut and Edward knew she was gritting her teeth before she said,

"It's not even my real birthday."

"But it's when you celebrate with everyone here?" He figured he wouldn't push the
subject of her actual date of birth.

"Fine." She sighed in defeat.

"I'm sorry." He frowned, even though he knew she'd love it anyway.

She shook her head, rather than responding verbally, but when he squeezed her knee,

she smiled softly at him.

However, her displeasure with Edward's spending was quickly put on hold as they
arrived in the out skirts of Bayfield. She rolled her window up, as the October air was

noticeably more chilly on the shore of Lake Superior than inland, where they had come

from. She looked out the window in delight as they passed the harbor and drove

through the downtown of the small city. It was clear Bella had never been there before
and he wondered if she'd even seen the great lake before. It was decidedly more scenic

than Delta, though the dense forests and small lakes that littered the area had their
merits.

Edward was beginning to cheer up, but when he saw the look of awe in Bella's eyes as

they approached the bed and breakfast where they'd be staying, he knew he'd done the
right thing by bringing her there.

"Let's try and have fun." Edward smiled as he extended his hand to Bella to help her out

of the car.

"I'll behave." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully and giggled when he pressed her
up against the side of the car and kissed her deeply, massaging her tongue with his own.

"Pervert," she shoved him away… eventually.

"Tease," he breathed into her ear, nipping it before tapping her butt as he rounded the

car to pull their concealed bags from the trunk.

"Why'd you have Rose pack my bag?" Bella tried to take the duffle from him, but he
refused.

"I don't know what you'd need and it would have been rude to rifle through your

things." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Since it was a Thursday, and technically the off season because it was so late in October,
they were immediately escorted up to their room, which just happened to be the third

floor suite.

Bella marveled at the cathedral ceilings in the entryway and admired the crystal
chandelier which completed the foyer. The suite had a private balcony, overlooking the

harbor and Lake Superior, a fire place, whirlpool and steam shower, as well as a king size
bed.

"It's so big!" Bella exclaimed as she flopped onto the mattress.

"You have no idea." Edward chuckled darkly and climbed on top of her, pinning her to

the bed.

"Pervert," Bella said breathlessly.

"Tease," Edward laughed as he slid his hands under her shirt and let them run along the

bare expanse of her flat stomach while he trailed little wet kisses along her jaw line.

"You're driving me crazy…" She panted.

Edward sat up abruptly.

"I didn't say stop…" Bella pleaded as she rubbed Edward's forearms.

"We've got to catch a ferry in a half hour." He smiled at her and kissed the tip of her

nose before hopping off the bed.

"I hope you plan on taking care of me this weekend." She glared at Edward poignantly,
so he understood her meaning.

"We'll see." He grinned, "Depends on how good you are." He unzipped his bag to pull

out his toiletries.

Bella sighed and wondered if Edward was even capable of putting an end to the dull
ache between her legs. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but she did know it only got

worse when he wound her up like he just had.

They both took a few minutes to unpack before hopping back in the car and driving into
town. They parked the Roadster and arrived just in time to catch the ferry to Madeline

Island.

Bella allowed Edward to be as affectionate as he liked on the ferry while she admired
the chilly view. Thankfully Rose had packed a coat for Bella and advised Edward to do

the same, so they were warm enough, even on the deck. The ride only lasted twenty
minutes, but neither minded as they were both famished.

They almost got into another argument at the restaurant when Bella ordered a salad

because it was the least expensive thing on the menu. But Edward canceled her order
and told the waiter she'd have a hamburger and fries instead.

When Bella shot daggers at Edward, he stared right back and said, "Don't make me

break the vacuum cleaner."

She gaped at him, but they both laughed a moment later when he winked at her and
started a game of footsie under the table. Lunch seemed like a precursor for the rest of

their time on the island, which ended up being one extended foreplay session.

They wandered around the retail shops near the dock after lunch. Edward stopped
trying to buy Bella things after the first few stores and instead they focused on finding

baubles for Rose's kids. The last stop they made before heading back to the ferry was a

local winery where they picked up a few bottles for Rose and Emmett since Edward's

gift from Napa had gone over so well.

The girl at the front desk of the hotel recommended an upscale Italian restaurant for
dinner. Bella frowned when she saw that they didn't even bother to list the prices.

"I'll expect you to put out if you order the lobster." Edward told Bella in a serious tone.

She peered at him over her menu to find his face red from trying to hold back laughter,

but the joke was on him when she smiled coyly and said, "Promise?" Before proceeding
to order, what else, but the lobster for dinner.

"Well played Miss Swan," Edward gave Bella a golf clap as the waiter walked away and

she kicked Edward under the table, "Oh, you want to play that game again?" He smiled
mischievously.

She merely shook her head at his antics and took a sip of her wine. Bella tried in vain to

coax her birthday present out of Edward over dinner. However, he held his ground
admirably and said she'd only have to wait one week to find out what it was. He

explained he had to give it to her early because he'd be in Los Angeles for her birthday
as it was the same day as his movie premiere, a fact that made him feel entirely too

guilty. But Bella assured him it'd be okay and that she'd think of a way he could make it
up to her. He suggested the role playing again, but she shot that down quickly with a

dirty look – and not the kind that Edward would have liked.

When they returned to their room after dinner, Bella told Edward she wanted to try out
the whirlpool and he wasn't about to argue with her. He made it into the tub first and

cursed when he got hard the second Bella sauntered into the room wearing only her
white bikini.

"Get over here." He commanded when he realized she was taking her time on purpose.

"Hold your horses," she giggled as she tied her soft hair into a ponytail. Edward

preferred it when she wore it down, but he didn't want to tell her as much. He watched
her muscles flex as she slid into the warm water, hissing slightly upon contact and

sending the water rippling into Edward, who was seated across the way, rather
uncomfortably, due to his predicament.

Slowly she made her way over to him and hesitated briefly to gauge his reaction before

she threw one leg over him so she could straddle his lap. "I've been so good today," she
whispered sensually, grinding her core against his erection.

"Bella…" he breathed, unsure of what she wanted, or expected and too scared to ask

her.

"Please…" she moaned against his mouth and sucked his bottom lip between her teeth.

He kissed her back, forcefully, hungrily in response and allowed himself to get lost in the
feeling of her body on top of his as the pressure in his crotch increased.

She whimpered when he slid his tongue in her mouth and as if on their own accord, his

hands untied the bottom of her bikini top and then released the fasteners at her neck.
Surprisingly Bella was the one who grabbed the top and flung it over the side of the tub,

where it splattered on the tile.

Edward's hands were quick to cup her breasts, massaging them with his fingers and
tugging on her wet and hardened nipples. He smiled when such action resulted in small

keening noises against his mouth.

So slowly, Edward hasn't even realized what she was doing, because he was so focused
on pleasing her, Bella let her hand glide lower and lower until it was positioned at his

waistband, just above his groin. And when Edward lowered his head to suck on one of
her nipples, Bella took the opportunity to reach below the elastic and graze her finger

tips against his dick.

Not only did Edward practically climax the moment her skin came into contact with his,
but he yelped as his hips involuntarily bucked against her. Their eyes locked for a long

moment before Edward brought one hand over hers and she frowned for a moment,
thinking he was going to force her to stop touching him, but instead he wrapped his

hand over hers and whispered, "Don't go too fast," as he guided her hands in a pumping
motion around his cock.

Bella sighed and smiled, leaning against the crook of his neck. He directed her motions

for a minute before releasing her hand and allowing her to do it herself. She paid close
attention to the noises he made while she stroked him, testing out the strength of her

grip and loved the way he moaned when she ran her thumb over his swollen head.

Bella's ache only increased as Edward grew harder in her hand. She began to writhe
against him to satiate the need as he twitched beneath her. Again he covered her hand

with his and helped her stroke at a faster pace as he throbbed in a mixture of pleasure
and pain.

"I'm gonna come." He growled hoarsely and a second later he let out a grunt as his dick

twitched again and Bella pumped him once more before releasing him and tucking him
back into his pants. She wound her arms around his neck and buried her face in his

chest, so proud of the fact that she could please the man she loved more than anything.

She was only still for a second before Edward grabbed her, pulling her tightly against

him and picking her up out of the water. Bella was too happy to protest, but was curious

as she watched him grab a towel off the bathroom counter. With a flick of his wrist he
spread the towel out on the bed while he held her against himself tightly, with the

other.

Once the towel was smoothed out over the top of the comforter, he gently laid her
down on the bed, "You're so beautiful," he sighed in content as he crawled over her and

kissed her slowly. "Can I touch you?" He murmured.

Unable to speak, Bella merely nodded. Edward leaned back on his heels and placed his
hands at the waistband of her bikini on either side. He looked at her again, needing

confirmation before he proceeded.

Bella smiled up at him and said, "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," Edward returned the sentiment. Then slowly he dragged
the fabric down her hips. She lifted them up slightly and he continued to pull them

down her legs until she was completely naked; laid bare before him. "You're perfect."
He told her.

Bella snorted in disagreement and rolled her eyes, but Edward would have none of it.

He loomed over her and let his lips linger millimeters above hers as he whispered,
"You're perfect to me."

"Are you gonna make love to me?" Bella moaned.

Edward shook his head, but when Bella frowned he kissed her sweetly and said, "But I'm

gonna make you feel really good." He continued to kiss her, his lips making sure she
knew just how much she meant to him while he shifted his balance to one elbow so he

could run his hand over the apex of her thighs.

She gasped when he cupped her sex in his hand and he gave her a moment to get used
to the feeling before he dipped two fingers to slide against her slick folds. The second he

touched her clit, she cried out against his mouth and her hips came up from the bed.

"You aren't gonna last very long are you?" Edward chuckled against her throat. He took
his time, slowly stroking her wetness, bringing her so close to the brink, each time he

circled her clit she was trembling beneath him.

Bella called out his name as he let one finger glide into her and he smirked, knowing
what was next when he rubbed his thumb over her clit in unison. She cried out once

more as she came violently around his finger. Her body, a quaking, quivering mass
beneath him, as Edward had finally granted her the release she'd waited so long to

achieve.

Edward kissed her softly then used the towel to remove the perspiration from her brow
and clean them both up. Gently, he ran his fingers through her hair and tried to

decipher the expression on her face.

"I – I didn't―" Bella's eyes met Edward's, "I didn't know." She choked.

"Didn't know what sweetheart?" He whispered as eh moved to her side so he could hold
her.

She took a few deep breaths, still in a daze, "I didn't know it could feel like that."

Edward's brow furrowed, unsure of what she meant.

"Does it always feel that good?" She sighed in content, "Is sex supposed to feel that

good?"

Edward was then thoroughly confused. "Honey, I thought you said you weren't a
virgin?" Edward's breathing increased as he began to panic, "I mean it's okay if you are I

just need to know―"

"I'm not…" She shook her head lazily.

"But you've never had an orgasm before?" Edward stared at her in disbelief.

"Oh…" Bella smiled sheepishly, "That's what that was…" she closed her eyes.

"Bella," Edward called to her; she opened her eyes and met his puzzled gaze, "Are you a
virgin?"

"No…" She shook her head again, "He just never did that…" Bella closed her eyes again.

Edward sat up and looked at her, trying to figure out what she was saying. Clearly she

was capable of climaxing and she said Michael never forced her…

He saw her shiver and rolled off the bed, drawing back the covers on her side of the
bed.

"No," she said suddenly when he tried to move her, "Can I please wear my pajamas? He

never let me put clothes on after…" She begged.

"Of course you can," he replied immediately. "Stay right there," he instructed her as he
went to find clothes in their luggage. He pulled out his pajamas and threw them on the

bed before he opened her duffle bag and quickly found a clean pair of panties and a

tank top. He held them up to make sure she approved. She smiled brightly at him so he

threw them on the bed as well.

Edward made one more pass at Bella with the towel, then he helped her slide her
undies on, so she wouldn't have to stand. Gently he pulled her into a sitting position as

she tugged the tank top over her head and laid back down on the bed when he was
finished.

"I'll be right back." He pecked her on the mouth and grabbed his dry clothes as well as

the wet towel before disappearing into the bathroom to get dressed and drain the tub.

He smiled when he returned and saw Bella watching him turn off the lights before he
got under the covers with her.

"You didn't answer me," Bella yawned as she curled into Edward's side, while he

reclined on his back.

"Answer what?" He rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Is sex supposed to feel that good?" She murmured.

"It's better." He pulled her closer.

"Did I make you feel as good as you made me feel?" She ran her hand over his bare
chest.

"Yes, Bella." He grinned and couldn't help but ask, "Did he force you?"

"No," She sighed as if she was expecting the question, "I told you, he just never touched

me like that."

"What did he do?" Edward winced as he spoke. He knew he shouldn't have asked her
and part of him didn't even want to know. But he had an awful feeling in the pit of his

stomach that when she had sex with Michael it wasn't consensual.

"He was away on business a lot with his father, and after a few years, I just started
spending the night with him when he was in Seattle." She spoke in a detached voice, like

she was only retelling a story she'd heard, not something she'd experienced herself.
"Eventually he decided we should have sex, so we did."

Edward blinked in the dim light, "What do you mean he decided, so you did?"

"He'd tell me when he wanted to have sex and he'd undress me and I just let him do

what he needed to do until he was done." She said shamefully.

"You didn't even know you could say no…" Edward stated, rather than questioned,
trying to quell his furry; after all, it certainly wasn't her fault.

"No, I didn't…" She swallowed.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"He wasn't abusive, it was fine." She shook her head, trying to forget what she had just

shared.

"It's not fine. You should know it's not fine. I mean – didn't it hurt – if you weren't―"

Edward paused because Bella laughed, "What?" He questioned.

"I guess it did the first time, but―" She giggled again, "He wasn't nearly as big as you
are."

Edward was thankful Bella couldn't see his blush in the darkened room. "Did you ever…"

Edward stopped.

"Did I what?" Bella asked when he hadn't finished his thought.

"Didn't you ever try to touch yourself?"

"Try? Yes. Succeed? No." She snorted, "I can't believe we're having this conversation…"
she muttered to herself.

"But you read all those books…" Edward reasoned.

"They're not how-to manuals on masturbation, Edward." She balked, "And the ones I

read aren't as dirty as you think." She argued.

"Oh really?" Edward flipped the lights on and sprinted over to Bella's bag knowing
there'd be a book in there, as he'd thrown 'Unbridled Lust' on the top, just in case they

had some down time.

"Don't you dare!" Bella scrambled off the bed and nearly knocked Edward over, trying to
grab at the book he held feet above her head.

"Aww, sucks to be short, doesn't it squirt." He cackled.

"Give it!" Bella cried, clawing at his chest and arms to retrieve the book.

Edward easily found the passage he was looking for because the binding of the library

book was worn in that particular spot, "Samuel ripped the tattered bodice away from
Abigail's body in his lusty haze, exposing her heaving bosoms waiting in earnest for his

touch – only his touch."

"EDWAAAAARRRRDD!" Bella shoved him, "It does not say that!"

"Oh, yes it does!" He laughed, "She grabbed hold of his manhood, begging him with her
breathy sighs to pierce through her virginity."

"Ugh!" Bella kicked his shins, "I hate you!"

"No you don't," Edward chuckled as he dropped the book back into Bella's bag. She gave

him a puzzled look, thinking he'd given up before he rushed toward her and threw her
over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" She pounded on his back weakly.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your cute little butt?" He teased and spanked her.

She yelped and kicked her legs harder.

"Oh, alright – you're no fun." He joked as he dumped her on the bed and crawled on top

of her the next moment, settling between her legs. "Ya know what I think?" He mused,
running his hands along the outside of her thighs.

"What?" She pouted, trying to look more put off than she actually was.

"I think…" his hands were at her sides, "You are…" he grabbed her wrists loosely and

slowly brought them above her head, where he held them still. His face inched closer to
hers, "Just as naughty…" he ran his tongue over her pouting bottom lip, earning a soft

moan from her, "As those books…" he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth as Bella
wrapped her legs around Edward's hips, trying to pull him closer to her.

"Please…" she breathed.

"Tell me what you want…" he kissed her long and slowly.

"Touch me…" She moaned.

"Again?" He laughed against her mouth.

"Please…" She pleaded.

"Oh, I can't say no when you beg," he smirked, letting go of her wrists so he could

unhook her legs from around him.

Bella slid up on the bed so she could get a better view of what he was doing, but it was
no use because instead of taking her panties off, he merely let his hand fall beneath

them. And the moment she felt him against her, she threw her head back, trying to
focus only on what he was doing to her.

"Bella?" Edward said in a sing-song voice while he gently stroked her.

"What?" She groaned.

"Would you ever let me watch you?" His finger grazed her clit.

"Watch… me… what?" She panted, willing herself not to climax so she could prolong the

pleasure for as long as possible.

"Touch yourself?" Edward whispered huskily as he slid one finger, then a second into
her.

"I don't… mmmm…" She moved her hips against his fingers, "I don't know how…" she

stuttered.

"I could teach you…" Edward slowly began to increase his pace.

Unable to string words together, Bella only hummed in response.

"Bella…" He cooed, still waiting for an answer and when he got nothing, he curled his
fingers inside of her, bringing her right to the edge.

"I'm so close." She whimpered in frustration.

"I want an answer," he chuckled darkly, kissing the hollow of her neck, where there was

a slight sheen of sweat.

"Yes! Yes, please! Whatever you want!" She shouted.

Edward smiled down at her and ran his thumb over her clit in awe of how he could play
her body like an instrument as she arched her back and cried out as she climaxed. He

continued to stroke her slowly, while she rode out her orgasm, eventually stilling when
she was completely spent.

Edward kissed her cheek and rolled off her so he could clean up in the bathroom. When

he returned he laughed, realizing she hadn't moved from the spot he'd left her in.

"I bet you can't even move…" he smirked as he walked around to her side of the bed
and pulled her body slowly so he could tick her under the covers.

"I feel like – jello." She mumbled, eyes still glazed over as they lazily followed Edward's

motions.

"Good." He grinned at her before climbing into his side of the bed and shutting off the
lamp on his nightstand for a second time.

Slowly he moved toward Bella so her back was flush with his chest and she wrapped her

fingers around his forearm while he held her.

"You play dirty…" She whispered.

"I never said I played fair," he nuzzled her neck.

She sighed in content and after a moment of silence, said, "I'm glad we went slow –
thank you."

"Me too." Edward kissed her sweetly and pulled her closer.

The next morning they slept in, before having lunch at the marina and then taking an

afternoon cruise, where they got to see the Apostle Islands, sea caves and sunset from
the water.

On Saturday Edward chartered a boat to go fishing in the morning and a different one to

go sailing in the afternoon. Exhausted, they ordered in and ate pizza in bed, drinking a
bit more than they should have.

Though the days after their first sexual encounter were different, Edward and Bella's

relationship felt more intimate, more comfortable and almost easy. Though they flirted,
they never went as far as they had that first night. It was almost as if an understanding

had passed between them that their physical relationship was a delicate matter and
whether or not either person wanted to admit it, they weren't ready to have sex. They

both knew if they were constantly all over each other, that's exactly what would
happen. If that was the case, they'd both regret it.

Sunday, they reluctantly bid farewell to the cozy little lakeshore town. Edward surprised

Bella when he took the exit for Ashland so she could go grocery shopping. He
questioned every item she put in the cart, in jest, saying things like 'I want the ones in

the green box,' or 'the other flavor is better,' and 'the fresh ones make me sick.'

However, Edward had a bit too much fun when they went to the library – which was

very busy for a Sunday – when he kept trying to read excerpts from books in the

romance section. Finally Bella gave up, grabbing a handful of titles without reading the
summaries, proclaiming "I can't take you anywhere!" That earned quite a few shushes.

But she quickly forgave him when he tossed her the keys in the parking lot and let her

drive home.

Chapter 13 – November 1

Bella,

First off, it had damn well better be your birthday if you're reading this,
because I wrote it so I could be with you on your birthday in my own
way, not so you could read it early. So this is your last chance to stop
reading before the actual letter and I will know if you read this before the
20th..

Alright, so assuming it is your birthday, I need to tell you I'm sorry I'm
not in Delta celebrating with you in person. I know you've told me many
times that you don't mind, which I don't buy for a second. Regardless, I
mind. I love you, adore you, worship you and it breaks my heart that I'm
half-way across the country from you while you turn twenty-six. That
only happens once.

I might be writing this before I've left, but I do know one thing, where
ever I am right now, I miss you terribly. How am I supposed to sleep
without you next to me? How can I eat something you haven't made for
me after we argued about me wanting to help and you eventually putting
your foot down and telling me to starve if I didn't leave you alone? How
can I write without your beautiful music to inspire me?

It's painfully obvious that you hate it when I spend money on you, which
is very unfortunate because all I want to do is lavish you with gifts. But,
you force me to be creative, so what I want to give you for this occasion

didn't cost me a penny. Well, I may have paid for this paper.

I want to tell you all the things I don't have time to say every day, though
I think them, and I want to tell you how much you mean to me and just
how much you really have changed my life for the better.

If you could have seen me in L.A. before I met you, you would have met a
man who was paranoid, obsessive compulsive, constantly frustrated,
depressed and for all intensive purposes, lost and broken.

But the second I met you, that all changed. The fact is, from the moment
I first laid eyes on you, I changed. You see me for exactly who I am,
nothing more, nothing less. But you make me strive to be a better person
for you. Besides my sister, I have never met such a strong woman who
refuses to let me get away with anything.

I know you don't accept compliments easily, but it's no secret that I think
you are the most kind, gentle and sweet girl I've ever had the pleasure of
knowing.

Everyday I thank my lucky stars that you opened up your heart and let
me love you as much as I do. When I think about who I would be if our
paths hadn't crossed, the thought literally hurts my heart because it's
impossible to picture a life without you.

You are my future Bella. And I hope it doesn't scare you if I say that,
though I may not be with you when you turn twenty-six, I fully intend to
be there for every single birthday that follows this one.

Never doubt my love for you.

Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I love you more than life itself.

Love Always,

Your Edward

The second the alarm clock sounded, Edward's hand reached over to silence it. He was

up anyway, having barely slept the night before – afraid he would oversleep and
everything would have been ruined.

He frowned as he gently released Bella from his hold, sliding out of the bed to get ready

and double-check all his preparations. As the hot water from the shower ran over his
body, he ticked off all the things he needed to do and what was already finished.

Rose and Emmett had dropped their SUV off after Bella went to bed and the keys were

sitting in the kitchen next to the cooler Edward had packed food and drinks for breakfast
and lunch just after he'd gotten out of the shower. The clothing Alice procured for him

was still hidden at the very back of the top-most shelf in the laundry room, where Bella
would never see it, thanks to her short stature. Their tickets were already stowed in the

glove box of the SUV and he'd called to confirm their hotel reservations the previous
afternoon. Edward's GPS would ensure driving was a breeze.

At exactly 5:30am, still enveloped in darkness with dawn fast approaching, Edward took

a deep breath before heading back into his room to wake Bella. Setting her clothes
down on the end of the bed, he crawled up next to her, nuzzling her neck and kissing

her chin gently while he whispered her name. "Bella… honey, wake up… please
sweetheart." He ran his hand over her side, down to her hip.

Bella moaned and rolled over so she was closer to him, "Go back to bed, baby." She

whispered and snuggled into the sheets.

"Honey, you have to get up…" He cooed, slowly pulling the covers off her.

"Make your own breakfast; I'm too tired." She groaned.

Edward chuckled softly, as if he'd be selfish enough to wake her up to make him food.
"Alright, I'll do it myself then…" He took Bella's jeans off the top of the pile and lifted up

her legs at the ankle as he pulled them up her body.

"Edward… stop it…" Bella moaned, squirming and squinting in the darkness. "What're
you doing?"

"You have to get dressed, Bells." He yanked at the fabric, "Lift your hips up sweetie…" he

said softly and without thinking, she complied, "good girl," Edward smiled and patted
her thigh.

Bella shuffled back on the bed so she was almost sitting up, "Why can't I sleep?" She
frowned, running her hand through her hair. It was a little wavy since she hadn't

completely dried it after her shower before she went to bed.

"You can sleep in the car." Edward told her as he handed her a bra and the long sleeved,
green shirt he instructed his sister to send. "Put these on while I do your shoes and

socks." He instructed her, shifting her to the side so her feet hung over the edge of the
bed.

"I don't like these jeans," she whined, throwing her tank top on the bed, exposing her

chest for a moment before covering up with her bra, "They're too tight."

"No, they're not." Edward smirked. They fit perfectly and were his favorite, but she
barely ever wore them unless she was low on clothes right before laundry day.

"Pervert," she rolled her eyes as she threw the shirt over her head, "This shirt is too

small," she pouted.

"No, it's not." Edward shook his head, looking forward to seeing her when she was
finished, "Don't look at the front of it." He instructed, leaning up and pecking her on the

lips.

"Where are we going?" She rubbed her eyes, still groggy.

"Birthday surprise." Edward replied quickly as she leaned over her and scooped her up
into his arms.

"I can walk," she tried to sound annoyed, but she was still to drowsy for it to sound as

she had intended.

Carefully Edward opened and closed the front door while hanging onto Bella at the
same time. He was able to gently deposit her in the passenger seat of the SUV before

making his way to the driver's side.

He started the car up quickly so the heat would begin circulating. Noticing Bella was
shivering, Edward decided to give her part of her present early.

He turned and grabbed a beautiful, brand new, ivory and charcoal winter coat out of the

back seat and told Bella to hold her arms out so he could put it on her.

"Whose is that?" She yawned, still too sleepy to argue as she held her arm out toward
him.

"It's yours, Bella." He said softly.

She stared at him for a moment and her mouth parted like she was going to argue, but

she shut it, rolling her eyes at the same time.

"I know you're angry, but your other coat is old and this one is more insulated. It'll keep
you warmer," he zipped it up and met her eyes – they were hooded and indifferent, "I

don't want you to get sick; we're gonna be outside for a while today." He explained.

Bella shook her head and quietly said, "thank you," with a slight hint of resentment.

Edward stared at her in disbelief. She swallowed and sank into the seat, "I don't want to
fight with you," Bella's eyes darted to his, "I know you mean well." She covered his hand

with hers.

His smile broadened as he leaned forward and kissed her deeply. "I love you," he
whispered as he pulled back, just before throwing the car in gear.

"I want to know how much it cost, though." Bella looked at him expectantly.

Edward shook his head, "I don't know."

Bella narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't lie to me, I'm giving you a free pass here, when

you know it bothers me, so the least you can do is tell me how much you spent." She
scolded.

"I'm not lying Bells," Edward tried to hold back a smile, because he was indeed telling

the truth, "I asked Alice to pick it out and mail it – she never told me how much she
spent and I didn't ask." Edward looked at Bella, who was clearly annoyed, "She's a stylist

– for all I know, she got it for free."

Bella rolled her eyes again, unwilling to pursue the topic further. She turned and pulled
the hood up so she could use it as a cushion against the window. However, Edward was

one step ahead of her. He reached into the back seat, procuring the pillow he'd placed
there the night before and handed it to her with a wary smile.

Bella took the pillow and propped it against the window. However, she caught Edward

off guard when she grabbed his hand and whispered "Love you too," with her eyes
closed.

Edward kept hold of her hand while he drove. He was hoping to arrive in Green Bay

around one or two. They'd have to check into the hotel quickly and then a shuttle would
take them to Lambeau Field in time for the game. He was worried about the traffic, but

as long as Bella was okay with eating breakfast in the car and they kept their pit stops

short, they wouldn't have a problem getting there in time.

They had been driving for about two hours when Bella started having nightmares. At

first Edward though she was speaking to him when she said "Don't let them take me
back," but then she kept repeating "He asked for Marie Dwyer!" in alarm as she began

to cry.

In a stroke of luck, they happened upon a rest stop just when Edward became extremely
concerned. He pulled over quickly and shook Bella until her sleepy and tearful eyes met

his. Quickly she wiped the tears from her cheeks and apologized profusely, obviously
embarrassed about what happened.

Edward was unsure of what to do. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to get her

to meet his gaze. Clearly she was upset but would it help if he asked her, or make the
situation worse?

Taking a chance he said, "Bella, who is Marie Dwyer?"

Bella's face went pale, her eyes blank and she quickly and coldly said, "Nobody," before

turning away from Edward.

He stared at her, pressed as close as she could get to the door and away from Edward.
She flinched when he reached out to squeeze her shoulder, "It's okay, honey." He said

quietly.

When she didn't respond, Edward dug around in the things he'd packed for the hotel
and handed Bella her toiletries. "Go to the bathroom, stretch your legs and meet met

back here. I've got food and drinks in the cooler if you're hungry."

Bella met his eyes then and he answered her unspoken question, "I won't ask you about
her again, but I'll listen if you change your mind." He kissed her cheek and got out of the

car. Bella was at his side a moment later, wrapping her arms around his waist and
snuggling into his chest. He hugged her back, hating that she was so scared of

something he couldn't protect her from.

Once Bella had some food and caffeine in her, the snarky and stubborn girl returned.
Bella made fun of Edward's music collection for a good hour, after which she tried to

convince Edward to let her give him road head. Of course he adamantly refused, seeing
as they were on the interstate and it was far too dangerous. She pouted for a while and

then spent the rest of the ride trying to guess where they were going.

When she'd ask for clues or make guesses, Edward would just shake his head and try to
compose his poker face. At one point she guessed they were going to the Packer game,

but she vetoed her own suggestion, muttering that he'd never be able to get tickets

because they were playing the Vikings, their regional and perennial rivals.

However when Edward took the exit for Green Bay, Bella stared at him in shock. "Are

you serious?" She swallowed in disbelief.

"I told you I couldn't return it." Edward beamed. "Unzip your coat; you can look at your
shirt."

Bella's did as she was told and gaped when she saw the familiar and simple green and

gold 'G" emblazoned on the green shirt Edward had given her to wear. "But how?" She
breathed, glancing at him incredulously.

"I have connections," he smirked, thinking it was one of the few times he'd used his

celebrity status to pull some strings and get something so extraordinary.

"You're amazing!" She said excitedly and squeezed his hand. Edward was nothing short
of elated that she was so pleased with his gift. Though he never doubted she'd love it,

he just didn't realize how much.

Thanks to Edward's careful planning, they arrived at the hotel just after one to check in
and drop their things off. Reluctantly Edward was forced to deny Bella's advances so

they could stay on schedule.

"But I just want to show you how thankful I am." Bella breathed huskily in his ear while
she grabbed at his crotch.

"Honey, as great as that sounds―" He gulped when she squeezed him through his

pants, "Bella!" Edward yelped as her grip got tighter and he grabbed her wrists in his
hands, "We'll miss the game." He told her seriously. But when her shoulders slouched in

defeat, he pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered, "You can show me later – we
have all night."

Bella smiled then and pulled his face down to hers for a long and passionate kiss.

Eventually they both separated, breathless and wanting more, but knowing it wasn't the
time to tempt fate.

They were able to take a shuttle from the hotel to Lambeau Field and Edward surprised

Bella again when he pulled her over to a side entrance for VIPs. Bella looked at him
questioningly; he shrugged and said, "We have box seats."

Once in the box, they were both surprised by the casual but luxurious setting. Rather

than having to sit on bleachers, Edward and Bella got to curl up together on a couch
while they were served beer and brats. The others in the box were polite, but generally

paid them no mind.

During half-time, the couple left the box and walked around the stadium, peering out at
the field from the 50-yard line, but only for a moment because the early November air

in Green Bay really was brutal. Bella was glad for the new coat and told Edward as
much.

And though the Packers were defeated by twelve, Bella never had more fun in her life

and wouldn't have wanted the experience to be with anyone else.

The second they returned to their hotel room, Bella jumped Edward, clawing at his chest
to rid him of his clothing, kissing him roughly, not caring that she drew blood when she

bit down on his bottom lip.

"Bella…" he panted, "Slow down, sweetheart." Edward gently pulled back from her,
wiping the blood from his lip, "I want to take my time with you." He said seductively,

bending down to kiss her slowly, lest she think he didn't want her as much as she
wanted him.

Bella moaned into Edward's mouth as he sucked her bottom lip before slowly slipping

his tongue in her mouth. He held her closely while her fingers found purchase in his hair
and tugged.

"Bells…" Edward growled, pulling away from her mouth. He leaned his forehead against

hers, "Give me ten minutes," he breathed, "I just want to shower quick… okay?"

"Okay," Bella chirped, a little too quickly for Edward's comfort. She pecked his lips,
sliding her palms down his chest and said, "Hurry back," with a Mona Lisa smile.

He eyed her suspiciously before giving her hand a squeeze and then disappearing into

the bathroom. He'd only been under the warm spray of the shower for a moment when
he heard the door open. "Don't even think about it." He warned her.

But she didn't listen to him.

Bella slowly drew back the shower curtain, revealing that she was completely naked.

"Bella…" Edward trailed off as she stepped into the shower next to him, water dripping

down her exposed skin in rivulets, leaving Edward utterly speechless.

Taking advantage of his stunned silence, Bella wrapped one hand around his neck,
sweeping her tongue in his mouth and the other around his erection, pumping it lightly.

"I want you…" She moaned, pressing her breasts against his chest and he couldn't help

but reciprocate, letting his hands run down her sides and pulling her closer.

However, the second Bella moved to get on her knees, Edward grabbed her forearms,
stopping her. He looked down at her questioningly and she glared up at him defiantly.

"Don't," he said.

Bella set her jaw and replied, "It's my birthday, I'll do what I want." And she swiftly sunk
to her knees before him, continuing to stroke him.

"Honey, really, you don't―" But Edward's speech was abruptly cut off when he felt the

tip of her tongue dart out to taste his head. "Oh, god…" he groaned, bracing himself
against the shower wall just in time. She wrapped her lips around his cock, swirling her

tongue around what she could fit in her mouth without gagging and pumping the rest at
the base with one hand while the other was splayed on his hip.

Edward took deep breaths, enjoying the sensation of her wet, warm mouth around him,

but tried not to succumb to the feeling. He had to continuously remind himself to keep
his hips still as the last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of her generosity by

fucking her pretty little mouth, though deep down, a part of him wanted to.

She continued her ministrations, bringing him closer and closer to release. At one point,
Edward allowed himself to comb his fingers through her damp hair, refusing to look at

what she was doing to him. But a moment later, she moaned and the vibration against
his length was almost too much to handle. On reflex, he looked down and the sight of

her on her knees in front of him was his undoing. Quickly he jerked back, away from her
face and shot his release close to the drain.

Bella looked up at him through hooded eyes and said, "I would have swallowed."

Edward stared at her for a moment before helping her up and whispering, "I didn't want

to come in your mouth." He brushed the hair off her face and let his head fall to the
crook of her neck while he held her.

"Why not?" She asked quietly, barely loud enough to be heard over the water.

"I respect you more than that." He kissed his favorite spot, just behind her ear.

Bella pulled back and looked him right in the eyes when she said, "It's not disrespectful

if I want to do it; only if you make me." She cupped her palm over his cheek and smiled
softly, "So let me do it next time."

"You're amazing," Edward leaned down and kissed her sweetly, then turned off the

water. He stepped out of the shower, grabbing a clean towel off the rack and holding it
open to wrap it around Bella before taking another and tying it loosely around his waist.

Gently he guided her over to the bed, "Your turn," he whispered seductively, nipping at

her ear.

She sat down on the bed, on top of the comforter and scooted back so she was in the
middle of the bed, resting her head against the headboard.

Edward quickly threw on a pair of boxers before crawling on top of her, resting on his

elbows so his full weight wasn't on her. He kissed Bella softly and slowly, taking his time
with her as he'd promised. He hoped the way he touched her, made her feel just how

much he loved her and needed her.

As their kiss became more heated he felt Bella begin to squirm beneath him. "Tell me
what you want…" Edward whispered.

Instead of replying verbally, Bella un-tucked the towel and moved the fabric so it fell

open around her, exposing her body to Edward once again.

Immediately Edward's mouth was locked around one of her breasts, while he rolled the
other nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it after it had hardened.

Bella moaned and threaded her fingers through Edward's hair, rubbing her legs

together, hoping the friction would alleviate the pressure building between her thighs.

"Tell me…" Edward said again, taking the other nipple in his mouth, palming where it
had previously been.

"Make love to me…" She panted.

Edward paused and looked up at her, "You're sure?" He asked her seriously.

Bella nodded, "I'm ready – we're ready." She smiled.

Edward returned her grin, but said, "I want to make you come first." He let one of his

hands glide down her smooth stomach and very gently he ran his fingers over her slick
folds, "Even though you're already wet for me." He chuckled darkly and continued to

stroke her while her eyes rolled back into her head at the sensation.

Bella let Edward move her body how he pleased. He spread her legs so he could settle
between them, bending them slightly at the knee so he had better access.

"I love you," He whispered, kissing her mouth first, then trailing more from her chin to

her chest and her stomach, then finally down to her sex.

"What are you doing!" Bella started, her whole body tensed.

Edward popped his head up from between her legs, "Just trust me." He smiled.

"Edward…" She whined and tried to sit up, but Edward had her lower body pinned to
the bed, "I don't―"

"Bella…" He stopped her, "Trust me." He stared at her until she nodded apprehensively

and tried to relax her muscles again.

Edward rubbed her legs, trying to get her to relax more. For a few minutes he only used
his fingers to stroke her, but when he felt she was ready, he slid two of them inside her,

earning a long, deep moan from Bella. Trying to catch her off guard, he leaned down
and used the flat of his tongue to lap up her juices. In his state of arousal, he enjoyed

the sweet flavor.

Slowly he curled his fingers inside of her and gently pumped them in and out as he
sucked her clit between his lips while she keened continuously. And at the exact

moment that his teeth grazed her swollen clit, she came suddenly around his fingers,
crying out at the feeling.

Edward couldn't help but smirk, still pleased that he could make Bella climax so quickly.

"I need you…" she said through ragged breaths, "Please… inside me…"

Edward covered her body with his and kissed her; she returned the gesture eagerly and

tried to wrap her legs around his hips, but he pulled away, "Condom…" He kissed her
jaw and hopped off the bed just as the phone rang, "Ignore it." He told Bella while he

dug in his bag for the box he'd brought with him, just in case.

The phone continued to ring until Edward finally found the box, but he realized too late,
it had only stopped ringing because Bella had picked it up.

"Hello?" She said breathlessly.

And when her eyes darted to meet Edward's, he knew something was wrong, "Sure,"

she sighed and held the phone out toward Edward.

When he made no move to take the receiver from her, she said, "It's Jasper."

Edward's brow knit together in confusion. He dropped the box back into the bag and
took the phone from Bella as he sat down on the bed. "This had better be good," he

growled, watching Bella wrap the towel around her body out of the corner of his eye.

"You are a tough one to track down; it took me five hours to figure out where you were

and how to get a hold of you." Jasper snorted.

"I'm not joking." Edward snapped, "What do you want?" He glanced at Bella and saw

that she was cold so he peeled back the covers for her, but she shook her head.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news―"

"Is Alice okay?" Edward asked suddenly.

"Oh, she's fine, sorry, nothing like that." Jasper said quickly, not wanting Edward to
panic.

"Then what is it?" He was getting frustrated, fast.

"It's about the press tour." Jasper hedged.

Edward grabbed Bella's hand when she tried to slide off the bed, but let her go when

she stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, "What about it?" He ran his hand through his
hair.

"They moved it up." Jasper blurted out.

"What!" Edward shouted.

Bella froze and turned her attention from the bag Edward had packed for her, to him.

He waved her off, letting her know she could continue.

"You need to leave tomorrow for L.A." Jasper said nervously.

"No." Edward replied, then covered the receiver, "Don't get dressed," he hissed at Bella,
but she shook her head again and took her clothes into the bathroom.

"You don't have a choice. I booked a flight out of the Green Bay airport for tomorrow

morning. You have a connection in Chicago." Jasper rattled off.

"No – I'm not going. I'm spending time with Bella and we're supposed to have a few
more days." Edward was pissed. It was so typical of the studio to change things at the

last minute, but he wasn't going to put up with it.

"Anthony, I'm sorry – I tried―"

"Then try harder!" He yelled, but immediately regretted it when Bella opened the
bathroom door wearing her pajamas, looking nothing if not frightened. Edward looked

at her apologetically and was surprised when she strode toward him and took the

phone from him.

"I'm so sorry Jasper. It's just we were celebrating my birthday because he'll be gone on

the actual date." She paused then took the pen and a pad of paper from the side table
and sat down on the bed next to Edward. "Of course, I understand." She tried to sound

positive, but her expression was less than pleased. "Go ahead." She instructed Jasper
and began to write on the notepad.

Edward wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and leaned his chin on her

shoulder, "I'm not going." He told her.

"I'll make sure." Bella told Jasper, "Thank you, goodnight." She hung up the phone and
turned around in Edward's arms. "Honey…" she placed her free hand on his cheek, "You

have to go… I'll survive." She gave him a weak smile.

"That's not the point." He shook his head trying to will her to understand how important
she was to him.

"I know…" She said quietly and pulled away from him, "I have your flight details and I

don't mind driving home tomorrow―"

"Come with me." Edward stood suddenly, "Please."

Bella closed her eyes and swallowed hard. When she opened them again, the pain she
felt at the battle that was surely waging in her mind was evident. Slowly she shook her

head from side to side.

"Why?" Edward stepped toward her and took her hands in his, kneeling before her.

She sighed, "I suppose you'll find out eventually." Bella led Edward back over to the bed,
sitting down again. "I'm afraid to travel, especially abroad." She told him.

He looked at her puzzled, that wasn't such an awful thing. Edward was sure he could

help her overcome her fears, "Is it flying?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head, "My parents."

Edward cocked his head in confusion.

Bella sighed, "They're looking for me… still." She said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Edward asked quickly, "How do you know?"

"Do you remember that night you found me crying by the piano?" She asked softly, eyes

on the floor, "Right after you got here?"

"Yeah – I thought you were upset about my parents…" Edward rubbed circles on her

back.

"No, I wasn't crying about them, that time," she replied, indicating that she had indeed
shed tears over their deaths, however. "I was scared because I overheard Hank telling

Emmett and Buddy about a private investigator who called, asking if he knew a girl
named Marie Dwyer." Bella picked at the hem of her tank top.

"Bells, who is she?" Edward asked her calmly.

Bella surprised him when she turned to look him right in the eye as she said: "Me."

Edward was speechless. He didn't know what that meant and he didn't know how to

respond.

Bella shook her head, "You're not the only one who's changed their name." She laughed
humorlessly.

"So Isabella Swan…?" He trailed off.

"Isabella is my middle name and Swan is my mother's maiden name. I always hated my

real name anyway. I can still picture it in elegant script on name cards from events. I can
hear my father scolding me and Michael calling it out when he returned from business

trips. I hated it." She winced.

"They can't take you." Edward said firmly and when Bella's eyes met his, he said simply,
"You're mine."

At that, she began to sob, burying her face in his chest and grabbing at him with her

small hands, trying desperately to get closer to him, knowing that at the same time the
next day, she would be alone again, without his protection.

Chapter 14 – November 15

Bella,

I trust this letter finds you well. I know we've been able to speak on the
phone most days, but I still don't feel it's enough, so I hope you don't

mind that I continue to write you these desperate love letters.

I'm writing to you on the plane, as I fly from New York to Los Angeles.
It's a dreadful flight because of its length, but better I suppose than the
flights to Europe and Asia. At least I'm back in the States now, I feel a
little closer to you since the time change isn't so radical, but it's still been
awful without you.

And although I wish you had been able to accompany me on the press
tour, your safety is paramount and I suppose it was the right decision for
you to stay in Delta. That doesn't mean I still don't miss you terribly. I am
however, glad to hear that the security system I had installed during my
absence has made you feel at least somewhat safer, even though I know
we'd both prefer that I was there to keep you safe myself.

I have one more week without you, sweetheart, and it truly is a miracle
that I've made it this long without you. I miss every single thing about
you, from the way you talk to Jake to the pouty face you make when you
want to get your way. I even miss you keeping me up late because you
can't put down your romance novels.

There isn't a second that goes by that I don't think of you and imagine
how good it will feel to have you in my arms again in seven days and
forever after that.

I'm counting the minutes.

I love you,

Edward

Staring at the luggage carousal, Edward was completely zoned out and utterly jet-
lagged. Though the flight attendant had said what time they'd be landing, he couldn't

recall the time she'd announced. It was still light outside when he got off the plane, but

just barely and it was November so he thought it must be just before five – not late

enough to justify going to bed the second he got home.

He'd been in New York alone for four days to promote the movie on morning TV shows
and whatever else Angela had booked for him. Normally Alice and Jasper would have

been with him, but they decided to return to Los Angeles early for two reasons.

First, Angela had made the executive decision that Edward should no longer wear the
blonde wig he'd been sporting to keep up appearances as his famous alter-ego, Anthony

Masen – she said it was time for a change and he looked much better with short hair. He
was told his hair cut was causing a media frenzy and major fan-girl meltdown. His new-

to-the-public copper locks were a drastic change, but he was happy not to have to worry
about his hairline showing; though he was still forced to wear the contacts which made

his eyes look freakishly azure. At first he'd been upset, thinking that his anonymity
would be compromised, but Angela assured him she'd have tighter security and so far

she'd kept her promise.

The second reason Alice and Jasper had returned to L.A. immediately after doing press
in London was because after ten days with Edward's miserable and depressed moping,

they could barely stand to be around him. The situation was exacerbated by the fact
that by day Edward was forced to be a happy and genial Anthony Masen, promoting his

movie and dishing on his bogus tropical vacation in South America, but by night he sunk
to the lowest of lows, pining for Bella and worried sick that he wasn't in Delta and able

to protect her.

Every time he got off the phone after having talked to her, he'd sulk alone for hours
knowing that although she tried to sound positive, she was having just as awful a time

as he was. He couldn't get the image out of his mind of tears streaming down her face
as she pasted a smile on and waved goodbye to him in Green Bay.

The luggage carousel buzzer began to blare and Edward watched the pieces move

through weary eyes, making his way through the crowd eventually when he saw his
familiar suitcase.

Luckily Jasper had booked him a flight that came in through the Burbank airport again,

so he didn't have to worry about the paparazzi. Still, he wore a baseball cap, just in case.
His cell phone rang just as he walked out of the sliding glass doors into the comfortable

L.A. weather. He picked up the call and stayed on the phone with Jasper until he was
able to flag him down.

Jasper popped the trunk for Edward's luggage. Edward muttered a quick 'hi' and 'thanks'

as he shut the passenger-side door. Immediately he dialed the landline for the house in
Delta, but with each consecutive ring he became more alarmed. Eventually the

answering machine picked up and Edward was glad he'd put his foot down and bought

one for the house, though Bella insisted it wasn't necessary.

"You've reached Edward Cullen―" Bella's voice began.

"You live here too." Edward's voice argued on the message.

Bella could be heard huffing in the background before Edward said, "And Bella Swan,

leave a message."

"You ruined it! Now I have to do it over ag―" Bella's voice cut off as the machine
beeped and Edward chuckled, remembering when they'd recorded it.

"Hi honey, I just landed in L.A.; I hope everything's okay. Call me when you get this. I

don't know how long I'll be able to stay up, but I'll leave my phone with Alice in case you
call when I'm sleeping. Love you." Edward ended the call and dialed Rose.

Jasper looked at Edward worriedly, "I'm sure she's fine, I wouldn't―"

"Hey Rose." Edward silenced Jasper when Rose picked up the phone.

"Hey, whatta ya need?" She replied distractedly.

"Have you heard from Bella today?" Edward asked and had to hold the phone away

from his ear when he heard Dave's shrill cry on the other end.

"Err – no, sorry." Rose said quickly.

"Okay," Edward said, disappointed, "Sorry I interrupted you." He apologized.

"No problem, bye." Rose hung up.

Edward stared at his phone and was about to dial Bella again when Jasper took the
phone from his hand. "DUDE!" Edward snatched it back from him.

"Chill out Anthony – she'll call you – relax." Jasper shook his head.

Edward rolled his eyes, knowing he'd act the same way if it was Alice who wasn't

answering when she was supposed to be at home. "Whatever." He folded his arms.

"How was your flight?" Jasper tried to make idle conversation.

"Long." Edward said shortly.

"Are you hungry?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah," Edward sighed, "But I don't want to stop for fast food, I'll just―"

"Oh, no – umm – Alice's making something."

Edward's head whipped around to eye Jasper speculatively. "You and I both know that's
not a good idea."

Jasper frowned, "I know… but she's been working on it all day. We're gonna have to try

it at the very least."

Edward put his head in his hands and groaned. His sister, bless her heart, couldn't cook
to save her life, although the food she made certainly could have ended it.

"It'll be okay… I think," Jasper tried, but Edward knew better.

They spent the rest of the ride in silence. Edward checked his phone every few seconds

just to make sure he hadn't missed Bella returning his call.

A few paparazzi were stationed outside the gate to his house in the hills, no doubt
waiting for his imminent return since the premiere of his movie was only two days away.

But the back windows of Jasper's car were tinted and Edward ducked under his hat so
they didn't get any decent shots.

When Jasper eventually made it up to drive and parked the car inside the garage, he

told Edward to go inside and that he'd get his luggage for him.

The moment he opened the front door a delicious and painfully familiar aroma hit his
nostrils. And if he couldn't miss Bella anymore, the smell of her marinara sauce changed

his mind.

But then he heard her melodic laughter float into the foyer and Edward honestly
thought he'd lost his mind. Regardless, upon hearing her, he ran.

Rounding the corner and skipping up a few steps, he found her – leaning up against the

counter, casually giggling at some joke his sister had made.

"Bella?" He breathed in disbelief.

She turned and her eyes lit up at the sight of him. Not caring if she was a figment of his
imagination, Edward rushed forward and took her in his arms, grabbing her so

forcefully, he lifted her feet off the ground.

"I missed you so much, baby." She whispered into his ear, clutching him just as tightly.

And Edward could have cared less that he had an audience when he leaned down and
kissed her roughly – urgently – finally.

Alice coughed behind Edward and Bella pulled away from him, blushing.

"Why are you here?" Edward shook his head, still in shock, while he held Bella's face in

his palms.

"You needed me." She said simply, looking up at him with her big, beautiful brown eyes.
And Edward nearly lost it.

He pulled her into a tight hug and asked, "What about your parents – traveling?"

"Jasper sent a private jet to pick me up in Hayward." Bella snuggled into his embrace,

"He said it was safe."

Edward looked over her to see Jasper and Alice smirking. He mouthed a 'thank you' and
looked down at Bella again before kissing the top of her head.

" Alice and I made you spaghetti." Bella told him.

"My sweet girl…" Edward smiled, leaning down and kissing her forehead, "I love you,"

he said, then kissed her lips before releasing her from his hold, though he refused to let
go of her hand.

Bella giggled again; it was almost Edward's favorite sound in the world, second only to

the way she moaned when he touched her.

She kissed his knuckles and he reluctantly let her go to finish kneading the dough for the
garlic bread.

Edward watched her move around the kitchen with the same grace she always had in

their home in Delta. 'Our home,' he thought.

Jasper entered a moment later, placing a chaste kiss on Alice's cheek before handing her
some shopping bags.

"Oh yay!" She exclaimed and started digging through them immediately, "They had the

ones I wanted right?" She asked Jasper.

"Yup―" Jasper looked at Bella with wide eyes, "Is she making bread from scratch?"

"Yes. She is." Bella laughed, referring to herself in the third person.

"TaDa!" Alice exclaimed and pulled matching aprons out of one of the bags. She shoved
the royal blue one at Bella and held the forest green apron at her side.

Bella looked at the apron and took a step back, beginning to panic. "Alice – I―"

Edward stepped in and grabbed the apron from Alice, she glared at him, "Can I talk to

you for a second?" He said through his teeth.

Alice narrowed her eyes at him, ready for a fight, but it was Bella who diffused the
situation when she came up along side Edward and gently took the blue apron from his

hand. "It's okay." She attempted to reassure him as she slipped it over her head, "Thank
you Alice. This is really thoughtful of you." She said genuinely.

"You're welcome!" Alice chirped, throwing her own green apron over her head, then

proceeding to stick her tongue out at Edward, "You can keep it here so when you come
visit, you'll have something to cook in!" She beamed.

Edward quickly moved behind Bella to help her tie the apron around her waist, "I'm

sorry sweetheart, you don't have to―"

Bella stopped him short by turning suddenly and placing her index finger over his lips,
"She knows," Bella said calmly.

He took her hand in his and said, "Everything?"

Bella shook her head, "No, but – well…" she glanced over at Alice who was stirring the

spaghetti noodles, oblivious to their conversation. "She bought me a new wardrobe."

Edward's mouth gaped and his brow furrowed in anger, but Bella stopped him again,
"It's okay, I explained my issues about people buying me things – especially clothes and

she said she'd keep them after I left."

Edward raised an eyebrow in doubt.

"We're the same size, I'm just… shorter." She grumbled the last word.

Edward laughed, "Aww, I like that you're short." He kissed her forehead, "You have no
idea how many things I have hidden on high shelves."

Bella frowned and shoved him away, mumbling something about getting a ladder. "Go

unpack while we finish up." She ordered him.

"I like it when you're bossy." He growled playfully in her ear and slapped her butt before

leaving.

Entering his old room was odd to say the least. It felt like years since he'd slept in that

bed and he chuckled when he saw that it was made up. Walking across the room, he sat
down on the bed and leaned over to smell the sheets – sure enough they smelled like

Bella's sweet floral shampoo. He wondered how long she'd been in L.A. if she'd slept in
his bed and he realized he hadn't spoken to her in at least two days because of his hectic

press schedule and travel.

"You're so different." Alice's voice startled him, "I hardly recognize you." She strode
toward Edward and sat down next to him on the bed with her apron still on.

"You're still not used to the hair." He joked. "She kicked you out of the kitchen, didn't

she?" He laughed, knowing she'd meant something different by her comment.

"She said 'a watched pot never boils,' whatever that means." Alice shrugged and Edward
laughed. "I was so scared to meet her, ya know?"

Edward turned to look at Alice, his falsely blue eyes meeting her green gaze.

"Well, she's so important to you. What if we didn't get along?" Alice reasoned and laid

back on the bed with her legs dangling off the edge. "I haven't known her for very long,
but I already love her."

We laughed, "She makes it hard not to; she's so sweet."

"I'm sorry about the clothes," Alice said suddenly, sitting up, "I know you told me when I

got her that coat, but I didn't know―"

"It's okay; she'll get over it. It'll just take her a bit to realize you don't want anything
from her." He smiled at Alice.

"But I do." She told him and when he looked at her in confusion, she said, "Have you

seen her clothes?" Edward shook his head, unsure of where she was going, "She's got
this hot little body and wears old baggy clothes." Edward rolled his eyes, "She's getting a

make-over, whether she wants one or not."

"She thinks you're keeping the clothes." Edward warned her.

"Oh sure," Alice said casually getting off the bed, "For now." She smiled, "I'll just mail
them to you after you leave."

"Alice―"

"Whatever, I can be very persuasive when I want to be." She smirked, "What color dress

do you want her to wear for the première?" She asked from the door.

"No." Edward shook his head. "She's not going to the première," Edward got off the bed
and stalked toward Alice.

"Aww, c'mon, why not?" Alice whined, folding her arms.

"You know why not!" He growled.

"We'll see." Alice responded flippantly.

Edward would have argued further, but he caught sight of Bella approaching them from

down the hall. "We're not finished with this conversation." He whispered menacingly.

Alice turned, correctly assuming Bella was close, "Bella, do you want to go to Edward's
movie première?" She asked sweetly, much to Edward's horror.

Bella looked like a deer caught in the headlights as her eyes bounced from Alice's to

Edward's and back again. "Uhh – I guess?" She replied more as a question, rather than
an answer, not knowing how Edward wanted her to respond.

Alice clapped her hands.

Edward sighed.

"Wrong answer." Edward pursed his lips.

Bella looked at him in alarm.

"Ignore him." Alice chuckled.

"Dinner's ready." Bella said meekly.

Alice bounded down the hall, leaving Bella and Edward alone in front of his room.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, her lip trembling slightly.

"Oh, no – honey, it's okay." Edward said quickly, surrounding her with his arms, "You

just gave her an excuse to play dress up is all." He kissed her temple and ran his hand
through her hair, "I don't mind if you go; I just don't want her to make you

uncomfortable."

"Stop making out!" Alice yelled down the hall, "Some of us are starving!"

Edward rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time and took Bella's hand to lead her to the
dining room after he released her. "You didn't actually let her help cook anything, did

you?" Edward asked in a wary, hushed whisper.

"God, no." Bella laughed, "Her heart's in the right place, but she's a disaster in the
kitchen."

Edward chuckled and pulled Bella's chair out for her. Much to his surprise, dinner was

oddly normal. But when he thought about it, there was really no reason it should have
been awkward. After all, Bella was perfectly charming and she made dinner like she had

for them in the same way that she cooked for Rose's family every week.

Apparently Bella had flown in on a chartered jet the day before. Alice and Jasper had
kept her busy by showing her around town. They'd gone hiking by the Hollywood sign,

driven past Hollywood and Highland (mostly because Alice said it was dirty and full of
tourists, so she didn't want to stop) and they'd explored downtown by the Staples

Center. Bella seemed to have had fun, but Edward felt bad that she was completely at
their mercy. However, he was glad that just like she did at home, she thanked them the

best way she knew how: by being her bright cheerful self, cooking and cleaning.

After dinner was finished, Edward told, rather than asked, Alice and Jasper to clean up.
Before she could protest, Edward scooped Bella up in his arms and bid his sister and

best friend good night, then carried her down the hall to his bedroom.

Edward threw her on the bed and got on top of her, pinning her to the mattress. He
kissed her roughly, stopping abruptly, however, when he felt her pushing against his

chest. Leaning back on his haunches, Edward looked at her questioningly.

"I just have to go to the bathroom," she said, embarrassed.

Edward shook his head in chagrin, but held his hand out to Bella, helping her off the
bed. "You'd better hurry back," he said huskily, to which Bella raised an eyebrow, "I

want to show you how much I missed you." He smirked.

Bella's blush deepened just before she giggled in nervous anticipation. She practically
sprinted toward the bathroom. However, when she returned a minute later, she found

Edward fast asleep, sprawled on the bed. The jet lag had finally caught up with him.

Words couldn't describe Edward's disappointment, quickly followed by anger when he
woke up without Bella the next morning as Alice leaned over him, poking at his face.

"Wake up Anthony!" She shouted when she saw his eyes crack open a sliver.

"ALLY! Get off me!" He growled.

Alice began to jump up and down on Edward's bed like a five year old, though he

suspected even Vera had more respect. "Bella made French toast." Alice sang as she
hopped off the bed, the stripped all the covers off Edward. "Get up." She said quickly

and shut the door just before Edward's pillow made contact with it.

He knew it must have been early when he showered, but his body clock was still so off
kilter, he didn't trust himself. Having finished his morning routine, he sauntered into the

kitchen in search of Bella but she was nowhere to be found.

"Jasper's taking her on a bunch of studio tours today." Alice said with a mouthful of
French toast.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye." Edward frowned as he took a plate and began to

stack the food on it.

"Sorry, you were in the shower." Alice leapt off her stool and brushed past Edward to
put her dishes in the sink. "We have to leave for the press junket in fifteen minutes."

Edward groaned, dragging his hands over his face, "This day is gonna take forever."

"Hey!" Alice yelled angrily, "I need Anthony Masen to show up and blow the press

away." Edward opened his mouth to respond but Alice kept talking, "You were a wreck
in Europe because you missed Bella. So I gave you Bella. Now you have no reason to act

like this other than just being a jerk for no reason." She folded her arms over her chest.

And the day did indeed drag. Angela kept Edward company when he wasn't answering
the same five questions for the press, because Alice was texting Jasper non-stop. And

that made Edward wonder how good of a companion Jasper was being for Bella if he
was constantly on his phone.

But during lunch Edward got to talk to Bella on the phone and she assured him she was

having a blast getting to see TV and movie sets, though she mentioned that they'd met a
few celebrities but because she was so sheltered, she didn't know who they were. That

made Edward laugh because she knew every single Packer and the Badger Football and
Hockey line-ups. Rose was gonna kill her when she returned and told her what

happened.

She apologized for leaving without saying goodbye and when she said she missed him
and loved him before they had to end the call, his heart swelled as he returned the

sentiment. However he hated the hesitation in her voice when he told her he'd be back
late as the junket would last into the night.

But the renewed energy from Bella helped him get through the rest of the day. He was

disappointed to find Bella sleeping when he and Alice returned. Edward was careful not
to wake her as he slipped into the bed and pulled her body against his, whispering how

much he loved her just before he fell asleep himself.

The next morning he woke up in a considerably more pleasurable way than he had the
previous day. Edward had been having a particularly naughty dream about Bella and

assumed it was all in his head until he heard her moan. Opening his eyes, he found her
hot, wet mouth wrapped around his morning wood.

"Bella…" He groaned.

She bobbed her head up and down before releasing his erection, "I just wanted to see

something…" She whispered, watching him through hooded eyes. Without warning her
tongue darted out and she licked the tip again, causing his eyes to roll back in his head.

She continued to lick and suck her way up his shaft, grazing her teeth along his swollen
member occasionally. And when he began to lift his hips up to meet her mouth, she

knew he was close, so Bella was prepared when he came in her mouth with a grunt. She
swallowed and licked him clean before tucking him back into his boxers and snuggling

into his side.

"Have I told you how wonderful you are?" He sighed and pulled her closer, rubbing her
back.

"Yeah, but you can tell me again," she giggled.

Edward leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him, "What?" He asked, confused.

"Are you sure you―"

"Bells, you just woke me up – on your birthday – with a blow job and swallowed; let me

kiss you." He brushed her bangs out of her face and moved in, pulling her bottom lip
between his to kiss her long and hard.

Except that the kiss wasn't nearly as long as Edward was hoping because true to form,

Alice knocked on the door, interrupting their activities.

"Anthony, Bella and I have to leave for the spa!" Alice yelled through the door.

"Go away!" Edward yelled and buried his head in the crook of Bella's neck.

"You've got ten minutes before I make Jasper break down the door! We have to stay on
schedule for the fitting!" Edward could imagine Alice stomping her foot.

"I'll be out." Bella yelled before Edward clamped his hand over her mouth.

"You don't have to humor her." Edward scolded.

Bella shrugged and Edward moved his hand so he could finish kissing her properly.

Promising to let him return the favor after the premiere, Bella was able to convince

Edward to let her go so she could leave on time with Alice. He told her he'd call to check
up on her and warned her not to agree to anything she didn't feel comfortable doing.

Bella rolled her eyes and told him he was being over-protective, but said she'd follow his
instruction anyway.

Edward wished her a happy birthday and promised not to remind Alice just before she

left. He slept for a bit longer before he had to leave to tape a talk show appearance and
then get fitted himself.

As soon as he was done with the show, Jasper rushed him out, worried that Alice would

be angry if they were late – but they weren't.

Edward had been standing still for what felt like forever with his legs spread and arms
outstretched so the tailor could get proper measurements. Finally he was allowed to

move again, which was fortunate for him because he desperately had to go to the
bathroom. However, as he made his way back to his fitting room, he heard Alice and

Bella giggling.

Following the sound of their voices, Edward rounded the corner and found Alice pinning
the hem of a striking dress that fell just above Bella's knees. The cranberry jersey dress

was simple, with a belt which was cinched around Bella's tiny waist, a conservative boat
neckline and cap sleeves which accentuated her beautiful collarbones. And as his eyes

followed the seem to the top, his mouth dropped slightly when he saw a small, but
elegant diamond pendant attached to a chain, settled perfectly at the hollow of her

neck. He wouldn't have been nearly as shocked if the necklace hadn't belonged to his
mother.

Letting his eyes travel down the short length of her dress, he feasted on the sight of her

exposed legs and calves and when he eventually made it to her black patent leather
heels, he had to adjust himself in his pants.

"Pervert," Bella half-shouted, making eye contact with Edward in the mirror.

Alice looked up at Bella, then over to Edward. She huffed but left the fitting area rather

quickly.

"Tease," Edward whispered as he closed the distance and took Bella in his arms, kissing

his favorite spot behind her ear tenderly.

"It's too short." She mumbled, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.

"I'm more concerned about those shoes." He chuckled, "Are you gonna be able to walk

around without breaking a leg?"

"Sure," She said honestly and pulled back from Edward slightly to bring her hand to the
side of his face, "I used to wear heels that were way taller almost every day." She traced

his cheekbone and when his brow furrowed in concern at her response, she merely
giggled then used her index finger to smooth down the creases that had formed

between his eyebrows. "It's like riding a bike." She said softly, looking into his eyes. Then
she crinkled her nose and said, "I hate those contacts – they creep me out."

"I hate them too." He kissed her lips, "And the dress isn't short enough," he said daringly

and grabbed her ass, squeezing it gently before she yelped in protest and shoved him
away.

"I'd say get a room, but we don't have time." Alice clicked her tongue from behind them.

Edward groaned and kissed Bella shortly and sweetly before taking Alice by her arm and

dragging her around the corner. "Is that Mom's necklace?" He hissed.

"Yes." She planted her hands on her hips, "Mom willed all her jewelry to me and I
wanted Bella to have it. It is her birthday after all." She justified her reasoning, "Not that

it's any of your business, but I didn't think you'd have a problem with it."

"Ally, I don't," Edward shook his head, "But didn't she? I can't imagine it was easy for her
to accept something that means so much." He tried to make his sister understand, but

was immediately concerned when she diverted her eyes from his, "Alice…"

"I didn't tell her…" She said under her breath.

"Didn't tell her what?" Edward said in a hushed growl.

Alice's gaze met his defiantly, "I didn't tell her it was Mom's – I knew she wouldn't take
it."

"Aww, Alice…" Edward covered his face with his hands.

"The way she talks about Mom – I knew Bella was special to her and it's so cruel that she

has nothing to remember them by when they meant so much to her – saved her." Alice
clearly wasn't going to back down – she rarely did.

"Okay," Edward said with chagrin, "But you have to tell her." He commanded.

Alice's mouth gaped for a split second before she abruptly closed it and said, "Fine."

"Right now," Edward raised an eyebrow, calling her bluff.

And sure enough, Alice's shoulders slumped in defeat and she traipsed back over to the

fitting room with Edward on her heels.

"Bella…" She said hesitantly. Bella turned and grew concerned when she saw the look
on Edward's face.

"I lied to you about the necklace I gave you for your birthday." She said quietly. And the

fact that she kept emphasizing that it was a birthday gift, in order to make Bella feel
preemptively guilty, should she want to give it back, was not lost on Edward.

"It's umm – it's not a fake diamond…"Alice's eyes were on the floor.

"And…" Edward goaded her.

"It belonged to our mom." Alice's apologetic eyes met Bella's. "But I want you to have it

– we both do!" She said frantically looking back at Edward, "Please keep it – Mom loved
you – and so do we – please!" She begged.

Bella's eyes bounced back and forth between Edward and Alice before she sighed and

said, "Okay." Alice had begun clapping her hands, excited that she had won, however
Bella wasn't finished, "But―" she began, "Under one condition." She eyed Alice

speculatively, "You don't get to buy or give me anything else for the rest of the time I'm
in L.A." She proposed.

Edward couldn't hide his smirk and when Bella looked at him for approval, he winked at

her, proud that she'd stood up to Alice.

"UGH!" Alice stomped her foot, "FINE!" She pouted.

Edward gave Bella a thumbs up and motioned that he had to leave so she blew him a
kiss and waved good bye before he turned to find his way back to Jasper and the tailor.

Soon the fitting ended but Edward was let down when he found out he had to take a

different car to the première, although it did make sense. Angela and Alice both
accompanied him.

Edward would never get used to the piercing sound of hundreds if not thousands of girls

screaming outside the theater in Westwood. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of

the car and helped Alice then Angela out the door.

Alice took a moment to straighten his suit and tie before resting her hand on his

forearm and leading him to the front of the press line where he was all smiles and
dashing charm. Inside he was freaking out and desperately searching through the

throngs of fans and reporters for his beautiful and sweet girl.

However just when he had given up on getting a glimpse of her before the premiere, he
saw her, arm laced through Jasper's and a look of slight panic written on her face but

she was doing her very best to be brave.

But then everything changed. It almost seemed to happen in slow motion as Edward
watched, just out of reach and completely helpless to aid her, unless he wanted to make

the cover of every tabloid.

Jessica Stanley, a very well known socialite and famous-for-nothing celebrity
approached Bella from the side, calling her 'Marie' and hugging her tightly the moment

Bella acknowledged her. Bella gave her a fake smile, motioned to Jasper, who was
frozen, unsure what to do and then Jessica turned and made direct eye contact with

Edward before continuing to gush. Edward was devastated, though he was momentarily
relieved when Jasper finally woke the hell up and stepped in, shooing Jessica away

before conferring with Bella. Jasper handed Bella something Edward couldn't see and
then she turned and left.

'SHE LEFT!' Edward's mind screamed.

Angela and Alice tried to get him back on track with the interview he was botching but

there was no chance in hell he could relax until Bella was safe in his arms.

Somehow he managed to finish his interviews in a daze and he told Alice she needed to
find Jasper immediately.

"What the fuck happened!" Edward growled when he finally got a chance to talk to

Jasper in private.

"Anthony." Jasper placed his palms on Edward's shoulders, "Calm down; she's safe."

"Where is she! What happened!" Edward was still panicked.

"I don't know where she is," Edward was about to interrupt Jasper, enraged that he'd
allowed Bella to go off in L.A. alone; however, Jasper continued, "BUT; she has my

phone and I have my GPS app turned on, so you can find her with Alice's cell." He took a
deep breath and encouraged Edward to do the same. "Jessica knew Bella – said they

were debutantes together. She recognized me too and asked if Bella knew you." Jasper

winced.

Edward groaned and ran his hands over his face and through his disheveled hair, "I have

to find her." He shook his head.

"You can't go." Jasper said quickly.

"Dude, you have got to be kidding me here!" Edward nearly shouted.

"Your contract says you have to stay through the première and you have to make an
appearance at the after-party," Again Jasper stopped Edward from exploding in anger,

"I'll have Alice call her every ten minutes and make sure she's okay."

"Why didn't you go with her?" Edward asked, completely exasperated and worried out
of his mind.

"She wouldn't let me, so I just gave her the phone. I didn't want to make a scene –

Jessica was right there." Jasper explained, clearly apologetic that things had turned out
so disastrously.

"I want updates ever ten minutes then." Edward said through clenched teeth, poking

Jasper square in the chest. "If anything happens to her―"

"I'm on it. Nothing's gonna happen." Jasper reassured him.

"There you are!" Angela poked her head around the corner, unaware of their argument,
"We have to take our seats – everyone's waiting for you."

Edward gave Jasper one final poignant glare before he went to follow Angela into the

theater. He spent the duration of the film sunk into his chair as far as it would go, with
his hands covering his face in embarrassment. He made it no secret that he hated

watching himself on film and that night was no exception.

Finally, the torture ended and he was whisked off to the after party, where he had brief
conversations with the director and his co-star, Victoria. And it was Victoria who helped

him escape by snagging Alice's phone and causing a distraction while Edward caught a
cab.

Alone at last, he used Alice's phone to call Bella, but she didn't answer. Again he called

with the same result. It took him a moment to figure out how to work the GPS linked to
Jasper's phone and he chuckled thinking that Alice probably had it installed because she

had a terrible sense of direction and got lost in L.A. all the time. But since Jasper had
grown up in the valley, he could always get her to where she needed to go.

After a second to calibrate, he found her and told the cab driver to take him to the Santa

Monica Pier, telling him the faster he drove, the bigger tip he'd get. And the driver did
indeed rise to the challenge.

The GPS wasn't exactly precise, since he wasn't on the road, but he had an idea where

he might find Bella and he didn't have to walk very far along the shore before he found
her sitting – or rather shivering – alone, visible tear tracks along her cheeks.

Quickly he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, startling her. She

looked up at him – she was frightened.

"I've never seen the ocean before." She said in a trembling voice, trying to be brave
again.

"I was so worried about you." He whispered, sitting down next to her, wrapping his arms

around her tightly.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, a fresh round of tears threatening to make an appearance.
"I just – I couldn't stay there…" She choked.

"I know sweetheart." He cooed, brushing her soft curls with his fingers, "Jasper told me

what happened." He kissed her temple.

"They're gonna find me." She hiccupped, "Jessica said they've been looking – she'll tell
her parents she saw me – and they'll―"

"Bella… shhh…" Edward tried to comfort her, "Honey, what could they do to you? You're

an adult. Do you think they'd hurt you?" He tried to understand.

"They'll make me go through with the wedding – Jessica said he's still hung up on me.
It's been five years!" She cried in anger.

"Wedding?" Edward croaked, regretting it the second the word passed through his lips.

Bella looked up at him with tearful eyes and began to sob again, "I'm sorry…" She

quietly wailed, "I couldn't tell you… how could I tell you?" She spoke to herself.

"You can tell me anything Bella. Nothing you do or say will make me love you any less."
He whispered into her hair.

Bella pulled back from him, "That's not true," she shook her head doubtfully; her tone

was full of shame.

"Tell me," he pleaded, "I promise."

Bella took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and what she told Edward did shock him,
but it could never change his mind about her.

"I was engaged to Michael. He just gave me a ring one day. He never asked and I never

answered. We just were." She sighed and pulled Edward's jacket more securely around
her small frame. "I left the night before my wedding. I had one final fitting for my dress

after the rehearsal dinner. I came out of the dressing room and my mom started crying
– she never cried, she was never emotional about anything." Bella paused, reveling in

her memory. "She asked me if this was what I wanted and I knew what she meant – she
meant… everything." Bella looked up at Edward. "I couldn't lie to her – I can't lie to

anyone," She shook her head, "So I said no."

Bella didn't speak for a few minutes, Edward prompted her to continue by asking, "What
did she do?" In a quiet and soothing voice as he rubbed her back gently.

"She told me to leave." Bella said as if she was still in shock at he mother's response.

"She told me to get dressed and gave me the keys to a car waiting for me outside – I
wasn't supposed to know how to drive, but the head-chef, Charlie, had taught me how

when my parents were gone on business… he was more of parent to me than either of
mine ever were. I still wonder if she asked him to do it…" Bella went off on a tangent.

"Anyway, she told me to drive as far away as I could get and to get out while I had a
chance. She said she'd leave a note so nobody thought something bad had happened –

just that I got cold feet and ran…" Bella snuggled into Edward's arms, "It was the first
and only time that she was ever a mother to me, but I'll never forget what she did so I

could live a life I'd chosen for myself." Bella shook her head, "I can't let them find me."

"There's no way I'll let them get to you." Edward said firmly. "And even if they did find
you, they can't force you to marry that jerk."

"Edward, you might have a lot of money, but they have so much more – if they found

me – the hell they'd put you through wouldn't be worth it." She was resigned to the fact
that there was a real possibility she'd have to return to Seattle.

"I won't let you go." Edward practically growled.

"No, I don't suppose you would," She laughed humorlessly, "But then again, it's not like

we'd have a choice."

Edward didn't know how to respond, she was so scared and no matter what he said, she
only seemed to get more adamant about the fact that they wouldn't win.

"I wanna go home." Bella's soft voice carried just over the sound of the waves crashing

along the shore.

It was easy to find a cab at the pier and it didn't take them very long to return to
Edward's house in the hills. Edward kept Bella tucked into his side, though he said

nothing to her the entire car ride and for quite a while when they got inside.

The house was empty since Alice and Jasper were still at the after party. When they
entered, Bella took Edward's hand and led him into his bedroom, shutting the door

behind them. She pushed him until he sat down on the bed. He tried in vain to make eye
contact with her, in an attempt to decipher what was going through her mind.

Gently she tugged Edward's shirt over his head, then proceeded to take her dress off.

Clad only in a matching set of black lace panties and a bra, she stalked toward Edward
and her hands went for his belt.

"Bella…" His hands were on top of hers, halting her immediately. It was then that her

eyes met his and there were so many emotions swimming around in their chocolate
depths that Edward was quite taken aback. There was no doubt in his mind that she still

looked upset and affected by the events of that night, but aside from that, they were
lustful. She very much wanted him.

"Edward…" She mirrored his tone and shoved his shoulders suddenly, which surprised

him so much he actually flopped back on the bed, and again her hands were on his belt.

"Bells, sweetheart," he struggled to get up and stop her, which was especially hard
when her hand grazed his erection, eliciting a low hiss from his mouth.

"See," She smirked at him, "You want me too."

"Bella, stop!" He cut her off abruptly, "I won't take advantage of you." He grabbed her

face with his hands, "I love you."

"I just want to feel something… please…" She said, exasperated and removed his hands
from her face. "You're not taking advantage of me!" She argued, "I want this and we

would have done it in Green Bay if we hadn't been interrupted. So why does it matter if
we do it now?" She stared at Edward as she stood at the end of the bed while he sat.

"Because it should be special―" Edward tried to reason, reaching his hands out for hers.

Bella took a step forward, but refused his hands, "This is special." She shook her head,

willing him to understand, "I don't need candles and rose petals," she cringed and
Edward wondered if Michael had tried those things, "I just need you." She cupped his

face in her hands.

Edward looked up at her for a long moment, trying to decide what to do. He'd be lying

to himself if he said he didn't want her, but would they wake up in the morning and

regret it?

Bella moved forward and wrapped her arms around his neck as she whispered, "Please,
make love to me."

And there was just no going back after that.

"Okay…" Edward said reluctantly and held her close for a minute before releasing her.

"Take your bra off and get on the bed." He instructed her and Bella complied
immediately, neatly setting her bra next to her dress on the vanity. Then she climbed

onto the bed, sitting up slightly, waiting for him.

Edward unfastened his pants and didn't bother picking them up off the floor. Then he
climbed on the bed after Bella, still wearing his boxers and used his lips and tongue and

fingers to show her just how much he needed her.

Long languid kisses and sweet, tender caresses soon became urgent and passionate as
they both worked their arousals.

Bella cried out when Edward's fingers dipped below her panties and stroked her wet

and wanting slit. Quickly he grabbed a condom and slipped his boxers off.

In a surprising move, Bella shimmied out of her own panties, throwing them on the floor
without looking and took the condom from Edward. She licked the tip of his cock before

unrolling the condom, as if to prove once and for all that she was ready and willing.

Bella laid back down on the bed and Edward moved closer, spreading her legs as he
loomed over her. "We can't take this back," he murmured, worriedly.

"I don't want to," She panted, "I love you… please…" Bella begged.

Edward took one more sweeping glance at her beautiful and naked body spread out

beneath him before he nodded. He positioned himself at her entrance, slowly stroking
her with his cock to use the lubrication her body offered him. Her moans spurred on his

actions.

Slowly he pushed the head into her, but stopped immediately when she cried out in
pain. "Bella!" He yelled in alarm.

Her eyes were screwed shut as she shook her head and said quickly, "I'm okay – keep

going."

But Edward wasn't stupid; he knew something was wrong, "Bella, you need to relax." He

said calmly, rubbing her sides and ghosting his hands over her perfect breasts. "Take a

deep breath." He requested and as she exhaled he tried pushing into her just a little
more, but again the pain was too much for her. Without another word he pulled out of

Bella, causing her to whimper in defeat.

"No – please!" She sat up, wincing slightly, "Please, try again! I promise I'll relax!"

"Bella, it's just not right, honey." He shook his head, wondering what the hell had gone
so wrong. Was it physical? Was it mental? He knew he was bigger than Michael, but he

didn't think it'd make such a huge difference. She was certainly tight, but he thought
most women would be if they hadn't had sex in five years – she was practically a virgin.

But he couldn't help but wonder if he'd made the wrong decision in giving in to her.

"Please try again," Bella sniffed as she began to cry, "Please – I'm sorry."

Edward took the condom off and tucked his painful erection into his boxers, "It's okay.
Don't apologize – it's okay." He tried to calm her down. "Let me make you feel good." He

whispered, squeezing her hand and looking into her eyes.

"I want you inside me." She choked.

"Not tonight honey, I can't hurt you." He told her. They'd just have to figure something
else out, "We'll try again when we get back – just let me make you feel good." His hand

trailed down her body but she shoved him away and ran into the bathroom, slamming
the door and locking it behind her.

"Open the door Bella." Edward's voice cracked, but when she didn't respond he rammed

into the door, shattering the lock.

Bella looked up at him in terror from the bathtub where she was curled up into herself
in the corner.

Without a single word uttered between them, Edward climbed into the tub, pulling Bella

into his arms. He rocked her gently while she sobbed.

Chapter 15 – November 26

Bella,

I feel like there's so much I want to say to you, but I don't know where to
begin. Actually, that's a lie, the first thing I need to tell you is that I'm

sorry.

I took advantage of you after the première because I wanted you too
much and now I've ruined everything. You haven't said anything and I will
most likely chicken out and throw this letter away but I know you're not
okay. I can see how scared you are and I don't know what to do to make
you feel safe again.

I get the feeling that you think you've failed in some way and you have to
know that is not true at all. It didn't feel right and I should have turned
you down, even though the rejection may have made you feel just as
upset. But at least then you'd just be angry with me, rather than
defeated. Every time I look in your eyes I know, I was the one who failed.
I failed you, sweetheart and I'll never forgive myself for hurting you
physically and emotionally.

I know this is hard, but I just need you to talk to me. I need you to
communicate and tell me how you're feeling and what I can do to make
it better for you.

I hope you don't think I've been keeping my distance because I don't want
you – I've just been trying to give you space. Though I won't pretend that
I've been anything less than miserable since you've decided to sleep in your
room alone. Bella, I belong to you and you belong to me. Please, talk to
me.

I love you,

Edward

"Morning honey," Edward kissed Bella's temple, frowning when she flinched and only
responded with a small half smile. He took a step back from her, not wanting to upset

her if she didn't want him touching her. "Tell me the plan for the day; what can I do to

help you?" Edward asked sincerely, grabbing the orange juice out of the fridge. Bella

had been freaking out over Thanksgiving for the entire five days they'd been back in
Delta. Rose's family was coming over and though they would have been happy with

anything, considering Rose didn't have to cook, Bella was still determined to make a
show of it.

"Go relax; I have everything covered." She responded vacantly, moving around Edward

to wash the turkey in the sink.

"There must be something I can do to make your day easier." He offered, hating that
she was so stressed. "Anything?"

"Ya know what you can do?" Bella replied in a clipped tone, "You can take Jake and

leave me alone."

Edward took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Ever since their failed attempt
at having sex, Bella had been cold and distant. Edward had been patient, but he could

only take so much, "I know you're stressed," he said through clenched teeth, "And I
know today is not the day to get into anything with you, but this has got to stop."

Bella dropped the turkey and spun around to face him, "Go ahead," she snapped, "Just

say it. It's not like I wasn't expecting this."

"Expecting what?" His brow furrowed.

"You don't have to explain, you can just leave." She said coldly.

"I am NOT leaving." Edward shouted, "And neither are you. We are gonna deal with this
together."

Bella's eyes were downcast and Edward hated that she would just automatically submit

when they had a serious disagreement.

Edward walked over to her and gathered her into his arms, taking note that she didn't
return his embrace, but instead just stood there limply. "I love you…" he whispered,

"Seeing you like this breaks my heart," he choked and brought one hand up to stroke
her hair, though she remained motionless. "If you want me to leave, I'll go." He sighed.

And though she didn't tell him to stay, she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled

into his embrace just a little.

"I miss you." He held her tighter. "But I don't know what you want."

"Don't go." She sniffled meekly, "I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too, Bells." Edward pulled back from her and brought his hand to tip her chin
up so he could kiss her; an action that he'd been denied since arriving in Delta.

Their lips parted after a moment and Edward rested his forehead against Bella's, "Can

we just be okay for today… please?"

Bella nodded slowly and pulled his face down to hers to kiss him again. "My sweet girl…"
he whispered into her mouth.

And then she giggled softly. Edward smiled, relishing the sound and relief washed over

him, thinking that they were going to be okay eventually.

"I guess you can peel potatoes." Bella told him.

"Great!" Edward beamed.

"But eat your breakfast first," she instructed him as she went back to the sink.

Edward laughed, his Bella was definitely in there. He grabbed a bagel and popped it into
the toaster then sat down at the breakfast bar, "Tell me what you're making today." He

requested sweetly, knowing it would get her talking.

Bella ran through the whole menu, while Edward ate then he peeled potatoes before
getting ready. He kept Rose, Emmett and the kids occupied in the basement after they'd

arrive so Bella had the kitchen to herself.

He felt guilty though, because he knew how hard she was working when all he had to do
was sit Chuck and Vera in front of the TV and regale Rose and Emmett with the

elaborate proposal Jasper had thought up to ask Alice to marry him. He planned to
execute his plan that day, so Edward was nervously awaiting a call from Alice and

hopefully Jasper as well.

Things were going great until Bella called them up for the food. Edward tried to help
her, but she had shut down again and was quite short with him. He tried to ask her if

everything was okay but she merely ignored him. He was completely bewildered.

Thankfully Vera was very talkative during their meal, not to mention Emmett and Rose
argued the whole time about the actual severity of a snow storm scheduled to hit Delta

overnight. There was no awkward conversation between the couple in front of their
company. However, Edward couldn't help but notice the fact that Bella was glaring at

him when she thought he wasn't looking.

But Edward wasn't the only one who had noticed something was off. Rose cornered him

when he went to grab another beer in hopes of numbing himself to the situation.

"What the heck is going on between the two of you!" Rose hissed from behind him.

Edward practically slammed the refrigerator door shut behind him, "Fuck if I know!" He

growled.

Rose pursed her lips, assuming he was lying, "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything to her." He said in a hushed whisper, then added, "But maybe
that's the problem." He scowled to himself.

"Well, whatever it is, just apologize and raise the white flag. I've never seen her so

pissed, except for when you first got here." Rose raised her eyebrow at Edward.

He set his beer down and ran his hands over his face, "Just – just stay out of this." He
whimpered.

Rose folded her arms over her chest, "Fine." She said coolly and walked back into the

dining room. Edward's heart dropped – Rose was the second to last person he wanted
to piss off, as Bella seemed to already be a lost cause.

After everyone was finished eating, Edward insisted on doing the dishes and did

everything short of threatening Bella to convince her to go downstairs and enjoy the
football game with their friends. She put up a good fight but eventually relented and

joined Rose and Emmett in the basement.

Edward brought the pie Bella had made for dessert downstairs when he was finished
cleaning up. Rose's family took off just after the game had ended to beat the blizzard.

Edward had just come in from letting Jake out, since the snow had been getting steadily

heavier, when he heard Bella ascending the stair, no doubt planning to spend another
night alone in her bedroom. But Edward would have none of it.

He sprinted through the house and up the stairs and grabbed Bella just before she got to

her room, throwing her over his shoulder, ignoring her protests.

"Edward! Put me down this instant!" She screeched, "You can't just carry me around like
a sack of potatoes."

"Sure I can," he laughed, slapping her ass before opening the door to his room.

"No! I don't want to be in here!" She shrieked. "Leave me alone! Put me down!"

"If you insist," He chuckled, throwing her on the bed and quickly scrambling on top of

her, pinning her to the mattress.

"This isn't what I had in mind," she growled, refusing to make eye contact.

"Too bad." He used one hand to hold her wrists above her head and the other to start
unbuttoning her red blouse. "You looked so beautiful today." He sighed, pausing briefly

to place kisses along her jaw line and suck on her collar bone.

"Stop, please…" She whined, "You don't want me anyway…"

Edward frowned, "That's not true." He said quickly then finished unbuttoning her shirt
to reveal the same black lace bra he'd seen her in the night of the première. "Oh. I'm so

glad you kept this." He sighed, eyes darting from her breasts then to her eyes, which
were focused on the wall. "Now why on earth would you think I don't want you?"

Edward asked thoughtfully as he moved his weight back to his heels, still straddling her,
but the new position allowed him access to her pants.

"You know why…" She whispered.

Edward swallowed thickly, watching tears form in her eyes. "I would have hurt you." He

said softly.

"I wanted you to." She choked.

"Do you think so little of yourself that you think you deserve something like that? You
deserve to be worshiped and adored and―"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Bella cried.

Edward was shocked by her outburst and she used that moment to get out from

beneath him. But Edward didn't follow her when she went to the door and Bella sensed
that he wouldn't, "Besides, it's not like you ever want to have a future with me."

"How could you say that?" Edward shook his head.

"I heard you talking to Rose about Jasper proposing and I know you didn't tell me

because you didn't want me to think that'd be us some day." Bella stifled, holding back
tears.

Slowly Edward got up from the bed and approached Bella, who had backed into the hall.

His body was mere inches from hers when he whispered, "I fully intend to marry you
Isabella; I just haven't asked yet."

She staggered back another step from him, shaking her head in disbelief and muttered,

"You're lying." Then she took off for her room.

Edward stayed in his room for a few hours. At first he tried reading and when he
realized he'd been scanning the same paragraph over and over he gave up and tried to

sleep with the same result. Around midnight he left his room to use the bathroom and
on the way back he heard Bella crying. The sound of her sobbing because of him tore

Edward up inside.

He sat in the hall, outside her room and eventually when Bella had cried herself to sleep,
against his better judgment, he snuck inside and got into her bed. Careful not to wake

her up, he didn't try to pull her against him, he just kissed away her tear tracks and took
her hand in his, wanting to feel the softness and warmth of her skin somehow. Finally

being next to her and knowing she was safe, it didn't take Edward very long to fall
asleep.

But he hadn't been sleeping for very long when a rough shove woke him. "What! What!

I'm up!" He shouted in alarm, trying to focus in the darkness.

Bella was sitting up in the bed, arms crossed, eyes narrowed angrily, "Why are you in my
room?" She pouted, "I don't want you in here."

"Aww, Bells…" Edward whined, raking his hands over his face, "I didn't – I heard you

crying – I just – I can't sleep without you; okay?" He stuttered.

Bella uncrossed her arms, "You're a jerk…" she said half-heartedly, trying to convince
herself to stay mad at him.

"I know," Edward sighed and pulled himself up on his elbows, "But I need you. I'm

sorry."

"You didn't have to turn off the heat just to get me to cuddle with you." She accused
him.

"I didn't turn the heat off," he replied in confusion. Edward turned to look at Bella's

alarm clock to see what time it was, but the clock was dead, "Shit." He muttered.

"Don't swear." Bella scolded.

"The snow knocked the power out." Edward told her.

Bella's mouth dropped and Edward was pretty sure he could see panic written on her
face, even in the dark. "It's okay," he took her hand and when she tried to pull away he

tightened his grip. Bella huffed in defeat. "Don't be like this," he pleaded.

"Like what?" She said innocently, raising her eyebrows in defiance.

Edward sighed, she couldn't stay mad at him forever… could she? "Tell me how to fix
this." He asked.

"You can't." She said shortly.

Edward did have one idea, however.

He abruptly got out of the bed.

"Edward!" She said in alarm; he turned back to face her, "Where are you going?" She

asked meekly, not wanting to seem too interested.

"I'll be right back." He said quickly and disappeared down the hall.

Bella called after him, but he didn't return for another twenty minutes.

"I was about to send out a search party," Bella complained when he returned. Edward
laughed as he approached the bed, "Do you trust me?" He asked Bella, suddenly very

serious as he held a hand out to her.

"I'm still mad at you." She told him before she took his hand.

He helped her off the bed and wrapped his arm around her as he led her toward the
stairs. But instead of going down, Edward tugged her forward toward the flight that led

to the third floor.

"We're going up there?" Bella asked timidly.

"Uh huh," Edward confirmed as they started up the stairs.

"But it's creepy up here at night." She said, wrapping her arms tighter around his torso.

"Trust me, sweetheart." He whispered and kissed the top of her head.

But when they got to the third floor landing, Bella paused as she saw light flickering
inside the master bedroom. He pulled her and again she followed him toward the suite

to find that he had lit a fire in the fireplace across from the huge sleigh bed. The room
was already considerably warmer than the rest of the house.

"You did this?" She looked up at him imploringly.

He nodded with a small smirk on his face, "You said you were cold, and we can't have

that."

Bella smiled at him before burying her face in his chest.

"You know Bells. . . there are other ways we can keep warm. . ." He whispered huskily.

She pulled back to look at him again, wondering if he meant what she wanted him to.
"Really?" Her lip trembled slightly.

"I do have some conditions." He said apprehensively.

"Okay. . ."

Edward led her over to the bed, gripping her waist to help her up on to the high

mattress before climbing in after her.

"First, you have to do exactly what I tell you." He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to
challenge him, but she said nothing.

He nodded in approval and took his shirt off in one swift motion, throwing it on the

ground. "Second, you have got to tell me if I'm hurting you." She opened her mouth to
protest, but he continued, "It doesn't mean we'll stop, we'll just try and adjust so you're

more comfortable." He told her.

Bella thought for a moment but said, "Okay," realizing she needed to agree with him.

"Good girl." He smiled and leaned forward, lifting Bella's tank top over her head and
throwing it on the ground next to his shirt. He let his fingers run over her breasts for a

quick second, causing a small moan to fall from her lips.

"Finally, if this doesn't work, We'll have to stop tonight, but that doesn't mean we won't
try again and it certainly doesn't mean I don't want you." He said firmly, locking eyes

with hers, "Trust me, if you had any kind of idea how hard you make me, you'd never
question me again." He laughed darkly.

"So?" He questioned after a beat.

"Okay." She said again, "Whatever you want." She smiled, "Just tell me what to do."

"You're not gonna be mad at me anymore?" He asked.

"No..." She said sheepishly.

"Because I would have told you about Jasper if you'd been speaking to me." He rubbed

her arm.

"I'm sorry," She moved forward, snuggling into his lap and pressing her bare chest
against his.

"And you're not allowed to sleep in your room anymore. I was miserable without you."

He said softly, bending down so he could kiss his favorite spot behind her ear.

"I'm sorry..." She said again and then Edward felt her hand on his obvious erection, "Can
I make it up to you?" She looked at him innocently, pulling her bottom lip between her

teeth.

"God you're so fucking hot," he panted and all but attacked her mouth with his. His
tongue massaged hers roughly and he broke the kiss for a moment to shove Bella on her

back.

"What're you doing...?" She moaned.

Edward kissed her hard for a second time, wondering if he'd bruised her lips after he
came up for air. She clawed at him, trying to bring his mouth back to hers but he

stopped her. "I'm gonna make you come so hard you'll be screaming my name because
you've forgotten yours." He growled.

"How long have you been holding onto that line?" She snorted.

"You are so gonna get it." He threatened her and moved down her body, taking the

sides of her panties through his fingers and tugging them down "Lift your hips, honey."
He breathed and she complied just before they joined the other clothing on the floor.

"Edward..." Bella keened.

But instead of answering Bella, he slid his fingers between her legs, just to make sure

she was as wet as she sounded. "Do I do this to you?" He asked gruffly as he spread her
legs apart and moved to kneel between them.

"Yes... god, yes..." She cried as he trailed his fingers over her swollen clit.

"Tell me you're mine." He chuckled at the power he had over her.

"No fair!" She called him out and tried to move, but he had her legs pinned down, just

like earlier in the night.

"Say it!" He laughed.

"No!" She countered, unable to conceal another giggle.

"You asked for it." He moved onto his stomach and ran his tongue over her slit up to her
clit.

"YOURS!" She cried, "I'm yours – Oh god – yours, yours!"

"That's what I thought," He smirked and ran his hands up and down the outside of her

thighs.

"Jerk..." She pouted.

Edward hovered over her so they were nose to nose, "So you don't want me to make
you come?" He joked.

Bella frowned, "I didn't say that."

"Who do you belong to?" Edward enjoyed teasing her physically and mentally, knowing

that the longer it went on, the more relaxed she became and the more likely she was to
forget where their exchange was going to end.

"Ugh!" She whined, "Please..."

"Then just say it." He kissed a trail from her chin down her neck to her breasts.

"You have to say it first." She panted while he palmed one breast and sucked on the

other.

Gently he bit down on her hardened nipple.

"EDWARD!" She cried out, half in protest, half in ecstasy.

He released her and brought his face close to hers, "Oh Bella..." He pulled her bottom lip
between his and sucked hard, causing her to writhe beneath him, "I'm a fool for you."

He kissed her softly then, "I fell in love with you the second I met you." Edward nuzzled
her neck and brushed her hair with his fingers, "I've always belonged to you."

Bella sighed beneath him, "I belong to you too." Her fingers danced across his bare back.

Without another word, Edward moved his attention back down to her arousal. He

stroked her then moved two fingers gently inside her, curling them slightly to find her
sweet spot. Again he put his mouth on her, sucking her clit then circling it with his

tongue.

Her hips began to come off the bed and he worked his fingers more quickly inside her to
bring her to her climax. Her moans had become louder and Edward knew she was close,

so he took the opportunity to graze her clit with his teeth and smiled smugly when she
cried his name out as she came around his fingers. He continued to stroke her as she

came down from her euphoria and murmured sweet nothings in her ear while she tried
to catch her breath.

"Edward..." She sighed.

"Yes sweetheart?" He cooed, kissing her forehead.

"I thought you were gonna make love to me – not that I'm complaining..." She added

quickly.

"I am, I just need you to relax first," He laughed, but he didn't mind that she was
impatient. "Do you think you're ready?" He asked softly, brushing her bangs out of her

eyes.

She made eye contact with him and nodded, smiling all the while.

"Okay," he ran his knuckles over her cheek then rolled onto his back and shimmied out
of his sweatpants.

"Do I do that to you?" Bella said in a seductive voice, mocking Edward's erection, tented

in his boxers.

"You better watch it little girl." He pointed his finger in jest.

Bella surprised him when she grabbed his hand and took his extended finger in her
mouth, sucking hard, as if to illustrate her point.

Edward groaned.

"Alright, that's enough..." he shook his head, "I want you to straddle me." Edward

instructed her.

Her lips parted, she was clearly taken aback, "You want me to be on top?" She
squeaked.

"Well, yeah, honey." He leaned back on his elbows, "I thought maybe it wouldn't hurt so

much from a different angle." He explained.

"Oh..." She said as though she hadn't even considered trying a different position.

Then she cocked a brow, "You want me to ride you?" Bella's voice was mischievous.

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"I don't know what to do." She said uncertainly.

"Well, we should probably get my boxers off first," He grinned suggestively.

She smiled back at him and slipped her fingers under the waistband of his underwear
before slowly dragging them down his legs, releasing his cock from the confines of the

fabric.

Edward was about to reach for the condom he'd placed on the night stand, but Bella's
hot, wet mouth around his head stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Fuck…" He hissed at the sensation.

She slid his member farther into her mouth and then sucked hard as she moved back,

releasing it with a pop. "What've I got to do, to stop your cussing?" She licked her lips
and gave him a Cheshire smile as her small hand went around him, pumping him twice,

"Now what?" She breathed.

"If you―" Edward swallowed, trying not to climax as she had begun to stroke him again.
"Bells, you have got to stop that unless you want me to come right now." He panted.

"Oops," She smiled coquettishly and instead linked her hand with his.

"C'm'ere." He gently pulled her forward a bit, "Spread your knees a little farther," He

told her as he rolled the condom on then positioned his tip at her entrance, coating
himself in her lubrication, "I want you to slowly move down. Go at whatever pace feels

comfortable." He rubbed his free hand up and down her side, "Just relax; you're in
control… but whatever you do, don't slam down on me." He warned her.

She nodded emphatically.

"Okay, ready?" He asked.

"Yeah," she replied quietly, already trying to concentrate on what she was about to do.

And so slowly Edward didn't even feel it at first, she began to sink down on him. Once

the head was in, Edward sighed. She felt more amazing around him than he could have
ever imagined. She stopped briefly, wincing and Edward was about to ask if she was

okay when her eyes locked with his and she said, "I just need a second to get used to

you."

Bella leaned forward, angling her body over Edward's and closed her eyes before she

continued to impale herself on him while he held her hands and told her how beautiful
she was and how well she was doing.

And then she stilled once more and Edward realized it was because he was completely

buried in her, right up to the hilt. "I knew you could do it, sweetheart." He smiled softly.

"Now what?" She sighed, contented.

"Whenever you're ready, you can start moving. I'll help you climax – don't worry about
me." He ran his hand down her arm and squeezed her hand where it was connected to

his chest.

She took a few deep breaths before she began to rock herself against Edward. Her
mouth parted slightly once they hit a slow, steady rhythm. Both were completely and

utterly lost to the feeling of one another. It was as if their bodies had always been
destined to share the connection.

When Edward felt her picking up the pace, he let his hand trail down her body and he

began rubbing her clit, "I want you to come again, honey."

Bella merely moaned in response and thrust against him harder. Edward could feel that
his own orgasm was moments away, so he picked up his pace, rubbing her with one

hand and palming her breasts with the other, while letting his hips rise up to meet hers.
Edward's name was all Bella was capable of uttering as she climaxed; her walls

tightened around Edward inside of her and sent him over the edge right beside her.

Bella collapsed on top of Edward, still joined to him. They panted together for a moment
before he told her he needed to pull out.

Reluctantly she slid off him, whimpering when she had completely released him.

"I feel empty…" She sniffed, "You felt so right inside me…"

"I know…" he sighed and pulled the covers over them both, "Oh, do you need your

clothes?" He asked quickly. Despite his best efforts to get her to sleep naked with him,
she insisted on wearing at least her panties to bed. Knowing it had to do with Michael,

he didn't pressure her.

"Yeah," she said, lazily sliding off the bed, "I'm just gonna go clean up quick." She told
Edward.

Bella was only gone for a moment and Edward helped her get back up on the bed when

she returned, to his surprise, only wearing her panties.

"I'm sorry I've been so awful to you." She whispered, snuggling closer to him under the
covers. "I do trust you. I never thought I could love someone so much."

"Well I'm sorry about everything that happened in L.A. and that I didn't try to talk to you

about it." He ran his hands over her soft skin, "I will never make you cry again." Edward
promised her.

But Bella tensed, "You mean, about tonight?" She asked.

"Yeah, I mean you cried yourself to sleep – alone – in your room – because I'm an

asshole." Edward muttered, ashamed of himself.

"You didn't make me cry." She sat up suddenly, trying to see him better with the aide of
the firelight. "I mean it was because of you, but not – I found your letter." She blurted

out.

Edward panicked, trying to remember what he'd written and where he'd left it that
she'd gotten to it. He'd thrown it away in the library, so she must have seen it there.

"I don't know what to say." Edward said honestly.

Bella smiled and leaned down to place a tender kiss on his lips, "You don't have to say

anything." She laid back down and curled into his side, "Every doubt, every fear, every
question I had was put to rest tonight." She ran her hand over his bare chest.

Edward couldn't help but grin; she sounded so happy and knowing that he made her

feel that was what he needed – it was more than enough.

They slept in the next morning because of their late night activities. The power was still
out, but since they had gotten so much snow, they were trapped for the time being.

Since Bella was admittedly sore the next morning, she let Edward move the food from

the fridge to the porch with only a short argument. Thankfully the water was still
working so they were able to use the bathroom.

After lunch, which consisted of sandwiches, since Bella couldn't use the stove, oven or

microwave, she convinced Edward to play with her and Jake outside.

They built a snowman, got into a snowball fight and even went sledding down the hill in
the backyard, which spilled them out on the frozen lake.

Edward had to drag both Bella and Jake inside for dinner. But Bella, being the clever girl

that she was, boiled water over the fireplace and made hot chocolate for herself and
Edward before they roasted hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire – giggling like

teenagers the whole time.

It was more than obvious to both Bella and Edward that their dynamic had changed –
for the better. Not only was their recent spat over with, but it was as if their union had

lifted a weight off both of their shoulders. There were no more walls up, there was
nothing to hide – finally both of them could be exactly who they were with each other

and it was exactly what their relationship needed.

After dinner, sticky with marshmallows on their fingers they took a shower together.
Bella almost got Edward to agree to try having sex with her in the large stall, but he used

every ounce of his will power to decline.

Instead he took his time washing every inch of her skin, made her come twice and then
finished by washing her hair.

In a big puffy towel, he carried her back out to the sleigh bed and tucked her under the

covers before adding another log to the fire.

"Bella…" he licked the shell of her ear.

"Hmmmm…" She hummed in content.

"Move in with me." He said softly.

"I already live with you." She giggled.

"No, up here." He looked down at her and met her eyes, "This should be our room."

Bella hesitated for a split second before she grinned widely, "Okay."

Happily caught up in the moment, Edward made love to her again and that time he was
on top.

Chapter 16 – December 19

Bella, my darling,

I'm writing this letter for the sole purpose of hiding it to see how long it

takes you to find it, since I have a strong suspicion you've been snooping
through my things. But you should know I don't mind and besides this
letter, I have absolutely nothing to hide. When it comes to you, my dear, I
am an open book.

I did kind of want to tell you how excited I am to move in with you
though. I've never lived with a girl besides Alice, and you are decidedly
lower maintenance than she is. Plus I wouldn't mind at all if you started
walking around the house or at the very least our bedroom in your
underwear.

I don't say it enough, but between your confidence, wit and gorgeous
body, you are seriously the sexiest woman I've ever come across. How I
managed to trick you into this relationship is beyond me, because clearly
you can do a heck of a lot better than me. But I probably shouldn't be
telling you this. I don't want you getting wise to the fact, because then
you would never let me forget it.

But back to our bedroom. It feels so nice to think of it like that. Is it
pathetic that I'm looking forward to sharing a space with you? And the
fact that I get to wake up next to you every morning in that big bed
makes me happier than you could ever know. I love that no matter how
big a bed is, you always end up cuddled up right next to me. God I love
you.

I expect you to tell me when you find this letter and if you want to know
anything, just ask me.

I love you,

Edward

Bella walked up behind Edward in the kitchen, wrapping her arms around him and

kissing the center of his back. "Hi," she simpered.

Edward smiled, placing his hands over hers and looked down when he realized she was
holding something… a piece of paper – his letter.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" He sniggered.

"I love you?" She chirped.

Edward shook his head and shrugged out of her arms so he could finish putting the

dishes away.

"In my defense, I was not snooping." She bit her bottom lip.

"Oh, I bet you weren't," he teased. "So what, pray tell, were you doing under the bed in
that particular shoe box?"

Bella blanched and mumbled something under her breath. Edward turned around,

picked Bella up and set her on the counter, settling between her legs. "I didn't hear you,
darling." He laughed.

"I was looking for your porn." She grumbled.

Edward raised an eyebrow at her, "You just assume I'd have some?"

"You're a guy." She said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, well you're a woman and if I had any, I'd do a heck of a lot better job of hiding it."

He placed his hands on her hips and squeezed them, leaning forward he whispered, "I
don't need porn when I have you."

Bella wrapped her legs around Edward, forcing him closer. She wound her hand in his

hair and tugged it lightly, "Wanna teach me a lesson?" She said seductively.

"Why Isabella Swan," he sucked on the sensitive skin behind her ear, "You are
insatiable." And indeed she had been ever since they'd consummated their relationship

almost three weeks previously.

"I just need you." She moaned, her hands finding purchase in the button of his pants, "I
know you want me too." She purred.

"Sure, but on the counter?" He was surprised she'd want to defile her immaculate

kitchen.

"We could do it on the piano." She suggested, moving to his fly, "Or the dining room

table."

"Jesus Bells," he groaned when he hand came in contact with his skin.

However, the phone rang, interrupting them.

"Don't answer it." Edward said gruffly, pulling Bella closer, "Nothing good ever comes

from answering that phone when we're occupied."

"What if it's an emergency?" She reasoned, already having taken her hands out of his
boxers and unclasping her ankles from around him.

"Dammit." He swore, letting her scoot off the table.

"Language." She tsked as she picked up the phone, "Hello?" She said demurely and

paused, waiting for a response, "Oh… really?" her brow furrowed. "Yeah, that'd be
great, thanks – bye Rose." She hung up the phone.

Edward cocked his head expectantly. "Rose said UPS dropped off a bunch of packages at

the station, addressed to me. Emmett's on his way over with them now since there are
so many. They wouldn't fit in anything but the truck – not that I'd drive it in the snow."

She put her hands on her hips, "I wonder what it is." Suddenly she stuck her finger out
at Edward, "You better not have bought me anything!" She accused him.

Edward put his hands up defensively, "I'm not an idiot." He told her.

But they didn't have to wait too long to find out what it was. Edward helped Emmett

carry all the boxes into the house and when they were finished, Emmett handed him a
UPS letter.

Bella stole it, ripping it open. There was a single piece of paper inside. On it was an

elegant scrawl that read, 'They looked better on you anyway.'

"She didn't." Bella fumed, "Open a box." She commanded Edward.

Obeying her command, he tore the tape off one box, revealing a pile of bras and panties
with pink Victoria Secret tags still attached, "You're gonna wear these for me, right?" He

held up a pink and white polka dot bra with one finger.

Bella snatched the bra away, very aware of the fact that Emmett was still standing in the
foyer. "Not anymore." She growled before stomping up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Is she okay?" Emmett asked.

"She'll be fine," Edward rolled his eyes, "You hungry? We just finished dinner."

"What'd she make?" He asked, following Edward into the kitchen.

"Soup and a lot of it." He opened the fridge and pulled the soup pot out, "Actually, why

don't you just take it home – it's early, I'm sure Rose hasn't even started dinner."
Edward offered.

"Really?" Emmett was surprised, but clearly wanted to take Edward up on his offer.

"Sure – you went out of your way to bring all those boxes over." He handed Emmett the

pot, "It's the least I can do."

"Well, thanks." Emmett and Edward returned to the foyer.

"No prob – drive safe." Edward smiled and made sure Emmett made it to the car
without slipping before he headed up the two flights of stairs.

Bella was laying under the covers, sniffling into a pillow.

"Sweetheart―"

"I don't want them!" She wailed. "What's wrong with me?"

Edward crawled next to her on the bed and began brushing her hair away from her face.

"Honey – you gotta get over this because Alice just doesn't get it. She loves you and this
is how she shows her affection."

"What am I supposed to do with all those clothes?" She peered up at him, the rest of

her face still hidden under the covers.

"Wear them, silly." He laughed and kissed her forehead, "Now, if you don't help me put
them away, I'm gonna put them in the wrong place on purpose." He teased.

"No, don't…" She complained, half-heartedly.

"C'mon," Edward tugged her out of bed and they spent the next few hours lugging boxes

up the stairs and unpacking them in the positively enormous walk-in closet which had
more than enough room for all of the beautiful clothes Edward couldn't wait to see Bella

wear – and then take them off her.

When they were finished with everything, Edward tried to convince Bella to try on some
of the lingerie for him, but she refused, saying she was too tired and that she wanted to

take a bath to relax.

Although she told him not to disturb her, she didn't protest when he entered the
bathroom and slid in the tub behind her.

He tried to ignore his erection pressed into her back as he massaged her sore limbs and

nuzzled her neck, softly apologizing for Alice's actions.

"I thought you were too tired," Edward chuckled when she began to turn around so she
could straddle him.

"Don't be snotty." She pouted and then began looking around the room, searching for

something.

"Honey, we don't need condoms anymore if you don't want to. You've been on the pill
since L.A." He stroked her hair gently and kissed the hollow of her neck. He was thankful

she'd agreed to go to the doctor with his sister just before they returned to Delta.

Bella relaxed at Edward's words. She held onto his shoulders as he guided her on top of
him. If Edward thought she felt amazing before – the way it felt inside her with no

barrier between their warm flesh was indescribable.

He met her thrusts and ran his hands along her bare back while she buried her face in
the crook of his neck, panting after they had both climaxed.

"I love you." He threaded his fingers through her damp hair.

"So much…" She sighed, holding him close.

After taking a moment to recover, Edward helped Bella out of the lukewarm water and

cleaned up in the bathroom while she got ready for bed.

It felt like they had only been asleep for a minute when the security alarm went off so
loudly that Bella shrieked. Edward instructed her to stay in their bedroom and lock the

door after he left. She protested for a second, but cowered in their bed when someone
began banging at the front door.

"Please be careful," She begged him.

"I'll be right back," he gave her a quick and reassuring hug before descending the stairs,

grabbing an umbrella from the foyer as it was the best weapon he could find on the
way.

Edward looked through the front window; the flood lights lit up the front porch as

Edward searched through the tree line for their intruder. He nearly fell off the couch

when a familiar pair of green eyes met his.

"What the fuck?" He grumbled, disabling the alarm before opening the front door,

"What the hell are you doing here!" He growled at his sister.

"Merry Christmas to you too, jerk." She brushed past him into the foyer, taking her
designer gloves off, finger by finger.

Jasper suddenly appeared at the bottom of the porch stairs, lugging two huge rolling

suitcases through the snow – no doubt, both full of Alice's clothes.

"Lemme help you," Edward stepped outside, wincing at the cold snow beneath his bare
feet.

"I'm so sorry dude – we didn't know you had a security system – our flight was delayed –

then we got lost – we were supposed to get here this afternoon to surprise you and
Bella." He panted.

"Well, you definitely surprised me – Bella's upstairs, scared out of her mind." Edward

could only laugh at the situation. "You guys must be exhausted, it's like―" Edward
looked at the mantle clock in the sitting room, "Shit; it's past two." He ran his hand

through his hair. "Let me show you to a room."

"I'm starving; do you have anything to eat?" Alice pouted, leaning against the railing to
the stairs.

"Sure…" Edward tried to think; he'd given Emmett the leftover soup but he knew there

were a few pieces of lasagna leftover from dinner the night before.

"Edward…?" Bella's frightened voice drifted down from their bedroom.

"Bells, it's okay – it's Alice and Jasper." He yelled up to her, hating that she was so
scared.

A moment later, she bounded down the stairs, having thrown a pair of Edward's boxers

on over her panties and her sex hair had been tamed into a pony tail.

"They got lost trying to surprise us for Christmas," he told Bella, giving her a look that
said he knew she wouldn't be happy but they'd discuss it later.

"How awful," Bella said sympathetically, "Well, you're here now and we're so happy to

have you visit." She smiled at Alice and Jasper as she moved to Edward's side.

"Sweetheart, can you heat up some of the lasagna for them while I help Jasper take

Alice's luggage upstairs to the guest room?" Edward squeezed her shoulder.

"Of course; c'mon Alice, I want to hear all about your engagement." Bella linked her arm

through Alice's and led her into the kitchen.

"Thanks man." Jasper breathed a sigh of relief, "You know how rough she is around the
holidays and she just decided this morning that she had to be with you for Christmas

and wanted to surprise you." They both began rolling the suitcases up the stairs.

"You don't have to say another word." Edward completely understood and felt guilty
that he hadn't really considered it since he'd been too wrapped up in Bella.

Christmas was always a bit to-do with their family and after their parents had passed,

Alice insisted on keeping up with all their traditions and there were certainly a lot of
them.

Edward led Jasper to the smaller bedroom next to the one his parents previously

occupied. For some reason he didn't want anyone disturbing it and since he and Bella
had only moved out of their rooms a few weeks prior, it felt weird to have Alice and

Jasper stay in either of those rooms.

"This house is insane, dude." Jasper said in awe, taking in the fully made-up room.

Edward smiled with pride, "Bella works very hard and it shows. So – uhh, bathroom's
down the hall to the left and Bella and I are upstairs in the master if you need anything."

"I just need to sleep for a day." Jasper yawned.

"I'll have Alice bring your food up here." Edward patted Jasper on the back, "It's nice to

see you.

"Thanks," Jasper smiled, kicking his shoes off.

Edward trotted downstairs into the kitchen to find Bella and Alice giggling and when
they saw him they both began laughing even harder at their inside joke. "I don't even

want to know." He griped, pulling a water bottle out of the fridge, "Jasper's gonna crash
if you wanna bring some food up to him." Edward suggested and Bella's eyes widened

for s split second, momentarily shocked that Edward would encourage them to eat
outside of the kitchen, knowing it was a pet peeve of hers.

"Good idea," Alice picked up both plates and Edward and Bella followed her up the

stairs, showing her where the bathroom and bedroom were before finally being alone in
their room again.

"Bella―" Edward began apologetically.

Bella put her hand up to stop him, "Sweetie, they're family." She climbed up into the big

bed, "Of course I wish they'd called so I could have put out fresh sheets and gotten
more food at the grocery store." She complained lightly, peeling back the comforter on

Edward's side of the bed. "But I'll be fine." She shimmied out of the boxers she'd thrown
on.

"Thanks," Edward breathed a sigh of relief and helped Bella adjust the pillows the way

she liked. "I'm sorry they scared you." He kissed her temple.

"Can I be the big spoon?" She giggled.

"Sure," Edward laughed, though secretly he loved it when she asked, "You know Alice's
gonna want to go shopping though, right?" He mumbled, already half asleep.

Bella groaned, "Lovely…" she sighed.

Edward awoke the next morning groggy and alone.

After going to the bathroom, he made his way to the kitchen and was surprised when he

heard both Bella and Alice. But the sight of Bella brought him to an abrupt halt in the
entrance way. She was wearing very tight black jeans and a red sweater that was so low

cut and so clingy that it left nothing to Edward's imagination. And he was pissed that
Alice was right there, because there wasn't a thing he could do about it – especially not

pick up where he'd left off with Bella on the counter the day before… no he couldn't do
that.

"Hi honey," Bella chirped when she saw Edward standing in the kitchen, dumbfounded.

"Alice, can you go let Jake in?" She smiled at Edward's sister, who ran to the door
excitedly. Bella crooked her finger at Edward, beckoning him toward her.

He went to her immediately, coiling his arms around her waist and breathing her in,

"You are so fucking hot." He whispered, trailing his nose up and down the column of her
neck, "Still wanna do it on the counter?" He pressed his obvious arousal against her

stomach.

Bella huffed and shoved him away.

He looked down at her to see why she was upset.

"First, I'm instituting a new policy on swearing. Every time you swear, I get my way in a
future argument – a veto, if you will – with no questions asked." She growled, "Second,

please explain to your sister that I am not a Barbie doll." She put her hands on her hips,

"My eyes are up here – pervert." She scowled when she caught him staring down her

sweater.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" He played dumb, but couldn't hold back his laughter
the moment Bella's eyes narrowed and nostrils flared in anger, "Kidding, kidding," He

grabbed her face and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I'll talk to her." He brushed her
bangs away from her forehead, "Are you okay?" he asked, sensing there was more to

the story.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear her bang on the door this morning and beg me to let her
pick out my clothes." She fumed, pulling something that smelled delicious out of the

oven, "I can't go grocery shopping in heels." She motioned to the floor.

Edward looked down and sure enough, she was in a shiny pair of brand new fuck-me
pumps. "They make your ass look great." He smiled sheepishly.

"That's two vetoes." Bella held up two fingers.

"C'mon, ass isn't a swear word." Edward argued.

"Wanna make it three?" She raised an eyebrow.

Edward wasn't allowed to answer because Alice and Jake made a complete ruckus when

they both came barreling through the back door.

"Please don't get snow on the floor!" Bella cried.

Alice grabbed Jake's collar just in time, "Sorry," She giggled and picked up the towel just
inside the door, "Is Jakey-wakey all wet from dah snow?" She said in a baby voice to the

dog, "Let's clean you up so Momma Bella doesn't get angwey."

Edward chuckled; he'd never seen Alice with an animal she didn't adore.

"I'm gonna hug you and squeeze you and love you forever!" She gripped Jake tightly but
he didn't seem to mind; he was used to the same treatment from Rose's kids after all.

"Is Jasper okay with that?" Edward said sarcastically.

"Shut it Anthony." Alice stuck her tongue out at Edward and continued to hug Jake, "You

wanna come home with Aunt Ally, don't you?"

Bella plated the cinnamon rolls she'd made and went to retrieve the orange juice for
Edward when he stopped her, "I can get it," he whispered huskily, sliding up behind her,

"Wanna meet me upstairs in ten?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "You wish." She smirked, "You get to stare at me – in this outfit –
all day and think about how nothing's gonna happen tonight if you don't convince her to

let me dress myself." She hissed.

"You're so sexy when you're pissed." He egged her on, nipping at her ear and grinned
when he heard her whimper softly.

"Score! Cinnamon rolls!" Jasper sauntered into the kitchen, disrupting Edward and

Bella's sparring match.

Bella slipped out to go grocery shopping – again – while everyone else ate the food
she'd made for them. Edward offered to accompany her, but she declined, saying it'd be

rude to leave their guests alone – he suspected she needed some time for herself.

"Can I see the cars!" Alice clapped excitedly, just as Edward finished doing the dishes.

"Sure," he set the last plate in the dishwasher and closed it, "But no touching." He
warned his sister.

"I promise!" She exclaimed, "Wanna come?" She beamed at Jasper.

"Naw – I'll check 'em out later. I'm gonna go back to bed; it's only eight in L.A." He

sighed.

Edward and Alice threw on their coats and boots before traipsing out to the hanger. The
moment the lights turned on, Alice was in awe and tears welled up in her eyes as she

was overcome with memories of their parents.

Her hand hovered above each car as she made her way through the garage. And Edward
knew when she caught sight of the Roadster because she gasped.

"They're perfect," she sniffled. "And the Corvette…" She trailed off, staring at the

gorgeous convertible.

"I want to give it to her for Christmas." Edward blurted out suddenly.

Alice turned to look at him, "She won't accept it." She looked at the car again, admiring
the chrome detailing.

"Would it be okay if I put the title in her name?" He asked quietly, legitimately

concerned that Alice might object, but praying that she wouldn't since all the paperwork
was filled out already. He only needed to call Emmett to have him file it.

But instead of protesting, she merely smiled at Edward and wiped an errant tear from

her cheek, "Of course, it's okay. She re-built it after all."

"You need to stop dressing her up though, Alice." He leaned against the Chevy truck,
"You know she can't tell you 'no,' but I really think it makes her uncomfortable." He

sighed.

"Sorry," Alice mumbled, "I just thought you'd be a fan of that sweater and I knew you'd
never see it on her otherwise."

Edward chuckled, "Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but you were lucky she accepted

the clothes in the first place."

Alice smiled, "I told you I was very persuasive."

"No arguments here." Edward held up his hands.

"Anthony?" She asked, suddenly serious again. He made eye contact, telling her she
could continue, "I want to give you your Christmas present early – if that's okay?" She

said nervously.

Edward was a bit taken aback by her demeanor, "Okay Alice." He smiled reassuringly.

"Hold out your hands and close your eyes and I will give you a big surprise." She chanted
the words their mother would always say before giving them a gift.

Edward looked at her skeptically, but complied. Just as he closed his eyes, he felt

something small and warm dropped into his hand.

"Open," Alice sang.

Edward looked down at the object in his palm then back up to his sister, "Ally…" he said
cautiously, "I can't―"

"I have my own now." She smiled down at her left hand, "Plus, then she can't be mad at

you for spending money on a ring when you ask her."

Edward swallowed the lump in his throat. Alice hadn't taken off their mother's
engagement ring since the funeral. Since they had requested to be cremated, both

Edward and Alice wore their respective parent's wedding band on their right ring finger.
"You still have the band?" he asked.

She held up her right hand in confirmation, showing Edward the simple yet elegant

white gold ring.

"It's too much…" he choked.

"I've never seen you so happy." Alice said quietly, "Consider it my blessing as well." She
laughed, "Like I could ever disapprove of Bella."

"Thank you Ally." He grabbed his sister and pulled her into a tight embrace. She just

always knew what he needed. "You're the best sister."

"I'm your only sister." She joked.

Edward stepped back, staring at the perfect diamond in his hand, "Well, I wouldn't trade
you for the world." He smiled at her.

"If you really want to thank me, you'd convince Bella to go shopping with me

tomorrow." She rubbed her hands together like some sort of 60's TV villain – frankly he
was surprised she didn't cackle.

"Aww – Alice…" He whined.

"Well, how will I know what to get for Rose's kids?" She reasoned.

"I'll convince her to go if you promise not to dress her up again." Edward offered.

Alice considered it for a moment before she exclaimed, "Deal!"

Edward made sandwiches for everyone for lunch since Bella hadn't returned from the

store yet. Alice spent the afternoon playing with Jake who was thrilled with the
attention, while Edward and Jasper chilled in the basement.

When Bella arrived with a car full of groceries, Edward tried to get on her good side by

putting them all away so she could start dinner. However, she seemed unaffected by his
tactics and couldn't speak freely with him in front of their guests.

So the moment he had her alone in their room he pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely

to demonstrate his need, "Did you get more smutty books at the library – I bet that's
why you were gone so long – I missed you so much – You were all I could think about."

He rambled while he kissed her.

But quickly, she shoved him away, breathless from their interaction.

"Are you mad at me?" Edward backed her into the bed.

She looked around, realizing she was trapped.

"I'm not letting you get away that easily," He grinned wickedly, tugging her sweater over
her head, despite her protests. "Talk to me." He whispered, bowing his head to suck on

her now exposed collar bone.

"I don't – you're distracting me…" She moaned, clutching at his shirt. Obviously she
wasn't so upset that she didn't want him to stop touching her.

Edward pulled back, but gripped her waist, lifting her onto the bed as he had become

accustomed to. "I like that bra…" he licked his lips, staring at the red lace that was
almost so shear, he could see her nipples through the fabric.

He crawled onto the bed after her, while she retreated further into the bed, "I'll chase

you, if that's what you want…" his voice was low and predatory.

Bella sighed, seemingly frustrated, but stopped moving away from Edward. Though he
stilled when she did, "Tell me…" he requested.

"Did you talk to Alice?" Bella asked hesitantly.

Edward's eyes darted to the closet where he had stashed the ring in a pair of slacks he

rarely wore, then back to Bella.

"Yeah, she said she'll leave you alone." He told her before peeling his shirt over his head
and chucking it at the laundry hamper across the room.

"Really?" Bella was skeptical that she was getting off the hook so easily, "What did you

say to her?"

Edward closed the distance between them and gently shoved her back onto the bed, "I
just said I thought she was making you uncomfortable," he threw his leg over Bella so he

was straddling her. "And that I'd appreciate it if she let you pick out your own clothes."
He said matter-of-factly while he undid the button and fly of her jeans. "She was

reluctant," he admitted, dragging the jeans down her legs, "But eventually she agreed."
He smiled down at her, examining the matching red panties, "Though I must say I do like

all these matching sets." He said as he hooked his fingers into the sides of her
underwear."

Bella sat up, stopping him, "How did you convince her?" She asked as she helped

Edward take off his own jeans.

"Well, I – err – made a deal with her." He stumbled as Bella's finger grazed his erection.

"What kind of deal?" She purred, pulling his boxers down, freeing his dick from its

constraints.

"It was nothing, just – Fuuuuuck…" he hissed as she enveloped his length with her

mouth then released it again.

"That's three." She smirked.

"Aww, c'mon, you can't count it in the bedroom." He whined.

"We'll see," She stroked his shaft, "So tell me about this deal," She licked the tip,
knowing exactly how to get him to spill more than the information he was withholding

from her.

"You have to go shopping with her tomorrow…" he groaned as her hand gripped him
tighter.

But the moment he told her what he'd promised Alice, she let him go with a huff and

moved away from him on the bed.

"Dammit." He cursed.

"Four." She said angrily while he pulled his boxers back up and tried to move over her
but she held her arms out, "You can sleep downstairs." She pouted.

"Aww, sweetheart," he pleaded, trying again to move over her.

"No, don't," She stuck her bottom lip out and looked up at Edward through her lashes.

And it was then he realized that they were playing a game. "There must be something I

can do to apologize." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know…" She trailed off, biting her lip.

Edward leaned in, that time she didn't try to stop him, "Want it gentle… or rough?" He
whispered.

Bella's breath hitched and he knew her answer.

Before she could respond he sat back on his heels and practically tore her panties from

her body, "Take your bra off." He commanded gruffly.

The moment she had unclasped her bra he grabbed her, pulling her up and turning her
so her back was pressed against his chest as they were both kneeling. Immediately he

began kneading one breast, rolling her nipple between his fingers and pinching it as it

became hard.

Bella arched against him, shoving her ass into his still hard penis. Slowly he let his free

hand travel down to her core and gave no warning before plunging two fingers into her
wet center, "I don't like it when you tease me," he growled into her ear as he stroked

her, "Especially not with your mouth, sweetheart." He bowed his head and gently bit the
skin at the crook of her neck.

Bella cried out and continued to move her hips in rhythm with his hand, "I bet you were

wet all day, thinking about what I was gonna do to you after watching you walk around
in that fucking sweater and those goddamned pants." He swore on purpose, testing her

to see if she'd call him out or if she was already too far gone to care.

"Edddwaaaarrrdd…." She moaned, placing her hands over his.

"Should I punish you?" He nipped at her ear, willing himself not to come undone.

"Whatever you want…" She breathed.

"Good girl," he smiled and released her suddenly, causing her to whimper. But his hands
were back on her a moment later when he gripped her shoulder and gently pushed her

forward, not wanting to hurt her.

Sensing what he wanted, Bella got down on her elbows and spread her legs apart, still
on her knees, ass perched in the air.

"Should I spank you, honey?" He asked, knowing that he wanted to, but using the

question to request her permission.

"Yes…" She panted.

Having never actually done it before, Edward was more than aroused, but certainly
didn't want to cause her harm. When his hand connected with her skin, she moaned so

deeply with pleasure he was quite taken aback. Deciding she could take more he
smacked the other cheek with a bit more force, again she moaned louder.

Unable to hold himself back any longer he rid himself of his boxers. Grabbing her

shoulder with one hand and hip with the other, he leaned over her and whispered, "You
okay like this?"

Bella nodded quickly.

"How many times are you gonna come for me?" He said jokingly, teasing her entrance

with the tip of his cock.

"Just fuck me already!" She cried.

Without another word, Edward plunged into her with one swift motion, earning a lustful
cry from his lover. "That's one," He chuckled darkly as he began pumping her hard and

fast.

It took her no time at all to work up to the brink of her climax and Edward moved his
hand from her hip to massage her clip, shoving her right over the edge, babbling his

name while she came around him.

And the feeling of her already tight walls closing in around his cock sent him spiraling
down, right after Bella; he grunted as he released inside of her. Slowly their movement

declined and Edward was gentle as he pulled out of her and rolled onto the bed,
completely spent.

"You're not really mad at me, are you?" He panted, taking Bella's hand in his and

massaging it tenderly.

"Do I really have to go shopping with Alice tomorrow?" She tried to catch her breath.

"Jasper and I are going too." He tried to lessen the blow.

"What does she want?" Bella slowly climbed off the bed to put on her pajamas.

"She wants to get Christmas presents for the kids." He frowned when he saw her wince
as she walked to the bathroom, "Hey…" He called out to her and slid off the bed, "Are

you okay?" He stooped down to grab his boxers from the floor.

"Uhh – yeah." She said in an attempt to appease Edward.

He stepped into his boxers and swiftly pulled them up before striding toward her, "Don't
lie to me." He tugged her arm and pulled her to him, "Was I too rough?" He whispered

in concern while he hugged her tightly.

"No," she snuggled into him, "I – I wanted you to do it – I needed it." She ran her hands
over his bare back, "It feels so good to know how much you want me." She admitted.

"And you liked – being – spanked?" He had to know.

"Yes…" She blushed, but as the edges of her lips were curled, he knew she meant it. "But

you're distracting me again…" Bella laughed softly, making no move to leave Edward's
arms.

"Distracting you from what?" he twisted her silky hair through his fingers but let her go

when she stepped back from him.

"I don't know if it's a good idea for you to buy them presents…" Bella sounded worried
as she pulled out a pair of white panties from her dresser.

"Why?" Edward walked back over to the bed, "What are you getting them?" He asked

without thinking.

Bella was silent and he was quick to realize his mistake. How could she buy them
anything since she had no money of her own and refused to use the money his parents

left her for anything but groceries and other household necessitates.

"I could―" Edward began.

"Absolutely not!" She said adamantly.

"But Bells―"

"No." She shook her head, jaw clenched.

"Well, what do you usually do?" He asked softly, trying not to upset her as he helped
Bella into the bed, surprised but happy that she'd decided to forgo her tank top for the

night.

"I have them over for Christmas dinner." She said shortly.

Edward knew he'd made her feel inadequate, but he also knew Alice wouldn't budge on
gifts for the kids.

"Baby, what do you want me to do?" He stroked her arm, trying to calm her.

Bella rolled her eyes, but lie down in the bed, "I don't know…" she sighed.

Edward took Bella into his arms and pulled the covers up around them, "Can we talk to

Rose and see if it's okay if Santa's a little more generous this year?" He suggested,
molding his body around Bella's.

"You'd better not get me anything…" Her voice was tired and resigned. She didn't want

to put up a fight.

"I did, but it didn't cost me anything." He stroked her hair.

She glared up at him, "Edward… why did you do that? What am I supposed to get you?"

Her voice cracked.

"Honey, you don't need to give me anything." He quickly amended his statement,

"Actually – on second thought, you could give me a little fashion show of all the naughty
things I know you have hiding in your underwear drawer." He ghosted his hand over her

bare breast.

"Pervert…" she muttered.

"Tease," he gave it a light squeeze and was rewarded with a soft moan.

"If you wanna go for round two, I'll convince Alice not to spend too much money
tomorrow." He tried to bargain.

"Only if you don't let her get me anything." Bella had already begun to shift so she could

get on top of him.

"Be reasonable," he helped her take her panties off and set them on the bed so she
could get them after they were finished, "I can give her a spending limit." He offered.

Bella pulled his boxers down, sitting just below his lap, "She has to get me something

practical." She began to stroke him, quickly making him harder.

"I can do that…" he groaned and held her hand as she used the other to guide his cock
inside her.

"I love you…" she moaned, slowly rocking against him – a stark difference to the feverish

pace they had set before.

"I always love you Bella." He sighed, looking her straight in the eyes the entire time they
made love.

Edward and Bella were startled out of a peaceful slumber by none other than Alice

banging on the door for the second morning in a row.

"Fuck…" Edward groaned.

"Five…" Bella mumbled, snuggled up against Edward.

"You've got thirty minutes!" Alice hollered.

Edward rolled his eyes, "Ignore her." He told Bella and held her closer.

"Don't ignore me!" Alice shouted, "Why is this door locked!" She jiggled the handle

roughly.

"To keep monsters like you out." Edward yelled.

"Edward Anthony Cullen! I demand you open this door immediately!"

"Trust me, she won't go away…" Bella's words were almost slurred in her sleepy haze.

"Shit…"

"Six…"

"Not fair," he pouted.

"Answer the door…" She yawned and rolled over.

Edward blinked trying to wake himself up, finally he focused on the alarm clock. "Aww,

c'mon…" he whined and slid off the bed, almost tripping twice on the way to the door,
"It's four thirty in the god damned morning!" He cursed.

"Seven…" Bella scolded.

"Will you shut it!" He hissed at her.

"We need to beat traffic, you've got―" Alice paused – no doubt looking at her watch,

"Twenty seven―" Alice startled when Edward opened the door, "Twenty seven
minutes." She looked up at him, daring Edward to contradict her.

"Where are we going?" He sighed.

"Don't worry about that – Jasper's driving. I just need you downstairs, ready to go in

twenty six minutes." She said sharply, "And make sure Bella wears comfortable shoes.
The black Puma's I sent will do."

"Alice…" he said warily.

"It'll be fine; you can sleep in the car." She told him, refusing to take 'no' for an answer.

"Fine, but I have some rules…" he glanced back at Bella who seemed to have fallen back

to sleep. Regardless he shoved Alice back into the hall, shutting the door behind them,
"You are only allowed to get one present each for the kids, and we have to say it's from

Santa. There's no need to show up Rose and Emmett." Alice rolled her eyes, but agreed,
"And you can only get one, inexpensive and practical gift for Bella."

Alice opened her mouth to protest, but Edward would have none of it, "Ally, I'm not

gonna fight with you. She doesn't like it when people give her things and the clothes
upset her enough." Alice closed her moth and truth be told, looked guilty. "I know that

wasn't your intention, but she doesn't have the means to buy presents for anyone and
she has too much pride to accept money from me, so please – I'm begging you – just get

her something for the kitchen or cars or something for the house. Believe me, that's
what would make her happy, if you insist on buying something for her at all." He said

firmly.

"I'm sorry." Alice said quietly.

"It's okay, she just – she has her reasons, okay?" He gripped his sister's shoulder, "I
know you mean well."

"Okay, but you've only got twenty two minutes now." She pointed out.

"My thirty starts now." He told her, "We have to shower."

"Fine, but no shenanigans." She poked her finger in the center of his bare chest.

"Okay." He huffed and returned to the bedroom, "Sweetie," Edward cooed as he

approached the bed, "We gotta get ready," He tugged at Bella's hands, trying to drag
her.

"Noooooo…" She moaned, "If you come back to bed, I'll suck you off." She resisted him.

"Fuck Bells," He groaned, her last comment going strait to his cock.

"Eight…" she pouted.

"Bella, get out of bed and stop counting." He growled and finally succeeded in pulling

her off the bed and into his arms, carrying her to the bathroom once she wrapped her
legs around him, "Let's get you clean."

"Because I'm dirty…" She said seductively.

"None of that." He set her down on the counter, "We've got twenty minutes or Alice'll

have my ass."

"No, that's mine." Bella sulked.

Edward laughed, "Get over here." He beckoned her once the water was warm enough in
the shower.

They made it down the stairs only a few minutes late because Bella managed to

convince Edward to fuck her against the shower wall, explaining that they'd be quick.
And it was, but they both needed the release considering the stressful day that followed

their morning quickie.

Neither Edward or Bella realized when Alice wanted to go shopping, she intended for
them to drive all the way to the Mall of American in the twin cities. And since it was only

three days before Christmas, to say the mall was packed was a complete and utter
understatement.

Alice dragged everyone from store to store and it was lucky that she and Jasper had

rented an SUV, not just for the winter weather, but also for the space in the back. Of
course Alice went overboard with the presents, but reasoned she was merely practicing

for when Edward and Bella had kids of their own.

Bella flushed a brilliant red and buried her face in her hands upon hearing Alice's
statement.

"You don't want kids?" Edward had questioned her, putting his arm around her in

comfort.

"No, I do… don't you?" She peered up at him through her lashes.

"Yeah." He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle. It seemed she
wasn't used to people speaking so openly about her future. She told Edward on the ride

home that when she lived with her parents, she wasn't given forewarning or an option
about anything; just like how Michael never proposed to her, they were just engaged.

Edward had definite plans for his proposal to Bella; he was sure it would be an event
she'd never forget.

Bella spent the few days leading up to Christmas in a bit of a funk, entertaining for a

week straight was definitely starting to wear on her. Edward also had a feeling that she
wasn't a big fan of holidays because it only reminded her of the family she'd left behind,

even though Bella assured Edward that holidays, while she was still in Seattle, were
especially awful and that she was thankful she had a new, albeit non-traditional, family

to spend Christmas with.

Bella was however, nearly unapproachable on Christmas Eve. The kitchen was littered
with lists upon lists of things she needed to do to prep for Christmas dinner and get the

house prepared for the McCartys.

Alice and Jasper surprised both Edward and Bella when they left early on Christmas Eve
and returned in the afternoon with a real Christmas tree and Alice had to make four

trips out to the car to retrieve all the decorations she has purchased. Edward was

upstairs writing in the study, trying to stay out of Bella's way, as she'd requested, when

she entered the room.

"They got a Christmas tree." She said quietly as she padded across the hardwood floor.

Edward looked up from the desk, concerned because her face was blank – void of any
emotions. He had wanted to get a tree, but Bella refused, saying it was too expensive

and Emmett and Rose always got one, so they didn't need one. It wasn't important
enough to Edward that he'd push the matter with Bella.

"I'm sorry, honey." He rolled the chair back and opened his arms to her as she

approached him, "I didn't even think to tell them we decided not to get one." He
wrapped his arms tightly around her when she crawled into his lap. "Talk to me." He

whispered, running his hand gently through her hair.

"Christmas was the worst…" She sniffed, "I'd be paraded around to so many parties and
receive all these pointless gifts from people I didn't even know. My own parents didn't

even pick out the presents which were supposedly from them." She twisted the fabric of
Edward's shirt between her fingers, "I didn't want any of it – I just wanted them to want

me."

"They didn't deserve you." Edward told her, "But everything happens for a reason and if
you hadn't persevered through all of that, I never would have met you and you wouldn't

know Rose or my parents…" He tried to stay positive for her. "I'll tell them not to put it
up if it'll upset you. Christmas is supposed to be fun, sweetheart." He kissed the top of

her head, "I hate that you're so miserable."

"I'm not miserable." She sniffed, "It just makes me feel guilty. I hate that I miss my
parents – I don't understand why I just can't let it go." She nuzzled his neck.

"Of course you can't let it go – you wouldn't be you if you didn't care about everyone.

You shouldn't feel guilty for missing them Bella," he cupped her chin and tilted her face
up so her eyes met his, "You know it's okay, right?" he asked her honestly.

"It is?" She swallowed, "But they were never there for me." She argued.

"Well, no – but every child has a bond with their parents – there's nothing wrong with

missing them, Bells." He brushed her bangs off her forehead and kissed her sweetly.

"I love you so much." She murmured.

"I know, honey." He held her close, "So, what do you want to do about the tree?" He
needed to know how to make her feel better.

"Nothing – it's about time I stop being so miserable and enjoy our company." She

squeezed his hand.

"Only if you're sure." He said seriously.

"I am." She smiled.

"Okay," he kissed her again, long and hard, while she ground against him in his lap, "Can
we…" he began.

"No, sorry…" She said regrettably, "I've got a ton more prep to do." She got off his lap, "I

promise I'll make it up to you tonight." She bit her lip looking at the bulge in his pants,
"Is that okay?" She asked apologetically.

"Yeah," he grumbled, "You sure you don't want any help downstairs?" He adjusted

himself in his seat.

"I don't really need anything, but you can keep me company if you want." She smiled
and held her hands out to him to help him out of his chair, "I feel like I haven't seen you

all day." She pouted.

"Well, that's because I've been hiding from you." He laughed and laced his fingers
through hers as he followed her down the stairs.

"You don't need to hide anymore – I'll be nice." She smiled up at him.

"You're always nice." He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her into his side,

"My sweet girl." He whispered, kissing her temple.

After Bella's confession and Edward's subsequent admission that it was okay to miss her
family, she was noticeably more relaxed and well tempered – she even let Edward help

her in the kitchen.

That night they made love no less than three times and though both Edward and Bella
were exhausted the next morning, they still managed to have enough energy to get

each other off in the shower. Edward wasn't planning on trying anything, but when Bella
sank to her knees and insisted on taking him in her mouth, he wasn't about to let her

out of the bathroom without reciprocating her actions.

Emmett, Rose and the kids came over late in the afternoon and were delighted to meet
Alice and Jasper. Rose and Alice hit it off immediately, of course, as they both were

obsessed with celebrity gossip.

Hilariously enough, Vera took an instant shine to Jasper and went so far as to confide in

Bella that they were going to get married.

After the amazing dinner that Bella made was completely eaten, they all moved into the

sun porch, where Alice and Jasper had set up the tree. The kids went crazy when Alice
told them Santa had dropped off a few extra presents at Aunt Bella's house the night

before.

Vera screamed so loud when she unwrapped the deluxe Barbie dream house Alice had
picked out, that all the adults were partially deaf for a few hours.

Chuck didn't believe the PowerWheel Jeep was his when Jasper rolled it out of the

laundry room. Emmett went on forever about how he had one when he was a kid and
everyone knew if he wasn't so big, he would have tried to drive it himself. Instead he

showed Chuck how all the controls worked and followed him around while he drove
circuits of the first floor.

Not to be forgotten, Alice found a large, plush, talking dinosaur for Dave that you could

insert CDs into, including stories and educational programs as well as music. Rose was
completely blown away and kept asking Dave if he was going to turn into her little

genius. He didn't let go of the dinosaur for the remainder of the evening.

Once Vera had calmed down considerably from her Barbie high, she gave Edward and
Bella the presents the McCarty's had collectively gotten for them. When they made it

through the wrapping paper, Bella almost started crying as she held up the Packer
cheerleader build-a-bear, next to Edward's matching football player.

Vera took a half hour to explain the process she'd gone through at the store to have

them stuffed and how she'd personally put the heart in Bella's bear and that Chuck was
responsible for Edward's bear, but she'd helped.

"You are so thoughtful Vera, thank you so much." Bella kissed the little girl's cheek.

"If you really mean it, can you ask Jasper if he'll marry me?" Vera batted her eyelashes.

Bella laughed, but promised to put in a good word for her.

After the McCarty's left, Alice asked Edward if it was a good time to give Bella her

present and he figured it'd be alright. So he held his hands over Bella's eyes as he
walked her into the front room and removed them a moment later so she could see the

brand new vacuum with a big red bow tied across it. "Oh my god!" She exclaimed and
ran over to examine it, "You didn't break the other one, did you?" She accused Edward.

"No." he scowled, "It's from Alice and Jasper."

"Oh," she said sheepishly, "Good."

"My present's outside." He grinned.

Bella's face fell, "But I told you…"

"It didn't cost me anything," he laughed.

Bella thanked Alice and Jasper for the present and Edward was glad they could

compromise. They decided to turn in for the evening and Bella jogged up the stairs,
returning with her coat and a small wrapped package. "I'm ready." She smiled at

Edward, slipping her arm through his as he escorted her outside.

Edward led Bella through the front yard and punched the security code into the keypad
beside the hanger door. He motioned for Bella to enter before him, but he took her

hand when the door shut behind them and led her to the back of the hanger. He leaned
against the Roadster and said, "Merry Christmas."

Bella's brow furrowed as she looked at Edward, then searched the hanger before

returning to his amused gaze, "I thought you said my present was out here…" she was
puzzled.

"It is – you're looking at it." He smirked, wondering if she'd catch on.

"Edward, I'm confused." She pouted.

"I'll give you a clue." He smiled as he handed her a folded piece of paper from his back

pocket.

"It's just the title for the Roadster…" She looked at the paper, bewildered. And then she
saw it – Edward wished he'd brought a camera with him so he could capture the look of

shock on her face, "But – but that's my name…" She stuttered, hands trembling.

"I know." He beamed.

"Edward―" She breathed, her frantic eyes met his, "You can't give me this car…" Her
voice shook almost as much as her body.

"Why not?" he teased, shoving off the car and taking her face in his hands, "It was yours

the moment my dad let you fix it – nobody loves this car like you do." He wiped away a
tear that had fallen down her cheek, "Please…" He really hoped she wouldn't refuse to

take it.

"It's too much…" She mumbled in shock.

"It's not enough…" He whispered lowly in her ear.

Suddenly her arms constricted around Edward and he heard a muffled 'thank you' as
she buried her face in his chest.

"I love you, sweetheart." He smiled, kissing the top of her head; he was beyond pleased

that she wasn't going to put up a fight.

After a moment, Bella pulled back, wiping more tears from her cheeks and handed
Edward the small wrapped package, "I mean, it doesn't even compare, but I know you'll

like it." She sniffed.

"I'm sure I will too." He twisted a lock of her hair between his fingers and kissed her
cheek before gently removing the paper from her gift. However, Edward was completely

unprepared for what he uncovered; "How…?" He gasped in shock.

"I told you everyone loved them; I just asked around town – I made a copy for Alice too,
but I wanted to give it to you first." Bella watched with great interest as he reverently

paged through the photo album she had compiled for him and his sister, knowing that
they had probably never seen any of these photos of his parents.

"I don't even know what to say…" Edward's voice cracked.

"It's no car…" Bella scoffed.

Edward laughed, "Bells, you have no idea what this means to me…" he looked down at

the album, "This is by far, the best gift I've ever gotten." Without warning he pulled
Bella to him, kissing her so passionately she was surprised to hear a moan escape her

own lips. "Oh, honey." He sighed.

"Merry Christmas." She ran her fingers over his jaw, "Can we go inside now?" She asked
innocently. However her gaze turned lustful as she whispered, "If I remember correctly,

I owe you a little fashion show – not that I expect you'll want to see more than one
outfit." She giggled.

Edward gave her a sly grin, "My dear, you know me entirely too well."

Chapter 17 – December 31

Bella,

I'm going to propose to you tonight.

To be completely honest, I'm really freaking out. It's not that I think you'll
say no (Holy God, you had better say yes, though), but it's a lot of
pressure.

I want this to be perfect because not only will it be something we'll
remember forever, but it's a story we'll tell to Alice and Rose and our
children – to everyone, for the rest of our lives, and let's face it, I'm doing
this for you – it has to be perfect. So you can see why this is such a big
deal. You're the most important thing in my life and you deserve no less
than unforgettable.

If you were close with your father I would have asked for his blessing, but
instead I've gone to Rose, Emmett, Hank and the kids. In case you were
wondering, they unanimously granted me their approval and Vera is
expecting us to have kids right away so she'll have other children to hang
out with besides her brothers. Imagine that, a little girl with your
gorgeous, big brown eyes and my uncooperative head of hair. I bet she'd
keep us on our toes, just like you keep me on mine.

It's stupid stuff like this that excites me for no reason in particular, but
the thought of having you as my wife makes me feel completely
overwhelmed. And I hope you don't think this is too soon to be asking. I
know in the grand scheme of things we haven't known each other that
long, but I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I want
the rest of my life to start right now.

Alice told me to get this all down on paper. She said it'd help me calm
down to put it into words and that I should give it to you later because
you'd appreciate the sentiment.

I want to give you everything Bells, and I know you don't need any of it,
but it only makes me love you that much more.

As midnight approaches, so does my forever with you and it's a good
thing too because I can't wait a second longer.

With love, always,

Edward

Edward had been a wreck all day. He'd called Alice and Rose at least three times each

and still couldn't manage to sit still. Writing the letter to Bella, per Alice's suggestion had
helped, but not much. Jasper tried to calm him down, saying he empathized with the

way he was feeling, but his empathy didn't make Edward any less nervous.

"So are you gonna tell me what's going on?" Bella disrupted Edward's train of thought,
as well as stopping his knee from bobbling up and down at the table, like it had been for

the last twenty minutes.

"What are you talking about? I'm fine." He huffed.

Bella's eyebrows shot up, "You are not fine." She told him. "Did you take something?"
She lowered her voice, even though Jake was the only other set of ears in the house.

"What!" He practically shouted, "Of course not!" Edward was slightly offended.

"Well, something's wrong and I know you're lying to me." She accused him as she stood,

taking his plate from in front of him and walking to the kitchen.

"Let me get it." He scrambled after her, "Please," he took the plates from her without
her permission.

"Edward―" She squeaked as she rushed past her.

"I'll get it – go relax." He called, already running the water in the sink.

Bella's jaw clenched and her hands instinctively fell to her hips, "Edward Cullen, I

demand to know why you're acting so weird this instant!" She commanded.

"I'm fine, honey." He smiled at her over his shoulder, "I think Jake needs to go out." He
nodded his head at the back door.

"Ugh," She stomped over to the door and let the dog out. "You're freaking me out." She
scowled.

"Sorry," he shrugged, but continued to wash the dishes thoroughly so Bella wouldn't

sneak downstairs to re-wash them later.

Jake returned almost immediately because it was below zero outside, "C'mon Jake,"
Bella cooed, "Come play with Mommy." She trotted down to the basement; Jake

followed right behind her.

The moment she was out of sight, Edward exhaled in relief. And when he was finished
with the dishes he quietly made his way up to the study, praying that Bella would give

him the space he needed.

He called Emmett to make sure that everything was set up and was happy to hear that
he and Rose were going to try to keep the kids up until midnight so they could enjoy

what he was planning for his grand gesture.

Before too long though, Bella got curious and eventually found him in the study.

"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?" Her voice startled Edward, who had been
staring out of the bay window at the frozen lake illuminated by a waning moon.

He spun around, hand on his chest, "Jesus, Bells," he gasped.

She ignored his shock as she approached him though; worry etched on her lovely face.

"But you're okay, right?" She pleaded.

"Oh, honey." He sat down on the bench below the window and opened his arms to her.
She wasted no time crawling into his lap. "You spoil everything, you know?" He nuzzled

her hair, breathing in the sweet floral scent of her shampoo, "Look, I've got a surprise
planned for you, okay." He leveled with her knowing she still wouldn't see the proposal

coming, "It's kind of complicated and I want everything to be perfect… just like you." He
kissed the tip of her nose.

"I'm sorry." Her voice wavered as she snuggled further into his embrace, "I'm sorry I

ruined it."

"You didn't ruin it; I just can't keep anything from you," he chuckled, "But you have to
promise you won't ask me how much it cost."

Bella pulled away from Edward and looked up at him, "Oh, no…" She pouted, "Is it that

bad?"

"No, it just doesn't matter." He pecked her lips and grinned. The truth was that his little
display was costing him plenty, but considering he hadn't spent anything on the ring, he

didn't feel as bad. Though, at the end of the day, he would have spent every penny he
had to give her the proposal she deserved.

"So, how can I un-spoil the surprise? Where do you want me?" She ran her hand up and

down his arm.

Edward raised an eyebrow at her unintentional double entendre, "Well…" He said
suggestively.

"Edward!" She shoved him playfully.

"Just go downstairs with Jake and I'll come get you when I'm ready." He told her.

"How long will I have to wait?" She asked, but when she sensed Edward though she was

probing, she quickly added, "I just thought I could make something for dessert and I
need to know what kind of time frame I have to work with."

Edward shook his head, more in love with her as each minute ticked by, "I need you

back up here at 11:55 sharp." He confessed.

"Perfect." She chirped as she stood, "Just enough time to make pie."

"Really?" Edward was immediately interested, "What kind?"

"It's a surprise." She said mockingly and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh Isabella, the things I'm gonna do to that smart mouth of yours." He said with a
wicked smile.

Bella licked her lips in anticipation but didn't give him anymore fuel for the fire burning

in his darkened green eyes as she turned on her heel and sauntered out of the room…
exaggerating the sway of her hips, tempting Edward to chase after her.

And so Edward patiently waited, practicing the speech he wanted to make, over and

over again in his head as his fingers idly toyed with the tiny diamond ring in his pocket.
He worried it wouldn't fit, but one night when Bella was sleeping soundly next to him,

he slipped it on her left ring finger, marveling not only at the perfect fit, but how right it
felt to see it sitting there.

Ten minutes early at 11:45, Bella stepped into the study with two pieces of cherry pie. "I

know I'm early, but I didn't know what your plans were, so I thought you might want

dessert before midnight." She smiled, setting Edward's plate down beside him on the

bench and proceeded to straddle him, "Want me to feed you?" She offered, biting her
bottom lip as she ground against him.

"I want a rain check for this." He stilled her hips and leaned forward to kiss her as her

bottom lip had been pushed out in a pout when he declined.

She smiled then and handed him his plate, but remained in his lap.

"You outdid yourself with this pie." Edward said after a few minutes, his nerves were
clearly apparent in his voice.

"Edward…" Bella simpered, setting down her half-eaten pie, "I'm sure whatever your

surprise is, I'll love it." She ran her hands through his hair.

"I know – like I said, I just want it to be perfect." He sighed.

"Who cares?" She laughed, "I'm here; you're here; it's almost midnight on New Year's
Eve!" She took his plate from him, "You'd better kiss me at midnight." She threatened.

Edward laughed, some of the tension leaving his body, "Well, I suppose…" He teased.

"Only if you put out later." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Pervert!" She jokingly guffawed and shoved him. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

Edward grabbed her, pulling her close and whispered, "I think you're a tease." He
squeezed her ass, bringing her closer so she was undoubtedly aware of how serious he

was.

Bella moaned into his neck and if they hadn't been interrupted by a loud bang outside,
Edward would have lost his nerve and taken her on the bench, forgetting all about his

plans.

"What the heck?" Bella pulled away from Edward and climbed out of his lap. Then
another bang sounded, "Oh my god! You got me fireworks!" She exclaimed. She tore her

eyes away from the display for a split second to look down at her watch and when she
saw it was midnight she kissed Edward sweetly on the lips and said, "Happy New Year,

baby." But a moment later her eyes were back at the window watching the fireworks
split in the sky and the ashes trickled down to the snow covered earth.

Taking advantage of the distraction, he moved to the floor and got down on one knee;

waiting for her to notice he'd moved.

"Oh Edward, they're so―" She froze when she saw him kneeling beside her. A gasp

escaped her lips.

"Bella…" He smiled and took her left hand in his, the other flew to her mouth, still in

shock. "I can't―" he struggled to remember the speech he'd been going over for hours,
but it was gone. 'Oh, well,' he thought.

So he winged it.

"I never though I was even capable of loving someone as much – as deeply – as

completely and unconditionally as I love you."

Fat tears began to roll down her cheeks as she nodded and even Edward had to hold
back a few himself.

"There's no future I can even begin to imagine without you in it." He swallowed hard

and looked down as he removed the ring from his pocket and held it up to her, "Please,
say yes." He choked, "Marry me?" He finally got the words out.

Bella stared at him, then the ring, then him.

And without warning she launched herself from the bench, knocking him flat on his back

as her lips met his in a heated and passionate kiss. She tugged at his hair and grabbed at
his body, needing him closer still.

Edward was all too happy to return the gesture, but in the back of his mind, he realized

she hadn't spoken a word. "Bells…" He groaned, trying to gently slow her feverish pace.

"Oh, Edward…" She hummed in response.

"So―" She cut him off, kissing him roughly again. He laughed and pulled back, "Do you
want the ring?" He asked hesitantly, feeling the warmed metal against his clenched right

palm.

Bella sat up suddenly, "I'm so sorry." She cried, "Yes! Yes of course! I love you so much!"
She grabbed his face between her hands and peppered it with kisses while he laughed.

Eventually he was able to momentarily stop her so he could slide his mother's ring on

her left hand. She held it out in front of her, admiring the diamond sparkling in the light.
Edward saw the light bulb go on in her mind when she realized why it looked so familiar.

"It's―" She paused, staring at Edward.

"Alice gave it to me before I even had a chance to ask," Edward took her hand, running

his thumb over the simple round stone, "Happy New Year, sweetheart," he gave her a

watery smile.

Bella threw her arms around Edward's neck and whispered, "I can't wait to marry you."

Edward was elated, he'd never felt more relieved in his life – not even when he'd left

Hollywood behind.

Edward helped Bella up from the floor and whispered, "Let me show you how much I
love you."

Bella buried her face in his side and slowly followed him across the hall to their

bedroom. He kissed her slowly, caressing her reverently as he removed each article of
clothing, piece by piece – worshiping her body the way she deserved.

When she was wearing nothing at all, he lifted her onto the bed and quickly discarded

his own clothing while she scooted to the middle of the bed – waiting for him.

He crawled on top of Bella, careful to keep his weight off her as he kissed her deeply –
passionately, fondling her breasts at the same time. Bella let her fingers glide over the

smooth planes of his arms, torso and back. However, it was Bella who was the first to
crack. She slipped her hand down Edward's stomach and began to stroke his erection.

"Should we see how much you love me?" Edward teased as he nipped at the skin along

the column of her neck.

She moaned in response and Edward took that as his cue. He pulled back from her,
sitting on his heels as he gently moved Bella's legs apart, bending them at the knee. He

leaned down and failed to suppress a huge grin when Bella cried out in ecstasy as the
flat of his tongue made a slow pass from her dripping slit to her swollen clit.

Edward licked his lips, loving the way she tasted. He loomed over her, brushing some

stray strands off her face as he breathed, "It seems you love me an awful lot Isabella."

She giggled, smiling up at him. Her eyes were glowing with affection and need,
"Please…" She begged.

Slowly Edward filled her, watching with delight as she threw her head back and her

entire body arched; she was completely overwhelmed with the sensation.

"Will it always – mmmmm…" She moaned when Edward withdrew, then slid into her
again, "Will it always be like this?" She brought a trembling hand up to caress his cheek.

"I promise." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, "My sweet girl…"

"My beautiful boy…" She mirrored the sentiment.

Edward set a slow, steady, sensual pace as the two rocked against each other,

eventually culminating in a long climax for both of them.

They laid together, naked, panting and sweaty for a long while before Bella was able to
tear herself from his side to clean up. She returned to the bed and Edward was

pleasantly surprised to find that she slept next to him, all night, still completely bare.

It was silly – stupid even, but he felt that the final barrier she'd put up, afraid to let
others in, had finally been taken down. There wasn't anything that could come between

them because they would stop it… together.

Visions of Edward's future with Bella filled his dreams.

He was going to marry her.

He was going to have children with her.

He was going to raise a family with her in the house where they fell in love.

He was going to grow old with her and give her the happily ever after she never thought
she'd have.

The next few days Edward and Bella lounged around the house in a post-proposal haze.

They made no plans.

They set no date.

They just enjoyed each others company, caught up in their dreams of forever.

On New Year's Day, Bella called Rose and told her the good news. She promised Vera

she could be the flower girl and thanked Emmett for helping to set up the fireworks
display.

Then Edward took his turn to tell Alice and Jasper that he was engaged and how he had

proposed.

Alice's screams of delight over finally having the sister she always wanted were so high
pitched that Jake started barking.

Things were going extremely well for the newly engaged couple… that is, until Edward

got a call from Alice, nearly a week after his proposal.

"Edward!" Bella called from the kitchen, "Can you get the phone? My hands are covered
in marinade!"

Edward sprinted from his spot on the sofa in the parlor, where he had been banished,

since he couldn't keep his hands to himself while Bella prepared dinner.

"Cullen residence." He leered at Bella from across the kitchen.

She let out a giggle and continued her work.

"Hey Anthony…" Alice's tentative voice came over the speaker. Immediately, he knew
something was wrong.

"Spill it Ally." He commanded.

"What? I can't call to check up on my brother?" She hedged.

"I'll hang up if you don't tell me what's going on." Edward threatened.

Bella stopped what she was doing and made eye contact with Edward. He waved her

off.

"Fine." Alice huffed, "It's the NAMI Gala."

"NAMI?" His brow furrowed.

"National Alliance for Mental Illness." Alice was annoyed. "Mom was on the board – you
make donations every year in her honor."

"Oh." Edward scratched his head; it sounded familiar, but he'd left Jasper to keep track

of his money, "What about it?"

"You agreed to go to the Charity Gala they throw every year and since your movie did so
well, they're listing you as a headliner."

"What?" His jaw dropped.

"Jasper tried to get you out of it, but they're counting on you and they keep bringing up

Mom – I just―"

"Alice." He cut her off, "When is it?"

"This Saturday…" She trailed off.

"As in, two days from now?" He said gruffly.

"We could charter you a jet." She suggested.

"What? Why…" And then it hit him, "It's in L.A." He cursed, feeling like an idiot.

"I'm sorry…" She said hesitantly.

Edward looked over at Bella, who was watching him carefully as she washed her hands,
"Can I call you back?" he said through his teeth – a million different thoughts were

racing through his head.

"Okay, but I need to know quickly so we can make arrangements either way." Alice
replied anxiously.

"Bye Alice." He hung up the phone and stared at it for a minute before turning around

to face Bella.

Bella's chocolate doe eyes bored into him, laced with worry. "Everyone's okay, right?"
She asked.

Edward's jaw softened, of course she'd be worried about everyone else first. He nodded

in response to her question.

She visibly relaxed as he walked around the kitchen island, coming up beside her, he
wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, "I have to go

back to L.A. for the weekend." He whispered.

Bella pulled back suddenly, examining his expression intensely. "Why?" She asked
quietly, knowing it was important if he was at all willing to go.

"There's a charity event – I guess I committed to going a while ago – that's probably why

Jasper forgot about it." He said the last part to himself, "It was important to my parents
– they'll raise more money if I go." His eyes pleaded with her not to be upset. "I swear I'll

be gone two days max!" He said adamantly.

Bella frowned.

"I know – I'm sorry, but―"

"Honey―" She cut him off, "Could I―" She paused, looking at the meat on the counter
and then back up at Edward, "I could go with you." She said softly. "If you wanted me

to." She added quickly.

Edward's eyes lit up as if he'd never even considered the idea, "Really?" He asked in
disbelief.

"I don't want to be alone – I don't mind going to L.A. if it's just for a few days." She gave

him an encouraging smile.

Edward took her hand in his and squeezed it, "I'd really like that." He leaned in and
trailed soft kisses from her cheek down to the crook of her neck where he gently

nuzzled her as she ran her fingers through his thick hair, scratching at the scalp to
soothe him.

"I love you," She murmured. "I don't want to be without you."

Edward pulled her into a tight embrace, "I love you too, sweetheart."

After a few minutes, she laughed as he refused to release her from his hold, "Can I finish

making dinner, please?"

"Only if I can watch you." He gave her a condition.

"Fine, but you and your hands must remain on the other side of the kitchen." She
conceded.

"That's fine," he playfully squeezed her ass before letting her go and taking a seat across

the counter, "I can still make lewd comments from over here." He grinned widely,
placing his chin in his palms while his eyes followed her every move.

Chapter 18 – January 8

Bells,

Is it me, or do you have a bad feeling about this trip?

If that stupid old lady hadn't shushed me, I'd just ask you about it. But
I'm worried. I wish we didn't have to take this red eye – I'd rather talk to
you about it.

Maybe it's just the thought of going back to L.A. that's giving me anxiety,
but I've had this feeling before my parents died. Like something's just not
right. Does this feel wrong to you?

I am glad you offered to come with me; however, I just feel lost without
you. But I couldn't bring myself to ask you – I didn't want you to feel
pressured.

I'm sorry; I'm being stupid

I love you,

Edward

Bella rolled her eyes and slipped the note into her pocket, "Relax." She whispered,

kissing Edward's cheek before snuggling into his chest.

"I just can't―"

"SHHHHHHH!" The old woman across the aisle hissed.

Bella tangled her fingers in his hair, bringing his mouth down to hers. Edward would
have smirked at the old bag if he hadn't been so preoccupied with Bella's tongue in his

mouth. Not only was making out with Bella silently sticking it to the rude woman, but
feeling her soft skin against his mouth completely put him at ease.

With swollen lips and obvious arousals, Edward and Bella exited the plane. Each having

only brought a carry-on, they quickly made their way down to the pick-up area at LAX
and had no problem finding Alice and Jasper as the airport was fairly deserted at such a

late – or rather, early hour. Surprisingly their arrival was paparazzi free.

"What's up with you?" Alice narrowed her eyes at Edward, "Does the Mile High Club
have two new members?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Bella mumbled, catching Edward completely off guard.

Alice chuckled while Jasper drove through the oddly clear surface streets toward their

home in the hills.

"Thanks for picking us up so late." Edward thanked Alice and Jasper as they exited the

car once it was safely parked in the garage.

"It's not like I'd make you catch a cab." Alice scoffed. "But I have been meaning to have
a conversation with you about your wedding date." Alice plopped down on the couch in

the living room.

"We haven't set a date." Edward rolled his eyes as he took a seat in an arm chair and
held his arms out, signaling Bella to join him, which she did.

"Exactly." Alice crossed her arms, "Jasper and I are getting married in June and since he

proposed first, you can't get married before I do." She said plainly.

"We'll get married whenever the hell we want." Edward threatened. Bella glared at him
not only for his language choice, but also for his tone.

"Anthony," Alice said through her teeth.

"Alice." He mimicked her, "I'm older than you – I should get married first anyway." He

challenged. Bella shook her head and removed herself from Edward's lap, much to his
dismay.

"Are they always like this?" Bella asked Jasper as he watched from a distance in the

kitchen.

"You have no idea." He laughed and Edward and Alice's argument got more heated and
much louder.

"Tell him I went to bed." She smiled in chagrin and Jasper saluted her just before she

left.

A moment later, realizing Bella was gone, Edward abruptly told Alice it was too late to
fight and just about sprinted to his room. However, when he entered, he found Bella

sitting on the bed, biting her lip nervously, her gaze was fixed on the far wall. Edward
followed her eyeline and sucked in a ragged breath when he saw a tux hanging on the

wall next to a midnight blue gown.

He tore out of the room, intent on berating Alice when he had specifically told her that
Bella was only accompanying him to Los Angeles and would not be attending the

function with him.

A small, warm hand grabbed his just before he made it out to the living room.

Edward spun around and looked down at Bella, "I'm so sorry, honey." He enveloped her

in his arms. "I told her not to." He stroked her hair.

"Can we talk?" She pulled back from him. When he nodded in agreement she led him

back to his room, but rather than stop at the sofa or the bed, she continued through the
room and out to his balcony.

She took a deep breath of the chilly January air as she leaned forward against the railing,

admiring the view of the city.

"I want to go with you." She said clearly.

Edward shut the door and rested his hand at the small of her back as she came to her
side. "I don't think you understand what will happen if you do." Her tone had made him

realize she wanted to go to the event with him, as his fiancé.

"I'm so tired of being scared." She sighed, "Aren't you?" She turned to face him.

He didn't know what to say.

"So what if they find me?" She shook her head, "You were right. What can they do? I'm
an adult. I'm not their property. They have no control over my actions." Her attitude was

strong – firm.

"It'll create a media frenzy." He warned her, "If they find out where we live – it'll
compromise our privacy. I'm not willing to take that risk." He voiced his concerns.

"I need to face my fears." She pleaded with him, bringing her hands up to cup his face in

her palms, "And so do you."

He stared at her for a long time, trying to reconcile what she was saying and what it
would mean for them.

"Edward, I want to start a life with you, but I can't do that until I put the past behind

me." Her thumb gently stroked his jaw line, "We'd be living in Delta, constantly in fear of
being discovered. What kind of life is that?" She inquired.

Edward continued to stare at her – searching her eyes for something. He knew she was

right, he just couldn't bring himself to admit it. Exposing her to the public and her
parents put her in danger. If anything happened to her as a result – it'd be his fault. Her

safety was his responsibility.

"I guess I don't have a choice." Edward said vacantly.

"Baby, please don't be like that." Bella pleaded.

Edward's eyes met hers, full of hurt, "I didn't mean it like that." He placed his hands over
hers and removed them from his face, "You're absolutely right – I just wish there was

another way."

Bella tugged at his hands, leading him back into the bedroom, "We're gonna be just
fine." She sat him down on the bed, lifting his shirt over his head and then did the same

with hers.

Edward stood up so he could remove his pants and helped Bella step out of her skirt. "I'll
make you forget." She ran her palms down his bare chest and gently shoved him back

onto the bed before proceeding to climb on top of him.

Bella rested her weight on him as she kissed him tenderly, trying to tell him with her
actions that she loved him and that they would be okay. They both needed closure.

After a few minutes, Bella pushed herself back and leaned on her heels, "Do you know

what I brought with me?" She gave Edward a Cheshire smile.

"Tell me…" he breathed, running his hands along her smooth sides.

"My white bikini." She bit her lip in anticipation of his hopefully enthusiastic response.
He raised an eyebrow at her, "I noticed you have a Jacuzzi outside the last time I was

here." She removed one bra strap.

"You are so naughty." He laughed. When she removed the other strap, Edward sat up
abruptly, "I want to do that." He stilled her hands.

Her eyes were hooded as she let her arms fall to her sides, allowing him to do as he

pleased with her.

Edward encircled her in his arms, bringing her body flush against his, "I'm gonna fuck
you so hard." He whispered menacingly as he unclasped her bra and tore it from her

body.

Bella gasped at the sudden shock of cold air against her breasts and the thrill of
Edward's threat. She shoved his shoulders roughly; he fell back against the bed, caught

off guard.

"Not if I fuck you first," She growled, grinding against his erection.

Edward groaned at the contact, but couldn't suppress a smile at the thought of her
aggressive streak. When he tried to help her shimmy out of her panties she slapped his

hands away, "No touching – not yet." Her lips curled.

She finally succeeded in slipping out of her underwear and let her hands glide down her
body, first stopping at her breasts, she fondled them, trying to put on a show for

Edward. Then one hand continued down her belly, fingers finally reaching her own
heated core.

"I don't know what to do, Edward." She bit her lip innocently, big doe eyes trained on

Edward, who was having difficulty breathing, "Tell me what you want me to do." She
half-moaned.

"Oh god Bells…" Edward was using every trick in the book to avoid coming in his boxers.

"Keep touching your breasts," She kneaded them harder, "Pinch your nipples." He said
suddenly, having just thought of it. As Bella did so, the sensation caused a low, guttural

groan to escape her lips.

Edward threw his head back, in physical pain because he was unable to touch her, "Are
you wet for me, sweetheart?" He breathed, "Show me how much," He requested, fists

clenched at his sides as he watched her fingers slide over her slick folds, whimpering
when they came in contact with her swollen bundle of nerves. Slowly she removed her

fingers, glistening with her arousal.

She let out a sharp yelp when Edward grabbed her around the waist and threw her on
the bed, "I need you," he growled.

Bella giggled, "I thought you wanted to watch me." She secretly loved to drive him so

crazy he had to take her.

"Maybe next time." He was doing his best to get out of his boxers without severing
contact with her.

She laughed again, but was surprised when rather than plunging into her after he'd

finally gotten rid of his boxers, he moved down the bed and threw her legs over his
shoulders just before his mouth was on her… there.

"Edward!" She cried out the second his tongue penetrated her, "Oh god, oh god…" She

chanted as it swirled around her clit. She took in a gulp of air when he sucked hard,
"Edward, I'm gonna come…" She panted.

"Not yet," He mumbled, then bit down, enjoying her keening as he brought her to the

brink. He pulled away right before she could climax and slammed his cock into her with
one hard thrust.

He only pumped her a few times before her walls contracted around him as she came

undone. With a few more strokes, Edward grunted as he released into her and let her

body milk him dry.

Completely spent, sweaty and breathless, they collapsed on the bed.

Edward pulled Bella against him and they were fast asleep only moments later.

"I wanted to tell you how sincerely impressed I was with your manuscript." Angela took

a sip of her mimosa after adjusting her glasses.

"You were expecting it to be shit." Edward smirked.

Angela blushed, "Well, I figured you had a high opinion of your own abilities at the very
least," she laughed, "Most actors would want their books published under their own

names." She mused.

"But you thought it was good?" He asked nervously.

"I'm not a lit. agent, but as someone who reads a lot – as a woman," she added, "I've
never read something so personal and romantic." She took another sip of her drink,

needing some of the liquid courage after her confession. "Sure, it needs work, but the
story's there and that's what's important." She relayed.

After Edward had gotten Alice's frantic call about the charity event, he had Hank help

him photocopy his almost-complete manuscript for Angela.

"Would it be alright if I have an assistant I trust to type it up?" Angela hedged.

Edward thought for a moment, "I guess that'd be alright – I know you'll make sure my
name's kept off it and it won't get leaked." He had a slight edge to his voice.

"And commit career suicide like Jane?" Angela was completely offended, "I don't think

so. My ass is on the line for this too, so I'm not gonna fuck it up." She said point blank.

"Thank you," Edward said quietly.

"Does your story, by chance, have an ending?" Angela asked, hopefully, "I'm asking
more for myself than the publisher."

"Not yet." Edward smiled cryptically.

"I need to know what happens to Wesley and Madison." She pleaded.

"I have a feeling they'll get married, have babies and live happily ever after." Edward

joked, hoping his story would continue to mirror reality.

Angela looked at her watch suddenly, "Shit – I gotta run!" She stood up abruptly and
began digging through her purse.

"Please," he touched her arm, "Let me get it; I just appreciate that you could fit me in at

the last minute." He gave her a genuine grin.

"You are such a gentleman." She put her hands on her hips, honestly taken aback by his
chivalry, "Thank you for breakfast and now that I have your number, I'll be in touch

about our little project." She shook his hand, instead of offering a hug, not wanting to
give the patrons or staff a story to sell to the tabloids. "See you at the Gala!"

"Bye Angela," He waved her off and sat back down to finish his omelet, even though

Bella's were far superior.

"Speak of the devil," he said under his breath upon seeing someone from his house line
was calling and knowing it was her. "Morning, honey; I was just thinking about you." He

signaled the waiter for the check.

"I'm mad at you." Bella's voice sounded more sleepy than angry.

"Uh, oh... what did I do this time?" He laughed.

"Where are you?" Bella asked.

"I had a last minute meeting with my agent. I didn't want to wake you up." He didn't
want Bella to know about the book either – not until things were more finalized.

"I woke up and you were gone." She pouted.

"Well, I'm on my way back right now." He signed the receipt and stood to leave, "I'll be

back in twenty minutes, sweetheart."

"That's nice, but I won't be there." She whined.

"Why not?" Edward tipped the valet and turned on his Bluetooth before leaving the
parking lot.

"Your sister's kidnapping me." Bella grumbled.

"Lemme guess, mani-pedis, facials and a massage." He shook his head.

"You left out the waxing." He could practically picture Bella rolling her eyes.

"Really?" Edward raised and eyebrow, "Where?"

"Pervert." Bella scowled.

"Tease," Edward countered, "Do you need me to rescue you or were you just calling to

complain?"

"I guess I'll be fine – but if it hurts half as much as I remember, you're not touching me
tonight." She threatened.

"We'll see about that." Edward laughed.

"Ugh."

"I love you." Edward tried.

"I love you too." Bella sighed.

"Call me if you need me." He said seriously.

"Okay, bye." Bella ended the call.

When Edward got back to the house, he relaxed with Jasper for a while and after Jasper

gave up asking what Edward's book was about, he told Edward about the fit that Bella
had thrown when Alice dragged her out of the house.

"Dude, I would have slept in with her if I'd known." Edward defended himself.

"You really won't tell me anything about the book?" Jasper tried again.

Edward shook his head.

"Will you at least tell me if the meeting went well?" Jasper settled.

"Angela really liked it; she thinks it's got a lot of potential even without my name

attached to it." Edward was very pleased about the last part.

"Well, good. I can't wait to read it." Jasper smirked.

A few hours later, Edward heard the front door slam and watched Bella as she stormed
past him into his room. He immediately loved the soft curls cascading down her back, as

well as a small portion which had been pulled up on her nape.

"Bells!" He called as he rose from the couch, but when he went to follow her, a hand
that surely belonged to his sister yanked on the collar of his shirt, pulling him back. "Let

me go!" He snarled.

"You are not allowed to lay a finger on her." Alice commanded; hands firmly planted on
her hips, "I went through a lot to get her hair and make up a certain way and I won't

have you ruining it."

"Al―"

"No!" She exclaimed, cutting Edward off, "No excuses, and I need to get you in your tux,
anyway." Edward made a face at the thought of being in a monkey suit all evening, but

the better mood Alice was in, the more of a chance he had of getting to Bella.

"Can I just go see if she's alright?" He cocked his head.

"Why wouldn't she be okay?" Alice scowled.

Edward glared at her.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you." She protested.

"Like hell – don't you trust me?" He started toward his bedroom.

"Yeah – as far as I can throw you." Alice quipped, hot on his heels.

Just outside his door he turned to face Alice, "You're not coming in and I'm not gonna
mess up her hair or make up." He said finally and slipped inside.

He turned to find Bella, sitting on the edge of the bed. And though her hair and make up

made her look flawless, there was sadness behind the powder and curls.

Edward didn't say anything – he simply walked over to her, got on his knees and
wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against her chest.

"I'm scared…" She murmured, playing with strands of his hair.

"You always have a choice…" he told her.

She kissed the top of his head, "I don't want to go, but I know I'll always regret that

decision." She voiced her concerns.

"Do we need a code word or signal in case you need me to get you out of there?" He

looked up at her imploringly.

She giggled and brushed some stray hair out of his eyes, "Let me think about it."

Bella leaned down to kiss him, but Edward pulled back, "I can't," he said apologetically,

"I promised the style-nazi outside the door." Edward explained.

"I keep telling you, you're too nice to her." She smiled down at him caressing his face
with her open palm. "I want to see you in your tuxedo, please."

"Your wish is my command." He rose from his knees and placed a tender kiss on the top

of her hand before walking to the garment bag hanging from the closet door. "You
should put your dress on too." He told her as he made his way to the bathroom.

When Edward has successfully gotten into his suit and tied his bow tie, he yelled

through the closed door, "You decent?"

"That depends." Bella called back to him.

He opened the door and was in awe of the gorgeous, floor-length midnight-blue gown
that Bella donned. Seeing it on the hanger did it no justice, not only because of Bella's

simple, yet elegant beauty, but also because it was backless.

"Oh, sweetheart." He moaned, laying his palm flat against the bare small of her back,
"You look beyond stunning." He kissed his favorite spot behind her ear and caressed the

silk fabric at her side.

"It's a lot to get used to." She said nervously, studying herself in the mirror.

"I've never been more in love with you." He whispered, trying to calm her fears.

She turned in his arms and let him hold her for a moment before she took in his
appearance, "You look so dashing." She grinned like an idiot and straightened his tie,

"Promise you'll stay with me the whole time." She bit her lip nervously.

He pulled it from between her teeth, "Try and keep me away." He teased. Edward
looked at his watch, "Ready?" He asked.

Bella took a deep breath and then nodded.

Alice gasped when the pair strolled into the living room, "Wow…" She stifled.

"The limo's here," Jasper smiled.

Both couples made their way outside. Edward and Jasper helped their respective

partners into the car. Alice explained to Bella how the press would work. She told her to
stay on Edward's arm the entire time and to let him do the talking. Once inside the Gala,

Edward would have to give a speech following dinner, but before the charity auction.

Bella's stomach was in knots and Edward could feel the fear rippling off her as she began
to squeeze his hand tighter, the closer they got to the venue.

Just before Edward helped Bella get out of the car he told her, "Say the word and we'll

leave – no questions asked."

She made eye contact to confirm his convictions.

He kissed her check and said, "I mean it – I love you."

Bella blushed, "Okay," she nodded, squeezing his hand once more, "I love you too."

Edward smiled, but didn't have the chance to get out anymore words of encouragement
as his door was opened and flash bulbs immediately blinded them.

Warily, Edward held onto Bella as he told the reporters that Angela lead him to, that he

was a taken man.

"You're engaged!" one reporter choked.

"I'm just as shocked as you are." Bella laughed.

When another asked Bella how she had managed to snag one of the world's most
eligible bachelors, she joked, "my cooking."

Edward was in awe of her ability to schmooze with the press – half of whom seemed

jealous as hell that she took the infamous Anthony Masen off the market. But then he
remembered that she'd grown up going to social events and was probably well trained

to handle negative attention eloquently. She was utterly perfect and Edward couldn't
take his eyes off her.

After they finally made it inside, Edward hugged her tightly and said, "I'm so proud of

you, honey."

Bella smiled, "Really?" She bit her lip, "I was so nervous."

Edward laughed, "Trust me, nobody could tell."

Alice kept everyone entertained at dinner with some crazy celebrity stories (though of

course she couldn't say to whom she was referring).

A chamber ensemble began to play after everyone finished eating. All eyes were on

Edward and Bella as they took the dance floor.

Clearly Bella had been trained in dancing as she gracefully let Edward take the lead,
sweeping her across the parquet.

When the music ended, Edward escorted Bella back to their table, safe in Alice's and

Jasper's company before taking to the stage.

During his entire speech, while he spoke of his parent's devotion to the cause, he only
had eyes for Bella. She knew it and so did everyone else in the room. He finished by

asking those in attendance to be generous with their donations and thanked them all for
their support.

Edward stepped down from the podium and lost sight of Bella as Angela approached

him, requesting he personally speak to a few of the bigger donors and members of the
organization that had planned the event.

"Now where did the Dwyers go?" Angela thought aloud, "They flew in all the way from

Seattle." She told Edward.

Upon hearing the name 'Dwyer,' all the color drained from Edward's face.

"Did you say Seattle?" He sputtered.

"Yes." Angela cocked a brow, wondering why he was suddenly acting so strangely, "Do
you know them?"

Edward opened his mouth, but no words came out. Bella's parents were there and he

could only assume it was to take her from him. Without another word to Angela, he tore
through the crowd toward their table.

Bella, however, was absent.

"Where is she?" He cried.

"She just went to the bathroom." Alice rolled her eyes.

"How long ago?" He said frantically."

"What the hell's going on?" Angela finally caught up with him.

"I guess she has been gone for a while…" Alice said nervously, stowing her cell phone in

her clutch, "Edward…?" She questioned.

"Her parents are here!" He swallowed hard, "We have to find her – oh, god, I hope it's
not too late." He looked around the ballroom, searching for Bella.

"Too late for what?" Jasper was alarmed.

"They're gonna take her – we have to find her, NOW!" Edward did one more sweep of

the room, "Alice, come with me; I need you to check the ladies room – Jasper, can you
and Angela check out front and see if any of the paparazzi saw her leave?"

"Sure," Jasper replied just before taking off with Angela for the entrance.

Edward took Alice's hand and pulled her through the crowd, practically shoving her into

the bathroom. She returned moments later with tears in her eyes as she shook her
head, having found nothing.

"Oh my god." Edward panicked, "How could this happen?"

Noticing an exit door at the end of the hall, he took a chance and barreled through it.

His heart dropped and soared at the same time.

He had found Bella, but she was being forced into a limo by two men in tuxedos, while

an elegant older woman stood watching, absolutely horrified, but helpless to stop the
actions of the men.

"BELLA!" Edward called out, racing toward the car.

"EDWARD!" She cried, "HELP ME!"

The younger of the two men, with slicked back blonde hair and a baby face, stepped

forward, blocking Edward from getting to Bella, while the older man restrained her, still
trying to force her into the limo.

"LET. HER. GO!" Edward bellowed.

"Your parents kidnapped her." The older man spit, "She doesn't love you."

"Mother, please!" Bella begged, "Tell them the truth!"

"Alice, call the police." Edward barked, eyes still locked with the man pulling at Bella. His

eyes were the same shade of brown as hers, but they were cold – so cold. He knew in

that instant, this man was Bella's father. "I know who you are." Edward said through his

teeth, nostrils flared in anger, "And I know what you did to her."

"All I ever did was love my daughter until she was taken from me." He snarled.

In the distance, Edward could hear sirens.

"Edward…" Jasper called from behind him, but he refused to take his eyes off Bella.

"It's okay sweetheart, the cops are almost here." He tried to reassure her, but he was
still so far from her. If he could just touch her…

"Please let me go!" She begged her father as she began thrashing again.

"You're just gonna stand there?" Edward asked her mother, cruelly.

Edward tried to take a step closer, but his movement only caused the younger man to

do the same. "Lemme guess," Edward growled, "Michael."

The man's eyes widened, confirming Edward's suspicions.

"Do you really want to force her to marry you again? Haven't you hurt her enough?"
Edward's voice cracked as he yelled, "Haven't you ALL done enough!"

"Sir, please step back." An authoritative voice, Edward assumed, belonging to a police

officer sounded from behind him. "Would someone please explain to me what's going
on here?"

He came up alongside Edward.

"Sir, please release that young woman." He commanded Bella's father.

His jaw clenched, knowing there was nothing he could do. His hands fell to his sides and

Bella all but crashed into Edward.

He held her as close as physically possible, "I'll never let you go." He told her and she
squeezed him tighter.

"I'm still waiting for an explanation." The officer said gruffly.

"That man's parents kidnapped my daughter and brainwashed her." Bella's father

accused Edward. "She disappeared the night before her wedding five years ago – she's
listed as a missing person!" He cried, realizing as he spoke, how ridiculous his argument

sounded.

Upon hearing the circumstances surrounding her disappearance the police officer was
immediately skeptical.

"Is that true, ma'am?" The officer asked Bella.

"No."

Everyone turned to look at the handsome woman in the evening gown that Edward

thought was Bella's mother.

She looked frightened, but determined to finally make a stand, "Michael, I'm so sorry."
She looked at the young man who was crestfallen. "Marie didn't love you and I couldn't

let her throw her life away in a loveless marriage like I did."

"Shut your mouth, Renée!" Bella's father roared.

"You took her childhood – I couldn't let you take her adulthood as well." The woman
protested.

"You never loved me." Bella's voice was suddenly confident as she confronted her

father, "I was never anything more than a piece of property you could use to get what
you wanted." She seethed, still keeping a good distance between her and her father.

The police officer looked completely miffed. "Do you want to press charges?" He asked

Bella and Edward.

Edward looked down at Bella for an answer.

"You're not worth the trouble." She said in a strangely calm voice as she stared at her
father, "I never want to see you again." She said with conviction.

Bella stepped back toward Edward, "Please take me home." She whispered.

"Not today, officer." Edward answered the policeman as he tucked Bella into his side.

"Don't you ever try to find me again." She snarled at her father. However Bella's facial

features softened when her gaze became trained on her mother, "I forgive you." She
choked and Renée Dwyer looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, "Come

with us." She offered. "We can take care of you." Bella promised.

Renée looked between her fuming husband and forgiving daughter. She truly shocked
everyone with her decision, "Phillip, I want a divorce." She said without a hint of

remorse in her voice.

Phillip's face couldn't have been more red with anger as he watched his future ex-wife
leave his side and make her way toward her daughter's welcoming and open arms.

Finally she hugged Bella the way she'd never been allowed.

Edward had never seen Bella look so relaxed – so content – so complete. He had not
only given her his love, but had reunited her with her mother, filling the only missing

part of her soul.

And in completing Bella, Edward was finally at ease with himself as well.

Chapter 19 – August 10

To my beautiful Bella,

No words can adequately describe the depth of my feelings for you,
though I've certainly put in a solid effort.
I fell for you so hard and so fast.
Let me tell you how.
This is our love story.

Yours eternally,
Edward

Edward read the dedication in the only special edition of his soon to be published book
before slipping it back into the wrapping paper. Every other copy would replace the

names Edward and Bella with their alter egos Wesley and Madison.

But he had one copy printed and bound with their actual names. After all, it was his
ultimate grand gesture for his wife.

He looked at the clock for the umpteenth time that evening. Eleven fifty-two – he had

eight more minutes until it would officially be their one year anniversary – though
they'd only been married for four months. He promised himself he'd wait until the clock

struck midnight, but time was moving slower than he thought possible.

Since they had last been in Los Angeles, when he had almost lost her, so much had
changed. In addition to their marriage, Rose and Emmett had gotten pregnant again.

Rose was pissed by the way, but Vera was thrilled as she was convinced her mother was

finally going to give her the baby sister she'd always dreamed about bossing around.

Alice and Jasper had tied the knot as well – after Edward and Bella, interestingly enough.

Edward and Bella had a quiet ceremony in Delta while Alice (and Jasper by proxy) had
opted for a grandiose ceremony and reception. It was perfect for them, but Edward and

Bella were both relieved they had decided on something much smaller.

In the spring, Edward began an addition to the hanger and had started looking to add
cars to his father's collection. He told Bella he wouldn't buy a car without her approval,

but that it wasn't for her, so she couldn't be upset with him – of course, any car he
purchased to add to their fleet was only for her, though.

And then of course there was the matter of Renée. She'd been doing quite well,

considering. The divorce was almost finalized and since her parents had been just as
wealthy as Phillip, she wouldn't suffer financially after their separation. She'd stayed

with Edward and Bella for a few weeks after being reunited with Bella in Los Angeles,
but had soon grown restless and had missed her friends and activities back in Seattle.

So, they flew out to Seattle with Renée and helped her find a perfect condo, promising
to visit often before finally returning to Delta.

But the best part of the last several months, by far, had been the noted change in Bella.

Of course, neither of them had anything to hide any longer, so there was nothing to
prevent them from devoting themselves to each other. She smiled more often, she was

rarely in a bad mood and she radiated contentment. Edward hoped she saw the same
change in him, because he certainly felt like he had finally found a purpose in life: taking

care of her.

Bella stirred next to him in the bed, searching for his warmth even in her slumber. As
she curled her body against his, the covers shifted, revealing her bare chest. It took all

the strength Edward could muster not to crawl on top of her and sheath himself in her
body.

Eleven fifty-seven.

Edward groaned quietly – his desire for Bella seemed to never abate; however, usually

neither minded.

Midnight! At last!

Edward began by slowly running his hands very gently over her body, paying close
attention to her breasts. It took a few moments, but she began to regain consciousness

and her keening raised in volume.

"Bella…" He moaned against the soft skin at her neck, "I need you…" He bit down, but

not so hard that it would hurt her.

Just as Edward had hoped, her sleepy eyes fluttered open and were instantly awash

with want. "What time is it?" She grumbled, still half asleep. Edward knew she couldn't
have been that angry because her little fingers were already tugging his boxers down his

hips.

"It's midnight – Happy anniversary, sweetheart." He kissed her soundly, pressing her
into the mattress with half his weight upon her.

"Anniversary…?" She moaned.

Edward slipped out of his boxers and sat back on his heels, "One year ago today – at this

exact moment – you agreed to give me a chance." He hovered over her, stroking himself
with one hand and coaxing Bella's legs apart with the other.

"I didn't know," Bella pouted, frowning slightly.

"I guess you'll just have to make it up to me." He raised an eyebrow.

"What did you have in mind?" She propped herself up on her elbows.

Edward grinned wickedly, "I want you to tell me one of your deepest, darkest fantasies."

Bella bit her lip nervously, "Really?" She looked up at him through her lashes.

"Oh, yes." He said affirmatively.

She furrowed her brow in concentration, but Edward knew the moment the idea came

to mind as her eyes widened and a flaming blush spread across her cheeks.

"Well?" He smirked.

"I have to say it out loud?" She asked sheepishly.

"How else am I supposed to know?" He laughed.

"Fine," She pouted, but leaned up to whisper her fantasy in his ear.

Edward nodded with a smile playing across his lips, but he wasn't as excited as Bella had
hoped, "Not adventurous enough?" She asked.

"No, I just think you've got more hidden in that mind of yours." He smiled, sliding off the

bed and holding his hands out to Bella to help her down.

"Well, you're right." She challenged, "I wasn't finished."

Edward watched her curiously as she walked over to the bathroom and propped the
door open all the way then said, "Turn around, please."

He heard her rifling in the closet before she said, "Okay."

He turned then and scanned her up and down as she made her way over to him by the

sofa where she'd told him to stand. She was completely nude, save for a pair of very tall,
deep red pumps.

"I'm sorry I forgot what day it is." She twirled a lock of her hair through her fingers, "I

guess you better punish me so I'll remember next time." Bella bent over the arm of the
sofa in their room, exposing her bare ass to Edward. The heels made her back arch in

lovely curve as she perched her ass in the air.

He sucked in a strangled breath.

"You're sure?" He approached her, running his warm palm over the curve of her ass
cheek.

"Oh, yes." She mimicked him. "If you don't spank me, I'll never learn." She told him.

"I guess you're right." He chuckled just before letting his hand come into contact with

her soft flesh.

Bella's immediate groan of ecstasy was cut off when his hand landed on the other cheek
with a loud thwack.

"How many do you think it will take so we make sure this never happens again?" He

rubbed the reddened skin in the distinct shape of a hand print.

"You know best…" She panted.

Edward ran his hand slowly down the inside of her thigh until his fingers came into
contact with her obvious arousal. "Oh Isabella…" He whispered, "If I didn't know any

better I'd think you forgot what today was on purpose." He slid his length over her folds,
lubricating himself with her need.

"Please…" She begged.

He smacked her again, "Not yet." He laughed mockingly. "Do you want another?"

Edward asked menacingly.

"Yessss…" Bella hissed.

Edward spanked her one final time before completely taking her by surprise as he thrust
into her hard and fast, "You naught girl…" He growled as he pumped into her, loving the

cries of pleasure that fell from her lips.

When he slowed his pace to torture Bella that much more, he looked up only to find her
big brown does eyes – now hooded with lust – staring back at him.

She had propped open the bathroom door so she could watch herself in the full length

mirror mounted there.

"Oh god," he gasped.

The sight of Bella, bent over the couch in those fuck-me heels with and expression of
absolute rapture upon her beautiful face as he impaled her was so much more than

Edward could handle. He grabbed hold of her breasts as he pounded into her.

She cried out as her walls closed in around him, triggering his own climax as he spilled
his release inside of her, letting her muscles take him for all he was worth before he

pulled out of her.

They both took a moment to catch their breaths. As soon as he felt strong enough, he
gathered Bella in his arms and carried her into the bathroom where they both cleaned

up. Ignoring her protests, he then proceeded to carry her back to the bed and gently
rubbed each foot as he slid the beautiful shoes off her.

"Are you very sore?" Edward asked as he gently ran his hand over her ass.

"No…" She sighed, "It was perfect."

"The heels were a nice touch." He smirked, "And the mirror…" He trailed off.

"I know…" She sighed in agreement. "I wanted to see you while you had me."

"Did it live up to your fantasy?" Edward kissed her cheek before nuzzling her neck.

"Way better." She smiled, "I love you." She brought her hand up to run it through his

hair, scratching his scalp a bit, the way he liked.

"I have one more thing for you." He said, trying to hold back his excitement.

"Edward!" She protested, sitting up in the bed, "I didn't even know about today and

you're not allowed to buy me anything." She folded her arms, "We had a deal."

And by deal, she meant that she had continually told him not to buy her anything and

usually he merely nodded and pretended he'd comply with her wishes. He'd never
actually agreed to anything of the sort.

"I'm your husband – I love you more than life itself – and I can get you whatever I want

to." He grinned widely at her, earning a sharp shove to his side. "Aww, my violent little
girl…" He laughed, attempting to smother her with little wet kisses as she tried to

squirm out of his tight hold.

But short sweet kisses turned into languid, passionate ones and after a few minutes,
Edward rolled off Bella completely out of breath – instantly she found her favorite spot

and curled into his side.

Edward reached his long arm over to the top drawer in his night stand and pulled out
the book-shaped package he was looking for and then handed it to her.

"Edward…" She pouted.

"Just open it, please." He turned on his side to get a good view of the look on her face

when she saw what was beneath the wrapping paper he'd attempted to enclose the
contents with.

Bella looked up at him dubiously before she carefully removed the paper. She stared at

the book for a long moment. "Letters from Delta?" Her voice trembled as she read the
title, her fingers brushed over his name on the front cover. "I didn't know…" She looked

down at the book then back up at him. "You got a book deal?" She guessed.

"I did." He confirmed, tucking a stray stand of sex tousled hair behind her ear. "But
you're the only one who will ever own this version." He helped her open the book to the

dedication page and watched with bated breath as her eyes scanned the text before
promptly filling with tears. Edward wiped them away as they rolled down her cheeks.

"You wrote about us?" She choked.

"I hope that's okay." He was suddenly filled with a sense of dread; he felt foolish for not

consulting her about it because he'd been so wrapped up in surprising her with the
finished product.

"Yeah – of course." She said immediately.

He sighed in relief. "I just wanted you to know…" Edward tried to ignore the lump in his

throat. "How much you mean to me – how much you changed me – how much I love

you." He buried his face in her hair, holding her as close as he could.

"I've always known." She whispered, stroking his back lovingly and sinking into his

embrace.

We were both home.