Twilight 1. Chapter 1

**Tougher Than The Rest - Complete**

"I didn't expect my weekend to consist of anything more than a family wedding…then I met Bella and my world was blown apart. Could I accept her reality, once I'd finally learned what that even was?"

Chapter 1: "…look at you now, all curves and legs!"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is one that partly inspired this story and certainly inspired the title. "Tougher Than The Rest" cover version by Darren Hayes. (Originally written by Bruce Springsteen). This cover can be found on YouTube, it's truly beautiful.**

"Thank you." I nodded to the burly taxi driver as I handed over the fare and exited the cab with as much dignity as possible in the dress I was wearing.

"Have a nice day," he replied as I turned to the imposing hotel building. To the side of the double door entrance was an elegant chalkboard on an easel, proclaiming that this was indeed the venue of Tanya and Eleazar's wedding.

I had been friends with Eleazar since we were little. Our families lived next door to each other growing up, and Eli and I became firm friends. When my parents' marriage ended and my mom left, Eli had been a welcome support.

We were only eight at the time, but he was a great friend to me, and his parents cared for me in a way mine couldn't at that time. In the weeks following my mom's departure, Eli's mom used to pack extra in his lunches for him to take to school for me. Charlie, my dad, had thrown himself into his job as a policeman, forgetting for a few weeks that he had a young daughter to care for.

When he'd come around to his new reality—a reality without his wife—he'd packed us up and moved us to a new town, stating he'd got a promotion as police chief in Forks, Washington.

It wasn't until years later that Eli and I met again, but this time, as adults, we stayed in touch, meeting for meals and nights out. He soon introduced me to his beautiful fiancée, Tanya, and they invited me to their wedding.

Through conversations with the pair, it had become clear Tanya's family were paying for a no-expenses-spared event with everyone invited—from childhood friends to second-cousins-once-removed.

I'd heard all about the flower arranger breaking her arm a few weeks ago, the seating plan arguments, which resulted in a chalkboard being snapped in half, and the poor little flower girl who came down with chicken pox last week.

Therefore, I was looking forward to seeing how things turned out and hoping for a great day.

Walking into the hotel, I saw a coat check, where I handed over my jacket and bag for safekeeping. I could have kept my phone with me, but I knew if I was needed in an emergency, Garrett would know exactly where I was and would get a message to me. I would pop back after the meal and retrieve my phone to make the same call I made any time I was out for the evening.

This wasn't often, but for now I was enjoying the sense of freedom I had. I could let my hair down tonight with no one judging me. It had been a long time since I'd done that, and given how rarely an opportunity like this came around, I was determined to make the most of it tonight.

I entered the ballroom where the wedding was taking place. I'd deliberately arrived close to the ceremony time because I didn't know many people here, so I was hoping to avoid mingling around and waiting on my own.

I was desperate to speak to Eli's parents, whom I hadn't seen since childhood. I knew, however, that as mother and father of the groom, they would be in high demand right now, so I made a mental note to seek them out later.

Coming here alone meant it was easy enough to find a seat for one in the rows either side of the aisle, so I slipped into an end spot, smiling at the elderly man next to me.

As I appraised the room, I saw a gathering on the bride's side, near the front of the aisle. There were several older couples—aunts and uncles, I assumed—but there were also a few younger guys, closer to my age. One caught my attention immediately. He had striking bronze hair, which made him hard to miss, even in a room as full and busy as this one. His suit accentuated his broad shoulders and drew my attention to his body—not that he needed much help with that. I'd have noticed his body regardless of what he was wearing, but the obviously custom-made suit was a nice bonus.

I had to snap myself out of this; he was way out of my league and was no doubt married to someone from Tanya's family, probably one of her gorgeous sisters.

However, as I watched him take his place in the second row of seats, he sat on the end next to an older gentleman, leaving no room for anyone to join him.

I was still admiring him, his strong jaw and his large hands which were currently resting on top of his strong thighs, when I heard a shriek.

"Little Bella Marie!"

The loud voice caught the attention of most people in the room. The bronze-haired guy turned, and as I was already looking at him, our eyes met. However, I didn't have time to think about him further as the shriek had snapped me out of my daydream. I stood up, and turned to the woman who was now hurtling toward me.

"Young lady, look at you!" she added, holding me at arm's length now and appraising me. Unfortunately for me though, her voice was loud and bellowing, and most of the room was now looking at me too.

"Hello, Mrs. Denali," I greeted her fondly as she hugged me tightly to her.

"I knew it was you straight away, dear," she announced once she released me. "You have the same beautiful face, but look at you now, all curves and legs!" she continued as I blushed furiously. "Eli told me he'd found you again. I was so pleased…you had such a soft soul. I was worried about you when you moved. I thought that town would crush your spirit, but you look great! Eli says you're well?" she carried on, her voice finally lowering to a normal level as I nodded.

"Yes, I'm good. How about you?" I asked as she shook her head.

"Oh don't worry about us, dear. We're ticking on. Eli told me about Tyler. Bella, I had no idea…"

"Mom," Eli interrupted his mother, tapping her on the shoulder, prompting her to turn to him. "Tanya's ready. We're about to start. Why don't you catch up with Bella later? Dad will want to see her too," Eli added with a nervous smile.

"Oh, of course," his mom replied. "Gosh! My little boy is getting married!" she squealed as she squeezed Eli's cheeks and brushed some nonexistent lint off his shoulder.

Eli groaned, looking down at his overly shiny shoes, as his mom fussed over him. At least I wasn't the only person who was embarrassed right now.

"I'll speak to you later, dear. I'm so glad you're well," she added, turning back to me before I took my seat.

I could feel the bronze-haired guy looking over at me. I didn't know if he could hear our conversation over the general noise in the room, but just his look was enough to faze me.

I couldn't make eye contact with him though. My cheeks were still flushed, and my ears were still ringing from Mrs. Denali's words. I'd forgotten how loud and jolly Eli's mom was. And I'd forgotten how much I missed her—her motherly nature—her whole family unit.

Thankfully though, the room then fell into silence as soft classical music started to play, and the ceremony commenced.

The wedding was truly beautiful. Eli and Tanya looked so happy, and Tanya was stunning in a white lace wedding dress and a delicate flower bouquet.

Her chicken-pox-riddled flower girl wore a sparkly dress, and her wide beaming smile could have rivaled Tanya's, were she not the bride.

Afterwards we exited the room onto a grassy area outside where I noticed drinks were being served. I grabbed a glass and watched people milling around, congratulating the bride and groom and chatting amongst themselves.

I spotted a group of Eli's friends, who I'd met at a lunch for his birthday. Grateful for a few familiar faces, I headed their way and joined in the conversation.

However, my thoughts were never far from the guy who had held my attention all afternoon. I saw him chatting with many other guests, but he didn't appear to be with a woman.

As I looked around again, I saw him with a curly-haired blond guy and a shorter woman with cropped dark hair rocking a baby on her hip as they chatted with him. He smiled widely and laughed with the couple, taking a sip from his glass as they spoke to him.

Then, with no warning at all, he turned and looked at me. His face was handsomely striking, and his gaze was intense. I wanted to run toward him and run far away from him at the same time. Instead, I did neither. I smiled, gaining a smile back from him before the guy he was with tapped his arm and regained his attention.

It had been a long time since a guy had paid me any attention, so a smile across the room was enough for my mind to wander—to his chest, his thighs, and his body under that suit. I had no skills or practice in flirting. I was out of my depth here, so I decided to let the night take me where it may.

Whatever happened, I'd still be me in the morning. I'd return to my happy little life and never see most of these people again. Chances were I'd end the night tucked up safely in my bed with a hot chocolate, wishing Garrett would stop snoring long enough for me to fall asleep.

I knew we would soon be called to take our seats for dinner, so I excused myself and headed for the restroom where I gave myself a talking to. I wasn't in the business of putting myself down, but I was realistic. I doubted a guy like him would be interested in me – not in my situation.

However, I didn't need a marriage proposal – I was just looking for a fun night. Most guys would like that, right?

I'd found a temporary boldness, whether it was in the alcohol I was drinking or the freedom I'd found for one night. Either way, I wanted to be reckless for once.

To live for me.

To be bold enough to put myself first.

To remember…

To forget…

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

_Edward Cullen_. That was me, and by the looks of this seating plan I was placed at the Lily table with no one from my family to keep me company. _Thanks, Tanya_.

I sighed and walked into the well-decorated hall. I knew my cousin's wedding would be an elaborate affair—hence my designer suit—but this surpassed all my expectations.

The hall was bathed in a soft light with swathes of white linen hanging from the ceiling and attached to the walls. The tables were sprinkled with rose petals and an elaborately folded origami heart in the center of them, which read; _"Sit where you wish but your place is on the dance floor."_

That was definitely Tanya's influence. As formal as this wedding was, she wanted to kick back and have a fun reception. That, coupled with the fact that seating plans were notoriously a pain in the ass to arrange, meant I was free to sit wherever I wanted at the Lily table.

I took a seat, noticing that in front of me were more glasses and cutlery than I knew what to do with.

I smiled at the unfamiliar couple already seated opposite me at the table. However, before I could introduce myself, the room became occupied by many hungry guests and the noise level rose.

As our table filled up, I glanced at the woman taking a seat next to me. She was the one I'd seen a few times this afternoon, mainly when that crazy loud woman accosted her and greeted her like she was her long lost daughter.

What did she call her? Marie something? Something Marie?

Whatever this woman's name was, it appeared she, like me, had come to the wedding alone. I was struggling to believe she didn't have a date though.

She was beautiful.

Not over the top, in your face stunning like my cousin Tanya but more girl next-door—understated and naturally beautiful. Maybe I didn't hate this seating plan—or lack of—quite so much now.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her smoothing out her dress and looking around nervously, so I took a deep breath and turned to her.

"You came to this alone?" I inquired. As she looked at me, her eyes widened. I wished I knew what she was thinking, but she gave nothing else away when she replied.

"Err, yeah. I didn't feel right taking up another place just to save face." She was slightly shy, not quite making eye contact with me, but I felt like we already had something in common.

"Me too," I told her, pleased that I'd made her smile as we shared our pain at going stag to a wedding. "My family's all here though," I added while my arm circled the room, motioning to the other guests.

"Ah, family wedding?" she asked, brushing her sweeping bangs out of the corner of her eye. Her hair was long, chocolate brown, and curled elegantly for the occasion.

"Yeah, Tanya's my cousin." I picked up the water pitcher from the center of the table and offered her a drink.

"Thanks." She nodded, holding out her glass while I poured her a drink, then myself, and then offered the pitcher to the guy seated on the other side of me.

"I'm Edward," I introduced myself as I turned back to her. She looked up at me from under her long lashes and introduced herself as Bella.

"So, did you have to travel far?" she asked, making me smile at her desire to maintain the conversation.

We continued to chat as the appetizer was served. Bella seemed quite shy, but I was able to make her laugh a few times.

As time progressed, I saw her physically relax into the evening—her shoulders lowered, and her smile widened.

She was charming and intelligent which only increased her appeal. While the meal continued, our eye contact grew along with our laughs as we chatted about random things.

We stuck to common interests: TV, films, music, travelling, nothing too personal. We talked to the other guests at our table but always ended up chatting, just the two of us again.

I was drawn to her, and I think she felt the same.

The way she twirled her hair around her finger when she was thinking hard and the way she smiled widely when she was encouraging me to talk had me wanting this meal to last all night—especially when she moaned at how good the chocolate dessert was, only to look embarrassed and apologize.

Not that that was necessary—I was replaying that moan more times than any gentleman should.

Before long, we were finishing our desserts and being shushed by the wedding party, who seemed eager to start the speeches.

The head table was behind us, so we turned our chairs in order to see them clearly.

I took the opportunity to stand and remove my suit jacket. I was getting hotter and hotter. I couldn't tell if it was my attraction to Bella or the fact that I was in this room full of people.

Either way, after I removed my jacket, I hung it over my seat, undid my top button, and loosened my tie before I sat back down.

I looked over at Bella, who was watching intently. Her gaze made me feel wanted. Her look was intense, like she wanted to do, or say, so much.

But she didn't.

I undid my cuff buttons and rolled my sleeves up to my elbows, revealing my forearms and silver wrist watch.

Bella sighed and looked away, toward the head table, and now I was the one staring.

This was the first time I'd seen the whole of her body up close.

She was stunning.

Her dress stopped just above her knees, which made her legs look amazing especially the way she crossed one over the other and swung it slightly. How could I not have noticed?

I swear, I tried to listen to the speeches, I really did.

I think Uncle Alec was actually quite funny, despite him being emotional at giving away his youngest daughter earlier in the day.

However, the woman to my left was very distracting. Every now and then, we would make eye contact and smile before she would look away.

As the speeches continued, I saw her eyes drop to my chest, to the gap I'd exposed when I loosened my tie and undid the top button of my shirt.

She shook her head slightly and turned away, looking embarrassed. As we sat, I tried to read her. She hadn't given much away when we'd spoken earlier, but her body language was undeniable.

She liked what she saw.

She liked me.

As the speeches drew to a close, I laughed along with my family and friends. We all toasted to the bride and groom before they eagerly announced that the evening reception would now commence.

Bella excused herself, presumably for the restroom, and I couldn't help but watch her as she walked away.

She looked stunning in a soft red dress that sat just off her shoulders, giving her a high neckline but showing off her collarbone. The outfit was matched with a very nice pair of heels, giving her those stunning legs. I couldn't help but notice it was quite a nice fit around her ass, too.

Damn, I needed to get a grip.

"Earth to Edward."

"Huh?" I spun round, embarrassed. I recognized that voice, and it was the last person I wanted to catch me ogling a woman I'd only known a couple of hours.

"Eddie boy, made a new friend, have you? Not bringing a date does have advantages after all!" My brother laughed, delighting in my embarrassment as his wife nudged him with her elbow.

"Shush, Em. You're such a jerk," she scolded him fondly.

"Rosie, he was practically drooling," Emmett replied while I rolled my eyes. "Speaking of drooling," he continued. "My wife looks stunning tonight. Seth's been picked up by a friend's Mom to stay the night with them, so we can party, but I think we're about to leave in a minute. We're going to take advantage of Seth's sleepover, if you know what I mean!"

His face split into a playful grin as Rosalie smacked him on the arm gently.

"Em, the whole room knows what you mean!" I joked with him.

"Well, you have fun, little bro. We're gonna have a dance and then head off," Emmett told me as I nodded to him.

"Okay, see you at breakfast – if you manage to get up, that is."

"Oh, we'll be there. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast. All that food, dude…" His voice got fainter and trailed off as Rosalie pulled him onto the dance floor, and they disappeared into the many couples now dancing.

As Bella walked back toward our table, I was beginning to realize I wasn't the only guy in the room to notice her.

She, however, seemed oblivious to this as she approached me.

"I'm heading up for a beer. Would you like a drink?"

"Oh, I left my bag at the coat check—" she started before I placed a hand on her shoulder and interrupted.

"This is the point where I could pretend to be a gentleman and buy you drinks all night, but it's an open bar, so…what do you want?"

"Oh, I didn't want to assume… anyway, I'd love a mojito, but I'll come with you," she told me as we set off for the bar together.

In the back of my mind, I was actually pleased she was being so sensible about not accepting a drink from a strange man who'd just admitted he wasn't a gentleman.

However, the bigger part of my brain was just pleased to be seen with her when a few other guys in the room were clearly appreciating the view she was offering.

We soon returned to the table with our drinks, but this time we were seated facing each other, our legs mingling between our chairs as we talked.

I noticed Bella avoided talking about herself. She changed the subject if things got too personal, but we talked constantly, and I was having a great time.

I'd expected to find my family as soon as the meal was over, but I hadn't given them much thought as Bella and I continued to chat and laugh.

I couldn't help but notice her neck and her collarbone. I was desperate to lean in and whisper in her ear, nibble at her neck, and make her moan again.

I didn't know where those thoughts were coming from. Sure, I was a red-blooded male who did okay in the dating department. I'd dated pretty women before, and I definitely didn't live like a monk. But Bella, she made me think, made me feel, and I hadn't had that in a long time.

I noticed her looking at me—my hands, my arms, and my thighs. She was losing her shyness and becoming more forward with me.

She leaned in and held my arm when she laughed. She tapped my thigh to scold me when I said something uncomplimentary about the Seattle Seahawks, her favorite team, and she held her breath when I finally did lean into her and whispered in her ear.

Her hair smelled amazing, and I ached to kiss her neck. I'd been attracted to her as soon as I'd seen her earlier, but now, this was something else. I felt a need to know her better, to be with her, to make sure she felt this too.

As we finished our drinks, Bella turned her body toward the dance floor and watched couples dancing around.

She was looking wistful as she tapped her foot to the beat of the slow song. I stood and stretched my tall frame, and before I had time to overthink my actions, I bowed down slightly in front of her and offered her my hand.

"Would you like to dance with me?" I watched her face, noticing she was clearly surprised by my words.

"I, umm, coordination isn't my strong point. I haven't danced in years. I'll probably break your toes, especially in heels," she stumbled shyly.

"Leave your shoes here," I suggested. "Come on. I can hold my own with the slow songs. I'll help you."

She stood up slowly and stepped out of her heels, losing about two inches in height as she did so. She paired her shoes together under the table and turned back to me to take my proffered hand.

Her hand felt small in mine, and when we reached the center of the dance floor, I placed my other hand on the middle of her back, and realized how well she fitted under my chin. Her spare hand stretched toward my chest.

I'm pretty sure she wanted to rest it there but changed her mind, and instead held onto my waist, gripping my hip just above my belt. Despite being close to the part of my body that was working overtime right now, the placement of her hand felt less intimate than if it was on my chest.

"Hop on," I said as she stared at me blankly, a pretty cute confused expression clouding her features. "My feet!" I clarified, not letting my mind think of any alternatives to my words.

"Your feet? I thought the idea of dancing was _not_ to step on your partner's toes?"

"True, but the idea is also to have fun, so hop up, and we'll be waltzing round the room in no time."

"Okay," she agreed nervously. "But tell me if I'm squashing your toes."

"You'll be fine," I assured her as she gingerly stood one foot on top of mine, followed by the other. I think it was around then we both realized how close to me she now was.

I started moving my feet slowly, but that didn't help. Her body was now rocking up and down mine with my movements.

Damn! She was now very close to certain parts of me.

"So you've taken dance lessons?" she inquired, probably to ease some of the tension we were both feeling now.

"Err, yeah," I started, but coughed to clear my throat that was suddenly very dry. "My mom and dad—they're around here somewhere—they love dancing. They're always dancing around the house. It used to embarrass the hell out of me, but now that I'm older, I can see it's really great how in love they still are. Anyway, they insisted on teaching my brother and me some moves for our prom. It turned out to be real fun to learn with them. It all stuck with me. I just never forgot," I explained with a shrug.

"So did it impress your prom date?"

"Me? Not so much. I got a peck on the cheek at the end of the night, and then she started dating someone else the following week. I guess something must have worked for my brother though, 'cause he's married to his prom date." I grinned at the memory of Emmett and Rosalie at prom, and the—now very outdated—photo of the event that hung in my parents' hallway.

"Wow. High school sweethearts?"

"Yep. They should be around here somewhere too, but I'm pretty sure they've taken advantage of their son being collected and looked after by a friend, and they've escaped already."

"Right." She nodded as a slightly awkward silence followed.

"What about your prom? You must've danced then," I said as we continued to move slowly to the music.

"Not really. I dated a guy from a different school. I didn't have too many friends in high school."

"I find that hard to believe," I answered truthfully. This woman was smart, funny, and beautiful. I was having the best night I'd had in a long time.

"Well it's true," she explained with a shrug as I listened in disbelief. "When my parents split up my Mom moved away, so I had to grow up pretty fast. I didn't have much in common with my peers," she added.

"Excuse me..." I heard a voice start as a hand gripped my shoulder. Bella jumped at the sudden interruption. I think we'd both fallen into our own bubble and forgotten the rest of the room. "Can I have this dance?" the voice continued as Bella stepped back off my feet, making me miss her closeness and body heat immediately.

I looked up at the guy attached to this annoying voice. His hair was dirty blond, and he had a smirk that showed he knew exactly what he'd interrupted.

I felt Bella's hand grip mine more tightly. That was all the answer I needed.

"Sorry. We're not done here," I explained.

"You don't wanna let the lady speak for herself?" the guy asked.

I looked at Bella and waited, giving her time to speak. "We're not done here," she answered, echoing my words. Now it was my turn for the smug grin.

"Fine," the guy replied. "Maybe later," he muttered as he turned and left. I watched him walk away, but it wasn't far enough for my liking.

"You want to get some fresh air?" I offered as Bella grinned up at me.

"Yeah, just let me grab my shoes," she added before she disappeared into the crowd.

I heard Bella's heels clicking before I saw her. Once she reached me, I grabbed her hand and pulled her through the—now even busier—dance floor toward the patio doors at one end.

We exited onto a deck, and even though we were the only people out here, we moved down, so we weren't in front of the doors. I then released her hand and leaned on the balcony railing, looking out to the hotel grounds below.

The view was more than I'd expected. The gardens were nicely landscaped with solar lights illuminating the shaped bushes, adding a soft glow to the darkening sky. The stone path was lined on either side with candles in mason jars hanging from the trees, giving a magical feel to the evening, and the cool breeze out here was a welcomed relief from the hot, slightly stuffy reception hall.

"You know that guy?" I asked her, struggling to forget his interruption.

"No," she answered with a shake of her head. "I've never spoken to him before. I don't know why he'd want to dance with me."

I raised my eyebrows. "Hmm, sure," I scoffed, slightly louder than I'd intended to. She looked at me, confused as she too leaned down, resting on the balcony rails. "Bella, you look beautiful," I told her. "A lot of guys were looking at you in there. Your legs look ten feet tall in that dress. That probably has something to do with it!" I told her as she elbowed me.

"Shut up!" She laughed.

"It's true," I insisted. And it was. Her legs were distracting, especially now that they were once again attached to those red heels.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you in that suit isn't a disgusting sight either," she told me as I barked out a laugh. It was great to laugh so much. I realized it had been too long since I'd felt this kind of connection and attraction to a woman.

"Is that your version of a compliment?" I joked with her. "I'm not disgusting? Jeez thanks. That's the best you got?" I teased.

I watched her, fascinated by the blush creeping up her cheeks as I pressed her for compliments.

"Your hands are…hot," she announced, in a quieter voice now.

"Hands? Huh." That was a new one. I'm not sure I'd ever been complemented on my hands before. I looked down at them and turned them over before realizing Bella was looking too. "You're a hands girl?" I asked, still sounding amused as I raised an eyebrow in question to her.

"No. Yes. Well, I'm more of a chest girl—chest and biceps actually—but I haven't seen those, so…" She trailed off as I waggled my eyebrows at her. "You're gonna laugh at that too?" she asked as I shook my head.

"No, I'm a chest guy too!" I joked.

"So predictable!" she scoffed before we fell into silence.

"Are you staying here, at the hotel?" I asked as she shook her head.

"No. I'll grab a cab soon," she answered. "You?"

"Yeah, I have a room. My family's all staying here," I told her as she nodded but didn't reply. Her mention of going soon didn't sit right with me.

I wanted to get to know her better—to see more of her. Well, more of her personality.

Who was I kidding? I wanted to see more than just her personality!

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think.**

**A huge thank you to Project Team Beta for all their beta help.**

**I can be contacted on Twitter: KoalaLouWrites**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: "I'm trying really hard not to kiss you right now."

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is "Beautiful ****Tonight" by Westlife**

I watched Bella as she admired the candles in the garden below the deck we were standing on. Her face was lit by the soft moonlight, highlighting her long eyelashes and flushed cheeks. Her hair swayed as her head nodded slightly to the beat of the song which was wafting faintly out to us from the main hall.

"I'm glad the day's gone so well for Tanya and Eleazar," she remarked still looking out to the gardens.

"Yeah. It all looks amazing in there." I remembered the elaborately laid tables. The soft pink bows tied onto the white linen chair covers, the ladies in stylish hats and the men in expensive suits and the fancy five-tiered cake which was making the table it was sat on bow slightly.

The whole wedding atmosphere was in full swing, and it was definitely getting to me too.

"I love this song," Bella whispered as I straightened up and turned to her.

"You wanna go back in?" I was enjoying my time alone with her, but if she wanted to go back inside, I knew I'd follow.

I didn't know much about her, but I knew I didn't want her to leave; I didn't want this night to end.

"No, no. I've done my quota of dancing for about the next five years!" she joked as I grinned. I took in her wide smile and the way her cheeks blushed as she mentioned dancing with me.

Her actions were giving me confidence that she liked me, and that she wanted this night to go further.

"I don't know about that. If you're lucky there might be a conga line you can join later!"

"Really?" she asked me skeptically. "We might have to disappear before then."

I didn't miss her use of the word 'we' as I nodded.

"Don't worry. I don't think the conga is really Tanya's sort of thing. She was the kind of girl to dress up in a white dress with a net curtain on her head. When we were young she always turned her playhouse into a chapel. My brother and I preferred to dress up as superheroes, but she always told us that Superman and The Hulk would never get invited to her wedding."

"Yet here you are!" Bella grinned at me, her eyes bright with laughter.

"Yeah. I threatened to wear the Superman outfit today, but I chickened out, too much tight spandex!"

"So, if I were to undo your shirt now there wouldn't be a big 'S' on your chest?" she enquired with raised eyebrows.

"You want to find out?" I continued as Bella's grin widened. "My brother and I joked about it, but Rose would kill him if he stood with her dressed as The Hulk."

"Well I'm sure Tanya's grateful. I doubt red, blue and green would match her color scheme!" I chuckled as Bella continued. "Was your brother's wedding this fancy?"

I remembered the penguin suit I wore then and nodded. "Yeah. More so for me because I was his best man. My suit had this cravat thing I didn't know how to tie and a flower in the lapel that made me sneeze all morning. Still…Rosalie wanted the whole shebang… most girls do, right?"

"I guess." She shrugged, making me wonder what she was thinking. She looked away from me and back to the lit-up gardens as she spoke. "So your parents were okay with him marrying his high school sweetheart? They must've been young."

"Yeah. My parents are total romantics. They married a few months after my dad finally got my mom to talk to him. They're still crazy about each other now. They always told us that you don't find love, it finds you. And when it finds you, you hold on and work hard to keep it alive. As long as Emmett agreed to that, they were happy." I trailed off, noticing Bella's expression.

She had turned back to me with both a surprised and amazed look on her face, perhaps at how open I'd been in my answer. "Sorry, I know you mentioned your parents split up." I wondered if I'd upset her.

"Yeah, but that's not a story to tell at a wedding."

"I guess not," I agreed. The conversation had turned heavy, and as a louder, more upbeat song travelled out to us, I knew I wanted to get back to our earlier easy conversation and banter. "You want another drink?" I offered, hoping to prolong our time alone outside.

"Sure."

"Wait here. I'll bring them out. Mojito?" I asked remembering her order from earlier in the night.

"Thanks." She nodded.

I headed for the bar and ordered both drinks. They arrived quickly, and I raced back into the cool breeze of the night air. I was eager to get back to Bella, but as I approached I realized she had company. Slimy Guy from earlier was back. I picked up my pace, but when I neared her I could hear she was holding her own.

"James, that's not going to happen," she was telling him, her voice sounding sterner than I'd heard all evening.

I knew neither of them had noticed me so I stood behind Slimy Guy and coughed loudly. Bella jumped but looked relieved as she made eye contact with me.

"Fine. Goodbye…again," the man, James, told her before he spun around and deliberately knocked my arm as he walked away.

My drink sloshed out of the full glass all over my white shirt as I tried not to swear in the presence of a woman. My mom would wash my mouth out for that_—_literally_—_I still remember the soapy taste from my teenage years.

I spun around to confront James but felt a hand rest on my arm.

"Leave it, Edward. He's not worth it."

I watched James retreat back inside. Bella was right. I didn't need to waste my evening fighting with him when I could spend the time with her. I willed myself to relax before I turned to face Bella.

I took a deep breath, and after my shoulders lost their tension, I looked down at my shirt. I could see the liquid was turning my white shirt see-through, and I could feel it soaking slowly through to my skin, sticking the material to my body. I looked up at Bella. She was looking at my chest and staring at what she could through the wet fabric.

_Maybe this wasn't so bad after all!_

"You okay?" I asked, snapping her back to reality.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Her eyes shot up to meet mine. I looked doubtfully back at her. "Edward," she continued, "my cousin's a karate black belt. He's taught me so many self-defense moves that I didn't even know which one to use first." She gave me a soft smile, but I could see the truth in her words.

"The most painful one," I answered for her.

"Yeah, but that one involved going for his nuts, and I wasn't keen on getting too close to them," she told me with a grimace on her face.

"Good. Here." I held out her drink and took a sip of what was left of mine as she thanked me. "What did he want anyway?" I asked her, pulling the wet shirt fabric off my skin and attempting to dry it slightly with my free hand.

"Just a dance."

"Sure, _just_ a dance," I repeated under my breath.

"You don't know what he was thinking." Bella challenged me. I forgot all about the wet, uncomfortable shirt in my hand as I looked up at her.

"Psh, I'm male. I saw the way he was looking at you. It was like you were the next course on that elaborate dinner menu," I told her, watching as she raised her eyebrows at me.

"Really? I knew I should have worn the other dress." She mused, more to herself than me.

I shook my head. "There's nothing wrong with that dress," I scoffed, my voice low. Bella struggled to swallow her mouthful of drink as her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You heard me earlier, right? I think you're beautiful. And now I know that you're funny and smart and…" I trailed off, amused by the look of shock on her face. "It's true," I told her with a shrug, answering her unasked question.

"How many of those beers have you had?" Her voice was a low whisper which went straight to my groin.

"Enough to speak my mind," I answered seriously. We both knew neither of us were drunk.

"You're very open…with your thoughts…with me. I'm not used to that." She still looked surprised and unsure about believing me.

"You're not used to being told you're beautiful?" I asked, enjoying her blush as she swept her hair off her face.

"Err, no." She shrugged, her words trailing off as she looked at the rim of her glass, not at me.

"Well, you should be told every day." I stepped closer to her and closed the gap between us as I took a deep breath. "Every. Damn. Day."

I removed her drink from her hand and rested it, with mine, on a nearby table. When I returned I stood even closer to her than before. So close that my shirt touched her dress as I took her hands in mine. My fingers toyed with hers before they reached up to her soft, delicate wrists. I stroked across her pale skin and felt her pulse racing. I ran my fingertips up her bare arms, slowly, over her elbows, until I reached her shoulders.

"Bella?" I asked, seeking her permission to do this, to cross this line and do what I'd wanted to do since before our dance.

She finally looked up at me as I spoke again.

"I'm trying really hard not to kiss you right now."

"Why?"

_Oh God_. I groaned at her response. "Why? Well because…because I barely know you." My eyes scanned her face. "Because we just met." I licked my lips in anticipation of what I knew I couldn't resist. "Because my cousin will kill me if I fuck with her friend." My face inched closer to hers, and my voice lowered. "Because I don't want to mess up my chance to be with you by moving too fast. Because I know I should respect you more. Because…"

My voice trailed off. I could carry on forever with reasons, but I knew in my heart, they didn't feel valid. Yes, we had just met but this felt so good. So right. I couldn't ignore that.

I knew there was no reason bigger than my desire to kiss her. I'd made the first move with many women in the past, but I'm not sure I ever cared this much before about the outcome.

My heart was beating fast as I raised my hands to her face. My thumbs stroked across her flushed cheekbones, and my fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck. I looked at her plump lips then to her deep brown eyes before I leaned further into her.

I felt her shiver with the gentle pressure of my thumbs tracing across her delicate skin. That was all the encouragement I needed to close the gap between our faces until our lips met.

Our kiss started softly as I gently explored her lips, the corners of her mouth and the bow of her upper lip. However, Bella was soon turning her face to try and deepen the kiss herself. I smiled against her lips before I finally settled my mouth on hers.

I knew I felt something for this woman. I knew I was going against logic with how much I wanted to kiss her, but when our kiss deepened I was rewarded for my instinct.

_Fuck!_

I didn't know I could want like this. My whole body was tingling with goose bumps. My hands were itching to hold her tighter, to pull her closer, to do anything to fulfill this need I had for her.

Her lips were soft and moved slowly against mine as I moved both my hands to her back and pulled her closer to me, molding her body against mine. She released a small moan when our bodies were finally flush together.

I could feel her breasts pushed against my shirt as heat and warmth shot through my body. _Christ_, she fitted so well against me. I'm pretty damn sure I'd never felt so turned on by a kiss before.

Immediately, I grew hard against her. I would have been embarrassed but it felt too good. My whole body was a live wire, wanting more, needing more. I knew when she felt me as she pulled her mouth away slightly and gasped, leaving me trying with all my willpower not to thrust against her.

I gave her a second or two to adjust as my lips moved to her neck and trailed hot, wet kisses on her soft skin.

"That's what you do to me, Bella," I whispered, nibbling at her neck before I kissed her pulse point.

"Me?" she questioned, sounding surprised despite the rather hard evidence that I was providing her with.

"Just you." I pulled my head back and looked her in the eyes as I willed her to believe me.

"Edward," she breathed, biting her lip. My confirmation appeared to spur her on even further as she tugged at my shirt and pulled it free from my pants at the back. Her warm, soft hands found the flesh of my lower back where they gripped and released me urgently. I pulled her closer to me needing her body flush against mine again.

I briefly worried that my wet shirt was going to soak through to her dress but this didn't seem to concern Bella as her body willingly molded to mine.

"Damn. You feel so good," I groaned, unable to resist a small thrust against her body. I needed the friction. I was desperate to feel more of her.

I resumed kissing her neck as one of my hands crept up her back into her hair before I used it to pull her dress further off her shoulders to reveal more of her creamy skin to my lips. "So damn perfect," I growled as I inhaled her scent which was wafting my way from her moving hair.

She continued to move her hands under my shirt but worked her way round to the front of my body. Her small hands squeezed in between our bodies, pulling my shirt loose as she went. _I guess she really wasn't kidding about wanting to see my chest._

As I continued to kiss and nuzzle her neck, working my way back to her lips, she surprised me by dropping her hand from its busy job of loosening my shirt and lowering it to my groin.

She hit the bull's-eye immediately as her hand gripped over my pants and stroked my ridiculously hard erection.

"Jesus Christ," I exclaimed, jumping in surprise at her hand making a sudden appearance right where my body was screaming for her.

"I want you," she breathed quietly as I gasped.

_Fuck that was erotic._ "I'd repeat that, but I think it's pretty damn obvious how much I want you," I moaned as I moved my head back to look her in the eyes. They were dancing with life and lust.

She looked radiant.

"Bella, fuck," I groaned as she continued to move her hand up and down at the prefect speed to drive me crazy. All thoughts of remaining polite and not swearing in front of a woman were long gone. I was far too turned on to worry about my deeply ingrained manners now.

"Are you okay? You're…sticky," she asked as my eyes widened and I looked down at my pants. I knew I was extremely turned on, but I think I'd remember shooting my load like a teenager. Bella laughed as I looked back up at her questioningly.

"Your shirt," she explained as she moved her hand to pull at the large patch that was covered in my beer from earlier.

"Oh yeah that!" I smiled, relieved. "It'll wash out." I shrugged.

"You could always take it off?" she suggested as I chuckled at her. She played with the buttons on my shirt, and I half thought she was going to undo it herself.

"Not here. I have a room upstairs," I told her as she nodded slowly, making my dick harden to painful proportions at the prospect of her returning to my hotel room with me. "Don't worry, I believe you about the self-defense moves. I want you near my groin for reasons that don't involve karate chopping my balls," I joked as she grinned up at me.

"Good because I was serious. I know some moves so keep it clean, Edward," she warned me as I stroked over her exposed collar bones with my thumbs.

"I can't promise that, Bella. My thoughts are the opposite of clean right now."

"Oh yeah?" she enquired as she toyed with the fabric of my shirt. She undid the highest two buttons as we spoke before roaming her fingers over the skin of my chest this move exposed.

Now that Bella's hands were no longer on my dick, I was able to think slightly more clearly. I was aware that anyone could walk outside and see us, anyone including my family, my parents.

"Come on," I told her decisively, grabbing her hand as I turned and pulled her behind me as we headed back inside. "I'll be topless in less than a minute if we stay out here any longer," I joked as she chuckled behind me.

"More like thirty seconds!" she replied as I raced through the still thriving reception hall, praying none of my family spotted us.

Fuck knows what I looked like. My hair was a mess, my shirt was untucked and mostly unbuttoned, and I had a hard on that had only just relented enough to let me walk. Thankfully, we raced through the room and into the hallway without being accosted.

Bella paused at the coat check.

"I need to grab my stuff." She pointed to the counter and I nodded, staying where I was while she walked to the attendant and spoke to him.

She returned with her jacket over her arm and her bag over her shoulder while I jabbed at the elevator call button several times as I willed it to hurry the fuck up. Bella laughed.

"Hit it another time why don't you?" she whispered next to my ear. Her mouth travelled from my jaw to meet my eager lips.

She leaned into me_—_causing me to fall backwards against the wall_—m_aking my ass hit the call button again. Our kiss broke apart as we laughed at the irony.

I looked down at her. Her eyes were alive with mischief, her cheeks rosy and her lips plump. I raised my hand and brushed my thumb over her soft lips. They formed into a smile under my touch as she opened up her mouth and began to tease my thumb with her tongue, drawing it into her mouth as she sucked on it.

"Damn, Bella," I breathed as her tongue swirled around my thumb and she quietly moaned as I watched her, realizing how turned on this was making her. Bella jumped as the elevator I'd forgotten all about suddenly dinged.

The doors opened, thankfully revealing it was empty. We walked quickly inside as I pressed the button for my floor.

I glanced in the elevator's mirrored surfaces and caught a look at Bella's reflection. I couldn't resist planting another kiss on her lips. She pulled me closer as she made the kiss more passionate by running her hands through my hair.

I savored this feeling, this connection with her. I couldn't recall past kisses being this…strong, this all-consuming, or this uncontrollable.

I never understood how family and friends_—_my parents and Emmett in particular_—_could be so sure of their relationships.

At eighteen Emmett knew he wanted to marry Rosalie. I'd never even been close to having those sorts of feelings for anyone. Being the teenager I was at the time, I'd questioned Emmett, asking him how he could be so sure he'd never want to sleep with another woman. He'd given me a wry smile and told me I'd understand one day. Well, today I was a step closer to understanding because if he felt chemistry like this_—_no wonder he couldn't make it to work on time most days. I'd do this all day everyday if I could.

As the elevator stopped the doors reopened to reveal that the corridor was empty. I took Bella's hand as we ran and stumbled to my room. Once outside the door I fished in my pants pocket for my room card, and after finding it I swiped at the electronic lock below the door handle. It bleeped red and didn't open when I tried the handle.

'Fucking thing,' I barked as I tried another time, feeling exasperated when it flashed red again. _Fuck!_ I just wanted to get Bella inside that hotel room. The door finally unlocked on my third attempt. I held it open, looking at Bella as I gestured for her to enter first.

She looked up at me, her eyes calmer and softer now as she assessed me. My dick was overcome with desire for her to walk into my room, but my head was overwhelmed at her trust for me.

If my sister went back to a hotel room with a guy she'd just met, I'd be the first to rattle off the numerous dangers involved in such a situation.

However, all thoughts of my sister, and anyone else on the planet, quickly left my mind as I watched Bella who had apparently found whatever answer she was looking for. Her eyes left mine and trailed down my chest, lingering on my open shirt, before she stepped over the threshold into my room.

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think.**

**A huge thank you to Project Team Beta for all their beta help.**

**I can be contacted on Twitter: KoalaLouWrites**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: _Wait...what?_ _Since when did I find a woman's toes cute?_

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song I imagine playing in this chapter is Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth Featuring Emeli Sande.**

As Bella entered my room, I silently prayed I'd left it in a decent state. I'd been in a hurry when I changed for the wedding this afternoon, but after a quick glance around I was satisfied she wouldn't think I was too much of an untidy pig. Besides, if I had it my way, there would be even more clothes strewn around the room in a few short minutes.

I watched her ass**—**looking fabulous in her tight fitting dress**—**until she turned around to face me. I grinned at her, knowing she'd caught me looking, as I turned and closed the door. I didn't lock it, knowing that might worry her.

As much as I wanted this night to continue, I wanted her to know she was safe here with me. I dropped my wallet and phone from my pants pockets onto the nearby desk as she watched, her expression unreadable. I then placed the hotel room key in the slot by the door which made one of the bedside lamps light up the room with a soft, muted glow.

"Smooth. Did you know you'd be picking someone up this evening?" Bella asked me, a nervous laughter in her voice. I closed the gap between our bodies and smoothed her hair off her face.

"Of course not. I used the light to put in my contacts earlier," I explained. "I don't usually do..." She shushed me with her lips before I could finish my sentence. Then she pulled back suddenly and looked me in the eyes.

"So you wear glasses?" she asked with a grin on her face.

"Usually contacts, but I wear glasses late at night and on lazy Sundays," I explained. "You?"

"Nope twenty/twenty vision," she announced proudly.

"Shame. I bet you'd look pretty hot in glasses," I told her with a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Got a secret secretary or teacher fantasy going on there?" she enquired jokingly.

"Nope. I've got all the fantasy I need right in front of me," I answered seriously as I captured her lips fully and pulled her body flush to mine.

Talking about evenings and lazy Sundays with her made my mind picture her with me. Her in my life after tonight. That thought was so unexpected and surprising that I threw myself into the here and now. Here is what I needed to be thinking about, her soft lips, her soothing smell, her, just her.

I had never felt this intensity before, this raw need and desire. I wanted to hold her, touch her and explore her body all at the same time, but I couldn't draw myself away from the kiss we were enjoying.

Bella's hands moved to my face where her fingers traced over my jaw, which was moving frantically under her touch, making the kiss even more real, even more intense for both of us.

She pulled away with a groan as she set to work on the remainder of my shirt buttons. I then felt her trying to slip the shirt over my shoulders so I moved my hands**—**which had made their way into her hair**—**and let her peel the shirt off my body. My shirt lay on the floor as she drew a soft breath while her eyes roamed my skin, settling quickly on my tattoo.

As soon as she'd hinted at wanting to see my chest, I'd wondered what she'd make of my tattoo.

I had it done when I was eighteen so a fair few women had seen it. Most liked it, some didn't pay it any attention, but judging by Bella's expression, she liked it almost as much as I did, and I fucking love that tattoo. It's a lion on a crest**—**the Cullen crest**—**but she couldn't know the significance the lion held for me.

Bella cursed and placed her hand over my tattoo and in turn over my heart. She ran her other hand softly up my chest, from my belly button, over my abs and pecs, to my shoulder.

Her eyes widened with lust as I watched her in the soft light, unconsciously licking her lips. She traced her fingers back down my chest drawing an invisible pattern over my skin and fine chest hair as I sighed in pleasure.

"Sorry," she whispered, sounding embarrassed. She stilled her hands as my sigh snapped her out of her movements.

"Bella, take your time. We have all night," I whispered, afraid to speak too loudly in case she stopped.

I knew she wanted this, the way she was looking at my body and the way she looked when our eyes met..._Christ!_ I'm not sure I'd ever felt this wanted. Every guy has a chest, but she made me feel like mine was special. Like I was special. Who wouldn't love that?

"All night..." she repeated with a small nod of her head, making me think this was something she hadn't considered until now. "You're ridiculously hot, you know that right?" she whispered, making me chuckle.

"You sure make me feel that way." I'm not sure anyone had ever looked at my body the way she was looking at me right now.

Bella raised herself up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my collar bone. She stretched up to my neck as I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation.

Her hands roamed the muscles in my neck, over my Adam's apple and up to my jaw which was freshly shaven for the wedding.

She then lowered her hands to my back, caressing the muscles there while she dropped from her tiptoes and kissed my chest. She continued, soft kisses, licks and nips, making me groan and thrust into her as she gasped at the sensation.

"More," she pleaded, her voice a hot breath on my skin. I moaned**—**more than happy to oblige**—**as I thrust against her again which made her hands grip my back harder.

Our breathing had intensified and was made even louder being the only noise in the room. I stepped back**—o**ne step was all I could manage before I was too far from her body from my liking**—**but it gave me enough room to fumble for the opening of her dress.

_Where they hell was the zip?_ This was a minefield for men. These damn invisible zips may look nice, but they did not aid my lust filled male brain when my only thought in the world was getting this damn dress on my hotel room floor.

"Under this arm," she whispered, raising her left arm in a move that reinforced that she wanted this too.

I pulled the zip down, slowly. Well, as slowly as I could manage. I was well aware that I was torturing myself with my desire to savor this moment.

My hands continued to the bottom of her dress where I scooped up the skirt portion in my hands and pulled it up. She raised both arms letting me whip the dress over her head and drop it**—**rather ungracefully for such a nice dress**—**onto the floor. Turning back to Bella I gasped and was unable to stop the curse that left my lips.

"Christ, Bella. You're so damn perfect." My brain tried to process the sight before me. Bella was left in her bra and panties. Her red lacy bra and panty set which matched her**—**now discarded**—**dress and her heels which were still very much on her feet. "Damn," I exclaimed as I kissed her again, and she gasped when the bare skin of our chests touched.

I walked her backwards to the bed, kissing her as we moved before I fell with her when her knees hit the edge of the bed and she fell backwards.

I braced my landing with my arms so my body weight didn't crush her. Her shoes fell off as she scooted further up the bed. I would have mourned their loss, but the sight before me was too appealing to care. I quickly scrambled after her, hovering over her body when her head rested on a pillow and her hands found my biceps as I spoke.

"Open."

She looked me in the eyes for a few seconds before her legs silently parted, one falling either side of my waist, leaving her open for me.

I groaned as I lowered my groin to meet hers, and we both gasped at our most intimate contact yet. I rocked softly against her as she made a quiet noise that I wanted to hear from her over and over, all night long. Her hair was loose and splayed over my pillow, and as I took in this sight I froze, trying to memorise this picture.

"Edward?" She whispered, one of her hands gripping my bicep harder while the other dropped to cover my tattoo. I felt it, here, with her on this bed. A connection. A puzzle piece clicking together.

I didn't know this woman, but I wanted to. I wanted this time to be the first of many, but as her eyes searched mine for answers to explain my silence I cleared my throat and buried my feelings.

"Ummm...I'm clean. I'm sure you're on birth control but we should..." I started, trying to shake my previous thoughts from my mind.

"Of course. You have one?" she asked as I reluctantly moved off her and over to my duffel bag. I checked an inside pocket and found what I was looking for before turning back to see her lying on my bed waiting just for me.

I pulled off both my socks and flung them down before I undid my belt and whipped down my pants. My dick had been trying to escape free since our time on the balcony so losing one layer was a blessed relief. Not to mention my skin was flushed hot with desire and exertion.

With the foil packet in my hand I resumed my position in between Bella's legs as I lowered myself this time to her breasts. I kissed the skin I could reach before I pulled at the red lace and released her hard nipple. As I flicked at it with my tongue, I used my hands to undo her bra while I prayed I wouldn't fumble at the clasp like a horny teenager. The trouble was, I was feeling a lot like a horny teenager right about now.

Thankfully, I regained confidence in my abilities as her clasp unclipped easily, and I pulled her bra free from her body. Her tits were everything I'd hoped for. They were soft and warm with rock solid nipples. She gasped as I moved my attention to her other side while I felt her groin rise in search of mine.

"Soon," I whispered as she whimpered and arched her back so even more of her tit was in my face. I nipped and sucked at her offering, enjoying the noises she was producing.

By now I was so turned on I was having trouble making this last. "Okay, I can't wait for _soon_," I growled as my thumbs lowered to her waist. I sat back on my knees to slowly remove her last piece of clothing, those little red panties.

She moved her legs to help me but before she lowered the second leg back down I grabbed it and ran my hand up and down the soft skin as I kissed her calf and ankle, mumbling unintelligently. "Your legs...teasing me...all damn night...never a leg man, but now..." _Jeez, she sent me wild with lust and need. _I finally lowered her leg to find her tugging at my boxers.

Her fingers traced the V of my skin that led down to my last item of clothing. I grinned at her eagerness as I pulled them down and kicked them free of my legs. I studied her face as she watched my erection spring free and bob about, desperate for her attention.

Her eyes widened, and my ego wanted to think she was impressed with my size, but that was only a guess because she remained silent as she reached forward and touched me. Right fucking there.

"Oh god," I breathed as she smiled and made eye contact with me.

"Can I?" she questioned as she continued to stroke me.

"Yes. Hell yes," I quickly reassured her as she stroked my bare erection while we both watched. I studied her face as she touched me. I saw a crease appear between her eyebrows as she concentrated.

I watched her long eyelashes flutter when she blinked. I saw her bite her lip**—**just the edge**—**as she touched me. I watched her for as long as I could until the pleasure took over and I could no longer think straight.

"Enough," I barked out when I couldn't handle it anymore. I did not want to disappoint her. The condom talk had told me how this event would finish, and I wasn't going to blow my load early when I had the chance to get my dick wet. I took her hands and pried them off me before I raised them above her head and held them there lightly with one arm.

She could break my hold if she chose to, but she didn't. I ran my hands slowly down her arms, taking the time to savour her body**—**all of it. My hands continued onto her shoulders, over her soft breasts, where one hand stayed, while the other carried on, over her ribs and hips before I lowered it to her opening. I touched her gently and softly as she gasped a quick breath.

"Please, more..." She was quiet in her request. I tried to take my time, but I was so deliciously turned on that I couldn't take as much time as I wanted. I lowered my hand right to where she wanted my fingers and was rewarded with a long, soft, moan.

"Fuck, that's so good," I exclaimed as soon as I made contact. She was wet, soft and warm. _Oh and did I mention so damn wet? _Her arousal was right there for me to see, and the evidence of what I did to her, the knowledge that it was me who turned her on, that was empowering and exciting. Feelings I hadn't felt in a long time. I stroked over her folds and smiled at the moans she released as her back arched and her legs fell open impossibly wider.

"So beautiful," I murmured as my thumb found her nub, and she closed her eyes in pleasure.

"Uh uh," I lightly scolded. "Watch." She opened her eyes again and stared at me before she slowly lowered her eyes to watch my fingers and thumb tease at her entrance.

"So good," she breathed. By now my dick was bobbing furiously against her leg, and when I tore my eyes away from her entrance long enough to look at her, I saw her holding out the condom to me.

She watched in fascination as I rolled it on and positioned myself in between her legs. My knees nudged at her thighs as I encouraged her to spread her legs wide again. A second later my dick was at her entrance.

I looked up to her eyes as she nodded to me. A subtle nod which would usually go unnoticed, but here**—**in a world where only the two of us existed**—**that small nod was everything. It was all the encouragement I needed. I used a hand to line myself up before I slowly eased my way in.

Fuck she was tight. I knew when she felt it too because she gasped at my movement.

"Okay?" I checked as I paused part way in, concerned I was hurting her.

"Yes...more," she breathed out as I grinned and pushed in deeper. So much deeper until I couldn't go any deeper.

"So tight," I mumbled as I pulled back and thrust forward, watching her tits bounce with my movements.

"Yes...again," she told me in a light whisper as her hands gripped my biceps, and she tightened her legs around me.

"You want more?" I teased, thrusting several times, slowly in and out, while she moaned.

"Faster," she demanded, louder this time. I obeyed, willing to give her whatever she needed to tip her over the edge. I tore my eyes from her elated face to the place where our bodies joined.

Fuck that was erotic, watching my dick leave her, slick with moisture, before it disappeared back inside, accompanied by a moan before I withdrew again...and again...and again...

"Can you feel me, Bella? You feel this...us?" My voice sounded husky and deep even to my ears.

My thrusting continued as my thighs and arms started to feel the burn of my exertion, but as the burn continued I concentrated on how good the rest of my body was feeling.

"Yes, close. So close" she breathed, making me look up at her and see the pleasure on her face.

"Yeah?" I picked up the pace and pistoned into her even faster, deeper, and harder.

"You're going to make me come, just you..." she whispered. I felt her legs lose their grip on me before she bent them and brought her knees up above her waist.

"Fuck yes. Oh God, Bella," I screamed as the change in angle sent me hurtling towards my release.

I felt her grip my biceps tighter in anticipation of her own climax. My arms were straining, muscles coiling with the effort of holding my body up but Bella seemed to like this position. She held my arms, gripping them tightly as I continued my thrusts.

"Edward...please..." her voice was breathy and quiet, a whisper in the muted light, but her hands continued to grip my biceps solidly as I continued my thrusts.

"Me too," I grunted as I felt her tighten around me.

"Yes, yes, oh yes," she breathed out as her climax triggered my own. And right then and there, I felt it, I felt her.

I thrust forward several more times before I stilled as my body pulsed in delight.

We both remind still, glowing in our pleasure, until I felt her iron grip on my arms finally loosen. Our heavy breathing was now the only sound in the room.

"Christ. Just wow," I whispered when I'd regained my senses.

We both regulated our breathing as I looked down at her, revelling in how natural she looked and how her soft skin shone in the muted light of the room. I hadn't realized that I'd been stroking her thigh with my thumb, slowly back and forth as we both calmed down.

I knew I had to move first so I tilted slowly back on my knees, easing out, holding the condom as Bella let go of my arms.

I turned and sat on the edge of the bed while she moved her legs and pulled the bed sheets up to cover her body, no doubt feeling rather self-conscious now.

"I hope...I mean, Bella, I wanted that. I..." She sat up holding the sheets**—**rather unnecessarily**—**to her chest as she leaned toward me and silenced me with a soft kiss to my shoulder.

"Edward, I wanted that too," she confirmed while I grinned at her.

"Good. I'll be right back," I told her while I stood and headed for the bathroom where I disposed of the condom and cleaned up.

On my way back into the room I found a pair of boxers and slipped them on before I looked over at the bed. Bella was still wrapped in the sheet, her hair splayed wildly on the pillow and her feet, complete with red nail polished toes, were poking out of a gap in the sheet.

Now that some of the lust had been exercised from my body, I expected to calm down and stop seeing this woman as some sort of siren calling me to her without even trying.

However, looking at her in bed, I knew my feelings hadn't changed. I still wanted her, although, given I wasn't a teenager anymore I'd need more turnaround time before that was a possibility. Her hair looked as soft as I now knew it felt, and the red nail polish on her cute toes matched the red of her discarded shoes and dress.

_Wait...what?_ _Since when did I find a woman's toes cute? Err, never_. This was all new to me. I shook my head and turned from her towards the fridge located in the desk structure of the room.

"Drink?" I offered holding up a bottle of water. I sure needed the refreshment myself after our activities.

"Thanks." She watched me as I settled on the bed next to her with two bottles and handed her one. We sipped our water in awkward silence. Conversation had come so easily to us earlier, but now I was at a lost about what to say.

Bella recapped her bottle and set it on the bedside cabinet.

"I'll just..." she nodded to the bathroom as she rose, clutching the sheet to her body as she walked. Mid-way there she stopped and turned back to me, catching me staring at her. She met my eyes with a shy grin before she continued to the bathroom.

While Bella was gone, I ran my hands through my hair and tried to regain my composure. I glanced at the clock, it was really late now and tiredness from the long day**—**emotionally and physically**—**was hitting me.

I closed my eyes and felt the scratch of my contacts that told me it was beyond time to take them out. As the bathroom was occupied, I used a mirror on the wall which had a strong bar light on the top and removed my contacts. They were disposable anyway so I ditched them in the trash and found my glasses on top of a book I'd unpacked earlier. I located my phone and plugged it in to charge before I sat back on the bed and sipped my water again.

I heard the bathroom door open with a click and Bella**—**wearing one of the hotel bathrobes**—**exited towards me. Her hair was smoothed down now and she seemed slightly nervous again.

She glanced at me, pausing as she took in my appearance. I was still shirtless, still with chaotic hair but now wearing my black framed glasses. Her eyes roamed my chest and face, but I couldn't read her expression in the dim light. She seemed to be studying me, memorising the sight before she shook her head and clutched the robe closer to her body.

"I should..." she nodded to the door, "...go. I need a cab, and it's pretty late," she added, her eyes frantically roaming the floor for her clothes and belongings.

"You can't go now," I gasped, scaring myself with the realization of how much I didn't want her to leave.

"I can't stay," she told me as I leapt up and hunted for a clean T-shirt in my duffel bag.

"Sure you can. It's too late for a cab, besides it's not safe," I told her over my shoulder. _Fuck I had to have a clean top in here somewhere. _

"But staying in a stranger's hotel room is?" _Thank fuck._ I found a T-shirt and pulled it out of the duffel bag before I turned to her.

"I'm not a stranger. I'm Edward. Tanya's cousin. I'd say we're quite well acquainted now," I told her, trying to add some humour into our strained conversation.

"Still..." she protested weakly.

"Please Bella. There's plenty of room. You can wear this." I dropped the clean T-shirt onto the bed. "Come on, you don't want to go out at this time of night, and we know the bed is comfy!" I teased as I lay back on the very comfortable bed and crossed my arms and legs. I wanted her to stay, but I couldn't be too forceful about it.

"It is comfy," she conceded with a grin, watching when I patted the empty side. "You're sure you want me to stay?"

"Very."

"Well then...close your eyes," she told me, making me scoff.

"Why?"

"So I can get changed," she reasoned.

"Bella, I've just seen you naked. How much more can you take off?" She rolled her eyes as I stared at her, letting her know I'd be watching when that robe fell. Her following blush was adorable especially when she bit her lip while she contemplated her options.

"Fine," she huffed as she pulled the belt on her robe and it fell open which once again revealed her creamy skin to me. She slid the robe off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor while I took in the sight of her magnificent tits. From this angle, where she was stood up, they looked even more amazing. They were full and pert, and her nipples were still hard.

"Christ," I mumbled as she laughed, making me snap my eyes to hers, realizing I'd been staring.

"Have a little problem there, mister?" She joked nodding to my groin. It was then I realized I didn't need as much turnaround time as I'd previously believed. _Jesus, this woman_!

I merely grinned, shrugged in response and pouted slightly when she dropped my T-shirt over her head and smoothed it over her chest. I watched it fall to her mid thighs as she retrieved her panties and slipped into them.

"I just need to..." She muttered, pulling her phone from her handbag.

"Sure." I nodded, looking at her soft skin and flushed complexion as she tapped away on her phone, presumably sending a text. She then placed it to one side while I removed my glasses and placed them on my bedside table in preparation for sleep. Bella joined me in bed, shimmying under the soft covers.

"Do you always sleep topless?"

She surprised me with her random question. "Err...yeah. Unless it's crazy cold. I don't like to be hot at night." Bella was studying me, paying a lot of attention to my answer. She nodded, apparently satisfied with my response. We fell into silence then before she rested her head on the pillow and spoke again.

"Your glasses suit you," she commented, snuggling further down in the bed while I reached over and turned off the last remaining light.

"Thanks," I scoffed, pretty sure she was just placating me. I'd never felt comfortable in my glasses, hence the contacts.

"They do. You look adorable," she added as she stifled a yawn.

"Adorable? Bella, I'm pretty sure it's illegal to call a guy adorable in the hour after sleeping with him," I joked, hearing her sleepy laugh in response to my words.

"Fine. They make you look like a macho muscle man, better?" I lay down on my pillow facing her, noticing her eyes were already closed.

"Much," I confirmed.

"You shouldn't feel bad about being adorable though, because you don't really need the glasses to look macho. The abs and tattoo do that for you," she mumbled, causing me to grin even though I knew she couldn't see me.

"Sleep, Bella," I dropped a kiss on her hair and she mumbled a soft goodnight as I too tried to sleep.

However, I needed to calm my body down first. It had been a while since I'd shared a bed with a woman, and I was torn. Part of me wanted to ravage her body and repeat our earlier activities, but the other part of me wanted to smell her hair, hold her close to me, and savor her curves and soft warm skin.

In reality I didn't dare do either with Bella so I settled into the bed further as she leaned into me and rested a palm on my chest, right over my tattoo. I stroked her fingers and felt her smooth legs settle next to mine under the covers.

It was unusual for me to fall asleep with a woman like this. It wasn't that I hadn't done it before; it had just been a long time since I'd done it with any meaning and real feelings. As I grew more tired I tried not to overanalyze my feelings.

I'd wake in the morning and exchange numbers with Bella and we'd take it from there. There was no need for me to decide anything right now.

I felt Bella next to me, her breathing falling into a soft rhythm which told me she was now asleep. With her rhythmic breathing and soft warm body close to mine, I too relaxed into sleep.

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think.**

**I can be contacted on Twitter: KoalaLouWrites**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: As I stepped into the elevator, I could feel my heart rate increase. I was hoping against hope that Bella would appear when the doors opened.

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is "Lost Without You" by Delta Goodrem**

I stirred awake, slowly blinking my eyes as I became aware of the bright light flowing into my hotel room. I smiled remembering why I hadn't got around to drawing the curtains last night.

I'd slept like a log, not stirring once. Maybe that's what a good fuck will do to a guy. I was facing the middle of the bed, but when I stretched my arms and opened my eyes fully, I quickly realized the other side of the bed was empty.

I was alone.

"What the hell?" I grumbled out loud.

I squinted while my eyes adjusted to the light, and I spotted a note on the pillow previously occupied by Bella. I shot up in bed and grabbed it, seeing the outline of a kiss in red lipstick on the lined paper.

I turned the note over and saw nothing.

_What?! _

She couldn't have left...just left.

I leapt from the bed and raced to the bathroom.

Empty.

I turned back to the room, spotting my t-shirt which Bella had worn last night. It was folded neatly and placed under my glasses on the bedside table, somewhere she knew I'd find it.

I sprinted to it and picked it up, shaking it furiously, hoping to find a note or something. There was nothing. I sat on the edge of the bed and ran my hands through my hair as I rehashed last night in my mind.

Had she really left? Maybe she went for coffee or some shit?

I scanned the hotel room and noticed her clothes were gone. Well, no surprise there. She wouldn't go for coffee naked, would she!

The thought of coffee made me think of breakfast. Maybe she had just gone to the breakfast buffet Emmett had been banging on about yesterday. He's always thinking of food and for the first time ever I was glad of that.

I pulled on the jeans I'd left resting on a chair when I'd changed into my suit, then picked up a t-shirt and sniffed the armpits. Nope, that wouldn't do. I rummaged around some more and found a spare shirt, thankful it was quite casual and would go with my jeans. I pulled it on, knowing I should have taken a shower first, especially after last night's activities, but that would have to wait until after breakfast. Otherwise Bella could be gone before I got there.

I used the bathroom, gathered my phone, wallet and room key and buttoned up my shirt. I added my glasses to my ensemble, not risking the time it would take to sort a new pair of contacts. After a quick elevator ride, I raced into the bustling hotel dining room.

I soon spotted Emmett waving to me. I waved back, acknowledging him, but I kept looking around. There were plenty of people sitting at tables chatting or in a line for food, but as for Bella, I couldn't see her anywhere. I made my way over to Emmett, who was by now giving me a confused look.

"You okay, bro?" he asked, a loaded fork of food pausing on its way to his mouth.

"Yeah, yeah, just looking for someone," I mumbled, sitting on the empty chair opposite him and acknowledging the rest of my family. Rosalie was on one side of Emmett, Dad was on the other side with Mom next to him. Alice and Jasper were further down the table, feeding a rather grubby-looking JJ a spoonful of what looked vaguely like smushed banana.

"That hot chick friend you made last night?" Emmett mumbled through a mouthful of toast. As I looked at him, he waggled his eyebrows, and Dad looked up from buttering his toast to raise his own eyebrows at me.

"Em…" I grumbled in a warning tone.

"What?" he objected. "I saw you two together. Well, just the back of her head as she disappeared. I couldn't find you after that."

"Em. Seriously." My tone was much angrier than before.

"Are you not eating, son?" Dad asked me, no doubt trying to defuse an imminent argument between my brother and me. Raising twin boys taught him all the warning signs of confrontation, and his approach had always been to avoid it even starting.

"Umm, yeah, I guess I'll eat." I didn't feel hungry. I should after the exercise I'd had last night. However, the unwelcome emotions of this morning were making me feel more sick than anything.

"Glasses?" Emmett questioned, still irritating me.

"Yeah, Dad always says to rest your eyes, give them a few days off the contacts."

My Dad smiled up at me with a familiar softness in his eyes. "I didn't think you listened to my preaching, son?" he teased good-naturedly.

I noticed Emmett's doubtful look at me. He didn't believe that, even if Dad did.

"Yeah well, you're a doctor. You must know what you're talking about," I told him absently as I scanned the room again. There were so many people here; maybe I'd just missed her the first time I looked.

"Might not be any food left if you don't hurry," Emmett pointed out as he picked up his empty plate and stood. His words plucked me out of my thoughts. "This buffet is my nemesis. I will defeat it!" He walked toward the line of food at the back of the room and I followed.

Emmett and I both picked up fresh plates and moved along the line. He piled on a spoon of everything. I wasn't surprised given I'd yet to find any type of food he didn't like. I, however, was still scanning the room. Bella had to be here. The alternative was that she had left altogether and I wasn't ready to face that reality yet.

There were so many familiar faces from last night. There was the girl who caught the bouquet, and there was another who had been wearing a rather short and low-cut dress, not a good combination for a wedding, but no Bella.

It then dawned on me that Bella would have no fresh clothes to wear to breakfast. She'd left my t-shirt in my room and was unlikely to come to breakfast in last night's dress. Therefore the chances were that she was gone.

"So did you seal the deal?" Emmett asked as I turned to him.

"Err, yeah, we…yeah," I confirmed, turning my attention to the food in front of me. I added a few items to my plate while Emmett continued.

"So where is she now?"

I shrugged, busying myself with my food so I didn't have to look at my brother.

"She did a fuck and duck?" His voice was nonchalant as he eyed the sausages in front of us.

"What? No, well...I don't know. I thought she'd be here, but...I guess not." I tried to sound and appear indifferent to this morning's events.

"Score, bro, way to avoid the awkward morning after!" He grinned at me, no doubt contemplating a high-five but not willing to let go of his plate of food long enough to do it. "Did she stay the night?"

"Kind of. She was there when we fell asleep then gone by morning."

"Sounds like a good result to me." Emmett grinned at me, looking impressed.

"What?" I asked, confused as to why he was so pleased for me.

"Come on, man. You know how much I love Rosie, but I have to live vicariously through my single brother sometimes, and this is one of those times," he explained. "So what was she like?"

"You didn't see her?"

"Nope. Just you drooling as she walked away. Fine ass, though," Emmett complimented.

"Yeah well, that isn't all that's fine about her."

Emmett barked out a laugh as I remembered my night with Bella. Her body, her moans, our moans mixed together in the soft light of the room.

"So, if you want to find her again then she must have been good, right?" We reached the end of the food line, which was just as well because I doubted Emmett could fit anything else on his plate.

"Drop it, Em. You know I'll get a speech from Mom if this gets out."

"Edward, son, when are you going to settle down? JJ and Seth need more cousins, and you know I want grandbabies from all my children," Emmett mocked in a high squeaky voice, finally getting a smile out of me.

"Yeah, that's how it goes." I rolled my eyes at the reminder. We both loved our family dearly, but we were also aware that this speech from our mother wasn't a joke to her. She really wanted us to have families of our own. That said, I was pretty sure she didn't want to hear about my love life at the breakfast table.

"Well, how did she know Tanya or Eleazar?" he asked me as we set our plates down and reached for glasses for our drinks.

"I don't know," I told him honestly.

"Well maybe call Tanya and ask who she was," Emmett suggested as he held up a jug of orange juice, questioning whether I wanted any.

"Oh sure, I'll just call my cousin, on her honeymoon, and ask how she or her new husband knows the woman I slept with at their wedding reception!" My voice was heavy with sarcasm. Emmett nodded as he poured my drink.

"Hmmm yeah, maybe call after the honeymoon! Did you get her name at least? We could look her up, Facebook and stuff?"

"Umm…there are probably a lot of Bella's on Facebook," I mumbled as we picked up our trays again.

"Bella what?"

"I don't know." Emmett's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Hey, don't judge me."

"Dude! I didn't think you had it in you. That's a real one night stand if you didn't even get her full name!" He was strangely proud of me.

"Em, we may be twins but it's weird that you're so pleased for me about this!"

"I'm just pleased you're living a little," he told me, prompting me to roll my eyes. "You needed to get laid."

"Hey, it's easy for you. You have it on tap, us singles have to work for a bit of ass."

"Try committing to a relationship then!" Emmett advised.

"I think it's becoming increasingly obvious that she didn't want this to turn into a relationship."

"Guess so. You don't seem too happy about that though, bro," he pointed out as we finally started walking back to our table.

His words made

me scoff. No, I wasn't particularly happy. Bella had been fun and beautiful, and I got the impression last night was out of the ordinary for her. I'll admit I assumed she would be there in the morning wanting my number and a date. I was confused by her absence. My ego felt bruised, but according to my brother it was a good thing I'd had a night of fun with no consequences. _Huh, why didn't it feel that way?_

I was pulled from my thoughts by my Mom's voice when I sat back down at the table.

"Did you sleep well, love?" she asked me innocently, making Emmett snort into his glass of orange juice. I rested my knife and fork on my plate while I tried to school my features into a neutral expression.

"Yeah, thanks, Mom, I did."

"Good. Not many people can sleep well in a strange bed, but you two boys..." She paused and shook her head fondly. "You could always sleep anywhere, anytime. I was always catching one of you asleep in the toy box or the empty bathtub when you were toddlers. Emmett fell asleep on the toilet one time." She laughed shaking her head. "Such sweet boys."

"Not so sweet and innocent now," Emmett mumbled around his mouthful of food, looking at me.

"Good job I have Seth and JJ then!" Mom joked.

"Hey, Mom, have Tanya and Eleazar left already?" I asked, trying to deflect any mention of the fact that I hadn't given her any grandchildren yet because I knew that dig was coming. I was hoping to sound causal, but Emmett saw straight through me and only stopped grinning manically when Rosalie elbowed him in the ribs.

"You missed them. They left pretty early for their flight." As usual my mom's voice was soft and warm when delivering news I didn't want to hear.

"There seems to be a lot of that going on this morning," Emmett teased, looking at me as I groaned, knowing Dad was watching our exchange. "What?" Emmett questioned. "I meant while my beautiful wife and I had an overnight babysitter for our son, we too chose to get up early and enjoy this wonderful day," he said, over exaggerating his words as Rosalie laughed at him.

"Sure, that's what you meant. You just got up early for the food!" I joked with him before he conceded that I was right.

Mercifully, my family started to talk about their plans for the rest of the day. All I had to do was finish breakfast, check out of my room and drive home. As this didn't involve any thought, it left my mind free to wander. The more I thought about Bella leaving, the angrier I was getting.

My initial anger at waking up alone was dampened by the hope that Bella was still in the hotel. But as I continually scanned the busy room, it was becoming obvious this wasn't the case.

I knew I shouldn't be so affected by her, she had never promised me anything. I was kicking myself for letting my heart get involved so quickly, especially when it was becoming clear that Bella had decided I wasn't worth pursuing; presumably she'd received what she wanted from me and was done.

My internal brooding didn't go unnoticed by my perceptive parents, who asked me several times throughout breakfast if I was okay. I don't think my replies convinced them that I was fine, probably because I wasn't, but I couldn't talk about this yet. It was too raw.

I finished my meal and said goodbye to my family. I made eye contact with Emmett who was looking at me knowingly. I knew I'd face questions from him tomorrow at the office, but for now I was leaving.

I headed back to my hotel room, taking the same route as last night, reminding me of snatched kisses, fumbling hands and quiet moans.

As I stepped into the elevator, I could feel my heart rate increase. I was hoping against hope that Bella would appear when the doors opened.

She didn't.

Hoping she would be waiting for me outside my door.

She wasn't.

Hoping that she'd slipped a note under the door for me.

She hadn't.

I threw my belongings into my duffel bag, wrestled my suit into the carrier, and scooped up my toiletries. I didn't bother to shower, shave or change. That could wait until I was home. I retrieved my sock from under the bed and last night's boxers from under the haphazard sheets, all reminders I didn't need. Being in this room was reminder enough.

I grabbed the T-shirt Bella had worn and, resisting the desire to smell it, to remind myself she was real, I threw it rather unceremoniously into my duffel bag.

Once I was packed, I took one last look at the room. I was pretty sure I'd be remembering it in my mind's eye for a while yet. I checked out with no issues and started the drive home, choosing to listen to a podcast, knowing music would leave me time to think and I didn't want that right now.

The rest of my Sunday was quiet. I unpacked, did a load of laundry, avoided several calls from my brother, and prepared some papers for a work meeting the next day. I finally had a shower in the evening once I realized I'd been putting it off. Washing my skin felt like I was washing off the last traces of Bella and I wasn't ready to do that.

However, a quick sniff or my armpits told me I had no choice, so I berated myself for acting so stupid and tried to enjoy the massaging qualities of the hot water on my skin.

Once in bed, I turned to the empty side. The sight had never made me feel lonely before, but now, looking at the empty half of the bed, I knew something was missing.

Someone was missing.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Running a business with my twin brother sure had its advantages. We knew how the other person thought, so we were able to work like a well-oiled machine.

Emmett and I had set up our architecture firm, Cullen Brothers, shortly after graduating college. We were young, but we were driven and had a shared love of business mixed with creativity. We'd always competed over whose Lego building was the strongest, whose tree house design would actually work, and whose bedroom layout was best.

Once we figured out we worked better together than competing against each other, we threw our energy into architecture degrees. We busted our balls during the first years of our business, but we eventually found our feet and were now quite well known in Seattle. We had regular customers who kept the business ticking over, as well as new clients to keep the creative sides of our brains sharp.

I loved working with Emmett. It gave me extra drive to know I was working for my family and to know the profits were going to my sister-in-law, my nephew, and my future. It also meant there was no competition for commission on winning clients, only brotherly rivalry, which our secretaries sometimes argued was worse.

However, there were also definite disadvantages to our arrangement. Seeing your brother and being unable to avoid him when you really didn't want to talk to him was one of them.

That was the situation I was in the next day when I arrived at our offices. I walked quickly past my secretary, Mrs Cope. She knew better than to bombard me with work before I'd hung up my suit jacket and poured my first cup of coffee. However, Emmett's secretary, Mrs Banner, was more fearless.

Both ladies were older than the secretary stereotype. In fact they were both friends of our Mom, which is how they came to work for us. A few young, flirty secretaries who thought it would be okay to hit on me—their boss, and Emmett—their very married boss, had caused nothing but distraction and embarrassment. When they inevitably turned their flirting to the clients, Emmett and I changed tack and hired two older women.

Mrs Cope and Mrs Banner were well qualified for the job of keeping us two in line and usually did so with a nice dose of motherly love. Sylvia and Judy, as we called them when there were no clients around, were great with work matters and knew where to draw the line with gossip.

However, today Mrs Banner was clearly following Emmett's strict orders to accost me as soon as I walked in the door.

"Your brother wanted a word with you before he heads out for the Cartel meeting," she informed me as I stopped my hasty walk past her desk and turned to her. "I know, I know, you need your morning coffee first. I'm just following orders. Don't shoot the messenger please." I softened my face and managed to grin at her. "I'm only passing the message on so early because he said it was urgent. He looked quite worried, actually."

"Oh, he's worried alright. Worried he won't get any gossip out of me." I tapped her desk and turned to leave again. "He gossips more than two secretaries at an architecture firm!" I shouted as I walked down the corridor to my office, listening to the ladies laughing behind me.

Once inside, I closed my office door and clicked on my coffee machine as I moved around, opening blinds, turning on my computer and hanging up my suit jacket.

"Bro, I can hear you in there." My brother's voice boomed into the room as he opened the door.

"Good. Now you know how easy it is for me to hear you in your office when Rose visits." To his credit, he didn't even blush as he stepped into the room.

"One time, dude, you know I'm normally professional. It's just she was wearing the bra that makes her—"

"La la la. No more details please." I covered my ears in an attempt to limit my knowledge of my sister-in-law's breasts.

"You should try it. These desks are quite strong." I rolled my eyes at him as I took a seat behind my desk and he sat on the sofa which graced one wall of my office.

"Remind me never to swap furniture with you!" I joked, making him scoff.

"So, I know you don't want to talk to me, avoiding my calls last night told me that," he started as he sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees. This was a stance I knew well; it meant he was being serious now.

"But you're going to try anyway?" I raised one eyebrow at him.

"I just wondered if you'd found her, that's all."

"Do you think I'd be so chipper this morning if I had?"

"True. You are a particularly bad shade of cranky right now, so I guess that was a stupid question." Emmett conceded while I turned to my coffee maker, willing it to brew quicker.

"So, we're done here?"

"You wish, Eddie," he teased as I lowered my head and ran my hands through my hair. "Dude, I just want to help you find her."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Ed, man, you're my twin. I know you. I can tell you wanted more with her. For all my joking and assing around, I just want to see you happy."

"Em, she left," I told him as I stood and turned again to my godforsaken coffee machine. "She. Left. Me," I reiterated, louder this time as Emmett stood up too. "I'm pretty sure that speaks volumes for what she thinks of me," I shouted as my fist connected with the filing cabinet next to the coffee machine.

"Hey, calm down."

"I don't want to calm down. I want to forget this past weekend. And I want a fucking coffee," I swore as Emmett approached me and looked down at my now throbbing fist.

"Take it easy." He spoke in a calm tone. Despite his jovial, loud nature, Emmett was always able to calm me down when we were kids. He managed to maintain his cool when I lost mine. "I just thought you'd want to find her," he reiterated as I cradled my fist.

"I did. I thought we connected, but obviously not. The more I think about it, the more pissed I get. She fucking left. Plenty of people have had one night stands. We both know I'm not a saint, Em, but I've never left without talking in the morning."

"Well, there might be a reason for that."

"Yeah, like a husband."

"You think she's married?" Emmett sounded confused as his eyebrows shot up.

"I don't know what to think," I confessed as I slumped back in my chair. "I've considered all sorts of reasons. She's married, she's some sort of escaped nun, or just a fucking good actress who fooled me into thinking she was a nice person. Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. I'll never know the truth because she left and didn't want to see me again." I watched the black coffee dripping slowly, too damn slowly, into the jug.

"Escaped nun?" Emmett guffawed as I too grinned, realizing my words were rather far-fetched.

"That's priceless, Eddie. She must have really liked you to break her nunhood or whatever it's called." He laughed while I looked at his amused expression and laughed myself.

"Nunhood! Trust you to make it dirty."

"Hey, don't call me dirty. You fucked a nun!" Emmett exclaimed as his laughter calmed down. "Seriously, bro, isn't it more likely that she just left to avoid an awkward conversation in the morning?" he suggested with a faint laugh still in his words.

"I guess so," I conceded, flexing my fist, the pain having dropped to a dull ache.

"Does she know your details? She might contact you."

I thought back to that night, the things we'd talked about and any information I'd learnt about her.

"We didn't talk about anything personal. No last names, no jobs, nothing about her family. It wasn't a conscious decision, not for me anyway. We just talked about other things, but maybe she was deliberately being vague with me."

"So Tanya and Eleazar are your only link?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I'm not interrupting their honeymoon."

"I'm sure they'd be fine with you sending one text."

"Em, she could have left me her details. She didn't. She could contact me. She hasn't. I'm going to take the hint," I informed him as his shoulders slumped.

"Bro, there's nothing wrong with going after what you want. What have you got to lose?" The seriousness in his voice made me look over to him.

"My pride. My dignity. My self-respect," I listed off as he scoffed at me.

"Well, you enjoy sleeping next to your pride in bed. And I hope your self-respect provides you with companionship when you're old. And who knows, your dignity might well build a family with you one day," he answered me sarcastically.

"Ok, _Dad_, I get your point." I groaned as he raised his eyebrows at me.

"Do you? I'm serious. Take a risk. Love doesn't come easy."

"Love!" I'm pretty sure I was looking at Emmett like he had two heads. "I've just met her!"

"I know. I'm not saying you love her, but I've never seen you like this. If I was talking to Ben or Jared, I'd think you just want to find her because she had nice tits and put out on the first night." I scoffed as my brother continued. "But you can't hide from me. You're only angry and upset because you're hurt."

"Thanks, _Freud,_ but I'll survive. Plenty more fish in the sea and all that." Emmett sighed a heavy sigh aimed at me. He clearly didn't believe my attempt at nonchalance.

"Gah! Fucking coffee. I can't wait any longer." I stood and patted my pockets to confirm I had my wallet. "Lock up, can you?" I asked as I walked out the door, giving him no choice. "Good luck with Cartel," I shouted back at him as I strode down the corridor, past the surprised faces of Judy and Sylvia, and into the lift.

When I returned with my blessed coffee, Emmett was gone and I was finally able to get down to work. He returned just after lunch to inform me Cartel were happy with our design and, bar a few tweaks, we were good to go. He didn't mention Bella or my foul mood, for which I was grateful. He did however turn up in my office mid-afternoon and throw an ice pack at my crotch, making me look at him questioningly.

"Your hand's swelling." He sounded exasperated.

"Bit late now, isn't it?"

"I don't know. Dad's the doctor, not me. Can't do any harm though," he reasoned as I placed the ice pack on my hand to appease him. He nodded at me and turned to leave, but then turned back to me.

"So, Mom's got Seth tonight. Rose and I are going for drinks with friends. That girl will be there. What's her name? Tammy? Toni?"

"Tia?" I offered helpfully, knowing exactly who he meant.

"Yeah. The one that always tries to hump your leg when she's had too much wine."

Like I needed reminding of her. She was shameless. The last time I saw her, she climbed on my lap as she tried to "see how shiny those crown jewels are." I shuddered at the memory.

"You make it sound so tempting, Em," I deadpanned as he grinned at me.

"Come on," he encouraged. "I'll ask Rosie to invite some more friends, girls you haven't met before."

"Em, my hand's sore and we've got Cartel to finalize," I said with a shake of my head. Neither was a good enough excuse to bail. He knew that too, and saw right through me.

"Sure, whatever," he conceded as he turned again and left. He was pissed but he'd get over it. We never stayed angry at each other for long.

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think. Also, thank you to those who have taken the time to write a review, your words are very much appreciated.**

**A huge thanks to The Fic Sisters. They have featured this story on their lovely website ****and generally given me a very warm welcome into the fandom.**

**Thank you to my shiny new beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: "Err no. I'm not offering you my bucks, Eddie. I meant condoms!"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Talk Talk Talk by Darren Hayes**

The next couple of weeks passed slowly for me. They consisted of work, being teased by Emmett and the occasional (or if I'm being honest, regular) thoughts and reminders of Bella.

The smell of Rosalie's Mojito on a night out for her birthday reminded me of the taste of Bella's kisses. A client's red heels distracted me for a whole two hour meeting, and an email from an Isabella West had my heartbeat racing until I realized she was an advertising executive enquiring about one of our designs. I should have been happy for the custom, but I couldn't mask my disappointment that it wasn't _my_ Bella making contact.

Thankfully, Emmett didn't directly broach the subject of Bella again, though when I passed on nights out, he gave me a knowing look and shook his head at me. And when a client's PA asked for my number and I told her to call my secretary, Emmett apologized to her for my ignorance, slapped the back of my head and told me she'd been flirting with me all morning, and if I had my mind clear I might have noticed.

I thought I'd feel better as time passed. Bella would become a distant memory and I'd meet someone else, someone who would actually want a whole relationship with me. I reasoned that there was a good chance I'd built Bella up in my head. Was she really as captivating and attractive as I remembered?

I believed that my best option was to move the hell on and to forget all about Bella. She sure seemed to have no trouble forgetting about me.

However, that theory wasn't working so well for me. Any woman I met, I compared to Bella. When I was home alone I found myself thinking about her, about what she was doing and who she was with. I knew I was acting out of character, but it was Bella's face I saw at night when I finally fell asleep. It was memories of our night together that I dreamed of. It was her face that I searched for everywhere I went, around every street corner, in every coffee shop line and at any bar Emmett managed to drag me to.

One evening when I was particularly fed up of being unable to forget Bella, I grabbed a beer, clicked on my iPad and settled on the sofa. I gave in and searched Tanya's Facebook friends.

She was friends a lot of people. Well, she was _Facebook_ friends with a lot of people. I thought of those as two different things. I had to scroll through all her friends, as I didn't have a surname to narrow down my search. She was friends with quite a few Isabellas and Bellas and while some had pictures of themselves, there were still a lot with non-descript profile pictures and enough privacy settings that I couldn't rule them in or out. Frustrated, I trawled through Tanya's photos wondering if Bella would be there. However, there were hundreds of photos and after viewing the thumbnails of all of them, I hadn't seen Bella. I closed the Facebook app and took a long pull of my beer while I considered my next move.

I could contact Tanya and try to subtly ask her about Bella, but the thought of that conversation didn't appeal to me at all. Tanya wasn't known for her tact, and the prospect of her chewing my ass off for messing with her friends was something I'd avoid if I could.

I could contact all the Isabellas and Bellas who were possibly her, but it would be difficult and embarrassing explaining the situation to them in a message.

Besides, I was still reluctant to go down this route.

Bella could find me if she wanted. I, unlike some of these Isabellas, had a proper profile picture and I was friends with both Tanya and Eleazar on Facebook. Bella had a means to find me and hadn't used it. I was getting angry again as I thought about the whole situation. I clicked off my iPad, downed the rest of my beer and headed for bed.

My empty bed.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Three weeks had passed since Tanya's wedding and it was now Monday morning. I knew Tanya and Eleazar would be back from their honeymoon by now but I was determined not to contact them. I was sticking firmly to my belief that Bella could contact me and chose not to. However, Emmett didn't seem to agree with my logic. He was currently in my office, standing in front of the door, glaring at me.

"You're such a stubborn bastard sometimes." Emmett wasn't holding back today. "Just call Tanya. If you won't, I will. I'm fed up of you moping around over this chick."

"I'm not moping," I objected as Emmett glared at me. I knew that look; he was losing his patience with me now.

"Don't lie to me, Ed, 'cause I swear I'll do this." He reached in his pocket for his cell phone.

"Em, we aren't fifteen anymore. You don't need to whisper to some girl that your brother likes her friend." I groaned.

"Call her or I'm setting you up on a date with hump girl, Tia."

Was he serious? Apparently so. He started tapping the phone's screen for our cousin's number.

"Emmett!" I growled, swiping at him as he held the phone over his head. "Seriously!" I shouted, demanding he put his phone away. However, the phone must have been on speaker because the sound of ringing filled the room. "Fuck, Em," I repeated as he grinned at me, gloating before his grin dropped as Tanya's answerphone message kicked in and I sighed in relief. That was until Emmett spoke into the phone.

"Cuz, I hope your honeymoon was bonktastic. Call me or Edward, he needs to ask you about one of your hot friends." Emmett hung up with a triumphant, over exaggerated tap on the phone's screen.

"Em, how old are you?"

"Twelve minutes older than you," he announced gleefully. "You'll thank me one day when Bella's bouncing on your balls," he said, re-pocketing his phone.

"Bro, if that ever happens, it won't be you I'll be thanking," I told him as he grinned.

"I'll leave you with that nice visual. My work here is done," he announced as he slapped me on the back, then turned and left my office.

I knew he had a meeting that afternoon so I let him go, needing to calm down, both from Emmett's interference and the thoughts his words had planted in my brain…well, my groin!

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

"Ed, man, please tell me you're free for the next hour or so," Emmett pleaded once I'd answered my phone. It sounded like the cheeky bastard now wanted a favor from me after the stunt he pulled this morning. Good job neither of us could hold a grudge against each other for long.

"I can be. Do you need me in that meeting?" I answered, running my hands through my hair. I'd go if I had to, but Emmett's current clients were difficult. He seemed to win them over with his humor, but I wasn't in the mood for schmoozing and ass-kissing today.

"Nah, but it's overrunning. I'm so close. They're gonna sign today, I swear. I just need another thirty minutes."

"Okay, do you need me to collect Seth?" I guessed, knowing Rosalie was out of town overnight.

"Oh well, as you're offering!"

I scoffed at Emmett. "Sure. I'll keep him 'til you're done."

"Great. You haven't met Seth's teacher for this year. She won't know you so I'll call the school and let them know you're collecting him, but you'll probably have to go and speak to her to get him, okay?"

"Yep, same pick up spot though?"

"Yes, call me if there's a problem."

I agreed and hung up. Looking at the clock, I realized I'd have to go soon, so I gathered my things and headed to my car. I'd picked Seth up before but only a handful of times, and not since he'd gone up a grade. I parked as near to the school as I could and walked to the playground, navigating all the parents and kids who were milling about. Jeez, how could anyone spend all day with these kids? They were loud and so full of energy.

"That's him, that's my Uncle Edward!" I heard Seth eagerly exclaim.

I spotted him tugging on the arm of someone who I assumed was his teacher. "Uncle Edward!" Seth shouted as he slammed into my legs and I hugged him awkwardly, given that he only came up to my waist. "Miss Swan said my uncle was pickling me up. Can you get me every day Uncle Edward? Mom talks all the time and takes ages to leave. Can we go to McDonald's? Why aren't you at work with my Dad?" The questions kept coming, but by this time I had made eye contact with his teacher and was stunned.

I stared.

It was her.

I blinked.

Yep, definitely her.

It was Bella.

Miss Swan, Seth's teacher, was Bella. _My _Bella. She was actually stood in front of me.

My heart rate picked up as I heard a light gasp from her, a clear sign that she recognized me.

"Hi," I started, sounding pretty dumb even to my own ears. I'd been hoping for this moment. I'd rehearsed in my head what I'd say to Bella if I ever saw her again, but in reality that one word was all I could manage.

"Umm, hi," she replied, both of us still staring.

She looked beautiful, even more so than I remembered. She was dressed very differently to when I last saw her, more casual and with less makeup, but she was even more beautiful.

I, however, looked almost the same as last time. My work suit wasn't much different to the suit I'd worn to Tanya's wedding, although this time I'd left the jacket in my office and rolled the shirt's cuffs up to my elbows.

Bella's long chestnut hair was hanging over her shoulder, secured with a flower clip that matched the color of her top. She wore ballet style flat shoes and a skirt that finished just above her knees, just enough to remind me of our night together. Christ, those legs. I knew from experience how smooth they were. Just as my mind started to wander further down that track, I looked up to meet her eyes. She was looking at me, checking me out in the same way I'd just been doing to her. I grinned, because from her expression, she liked what she saw. I felt the same emotions from our night together wash over me. The desire to learn more about her, and to spend time with her. I felt the familiar want in her eyes which gave me confidence in my body and assured me that I wasn't crazy. She felt something for me too.

When Bella's eyes finally reached mine, she looked suitably embarrassed but managed to compose herself, as I guessed I'd have to do in front of Seth.

"Edward, hi. I got the message that you would be collecting Seth. Well, I didn't know it would be you, but Seth's dad said his brother would be here, and judging by Seth's reactions, that's you?" she babbled, looking flustered as I smiled at her.

"Yep, Edward Cullen, remember?" I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my voice and sound friendly, and just soak up the sight of her in front of me.

As my shock at seeing her again started to wear off, I realized just how thrilled I was to find her again. I was actually feeling more pleased at having found Bella than I thought I'd be, given how pissed I was that she'd left after our evening together.

She, however, looked worried as her eyes darted around the school yard, presumably checking if we had an audience to our conversation. I wondered if it was my presence that was unsettling her or more the setting of our conversation. I was thrilled to see her again, but she didn't seem to feel the same.

"Umm, I remember the Edward part. I didn't know the Cullen part. God, that sounds so bad." She wrung her hands together as she shook her head and spoke quietly. "I mean, if I knew your surname was the same as Seth's, I might have made the connection. You and your brother look alike."

"Yeah, well, we are twins."

"Really?" Her eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Yeah, non-identical obviously, but we Cullens have strong genes." I looked into her eyes, trying to read her expression, but Seth pulled at my pant leg, gaining my attention.

"You're not wearing jeans. You're wearing suit pants," he informed me as Bella and I chucked at him.

"Yeah, not those sorts of jeans, buddy. I'll explain later," I told him with a ruffle to his hair before I turned back to Bella. "So, I'm okay to collect him? I don't need to give you a secret handshake or sign in blood anywhere?"

"Nope, you're all set." She spoke with a sad edge to her voice. "Have a fun afternoon, Seth," she added to the little boy who released my leg to hike his backpack further up his shoulder. I stopped him and took his bag from him, putting it casually over my own back.

"Listen, Bella—"

"Don't, Edward. You don't have to say anything."

"I just, I wanted…God, there's so much I wanted to say to you, but now—"

"Yes, Zara, you can go." Bella waved at a woman who was approaching as the last child she was stood with skipped away. She turned back to me, looking apologetic. "Maybe…could we…I mean we don't have to, but maybe we could talk. Not here…" she added quickly, "away from the school. Do you want to grab a coffee later, or tomorrow, when you don't have Seth?" Bella looked nervously around at the other parents, teachers and pupils. "I just want to explain…" she stumbled over the words looking hugely embarrassed as her face flushed bright red.

I looked down at Seth to see his smiley face grinning up at me. I remembered the time he overheard Emmett telling me to get some pussy. Seth had then waited until the whole family was seated at the dinner table before he informed them that his Daddy told me to get a pet cat. Given they all knew I was allergic to cats, that took some explaining. Therefore, I realized Bella was right. We shouldn't talk like this in front of Seth, he was far too perceptive.

"Yeah, sure. I'd like that." My heart soared at the knowledge that I'd get to see her again, just the two of us. It was exactly what I'd wanted for the last three weeks. "Seth's Dad will only be an extra thirty minutes or so. Maybe we could meet, say around six, at that diner down the road?" I suggested.

Bella looked really nervous as if second-guessing herself, but slowly she nodded. "Okay, but I won't be able to stay long," she agreed.

"That's fine." I was just glad I was going to see her again. "Well, I'll see you there later then," I clarified, waiting for her nod of confirmation before I reluctantly turned and left with Seth.

I wanted to talk to Bella some more. I had so many questions, but they would have to wait. I turned and looked behind me as we exited the school yard, but she had already gone. I cursed under my breath, realizing I should have asked for her number. I felt like there was a possibility she wouldn't show up later. Her behavior was confusing me to be honest. The night we'd met she was more forward, but today she had been weary of me and less approachable.

Before I could analyze our meeting any more, Seth had grabbed my attention by talking about Bella.

"….Miss Swan was off for two days 'cause she was sick and we had this stinky teacher who told me off when my pencil snapped in half. I didn't mean to do it. Do you think I'm strong like my Daddy?"

"Wow, back it up there, buddy," I asked Seth as we settled in my car and he continued to talk to me as we drove off. "When was this?" I asked him, watching in the rear view mirror as he shrugged.

"Before the weekend?" he suggested without much commitment behind his words. "I heard her telling Mr Newton how the doctor did some test with a stick…" he continued as I felt my body shiver and my blood run cold.

_What. The. Fuck?_

A stick? Did that mean…no. Bella wasn't pregnant. Was she? No. She couldn't be. We'd used protection. I'd used protection. My dude was always wrapped. They were like ninety nine percent effective, right? And even if my swimmers got loose, she was probably on her own birth control.

I was well aware that my brain was running away with my thoughts and I was jumping to conclusions, but if everything was okay then what did she have to _explain_?

I couldn't think straight. Suddenly the elation of finding Bella had turned into dread and concern about what she wanted to discuss.

Seth was still chatting away in the back of the car, so I tried to focus on him and his repeated request to go to McDonald's.

"Sure, dude," I agreed, feeling in no mood for a confrontation with an eight-year-old who could nag me more that his dad did. We headed straight for the drive-thru, and after receiving our order I drove the last few blocks to his house. We parked and sat on the swing seat on his porch to eat. I desperately tried to focus on Seth and not the crazy thoughts running through my head right now. I was determined not to get wound up thinking about Bella being pregnant. It was unlikely, right? I concentrated instead on the fact that I'd found her and I'd get to see her again very soon.

Just as we were finishing our food, Emmett pulled up. I watched as Seth leaped up, ran across the lawn and jumped into his dad's arms as soon as Emmett had his car door open. There followed a wrestling match between the two, which ended with Emmett slinging Seth over his shoulder by his ankles before he deposited him, laughing and giggling, at my feet.

"Dad, Uncle Edward knows Miss Swan," Seth informed him before I could even greet my brother. "They're gonna get coffee," he added as Emmett grinned over at me.

_Yep. My nephew was definitely perceptive!_

"Well, well, well..." Emmett started as I shook my head at him, desperate to butt in and defend myself despite knowing he had more to say. "Bud, there's a Hershey's in one of the shopping bags in the trunk of my car. If you can find it, you can eat it," he told Seth in an attempt to get us alone to talk.

I balled up our food wrappers as Emmett collapsed into the seat next to me, watching Seth rummaging in the trunk of the car. "Good work, bro. One meeting and you've got a date! Please tell me this means you're finally over Bella, 'cause I've never seen you mope around like that."

"Em…she is Bella." He turned to me, his jaw actually dropping in surprise.

"Wait? What?" he exclaimed as I grinned. This was one of the few times I'd ever seen him speechless.

"Bella is Miss Swan," I clarified.

"Miss Swan? Seth's teacher? Miss Swan is Bella? No way!" he shouted as Seth looked up from rummaging in the trunk. I just nodded as Emmett lowered his voice. "Seth's teacher? Far out! She's sweet and far too nice for you, dude!" He scoffed, still in surprise. "She's pretty though…killer legs," he added as I grimaced at him and he laughed in return. "You've slept with Miss Swan. Wow!"

"Bro, stop calling her that. It's freaking me out," I confessed as he chuckled.

"So what did _Bella_ have to say?"

"Not a lot. There were other teachers, parents and kids around. Not an ideal audience for discussing our one night stand."

"Guess so. So what was it like seeing her again?"

"Good." I didn't elaborate, but Emmett saw the smile that spread across my face. "I did worry that I'd exaggerated her in my memory, but, man, she looked good. Like, really fucking good."

"I'll bet." Emmett waggled his eyebrows at me as I grinned, remembering how Bella looked. How she was certainly every bit as attractive as I'd remembered. How her smile was shyer, but her legs looked just as smooth. I remembered how her body looked under those clothes. How soft her hair felt, and how she blushed when I caught her looking at my body.

"So, you're seeing her again?" Emmett interrupted my thoughts.

"We're meeting for coffee soon, to _explain_."

"Explain what?"

"I'm not really sure." I looked down at my watch.

"Well, I hope you get some answers, bro," Emmett told me as I nodded. "Just make sure you hear her out, yeah? You wanted to see her again so don't go in all 'Cullen lion' and scare her off."

"Sure. Well I'd better be off. Oh, how did the meeting go?"

"You know me, bro, always seal the deal!" he exclaimed as I patted him on the back.

"Nice one." I congratulated him and stood up to leave.

"Bro, good luck yeah and E, you got…?" he gestured as he held up his wallet.

"Cash?" I asked confused. "Yeah," I absentmindedly tapped my pockets for confirmation.

"Err…no. I'm not offering you my bucks, Eddie. I meant condoms!" He whispered that last word with a glance to check his son wasn't listening.

"Oh." Understanding dawned on me. "Oh! No. I won't need them; I just want to talk to her."

"Oh sure!" Emmett replied, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "All this detective work. All your moaning and bitching is 'cause you want to see her again and have a real good..._talk_! Right, talk, gotcha!" He added with a nod of his head as I rolled my eyes.

"Em— "

"Whatever, little bro. Don't tell me you don't want her again 'cause I won't believe you," Emmett gave me a dismissive wave of his hand. "Just let me know how you get on, you know, if you're not too busy!"

"Bye, Em." I turned and left. I so wasn't ready for that conversation. "Bye, Seth," I added as I passed my nephew and ruffled his hair.

**A/N: I have a few people to thank:**

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think. Also, thank you to those who have taken the time to write a review, your words are very much appreciated.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks to ****SarcasticBimbo for her pre-reading help.**

**Thanks to Mina Rivera**** for the awesome new story banners.**

**Also thanks to A Different Forest who featured this fic in their Fic Dive section in September. There is a vote for the favorite fic in the Fic Dive if anyone feels inclined to vote for this story or any of the other great entries. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: "Bella, what's the worst they could say? That you slept with a guy? How the hell do you think they got kids in the first place?"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Hang With Me by Robyn**

I approached the diner Bella and I had agreed to meet at, glancing at my watch as I walked. I was a bit early so I stopped outside and waited, jamming my hands in my pockets as I looked both ways down the street, searching for Bella.

Earlier today I'd managed to put Seth's words out of my head but now I was standing here with nothing to do but wait, think, and panic. I started to worry. What if Bella was pregnant? I barely knew her. I wasn't exactly ready for this shitstorm, and the longer I waited, the more worked up I became. Maybe she was pregnant, or maybe she was married, or maybe she just wouldn't damn well turn up. I wouldn't have been surprised if she was a no show, but given it was Bella who had suggested we meet, I was hopeful she'd appear soon.

I checked my watch again. Now that I had worries of my own to discuss with her I really needed her to hurry up.

All I could do was wait.

And wait.

Until finally she showed.

She was actually only ten minutes late, but in my agitated state I'd arrived ten minutes early so those twenty minutes felt like twenty days.

I watched as she approached. She was wearing the same clothes as earlier in the day, but this time she had added a light jacket to her outfit and was carrying a cream handbag. I had been leaning against the brick wall of the diner but I kicked off the wall, stood straighter and walked toward her. My face must have given away my worry and frustration because her step faltered at the sight of me, and her grip on her handbag tightened as I came to a stop in front of her by the entrance to an alleyway.

"Sorry I'm late..." she started, but I didn't hear her.

"I need to know, Bella, are you pregnant?" I blurted out, not waiting another second to ask her. I couldn't make small talk with her and sit and chat without knowing.

"W…what?" She gasped. Her face clouded with confusion. I clutched her arm and pulled her with me into the small alleyway to avoid a couple walking past on the narrow sidewalk, and to give us some privacy. She scowled as I realized too late she couldn't have known that anyone was approaching behind her.

"Well?" Why wasn't she answering me? I was vaguely aware that my body was close to hers in the narrow alleyway. My hand was still holding her arm, my brain only just overriding my irritation when it told me not to raise my voice any louder. I needed her to answer me. I took a step closer to her, my eyes boring into hers, our faces so close our breath was mingling in the air between us, our bodies almost flush as I realized the intimacy of our situation.

"Edward, my arm." She spoke calmly.

I sighed and released her arm. I ran my hands though my hair as I took a step back and started pacing in the alleyway. "Bella, seriously..." I asked. "Tell me you're not fucking pregnant." I growled as she looked up at me, her brown eyes wide as she took in my panic-stricken face.

"N…no," she said, stumbling over her words as I tried to read her face for any signs of a lie. "Edward, I'm not."

I shook my head to try and clear my mind. I dropped my hands to my knees and took a few deep breaths. I'm not sure I've ever been so relieved. I'd worked myself up into such a state that I'd acted appallingly. Emmett's words about being a 'Cullen lion' were bouncing around my head. It was a shame I was only remembering that now.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I let her words sink in. "Bella, I'm so sorry." I straightened up now to see her walking forward from the wall to confront me.

"Are you _fucking_ crazy, Edward?" She shoved my chest with both hands, catching me off balance and sending me stumbling. I regained my footing as I replied, trying to justify my craziness.

"It's just Seth said you had been off ill, and he mentioned a test with a stick—"

"We spend a few hours together, I get tonsillitis, and you assume that your swimmers can break through latex?"

_Note to self, Edward, now is not the time to get turned on._ The close proximity to her, the way she just cursed, and the relief running through me were all going to my head. The wrong head.

_God, she was feisty!_

"I wasn't thinking straight. You said you wanted to talk, to _explain_. So I—"

"Jumped to conclusions?" she shouted. She'd turned her upset into anger, all traces of shyness gone as she pulled her handbag up onto her shoulder, looking like she was going to leave.

"Bella, I'm sorry," I reiterated forcefully. "I could have handled that better. I was so worried —"

"You have no need to worry, Edward. You're free to walk away from this. You're not stuck with me."

We both fell into an uncomfortable silence before she took a deep breath and spoke again. "I'm going to head inside to get a coffee. If you're able to sit calmly and talk to me properly, then join me. Otherwise, if you want to forget this ever happened and walk away with no consequences, no baby and no hard feelings then you're free to do that." She settled her handbag more firmly on her shoulder and marched off in the direction of the diner.

I was mildly surprised she still wanted to sit with me, but I now knew she was used to dealing with a classroom full of energetic seven and eight-year-olds, so she could handle herself rather well.

I took a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair. Once I felt myself calm down, I was able to think more clearly. Tonsillitis! Seth had mentioned a test with a stick, probably meaning the tongue depressor doctors used to check your tonsils.

Did I want to see her again? _Hell yes!_ She was giving me an out but I didn't want it. I'd spent weeks wishing I could get to know her, and now that we had met again I couldn't walk away without knowing if we could be more than this.

More than a one night stand.

More than an afternoon of misunderstandings.

I inhaled a deep breath of fresh air and entered the diner. I spotted Bella sitting in an otherwise empty part of the room, a flustered-looking waitress approaching her. I sped up so I could add a coffee to Bella's order of a latte. I felt her eyes on me as I pulled my cell phone out, silenced it and placed it back in my pocket before I sat down opposite her.

When I met her eyes, she gave me a small smile, maybe appreciating the gesture, maybe pleased that I was here at all. I wasn't sure.

"Bella, I'm sorry about that. I can be a hothead sometimes. I just panicked, and then when you didn't answer me…" I trailed off.

I was pretty sure I'd just blown any chance I had with her.

"Edward, my dad's a police chief. I know how to handle myself." Her tone was blunt, but her eyes were softer and warmer than I expected.

"Police chief, huh? You could have told me that _before_ we spent the night together. Now I feel like I'm going to end up on _America's Most Wanted_!" I joked, trying to bring some humour and banter into our conversation.

"Like I'd tell my Dad about that! The whole situation is bad enough as it is."

"Bad?" I croaked. I must have look offended because she smiled slightly at me.

"Don't get your ego in a twist, Edward. I didn't mean it that way! That night was far from bad. It was… well, kind of amazing." A small smile played on her plump lips as she looked away, suddenly captivated by the pattern on the linoleum table.

If she hadn't been talking about sex, us having sex to be specific, I'd have zoned out and allowed myself to remember those lips on my skin, but I willed myself to listen to her and not be any more of a jerk than I'd already been this afternoon.

"Edward, it was great, but it wasn't very responsible was it? In my job I shouldn't… I can't behave like that. I've never done that before, ever, and now… I love my job. I can't risk anything…" she stumbled over her words, looking distressed.

The waitress approached our table but left as soon as she had deposited our drinks, perhaps picking up on the tense atmosphere surrounding us.

"Hey, Bella, is that what this is about? Is this why you wanted to talk? Your job?"

She nodded.

Great, I'd been shot down! She didn't want to meet me again because she liked me or because she wanted to take this further. It was because she wanted my silence.

"Yes. What did you think I wanted to explain?" She looked surprised as she took a sip of her drink.

"Our night together," I grumbled while she looked surprised.

"Edward, it was a one night stand. The definition is in the title!"

"It's just… oh hell, I don't know. I thought…it felt to me like we could have more, more than one night, but you bolted." I tried to keep calm and not to raise my voice in the crowded diner.

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't know the correct etiquette for that situation," she answered, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "It was my first time so —"

"First time?" I gulped. Please, dear God, please tell me she wasn't a virgin. She hadn't acted like a virgin. She was easily in her twenties. I'd assumed…

"First one night stand, Edward_. Jeez_, don't have a heart attack. I'm not a virgin."

"Well, not now!" I added, making her laugh quietly.

"I wasn't before. What I meant was I have no other one night stands to compare it to. You obviously _do,_ so—"

"Hardly! Bella, if you want to have a conversation about past lovers—"

"I don't," she said flatly, abruptly ending our banter. She sipped her drink before she spoke again. "You do know that in the space of ten minutes you've accused me of being both a virgin_ and_ pregnant. How does that work?"

I chuckled slightly, realizing she was right. "You get under my skin, Bella. You make me act crazy." I shrugged, as if that would explain. The truth was I didn't know why she affected me this way, I just knew I wanted to it to continue because I'd never felt like this before.

There was a pause in which we sipped our drinks and avoided each other's eyes.

"Edward, I couldn't concentrate all afternoon because I was worrying about my job. The parents at that school, if they hear a whisper of this they won't be happy," she stated while looking down at her coffee cup, tracing the pattern with her finger as she avoided eye contact with me. I could hear the fear in her voice, a wobble in her words that told me she was genuine.

"Bella, I'm not going to tell anyone," I reassured her. "Except, well, my brother already knows," I admitted sheepishly as her eyes snapped up to mine.

"Seth's dad knows? Edward, I have to face him every week. I see him at parents' nights and school events. He's probably told Seth's mom. Oh God. Edward, she knows all the moms!"

"They won't tell anyone, I'll make sure of it. Emmett's known about us since the morning after the wedding. I wanted to see you again. He was trying to help me work out who the hell you were, so when I saw you earlier, I told him I'd met you again. I didn't think anything of it," I explained as she looked shocked.

"Well it's probably too late now. Playground gossip spreads like wildfire." She groaned, ignoring the part of my speech where I said I'd wanted to see her again.

"Bella, what's the worst they could say? That you slept with a guy? How the hell do you think they got kids in the first place?"

She groaned again and dropped her head.

Perhaps I wasn't helping.

"This is about morals, Edward. They don't want some floozy teaching their kids." She lifted her head and gave me an exasperated look.

"_Floozy_!" I laughed. _Oops_. Judging by Bella's face, I still wasn't helping. "Bella, you're far from that. You said yourself you've never had a one night stand before."

"They don't know that!" She scowled as I sighed. I could see this was really stressing her out, and I had to help. I was part of the problem after all.

"Listen, Bella, this will be fine. If it blows up, which it won't," I added quickly, cutting her off before she could talk. "I'll tell them we're together. You can't get in trouble for dating a single guy. I know I'm your pupil's uncle, but we didn't know that at the time. I will make this better, okay?" I soothed as her face crumpled in relief.

"You'd do that?" she asked quietly, looking at my hands which were gripping my coffee cup tightly. I remembered how she mentioned my hands the night we met. How did everything seem so simple then and so complicated now?

"I'd rather not pretend, but yeah," I said with a shrug.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't ask you to lie."

"No, I meant I'd rather it was real and no pretense was necessary."

"Oh." She paused.

I waited.

"_Oh_, really?" She looked stunned. Before I'd consciously thought about it I realized I'd reached across the table and rested my hand on top of hers. Her hand was stock still and she didn't make any move to reciprocate.

She looked down at our hands as I spoke. "Bella, you don't have to be ashamed. I'm not. We're two consenting adults, and if it makes you feel any better, I don't do that often. As I said before, I wanted to see you the next morning but you'd gone. I've been hoping to see you again," I admitted, squeezing her hand to encourage her to look at me. I needed her to see how sincere I was being.

"I had to go," she said with a shrug, finally making eye contact with me.

"Why?"

"I just… I had to, okay?"

"I need more than that Bella. How would you feel if a guy walked out on you like that?" She removed her hand from under mine and looked down at the table, embarrassment spread across her face when she looked back up at me.

"I didn't think you'd mind. You mentioned your family were all staying at the hotel. I didn't want it to be awkward for you."

Huh. I hadn't really considered what I'd have done if she had stayed. I'm not sure I'd have brought Bella to breakfast with my family...my parents, but it would have been rude to leave her and go on my own. "Still, you could have left a note or something."

"Saying what? 'Thanks for the fuck'?" Her crudeness and blunt delivery surprised me. "I had to return to reality, Edward. The reality where I need my job to keep a roof over my head."

"Or the reality where you have a boyfriend?" I blurted out as she ran her hands threw her hair.

"Jesus, Edward," she whispered, shaking her head at me.

"It's a simple enough question."

"You think I'd do that?" Bella looked insulted now, but I had to know.

"You didn't answer my question." Now I was getting worried.

"No. I don't have a boyfriend," she told me, looking at her watch.

"What about a husband, a partner?"

"What? No. I wouldn't cheat."

"Good."

We sipped at our drinks as I thought about what Bella had said. I was now thinking there was little point in pursuing the past. She hadn't left out of malice; clearly she had reasons, even if I didn't fully understand them. I needed to focus on the future and seeing her again.

With a glance at her watch Bella grabbed her handbag from the floor and started rifling through it. "I'm sorry, Edward, I have to go." She dropped some money on the table between us. "I am sorry I left you that morning. I just assumed you'd forget all about me."

"I don't want to forget you." I told her as I picked up her money. "I do want to forget that you just tried to pay for our drinks though. My mom would be appalled if I let a woman pay for coffee!" I reached forward and offered her money back.

"This is the twenty-first century, Edward. I invited you here." She didn't take the notes so I placed them back on the table. Who was paying for coffee was the least of my worries right now, especially as it looked like Bella was going to run again.

"Am I fighting a losing battle here, Bella. Are you into me at all?" Even I heard my voice crack as I questioned her. I was dumbfounded. Bella was leaving again.

Out of all the times I'd thought of tracking her down and talking to her, I don't think I'd rehearsed the possibility that she wouldn't want to see me again. I'd been quite cocky about my ability to get her on a date. The way she had acted during our night together made me sure she was into me.

Bella sighed and checked her watch again before looking up at me, studying my face for a few seconds. "Yes. You're painfully good-looking and from what I can tell, you're one of the good guys, but my life is different from yours, okay? I assumed a guy I met once wouldn't want to take on that life, so I left and got out before I could get my hopes up. Surely you can understand that." She left her bag on the table, stood up, and started to reach for her jacket. I leaped up, reached for her jacket myself, and held it open for her. She rolled her eyes at me but threaded her arms through the arm holes. I was pleased at what she'd said but confirmation that she liked me wasn't helping when she was still leaving.

I leant down and whispered close to her ear. "I don't understand at all. Why won't you give me a chance?"

Her breath hitched. I remembered kissing her neck, close to where my mouth was currently hovering, remembered how her skin had been so soft and her moans had been loud. I closed my eyes to block out the memories. She was driving me crazy with want, and I couldn't do anything about it.

"I'm just trying to save us both any hurt." Her voice was quiet and sad.

My eyes snapped open. "What if I'm already hurting?" I surprised myself with my own openness. Seeing her standing here in her coat, ready to run again, was obviously making me speak more of my mind than I usually would.

She groaned as my hot breath hit her skin. Her warm body, so close to mine, and her unexpected groan had an interesting effect on me. I took a step back, needing the space. Looking at her, I saw that she seemed shocked and slightly hurt by my words. Good. I was feeling hurt too.

"You can have any woman you want. I doubt you'll have any trouble scoring another date…" she trailed off as I felt my anger rise to the surface.

"Bella, what if it's you I want to date?" I really tried to keep my voice down but Christ, she was infuriating me. I sure as hell wanted to leave here with a date, but I wasn't going to beg her. I still had some pride left. Not much, but some.

"I like you Edward, I do, but I have to go. I can't be late." She sounded genuine which made me relent slightly.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on what was important here. I watched Bella's face, trying to read her emotions. She looked flustered and almost reluctant to go.

I remembered how I'd been too proud to contact Tanya or properly try and find out who Bella was. If we hadn't met today, who knows if we'd have met again. I had a second chance and couldn't contemplate giving her up. I'd been forced to do it once already and I was in no rush to return to being miserable, grumpy Edward when I had a real chance at happiness. I had to take the plunge and just ask her outright. "Can we meet again when you have more time?"

Bella looked at me skeptically "Are you sure you want to do this?"

I scoffed. Yeah, I was pretty damn sure. "_Yes_." I sensed I was finally getting her to believe me.

Bella shook her head, more at herself than me, and muttered under her breath "You're crazy. _I'm_ crazy."

"Is that a yes?" I knew by the grin she was trying to suppress that she was agreeing.

She looked at my chest, finding my shirt buttons fascinating, before she answered. "I could be free, tomorrow evening…" she replied as I beamed stupidly at her.

"I could pick you up," I offered, trying not to sound too eager.

"No, that's fine. I'll meet you somewhere. What about back here?"

"Bella, a diner isn't really where I'd thought of for a—" I paused. I liked the idea of this being a date, but referring to it as such might scare her away. "It's not quite what I had in mind."

"Well we could meet here and then decide where to go? I could be here about…7:30," she suggested as I nodded. She agreed to meet me, that was the main thing. I wouldn't argue the details. I was going to book a restaurant table though, just in case.

"7:30 it is," I confirmed.

"Okay, well if you're sure?" Her voice was tentative as she asked.

"Definitely."

She gave me a small smile before she turned and picked up her handbag. She twisted back to me and studied my face as she pulled her jacket closer around her body. She then whispered goodbye and left the diner.

After watching her go, I picked up the bills she'd thrown on the table and pocketed them before downing the last of my drink and smiling at the approaching waitress. I pulled out my wallet and paid the bill myself.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

"Uh-oh, you're here far too soon to have had much fun with her," Emmett exclaimed as he opened his front door.

Since Rosalie was out of town, I'd headed to Emmett's. I needed the company and especially needed to follow through on my promise to Bella to speak to Emmett about the situation. I knew he'd grill me about Bella, but I didn't want to go home to an empty house when my mind was buzzing with the day's events.

Emmett had grabbed some beers from the fridge, and we were now sitting in his living room after saying goodnight to Seth. Seth was a great kid who I loved spending time with, but he didn't need to hear me discussing his teacher in the context of my love life.

"So, how'd it go? I didn't call you in case…" Emmett trailed off with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Em, we talked," I deadpanned.

"Hmm, that sounds fun! So what happened?"

"I don't know where to start!" I raked a hand through my hair in an exasperated manner.

"Start with that." Emmett waved a beer in front of me. "Well," he continued, moving his head side to side slightly as he examined me. "It doesn't look like she slapped you!"

"Why would she slap me?" I asked with a scoff, eagerly taking the beer from him.

"Who knows what these escaped nuns are capable of!" he joked, lightening the mood as I took a pull from my beer.

"That's your son's teacher you're talking about," I reminded him.

"Yeah, thanks for that. I'm not gonna be able to look her in the eye at parents' night." He groaned as I grimaced at him.

"Yeah, about that…Bella wanted to meet me to make sure this didn't get out to the school and the other parents."

"That's why she wanted to talk? _Ouch_! Your ego must be shattered." Emmett took a swig of his beer as I continued.

"I'm serious. She knows that you know. Just keep this to ourselves, yeah?"

"Well yeah. I don't want Seth subjected to rumors of his uncle and teacher, so that's probably best."

"But your wife—"

"Likes to gossip, I know! I'll talk to her," he assured me as he sat back in the sofa, clearly unworried by this. "So, did you find out why she left the morning after?"

"Fuck if I know. I'm more confused than ever," I confessed as I too sat back on the sofa. "She's really guarded and we didn't have much time, she had to leave again."

"Did you talk about anything else?"

"I accused her of being pregnant," I said casually as Emmett almost choked on his mouthful of beer.

"What?" He sat up in his seat and stared at me.

"She's not," I clarified. "I could blame your son for an off-the-cuff comment, but it was all me. My thoughts just ran away from me." I shrugged, not wanting to explain that whole fiasco.

"Sounds like the whole thing was a bit of a disaster."

_Thanks bro, very helpful. _"Yeah well, it didn't exactly go as I'd hoped," I stumbled as he outright laughed at me.

"I've never seen you so flustered over a chick!" _Oh, he was loving this!_

The problem was I couldn't deny it. I hadn't felt like this before and even Bella's own attempts to put me off hadn't worked. Whatever was so complicated about her life couldn't change her personality, her intelligence, her beauty, everything that drew me to her.

"Just drop it, Em." I groaned at him as he held his hands up, palms facing me in a gesture of surrender.

"I will, but you're going to see her again though, yeah?" he asked encouragingly after a long pull on his beer.

"Yes."

"Good," Emmett replied sincerely as I nodded at him.

"Well, since we've settled that, can you please turn the TV on so we can watch the game and try and get back some masculinity after all this talking about emotions and shit?" I asked.

"Sure, bro." Emmett laughed and searched for the TV remote.

**A/N: I have a few people to thank:**

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think. Also, thank you to those who have taken the time to write a review, your words are very much appreciated.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks Also to ****SarcasticBimbo for her pre-reading help.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: "I'm pretty sure you're going to break my heart."

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Patience by Take That**

My meeting was boring as fuck. I couldn't concentrate on much because my mind kept wandering to my date with Bella tonight. I knew my head wasn't in the game, and Emmett knew it too because more than once he kicked me under the table to prompt a response from me.

After an hour or so, we took a coffee break where Emmett verbally kicked my ass and told me to concentrate and participate if we ever wanted this meeting to end. Given I now had plans for this evening, that was all the incentive I needed to wrap this up. I blamed my lack of caffeine and promised I'd do better now I'd refilled on two cups of coffee in our break.

The rest of the meeting went better, aside from when Emmett caught me looking up local restaurants on my iPad when I was meant to be updating the timeline graph. Still, I produced all the figures and information the client wanted, and shortly before six they signed on the dotted line and went on their merry way. I followed their lead and packed up, leaving quickly to avoid a conversation with Emmett.

I arrived home and immediately jumped in the shower.

My house was a large property considering it was just me living here. It was larger than I needed, but I'd bought it as a rundown, pre-loved home. A renovation project to keep me busy in my down time. I liked knowing all the effort I put into remodeling the house was for me and my future, not for a client or a contract.

I'd completed the downstairs first. I'd fitted a new kitchen with a breakfast bar, wooden flooring, a bay window with a cozy window seat and a dining corner seat rather than the traditional table and chairs. That didn't see too much use though, as I usually sat at the breakfast bar when eating alone. The deck that started at the front of the house wrapped around to the back and could be accessed from a large sliding glass door on the back wall of the kitchen.

I had started remodeling the upstairs and completed my room not long ago, including the en-suite and the new power shower which I was currently unwinding in. I still had a few bedrooms to modernize, but as I had no use for them they weren't a priority. I'd set up a nook downstairs as my office so those rooms could wait.

Usually I had to drag myself out of my luxurious shower, but this time I was keen to get going so I emerged with a towel around my waist as I decided what on earth to wear this evening. Jeans seemed a bit casual but nevertheless I decided to dress down. I didn't want to scare Bella off by dressing for a fancy date, especially when I didn't know what she was expecting from the evening. I grabbed a crisp, nearly new pair of black jeans and matched them with a checked shirt, leaving the top few buttons undone and rolling up the sleeves. I wasn't stupid. I was learning the ways in which Bella liked my body.

As I headed downstairs, I buckled my belt and snapped on my watch before I grabbed a black jacket and threaded my arms into it, leaving the zipper open. I then patted my pockets to make sure I had my phone, keys, wallet, and Bella's money from the diner yesterday. I glanced in the mirror by my front door and ran my hands through my hair to try and tame it, which was a waste of time. No matter what I did, it looked messy so I shrugged and left.

I parked across the street from the diner. As I left my car and turned back to make sure it was locked, I saw Bella exiting her car. Well, I saw her legs first. She was wearing a skirt, and while it was certainly a decent length, it made her legs look a mile long. I took in a deep breath and walked closer to her, reaching her just as she fully exited her car and locked it. Her white skirt was topped with a pink strappy top and a light cardigan, which was open due to the mild weather. As I looked down at her legs again I saw pink and white heels. Really nice pink and white heels.

"You look amazing," I complimented, only then becoming aware that she hadn't seen me coming. This was evidenced by the fact that she jumped, screamed, and dropped her car keys on the ground when I spoke. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I bent down to get her keys, admiring her legs some more on my way up.

"I didn't see you," she told me quietly, only now taking in my appearance. Her eyes stalled as she looked at the skin exposed by my open shirt buttons. "Umm, hi," she greeted me when she finally pulled her eyes from my chest and looked at me. "You, umm, you look great too," she stuttered, looking embarrassed when she saw my amused face.

I grinned back at her, pleased I could affect her this way. I took her hand and placed her car keys on her palm. "Thanks for coming," I told her sincerely, watching while she placed her car keys in her handbag and pulled it further up onto her shoulder. "Did you have anywhere in mind? I can find a restaurant?" I offered as she bit her bottom lip slightly. That action reminded me of the night we met. That was a good sign.

"It's not far to walk to the waterfront from here. If you want to?" she suggested.

I looked down at her heels. "Are you sure?" I said, my voice sounding doubtful.

"Yeah, it's beautiful there and I never get to go at this time of night," she told me as we set off in the direction of the waterfront. I knew there was a large play park there, a boating lake, and some stalls and vendors, but it wasn't somewhere I visited often.

As we walked I concentrated on the rhythmic click, click, clicking of Bella's heels. I wanted to hold her hand, but as I wasn't too sure how that move would be received, I jammed my hands in my pants pockets to occupy them instead.

I was realizing how long it had been since I'd tried to romance someone. I'd had relationships in the past few years, but no one serious. No one I'd had to chase or impress, and this new world of romance seemed littered with mines about to blow up if I took her hand too soon, or not soon enough. I took a deep breath and reminded myself not to overthink things. I was a smart guy. I had this.

"Something wrong?" Bella asked upon hearing my sigh.

"No, no. I just wanted to do this..." I told her, going for an honest reply as I stretched out my arm and held her hand, threading our fingers together. "Is this okay?" I asked as she looked shocked.

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "You have nice hands," she told me as I grinned at the compliment.

"Is that so? Good chest, good hands…" I trailed off as she gasped, apparently surprised that I'd remembered how she liked my body the one night we'd been together.

"Big head," she added.

"Big…no, I won't go there!" I joked as she raised her eyebrows at me and smiled.

"So, do you go to the waterfront much?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Not really. I know my sister takes her son here to feed the ducks but I haven't been in a while. What about you?"

"I try to come here when I can. I love the water and the park, and this one food stand does amazing hotdogs."

"Yeah? Well it would be rude not to try them," I suggested. "Unless you've already eaten?"

"No." We walked along, her shoes clicking on the pavement and my hand gripping hers as we chatted. I told her about my architecture firm and working with Emmett, and asked more about her job. I listened in fascination when she talked with such awe about the children in her class and why she loved being a teacher. Her voice was animated and her eyes were bright, making it easy to see how much her job meant to her.

As we neared the waterfront, it became obvious that it was quite busy here, mainly with families and couples. We gravitated to the small queue in front of the hotdog stand, and I purchased two hotdogs with all the trimmings as well as two cans of soda. I gave Bella a harsh look when she wanted to pay for hers, asking her instead to save a vacant bench nearby.

I joined her a few minutes later with our food and watched the scene in front of us as we ate. On the river bank there were a few older children driving remote-controlled boats, and couples and families taking a ride on paddle boats. The sunlight was beginning to dim around us and we saw families with children packing up and leaving. We chatted a little while we ate, but my main focus was trying desperately not to let my mind wander to more lascivious acts as I watched Bella eat her hot dog. I am a guy after all!

Once we'd eaten and thrown away our trash, I grabbed Bella's hand again and pulled her to the paddle boats.

"Uh, Edward, it will be getting dark soon." She sounded wary.

"Best go now then. Come on. It'll be fun," I teased. It had crossed my mind her legs would look amazing paddling one of these boats next to me, but I also wanted to have fun and to try and help her relax. I paid at the kiosk and climbed into a boat as I offered her my hand. She hesitated, no doubt wondering how to navigate into the boat in her heels, but she took my hand and climbed in, sitting beside me and stretching out her legs to reach the pedals. I was right. They looked amazing.

"So…" I started as we set off away from the shore. "How many times did you think about cancelling tonight?"

Her head shot up to look at me. "What? How? I…" she started as I just grinned at her.

"Bella, you're skittish around me. I know you're holding back from me. There's a reason I haven't given you my number. You might have cancelled if you could," I confessed as she slapped my thigh and tutted at me.

"But what if I needed to cancel?" She pouted slightly as I chuckled.

"Why would you need to cancel?"

"I might have been ill or had an accident. I'm quite a klutz." She shrugged.

"Well, I took the risk that you would remain upright until our date, and it looks like I was right."

"Upright _until _our date? Why? What happens now?" she teased as I grinned at her innuendo.

"Well, you're almost lying down already," I pointed out.

"That's true. You work fast."

"I think we've already established that." An adorable blush crept up her cheeks, making it difficult for me to look away from her. I watched as her eyes drifted again to the gap in my shirt which revealed a glimpse of my chest. I was pretty sure she was remembering that night, just like I was.

We talked some more as I asked Bella how her day had been before I remembered something important I had to tell her.

"So I talked to my brother last night. I explained that, for your sake and Seth's, we needed him and Rosalie to keep quiet about us."

"Was he okay with that?" Shy, serious Bella was back.

"Yeah. He'll talk to Rosalie when she's back today and they won't mention it at the school gates." In my mind this was totally unnecessary, but I knew how much it meant to Bella when I saw the relief cross her face and the tension from her shoulders drop slightly.

"I wouldn't want to cause Seth any trouble. He's a great kid." Her voice was sincere as I smiled at her.

"Yeah, he is. He's like a mini Emmett. I don't know how Rose copes with both of them. It must be like having two kids sometimes."

"Do you spend a lot of time with Seth?" she asked, surprising me with her question.

"Yeah. My whole family's close, so I see him most weekends. Occasionally I even collect him from school..." I grinned up at her, watching her face turn a now familiar shade of pink.

"Yeah, I noticed that! Well, thanks for talking to your brother." She looked out at the ducks floating by. We were now circling around a grass island in the water, meaning I needed to steer us away from some low-lying tree branches.

I shrugged. "We're close. We talk about most things anyway. He knew I'd been trying to find you. I looked for you on Tanya's Facebook, but you must have some stupid profile picture," I teased as she leant her arm over the side of the paddle boat to wet her fingers before she flicked cold water at me.

"My picture isn't stupid," she informed me as she tried to be serious and not laugh.

"Well, it isn't of you," I reasoned and she nodded.

"No it isn't."

I wondered if she'd elaborate. She didn't.

"I didn't want to interrupt Tanya's honeymoon and ask her about you, but in the end Emmett called Tanya himself. Actually she hasn't called me back. Huh, married life must be keeping her busy," I mused.

"Your family seem very open with each other." Bella noted as she looked up from the calm water and I noticed her eyes settle on my thighs as we pedaled the boat slowly.

"Yeah, I guess we are. We all live near each other and Em and I run our company together, so I see his ugly mug even when I really don't want to!"

"So how long have Emmett and Rosalie been married?" Bella queried before I had a chance to ask her about her family.

"Nine years. Most people would think they were nutso to get married at nineteen but they just knew. Anyone who spends time with them can see it too. Seth was a bit of a surprise though. A honeymoon baby. They were twenty by the time he was born. Raising a kid at twenty wasn't what they planned on, but they had each other, and Seth's their world now."

"I can imagine," Bella whispered, looking out to the water before she shook her head to clear her thoughts. "So the prom dancing really did impress Rosalie then?" Bella joked as I laughed, pleased she remembered that part of our night together.

"Yeah. Shame it doesn't have the same effect on everyone," I whispered as she looked surprised.

"I'd say it had a pretty good effect on me, wouldn't you?"

"I can't read you, Bella. I don't know how you feel," I confessed as we neared another flock of quacking ducks.

"You confuse me too. I'm pretty sure you're going to break my heart." Her voice was serious as I looked at her stunned, wondering if I'd heard her correctly over the noisy birds. My legs stopped moving, the relief in my burning thighs flooding my body as her words flooded my brain.

"_Me?_ I…I have no intention of hurting you, Bella," I stated, dumbfounded.

"No one ever does."

"True," I conceded as my legs started working again, but my brain didn't. I was still confused. "Bella, you kind of have to care about someone before they can hurt your heart."

"I care about you, Edward," she whispered as her small hand came to rest on my thigh, moving up and down with the pedaling motions of my leg. It was the first time she had initiated any physical contact since our night together, and it felt good. "A lot," she added as I placed my hand over hers and held it. It felt good to be touching again, but it made we want more of her.

It was starting to get darker now. The families on the riverbank had lessened considerably during our boat ride so I steered us towards the nearby dock so we could disembark.

"You could have found me," I pointed out softly. "If you care so much."

"I didn't think you'd want anything beyond our one night together."

"Well I did. I do. I think about you all the time, Bella. Did you even think about me?"

"Everyday," she whispered as our boat bumped against the jetty and I steadied it before I stood slowly and stepped onto the wooden deck. I turned back to hold Bella's hand and help her out before we thanked the guy who was mooring the boat. We walked back down the jetty still holding hands.

Spending time with Bella was reminding me why I wanted to find her. Why I wanted more. In the weeks we'd been apart, I wondered if I'd built her up to be more than she was. Maybe I was overthinking our connection and the spark I'd felt. Maybe I was hoping it was there rather than remembering that it was.

However, now that she was here in front of me, telling me she cares about me—I knew that I was right to want her, to want us. Bella was all that I remembered and more. Sure, she was guarded right now, but everyone had a past. Everyone was fighting their own battles and I couldn't expect her to open up to me when we had only met a few times. Maybe if we started to date and see each other regularly, the rest would fall into place.

I stepped off the main path and headed toward a nearby tree. As I was still holding Bella's hand, she followed until I settled her against the tree trunk and looked at her intently. I brushed her hair off her face.

"You care about me?" My thumbs brushed her cheeks.

"Yes."

"You thought about me?" My fingers rubbed her neck.

"Yes."

"Every day?" My face neared hers.

"Every day." With her firm confirmation, my lips met hers. _Fuck_! They were as soft as I'd remembered. Her hair was as smooth as I remembered, and her small moan of surprise was identical to the one I'd been replaying in my mind for weeks.

"What did you think about?" I asked as I pulled back.

"Everything." I remained silent, waiting for more. "Who you were with. What car you drive. Where you work. If you really do sleep topless."

I was stunned. The thoughts she was having were similar to my own. I'd spent far too long over the last few weeks wondering about Bella and her everyday life, her family and friends, her job, even the sleeping topless part had crossed my mind far too often.

"You could know all those things if you just give us a chance." I kissed her neck, unable to resist her soft skin and the ache that was growing deep in my bones. The hope I held about us being together was now building up again, and I was helpless to stop it.

"I'm not sure I really want to know who you were with," she whispered softly as I pulled back and my eyes shot to hers.

"I'm with you," I told her definitively.

She smiled and reached for my neck. Her fingers toyed with my hair as she pulled my head back to her, kissing my lips softly.

"This is unusual for me," she started when we parted. "I don't play games, or have on-off relationships. I'm usually an all-or-nothing person." Her hands dropped to my chest, her fingers stroking the soft cotton of my shirt, venturing up toward my exposed skin but never quite touching me there.

"Well, I don't have all of you," I reasoned with her.

"You don't have nothing either."

We fell into silence as I stroked the soft skin behind her ears with my thumbs, just soaking up the fact that she was finally here with me.

"Do you know how much I've thought about you? How much I've wanted to do this?" I moaned, unable to stop the desperation I felt creeping into my voice.

"I thought you'd forget all about me," she whispered as I scoffed.

"I tried. I wanted to." I dropped my hands to her hips.

"You should," she whispered, even quieter now. Her palms fell flat against my chest as I leaned into her.

"Why?" I asked, kissing down to her neck now.

"Because I'm not what you want."

"Trust me, you are exactly what I want." I groaned as I returned to her lips. My thumbs had found their way under her top to brush the soft skin of her hips. I had to restrain myself though. We were in a public park and I didn't want to ravage Bella the first time we kissed after our reunion.

"We need to stop or I won't be able to walk straight," I moaned as I pulled away from her and enjoyed her carefree laugh at my predicament. "It's not funny. Come on you." I grabbed her hand and we returned to the path by the riverbank.

I could have asked Bella what she meant when she said she's not what I want but she was smiling so widely at me. Her shoulders were relaxed and she was chatty, asking me more about my architecture firm. I didn't have the heart to unsettle her with more questions. I liked the relaxed, happy Bella and now that this Bella had made an appearance tonight I didn't want to chase her away. Besides, she was what I wanted. I wanted her like I'd never wanted any woman before. I could feel it in my bones, and my dick wasn't exactly objecting either.

Bella held my hand as we walked, and I relished in that simple gesture. Before I even knew I was doing it, I noticed my thumb was sweeping over her delicate wrist, my body evidently aching to touch hers in any way possible.

As we continued to wander along, we passed a Tin Can Alley carnival stool. The burly, bearded man behind the counter was shouting in a jovial manner at anyone who walked past and I saw the exact moment he set his sights on us.

"Come on, sir. Win a bear for the little lady?" he suggested, gesturing to the edges of the stool on which were hooked toy animals of every color imaginable. All huge and garish.

Bella studied me and probably saw the indecision on my face. I knew these games were often rigged, but how hard could it be to knock down a few cans?

"You don't have to. Come on." She tugged at my arm.

I stood still and patted my back pocket before I withdrew the money in there. I held the cash up between our faces. "This is the money you tried to pay for coffee with yesterday," I informed her, taking in her look of surprise.

"Why didn't you just use it then?"

"Because I wasn't raised to let a woman I like buy her own coffee," I explained as she raised her eyebrows at me.

"But you were raised to spend money on fairground games that you can't win?"

"Can't win? Wow, you wound me, Bella!" My hand clutched at my chest as I continued. "You've laid down the challenge now!"

I handed the correct money to the now beaming, burly, bearded man behind the stall who, in turn, gave me three small, heavy balls.

"Knock down all the cans in one stack to win a prize," he explained as I nodded. I'd figured that out when I was six and Emmett and I set up our own Tin Can Alley at the local Scouts fundraiser.

My first ball knocked off the top can.

Not bad.

For my second ball, I took a step closer to the stall and swung my arm back further before swooping it forward and releasing the ball.

All but one of the cans fell.

One can left.

One ball left.

I looked at Bella who was watching me intently with a smile on her face.

"I've already picked out my animal so make this throw a good one!"

I pulled a face at her before I cracked my neck and focused on the last remaining can. I launched the ball in the same manner as the previous throw but this time with even more force. I was rewarded with a loud thwack sound as the ball hit the can, and a satisfying crash as the tin can hit the dusty floor.

"Ha ha!" I celebrated gleefully, raising my arms in victory as I turned to Bella. Surprisingly her focus was on the skin that was now exposed by my raised shirt, but a second later her eyes met mine and she grinned. "Pick a bear m'lady." I bowed slightly in front of her and relished in her soft laugh, pleased that I could make her looked so happy.

She pointed to the top right corner of the stool, to a stuffed animal I hadn't even noticed.

"The dinosaur please," she told the stall holder as he nodded and grabbed a pole with a hook at the end to fetch the toy Bella had selected.

"A dinosaur? Really?" I was surprised by her choice.

"Yep. Thanks, Edward," she beamed as she stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my cheek.

We continued on, having now completed a full circuit of the river, which meant we were on the walk back to our cars. Bella hugged the dinosaur under her arm as she shivered slightly in the breeze which had picked up over the past hour. Now the darkness was drawing further in, the evening was getting chilly.

"Here," I slipped my jacket off and held it open for her.

She smiled up at me, her eyes soft and warm. "I can't, you'll be cold," she warned me.

"Nah, wear it, please."

She slid her arms in and hugged the light jacket around her front.

"Doesn't quite match my shoes."

"Hey, don't hate on the shoes. I like them." I wiggled my eyebrows, making her chuckle at me.

"Thought you might," she replied, making hope rise in my chest again. Her admission that she was wearing her heels knowing I'd like them told me that my feelings weren't as one sided as I'd feared.

As we approached our cars, we slowed down until we were stood in front of Bella's driver's side door.

I didn't know what to say. I wished, not for the first time tonight, that I was smooth and knew all the right words to say, but I didn't, so I just leaned into her and gently brushed her hair away from her face. Her deep brown eyes met mine as I lowered my lips to hers but started talking before they connected.

"Bella…" My voice sounded husky and strained. God, this woman drove me mad. "Do you want to come back to my place? I don't want this night to be over." The truth was I was worried about when I'd get to see her again.

"Will there be kissing involved?" she asked as my lips touched hers gently and formed into a grin.

"That's up to you," I whispered making her take a deep breath. I felt the stubble on my chin rub against her lips before I drew my head back slowly.

"Lead the way," she told me once our eyes met again.

I didn't need telling twice. I reached into my pockets and withdrew my keys as I swung them from my index finger while Bella watched.

"It's not far," I told her as I heard her car lock disarm.

"Good." She opened her car door and I jogged hastily to my nearby car.

**A/N: I have a few people to thank:**

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think. Also, thank you to those who have taken the time to write a review, your words are very much appreciated.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**

**Also this fic came in the top five Fic Dive Fic's for September over at A Different Forest. Thanks to anyone who voted.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: "Edward, take off your damn shirt." It wasn't a request, it was a demand.

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Fight For This Love by Cheryl Cole**

Ten minutes later I pulled into my driveway, followed by Bella, her car's headlights swinging over my porch and settling on the garage doors before abruptly turning off and leaving us in darkness.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose myself before I exited my car. I was restless with excitement as I contemplated what could happen inside. The thought of Bella in my house, and possibly in my bed, was making my dick ache already despite my brain telling me to slow down.

We met at my front door as I opened it and flicked on the hallway light. The click of Bella's heels on my wooden floor as she entered was a foreign but very welcome sound in my home.

Bella looked around my hallway, no doubt taking in the decor and layout of the house. I toed off my shoes before I lightly placed my hands on her shoulders from behind. I silently slid my jacket off her back and down her arms before I turned to hang it up.

"This place is really nice," she complimented as I turned back to her, watching while she placed her handbag on the floor next to my shoes.

"Thanks," I whispered, taking in her nervous expression. "Do you want a drink?"

"No."

"No?" I was surprised by her answer. "Well, what do you want?" My voice was deliberately suggestive as she looked me in the eyes. I watched her intently, trying to read her body language as I silently prayed it wasn't just me feeling this tension and chemistry between us. Her eyes travelled down to my jaw and down lower to my chest.

I tried to hide a smirk. She definitely felt this!

Thank fuck, because I was desperate to touch her.

"I want you to kiss me." Her quiet voice was loud in the silence of my house.

"You do, huh?" I loved that I could make her blush and even though I knew I was teasing her, I didn't feel bad. She'd teased me all night, even if she didn't do it as intentionally as I did.

"Yes." She paused. "Edward, please."

I didn't need telling twice. I took two steps in her direction until I was toe-to-toe with her, or more importantly chest-to-chest. My thumbs brushed her hair off her face before I ran them along her lips, reveling in the warmth of her soft skin. I heard her breath hitch and felt her tongue poke out of her mouth to wet my thumbs. As I watched her, I could see her eyes dancing with lust, making me gently push my body closer to hers. I then lowered my lips to hers as her hands curled round my back to grip my shirt. Our kiss started softly but soon progressed into something more hungry and forceful as I moaned at finally feeling this again.

This. Her. Us. _Fuck!_

"Ugh...Bella." My hands found her waist as I held her close to me and resisted the urge to thrust against her. I needed her. More of her. Right now.

"Ready?"

"For what?" Bella looked confused.

"This." I bent down and grabbed the back of her thighs so that when I stood back up she was straddling me mid-air.

"Edward!" She laughed and slapped my chest gently as I walked with her in my arms into the kitchen. I placed her on the counter top where she stretched her back straight to make herself a similar height to me. That wasn't the only advantage to our new position.

We were now groin-to-groin as we kissed, and when Bella scooted closer to the counter's edge I knew she wanted that friction too. I ran my hands down her legs, one hand on each until I had to break contact with her lips so my hands could reach down to her feet.

"Christ, Bella, these shoes. Torturing me all damn night," I mumbled as she giggled. I found myself smiling at the noise. I was glad I could make her laugh, she was usually so serious. I realized there wasn't much I wouldn't do to hear that sound again, even if she was laughing at how uncomfortable my dick was around her in these heels.

"You? You didn't have to walk around in them!" Bella retaliated, her eyes watching my hands as I traced over the smooth skin of her bare legs.

"No, but I watched you and your legs. Fuck!" I slipped one and then the other shoe off Bella's feet and placed them on the floor while she wiggled her toes, taking advantage of their new found freedom. I ran my hands back up her soft legs as I returned to stand as close to her as I physically could.

Her fingers immediately found my shirt and undid a button.

I grinned. I'd wondered how long it would take her to start on my shirt. Her nimble fingers working on the buttons didn't disappoint as they had half my shirt undone in only a few seconds. I watched the concentration on her face as another of my shirt buttons came undone. My hands rested on her thighs, right where her open legs were pushing up her skirt. I leant into her body and kissed her neck, working my way slowly up to her pulse point as my shirt opened wider and wider still, until she had all the buttons undone and it was being forced over my shoulders.

I leaned back and looked at Bella. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were bright and she was biting her lip.

She wanted this.

She wanted me.

And it felt fan-fucking-tastic.

After spending weeks apart, dreaming about her, trying to remember her body, her scent and her moans, she was finally here in front of me. I felt a desperate need to be close to her, to know her, to understand her. I'd waited too long for answers, maybe now I could tease them out of her.

"Talk to me," I requested as I nibbled at her ear. "Why did you have to leave yesterday?"

"Edward." Her voice sounded exasperated.

I raised my face to look at her, my shirt still halfway down my back. "I know you said you don't have a boyfriend..." I said, trying to encourage her to talk.

"I don't. I'd never do that. I'd never cheat," she breathed out, sounding indignant as I nodded, conveying that I believed her.

"Glad to hear it." My hands crept up her thighs and my thumbs stroked at her legs, just under her skirt.

"Edward, take off your damn shirt." It wasn't a request, it was a demand.

I grinned at her. Considering it was half way off anyway, that was easy enough to do. I moved my arms and let her push the material from my body as her eyes fell on my tattoo. _Damn!_ I didn't bank on how much that one move turned her on. I remembered she liked my chest before, but I hadn't remembered the force of her gaze and the way she made me feel so wanted. I felt the intensity of her look and remembered yet again why I'd been so desperate to find her, and so reluctant to let her go.

The way she made me feel was like a heady drug and I was finally getting my long-awaited fix.

"So good," she whispered as her hands traced over my pecs.

I hooked my index finger under her chin and raised her face. She reluctantly pulled her eyes from my body and looked at me. "What's holding you back?" I asked.

"I'm right here. You're the one holding back now." Her fingers stroked over my chest, running through the fine hair there and successfully distracting me with her light touch.

"Fine." I growled a noise I barely recognized as I launched myself at her neck again, feeling her soft skin under my stubbly jaw as I nipped at her. I sure as hell wasn't holding back any more, but I still wanted answers. "You gotta talk to me, baby. Did you look for me?"

Her hands travelled down my chest slowly and deliberately until she found my belt. She fumbled with the metal hook before it fell open and she started on my jeans fastenings.

She wasn't waiting to talk with me, and I wasn't strong enough to resist her, so I calculated I only had a few more minutes until she had freed my dick and the ability to reason and think rationally left my brain.

"No...oh God!" she moaned as my hands crept up under her skirt and stroked over the material covering her center. "I...ugh, I can't think straight when you're doing that." She groaned as my thumb repeated its teasing pattern so close to her delicate skin.

"Answer, or I'll stop."

"I…I didn't look for you. I didn't think you'd want more," she breathed out as her hands returned to work on my jeans, popping the button and searching for the zip.

The knowledge that she'd soon have my dick free was making my heartbeat pick up even more. While I was distracted with thoughts of Bella and my dick, she had lowered the zip and was now pushing my jeans down my butt. I knew the time for answers was running out. "What if I do want more?"

"Then you're crazy," she replied as the jeans hit thigh level and my hard dick bobbed and twitched in my boxers. He didn't care much for talking right now, and I could feel even my brain was giving up the battle for answers.

"Crazy for you," I told her, running my stubble along her jaw before kissing her chin as my thumbs continued to tease her, skimming along the edge of her panties but never dipping inside.

"Oh God!" she breathed as I grinned, knowing my teasing was tormenting her. "Guys like you aren't interested in me, Edward," she whispered.

My fingers froze. I scoffed and pulled back from her face to look her in the eyes.

_What. The. Fuck?_

"Then guys like me are stupid." I sighed. "And this guy is very interested in you, so don't talk such shit." My tone was harsher than I intended and I knew Bella was surprised when she balked slightly at my words. "You said yesterday that you're crazy. I think you are." I groaned against her skin. "Because, Baby, you don't see yourself clearly. At all. I wish I could make you see how beautiful you are. How soft your skin is. How curvy your legs are. How amazing your tits are..." I palmed over her top, trying to get close to her aforementioned tits. "You are utterly perfect, don't doubt that."

"I know I'm not hideous and I don't think I'm a horrible person. I just...you, you're...Christ, Edward, you're all man and muscle and you make me dizzy with want."

Her words surprised me. I wasn't a gym junkie by any means and I always compared myself unfavorably to Emmett's broader build, so I never considered myself muscular. The fact that Bella saw me in such a different way was flattering and made me even bolder with my words and actions. I kissed the corner of her mouth as my fingers dipped under her panties. I felt her soft, warm, wet skin and couldn't hold back my moan.

Bella wriggled under my touch as I drew back and looked at her.

"Tell me what you want." I growled, frustrated and turned on in equal measure.

"I just want you, Edward. I want you so much. I want..." she trailed off as I returned my lips to her ear and whispered.

"Just say it..." I encouraged.

"I want you to show me that you want me. If it's true, make me believe it."

_Fuck_! I wanted her like I'd never wanted any woman before in my life. I really did want her to believe that. "Ugh, Bella. I want you to believe me, so much." I removed my hands and willed her to understand I was talking about our whole relationship, not just now.

"Please, Edward." She pulled my body flush to hers and thrust, hitting my painfully hard, cloth-covered cock and making me hiss.

"I know, baby. I want you too, but I can't understand why we can't be together. What can I do to make you believe I want more? You can trust me," I assured her.

"We can be together right now if you just shut up." She moaned as she grabbed my hard-on.

"Jesus, you're not playing fair."

"Me? You're the one who's playing a round of twenty questions instead of getting naked."

I chuckled. She was trying to look angry but her face portrayed her lust and need. Her eyes again traveled to my chest as she leaned forward and kissed my overheated skin softly, successfully distracting me again. Her feather-light touch was more of a turn on than I ever would have believed. I closed my eyes in pleasure as I relished in the emotions I was feeling. When her hand ghosted over my jaw, I opened my eyes to look at her.

"I didn't remember quite how much you loved my chest." Her face reddened but she giggled as I continued. "I must have been preoccupied with something else last time. Speaking of which..." I pulled at the bottom of her top and tugged it over her head as she raised her arms to help. I groaned when I finally laid eyes on her tits, wrapped up in a lilac-hued bra. Bella thrust against me once more, prompting me to look up at her. I couldn't concentrate on anything when she was rubbing her crotch against mine like that.

I thrust back.

"Don't stop," she moaned.

"I won't, not until I can feel you around my dick. I remember how good it is. I've thought about this so much. This, and you...ugh. Bedroom?" I queried.

As much as I wanted her right here and now, if we were doing this I wanted to savor her. I'd waited long enough since our first night together.

"Lead the way," she grinned as I took a step back and she hopped down from her position on the counter.

I stepped out of my jeans, pulling my socks off with them before I grabbed her hand and ran with her up the stairs two at a time, as she kept up my pace.

When we entered my room I was in front, but not for long. I felt her push me against the wall, her hands roaming my chest, her lips finding mine as she hungrily sought out my tongue. My hands found her hair and traveled down, continuing over her shoulders until I found her bra clasp. I pushed and pulled at the clasp, feeling relieved when it opened easily.

Our kiss slowed down until Bella took a step back and let her bra fall from her beautiful breasts. She threaded her arms out of the straps and dropped it on my bedroom floor.

"Oh, I've missed you," I mumbled to her perfect tits. I reached out to touch them. They were so full in this position, all pert, hard nipples and creamy skin.

"Have you been—" Bella's tone of voice caught my attention as I drew my eyes reluctantly from her tits and looked at her face. "Been with anyone else…since?"

"What? No!" I assured her as she bit her lip nervously. "You?" I was really hoping for the sake of my raging hard-on that she said no. I'm not sure I'd be able to keep him up if she told me she was with someone else while I was brooding for her.

"No," she informed me, the tone of her answer making my question sound stupid.

"Thank fuck for that," I moaned as I found the waistband of her skirt. I lowered the garment down her legs before I dropped it to the floor and she stepped out of it.

"I'll just...I should...condom." I pointed to the en suite bathroom as I looked at her standing in front of me. Her chest was heaving with her rapid breaths and her skin was flushed.

"Sure," she nodded as I dashed to my bathroom cabinet and returned as quickly as I could. I removed my boxers and sat on the edge of the bed as I rolled on the condom on. When I was finished, Bella climbed on my lap, straddling my erection. I groaned, reaching for her tits, which were now right in my face.

_Fuck!_ I'd dreamed about her and fantasized about her in this very bed and now she was straddling me and rubbing her crotch against mine in the most delicious way possible.

"Do you know how damn sexy you look?" She shook her head and bit her lip. My thumbs edged under the lacy opening of her panties. "These have got to go." Her breathing increased as she stood so I could remove her underwear. Her arms remained around my neck as she stood in between my legs. Once her panties were on my bedroom floor, she sat back down on my thighs, her legs either side of mine. I ran a finger up and down her slit, moaning in unison with her at the sensations this provoked in us.

"I've thought about this…so much," I moaned, unsure if she heard me as she grabbed my hard on and scooted closer to me. She sat up a fraction, getting leverage so she could lower herself down onto me.

"Oh yes," she hissed as she was able to take me in at her own pace. I gathered her hair with my thumbs and dropped it down her back as she arched towards me, showing off her amazing chest as she looked at the place we were joined. She started a slow rhythm up and down as I hissed at the amazing sensation and groaned with the knowledge that she wanted me.

"So good, baby," I encouraged as her eyes lifted from my chest to my eyes.

She bobbed up and down on my dick, slow at first but she quickly increased the pace.

I groaned as I watched her ride me, taking me in so deeply that I hissed and swore under my breath. Her breathing increased as her movements quickened and I was so turned on by her that I knew this wouldn't last long. It had been building all night and now I was ready to make her scream my name.

As she slowed again I stood slowly, still buried deep within her, and turned to lay Bella back on the bed as I remained on my feet and I leaned over her. "I got this." I took over the thrusting. Immediately she gasped and groaned.

"Yeah? You like that?" I checked as I lowered myself to kiss her before standing straighter to gain more leverage and watch her writhe under me.

"Yes. Right there. Oh yes, you're so strong..." she groaned as I felt my balls hit her ass and savored the sight in front of me. "You're so...ugh, so hot...right there." I watched Bella moan under me and knew I wouldn't last much longer. Her hands found my biceps while I watched her tits bouncing frantically with my movements. Soon we were soon both panting with need.

"Yes, Edward, so close. How are you doing that? Jesus...ugh," she whispered, her fingers digging in harder to the muscle of my arm, giving away her body's feelings. I knew I was now sweating from the exertion but I could feel my own body singing with delight as I kept up my relentless pace.

"I'm close too, so close," I encouraged as I stood up slightly taller, changing the angle as Bella gripped my biceps harder, clinging onto me. I grasped her thighs, trying not to hold them too hard as I watched the place where we were joined.

"Yes, now, now, now...Edward." I looked up to watch her and delighted in hearing my name on her lips as she came...fuck. That was all I needed to come myself, hard.

I slowed my movements to a complete stop as she released her iron grip on my biceps and flopped her arms dramatically down on the bed, making me smile. We both regained our breathing and I released Bella's legs. I eased slowly out and sat down on the edge of the bed before I looked behind me to see her grinning.

_Fuck, she was beautiful_. Her face was flushed and her grin made her look carefree and radiant.

"So fucking hot," I grinned at her as her jaw dropped comically.

"You don't have to sweet talk me now." Her tone was jokey as she fumbled for the bed sheets to cover up with.

I stood up, realizing my legs were shaky for a few seconds, making me finally understand the expression 'weak at the knees'. I leaned over Bella, shaking my head as I hovered over her lips.

"I'm not." I kissed her, hard. "It's the truth," I added before I stood straight again. "I'm just gonna…" I pulled on my boxers and nodded to the bathroom.

"Sure," she replied. I headed towards my en suite and entered the room before I turned around to look at Bella. She was lying in my bed, looking sleepy and now covered in my sheets, her hair splayed out behind her.

"Err, don't go anywhere," I told her nervously. I was starting to learn that Bella liked a man to be a man and right now I was probably sounding weak but I had to check.

"I've got no clothes. They're littered around your house," she replied, making me grin at the memory.

"Well…good," I told her before heading for the bathroom again.

Once back in the room with Bella I tried not to stare at her but she was in my bed, right where I'd fantasized about her being. I wasn't sure what to say now but before either of us could speak my stomach rumbled.

"I guess one hotdog isn't enough for a grown man like you?" She sat up, adjusting my sheets around her body as she did so.

"Not after all that exercise," I joked. "You wanna grab some food?" I didn't particularly want to leave this room, not when she was still naked in my bed but if I was hungry, the chances were she was too.

I tugged on a pair of jeans while Bella nodded and stood up, leaving the bed sheets behind. Her naked body was not helping my attempts to leave the bedroom and when she retrieved her black panties from my bedroom floor and slipped them on over her smooth legs all I could do was stare.

Damn, she looked good.

She then turned to a chair in the corner of my room, which had some clothes on it. She grabbed a folded white shirt from the pile of clean laundry which I hadn't put away yet. She slipped her arms through the garment and started to do up the buttons.

I strode closer to her.

"You…in that…Christ. It makes me never want to leave this room," I told her as I helped her do up a button on the shirt.

"Well if I'm wearing it, you can't!" Her eyes gazed at my chest.

"You do know I have a whole closet full of shirts, right?"

"Yeah. I'm just hoping you won't wear any of them tonight," she replied, making me decide not to put one on anytime soon.

"Noted." I nodded to her as she grinned back at me. Once the shirt was done up but still revealing a decent peek of cleavage, she asked to use the bathroom.

"Of course. I'll see what I have to eat. I'll meet you downstairs." I finally left my room, giving her space to gather herself.

**A/N:**

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think. Also, thank you to those who have taken the time to write a review, your words are very much appreciated.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: "You mean spend time with a guy _after _sleeping with him?"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Daylight by Maroon 5**

Once I made it downstairs, I grabbed the rest of our clothes off the floor before setting them aside and checking the contents of my fridge and cupboards. Considering it was getting late and we had already eaten, I wanted to cook something light. I didn't have much bread but there was plenty of eggs and cheese. As I formulated a plan I heard soft footsteps approaching and looked up to see Bella enter. The light caught her body as she tentatively walked forward, making my white shirt almost see-through on her pale skin. She'd flattened down her hair, but it was still slightly messed from our earlier actions. Her legs looked amazing, stretching all the way up to the bottom of my shirt, looking long and lean despite her relatively small stature.

"Umm...omelet?" I suggested dumbly, caught off guard by the sight of her, here with me in my house looking, well, like that.

"Sounds nice. Do you need any help?" she asked.

"Nope. Take a seat." I gestured to the breakfast bar across from where I was stood. She climbed up on the bar stool where she could watch and talk as I cooked. "Ham and cheese?"

"Sure, thanks," she replied, looking from the clock on the wall to me.

"You okay? You gotta be somewhere?" I asked, only half joking. I could tell she wanted what had happened this evening, but now she was slightly uneasy.

"No, no, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?" I asked, shredding the cheese at the breakfast bar in front of her.

"Just this." She gestured between us and around the room. "It's been a long time since I've done anything like this." She reached out, grabbed a few strands of cheese and popped them in her mouth.

"Ate an omelet?" I asked rather sarcastically.

"No. This." She didn't elaborate.

"This..?"

"This..." She tugged at my shirt, which she was wearing. "This..." She gestured to my bare chest. "This..." She pointed to the food I was cooking.

"You mean spend time with a guy _after_ sleeping with him?"

My words came out harsher than I'd intended, but I let them hang in the air as I cracked an egg into the now-hot frying pan.

"Ouch!" she replied at my not-so-subtle dig.

I swirled the egg around the pan, letting my words sink in, wondering if I'd upset her. I didn't push it. I merely watched the egg cooking in the pan as I waited for her reply.

"I meant…I mean sleeping with a guy at all," she quietly added after a short silence.

"Oh," I replied rather dumbly. The surge of happiness that swelled in my chest at her admission wasn't entirely surprising to me. I knew I was falling for Bella. I just didn't want to admit, even to myself, how much I liked her. I busied myself by adding cheese and ham to the frying pan while hoping she'd elaborate on her statement.

"I just haven't been with many guys," she told me, her voice quieter now as she ran her hands through her hair. "I've been on dates," she clarified. "It's just none of them ended like this one!" She finally looked at me, no doubt trying to gauge my reaction.

I didn't know what I was more surprised about, the fact that she was opening up at all or the words she was saying.

"You make me act crazy and reckless," she added, making me pause in the middle of flipping over the omelet to see how serious she was.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You make me want you so much that I act out of character."

Huh. Well that was good to know.

"That sounds like a good thing to me," I told her, but she looked up at me doubtfully.

"Good for you and the notches on your bed post."

I sighed at her. "Bella, how do you not know by now that you're more than that to me." I slid the omelet onto the waiting plate and passed it to her before I turned off the heat, rounded the breakfast bar and swiveled her bar stool around to face me as I stood between her legs. Her hands found my chest immediately, her fingers tracing over the planes of my muscles as she spoke.

"Edward, you're ridiculously hot. How are you not out with a different supermodel every night?"

I scoffed at her remark. "Seriously? Bella, even if I was able to do that, it's not what I want." I shrugged. "Yeah, I played the field when I was younger, but now I want something more meaningful." When Bella drew her gaze away from my chest to look up at me, her face appeared slightly troubled. I wondered if my words had scared her, but they were out there now. I couldn't take them back. Her hands left my body as she turned in her seat to look at her food.

"Have you had many serious relationships?" she asked, surprising me with her question.

"Err, not really." I walked back around the breakfast bar and started on my omelet. "I've dated women I cared about, but when I compare that to my brother's relationship or my parents', they were nothing like that." I watched her take a bite of her food. "You?"

"One guy." she shrugged, trying to act nonchalant as I wondered if she'd elaborate but instead she fell silent. I had already started to form the opinion that she had been badly burned by a past relationship and this almost confirmed it.

"And he's in the past now?" I checked, trying to sound light-hearted as I watched my food cooking in the pan.

"Yes. Very past." She nodded. "This omelet's really tasty." She pointed her fork to her plate as I smiled.

"Good." Once my food was finished I sat next to her, our thighs touching on the bar stools next to each other while we talked about safer topics - foods we liked and local places we liked to visit.

I was enjoying just spending time together. She was relaxed and I was relishing the ways I could make her laugh and have fun. It didn't escape my notice that she was relaxing and smiling more now that I had stopped questioning her. As much as I wanted to know everything about her and learn about whatever was keeping her guarded around me, I was realizing that pushing her for answers was only pushing her away.

Maybe she needed support.

Maybe she needed to trust me more before she opened up to me.

Maybe, as much as it sucked, I'd just have to wait until she was ready to move this relationship forward.

Having come to that conclusion now made my next question more risky.

"Are you able to stay with me tonight?" I tried to keep my tone light while I deliberately took my last mouthful of omelet to stop myself saying anything extra.

"You want me to?" Bella asked, surprised. She'd finished her food and was now sipping at her glass of water.

"Yes. Very much." The thought of getting to hold her and fall asleep together was much more preferable than watching her leave.

"Umm, sure. Okay," she replied. I grinned at her, slipping off my stool and collecting our plates.

"Go on up if you like. I'll just lock up down here." She nodded and left the room, grabbing her handbag and heading upstairs. After loading the dishwasher and checking the house and my phone (complete with missed calls from Emmett), I headed upstairs, delighted to know Bella would be there waiting for me. As I neared my room I heard her voice talking softly, on the phone I assumed.

"I know, I just worry. Okay. I will. You too. Yep, bye." Bella was then silent so I pushed my door further open as I entered the room. She had drawn the curtains and turned on my bedside lamp and was now sat on my bed, still wearing my shirt, her long legs drawing my attention immediately.

It didn't strike me as odd that she would check in with someone to tell them where she was or that she wouldn't be home, after all it was the sensible thing to do. I wanted to ask her about her call, but that would mean admitting I'd been listening at the door, so instead I settled for a generic question.

"Everything okay?" I stood at the side of the bed as she knelt up on her knees to reach my chest.

"Yep, everything's perfect," she replied, looking at my tattoo and drawing the outline with her fingers, making me forget all about phone calls, secrets, and feelings I couldn't control. My breathing was shallow as I watched her fingertips, complete with pale pink nail varnish, skimming over my tattoo, spreading warmth to my body. I took in the sight of her dressed only in my shirt, her slightly ruffled hair acting as a reminder of what we did earlier. My hands found her waist, clutching at the top of her ass as I concentrated on her teasing fingers and tried really hard not to lower my own hands.

_Fuck!_ I needed to calm myself down. I didn't invite her to stay so we could go another round together. I genuinely just wanted to spend more time together and I didn't want to be a jerk and turf her out as soon as we'd slept together. She had already questioned if I only wanted her for hook-ups so I wanted to prove to her that wasn't the case.

"What's this mean?" she whispered, her eyes transfixed on my tattoo.

"It's my family crest. The Cullen crest," I clarified. "Emmett has one too; we got them together when we were eighteen."

"It's really…" she paused and I waited to hear what she was going to say. "It suits you. A lion, I mean."

"Yeah?" I was pleased by her comment.

"Yeah. You're fierce and love your pack, your family," she whispered, her fingers tracing lightly over my skin. "And you have crazy hair."

I chuckled. "I guess I do."

We were silent as Bella continued her exploration of my skin, but when she glanced up at me a few moments later she shook her head and spoke.

"Sorry…" she sank down on her knees. "You probably want to get ready for bed." She scooted to the pillows and lay down as I watched, mesmerized by the sight of her. I'd fantasized about her being in my bed and I was having trouble believing she was really here.

I noticed I'd been staring at her when she spoke and sounded confused. "Sorry, am I on your side or something?" She sat up and started to move as I shook my head.

"No, no, stop apologizing. Stay there. I'll be right back." I did my business in the en suite, removed my contacts, and changed my jeans for pajama pants before I turned off the bedside lamp and joined Bella in my bed. After I'd lay down I lifted up my arm, gesturing for her to come closer to me. She rested her head on my chest and stroked up and down my arm, over my bicep and down to the tips of my fingers before she repeated that same route as we both laid in silence.

"Bella, I love what happened earlier, but I didn't invite you out for that." I needed her to know she was more than a hook up to me.

"I know. I told myself I wouldn't sleep with you again, but that resolution went out the window the minute I saw you." She laughed softly as we laid in silence again. My thumb found the top of her thigh and I softly rubbed her warm skin. I mulled over her words, felling pretty damn pleased with myself. It was comforting to know she seemed to be as attracted to me as I was to her.

"Don't I get to see your glasses again?" Her voice was a soft whisper in the darkening room.

I chuckled. "I don't really need them to sleep, sweetheart."

"Shame." I saw her lips pucker into a small pout in the dark as I lifted my head and kissed her forehead. I shook my head at the emotions brewing inside of me. Despite not even trying, I was falling for Bella. Big time. She elicited emotions in me that I had never felt before, and now she was making me love the parts of me that I previously didn't even like.

I wondered if I'd ever be able to do the same for her.

As I let my mind wander I closed my eyes, and in the few minutes that passed I grew drowsy with sleep.

"Edward."

"Mmm," I mumbled, my eyelids too heavy to open.

"Can we...can I see you again?" The uneasiness in her whisper caught my attention.

Despite my lethargy, I chuckled. "I damn well hope so!" I opened my eyes and felt Bella's fingers stall on my arm as she paused her movements.

"I want to talk to you...properly." Her voice was hesitant and I didn't even breathe for fear of saying or doing anything that would make her stop talking. "Not now, it's late and I want to enjoy this," she added. "But soon...when we have more time."

I grinned over at her in the dark. I could hear the hesitation in her voice and knew she'd just taken a leap of faith with me. "Sure, sweetheart. I'm listening whenever you're ready." My chest leaped with hope, knowing Bella was starting to trust me. Of course I wondered what she wanted to talk about, but lying with her like this in my bed, I doubted there was much that could change the way I felt about her. It felt right to be lying here with her and it felt right when she kissed my bicep and settled her head on her pillow, and it felt right when she resumed her actions, running her fingertips lightly over my torso and arm as my drowsiness returned.

I'd forgotten how nice it was lying with someone, for companionship as well as romance. I was so warm and content lying there with Bella that it didn't take me long to drift off to sleep.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

I pride myself on being a morning person. At first, the motivation of starting and running my own business got me out of bed early in the mornings, but now it was habit. I liked the quiet time at the start of the day when the world was just waking up, but even a morning person needs a few minutes to wake slowly. However, with Bella, that's not what happened.

I was woken with a start as I felt her moving next to me. The room was still dark, but I could hear that she was breathing fast, and I could feel her moving about in the bed. As I rubbed my eyes to help them adjusted to the darkness, I felt her wriggling turn into kicks against my legs. She started to thrash around and become entwined in the bed sheets which only added to her discomfort.

I was immediately awake, but Bella wasn't. It became apparent to me that she was having some sort of nightmare.

As she moved she mumbled but I couldn't catch all of her words. She was holding my arm, my bicep, and really gripping it tightly. She was feisty—that shit actually hurt. However, that wasn't my main concern right now. Bella was clearly distressed and I didn't know what to do. I'd never faced this before.

"Bella..." My voice didn't seem to reach her even though I was right next to her. I propped myself up on my elbow and leaned over her as she mumbled again and shook her head.

"I can't do this alone."

"Wake up Bella. You aren't alone," I told her as I shook at her shoulder slightly.

"Don't leave—" she mumbled before she shot up suddenly, sitting straight up in bed with a gasp. She looked around wide-eyed as her breathing remained deep and heavy. I sat up behind her, cautiously watching as she breathed rapidly in and out.

"Bel—" As I spoke her name and placed a hand on her shoulder, she jumped and flinched away from me. She brushed her hair off her face with shaky hands as her eyes circled the room, flitting around before she turned her head over her shoulder and finally looked at me. Her expression was confused and stunned, and maybe a bit scared. I hated to see her like this, especially when I didn't know how to help her.

"You stayed here last night, remember?" I queried quietly, noticing her breathing was finally returning to normal.

"Ah-huh." She nodded, but didn't elaborate. She pulled her hair off her neck, holding it up, and pulled at my shirt on her body, which made me think she was hot and trying to cool down.

"Do you need a drink?" I offered as she nodded again but still didn't say anything. She concentrated instead on untangling her legs from under the sheets.

I ran my hands through my hair. I didn't want to leave her like this, but getting her a drink seemed the only way I could help her. "I'm gonna go downstairs and get some water. I'll be right back." I stretched out to her. I was about to rub her shoulder, to offer her some comfort, but I remembered the way she'd recoiled away from me only seconds earlier. I withdrew my hand as I spoke again. "I'll be quick."

I jumped out of bed and raced downstairs, grabbing two glasses of water and glancing at the illuminated clock on my oven which told me it was 03:03am. When I returned to my bedroom Bella was still sat upright, her legs stretching out in front of her as she hugged her knees. I tried not to look at her legs which, only hours earlier, had been wrapped round my waist. Instead I sat on the edge of the bed and offered her one of the glasses in my hand.

"Thanks," she whispered before she eagerly drank most of the water while I just sipped mine.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I offered, already knowing what her answer would be.

"I'm fine," she replied, not directly rejecting my offer. "I just...I thought they'd stopped," she added, sounding embarrassed.

"This happens a lot?" I asked, alarmed at that thought.

"Not so much now, just...sometimes," she informed me with a helpless shrug. She'd finished her water so I took the glass from her and placed it, along with mine, on my bedside table. "I'm sorry for waking you," she whispered but it sounded loud in the quiet dark of the house.

"Don't be silly. Lie with me. You're safe here." She gave me a half smile as I lay back down and patted the other pillow. She looked down at me, her eyes wordlessly roaming my chest for a long time before she too settled back into bed.

This time though, there was no touching. In the darkness of the room I could just about see that she was awake, but her face was blank, her mind distant and somewhere far away.

"Wake me if you need to."

I watched as her distant gaze fell on my face for a second while she nodded before she closed her eyes.

I sighed.

We both knew she wouldn't wake me. She may still be in my bed, but the distance between us was now just as great as when we'd spent weeks apart.

That's why I wasn't surprised when I woke in the morning and I was alone.

Again.

Except this time I had a note.

_'I'm sorry for waking you earlier, I still want to talk if you do? As you haven't given me your number, here's mine...Bella x'_

**A/N:**

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think. Also, thank you to those who have taken the time to write a review, your words are very much appreciated.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: "We all have some crap in our past, Ed. She's not gonna go spilling her life story to you after a few fucks."

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

Coffee. I couldn't do anything without coffee, and this morning I needed the good stuff. I called in to the coffee shop on the ground floor of our office building and ordered a large take-out coffee. None of this fancy-schmancy coffee shop stuff, just good, old-fashioned coffee was all that could help me now.

Next stop was Emmett's office. I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until I'd spoken to him. His door was open, unfortunately for me, because it meant I got an eyeful of him groping Rosalie's ass as he whispered in her ear.

"Bro, do you need me to resend you that email on office PDA?" I interrupted as he looked up and grinned at me. I strolled into his office, unperturbed by his visitor. Rosalie was dressed in her gym gear, indicating she wouldn't be here long. I assumed she had driven in with Emmett and was now going to use the building's employee gym.

"Good trip?" I asked Rosalie.

"Yeah. Seems like there was more happening back here though." She grinned at me as I collapsed down on Emmett's sofa. "I hear you're now available to collect Seth any time we need." Rosalie was enjoying riling me up, no wonder she and Emmett made such a good pair.

"I've always helped." I defended myself.

"I know," she relented as she turned back to Emmett and I tried not to watch as they said a mushy goodbye to each other, which involved more groping than I wanted to see, before Rosalie waved goodbye and left.

Emmett sat behind his desk and started up his computer, turning his attention to me once it was booting up.

"So what's happened to you that's worth interrupting my fine morning? That's a big old coffee, even for you."

"Well this morning pretty much sucks ass. But as much as I love to relive my heartache and failures with you, I was just wondering if you dropped Seth at school this morning?" I was trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, but judging by Emmett's now-grinning face, I failed.

"Hmm, little bro, that's so considerate of you to worry about my son's education. Why, pray tell, are you showing such an interest all of a sudden?" He grinned. A big, satisfied grin which filled half his face. He was loving this too much for my liking.

"Fine. Yeah, so…I wondered if Bella was there this morning," I mumbled.

"Why would you be so interested in that?" he asked, spinning back to his computer, logging in and then turning back to me.

"Em," I warned him. His humour about this situation was annoying me now.

"Okay, okay," he answered, taking pity on me as he finally set about answering my question. "Luckily for you my darling son spilt half a carton of OJ down his shirt this morning, Bro, that stuff is sticky. We practically had to get him in the shower to get him clean, so we were running all kinds of late and he missed the bus. Rose and I drove him to school, but I had to run him into class 'cause he was worried he'd get in trouble for being late. Apparently your little Miss Swan can be quite the authoritarian when needed, but maybe you know that already?" he asked me with an eyebrow wiggle.

I kept a straight face as he continued.

"Too soon for sex jokes? Okay, so anyway, I walked, well ran, Seth to class and yes, she was there. Happy now?" he finished.

"Yeah, I guess." I moved to stand but Emmett walked over to me, pushed me back down and sat next to me on the sofa.

"She looked a bit nervous to see me," he added more seriously. "Would that have anything to do with my little brother?"

I groaned. How did he always get me to talk to him like this?

"What happened?" he asked more seriously.

"She fucking bailed again, that's what happened." I ran my hand through my hair, my longed-for-coffee feeling useless in my other hand.

"She didn't show?" Emmett queried, making me shake my head.

"No, she was there. And then in my house. And then in my bed."

"You slept with her again?" He sounded more surprised than was good for my ego.

"Yes," I confirmed. "And she left. Again. It's like that bloody runaway bride film. Seriously, what's her problem?" I grumbled, angry at Bella for her actions and angry at myself. I hadn't planned on talking to Emmett about this and now I was telling him everything. However, given Emmett was my twin brother and my best friend, we had always been close. If I couldn't be honest with him then I had no one, and maybe I actually did need his help and opinion because I was pretty damn confused.

"Err, she had work?" he suggested as I shrugged.

"I guess. She could have woken me though. Damn it!" I exclaimed as I stood up, throwing what was left of my coffee into Emmett's trash can with way more force than necessary. The loud, metallic clanging noise that it made actually caused Emmett to jump slightly as I turned to him. "I thought we'd had a good night, I thought we had fun and got past this shit, but no. Apparently not. I was going to make her a quick breakfast..." I shrugged, letting my sentence trail off.

"Cullen omelet special?" Emmett teased.

Mom loved cooking for our family, so much so that she hadn't been great at teaching us to cook for ourselves. I'd actually learnt a lot living on my own, but Emmett went from living with mom and dad to living with Rosalie, so we both knew he would still survive on nothing but omelets whenever she was away.

"No, I already cooked that for her actually." I knew I was looking smug, but instead of looking impressed Emmett scoffed at me.

"Dude, if you had a date with her and cooked an omelet, no wonder she left!" He laughed as I scowled at him.

"No, we ate out. The omelet was a snack after...just after," I stumbled over my words, his face splitting into a grin as he waggled his eyebrows at me. "Oh God, I'm shutting up now," I mumbled, my hands running through my hair.

"No, no, you've started now. So you had a date?"

"Yeah, no. I don't know what she'd call it but it sure felt like a date to me."

"And ended like one! At least that explains why you were doing a great impression of a breathing zombie in the Harrison meeting yesterday. I knew your mind was elsewhere."

"Whatever. We got the deal, didn't we?" I snapped, making him realize I was taking this seriously and his joking wasn't helping. "There's more to this and I'm going to find out what," I told him, a new resolve settling in my mind.

"She did another fuck and duck. Is there anything else to know?"

"This time was different. We talked all evening. We got on really well, and she was ready to open up to me—"

Emmett scoffed loudly and waggled his eyebrows at me. "She opened up to you alright."

I threw my hands in the air and glared at him. "Seriously, Emmett, can you get your brain out of the gutter long enough to have an adult conversation?"

"Apparently not! I'm sorry, carry on." I remained silent as he sighed. "Honestly, I'm sorry, Ed."

He looked suitably apologetic as I took a deep breath and continued. "She was ready to _talk _to me, but then she woke in the night and had this weird nightmare or something."

I hadn't mentioned this until now as I didn't want to break Bella's confidence, but I realized Emmett wouldn't understand how I felt without the full story. Besides, I trusted him implicitly. I knew the details of this conversation would stay between us. This was a good thing, because I needed to talk to someone about this and Emmett, under all his goofy and crass exterior, was surprisingly relationship-savvy. He had been married nine years and counting; he must be doing something right.

"About what?" He looked confused and slightly concerned as I continued.

"I don't know. She was shouting and screaming about being left, being alone, she was shaking and shit."

"Did you ask her about it?"

"Em, it was 3am. She was pretty distressed and wasn't exactly in a chatty mood." I knew I was being grumpy, but I was out of my depth here.

"We all have some crap in our past, Ed. She's not gonna go spilling her life story to you after a few fucks."

_Huh_. Well, despite Emmett's rather blunt delivery, I had to admit he had a point.

We remained silent as I thought about his words.

"It's not like all we've done is sleep together. We have talked…a bit."

"You told her about our past?" he asked quietly as my head whipped round to look him dead in the eyes.

He never mentioned that.

Never.

He just stared me down.

"No." I whispered my reply.

He waited for me to elaborate.

"I really like her. It scares me how much I like her, but I'm still getting to know her." I didn't have to justify this to Emmett. He understood implicitly and felt the same as me. I didn't know why he'd brought this up.

"Precisely. She probably feels the same about revealing her past to you," he pointed out as I stood and started pacing the width of the room.

"Yeah, I guess," I conceded as a short silence followed.

"Bro, you seem to have a kind of 'friends with benefits' situation going on. Are you sure you wanna knock that?"

"Friends!" I scoffed. "Right now I'm not too sure how much she even likes me!"

"Well there's one part of you she certainly likes!" Emmett teased.

I knew full well what part of me Emmett was referring to, but instead I couldn't help remembering the way Bella wanted my shirt off, the way she admired my chest, the way she'd spent ages tracing the lines of my muscles and my tattoo. I'd never felt that wanted or that needed before. She was frantic about my body, more so this last night than the first time.

Still, the end result was the same. Both times she'd left and both times I had wanted more.

I didn't want to want her. I wanted to chalk this up to a two night stand, if that was even a thing, or a 'friends with benefits' arrangement as Emmett was suggesting, but I knew I couldn't.

Maybe years ago I would have, or maybe with a different woman I could have, but with Bella I knew I wanted more.

"Bro, I like Bella," Emmett started. "From what I know of her as Seth's teacher, she's great. She's made him understand fractions which is something I could never achieve but...I might be out of line here, but is she worth it? Is she worth all this hassle? She seems pretty hostile toward you—"

"She's not hostile."

"Well, this relationship seems like hard work. I know you're picky as fuck and want the whole romance and white picket fence but, dude, you shouldn't have to persuade someone to be with you. You deserve better than that." Emmett slapped my back as I contemplated his words.

"I know that's how it looks, but sometimes, at Tanya's wedding and last night, when she relaxes and lets her guard down—"

"—and sleeps with you," he interrupted.

"No, I mean before that. We have this connection. I can't just ignore that. I know there's something there, I just need to find out what her issues are."

"Fair enough." Emmett answered with a shrug. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"I need to talk to her. She left me her phone number but I want to do this face-to-face. At least this time I know where to find her."

"Ed, all you know is that she's at work, teaching my kid, and twenty or so other equally demanding kids. I'm pretty sure her email about PDA in the workplace would be a lot more stringent than ours!" he joked as I rolled my eyes.

I did contemplate calling her or texting now that I had her number but I guessed it was unlikely she'd have her phone with her in the classroom.

"What time does school finish again?" Sure I'd picked Seth up before but I needed a reminder. Good thing I wasn't in contention for any uncle of the year award. I'd probably already lost that when I slept with my nephew's teacher. Twice. No kid would like that!

"School's out at three, but you have that Anderson meeting at eleven remember?" my brother helpfully reminded me.

"No problem," I replied, unfazed. Emmett however looked rather concerned. "It's fine. I'll prep now. I know he's a big client. I'll be there," I assured him as I turned to leave his office.

"I need your brain in the game, bro, it's no good just turning up—"

"I know Em, trust me. I got this," I snapped at my brother who looked at me with skepticism but nodded.

"Well then, good luck." He threw the comment out, not clarifying which part of today he was referring to, as I left his office to try and concentrate enough to prepare for my meeting.

Back at my desk I pulled my phone out of my pocket while my computer booted up. I'd added Bella's number to my contacts this morning and now I just stared at her name and number, remembering our night together.

The concern I had for her after her nightmare was dulling my anger at her leaving again. At least she'd left me a note. She'd said she wanted to talk to me properly and she'd left me her number so she must want to see me again, which was a good thing because I was more eager than ever to talk to her now.

Judging by that nightmare and the state she was in last night, I'd clearly underestimated her past or what she wanted to talk to me about. All this realization did was make me even more fed up with tip-toeing around her. It was time to rip the band-aid off, however painful that may be.

The trouble was, I didn't know who it would be most painful for, me or her.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

After my meeting wrapped up I was ready for lunch. The client's building was down the block from my dad's medical practice. I knew he'd be there today so I thought I'd be a good son and see if he was available for a quick bite to eat. I didn't want to eat lunch alone and dwell on Bella, either what had already happened, or what might happen if I managed to talk to her this afternoon.

I texted my dad, not wanting to call in case he was busy. I got a prompt reply that he was just about to see his last patient before lunch, but he should be done by the time I reached him.

I dropped my work files in my car before I navigated my way to my dad's building. Once inside, I took the familiar route to his office where I heard the friendly voice of his secretary, Heidi. She had worked there almost as long as my dad, so she knew me on sight. She greeted me with her usual perky smile as I walked past, going straight to my dad's office after I replied with a friendly greeting of my own. As I turned the corner to his room, the door was open and he was showing a patient out. I hung back, not wanting to interrupt, but as I looked again I realized who exactly it was that my father was talking to.

Bella.

She looked down the corridor and I could see the moment she recognized me. Her eyes widened in shock, but also worry and what looked to me like fear, but from this distance I was struggling to read what it was that she was feeling.

I remembered how I'd seen her last night. All of her. In my bed, which was so much more personal than the first time in a hotel room.

I remembered her look of distress and embarrassment when she woke in the early hours of this morning and I'd worried like hell about what on earth had happened to her to prompt that nightmare.

I remembered waking up alone and being fucking angry that she'd left.

I remembered finding her note on the pillow and not knowing whether to be happy she'd left a note and wanted to see me again, angry that she'd left, or concerned because whatever she wanted to talk about was clearly a bigger issue than I'd previously believed.

And I remembered my resolve to get some answers to this whole damn situation.

I gathered my thoughts and walked closer to her as my father continued to talk, his voice professional and courteous. However, when he noticed Bella was no longer paying attention he followed her gaze down the hallway…to me.

"Oh, this is my son Edward. He's just here to meet me for lunch," he informed Bella before turning to me. "Edward, I'll be with you in a minute."

"Okay, Dad," I answered robotically. I was about to turn and wait back in the reception area for Bella so we could have a conversation away from my dad's earshot, but before I got that far I saw a sight that I'd remember for the rest of my life.

A small boy, older than a toddler but younger than Seth, walked from the room and stood next to Bella. She reached her hand out and ruffled his hair in a move that looked subconscious, more for her benefit and reassurance than the child's.

"So, yeah, Tyler, you'll be just fine," my dad told the boy as Bella thanked him yet again before her eyes and my dad's drifted over to me. I could see the state of confusion on my dad's features, no doubt he was wondering why my presence was unsettling Bella. She however, looked at me in silence, waiting for questions that I couldn't seem to voice.

"Mama, you saided I could have a sticker after seeing the doctor," the little boy said, seemingly oblivious to the tension building around him.

"Okay, baby, sure. I'll get you a sticker later after daycare," Bella spoke calmly to the small boy by her side. She then closed her eyes, her face wearing a slight grimace as she took a deep breath before opening them again. She met my wide, startled eyes with a look of worry before she peeled away the two tiny hands that were now gripping her pant leg. She crouched down and returned to full height a second later, this time with the small child on her hip.

Did he just say _Mama_?

**A/N:**

**Thanks to anyone who has read this. Please let me know what you think. Also, thank you to those who have taken the time to write a review, your words are very much appreciated.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**

**Thank you**** to whoever nominated me in the TwiFic Fandom Awards in the 'Newbie Author' category. I'm flattered and amazed!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: She was studying my face, memorizing it as if she was afraid she wouldn't see me again.

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Human by Christina Perri**

"Bella..." I choked out, vaguely aware that I had stopped pulling at my hair long enough to stroke the day old stubble on my chin. "What? Who?" I stumbled over my words as I walked towards her. I would have cursed myself for my continued lack of eloquence, but given the scene unfolding in front of me I let this one pass without really acknowledging it.

"Edward, this is my son, Tyler," Bella told me, finally looking me in the eyes as she delivered one of the biggest shocks I'd ever received.

"Son? Your son. Right," I bumbled with a nod of my head.

I felt so stupid.

I didn't even know this woman. All these emotions that I'd built up for her and with one sentence I realized how little I actually knew her.

I searched my memories of our time together for any hint of this that I'd missed; any mention of her everyday life, but I drew a blank. Nope. A child. I'd definitely have remembered that. No matter how lust filled my brain was, I'd have picked up on any hint of this.

"Mama, who's dis?" the little boy in her arms asked, drawing my attention to him fully. His cheeks, still slightly chubby from his baby years, were flushed red; his eyes were a dark brown, outlined with long lashes that added to his innocence. His little button nose, identical to Bella's, was slightly wrinkled in confusion as he stared back at me; his straight dark brown hair a ruffled mess on top of his head.

"This is Edward," Bella told him. I drew my eyes away from the boy to look at Bella. Her face was turning red, and her expression was worried.

"You two know each other?" my dad asked. Shit! I'd forgotten he was even there. Bella was still staring at me as I turned my head to nod at him. He was studying my face, but I doubted he could read my expression because I didn't know myself what I was thinking.

One minute I was mentally deciding what to have for lunch, then the next minute the woman I was falling in love with was introducing me to her son. Yeah, I was falling in love with Bella. I hadn't admitted it, even to myself, but it was happening, whether I wanted it to or not. And right now I was thinking falling in love with Bella might not be such a good thing.

A silence had fallen over us all as I ran my hands through my hair and paced the small hallway.

"Fu..." I started before I bit my tongue. I couldn't swear because there was a kid looking at me. A kid who's mere existence was threatening to change my whole life. In an effort to stop pacing the hallway I leaned my palms on the wall and dropped my head.

"Okay?" My dad's concerned voice broke through the hundreds of thoughts which were competing to be heard in the muddle of my mind. His hand rested on my back as I lifted my head and gave him a small nod.

He turned back to Bella and her son. "I'm pretty sure I have some stickers in my office. Is it okay if Tyler helps me find them?" my dad asked Bella as she nodded.

"Sure, thanks," she told my dad as she put the boy down. "Baby, why don't you look in Doctor Cullen's office for a sticker? I'll be right here."

"Has he got a dinosaur sticker?" the boy asked, making me inwardly scoff slightly at his random question.

"I don't know. Go and see."

"Can we still get more stickers later?"

Bella smiled down at him. "Yes, sure. Just help Doctor Cullen for a minute, okay?"

I watched with fascination as her whole tone and expression changed now that she was talking to her son. Her voice was smooth, soft and loving.

The boy nodded and took my dad's outstretched hand as they both disappeared into his office. My dad pushed the door, but didn't close it fully as Bella watched them.

"Edward, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'd understand if you want out," she whispered once she had turned her attention back to me.

"Out?"

"Out. You can walk away from this, from us. I'd understand."

_Wow_. I was stunned. Despite my overloaded brain, the irony of this situation didn't pass me by. There were women in my past who I'd have begged for an out like this, a walk away. A no consequences fling used to be just what I needed on occasion, but with Bella, it was different. I didn't want an out. I didn't want her to tell me that our time together didn't matter to her because it sure as hell mattered to me.

"Don't decide for me how I'm feeling," I pleaded, trying to keep my voice low as I glanced through the open door to the child talking to my dad.

"Edward, your face tells me exactly how you're feeling," Bella responded in a low hiss, the effort of controlling her emotions evident on her face.

"I'm surprised. Just give me a minute. I can't think." I knew I sounded agitated but I couldn't help it. _What on earth was happening right now?_

"I have to take Tyler back to day-care and get back to work before my lunch break is over. You have lunch with your dad—" she started.

"How can you just expect me to watch you leave? I have a few hundred questions right now."

"Yeah well, I have a kid so unless you want to deal with that…" she told me, her voice cracking slightly as I stepped closer to her and accidentally inhaled her scent. With it came a deluge of memories. Last night, her pale skin, the way her hair fell around her face, her fingers tracing a path down my chest. "I can tell from your face this is an unwelcome surprise," she continued as my eyes snapped to hers.

"Surprise?! Of course this is a surprise. I had no idea!" I was aware I needed to lower my voice, but my rapid heart rate and confused thoughts meant I was fighting a losing battle with that.

"Stretch marks not enough of a clue for you?" she replied sarcastically as I frowned, confused.

"Stretch..? What stretch marks? What are you talking about?"

"The stretch marks on my body. You can't have missed them. Where else would they come from?" she mumbled.

"I didn't see any stretch marks."

"You must have noticed, Edward." Her voice was quieter now, almost embarrassed.

"No, I didn't notice. I shouldn't have to guess at this or pick up on any hints." I told her, trying not to get irritated that she was implying I was stupid for not working this out earlier.

"I wanted to tell you. I said last night that we should talk properly."

I sighed and tried to relax slightly. She had mentioned that last night. "This is what you were going to talk about?"

"Yes. I know you deserve the truth, I just needed to know this relationship was going somewhere first…" she trailed off, her voice rather shaky.

I kept my tone light as I replied. "Well, when you told me you'd thought about me every day for weeks, I thought it was going somewhere. And when you said you wanted to see me again, I thought it was going somewhere. And when you slept in my bed next to me last night, I thought it was going somewhere then, too."

Bella remained quiet, looking at my shirt, not making eye contact with me. Presumably she was considering my words.

"I didn't know you felt that strongly," she defended herself as I scoffed.

"I told you plenty of times that this was more than sex to me. I even told you again last night. Why can't you believe me?"

"I never believed you because you didn't know about Tyler. Anything you've said about us having a relationship counts for shit because you didn't know."

"Well, that isn't _my_ fault!" I could feel my body pumping with adrenaline and my heartbeat racing. I paced the small hallway before I came to a stop in front of her. "You made me fall for you. You made me want a future with you and now…I can't believe this. You've got a damn kid and you didn't think to mention him?"

Bella was stock still, staring at me as she maintained a stunned silence.

She didn't talk.

She didn't move.

She didn't even blink.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably not much more than fifteen seconds, she bit her lip and nodded her head several times.

"I'm sorry if you're hurt, Edward, but you don't get to speak about my son like that. If you'll please excuse me, me and my _damn kid_ are going to leave now." She side-stepped me and headed for my dad's office.

Instinctively I lunged to the side, stopping her from getting past and shutting me out like she had done ever since we'd met.

"Bella, shit. Don't leave like this. I shouldn't have said that…" Bella approached my dad's office as the door opened wider and my dad and Tyler stepped out. My dad took one look at Bella's face and then turned to me with a rather surprised expression.

"Ty, baby, we're going now," she announced rather abruptly.

"Bella, wait, please." My voice was loud in the quiet corridor as I watched her prepare to leave me, again.

"Edward?" my dad asked with a hint of warning in his tone. "Calm down," he added, making me notice how loudly I'd been talking. I ran my hands through my hair before I jammed them in my pockets to hide my annoyance. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down as my dad suggested. I knew he wouldn't appreciate me having a loud conversation at his place of work.

"Say thank you to Doctor Cullen, Ty." Bella ruffled her sons hair as she spoke.

"But Mama, I have to get stickers," Tyler protested.

"We'll get stickers on the way home this afternoon, baby, please." Bella's voice cracked slightly on the last word as I saw her shoulders slump when he continued to protest.

"But Doctor Cullen has some good dinosaur stickers, Mama. What one do you want? Do you want a brontosaurus cause they is your favorite? What's Ewood's favorite?" I couldn't help but inwardly snort at the little boy's random question.

"What, baby?" Bella asked softly, confused by his questions when she seemed determined to leave as quickly as possible. Unfortunately for her though, this little guy wouldn't be deterred.

"Ewood." Tyler confirmed. "You always says I should share, so what's his favorite dinosaur? I only gotta few left so if he wants a good sticker I gotsta save him one."

"Umm, I don't think Edward…" Bella started before I heard myself speak.

"T-Rex," I blurted out.

Bella looked up in confusion as I shrugged, that was as good an answer as any right? Well that's what I thought until Bella scoffed.

"Alpha male, figures!" she grumbled under her breath as I smiled at her sarcasm and heard my dad's quiet chuckle. This exchange seemed to break the tension slightly as Bella's son continued to talk.

"Really?" he asked me, his eyes wide with hope. "T-Rex's are so the bestest," he confirmed matter-of-factly. "You want the one eating a bone or the one that's asleep?" he asked me eagerly.

"The eating one definitely," I told him as he nodded.

"Be quick, Ty." Bella called after him as he and headed back to the office with my dad following behind him.

My dad turned and looked at me over his shoulder, giving me a stern look as I met his eyes. I didn't have any room in my overloaded brain to decipher the message he was conveying with that look, so I looked away and took a deep breath to compose myself.

Bella still had her back to me as we stood in silence, waiting until Tyler was out of earshot again.

"Bella, why didn't you just tell me sooner?"

She turned around slowly and looked up at me from under her long lashes looking vulnerable for the first time today. "Because…because you looked at me like I was special. You made me feel wanted and you kept saying you were after more. I knew that would change when I told you."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Well you freaked the hell out when you thought I was pregnant, that gave me a hint!"

_Fuck!_ I couldn't deny that and I couldn't reassure her that I wasn't looking at her differently now, because I was.

I ran my hands through my hair again while I tried to think.

I realized I still didn't know anything about her situation. "Bella, you promised me you're single..." I trailed off as her eyes shot up to mine.

"I am."

"It takes two to make a baby."

"Thanks, Edward. Just 'cause your dad's a doctor doesn't mean I need a biology lesson from you." Her voice was heavy with sarcasm as I tried to explain myself better.

"Sorry. I just meant...I don't want to come between a family."

Bella looked behind her, through the slightly open office door, checking her son was occupied before she whispered quietly at me. "My son has never met his father and he never will."

Well, that stunned me into silence. Her situation was obviously more complicated than I'd ever imagined. I ran my thumb and fingers over my jaw and sighed at this new information, trying to process it as Bella continued to talk.

"I've told you I like you, Edward. I wouldn't leave my son to go on a date with you if I didn't feel strongly for you. If you walk away from me I'll be utterly crushed, but I have a son! A real life, living and breathing child. He doesn't go to his dad's on the weekend. I have no doting grandparents close by to have him while I go out. I have one person I trust to look after him and he's had him twice recently, you can probably guess what nights those were! I don't begrudge any of that, I love Tyler more than you can possibly understand, but he is with me 24/7. I don't expect you to fit into that kind of life."

"You're so determined to push me away," I muttered as she sighed. "You left me again this morning." I pointed out as her face flushed red.

"I was embarrassed…that nightmare…I just needed to go and think and I can't think straight when you're topless in bed next to me. I left my number—" she pointed out as I interrupted.

"I appreciate that but you don't have to be embarrassed, you could just talk to me."

"Edward, this has been difficult for me…" she trailed off as I nodded.

I pinched the bridge of my nose momentarily as I paced the small hallway again, stopping in front of her as I looked into her eyes rather intensely. "You've been anxious and jumpy around me since I collected Seth from you. I knew something was up but this…I never…I didn't…you could have told me, Bella."

"I know. I just wasn't ready to lose you." She looked at my chest, not making any eye contact with me. Her voice quiet and unsteady as she admitted her feelings to me.

_Huh._ I was taken aback by her confession. She thought when I learned about her son I'd leave her. Would I? If this was a hypothetical question I could probably have answered that but this was real. Tyler was real and he was in my dad's office picking out a dinosaur sticker for me.

It was too soon for me to know how I felt about any of this. All I knew was that I needed all the facts and right now I still had too many questions to make any kind of decision. My brain raced with everything that had happened in the last fifteen minutes and I couldn't think straight.

I heard voices coming from further up the corridor as other members of staff left their offices for their lunch break. I knew we couldn't carry on talking here and Bella had mentioned needing to get back to work.

"I…I need to think," I stuttered.

"I understand that." She nodded and hiked her handbag up her shoulder, looking like she was ready to go.

"Well I have your number so I'll contact you…" I spoke softer now, stopping altogether when I heard my dad's voice approaching. I could tell he was speaking overly loudly, wanting to warn us they were coming back. Once I saw them, I could see how much Tyler liked his stickers. He already had a T-shirt on with a picture of a dinosaur on a rock and the caption 'Dinosaurs rock!' Now though, all the space around the image was decorated in various dinosaur stickers and my dad's white coat was covered in just as many stickers. Tyler reached up and slapped a sticker on Bella's top, sticking it over her right breast. She thanked him and peeled it off, moving it up to a more appropriate spot. As I was busy watching her, I felt a slap to my belly and looked down to see a sticker attached to my shirt.

"Thanks, Buddy," I told him as I moved the sticker up and pressed it onto the front of my shirt pocket. I smiled at him. It wasn't a conscious decision. I wasn't trying to coax the kid into a conversation or encourage him to like me; his innocent face was enough to make me smile.

"Still on for lunch?" my dad asked after watching our exchange.

I nodded.

"Okay, well I'm ready when you are." He nodded back toward his office letting me know he'd be waiting in there. He said goodbye to Bella and waved to Tyler as he entered his office and closed the door, giving us privacy to say goodbye. We couldn't talk anymore, not now that Tyler was back, so I watched Bella as she held Tyler's outstretched hand.

"I'll be in touch." I shrugged, that was all I could offer her right now.

"Yeah, okay," she said looking nervous as she bit her lip. Her eyes looked like they were watering, but she blinked furiously and straightened her spine, making herself stand taller than usual. "Edward, if you don't…" she started.

"I will," I interrupted firmly.

"Well, in case you change your mind, I just wanted to say sorry. I wanted to tell you. I should have…" her voice trailed off.

I nodded slowly. I wanted to comfort her, to walk to her and press my body to hers, to kiss her forehead and say I'd make everything okay. However, I couldn't do that. I didn't want to offer her any false promises right now.

"Well bye, then." She spoke softly, looking at me with an odd expression. She was studying my face, memorizing it as if she was afraid she wouldn't see me again.

"Bye," I replied.

Bella and Tyler started to walk off, hand in hand. "Ty, your top looks so good. Did you thank Doctor Cullen for all those stickers?" I heard her say as I stood watching them walk until they turned the corner out of sight.

I turned to my dad's closed door. I needed a minute before I faced him. I ran my hands through my hair and sighed as I tried to gather my thoughts. I looked at the black and gold name plate screwed to the pale wood of the door. 'Dr Cullen'. Had Bella had made the connection? I tried to remember our previous conversations, had I mentioned my dad was a doctor? I didn't think so. Anyway, I had bigger matters to think about.

I took a deep breath as I opened my dad's office door.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**

**Thank you**** to whoever nominated me in the TwiFic Fandom Awards in the 'Newbie Author' category and to anyone who has voted. I'm through to round two. I'm flattered and amazed!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: "Just because she has a pretty face doesn't mean you're ready to be a dad."

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Black Out The Sun by Darren Hayes**

"What's wrong with her son?" I asked before I'd fully stepped into my dad's office.

The room was surprisingly warm and welcoming. A rare day of sunshine was brightening up the anatomical posters on the walls and heating up the portion of the desk my father was currently sat behind. He was filling in paper work which he pushed into a folder at my arrival.

"You know I can't discuss that," he answered as he locked the folder in a filing cabinet.

"Is it serious?" I countered, desperate for any information.

"I can't discuss that either." He pocketed his cell phone and stowed his desk chair.

"Dad!" I whined at him as he merely shrugged. I paced around his office as he gathered his wallet and keys. "Well would it be awkward, her son being your patient?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment as I walked out of his office and he followed me before turning to lock the door.

"That depends who she is to you." He turned to me with a knowing grin as I merely stammered, not quite knowing how to answer that. "It's okay, son." My dad slapped me on the shoulder as we turned the corner on our way out of the building. "I get the picture."

_Jeez, what did that mean?_ How much of our conversation did he hear?

My dad and I walked to the diner a few doors down from his clinic to purchase our food. The service was quick here, it was part of the reason we ate here anytime we met for lunch. Given his lunch hour had already been cut short by my surprise meeting with Bella, the speedy service was essential today.

We were quiet as we walked and I was glad my dad was giving me some time to try and process what had just happened with Bella. She'd told me she has a son. I'd met him, seen him in the flesh, but I was still having trouble matching the image of _my_ Bella with _mom_ Bella.

What did this mean for us? Could I handle this? Did I even want to try?

As we approached the service counter, I robotically ordered a BLT wholemeal baguette and a bottle of water then patted my pockets for my wallet.

"I got this, son." My dad handed over enough cash to cover both our meals. "I'm not sure you could remember your own birthday right now. You look rather preoccupied."

"Thanks, Dad." I followed him to a corner table as I tried to clear my head.

My dad picked up his own sandwich, and after swallowing the first bite he started to talk, surprising me by keeping our conversation light. He reminded me about dinner at my parent's house tomorrow night, and told me Uncle Alec had emailed him some photos from Tanya's wedding.

I merely nodded, only half listening to him. I guess he could tell because after another bite of food he sighed and the questions started.

"So, how long have you known Bella?" he began.

"Dad," I groaned as he held my gaze while he chewed his food quicker, finishing his mouthful so he could reply.

"Son, I'm just asking. That was quite a showdown between the two of you." I looked away, half-embarrassed to be talking to my dad about this, half-relieved I had someone I could talk to; someone who was in a position to give me advice in this situation. "So how well do you know her?"

"I know she's Seth's teacher," I replied as he scoffed slightly.

"I'm surprised you know that."

"I picked Seth up the other day." I defended myself.

"Jeez, you work fast! Should I be ashamed or proud?" He laughed, eliciting a small smile from me.

"I knew her before that. She's the girl I met at Tanya's wedding."

"Oh," he replied. "Oh!" It had clearly just dawned on him what that meant. "Yes. Your brother did mention something about that," he told me with a knowing grin on his face.

"Yeah. I bet he did!" I scoffed. We ate in silence as my mind returned to the little boy I'd just met. How old was he anyway?

"So you're dating her?" My dad interrupted my thoughts as I just shrugged at him.

"Err, kind of. Yeah, I guess," I told him, sounding embarrassed even to my own ears.

He just nodded slowly as he contemplated my words. "And you didn't know about Tyler?"

"No. She hinted that I should stay away, that I wouldn't want her if I knew the full story. I guess this is what she meant." I could hear that I sounded bitter, but I didn't have the energy for this conversation. I wanted to run to Bella and ask her a thousand questions. However, despite finally having her phone number, I knew that wouldn't be a good idea. I needed to assemble my thoughts into some sort of order and clarify my questions before I started firing them at her.

"Son, Tyler…well he seems a sweet kid, but a woman with a child, that's a big deal." My dad held my gaze as I stared at him.

"Yeah I fucking know!"

"Language." His eyebrows rose in displeasure.

"Sorry, but I'm a little agitated here," I replied, my words heavy with sarcasm.

"Edward, take your time. You don't need to rush into any decisions."

"But what if I turn around now and say I want nothing to do with her because she has a kid?" My voice was quiet as I admitted to my dad that I might not be able to deal with this situation.

"As much as she'd probably be hurt, I'm pretty sure she'd prefer that to you spending months getting close to them, only to leave then."

"Oh God," I groaned in frustration. I dropped my half-eaten sandwich on the plate. I couldn't taste it anyway. "I don't know if I can do this, dad. I didn't know being with her would entail becoming some sort of father figure to someone else's child." My brain was working overtime. I wasn't able to think straight. "I've been chasing after her like a fool, I wanted to find her so badly and now…" I ran my hands through my hair and sighed.

"Son, your mom took some persuading to even look twice at me. If I'd have given up at the first sign of trouble you wouldn't be here talking to me."

"This isn't _trouble_, dad. We haven't had some argument or a misunderstanding. She has a kid!"

My dad nodded, keeping his cool when I felt like mine was flying out the window. "I get that you're surprised here, I am too. I had no idea you were serious about someone." He picked up his sandwich, his expression challenging me to deny his words.

"We're…I don't know if we're serious."

"Your brother seems to think you're serious." He took a bite of his sandwich, his calm emotions the exact opposite of the feelings raging in my own body.

"Well my brother didn't know that the woman I want to get serious with has a little mini-me ankle-biter. So frankly, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about."

To my extreme frustration my dad didn't react. He merely finished his mouthful, washed it down with a swig of his drink and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "I know you're aggravated right now, but we both know your brother is only trying to help. As am I."

"Well no one can help me. Not him. Not you. Not Bella." I sat back in my seat and ran my hand through my hair, only just managing to keep calm and stop myself hitting the table.

"Edward. Just because she has a pretty face doesn't mean you're ready to be a dad."

Well...fuck!

"You wouldn't be saying that if she was pregnant. You'd be telling me to man-up and take responsibility." I knew without a doubt that what I was saying was true.

My dad agreed. "Yes. I would, but assuming that's not the case..." he raised his eyebrows at me in question.

"She's not," I confirmed.

He nodded and continued. "That would be a different situation. One of your own making and that would be your own child. You don't have any responsibility for Tyler or Bella at this stage."

My dad let his words hang in the air as I downed the rest of my water, needing the silence to think, and the excuse of drinking so I didn't have to talk. I studied the label on the bottle, suddenly fascinated by the jargon written on the side. Huh, who knew water that trickled through mountains and volcanos for thousands of years had a best-before date?

I sighed. I was stalling now, even I knew it. I thought about my dad's words. I thought of Bella. Her smile. Her unassuming beauty. Her intense gaze. Her humour. Her strength.

"But all the reasons I like her…they're still the same. They're all still there."

When I dared to look up at my dad, he gave me a small grin.

"I'm sure they are, but that doesn't mean you have to be ready to be a dad. And that's okay."

It was times like this I appreciated my close relationship with my dad. He didn't push me but he made me think and question my emotions. "Nothing about this feels okay," I whispered.

"Edward, perhaps you're jumping ahead here. Did Bella ask you to be her son's dad? Presumably he has one already?"

I shrugged. "She said he isn't in Tyler's life, but given I didn't know the kid existed half an hour ago I sure as hell don't know much about his dad. I guess I need all the facts before I can work out how I feel."

"Facts will only get you so far." My dad had now finished eating and was piling the trash from our lunch onto the tray.

"I thought doctors were meant to like facts and figures?" I smiled at him as he grinned back at me. We both knew despite his job relying on the analysis of facts and information he was a man lead by his heart and emotions.

"They do. I do. But facts only get you so far. If I was you, I'd follow your heart on this one, son. Logic and women...I'm not sure they go together!" He finished more light-heartedly.

"I haven't been thinking logically since I met her." I scoffed, trying not to read too much into my dad's grin. I figured it was a bit late for me to be modest about my feelings now. "This is just happening so fast. I knew she was different when I met her but now...it's crazy to feel like this about her."

"Do you remember when eighteen-year-old Emmett came to me and your mom and told us he wanted to propose to Rosalie?"

"Yes. You were ready to castrate him, thinking he got her pregnant."

"Yes, well, he saved that for the honeymoon. Anyway, you remember?"

"Yeah. You cancelled our trip to the cabin, kept Ali and me home so Emmett could take Rosalie and propose there."

"Exactly. I'm not sure Mr Hale has ever forgiven us for letting—or encouraging in his eyes—my eighteen-year-old son propose to his eighteen year old daughter."

"I'm assuming you have a point here, Dad."

"You know I've loved your mother since the moment I met her. I believe Emmett felt the same for Rosalie. Did I want him to get married so young? Not really, but my point is I do believe you can fall for someone instantly. Maybe it's love. Maybe it's lust. Maybe it's infatuation. Maybe it's a connection or just a feeling you can't shake. I believe in that. Not everyone does, but I do. I've felt it myself and I've seen my son feel it too. Only you know how you feel. I don't know if you'll marry Bella or never lay eyes on her again, all I'm saying is don't rule out your feelings because you think it's too fast. Just because you've only recently met doesn't devalue what you feel. If your connection is worth fighting for then you need to accept Tyler wholeheartedly. If you can't do that then you need to walk away from her."

I nodded, he had a few good points scattered amongst his overemotional speech. I thought back to the boating lake, when Bella told me she thought I was going to break her heart. That made more sense now. "I don't want to hurt her."

"I know you don't." We sat in silence while I studied my hands, not looking at my dad. I didn't want him to read my expression. "Edward, I've known you since you booted your brother into this world, always putting other people first. I know you come from strong stock. I know you have your brother's share of pride as well as your own, but you've got to decide what you want. No one else."

"I need the restroom." I didn't, but I wanted a minute's silence. Time to myself. I stood and walked slowly to the back of the diner. I splashed water on my face and took a few minutes to try and clear my head.

When I returned my dad had thrown away our trash and was waiting by the exit. I followed him outside, welcoming the cool breeze on my skin. We walked in silence until we stopped in front of his doctor's practice main entrance.

"I don't know the full story, Edward, but I don't think you'd be this confused if she didn't mean a lot to you, you'd just walk away," he said with a matter-a-fact shrug.

Damn it, he was right. I thought back to past girlfriends, none of them had been that serious. The thought of any of them having a kid was enough for me to know I would have walked. It might not be the socially correct thing to say, but I knew in my heart that I wouldn't have continued a relationship with them, I couldn't have committed to them in that way. But Bella, I'm not sure I could walk away even if I chose to.

"Are you going to talk to mom about this?" Asking my dad this made me feel like I was fifteen again and my dad had just caught me making out on the sofa with Lucy Whatshername. His answer was the same now as it was then.

"You know I won't lie to her and I won't keep secrets from her, ever." I nodded. "You're coming over tomorrow for dinner though, yeah?" I nodded again and he continued. "I'll just tell her you have something to talk about, that way I'm not lying to her."

"Dad, if mom gets a hint of this she'll be booking a church and buying baby booties," I protested.

"She isn't that bad!" he defended with a chuckle. "She only wants to see you happy. Talk to her, a woman's opinion, a mother's opinion, might help," he reasoned as I considered his words.

"Sure. "

"Son, you know I've never been in your situation, but if there's one thing I understand better than most in this world it's how to love a child, any child, regardless of genetics." He smiled at me fondly as I grinned back.

"I know, dad, you're pretty good at that," I confirmed with him.

"So if you need to talk, I'm here. So is your mom, and so is your interfering, apparently unknowledgeable brother."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks Dad."

He merely nodded at me and clapped me on the back as he turned towards his work. I'd already set off in the other direction when I heard him calling my name.

"Son, just…be careful, okay? You could really hurt her."

_Jeez, thanks, dad!_ I nodded in acknowledgement of his words but didn't reply.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Knowing my mind was shot, I text Emmett and made a quick phone call to Judy telling them both the same thing—I wouldn't be back in the office this afternoon. I always gave my guts to our company so I felt no guilt in talking a few hours to get my head together. There had to be some perks to being one of the bosses, right?

Not wanting to return home to an empty house, I drove aimlessly in the opposite direction. Before long I'd ended up near the waterfront that Bella and I visited only yesterday.

Walking around the river, this time alone, I tried to gather my wayward thoughts. The trouble was there were so many distractions. I seemed to be surrounded solely by mothers and their young children. I was confronted with kids kicking balls into my path, crying babies being rocked by tired looking mothers and messy children with ice-cream running down their chins. This whole world of children and parenting was alien to me and now that I was standing on the edge of that world wondering whether to join in, it was suddenly so daunting. How was Bella raising this kid, presumably alone? The prospect of that was frightening to me. I knew millions of people raised kids alone, but the reality of Bella doing it was messing with my head.

I didn't know anything about kids aside from what little I'd picked up from my nephews. Seth was older now and we could talk together and I could reason with him. JJ was too young to care who I was, but Tyler was somewhere in the middle of them. Old enough to know if I entered his life and left again, but too young to understand why any of that might happen.

I stopped at an empty bench, sat down, and rested my elbows on my knees as I ran my hands through my hair and thought.

Talking to my dad had been useful, but now, reflecting on our conversation and his advice was only serving to remind me how big a part of my life my dad was. He worked hard, but he always had time for his family. He was there on my first day of school, he was there for my piano recitals and he was at all my little league games. He volunteered to be the team's medic, meaning he watched almost all of mine and Emmett's games for five years. He taught me to ride a bike, he took Emmett and I camping, he made s'mores with us and chased away imaginary monsters. He read us story books, putting on funny voices for the characters and he built us go-karts and tree houses.

He was the man I wanted to be.

He was the father I wanted to be.

One day. In the future.

I was lucky to have him as a father, but who did Tyler have? Would he have a father figure to guide him? Could he turn to anyone when he found the woman he was falling for had hidden something from him?

I knew I was annoyed at Bella for not telling me about her son. Looking back on our conversations, I couldn't recall her saying anything that I now knew to be a lie, but I felt like she'd lied by omission. I could understand her not mentioning Tyler the night we met. She thought she'd never see me again, but once I made it clear I wanted to see more of her, that would have been the point to be honest and tell me. Still, I remembered my conversation with Emmett about revealing our pasts. I hadn't told her everything that had happened in my life up until now so maybe I had to let that go. I had to put my anger about how I found out aside, and concentrate on whether our relationship could move forward now I knew about Tyler.

However, displacing that anger was easier said than done. I knew though that a trip to the gym would be a good place to start. I had a gym kit in my car. It was always there as our building had an employee gym so going there before or after work was always an option.

I stood up decisively from the bench, pleased I was doing something positive instead of just sitting and thinking.

On my walk back to my car, I pulled out my phone to text Bella. Before I could rethink my move I asked when she'd be free to talk, realizing now that her availability was limited given we needed to talk alone. She replied saying Tyler should be in bed by 7:30 if I wanted to come over tonight.

Tonight! That was a good sign. She was clearly keen to see me.

I agreed and after she texted me her address I drove to my work building, my head feeling a fraction clearer now I knew I was going to get some answers.

The session at the gym really helped. It was quieter than usual as it was still traditional work hours so instead of my usual routine weight training, I headed for the punching bag instead. I felt so much better once I'd let my frustrations out on the red and black block of foam, but it wasn't until I could feel the beads of sweat trickling down my back and my breathing became fast and loud that I felt like I'd done enough.

I showered and drove straight home where I ate dinner and answered a few work emails to pass the time. I also wanted to change out of my work clothes so I didn't turn up at Bella's looking too formal. As I removed my shirt I spotted the sticker Tyler had given me earlier. I knew I needed to remove it before washing the shirt, I'd learned that the hard way once with a tissue. However, I couldn't bring myself to throw it in the trash. It was the only tangible reminder of Tyler that I had. I stuck it on a Post-It and put it on my fridge, next to a photo of Seth in his Little League uniform. I then slung the shirt in the washing machine and headed upstairs to find some jeans and a more casual, plain white t-shirt, pleased and slightly anxious that it was finally time to set off for Bella's.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**

**Thank you**** to whoever nominated me in the TwiFic Fandom Awards in the 'Newbie Author' category and to anyone who has voted. I'm through to round two. I'm flattered and amazed!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: "She was spending her Saturday nights under bed sheets in an entirely different way than I'd have previously believed."

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The perfect song for this chapter is Bloodstained Heart by Darren Hayes.**

Bella opened her front door with a look of mild shock on her face. As I registered her expression, I noticed what she was wearing. She was dressed much more casually than I'd seen her before. She had on jeans, tight-fitting skinny jeans, my male dominated brain noticed rather quickly, and a tight but casual t-shirt was hugging her hips and stretched across her chest.

"You didn't think I'd show." It wasn't a question. It was evident from the expression on her face.

"It crossed my mind that you wouldn't," she replied honestly as she held the door open for me and I entered her quaint house.

"I told you I would." She always doubted me, but this time I was trying not to get annoyed. That would not be the best way to start this evening.

"You've had time to think since then about the reality of the situation," she pointed out, closing the door behind me.

From the outside her house looked small and unassuming, a lot like Bella herself. It was a single story building with a small yard at the front but a larger yard at the back. Once I stepped inside, I realized the front door led straight into the living space. I was now in one large room which housed a sofa, a TV and other living room items straight in front of me. Off to one side but in the same room was a kitchen area with a breakfast bar which divided the kitchen from the living space. Off to the other side were three doors, bedrooms and a bathroom I assumed.

"Mama, I spilled some of my juice." Tyler's voice rung out.

I then saw him emerging from around the breakfast bar. He was wearing green pajamas with a large dinosaur on the top and small dinosaurs decorating his trousers. His hair was ruffled and his eyes gave away his tiredness.

"Okay, baby, I'll clean it up. Edward's here. Can you say hi?" Bella encouraged. The little boy looked over to me and smiled slightly, perhaps recognizing me from earlier.

"Hi," he spoke quietly.

"Hi, Tyler," I replied, unsure of what else to say. Thankfully Bella spoke next.

"I'll just sort out his juice. Take a seat." She gestured to the comfy looking sofa before she turned to Tyler and ruffled his hair as she talked softly to him. I slipped out of my boots and left them by the door, observing the small pair of slippers that were resting next to the welcome mat. Little green dinosaur faces were grinning up at me from the toes of the slippers. They looked so small in contrast to my boots. How old was this kid anyway? That was just one of the many questions I needed answering tonight.

When I turned back around, I saw that Tyler was now in the living area, kneeling on a rug, resting his elbows on a small table as he eagerly flicked through some pieces of paper. I looked for Bella and found her on the opposite side of the kitchen island bending over, cleaning Tyler's spilt juice off the tiled floor. Perhaps I should have offered to help. Maybe I should have turned away and talked to Tyler. However all I did was stare at her ass. It was right there, reminding me of how she looked when she'd bent over and slipped her panties on last night in my room. Her hair had been scattered around her bare back and she'd looked so carefree, so relaxed, the opposite of how she was acting now.

"Ewood, you wanna color?" a little voice questioned.

"Umm, sure," I mumbled as Bella jumped and turned to look up at me.

"Jeez, I didn't know you were there," she explained as she gave the floor one more spray with something from a bottle in her hand and one more wipe with the cloth before she stood up.

"Ty, baby, Edward might not want to color," Bella warned. "I'm sorry," she added as she lowered her voice and turned to me warily. "I was planning on Tyler being asleep when you arrived, but, well he knew you were coming and wouldn't calm down so—"

"Bella, it's fine," I reassured her. I was actually pleased to see him again. He made this situation far more tangible and reminded me about the full reality of what I was dealing with.

She shrugged, unable to change things now. "Tea? Coffee?" she offered.

"Sure. Coffee please. White, no sugar,"

"I'll bring it through. Take a seat."

I walked around the breakfast bar and saw Tyler coloring at the small table. He was concentrating on his picture so much that his little tongue was sticking out the side of his mouth. _Huh, maybe he wasn't so scary after all._

"Have you got a picture for me?" I asked him, watching as he raised his head and looked at me. His eyes brightened with excitement as he nodded before offering me two pictures, both of which were dinosaurs. I was sensing a theme with this kid! That also explained Bella's choice of fairground toy last night. Was that only last night? So much had happened since then.

Tyler was now looking expectantly at me. I felt slightly uncomfortable, feeling I'd been thrown in at the deep end. After a few seconds hesitation I chose a picture and Tyler grinned widely at me when I opted to forgo the sofa and sit on the rug with him as he turned his attention back to his picture.

We sat in silence for a minute. I was pretty sure that, as the adult in this situation, I was meant to lead the conversation, but I didn't know how to act around Tyler. I was second guessing myself and overthinking things. Sure, I'd been around Seth when he was this age but he was just...Seth. From the age where his personality started to show it became clear to the whole family that he was basically a mini Emmett. If there was anyone in the world I knew how to handle, it was Emmett, so Seth didn't present too much of a challenge for me. Tyler, however…I didn't even know he existed a few hours ago. I didn't know a thing about him, except it was becoming increasingly obvious that he liked dinosaurs.

It appeared, though, just sitting with Tyler was enough to successfully break the ice because he began chatting away. He was speaking so fast he jumbled some of his words, but I sat and listened, simply agreeing when necessary. I was glad he was filling the silence even if I didn't understand some of his ramblings.

I then watched Bella as she located Tyler's abandoned juice and carried all three drinks through to the living space. She saw me and her step faltered as she took in the scene in front of her.

"Hey, Mama—" Tyler started as she grinned at me and held up my drink before she placed it on the side table, away from any place it was likely to be spilt I guessed. I nodded my thanks to her. "…would eat an elephant 'cause it's so much bigger. How can it be bigger than an elephant Mama 'cause they is huge and I—"

"Ty, baby, slow down," she told him, trying to calm down his excitement slightly.

"I'm not a baby, Mama," he grumbled as I chucked at Tyler's now-grouchy face. He continued to chat and was coloring away, evidently enjoying himself, as Bella sipped from her own mug and watched us. After a few more minutes of coloring, I placed the green pencil down and stood up with a crack of my knees.

"Ugh." I groaned as I arched my tall frame and flexed slightly from my time sat on the floor. I looked over at Bella, she was blatantly staring at me, looking at the sliver of skin between my t-shirt and pants which I'd inadvertently exposed when I stretched my arms. _Ha!_ I'd caught her. My grin turned into a smirk as I took a seat next to her on the sofa.

I was thrilled at catching her checking me out. She might be playing it cool, but I recognized that look in her eyes. I'd seen it before. It reminded me why I kept trying to persuade her to give me a chance, why she mattered so much to me. She wasn't very good at hiding her attraction to me so, without even trying, she made me feel so wanted.

I then leaned closer to her, really close. I liked teasing her and making her flustered. She blushed as my hand came in front of her body. I leaned all the way across her, moving back a few seconds later, this time holding my coffee cup.

"Thanks for the drink." I grinned as I sat back on the sofa and took a sip. I was struggling to hide my amusement at her blush.

"Mama, when is it bednight?" Tyler asked, snapping me back to reality as he stood up and started to climb onto Bella's knee.

"Five minutes. You need to finish your drink and clean your teeth," she told him, pulling her eyes away from mine. She patted him on the back as he climbed off her knee and grabbed his cup with both hands. He noisily gulped his drink down before passing Bella the empty beaker.

"I don't wanna clean my teeth," he announced as Bella sighed.

"Just give them a quick brush please."

"But the toothpaste is yucky."

"It's the toothpaste that you choose in the store, remember?"

"Well I didn't know it would be yucky."

"Ty, it's all we have. Use it for now and we'll get some other stuff on the weekend okay?"

"'Kay." He grumbled as he walked slowly into one of the other rooms which I assumed was the bathroom. Bella set her cup and Tyler's, down on the side table and pulled her feet up onto the sofa.

We fell into silence until Tyler emerged and padded into the room. He looked tired dressed in his dinosaur pajamas and now carrying a toy dinosaur, a soft, obviously well-loved dinosaur. He headed straight for Bella and climbed up on her lap, tucking the dinosaur under his chin as he rested against her ribs and Bella softly stroked his hair.

"I don't wanna go to bed, Mama."

"I know but you'll be tired tomorrow if you don't."

"I won't," he protested lightly just before he yawned. "Uncle Garrett let me stay up with him last night while we watched cartoons."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Bella sounded shocked but amused as Tyler nodded.

"Yeah, can I do that tonight Mama?"

"No, baby. Can you go to bed nicely tonight, then on the weekend we'll build our fort and watch a film, yeah?"

Tyler's eyes lit up like stars. "Really? Can we watch Cars?"

"Again!" Bella signed in mock annoyance.

"Yeah, peas, Mama."

"Sure, but you need to go to bed nicely tonight."

As I watched Bella and Tyler's exchange I was struck by how different Bella's life was from the one I'd assumed she was living. She spent her weekends making forts, watching Disney films and shopping for kids' toothpaste. She was spending her Saturday nights under bed sheets in an entirely different way than I'd have previously believed. How on earth did I fit into that scenario?

I was broken from my thoughts by Tyler who was now chatting again.

"Ewood, where's your dino sticker?" he asked me, maybe noticing that I'd changed my shirt since he'd seen me a few hours ago.

"I had a shower so I changed my shirt," I explained. "But I kept it. I stuck it on a piece of paper and put it on my fridge," I told him as Bella looked at me rather surprised.

"Really?" he asked, apparently pleased by my answer.

"Yep," I confirmed with a nod.

"Mama, can I do that with my stickers?" Tyler asked Bella, turning his head to look at her with wide questioning eyes. "They're still on my top."

"Sure, then bed," she told him as he grinned at me.

Now I could see Bella's reservations about our relationship. For the first time since finding out about her son, I realized exactly why she was being so cautious. This boy was looking at me like I had the answers to the universe. I knew then that I had to be in this relationship, committed to Bella and him, or out. Leave now and go, because it wasn't _just_ my heart or Bella's on the line here.

"Yippee!" Tyler climbed off Bella's lap and ran to his room, returning straight away with his t-shirt from earlier. He went to his table of coloring and returned to Bella's lap with his t-shirt and a sheet of paper. He started to pull the stickers off and stick them on the paper as Bella and I sipped our drinks. I watched Bella's pink fingernails holding the edge of the paper for Tyler as I remembered the same nails dancing across my skin less than twenty four hours earlier. Those pink nails tracing my tattoo, making my body hum with desire for her.

I shook my head and tried to clear it of those thoughts as I consciously watched Tyler instead. It didn't take him long to finish, so he then got up and walked to the fridge, placing the sheet of paper under a magnet, before he returned to Bella's lap and grinned up at me.

"I doned it!" he announced proudly before he yawned heavily and picked up his toy dinosaur and cuddled it.

"It looks great. So who's this guy?" I asked as I poked at his dinosaur.

"Bartholomew," he told me, the 'duh' in his voice making me smile. Bartholomew? What kid calls their dinosaur Bartholomew?!

"Come on then, baby, I think Bart's tired," Bella said as she scooted Tyler off her lap and stood up herself. "Say good night to Edward," she said softly.

"Goodnight, Ewood," Tyler mumbled through a yawn at me.

"Night, Tyler," I replied as he walked away.

"I might be a few minutes. He usually wants a story," Bella explained as she looked apologetically at me. "Help yourself to anything, food, drink, the TV remote's there," she added, pointing to the small side table.

"I'm fine," I reassured her as she looked at me, really looked at me. She looked like there was more she wanted to say but she just nodded and disappeared out of sight. I could hear mumbled voices as she and Tyler talked and then the rhythmic sound of Bella reading to Tyler.

I stood up and gathered our cups and after I'd rinsed them, placed them on the draining board. I looked around the small kitchen/living room I was standing in and walked to a bookcase which housed several photo frames to take a closer look.

One of the photos was of Bella with a man in police uniform. I recalled her telling me her father was a cop, this must be him. He looked proud standing next to Bella, who was beaming at the camera. There was another frame of a guy standing with Bella, in which she looked much younger. He was obviously older than her though, in his mid-teens when she looked maybe seven or eight. Her adult teeth not yet grown in as she grinned a toothy, missing-teethed-grin at the camera while clinging to him piggyback style. In another picture the same guy, older now, held a tiny newborn, the background of the photo looked like a hospital room. He gazed down at the baby in his arms, elation and utter amazement showed clearly on his face. I could see why this photo was on display, the love depicted here was clear for even a visitor like me to see. There were also several more pictures of Bella and the same guy, who was tall with a handsome face. In one he stood with his arm around Bella, and a younger Tyler sat on the guys shoulders. Tyler had an oversized baseball cap backwards on his little head as they all smiled widely at the camera. In another photo the same guy was in some sort of karate outfit and a black belt. Jeez, Bella really hadn't been joking about knowing a karate expert.

There were also a few metal trophies and a photo of Tyler with a yellow colored karate belt, a huge smile plastered on his little face. Tyler obviously took after the other guy in some way. I was in awe of their obvious happiness in the photos, the way this guy so visibly loved Bella and Tyler. He was there through all stages of Tyler's life, from holding him as a tiny newborn to a recent looking picture of Tyler in a dinosaur onesie. This guy clearly played an active part in their life. My mind would have assumed this was Tyler's dad but Bella had said they'd never met. One final picture showed a young Bella sat with a darker skinned boy and two older men, one I recognized as Bella's dad from the photo of him in police uniform. They were all sat on a river bed, holding up fish, their catch for the day, I assumed.

I realized that there was now no noise coming from the other rooms and I assumed Bella would be out soon, so I headed back to kitchen worktop to make us both another drink. I clicked the kettle on and as I approached the fridge for the milk, I smiled at the sheet of stickers Tyler had placed there earlier. I also saw some more photos, along with various drawings and a card inviting Tyler to Paul's 4th birthday party which would be held at 'Tots 'n' Tumble'. There was another card with a photo of a baby which announced the arrival of baby Siobhan. I stared at these little snippets of Bella's life. Would I ever be part of this? Would I learn how Bella knew Siobhan's parents or what Mike was thanking Bella for when he sent her that card which was next to a crayon drawing of a T-Rex? The card was held up with a magnet of the Golden Gate Bridge, had she been there? Or maybe it was a present from a friend or family members visit?

Everything about Bella intrigued me. Why did I want to know all this? What was it about her that I couldn't shake?

As I looked up from the fridge, milk carton in hand, I heard a door squeak and saw Bella walking towards me. The way she walked, her slight frame and unassuming expression all reminded me exactly why I was still here, but it was about more than that now. It was about the way she cared for Tyler. The way she was here alone with him. Why was she left to raise him alone?

I was knocked from my thoughts as she approached me and I held the milk up to her.

"I was just making another coffee. Is that okay?" I checked as she stopped the other side of the kitchen island and leaned on her elbows on the wooden surface.

"Of course," she replied with a shy smile. I wondered what she was thinking about me making myself at home in her kitchen.

"You want one?" I asked as she nodded.

"Tea please," she answered.

I looked around for the most logical place to find teabags. Bella then come around to my side of the breakfast bar. I could feel her behind me and she leaned past me and opened a cupboard door. I spun round so her face was now level with my chest and smiled down at her. She was now very close to me and my body was humming in response. She remained silent as I stroked a lock of hair from her face.

"You ready to talk, baby?" I asked as she bit her lip softly and nodded.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she whispered.

"It's okay, I won't bite," I grinned at her as she raised eyebrows at me. Okay, so I may have nipped at the base of her neck yesterday, but judging by her moans at the time she didn't object.

The kettle clicked off and she stepped backwards. I sighed and turned to finish our drinks. I didn't know how this talk would go. She was so cagey and, as yet, hadn't really told me anything. I'd found out about Tyler by accident and still knew very little about him. His age I could guess at, but I knew nothing about his dad or Bella's circumstances.

All I did know was I felt drawn to her. I wanted her in a way I'd never wanted a woman before. I wanted to be close to her, to be in her life, to touch her and to know her. I knew she felt an attraction to me and had moments where she gave into that attraction, but I didn't know what else she wanted from me.

Bella walked in front of me and sat on the sofa, her back against the arm rest as she faced the spot I would sit in. She pulled her legs up and crossed them on the sofa before she thanked me for her tea as I sat close to her with my own drink.

"Bella, I don't want to pry but is Tyler okay? I mean he was at the doctor's with my dad…"

"He's fine. He broke his arm a few weeks ago and it was just a check-up."

"Good, I'm glad he's alright. So, had you met my dad before?"

"Yeah, but I hadn't made the connection between your dad and you. The check-up was booked when he had his cast off, before I even knew your surname was the same as his." She shrugged as she trailed off.

"So, Tyler's the reason? You have a son, that's why you've been pushing me away?" I clarified.

"Yes," she confirmed, taking a sip of her drink as I nodded slowly to myself.

"Well you didn't give me much credit. I mean you obviously don't think I can handle this in any way." I tried to keep my voice soft but there was no hiding the slight blame and accusation in my words.

"Look how you reacted when you thought I was pregnant." Bella's voice rose as she started to get defensive. "You were so mad Edward—"

"That's different," I interrupted immediately.

"I don't see how. You weren't ready for a kid then. One that wouldn't even be here for nine months but would be your own baby. Why should I believe you're ready for an instant child? A three year old, who isn't yours?" she asked me harshly.

"I don't know if I am, but I hate the way you don't want to give me a choice. You kept him a secret from me—"

"I'm not ashamed of him." Bella butted in forcefully. "He's the single best point of my whole life it's just…" she sighed before she continued. "He gets attached very quickly, to males especially, not that I've introduced him to any other guys…ever," she added hastily, "...just, family and friends. I just don't want him to get hurt if he got close to you and you decided that you can't do this."

"Bella, I can't tell the future. I'm not in a position to make you, or him, any promises yet, but I do know that I'm here because I want to be. I just...this is such a shock. I need to think..." I tried to explain.

"Well then you go away and decide if I'm worth it," Bella whisper-shouted, her anger only been kept in check by the knowledge that Tyler was asleep and presumably would wake if we spoke too loudly. "Go on…" she said standing and pointing to the door. "Go and decide if my beautiful, amazing son is going be too much hard work for you. Go and judge us when you don't even know us. Is this woman worth it if she's got a kid? Nah, I'll get another one with less baggage, easy."

"Bella—"

"Can't you see that's how this makes me feel?" she continued. "This is exactly what I wanted to avoid. This is why I was so cautious with you. I'm giving you all the power in this relationship to decide whether to continue or not."

"Power!" I scoffed. "I have no power here. I'm powerless to you. I want to be able to walk away, but I can't. I've tried to forget you, but I keep coming back to you. Now with Tyler…I just don't want to mess up and hurt you, _either_ of you." I pinched the bridge of my nose. This wasn't going well, we were both getting cross and defensive and resolving nothing.

I could hear noises coming from the direction of Tyler's bedroom. Bella looked towards his room and sighed. "You don't have to stay. If you have some thinking to do…" she started as I rolled my eyes at her.

"I'll be here," I told her as she nodded. She shot me a small smile and headed off to Tyler's room.

I finished my coffee in a few gulps and then laid my head back on the sofa, thinking about what Bella had said. She was so sure I was going to leave her now that I knew about Tyler. Is that what most men would do? Is that what men had done to her in the past? I was trying to get my thoughts straight but being here, in Bella and Tyler's house, I could see the lives they had built for themselves. The knowledge that I had the power to upset that was sobering. This wasn't some reckless, teenage relationship or some no strings fun, this was suddenly serious and I needed to step up or ship out.

I heard Bella walking back towards me. She'd now put an oversized hoodie on. It appeared to be a karate club hoodie and as she turned to sit down I could see #1 Mom on the back like a squad name and number. I raised my head, sitting up properly to give her my full attention as she sat next to me.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I know I get defensive about Tyler," she started to explain. "I do appreciate that you aren't giving me any false promises and I don't expect you to be fine with a woman who has someone else's kid. I never expected things between us to go this far." She picked at a loose thread on the sleeve of her hoodie as she carried on.

"I thought I'd have a bit of fun at Eli's wedding. You're so attractive that I didn't think you'd even notice me, but you were paying me attention all night and you looked so hot in that suit. Edward, you made me feel things I hadn't felt in a really long time." I could see her face reddening at her admissions but she carried on regardless.

"You reminded me I'm a young woman too, not purely a mom. You made me want you, so much..." she trailed off as I grinned. "Anyway, I wanted to be with someone who wasn't judging me. Someone who didn't know my past and my responsibilities, and then the next day I'd return to being Mom and Miss Swan. It was easier to be with you, assuming we'd never meet again. I gained confidence from that. I didn't know we would get so complicated. I assumed you'd be relieved when I was gone the next morning."

"I definitely was not pleased that you'd left. I thought we had a connection. I was angry that you clearly didn't feel that," I clarified.

"That wasn't the case." Bella shook her head and pushed her hair back from her face as she spoke. "I did feel a connection to you, but I knew I'd have to tell you about Tyler if we met again. Then when you picked up Seth you were so happy—"

"That was because I found you!"

"Well I could tell Seth idolizes you. You were great with him and I thought then that you might be okay with Tyler. I decided to tell you at the diner and see if you still wanted the see each other. But then you flipped when you thought I was pregnant. I panicked and I knew I couldn't tell you then. I thought it would be better to go our separate ways. "

"But you agreed to meet me."

"Yeah well, I really like you. Being reluctant to date was no reflection of my feelings for you. It was because I didn't know how you'd react to Tyler. Then yesterday…Christ, so many times I wanted to tell you, but I was making myself so sick worrying about your reaction that I almost didn't show up. It meant I had to decide not to tell you and to just enjoy the date, otherwise I'd have bailed. I kept remembering when you thought I was pregnant. Your face, Edward, you looked so angry, you were fuming. I kept thinking that's how you'd look when I told you about Tyler."

"I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that you couldn't tell me," I said sincerely.

"It's not just you. Since Tyler was born I've only met a handful of guys. I was honest and upfront at first which is possibly why I didn't have a date for three years. Then one guy I met who asked me out…well, I told him I had a son during the first date and he actually got up and left the restaurant." Bella shrugged.

"What?" I asked, drawing her attention back to my face.

"Yep. He made up some excuse but we both knew why he was bailing. He left me sat in the middle of a fancy restaurant alone. I told myself I was stupid for trying to date, so when I met you and had a chance to have fun and just be me, I took it and I'm sorry if you've been hurt. I never wanted to hurt you or lie to you —"

"Hey, don't be silly," I reassured her as I brushed hair off her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I haven't exactly suffered in any of this. Yeah you've been frustrating but now I understand why. Just don't judge me by other guys' actions, okay?"

Bella gave me a small, apologetic smile. "Okay." She nodded in agreement. "And for what it's worth, I am sorry I didn't tell you about Tyler earlier, I should have. I told myself I'd tell you this morning when we woke up. That way I could leave straight after if your reaction was bad, but…well, after that damn nightmare I was too embarrassed to face you." Her face fell to her hoodie again as her hands disappeared into the sleeves. "I know I've messed all this up," she continued. "I just...I wasn't ready to give you up." She finally looked at me and I saw the sincerity in her eyes.

We fell into silence while I processed everything she had told me.

Bella wrung her hands together and for the first time I realized what she meant earlier about me having power in this relationship.

I'd felt for weeks that I was chasing her, trying to get her to open up and talk to me but now, sitting here, I felt the heavy weight of responsibility and decision making resting squarely on _my_ shoulders. I was overwhelmed by the knowledge that it was up to me if we called this quits.

Looking around Bella's house I could see Tyler's drawings stuck to a noticeboard in the kitchen. His little backpack was hanging up by the front door and a pile of dinosaurs were discarded on the armchair nearby. Bella and Tyler's lives were so deeply intertwined, it was hard to imagine how I could fit into this set-up.

I wasn't vehemently opposed to bringing up someone else's child. That would be pretty damn hypocritical of me if I was, I just never considered it would be something I'd do. Taking on Tyler was different if his dad was around. From what Bella said earlier, he wasn't, but I needed to know the whole situation.

"Bella, Tyler's dad…I couldn't help but notice your photos…you said they'd never met so who's that guy?" I pointed to the bookcase and waited for her response. Her eyes followed my hand as she smiled softly before she shook her head sadly.

"That's his uncle," she informed me.

"Uncle?" I asked, feeling relieved as I realized that guy wasn't anyone romantic to her.

"Well, technically he's my cousin, but he's like a brother to me and Tyler thinks he not only hung the moon but made it as well" she told me.

"So, no brothers or sisters?" I asked as Bella took a sip from her cup, looking down at it afterwards as if it offended her. I guess it was cold by now, or lukewarm at best.

"Just Garrett" she replied. "He's…he's amazing. He's older than me but we were always close. He's helped a lot."

"So what about Tyler's dad?"

"He umm, he passed away before Tyler was born."

"Oh, God, Bella," I gasped in shock. Of all the things I was expecting to hear this evening, that wasn't one of them.

Wow, that was hard information to deal with. "Bella, I'm so sorry," I whispered as I looked up at her face. She wasn't crying but her eyes had glassed over and they were watering as she blinked furiously. "Bella…" I reached for her but she stood up quickly.

She walked to the bookcase where she grabbed a tissue as she stood with her back to me. "Sorry, I don't talk about this much," she explained as I gave her a minute and waited until she sat down again. I moved to comfort her but she shook her head. "I'm fine. We're fine, Edward. You don't have to feel sorry for us," she insisted as she scrunched up the tissue in her hand and pulled her knees up under her chin in a clearly defensive position. "I finally made my peace with it a while ago. Tyler will never have his dad and I have to accept that and move on because I let it beat me up for too long."

I nodded, not that I really understood what she'd gone through; I just wanted to encourage her to talk more.

"Are his family involved with Tyler?" I asked. I knew, without hesitation, that if anything happened to me and I left a child behind my family would fight with their lives to see my child.

"They umm…they blame me..." she replied as I looked at her broken expression, "...for Jake's death."

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: "Maybe you need to think less about your dick and more about your future."

**A/N: ****I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

"What? Bella, surely that's crazy?" I looked at her with astonishment as she continued talking.

"They don't think so. Jake's family blame me for his death and they don't have any contact with Tyler because of me. I'm the reason he has no dad and barely any family." Bella spoke the words matter-of-factly.

I shook my head at her. "Bella, things are never that straightforward."

We sat in silence for a moment before she spoke again.

"I was eight when my parents' marriage broke up." Her pink nail-varnished fingers picked at her tissue as she spoke. "My mom took off and my dad moved us to a new town. Jake and I met when my dad and I were unpacking our truck, and from then on we grew up together," she started to explain as I listened intently, watching as she balled up the tissue in her fist.

"Neither of us really had our moms in our lives so when our dads became best friends we spent a lot of time together. We went to different schools, but we were always each other's best friend and I think our dads took some comfort in raising us together. Neither of us had any siblings and I was new to town so I welcomed the company.

"We had great summers together fishing and camping, and I practically lived at Jake's house in the school holidays when my dad had to work. Everything was great until we reached our teens, our feelings started to change." Bella paused as I sensed she was getting uncomfortable.

"Jake was confident. Never cocky," Bella clarified. "But he was certain we'd end up together. I wasn't so sure but he waited. He never asked me out and we never had a first date, but we kind of fell into a relationship. It felt right and of course our dads approved!" Bella rolled her eyes but continued.

"When we were seventeen, there was a day our dads were out fishing. They wanted Jake and I to go, too, but being rebellious teenagers we ditched them and went to the movies instead.

"There was an accident. Jake's dad, Billy, was hurt. It was never life-threatening but he's been in a wheelchair ever since." Bella shook her head, almost as if she was trying to shake away the bad memories.

"He became so frustrated and angry. Angry at us and angry at the world. He never accepted his fate. At first it was understandable but as months and then years passed, he never changed, that initial anger never left him. He was always so bad-tempered. He resented Jake and I because he thought if we were there things would have been different. He was cross at my dad for insisting they went fishing that day without us and he was generally so damn angry all the time.

"Jake was the only family around to care for Billy. He remodeled their house for Billy's wheelchair, dragged him to every appointment, administered his meds, cooked and cleaned for him, everything. Jake's life changed as much as Billy's. It also meant Jake couldn't move out, so when we were eighteen, I moved in.

"Jake was always so busy either at work or helping Billy that it was the only way we had time to see each other. Our first experience of living together should have been carefree and fun, but instead living with Billy was hard. He took his anger at my dad out on me. Never physically…" she added quickly when I raised my eyebrows at her, "…just verbally. He was bitter and angry, but Jake made excuses for him. He changed too," she said sadly, as I listened intently. I wasn't sure how I felt listening to Bella talk about her ex, but as I was finally getting some answers from her I kept quiet and let her continue talking.

"Jake was always fun and made me laugh all the time but living with Billy…well, it made him resentful at times. We never had any fun. We could never go out, never go to the city overnight or stay out at a concert. We never even went out for a meal, let alone had any kind of vacation. We were young, but Jake was tied down and responsible for Billy. I wanted to move away, train to be a teacher and start our own lives somewhere new, but that was never an option so we carried on living with Billy for years, but we just argued more and more.

"I probably could have handled things better, but at the time I felt like there was just no end in sight. Billy wasn't a child who would grow up and gain independence; he was a bitter man who was only getting worse as he got older. The atmosphere in the house became unbearable and one night Jake and I had a huge argument and I left. I slammed the door and drove off.

"I just kept driving and driving. I knew if Jake looked for me he'd go to my dad's, so I couldn't go there. Garrett was living here in Seattle by then so I headed here. It was a two hour drive and I think I cried the whole way. I'll always remember Garrett's face when he opened his front door. I don't think he's faced many women turning up on his doorstep in floods of tears, but he just held me while I garbled out some version of what had happened. He knew what Billy was like; they'd met plenty of times when Garrett visited Forks. Garrett made no secret of the fact that he wanted me to leave Jake."

"He didn't like him?" I queried, quite surprised at her words.

"He didn't dislike him. He just thought I was settling for Jake." Bella shrugged.

I knew that feeling well. I'd seen my parents' marriage and now with Emmett and Rosalie, and Alice and Jasper—I wanted what they had. I'd promised myself a few years ago that I'd never settle. I didn't want to be with someone I could live with. I wanted to be with someone I couldn't live without.

"So you stayed with Garrett?" I prompted. Bella looked slightly reluctant but picked up her story where she'd left off.

"Yeah. Then early the next morning my dad turned up. I assumed Jake had gone to Charlie's looking for me and when Charlie knew I'd gone, they both worked out I'd be at Garrett's. I was surprised to see him because it wasn't like him to get involved in my relationship with Jake. Jake was like the son Charlie never had so he didn't take sides with us.

"I knew straight away from his expression that something was wrong. He used his most soothing police chief voice to tell me to sit down. I'd heard that voice before, when he was delivering bad news to unsuspecting families." Bella trailed off for a moment before continuing.

"Jake had come after me in his truck and wrapped it around a tree. No one else was involved but he…he was gone by the time they found me." By now tears were forming in her eyes as she wiped at them furiously. "Sorry, I know that's a lot of information…" she carried on.

"Bella…you know that wasn't your fault, right? You weren't responsible," I interrupted. She needed to know that. She shouldn't carry guilt like that around for years. That alone would be enough to destroy a person.

"Edward, if it wasn't for me, Jake never would have been in his truck that night."

"But you aren't responsible for his driving, or the truck maintenance, or the road conditions," I reasoned, reaching across and taking her hand.

"Tell that to Billy," she replied as she squeezed my hand.

"I will if you give me a chance!" I was suddenly overwhelmed with an unfamiliar need to defend her. I was learning that Bella could look after herself just fine, but I still wanted to help and protect her.

She brought her free hand up to where our hands were clasped and traced over my knuckles with her fingertips. She ran her fingers delicately over my hand as I spoke, asking her the inevitable question.

"How does Tyler fit into all of this?"

Bella's hand paused for a second before she picked up her movements again.

"I'd found out that night that I was pregnant," she started. "I freaked, totally freaked! It wasn't planned. Jake and I were on the rocks and I would never want to bring a child into that house, that atmosphere, that mess.

"I hid the test and didn't tell Jake straight away. I needed to get my thoughts together first so I could be strong enough to deflect Jake's worries. I was obviously preoccupied and upset which meant Jake and I argued about nothing.

"When they found him in his car he had a bag on the passenger seat, it had a bib in it…" Bella's eyes were watering again but this time the tears fell down her cheeks as she spoke.

"The bib said 'Daddy loves me'," she choked out before finally looking up at me. "He knew, and he was coming to find me, to tell me it would be okay," she breathed out before I swallowed her up in a hug and pulled her onto my lap. I rubbed her back as we sat in silence while I digested everything she had just told me. Her breathing was quiet but I knew she was crying. Her fists grabbed at my shirt as I tried to comfort her and her chest rose and fell occasionally as she tried to calm down.

After a few minutes she stood up and grabbed a fresh tissue, dabbing her face before she sat back on the sofa and composed herself.

"Bella, I don't know what to say," I told her lamely.

"I'm sorry I got upset. I never talk about that night."

"Well I'm glad you told me," I replied sincerely. "How old were you when all this happened?"

"I was twenty when I got pregnant. Twenty- one when Tyler was born."

Twenty-one. I thought back to when I was that age. Jesus, I couldn't have kept a plant alive, let alone have been solely responsible for a baby. Emmett and Rosalie had Seth young but they also had each other and both families, four doting grandparents and plenty of able aunts and uncles.

Bella had none of that.

I did that math. Given that she said earlier that Tyler was three, that made Bella about twenty-four. I'd figured she was a few years younger than me so that fit.

"Jesus, Bella, I don't know how you coped."

"I don't want your pity." Her voice was stronger now. "This isn't some sob story. I simply wanted to tell you what had happened so you could understand our situation better."

"Tyler's an amazing kid. You're right to be proud of him."

"Thanks," she whispered. "You don't know how nice it is to hear that." Bella tucked her hair behind her ears.

"It's true," I insisted.

"Sometimes," she acknowledged. "But you haven't seen him have a tantrum yet," she said seriously. "I was so worried he'd inherited his dad and granddad's temper that I asked Garrett to teach him karate. Garrett's a black belt instructor and usually doesn't teach kids so young but Ty needed an outlet for his frustrations. It seemed to work, and he loves spending time with Garrett."

"So Garrett looks after Tyler?"

"Occasionally, when I go to weddings or paddle boat rides on the waterfront," she replied with a small grin, before she turned more serious. "He's been my lifesaver. He was there for my whole pregnancy and when Tyler was a newborn…well, he was amazing. It was comforting to know Ty would have a male role model in his life."

"So Jake's dad doesn't see Tyler?" I asked in disbelief.

"No. I sent photos and offered to visit but when Billy was hesitant I didn't push it. I think his sister moved closer to help him and care workers stepped in too. Initially I wanted to help. I felt like it was my duty, but I had to put my baby first. I'd stayed with Garrett since the night Jake died. I couldn't face going back to Forks, except for the funeral. When Garrett suggested I stay in Seattle permanently it made sense to me. I could make a fresh start with him close by for support.

"Then as Tyler grew up, Billy became more and more distant. I never really understood his reluctance, maybe Tyler reminded him of Jake too much, I don't know, but I do know that he was furious at me because I didn't give Tyler Jake's surname," she added. "I put Jake's name on the birth certificate as his father and Tyler's middle name is Jacob, but I gave him my surname. I needed to feel like a family, me and Ty. It might be just the two of us but I wanted us to be a unit together. Billy was furious. He said I'd disrespected Jake and now there is no one to carry on his family's name. He's barely spoken to me since."

"Christ, Bella." I was having trouble processing everything I'd learnt this evening. "I…wow."

I was so close to my family I found it hard to put myself in Bella's shoes, to have lost so much and to feel so alone.

"So what about your parents?" I asked in disbelief, surely they'd stepped in to help their only child and grandson?

"My Dad's still in Forks. He visits occasionally and calls Tyler a couple of times a week. I've tried to set him up with Skype but…well, it's a work in progress. My Mom's pretty flighty though. She came and stayed with me for a week or two when I left Garrett's and moved in here, a few weeks before Tyler was born. She checks in every now and then but she's unreliable. Tyler loves her because she's great fun when she visits him, but that isn't often."

I sat back on the sofa and rested my eyes as I processed everything Bella had been through. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting to hear tonight, but I was glad I finally knew more about her and her past.

"I'm sorry for laying all this on you," Bella started as I lifted my head and listened again. "I just didn't know how to tell you about Tyler. As soon as people know about his dad, they look at me differently. I liked that you didn't pity me or see me as some poor single mom struggling through life because I'm not. I liked the strong person I was with you."

"Bella, you are strong to me, stronger than I thought before. I could never pity you," I told her sincerely as I turned my body to face her, desperate to touch and comfort her but not knowing yet where we stood with each other.

I think most of my questions about Bella had now been answered, except one.

"What about your nightmare last night, was it about Jake?"

Bella looked down at her hands but when she spoke her voice was even and steady.

"Kind of. It's always the same. Jake's gone and Tyler's this tiny, scrappy, wriggly little baby." She smiled slightly, maybe at a memory, before she continued. "I just felt so alone. I knew I would never be able to give Tyler the one thing he wants most in the whole world. Watching him grow up has been amazing, but the older he gets the more he questions his situation. I'm stereotyped as someone who got pregnant by some deadbeat guy who didn't care about me or Tyler and it's not like that."

"Well hopefully the important people in your life know the truth," I reasoned.

"They do now." She smiled shyly up at me as we fell into silence.

"Can I use your bathroom?" I stood and stretched, needing a minute to think without feeling an awkward silence between us.

"Of course." She pointed to one of the three doors and I headed that way, taking my time as I tried to think.

I passed a door with letters stuck on which spelled out Tyler's name. His door was ajar and the room was dark, but a nightlight meant I could just about make out his little body. His feet only reached half way down the bed, making him look so young and small. His hair was stuck to his forehead and his little arms gripped his dinosaur Bartholomew tightly.

I shook my head and continued onto the bathroom. I thought about Tyler, how small and young he was, but how happy he seemed, despite everything that had happened to him already in his life. I thought about everything Bella had told me and felt I understood her past actions better now, but I still wasn't sure what this meant for our future.

My mind was still in a haze as I returned to the living room and sat back down, turning to Bella as I spoke. "Bella…I've struggled to understand how I feel about all of this, but I think I'm realizing you having a son is different to how I feel about your son." She looked confused so I carried on explaining what I meant. "If you told me you had a son before I met him, I think I would have freaked out. I never imagined myself dating someone with a child and the abstract idea of your child is scary and relationship changing." She looked worried. "But now I've met him. I've seen you two together as a little family, seen the life you've made for him, it makes me admire you even more." Bella smiled at me as I continued. "But it also highlights to me the importance of getting this right, of being honest with you about how I'm feeling."

"And how is that?" she asked me quietly.

I shrugged. "I'm still processing everything that's happened today. I've only known about Tyler for one afternoon."

She nodded. "I don't expect answers from you right away, but you need to know that Tyler's lost one dad already. I can't risk him losing someone else in his life, not if it's something I can control. He deserves someone in his life who values him, who takes him to a ball game, or takes him fishing and teaches him the rules of baseball. Not someone who simply tolerates him, I couldn't bear that." She looked up at me as I nodded.

I could understand that.

"At the same time though, I know it's not fair to ask that of you. You are under no obligation to love someone else's child and I feel like a bitch saying you can only be with me if you take Tyler as part of the package, but the reality is, he comes first."

"Bella, I'd worry if he didn't! I don't think I'd want to be with a woman who could abandon her child for a relationship. I understand what you're saying, but surely you can see that I can't offer you any promises right now."

"Of course."

We sat in silence, neither of us having any answers for our problems.

Bella then turned to me, wringing her fingers together as she spoke. "Edward, I want you in my life and Tyler's, but I don't want to tie you down to a life you'll resent. I never want us to feel like a burden to you. I've been in that situation with Billy and I never want to make anyone else feel like that."

I nodded, understanding what she was saying. "So what now?" I queried.

"I don't know. I have to do what's best for Tyler. My feelings don't come into this."

"Well they should," I scoffed at her.

"I gave up any right to put myself first the moment I looked at my positive pregnancy test," Bella told me.

"You're allowed a relationship, too. How do you feel? Am I fighting a losing battle here?" I asked softly, almost afraid of her answer.

"No. I like you Edward. More than like you. You make me feel wanted again. I haven't felt that in a long time."

"Good, because you're entitled to be happy too. I don't want you to feel like I'm judging you, deciding if I should bother 'cause it's not like that at all. I'm just aware that Tyler makes this…important. I feel like I need to get this right for him and that scares me. I've never been responsible for anyone else's feelings. I don't want to fuck this up."

"Edward, Tyler isn't your responsibility. You shouldn't feel obliged to stay with me. I'll understand if you want to walk away, or take time to think…" Bella trailed off as I looked at her.

She was a strong, independent woman, but right now she looked so vulnerable, waiting to hear if I wanted to be in her life or not. "I don't want to lose you. If this is too much we could be just friends." Her voice was quiet and didn't carry much conviction, but her words were enough to rile me.

My eyes shot up to hers, my eyebrows rising somewhere close to my hairline as I failed to contain my surprise at her words.

"Friends? _Friends!_" I scoffed in disbelief. "Really, Bella? Friends. You think I'd be happy with that?"

"I don't know," she replied softly, seeming taken back by my harsh reaction to her suggestion.

"Well I do. You're crazy if you think I can be just friends with you."

"I'm sorry the thought of being my friend appals you so much," she replied sarcastically, as I ran my hands down my face.

"Bella," I started as I turned to her. "I know what your hair smells like. I know how soft your skin is. I know how smooth your legs are. I know how your nose crinkles when you concentrate. I know how you sigh in your sleep. I know if I undo my top few shirt buttons, you'll take every opportunity to look at my chest. I know how to make you moan in a way that has my dick at full mast immediately. I know you grip my biceps, really fucking hard, when you come. You think I can know all those things and think those thoughts and be _just friends_?" Bella's face had reddened more and more with every statement I made, until she was now looking highly embarrassed and surprised. "You're asking me to be around you but never kiss you, never touch you. Do you want that?"

She studied my face as I waited for her reply. "Edward, this isn't up to me. This is on you because we come as a package, Tyler and I, so maybe you need to think less about your dick and more about your future."

"Yeah. I think you're right. I do." I nodded at her words as we fell into silence.

My brain was fried from this whole day. I ran my hands up and down my thighs as I tried to think about what to do next. I knew I wanted Bella, that was never really in question, but right now I couldn't commit to her life with Tyler when I'd only known about him for a few hours.

I looked over at her. She looked tired, exhausted actually, and I now knew she had a three-year-old to get up and ready before she headed to work in the morning.

"I should head home," I whispered, not really wanting to leave but knowing we both needed space. I stood up slowly and watched as she did the same. We stood awkwardly close to each other. Really close. I could see how this evening had affected her emotionally and I desperately wanted to comfort her. My mind knew it was a bad idea, but my body inched closer to hers anyway.

"Bella, Christ, I really want to kiss you," I whispered as she looked surprised. "I know it will confuse things but..." My hands found her jaw and my body closed the gap between us.

Bella watched me without moving to kiss me. I was pretty sure she was making certain it was me who was initiating this. Fuck! I needed to kiss her and touch her. I was desperate to confirm to myself that despite everything I'd found out today, she was still the same Bella I'd gotten to know. I needed to know that my Bella existed, as well as Mom Bella and hurt, practically widowed Bella.

I'd seen such a different side to her today that I needed to reconnect with the Bella I knew. The one who would moan when our lips met. The one whose hand would find my chest one way or another, and the one who made me feel so wanted despite our current situation.

When I looked into her eyes, they were calm and warm, and the closer I stood to her the more her breaths increased until my lips were touching hers. Her hands gripped my shirt as she kissed me back softly. She didn't deepen our kiss and I slowly released her lips and rested my forehead on hers. I closed my eyes and savored the feeling of her body next to mine, reminding me of why I wasn't immediately ruling out a relationship with her. Reminding me of our time together over the past week when things has seemed so simple and I'd been so willing to allow myself to fall for her.

But now, remembering the reality of the situation, I was worried. Bella had made it clear she wanted a guy in her life who not only accepted Tyler but valued him, and rightly so, every kid deserved that. However, it was now obvious to me that being in Bella's life and on the fringes of Tyler's wasn't an option. This was an all-or-nothing relationship.

"Please don't hate me," I whispered as Bella stepped back and looked me in the eyes.

"For what?" Her voice was full of alarm and worry as I took a deep breath.

"I don't know if I can do this." I whispered. Bella merely nodded as I continued. "It's not Tyler, or you, it's just-"

"It's not you, it's me?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at my clichéd words as I shook my head.

"Well it's definitely me. I don't know if I can be the man you and Tyler need."

Bella closed her eyes and kept them closed as I took her hand. She didn't struggle against me, instead she gripped my fingers as I spoke.

"I just need more time. I've only known about Tyler a few hours, this has really blindsided me. I need to sleep on this at least. I do want you, I want this..." I played with her fingers as I spoke. "But I need to think about everything."

"Okay," she whispered as she finally opened her watery eyes and gave me a weak smile. "Just promise me you'll tell me straight if we're over." Her hands released mine and gently toyed with my shirt as I watched.

I pulled her closer to me and kissed the top of her head. "I really don't want us to be over."

She smiled a small soft smile and raised her hands to stroke over the stubble on my jaw. "Me either. But I want you to know I don't think I could ever hate you. I appreciate you taking this seriously."

I nodded and slowly backed away from her body, missing the heat and closeness immediately.

"Are you going to be okay? I hope talking tonight didn't upset you." I guessed I'd opened a can of worms tonight and I didn't want her being upset once I left.

"I'm fine. I'll just head straight to bed."

"Okay, well I've got a busy day at work tomorrow and then dinner at my parents, but I'll text you and speak to you soon. "

"Sure."

She watched me as I spoke. "Okay," I nodded and turned from Bella's broken expression as I slid my feet into my boots, deliberately not looking at the dinosaur slippers next to them.

She stepped around me and opened her front door. I shivered at the cold air that entered her house. I wanted to stay here, with her in the warmth, and not face the real world. Since that wasn't an option, I stepped outside and fumbled for my car keys as I spoke.

"Close the door, you'll get cold."

She gave me a weak smile and nodded. "Okay, bye, Edward."

"Bye." I heard the front door click shut as I walked to my car, exhausted and confused after such an emotional day.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks also to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**


	15. Chapter 15a

Chapter 15a:

"Nun?"

"No," I scoffed. "Kid."

"Shit!"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

"Hi, Mom. Sorry I'm late," I called down the hall. I'd let myself into my parents' house and was now hanging up my jacket before facing the whole family.

"It's only five minutes today, I'll let you off!" She laughed as she turned to me once I'd reached the kitchen.

Emmett had been out of the office all day, meaning I'd been crazy busy at work which had been both a blessing and a curse. It meant I'd had a break from the incessant thinking and wondering that had plagued me all night and resulted in only a few hours sleep.

I'd thought about Bella grieving for Jake and dealing with a surprise pregnancy. I'd thought of her with a newborn baby and little support. I'd thought about the other guys she'd mentioned walking away when they found out about her son. Therefore I had an awful, restless night's sleep, which meant I was in a bad mood and no closer to an answer for Bella.

Now I was stood next to my mom, hoping and praying she wouldn't question me too much about whatever my dad had told her about my love life. I really wasn't in the mood for questions and discussions, but she had on her favorite apron and she was beaming. Her whole face lit up when she was surrounded by her family and the little boy inside me who wanted to please his mom was fine with showing up to these dinners when it made her so happy. The grown-up in me loved them too, just not when I was going to get questioned about my love life like always.

"Everyone's at the table. Take this in for me please, dear."

"Sure, Mom." I kissed her cheek as I took the dish of vegetables from her and she followed me with a jug of gravy. I greeted my family as I placed the dish down in the center of the table and took my seat. Everyone was loading their plates and chatting. It was all so familiar and comforting to me.

"Are you driving son?" Dad asked, a bottle of wine hovering close to the glass at my place setting.

"Yeah, soft drink for me please, Dad," I informed him as he moved on to Emmett's glass and filled it after a nod from his eldest son.

"See, Eddie, bring a chick to these dinners and you can have a drink too," Emmett joked. "Ow!" he added, no doubt because of a kick under the table from Rosalie.

"Thanks, Em," I replied dryly. "You're meant to be on my side, don't start with the relationship digs before I've even taken a bite of food, Mom usually waits till we're on dessert at least," I said with a smile in my mom's direction.

He laughed and Mom merely rolled her eyes at us and told us all to start on our food. She was watching Em and I, and I know she loved how close we were. I knew my dad must have talked to her about yesterday, but I also thought she'd wait for me to broach the subject myself; she would give me time and space, knowing I had Emmett to talk to.

I excused myself to use the bathroom before I ate. When I came out, Emmett was there with raised eyebrows. Whether dad had spoken to him or he'd picked up on my mood yesterday when I didn't return to work, or today around the dinner table I didn't know, but he was waiting for me to talk.

"Nun?" he asked when I took too long to think of how to start this conversation.

"No," I scoffed. "Kid."

"Shit!"

It was times like this that our connection was so strong we didn't need words. He patted me on the back, still processing my words.

"Fuck! That's a surprise," Emmett started as I nodded. "It does explain a lot though." I nodded again. "If you wanna talk—"

"Thanks."

We headed back to the table and took our seats. The food was delicious as always but I wasn't tasting much today. I stayed out of the conversation that was bubbling around me, content to enjoy the food and relax, knowing the questions would soon be flying in my direction.

As conversation around the table changed topics again, I found myself watching JJ and thinking of Tyler. Was he like that when he was JJ's age?

Alice and Jasper's one-year-old was appropriately named. Jasper Junior was a mini version of his dad but with a strong dash of Cullen stubbornness as well as Alice's piercing eyes and hair color. He was a good little boy, but hard work. How had Bella coped on her own? I'd seen the effects of a newborn on Alice and Jasper. They'd soon got into a rhythm and routine, but I'd seen how they'd relied on each other for support. Who did Bella have to rely on? Garrett seemed close to both Bella and Tyler but I doubted he was there at two in the morning when Tyler wouldn't settle and Bella was exhausted.

"E! E!" JJ called to me. I realized I'd been staring at him but not interacting.

"Okay, JJ?" I asked as Alice looked at me oddly.

"What's so fascinating about my son today, Edward?" she asked me, sounding genuinely curious.

"Oh nothing." I shrugged to downplay my actions.

"Getting in some practice?" Emmett butted in as Jasper nearly spat his drink out in surprise. My mom's eyes went wide as she started to shake her head at me.

"Edward Antony Masen Cullen, if you—"

"What?" I interrupted. "Why are you middle naming me, Mom?" I gasped as her glass lowered to the table with a bit more force than usual.

"She's thinking you've got some chick pregnant," Emmett stage-whispered to me with a grin, successfully lightening my mood.

"Only because you just said I was 'getting in some practice'!" I spoke through gritted teeth as Emmett chuckled.

"Edward?" My mom's voice was stern, drawing my attention back to the matter at hand.

"Relax, no one's pregnant. Well, there are women all around the world who are pregnant, but none of them with my baby," I said confidently. I'd never risk that. My dude was always wrapped. Always. Plus, in a moment of insanity, I had already checked this with Bella.

My mom visibly relaxed as Jasper chuckled and spoke to JJ, jokingly asking him if he knew what trouble he'd caused.

I sighed. It was now or never. "It's just…this woman I met at Tanya's wedding, we really clicked…" I was interrupted by Emmett's loud laugh. He tried to dull it down when I shot him a dirty look, but Emmett was never one for subtlety.

"Anyway," I continued when I realized Mom and Alice were still looking questioningly at me. Rosalie no doubt knew the whole story from Emmett and my dad knew parts of it, but I had no idea how much he had told my mom.

"We…well I couldn't get hold of her, after...well...I mean after the wedding," I added when Alice raised her eyebrows at my words. "Yeah, after the wedding. I didn't have her contact details and I didn't know how to find her…"

"Was she the one I saw you dancing with? She was wearing a red dress. That was a lovely dress, can you find out where she got it from…" Alice babbled before she quieted down. "Sorry, side-tracked, continue." She waved me on.

"Anyway, I picked up Seth from school and well, she's his teacher…" I continued as my mom smiled at me. "Don't get too excited, Mom," I warned her jokingly.

"You look happy talking about her, Edward. You never talk about anyone special." She beamed.

Did I? Oh shit, was I that transparent? I needed to tone this down.

"Have you kissed Miss Swan?" Seth asked sounding mortified. I'd forgotten how perceptive he was at this age, maybe I should have been more careful talking around him.

"Err, we're friends. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Miss Swan's cool. Mr Newton, our French teacher, he always calls her 'Miss Belle' what does that mean?"

"Beautiful," I answered with a scowl.

"Seth, could you run to my diaper bag and grab JJ's wipes for me please? It's just in the hallway," Alice asked her nephew and Seth nodded and stood up. She shot me a look, silently telling me to talk quickly before he returned.

"Well I don't know what's happening. I found out she, err, she got a child. A boy. He's three. I just found out yesterday so I'm still getting my head around that and what it means for us. I don't know why I'm bothering though. I'm sure Dad has filled you in," I trailed off as my mom continued to smile at me.

"Your father gave me an edited version of your lunchtime chat," she confirmed as I looked at him, unable to know what he'd told her. All eyes on the table were on me, waiting to hear what I had to say and I didn't know myself. I was still too confused to explain the situation eloquently.

"Excuse me," I finished as I wiped my mouth with my napkin and stood up. I left the table and headed for the cloakroom. That didn't go as planned at all. Now my siblings had settled down, there was only me left to get this grief. Sure there were digs about when Emmett and Rosalie would add to their family but other than that they all loved to question me. Most of the time it was fun and jokey, but I was more sensitive this time. I'd never felt this way about anyone before and I'd definitely never contemplated a relationship with a woman with a child before. Perhaps I did need my family's advice and support after all.

I waited a while and gathered myself before I returned to the table. Alice was coaxing JJ to eat something other than gravy and my parents were deep in conversation with each other but too low for me to hear.

"I didn't eat your dinner; you're good to finish it!" Emmett joked with me as I sat down, noting Seth was back and hoping that was enough to deter anyone else from talking about Bella in front of him.

"I guess I should be grateful," I replied sarcastically.

"You really should," Rosalie joined in. "Greedy guts polished off all the roast potatoes and was eyeing yours before I stopped him!" she explained as I smiled while tucking into the delicious home-cooked meal.

"Don't worry, dear, there are plenty of puddings," my mom told him.

"Yum," Emmett started. "I haven't had desserts as good as yours since Miss Swan made some for a bake sale," he said, causing me to glare at him as he shrugged back at me. "You should definitely keep pursuing her if she can cook as well as that!" he added, undeterred by my mood.

"Hmm, I'll get right on that!" I replied. Why was I so sarcastic today? Maybe that's what brothers did to you? Or maybe I needed to get laid again? That's sounded great, but I think this time I had a hell of a lot of work with Bella to do before that was a possibility. I could see now how it was easier for her to be with me before I knew about Tyler. Now I knew the only way we would be together would be in a proper relationship. Before I knew about Tyler, I felt like I was ready for that, but now I was putting a little boy's happiness on the line. This was a big responsibility, one I'd never had to deal with before.

Conversation had picked up again around the table. Talk of JJ starting daycare was producing some raised voices and some laughs and as I watched my family interact I realized for the first time that I envied my siblings. I'd been happy for both of them when they were married, but I'd never wished it was me. I had more of a carefree lifestyle, more freedom to do as I pleased, to do _who_ I pleased! Now though, I realized that I did envy the companionship they had. I always thought finding the person I wanted to settle down with would be the hard part, but now I was wondering if keeping the person I wanted to settle down with was what was going to break me. I never thought I'd have to decide whether to walk away from someone I was falling in love with, but Bella's situation was different. She was vulnerable; she had Tyler to protect so I guess I was out of my depth this time.

I finished my last forkful of dinner and as everyone else had finished before me, I started collecting up plates and serving bowls. Once dinner was cleared away and dessert eaten, we all sat on the back deck watching JJ ride a tricycle in the garden with Alice, Rosalie and Seth close behind him, laughing at the way his little legs were working furiously to move the tricycle a few feet.

My mom was sat next to me. I could see her knee bouncing furiously out of the corner of my eyes, as she looked over to me every so often. I sighed, ran my hands though my hair and picked up my drink, needing to occupy my hands.

"Just spit it out, Mom, you're going to faint from blood loss if you bite your tongue any longer," I joked with her, trying to start this off in a casual manner.

"I just want to see you happy, son, and well sometime happiness comes in unexpected ways," she told me as Emmett scoffed.

"Ma, what on earth does that cryptic message mean?!" he bellowed as our dad chuckled at my twin's abruptness.

"I mean, perhaps you shouldn't rule out someone who you obviously like, just because their situation is complicated," she clarified.

"She has a son!" I answered. "A sweet, friendly, clever little kid, but still a son. That's a huge curveball for me. I've never dated anyone with a child before and to be honest, it does bother me, so I need to get my head around it. Besides, she's practically disregarded me. She assumed Tyler was a deal-breaker and thought I'd run away scared and want nothing more to do with her when I found out."

"Maybe she's pushing you away before you can run?" my dad suggested softly. "Without meaning to, I heard some of your conversation yesterday, Edward, she has one foot out the door already, assuming you're going to run," he concluded as I nodded, knowing that's what it sounded like yesterday.

"Dude, she's got a kid! If you haven't run already, if you can handle that, then you can handle anything," Jasper advised.

"Very true," Emmett added.

I looked over to see my mom smile at my dad. Damn, she'd already got her hopes up that I'd met the love of my life and wanted to settle down and give her a million grandchildren.

"So have you talked to her since yesterday? What's her situation?" my dad asked gently.

"She's not got much family; I think it's pretty much her and Tyler, and her cousin who helps when he can. Her dad's supportive but he lives a couple of hours away. Her mom's flighty, off living her own life, and she has no siblings so it's just her and Tyler most of the time. She has friends obviously and she's happy, she just doesn't have this," I said pointing around at our family gathered together.

"And Tyler's dad?" my dad asked me, his eyebrows up in question. Understandably, he always took a very dim view of fathers who abandoned their kids. He always drilled it into Emmett and me that if we ever found ourselves in that situation, we would be held accountable as a father.

"No," I explained as my dad's face grew angry. "He err—" I continued before my dad could launch into one of his famous speeches about irresponsible fathers. "He passed away, before Tyler was born."

"Oh dear," my mom gasped as my dad's mouth abruptly closed. "That's awful, poor girl," my mom continued.

"I know," I sighed. "Tyler never got to meet his dad and Bella's raised him alone."

"What about the dad's family?" Emmett asked quietly. He'd only just learnt about Tyler's dad too and he sounded shocked.

"I asked her. It sounds like he didn't have too much family either. Bella's tried to involve them, but for various reasons they don't have a relationship with Tyler. I guess that's why she's so leery of me. If I was to get close to Tyler and we don't work out…" my voice trailed off as my mom studied me.

"So how did you leave things with her?" my dad asked.

"I don't know. She did suggest maybe we should be friends." I scoffed at the memory.

"And what do you think of that?" my dad asked.

"I think it's a fucking crazy idea."

"Language, Edward!"

"It is! I can't...I don't want...that wouldn't work," I concluded.

"It could be a good foundation for your relationship. You seem to have rushed things a little, maybe being friends first could work?"

My dad meant well, I know he did, but he must know the real reason I couldn't be just friends with Bella. Sex with her had been amazing. I couldn't knowingly give that up to be friends.

"Edward, I was your age once. I know what's important to you, but there's a child involved here. This relationship needs a strong foundation."

I nodded. "I know, but she's made it clear we will only work if I'm all in with Tyler. It's all or nothing for us."

"How does nothing sound?"

I scoffed, remaining silent as I buried my head in my hands, not wanting to see my parents' reactions to my dad's question.

I looked up to see my mom smiling at me and I looked questioningly at her.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked as she chuckled.

"I think Jasper's right, if you were going to walk away, you'd have done it by now and we wouldn't be having this conversation. I haven't seen you talk about a girlfriend like this…well, ever," she concluded.

It felt weird to have Bella referred to as my girlfriend, but it made me smile. "Just don't start booking the church yet," I told her as Emmett laughed.

"I just want to see all my children happy. You deserve that, Edward," she spoke softly as I shot her a small smile.

Alice then came running over holding JJ at arm's length, her hands under his arms like he was a bomb about to explode. The kid was covered in mud from head to toe. How did he get so muddy in the few minutes since I looked away? My mom leapt into action as her and Alice shooed JJ into the house.

Jasper looked at me. "You could have all that fun too."

I rolled my eyes at him and silently thanked Emmett when he changed the subject and started telling my dad about a tricky client we'd had at work that week.

I let my family's voices wash over me as I mulled over my thoughts. I knew I wanted Bella, but one night's sleep hadn't given me any answers as to whether I could be some kind of father figure to her son.

I didn't stay long after that. I made my excuses and left early while everyone else was still in the garden. Back in the hall I was threading my arms through my jacket when my mom approached me.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Yep." I don't think my reply was convincing.

"You look tired." She brushed a hand over my brow as she spoke, reminding me of when I was a kid and I felt sick. She'd always feel our foreheads for a temperature, insisting a mother's instinct was stronger than a doctor's opinion, even when my dad didn't agree.

"I'm fine," I insisted.

"Edward, it's okay to be confused here, but I think you should also try and see this from her point of view. Letting a man into your child's life is huge, it's a bigger decision than letting him into your own life. She wouldn't want you to be in her son's life if she didn't think you'd be a great dad."

My mom talking about me being a dad was freaking me out. I did the zip up on my jacket before I sat down on the stairs in the hall and ran my hands through my hair.

"Other guys weren't interested once they knew about Tyler. Why does everyone seem to think I'm any different?"

"Because of the way your face lights up when you talk about her...and Tyler. You could be just what they need. And they could be the best thing to ever happen to you."

"We'll see," I answered with a shrug as I stood up and fished my car keys out of my pocket.

"Edward, I know you can be a great dad. I know it. But you have to _want_ to do it."

"Thanks Mom." I kissed her cheek lightly.

"Take care of yourself, please." She patted my back as I nodded and headed for the door, relieved to be heading home to my bed, but not so pleased that it would be cold and empty.

**A/N: Just a quick note on this chapter. I have written four more chapters that fit I between this chapter (15) and the next chapter (16). They have been posted as TTTR Outtakes and can be read after this chapter, before the next. Think of this as chapter 15a. I have posted 15b, 15c, 15d &amp; 15e, then the story picks up at chapter 16. Or you can carry on to chapter 16 as normal and the story will still flow perfectly.**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: "Well everyone keeps telling me I could hurt Bella and scar Tyler for life if I get this wrong. I think this situation warrants a little thought, don't you?"

**A/N:** **Just a quick note on this chapter. I have written four more chapters that fit I between the last chapter (15) and this chapter (16). They have been posted as TTTR Outtakes and chapter 40-43 in this story. Think of the last chapter as 15a. I have posted 15b, 15c, 15d &amp; 15e, them the story picks up here at chapter 16. **

**They are a little angsty and focus more on Edwards struggle to accept Tyler. If you'd like to read more of his struggle I suggest you read them but if you're keen for Edward to get on with it and get back to Bella then you can continue reading this one, you won't miss any continuity and the story will flow perfectly.**

**I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Hey Brother by Avicci**

It had only been a few days since I'd last seen Bella, and I'd spent them alternating between thinking about her and trying desperately _not_ to think about her…or Tyler.

It was now late afternoon so I knew she'd soon be finishing work for the day. Did she build that fort with Tyler and watch Cars together at the weekend?

I shook my head and pushed away from my desk while I pocketed my phone. I headed to Emmett's office knowing I needed to stop thinking, just for a few hours.

"Em, you wanna grab a drink?"

He looked up from his computer, his eyes wide with shock. "What? Now? I've been asking you for weeks and..."

"Yes or no. I don't need a lecture."

He read my serious expression as he replied. "Rosie's got some gym class, I'll have to check with her."

I rolled my eyes at him. So there were advantages to my situation. I could go out whenever I liked, no woman to check with, no kid to watch. "Well I'll go ahead anyway. Call me and find me if you manage to escape." I turned to leave but Emmett continued.

"You're going to go out for a drink on your own?" he queried, sounding surprised.

"Yeah. I'm a big boy." I winked at him. "I think I'll start at O'Conner's…"

"Dude, seriously? What's this all about?"

"It's about me wanting a drink."

Emmett raised his eyebrows at me. "Sure." His voice was heavy with sarcasm as he continued. "Sure, bro, it's all about you wanting a drink and nothing to do with Bella and her kid?"

"Not everything is about Bella," I snapped.

"Well, if you keep this up nothing will be about Bella."

I sighed. "Emmett, drop it. Just because you need to ask permission to get out of the babysitting doesn't mean I'm gonna miss out."

Emmett leaned back in his desk chair and sighed. "So that's what this is about. You're going out just 'cause you can. Meanwhile, I'll be at home, spending time with my kid, not babysitting, actually having fun with him. Kids aren't as scary as you think, Edward."

"Em, I'm done talking about this. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." I turned and left his office. I wasn't angry at him, just exhausted by this whole situation.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

As I entered the dingy building, I was immediately met by thumping loud music and the stench of stale beer and sweat. Was this meant to be a bar? Why didn't they turn some lights on in here? As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see there were plenty of guys around. Most were decked out in pants and a smart shirt with a drink or a phone in their hands, or both.

I fought my way past a throng of people, getting elbowed a few times in the process. Once I made it to the bar, I rested my arms on the surface to lean forward and catch the bartender's attention. There were only two guys serving the massive crowd, so I didn't stand much of a chance. As I leaned back in defeat, my arms stuck to the bar when I tried to move them. My bare arms were now covered in sticky stale beer; well, I hoped it was beer.

Jesus, I thought this was meant to be fun.

I sighed and took a deep breath. I'd come out for a bit of fun and last time I was here this was a decent bar, so I picked up my resolve to have a good night and got out my money. I held it up, hoping that would help me get served quicker and after I finally shouted over the noise and got served, I decided to stay put at the bar. I couldn't see any free tables and I was on my own anyway. I drank my beer a bit too quickly as I scanned the faces around me. Every kind of person was here: couples, a huge guy with a few hundred tats, and a group of women who, judging by their attire, were on a bachelorette do. They wore sashes over their minuscule dresses, blew whistles that were around their necks and downed shots like they were water. I guess I looked over at them one too many times because one of them passed her drink to her friend and approached me.

"Hi." Her lips did a weird pouty thing as I glanced up at her and she stuck her chest out further in a move that really wasn't necessary, I could already see what she was offering because her dress was so low cut.

"Err, hi." Jeez, things were getting awkward. I think that was the point where I should have been offering to buy her a drink in the hopes that she left her moral compass at home and just wanted to impress her friends by being the first to find a guy tonight. However, I didn't want to encourage her and I realized, much to my own surprise, that I wasn't remotely interested in her company. Usually I would have at least been flattered by her attention and probably impressed by her guts to approach me, but tonight I was tired of this game, this charade everyone in the room was so obviously playing.

"I'm with the hen party, I'm not the hen!" she joked as I nodded. She took a step forward and stood closer to me, maybe to hear me over the loud music or maybe to try and get cozy with me.

"I guessed that. Is this the part where you're on some sort of dare to get a guy's boxers or kiss a stranger?"

She laughed and batted her eyelashes a little too obviously in my direction. "Well if you're offering—" She leaned forward as she whispered in my ear, but I quickly interrupted her.

"I wasn't."

"Oh." She leaned back and shifted her weight from one leg to the other as her face fell.

I felt like a bit of a jerk for my rather blunt knock back. "Sorry, I'm just after a quiet night. I'm not looking to meet anyone tonight."

"Aww, bad breakup? Maybe I could help?" She flicked her hair over her shoulder while doing that weird pouty-lip move again. Was that meant to be attractive? Then, before I'd even noticed her hand move, her fingernails were running down the front of my shirt. I stood stock still, too surprised to move or talk. Still, I was a guy and this woman was clearly hitting on me, why wasn't I feeling good about this?

"I don't even know your name," I spoke, trying to distract her as I wondered how to get her to stop and move her hand without being a jerk again.

"I'll be whoever you want me to be."

_Bella_. My mind immediately spoke the word without even a second's hesitation, but before I could speak out loud the woman's hand shot off my shirt so fast I missed it happening. I did, however, feel the hands clamping down my shoulders and a gruff voice bellowing my name.

"Eddie, what the fuck's going on? Come on, we're out of here..."

My brother yanked me backwards off my seat as I stumbled against the unexpected movement.

"Em, fuck, get off me." I wriggled but didn't escape his hold. As I spun round I swung for him, but my fist only connected with the bar stool behind me. Fuck!

"You're such a dick, dude, seriously." Emmett's voice was now even angrier so I gave up trying to fight him, I didn't exactly want to stay in this damn bar anyway.

Once he saw I was following him more willingly, he let me shrug out of his hold and we pushed our way through the crowds and back outside.

As I felt the cool air on my skin I breathed in great gulps of it, as if breathing in the clean air would help clear my head.

"What are you playing at, Ed?" Emmett growled, spinning round to face me.

"Me? I'm having a drink, what the hell are you playing at?" Emmett's face was red and his eyes were zeroed in on mine, no doubt trying to decipher how any drinks I'd really had.

"I'm rescuing your sorry ass before you do anything stupid."

"What the fuck's it matter to you?" I flexed my hand, _shit_! There was a graze forming on my knuckles and it hurt like hell to uncurl my fingers.

"It matters because you're being a fucking idiot. I know you and Bella are having issues, but are you really going to throw that all away for some short skirt?" He was shouting loudly as he headed for his nearby car.

I had no intention of doing anything with Little Miss Eager but I guess, to Emmett, it didn't exactly look that way. I followed behind him, shouting into the darkness of the badly-lit car park.

"She's got another man's kid!" I stood still as he carried on, meaning I was yelling at his back.

Emmett's steps faltered at my words and my tone. He turned round and assessed my expression before he simply shook his head at me, turned back around and carried on waking. His car bleeped as he remotely unlocked it.

"Get in." He turned back to face me.

"What? No. I've got my own car."

"Tough. I'm not letting you drive, fuck knows how many drinks you've had."

"I could only get served once, apparently I don't have big enough tits to get the bartenders' attention."

"Well your friend sure made up for what you were lacking."

I sighed. "I was talking to her for less than five minutes." I wasn't sure why I was defending myself, but I felt like I had to.

"Tell that to Bella."

"Why? She took her time telling me about her kid."

Emmett glared at me and shook his head. "Christ, you're gonna have to let that go." He scrubbed his hand over his face before he continued. "Maybe, dickhead, she was worried how you'd react, and maybe you've been a grade A asshole since you found out so maybe she had every reason to worry."

"What? I listened to her, we've talked…"

"And then you've left her hanging."

"Well everyone keeps telling me I could hurt Bella and scar Tyler for life if I get this wrong. I think this situation warrants a little thought, don't you?"

"Not really. I think you have to follow your heart on this one." He held the passenger door open as I reluctantly stepped into the car. It was his bad if he had to drive me back here tomorrow to fetch my car.

I clicked in my seatbelt as Emmett settled in his own seat and looked in his mirror before pulling away.

"What are you even doing here?" I asked.

"I dunno. Twin shit or something. I knew you were acting weird when you wanted to go out."

"Is it that odd that I want to go out for a drink?"

"Lately, yeah. You do realize we haven't had a night out, just us, in months?"

"'Course we have."

"Nope. You've come to my place plenty of times and we're always at Mom and Dad's and we've been out with Rosie and Ali and Jas, but we've always had to get back for the babysitters, so as far as I can tell, whatever amazing nightlife you think you'd be giving up for Bella, you gave it up a long time ago. And you didn't even notice so you can't have missed it that much."

Emmett knew he'd made his point well when I was silent and had no comeback for him.

"I want to get over this, I seriously do, but I don't know how to." My voice was quieter now as Emmett glanced over at me while slowing for traffics lights.

"I can't make you be okay with this, and I'm not telling you what to do, but you've been miserable without her these last couple of days. If that continues, I'm gonna kick you in the nuts and march you over there because there has to be a way for you to work this out."

"I just feel like I'm deciding my whole future right now and that's fucking scary." Emmett's eyes were on the road and it made it easier, talking to him knowing he couldn't read my expressions.

"Close your eyes," he ordered.

"What?"

"Close your fucking eyes, dip shit."

"Jesus, okay, keep your panties on."

Emmett sighed and waited until I closed my eyes. "Remember my wedding?"

"Obviously. I may have problems, but amnesia isn't one of them."

"I'm trying to help you." He sounded exasperated. "Remember my wedding, we stood there at the altar, right?"

"Yes, looking like two penguins."

"Agreed. Now, reverse that. I'm standing with you for your wedding, cause, bro, I'd better be your best man, otherwise I'll punch your balls so hard you won't be able to consummate anything."

I cringed. That didn't sound fun. "Em, I need a bride before I have a wedding."

"I'm getting to that part. We're standing there waiting, right?"

"Apparently."

"Picture it, I'm serious. Who's walking down the aisle? It is some chick with no face, or someone else?"

My eyes shot open. "Is this meant to help?"

"Yes of course it is. You don't have to answer me, just work out the answer for yourself."

"Whatever! You've been hanging around chicks too long. What kind of voodoo, positive thinking crap is this?"

"This is me thinking you really want to be with Bella, but you're too chicken shit to try."

I scoffed but remained silent as he turned onto his street.

"Okay, so suppose you don't do this. You walk away. What if you bump into her a few months from now and she's with another guy, a guy who can take on her son. How would you feel then?"

"Fucking sick." The thought of Bella kissing another guy, laughing with him, touching his chest and undoing his shirt…it made me physically shiver.

"According to Seth, his French teacher, Mr Newton wouldn't mind being in your shoes."

While I couldn't be with Bella just so no one else was, Emmett's comments did make me think about the reality of Bella being with someone else; of me being with someone else. And I didn't like it. At all.

Emmett pulled into his driveway and turned off his car but didn't make a move to get out.

"Ed, you can be a proper family with her. There's no biological dad to contend with—"

"Yeah and I'm pretty sure it makes me a bastard if I'm gaining from Jake's death."

Emmett turned to me. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You didn't know Bella then. All you can do is deal with the facts now, and the fact is you three could be a real family. If that's what you want."

I unclicked my seatbelt without answering him. "I don't know if I can compete with a ghost." I spoke quietly. "He was her first love…her first everything…he's Tyler's dad—"

"And now he's gone." Emmett's words were blunt, but true. I nodded slowly as we sat in silence until he spoke again. "Wanna stay here? It'll be easier to go and get your car in the morning," he offered, finally changing the subject.

"Sure, whatever."

We entered Emmett's house where Rosalie was watching some chick program in the kitchen. Emmett kissed her cheek as he passed, but carried on to the fridge, offering me some food as he tucked into something from a bowl.

I shook my head at him and collapsed into a seat at the dining table. I hadn't realized how late it now was and all I wanted to do was sleep and stop thinking. Rosalie, however, wanted to give me her opinion on my behavior. Great, just what I needed!

"I see you're handling this the mature way, going out to get drunk."

I rolled my eyes at her. "I'm not drunk."

"So you hit things when you're sober?" She nodded down to my fist and I groaned.

"I grazed my hand trying to get your husband off my back."

"You should be glad you have a brother who cares enough to go and save your sorry ass." Rosalie walked to her freezer, pulled out an ice pack, and threw it at my head, deliberately aiming so she caught me square between the eyes.

I grunted and caught the icepack as it dropped onto my lap. I placed it on my hand as Emmett laughed at me while he finished his food and placed his arm round Rosalie.

"You want kids someday right?" she asked me. "At least you know Bella will be a good mom." I remained silent as she continued. "Seth idolizes you, you're great with him. Why would you be any different with Tyler?"

I shrugged as she sighed at me.

Emmett stood up from placing his bowl in the dishwasher. "We're off to bed." he announced. "Spare room's yours."

"Thanks."

As they left the kitchen, Rosalie turned back to me, speaking in a softer tone this time.

"Instead of focusing on what you'd give up, why don't you focus on what you'd gain?"

Fifteen minutes later instead of sleeping my mind was racing. I had to admit Rosalie had a point. I closed my eyes, vowing that when I woke in the morning I'd try and see the situation with fresh eyes.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: "I thought I wouldn't see you again." Her voice was quiet and soft and her expression made me realize how much she'd been investing in this relationship.

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Fight Song by Rachel Platten**

I was up early the next morning. I was usually an early riser but this morning it had nothing to do with my body clock and everything to do with my eight-year-old nephew who was incapable of walking up and down stairs without it sounding like he was accompanied by a herd of elephants. Large elephants, wearing steel-toed boots. _Jesus!_ My head was pounding. I didn't know if my headache was from the alcohol last night or my rude awakening, but either way it kept me in a bad mood that morning.

As I entered Emmett's kitchen, Seth greeted me.

"Uncle Edward! Did you get locked out of your house again?"

"No, Buddy. Your dad drove me home last night…" shit, how did I explain this? Luckily those few words seemed to be enough for Seth. Rosalie then placed a large plateful of pancakes down in front of him and that was enough to distract him from any more questions.

"I need to drive Uncle Edward back to his car. We'll pass your school on the way so I'll drop you off, Seth," Emmett told him.

"Yes, no stinky bus!" Seth fist-pumped before he tucked into his pancakes, even more pleased than he was a minute ago.

I shook my head at Rosalie's offer of pancakes but cradled a hot coffee from Emmett. As I sipped at the drink, I watched my brother and his family. Seth was chatting about his project at school, making his parents laugh when he talked about his understanding of geography; he was quite surprised that Wales wasn't a place where whales lived. Rosalie packed him a lunch, checking what food he wanted as Emmett ruffled his son's hair, making Seth groan and then try and flatten it again. No chance, Buddy! He had hair like mine, eternally crazy no matter what we tried to do with it.

When Emmett pulled up at the school twenty minutes later, I couldn't help but glance at the staff car park but I couldn't tell if Bella's car was there.

"Wanna run Seth in?" Emmett asked, grinning at me as I rolled my eyes at him in reply. He just chuckled at me and pulled away once we'd watched Seth enter the school's large double doors.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

I had a quiet afternoon at work, which meant my mind was mulling over Emmett's words from last night. Emmett and Rosalie had been eager to give me their opinions on my situation, but I knew they wouldn't push me too far, ultimatly this was my decision. It made me realize I needed to see Bella again. To remind myself how I felt about her. To check our connection was real.

I left work and headed for her neighborhood. As I drove along her tree-lined street, I started to question what I was doing here. Would she mind me turning up? Presumably I'd see Tyler.

As I neared her house, I saw her now-familiar car pull into her drive. I slowed my car and pulled to the curb as I watched her from a distance. She exited the car and walked around to Tyler's side and after a few seconds the little boy was bounding out of the car with an abundance of energy. Bella headed for the trunk of the car and called to Tyler who took a bag from her and they walked to the doorstep, talking about something I obviously couldn't hear. Bella opened her front door and deposited the bags before she scooped Tyler onto her back and set off back to the car, the small boy laughing as he jiggled up and down while she carried him piggy-back-style to the trunk of the car. She bent down so he could collect a bag before she stepped back and closed the trunk. She spun around as Tyler smiled gleefully and they headed inside, closing the door on the world as they went. I sat, staring at the now quiet house.

I pictured myself inside that house and smiled for the first time in days.

I knew I needed to talk to Bella but I couldn't with Tyler there, so I drove home without speaking to her. I entered my empty house and kicked off my shoes before settling on the sofa. I'd lived alone for years now and had never felt before that I was missing out. I was often glad for some peace after a long day at the office or being with my loud family, but recently I'd been feeling differently. My house was quiet, too damn quiet. I wanted it filled with chatter and laughter. I wanted someone to talk to, to ask about my day, to suggest a film to watch. Someone I could cook dinner for or open a bottle of wine with, but right now my house was quiet. And empty. And lonely.

I turned on the TV. I didn't care what was on, I just needed the background noise as I fired up my laptop and occupied my mind with work for a while.

Once it was dark outside and I'd noticed it was time for dinner, I finally allowed my mind to wander to Bella…and Tyler. What were they having for dinner? What were they watching on TV? I was pretty sure it wasn't this shitty, depressing news show. I flicked the TV over to some drama I didn't even follow and headed to the kitchen. I couldn't be bothered to cook a proper meal just for me, so I microwaved something resembling a pasta dish and flicked through the TV channels, never settling on one program to watch. I was too restless. I knew what I wanted to do but it was such a big step I wasn't sure I would actually go through with it.

I finished my meal, turned off the TV and rested my head back on the sofa, listening to the quiet of the house.

After a few minutes of this, I looked at my watch. It was past eight so I stood up decisively, slipped my feet into my shoes, grabbed my car keys and left before I could think any further.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

As Bella's front door opened, I gave her a second to register that it was me standing on her doorstep. She smiled at me, a warm genuine smile which gave me the confidence to take a step forward and plant my lips on hers.

"Oomph. Hi," she whispered. She didn't sound mad at me, which was a minor miracle give how we'd left things the last time I saw her. I took my chance to show her exactly how I felt about her.

My hands found her body as I continued into her house, backing her against the wall as I went. She felt so good in my arms. Her skin was warm and soft, her scent was familiar and welcoming as my brain filled with happiness and I was flooded with emotions for her. I couldn't stop my fingers dancing over her skin, gripping and releasing, stroking and soothing as I reveled in just being here with her.

"I want you," I whispered back.

"I can tell," she replied as we broke apart and I grinned down at her. She took the opportunity to close her front door before she turned back to me. She was wearing a well-worn, grey Forks High School t-shirt which hugged her chest perfectly, and small shorts which only just poked out from the bottom of her top. Her hair was loose and her face was cleansed of all make-up.

She had never looked more beautiful.

My thumbs found the flesh of her hips under her flimsy top. Fuck, this felt so good. Kissing her again felt right, really fucking right, and seeing her cute little nose, her deep brown eyes and her soft lips blew away any remaining fragments of doubt. "I don't mean it like that, although I do want you like that. I mean...Bella I want you. I want this. Us. You and Tyler. You, me and Tyler, please..." I realized I was rambling, but judging by her expression she understood what I meant.

"Edward, don't say that unless you mean it," she warned me, her voice harsh as her eyes welled with tears.

"I do. I can do this. We can take it slowly and Tyler and I can get to know each other, but I'm in if you'll have me? I know I took my time with this and I left you waiting for an answer, I just…I wanted to be sure."

"And you're sure now?"

"Yes." I bent down and kissed her lips. "Very sure." I dropped another kiss on her lips. "Super sure," I clarified with another kiss as she laughed.

"What's brought all this on?"

"I know what I feel for you is special. You're special. I can't throw this way. I want us to date and I want to get to know Tyler. I don't want you to be alone, and I don't want to be alone either. I'm gonna try. Really fucking try, Bella, because I think we could be amazing together."

She grinned at me as I continued. "I know that the decision about our relationship has been left up to me but, baby, I'm all in, so now you get to decide if you want this...me...us."

Bella remained silent and I hoped to hell I hadn't ruined my chances with her.

"I'm sorry about the way I've acted. I did things I'm not proud of but I promise I've thought this through. I can do this."

Bella pulled my shirt towards her until my face had lowered to her level.

"It won't be easy. Tyler can be a terror sometimes and this is brand new territory for him…and me." She fisted my shirt as I merely grinned at her.

"I know. It's new for me too, but we'll work it out together, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded as her lips met mine again and I moaned against her. I'd missed this. In just a few short days I'd missed this intensity, her body flush to me, her lips pressed tightly to mine and her hands roaming over my chest.

Our kiss slowed and Bella lowered her head to rest on my chest. I held her close to me, stroking her hair as we stood in silence, taking in the events of the past few minutes.

"Can you stay for a bit? Tyler's asleep."

"I'd love to." I kissed the top of her head before we parted slightly, and I removed my shoes.

"Do you want a drink?" Bella asked, already heading for the kitchen area.

"Just a glass of water please." I already knew I'd be up half the night; I didn't need extra caffeine to make things worse.

I watched Bella in her kitchen, making us a drink each. It was such a domestic thing to do and I knew in that instant that I'd made the right decision.

I followed her to the kitchen area and spun her around, holding her hands gently as I spoke while she waited for the kettle to boil.

"So maybe we could just take this slowly...with Tyler."

Bella nodded. "Ideally you wouldn't have met him yet. I'd never have deliberately introduced you so early but, well, that ship has sailed now. I think it would confuse him more if you left and then are re-introduced in a few months. He might not trust that you'll stay."

I nodded. "That's fine with me. I'd like us to see each other, sometimes alone and sometimes with Tyler too."

Bella's grin threatened to jump off her face as she played with my fingers. "I'd like that. But Edward, you have to talk to me. Tell me if anything is getting too much for you. I know what it was like when Jake was tied down with Billy. I don't want to tie you down. I don't want Ty and me to stop you from doing things, or going places. I know it's easy to grow resentful in that situation."

"Baby, that's different, you were barely in your twenties then. I'm approaching my thirties. I'm happy to settle down, I've travelled, and I've set up my business; I've ticked all those boxes. I always hoped I'd settle down around thirty, this is just a couple of years early. Emmett always says I'm an overachiever!" I ran my hands lightly up her bare arms, needing to touch her and feel close to her.

"I'm serious, Edward, you could easily get a few months into this and decide it's too hard. What about when I have no babysitter for a night out, or Tyler's sick when we have plans—"

"Then we'll make new plans." I brushed her hair from her face as I spoke. "Baby, you can lean on other people. I know you only have Garrett at the moment, but once you trust them, my parents will look after Tyler, so will Emmett and Rose. Family are here to help."

"Not mine. My mom left me when I was eight, I still remember crying myself to sleep for weeks. I can't even contemplate Tyler feeling like that."

"He won't. Not if I can help it."

She looked at me doubtfully as she moved away and filled a glass with water before passing it to me. "I just need you to talk to me if you're feeling stuck or frustrated, instead of hitting things." She ran her fingers lightly over my grazed knuckles as I nodded.

"Okay. I can do that." She turned back to the kettle as it boiled and set about making herself a hot drink.

"I was aiming for Emmett." I spoke in a quiet voice.

"What?"

"I don't want you to think I hit things. I was aiming to shove him off me…a bar stool got in my way."

She raised her eyebrows at me as she stirred her drink. "I see. Well, it's been a while since I went to a bar, I didn't know the stools could attack like that."

I laughed. "Don't worry, you're not missing much. I went out because I felt like I should…I don't know…I just felt like I might find some answers that way and I guess I did because it made me realize I want you." I brushed her hair off her face as I silently pleaded with her to believe me.

"Well, however you reached that opinion, I'm glad you did." She stood on her toes and dropped a kiss on my jaw.

We collected our drinks and walked over to the sofa where Bella rested her hand on my thigh, making me grin like a fifteen-year-old on his first ever date. I moved closer to her as she ran her hand up and down my thigh slowly as we spoke.

"So, did your dad say anything to you? I didn't mean to have that conversation near him—"

Bella sounded embarrassed as I nodded. "Yeah, we talked. A lot. They kind of know everything."

"They?" Bella queried, her eyebrows shooting up her forehead.

"Yeah." I shrugged. "That's just how we are. My family's close. I needed their help with this one."

"And they don't mind."

"Mind? Mind us? Why would they mind?"

"Because you're plowing your time and energy into a kid—"

"Bella, before you say it, I know Tyler isn't my child but my parents_ adore_ kids. They will accept you and Tyler unconditionally."

Bella took in my words before she took my drink from me and placed it with hers on a side table. She then slowly straddled my lap as I sat absolutely still, not daring to move because I wanted to see where she was going with this. She leaned in closer to me, her eyes zeroed in on my lips and I couldn't stop my hands moving to her thighs. Her tiny shorts were just barely covering her ass, so the entirety of her beautiful thighs were bare as my hands stroked up her soft, warm legs, stopping at her shorts. Seemingly of their own volition, my fingers dipped just under the hem of the material, and onto her butt cheeks.

As her lips found mine, I moaned into our kiss, reveling in the feeling of her body on top of mine. Her hands were stroking over my jaw, feeling my stubble as our kiss grew hungrier.

Her hands then lowered to my chest, where she fisted my shirt as her lips slowly left me and her forehead rested on top of mine. Her fingers continued to slowly roam over my shirt as she leaned back slightly, and I saw her expression. Her gaze was intense and her forehead was wrinkled in concentration.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I held the tops of her arms and moved her back further so I could look her in the eyes.

"I thought I wouldn't see you again." Her voice was quiet and soft and her expression made me realize how much she'd been investing in this relationship. Any doubts I had about her wanting to date me were blown away as she revealed how much she'd wanted me to accept Tyler and be in a relationship with her. Her gaze moved from my chest to look into my eyes. "I didn't think you would choose us." Her fingers smoothed over my grazed hand, her expression communicating to me just how much she'd struggled waiting for me to get my head out of my own ass and jump into this relationship with her. Maybe Emmett was right, I'd hurt her more than I thought with my reaction to everything I'd learnt over this past week.

"Bella, I'm sorry I took my time. I didn't realize…"

She stopped me with a soft kiss. "You did what you had to do to make a decision. I'm just so pleased that you're really here. I didn't think I'd ever be able to touch you like this again."

"You can touch me like this whenever you want," I breathed out as she caught the corner of her lip in between her teeth and nodded.

"Good." She leaned forward, rested her head on my chest and sighed as my hands found her soft hair.

We sat like that in silence, our breathing the only noise in the room. I was content to just sit and savor her. Her body weight was resting down on me, and her breaths were soft and rhythmic as I continued to stroke over her soft hair. The knowledge that she was content to lie with me and listen to my heartbeat made everything worthwhile. All the worry. All the opening up to my family. All the indecision and time spent thinking, it all led me here and there was nowhere else on earth I'd rather be.

"Thank you." She spoke softly as I kissed the top of her forehead.

"What for?"

"Trying. Giving us a chance."

I squeezed her even closer to me as I chuckled. "You've got that the wrong way round. You're the one trusting me with your son's heart. I won't forget that."

As much as I wanted to stay like this, Bella straddling my lap was only increasing my need for the bathroom. I kissed her head, moved from under her and headed for the bathroom.

I could see Tyler's door was open and he was in bed. Seeing him in him flesh made enormity of my decision hit me like a freight train, but I didn't have time to dwell on my emotions as Tyler then spoke.

"Ewood?" His little voice shocked me as I walked further into his room.

"Hey, Buddy," I whispered. Shit, what would he think of me being here?

"I fink there's a monster in my closet, it made a creaky noise." It seemed Tyler had bigger worries on his mind than me being in his house. I didn't know what to do about imaginary monsters, should I go and get Bella?

"I'm sure it's fine." I tried to make my voice reassuring but Tyler wasn't convinced.

"Can you check?"

"Sure." I opened both doors of his closet and saw two rows of his little tops lined up on hangers, but no monsters.

"Nope you're all good, no extra visitors in here."

"Are you sure, 'cause they hide sometimes." His voice was sleepy but I could hear the note of worry in it still.

"Umm, I'm not seeing any monsters, Tyler." I looked back at his little face in the dim light. He wasn't convinced, he looked scared and I knew I had to help him. I glanced around his room and spotted one of many dinosaurs at the end of his bed.

"How about we put this guy in the closet?" I held up a large hard plastic dinosaur. "Then he can scare off any monsters."

I could just about see Tyler's grin in the dim glow of his nightlight.

"Yeah! He'd eat them all up."

"Exactly." I stood the dinosaur on the closet shelf and closed the doors securely. Tyler relaxed back on his pillow, his eyes already heavy.

"Okay now?" I checked as he nodded through a yawn. "Goodnight then, Buddy."

It wasn't until I'd left his room, used the bathroom, and sat back on the sofa with Bella that I realized he didn't once question why I was here in his house. He didn't seem confused or upset about seeing me, if anything he was pleased I was there to help.

"Everything okay?" Bella asked.

"Tyler was awake, worrying about monsters in his closet."

Bella's face fell into an affectionate smile. "Is he alright now?"

"Yeah. He went back to sleep."

"Oh. Did he show you the monster spray?"

"The what?" I chuckled. Surely that was a joke?

"Monster spray. It's lavender water in a bottle with a funny label; he makes me spray it most nights." Nope, Bella was serious.

"Oh, uh, no. I put a dinosaur in the closet to scare off the monsters. He seemed happy with that."

Bella looked at me like she wanted to say more but she just stroked over my jaw and pulled me sideways for a kiss. Hmm, I'd look into being a full time monster scarer if this was my payment.

"You're good with him," she whispered as I shrugged.

"I don't know what I'm doing, I'm winging it here, Bella."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I don't expect you and Tyler to be best buddies immediately, you both need to get to know each other."

I nodded. Speaking of getting to know each other, I wanted to know Bella better too. "So, what do you usually do in the evening when Tyler's asleep?"

"Work. I mark the kids' homework or lesson plan."

"You shouldn't have to do that in your spare time," I objected as Bella shrugged.

"It's the only way I can get all the work done. I don't mind, I usually put on the TV or a film."

"Do you need to do work now? I can go —"

Bella shook her head. "Nope, what I need now is to check that you're real, that you're really here." Her hands toyed with my shirt, smoothing the material over my chest as I grinned at her.

"I'm real. This is happening," I reassured her.

"Good."

"So when are you free to go out? There's somewhere I want to take you."

"You can take me anywhere you like!" Bella gave me a suggestive eyebrow wiggle as I groaned.

The first time we slept together was amazing, but I barely knew her. The second time was equally as amazing, but we really should have gotten to know each other better first. The next time...fuck, I was getting hard just thinking about the next time, but that needed to wait until we had tried this dating business and were more stable. As much as my dick wanted it to happen here and now, my brain knew that wouldn't be a good idea.

"I'm serious." I chuckled at her.

"Okay, well I'm free Saturday. Tyler has karate, Garrett teaches him, then Ty stays on to help with Garrett's other classes. I'll have the morning free for us, then maybe we can do something with Tyler in the afternoon?"

"Sounds perfect." I leaned forward and kissed her nose, not daring to make contact with her lips as I didn't want to start anything I couldn't finish.

Bella and I spent the rest of the evening chatting and laughing. I learned more about her job and friends and her life with Tyler. I listened, eagerly catching any information about her life that she shared. The more time we spent together the surer I was of my decision. I was committed to this relationship. All I needed to do now was to see where it would take us.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: "Who's that guy on your couch? I thought you'd forgotten that men existed."

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Are You Wth Me by Lost Frequencies**

Well, this was new territory for me. It was early Saturday morning and I was headed to Bella's. We were going to spend the morning together while Tyler went to his karate lesson, then I'd see him when he got back. I thought that was a good plan. It gave Bella and me time alone, but later I'd get to see Tyler again.

I thought Tyler would already be at karate and I wouldn't see him until this afternoon, but as Bella answered her door, I saw him behind her. He was balancing on the coffee table, wearing a pirate scarf on his head as he waved a foam sword around.

"Tyler Jacob Swan, get down from there!" Bella shouted, sounding exasperated as she turned back to me and greeted me with a smile. I leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her cheek. I hadn't planned on it. I didn't know how she'd feel about me kissing her in front of Tyler, but I took my chance because Tyler was now lying on the floor, fighting off imaginary crocodiles with his sword. Bella smelled good and looked great in a pink skirt and tight white t-shirt, but her expression was one of exasperation.

"Hi." She laughed as I held out a coffee cup and bag containing a muffin from the bakery I'd passed on my way here.

"I'd have gotten Tyler something, but I didn't know I'd see him yet," I apologized.

"It's fine. He certainly doesn't need any more energy!" she told me. "This is really sweet of you, thanks," she added as her eyes roamed my body, over my jeans, and shirt which was loose and open at the collar. "Garrett's running late. Ty would usually be on his way by now. That's why he's messing about, no patience!" She closed the door behind me and took a sip of her drink as I removed my shoes and looked at Tyler who was now hurtling towards me.

"Ewood! Are you coming to karate? I'm good. I gotted a yellow belt. Uncle Garrett says I can beed a black belt like him when I'm bigger."

"I'd love to watch you, Tyler. Maybe another day?" I suggested as he shrugged.

"Okay," he replied as he turned to Bella. "Mama, can we builded a pirate ship?" His eyes were wide and hopeful as he looked up at her.

"We don't have time now, Ty," she replied, holding his shoulders in an attempt to calm him down. "You need to get your outfit on, Uncle Garrett will be here any minute." His face split into a wide grin and he ran off in the direction of his room.

I was suddenly struck by Bella's words. If Garrett was collecting Tyler, I was about to meet him. He was Bella's close family, he'd been there for her and Tyler for years and I wasn't prepared for meeting him.

"Want a seat?" Bella interrupted my thoughts as I nodded and headed for the couch where we both sipped our drinks.

"What did you have in mind for this morning? I need to be back at twelve for Ty," she confirmed as I nodded but was interrupted before I could speak.

"Damn it, Bells! How many times do I have to tell you to lock this door?" a loud voice bellowed into the room as she rolled her eyes.

"Hello to you, too," she replied as a large guy similar in height to me, entered the room. He had short dark hair and was muscular like Emmett. Garrett, I assumed, from the photos I'd seen. He smiled over at Bella as she walked towards him and was enveloped in a hug. He picked her up effortlessly, her feet dangling as he swung her back and forth, his largely-built body enveloping her small frame effortlessly. I saw him kiss the top of her hair and start to pull away but Bella held him closer for an extra few seconds as he started to look confused.

"You okay?" he queried.

"Yeah, I'm good," she told him with a shy smile.

"Okay, well…" Garrett started before he dropped his voice to a stage whisper, "…who's that guy on your couch? I thought you'd forgotten that men existed," he asked her.

"This is Edward," she announced, "...and he can hear you."

"Well that's two things I know about him then. His name is Edward and he isn't deaf." Garrett was sarcastic but jovial as Bella's face reddened.

"I did mention him," Bella argued as Garrett smiled.

"Oh yeah. I remember you begging me to babysit the other night and promising to cook me my very own batch of peanut butter cookies if I agreed, which, by the way, I have yet to see."

Bella's face was now bright red and she wasn't making eye contact with me. She was too busy glaring at Garrett who was smirking back at her. He knew exactly how much he'd embarrassed her.

"You won't get them at all if you don't quit being a jerk." Bella playfully shoved Garrett's chest as he relented.

"Okay, okay, I'll behave. I won't tell Edward how you tried on six different outfits before that date—oomph."

Bella shoved his chest again. "Garrett, seriously. I'm trying to set a good example to my son and not hurt you right now, but I'm pretty tempted to do it while he's not watching."

"Okay, I'll be good." Garrett laughed as he stepped towards me. "Edward, hi."

I stood up and Garrett took my outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you," I said politely as Garrett looked at me rather intensely, as if he was trying to answer all his questions just by appraising me. I had noticed how Bella introduced us but didn't explain our relationship. Perhaps that was for the best. If she said we were just friends again I'd be angry, but I had a feeling that if this guy knew I'd already slept with his cousin I'd be about to lose a limb.

"You too," Garrett replied before he was interrupted.

"Uncle Garrett!" Tyler bellowed as he tumbled into the room, running too fast for his little legs to keep up. Garrett stretched forward and caught Tyler before he fell to the floor.

"Steady there, Rex," he told the little boy.

"I's ready. Can we go now?" Tyler asked excitedly.

"Sure, but you need shoes, buddy, and your jacket is inside out!" Garrett shouted after the little boy who was now heading for his shoes.

"Ty, slow down, baby," Bella told him as she walked after him, first helping him on with his shoes and then, after she turned his karate jacket the right way round, she held it open for him to slip his arms into. She looked back at Garrett and I as we were both stood awkwardly watching her.

"Come on then, little dude, let's go," Garrett announced as he pulled his keys from his pocket. I watched as Bella gave Tyler a hug and a kiss to his forehead.

"Love you," she told him as he trotted off, holding hands with Garrett. Garrett gave Bella's shoulder a squeeze as he gave her a knowing look. As they approached the front door he turned back to her.

"Bells, I'll take Ty for lunch after, give you two some more time…alone" he grinned at her.

I liked Garrett a little more now!

Bella, however, looked like she wanted to learn karate herself right now, just to kick his ass.

"Garrett, what the hell?" she hissed at him, not looking my way.

"You're welcome," he threw back over his shoulder as he left, closing the front door behind him and Tyler. "And lock this door," he shouted as she rolled her eyes but did as he said.

"I like him already!" I announced.

Bella slapped my shoulder lightly as she sat down next to me.

"Finish your drink then, missy, we need to get going," I encouraged. As much as I wanted to stay here with Bella, I had plans. I wanted to get to know her better now that she didn't have anything to hide from me.

"Where are we going?" she enquired as I stood up, stretched, and grinned at her watching me.

"Surprise."

"Surprise to your house?" she replied cheekily at me as she stood and reached out to stroke down my jaw.

I groaned. "God, Bella, don't tempt me. I'm trying to be romantic here and _not_ jump your bones." I protested weakly as I pulled her closer to me.

"Romance? Hmm, I guess I could do with a bit of romance in my life." She met my lips in a soft and gentle kiss, one I struggled not to deepen and continue.

"Enough." My voice came out rough and deep as I ran my hands through my hair. "Go. Get ready before we don't leave at all." I instructed while Bella grinned up at me.

"Okay, okay," she playfully moaned as I swatted her butt when she passed me on her way to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, we were on the road in my trusty silver Volvo. The sun was shining and I'd rolled my sleeves up to my elbows, watching Bella's eyes widen as I did so. I loved the way I could read her. She wasn't terribly subtle about the ways she liked my body, and I loved how wanted she made me feel.

"Are you going to give me any clue where we're going?" Bella popped a chunk of her muffin in her mouth after she spoke.

I chuckled. "Nope."

Bella ate her muffin and drank her coffee and watched me drive as we chatted. "You're not looking at the road signs for a clue?"

"No, I like this view better" she replied, watching me.

"You're crazy," I chuckled affectionately.

"And you're hot." I could see her in my peripheral vision. Her eyes roamed my hands on the steering wheel and then up my arms before I turned to her and she blushed.

"I'm beginning to re-think where we're going," I told her as she looked surprised.

"Why?"

"There'll be beds, and we'll be alone, and you keep looking at me like that when I'm trying so hard to be good," I explained. Bella made me feel so wanted and her legs in that skirt made me lose focus on why I was trying to keep her clothes on her body today.

"Hmm, well this trip just got more interesting!" Bella mused out loud as she moved her hand and rested it lightly on my thigh. I felt her light squeeze and involuntarily grinned.

"It isn't far now." I needed to change the conversation and think about something else. "So it's karate Tyler's doing?" I wanted to take an interest in their lives and by bringing up Tyler I wanted Bella to know I was happy to talk about him.

"Yeah." She looked surprised at my question. "Garrett takes him to his littles class and then he stays for the older classes and helps Garrett."

"So he really will be a black belt one day?"

"Probably!" Bella grinned with pride. "I can't work out if it's the karate Ty loves or the time with Garrett. Either way I'll encourage him to continue for as long as he's happy."

"I'd love to go and watch him sometime. If that's okay with you?"

"Yeah. He'd like that."

A few miles later I turned the car off the road, around a corner and up a dirt track that I knew so well. Coming here always filled me with happiness. I was reminded of long, hot summers, the cool relief of jumping into the cold river, swinging on rope swings, building a raft with Emmett and Dad, and late nights outside, the fire lighting up our faces as we melted s'mores and tried to stay awake all night.

A few minutes down the track, I came to our destination.

"Wow, this is…wow. Where are we?"

I turned off the engine and looked at Bella. "This is my family's cabin." I gestured to the single-story log building with a small wraparound porch. The trees were quite thick out the front here but the light crept through the leaves in certain spots, illuminating the building. I stepped out the car and opened Bella's door for her as she looked up at the cabin. I was stretching my body, stiff from the drive, when Bella turned to me.

"This is your parents' cabin?" she questioned. It was obvious from her face she loved this cabin, as I suspected she would. I knew her well enough to know she was a down-to-earth girl. Her house, while relatively small, was a real home for her and Tyler and this cabin made her eyes light up bright, and we weren't even inside yet.

"Yeah, we spent a lot of summers here, it's a nice getaway. Now we're older we all use it at various times in the year."

"Show me inside." Bella turned to me, bouncing on her feet and tugging at my shirt, showing me exactly where Tyler got his playful enthusiasm from.

"Sure, come on." I lead the way up the steps as I spoke. "It might be a bit musty. I think Emmett and Rose were the last ones here so who knows what it looks like inside," I added as I unlocked the front door and held out my hand for Bella to enter first. She looked around in silent awe while I opened the shutters, letting light from the rear of the cabin flood into the living area. There was a small kitchen area with a comfy dining booth seat and a living room area, complete with fireplace to one side. The other doors were bathrooms and bedrooms. The cabin was quite compact, but that was always what I liked about it. When we visited we were all together, not spread throughout a large house.

There were a few home comforts which stayed here all year round, a bookshelf full of my Mom's favorite reads and a pile of board games, all worn and missing half the pieces but with so many memories. I knew the racing car counter from the Monopoly board was somewhere under the decking, dropped there by a five year old Alice. I knew that Colonel Mustard could never be the culprit in our Clue games because Emmett and I had fought over him until the card ripped in half, and I smiled remembering the pack of cards which Alice had wrecked when she cut out all the hearts to make a Valentines card.

Turning to the kitchen, I knew there were cupboards of staple foods with long expiry dates but I'd brought some food for us, thinking canned tomato soup might not impress Bella as much as I wanted to. Looking at her face now, though, I didn't need to worry about impressing her. She was scanning the room like she'd stumbled into an ancient pharaoh's crypt, all wide eyed and astonished.

"Through there's the bathroom and bedrooms," I pointed to the closed doors, "but I won't show you them now."

"You don't trust me in the bedroom?" Her voice was coy as she looked up at me from under her lashes.

"I don't trust myself," I joked as Bella grinned and turned back to the main room.

"I love it. Is that a real fire?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Yep, we'll need it in the winter too," I told her before I caught myself. "Err…you know, if...if you want to come here, with me...and Tyler too obviously..."

"Edward..." Bella grinned having caught my slip. "Try and keep me away." She leaned in for a kiss but before our lips met she gasped and turned away.

"Is that a river out the back?"

I laughed at her enthusiasm. "Yeah, here…" I unlocked the floor-to-ceiling glass doors which opened up the cabin to the decking, making it one continuous space. Bella followed me out onto the deck, examining the water. There were far fewer trees out the back so the deck was bathed in a warm heat. Bella's hair swished around her shoulders as she turned back to me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, her head resting on my chest as my hands smoothed over her hair.

"This place is amazing. Thank you for bringing me here." She seemed to know, without me telling her, how much this place meant to me. I'd never brought a girlfriend here. It had never felt right, but being here with Bella, on the deck, with the sun bouncing off the water and her body tight to mine, this felt incredibly right. I could picture Tyler running around, wanting to try out the rope swing and being even more excited about this place than his Mom. I wanted to teach him how to fish, how to light a fire and how to get up such speed on the rope swing that Bella would surely shout at us. I surprised myself with how much I wanted him here with us.

"I thought Tyler would like it here, but I wanted to show you first…" I trailed off as Bella looked up at me and I was shocked by the tears in her eyes. "Hey, I didn't mean to upset you. If this is too much…" she silenced me by pulling my shirt collar, lowering me to her, and planting her lips on mine. They were soft and warm as always but less urgent than usual, more reassuring and calming.

"I can't believe you're real," she whispered when we pulled apart.

"Trust me, I feel the same about you. I've never brought anyone here." I needed her to know that, to know how special she was to me. "This is where I have some of the best memories of my life. I want to share my life with you now and this is a big part of that." A single tear fell down Bella's cheek as I swiped it away with my thumb.

"I keep waiting for you to run." Her voice was quiet and soft but I heard her, and the pain with which she spoke. I sat down on the edge of the dock and patted the wooden deck next to me. Bella sat down and looked at me rather confused.

"Do I look like I'm running anywhere?" I asked her seriously.

"No," she admitted with a grin.

"Good. Now stop worrying. No worrying is allowed at the cabin, it's a family rule." She looked unsure about believing me, but she let her shoulders relax as we stared out at the river below us. We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. I knew if Tyler was here he'd be active and noisy, bringing life and laughter to the cabin. I always associated this cabin with family and fun and noise and I knew Bella and Tyler would bring that in abundance.

"Stay here. I'll be right back." I kissed her nose when she turned to me and then I stood. By the time I returned to the deck with the picnic I'd fetched from the car, Bella's shoes were discarded to one side as her feet dangled in the river. I watched her body stretched back on her elbows, eyes closed and face to the sun, soaking up the warm rays until she heard my footsteps.

"Should I be watching out for crocs or anything?" she joked with a laugh in her voice, still facing the sky with her eyes closed. It was good to see her so care free after the serious way she looked in the earlier part of our relationship.

"Nope. If there were any they'd have had Emmett years ago, much more meat on him. Speaking of food..." I presented the picnic basket complete with meats, cheeses, fruits, drinks, and chocolate. Bella gasped and grinned at me while she sat up.

"This is perfect." I smiled at her compliment as I sat down next to her, shucking my shoes and socks and rolling up my jeans so I too could dangle my feet in the water. Bella set about unpacking the food and we ate as we talked.

"So, is there anything else I should know about you, any other secrets?" I enquired, watching her tuck into the plump strawberries I'd bought fresh that morning.

"Nope. Just my weird love of stationery."

That I wasn't expecting.

"Like pens and stuff?" I laughed as I took a bite of my ham roll. Bella nodded around her mouthful, swallowing before she spoke.

"Can't walk past Office Depot without buying pens I don't need."

"So where some women like shoes, you like office supplies?"

"Ah-hah. There so perfect in their little packets, and so many types of Post-its and pens and pencil cases and…"

"Okay, okay, I get the idea, stationery, got it!" I interrupted as she shrugged.

"Now you know why I became a teacher, I say it's for the kids...noble profession blah blah blah, really I just love the stationery!" I laughed at her, knowing full well she loved her job and the kids she taught.

We fell into silence as she ate more fruit and swished her feet in the warm water. I could tell she was thinking and I could see the moment she became more serious, her shoulders stiffened and she took a deep breath as she turned to me.

"There was one other thing I wanted to tell you but didn't want to overwhelm you."

This sounded intriguing. "Go on. I'm listening." I tried to keep my voice light but my heart rate had picked up. I had no idea what she was about to say.

"I've only ever been with one guy, you know, before you," she mumbled.

Tyler's Dad, I deduced in my head. I was shocked. I'd got the impression sleeping with me so quickly was out of the ordinary for her but this confirmed it to me.

"We were together for a long time and well, moving on was difficult. Emotionally I've had to make my peace with what happened and I did, a while ago now, but physically, there was only ever him...until you."

I set my sandwich down on the aluminum foil and brushed crumbs off my hands. "Wow." That was all I could manage and it wasn't a very helpful response. "Um. I'm sorry Bella, I'd have probably done things differently if I'd have known that."

"I'm glad you didn't. I don't want to be treated differently. I didn't want a big build up; I just wanted to feel again. I'm just telling you now because you should know that I'm inexperienced at this."

"Hey, I'd have never known. Our nights together have been great—"

"I'm meant dating. I've never even completed a first date. Jake and I fell into a relationship with no courting and the only other date I've attempted bailed when I told him about Tyler. I've never 'met the parents', never introduced a guy to my Dad, never really been asked out. I had none of that with Jake. I'm twenty four and new to all this. I might mess it up." She spoke out to the river, distancing herself from me as she spilled her past again.

"Hey, we can overcome all that," I assured her.

"I'm just waiting for you to realize I'm in over my head here."

"And you think I know what I'm doing?" I knew she got the impression that I was experienced at dating, and maybe by her standards I was, but I wasn't used to anything serious, to caring this much about doing things right.

"You have more past partners than me, probably more experience..."

"Past for a reason."

"I'm sure you're used to women who have their lives together..."

That shit I didn't need to hear. I turned her head to mine and met her lips with my eager mouth, stopping her mid-sentence. She soon reciprocated my kiss as her soft lips moved in time with mine. I reluctantly pulled my lips from hers.

"I'm not interested in other women, however together their lives are. I like that I get to be your first for all that. I hope I will anyway." She grinned at me and before I could lean forward and resume our kiss, she pushed me back against the deck and climbed on my lap, facing me. Fuck, this was erotic. I'd certainly never done this at the cabin before.

"I hope so too." Her words were soft but her meaning was strong. It was one of the few times she'd hinted at a future together, hinted at her commitment to this relationship. She kissed my stubbly jaw, working her way to my chin as her hands found my hair. I pulled her closer to me before my hands rested on her ass.

"You're amazing," she whispered as I chuckled.

"You're the one raising a son alone. I struggle to be responsible for the office coffee run." Bella laughed as her hands rested on my biceps and she leaned back to look at me.

"You make me feel so much that it scares me," she confessed as I leaned up on my elbows and kissed her nose.

"Don't be scared, we're in this together now."

"Speaking of being together..." Bella fingered the buttons on my shirt as she looked up shyly at me from under her long eyelashes. I could tell she wasn't used to flirting, her cheeks had turned red, a dead giveaway that she wasn't used to making the first move. Fuck. I wanted her. I really wanted her, here on the deck, in the sun.

"I want to. Christ, Bella, I want you so much, but I need you to know you're more than that to me." She paused on my shirt button and I dropped my elbows and lowered my head to the decking as I tried to slow my breathing.

"Soon?" She asked, not pushing me.

"Very." She climbed off my lap as I groaned at the loss of her weight, right where I wanted her.

"Are you put off by what I said?" Her voice was quiet as I gasped.

"No. No way, that just turned me on even more." I sat back up and I ran my hands through my hair as she waited for me to continue. "I loved our nights together, but now that we're more than that I want to do things properly, romance you, and take you on dates and build up to that. You've never had that so I intend to give it to you."

"We had a date," she argued, her fingers softly running along the protruding veins in my arms.

"I guess but I didn't know then that it was the only date you've ever had. Buying you a hotdog and spending your own money on the fair doesn't make a very impressive first ever date."

She laughed. "I liked it. I loved it."

"Well, this is more like it but I've got a lot of the dating world to show you still."

"Fine, well make it snappy. I can only resist you for so long," she demanded, and I grinned.

"Noted," I assured her with a wink. "Eat up," I encouraged as we finished our food and I told her stories of my family's cabin visits over the years. I pointed out the window which gave me my scar on my knee when I crashed through it on a skateboard. I pointed at the spot across the river where my parents had renewed their vows a few years ago and I pointed to the tree where Emmett, Alice and I had etched our names in the bark, promising to take her across the river to show her everywhere properly next time. I was just explaining the 'Cullen Cup' and what crazy, made-up sports it consisted of when her phone buzzed.

"Sorry, I wouldn't get it but Ty..."

"It's fine," I assured her.

"It's a text from Garrett saying they'll be home in an hour." She spoke reluctantly as she looked up at me.

"That's okay, saves me the embarrassment of telling you Emmett's won that damn cup the last three years running."

She laughed. "You're such a tool."

"Stop talking about my tool, sweetheart, and get packing."

She rolled her eyes, slapped my arm and typed out a reply to her cousin. "I'm sorry we have to leave, I'd stay here forever—"

"Bella, stop apologizing. Maybe we can come back here with Tyler soon, then we could stay longer." Bella's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. I loved that I could make her so happy.

"He'd love it here," she whispered, looking around again as we finished our food. We packed up, used the bathroom and locked the cabin up securely. As I bolted the last shutter closed, Bella held the front door open, waiting for me. She was looking around, her eyes settling on the fireplace as I approached her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'll bring you back here, I promise." I kissed the top of her head as we turned and headed for my car.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and my newest pre-reader lovintwilife, for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this little story.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: "I love my Mom more than my boat. Does that make me a bad pirate?"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

"One baby boy safely returned, all limbs intact and a full belly," Garrett announced proudly as Tyler rushed into the room, looking to me like he still had every ounce of energy that he'd left here with. And it appeared Garrett agreed.

"That kid, Bells! If I didn't know better I'd have thought you drank Red Bull your entire pregnancy. Where on earth does all that energy come from?"

"Was he okay?" Bella asked as she hung up Tyler's coat.

"Of course, he always is," Garrett replied genuinely.

"Do you want to stay for a drink?" she offered as she picked up Tyler's shoes from where he'd stepped out of them.

Garrett looked at me, implying I had something to do with his decision. Maybe I did, maybe he wanted to talk to me? "Yeah, a quick one." He nodded to Bella before he shucked his own shoes and slung his arm over her shoulder.

"So, Bells, how do you two know each other?" he asked her brashly, cutting straight to the chase as he nodded over to me.

"I teach Edward's nephew," she explained, no doubt going for the explanation that didn't involve letting him know we'd hooked up. Twice. "Sit down, boys," she added before she headed for the kitchen to make the drinks.

"Lucky kid. She's a fantastic teacher," Garrett said, walking towards me. "Completed her training when Ty was little, to this day I still don't know how she managed it."

"With your help, I imagine," I replied. No harm in being complementary to him.

He shrugged. "I was able to watch Tyler during school hours 'cause I was teaching karate evenings and weekends, but she did all the hard work. It's something she's always wanted to do so she made it work." I sat on the sofa and Garrett sat next to me, crossing one ankle over the opposite knee as we heard Bella talking softly to Tyler in the kitchen area. Garrett looked over to Bella to check she wasn't listening before he turned to me and spoke in a quieter voice.

"So, Edward, how do you really know Bella?"

"She teaches Seth, my nephew," I clarified Bella's earlier answer to the same question. Garrett raised his eyebrows at me.

"I'm pretty sure Bella doesn't have the uncles, aunts and extended family of her school kids round to her place to hang out on the weekend."

I had no idea what, if anything, Bella had told him about me, so I went with honesty.

"She does teach my nephew, but before that we met at my cousin's wedding." Garrett's eyebrows shot up.

"Would that be the night I babysat Tyler and she didn't come home until the next morning?"

Shit!

Garrett's stare was burrowing into me, trying to read my expression as I scrambled to say something, _anything_, to improve this situation.

"I'm not judging," he continued.

Huh, that was funny, because it sure as hell felt like he was judging both me and Bella right now.

"She's not so much as kissed a guy since she had Tyler, so I'd be happy for her to be in a relationship." I nodded slowly, processing Garrett's words. It was a good job Bella told me earlier that she'd only ever been with Tyler's dad, otherwise Garrett had just spilled that secret for her. "A blind man could see the way she looks at you," he continued, his voice and expression serious.

"Huh." Well, shit. That felt good.

"Listen, Edward, I don't want to be stereotypical here and say if you hurt her I will hunt you down—"

"I get it..." I interjected, "...I have a younger sister."

"It's not just Bells. It's Ty too, that kid..." Garrett swallowed a lump in his throat but stopped talking when Bella approached us with a drink each. I noticed she was watching us warily.

I didn't want to have to prove myself to Garrett. Our relationship wasn't defined by whether Garrett approved of us or not, but I'd been thinking about something ever since Tyler left this morning so I decided to act on it.

"Hey, Tyler?" He was walking towards us, both hands holding a beaker, his face focused on the object as he took small steps, concentrating on not spilling the drink. He reached his small table, placed the beaker down, and turned his head to me. "You still wanna build that pirate ship?"

ooooooOOOOOOOoooooo

A few hours later, I was the proud owner of a microwave that I would never be able to return to the store and, more importantly, co-owner of a kickass pirate ship, "The Black Swan."

Tyler had bounced off the walls with enthusiasm at my offer while Bella had looked more hesitantly at us.

"What can we use?" Tyler asked as I stood up.

"I've got some cardboard in my car, come and help me." I headed toward the front door before I turned back to Bella. "Is that okay?" I asked, suddenly unsure.

"Yeah. Just keep him away from the road," she replied as I nodded, slipping my feet into my shoes.

"I'll carry you Tyler, save putting your shoes on." Tyler held his arms out as I picked him up. He settled himself on my hip and hooked an arm around my neck onto the opposite shoulder. He felt so small in my arms, weighing next to nothing as he held on tightly to my shirt. I felt in my pocket for my car keys and looked back to Bella who now had a strange expression on her face. "I'll be right back," I reassured her as she nodded, and Tyler and I headed down Bella's driveway. In the trunk of my car I had a new microwave. I'd bought it and left it in the car as it was for the kitchen at work. It suddenly dawned on me that if it was faulty I couldn't return it if the box looked like a pirate ship. Still, it was too late to worry about that now. Tyler helped me empty the box and we carried it back inside to Bella who had gotten out a large craft box filled with all types of materials.

We used my large box, along with some other cardboard boxes Bella had, and assembled our boat. As it neared completion, I finished painting the 'n' of 'Swan' and I sat back and smiled. We'd unfolded the boxes and stuck them together into one long length and fixed it a few feet off the wall. Tyler and I had shaped and decorated it while Bella looked on in amusement. Garrett had left halfway through our construction, with a smile and a nod in my direction, making sure Tyler promised to send him a picture on Bella's phone of the finished boat.

"Ewood, this bit needs more tape."

"Coming, buddy," I replied, locating the sticky tape and tearing a bit off for Tyler to put in place.

"Is she seaworthy now?" I queried. We'd decided early in the build that Tyler would be the Captain of the ship. I think I was more of a maintenance handyman.

"I think so but we need more crew," he informed me as he ran off to his room. I looked over at Bella. She was, as per my instructions, resting on the sofa, watching us with a grin on her face. As I walked toward her, she stood and approached me. We met in the middle of the room but she didn't stop, she carried on walking, backing me against the wall. She stretched up on her tiptoes to make her lips meet mine with an urgency I hadn't felt from her in a while. My hands found her ass, helping her reach up to me as I moaned at her kiss.

"You…" she started when she finally released me and held my arms. "You are so damn hot," she added as I grinned.

"Arrrr! Like a good pirate, do ya?" I teased with an awful pirate accent while my hands crept up the front of her T-shirt.

"No, I like you. Just you," she clarified as she ran her finger along my cheek and removed it to show me the black paint from my face.

"Maybe I need to go clean up," I admitted as Bella backed away, releasing me.

I held her chin and tipped her face up to look at me. "I like you, too…just you."

She grinned and traced the pattern on my T-shirt as she spoke. "Do you have to go soon?"

I shrugged, I didn't want to go but I was wary of outstaying my welcome. "I don't have anywhere else to be."

"You want to stay for dinner? I think you've earned a good feed," she joked, covering up the seriousness of her question. Her wanting to spend more time together was a big deal to me.

"I'd love to." I dropped a kiss on her lips and stepped away just as Tyler returned, arms full of dinosaurs and other toys he was about to load into the boat for her maiden voyage.

"Is she ready now?" I asked as he lined the toys up on the chair inside the boat, his little face scrunching up in confusion as he paused what he was doing and looked up at me.

"Why's our boat a girl?" He made me laugh with his curious expression.

"Oh, all boats are girls. I asked my dad that when I was little. He told me it's because a boat is really important to the captain. The only thing more important to him is his mom." Tyler looked at me, studying my face as he thought about my words.

"'Cause Moms is special?"

"Yep. Moms are very special." I was serious in my expression and tone of voice. Tyler nodded.

"Even when you is big?"

"Yep, I'm big and my mom's still super special, like your mom."

Tyler nodded and grinned. "I love my mom more than my boat, does that make me a bad pirate?"

"No way, Cap'n, you'll be the best pirate ever. Load her up, ready to set sail." Tyler finished lining up his toys and I turned around to see Bella smiling at me. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn't, she just watched as Tyler played in our boat.

I was watching her, wondering what to say when a little body launched at me. "Oomph." I caught Tyler and just about managed to lessen the impact of his little foot on my junk.

"Ty, baby, be careful," Bella scolded lightly.

"It's fine," I assured her, knowing Tyler's over excitement was mostly my own making.

"We is ready, Ewood. The Black Swan's gonna set sail, oh...hang on, I need an eye patch." Tyler wriggled free from my arms and ran off to the craft supplies as I smiled at his enthusiasm. Everything was an adventure to him. He was such a happy boy, full of crazy ideas, making me smile whenever I was with him.

Bella cooked an amazing dinner and I felt surprisingly comfortable sitting down to eat with her and Tyler. I grinned when Tyler asked me to cut up his meat for him. I'm sure the novelty of that would wear off, but for now I was pleased he turned to me for help. We chatted and I got to see first-hand the mess a three-year-old can make with meat and gravy.

As the evening drew on and darkness fell outside, I could tell Tyler was getting tired. His little legs stopped swinging under the table and he stopped fidgeting quite so much.

"Mama, can we sleep in my pirate ship?" he asked when he'd eaten all he was going to of his dinner.

I expected Bella to say no, but she thought about it and then agreed with a small nod of her head.

"Sure. As long as you don't wake at the crack of dawn, tomorrow's Sunday so we can stay in bed and have cuddles."

Tyler nodded furiously at her. "I will beed good, Mama. I can use the camping bed Gramps gotted me!" Tyler slid off his seat, his excitement giving him a new reserve of energy. Bella chuckled as he ran off to his room.

Bella started collecting the plates from the table and I helped as we loaded the dishwasher together.

"Well, I'd better get going." I dried my hands on my jeans as Bella walked closer to me.

"I know it's stupid to feel like this already, but I miss you when you're not here."

I grinned at her words. "I miss you, too."

"I hope you've had a good day. I know Tyler's been boisterous this afternoon, he just likes having you here."

"Bella, it's fine. I've had the best weekend in months. I know I have to go and I'm gonna head home in a minute, but I wish I didn't have to. I'd love to stay here with you both."

"Please don't say this stuff if you're not sure." Her voice almost broke my heart.

"I'm sure." I held her face and bent my knees to make eye contact with her. "I'm not playing with you, or Tyler, I'm serious." She nodded, a smile lighting up her face.

"I just…when Tyler has a tantrum, when he interrupts us by waking up at night, when we have plans and he gets ill..."

"Bella, I know what I'm getting into. You're going have to stop trying to talk me out of it or push me away. It won't work."

"I just want you to be sure. At the moment Tyler thinks you're my friend, the same as Quil's mom or Embry's dad —"

"I hope Embry's dad doesn't come over for dinner…" I growled, half serious.

"No, of course not, that's what I'm saying. Ty's going to start noticing you're around more than any friend of mine."

"Good."

"Is it? Edward, I'm really scared. If you walk, I'm the one picking up the pieces of my son's heart."

"Bella, I don't know how to convince you. I know this is quite quick but I've felt something for you from the moment we met. My house is so quiet-"

Tyler bounded back into the room, dragging a sleeping bag behind him and holding Bartholomew under his arm.

"Unlike here!" Bella joked as I walked closer to Tyler and helped him with his load. He climbed into his pirate ship and arranged the sleeping bag on the floor. Realizing he had everything under control, I walked to the door and slipped on my shoes. Tyler came out from behind his pirate ship construction and ran to me.

"Ewood, you want to sleep in the ship with me? My mom won't mind if you sleep here. Garrett sleeps on the sofa sometimes but he snores. Do you snores? She might not let you stay if you snores."

I grinned at the thought of sleeping over at Bella's. "I can't tonight, but we'll see about another night." Tyler listened as I looked over at Bella and grinned.

"Well, can you come to the dino museum for my birthday?" he asked, his big brown eyes boring in to mine.

"Umm..." I looked hesitantly at Bella. I didn't want to let the boy down but Bella's expression told me she was just as surprised as me. His birthday! I didn't even know his birthday was coming up, but I did know that this was a big step, it was more than just a day out. I realized I was actually okay with that, I'd love to spend Tyler's birthday with him, but Bella was looking unsure.

"Baby, you already have your friends coming," she told him as she reached for his hair and ruffled it, something I'd come to learn was a nervous trait of hers.

"But, Mama, you said I could have five friends and I only got Paul, Quil, Ben and Sam," the little boy recited.

"And Garrett," Bella added.

"He doesn't count, he's my uncle," Tyler informed her with a wrinkle of his nose.

"Well, we don't know if Edward is free," Bella pointed out.

"It's in one week, I'm gonna be four! You are free aren't you, Ewood?" Tyler looked pleadingly at me. Even if I wasn't free I'm pretty sure I'd move my commitments around for him.

"What time, buddy?" I asked as I knelt down so I was closer to his size.

"We're going in the morning. I'm gonna see all the dinosaurs. You want me to show you the T-Rex?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied as I looked up at Bella for more details.

"It's next Sunday. We're meeting at The Burke Museum at 10," she explained.

"Ummm, yeah, sure. If you want me there, Tyler, I'll be there," I told him as I straightened up to get my phone out of my pocket. I frowned as I looked at the screen displaying my calendar just as Tyler's hands folded round my legs in a hug before he looked up at me with a grin.

"Last time we went, I gotted a dinosaur cushion for my room. You wanna see?" he asked me, his eyes wide and full of expectation.

"'Course I do," I assured him as he let go of my legs and ran in the direction of his room.

"Listen, if you can't make it…" Bella began, obviously catching the earlier frown on my face.

"No, its fine," I replied as I re-pocketed the phone.

"Edward…"

"I just have to be at my parents at two, that's all," I replied, formulating a plan in my head.

"Well, if you're sure," Bella said sounding uncertain.

"I'm sure," I replied.

"And you know the museum?" she asked, sounding anxious.

"Yes. Bella, I won't let him down. I said I'll be there and I will. I'm only going to my parents for lunch, after years at college I came to appreciate the value of a home-cooked meal, especially when my mom's doing the cooking!" I joked.

"Is it a special occasion?"

"No. It's just an open invitation, the first Sunday of every month. I try and go as much as I can, we all do. I think Alice and Emmett and their lot will all be there this weekend. Mom loves it when she's got a full house," I added with a smile, knowing my mom would chew my ear off if I didn't turn up.

"That's nice, having such a close family", Bella added, slight pain in her voice.

"Yeah, I guess it is," I concluded, seeing my family in a new light now I knew how Bella and plenty of other people, didn't have such a strong support in their lives. "So…Garrett's going to be there at the museum?" I asked her. If Bella and I were to move forward I needed to get along with him.

"Yeah, he will."

"Great, well…what are you doing afterwards?"

"I'm not sure. As it's his actual birthday I feel like we should do something in the afternoon too, but I don't know what," she admitted with a sheepish shrug. "Normally we'd do something with Garrett but he's got to catch a flight that evening so maybe I'll just cook Ty his favorite dinner," she mused, more to herself than me.

"What's that?" I enquired, a plan forming in my mind.

"Spaghetti and meatballs," she replied. "He makes such a mess eating it, I think that's why he likes it, not the taste, just slurping the spaghetti," she chuckled fondly, as I smiled at the image of Tyler covered in spaghetti and sauce before I sighed and realized I wouldn't see it. I took a deep breath and looked at Bella.

"Bella, why don't you both come with me?" I suggested, expecting the outright no which I already saw forming in the shake of her head.

"What? To your parents? We couldn't intrude like that, Edward," she answered with a vigorous shake of her head. "Thanks, but-"

"Bella, just hear me out," I pleaded. "My sister's son will be there, JJ would love having another friend to play with, so would Seth. Emmett and Rose will be there too and you already know them, plus you've met my dad already too. I don't like thinking of you two alone on his birthday."

"Edward, we're fine, we don't need your charity," Bella grumbled, possibly offended by my words.

"Jesus, Bella, can't you just accept a genuine invitation? I don't think I've made a secret of the fact that I like you and I want to get to know you better. I realize meeting my family and involving Tyler might not be the right move at this stage but I just…" I struggled for words as I raked my hand through my hair "…I just wanted to spend some more time with you."

"I have to teach Seth, won't that confuse him?"

"Well he knows we know each other. I'll explain how we are friends, trust me, he's way more interested in Lego and Star Wars than his uncle's love life!"

Bella sighed as I gave her time to reply. "I'm struggling here, Edward. I've raised Tyler alone. I've been more or less alone in this since the day I took the pregnancy test. It's hard to let someone else in." I smiled softly at her, taking in her words just as Tyler plummeted into me.

"I founded it, Ewood," he announced, looking very pleased with himself as he held up a small dinosaur-shaped cushion and waved it above his head for me to admire.

"Wow, buddy, that's cool. Which dinosaur is that?" I asked as he grinned back at me.

"A triceratops, Ewood. They eat plants and have over 400 teeth, isn't that super cool?!" Tyler enthused.

"That's really cool, but they must get through a lot of toothpaste!" I joked, as Tyler laughed. "Well, I'm looking forward to your birthday, buddy."

"Me too, I asked Mama for a digger. I wanna ride one in the garden."

"What?" I mocked. "You don't want a dinosaur for your birthday?"

"Silly, Ewood," Tyler laughed. "You can't have a pet dinosaur," he told me.

"Oh. Really? Well I'll have to think of something else to get you!" I told him with a ruffle of his hair before I turned to Bella. "I'd better go, just think about my offer, please?" I asked as she looked at me, her eyes wide with emotion as she nodded. "Good," I told her with a nod of my own. I wanted to hug her, kiss her, comfort her but I didn't want to do anything in front of Tyler. "I'll call you, yeah?" I asked as she again nodded. I turned and walked back to her front door, knowing she was following me to see me out. Before I reached it, she called my name and I turned to see her holding Tyler on her hip with an apprehensive look on her face.

"We'd like to come…to your parents," she started shyly, as I grinned, "but…" she carried on, "check with them first."

"They really won't mind."

"Check, please," she asked as I nodded.

"Okay, sure."

"And I'm making Ty's birthday cake so I'll bring that for dessert, is there anything else you want me to bring?" she asked, as I stepped closer to her.

"Nothing, just you two and cake, perfect," I told her as I grasped her free hand, out of Tyler's sight, and squeezed. She squeezed back and I had to resist the urge to kiss her.

"Good, anything you two can't eat?" I checked.

"Nope, but like most three-year-olds he's not too keen on anything green."

"I won't be three, Mama, I'll be four," Tyler pointed out with a grin.

"Well then…" she said smiling adoringly at her son, "…maybe you'll like green vegetables when you're four?"

"Yuck, no way!" Tyler said in disgust, sticking out his tongue.

"My Mom cooks great broccoli trees."

"Trees, like dinosaurs eatted?" His face went from disgusted to surprised.

"Yep." I nodded.

"Huh, do you eat them, Ewood?"

"Yep, trees are my favorite vegetable."

"You could try them, hey, Ty?" Bella suggested as he nodded.

"I'll try one of Ewoods."

"Deal." I stepped forward and ruffled the soft hair on his head with my free hand. "Be good for your Mom, yeah?"

Tyler nodded "Yep, mom's is special."

"Exactly." I stood looking at this little boy who had captured my heart. I never expected this to happen. I was worried that if Bella and I didn't work out I'd hurt him, but I was beginning to realize he wasn't the only one who would be hurt because I was pretty taken with this little guy. I glanced at Bella who was looking at me, confused at my silence.

"I'll see you soon," I told her gently.

"Okay." Bella nodded her head and I left.

When I returned to my house, I thought I'd enjoy the silence. Tyler had been so loud and lively, killing sharks and walking the plank was noisy work, but as I fired up my laptop to work on my emails the silence in my house was deafening. It had never bothered me before. I'd never needed the TV or radio on for company, but now, as I stared at my login screen, all I could hear were my own brain and thoughts.

I wondered if Bella had gotten Tyler to bed yet. If Tyler needed Bart to go to bed. If Garrett would be surprised to see me on Tyler's birthday.

I logged in to my laptop and bypassed my work emails, choosing instead to search the web for a birthday present for an almost four-year old, dinosaur-mad pirate.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and my newest pre-reader lovintwilife, for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this little story.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: "I know Tyler's got a raw deal in the dad stakes, but he lucked out with you as his mom."

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

After my Saturday with Bella and Tyler, I walked into work on Monday morning pretty damn happy.

Too damn happy I later realized, because Emmett grinned at me as soon as he saw my face. Christ! Why did I work with my brother again?

"Hey, bro, someone looks like the cat that got the cream, or should I say the Edward who got the Bella?"

"I didn't _get_ her, Em," I grumbled as I unlocked my office door and sighed when Emmett followed me in. Clearly he wanted to continue this conversation, even if I didn't.

"But you talked to her, yeah? Please tell me you're going to carry on seeing her 'cause I'm serious, I can march you over there..."

"Yes, Em." I turned to him after clicking on my coffee machine. "For some reason you seem to care a lot about my love life so, yes. I talked, we talked, and we're going to make a go of things."

Emmett's grin threatened to take over his whole face as he unexpectedly slapped me on the back.

"Good. That's...that's great, bro."

"Well, I'm glad you approve," I replied sarcastically.

Emmett turned to leave my office as I hung my coat up. "I just want to be able to tease you about boning Miss Swan, I mean she is pretty hot and her—"

"Bye, Em."

He chuckled as he left my office and I tried to concentrate on my work for the day. I still needed to talk to my parents about Bella and Tyler coming to lunch on Tyler's birthday. I knew there wouldn't be a problem with it but I should tell them so they weren't blindsided when they opened to door to see me plus two. Or worse, my mom could _so _totally overreact to me bringing a girlfriend to meet them that she'd do that high-pitched squeal and show Bella all my baby photos.

I buried my head in my hands, but smiled to myself. I knew that I would go through any amount of teasing from my family if it meant Bella and I could work and be happy.

I carried on my work day as usual but I think everyone noticed the extra spring in my step. Judy and Sylvia didn't say anything, but it was there in their smiles and their not-so-secret looks to each other. It was a good thing I was planning on talking to my mom, otherwise she might hear about Bella and me from my secretary, and then I'd be in for an earful.

As the day continued, I resisted texting Bella, knowing she wouldn't have her phone with her during class. Later that evening I gave in and called her while I waited for my dinner to cook. She sounded busy and I could hear Tyler in the background trying to talk to her at the same time, but she said she was glad I'd called.

After that we spoke every night after Tyler was in bed. Usually about the day's events but even our general chitchat meant we were getting to know each other better each day. That phone call was fast becoming my favorite part of the day. I was wary of moving us forward too fast so we didn't plan to see each other until Sunday, Tyler's birthday. As much as I wanted to go over to Bella's one evening, I knew we needed to move at a pace that was comfortable for her, and for Tyler.

That's why I was eager to get on with my work on Friday and start my weekend. I was completing a few emails when I heard Judy buzzing my intercom.

"Edward, there's a young lady here to see you." Judy's voice cracked. I clicked up my electronic calendar on my computer screen and frowned.

"I don't have any meetings until four," I replied, holding down the intercom button.

"I know. She's asked to see if you're available." I sighed. I wanted to finish my work now so I could get away straight after my meeting, but I couldn't turn away a potential customer. I pushed back from my desk as I grumbled into the intercom that I'd be right out.

Walking down the corridor I could see Sylvia and Judy behind the reception desk, but it wasn't until I approached their desk that I could get a view of the reception area. There, with her back to me, stood Bella. I grinned as I observed her. Her hair flowed in soft waves down to the middle of her back and she looked stunning in a floral sundress and light cardigan. She was studying the pictures in frames that were hung on the walls. They were frames containing mine and Emmett's favorite designs. In the left of each rectangular frame was the buildings blueprint and on the right was a photo of the finished building. Bella was studying the frame that contained our first commissioned building when she slowly turned and smiled at me. I walked closer to her and, without a word, bent and kissed her lips.

Excitement rushed through me. I was so pleased she was here. She wanted to see me and, judging by the smile I'd seen on her face, she was just as pleased to see me as I was to see her.

Bella's hands touched the front of my shirt and her body moved closer to mine. As I revelled in her soft touch, her fists gripped the white fabric of my shirt and I was reminded where we stood. I broke our kiss, kicking myself for losing control at work. Judy and Sylvia would have a field day with this!

"Hi," Bella whispered softly. Her hands attempting to flatten down my now-crumpled shirt.

"Hi, you," I replied, smoothing her hair off her face as I took in her wide grin.

"I hope you don't mind me popping in. I had a teacher training day that finished early and Tyler's on a day-care trip so I can't collect him yet."

"Of course I don't mind. I've got a quiet few hours. I should be able to get away if you're free to go somewhere, an early dinner maybe?"

"Sounds great. These buildings…" she turned and pointed to the frames she was admiring a minute ago. "You designed these?" she wondered.

"Emmett and I plus a few others," I informed her with pride. She was obviously impressed with what she saw and I loved that she could see my work.

"They're amazing," she whispered in awe.

"Thanks." I put my arm around her back. "Come down to my office, I'll just finish an email, then we can leave." Bella nodded as we turned and I hoped to make it past Judy and Sylvia uninterrupted.

"Edward."

Damn. No such luck.

I turned to Judy with raised eyebrows as she tried to maintain a straight face while talking to me.

"Your ten o'clock on Monday has rescheduled to eleven. I've made the amendment in your calendar."

"Thanks," I replied. "I'll be in my office for the next fifteen minutes or so, and then I'm headed out. I'll be back for my 4pm meeting." Judy didn't look at all surprised, leading me to believe she had indeed overheard Bella and I talking.

"Do I need to hold your calls?" she enquired with fake innocence.

"Please. Anything coming in now I'll deal with when I'm back." Judy nodded as I placed my hand in the small of Bella's back and walked with her down to my office.

I opened my office door and gestured for Bella to enter first.

"Sorry if I embarrassed you," she said, turning to me as I shut the door.

"You didn't. I'm pleased you came." I dropped a kiss on her lips but didn't let myself get carried away this time. "Just let me finish this email and then we can go."

"Sure." She nodded and looked around my office. "No fancy stationery or drawing boards?" she asked as I shook my head.

"Nope, sorry, it's all computerized these days. No stationery for you to drool over!"

Bella laughed lightly and bit her lip. "I'm sure I can find something in here to admire while I wait."

I grinned at her as I moved my computer mouse to wake up my screen.

I tried to concentrate on the email I was writing but it wasn't an easy task. By now I should be used to seeing Bella. Her smile, her curves, her stunning legs, but she still floored me every time I saw her. I shook those thoughts from my head. Knowing I'd never felt that way about a woman before gave me more questions than answers so I focused instead on finishing the email in front of me.

Bella was quietly admiring the frames in my office. My college graduation certificate hung proudly on one wall next to my professional qualifications and a framed copy of one of our buildings which had been featured in a magazine a few months back.

I watched her as she walked quietly behind my desk to the floor to ceiling windows which I'd spent many an hour gazing out of at the city below. She sighed as she continued to admire the city skyline.

"This view is amazing. How do you get any work done?"

"I know, right?" I agreed, thinking that the view had now been vastly improved with her standing in front of the windows, her petite body framed by the skyline outside.

I stood from my seat, not taking my eyes from her body as I approached her from behind and rested my hands on her hips.

She jumped slightly at the unexpected contact while I leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Sorry, you just look so stunning I couldn't resist."

She laughed. "You're crazy." She turned in my arms and my lips descended on hers. I groaned as she grabbed my tie and pulled me even closer to her. I wondered once again how she could make me feel like this, like I could never get close enough to her. Like I could never spend enough time with her. Like I needed her.

While we kissed, I gave in and forgot that I was at work and perhaps this wasn't the best spot to make out with my girlfriend, she made me feel too good to care.

That was until Emmett barged in. I heard the door go first but I was too slow to move away from Bella. Emmett had already gotten an eyeful and was now wolf-whistling. Bella's whole face turned red as we snatched our lips apart. My hands had found their way into her hair and she was still holding my tie when I spun around, making my tie fall through her fingers as I tried to shield her from Emmett's view. Why I don't know, he clearly knew I wasn't alone.

"Sorry, Ed—" Em started with such a big grin that we both knew he wasn't sorry at all. "I didn't know you had company."

This would usually be a pretty uncomfortable meeting for my girlfriend and brother, but this felt even worse given that Bella taught Emmett's son and they were already acquainted. I could feel the tension radiating from her.

"Em, you know Bella, yeah?" I introduced them as I held Bella's hand and stepped to the side so they could see each other.

"Err, yeah. Hi," he replied, rather lamely for the usually talkative guy that he was.

"Hi," she replied, with a small wave.

Wow, this was awkward. Thankfully, Emmett lived up to his reputation of being overly talkative as he turned to me.

"Dad called. He's in the area and wanted to meet if we were free for food. I said we were but, err, I'll go. You, you know, carry on." He waved his hand in a circular gesture as he turned to leave.

"Em-"

"I won't tell him why. I'll just say you're busy," he told me as I nodded.

"Okay."

"Just remember what I said about the furniture!" His voice returned to its usual jovial tone as he winked at me before he left, chuckling to himself.

"Bastard," I muttered under my breath as Bella looked up at me from under her raised, questioning eyebrows. "Sorry." I shook my head and stroked over her still red cheeks. "Don't worry about him. You'll see him properly on Sunday and we'll pretend that's your first meeting," I joked.

"You've asked your parents?" She queried.

"I, err, I will," I stuttered as Bella's face fell.

"Edward—"

"I will, today," I interrupted.

"If you need to meet with your dad now, I can go," She offered, making me shake my head immediately.

"No, no. I'll call them later. I'll call you tonight to tell you it's all fine, because I can guarantee it will be."

She looked at me skeptically, but I could tell she was letting the matter go for now.

"Don't you have an email to finish?"

"Shit! Yes. Just give me a few minutes and we'll go."

She nodded as I sat back down at my desk and finally finished my email.

"Done." I announced a few minutes later, once I'd hit send and locked my computer screen.

We left my office and walked, hand-in-hand, a few blocks away to a bar which served a great lunch menu. I'd been here a few times to entertain clients, but this time, with Bella, we sat in a small corner booth, away from the main throng of people who were already seated.

We took our time ordering our meals and eating while we chatted. Bella told me how Tyler had gone on a day-care trip to the zoo and how excited he was about his birthday, which was now only two days away.

"So have you heard from your dad?" I asked her as she nodded, but swallowed her mouthful of pulled pork baguette before she answered. During one of our phone conversations earlier in the week Bella had mentioned she was hopeful her Dad would visit for Tyler's birthday.

"Yeah, but he can't come, he can't get the time off work."

I sighed and gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted him there."

She shrugged. "I didn't tell Tyler so he didn't get his hopes up. That's something I guess."

"Garrett will be there too, right?"

"Yep. He can make it to the museum in the morning then he's flying out of state for a friend's wedding."

"Well tell him to be careful. A lot can happen at a wedding!"

Bella grinned at me. "Tell him yourself."

"Are you sure, I don't want to lose a limb!"

She kicked me lightly under the table as she smiled. "I don't think he's that bad but I don't really know what he thinks; he hasn't met any other boyfriend so..."

She trailed off and I could tell she was trying not to mention Jake. I didn't mind her mentioning him. He was a huge part of her past and would always be remembered, due to Tyler being his son, but I still wasn't sure how often she thought about him. Did she compare us? Was I competing with his memory?

Before we could broach that serious topic, Bella straightened her back, and spoke.

"So, have you heard from Tanya since her wedding?"

"No, actually. What about you and Eli?"

"He texted me this morning about catching up. I thought maybe…well…we could meet him and Tanya together. Tyler would come too, unless we want it to be an evening thing so I'd have to see if I can get Garrett to babysit. Or maybe we could make it a Saturday morning when Ty's at karate. I mean, only if you want to…"

She was rambling now and it was adorable. "Bella, any of those options are good with me. You should text him back and suggest it."

She looked surprised. "Okay. Good. I will."

"Good." I smiled at her as her face reddened. I could tell then that Bella still needed some convincing about my intentions. I knew she was into me and this relationship, but she was still guarded. No doubt that was for her son's sake, which was ironic, as it only made me admire her even more. It was obvious she would do anything to protect her son so it was good that, so far, Tyler and I were getting along well and I'd adapted to dating a single mom better than I ever thought I would.

As we talked, I reached across the table and held her hand, my fingers stroking over hers. My need to be close to her was making me act like sappy guy I would have previously scoffed at. Bella's foot found my leg under the table and stroked over my thin suit pants, which left me stumbling over my words as we spoke.

After our meal we reluctantly returned to my building. I walked with Bella to the building's underground parking lot, where we stopped in front of her car. She leaned against the driver's door, taking my hand and playing with my fingers as we started to say goodbye.

"I'll see you Sunday then?" I enquired, as my free hand rose to stroke her cheek. She turned her head and kissed my thumb.

"Yep," she confirmed. I ducked down and swapped my thumb for my lips. I kissed her as I leaned forward, backing her against her car as I moaned. Her hands found my waist as mine delved into her hair and I pushed my body flush against hers. I knew I was getting far too carried away for a goodbye kiss. I was working myself up with no hope of relief but she felt so good, pressed between me and her car. As our kissing continued I could feel myself growing hard against her. I needed to back away pronto!

"Fuck, Bella." My voice came out as a low growl. I watched her bite her lip as her hands played with the buttons on my shirt. We stood in silence, catching our breath again as I enjoyed just looking at her.

"You have to go." She looked at me reluctantly.

I nodded.

"I know. Mr Clarke isn't a very patient guy. He won't be impressed if I'm late. Neither will Emmett. I'm probably already going to be in his bad books." Bella's face fell. "I'm joking," I reassured her. "The things I've seen him and Rose doing in this building ... Christ, a kiss isn't going to faze him!"

"Okay, well call me later after you've spoken to your parents," she told me, poking my chest playfully.

"Of course." I leaned down for one more kiss. I knew I'd see her on Sunday but I figured there would be even less opportunity to make out at a four-year-old's birthday party than there was at my workplace.

"So, this was date two?" she queried when we parted.

"Yeah, I guess it was," I replied.

"Well, just so you know I don't sleep with a guy before the third date," she joked, trying to keep a straight face, as I chuckled at her.

"Oh, is that so?"

She was laughing openly now. "Yep. Except when they are super-hot and handsome and kind. Then I do it quick before they have a chance to get away."

"I see." I grinned. "I think we need to fit in a third date pretty quickly then." I joked as her hands stroked over my tie.

"Well I am free tomorrow morning but I've got to make Tyler's birthday cake while he's at karate. Oh, and Garrett's peanut butter cookies," she informed me with an embarrassed smile.

"A date involving peanut butter cookies sounds like the best kind of date to me!"

"Well, it might not be much fun, but you can come around in the morning. Same time as last week. Tyler should be gone by then, Garrett doesn't usually collect him late."

"Any time with you is fun. I'll be there." I dropped another kiss on her lips before she checked her watch and informed me that I really _did_ have to go to make my meeting on time.

I watched as Bella drove off and as I turned towards the elevator I saw my dad walking towards me. He must have just left Emmett after their lunch together. I didn't know how long he'd been there but he was striding towards me, looking like he had a lot he wanted to say.

_Seriously?_ Does anyone else in my family want to run into me with Bella today? First Emmett, now Dad. Maybe my mom was waiting round the corner for me too?

"Sorry I didn't come to lunch, Dad," I started as he waved away my words.

"I can tell you had more important things to do." His voice was jovial but I think my face turned red all the same. "You seem happy," he noted.

"I am," I answered emphatically.

"Son, I know you could argue that this is none of my business, but I thought you and Bella were going to take things slower...what with Tyler being involved."

"I know. We are."

My dad raised his eyebrows at me but kept silent.

"I'm all in, Dad. I want Bella, and Tyler."

My dad's grin was bigger than I expected. "I see. Well in that case I wish you all the best. You know your mother's going to want to meet them."

"I know. I was going to talk to you about that actually. This Sunday is Tyler's birthday; they're free in the afternoon, so I invited them to our dinner."

My dad nodded his head slowly. "Okay, well I'll look forward to that. So will your mother." His teasing expression told me he knew he was being a pain.

"Okay, well can you tell Mom that Bella will bring Tyler's birthday cake for dessert?"

He clapped me on the back as he walked past me to his car. "Sure. I'll see you Sunday then."

"Thanks, bye, Dad." I shook my head and tried to clear it, ready for my meeting.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

The next morning when I turned up at Bella's, Tyler had indeed left and Bella was already elbow deep in flour and bowls of cake batter. I swiped flour off her nose as I bent to kiss her, suddenly aware that we were alone in her house.

Bella had music playing softly in the background, but as I shucked my coat and shoes I became aware of the quiet. Usually Tyler was so loud, and he had such a presence in the house that you couldn't miss him.

"Sorry, I'm right in the middle of this," she said, returning to the kitchen area and spooning cake mix into a cake pan.

"No, no, carry on." I sniffed the air, convinced I could smell peanut butter.

"Yep, the cookies are baking, they could probably come out now," she told me, before throwing a dish towel at me and nodding to the oven.

I didn't need telling twice. I opened the oven door and inhaled the sweet smell as I pulled the tray out and rested it on the cooling rack.

"Christ, these smell good." I reached for a cookie, but Bella slapped the back of my hand.

"Let them cool, greedy guts. They'll burn your tongue otherwise."

"But, they smell so good," I whined, as Bella rolled her eyes playfully at me.

"Fine, but if your tongue is sore and no good for anything…" she let her words trail off as I jammed my hands in my pocket.

"Okay. You make a good point," I conceded.

Once the cake pans were all full and in the oven, I helped Bella clear the kitchen counter. I made us both a drink and convinced her to have a few minutes rest before she started prepping the decorating paraphernalia I could see scattered around.

"You go to a lot of trouble to make Tyler's cake," I told her, as we both sat on the sofa, her legs touching mine as my hand found her thigh and rubbed lightly over her jeans.

"I love making his cake. He picks what he wants each year and I make it as best as I can." She shrugged as we sipped our drinks and I grinned at her. She only had these few hours a week to herself and she was spending them making Tyler's cake, when she could easily buy him one.

"You're a great mom," I complimented as she spluttered into her drink. "I mean it. I know Tyler's got a raw deal in the dad stakes, but he lucked out with you as his mom."

"Thanks, but if you want a cookie now you can just have one. You don't need to sweet talk me!" Her voice was light and jovial as I put our drinks to one side and leaned over her when I spoke.

"I can think of better ways to sweeten you up." My lips descended on hers and she moaned as we sunk further down onto the couch. My body was now resting on hers as our lips continued to dance, and my hands delved into her hair. It only took her about a minute before she was tugging my t-shirt loose from the waist of my pants and running her hands up my chest.

_Fuck!_ The moan she released when her hands touched my skin was enough to drive me wild. I knew we should stop. Her hesitation at lunch yesterday told me I still had a little way to go in convincing her that I wanted a whole life with her, not just another night. Besides ravishing her on the couch wasn't particularly romantic, but. Christ, I wanted her.

Her hands roamed over my chest before lowering to my belt buckle. _Oh, Jesus._

I pulled my mouth reluctantly from hers, but I kissed her neck in between my words to her.

"Baby, we need to slow down." My voice was gravelly and rather unconvincing.

"Really?" she groaned as her hands continued to fumble on the sensitive skin just above my pants.

"Yes, really," I breathed out as I made no effort to move off her, or stop her hands, they felt too damn good. She was reminding me just how amazing our time together was and knowing how she liked my chest only made me want to continue lying like this forever. I was just starting to believe I wasn't strong enough to stop this when the oven timer beeped and signaled that the cakes needed to be taken out of the oven.

"Damn," Bella groaned as I chuckled and finally sat up, releasing her body from under mine.

"I bet I look just lovely now," she muttered as she tried to flatten her hair down while walking to the oven. I wish my hair was all I had to worry about 'cause right now I was looking around for a cushion to place on my lap. Thankfully, Bella didn't seem to notice. After a few minutes I was able to join her in the kitchen again, where she had arranged the cakes on cooling racks and was now mixing up a dark green shade of butter frosting.

"Have I earned my cookie now?" I joked.

"Sure," she laughed. "Can you box the rest up? I'd better give them to Garrett when he returns Tyler or he may never babysit again and we don't want that!"

"We certainly don't," I agreed.

The rest of our morning was spent decorating the cake. I watched in awe as Bella sculpted a dinosaur shape from several round cakes and then decorated it with frosting and edible ink to look like an amazing t-rex. We chatted and laughed as she worked and I ate a few more peanut butter cookies than I should have. I left before Garrett returned Tyler, knowing Bella had a lot to do for Tyler's birthday tomorrow. I promised to meet her at the museum the next day, which I was pretty damn excited about.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and my newest pre-reader lovintwilife, for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this little story.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: "Ewoooooood, it's my birthday!"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

The next morning, I pulled up at the museum, spotting Bella's car and parking a few spaces away. I'd been anxious this morning, not about spending time with Tyler, just at how much I wanted this day to go well.

I strode to the front of the museum where I could see a group of people. As I neared them, I saw Bella. She had four little boys lined up in front of her as she bent down to talk to them. They were bouncing with excitement as she spoke, but all I could see was one man, presumably one of the boys' dads, who was so focused on Bella's ass that he didn't see me approaching. Granted, she has a great behind, and in those tight-fitting jeans it looked particularly fine, but his staring was annoying me. As I walked closer, I could hear Bella reminding the boys to stay together with the adults and to be respectful in the museum.

Garrett walked up to me and nodded a greeting. As I nodded back, I saw the smirk on his face. He'd noticed Ass Starer and seemed to be looking to me to see how I was going to react. Before I had time to approach Bella, Tyler broke free from the line of little boys and ran up to me.

"Ewoooooood, it's my birthday!"

_Wow!_ If I thought Tyler was full of energy on a regular day, it was nothing compared to today. He was actually jumping up and down, his "I'm four today" badge rattling with his movements.

"I know, kid. Happy birthday." I ruffled his hair as Bella turned, smiled at me and walked closer. I wanted so badly to kiss her, especially in front of Ass Starer, but I didn't know how she'd feel about Tyler witnessing that.

"Thanks for coming." She grinned up at me and looked like she was going to lean in for a kiss but Tyler had grabbed hold of my leg and had started jumping up and down on my shoes. _Oww!_ That got my attention! I picked him up to stop him from breaking any of my toes, and he grinned at me, getting the reaction he wanted.

"Wanna see the t-rex? It's soooo big. It's biggerra than you. Its head reaches the ceiling, and its tail's so big you can sit on it, but Mama says I is not allowed to sit on it." He pouted slightly, reminding me of Bella's same facial expression, as I settled him on my hip and chuckled. The other adults were watching our exchange, but Tyler was too excited to notice anyone else.

"Your Mom's right, let's not sit on any dinosaurs today," I agreed as he nodded.

"Okay, but can you pick me up super high so I can see everything 'cause you is tall, and Mama can't hold me up high."

"'Course I will." Tyler's resulting grin was so contagious I grinned back at him as Bella greeted another mom approaching with a little boy.

"Tyler, Ben's here," she informed him as I placed him down to greet his friend. The boy handed Tyler a dinosaur gift bag, and it was then that I noticed quite a few more bags and presents behind Bella. She had turned and was collecting them all up.

"Want me to carry those?" I offered.

"Could you just help me carry them to my car to save lugging them around the museum? If he opens them now we'll never get inside." I took half the bags from her as she asked Garrett to keep an eye on Tyler and the other boys.

I walked with Bella the short distance to her car, placing the bags in the trunk when we got there. Once she'd deposited the gifts she turned to me, her hands finding my chest immediately, reminding me of the ways in which she loved to touch me. Her fingers fisted my t-shirt as I eagerly met her lips with my own in a soft but passionate kiss. My thumb stroked at her soft jaw line as my fingers found the hair at the back of her neck. It had been too long since we'd been intimate and right now my dick was being reminded of just how much I wanted to be with Bella. We slowed the kiss and broke apart with a sigh as I gazed into her eyes, my fingers still stroking the back of her neck as I willed her to understand how I felt about her.

"I wanted to do that earlier but Tyler…I'm gonna talk to him."

This was a good step forward for us and I was thrilled Bella wanted to tell Tyler about us.

"Do you think he'll be okay?"

"Judging by how excited he's been to see you today I'd say yes. He won't understand much. He's never seen me with a guy…" I couldn't help but smile at this statement, but Bella sighed and leaned into me, resting her head on my chest. Her hands wrapped around me and pressed softly into my back as I kissed the top of her head.

"Are you okay?" I asked, surprised by her actions.

"Yeah, just an emotional day," she said, her voice getting lost in my chest and t-shirt as she spoke. I held her shoulders and leaned back so I could look at her as I spoke. I'd been so wrapped up in thinking of Tyler today that I hadn't really considered what the day meant for Bella. She should have been celebrating her son's birth with his dad, but instead this day was probably a sharp reminder of her loss, of Tyler's loss.

"Can I help?" I offered, unsure of what else to say.

"You already are," she told me as she rested her head back on my chest. "He's getting so big," she said as my hands stroked up and down her back to comfort her.

"He is. And that's all you, Bella. You should be so proud of him."

"I am, but seeing him so grown up, it just reminds me of how long Jake's been gone." I couldn't see Bella's face to read her emotions and I wasn't sure what to say in reply. I obviously waited too long to speak because Bella stood up straight and busied herself with the presents in the trunk of the car.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking to you about this. I'm so stupid—" She shook her head and brushed her hair off her face as I reached forward and stilled her hands.

"Hey, you can always talk to me about this. Jake will always be a part of your life, and Tyler's. Don't ever think you have to hide that around me." Bella sighed and gave me a watery smile.

"His family haven't sent a card or anything." Her statement hung in the air as she looked at me with soft brown eyes. I sensed this was the main reason for her upset. "I guess there's still time but…" she trailed off as I reached for her shoulders and held her.

"It's their loss."

"But it's Tyler's loss too," she replied, making me nod. She had a point there.

"Well then, let's do what we can to give him the best birthday ever, yeah?" She nodded and smiled as I continued. "That reminds me…" I tapped my pants pockets for my car keys and told Bella I'd be right back as I jogged the few meters to my car. I returned to Bella a minute later with a large wrapped box and a smaller wrapped gift as Bella shook her head affectionately at me.

"For the birthday boy," I announced proudly, dropping the box into the trunk of her car, squeezing it in amongst the rest of the gifts. "Can I give him this one later, at my parents?" I held up the smaller, flatter gift.

"Of course."

I placed it on the parcel shelf and it was then that I noticed a clear Tupperware container also on the shelf of Bella's trunk. Through the box I could see the finished dinosaur shaped cake complete with green icing, sweets for eyes and teeth and Tyler's name written on the tail.

"Wow, you finished his cake, it's amazing."

"Thanks," she replied with a shrug. "I was worried it looked a bit like a crocodile or a lizard, but Tyler was pleased with it." She closed the trunk of her car carefully and then moved a step closer to me, closing the gap between our bodies. Her body was now flush to mine as she rose up on her tiptoes to reach me. Her hands gently felt the stubble on my chin. I was learning that she liked a bit of stubble, she always noticed, always ran her fingers along my jaw…_fuck!_ Her lips closed on mine and I stopped thinking. I just felt. I felt her fingers holding my jaw as I moved it in time with her mouth; I heard her moan and felt her body press impossibly closer to mine. _Jesus_, how was I meant to go back to a kid's party after this? My fingertips found her collar bone and my fingers stroked at the back of her neck. That was until an ear-splitting whistle assaulted my ears.

"Oi. Bells, put him down." Garrett's not so dulcet tones rang out in the relative quiet around us.

Bella and I broke apart as Garrett waved, gesturing for us to return to the others. "The boys are getting rowdy. There's plenty of time for that on your own watch." Bella's face turned a now-familiar shade of red. I grinned down at her as she bit her lip but smiled back at me.

"He won't kill me will he?" I whispered to her as she chuckled.

"Probably not today. He wouldn't want to ruin Tyler's birthday."

We returned to the front of the museum, Garrett giving me a cautious smile when he saw our now-joined hands. I noticed Ass Starer was still there; surely this guy had somewhere else to be? He looked to be slightly older than me, in his mid-thirties I guessed and was probably quite attractive to Bella.

Bella gathered the boys together now they were all here and leant over to speak to them, giving Ass Starer another perfect view of her perfect behind. He either didn't know Bella and I were together or he didn't care.

Garrett saw me looking at Ass Starer but merely shrugged.

I squared my shoulders and walked closer to Bella.

I deliberately walked in front of Ass Starer's line of sight and gently placed a hand on Bella's back. She straightened and smiled up at me as I lowered to kiss her cheek softly. I knew I had to be very careful about our PDA, especially in front of Tyler but Ass Starer needed to know Bella wasn't single anymore.

"Ready?" I asked innocently as she looked at me with a slightly confused expression.

"Err, yeah." She turned to the parents; Ass Starer included, and told them how long she thought we'd be. She said they were welcome to join us or leave and come back for their child. Given Bella was a trusted teacher and she seemed to know the parents well they all chose to leave, probably pleased for a bit of free time. I watched as Ass Starer offered Bella his phone number, 'in case of any issues'. She assured him she already had his wife's phone number, but he was quick to point out that the wife was now an ex.

"Oh, um...I'm sorry to hear that," Bella stumbled as I rolled my eyes at his obvious attempt to point out that he wasn't married. Perhaps I was being too harsh on him but he was irritating me. Truth was I was a bit jealous. He knew she had a son and was clearly unaffected. His son was the same age so he has experience at being a dad, but it amazed me how carefree he could be about this situation. Maybe I had just made a big deal about Bella having a son but looking at them now, Bella in her cute outfit making small talk with other parents and Tyler bouncing in his new looking sneakers, lighting up the concrete with the lights on the side of his shoes, I knew I'd made the right decision and I couldn't wait to introduce them both to my family later.

Thankfully the boys got restless and Bella was quick to reassure Ass Starer that Embry would be fine with her. He left, finally, and we were able to enter the museum and head straight for the Prehistoric section.

The boys raced ahead, slowing to a walk when Bella used her teacher voice to remind them not to run in the museum. I watched Tyler as he approached the dinosaur bones. He slowed to a complete stop as he studied the exhibit in front of him. His little tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth, a trait I now recognized to mean he was concentrating. Garrett read aloud the information displayed on the wooden placard in front of the bones as Tyler listened. He was genuinely interested in the information he was hearing, unlike some of his friends who were getting restless. Tyler tugged on Garrett's sleeve to get his attention as he pointed to the bones and asked something which made his uncle shrug.

"He's so...interested," I whispered, unaware I'd spoken aloud until I noticed Bella grinning at me. "He is," I reiterated. "He has a genuine interest in all this stuff." I was fascinated watching him as his fingers swept over the plaque and is eyes swept the room, trying to take in all the information on display.

"Yeah, he loves it here. We've been several times and he never gets bored. They should have a new exhibit for him to see today though, they were working on a few new skeletons last time we were here.

Garrett walked in front to the watch the boys who had moved on in front of Tyler, and Bella and I hung back at the end to round up any stragglers.

We then saw the sign for a new skeleton exhibit up ahead. As we rounded the corner, we were confronted with a huge dinosaur skeleton. I heard Tyler's gasp before he turned around, spotted us and headed our way.

"Ewood, I can't see his head." Tyler stood, almost on my feet, as he held his arms up waiting for me to pick him up.

"Say please, Ty," Bella reminded him.

"Peas, Ewood. I want to see his tooths, will he still have his tooths?" His eyes were bright with excitement and amazement.

"Teeth." I corrected him. "I dunno, but I hope not, he might bite me. I bet his teeth are huge." I picked Tyler up under his arms and lifted him high, ducking my head so he was sat on my shoulders.

"Whoa!" Tyler exclaimed before he laughed and shouted to Bella.

"Look how tall I is, Mama!"

"Ty? Where's my little four-year-old gone? Did the dinosaurs get him?" Bella said, looking around in an exaggerated fashion.

"No, Mama, I is up here!"

"There you are!"

"I is so tall. Ewood, will I be this tall when I'm big?"

"I don't know, Buddy. Maybe if you eat all your greens, that's what this dinosaur ate right? And he's pretty tall!" I told him, pointing to a triceratops.

"Can we see that one next?" Tyler asked, pointing to the next, even larger dinosaur in the exhibit. I walked ahead with Tyler still on my shoulders while Bella and Garrett waited with the other boys. I saw them chatting but couldn't hear their words.

We continued around the museum, Tyler still on my shoulders as he waved to his friends and Bella kept the peace between all the boys.

Once out of the prehistoric section, I placed Tyler back on the ground, rolling my shoulders to work out the stiffness in them. Bella approached me from behind and massaged my shoulder blades. _Fuck, that felt good. _

"Want me to help you there?"

"Yes!" I groaned as she chuckled at my eagerness. Instead she dropped her hands and held my hand as we walked. She led the way to the indoor play area where the boys ran off immediately and burned off some of their boundless energy. We found a table to sit at where we could still see them and Bella ordered some drinks and snacks that the boys devoured at a rate that would rival Emmett, and that was saying something.

I sat with Bella and Garrett as we sipped our hot drinks and chatted. Garrett checked his flight details online and I replied to a text from my mom about whether Tyler liked ice-cream. She worried too much, did any kid not like ice-cream?

I felt Bella's hand settle on my thigh under the table. I grinned over at her as her hand moved higher and squeezed, really fricking close to my junk. My eyes widened as she chuckled and Garrett looked up from his cell phone to give us a confused look.

"I don't want to know," he grumbled, returning his attention to his phone screen.

How did Bella make me act and feel like some hormonal teenager? I was an experienced man but with her everything was new and exciting again. Things I'd done before took on a new meaning and just her light touch, whether it was her holding my hand or grabbing my thigh all gave me butterflies and goosebumps. I was always aware of her body next to mine and somehow she was never close enough for my liking.

The kids emerged from the play area with sweaty foreheads and red cheeks when Bella told them it was time to leave. After ensuring all five boys had the correct shoes on the correct feet we headed to the museum lobby where they were picked up one by one. I braced myself for Ass Starer but thankfully his wife, sorry, ex-wife, picked up Embry.

"Mama, I needs the toilet." Tyler was tugging on Bella's arm as she looked around, presumably for a restroom. _Shit!_ Did she take him to the women's bathroom, or let him go in the men's room? Should I offer to take him to the men's? Before I could answer my own internal questions Garrett spoke up.

"I'll take him. This way birthday boy."

Bella and I waited in the lobby for them to return. She was looking tired. My guess was that Tyler had woken her at the crack of dawn. I stood in front of her so she was sandwiched between me and the wall and took her hand, toying with her fingers as I spoke.

"Thanks for inviting me. I've had a fun day."

"Technically Tyler invited you," she reminded me. "I'm glad he did though. I liked having you here."

"I'm glad too. I might have lost you otherwise."

"Lost me?" She looked adorably cute as her nose and forehead scrunched up in confusion.

I shook my head in amusement. "Bella, you have no idea when a guy's flirting with you, do you?"

"Flirting. Who? You? You know I'm a sure thing right? Any time you wanna— "

"Not me!" I placed a finger over her lips in an attempt to silence her. If she finished that sentence I'd be tempted to jump her bones sooner than was actually possible given we were going, with a now-four-year-old, to eat dinner with my parents straight from this museum. She merely kissed my finger as I replied.

"That dad." Given the rest of the boys were dropped off by their moms, Bella was able to deduce exactly who I meant.

"Embry's dad?"

"Ah-hah. Well done Sherlock," I teased, trying to keep the conversation light.

"He just wanted me to have his phone number in case anything happened."

"And he wanted you to know he's single."

"I don't think—"

"Well I do think he couldn't stop staring at your ass," I interrupted as I grabbed her ass myself. Christ, she felt good. Maybe I couldn't blame a bloke for staring.

"Well you must know all the signs of getting hit on Mr. Popular," she teased as I scoffed at her while I squeezed her ass tighter at her words. She squealed, loudly, and of course that was the moment that Garrett and Tyler rounded the corner. He clocked my hands on Bella's ass immediately, but he also saw the smile on her face.

"Bells, I'll take Ty to the gift shop," Garrett told her as she tried to hide her blush.

"He'll bleed you dry in there," she objected.

Garrett shrugged. "It's his birthday."

"Gift shop!" Tyler's ears at picked up at those two magic words. "Do they have stickers?" He asked eagerly.

"Let's see, buddy. Your Mom and Edward will meet us outside when they've finished…talking," he told Tyler who was only interested in the fact that he was going to the gift shop. Bella grumbled about Garrett spoiling Tyler, but once they were out of sight she turned back to me.

"Is Garrett okay with us?" I asked, knowing that Garrett's opinion held a lot of weight for Bella.

"I don't think he'd give us time alone like this if he wasn't," she reasoned. "Are your family okay with us?" she threw my question back at me quietly as she picked at the logo on my t-shirt.

"Yes," I replied confidently. "I told you my mom adores kids. If I'm happy, she's happy."

"Are you happy?" She asked sincerely, looking up from my t-shirt, into my eyes.

"I've never been happier," I confirmed. She stretched up to place a peck of a kiss on my lips.

"Me either." I grinned at her words as she rested her head on my chest while we waited for Tyler to return.

Tyler and Garrett found us not long after we got outside. As soon as Tyler broke free from holding Garrett's hand, he ran to Bella. She scooped him up in her arms and oohed and ahhhed as he told her about the things Garrett bought him from the gift shop.

"—and this pencil, it has a t-rex on the top and a sharpener, the t-rex's tooths sharpen the pencil, Mama, isn't that cool and—" Tyler barely paused for breath as Bella listened intently to him, brushing his hair off his sweaty forehead as she held him. "—can I shows you in the car 'cause it changes color—"

"Sure, baby," Bella reassured him as she glared over at Garrett in mock annoyance.

"Ready to go, birthday boy?" She asked Tyler when she turned back to him. "Say bye to Garrett 'cause he's going on a plane, remember?"

"Uh-huh." Tyler nodded as his little face fell. His eyes looked sad as Bella passed him to Garrett. I watched as Garrett squeezed the little boy tightly.

"I love you, Tyler Swan," Garrett whispered as Tyler's little arms stretched round Garrett's neck and squeezed hard.

"My name's Tyler Jacob Swan," he corrected.

Garrett nodded. "Yes. Yes it is, little man, and your Dad would be so proud of you." Bella let out a light gasp at the mention of Jake but Garrett drew back from Tyler's tight hug to look him in the eyes as he spoke.

"Was he your friend?" Tyler asked quietly.

"Yeah. I knew him for years before you were born."

Tyler considered this as Garrett held him, letting him digest this information. "Did he like dinosaurs?" Tyler's voice was small and unsure, but Garrett grinned at him so widely that I could see the relief leave Tyler's little body.

"Yeah!" Garrett replied enthusiastically. "What's not to like about dinosaurs?"

"Well, they can eat you," Tyler informed him, his voice matter-of-fact which made us all laugh at his bluntness.

"True." Garrett tilted his head with a chuckle still in his voice. "Well, please don't get eaten by any dinosaurs while I'm away, okay?" Tyler laughed as Garrett passed him my way.

I took the little boy willingly as Garrett scooped Bella into a hug, lifting her clear off the ground in a big bear hug that looked well-rehearsed.

"I won't be gone long," he told her as she nodded into his chest.

Once he released Bella, Garrett held out his hand to me.

I shook it willingly.

"Look after them." His words were solid, not threatening, but there was a clear expectation in them.

"I will."

Garrett nodded, slapped me on the shoulder, ruffled Tyler's hair and turned in the opposite direction.

"I'll text you, Kiddo," he called behind him to Bella.

The three of us headed to our cars, me still carrying Tyler. He was quieter now, but delighted in looking at the items he'd got from the gift shop. I put him down as we reached Bella's car and he clambered into his seat.

"You're okay following me?"

"Yep." She gave me a nervous nod as I leant forward and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"Please don't worry. My parents will love you." She gave me an unconvinced smile as I gave her hand a squeeze.

"See you there."

"See you there," she repeated with a nod.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: "Again, Ewood, again!"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

I turned left into my parents' driveway and stopped my car next to Emmett's while Bella parked next to me. I raced out of my car to open her door for her.

"Wow, Edward, this isn't a house, it's a mansion." She gasped as she stepped out of her car and looked at my parents' place. I turned to the building, trying to see it with fresh eyes. The two-story house was large with a white front door and porch. It was well maintained, with a large driveway at the front and an even larger yard at the back.

I shrugged. "It's just where I grew up. Dad wanted a place away from the stresses of his job." Bella nodded as she turned to open Tyler's car door.

"Ty, baby, we're here." I looked in the back seat to see Tyler pushing a velociraptor into the mouth of a t-rex and making the accompanying 'grrrr' noises that he thought a dinosaur would make. Bella unclipped Tyler's seat belt and he wiggled out of his car seat. She scooped him up and hugged him tight as he looked at me and then back to his mom.

"Mama, will Ewood's family like dinosaurs?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," she replied. "Why don't you bring these two in with you to show them?" she added, pointing to the toys he was playing with a second ago.

"Okay," he replied shyly as Bella lifted him further up her hip with a slight huff.

"I can take him if you need?" I offered as she shook her head.

"I'm fine," she replied, making me smile at her stubbornness. No doubting where Tyler got that from! "Can you get the cake though?" she asked as I nodded and opened the trunk. Once I had the cake and the present I wanted to give to Tyler, Bella locked her car and we headed to the house. Before we could get to the door, it was flung wide as my mom stepped out onto the porch to welcome us.

"Hi, Honey." She greeted me with wide arms and an even wider smile as I bent down and kissed her cheek.

"Hi, Mom." I breathed in her comforting smell before stepping back from our hug. My mom lived for days when her family was together. She always dressed up for Sunday lunch, probably even more so today, given our guests. However, she still had her apron on over her dress. The apron Emmett, Alice and I had covered in multi-colored handprints when we were kids.

Before I could introduce Bella, my mom stepped forward to hug her.

"You must be, Bella." My mom was beaming. I knew she was desperate to meet Bella. Over the years I'd brought a few women home to meet the family, but she knew how serious my relationship was this time. Despite my best efforts I'd been unable to hide that from her.

"Yes, hi, Mrs Cul—" Bella started.

"Dear, call me Esme. I'm so pleased to meet you. And this little guy must be the birthday boy." My mom was looking at the now rather shy little boy in Bella's arms.

"You wanna say hi, Tyler?" Bella asked him, jiggling him as she spoke.

"Hi," he whispered as my mom smiled at him. As much as I considered whether I could take on Tyler for my relationship with Bella, I never worried about my parents. If Bella and Tyler became my family they would become my parents' family too, no questions asked, and right now my mom was looking at Tyler like she was gaining a new grandchild.

"Well come in, come in." She ushered us inside the spacious hallway where we could smell the amazing aroma of today's dinner. Bella lowered Tyler down onto his feet as my mom closed the door behind us and took the birthday cake out of my hands. "When my son finds his manners and helps you with your coats, we can go and meet the rest of the family," my mom teased as she grinned at me.

She raised me to be a gentleman and if I forgot she'd always call me on it.

We toed off our shoes as Bella undid her coat buttons before I slipped it from her shoulders and hung our coats up. I placed Tyler's present on a small side table while Bella helped Tyler with his items. She then picked him up again, holding him to reassure him. While we headed down the hallway, I took Bella's free hand and squeezed it and I silently prayed she didn't take too much notice of the many photos on the walls. Most were of Emmett, Alice and I as babies and kids, but the odd teenage photo was just embarrassing. I had been all height and limbs with no coordination, while Emmett was all muscle and brawn.

"Does this cake need to go in the fridge dear?" my mom asked Bella as we neared the kitchen.

"Yeah, that's probably best."

My mom turned around to hear Bella and I saw the second she noticed our joined hands, and the subsequent grin that spread across her face. Her eyes met mine as I held her gaze before she looked down at the cake in her hands.

"This cake is amazing," she complemented as Tyler spoke up at the mention of his cake.

"My mama maded it."

"It looks very special," she complimented.

"Mom's is very special. Ewood says so," Tyler informed my mom whose grin turned into a full ear-to-ear smile.

"Did he now?" Mom looked up at me with raised eyebrows and I merely nodded.

"It's my favorite dinosaur," Tyler continued, not noticing the silent conversation going on between my mom and me.

"Is it a t-rex?" She looked from me to Tyler.

"Yeah, it's Ewood's favorite dinosaur, too," Tyler informed my mom who looked questioningly at me. I shrugged just as Emmett slapped me on the back.

"Eddie, dude, you made it. I was beginning to think the dinosaurs at the museum had eaten the three of you up!" Tyler giggled at my exuberant brother. I reached out and ruffled Tyler's hair as I put my arm around Bella and turned to Emmett.

"Emmett, this is Tyler. Tyler, this is my brother, Emmett. And you know Bella."

"I know Miss Swan. I don't really know Bella. I'm hoping you can relax around us. What happens out of school, stays out of school and all that," Emmett told her as Bella's shoulders relaxed at my brother's words.

"Thank you," she replied.

"And this tyke is Tyler?" Emmett held out his huge hand to take Tyler's little one. "Happy Birthday, dude. Edward's told me about you," he added as Tyler leaned his head into Bella's shoulder, looking shy. I knew Emmett wouldn't take this personally. He knew he could intimidate kids by accident, purely by his size and bulk.

"Emmett's my twin brother," I explained to Tyler.

"Like Leah and Lauren?" Tyler raised his head to look up at Bella.

"Yep, they were born together," she explained.

"Actually I'm twelve minutes older than him," Emmett boasted with a soft punch to my bicep.

"Not that you act it," I replied, elbowing him back.

"Stop hogging the guests, Emmett," Mom chuckled at us, breaking up the argument she'd heard a few hundred times over the years. Emmett never got tired of reminding everyone who was the older twin and I never resisted the bait.

I wanted to introduce Tyler to my dad so I held my arms out to him and he wriggled from Bella's arms and into mine before we proceeded into the living room. Rosalie greeted Bella enthusiastically and my dad's eyes widened when he saw me carrying Tyler. He stood and walked over to us, saying a quick hello to Bella before he looked at Tyler in my arms. Given that they had met previously, I thought this would be an easy introduction, but after telling Tyler that this was my dad he looked confused.

"You okay?" I asked him as he nodded and looked for Bella, seeming reassured when he saw her. Bella and Rosalie approached us and I put Tyler down to meet Seth and JJ. My dad looked at me and lowered his eyebrows in question. I shrugged, unsure what had confused Tyler. However, as Alice and Jasper appeared for introductions, Tyler happily ran around the room with Seth, JJ's wobbly legs holding him up long enough to follow them.

A timer sounded in the kitchen and my mom appeared in the doorway. "Dinner's ready. Honey, can you do the drinks. I'll bring the food through," she spoke to my dad. I followed him to the kitchen, pointing out the downstairs restroom to Bella as I went. She rounded up the kids to wash their hands and when she returned from the bathroom, dinner was on the table and drinks were poured.

"Mama, look it's my favoritest food, eatballs and gettie."

Bella gasped and her eyes met mine.

Yeah, so I may have told my parents what Tyler's favorite meal is, but my mom makes amazing meatballs so I was pretty keen on them myself.

"Well then you need to eat up," she told him cheerfully as he clambered up onto his chair next to me, and Bella took the seat the other side of him. The room was full of noise as everyone helped themselves and the kids to the delicious looking food on the center of the table.

"Edward's got trees, look, Ty." Bella pointed at the broccoli on my plate.

"You wanna try one?" I speared a floret with my fork and offered it to Tyler. He nodded, his mouth already full of meat, his chin already covered in sauce. I dropped the broccoli on his plate as conversation around the table picked up.

Bella and Tyler were quiet while we ate. I knew my family were loud and boisterous, but I loved hearing the general chit chat and banter that always resulted from our family meals. I knew we were probably intimidating, but it wasn't long until they too were joining in.

"So, Bella, you and Edward met at Tanya's wedding?" my mom asked her, making Bella turn a rather obvious shade of red. She was clearly remembering certain parts of that evening which thrilled me, but that topic wasn't exactly dinner table conversation.

"Yeah, I've known Eli since we were kids." She managed to speak with a straight face and a smile.

"How lovely," my Mom answered. "It was a wonderful day. Edward wasn't really looking forward to it, but he certainly seemed to enjoy himself in the end."

I heard Emmett trying to stifle his laugh while my mom looked over at me, but I shoved food in my mouth so I couldn't speak to her.

"So boys, how's your construction on 42nd coming along? Any progress?" My dad skillfully changed the topic as he looked from my brother to me and took a sip of his drink.

Emmett and I looked at each other, silently deciding who would talk first. Given he was happily shoveling food into his mouth I took the lead.

"Damn..." I looked at Tyler out of the corner of my eye and paused. "I mean _stupid_ suppliers let us down, construction is delayed by at least a week."

"What's 'damn?" Tyler asked as I grimaced and my Mom chuckled at Tyler's inquisitiveness.

"Silly," Bella replied. "Edward meant to say silly." She covered up my bad language effortlessly as Emmett chimed in, telling my dad how our usually-reliable suppliers were struggling to supply anything.

Once we'd finished eating, we cleared away the plates and decided to wait a while for dessert. Tyler, Seth and JJ all got down from the table and ran around while us adults remained seated and chatting. That was until my mom cleared her throat, sounding slightly unsure as she spoke.

"We, um, we got Tyler a few little gifts..." She gestured to a few presents wrapped in different colored paper which were piled over to one side.

"Oh, gosh, you didn't have to do that..." Bella started, her face flushing as she looked at me for help.

I shrugged. I had no idea they had done this.

"Nonsense, it's his birthday. Every child should be celebrated, especially on their birthday." Mom was adamant about this so I knew Bella stood no chance against her.

"We just wanted to make sure you were okay with us giving them to him." My dad explained to Bella as she nodded, not quite losing the look of surprise on her face.

"Sure. Thank you," she told them sincerely. "He's already been so spoiled today…" she looked accusingly at me as I grinned.

"It's his birthday!" I reasoned as she smiled.

"Ty, baby," she called, beckoning to him when she got his attention. "Edward's family got you some birthday presents," she explained as his eyes went wide with excitement. "You want to take a look?" Tyler smiled and nodded a shy smile. My mom stood and grabbed the presents, bringing them over to Tyler.

"Happy birthday, sweet boy." He took the gifts as Bella looked at him expectantly.

"Fank you" he whispered. Seth and JJ had gathered around Tyler. Wherever there were presents, you'd find children! As he eagerly ripped the paper off his gifts, the children whooped with pleasure and examined the toys. My parents had brought Tyler a few toys for the garden, a football, a Frisbee and some other toys he was eagerly unwrapping. It was clever thinking from them. It meant the boys could play together outside, it would keep them busy and help them break the ice and get to know each other.

With Seth, Tyler and JJ running around the living room, it was starting to resemble a playground, so Dad gathered the outdoor toys they had given to Tyler and held them up.

"Right boys, think we can take some of this energy outside?" he queried. The boys looked excited at that idea so we all gathered our drinks and relocated to the deck at the back of the house as the boys grabbed Tyler's new football and started running around the garden.

The weather had brightened and the earlier clouds had cleared, leaving an unusually warm breeze in its wake.

Before long Seth had roped in Emmett, Jasper, me and Dad to play with them. Emmett was coaching Seth and Tyler, letting them tackle him and tickling them when they approached and generally playing the fool with them. Tyler loved it. I watched his little face as he lined up behind Seth, ready to charge at Emmett once Seth was out of the way. However Emmett charged at Tyler first, making him scream, but Tyler willingly let himself get caught and tickled to the ground as he laughed wildly.

I looked over to Bella who was smiling widely at her son. I could tell she was delighting in his laughter as she pulled out her phone and took some photos.

This continued for a while but Emmett being Emmett meant he took any form of football rather seriously so he wasn't happy with a simple play session.

"Right, boys, time for a game. Seth and Tyler, you're with us...skins vs shirts, Ed, get your t-shirt off!" I realized how serious Emmett was when he whipped his own shirt off and dropped it down, gesturing for my t-shirt to make up the other goal post.

"Really?" I hissed, as he nodded and shushed Rosalie who was on the decking heckling him for showing off. "You love it really, baby" he grinned at his wife, flexing his biceps in a stereotypical bodybuilder pose while she rolled her eyes and said something to Bella that I couldn't hear. I relented and gripped the neck of my t-shirt before pulling it over my head in one swift move. Emmett caught it and dropped it down to make the other goal post. "Dad, Jazz and JJ, do your worst."

"Em, my son can barely walk!" Jasper complained.

"Yeah, yeah, save your excuses for after you lose!" Emmett shot back, crouching down with Tyler and Seth and inviting me into the huddle. Tyler's face was bright and eager as he listened to everything Emmett said. He was basking in the attention he was getting from me and my brother as Emmett came up with a plan and shouted over to our dad and brother-in-law.

"Okay, to make it fairer we'll play with Seth and Tyler on our backs, hop on boys." Emmett grabbed Tyler and placed him on my back before Seth jumped onto his dad's back in a well-rehearsed move. I looked over to Bella who was grinning at us.

"Wave to your mom, Tyler." I assumed he waved as Bella was suddenly waving at him before Emmett counted down from three and we had to charge for the ball.

The game was actually great fun. The girls cheered and heckled us as Emmett and I tried to score against my Dad and Jasper, not an easy task with a kid on my back! Emmett and Seth had obviously played like this before as they had some moves and a routine, but Tyler and I got the hang of things quickly. Playing like this meant he had to trust me to hold onto him and keep him safe while he used his hands to hold the ball. I knew Tyler wasn't the only one trusting me right now, Bella was watching me as her son dangled from my back and the one time we fell, I saw her have to stop herself from running over. Tyler merely rolled off my back, jumped to his feet and shouted, "again, Ewood, again!" I was face-down in the grass and mud, well aware I was topless as I felt the cool mud clinging to my skin. I grinned up at Tyler's smiling face as I heard my dad chuckle.

"In a minute, little man," I groaned as I sat up slowly and regained my breath. Tyler was already climbing onto my back as Emmett called timeout and my dad announced that my mom was approaching with a tray of drinks. Tyler released his hold around my neck as we all eagerly accepted the cool drinks that were being offered. While Emmett ribbed Jasper about the score, I looked over to where Bella had been, but she and Rosalie were nowhere to be seen. Alice was still there, cleaning a grubby JJ's muddy face, but no one else was around.

A few minutes passed and I took the opportunity to stretch my back, working out the kinks from being bent over with a four-year-old on it. I paused mid-stretch as I looked at the sight in front of me.

Bella and Rosalie were striding towards us. Bella's hair was now up in a high ponytail and both women had black rectangles drawn on under their eyes. I glanced at Emmett who had spotted his wife and was practically drooling. The best part of all, though, was the football jersey Bella was wearing. I'd know that jersey anywhere. It was mine, complete with 'Cullen' lettering on the back. I think a small growl escaped me as I realized she was wearing my jersey, with my name on. I know it was rather barbaric of me, but my dick really liked seeing my name on her. I think I'd stared at Bella a bit too long because Emmett reached over and pushed my chin up, closing my mouth.

"You're drooling, bro," he teased with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Fuck off," I replied light-heartedly.

"Don't worry, I don't want to be anywhere near you when you're looking at Bella like that!" I jogged over to her while she stopped in front of me and Rosalie carried on to see Emmett. Bella smiled innocently as I reached out and held her shoulders, needing contact with her, checking she was really and truly here with me.

I held up my finger and rotated it, indicating with my motions for her to turn around. Her grin widened and her eyebrows rose as she spun slowly in a full circle, her eyes settling on my bare chest when she stopped.

"You're wearing my jersey," I stated in a gravelly tone.

"Yeah, Rosalie said you wouldn't mind." She seemed flustered as she looked up from my bare chest.

"Rosalie's right. You look so fucking hot with my name on your back." I growled the words into her ear.

My sister-in law knew full well what this did to Emmett when they were dating. Given that Em and I are twins, it didn't take a genius to guess it would probably have the same effect on me.

Bella's fingers brushed the skin above my hipbones. I was sweaty and flushed from the running I'd done, but she didn't seem to mind. I glanced around to see my Dad had taken the kids inside, so I pulled on my jersey, pulling Bella closer to me as she came willingly, burying her face in my neck as her hand found my stubbly jaw. I heard her soft moan as I wriggled my face level with hers and lowered my lips. My hand found her soft ribcage under the jersey as she continued to stroke my stubble.

"God, Edward...put her down!" Bella jumped, looking embarrassed as I smiled against her lips. I then dropped a final kiss on her lips before taking a slow step backwards, keeping my hands up her jersey but lowering them to the bottom of her back. I wasn't at all embarrassed as I looked at my sister and raised my eyebrows at her.

"You and Jazz aren't too innocent yourselves, you know!" I joked to her as she retaliated by sticking her tongue out at me.

"We are, actually!" she half joked. "You try having a one-year-old in your bed!" she added with a light laugh as she walked off, heading back into the house.

"Come on, bro, round two, girls versus guys," Emmett bellowed at me as he approached.

I had never felt inferior to Emmett's physique, but standing here side-by-side, both shirtless, I'm sure anyone would make comparisons. However, Bella was looking at me wide-eyed and hungrily. She had such a way of making me feel wanted with just a look that was a real ego boost. As I watched her, I could see the moment when she noticed Emmett's tattoo, the Cullen lion that matched mine in every way.

"Come on then, you Cullen lions," she teased. "Do your worst." She caught us totally off-guard as she sprinted towards Emmett, grabbed the ball from his hands and headed off to the makeshift goal. Rosalie cheered her on as Emmett turned on his heels, but despite his athletic prowess he wasn't quick enough to make up for her head start. Bella crossed the goal line and jumped in glee.

"Good one, baby," I praised before Emmett glared at me.

"_Good one, baby_? Whose damn side are you on, bro?" Emmett scolded as I shrugged. Clearly I wasn't taking this as seriously as him. That seemed to be the pattern for the rest of the short-lived game. I was unable to concentrate, or care, about the score line because Bella was hugely distracting. Her long brown hair was tied up, tendrils hanging loose and sweeping over the name on the back of the jersey. My name. The name that inspired my crest tattoo. The name that gave me a future when I could have had none. The name that gave me a family, gave me my whole damn life. The name that looked so fucking right on Bella.

My mind clearly wasn't on the game so it was no surprise that when she tackled me I was caught off guard by her jab to the back of my knees. We fell in a heap on the ground, her hands clinging to my chest to cushion her fall as her knees moved dangerously near my junk.

"Careful, I'm not sure you want me to be injured there!" I joked with her as she looked at my groin and then wiggled her knee.

"You won't let me near there until we've dated more, more romance." She rolled her eyes in exaggerated annoyance.

"Yeah about that, seeing you in my Cullen jersey...I'm seriously rethinking that whole stupid plan."

"If I'd have known all it would take is for me to wear this jersey, I'd have done it a long time ago!" Bella's hand reached over and rested on my tattoo as her eyes skimmed my chest.

"Bro, I know you're enjoying the fact that football is a contact sport right about now but little eyes and all that!" Emmett's voice bellowed over for all to hear. I know he had a point, but I swear that he enjoyed annoying me. Now I was finally getting some action he was determined to pay me back for the years of teasing I'd inflicted on him and Rosalie.

"That dude is a pain in my ass," I grumbled as Bella let me go and I stood up, offering her a hand to help her up too.

"Aww, want me to rub it better?" she whispered in my ear.

"No. I'm having enough trouble keeping little Eddie at bay as it is." Bella looked surprised. Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes shot down, to my groin. "Don't look!" I hissed at her as she chuckled.

"I wouldn't call him little..."

"Damn woman, go tackle someone else," I grumbled. "Actually no, don't, just—"

"Kids, you want to wrap this game up, there's a birthday boy who wants cake." My mom called over as I took Bella's hand, walking back inside while I tried to calm myself down.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

Is this what being a parent was like? This responsibility, the fun we'd shared earlier in the day and now this pain?

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

Once back inside my parents' house, I cleaned up in the bathroom before finding my t-shirt in the kitchen and pulling it on, noticing Bella's pout at my actions.

She was straightening Tyler's hair and pulling at his t-shirt which was now looking muddy and damp. I grabbed the present I'd left in the hallway for him, returning to the kitchen where I snuck up behind him and tickled him, making him giggle with joy.

"Happy birthday, Buddy." I handed him the present as I stood close to Bella, both of us watching him while he ripped the paper apart and pulled out the t-shirt I'd bought him. I didn't know much about kids but I knew they didn't think clothes were a particularly fun gift. Therefore his main present was a toy which was still in Bella's car, but I'd seen this top and I had to get it for him.

As Tyler let the top unfold, he grinned at the dinosaur on it.

"Tylersaurous," Bella read out loud.

"That's my name!" Tyler looked thrilled with his gift as he looked up at me in surprise.

"Do you want to put it on now, Ty?" Bella asked him as he nodded furiously.

"Come on then, let's clean your face in the bathroom and we can both get changed."

Before they left the room Tyler hugged my leg. "Fanks, Ewoodasaurous," he whispered as I grinned. It probably wasn't the strangest name I'd ever been called but I'm pretty sure it was the cutest.

Bella and Tyler emerged a few minutes later, Tyler was grinning down at the picture on his t-shirt while Bella held out my jersey.

"Keep it," I told her as she scoffed at me.

"It's yours, Edward."

"It looks _so_ much better on you," I whispered as I folded my arms, refusing to take it from her hands.

"I guess it could have its uses." A slow grin spread across her lips as I suppressed a groan at her implication. "I'll take it home and wash it," she agreed.

Tyler then sat in the living room with me and the rest of the family while Bella and my mom prepared his birthday cake with candles. As he was only four there weren't many candles to sort so I don't know what took them so long. I suspected they were chatting and getting to know each other which both pleased and terrified me.

Before too long they entered the living room, Bella stood to one side with Tyler, helping him hold his cake as my mom took a few hundred photos of them, promising to email them all to Bella. We then sang Tyler 'Happy Birthday' and watched as he scrunched up his little face when Bella told him to make a wish. He huffed at his four candles, blowing them all out in one go while we all clapped and Bella grinned proudly at her son. My mom took the cake back into the kitchen to cut up, nodding at Bella's instructions to keep the tail of the dinosaur, the part with Tyler's name on, so they could take it home with them. Bella sat down next to me, her hand finding my knee as I put my arm casually around her shoulder while she chatted to Rosalie. Tyler and Seth invented a loud game which seemed to involve throwing the previously-discarded wrapping paper around and making as much noise as possible.

I was happy to sit, to take everything in and revel in the fact that Bella and Tyler were here with my family and it didn't feel weird, it felt perfect. I was so close to my family that it was important to me that anyone I was with would love them too, and the fact that Bella had already met my dad, Emmett and Rosalie was really helping as they were all chatting like old friends catching up on gossip.

Once my mom returned, we ate Tyler's delicious cake and almost immediately it appeared to renew the kids' energy. Tyler and Seth started running around again and were keen to try out Tyler's new Frisbee.

Emmett offered to take the boys back outside, checking first with Bella as she nodded, reminding Tyler to behave and keep his new top clean as they didn't have another change of clothes. She then started collecting up some bowls and carried them into the kitchen.

"You don't have to clean up, Bella." I teased as she placed the bowls down and looked out the kitchen window to the garden where Tyler was playing.

"He's having fun," she observed. Tyler was running around while Emmett chased him and Seth, making weird monster noises as he did so. I stood behind Bella and looked over her shoulder, my hands finding her waist as I spoke.

"Hey, I hope this hasn't overwhelmed you. I know my family have gone overboard. My mom just loves her family and loves to spoil people—"

"Edward, don't apologize. We've had a great time. It was pretty unexpected though, Tyler doesn't have a big family to spoil him like this. He's going to expect it for every birthday now!" Bella turned around in my arms to face me, her hands finding the scruff of my stubble on my jaw.

"Well if I get my way, he'll get it," I said leaning forward to drop a kiss on her nose. "So will his mom," I added as Bella's head shot up and she looked at me, panicked.

"No, Edward, no. Me and surprises and attention, please don't, you won't, will you?" she pleaded as I smiled at her craziness.

I moved a step forward, pinning her between the kitchen counter and my body, making our bodies flush against one another. "You'll have to wait and see," I teased as I caught a curl of her hair and wound it around my finger.

Bella leaned forward onto my chest and was quiet as she breathed in slowly. "You smell good," she informed me as I chuckled.

"Really? I'm muddy and sweaty!" I told her. "I'm looking forward to my luxurious power shower later."

"Mmm, Edward," she groaned, looking up at me as my hands found her collarbone and my thumbs sneaked under the neckline of her top to her skin.

"Are you having dirty thoughts, Miss Swan?" I asked, moving my face closer to hers.

She smiled as she too edged her lips closer to mine and placed her hands on my t-shirt. "Maybe."

My lips finally met hers in the start of a kiss that had been building since we were last alone. One of her hands left my chest and found my hair as I melted into her, marveling at how good this all felt. That was until I heard a crash.

"Oh, gosh."

Wait, what? That was my mom's voice. Oh no, this was not funny!

"Sorry, sorry, I was just tidying up…" she continued as I looked over to the kitchen doorway and saw her crouched on the floor, collecting what she had dropped.

"Mom, let me," I told her, striding over and stilling her hand. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I knew she was emotional but didn't know why she was so upset. "They're just bowls, nothing's broken, I got this," I told her as she shook her head.

"It's not that…I just…you're so happy," she told me bluntly.

"Well I'll be even happier if you put away my baby photos that I saw out," I joked, making her laugh gently.

"Okay. I'll show them to Bella next time," she told me as she stood and I picked up all the bowls.

"Deal," I added, pleased at the thought of there being a next time. Bella tapped me on the shoulder and passed me a wet cloth to wipe the floor. I thanked her and passed her the pile of bowls.

"In here, dear." I heard my mom showing Bella where the dishwasher was.

"That cake was amazing, Bella," my mom told her.

"Thanks. I would say Edward helped, but he was more of a hindrance, really!" she joked as I scoffed.

"Hey! I taste tested the cookies for you," I protested lightly.

"Yeah, you tasted half the batch!"

My mom smiled at our banter as we all worked together to load the dishwasher and wipe the floor.

"This is such a lovely house," Bella complemented.

"Thanks," my mom grinned. "It's a bit big for the two of us now, but I can't leave, there are so many memories here. Besides, it means we have enough room for all the grandkids to stay over." She directed the last sentence at me but I busied myself by standing and washing out the cloth I'd used on the floor.

"I bet it was great having a house and garden like this for your family to grow up in." Bella spoke softly as her eyes roamed the panel by the kitchen door where my parents had recorded all our heights as we grew. There were multi-colored marks all the way up the panel with various dates and initials next to them. I knew Seth and JJ's initials were on there and found myself hoping Bella and I would add to the list, both with Tyler and other initials too. I shook my head at my daydreaming and tuned back into what Bella was saying.

"...and your cabin is amazing, it's so beautiful there..."

I could see my mom's eyebrows rise in surprise as Bella's words trailed off.

"Edward took you there?" my mom asked, sounding just as surprised as she looked.

"Err, yeah. Sorry, maybe I shouldn't have said anything..."

My mom turned to me before looking back at Bella.

"No, no, dear. Don't feel uncomfortable, I'm pleased you like the place. It's special to us all. I hope you and Tyler can join us there in the summer. We try to all go for a fortnight, it's crazy and hectic but such fun."

I tried to remain calm about the fact that my mom had just invited my girlfriend on a family vacation with us and briefly considered blocking the doorway so Bella couldn't run away screaming. I decided against that though, as she looked remarkably calm as she answered my mom.

"That does sound fun. I can't imagine how much food you need to take with Emmett there."

My mom and I laughed and thankfully the tension was broken as my mom asked Bella whether it was a myth that teachers had the same vacation time as the kids.

We took our conversation into the lounge to join the rest of my family and it wasn't long before a tired-looking Tyler entered with Emmett carrying Seth close behind him. It was getting dark outside now and the boys were clearly worn out from Emmett's rough and tumble games.

I could tell Tyler was coming down from his sugar high as he climbed on to Bella's lap and whispered into her ear.

"Sure you can, baby," Bella told him as he looked shyly at me. He slid off Bella's lap and climbed up onto mine. "He wants to ask you something." Bella shrugged, indicating she didn't know what Tyler would ask.

"What's up, buddy?" I asked when he was settled on my lap. He tugged my head down to his level and held onto my ear as he whispered. Well, he probably thought it was a whisper but it was quite loud so I'm sure most people in the room could hear.

"Is him your dad?" he asked, as he looked across the room at my dad.

"Yeah. That's my dad," I replied softly as my dad smiled over at us, hearing Tyler's words.

"Cool." Tyler played with my t-shirt, tracing his little fingers over the design as he remained silent. I knew he was thinking about something, maybe this had cleared up his earlier confusion when he met my dad. He carried on tracing my t-shirt logo as he spoke, louder this time. "Ewood, I don't have a dad. Do you think he could beed my dad too? I know you'd have to share but Mama says it's good to share…" he continued as I heard Bella's soft gasp at her son's words.

I was stunned and I think my whole body froze in fear as I thought about how on earth I could reply to this little boy.

"Tyler...I...buddy, I'll share anything with you but…well he's old, and he knows nothing about dinosaurs!" I tried to joke with him.

Shit! I was out of my depth here.

"But he's a good dad, right? He plays football and he looks after people when they're sick," Tyler reasoned as his little hands gripped my t-shirt tighter. I looked quickly over to my dad but he remained silent, his face a picture of love and concern.

"He's a great dad, Ty, the best, but it doesn't work like that. He can't just be your dad," I tried to explain in a soft voice.

"Well then, maybe, you could beed my dad? Garrett says he can't 'cause he's already my uncle, but you could, Ewood." I looked up at Tyler's wide, innocent eyes and I swear my heart almost broke. He was looking at me with such hope, like he'd found the answer to his biggest problem, and now I was going to have to let him down. Is this what being a parent was like? This responsibility, the fun we'd shared earlier in the day and now this pain?

"Err, buddy, it's not that simple," I told him, hearing my own voice crack as I ruffled his hair slightly, trying to soften my words with my actions.

"You don't have to know about dinosaurs, Ewood, I could teach you or I won't like them anymore," Tyler pleaded with me as his bottom lip began to wobble with emotion.

"Tyler, I'd love you to teach me about dinosaurs but…well…it's not really up to us…" I started to fumble with my words.

"But Seth and JJ have daddies and Sam at school has two. Why does he get two and I don't have any?" Tyler asked, his own voice cracking, as tears fell down his round little cheeks as he leaned forward into my shirt.

"I know, Bud," I whispered as I hugged him to my chest. His little body was shaking with tears as Bella scooped him from my arms and hugged him close to her.

"I wished it when I blewed out my candles, Mama…" he choked out, "…so it hasta happen, right?"

"Baby, don't cry," she whispered, her own tears falling silently down her cheeks. Tyler wrapped his arms round her neck and his legs round her waist. She was small so holding him must have been difficult, but she just hugged him tightly, rocking him side to side as she whispered to him softly.

"It's not fair, Mama," Tyler sobbed as she soothed him.

"I know, baby, I know," she said, both of them crying softly now. My mom was fighting her own tears and the rest of my family was deathly silent, no one knowing what to say.

I stood up and was about to comfort them but before I could Bella turned to me. "Edward, I'm so sorry. I didn't know he was going to say any of that. He never mentions his dad. I'm sorry..." Her tears were falling faster now as she looked at me, the pain in her face so obvious.

"I know you didn't. It's fine. Really." I tried to reassure her, but I knew it was a lost cause.

"No. You didn't agree to any of this. I'm sorry, he gets so attached…" She raised Tyler up and settled him on her hip so she could free a hand to wipe away her tears. "God! This is exactly what I was trying to avoid when we first met," she exclaimed angrily as my mom passed me a tissue which I passed on to Bella. "I'm so sorry. I need to get him home."

"Of course. Do you want me come too?"

"We're fine. I need to calm him down and talk to him."

"Sure." I couldn't pretend I wasn't upset. Bella was shutting me out, determined to deal with this on her own, like she always had. I had to shake off this feeling though, Tyler was upset and Bella was distraught, they were my priority now.

"Em, could you put Tyler's presents in the car? Mom, could you get the cake that Bella's taking home?" They both nodded and stood up, glad to be doing something useful.

"I'm sorry, Mama," Tyler whispered as Bella held him impossibly tighter to her.

"You're not in trouble, baby, we're just gonna head home, okay. It's getting late, it's been such a long day that you must be tired." Tyler nodded, his brown hair flopping around with the movement. Bella walked out to the hallway and I followed. She reached for Tyler's shoes but couldn't get them while holding him. I bent down and picked them up, along with his coat, as she spoke.

"Don't worry about putting them on him, I'll carry him to the car and tuck his coat around him. Can you hold him for a minute?" She started to hand Tyler over to me. I was surprised but I took his little body gladly, holding him tight to my chest. He was so small in my arms, but he felt warm and soft and I liked the feeling of looking after him and comforting him. Bella found her car keys and gave them to an approaching Emmett on her way to the bathroom. Emmett took the keys from her with a few words that I didn't hear, and left to load Tyler's presents and Bella's belongings into the car.

I was suddenly alone with Tyler. He had stopped sobbing now and was just sniffing sadly while I stroked his back. I wanted to let Tyler know I didn't mind his questions but I didn't want to upset him by bringing the topic up again. His breathing was softening and his tight grip on my neck was loosening.

"Ty?" I spoke using his nickname for the first time and realizing how right it sounded. "Ty, I know you might not have a dad in your life right now but, well, you have the most amazing mom. She loves you so much…" I trailed off as I sensed movement behind me and I turned to see Bella and my mom. My mom looked proud and still tearful and Bella looked surprised at my words. She stepped around me and put on her coat and shoes before she took the cake my mom had wrapped up and accepted a hug from her. I don't know what was said but Bella was blinking away tears again when they parted. She turned to me but I held Tyler tighter.

"I'll carry him out," I whispered, pretty sure he was falling asleep. My mom came and looked over my shoulder and smiled a soft motherly smile.

"He looks asleep."

We headed out to Bella's car, meeting Emmett for the keys on the way. He'd opened Tyler's side of the car so I slowly lowered Tyler into his car seat, moving his floppy limbs to navigate the complicated seatbelt. With a satisfying click of the belt I stretched up out of the car and looked for Tyler's jacket, finding it and tucking it around his little body. His head rested to one side, his eyelashes looking longer than usual from his wet tears. I swiped his hair from his eyes and leaned back in the car to kiss his forehead before I softly closed the car door.

I walked round to the driver's side and Bella leaned forward onto my chest as I tried to reassure her even though I was wildly out of my depth here.

"I don't mean to run away, Edward, I just…" She swallowed her words as a sob washed over her and I held her tighter, kissing the top of her head as I felt her hands tighten on my back.

"Bella…" I started just as she spoke too. "No, you go first."

"I just, I need time to think. I can't have Ty getting hurt." My heart sunk at her words but she continued, unaware. "You were so good at answering his questions but he's obviously really confused. He's never been part of a family like yours. I think he saw JJ and Seth with their dads and well..." She shrugged. "I knew he'd get attached quickly but I didn't know he'd say that stuff…"

"Bella, I'm not angry about what he said." I glanced into the back of the car. Tyler hadn't moved, he was well and truly asleep.

"I wouldn't blame you if you were."

"I'm not."

Bella withdrew from our hug and wiped her eyes.

"Are you going to be okay carrying him inside when you get home?" I queried, making her nod.

"I've done it plenty of times."

I jammed my hands in my pockets as I rocked on my feet. "'Course you have, well have you got his dinosaurs?"

"Yeah, I think so. He has plenty more at home if not." Bella settled in the car and clipped in her seatbelt but wound down her window as I spoke.

"Just make sure Tyler knows I'm not mad, please."

"Yep. I'll call you." Bella spoke softly.

"Soon?"

"Of course." Bella started the engine and put her car in reverse, effectively ending our conversation. I stepped back from the car as her window wound up and the car moved away. I watched until the taillights disappeared out of view, wondering how on earth I could get through to her and make her believe I wasn't upset with her or Tyler.

I walked back into my parents' house and leaned against the front door after I closed it. I knew my family heard the door close but they gave me the space I needed as I ran my hands through my hair and gathered my thoughts. I heard Alice and Jasper gathering their things together and sounding like they were about to leave. Emmett then emerged from the living room to see me in the hallway.

"That kid idolizes you."

His comment made me smile. Tyler wasn't perfect. I'd seen him get over excited and Bella had warned me about his tantrums and temper, but he was so loving and innocent and so thirsty for knowledge. He made me smile whenever I was around him, and that was priceless.

"You okay?" Emmett walked closer and held my shoulder when I didn't answer him.

"Ah-hah." I knew my reply was unconvincing but I didn't know how I felt right now.

"We're heading off, so is Ali."

I nodded as everyone else piled into the hallway and grabbed their shoes, coats and belongings. "Call me if you need to," Emmett told me sincerely. For all his assing around, he could be really serious at times.

A few minutes later, I was alone with my parents. I sat on the sofa with my head in my hands as they looked at me, concern covering their features.

"I don't know if I can do this." I whispered my confession, barely wanting to speak it out loud.

"He's just a little boy, he didn't know what he was asking," my mom reasoned with me.

"It's not that, Mom, it's not Tyler, it's Bella. She's still running. I don't know how to make her believe that I want her and Tyler, that I can't be scared off by a conversation with a four year old."

My mom smiled at my answer. "It's all she's ever known," she replied with a small shrug. "From what you've said she's never had anyone else to rely on."

"Well she does now," I pointed out flatly before my mom continued.

"Son, when you have your own child, nothing can prepare you for the love and protectiveness you feel. I can't imagine how hard it is for Bella to let you in. All she's doing is protecting her son, don't hurt her for that."

"She's cautious. I think you should tell her."

"Huh?" I looked at my dad, confused by his sudden words.

"About us," he clarified as my mom nodded next to him.

"There's nothing to tell, Dad."

"My sweet baby boy..." my mom whispered, getting up from her spot next to my dad and sitting next to me, rubbing my shoulder as she spoke. "I really think it would help her."

"I agree," my dad spoke up again. "You need to tell her." He spoke softly but I was glad he was giving me his permission to talk to Bella about us. "It'll help her understand," he added as I nodded.

"I'll try anything." I stood up and headed for the hallway while my mom followed me, drawing me into a goodbye hug once I was ready to leave.

"Edward, you looked so happy earlier playing football and then in the kitchen together..." I blushed but my mom continued, "...all we've ever wanted for you kids is to see you happy. If you find happiness, grab it with both hands and never let go." I withdrew from our hug and nodded to her.

"Thanks, Mom." She leaned up on her tiptoes as I bent down to hug her.

"I've been in love with your dad for thirty-eight years. I know what love looks like. Go easy on her, okay? She's putting her son's feelings above her own, any woman who does that is worth fighting for."

I nodded as I zipped up my jacket. "Thanks for today, you made it really special for them."

"I think you did that all on your own," she replied as I kissed her cheek one last time and headed to my car, my mind racing.

Perhaps I should give Bella space, perhaps I should give her time or perhaps I should tell her something I probably should have told her a while ago.

I unlocked my car and started the engine, hoping desperately that I'd get to Bella's before she was asleep. It was time she started believing my commitment to her and Tyler, and I think I knew just how to make that happen.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Her smile was warm and sympathetic but I didn't want her sympathy.

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

"Edward, what are you doing here?" Bella questioned when she came face-to-face with me on her doorstep about an hour after I'd last seen her at my parent's house.

She looked adorable wearing an oversized Batman t-shirt which fell off one shoulder and a pair of tiny shorts. I guessed these were her pyjamas. Her hair was down with a portion pinned up in a messy bun to keep it off her face. She'd removed her make-up and looked natural and beautiful.

I liked seeing her like this. This was the real Bella, the Bella others didn't get to see. Her shorts drew my attention to her long, smooth legs and even though I was here for a serious talk, my brain couldn't help noticing she definitely had no bra on.

However her eyes looked red, like she'd been crying. I needed to fix this.

"I need to talk to you."

She nodded and opened her door further to let me in.

"Edward, if you want out I won't blame you…" she started as I held onto her shoulders softly.

"Hey, slow down, don't jump to that conclusion. That isn't why I'm here," I assured her, as she looked doubtful.

"Well my son asked you flat out to be his dad, I wouldn't blame you for running a mile."

I let her shoulders go and turned to take my shoes off, indicating I was staying, and not just for this conversation.

"Please just hear me out," I asked as she nodded and closed her front door.

"Of course, do you want a drink?" she asked as I shooed her over to the sofa.

"Sit. I'll do it." I walked to the kitchen and filled the kettle as I admired the décor in the kitchen/living room. There were about six banners dotted around, all green with dinosaurs on and the words "Happy Birthday", all attached to the wall with a bunch of brightly colored balloons. On top of a side board were many birthday cards and I could see a pile of toys in one corner of the room, four-year-old's birthdays looked like serious business!

"I don't suppose there is another piece of birthday cake?" I asked, making Bella smile over at me.

"Sure, just don't eat Tyler's name, he's saving that for breakfast!" she told me. "Kind of our little tradition," she added as I cut off a slice of cake and asked her if she wanted any. She shook her head and I grabbed our drinks and headed over to her on the couch.

"Bella, I loved spending Tyler's birthday with him," I told her sincerely.

"Just to scare you off some more, when he stirred he refused his pyjamas and he's asleep in the top you gave him."

"That doesn't scare me, Bella, I'm glad he likes it."

"Likes it?" she questioned. "I think he's going to wear it until his body busts out of it like the Incredible Hulk," she joked, making me laugh. "And we've already had a conversation about why he can't change his name to Tylersaurus!"

I chuckled. I was learning that Tyler was quite persuasive when he tried to be, even with him half-asleep, that would have been a fun conversation.

Bella sipped her drink before she placed it on the coffee table and began to fiddle nervously with her fingers. I could tell she had something to say so I remained silent until she spoke.

"I feel bad the way I left, Edward. Your family were so welcoming, I didn't mean to leave so abruptly."

"They understand. It just means you'll have to come back another time," I joked as Bella looked at me, slightly confused.

"Edward, did you not hear my son? He asked you to be his dad. Why aren't you running away right now?"

I shrugged. "I'm comfortable with this. If you wanted me to overanalyze it I'd say it probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm adopted," I told her as I registered the shock on her face. "Yeah, me and Emmett." I paused, letting Bella process that new information for a few seconds. It felt weird, even to me, saying those words.

Bella had gasped softy but now she was looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to continue.

I shrugged, unsure where to start. "Emmett and I, we were adopted together by two of the most amazing and wonderful people I have ever met."

"I…wow. I'd never have known," Bella replied, shock still evident in her voice.

"Good 'cause Mom and Dad are my mom and dad, no doubt about it," I told her strongly. "They adopted us from birth. Em and I aren't ashamed but we don't really tell people just because it simply doesn't matter." I reached forward and took Bella's small hand in my own. "I probably should have mentioned it earlier, it's not that I didn't want to tell you, I just don't tell anyone. Ever."

"Edward, after the time I took to tell you about Tyler, I'm in no position to judge you about this."

I nodded at Bella's words. "But I am glad you've told me." Her smile was warm and sympathetic but I didn't want her sympathy.

"Bella, I'm not some tortured soul that feels rejected by the woman who gave birth to me. She was a teen mom struggling with the idea of a baby, so when she found out she was having twins she looked into adoption. She knew my mom through her church and chose my parents for us before the birth. She included them where she could, especially as my dad's a doctor. My mom and dad were able to meet us when we were a few minutes old, they are the only family we've ever known. I don't blame my birth mother for anything, she was young and what she did for us was amazing. I feel grateful to her for the parents she chose for us, but I don't feel the need to find her or to know her. I know my parents and thankfully Emmett feels the same."

Bella sipped her drink before placing it back down and moving closer to me on the couch. Her hand found my thigh as she spoke.

"I'm glad this is something you're at peace with. Have you always known?"

"Yeah. I don't really remember my parents telling us, we just always knew. They told us we were special, that they chose us and that's always how they made us feel."

"That's why your parents have been so welcoming to Ty," Bella mused to herself.

"Yeah, they couldn't have kids, they tried for years. You've met my mom now, she's a natural, she was born to be a mother, but it just didn't happen for them. They see all children as a miracle and a blessing. I know they can love Ty just as much as they love Seth and JJ 'cause they do that with me, Em and Alice."

"Is Alice adopted?"

"No." I smiled. "As soon as they were preoccupied with twin boys, they conceived naturally. They never treated us any differently though."

"Wow," Bella nodded before looking at me thoughtfully. "Thanks for telling me. It helps me understand you more. I guess this is why you're so close to your brother."

I shrugged. "Yeah, maybe that's why we don't feel any need to track down our birth mother or any biological family. I don't need to find a blood relative, I have one."

"That also explains your tattoo." Bella gripped my t-shirt over my tattoo as I grinned.

"Trust you to remember that!" I wiggled my eyebrows at her as her cheeks turned slightly red. However, her embarrassment didn't stop her moving closer and straddling my lap.

I groaned, not at her weight on my lap but at how close her body now was to me. I could feel my heart rate pick up as she smoothed over my t-shirt. I sighed at how good it felt to be wanted like this, and by someone who I wanted so much. My hands found her smooth, bare thighs as I took a deep breath. "Bella, this isn't something we ever tell people, only a handful of people in my life even know. I'm only telling you because I want you to understand something."

"What's that?" Her fingers crept up to the neckline of my top as she listened intently.

"My parents have taught me so much, they always pushed us at school and sports, they taught us morals and gave us guidance, but by far the best thing they ever taught me was total love towards family who, technically aren't blood related. My parents love Em and I totally and unconditionally when we aren't biologically their children. I know this might sound weird, but loving a child who isn't mine, I've learnt from the best at how to do that. My parents have spent my life showing how it's done and I've realized that is by far the biggest gift they gave me, and I can give that to Tyler." Bella's eyes watered as she listened to me talk.

"You think you can accept Tyler so completely?" Her voice sounded astonished as I took hold of her hands and nodded.

"Yeah I do. I couldn't commit to him at first, but now I've got to know him better I can see what an amazing kid he is. You were right in what you said before, he deserves a dad, a proper dad who values him rather than tolerates him. What he said to me earlier tonight broke my heart."

"Edward, he's pretty confused right now. I haven't talked to him yet about that or us, but I'm going to kick Garrett's ass when he's back. I had no idea he asked Garrett about being his dad. He's asked Garrett, your dad and you. I feel so stupid."

"Well don't." I brushed loose hairs off her face and made her look at me as I continued. "You're not stupid, you're doing your best for him."

"Well I think he's missing having a dad more than I realized."

"What does he know about Jake?" I asked as she straightened her back, making her waist wiggle on top of mine, damn!

"As much as I thought it was appropriate for a three-year-old to know," Bella answered defensively. "He has pictures in his room and we celebrate Jake's birthday every year, and commemorate the day he died, but I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm taking each day as it comes. We'll always remember Jake and talk about him, but the reality is Tyler doesn't have a dad and that's really shitty. When your three-year-old comes home from pre-school in tears because his friends all made Father's Day cards, it's really heart-breaking, but there is only so much I can do before the reality of his father being gone overrules any effort of remembrance."

I nodded slowly. "I guess so."

Bella sighed. "It's difficult because I lost my best friend, my boyfriend, my housemate, my…everything. I'm moving on now but I can never completely let it go because I have to remember for Tyler so I can answer his questions and sometimes it hurts. We were best friends for over a decade and losing Jake…it's made me so scared of heartbreak again."

My heart ached for Tyler, and Bella, at her words. She was clearly carrying on life as best as she could and raising an amazing little boy, but the reality of their situation hung heavily over her.

"I get that Bella. I wish I could make this better for you, but maybe I'm part of the problem. Has Ty mentioned his dad more lately, maybe with me hanging around —?"

"Not to me but maybe he's talked to Garrett, I don't know." She shrugged as I took the opportunity of Garrett cropping up in conversation to ask her something I'd been wondering about.

"Didn't you say Garrett wasn't that keen on Jake?"

"He thought Jake was holding me back. Tying me to Forks and to a small town life."

"Did he have a point?" I asked cautiously.

She shrugged again. "I guess we'll never know. I like to think I'd have still become a teacher, but I don't know. I certainly didn't feel trapped. I loved Jake." Bella paused as she looked up at me. "I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear but I'm glad I can tell my son honestly that his dad and I loved each other."

"I'm sure Tyler will take comfort in that," I answered, unsure how I felt about Bella telling me she loved Jake. I guess I knew she did, it was just different hearing her say the words.

"But…" she continued, "With you, I feel different."

I gulped. "You do? In what way?"

"I think we're more intense. I loved Jake, but I'm beginning to question whether we were in love because what I feel with you…I see a future with you. If you want us?"

"Of course I do." I reassured her, delighted at her words. "I know we're still getting to know each other but Bella, being with you and Tyler, it feels so right. Don't you feel that too?"

"Yes. When I let myself believe you're real, and genuine, and I let my guard down then yes, I absolutely feel our connection."

"Then you need to trust me. Believe me. I'm not some player, Bella. I can't promise you that we'll never argue but I can promise you I will never intentionally hurt you or Tyler. I know a lot of people who should have been by your side in recent years haven't been, and I can see why you're hesitant with me, you have Tyler to think of but I'm not going anywhere. Bella, I'm falling in love with you."

She gasped.

I didn't plan on telling her here, now, like this, but that didn't make it any less true.

Her hands froze and her eyes darted to mine, looking intently at me as I merely smiled back. "And Tyler's pretty amazing too."

Her face didn't lose its look of amazement as she spoke. "Really?"

"Yes. I don't know why you find that so hard to believe. I want you and Tyler in my life in every way possible, but for us to work you have to believe that and trust me. Stop expecting me to run away at every turn."

Bella leaned forward and kissed me. There was no soft and light kiss, no gentle meeting of our lips, this was a full on, passionate and hungry kiss. Our teeth clashed and our tongues met as my hands found her neck and hers delved into my hair.

I could feel her letting go. Trusting me and believing me for the first time ever. And it felt fantastic.

Until she pulled back.

As she looked at me, the softness and gentleness returned to her eyes but when she spoke her words were shaky.

"I'm falling in love with you too. I tried not to but I can't stop myself." She spoke like she was confessing a terrible crime but I could hear the truth in her words. My thumb gently swept a stray strand of hair off her face as I grinned, feeling elated at her words.

"That should be a good thing. We can be so fucking great together, Bella. I swear it."

She grinned at me. "I believe you."

I didn't know if she was talking about what I'd just said or the fact that she was finally believing in me, in us, and trusting me completely, but right now that was enough for me. I leaned forward and kissed her slowly and softly, my hands edging up her bare thighs to the top of her shorts.

"Edward," she moaned. "Please don't stop…"

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. **

**I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: "Sweetheart, it's not me who has trouble keeping quiet."

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Insatiable by Darren Hayes**

"_Edward," she moaned. "Please don't stop…"_

Bella added a little wiggle to her words as I groaned. _Fuck._

I wasn't going to be able to resist her if she kept this up. We hadn't slept together since I found out about Tyler and now my blue balls were confirming this fact for me.

"Bella..." My voice was a gravely groan as her hands smoothed my t-shirt over my chest. My hands ran up and down her legs softly. I was unwillingly growing hard as she slowly rocked against my body and I knew she felt it too.

"Edward, please don't stop me." Her voice was a soft moan as her eyes closed in pleasure and she rocked slightly harder and faster.

"Whatever you want, baby," I whispered, knowing I was helpless to stop this happening. I wanted her so much and now that she believed my commitment to our relationship, I knew I wanted to be close to her in every way possible. She opened her eyes to look at me, checking I meant what I'd said.

"Oh, God," she groaned as she saw I'd spoken the truth. She wasted no time in grabbing the bottom of my T-shirt and pulling it up. I sat forward slightly so she could pull it over my head. She dropped it on the sofa as her hands roamed my bare chest, frantically at first, before she slowed her movements and looked up at me.

Now that I'd agreed to take this further, the lust was back in her eyes. The hunger was back in her breathy moans and the familiar feeling of being so wanted was settling in my bones and spreading to my whole body.

I could see from her face how much she wanted me. I could feel it in her touch and I could hear it in her breathing. I let her hands explore my chest. There couldn't be any part she hadn't already seen and touched, but each time she saw my torso she was just as enthralled as the first time, and I was more than willing to enjoy her touch while she took pleasure from my body. My hands rubbed her back as she slowed her rocking and concentrated wholly on touching my body.

"I've missed you," she whispered.

"I've been right here."

"Not half-naked, you haven't."

I chuckled at how serious she sounded, but her eyes didn't leave my chest.

"I like your tattoo even more now I know it's full meaning." Her fingertips gently traced over the black ink as I grinned.

"Wow! I didn't know that was possible," I joked as she laughed.

"Neither did I!"

She licked her lips, prompting me to run my index finger over her soft, wet mouth.

Her tongue reappeared and her lips circled round my finger, making me moan.

"Baby, I'm so fucking hard here..." I didn't want to rush this but, Jesus, I needed some relief soon.

Bella chuckled and looked down at my crotch. Even in my jeans I knew she could see the outline of my dick straining for release.

"So fucking hard," she repeated with a nod of her head as I moaned at her words. "Maybe we should go in my room, in case Ty wakes. That way we can cover up at least."

"Sure." I nodded. Bella wanted sex, I didn't care where the hell we did it as long as it happened soon.

Like really fucking soon.

Like right now.

She led the way and it was once I entered her room that I realized I hadn't been in here yet. It was decorated in a pale palette, pale walls and white bedding with a few trillion cushions on the bed. What was it with women and cushions? What did they need all those cushions for?

Bella drew the curtains but I left the door ajar so there was a dim light flowing into the room from the lamp by the sofa. She turned back from the window to face me, looking suddenly shy as I grinned at her and closed the gap between us. I wasn't having any of that shit. She wasn't shy with my body and we both knew it.

"You're here. In my room," she whispered under her breath, a note of disbelief in her voice.

I smoothed her hair behind her ears. "Mmm hmm. I sure am."

She groaned. "I can't believe you're here."

I lifted her top slowly up over her head. Knowing she hadn't been with any other guy since Tyler was born meant I was the only guy to be with her here, in this room, in this bed.

"Believe it, baby, because we're gonna do things you've never done in that bed before," I informed her as my lips formed into a smile at her groan and my eyes rested on her tits while my hands immediately followed. I was right, she hadn't been wearing a bra.

_Fuck!_ Were her tits always this perfect, they must have been. How had I not touched them in so long?

"We need to be quiet." She was watching my face as my eyes roamed her tits.

"Sweetheart, it's not me who has trouble keeping quiet."

Bella jabbed me in the ribs at my remark. "Hey!"

I finally dragged my eyes up to meet hers and chuckled. "I like it that way." I reassured her as my lips met hers and I kissed her deeply, making her moan loudly and prove my point.

Her hands travelled down my back and squeezed under the waist band of my jeans. She gripped my ass cheeks over my boxers as she closed the gap in between our bodies as I thrust against her.

"Fuck!" As good as that felt, there were too many layers in between us. I reached down and popped the button on her shorts, assuming she'd get the hint as I turned back to my jeans and undid the belt, watching her as I lowered them.

"What?" I queried quietly as she watched me but didn't remove the last of her own clothes.

She looked at me wordlessly before she then moved her hands to undo her button and wriggle out of the shorts slowly.

When we were both in our underwear I pulled her flush to me, feeling her soft warm skin against mine.

"What is it?" I'd seen her naked before, what was different this time?

"Nothing." She pulled back and her hands covered her midriff as I lowered my eyes to look. It didn't make sense to me, but then I remembered her comment weeks ago about stretch marks.

"Come here." I took her hand and led her to the bed. She took the hint and lay down as I settled next to her, propped up on my side. "You know I think you're fucking sexy." I groaned while my hands moved hers off her stomach. I scooted lower on the bed and kissed the soft skin of her hipbone and moved inward to the warm skin of her stomach. "Stretch marks and all." I kissed her harder as I felt her body relax. "You're beautiful." I mumbled as I kissed lower to her panty line. I moved up onto my knees as I pulled her panties down lower, kissing the skin exposed by this move.

God, I was so close to her.

My hands pulled her panties down her legs and my mouth moved lower and lower.

"Edward..." Her voice was loaded with a warning I didn't understand. I stopped and looked up to her.

"Touch me, please," she whispered. My fingers reached out and touched her soft folds while I maintained eye contact with her.

She gasped and her eyes almost rolled back in her head as I slipped a finger inside.

"So good," she groaned.

I added another finger, feeling how hot and wet she was. I scooted my body back up the bed slightly so I could kiss her tits as I pumped my fingers slowly in and out of her.

"Jesus, Edward."

The moan in her voice made me impossibly harder as I grinned at the look of ecstasy on her face. Her eyes were closed in pleasure, her mouth open slightly as her breathing deepened. I added a third finger and pumped much faster. Her eyes flew open as she gasped for breath.

"God, oh God...I want you Edward, like right now."

"Do you have a condom?" I asked. I knew the answer when her face reddened and she bit her lip. She rolled over to her bedside drawer and pulled out an unopened pack.

"I got them the other day, for you."

I couldn't resist smiling. Knowing she'd been thinking about having sex with me was a big turn on, not that I needed any help with that, her naked body was already doing a fucking good job of turning me on. So was her soft grin as I opened the packet and so was her fingertip which ran over my chest as I laid on my back and rolled the condom on.

The friction from our earlier dry humping and a now naked, wet Bella lying in front of me was making my dick bob about, desperate for release.

"You ready?" I asked her as I hovered above her body, knowing from how wet she was that she was definitely ready for me.

Her eyes roamed my chest as she nodded and opened her legs for me to settle between them. I ground my dick against her center, enjoying the sensation as I worked my way up to what I knew was to come.

"Edward, please."

I groaned at her eagerness and dropped my hand to my dick to line myself up with her core. I eased in slowly, all the way in until I withdrew and thrust in again, reveling in Bella's moans and the feeling growing in my very soul.

"Baby..." I thrust. "I love your moans." I thrust again. "Fuck, I really love your moans..." Another thrust. "But I think you need to shush if you want to finish this uninterrupted."

"It won't take me long. Christ, you're here, in my room. Ugh, Edward, your cock is amazing."

I scoffed at her unexpected words as her talking about my cock made me that bit closer to blowing my load. I thrust harder, deeper and a lot faster, noticing that Bella was now gripping my biceps, a tell-tale sign that I'd learned meant she was really close.

"Wait for me Bella, I'm close, really close. Christ, it's been too long since we did this...Jesus..."

Her eyes were fixed on my chest as I watched her tits bouncing magnificently right in front of me. Her nipples were really hard and as I lowered my chest to brush against hers I felt them against my warm skin.

"Fuck, Bella, now, oh, God yes..." I looked up at her and saw her soft loving eyes looking right back at me.

"Me too," she whispered as we both groaned and I exploded inside her with a long moan.

I continued moving at a slightly slower rate until her groan died away and I then collapsed on top of her.

The relief in my arms was immediate, and so was Bella's chuckle as I rolled off her, but left an arm slung over her waist as we both breathed loudly. Bella pulled a cover over us as I reveled in her soft warm skin next to mine.

Jesus, that had been building for a long time. I slowed my breathing and smiled as my fingers stroked her bare back.

"Hmm, we need to do that more often," Bella whispered.

I laughed as my eyebrows rose in surprise. "That's one of the best things you've ever said," I joked. "I'm just gonna..." I started to move but she pulled me back.

"Don't go."

I looked down at her, naked and satisfied. "I don't wanna go anywhere but this condom is damn uncomfortable."

"I've been thinking..." she spoke softly. "I'm going to go to the doctor about birth control."

"Baby, I didn't mean-"

"I know you didn't," she interrupted. "I've been thinking about it for a bit, but I obviously don't want to go to your Dad-"

"Bella, I'm pretty sure he knows by now that I'm not a virgin. I think he knows what we get up to."

"Yeah but still, I don't need to spell out the fact that I want to sleep with his son!"

I nodded, that could be an awkward conversation!

"Well, with my dad as a doctor, health is drilled into me at every turn. You have nothing to worry about, except getting pregnant and you'll have that covered."

"Me too, you know I don't exactly have much of a past in that area..." I nodded as she trailed off.

"You don't have to do this 'til you're ready though."

"I want to. I want to be spontaneous, as much as we can with a four-year-old! I want to feel you. All of you."

I grinned at her as she continued. "You must have worked out by now that the few times we've been together are the only times I've had sex in the last four and a half years."

_Jesus!_ When she spelled it out like that I understood why she was less in favor of taking our physical relationship slowly.

"Well I hadn't thought of it quite like that," I confessed.

"It would just be nice to be with you...fully."

"Bella, I can't imagine how amazing that would feel." My voice was breathy as I spoke.

"Wanna find out?" she waggled her eyebrows at me and I reveled in how much I adored playful Bella.

"If you're sure," I concluded as she continued stroking my chest.

"I am."

"Good. Now I really do have to go clean up."

"Of course, sorry." Bella moved off me so I could head to the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom I realized I really hadn't thought this through very far. My brain must have still been in my cock because I hadn't thought to grab a top and now if Tyler woke for the bathroom he'd find me in here, naked.

_Shit! _

There were about a thousand things I wasn't prepared for when I agreed to date Bella but I'd yet to find even one that would put me off.

I was now torn between taking twice as long as usual in the bathroom and making sure I was quiet, or hurrying and getting the hell back to Bella, and my clothes.

After what felt like an age, I returned to her room, surprised to find her still in her bed but now wearing my Cullen Jersey from earlier.

And nothing else.

"Isn't that dirty?" I asked her as I laid down next to her.

She didn't seem concerned about Tyler waking so I decided to just enjoy lying here with her.

"A bit but so am I now, thanks to you! I had a quick shower earlier, but I'll have another in the morning." She settled on my shoulder as she continued. "Can you stay?" she drew an invisible pattern on my torso as her head rested on my chest, her hair tickling my chin.

"Of course. I'll set an early alarm and go before Tyler's up." I smoothed her hair down and kissed her head as she turned to look at me.

"Is that okay? I don't want to make you leave," she protested.

"It's fine. Unless he gets up at like 5:00am, in which case I'm just gonna hide under the bed," I joked as Bella slapped my shoulder lightly as she laughed.

"No, we should be good until about seven."

"Phew!" I loved her carefree laughs and smiles and I was determined to relish in them.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Bella was right. My alarm went off at 6:40am and Tyler was still fast asleep. The excitement of the previous day had left him exhausted but it gave Bella and I time to wake up slowly as I relished in waking up together for the first time ever. I silenced my alarm as Bella pulled me closer to her and kissed my shoulder.

"Don't go yet," she grumbled, half asleep.

"We don't want Ty to see me here." I pointed out as she merely tightened her grip on my body.

"Just a few more minutes."

I chuckled. "Don't tempt me, baby, I won't leave at all if you keep this up."

"Okay, don't leave."

"I have to. I have an early start at the office."

"Damn Monday mornings," she moaned in an adorably sleepy voice.

"Monday mornings suck," I agreed. "But maybe I could improve Monday evenings?"

Bella kissed my shoulder again before I turned in her arms to face her.

"You wanna come over tonight?" she asked.

"'Course I do."

"Good. I'll cook you dinner."

"Sounds perfect. Bella, about what Tyler said yesterday…I know it's too soon for him to call me Dad but I want you to know I don't mind what he said. I'm flattered he wants me in his life. Can you make sure he knows I want to be in his life? I don't want him to feel rejected."

Bella wriggled impossibly closer to me, her soft warm skin making the idea of leaving this bed even harder. "I'll talk to him today and make sure he knows."

"Good." I kissed her forehead as I slipped slowly out of bed, ready to face another Monday morning at work, but this time with more spring in my step than usual.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

As I exited the elevator, I saw Emmett leaning on Sylvia's desk as they laughed about something and she handed him an envelope.

Emmett noticed my arrival and when he did his eyebrows shot up as a grin speed across his face.

"Edward Antony Masen Cullen, are those the same clothes as yesterday?"

Shit! I knew Emmett would notice my jeans and t-shirt. It wasn't exactly my usual work attire, but I had blueprints to tweak urgently this morning so I'd come straight here hoping to avoid Emmett long enough to change into the spare suit I kept in my office.

After the time that Alice visited with JJ and the kid puked all down my suit five minutes before a crucial meeting, I'd thought it prudent to keep a spare suit here. I never thought I'd need it because I'd unexpectedly slept over at my girlfriend's and left before her son could spot me.

"Fuck off," I told Emmett good-naturedly. I passed Judy and Sylvia's desks, trying to ignore their amused expressions, and kept walking down the corridor.

"I take it your chat with Bella went well then?" Emmett followed me down the corridor, catching up with me in only a few strides.

"Fuck off."

"For someone who got laid last night, you're mighty crabby today." He clapped me on the shoulder, still grinning manically. We reached my office and I unlocked the door before turning round to face my brother.

"Fuck off!" I knew the meaning of my words was lost because of the smile on my face but Emmett just headed for his own office, chuckling all the way.

_Man, was nothing private in this family!_

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.**

**I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: "I feel like you're making all the moves and reassuring me all the time I want to do something to show you I'm committed to this relationship too."

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

Over the next few weeks, I spent more time with Bella and Tyler, usually in the evening as it was the only time we were both free besides the weekends. We were both working and Tyler's bedtime didn't leave many options so we spent a lot of time at Bella's rather than out on more traditional dates like I was used to.

A few nights this week I'd come to Bella's when Tyler was already asleep.

The first night, she had cooked the most amazing lasagne which I wolfed down while she marked her class's homework books. The whole scene felt rather domesticated. She'd laugh every now and then and read aloud the answers some kids had given to their homework, and I'd shake my head and wonder if I'd ever understand how a kid's mind works.

The last couple of times I'd brought my laptop over and answered work emails while she worked on her lesson plans. I liked to be in her house, her home, it was far better than being alone at my place. Most nights Tyler was asleep when I got there so I didn't see him, but tonight he was still awake and being difficult. Bella had looked exasperated when I arrived, and Tyler was sat on the couch, looking exhausted.

"Hi." I kissed Bella's cheek, not daring to do anything more as I was aware that Tyler was watching me.

"Mama, I hafta tell Ewood something really important," Tyler spoke up.

"Oh, you do, do you?" Bella's voice was amused as Tyler nodded furiously.

"He won't go to sleep until he's spoken to you," she announced as I shucked my shoes and jacket.

I didn't know that Tyler was aware that I was visiting most nights but he seemed to know to expect me tonight.

"Me? Umm, okay." I didn't know what Tyler could want to talk to me about, but I nodded and walked over to sit with him on the couch. Bella had obviously been folding laundry, as she was now walking to the bedrooms with a basket on her hip.

"What's up, buddy?" I asked.

Tyler looked at me and hesitated. I sat next to him, trying to make myself smaller and less dominating.

Tyler looked at the dinosaurs on his pajama pants before he finally spoke. "I fink Mama's sad."

His voice sounded so heartbroken and his words alarmed me.

"Why do you think that?" I kept my voice gentle as Tyler whispered his reply.

"'Cause I heard Uncle Garrett say it's okay for her to move on and she cried."

I gasped at Tyler's words. Clearly Bella had been talking about us to Garrett and was feeling some guilt about moving on from Jake. I was trying not to read too much into this when Tyler spoke again.

"I don't wanna move, Ewood. A new house might have monsters in the cupboards."

"Umm. You don't need to worry about that, Tyler. I'm pretty sure you're not moving house, but even if you do I'll visit your new house and keep those monsters away, okay?"

He looked so small in his pajamas, hugging Bartholomew as he nodded and climbed up onto my lap. I was surprised, but glad that I could comfort him properly. I enveloped him in a big hug as I whispered in his ear.

"You can talk to your mom about this stuff."

He shook his head. "I don't want to make her cry again. She used to cry all the time at bedtime but she doesn't now and I don't want to make her cry again."

Well...shit.

Tyler continued talking as I sat stunned. "Can you stay 'cause she's happy when you're here and she doesn't cry?"

"I'll do everything I can to make her happy, okay. Her and you."

Tyler gave me a watery smile, just like Bella had done in the past, and snuggled his head further into my chest as Bella emerged from the bedrooms with a now-empty basket. She paused as she saw us on the couch, dropped the plastic basket and walked over to join us. She didn't say anything, she merely sat as close to us as she could and hugged us both tightly.

I kissed the top of Bella's head as we sat together. It felt good that Tyler had confided in me, even if it was about Bella being upset.

"Are you okay, Ty?" she asked him as he nodded, apparently happier now. "Good. Then it's bedtime, baby," she told him as his little nose scrunched up in disgust at this information.

"I want Ewood to tuck me in," he announced as I looked at him in surprise.

Bella raised her eyebrows to me in a silent question and I stood up decisively.

"Okay, buddy, how do we do this, teeth first?" I questioned.

Tyler and I walked to his room as he spoke. "No, I don't need to clean my teeth anymore," he announced as Bella chuckled behind us.

"Yes you do, Tyler, three minutes, put the timer on."

"Oh, man!" Tyler groaned as I placed an arm around his shoulders and steered him away from his room and toward the bathroom.

"Nice try, buddy!"

Once Tyler was tucked in, I joined Bella on her couch. "Tyler was worried. He said you'd been upset." I dove straight in, knowing she would want to know what Tyler was upset about.

"What?" She asked, surprised.

"Something about talking to Garrett about moving on. He was worried you were moving house."

"Christ, he heard that?"

I shrugged. "I guess so."

We sat in silence for a minute. I knew Bella's mannerisms by now. I knew she was playing anxiously with her fingers because she wanted to talk but didn't know what to say. I remained silent and sure enough she soon spoke softly.

"I was talking to Garrett about us."

"Should I be worried?" I tried to keep my voice light, but I don't think it worked.

Bella turned to me and ran her fingers over my hand as she spoke. "No. I just haven't had to deal with feelings for anyone else before. I'm really falling in love with you, Edward, and Garrett was just telling me he was pleased I've found you and moved on."

"I see." I grinned. "Tyler heard about you moving on and thinks you're moving house."

"Damn. I'll talk to him." Bella rested her head on my shoulder as I remembered the last time she told me she'd talked to Tyler. It was the day after Tyler's birthday when she told him about us. From what she had told me, he had been fine, pleased even when she told him I would be spending more time with them but he didn't understand much beyond that.

"Well I'm glad we're moving on together and it was nice Tyler talked to me about this. He said you're happy when I'm here."

"I am. I like you being here almost every night. I know we're moving quite fast but I don't see why we shouldn't be together if it's what we both want."

"It's certainly what I want."

"Good, 'cause…" Bella stood up, returning a few seconds later with a silver key attached to a silver 'E' shaped key ring. She held it out to me as I gaped at her, involuntarily doing a pretty good fish impression.

"Errr…" I reached out and took the key.

"I'm still not sure what you're getting out of this relationship but as you seem determined to stay around, I want you to have this."

"Is this what I think it is?" Bella smiled at me.

"Yes."

"You're sure about this?" Her giving me a key to her house was a big deal to me.

"Yes. I feel like you're making all the moves and reassuring me all the time. I want to do something to show you I'm committed to this relationship too."

I grasped the key so tightly in my palm that I probably had an indentation of it on my skin. I didn't care. I leaned forward and kissed Bella softly. "Thank you," I whispered, as I parted from her lips.

"You're welcome." She toyed with my tie as she sat closer to me. "Now tell me about the jackass from work today that you mentioned in your text."

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

The next day, I visited Bella straight from work. I was childishly excited to use my key and was richly rewarded when I opened her front door to see her bent over in the smallest pair of shorts known to man. Granted it was a hot day, but, Jesus, I think she was trying to kill me.

As she heard my entrance, she straightened up and smiled over her shoulder at me. Wearing the same off the shoulder top that I'd seen before. The same one that she never wore a bra underneath. I tried to stop my mind wandering as she walked over to greet me but I soon realized it wasn't my mind that was the problem, it was my hands. I had to physically stop them from checking out what, if anything, she was wearing under those shorts.

"Hi." I gave in as my hands wandered towards Bella's ass. "Is Tyler asleep?"

"I don't think so. He's in bed but still awake."

Damn! I retracted my hands, knowing I couldn't get too interested as Tyler was still awake. I kissed Bella on the forehead before we withdrew from our embrace and turned to the couch.

After a few minutes spent agreeing on a film, Tyler shouted for Bella. She looked apologetically at me as she left the room, returning about five minutes later.

"Sorry he took a while. He said his tummy hurts." She sat next to me and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

"I think so."

We started the film and as it progressed Bella shifted down the couch until she was stretched out with her head resting in my lap. Thankfully there was a cushion in between her head and my body because she was really fricking close to my junk, which was making concentrating really difficult. I should have been more mature about things but her head so near my junk was making my mind wander from the film we were watching, to the point where I'd totally lost the plot of what was happening. I ran a hand through Bella's hair as my other hand rested on her hip, my thumb lightly stroking her soft skin.

Bella was engrossed in the film but as my mind was elsewhere I heard the little feet that plodded into the room just as Tyler spoke.

"Mama, I don't feel good."

Bella's head shot up as she turned to Tyler.

"What's wrong, Baby?" she sat up slightly as Tyler stumbled further toward us. He was still half asleep, his hands rubbing at his eyes.

"My tummy hurts. I feel sick." Tyler coughed and covered his mouth with his hands as I shot up. Because Bella was still lying down, I was able to jump up and reach Tyler first.

"Bathroom, Edward!" Bella shouted as I grabbed Tyler under his arms and rushed him to the toilet.

He promptly threw up, thankfully in the toilet bowl, as I was reminded of the time Alice sneaked out to a party and returned stinking drunk. At least this time Tyler didn't have any hair to hold back and I wasn't trying to hide anything from my parents.

I kneeled down as Tyler turned around to face me, burst into tears and dropped his head onto my shoulder. I felt him wipe his mouth on my shirt just as Bella caught up with us.

"Ty, baby," Tyler turned his head and looked at Bella as she took him from me. She noticed my shirt and her face fell.

"Edward, I'm sorry," she looked worried as she held Tyler and soothed him, rubbing his back as I stood up and flushed the toilet.

"It's okay," I reassured her.

Bella reached for a wash cloth and used it to wipe Tyler's face while I grimaced at the state of my work shirt.

"How do you feel now, Baby?" Bella asked him as he groaned.

"Okay," he replied rather unconvincingly.

"Let's get you back in bed." She picked him up gently and I followed her out of the bathroom to Tyler's room. She settled him in his bed, over to one side close to the wall as she sat in the remaining space. She soothed his forehead as I noticed how pale he looked.

"Can you just watch him for two minutes?" she asked as I nodded and sat on the end of Tyler's bed.

"Pass me your shirt. I'll get it in the wash." Bella stood and waited as I gladly rid myself of my top.

"Okay, Buddy?" I checked before Tyler rolled over onto his side.

"Uh-ha," he replied. We then sat in silence until Bella returned carrying a large plastic bowl, a glass of water, two wet wash cloths and a thermometer. She passed me one of the cloths and when I looked blankly at her she used it to wipe my shoulder, where my shirt had been dirty.

"Thanks," I replied, while she placed the glass and the bowl on Tyler's nightstand and used the second wash cloth to wipe his face and his forehead. He then took a sip of the water before settling back down.

"Does he have a temperature?"

"I think so," she replied as she took his temperature, sighing when she read the digital display before she lay on his bed next to him.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I'm gonna have to stay with him."

"Of course. Can I help?" I gave Bella a soft smile. I didn't want to leave her as soon as things got tough but I didn't know if she wanted me to stay. Tyler sat up and as Bella passed him the bowl he was sick again.

"It's okay, baby," Bella soothed him as he groaned. She wiped his face once more with the wash cloth before getting up again and then returning with a clean bowl and cloth.

I watched as Bella snuggled down next to Tyler again and I thrust my hands into my pockets.

"Can I help?" I asked rather lamely. "I could stay, in your bed, in case he gets worse."

"Sure. I'd like that."

I grinned, pleased Bella was finally accepting of my help. "Good. I'll turn off the TV and get us both a drink."

Once back in the living room, I set about locking up Bella's house for the night. I'd watched her enough times by now to know she puts the chain on the front door and checked the back door is locked before setting her home alarm. It was still relatively early but I thought it was sensible for Bella and me to get some sleep while Tyler slept, as we could be in for a long night.

I was right. Tyler was sick three more times before midnight, waking Bella and I in the process but after that he seemed more settled and was still asleep at 6am when I woke from a few hours rest.

I searched Bella's fridge and decided to make a round of French toast for us, we needed a nice start to the day after such a shitty night. Thankfully, it was Saturday and, given Tyler clearly wasn't going to karate today, we could all have a restful day.

As I plated up, I heard Bella's soft footsteps and she walked up behind me and hugged my back. Her hands crept around my front and rested on my bare chest.

"How is he?" I asked I turned around in her arms.

"Still sleeping," she said, stifling a yawn.

My hands found Bella's waist and I effortlessly lifted her up on to the kitchen worktop. It wasn't until I'd done it that I was reminded of the time after our first date, at my house. We had started out like this then had to find a bed pretty quickly. Bella was so fricking close to me. She stretched up, placing her arms around my neck as I lowered my lips to hers. I couldn't stop my body from inching closer to hers and knew she felt it too when she moaned into our kiss.

However, Bella soon pulled away as I sighed and ran my hands through my hair.

"What?" Bella asked sounding and looking adorably confused.

"Nothing. You just don't make it easy for me to behave here." I turned away and busied myself with finishing our toast. I knew I sounded grumpy and snappy but I was trying to force my dick to calm down as he was painfully trying to escape out of my pants but meeting resistance from the belt buckle.

"It was just a cuddle," Bella protested, looking hurt.

"In those?" I spoke louder than I meant to. "Baby, your shorts are so short I can see your ass whenever you bend over. Your t-shirt is baggy off one shoulder so I know you definitely aren't wearing a bra. You have no idea how much you turn me on," I protested weakly.

Bella smiled at me. "Well, you're somehow topless again and you know by now what that does to me!"

I grinned back at her, lightening the mood as I walked back in between her legs again. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to interrupted sleep, it makes me grumpy."

"I can tell!" Bella laughed as we heard little feet enter the room.

"Mama?" Tyler stood in the living area rubbing his eyes as Bella hopped down from the kitchen counter and walked to the little boy.

"Hey, Ty. How are you feeling?" She brushed his hair off his sticky forehead as she spoke.

"Okay," he mumbled, as Bella scooped him up and sat with him on the sofa.

The rest of the day was surprisingly fun. Tyler perked up once he was fully awake and didn't question why I was there so early in the morning. By lunch time he was ready for a piece of dry toast and by dinner time he was pestering me to recreate our pirate ship, a sure sign that he was feeling a lot better!

I eventually headed home in the early evening, much to Tyler and Bella's protests. I probably would have given in and stayed at Bella's longer but I needed fresh clothes and I didn't want to outstay my welcome. However, as soon as I was home I felt lonely. My house suddenly felt too large for just me and I was starting to think it didn't make sense to have Bella and Tyler in their small house and me in my large house alone, especially when the only thing the three of us wanted was to be together.

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.**

**I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: "I think I should take Ty to Forks," she whispered…

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

I hadn't see Bella or Tyler for about two days. That shouldn't have felt like a long time but it really did. Therefore, I was ridiculously pleased to be heading over to her house, but when I got there I knew something felt different. Tyler didn't leap up to greet me and while he and Bella were perfectly friendly, I knew something was up.

Bella was rushing around cooking and tidying while Tyler looked sullen, sat on the couch watching an annoyingly cheerful kids show.

After greeting Bella, I sat next to Tyler but he didn't really acknowledge me.

"Ty, you want to say hi?" Bella prompted him.

"Hi," Tyler responded obediently but unenthusiastically.

"What's up, buddy?" I asked him, making him shrug. "How was pre-school?"

"Fine."

"Do you feel okay?" I asked, wondering if he was sick again.

"Fine."

Man, this wasn't going well.

Tyler wriggled in his seat and lowered his voice as he spoke again. "You weren't here when Mama was upset."

Wow. What? "What do you mean?" I asked, alarmed.

"In the night, she was upset."

Damn, had Bella had another nightmare?

"Tyler!" Bella shouted, apparently surprised by her son's words.

"You said you'd look after us and you weren't here," Tyler yelled before sprinting off the sofa and heading for his room.

"Bella?" I asked, confused, turning to her once I'd watched Tyler disappear into his room.

She walked over to me, drying her hands on a dish cloth as she spoke. "Oh, God." She sat next to me on the couch and ran her hands through her hair. "I'm sorry he shouted at you like that."

"What's going on?" I asked, alarmed

"I had a nightmare. Tyler heard. We talked afterwards but I guess it's still on his mind."

"Was it about Jake again?"

"It's…well…Jake's birthday is coming up."

"Oh." Realization dawned on me.

"I need to talk to Tyler." Bella stood up. "Will you stay? We can talk properly later."

"Yeah, sure." I watched Bella walk to Tyler's room and sighed. I knew there would always be these reminders of Jake and Bella's life before us, but this had come out of the blue for me.

About five minutes later, Bella and Tyler emerged and Bella looked expectantly at him when they sat on the sofa.

"Sorry, Ewood," he mumbled. He looked so small and fragile as he spoke.

"I'm not angry, buddy. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you wanted me."

"Mama splained it to me. You can't be here the whole time 'cause you have your own house."

"Yeah. I do. Would you like to come to my house? I don't have many toys but I have a big yard."

"Yeah," Tyler nodded enthusiastically. "Mama, can I go to Ewood's now?"

"Maybe not right now, Ty, but soon."

"Oh, okay." Tyler hopped off the sofa and rummaged in a toy box, emerged with some dinosaurs and set them up on his small table.

For the rest of the evening Bella and I cooked dinner together while Tyler played happily, alternating between his dinosaurs and coloring books. I loved cooking with Bella, it felt very domestic and knowing my way around her kitchen made me feel really at home here, unlike the earlier days of our relationship.

Once Bella put Tyler to bed, she came back into the living room and starting tidying his toys and emptying the dishwasher. I hadn't forgotten what she said earlier, Jake's birthday was obviously a big deal to her but now she was stalling and I knew it.

"Bella, please, just…sit with me," I pleaded. She looked over at me and I think we both knew she'd crack if she sat and talked to me, but she needed to calm down. I patted the sofa next to me and stretched my long legs out on the floor in front of me. When I looked up, Bella was watching me with an odd expression.

"What?" I asked, bewildered.

"You. Edward, do you have any idea what you look like sat on my sofa?" she asked as I chucked.

"What, am I doing it wrong? Is there another way I should be sitting?" I tried to lighten the mood as she finally sat down next to me, resting her head on my shoulder.

"Talk to me," I encouraged, making her sigh.

"Then I'd have to talk about Jake."

"I don't mind."

"It's just hard. I'd feel wrong ignoring the day, but I think making a big deal of it is upsetting Tyler."

"I'm out of my depth here, Bella. You have to do whatever's best for you and Tyler."

"You're what's best for me and Tyler." Her fist was gripping my shirt, balling up the fabric and tugging slightly as she sighed and shuddered.

"Bella, calm down, I'm here…I'm not going anywhere," I told her as I placed my hand over her fist and urged her to relax it. Slowly she loosened her grip, calming slightly as she did so. Her fingers then moved and crept slowly through a gap between my shirt buttons as she made direct contact with my skin. I watched then, as she slowly undid my top shirt button, followed by another, and another. How did my heart rate quicken just from this simple move?

She sighed gently as she undid another two buttons until my shirt was fully undone before she pushed aside the two halves of my shirt and she rested her palm flat on my chest, over my rapidly beating heart and my tattoo. She then nudged herself closer and rested her cheek where her hand had been as her hand now stroked the other side of my chest slowly.

"Better now?" I asked, my amusement showing in my tone.

"Much" she replied as I raised my hand to stroke through her hair. We stayed like that for a long time, neither of us speaking

"I think I should take Ty to Forks," she whispered, sounding defeated.

"I think that's a good idea," I agreed.

"You do?" She looked up at me, looking surprised.

"Yeah." I tucked a wave of her hair behind her ear and smiled softly at her. "I think you need to face this head on."

She nodded at my words before looking back down at my chest and tracking a pattern on the exposed skin.

"Would you come with us?"

I looked at the sincerity in her eyes, leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Of course. I'm glad you asked."

"We'll arrange a time soon then," she agreed.

"Yeah, preferably when your dad isn't on duty as a policeman. I have a clean record and I'd like to keep it that way!"

Bella laughed and I was pleased she was relaxing. I took her lead on this and didn't push her to talk anymore. I did however offer to stay over, an offer which she gladly accepted. I didn't want her to be alone tonight and I don't think she wanted that either.

We turned into bed after I'd set my alarm to get me up before Tyler woke. Bella raised her eyebrows at me when I lay in her bed in my boxers and t-shirt. I took the hint and removed my t-shirt, grinning at her subtle nod as she settled herself on my chest and promptly fell asleep.

The next thing I was aware of was Bella tossing and turning next to me. She was mumbling words I couldn't make out. My eyes shot open as I hesitated. I wanted to wrap my arms around her to stop her thrashing, but I didn't want to scare her. Instead, I spoke calmly to her, but I didn't feel calm.

"Bella, baby…shhh, you'll wake Tyler."

I'd only seen her have one nightmare before, and again she seemed more scared than angry, flinching at my touch before she woke slightly and realized who was touching her. I lay down on my back and pulled her closer to my body as she burrowed her head in my bare chest and calmed down. I stroked her hair as her breathing slowed down and her small sobs subsided.

"Baby, you need to talk about this, bottling it up clearly isn't working."

Bella remained silent as she started to stroke my chest, in a sleepy way at first, gaining comfort from my presence, but she was soon ghosting her hand over my pecs and abs, then out to my biceps and arms. Before I had time to wonder what was going on, she was kissing my body, soft butterfly kisses at first, but they then they turned into licks as she ran her tongue over my nipples. My eyes shot open at the unexpected sensation, I lifted one hand to rub my eyes as I looked blearily at the bed side clock, it was 3:10am.

I realized where this was leading. I knew by now how Bella liked my body. I knew she was getting turned on by it, and I knew this was the start of something. Her slight moans meant my dick was more awake than my mind, but at first I lay there frozen, as I let her calm herself down anyway necessary until it was obvious where this was going...and why.

"Baby..." I started. "Jake's birthday isn't going anywhere…"

"Please, Edward..." she interrupted, stopping her kisses for a second as she looked up at me with pleading eyes. No doubt she knew from my tone that I was going to be sensible and suggest she talk about her nightmare instead of her plan of dealing with it by losing herself in my body.

"I need to get rid of these thoughts, let me fill my head with you, your chest..." she groaned as she dropped her head again and kissed my chest again, …your arms, oh God your arms...please Edward, I just want you," she whispered gruffly in a pleading tone. I considered her words, never, ever, did I think I'd have to consider whether or not to sleep with Bella. I'd always wanted her and even the times we had slept together hadn't quenched my thirst for her, I still wanted more. But, not like this...I couldn't benefit from her nightmare, but was I strong enough to resist? My body wanted to give in and she obviously thought this would help her. She was still admiring my torso, rubbing soft circles on my skin, feeling my muscles with her hands and lips as she moaned.

"Mine. All mine," she whispered to herself as I groaned approval at her possessiveness. "Tell me you're all mine" she added huskily, needing reassurance from her nightmare.

"Hell yes, baby, I'm all yours, you know that," I groaned as she dropped her lips back to my biceps. "Bella, don't you wanna talk?" I started again but this time she climbed up and straddled me, making my dick harden instantly as I realized he was too far gone to bother objecting anymore.

"Shhhh! Let me ride you, damn it" she whispered as she devoured me in a passionate kiss.

"Fuck..." I groaned as she placed a finger over my lips to silence me. I met her eyes and read her expression. I gently kissed her finger as she smiled, knowing I'd agreed to her demands. She used that finger to trace over my lips, down my chin, down my neck and over my Adam's apple. She then drew her finger over my jaw, seeing it was tense from the battle between my head and my groin. She smoothed over the rough skin of my jawbone as I relaxed it and she arched her back and slowly moved her crotch on top of mine.

_Fuck!_

My moan filled the room as she grinned at me. Now that I'd given in, I was enjoying her being in control. I knew that's what she needed right now and I was more than happy to oblige as I watched her grinding my body to even greater arousal. She pulled off the tank top she'd been sleeping in as I moaned again at the sight of her pert, aroused nipples and her breasts lolling about wildly with her movements. I grasped them as she threw her head back and moaned.

"Yeah, Edward...yeah...you like that?!" she asked as I sat up, leaning on my elbows. She pushed me straight back down. "Stay there" she said half forcefully, half seductively as I fell back on the bed, not objecting to her order as I knew she needed to do this her way this time.

I surprized myself with how much I enjoyed her being in control, but I was certainly enjoying it as my dick bobbed about, desperate for attention. She swung a leg off my body so she was on one side of me as she hastily removed my boxers. I gladly helped her to get the job done quicker as she then removed her own panties and swung her leg back over my now-naked body.

She looked down at my chest and smiled. I knew any second now she'd let me enter her and fill her and that thought was fucking erotic. She let the anticipation build for a few seconds longer as she looked down at my hard erection. She slowly sat down on me, moaning as I entered her deeply. My body knew what she needed, she needed my love but more than anything, she needed to be in control so I kept still and enjoyed the sensation of her sitting on my dick.

Slowly Bella started to ride me. I let her set the pace, starting off unhurriedly but soon her movements were so fast she was riding me deeply. She ran her hands over my chest which was laid out in front of her as I held her hips, feeling her rapid movements and watching her breasts dance wildly in front of me.

"Edward, please!" she groaned at me. That sound came from deep inside of her, so deep that I could feel it in my own gut. My body was like a live wire, hot, hard and aching for her, but I was holding back, allowing her to guide me.

I heard her breathe out, her words full of need. "Now...oh...God...now...deeper baby," she moaned as I slowly and gently guided her hips even further down onto my body. I wasn't sure our bodies could get any closer than they currently were, but I was willing to try it. As she leaned forward, she found my mouth and I kissed her passionately. We started a new rhythm, with her allowing me to take over some of the thrusting, which seemed to work well for both of us as waves of bliss built up inside my whole body.

"It's us, Edward, just us," she spoke, as I sped up the pace. "Edward...yeah that's it...that will do it for me..." she groaned as I licked my lips, trying to drink in her words and the sight of her riding me.

"You like this? Me riding you?" she asked.

I nodded. "Very much," I whispered as I felt my body tense, taking me right to the edge of my own release.

"I'm gonna make you come..." she told me, as our frantic movements increased to a frenzied pace.

"Yep, like right now!" I groaned breathlessly and as loudly as I dared, as I realized she was about to find her release, too. As she did so, I allowed myself to let loose.

Bella threw her head back as her orgasm came crashing down around my dick. Our movements slowed as we rode out the after effects together.

I loosened my grip on her hips as she lowered her head to smile at me and drop a kiss on my lips.

She then climbed off me and headed silently for the bathroom before she slipped fresh panties on and climbed back into bed

I pulled on my boxers before we spooned and fell asleep instantly, tired from waking in the middle of the night, and even more tired from our activities.

I was so tired that I slept past my alarm and woke to Tyler bouncing on my chest, winding me as I groaned good morning to him.

As Bella stirred awake, I looked at her alarm that Tyler was here, seeing Bella and I in bed together.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I whispered as Tyler settled down between us, placing his head on the pillow, looking like he was ready to sleep some more, not get up. "I swear I set my alarm…I'm sure I did, maybe it's on silent…"

"It's okay," she reassured me. "I turned it off."

"What?" Bella was full of surprises lately.

"You looked so peaceful asleep, I didn't want you to wake early and sneak off. "

"Okay." I looked at Tyler settled between us. He certainly didn't look upset at my presence. In fact he looked almost asleep again.

"If you're going to come to Forks with us he needs to get used to us together. I don't think he's too traumatized," she whispered as she swept Tyler's hair off his face and kissed his cheek. The little boy squirmed and kicked me in the nuts as he did so.

"_Christ_!" I cursed under my breath as Bella chuckled at me. I enjoyed her care free laugh that was such a contrast to her behaviour last night.

As we'd slept in we had a hectic morning getting ready for work and getting Tyler up for pre-school. It wasn't like previous weekends when I'd come over early for breakfast and we'd had a leisurely morning. This was crazy, as Bella repeatedly asked Tyler what he wanted on his sandwiches, in between searching frantically for his drink bottle while Tyler got dressed with his t-shirt back to front and two left shoes on. Wow! How did Bella do this every morning?

I hated to leave when she was so busy but I had to get to work. "I hate going," I moaned as I hugged her goodbye. I was well aware that I should probably man up and stop sounding so whiny but it was true. My empty house was getting me down and these constant goodbyes were draining. "Do we need to talk about last night?" I whispered.

"I don't think so. I'm going to talk to Tyler and suggest we get a birthday cake to mark his dad's birthday. We'll remember Jake and talk about him. I'll answer any questions Tyler has and then we'll try and move on."

I nodded. That sounded sensible. A good balance between commemorating Jake and keeping him alive for Tyler without upsetting the little boy and dwelling on the past. "Okay, sweetheart." I kissed her forehead. "You two do what you need to and I'll be here if you want to talk."

"Just give us tomorrow to get past this, then we'll plan our trip to Forks."

I grinned. "Deal." With another kiss and a goodbye to Tyler, I left for work wondering what the next few days would bring.

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.**

**I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: "You're so fucking hot in those glasses…"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

Work had kicked my ass today. Meeting after fucking meeting is not what I had pictured when Emmett and I started our business. Realistically I knew I'd spend most days in a suit meeting clients, but lately the balance between that and being on-site was seriously out of whack. I promised myself I'd get on-site tomorrow to check the building's fancy windows which had been difficult from the start. That was the part I loved, seeing our designs come to life, seeing them in 3-D. Walking into rooms I'd only ever seen on paper. Seeing the light hit the room perfectly through the window that others argued was misplaced.

I toed off my shoes, slung my jacket over the banister and continued into my kitchen. I didn't have the patience to cook tonight. I was beyond hungry. I zapped a lasagne in the microwave and checked my post while I waited impatiently for those three bleeps. After reading my tediously boring and way overpriced car insurance renewal quote, my food still wasn't done. I removed my contacts, disposed of them and grabbed my spare glasses from the downstairs bathroom, and then finally heard the microwave beep on my walk back to the kitchen.

Before I could reach my eagerly awaited food, I heard my doorbell ring.

I cursed. I wasn't expecting anyone. The chances were it was the local kids selling Scout popcorn. As much as I wanted to eat, I didn't want to be that grumpy neighbor who didn't answer the door to local kids. I did not want to turn into Mr Banner, who I grew up next door to, otherwise, my next move would be turning off the lights at Halloween and pretending I wasn't in.

So, I reluctantly walked to the door, trying to remember if I had any change in my wallet, and opened the door, thinking about what flavor popcorn I'd like. Instead of popcorn, I was met with a much more appealing sight.

As I tried to take in the fact that Bella was standing on my doorstep, I was shoved in the chest as she pushed me inside and grabbed my jaw, her lips finding mine immediately.

"Uh...Bella...baby...hi," I stumbled slightly in surprise as my lips formed into a grin around hers. "Is this the way we're greeting each other from now on?" I mumbled against her lips.

"If you like."

"I like." I kicked my front door shut, but before I could find Bella again she backed me up against the door herself and pushed her body flush with mine. Her hand stroked my stubble and her body pushed up against mine, impossibly closer.

"Baby, slow down." Her hands reached for my shirt, undoing the buttons frantically as she showed no sign at all of slowing down. "Where's Ty?" I stroked her hair off her face as she planted a kiss on my collarbone.

"In the car," she mumbled.

I turned her face and made her look up at me. "What?!"

"Relax. He's at home with Garrett!" Her lips fell to my skin again as I swore.

"Well thank fuck for that because it looks like you have plans for us this evening." I leaned my head back, feeling it gently hit the door behind me as I concentrated on the nicer feeling of her lips on my bare skin.

"You bet I do." She finished undoing my shirt and pushed it open eagerly. "You smell good."

I scoffed. "Really? I'm pretty sure I stink." Hours in badly ventilated meeting rooms does not make for a pleasant smelling laundry basket.

"You smell of man and hard work." Bella kissed her way across my pecks as her hands gently ghosted over my stomach and ran along the top of my pants. By now I was rock hard against her, all thoughts of microwave lasagne were forgotten as I pulled my now-open shirt off my arms and let it drop to the floor.

"Much better," Bella mumbled, still kissing my chest as I chuckled at her. That familiar feeling of desperate need was back, rushing through my skin as I held Bella in my arms. Bella's actions, however, were quite unfamiliar.

"Baby, is everything okay?"

"It's great. Now shut up and take my clothes off before I do it myself."

"Yes, Ma'am." I did not need telling twice. I grabbed the bottom of her top and pulled, continuing over her arms once she reluctantly moved them off my chest and raised them above her head.

As much as I wanted to do this here and now, I wasn't sure how the logistics of hallway sex would work. However Bella soon took that decision out of my hands as she pulled me by my belt and pushed me gently down onto the hallway stairs. She eagerly straddled my body as she moaned, no doubt feeling my unrelenting hard on. I leaned back as she squirmed and thrust on my lap. She moaned again and clung desperately to me, begging with her body for more and more and more. Soon my dick was throbbing so much it was actually aching.

"You're so fucking hot in those glasses," she whispered as I scoffed. I'd forgotten I was wearing them but I could tell from her voice that she was serious.

"Bella, fuck, we need a bed."

"As long as you keep the glasses on," she bargained as I held her legs around my waist and stood up, holding her to my body.

We now stood at the bottom of my stairs, Bella straddling my waist as I held her up. She reached down in between our bodies and started to unbuckle my belt.

Huh! It looked like we were doing this here and now. Well, she wouldn't get any complaints from me but for this to work I had to put her down and get rid of some more clothes.

Once she was standing in front of me, I reached around her back and unclipped her bra, letting the material lower slowly to reveal her soft tits to me.

"Fuck," I groaned. They floored me every time, Bella was so damn perfect.

"Edward..." Bella's voice was soft as she drew my attention back to her face.

"Yeah?"

"Take your damn pants off before I just jump on-board."

I chuckled; she sounded so serious. I finished undoing my belt as she pulled my pants and boxers down in one swoop. I took her eagerness as a sign to rid her of her own jeans and panties and when we were both naked, in my hallway, I held her under her arms and lifted her to straddle my waist.

"Is this even going to be possible?" she asked quietly, her earlier confidence dwindling. "In all the movies they do this but…"

"Sure it is, baby," I told her as I turned us around so she was sandwiched between me and the wall, making it easier to move and still hold her up.

"I've been on the pill long enough now...we don't need anything."

Holy hell, could this day get any better? Bella had almost beaten my door down to get to my dick and now she was saying we didn't need a condom. Damn.

"Umm...great. Fuck, that's great," I told her as she touched my glasses, settling them more firmly on my nose as I watched.

"Fuck...well..."

Bella wriggled in my arms as I tried to line my dick up with her center. It didn't take long, he was like a homing missile, he knew what was good for him, for us and within a few seconds I was at her entrance.

"Christ, Bella..." I slowly pushed my way in. "This is amazing...fuck...so amazing, god you're...soft and hot, oh wow, we need to do it bare, like, all the damn time."

She chuckled, making me push further in. That made her gasp and close her eyes in pleasure. As I pushed in fully she opened them again and watched as I started to thrust.

"I won't last long," I warned. "This is much more sensitive, I can feel you, right there," I assured her, making her smile.

"I'll always be right here," she whispered, as my mouth found hers. I needed her deeply, all the while thrusting in and out of her. I didn't feel the effort of holding her up in my arms. I didn't feel the effort of doing this standing upright in my legs. I didn't feel self-conscious in my glasses. I just felt our connection. I felt wanted and loved and so fucking alive that it frightened me.

"Bella..." I breathed out when our lips parted. She placed one hand over my tattoo and one on my bicep as I sped up my movements.

"Baby, I'm so close..." My voice trailed off as I felt her grip my overheated skin.

"Me too, please, Edward." The softness and lust with which she was looking at me was enough to send me over the edge. I felt her tighten just as I tipped over the edge.

"Damn...Christ," I swore as I came down from my high and slowed my movements, finally feeling the burning in my arms and legs.

I lowered Bella to the floor, separating our bodies as I did so.

We grinned stupidly at each other until she finally bent down and slipped her arms into my shirt.

"I will never get tired of you in my top."

"I hope not. And for the record, you should wear your glasses more often." She grinned at me as she did up the shirt buttons. "Can I clean up?" she asked, as I snapped out of my post sex haze.

"Of course," I answered sounding confused.

"Through here?" She asked pointing to the nearby closed door. It was then that I realized how little time we spent at my house. I knew every cupboard and crevice of her house but she'd yet to use my downstairs bathroom.

"Yeah, in there," I confirmed as she nodded and turned.

I picked up our clothes, slipping into my pants before I walked to my kitchen. I made a pile of Bella's clothes on the bar stool and put my underwear in the washing machine.

Bella returned after a few minutes and looked around, presumably for her underwear. I grabbed her panties and swung them from my thumb.

"You want these?" I traded, as she grinned at me. "It'll cost ya..."

"I'm listening." She eyed my bare chest as she spoke, making me wonder if she was listening at all.

"Stay."

That made her look up at me.

"I know you have Tyler at home and will have to get back to him soon, but stay as long as you can."

She placed a hand on my shoulder and ran it slowly along my arm. It wasn't until she reached my hand and grabbed her panties that I realized she'd been distracting me to get her underwear back. She gleefully squealed when she had them in her hand before she bent slightly to put them on. When she was done I scooped her up and effortlessly placed her on the kitchen counter. She squealed and wriggled but her laugh was so carefree that I knew she loved our fun.

"You haven't answered me," I pointed out as I bent at the knees to make my eyes level with hers.

"I'll text Garrett and stay as long as I can." She leaned forward and kissed my neck softly, making me moan.

"You text, I'll cook," I suggested when she stopped kissing me and I could think straight.

Bella ended up staying late into the evening. Garrett stayed on her couch as she assured me he'd done before, but she wanted to get back and be there when Tyler woke in the morning. I cooked a pretty decent dinner, not revealing the microwave lasagne for one that I would have eaten if Bella hadn't turned up. I loved having a reason to cook and someone to cook for and she seemed to enjoy the meal.

"How did Jake's birthday go?" Bella paused in cutting up her dinner and looked up slowly at me.

"Okay. Tyler chose a motorbike cake because he's seen pictures of Jake riding his bike. We talked about him, how he would have given anything in the world to be here for Tyler and to be his dad but the fact is he can't. I told Tyler it's okay to want a dad who is here and we can move on without forgetting Jake."

"Well, I'm pleased you talked. How have you been sleeping?"

Bella let her hair fall in a curtain around her face before she straightened her shoulders and answered me. "Fine. Good. But not as well as when you're there with me."

I grinned. "I know the feeling."

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

The following day I texted Bella to let her know I was on my way, so when I got there I let myself in.

I was greeted by Tyler plowing into my legs. "Ewood, I gotta new bed. It's a police bed like Gramps' real car."

"Your bed is a car?" I asked in exaggerated disbelief.

"Yeah, you wanna see it?" he offered with such enthusiasm that I'd have agreed even if I didn't want to. I walked over to Bella, kissed her cheek and grinned at her.

"I'll be right back," I told her as Tyler tugged at my hand, not having enough patience for me to greet his mom.

"What bed do you have, Ewood?" he asked as we walked to his room.

"Just grown up one." I shrugged.

"It's not a fire engine or a digger?" Tyler sounded amazed as I grinned down at him.

"Nope. Just one like your mom's."

"Boring." He muttered, making me chuckle.

"I guess it is," I agreed as we reached Tyler's room and I gasped.

"Wow, Ty, this is great." I sat down on the edge of his police car bed as he showed me the secret storage box at one end. "This is so cool. Do you think I'd fit in here?" I asked as he shook his head.

"Nope. You can sleep in Mama's bed instead."

"Umm, okay." I didn't know what to say in reply, but when I looked over to the door way Bella was grinning back at me and wiggling her eyebrows.

I stood and walked to her. "Sounds like a plan to me," I whispered in her ear as she pinched my butt.

"Hey, Ty, what day is it today?" she asked Tyler.

"It's Gramps's birthday," he answered.

"Yep. We have to phone him before he leaves for work. Do you want to call now?"

"Yep, I wanna tell him about my new bed."

We returned to the living room where Bella pressed a speed dial number on her house phone and passed the phone to Tyler. He said hello but then turned to Bella.

"Mama, I can't hear Gramps," Tyler said as Bella reached forward and pressed a button on the phone.

A gruff voice now filled the room as Charlie spoke through the speaker phone.

"How are you?" he asked Tyler who held the phone to his ear still as he spoke.

"Good."

"How's pre-school?"

"Good." I could tell Charlie was trying to make conversation when Tyler wasn't being particularly talkative.

"What are you up to?"

"I just showed Ewood my new police car bed. Gramps, it looks like your car." Tyler announced proudly.

"Your Mom sent me a picture, it looks great, Ty. So who's Ewood? A friend from pre-school?"

"No." Tyler replied bluntly. "He's a growed up. He's mama's special friend. He wanted a bed like mine but I told him to sleep in Mama's bed instead."

I tried not to grin at Tyler's words and Bella's following mortified expression. She tried to catch Tyler eyes as she frantically shook her head at him.

"Oh? Is that so?" Charlie replied, his voice brusque as Tyler replied.

"Yep."

"Oh, well I might need to talk to your mama."

"Well she's right here but she's making a funny face at me. Now she's shaking her head at me. Now she looks mad. Do you wanna speak to Ewood instead?"

Oh Jesus! Please say he doesn't want to talk to me.

Bella was now blushing even though it was just the three of us in the room.

"Ty, baby, why don't you wish Gramps a happy birthday then let me talk to him," Bella suggested as she reached for the phone.

"Happy birfday Gramps," Tyler said obediently before handing the phone over to Bella who switched off the speaker phone.

"No, Dad. Calm down. I did mention him. I was going to tell you. Yes, we want to visit soon...I know I haven't been back in years but I think it's time Ty visited...yes...okay. I'll let you know the details when I have them worked out. Sure. Well, we will see you soon. Bye, Dad."

Bella pressed a button in the phone as Tyler jumped excitedly at her feet.

"We're going to visit Gramps?"

"Yep, we sure are, baby." As soon as Bella told Tyler we were going I knew it was a sure thing, she wouldn't tell him otherwise.

"Is Ewood coming?"

Tyler turned to me at the same time that Bella did and they both looked at me with the same expression of hope and uncertainty.

"I'd love to," I told them.

"Yay!" Tyler was jumping on my feet so I picked him up and settled him on my hip.

"My Gramps loves to fish, he shows me pictures of all the fishes he catches and says he'll take me when I visit. Can you fish, Ewood?"

"Not really. My brother and I did a bit when we were younger, but I haven't tried in years."

"My Gramps will teach you," Tyler announced, sounding so sure it made me chuckle. That was, until I thought about the reality of his words. Going fishing with Bella's dad was surely just a disguised attempt to figure out the guy who was dating his daughter. Oh well, I'd worry about that at the time. For now we needed to plan this trip.

"When did you have in mind?" I turned to Bella

"As soon as possible. We can do it this weekend, leaving after school on Friday, but I don't know if that works for you."

"I can make it work." I bent down and kissed her cheek before I realized I'd done it in front of Tyler. He was watching our conversation unfold and grinned up at me as I backed away from Bella and ran my hands through my hair awkwardly.

"Are you okay with me coming with you Tyler?"

"Yeah! Can you drive? I wanna go in your big car."

"Sure, buddy. We can make a road trip and get some snacks. Is that good with you?" I asked as both Tyler and Bella nodded.

"Okay, we can fix a time for Friday and I'll come and pick you two up."

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.**

**I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: I'd muttered the words before I could think of the implications but the implications were written all over Bella's face.

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

"So, you and Bella…a weekend away…" Emmett was waggling his eyebrows at me as I sipped my coffee.

"Yep…to meet her dad… with a four year old."

"Oh, yeah. Suddenly it's not so romantic."

"Tell me about it!" I joked.

"But things are going okay with you two? You're not going to break her heart and leave her as a spinster cat lady who's too emotionally traumatiszed to teach my kid and then he'll end up a high school dropout with no future and you'll be to blame."

I looked at Emmett like he'd grown another head during his speech. "Errr, no. Besides, she's only teaching Seth until the end of the year, right?"

"Yeah, true. She's by far his favorite teacher he's ever had though."

"Well he'll still see her around outside of school."

"Good. Maybe she'll be Auntie Bella rather than Miss Swan," Emmett teased as I glared at him.

"I'm not getting down on one knee just yet. I think we'll move in together first."

"Awww, Eddie. Look at you all grown up, taking about living with your girlfriend and not running away at the mention of marriage."

"I think I'll meet her dad before thinking about rings."

"Don't let him put you off. You know Rose's parents took years to come round to our relationship."

"That's 'cause you knocked up their princess at nineteen."

"Yeah well they dote on Seth so I don't really see what their problem is. Anyway, just be honest with Bella's dad. As soon as he sees how genuine you are about Bella and Tyler he'd be a fool not to be pleased."

"Thanks. I'm not worried, I just want things to go well. Bella doesn't have much family so I want to get on with her dad."

Emmett patted me on the back as I turned to leave.

"I'm sure you will. Let me know how you get on," he replied sincerely as I nodded at him before leaving.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Not much later I pulled into Bella's drive and popped the trunk of my car. I had a small holdall in there but there was plenty of room for Bella and Tyler's bags.

Before I could enter Bella's house, the door opened and Tyler struggled down the driveway, dragging a large bag behind him.

"Hey, buddy." I ruffled his hair in greeting as he continued to struggle. "Do you want a hand with that?"

"Nope. I is strong."

"I know you are, just let me lift it into the trunk." As the bag was about the same size as Tyler, he relented and let me to sort the bag before I turned and scooped him up, giving him a big hug as he squealed and wriggled.

I heard Bella laughing next to us so I drew her into our hug, kissing her cheek and relaxing now that I was with her, knowing we'd be together for the whole weekend.

After we parted I lifted Bella's bag into the trunk as she turned to her car.

"I'll just get Ty's car seat."

"No need," I told her as I opened the rear passenger side door and Bella looked inside my car.

"You…you got him a car seat…for your car?" She sounded more surprised than I expected.

"Yep. I spoke to a really helpful guy in the shop and he assured me it was safe and he even fitted it for me…" I was stopped in my tracks by Bella's lips crashing onto mine.

"Thank you for thinking of us," she whispered as we parted.

"I'm always thinking about you," I replied as she grinned before turning to Tyler.

"Are you ready to go, baby? Have you been to the bathroom?"

"Of course, Mama." Tyler was bouncing up and down with excitement, his hair flopping in his eyes as his dinosaur Bartholomew moved up and down in his arms. Wow, he had a lot of energy. This might be a long trip!

After a few minutes, we were on the road and after a few hours Bella was directing me along the last few streets to her dad's house. The trip had been uneventful. Tyler had chatted non-stop for about the first hour then he calmed down and managed to do some coloring. Now that we were nearly there he was getting excited again.

When Bella told me to turn onto the driveway in front of a white washboard house I knew we were here. I parked behind a police cruiser and turned off the engine.

"Good. He's home," Bella remarked. I would have thought it was standard for Charlie to be home when his daughter and grandson were visiting but Bella appeared to be pleasantly surprised that he was actually here.

I stepped out the car and stretched my tall frame, stiff from the drive, while Bella helped Tyler out of his car seat. As I did so, the front door of the property opened and a gruff-looking man headed towards us. His facial expression was dominated by this thick moustache but as soon as he saw Tyler his smile lit up his face and he sped up.

"Hey, Bells." He hugged his daughter and kissed her check before bending down and scooping up Tyler.

"Is this my little grandson? Jeez! When did you get so big?"

"See, Mama. I tolded you I'm not a baby," Tyler said to Bella, making Charlie chuckle. "Hey, Gramps, are we going fishing?"

"We sure are. How about after some dinner you can help me sort out my fishing gear and then we can go on the weekend?"

"Okay," Tyler agreed with an enthusiastic nod of his head.

While this conversation was going on I rounded the car and stood next to Bella.

"Dad, this is Edward," she announced as I held my hand out. Charlie shuffled Tyler onto one arm and took my outstretched palm, shaking it rather vigorously.

"Hello," he greeted.

"It's really nice to meet you," I replied genuinely.

"Gramps, Ewood's not very good at fishing, can we teach him?"

"Sure. A man needs to know how to fish."

"Dad." Bella's voice held a warning as Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Come on. Leave your bags for a minute, let's get some dinner, you must all be hungry."

A few minutes later we were sat in Charlie's small kitchen as he served up pie and vegetables. Bella looked from her plate, to her dad, and back again.

"You…cooked?" She sounded so stunned, she made me choke on the water I was drinking as Tyler swung his legs nosily under the table.

"Well, ummm, Sue made it this morning for us."

"Oh." Bella still sounded surprised while I made a mental note to ask her about Sue later. "It's delicious," she added as we all tucked in and Charlie changed the subject rather quickly.

He was quick to ask me about my job and I think he looked suitably impressed when I told him about mine and Emmett's business. I couldn't be sure though, as he seemed to be a man of few words and his thick moustache made it hard for me to read his expressions.

"So, that must keep you busy, running your own business. Do you have much spare time?" Charlie inquired as Bella started to protest at her dad's questions.

"Well, I'm here on a Friday afternoon instead of being in the office so I love the flexibility my own business gives me."

"Huh." Charlie was quiet and I wondered if I'd been too smart in my reply. "Good. I'm glad you have the right priorities."

"Ewood's always at our house Gramps," Tyler chimed in. "He has lots of time with me and Mama."

"Oh, he does? How do you feel about that?" Charlie asked Tyler as I help my breath for the little boy's answer.

"Good. We builded pirate ships and forts, but he always makes me clean my teeth, yuck!"

Bella and I grinned as Charlie nodded. "Good, well I hope we don't meet any pirates when we're out fishing."

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

After eating, Tyler insisted on seeing Charlie's fishing equipment, so while they were gone Bella and I unloaded the car and arranged our bags in Charlie's one spare room. The three of us were all sleeping in here and while it would be a bit of a squash, I was just glad I wasn't relegated to the couch.

"This is weird," Bella announced as she flopped on the bed and looked around her room.

"Being back?" I asked, abandoning my open suitcase and sitting next to her.

"Yeah. It's all the same, but I'm so different." I ran my hand up and down her thigh.

"A good different, I hope?" I asked softly.

"Yes. I was in such a mess when I left here Edward," she confessed as she dropped her head to my shoulder.

"Well you seem to be doing alright now."

"I'm doing better than alright with you here. I know my dad's not overly talkative but, trust me, if he didn't like you, you'd be on the couch."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I got that impression."

There were heavy footsteps on the stairs and Tyler flung himself into the room. I instinctively removed my hand from Bella's thigh. Tyler had seen Bella and I sit like this many times but it was a good job I'd done it anyway as Charlie followed Tyler into the room. He looked from Bella, to me, and back again before speaking.

"Errr, we're done. I don't think we'll be on for fishing tomorrow, the weather isn't looking good, probably Sunday morning is better, if that's okay with you?"

"Sure, dad."

"I wanted to go tomorrow," Tyler argued.

"I know but Gramps knows what he's doing. I don't want him taking you out in bad weather. We've got all weekend, Ty." Bella ruffled his hair as he flopped down on the bed, sticking his lower lip out in a classic sulking pose. That was until he did the most almighty yawn.

"Jeez, Ty. That yawn was like a dinosaur's!" I teased while he laughed. I tickled his belly as he rolled around on the bed laughing.

"I think you need some sleep, little man," Bella told him.

"I don't wanna sleep here on my own, Mama," he grumbled. I couldn't blame him. He was in a strange place and would be here on his own until Bella and I came to sleep.

"I'll stay with him," I offered. "You go and catch up with your dad." Bella looked surprised but nodded her head slowly.

"Thanks." She leant forward and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "His pajamas…"

"Baby, it's fine. Ty and I will work this out. There's only one place his stuff can be," I joked as she laughed.

"Okay, sure. Thanks." She stood and hugged Tyler goodnight, before turning and heading downstairs with her dad.

Tyler and I navigated our way through pajamas, teeth cleaning and bedtime stories with no problems but once I turned the light off and the room plunged into darkness he asked me to sit with him. As I sat on the bed and stretched my legs out, Tyler molded his body to the side of mine and closed his eyes. I knew he didn't usually go to sleep this easily, by now I'd witnessed many of his bedtime protests but, this time, I think he was genuinely tired after a long day.

I too closed my eyes and the next thing I knew Bella was stroking my hair off my face and whispering in my ear.

"Hey, sleepyhead."

"Huh? What time is it?"

"It's late, let's get some sleep."

I stood up groggily, used the bathroom, ditched my contacts, jeans and t-shirt and crawled into bed, under the covers this time, spooning Bella who was in the middle of me and Tyler.

"Sorry." I mumbled. "I wanted to get to know your dad, I know we have the rest of the weekend but…"

"Edward, we have the rest of our lives," Bella told me softly as I grinned in the dark.

"True. Very true."

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

The next morning, we woke to a note from Charlie telling us he'd been called into work but would be home by lunchtime. Bella didn't appear to be surprised by this but she did seem slightly nervous when we sat down to breakfast, just the two of us as Tyler had already eaten and was now glued to cartoons on the TV.

She nervously wrung her hands together before she spoke.

"I want to...I think I should take Tyler...to see Jake. He's old enough now. It might help him understand."

"Of course. I was expecting you to take him, Bella." Her words hadn't surprised me. I'd assumed she would go to Jake's grave and possibly see his dad, but I wouldn't push that point right now.

Bella looked relieved at my words. "I can drive you if you need. I don't want you driving upset." She looked at me thoughtfully for a few seconds and then nodded.

"Good thinking, thanks."

About twenty minutes later we piled into my car. A somber looking Tyler suddenly looked so small in his car seat. Far too small to be visiting his father's grave. His little feet were dangling off the edge of his car seat and his chin was lost in the bulk of his thick winter coat. I was overwhelmed with a need to comfort him. I wanted to hold him and try and make him smile, but I knew this was Bella's call. She needed him to visit Jake and I understood why. Once she'd settled herself in the front passenger seat, I reached across and squeezed her hand softly before starting the car, cranking up the heat, and setting off.

Other than Bella's directions the car ride was quiet, another indicator of the destination ahead. I was so used to noise accompanying Tyler wherever he went. He was always chatting or singing or making the noises that dinosaurs made when they ate each other, but today I didn't hear a peep out of him. So much so that I checked the rear view mirror several times to see if he was still awake.

I turned left and right when instructed by Bella until I saw the sign for the cemetery up ahead. The car tires crunched as I pulled to a stop near the entrance gates. There were no other cars about and an eerie quiet settled over us when I turned the engine off.

"Take your time." I squeezed Bella's thigh as she gave me a watery smile and nodded. She unclipped her seatbelt before opening the door and letting a cold gust of wind in. She pulled her coat closer to her body before she reached into the back of the car to help Tyler out. Once he was ready she held his hand firmly as they disappeared through the gates, their silhouettes getting smaller and smaller as they walked off into the distance. I saw them heading towards a large tree at the far end of the field, but lost sight of them after a minute or so of watching.

I rubbed my hands together for warmth and sighed into the quiet that surrounded me. I drummed my hands on the steering wheel but realized that was not going to keep me occupied for the rest of the time that I had to wait. I pulled out my phone and checked emails, more to give me something to do than a need to keep up to date with emails that I'd read only that morning.

I then called Emmett. We'd gone a while without talking which was unlike us. Em even called me most days on his honeymoon. Rosalie wasn't too happy about that, but he reasoned that as they were already married she was stuck with him now.

"So how was meeting her police chief dad? Has he shrunk your balls yet with threats of harm if you hurt his daughter?" What a nice greeting, thanks, bro!

"Not yet, but there's still time."

"Lucky you. What are you up to today?" Emmett asked, I could hear him shuffling around, probably in his office, as he spoke.

"Bella and Tyler have gone to see Jake. His grave…"

"Oh." The shuffling stopped and Emmett was silent.

"Yeah. I'm sitting in the car waiting for them. Bro, I don't know what to say or do here."

"There's no right or wrong, Ed. Just look after her and Ty. Take their lead I guess."

"Ty's so small." My voice cracked with my words as I paused and held the bridge of my nose as I took in a deep breath.

"He's got you." I nodded at Emmett's words even though he couldn't see me over the phone. "Yeah?" he checked at my silence.

"Yeah. Of course," I added hastily.

"So, has her Dad banished you to the couch or are you still getting some action?"

"Em!" Trust him to turn a serious conversation into a joke in one sentence. I knew he was doing it deliberately but my silence made him laugh.

"Ha ha. I get the picture. You need to move them in, bro, get your alone time every day."

I won't pretend I hadn't thought about it, but Emmett talking so causally about Bella and Tyler moving into my home was surprising to me.

"Err, yeah. Hopefully. One day…I mean soon…one day soon…" I mumbled as Emmett laughed again. "Anyway…" I ran my hand through my hair and tried desperately to change the subject. "How's the Johnson account coming on?"

Emmett was happy to talk work with me while I half paid attention to him, half keeping my eyes glued on the spot where I had last seen Bella and Tyler as I waited for their return.

Emmett then had to go to a meeting but I didn't mind, we'd been talking about twenty minutes so I was hoping it wouldn't be long until they were back.

Sure enough, about a minute after I hung up I saw Bella appear in the distance. At first it looked like Tyler wasn't with her but as she got closer I realized she was carrying him on her hip, his head resting on her shoulder. As they approached the car I opened the back door for her to drop Tyler in. He looked solemn as Bella buckled him in his seat before she closed his door and turned to me.

I could tell she had been crying but she gave me a small grin before her head fell onto my shoulder and I engulfed her in a hug.

"I'm glad you're here," she whispered into my neck.

"Me too." I stroked her hair before she sat up and straightened her shoulders.

"Can we get out of here?" she asked as I nodded.

"Sure can."

Bella checked her phone as we set off. She then looked back at Tyler and squeezed my thigh as I drove.

"Do you want to grab some lunch?" I asked, making her nod furiously.

"Can I have a milkshake, Mama?" Tyler piped up in the back of the car.

"You can have whatever milkshake you want, baby," Bella told him.

"Double chocolate?" he asked, a note of disbelief in his voice.

"With extra sprinkles," Bella confirmed as Tyler sounded pleased for the first time today.

Bella directed us to a small diner on the outskirts of town and we settled in a dining booth while she told me how this place was a haunt for her in her high school days. We placed our orders with a rather over friendly waitress before I fished in my pockets for some quarters which I gave Tyler for a gumball machine he was eyeing up.

As Tyler happily ran off to the corner of the diner I turned to Bella.

"I can see why it's hard for you being back here. Everywhere must remind you of Jake."

She nodded. "It does. But I want to move on now, with you," she told me genuinely.

"Move on with me, or move in with me?"

Jeez! I'd muttered the words before I could think of the implications but the implications were written all over Bella's face. She looked stunned. Her coffee cup was paused halfway to her mouth and her eyebrows had shot up her forehead.

"I…you…you want to?"

I laughed, her question was absurd to me. "Of course I want to!"

"With Tyler…he's…he's hard work and…I…"

I grinned at her. Over her shoulder I could see Tyler trying to open his gumball machine toy. His little tongue was poking out the side of his mouth as he concentrated in the sphere in his hand. When the ball popped open his face filled with a grin so familiar to me that I smiled myself. I knew he could be hard work. I knew he was still adjusting to mine and Bella's relationship but I also knew what an amazing kid he was.

"Think about it," I told Bella, knowing we were out of time as Tyler climbed back into the booth seat.

"Ewood, I gotted a motorbike, look." I tore my eyes from Bella and looked at Tyler's outstretched palm.

"Cool, let's build a ramp." I grabbed the menu and laid it flat, noting the fold which made it stand up slightly off the table, the way Emmett and I used to do when we were kids.

Tyler played with the bike and menu until our food arrived while Bella and I grinned silently at each other.

After eating I offered Tyler a dessert, which made his eyes light up, a welcome sight after the morning he'd had. Once we'd ordered, he set up his ramp again and made motorbike noises rather loudly. Bella leaned across the table, smiling at me.

"You're spoiling him," she warned me.

"Good." I took in Tyler's smile and felt a weight lift from my shoulders. "I intend to always spoil you both."

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.**

**I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thank you to my beta Lellabeth. I'm truly honored that she would give up her time to beta this little story. Any mistakes are mine because I tinker with this story all the time. ****Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this story.**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: "Does that mean I can have two daddies, Jake and Ewood?"

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Wings (Acoustic) by Birdy**

I woke early the next morning. Tyler's scrawny legs had been digging into my back for most of the night, mainly because I didn't dare turn to face him because then his knee caps would be dangerously close to my nuts again.

I managed to crawl out of bed without waking Bella or Tyler. As I watched Bella sleeping soundly, I knew I would follow through with an idea I had yesterday and head out this morning.

I felt slightly awkward creeping around Charlie's house, trying to keep quiet, so I didn't wake him. I didn't really like the idea of a deep and meaningful chat with him at this hour of the morning.

After getting dressed, visiting the bathroom and downing a glass of orange juice I was in my car, trying to remember the route I took yesterday. I wondered if I should give in and type the location in my GPS. However, I remembered the way and soon my car tires were crunching loudly on the gravel underneath them, scaring the birds from the trees as the noise broke the silence of the morning.

I took a deep breath and exited my car, walking through the gates of Forks cemetery in silence.

I walked the route I'd seen Bella and Tyler take yesterday, near the same big tree they'd disappeared behind. It was then that I had no idea where to go so I scanned the names on various headstones, tombstones and crosses feeling bad for all the families behind the names. I kept going up and down the haphazard aisles until I froze.

Jacob William Black.

His name was engraved into a simple headstone with the dates of his birth and death along with the words "beloved son and father."

Father. Damn, this was Tyler's father.

I could see a photo attached to the base of the headstone. I recognized it immediately as a picture of Tyler even though his face wasn't shown in the picture. It was taken from behind and showed him sitting on the floor as he studied a photo album. I guessed Bella wanted to show Jake that Tyler hadn't forgotten him. I suddenly felt bad for turning up empty handed but it was too late to fix that now.

As I stood and stared, I felt self-conscious. I couldn't remember why I thought it was a good idea to come here. However, after glancing around and finding, to my relief, that I was alone, I spoke in a low unsteady voice.

"Ummm, hi." God this was weird. I'd been fortunate enough to have never to have done anything like this before. But I knew if I wanted to do this then I'd have to put aside the way I felt so self-conscious and just get on with it.

_So, here goes nothing._

"Yeah, so hi…again. You don't know me, but I'm Edward Cullen. I don't really know what I'm doing here. I guess I just wanted to say a few things and this felt like the only way to do that. I wanted to say thanks for being Bella's friend growing up. She doesn't talk about her childhood much but I know it was a pretty lonely one and I think you were the light and fun for her in an otherwise dull time. I'll never know much about your relationship with Bella, and I'm not sure I want to. But I know she loved you and, well, you are part of the reason Tyler is here."

The mention of Tyler made my lips curl into an involuntary smile as I continued to speak quietly.

"Ty's such a great kid. He's so full of curiosity and questions and energy! I'm not bragging, I know Bella will make sure Tyler knows all about you. I think I just wanted you to know that they have someone to love them and look after them from now on. They aren't alone. I promise I'll look after them and love them wholeheartedly."

I ran my hands through my hair and looked up to the sun creeping through the dappled trees. I nodded to myself. I was done.

I turned and walked slowly back to my car, taking in the fresh air and heat of the early sun, feeling good to be alive.

I stopped at Walmart on the way back and picked up some OJ and all the ingredients I'd need for some kick ass pancakes before heading back to Charlie's.

I let myself in with Bella's set of keys and started on the pancakes. I could hear people moving about upstairs and knew it wouldn't be long until everyone made an appearance in the kitchen, especially once they smelled my cooking.

I was flipping the first pancake when Bella walked into the kitchen, a satisfied smile on her pretty face.

"Where did you go?" She sounded amused as she approached me.

"To see a friend," I replied simply.

Bella wrapped her arms round my body from behind. Her hands found my chest as I continued to stir the pancake mix.

"Friend, huh? Who do you know already in Forks that you need to sneak off to see?" Her tone was light with laughter but considering I didn't have a good answer for her I turned in her arms so I was facing her and kissed her soft lips.

That shut her up!

She reciprocated the kiss while my arms found her waist and she stretched up on her tiptoes to deepen it.

That was until I heard a gruff throat clearing, and Bella dropped to her feet and immediately ran her hands through her hair as I tried to stop a smile forming on my lips. Bella was like a teenager who'd been caught making out, her face was bright red and she didn't know what to say.

"Bells, Ty's stirring. He's asking for you." Charlie informed her as she flashed me a quick smile, knowing she was off the hook and it was me who would have to face her dad alone.

"Sorry," she mouthed to me with a grin that told me she was far from sorry as she skipped out of the kitchen.

I turned back to the pancake batter as I spoke, finding it easier to talk to Charlie if I didn't look at him. "Sorry. You didn't need to see that," I told him as he scoffed at me.

"Yes I did," he replied surprising me as I turned to see if he was serious. "In a weird way that's exactly what I've waited a hell of a long time to see. My daughter is happy and I haven't been able to say that in quite a while." He smiled at me as I nodded, respecting his honesty. "She tells me on the phone she's happy, and I hear it in her voice, but to actually see it...she has her spark back. I think I have you to thank for that. Just don't hurt her…them…please".

It wasn't a threat it was a plea, a heartfelt plea.

"I won't, sir. You have my word."

"That's a big promise to make." His voice was stern as he looked unconvinced.

"I know how I feel."

Charlie nodded at me. "Well then, take a seat. It looks like you and I should get to know each other better." He sat at the dining table and tapped seat next to him. "How are you at fishing?"

We had a slow start to the morning. We ate the pancakes I had cooked, and then sat on the back deck. Tyler took turns wearing us out, requesting to be pushed on the tire swing hanging off a tree in the yard, and showing off his newly learned little league actions and his well-rehearsed karate moves.

I knew Bella wanted to spend time with Charlie and sensed she wasn't too interested in visiting her old haunts around Forks. This meant that by lunchtime, we were all happy to stay in. Bella volunteered to make us all sandwiches, and a salad which Charlie rather comically turned his nose up at. She persuaded Tyler to help her in the kitchen, leaving Charlie and I on the back deck. I knew this wasn't a coincidence; we needed to talk.

Charlie cleared his throat as he busied his hands with his drink.

"Bells mentioned moving in with you."

Wow, he didn't waste any time; he went straight to the big questions. I was surprised that Bella had mentioned it to her dad, but I was pretty sure this was a good sign; she wouldn't have told him if she hadn't been considering it.

Charlie must have read the surprise on my face as he continued. "It's pretty fast, don't you think?"

I smiled. Yeah, it probably looked fast to an outsider, and looking at just the facts, it probably was fast. But, it felt right. I knew it did and I think Bella felt it did too.

"I mentioned it to her yesterday. I'm giving her time to think it over," I explained. "It's Bella's decision. I won't push her; I know she has Tyler to consider."

"That boy is pretty taken with you." Charlie said before he took a swig of his drink. I sensed he wasn't big on compliments so this might be as complimentary as he was going to be.

"I won't lie. I struggled at first, knowing Bella had a son. But once I got to know Tyler, I saw how amazing he is."

"You're good with him."

I guess I knew Charlie had been watching Tyler and me interact earlier when he wanted to go ridiculously high on the tire swing and later when I corrected his stance when he was batting. But it was odd having that confirmed.

"My nephew is a bit older than Tyler and I spend a lot of time with him. I guess spending time with Tyler comes more naturally than I thought it would."

Charlie nodded as I resisted the urge to look at my watch and see how long Bella had been gone.

"And your business, it's solid, you can provide for them?"

"I think Bella's done a great job of looking after herself and Tyler without me. She works hard, and I don't see that changing any time soon."

I saw a small smile flash across Charlie's face slightly obscured by his moustache, but I knew he was agreeing with me.

"Edward, I'm old fashioned. Humor me. If anything happened, could you provide for my daughter and grandson?"

"Yes. The business is going well, never better, and I have a strong family who would never stand by and let anyone struggle."

"Good. That's one thing I always wanted for Bella, a big family. I was crushed when I realized she'd never have any siblings."

"Well, my family loves them both. My mom's ready to throw a party to celebrate the fact that I want to settle down."

It was then that I heard Tyler's heavy footsteps before he rounded the corner and ran to us both.

"Gramps, Mama says you can't have any butter 'cause you have to watch your cesterol."

"My cholesterol is fine. Your mama worries too much," Charlie grumbled as Tyler shrugged, losing interest in a conversation he didn't really understand.

Then, Bella walked towards us with a tray loaded with sandwiches, drinks and other snacks. We all gulped the food down quickly before Charlie set Tyler up on the lawn with his tackle box. He helped the little boy sort through it for tomorrow morning's fishing trip. I sensed he wanted Tyler out of earshot and this was proven to be the case when he sighed, ran his hand over his moustache and turned to Bella.

"Bells, honey, I got a call from Billy today."

Bella froze. She turned to her dad with wide eyes before she resumed chewing her sandwich.

"He'd heard you were in town…"

"Of course he did," she grumbled.

"He was asking after you…and Tyler." Charlie's voice was calm as Bella placed the half eaten sandwich back on her plate and placed it back on the tray. Clearly, she was done eating. "He's getting better, Bells. He's trying."

"He's had four years to try," she mumbled angrily.

"I know, but if you want answers you should go and talk to him."

To my surprise, Bella nodded her head slowly. "I'll think about it."

Charlie nodded and I knew the subject had been dropped.

Bella called Tyler over and pulled him onto her lap when he was close enough. She brushed his floppy hair off his forehead and kissed his cheek as he pulled a disgusted face.

"Mama!" he objected, making her smile at him.

"What do you want to do this afternoon, baby? We could go to the park."

"I wanna nother milkshake."

Bella looked at me and I nodded. "Sure, want me to drive?"

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Charlie had stayed at home while we headed to the same diner as yesterday. Thankfully, Tyler was much happier today, chatting away to us in the car and changing his mind six times as to what flavor of milkshake he would have. As we passed a turn close to the diner, Bella stiffened. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye as I drove.

"Jake's house…well Billy's…" she corrected.

"Do you want to talk to Billy?"

She shrugged.

"I won't mind," I told her softly, thinking Bella's reluctance was because she didn't want to upset me. "Maybe if you talk to Billy, you'll have answers for Tyler in the future."

She nodded slowly. "Okay, but on the way back."

I nodded in agreement, we'd passed the turn and I was pulling into the diner's parking lot.

When Tyler finally settled on a milkshake flavor, we took our time with our drinks and I knew Bella was stalling when she accepted her third refill from the waitress. Still, we weren't in a rush and if she needed time before facing Billy, that was understandable.

About fifteen minutes later, Tyler started to get restless and fidgety so we left, and following Bella's instructions, I pulled the car in front of a slightly rundown, single story house. Tall green trees surrounded the back and sides of the house, casting it in darkness. There was a ramp leading up to the front door, but there didn't seem to be any signs of life in the house.

Bella unclipped her seatbelt and turned to me.

"Can you wait here with Ty? I don't want him coming in with me. Not yet."

"Sure." I agreed as Bella turned back to Tyler and told him to wait in the car with me before she opened the door and her feet were crunching on the stony driveway.

However, before she could approach the front door, it opened and a man in a wheelchair moved slowly down the ramp. He had long dark hair and a sullen face, and it looked like he hadn't smiled in a long time. I watched Bella as she froze on the spot which allowed Billy to reach the bottom of the ramp and stop a few feet in front of her.

"I…I hope it's okay that I'm here." I heard Bella's soft voice greet Billy as he nodded, fixated by the image of Bella in front of him.

Billy didn't reply as Bella stood up taller, squaring her shoulders, and I knew she was gathering her energy and preparing herself for a confrontation.

"I know it's been over four years…" she started before Billy's gruff voice interrupted.

"Don't you think I know how long my son has been gone?" His eyes bored into Bella's as his voice rose with every word until it was a loud bellow.

I unclipped my seat belt and jumped out the car, furious with the guy who was now shouting at Bella. Once I reached her, she looked remarkably calm and I wondered how used to his shouting she was.

She placed her palm flat on my chest to stop me from advancing any further. I think she could read the anger on my face because her eyes pleaded with me not to say or do anything to make the situation any worse than it already was.

I stood next to her as she lowered her hand and turned back to Billy.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing…to check…"

"I'm fine," he interrupted. "How's my grandson?"

"Tyler's great. He's smart and funny…"

"And you've moved on I see." Billy nodded his head in my direction.

"As I said, it's been four years. Tyler will always know about Jake, but you can't have expected me to remain alone forever."

Billy shrugged. "No. I knew you'd make something of yourself. I'm just not sure how I feel meeting the man who's living the life my son should have had."

For the first time, Billy and I made eye contact and the sadness in his expression took my breath away. I was ready to shout at him, to defend Bella and Tyler, but his sadness was overwhelming. Now, I could see why Bella was remaining calm. Billy was clearly emotional and bitter, like a caged tiger, ready to pounce on any word or action.

"This is Edward," Bella explained. "And up until I had met him, I hadn't moved on. Not at all. But I had to. For Tyler's sake too."

"Your Dad shows me pictures." Billy's voice was calmer when he spoke of Tyler.

"I can send you your own pictures. I've never stopped you from seeing Tyler…" At this point Billy gasped and angled his head to see past Bella. We heard the car door slam as little feet kicked up stones on the driveway behind us.

"Mama, your phone is ringing in the car." Tyler came and stood next to us, oblivious to the tension surrounding him.

"Thanks, baby." Bella tried to soften her voice but I could tell Tyler was still surprised by her tone. He looked up to me, his big brown eyes seeking answers before he turned to Billy.

I watched as Billy stared at Tyler. I mean, really stared, no doubt taking in Tyler's brown hair and eyes which I knew were given to him from his father's genes.

Tyler silently slipped his hand into Bella's, probably feeling uncomfortable under Billy's intense stare. She bent, scooping him up, and resting him on her hip as she tightly held his hand.

"Tyler…" Billy whispered, prompting Bella to explain more to Tyler.

"You remember you have a granddad Billy?" she asked the little boy whoes forehead crinkled in confusion. "You know your dad, Jake, well this is his dad. Your granddad Billy."

"I already have a granddad, Charlie."

"I know baby. Most people have two granddads."

"Huh." Tyler seemed to be processing Bella's words before he spoke again. "Does that mean I can have two daddies, Jake and Ewood."

Billy gasped as Tyler looked expectantly at Bella for an answer.

"That boy needs to know about his real dad," Billy grumbled as Bella turned from Tyler to look at Billy.

"He's only a kid," she defended.

"Well you should teach him about Jake not this somebody who's only known him five minutes." Billy waved a hand in my direction but before I could speak, Bella spoke.

"Tyler knows all about Jake, but if you're so concerned, maybe you should have been in his life more to teach him yourself. Maybe I haven't known Edward for years, but he's been more of a role model in your grandson's life than you have. Ever. He plays with him, he makes him laugh, and he teaches him baseball and scares away monsters from his closet and under his bed. What have you ever done?"

Bella was shaking, I could hear the nerves in her voice as she spoke but she kept going, much to Billy's surprise. I got the impression Bella hadn't stood up to Billy before so I was proud of her for speaking her mind, and for the way she viewed my relationship with Tyler.

"I know we've just met," I started "But I intend to be in Bella and Tyler's life for a hell of a long time so I think you need to know something. The reason your grandson is standing here as the amazing, happy, confident child that he is, is all Bella's doing. One hundred percent Bella. She has been his whole world for years so you need so show her some respect and preferably, some gratitude."

To my surprise Billy nodded slowly before he spoke.

"Bella, I just…look at him. He looks so much like Jake, that hair; he has the same kink in it…" Billy's eyes were watering as he sighed and tried to gather his composure. "Jake was right here, all those years, he made mud pies right where we're standing, he broke his arm jumping from that tree, it feels like yesterday that he was nagging me to play ball. They grow up so fast and you think you have all the time in the world and then…" Billy trailed off. "I know Tyler deserves a better granddad than me, I just can't…every time I look at him…" he raised a shaky hand to his long hair and closed his eyes.

"I can't imagine what you've been through, Billy. I want you to know I'm not interested in arguing with you, especially in front of Tyler." Bella announced. "I have coped perfectly well so far without your input, but it would be nice if Tyler knew his dad's family. Whether he does or not is up to you."

"Maybe we could start slowly, a few photos, maybe some letters?" Billy sounded unsure as he spoke but Bella jumped on his slight peace offering.

"Sure. You can get my email and cell number from my dad and we'll take it from there."

"I'd like that." Billy looked at Tyler again. "Be a good boy for your mom, yeah?"

Tyler nodded shyly but didn't speak.

"You ready to go?" I asked her as she nodded and turned to help Tyler into his car seat. Billy remained still, watching us with sad eyes as we buckled our belts and I reversed the car out of the driveway and headed back to Charlie's.

We were all silent on the short ride home. I placed a hand on Bella's thigh as I drove and glanced at Tyler in the rear view mirror. He was quiet but didn't look unhappy. Thankfully, he perked up when we got back to Charlie's. I took him outside to the rope swing while Bella chatted with Charlie, no doubt filling him in on our visit to Billy. By the time Tyler and I came in for a drink and snack, everyone had perked up and Charlie was ready to load the truck for tomorrow's fishing adventure.

As glad as I was that everyone was happy again, I couldn't help but wonder what lay in store for me the next day.

Damn early the next day!

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**A big thank you to Lellabeth for being my beta for the majority of this story so far. Thanks to EdwardsFirstKiss for being my new beta and encouraging my writing. Also thanks to SarcasticBimbo for giving me her time and opinions when she pre-reads this**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: "I'm falling in love with you, and it feels amazing."

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

I was up early the next morning.

Ridiculously early.

Didn't fish just swim about in the water all day? Why did we have to try and catch them so early? Surely, they weren't going anywhere.

I groaned and stretched as I stood up. I was used to early mornings; it would have been impossible to start my own business without my fair share of damn early mornings. However, today I was leaving a nice warm bed with a hot woman in it, to go out in the dark and cold.

Thankfully though, it didn't take long for my grouchy mood to be over-ridden by Tyler's enthusiasm. He had enough for both of us. And, like most kids I guess, was more bothered about the activity at hand than the time of day. I tried to tone down his eager chattering as we got dressed in the dark, hoping not to wake Bella, who couldn't be persuaded to join us on our trip. She was adamant it was a boys' trip and as much as she liked fishing with her dad, she was passing this time.

Tyler and I were greeted at the bottom of the stairs by an equally enthusiastic Charlie. This was the most animated I'd seen him since we had been here. His usually stoic face was now adorned with a beaming smile that was visible even under his thick mustache. His smile became even wider as he plonked a baseball cap, embroidered with the words 'Gramps' helper', on Tyler's head.

"All set?" he asked me, scooping Tyler into his arms and settling him on his hip.

I sensed he thought of this time as his bonding time with Tyler. Hopefully, he didn't mind me intruding, 'cause if so, I'd happily crawl back into bed with Bella...

I snapped my mind away from that thought. I wanted to spend time with Tyler and I knew it was important to Bella that I got along with the small family she had. So, I nodded at Charlie and patted my pockets for my wallet and phone. I mean, what else could I need for a morning sitting on my butt waiting for a fish to eat a worm?

Charlie drove us in his truck, bouncing us down a small bumpy road until we neared his favorite fishing spot. The roads were empty so we'd arrived quickly and when he popped open the trunk, I saw exactly how much stuff we needed for this fishing trip. I'd expected the fishing rod and tackle box, but Charlie had packed a car full of equipment. There was a tent to sit in, three camping chairs, some weird boots to wear in the water and a hamper of food, which was great as we were all getting hungry for breakfast.

Before Charlie would let us eat though, we had to set up. As he showed Tyler what to do, I followed his instructions with my own rod and tackle. Soon the three of us were sitting in a row, holding out fishing rods and waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

While I waited, I looked around. I had to admit that this place was stunning. The remains of the sunrise were still casting warmth over the riverbank, making it perfectly possible for me to slowly drift back to sleep. That would have been possible if Tyler wasn't bouncing around like a frog on a pogo stick.

Charlie tried to calm him down with breakfast snacks, but that just gave him more energy. He was now fidgeting and wriggling as he ate, barely staying in his chair as he held on to his fishing rod.

However, once he'd finished eating, he could no longer be contained to his chair. Charlie warned him several times not to go too close to the water. Eventually, he persuaded him to sit in-between himself and me so we could both watch him. That was fine, except that arrangement made talking to Charlie rather difficult. Still, I sensed that Charlie rather liked the quiet and tranquillity.

Tyler, however, did not!

He started chatting away, asking his Gramps all sorts of questions about fishing, mainly about where the fish were and why hadn't we caught any yet. I couldn't help but agree with him!

Tyler kept asking questions, not giving Charlie much chance to answer and once he'd exhausted his fishing questions he turned to me.

"Mama says we're going home later today."

"That's right. You have preschool tomorrow and your mom and I have to work."

"Will you go back to your house?" Tyler asked, his voice sounding dejected.

I saw Charlie's attention pick up as I answered Tyler. "Yeah," I nodded at the little boy.

"Don't you like our house?" he asked so innocently.

"Of course I do," I reassured him. "You have your cool police car bed, and we know for sure that there aren't any monsters in the closet."

"So why don't you stay with us all of the time?"

"I…I'd like to. Would you like that?" I asked gingerly, suddenly feeling panicked that Tyler could sway Bella's decision about moving in together.

"Yeah! Then we could build more pirate ships. And Mama would be so happy, and you can keep monsters out of my bedroom, and…" Tyler carried on his enthusiastic monologue as I caught Charlie's eyes.

He took a few seconds to read my face and then smiled and nodded at me before turning away. I didn't know what to make of his actions, but I felt like I'd gained some sort of approval from him.

"…come and see me at karate."

"Umm…sure, Buddy. I'd love to see you at your karate lesson. I need to talk to your mom first though, okay?" Tyler nodded and then jumped off of his seat and started screaming. His rod was bouncing up and down in his arms as he struggled to hold it himself. Charlie leaped up and held his line while Tyler continued jumping and screaming.

"Have I got a fish, Gramps?"

"Sure looks like it but don't scare it away. We need to be calm."

I scoffed quietly. Tyler looked anything but calm; his cheeks were flushed and he was still bouncing excitedly from one foot to the other.

Charlie helped him reel the fish in, but as soon as Tyler saw it he flinched away.

"It's all flappy," he protested.

"Well, it won't be once we knock it on the head," Charlie told him.

"What?!" Tyler looked alarmed. "Don't hurteted it, Gramps."

"Well, how else are we going to eat it?"

"Eat it?" Tyler squeaked and looked even more alarmed. "I don't wanna eat Fred."

"Fred?" Charlie questioned with an amused expression.

"My fish is called Fred, Gramps," Tyler informed him matter-of-factly.

"Err, right. Okay." Charlie looked flummoxed as he glanced over at me. "Well, what do you want to do with Fred?"

"Let's take a picture for Mama, and then put him back."

Tyler was quite decisive, so with a sigh, Charlie freed 'Fred' from the hook and I took my phone out and captured a picture of them both with the fish. I couldn't help but laugh quietly at Charlie's pained and dejected expression as he set the fish free in the water.

Not long after, Tyler yawned, tired from our early start, no doubt. Now that he had caught a fish, he was getting bored and even more restless than before. So, we packed up and left sooner than anticipated.

As we pulled into Charlie's driveway, we could see Bella packing bags into the trunk of my car. Tyler leaped out of his seat and ran to her, babbling at a great speed about Fred, the fish. I followed at a slower pace and restrained myself from touching her as she chatted to Tyler.

"How'd it go, boys?" she asked enthusiastically once Tyler let her get a word in.

"I was the only one to get a fish, Mama." Bella grinned at him and then cooed over the photo I'd taken as Tyler beamed proudly.

"No beginners luck for you, then?" she asked me, once Tyler's excitement had subsided and Charlie called him over to help him carry fishing gear from the truck into the house.

"Nope, I think the only fish I'll ever cook you will be from the store," I told her as I pulled her body closer to mine.

"Well, I look forward to that meal," she whispered, as her hand stroked over my chest.

"I'm not sure you should. I think I need to improve my cooking skills to impress you."

Bella shook her head. "You impress me every day," she told me with a smile that lit up her whole face.

I grinned at her. "Good," I looked back at my car. "You've packed?"

"Yep, that's the last bag," Bella announced, watching Charlie and Tyler disappear into the house.

"When do you want to leave?" I asked, not really wanting to leave at all, but knowing that Tyler had school and we both had work to return to the next day.

"After lunch?"

"Sure." I leaned into her and took advantage of being alone with Bella, at last, as I kissed her softly on the lips.

"So, you survived the trip," she commented when we parted.

"Uh-huh. I was a bit worried when I saw knives in your dad's tacklebox, but apparently they are for gutting fish, not men who dare to kiss his daughter."

She gave me a coy smile. "We don't just kiss."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he knows that, but let's pretend he doesn't," I joked as Bella pulled on my t-shirt to make me stand even closer to her.

"Okay," she agreed softly, as her hands smoothed over my shirt.

I kissed her forehead just as Charlie appeared in the doorway.

"Tyler wants some lunch, Bells. Shall we eat now?"

"Okay," she answered as we parted and I followed her inside.

After a quick lunch where Charlie had tried to serve us fish but Tyler refused to eat a friend of Fred's, we stood outside the car as we said goodbye.

I offered Charlie my hand as he shook it and clapped me on the back with his other free hand.

"I'll see you soon," I said confidently.

"I hope so," he answered with a small smile before we parted and he turned to his daughter.

Bella looped her arms around his neck. "Bye, Dad." She hugged him tightly. "Come and visit us soon, okay?"

"Sure, just let me know if your address changes," he teased with a wink at his daughter as she playfully slapped his arm and turned to the car.

"Ready?" I asked her softly.

She nodded as Charlie hugged Tyler and placed him in his car seat with a kiss to the boy's forehead.

"You, drive carefully," he instructed me in a commanding voice as I started the engine and acknowledged his words with a nod.

"I will." I reversed the car as Bella and Tyler waved at Charlie and we were on our way home.

For most of the journey, Bella rested her hand on my thigh as I drove. It slowly crept further and further up towards my crotch, so much so that I turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

She giggled and squeezed my thigh, but her hand then remained where it was and I couldn't work out if I was annoyed or relieved. We chatted for the whole journey, Bella telling me more about her childhood in Forks as I listened, eager to learn anything I could about her.

As Bella had predicted early into the trip, Tyler didn't stay awake for long. The early start had finally caught up with him. After a quick chat about his fishing adventure, he fell asleep and stayed that way until I pulled up outside Bella's house. The weather had turned stormy during the last half of our drive and the rain was now lashing down on the windshield and the sky had turned dark.

I cut the car engine and turned to Bella. "You unlock your house, I'll get Tyler."

She agreed and fished her keys out of her handbag, having them at the ready to unlock the door. I ran around to Tyler's side of the car, unbuckled the little boy and scooped him up. I tucked his head under my chin to protect him from the rain and jogged to the now open door. I shook the rain from my hair once I entered Bella's house.

I looked down at Tyler, noting he was still fast asleep. "Shall I carry him straight to bed?"

Bella nodded and looked softly at me carrying her sleeping son. "Please." She reached for his shoes and slipped them off his feet before she walked ahead of me, opened his bedroom door and pulled his bed covers back. Thankfully, he didn't have a coat on so I settled him straight under the duvet and stepped back. Bella leaned over him and kissed his forehead before we both backed off and re-entered the living room.

"I had a great weekend." I pulled Bella close to me as I spoke.

"Me too. I'm going to miss you," she whispered.

"Well, my offer still stands." I reminded her. She hadn't mentioned moving in with me since the other day, but I was pretty sure she had been thinking about it.

"Are you sure you have the room?" she sounded serious. I was right, she had been thinking about it.

"Yep, Tyler can have his own room and the yard is huge. I don't think you've seen it yet, but Ty would love it. Maybe you and he could visit and look around. It might help get him used to the idea of living there."

I didn't know too much about kids, but I wasn't stupid. If we went ahead with this move it would be a big change for Tyler; he would need time to get used to the changes and he'd need to be eased into it.

"That sounds like a good idea. We could come over one night this week."

"Make it soon, okay?" I know I sounded eager, but I wanted Bella to know how much I wanted this to work, us to work.

"Is the day after tomorrow too soon?"

"Nope. It's perfect."

"Good, I'll text you, then."

I nodded and walked towards the front door before I turned back to Bella and kissed her softly. I grinned at her as we parted.

"What are you so happy about?" Bella asked me playfully.

"I'm falling in love with you, and it feels amazing." I don't know what prompted me to say such bold words to her, but I wanted her to be sure about my feelings. If she and Tyler moved in, it would be a huge leap of faith for her. She deserved to know how I felt about her before she took that leap.

"Good 'cause I'm pretty sure I'm already in love with you."

Those were the best words I'd heard in a long time. I grinned at her and kissed her forehead. "I love you too. We'll speak tomorrow."

She nodded as I finally left and walked to my car with a new spring in my step.

Once home the quiet of my house hit me again and I realized that my house wasn't a true home, not yet. Charlie's small, slightly rundown old house was more of a home than my modern, larger property. His place had Bella's old room, preserved from when she had moved out in such a rush. It had her height charted at various intervals up the kitchen door. It had scribbles on the wallpaper from Tyler's younger years and a cast of his tiny hand on the mantelpiece. The people in the house made it a home and that thought only made me surer that Bella and Tyler moving in was the right move for us.

I wandered upstairs and passed my room to visit one of my spare rooms. I looked at the plain decor. I hadn't decorated this room yet, but now I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and called my sister.

**A/N:**

**This story was featured on 'Fic Dive' at A Different Forrest on 23rd September 2014. It was voted one of the top five fics in September, and as a result it is up for 'Fic Dive of the Year 2015'. Thanks to anyone who has voted.**

**Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thanks to EdwardsFirstKiss for being my new beta for this story and to SarcasticBimbo and Lovintwilife for giving me their time and opinions when they pre-read this****. Any mistakes are my own.**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: "Either you're a secret dinosaur fan or you did this all for Tyler?"

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

I withdrew from my hug with Alice and took another look at the wall behind her.

It looked amazing.

Her first class art degree was evident here. I was glad she hadn't taken much persuading to paint a mural in what I hoped would be Tyler's bedroom.

"Ali, it's great, really great," I told her as I took in each and every feature of the mural.

There were now several dinosaurs against a backdrop of mountains and a volcano adorning the wall. Some of Tyler's favorite dinosaurs were vividly depicted. The T-Rex, and Brontosaurus, along with a Pterodactyl, which was soaring through the sky.

My sister was excited about the idea of helping once I'd phoned her and explained that Bella and Tyler were coming over to check out the house. I told her that I had asked them to move in, and I was hoping the mural would let them know how serious I was about making my house a real home for them both.

I'd joked with Alice that the only reason she wanted to work on the mural was to redirect mom's focus on Bella and I moving in together, instead of pestering her about when JJ would get a sibling. Whatever her motivation was though, she'd been painting for hours on end to get it done for Bella and Tyler's visit tonight, and I couldn't love her more for it.

"I hope the little guy likes it," she genuinely replied as she packed up the last of her supplies.

Once she was finished she stood and took another look at the room. It was by no means transformed. Any further decorations and furniture would come from Tyler's current room so this one still looked pretty empty. But the significance of having dinosaurs painted permanently on a wall of my house was now hitting me.

"Do you think it will scare Bella away?" I was suddenly unsure of how Bella would react. Was I overdoing it by having the dinosaurs already painted on the wall? Would this all be too much for her?

When Alice didn't reply I turned to look at her expression and was surprised to find her looking at me thoughtfully.

"You're sweet when you're in love. It's a good look for you, Edward." Alice was not teasing, she truly meant what she said.

I was surprised that she knew the depth of my feelings for Bella and Tyler. I knew both my dad and Em had been able to tell as well, so I guess I wasn't fooling anyone.

Still, I scoffed at her words out of embarrassment. The annoying part for me though was that I couldn't deny that they were true. Well the in love part was true, I'm not sure that I looked sweet but my sister was adamant that I did.

"You do. You're different. Happy, more relaxed and at peace. Less stressed." She added as she looked at me.

I tried to laugh it off. "You try running a business with Em. You'd be stressed too!"

"True, but you've changed. You don't seem to sweat the small stuff anymore. This time last year if you had the supplier problems you've been having lately, you'd be working evening and weekends, stressing about every little problem, but now..." she shrugged. "You seem to have a better balance in your life."

"Hmmm." I hadn't considered things the way Alice clearly had but I knew she had a point. I'd taken a weekend away without much thought, or worry, about the business. Something I'd never have done before. "Well, when you look at it that way, I guess you're right."

"I know. It's great being this awesome," Alice joked as I elbowed her.

"Whatever, I'll let you have that one 'cause your painting is pretty awesome."

Alice grinned. "No, I don't think Bella will be scared away," she said to me, finally answering my earlier question. "I think she'll appreciate the gesture. She needs to know how serious you are because her son is involved. Her son who clearly wants you as a father figure."

I nodded because it was true.

"Has he mentioned anything about that since his birthday?"

"Not to me, but I don't know if he's mentioned anymore to Bella," I said, making a mental note to somehow broach that subject with her.

"Well you know if they move in you'll be more of a father figure than ever. It won't be long until you're finding his missing sock, nagging him to get in the bath and reading him a bedtime story."

"I know, Ali. I'm ready," I told her as her grin grew.

"I know you are," she said with an encouraging smile. "Well, let me know what they think of the painting." She picked up the last of her supplies and turned to leave.

Once we were downstairs I saw her to the door with another hug of thanks before heading back inside to start dinner. Bella and Tyler would be here soon. Thankfully I felt my cooking skills were good enough to provide an edible meal for us.

They were coming straight from school and work so there was time for Tyler to see the yard before it became dark. After running to the garden center, I'd spent some time while Alice was painting to spruce up the decking. I knew how much Bella liked the decorations at Tanya's wedding and as time-consuming as it was to thread a string of fairy lights through a length of trellis; it was worth it when I saw Bella's face.

Her smile was brighter than the lights and I knew for sure that she was remembering the night we had met.

"We could eat out here?" I offered as Bella watched Tyler running across the yard towards a big tree.

"That would be great," she told me. "Can I help?"

Together we set the table and once Tyler saw the food arrive, he halted running long enough to sit down with us and eat.

"So, Tyler, do you like the yard?"

Tyler enthusiastically nodded as he chewed a mouthful of garlic bread.

"It's biggerra than mine at home."

"In the garage there's a few of Seth's toys. A ball and a Frisbee I think. If you want, we can play with them later."

"Can we play now?" He asked sloshing his juice on the table as he placed it down.

"Let your food settle first, Ty," Bella suggested and I agreed.

"There's plenty of time. Why don't I show you and your mom around my house first?"

Tyler shrugged, clearly not too enthusiastic about seeing the rest of the house. Hopefully that would change when he saw the room that I hoped would be his one day.

Once we'd finished dinner, I showed Bella and Tyler the rest of the downstairs that they hadn't seen when they arrived an hour ago. However, we quickly headed upstairs. I could see Tyler was not all that excited with touring the house and I could sense I was losing what little interest he had to start with.

"This is a spare room..." I opened to door to the room furthest from the stairs. It was pretty empty except for a running machine and a spare closet that housed my out of season clothes.

We moved along to the next room and I gestured for Bella and Tyler to enter first. "This room has recently become my favorite, I might move in here actually..." I started saying, knowing what was coming next.

Sure enough, I was interrupted by Tyler's gasp as he stepped into the room in which Alice had painted the mural. I saw Bella's eyes widen with shock before she turned to me.

I couldn't tell if she was going to slap me for thinking I was trying to influence Tyler's decision, or kiss me for trying to make a special room for him. Thankfully she chose the latter.

"Either you're a secret dinosaur fan or you did this all for Tyler?" she whispered as we parted.

I could see the gratitude swimming in her eyes. I hoped she knew I wanted them here, but I knew this would definitely prove it to her and dispel any doubts she had about my commitment to taking on her son.

"I just want him to feel like he's home if you move in."

"Thank you." Bella widely grinned as she turned back to the painting that Tyler had been studying.

"Did you doed this?" he asked as I shook my head.

"My sister did," I explained.

"Alice?" Bella asked. "Wow. She's very talented. It's amazing. Ty, if we came to stay at Edward's, you could sleep in this room," Bella explained to him.

"Could I bring Bartholomew?"

"Of course." Bella ruffled his hair as he continued to take in the details of the painting.

"Good. He'd like this painting."

"Do you want to see the rest of the house, Ty?" I asked.

"No." His answer made me chuckle. I loved how honest he was. There was no sugar coating his answer.

"There's just one more room, and then we can go back downstairs for dessert."

That caught the little boy's attention and he reluctantly left, _The Dinosaur Room_, as he was now calling it, and followed Bella and I down the hall.

I opened the door to the next room and gestured inside.

"This is my room." I gestured my arm around the space.

"I remember it well." Bella blushed and wiggled her eyebrows at me and I realized the only time she'd been here was the night of our first date before I even knew about Tyler. The other time she'd been to my house we hadn't quite made it as far as the bed!

"Why is there a toilet in your bedroom?" Tyler sounded adorably confused as he looked from the bed, through the open doorway to the en suite, and back again. He looked back and forth a few more times before giving up and looking to me for an answer.

"Umm, it's just convenient. Lots of houses have them. This is called the master bedroom. Almost all new houses have a master bedroom that has its very own bathroom."

"We don't do we, Mama? And Gramps doesn't. Does Garrett has a toilet in his bedroom, Mama?"

"Yes, baby. It's not in the bedroom though, it's a different room, see?" Bella led Tyler into the bathroom.

"There's a shower, too!"

I laughed at Tyler's words. I didn't know what he was expecting from my house, but I guess this wasn't it.

Bella eyed my power shower before turning to me and wiggling her eyebrows.

I'm pretty sure I let out a low groan at her insinuation while she giggled at me. Now was not the time to be picturing just what Bella and I could get up to in that shower.

Tyler reminded us both about dessert before walking ahead of us out of the bedroom, followed by Bella, but not before I grabbed her waist from behind.

"Hmmm. You in that shower…damn. You look so hot with no clothes on," I told her, turning out of my room to see Tyler in the hallway staring at me.

Oops. I hoped that I whispered that comment low enough that he didn't hear what I'd just said to his mom.

Once we were back downstairs I expected Tyler to want dessert, but he was still concerned about the toilet situation.

"Ewood, why does you need three toilets?"

"One is downstairs; one's upstairs and one is by my bedroom."

"But, only you lives here." He furrowed his brows confused about the necessity of three bathrooms for one person.

"Well, that's something we wanted to talk to you about, Ty." Bella bent her knees and crouched to Tyler's height.

I was impressed with her ability to segue so easily into the topic of them moving in and now was as good a time as any to have this conversation.

"You wants us to live here," Tyler said confidently.

Wow! It wasn't even a question. It was a statement. Once again I was struck by Tyler's perceptiveness. I would have to remember not to underestimate this intuitive boy.

"Do _you_ want us to live here?" Bella asked him calmly, although, I was feeling far from calm at this point. Suddenly my hands were sweating, and my heart was picking up speed while I waited for his response.

"With Ewood?"

"Yep. It would be you, me and Edward." Bella and I waited as Tyler looked back and forth between her and me.

"Will you scare away the monsters in my room, Ewood?" He looked up at me with those big brown eyes as he spoke with such seriousness about potential monsters.

"Every night if we need to, Buddy," I answered sincerely, causing his face split into a grin.

"Okay then," he answered with a shrug, clearly unaware of the impact of his answer.

Bella and I looked at each other, our eyes meeting over the top of Tyler's head.

She grinned at me.

"Is it what _you_ want?" I asked her. She'd been so preoccupied with Tyler's feelings that she hadn't told me what _she_ really thought of the idea.

"Yes, Edward. Absolutely."

I stepped around Tyler and scooped Bella into my arms. She squeezed and held on to my shoulders as I held her tightly. Once I'd put her down I picked up Tyler and put my other arm around Bella, pulling the three of us into what I hoped would be the first of many family hugs.

"We'll work it all out. Em and Jazz will help move your stuff in. Rosalie will boss everyone around as usual, and Ali will probably carry more than Em and me together; she's freakishly strong."

"Garrett might have something to say about that!" Bella objected. "We need to sort out money and…"

"I know and we will, baby, we will, but for now let's just celebrate."

Bella's kiss was all the confirmation I needed to know that she was agreeable to the idea. For the rest of the evening the three of us sat in the yard. While watching Tyler running around the yard my mind wandered to our future. I was picturing a pirate shaped tree house in that large tree, with a tire swing of course, and I wondered how Bella and Tyler felt about dogs.

I sat with Bella, chatting for a bit until Tyler challenged me to a game of Frisbee with the one that we had found in the garage. I could never resist a challenge, even if it came from a four-year-old!

Once I'd exhausted Tyler and he'd climbed on Bella's lap and fallen asleep, we made plans for the weekend. My mom had been nagging me to bring Bella and Tyler to dinner again. She was keen to see them both and I knew we could use the lunch as a chance to arrange for my family to help with the move.

With plans made for the weekend, I carried a sleepy Tyler to Bella's car, grateful that before long they wouldn't be leaving me to go home.

This would be their home.

_I_ would be their home.

We would be a family.

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**You can find me on Facebook (as Koala Lou) where i often post picture teasers for the new chapters.**

**Thanks to everyone for their well wishes and congratulations on my newborn baby. It's really heartwarming to receive such reviews and emails.**

**Thanks also to everyone who responded to my plea for a new beta. I received some lovely emails and have a great team of people willing to help with this story. Therefore, thanks to SarcasticBimbo, Lovintwilife, EdwardsFirstKiss, CoppertopJ, BellaForever15 and TeamRob for giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: "He was totally butt naked."

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Love Is Easy by McFly**

The next morning I turned up at work, well aware that I was looking far too happy, and Emmett would pick up on my mood immediately. I couldn't help it, though.

Sure enough, when Emmett arrived, he entered my office, took one look at me and shook his head grinning.

"Do I need to tell my son that he will never escape from his third-grade teacher?"

Shit. I hadn't thought about the impact of Bella moving in with me, would have on Seth. I saw a lot of Seth; he was a great kid, and I considered us to be close, like the rest of my family. So it stood to reason that he'd now be seeing a lot of Bella outside of school.

Emmett must have seen my face fall while these thoughts rattled around in my head, as he was quick to reassure me.

"Relax. I'm teasing you, as usual. Seth will be fine. You know she's his favorite teacher, and he won't be in the third grade forever." Emmett smirked, as he plonked himself down on the sofa in my office while I poured us both a coffee, not needing to ask him if he wanted one. He was as dependent on his morning caffeine hit as I was.

"So, am I going to be putting these muscles to use or is Bella getting some fancy schmancy moving company to move her into your house?" Emmett asked, flexing his biceps in case I was unaware of just how much muscle he had.

"We haven't worked out all the details yet, but they don't really have much stuff. We'd love to have your help for sure, though. I think Garrett will be on hand, as well, so between all of us, we should manage to get everything moved in one day.

Emmett nodded. "Okay, it sounds like a plan. I'm happy for you, bro." He took the coffee I was offering him and I could see by his expression that his comment was genuine. "I knew the morning after you met her that you'd fallen for her. Hard. I'm just glad she feels the same."

"Me too!" I chuckled as Emmett stood up and clapped me on the back.

"It'll be great. You'll have sex far more often too." He wiggled his eyebrows at me as I pushed him out my open office door. I looked at him confused, wondering why he wanted to have this conversation in the corridor at work. He must have taken my silence to have some other meaning.

"Christ Ed, please tell me you're still tapping that 'cause...damn! It would be super hot if Rose was a teacher. She could put on her glasses and her bossy voice…"

"Christ Emmett, is your mind always in the gutter?" I asked jokingly.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"Bye, Em." He waved at me as he headed down the corridor, still laughing as he walked into his own office.

"Just something for you to think about. You know you want to," he shouted back as I rolled my eyes at him and headed back behind my desk. I switched on my computer, determined to concentrate on work.

Well, probably.

Maybe I could just let my mind wander while my computer loaded up…

Just for a minute…

Ten minutes later, I was still grinning as I looked at the blinking cursor on the screen.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Emmett managed to keep any more of his lewd comments about Bella and me to a minimum for the rest of the work week.

I spent my evenings with Bella and Tyler, helping them sort through their belongings to see what would come with them and what we could donate. When we weren't sorting or packing, I was watching her mark her student's school work while trying not to picture her with her hair in a bun, wearing a starched shirt and pencil skirt. Topped off with my glasses.

Damn you, Emmett.

Bella, Tyler, and I met up with him and the rest of my family over the weekend for a meal at my parents' where we planned to tell everyone else about the recent development in our relationship.

"Hey, bro." Emmett clapped me on the back as he smiled at Bella and ruffled Tyler's hair.

"You're in a chipper mood," I observed, removing my jacket as Bella helped Tyler with his.

"Well, I get to be here when you tell mom your news."

"News?" Our mom approached us, rushing down the corridor with her favorite apron on. She greeted Bella with a hug and Tyler with a huge smile before turning to me with a playfully annoyed expression.

"What's this about news, Edward? Why do I feel I'm always the last one in our family to know anything about your life?"

"You're not, Mom. I promise." I kissed her cheek as she huffed at me.

"Hmm, sure. You and your brother have always been as thick as thieves. I was so relieved when you finally stopped talking in your own little twin language and actually gave English a try. At least then your dad and I could finally understand both of you."

"Ha," I scoffed. "I bet that soon backfired. You can't get him to shut up now." I gestured to Emmett, who merely gave me the finger behind Mom's back.

"Yes, he always was the louder of you two. You were always the deep thinker, so kind and caring…" she trailed off, lost for a moment in her own memories of years that had long since passed. "Anyway, you have news?" She started clapping her hands gleefully.

"We is moving into Ewood's house," Tyler piped up, taking us all by surprise. My mom turned to him and grinned.

"You are?" She asked in that high pitched "mom" voice. She looked delighted. I loved seeing her so happy, her whole face was smiling as her eyes flitted between Tyler, Bella, and me.

"Yep. We gotta help him use all his toilets." Everyone laughed at Tyler's reasoning on why he and Bella were moving in with me.

"That's not the only reason," Bella added stroking Tyler's hair absentmindedly as she smiled, first at my mom and then at me.

"Oh, I'm so thrilled!" My mom hugged Bella again, much tighter this time before turning to me and tucking herself under my chin for a hug.

"This is great." She clapped her hands together again and I could see her thoughts were running away with her. "We need to get out the fine cutlery and make this into a real celebration." She turned and headed back toward the kitchen in such a hurry that I wondered if something was on fire in there. "Carlisle? Carlisle, did you hear Edward's news?"

"Bells, you're getting the fine cutlery, girl. She must approve!" Emmett joked, elbowing her side before we all headed for the living room. Seconds later my dad entered, having been told the news by my mom.

"Son, I'm so pleased for you." He clapped me on the back and hugged Bella. He looked around for Tyler but the little boy had already spotted Seth and the two of them were now engrossed in a Lego set that Seth was setting up.

Bella told me that she was going to talk to Alice. I nodded and stayed with my dad, answering his many questions about the move.

By the time we were all sitting around the table eating, the whole family knew our plans and were volunteering to help on moving day. They were all chatting away happily about the move. Emmett was asking what we were going to do with the duplicate items of furniture we had. Dad was asking about the practicalities of Bella moving out of her place, and Alice wanted to know if Bella had a green thumb because apparently my yard needed 'a woman's touch'.

Tyler and Seth quickly tired of the adults talking and were excused after clearing their plates. Bella and I didn't get off so lightly, though, as the questions just kept coming.

I squeezed Bella's thigh silently reassuring her, as I inwardly prayed that my family's interest in our lives wouldn't send her running for the hills. Thankfully, she grinned up at me and her hand found my leg under the table before she turned a bright shade of red in embarrassment at my sister's words.

"Aww, look at you two," Alice said across the dining table. "Who'd have thought Tan's wedding would have turned my brother into such a softy."

"Isn't a wedding a common place for partners to meet?" Rosalie mused.

"More common than the way Ali and Jaz met," Emmett muttered not so subtly under his breath.

"Em, no. Please don't rehash that story again," Jasper pleaded as Alice turned as red as Bella.

"Bella, has Eddie told you how Ali met her husband?"

Emmett was enjoying this far too much, and for once I wasn't the target of his teasing, so I let him continue uninterrupted.

A shake of Bella's head was all the encouragement Emmett needed to divulge how Alice had met Jasper when he was a male model for one of her still life drawing classes.

"He was totally butt naked," Emmett announced with glee as Alice's half-hearted attempts to curtail our brother failed. "Like, stark naked, nudie, na-ked, exposed, au naturel, bare, in the buff..."

"I think I get the idea Emmett, but I commend you on your large synonyms," Bella chuckled, thankfully interrupting Emmett's various definitions of naked.

"Well," Jasper piped up, "she must have liked what she saw." He sat back confidently in his chair and put his arm protectively around Alice's shoulders.

"Yes, well it's quite an achievement to have seen him naked even sooner than Bella saw Eddie!" Emmett teased as Bella's cheeks turned impossibly redder.

"Jesus, Em! Shut up!" I growled. My brother had no tact at all!

My dad coughed and I was silently relieved that my mom was in the kitchen getting dessert. "Yes, well anyway...I'm just gonna...your mom probably wants some help...I'll...go..." he mumbled as he scraped his chair back, stood up and gestured to the kitchen. He couldn't walk out the room quick enough!

"I'm gonna have such fun telling JJ that story when he's older," Emmett announced, crossing his arms with glee as Alice dropped her head in her hands and groaned.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

After Emmett's spectacular display of brashness at dinner, I was quite pleased when Bella, Tyler and I were finally leaving. That was until the universe decided Bella and I hadn't been embarrassed enough today, and Tyler took his shot at us. Making me wish the ground would swallow me up whole and let me live there.

"Ty, baby, put your jacket on. It's cold outside," Bella told him as we stood in the corridor, saying goodbye as we prepared to leave.

"No, Mama, I can be warm without clothes," he announced as Bella looked at him confused.

"You can? How does that work?" She appeared seriously intrigued about his answer.

"Ewood says that you look really hot with no clothes on, Mama, so I'll be warm without my jacket."

Oh, fuck! My parent's eyes shot to look at me and Emmett laughed loudly as once again Bella's cheeks reddened.

I wracked my brains trying to figure out when Tyler could have heard me say that and realized that I said something similar to Bella all the time. Still, the only time I remember Tyler being close enough to hear was when I showed him around my house. Shit! I'd have to watch what I said around him, the little sponge!

"Eddie said that, huh?" Emmett teased as he slapped me on the back and I stuttered, desperate to say something, anything, to rectify this situation, but unable to think of any words that could help right now.

"Yeah, he did. Right, Ewood?" Tyler looked up at me. His eyes were wide and innocent as he sought backup from me.

"Errr," I ran my hand over the back of my neck. "Yeah, err, you heard that, huh! Well, what I meant...I mean I meant it but..."

"Ty, just put your jacket on, yeah? It's much colder outside now. You'll need it." Bella held his jacket out for him once again and he could tell by her no-nonsense tone that he should just cooperate.

"Okay, Mama." Tyler shrugged into his jacket, oblivious to the embarrassment he'd caused.

I spent the time it took Tyler to put his jacket on avoiding Emmett's eyes and wondering how inappropriate it would be to kiss Bella with gratitude right about now.

Probably very.

"Bye, everyone," I said before I scooped up Tyler, making him squeal in the process, as I asked him if he knew what good hearing he had.

"Bye, stay warm!" Emmett winked at us as I held the door for Bella to leave first, giving him the finger as I left after her.

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**You can find me on Facebook (as Koala Lou) where I often post picture teasers for the new chapters.**

**Thanks also to my great team of people willing to help with this story. Thanks to SarcasticBimbo, EdwardsFirstKiss, CoppertopJ, Lovintwilife, BellaForever15 and TeamRob for giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: "We're gonna need to fit a few decades of memories inside."

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

It had been two weeks since we announced that Bella and Tyler were moving in with me, and now the day was finally here.

When you consider that we were blending three lives from two households into one, the move actually went pretty smoothly. This was no surprise, considering Bella had spent every spare moment color-coding boxes, writing lists and organizing their belongings into manageable piles for us to pack. I understood that she wanted to make the move as smooth as possible for Tyler, so I went along with the crazy color-coding and the scribbled numbers that told us which boxes went to which room, and the sequential order of the boxes to unpack first.

Thankfully, only one item was broken, which was a bottle of Bella's perfume. It spilled all over the carpet of what was now our bedroom. She immediately panicked and apologized profusely, but I reassured her that I didn't mind. In a weird way that was exactly what I wanted, I'd be reminded of Bella every time I stepped into our room. I wanted reminders of her and Tyler all over my house, making it our home. Bella still insisted on breaking out the steam cleaner and cleaning the carpet to remove what she could of the perfume. So with the spill removed, and her anxiety relaxed, I wiped a few stray hairs off of her face, kissed her forehead, and told her I would buy her a new bottle of perfume.

The day of the move was also the first time that Garrett had the opportunity to meet my family. Unsurprisingly, he and Emmett hit it off immediately and I was left wondering exactly what Emmett was telling Garrett about me that had the two of them snickering and glancing my way. Each of them had enough muscles to rival any WWF wrestler so they teamed up and made quick work of all the heavy lifting.

That was also the day I finally got the big brother speech from Garrett.

With all of Bella's and Tyler's belongings moved into my house, and all the heavy lifting complete, all that was left was to unpack the boxes. Bella and I would do that together over the coming weekend. My family left after everyone had relaxed and feasted on the pizzas we ordered.

I grabbed a beer from my recently restocked fridge and headed out to the back deck for a bit of cool air after the day's sweaty work. I smiled at Tyler's ride-on tractor that was now in the middle of the grass, and his small swing set that was off to one side. I could hear Tyler inside the house. He was hyper from the excitement of the day and was insisting on spinning around in the middle of the kitchen while Bella desperately tried to stop him from making himself sick.

It was then that I heard Garrett approach and turned to see him; smiling at me, beer in hand, with something on his mind.

"I'm sure you know what I'm going to say," he started, and I nodded to him. I was surprised it had taken him this long to seek me out and give me this speech. Still, I understood his need to protect Bella and Tyler so I gave him the courtesy of hearing him out.

"Just, please, for the love of God, _please_ don't hurt them."

I noted his serious tone, which was at odds with his pleading expression.

"I don't really have much else to say. I haven't exactly prepared a speech," Garrett continued. "To be honest, I didn't really think this day would come."

I frowned at his words and he chuckled at my expression.

"Once she met you, I did. Everyone can see how serious you are about each other," he clarified before carrying on. "But, I meant after Jake. No one could imagine Bella moving on. I hoped that one day she would; but, there was a time when I'd have been happy if she just got out of bed in the morning."

"I can't imagine what she went through," I answered honestly because I really couldn't. I was lucky enough to have never suffered the kind of grief that Bella had survived.

"I'm guessing she doesn't talk much about the aftermath of Jake's death."

"No," I shook my head. "Not in any detail."

Garrett scoffed. "You don't want the details, mate. Suffice it to say she was an absolute wreck. She was shattered. She only carried on because she was pregnant. That baby, Tyler, he was the only reason she ate, the only reason she got out of bed. She was exhausted but wouldn't sleep because when she did those fucking nightmares..."

He paused and I waited for him to continue.

He ran his hand down his face and took a deep breath. "Night after damn night. I wondered if they'd ever stop."

He looked at me questioningly. It was obvious what he was asking, and I answered his silent question, "Twice."

"That's better than twice a night, for months," he mused, and all I could do was nod.

"Ty saved her, though. He became her world. Her reason for getting up in the morning. For training to be a teacher. And, her reason not to date. She was closed off to the idea of a boyfriend for a long time, but I always hoped some guy would come along and love them both. I'm glad you persevered; most guys would have walked away. I have to admit, you're a good guy, Edward."

"Thanks," I muttered, unsure how much Bella had told Garrett about our relationship and how much of his opinion was based merely on observing us together.

"I see the way you love them both and you can give her and Ty the things she's always wanted. A family. Ever since she was a kid, she's wanted a big family. People to laugh and joke with at the dinner table, people who are there for each other. I see now you have given her and Ty that, and she fucking loves it."

"My family loves them too," I reassured him.

"Good. I'm glad everyone accepts Tyler. He and I always had a special bond. After Bella, I was the first person to hold him. I changed his diaper when Bella was recovering. I soothed him so she could sleep. I wanted to give him everything. Watching this newborn baby sleep and knowing the heartache he'd suffer when he finally learned about his dad was so upsetting. Knowing neither Bella nor I could give him what he'd want and need most. I'm glad that someday soon he'll have someone to call dad." Garrett winked at me as I digested his emotional words.

"I wasn't able to give him that, but you can," he slapped me on the shoulder as we heard both Bella's and Tyler's approaching footsteps.

Bella sensed the mood between Garrett and me and leaned into a hug with me while Garrett scooped up Tyler and settled him on his hip.

"I've got to go, Rex, but I'm gonna leave you in good hands, okay?"

"Okay. Will you visit me?" Tyler solemnly asked.

"Of course I will. I'll still pick you up for karate on Saturday mornings." Garrett reassured Tyler.

"Don't forget where I lives." Hearing Tyler say that made me aware that I needed to talk to him and make sure that he knew he was not losing Garrett, just getting a larger family.

"I won't." Garrett chuckled as he passed Tyler to me.

"I'll see you out," I told Garrett, as Bella encouraged Tyler to find the dinosaurs he wanted for bedtime.

Garrett and I walked in silence until he was on the doorstep, remotely unlocking his car.

"I'll look after them, Garrett, they're my family now, too." My voice cracked with the seriousness of my words.

"I know you will, Edward, or I wouldn't be leaving them here," he replied with a hug and a back slap before he left.

When I returned inside, I saw Bella struggling to carry three boxes. The top shoebox was tucked under her chin, but I could see that the tower was unstable.

"Hey..." I reached out with both hands, but I couldn't reach her in time and the top box toppled to her feet, but she managed to hold on to the other two boxes.

"Damn," she muttered as she crouched down to scoop up the contents of the spilled box. I bent to help her and was surprised at what I found.

Small pieces of confetti and pressed flower petals that I recognized from Tanya's wedding. A leaflet for the riverfront attractions, the place we had gone on our first date. Ticket stubs from the museum on the day of Tyler's birthday. A compliment slip from the most recent restaurant we'd eaten at. My 'Cullen' jersey. And a shirt of mine, which Bella was scrambling to place back in the box. I reached it first and picked it up. I couldn't place the last time I'd worn this shirt, but I could hazard a guess.

"This...? Is it from the night we met?"

Bella blushed an adorable shade of red and bit the corner of her lip as she nodded.

"I just...I didn't think I'd ever see you again. I wanted to remember you. The whole night felt like a dream."

I was reminded again of what we'd been through to get to this stage and how much it had taken for Bella to trust me. She'd been convinced no guy would be interested in mentoring her son but now, knowing him as I do, I couldn't imagine not loving him. He was a fantastic mix of Bella and his own individual personality which made him a delight to know.

As Bella spoke, she took the shirt from me and brought it to her nose to smell.

"Does it smell? It must stink. I was sweating like a pig that night. I couldn't believe what was happening."

"No. It smells of your aftershave and...You."

I had no idea she had felt so strongly for me so early in our relationship, but it was comforting to know I wasn't the only one who had fallen, hard and fast.

I couldn't believe she had been collecting a box of memories, a tangible timeline of our relationship.

"It's silly I know..." She blushed, embarrassed, as she collected the last of the items from the floor and placed the lid back on the box.

"No. It's perfect, actually. We should keep adding to it. You might need a bigger box, though," I told her as I stood up, with a crack of my knees, and offered her my hand to help her up. "We're gonna need to fit a few decades of memories inside."

**A/N:** **I know this was a short chapter, but it was a logical place to finish. The story is winding down now, but there are a few more chapters to go, including an epilogue.**

**Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**You can find me on Facebook (as Koala Lou) where I often post picture teasers for the new chapters.**

**Thanks also to my great team of people willing to help with this story. Thanks to SarcasticBimbo, EdwardsFirstKiss, CoppertopJ, Lovintwilife, BellaForever15 and TeamRob for giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: He was Tyler, my Tyler.

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

The first week or so of living with Bella and Tyler was a novelty for all of us. It took a few days to settle and for Bella to stop asking if she could use things, place her items all over the house and eat what was in the fridge. After I playfully tackled her onto our bed and tickled her as I reminded her, yet again that this was their home, she seemed to settle more and started treating the house more like her home. However, we'd only been living together a few days when I realized Bella still had some hang ups from her past that I previously hadn't known about.

I'd pulled into my driveway, pleased to be home after a nightmare afternoon at work. I'd had the meeting from hell where everything had gone wrong and no one in the room could agree on anything. Therefore, I left the office in such a bad mood that I flung my jacket into the car trunk and sped off before realizing my cell was in my jacket, in the trunk. Then I'd hit a shit-ton of traffic meaning I crawled along the highway at a snail's pace for at least half of my journey home. At least the traffic gave me time to calm down from my meeting and I was actually in a good mood when I finally arrived home.

I knew Bella would have been expecting me home sooner but as I'd told her before, I sometimes stayed late at the office. I didn't think she'd be overly concerned.

Boy, was I wrong.

"Damn traffic. I was stationary for miles...oomph." I was kicking off my shoes as Bella came crashing into my body with such force that I stumbled and almost fell over.

Her hands were balled into fists and she started hitting my chest.

"Where the fuck have you been?" She was screaming at me, tears streaming down her cheeks as she alternated between hitting me and swiping furiously at her tears.

"Baby..."

"Don't you 'baby' me, Edward Cullen. Why the hell haven't you answered your cell? I've called you a hundred times. I called Emmett and your dad and..."

"Hey, hey, calm down, what's wrong?" I held her shoulders at arm's length to stop her frantic hitting as I tried to calm her down.

"Jake walked out of our front door, got in his truck and never came home, so your taking an hour to do a fifteen-minute drive is what's wrong. I was scared to death."

She finally met my concerned gaze and I could see her eyes were red, black mascara tracks marred her cheeks and her eyelashes were wet. I was stunned into silence and too surprised to talk.

"Why didn't you call? You left the office ages ago." Her voice was slightly calmer now, as she looked me in the eyes and her hand stroked down my jaw.

"I was just stuck in traffic," I answered lamely. "My cell was in my jacket in the trunk," I added as she fell into my arms.

"Edward do you know how worried I've been? Emmett told me you left the office over an hour ago." She spoke; her head buried in my chest as I stroked her long hair and tried to comfort her.

"It was just traffic." I offered quietly.

"Yeah, traffic that was caused by an accident involving a silver Volvo, which is currently on the news."

"Oh." Shit, now I felt guilty.

"Yeah, oh." We remained silent as she calmed down and her breathing returned to normal.

As I thought about her words, my mind actually ached for her past heartache. I'd never thought that deeply about how Bella coped with losing Jake. I'd always been so amazed that she'd raised Tyler alone, with no father, that I didn't fully consider her own loss. I guess I didn't want to think about her in pain but maybe now was the time to understand what she'd been through.

"I know I'm overreacting," she said, "but I can't go through that again, Edward. I can't have a cop knock on my door with bad news. I can't put Tyler through that."

"I know, babe, I know. I'm sorry." I replied, watching her tear stained face and brushing away the last of her tears. "You're not alone now, Bella. You have me and my family."

"Speaking of which...you'd better phone your brother," she told me sheepishly.

"Emmett? Why?"

"Because I may have freaked out and called him about a dozen times demanding to know where you were. So much for twin psychic powers..."

She mumbled the last sentence under her breath as I chuckled at her, loving her even more for caring so deeply about me.

"I'll text him," I told her, retrieving my phone from my jacket pocket and noticing the twelve missed calls from Bella, eight from Emmett and four from my dad. I text both Emmett and my dad brief messages before looping my arm around Bella's shoulder. She, rather amusingly, tried to reassure me that I hadn't just moved in with a deranged harpy who would track my every move. I assured her that I understood her worry and I'd be particularly vigilant when driving in the future. I would make sure my phone was accessible at all times.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Spending more time together also meant we learned new things about each other, and Bella was full of surprises. She spoke to her dad on the phone far more than I'd previously noticed and she saw Garrett more often than I had thought too. He'd already been over and he, unlike Bella, had no trouble making himself at home as he shucked his shoes off and asked where the beer was as soon as he arrived.

I was pleased she was close to them because the rest of her family was so distant.

Well, most of the time.

During our second week of living together we'd secured a few hours to ourselves while Tyler was at a birthday party, but the peace didn't last long.

A few minutes after we returned from dropping him off the doorbell rang. I wasn't expecting any visitors and I certainly wasn't expecting the person who stood on the doorstep.

"Edward? Wow, look at you. You're even more handsome in real life."

The woman on the doorstep quickly engulfed me in a hug, her bracelets jangling together as she flung her arms round my neck and pulled me closer to her. She smelled of incense and herbs, but it wasn't until she withdrew from our one-sided hug that I was able to get a proper look at her.

Nope, I still didn't recognize her, even though she clearly knew who I was.

She was wearing a hippy style wrap dress with a low neckline, slightly wild hair; about three beaded necklaces and had a face full of make-up.

Over her shoulder, I could see Garrett approaching, mouthing an apology as I frowned at him in confusion.

"Mom?" Bella had appeared behind me and was now staring open-mouthed at the woman on our doorstep.

"Hi, sweetie. Oh, baby, look at you. You look so well." The woman, Bella's mom apparently, seemed unperturbed by her daughter's shock.

"What? When did you get here?" If Bella's expression didn't give away her shock, her tone of voice did.

"Oh, I was passing through Seattle and I wanted to see my baby and grandbaby. Aren't you gonna give your Mama a hug?"

Bella was still staring open jawed at the woman on the doorstep as Garrett squeezed past Bella's mom and through the doorway, clapping me on the shoulder as he entered the house.

"Sorry, Kiddo, I tried to call," he told Bella with a defeated shrug. "I didn't push it when you didn't answer, I thought you two might be busy..." He let his words trail off as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively before Bella managed to get in a slap to his shoulder as he passed.

I wasn't sure what good a warning would have done anyway. Her mom seemed to be a force to be reckoned with and wouldn't have been deterred by anything anyone said to her.

Bella shook her head at Garrett's suggestive comment before she turned back to her mom and composed herself.

"Umm, hi Mom. Come on in."

At Bella's invitation, her mom started to squeeze past me. I was too dumbfounded to move, but she didn't seem to mind. She placed her palms on my shirt as she squeezed past.

My eyes widened as she spoke.

"Hmm, I can see why Bella likes you," she remarked

Christ! What the hell was she doing?

"Mom!" Bella shouted, sounding exasperated.

"I was just saying, dear, he's not exactly hard on the eyes is he?"

Bella rolled her eyes and gave her mom a stern look before she set off down the hallway, making sure her mom was following.

Huh! I shook my head, bewildered at what had just happened.

Still, as far as I could see, a joint attraction to me was about the only similarities between these two.

I followed Renee down the corridor and joined Bella in the kitchen. She clicked the kettle on and leaned back against the wooden worktop as her mom took a seat at the breakfast bar.

"Mom..."

"Call me Renee, dear. Mom is so aging."

Bella rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.

"What's going on?" Bella asked, turning back to the kettle and picking four cups out of the cupboard.

"I told you. I was passing by and wanted to see you and Tyler. Where is the little cutie?"

Renee looked around as if Tyler would pop out from one of the cupboards and run into her arms.

"He's at a birthday party," Bella explained as Garrett and I sat down at the dining booth, giving Bella and her mom some space to talk.

"Well, I hope he doesn't eat the birthday cake. Do you know how many E numbers are in that colored icing? And not to mention..."

"Mom!" Bella snapped as she sloshed hot water into the cups in front of her, evidently assuming we all wanted a cup of coffee.

"Renee," she reminded softly.

Bella sighed as she walked to Garrett and me and handed us both a cup.

"Okay?" I whispered to her.

She shot me a weary smile as she turned back to the remaining two cups.

"Do you want this drink, _Mom_, or are there too many E numbers in it?"

"There's no E numbers in coffee, dear..."

"Good." Bella cut her off as she handed her a cup and cradled the last remaining cup herself.

"Baby don't be mad. I know I haven't been in touch much, but I thought it was time I meet the man who has made you so happy. I wanted to surprise you. Tyler always loves it when I pop up out of the blue. I know you gave me your new address, but I misplaced it, so when I couldn't get you on your cell, I drove to Garrett's. He told me how happy you are with Edward so I definitely had to see the man you're now living with." Renee leaned into Bella and whispered as if she was revealing a huge secret.

"Baby, he's a handsome man, his aura is soft and..."

"Mom, please don't. I don't need to know about Edward's aura."

Garrett turned to me with an amused look on his face.

I elbowed his side. I wasn't sure how I felt about having a soft aura, but Garrett clearly thought it was something to laugh at.

"I know everything I need to about Edward from his personality and the time we have spent together and how he is with Ty," she concluded as Renee nodded, finally backing down.

"Okay. Well, I'm glad I've met him. Maybe I can stay for a bit and get to know him while we wait for Tyler to get back."

Renee turned to me as she spoke and I nodded to her and Bella. Despite my shock at her unconventional introduction I'd never turn away Bella's family.

Bella gave me a grateful smile as she turned to her mom.

"Of course you can stay, just don't overwhelm Tyler. He hasn't seen you in a while so..."

"Oh, he'll be fine. He's such a tough cookie. Did he like the birthday gift I sent? I'm sorry I couldn't make it for his party. My car broke down and I needed to stay in Arizona for a bit..."

Bella sighed and I felt she was already sick of the excuses pouring from her mom's mouth.

"He loved the present, Mom."

"Oh good. I can't wait to see him. I've missed him so much. He's my only grandchild and he's growing up so fast."

I couldn't help but wonder why she'd taken so long to visit if she had missed him as much as she claimed, but I didn't feel it was appropriate to ask.

Bella and her mom then joined us at the dining table as Renee insisted she wanted to get to know me better.

However, I quickly realized that Bella and Garrett would be of little help in saving me from Renee's barrage of questions; they just shot each other amused looks whenever she asked me inappropriate questions. I wondered more than a few times how she and Bella were related, let alone mother and daughter.

"So how's Sam?" Bella finally stepped in. I was pretty sure she'd only intervened to stop Renee's incessant questioning when it veered into the uncomfortable territory of my ex-girlfriends. Still I was glad she had turned the heat away from me.

"Sam?" Renee looked confused by the simple question.

"The guy that's two years older than me that you were sleeping with."

I scoffed at Bella's blunt words, but Renee didn't flinch at all as she answered.

"Oh, he's...around." Renee took a sip of her drink as Bella raised her eyebrows, clearly asking for her to elaborate.

"So you're not dating him?"

"No dear. I just see him occasionally."

"Right." Bella nodded and I'm pretty sure she had just drawn the same conclusion as me.

Bella's mom had a fuck buddy.

And he was younger than me.

I didn't want to judge her, but I could see now why Bella had been reluctant to facilitate a meeting between the two of us.

Garrett scoffed, making me look at him. He nodded at me, confirming my suspicions as I marveled at how different Bella's family and mine were. No wonder she was striving to make Tyler's childhood as normal and stable as possible; it was everything she never had.

"So, when will Tyler be back? Oh...we didn't interrupt your special time did we?" Renee gasped, suddenly as she looked questioningly at her daughter.

Bella sighed as Garrett laughed. "Just because Tyler is out doesn't mean we're boinking like bunny's..." Bella started, making Garrett laugh even more as I raised my eyebrows in amusement at Bella's unexpected words.

"Of course not dear, I just thought..."

"Well don't," Bella interrupted. "Don't think about us...doing...that."

"It's just Garrett said the night you two met..."

For once Renee trailed off as Bella shot a harsh look at Garrett. "Really? You told her that?"

"Bells, you know what she's like." Garrett wasn't perturbed at all by Bella's expression or tone. "The FBI should employ her, really, 'cause when she started questioning me, she was like an interrogator."

"I just wanted to know how you met," Renee defended herself. "You never told me yourself, Isabella, so I asked Garrett. I can see now that you and Edward have an intense physical attraction," she added. "I can see it, Edward's very protective of you, he keeps looking at you and reading your emotions...oh I'm so happy for you, darling. I think I'm going to need to go hat shopping!" Renee finished off her rather embarrassing speech with a squeal as she clapped her hands together in delight.

"Whoa!" Bella shot her mom a surprised look as she turned to me, presumably to check and see that I wasn't scared off by talk of marriage.

"I'm just saying," Renee continued, clearly undeterred, "Tyler's growing up, and you don't want to leave it too much longer to give him a brother or sister."

"Oh, Christ." Bella hid her head in her hands, clearly giving up on reasoning with her mom.

"Edward, you want kids, right?"

Renee had turned to me and now it was my turn in her spotlight again.

"Yes. Definitely. I'm pretty old-fashioned, though. I want to be married before we have any kids of our own," I explained as Renee grinned widely.

"See," she said to Bella triumphantly. "I'm gonna need a new hat!"

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

It wasn't long after that comment that I offered to collect Tyler and give Bella and her mom some time alone.

Tyler seemed pleased to see me when I collected him. He was bouncing around, full of energy, his hair stuck to his forehead and blue icing on his face.

Renee wouldn't approve.

As we left the play center, Tyler ran ahead, talking and running around before he jumped right in the way of an approaching woman on the sidewalk.

I turned to her to apologize for Tyler's boisterous behavior, gasping as I recognized her.

"Edward? Hi, wow you look...huh, how have you been?"

I'd dated Victoria about four years ago for a few months. I hadn't seen her since we had split up and now she was looking at me suspiciously.

When Tyler came and stood by my side, I realized why.

"I'm good thanks. You?" I asked as she looked from Tyler to me.

"Great. I see your life has moved on. Congrats, I know you always wanted kids." She nodded subtly at Tyler as I laughed.

"Oh, he...he's my girlfriend's son," I told her, trying to speak quietly around Tyler. As soon as I said the words they sounded so wrong. So impersonal. I suppose, technically, he was my girlfriend's son but he was so much more than that. He was Tyler, my Tyler.

"Oh, wow I see." The surprise on Victoria's face was obvious but she didn't ask me anymore about Tyler as we spent the next few minutes catching up.

Tyler got restless pretty quickly though, so I made my excuses and looped my arm round his shoulders as we walked away.

We passed a bench where we stopped as I bent to re-tie his shoelace. Tyler had now lost his earlier energy, but I knew how to cheer him up.

"Hey, Ty. Your Nana Renee's in town. She's at home waiting to see you!" I'd delivered the news with great excitement, but Tyler didn't match my enthusiasm. He merely nodded.

"Okay, cool." He spoke, sounding dejected.

"Are you okay?" I asked, knowing he wasn't.

"Fine." The little boy crossed his arms over his chest and stuck out his bottom lip. This was not the face of a kid who was 'fine'.

"Are you excited to see your Nana Renee?"

"No."

"No? Really? She's come a long way to see both you and your mom."

"Well she can go a long way back," Tyler answered as I looked at him, surprised by his words.

"Tyler, that's not a very nice thing to say." I didn't know how to discipline a kid and I certainly didn't want to step on Bella's toes with regards to parenting Tyler, but I felt I had to say something.

"Well, adults say not very nice things too," Tyler remarked, making me instantly worried.

"What makes you say that? You have to tell your mom or me if someone's mean to you," I told him seriously.

"You're mean," he shouted at me unexpectedly.

"Me? Ty, I'm sorry if I've done something to upset you."

"You saided that I'm not yours and I'm just mama's kid."

Damn it. I knew as soon as I'd said it that he must have heard.

"Ty. I'm sorry. I knew when I said that it didn't sound right."

"But you still saided it."

"It's complicated."

I sighed at my own inadequate answer. I looked at Tyler's distressed face and realized I'd never told him how I feel about our situation. I was often telling Bella how I felt about her but with Tyler; I'd just expected him to know which was stupid of me.

"You know Ty when I first met your mom, I really liked her. She's great, right?" Tyler nodded as I continued. "She's smart and funny and beautiful so I wanted to be with her all the time. But when I first met you...I was really scared."

"You were scared of me?" Tyler looked surprised as I merely nodded at him.

"Yeah. I didn't know if you'd like me, or if your mom would want us to be friends, but now...now I really love you, Ty. I'm not your dad but maybe one day you'll think of me as a father figure and..."

I didn't get to finish my sentence because Tyler launched himself at me and hugged me. His little knee caps narrowly missed my junk as his body slammed so forcefully onto my chest that it winded me.

"Some kids get to have two dads, though, right?"

Oh jeez! I really wished Bella was here for this conversation.

"Some do." I agreed with him. "I just want you to know that you and your mom are my family now and I love you both."

Tyler seemed happy with that answer as he let go of me slightly and sat back more comfortably on my lap.

"And your Nana Renee is your family, too, so how about we go say hi to her. She's so excited to see you."

"Okay," Tyler answered, his trademark grin back on his face.

"Good," I answered secretly hoping Renee would occupy Tyler long enough for me to relay these events to Bella when we got home.

Even though I needed to talk to Bella about this, I still felt that we had made progress and Bella, Tyler and I were even closer to being our own little family.

**A/N:** **Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thanks also to my great team of people willing to help with this story. Thanks to SarcasticBimbo, EdwardsFirstKiss, CoppertopJ, Lovintwilife, BellaForever15 and TeamRob for giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Nobody warned me how much noise a four-year-old could make when they were missing their favorite dinosaur.

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

Settling into our life living together as a family over the next few weeks was surprisingly easy. Of course, though, there was the odd blip.

The kitchen tap burst two days after Bella and Tyler moved in, spraying a deluge of cold water all over me when I tried to fill the kettle. It meant that my white shirt was soaked through, a look that I noticed Bella certainly appreciated.

Like, a lot.

The, have sex on the sofa 'cause we couldn't make it to the bedroom kind of appreciation.

Good thing Tyler is a heavy sleeper.

Hmm, maybe I shouldn't fix that tap just yet!

There was also a ton of other unexpected benefits to living with Bella. Seeing her walking into our bedroom fresh from the shower wrapped only in a towel was one of my favorites. Watching her do her hair and put on her makeup was something I was not accustomed to seeing, yet it felt comfortable. I'd never shared that type of personal intimacy with any other partner.

Seeing her car parked in the driveway when I got home from work and knowing the house lights would be on and the house would be warm and cozy when I stepped inside made getting home so much more enjoyable.

The smell of her cooking, as I hung up my jacket and saw her keys hanging next to mine, caused me to smile at the reminders that I was no longer alone. I loved making my way down the hallway to hear chatting and laughter coming from various rooms. I'd seek out Bella immediately to be greeted by a welcoming kiss and often Tyler would cuddle my knees until I picked him up and greeted him properly. I quickly worked out that his idea of a proper greeting involved hanging him upside down while he squealed in delight. Bella would often offer up a wooden spoon with some sauce or meat on it for me to taste. I'm not sure why really, as everything she cooked was amazing, particularly as I'd been living on a bachelor diet of microwave meals for more years than was good for me.

My personal hygiene had also improved as my clothes regularly disappeared from the washing pile and reappeared in my closet and drawers. I was so grateful I could easily overlook the rather flowery springtime scent that now accompanied all of my clothing.

In fact, my whole house now smelled more feminine as bowls of flowery looking items appeared on many surfaces. Even my hair wasn't free of the feminine scents as I often fumbled for my shampoo in the shower, only to grab Bella's own herbal smelling bottle. I needed to invest in some serious aftershave if I was to ever smell like a guy again.

But the ultimate and my absolute favorite benefit was cuddling up to her in bed. The novelty of having someone else lying with me in the dark hadn't worn off at all. Her small body curled around my larger frame was something I'm sure I'd never tire of. And her fingers drawing invisible patterns over my chest as we chatted in the dark was fast becoming my favorite part of the day.

Of course, there was often another, smaller, body in bed with us. Ty insisted his monsters from his old house had moved into his closet at my house.

Still, I didn't mind as much as I thought I would. Maybe because he looked kind of cute when he was asleep. Well, he did when he wasn't kneeing me in the balls.

Thankfully though, Bella and I had plenty of alone time, way more than we were used to. But don't worry, we found a use for it and quite often we didn't even need the bed because we seemed to be working on christening all the rooms in the house.

I'd never been more pleased to own a large house.

So far, the bathroom was my favorite because I'd finally showed Bella the fancy power shower and we'd showered together in the best possible way.

As far as bathrooms go, Bella seemed to really like mine and the privacy of the en-suite. It was the one room we could lock without any feelings of guilt or any questions from Tyler.

I particularly liked the Saturday morning when she had been up early to see Tyler off to karate in Garrett's capable hands. She'd then returned to find me in the bathroom, the lower portion of my face covered in shaving cream because my electric razor was broken. She had watched in the mirror, seemingly fascinated, as I shaved a few days' hair growth from one side of my face. I could see her eyeing my bare chest and before long she had come between the mirror and me. Sitting on the vanity, she squeezed herself into the thin space between the sink and me. She then took the razor from my hand and raised her eyebrows at me.

"Really?" I questioned, as she bit her lip and nodded. I could see how turned on she had become and I was interested to see where this was leading.

"Okay. Be gentle," I warned as she grinned, then sat up straight and cupped the back of my neck with one hand. She spread her legs on either side of my waist and wriggled closer to my chest.

"This bathroom is one of the many reasons I love living in your house..." she started, as I tried to resist wincing when she lifted the blade to my cheek.

"_Our_ house," I corrected her.

Her eyes met mine with a genuine smile.

"Eyes on the blade, baby," I reminded her, as she huffed in fake annoyance before returning her gaze to my chin.

"Don't speak, I can't shave a moving target."

Hmm, she had a point. I clamped my mouth closed and tried to remain as still as possible.

"So serious," she remarked, as I relaxed slightly. I found the best way to remain stationary was to look at her tits, which were pretty close to my face. Bella was wearing some sort of strappy top and was leaning forward so my view was pretty perfect.

As soon as she started to shave my jaw I relaxed more. I tried not to panic when the next word she said was "whoops" but once she reassured me there was no blood, I focused on her expression. She looked adorable as she concentrated. Her eyebrows dipped as she focused, tilting my head to change the angle of my chin.

Before long she declared me "fuzz free" and kissed my newly shaven jaw. Of course, that soon escalated as my hands found her ass cheeks and she pulled me closer to her center. Her hands roamed my chest and jaw as we both moaned into the quiet house, well aware that this time we could make as much noise as we damn well wanted to. When her kissing turned into fumbling for my boxers, I scooped her up and carried her the short distance back to our bed. I laid her on her back and, standing between her legs, I lowered my body to hers.

We rounded off our childfree time with the most delicious morning of smooth caresses, soft kisses, loud noises and powerful emotions.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

It was back to reality, however, the day Bartholomew went missing. Wow! Nobody warned me how much noise a four-year-old could make when they were missing their favorite dinosaur. Tyler was certain that the monsters in the closet had taken him. After a thorough search of the closet, and installing a touch light inside the door for him, we found Bartholomew in the fridge. Obviously!

We spent our weekends, when we weren't dinosaur hunting, making small changes to the house. I figured that since Bella and Tyler had moved from the only place he had ever known, I was happy to make changes to accommodate them.

I loved that I was able to give Bella her own workspace. It was nothing too fancy, just small a nook with a desk and printer. Somewhere she could store her schoolwork and pupils' workbooks. Of course, she still chose to take over the whole lounge when she corrected papers or was making lesson plans. Somehow, she needed to spread out her books, craft supplies and a ton of other items on every available surface, including the floor. Whole classroom layouts and wall displays started their life on our living room floor.

Usually, I watched and listened with a degree of fascination from the small corner of the sofa that I managed to salvage for myself.

She'd mention how Matty had just become a big brother, Mackenzie had also recently moved house and sadly Joseph's parents had split up last month. I wondered how she could know all these kids so well. And, I was moved by how much she cared for her students and how often she went above and beyond her duties to give them the best start in life she could.

There was no doubt that seeing all these different sides to Bella made me fall even more deeply in love with her.

Then, there was living with a four-year-old...

I still wasn't used to seeing juice boxes in the fridge, and those weird yogurts in tubes. What was wrong with yogurt that came in those little individual pots?

Small socks were hung on the washing line and little shoes appeared in the rack by the door, which seemingly multiplied by the day. I'd found stray pieces of Lego in the dishwasher, an apple in my drawer of DVD's and a toy dinosaur in my coat pocket. Often, there were small, finger-shaped dents in the peanut butter and there was toothpaste smeared all over the sink. Well, there was toothpaste smeared over all three other sinks because Ty spent the first few weeks making sure he used all three bathrooms equally.

The garden gradually started to show signs of life again. Flowers were planted and weeds were evicted. Something I previously never had the patience to achieve.

The house was slowly dotted with vases of sweet smelling flowers or the odd ornament. Best of all were the pictures of dinosaurs, monsters, and pirates, which adorned the fridge.

My weekends became about birthday parties, play dates and, much to my mom's delight, family dinners, and gatherings. Garrett was not joking about Bella valuing a family above all else.

I thought it would take months of work and love to make my house a home for us all, and to blend us into a family. But Bella and Tyler had achieved it in no time and, if possible, I loved more than ever.

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**Thanks also to my great team of people willing to help with this story. Thanks to SarcasticBimbo, EdwardsFirstKiss, CoppertopJ, Lovintwilife, BellaForever15 and TeamRob for giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: "Dad, I can't find my other shoe."

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

About five months had passed since Bella and Tyler had moved in and made my house a real home.

We'd spent that time learning to live with each other, learning to share and love and learning how to be a family.

I also learned that we all wanted to get a dog and I learned how hard it was to lie to Bella the one time I had tried.

I'd taken a secret day trip to Forks. I had nearly blown my cover when I had gotten a flat tire on the drive home. Thankfully though, I was close enough for Emmett to come and help without raising Bella's suspicions.

A few days after that trip, I was at home when an average Saturday morning became one of the most memorable moments in my life.

We were going to karate where Tyler would get his next colored belt. He'd worked so hard and today was the awards ceremony. Garrett never cut him any slack. He made sure Tyler passed his levels fairly and showed him no favoritism so Tyler had definitely earned his advancement to the next level. Afterward, we were going out for dinner with Garrett and his girlfriend, Kate. Garrett was certainly smitten so now it was my turn to tease him for a change. I had a few anecdotes I'd been saving for just an occasion like this so I was looking forward to the day ahead.

"Are we ready to go?" I asked Bella as I entered the kitchen to see her filling Tyler's sports bottle with water.

"Yeah," she answered me. "Ty, we have to leave in a few minutes." She raised her voice, and shouted so Tyler could hear her from the hallway.

"Ty's done so well. I don't know if it's my place to be proud of him, but I am," I said to Bella as she nodded.

"Of course it is, Edward," she reassured me. She screwed the lid on Tyler's bottle before she placed it on the worktop and walked closer to me. Her hands found my chest and, as usual, she smoothed my shirt and looked up at me.

She opened her mouth, but Tyler spoke first, shouting from the hallway.

"Dad, I can't find my other shoe."

I froze.

Bella froze. Her hands stopped instantly,resting on my chest as her mouth hung open.

Neither of us moved.

Neither of us spoke.

About five long seconds later I raised my eyes slowly to meet Bella's.

Her eyes were wide and she looked surprised.

"Did I hear him right?" I whispered a note of disbelief audible in my voice.

"Edward, you look like you're freaking out," Bella raised her hands to my neck and smoothed over my jaw before dropping them to hold my shoulders.

"No, I'm..." I tried to pinpoint my feelings. "I've never been called that before. Did he talk to you about this?"

"No. Not at all." Bella was watching me carefully, no doubt trying to see how freaked out I was.

"Dad...my shoe."

Yep. I had heard him right.

"Err...coming, Son."

I smiled as Bella returned my grin. I kissed her soft lips before I walked out to the hallway with a spring in my step.

And from then on I was someone's dad.

Tyler's dad.

There was never any big conversation or discussion. It just happened when it was right for Tyler. He went on to use the word at every given opportunity and when he said it in front of my mom, I thought her resulting hug would make Tyler's little eyes pop out of his head.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

Soon, Bella and I were approaching our one year anniversary. First though was Emmett's and my birthday. We always tried to spend the day together and this year our parents, Alice, Jasper, and JJ were all spending the weekend with us at the cabin.

I was currently packing the car with our suitcases and bags, as we were setting off in about ten minutes.

Tyler came running out of the house with a bag of snacks for the drive with Bartholomew under his arm. We hadn't managed to take Tyler to the cabin yet, so I was looking forward to showing him around and teaching him all about the rope swing over the lake. Good thing he was an advanced swimmer for his age and pretty fearless.

"Hey, Ty, do you wanna check the mail before we leave?" I asked, nodding to the mailbox at the end of the driveway.

Tyler carried Bart with him as he raced down to the mailbox and returned to me few seconds later. That kid has so much energy I wasn't sure how he'd sit still in his car seat long enough to get to the cabin.

"There's some stuff for you." Tyler handed me three colored envelopes, which were clearly birthday cards.

"Thanks." I had flicked through the cards before I heard Tyler squeal.

"There's a letter for me! It's from Grandpa Billy, look, he always draws a dinosaur on the back."

Tyler shoved the envelope so close to my face I couldn't actually focus on the drawing, but I knew what he meant; I'd seen them many times before.

Over the past few months, Billy had been slowly increasing his contact with Tyler. First through letters addressed to Bella with messages for Tyler, then with letters just for Tyler. Sometimes he'd include photos. Usually, the pictures were of Forks or something cool he thought Tyler would like but sometimes they were pictures of Jake. He'd write memories of Jake and stories of when he was Tyler's age.

Neither Bella nor I minded. It was good for Tyler to have that connection to his father at last, but it meant we had to make sure Tyler was in a good place when he read the letters. Sometimes the mention of Jake would send him into a mood, or worse, upset him.

Today, though, he was in a really good mood and had been looking forward to this weekend at the cabin for weeks so he seemed pleased to receive his letter.

"Why don't you show your mom?" I suggested as Bella walked towards us having just locked up the house.

Bella chatted to Tyler enthusiastically about his letter and agreed to read it to him in the car once we'd set off. That was all the encouragement Tyler needed to quickly get ready and soon enough we were on the road.

Tyler made Bella read the letter to him three times before she convinced him to draw a picture to send back to Billy. This kept him busy the rest of the trip.

Once we pulled up at the cabin, Tyler temporarily forgot all about his elaborate drawing of a dinosaur doing karate and raced out of the car and into Emmett's welcoming bear hug.

As I exited the car, Emmett deposited Tyler with our dad and came to the car to meet Bella and I. Bella carried Tyler's bag inside while my mom greeted her in a warm hug.

"Nice specs, bro." Emmett didn't waste any time with pleasantries, not where I was concerned.

"Yeah, Bella thinks so." I wiggled my eyebrows at him. I'd worn my glasses today as I knew I'd be driving for a while and that usually strained my eyes. Also, and more truthfully, Bella really seemed to like my glasses! She thought they made me look sexy and who was I to argue with her logic.

"Yeah, Rose digs my glasses too. What's that all about? Do they think we can't see their wrinkles with our glasses on?"

I laughed. "So diplomatic, Em! You know sometimes I wonder how you ever got Rose to date you, let alone marry you." I slapped a bag onto his chest making him he take it and sling it over his shoulder.

"Me too, bro. Me too!" He slapped me on the back before heading inside. Once he was standing in the doorway, he turned back around.

"Happy birthday, little bro."

"You too," I nodded sincerely, picking up the last of the bags and looking forward to a great birthday weekend.

The rest of the first day was taken up with unpacking, showing Tyler around, cooking and chatting.

In the early evening, we all sat down for a family meal. It was a bit tight with so many of us in the small cabin. But it was such fun and the food, courtesy of my mom, was great as usual so no one seemed to care. Everyone toasted to mine and Emmett's birthday and as my hand found Bella's thigh under the table, my dad brought out a large birthday cake.

The boys' eyes lit up at the sight of it while Emmett caught my eye.

"Make a wish," he joked as we blew out the candles together. I squeezed Bella's thigh and watched Tyler lick his lips in anticipation of a slice of cake. I looked at my family and my parents next to me and knew I already had everything I needed right here.

Later that evening, we put Seth, JJ and Tyler to bed. They were so exhausted from the exploration and playing they'd done that they were asleep early, storing up all their energy for the next day!

My parents stayed inside to listen for the boys in case they woke up while Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, Bella and I set up a fire pit on the decking by the river.

We sat in a circle, Rosalie and Bella holding their palms out, warming them with the heat radiating from the fire. Jasper and Alice were arguing lightheartedly about the correct way to make s'mores. But Emmett was munching his way through the marshmallows and crackers at such a quick rate that there would be none left by the time the s'mores argument was settled.

As the evening grew on we all watched the fire roaring, the smoke rising and the wood cracking and releasing occasional sparks into the atmosphere. As the fire continued, the coals at the bottom glowed white with heat and the flames danced in the darkening sky. The smell of burning wood and the sound of the flames and crackles evoked memories of a childhood of laughter and fun at the cabin. Now I wanted to give that to Tyler, and any children Bella and I would have in our future.

Around half past eleven, the others all turned in for bed, leaving just Bella and me outside. She only waited a few minutes before she turned to me with a mischievous glint in her eye. I recognized the smile on her face and knew where her mind was headed.

She silently shuffled onto my lap and straddled me, her legs on either side of my hips with her back to the fire. After straightening my glasses she started to undo the top buttons of my shirt as I chuckled at her.

"I've been wearing a lot more shirts since I met you!" I joked with her as she raised her eyebrows at me.

"Good. I appreciate the easier access!" She continued working on the buttons as I watched the concentration on her face. Her eyebrows drew closer together and her breathing deepened as she gained enough access to run her fingertips over my skin.

"You must have my chest memorized by now, how can it still fascinate you?" I whispered to her, not wanting to interrupt her when she was so focused.

"It will always fascinate me." She drew her eyes away from my body to look me in the eyes. "It's your strength, your heart, your family." With her last word, she placed her palm over my Cullen tattoo.

I shook my head at her.

"You are my strength. You are my heart. And now you are my family."

Bella's grin was coy as she leaned in for a kiss. Her lips were as soft as ever and noticeably warm in the cool night air.

She withdrew before looking back down at my chest.

I watched her again as I spoke. "I love your expression when you look at me like that. Your eyes narrow like you're concentrating. Your nose wrinkles at the top here, between your eyes..." I soothed the skin at the top of her nose, "...your cheeks redden and I want to know what you're thinking to make you embarrassed. But, best of all, you lick your lips, like you see something you want to lick..."

Bella moaned quietly and bit her lip.

"You make me feel so wanted," I told her as she began to nod.

"I do want you...so much...always..."

"And all I have to do is flash my chest right?"

We both had laughed before Bella spoke.

"And continue to be the amazing man you are. To love our son and me the way you do. I never thought I'd have that..."

She trailed off as I leaned forward, needing to be closer to her.

"I can manage that." I met her lips and this kiss was more powerful than the one earlier in the evening. More hungry. More needy. Bella ground down onto me, her crotch meeting mine in the best way possible.

That was until I heard a familiar cough and looked over Bella's shoulder to see Emmett with a huge grin on his face.

Bella jumped at the unexpected interruption and once she realized Emmett was standing behind us, she dropped her head into the crook of my shoulder. She still embarrassed so easily even though she was now used to Emmett's brash character. At least now, though, she wasn't his son's teacher anymore.

Emmett smiled fondly at Bella's reaction but when he turned his face to me, he was laughing. "Sorry for interrupting...this..." His finger circled to indicate us as he enjoyed annoying me.

I knew he wasn't sorry at all; he loved embarrassing me at any given opportunity.

"Bells, Ty's asking for you, he's barely awake but he wants you."

Bella lifted her head and softly kissed my scruffy cheek.

"Sorry," she whispered sheepishly.

"It's fine. Go." I patted her ass as she got up and thanked Emmett as she walked past him back into the cabin.

I, however, needed to lean forward and cover my lap for a minute before I'd be walking anywhere.

Emmett looked at me and I could tell from his expression that he had something serious to say.

"I haven't seen you this happy in years, bro. It's been a good birthday, eh? The best one for us since we were kids I reckon."

I nodded. "Yeah. We got lucky huh?"

"Sure did," he agreed. "Go and get her Eddie. Ty was practically sleepwalking, he'll be asleep again by now."

"I will. I'm just checking to make sure the fire goes out." I gestured to the dwindling embers as Emmett grinned knowingly at me and I knew he didn't believe my excuse.

"Sure, okay, gottcha!" He waggled his eyebrows at me. "Happy birthday." He turned and began to head back inside, but I called his name, causing him to turn back to me.

"Happy birthday," I said sincerely as he nodded to me and left.

Once my crotch had calmed down enough for me to move, I headed inside myself, locking up the cabin before I went to the bedroom I was sharing with Bella.

To my surprise she was already there, Tyler must have gone straight back to sleep. She was lying on her front on the bed wearing an old college t-shirt of mine which she had taken to sleeping in, and her panties.

And that was all.

I laid down on the bed next to her inhaling the comforting smell of firewood from my clothes and her hair.

It seemed like we'd come inside just in time as I heard light raindrops on the windows. I scooted closer to Bella, my hand finding her butt cheeks.

"This is a magnificent ass," I told her, making her chuckle.

"I'm not sure it's magnificent,"

"I am," I reassured her.

"Edward, you have fifteen minutes of your birthday left..." She started as my lips met her neck.

"Ah-ha," I mumbled into her skin as my legs tangled with hers on the bed.

"Well it seems to me that you're the one with a package for me," she whispered as I laughed.

"That's me, I sure am a giving guy,"' I joked as she turned over and I settled on top of her, between her legs.

Bella bit her lip as her hand raised to stroke my stubbly chin.

My hands lowered to her panties and rubbed in a way that I knew would have her moaning in seconds.

"It's your birthday...I should be...treating you," she mumbled in between her moans.

"This will be a treat for both of us, but, baby...you gotta keep it down. At home, I want you to moan twice as loud but right now you need to..."

"Edward, just fucking kiss me," she interrupted.

"Yes, ma'am!"

The rain outside was now lashing against the windows and thankfully covering the noise we were making.

As I entered Bella, I looked into her eyes. I was once again amazed by the love that was reflected back at me. I deliberately made my movements slow. Slow, deep and long. As I watched her face shine with pleasure. I knew, without a doubt, that I was home and there was only one last thing to do to make us complete.

**A/N:** **Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**You can find me on Facebook (as Koala Lou) where I often post picture teasers for the new chapters.**

**Thanks also to my great team of people willing to help with this story. Thanks to SarcasticBimbo, EdwardsFirstKiss and CoppertopJ for giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: "Come with me, there's a special place I want to show you."

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is So Beautiful by Darren Hayes.**

The next morning I woke up to a gentle knock on the door. As I opened my eyes, I saw the way I was wrapped around Bella, spooning her from behind. Clearly I could never get enough of her, even in my sleep.

"Edward?" My mom's voice was quiet, but she was obviously trying to wake us with her knocking.

"Yeah?" I called out quietly causing Bella to stir in my arms.

"Are you two sleepy heads getting up? Emmett will have eaten all the breakfast if you sleep any longer."

I chuckled. "Sure, we'll be out in a minute, Mom," I called out before I heard her footsteps fading as she walked away from the door.

Bella ground back into my body with a moan as she stirred awake.

"Jesus, that's one way to get me up in the morning!"

She laughed at my double meaning and added an extra wiggle to her movements.

"As much as I'd like to continue this, my whole family's on the other side of that door eating breakfast," I groaned.

"I know," she relented. "I should check on Ty too."

We were soon up and eating what food was left from my mom's breakfast feast. She was more than happy to keep the fresh eggs, bacon, toast and pancakes coming all morning. But between my dad and me, we finally persuaded her to sit down and enjoy the meal with the rest of us.

The girls were chatting away, planning a shopping trip to the nearby town. They wanted to show Bella the small independent shops that the town was well known for. This left Emmett and Jasper turning to me to work out what we wanted to do today.

"Don't worry boys, I have plans for us. And we'll need your help..." I turned to Tyler and Seth, who nodded enthusiastically. They didn't know what I needed them to do, but I'm pretty sure they were assuming anything was better than going shopping with the girls.

Everyone helped clear away breakfast while we chatted and laughed. This was what I loved, family and laughter. I looked over at Bella who was looking radiant while smiling at something Alice had whispered to her. We all agreed to dust off the family board games and open the new pack of cards we had brought as we hung around the cabin for the remainder of the morning.

After a light lunch my mom, Alice, Rosalie, and Bella set off for the shops while us boys stayed behind.

"Right...I need your help," I explained as they all listened. Their expressions turned from confused to surprised to happy as I told them what I needed them each to do.

Emmett and Jasper left for Mister Green's small hardware store to purchase a ton of fairy lights and a generator.

My dad called a restaurant in town, which we frequented when we stayed at the cabin. He made reservations and then phoned my mom and made plans to meet the girls there later. Then, he called the florist in town and ordered a few dozen bunches of poppies.

I kept Tyler and Seth busy while I made a few phone calls of my own until Emmett and Jasper were back. Then we could really get to work.

A few hours later, we left the cabin and drove to meet the girls at the restaurant. It wasn't fancy but the food was great and we'd known the owner for years. So we weren't surprised when he had reserved the best table for us. The table was out on the deck, where we could sit and enjoy our meal in the late afternoon sun.

Emmett teased the girls about the number of shopping bags he could see hidden under the table, but once Rosalie assured him there was something skimpy and lacy in one of the bags, he suddenly didn't mind so much.

Once we'd finished eating, I stood up and gestured for Bella to do the same.

"They'll watch Ty for us. Come with me, there's a special place I want to show you."

Bella looked over at Tyler. He was busy coloring on his activity sheet and looking over to Seth to see what words he'd spotted in the word search.

"Okay, do they have a car seat to bring him back in?" Bella questioned.

Bella was forever a mother. As much as I tried, it was clear it would take me a while before I instinctively thought of all of Tyler's needs.

"Err, good point."

"I'll come with you and get it now." Emmett stood and fished his keys out of his pockets as Bella nodded. She walked over to Tyler and spoke to him before kissing his forehead and thanking my parents for watching him.

"Go. Have fun." My dad insisted with a smile.

Once Bella was seated in my car, I passed Tyler's car seat over to Emmett, who was waiting by his car.

"Good luck, bro," he whispered, a genuine smile lighting up his face. "And don't fuck this up, yeah?"

"Thanks, I think!" I walked back to my car and Bella and I got underway.

I don't know where she was expecting to go, but she looked mildly surprised when we pulled up at the cabin.

"As wonderful as this place is, I've already seen it," she said as I turned the car engine off and she unclipped her seatbelt.

"Not all of it." I grinned widely at her.

Once out of the car, I took her hand and lead her around the side of the cabin. We climbed the small steps so we were standing on the back decking, but I didn't stop there.

"This way," I told her, leading her across the length of the decking and down the other side to a small patch of land. We kept walking while Bella cursed me playfully for making her walk the rough terrain in heels.

"Almost there," I assured her as we approached a small bridge over the river. It was a rickety, wooden, arched bridge with a small handrail. I took her hand and led the way over the calm water. It was just getting dark, which was perfect for what I had planned.

Once across the other side of the river I led her to a meadow and stopped by a tree.

"This is the tree I told you about. Where Emmett, Alice and I carved our initials." Bella spotted the markings in the wood and ran her fingers lightly over the indentations.

"I remember," she whispered.

"And over there is where my parents renewed their wedding vows." I pointed to a tree further away which had a low-lying branch forming a natural arch.

"Show me," she whispered.

As we approached, I ducked behind the tree and flicked a switch. The arch of the tree lit up with hundreds of clear fairy lights, sparkling in the dim evening sky. A few seconds later the nearby trees burst into life with similar strings of lights wound around the trunks and weaving into the branches. The poppies, Bella's favorite flower, were entwined in the lights and the trees, giving a yellowish, red glow to our surroundings.

Bella gasped, spun around, and turned in a full circle as she took in the lights.

When she turned back to me, I was down on one knee.

Her eyes widened, she gasped again and clapped her hands to her mouth in surprise.

I took a deep breath and composed myself. I'd been planning this for weeks and now the moment was here. In my mind there had been such a lead up to this exact minute.

I'd thought about what to say and how to say it. I'd imagined it and rehearsed it over and over, but I hadn't been prepared for the way Bella would look.

She took my breath away. Her whole face was lit up by the hundreds of fairy lights and her eyes were already gleaming with unshed tears.

"Bella..." I started as she looked at me intently.

"The very first moment I saw you, I was intrigued and I wanted to get to know you. The first moment we spoke, I was attracted to you. And from the moment we kissed, I knew I'd always want you. You've changed my life, in the best way possible and I never want to go back. I want to continue to grow with you and Tyler. I want us to be a family and I want to add more children to our lives."

I took another deep breath.

"Bella...will you marry me?"

She gasped, nodded and flung herself towards me. I stood and caught her as she buried her head into my shoulder. I stroked her long hair while she mumbled into my chest.

"Is that a yes?" I asked with a smile as I withdrew from her and held her at arms length to look at her properly.

"Yes."

"Yes?" I questioned her lightheartedly, not quite believing this was happening. I held out a silver ring box, opening the lid to reveal a simple white gold diamond ring. It had one large diamond in the center, with two smaller diamonds on either side. "I love you so much, Bella." She held her hand out to me as I slipped the ring on her finger, just the way I'd imagined doing so many times.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, studying it up close.

"I'm glad you like it. I chose it because of the three diamonds. One for each of us. You, me and Tyler. You know I freaked out when I learned about Tyler, but now I can't imagine our lives without him. I love him. Even when he hogs the TV remote when his cartoons come on. Even when he uses the last of the milk for his cereal and doesn't tell us. And even when he knees me in balls, every damn time."

Bella laughed as I continued.

"Well, maybe not the balls thing. I want us to have more kids so those guys have a job to perform..."

Bella's lips landed on mine with such force that I needed to steady myself as my hands found her ass.

"I love you so much, Edward. So fucking much."

I smiled at her passion as I brushed her loose hair off her face. I picked a poppy from nearby and placed the stalk behind her ear, tucking it into her hair,

"How did you do all of this?" she asked, sounding amazed as she turned in my arms to take in the sight of the meadow lit up with hundreds of fairy lights. I have to say it did look great. We hadn't been able to see how the lights would look in the dark. So we just checked that they all worked and hoped they were bright enough to light up the meadow once it started to get dark.

"It's so amazing out here," Bella whispered.

"I had some help," I admitted as she nodded. "I know how much you liked the lights at Tanya's wedding."

"These are better," she told me as she turned back to me.

"Come on," I told her. "There's a couple more surprises yet!"

I led Bella back over the bridge and onto the cabin decking where I slipped my hand into hers and took a deep breath before opening the large sliding doors to the cabin's main room.

As expected, by me anyway, my family had gathered inside, opening bottles of wine and chatting. They turned to us as the door opened and my eyes immediately found Emmett's.

I gave him a thumbs up as he strode towards me.

"I knew it, bro. I said you'd be fine didn't I?" He bypassed my outstretched hand and went for a full on bear hug before turning to Bella and lifting her clear off the ground while my dad gave me a gentle hug.

Rosalie and Alice were squealing and demanding to see the ring, grabbing Bella's hand and cooing when they saw the three diamonds.

My mom was beaming as she congratulated us. "You and Tyler are already a part of our family, but I'm so glad Edward has made it official," she told Bella as I spotted Tyler running up to us.

"Hey, Mama. Uncle Emmett says Ewood wants to marriage you and we'd gonna be a family forever."

Bella nodded. "That right. How's that sound to you?"

Tyler looked from Bella to me as my heart leaped. I'd talked to Tyler about proposing to Bella but it was over a week ago, which I knew was a lifetime to him and I wasn't sure how much he'd understood anyway.

"Great. But Ewood says I gotsta wear a suit for the marriage."

Bella chuckled as Tyler wrinkled his nose and pulled a face at the mention of a suit.

I bent down and picked up Tyler, resting him on my hip.

"You'll look super handsome in a suit, Ty."

"Can I have a dinosaur tie?"

"We'll see," I answered with a chuckle before turning to Bella.

"Bella, Tyler wasn't the only one who I talked to about all of this. I went to see your Dad."

"You did?" She looked surprised but delighted as I nodded.

"Yeah. I wanted to do this right."

"What did he say?" She asked sounding intrigued as I grinned.

"Find out for yourself."

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion before she heard one of the bedroom doors open and saw her dad walking towards us.

"Dad?" Bella flung herself at him with more tears in her eyes as he held his only child.

"Hey, Bells. I wanted to congratulate you in person. I wouldn't miss this night for anything."

"Grandpa Charlie!" Tyler was wriggling in my arms now as I passed him over to Charlie, who hugged him tightly.

"Edward...I had no idea. About any of this." She still sounded surprised as I chuckled again.

"There's one more thing," I warned her.

"What else could you possibly have planned?"

I turned to Charlie and signaled to him with a nod. He put Tyler down, telling him to stay still while he walked back into the room he'd just appeared from.

"Tyler, you know I talked to you about marrying your mom?" I knelt down to talk to him properly as my family gathered around. They didn't know about the next surprise was either.

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod.

"I told you about how I asked your Grandad Charlie first, but I wanted your permission too."

Tyler nodded. "You said your gonna love Mama and me forever."

"Yep. Well, I gave your Mom a ring to show that I will love her forever and I wanted to give you something too."

Tyler looked surprised as I continued.

"I didn't think you'd want a ring!" I joked as Tyler's scrunched up face confirmed my thoughts were correct." I have a really special watch, from my grandpa, but you're a bit young for that. So, I had another idea. I talked to your grandpa and told him what I wanted to do and he helped me."

I was almost more nervous about Bella's reaction to this than the proposal. I was pretty sure she wouldn't mind what I was about to do, we had talked about it a lot but talking about it and actually doing it were two different things.

Bella was still looking at me in confusion as Charlie reappeared. Bella and Tyler turned to him and released identical gasps.

As Charlie approached his grandson, he held out what was in his arms.

"Awwww, look, Mama," he squealed as Charlie showed Tyler the small, black, squirming puppy he was holding.

I chanced a look sideways at Bella whose face was melting with love for the little puppy her son was now taking hold of.

"He's so adorable," she turned to me, her hands clasped to her face in what I hoped was a good reaction.

"You don't mind do you? I know we agreed to get a dog soon so..."

Bella grabbed my cheek and turned my head to hers before planting her lips on mine.

"Hey, hey there, sis, little eyes and all that," Emmett joked jovially as Bella parted from me and pulled a face at Emmett.

"I'm glad you're okay with this," I told Bella genuinely before turning back to Tyler.

"Because this is a really special puppy."

"Tyler, Edward's going to tell you something really special about this puppy so you have to listen," Charlie told him as Tyler finally lifted his eyes off the little dog.

I knelt down to Tyler's level and stroked the puppy's head as I spoke.

"Ty, this dog comes from Forks. Like your Mom and Dad."

At the mention of Jake, Tyler looked up to me and I knew I had his attention now.

"This dog's like you, he didn't know your dad, he's too young. But, this dog's dad was best friends with your dad."

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked softly, calming down and becoming serious.

"Your dad had a dog when he was growing up..." I started to explain.

"Wolfie," Bella whispered the word softly, reverently as she knelt down and joined Tyler, the puppy, and me, on the floor of the cabin.

"Yeah. Your dad had a dog named Wolfie," I agreed, turning back to Tyler. "Wolfie recently had puppies and this dog is one of Wolfie's puppies. So his dad was your dad's dog."

Bella gasped when she realized the connection between Tyler's new dog and Jake.

"Really?" She asked me in disbelief.

"Yep," I assured her before turning back to Tyler. "He's a special little dog. You two can be best friends, just like both your dad and his dog were."

Tyler remained silent but brought the puppy closer to his face and hugged him so tightly Charlie had to warn him to be gentler.

Bella reached over and stroked the puppy's soft fur as I turned to her.

"I'm not sure he understands yet, but I'm sure he will when he gets older."

"I'll make sure he understands," Bella assured me. "Edward, this is so amazing..." She trailed off as she took a deep breath and furiously blinked back her tears.

"This way Tyler has a small part of Jake. And if either of you are missing him you have..." I turned to the dog as Tyler spoke.

"Rex."

I nodded. "Rex? Okay, I like it. You wanna call him Rex?"

Tyler nodded and Bella reached over, taking the puppy softly from Tyler.

"You have Rex." I finished.

"Hi, Rex," she whispered. "Edward...how did you do all of this?"

"When I visited your dad and talked to him about proposing to you, I mentioned that I was thinking of getting Ty something and I was thinking about a dog. He said Jake's dog had recently had puppies. We went to see Billy..."

"Whoa, you went to Billy's place?" Bella's gaze went rapidly from me to her dad as she spoke.

"Yeah," Charlie told her. "I think he's doing a lot better, Bells. Once I mentioned about Tyler having one of Wolfie's puppies he was really pleased that Ty will have a link to Jake."

"It's a really thoughtful idea," she agreed as I looked over to see my mom wiping her tears as she smiled at me.

"I'm so happy, Edward. Let's celebrate! And let's see this adorable puppy!" She exclaimed as Tyler proudly showed Rex to my parents while Emmett and Rosalie poured fancy drinks into posh glasses to toast to mine, Bella, Tyler, and Rex's future.

**A/N:** **So, I hope you like that chapter, there is one left.**

**Thanks for reading and for your continued interest in this story. Please let me know what you think, your reviews really do encourage me to continue. I love to hear your thoughts and really appreciate any reviews.**

**You can find me on Facebook (as Koala Lou) where I often post picture teasers for the new chapters.**

**Thanks also to my great team of people willing to help with this story. Thanks to SarcasticBimbo, EdwardsFirstKiss and CoppertopJ for giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: "Bella, it was the best decision of my life."

**A/N:** **I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

**The song for this chapter is Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden **

"Girls, are you ready?"

"Coming, Daddy," the twins chorused in synchronicity as I saw them hurtling down the hallway towards me. "Has your Mom finished feeding Masen?"

They both nodded to me as Lily reached for her shoes and Poppy reached for her jacket.

"I fink so," Lily told me.

"But he burped everywhere again," Poppy added as the girls pulled identical disgusted faces. As much as they loved their four-month-old brother, they also found his manners, or lack thereof, pretty funny.

I helped Poppy thread her arms into her jacket as Bella emerged into the hallway, carrying our son on her hip.

She looked as beautiful as ever. Two more pregnancies, one with twins, had me loving her more than I had ever thought possible. Watching her carry and give birth to our babies and seeing the way she cared for them filled me with more love than I knew I was capable of.

As Bella and Masen drew closer, I smiled at the little baby and was rewarded with a gummy smile in return. He'd not long ago mastered the art of smiling and it warmed my heart every time he did it.

"I'll get the kids in the car," I told Bella as she passed Masen to me. I settled him on my hip and squeezed his chubby cheeks. It was still hard to believe he was here and our family was complete. I wouldn't say having a baby was easy but having a single baby after twins certainly felt more relaxed and enjoyable. I could see how much Bella was loving having a baby in the house again, she doted on him and with the twins acting like mini moms and with Tyler at an age where he could help out, Masen was never short of attention and love.

Bella leaned forward and kissed Masen's cheek before she kissed me and smoothed her hand down my jaw. "Thanks. His bags are all packed. I just need to the get our food from the fridge."

"Ty!" I shouted while Bella walked back to the kitchen. Damn her ass was still fine!

I waited a few seconds and listened for any movement coming from upstairs. A few more seconds later Tyler was rushing down the stairs, his hair still flopping over his eyes because he insisted it didn't need cutting. At ten years old, he was asserting more independence while Bella and I were left wishing he wouldn't grow up so fast.

"We can take Rex, right?" He checked making me nod.

"Sure, go get him."

Years after starting a family with Bella one thing that still surprised me was how long it took us to get out of the house. There were multiple bags to pack, strollers to remember, and toys that the kids couldn't possibly go a morning without. In winter, there were hats, scarfs, gloves and coats to dress each child in and in the summer there were hats, sunglasses and sunscreen for all the kids. Sometimes I thought it would be time to come home again before we'd even left the house.

Thankfully, though, today was warm but not hot and a light jacket was all the girls needed. Once they were ready, I placed Masen in his car seat and settled the three munchkins in the car. Tyler followed, scooting Rex in first and holding his collar so he didn't slobber all over the baby. Bella wasn't far behind me and for once, we managed to set off on time.

I loved the way Bella still rested her hand on my thigh when we drove, even when Tyler protested and insisted we were embarrassing.

I pulled up twenty minutes later and once the kids spotted their cousins already in the park, they were out of the car and running across the grass as fast as they could go.

Emmett and Rosalie gave us a wave as their daughters Bree and Riley headed straight for Lily and Poppy. Their two girls looked like twins. Emmett and Rosalie had tried for several years to give Seth a sibling and then had two girls eleven months apart. They'd be in the same year at school and wore the same size clothes and shoes, just like my two girls.

Seth and JJ ran to meet Tyler and Rex while JJ's brother Max toddled around with Skye and Cooper, Garrett and Kate's kids.

My mom and dad approached us, greeting the kids on their way past. Dad helped carry some of the many bags we'd brought with us while I grabbed the cooler of food, a diaper bag, and the picnic blanket. My mom, rather predictably, headed for Masen, squeezing his chubby cheeks as she cooed to him.

The adults shifted around on the picnic tables and blankets on the grass making room for Bella and me as we all greeted each other. There was a warm breeze on what was meant to be a cloudy day so the kids chased footballs and each other while we set the tables with food for lunch.

"Hey, bro. Glad you made it at last!" Emmett announced, looking casually at his watch in a joking way. Some things never changed, he still loved to tease me.

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure we didn't leave anyone behind!"

"One time, dude!" He shouted. "And I did realize it before we had left the street."

"Yeah, yeah. That won't stop me from telling that story on Bree's wedding day," I told him with a laugh as I sat down next to him while Bella and Masen sat on my other side.

Once the kids saw the food and realized they were hungry, we were seated at the picnic tables while others were on blankets and tucked into the food and drink everyone had provided. As usual, though, the kids didn't sit still for long. With my four, Emmett's three, Alice's two and Garrett's two kids, no one was ever short of a friend or playmate. We were a loud and boisterous bunch, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Before long the kids were all running off again, except for Masen and Cooper, who were too young to be running anywhere.

"Kids come back, we need to do Grandma's birthday cake," I called, to no avail.

"Its okay, Edward," my mom insisted. "Let them play. We'll cut the cake when they've worn themselves out."

I watched my mom as she looked out at the park. Family was everything to her and I'm not sure she'd ever been as happy as she was now. Spending time with both her kids and grandkids was her favorite pastime. Now that she and dad were retired, she had even more time for everyone. They had all the grandkids over to their house one Saturday night each month for a large sleepover, giving all us adults some desperately needed couple time. They helped Rosalie when she and Emmett had two girls in the space of one year. They helped out when Tyler's karate clashed with the girls' dance class and they looked after Rex when we occasionally found the time for a family vacation. I think they were busier now than when they were working!

"Here, let me take him." Bella handed Masen over to me so she could finish her food with the luxury of using both hands. He looked tired and a big yawn confirmed he was due for a nap. I tucked his little head under my chin and rubbed his back softly. Thankfully, he was a good sleeper and a few minutes later he was fast asleep.

"I hate you," Garrett glared comically at me. "Cooper doesn't even know what sleep is. Neither do I anymore!"

"If you wait about 14 years then you'll have no trouble with them sleeping, it's the waking up that's a problem," Emmett joked and Rosalie agreed.

"That might have more to do with Seth being your kid than being a teenager," Alice chimed in.

"True," Emmett conceded "but, man, he's like a freight train of hormones!"

"Great!" I replied sarcastically. "We'll look forward to that!"

"It'll be even more fun when it's the twins turn," my dad told me. "You and your brother both being teenagers at the same time was...interesting."

"We've got a while yet, they're only three!" I argued. I was in no rush for my kids to grow up and with Tyler and me in the house; the girls were never getting boyfriends so I didn't have to worry about that!

So far, Bella and I had navigated parenting Tyler well over the years. He had told me that he never remembered a time before he knew me. He knows about Jake but considers me his dad. He was still close to Garrett and I was proud of the way my family had enriched both his, and Bella's lives.

As I sat cuddling Masen, I thought how Bella had truly embraced my family. She considered Alice and Rosalie her best friends as well as sisters. Garrett was family now too and we were all thrilled when he and Kate settled down together and married. We all loved how the kids were able to grow up together and Bella was always in awe of how many cousins, aunt and uncles her kids had. Considering she had none, she was delighted she could give that to her children.

Lily and Poppy briefly ran back to us for a drink and to complain that JJ was running too fast when he chased them. Before I could answer them, Seth came hurtling towards the little girls who gave identical screams before they ran off as fast as their little legs would carry them, with Seth running at half speed behind them.

Upon hearing the scream, Masen opened his eyes for all of three seconds before settling back to sleep.

Alice was now busily showing Bella Max's outgrown clothes, which were about to become Masen's. I watched her as she laughed with her sister-in-law. They were deep in conversation, but I could see how she always managed to keep an eye out for the kids. She saw Lily fall and started to stand but before she could reach her, Tyler had picked Lily up, rubbed her knee and then gave her a head start in their game of tag.

The girls were three now, the same age Tyler was when I had met him and it actually made me sad to know how much of Tyler's life I'd missed. Except for all the diapers. I wasn't too upset about missing out on them.

My mom took Masen from me, ever keen for a cuddle, so Bella and I took advantage of a few minutes to ourselves and walked together, hand in hand to a bench near where the kids were playing.

"They're so lucky," she whispered, sounding in awe of all the kids running about in front of us.

"So are we," I told her as she nodded.

"I know. I'm thankful every day that you chose to be with Tyler and me."

I scoffed. I didn't know Bella still thought about that. It all felt like a lifetime ago and right now I couldn't even remember why I'd ever thought twice about it. I couldn't, and didn't want to, imagine my life without Bella and Tyler.

"Bella, choosing you and Tyler was the best decision of my life," I told her sincerely.

And I meant it.

And after that decision I'd spend the rest of my life making more decisions with Bella.

Some decisions weren't my finest.

I chose to get Bella an iron for Christmas one year, never again!

I chose to let the Tyler have ten friends for a sleepover for his tenth birthday, insisting I'd take care of everything. Bella and the girls retreated to our bedroom and I regretted my decision within minutes of the rowdy boys arriving. That was one looooong night. Thankfully, I was able to call Emmett for backup and we were able to get the boys to finally settle down for sleep at 2am. I vowed I would never attempt that again!

I chose to go to a work conference and of course that was the weekend that Tyler's energy and boisterous nature finally got the better of him and he broke his arm in the backyard. Thankfully, my dad was able to calm Bella down and take Tyler to the hospital while she followed with the twins, phoning me frantically on the way there.

But most of our choices were great.

I chose to make Bella my wife. A year after I proposed, we were married, surrounded by family, friends and plenty of fairy lights and candles in Masen jars.

I chose Emmett and Tyler as my best men and Jasper and Garrett as my ushers. I watched while Bella cried tears of joy as Charlie walked her down the isle. She looked so beautiful in her sparkling white dress and curled, flowing hair. And the only person crying more than her was my mom. We had a reception in a marquee overloaded with more twinkling lights and even more family and friends.

I then chose to adopt Tyler, after repeated requests from him. When he was six years old, the papers came through and I was officially his dad. Tyler chose to change his surname to Cullen at the same time so we all traveled to the cabin and had an adoption ceremony and celebration.

A year later, I chose the names of our girls. Bella cursed me for giving her twins but kissed me and cried when I suggested the names Lily, after the flowers that had been on the table at Tanya's wedding where we had first met and Poppy, after the flowers from our proposal at the cabin.

She chose the girls' middle names. Lily Esme and Poppy Charlie and our parents were extremely proud when Tyler introduced them to their newest grandchildren.

I chose to say "hell yes" when Emmett asked me to be godfather to his baby daughter a few months after the twins were born.

I chose to call Renee myself when she didn't visit until the twins were six months old. I chose to give her a piece of my mind and let her know that she needed to be present in her grandchildren's lives or stop getting their hopes up with false promises. Since then, we rarely heard from her but at least she no longer promised anything she couldn't deliver.

I then suggested Bella choose our son's name, but she insisted on using my family name, Masen. She then chose the middle names Carlisle and Emmett, which made my Dad tear up slightly but pretend to hide it and made Emmett fist pump the air and hug us both when we told them.

Emmett and Rosalie chose to move closer to us so our kids could grow up together. They moved onto the same street as us and we all love that the Seth and Tyler can run from one house to the other whenever they want to see each other. It's pretty handy for Emmett and me too, but we insisted to our wives that the move was for the kids' sakes. I don't think they believed us, though.

I helped Bella choose a dress to wear for Garrett's daughter's christening. Bella looked amazing as she stood at the front of the church and accepted the duty and honor of being Skye's godmother.

We also chose to take the kids to Forks when we heard about Billy's death. Over the years, he had mended a lot of bridges with both Bella and Tyler and was always respectful to me. Bella took comfort from believing he was now reunited with Jake, and Tyler took comfort from the way he had gotten to know his Grandad before it was too late.

Not long after that, I chose which cake to give my dad when he retired and reluctantly passed on his practice to fresh new blood.

Charlie also retired and chose to move to Seattle to be closer to his grandkids. He'd talked about it for a few years so it came as no surprise to us. We were surprised, though when his 'lady friend' Sue moved with him. Bella and I were expecting a wedding invitation any day now.

Emmett and I had recently chosen not to expand our business. We had the opportunity but we decided not to. We both wanted to spend time with our families, and we didn't want to work more hours than we already were. Once the kids were older, we'd reconsider it. Who knows, we may have to rename our firm Cullen Brothers and Sons. Or daughters.

As I sat with Bella and thought back over our life together so far, I remembered how it all began with one choice.

One decision which I agonized over, but I was grateful every day that I chose my life with Bella and Tyler and I knew it was the best decision I have ever made.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

**A/N: So that's it! This story is now complete. This was my first fanfic so thank you to anyone who has read it. I'd love any feedback or reviews you can give.**

**I hope you've all enjoyed the ride and if so please let me know as I love to hear from my readers. **

**I do have some other stories in mind so be sure to put me on author alert to get notifications of future stories. **

**I'd like to give a final thanks to Lellabeth, ScarcasticBimbo, EdwardsFirstKiss and CoppertopJ for their time and help with editing this story. Also thanks to Mina Rivera for the awesome story banners and to The Fic Sisters for their support for this story early on. **

**I can be found on Twitter KoalaLouWrites and on Facebook as Koala Lou.**

**Bye...for now x**


	40. Chapter 40 - Outtake

**A/N: The next four chapters fit into TTTR after chapter 15 and before chapter 16. Think of chapter 15 as 15a and these are 15b, 15c, 15d &amp; 15e.**

**They are a more in-depth look at Edwards struggle to reconcile his feeling for Bella with the enormity, reality and shock of her having a son. I know for some readers he is struggling too much, but I have also had a lot of readers say they like the realism of his struggle and I always felt he would struggle more than he did, so here it is…**

**I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

As much as I wanted to have answers for Bella, I didn't.

It was now a few days after I'd found out about, and met, Tyler. He was clearly a great kid, but all that meant was that I needed to be extra cautious about my feelings and decisions.

All night I'd thought about Jake. Bella and Jake. Tyler and Jake. Could I compete with him? Jake wasn't even around, so that thought was stupid but I knew Bella had been in love before and that relationship didn't end by choice. So was her heart even free to give to me?

I shook my head, I was thinking too deeply, as usual. Emmett always teased me for having an old head on my shoulders; shoulders that were twelve minutes younger than his, as he liked to point out.

I wanted to keep in touch with Bella and let her know I wasn't ignoring our situation, so I texted a brief message to her. "I'm thinking of you. I miss you, but I need more time. I hope you understand."

It was brief but to the point.

I _really_ hoped she understood.

But her reply surprised me.

"Sure. Are you going to Tanya and Eli's party?"

Shit!

My cousin never did things halfway. She and Eli were both turning thirty in the same week, so despite it being only a month or so since their wedding, they were having a joint birthday party at a restaurant downtown.

I knew all about it. I'd chipped in for a gift from the whole family. I'd stuck the invitation on my fridge and Emmett and I had made sure we didn't book any early meetings for tomorrow morning. Neither of us would be drinking much, as we'd be driving, but I now wished I could drink. With Bella at this party I'd sure want to.

I knew it was too late to change my plans and back out of the party now. That would send a bad message to Bella. Plus, part of me was desperate to see her.

I was standing in front of the mirror in my suit, wondering whether to bother with a tie or not. I couldn't find the fucking energy to care. I threw my tie back on the bed, not wanting to turn up looking like I'd just finished work. I left my house before I changed my mind about going to this damn party at all.

I was dreading tonight, and secretly looking forward to it at the same time.

I knew I was torturing myself by wanting to see Bella, but I couldn't help the way my mind wandered to her. I'd finally let myself think of her today, unlike the rest of the week when I'd tried to stay as busy as possible trying to avoid thinking about her.

Emmett and I had taken on a big building project, with me working the lead. The advantage of having a twin was knowing that he understood me. I didn't have to explain that I needed to keep my mind busy, Emmett merely handed me the blueprints and told me to make a start.

And I was grateful for it.

And him.

But now, tonight, I wasn't too pleased that my whole family would be at this party. I knew they'd be keeping an eye on me and part of me didn't want to bother going.

But then I'd remember Bella.

Would she show up?

What would she wear?

Would she even want to talk to me?

I turned off the engine of my Volvo and dried my palms on the thighs of my pants. I could see Emmett's car a few spaces over so I knew I'd have someone to talk to when I entered, which helped to calm my nerves.

My eyes scanned around as soon as I stepped into the hot and overly busy restaurant. A member of the staff dressed in a crisp black suit showed me to the private function room where I immediately spotted Emmett and Rosalie.

Without words, Emmett shook his head subtly at me, which I knew meant he hadn't seen Bella yet.

They were chatting to Tanya so I joined them, scanning the room in what I hoped was a subtle way.

"Where's Eli?" I asked Tanya once I'd greeted her, thinking I should be polite and greet the other host.

"Over there." She nodded to a small gathering of people before she continued. "I'd avoid him if I were you, though. He doesn't take kindly to his friends' hearts being broken. You're lucky we're blood or you wouldn't be standing here."

Lucky? It seemed most people at this party knew all about my love life and hated me for it. That didn't sound very lucky to me.

"I can go. I don't want you to take sides, Tan."

"Hey," she held my shoulder and shook her head. "I was joking Edward, things are just raw right now. It'll be fine. Stay."

I scrubbed a hand down my face. I knew this party would suck.

Thankfully, at that moment Alice and Jasper joined us. Ali was oblivious to the tension around us and started chatting away, making Tanya laugh and the tension melt away.

Then the inevitable happened.

I was in mid-conversation with Jasper and Alice about the road works outside my office block when I spotted her.

Of course she looked fucking beautiful.

Of course she wore a short blue dress that showed off her long legs and slender body.

And, of course her hair was down, falling past her shoulders and sweeping across her back as she turned to me and our eyes locked.

"Edward...Ed..." Alice tried to regain my attention but once she followed my gaze and saw Bella staring at me the way I was staring at her, she fell silent.

I watched Bella's eyes fall to my chest where I'd kept the top few buttons of my shirt undone.

Deliberately.

I didn't realize we'd walked towards each other but, somehow, we were alone and face-to-face as her eyes drifted upwards to meet mine.

"So..."

"Bella..."

We both spoke at the same time and then paused in silence.

"You go first," I gestured to her and her mouth formed into a tiny grin as she shook her head.

"Always such a gentleman," she whispered, almost to herself. She took a deep breath before she spoke again. "I was just going to ask how you've been."

"Oh, good. Okay. Keeping busy with work."

She nodded at my unspoken words, the reasons I had to keep myself so busy. "So, where's Tyler tonight?"

Her eyebrows rose as she tried to hide her surprise, probably at my blatant mention of Tyler. I didn't want to pretend he didn't exist. I knew full well that he did.

"A sleepover with Garrett. They're sharing a takeout pizza and will be staying up far too late, I imagine." Her lips formed into a familiar smile at the mention of her son, her love and pride so obvious. Her eyes again drifted to my chest and she sighed before making eye contact with me.

"Edward, I'm sorry, I have to go." She spoke slowly and softly, almost managing to hide the wobble in her voice. But not quite.

"Oh," I couldn't disguise my surprise. She hadn't been here more than a few minutes. "Don't leave..." She had obviously spent time getting ready tonight and had planned a babysitter; surely she wouldn't take off so soon.

"I thought I'd be okay seeing you but..." She shook her head before continuing. "It's a self-preservation thing," she concluded as she nervously rubbed her hands together and avoided further eye contact with me. "I'm sorry."

And with that she was gone.

I watched listening to her heels clicking across floor to where Eli and Tanya were now talking to a woman who I think was Eli's mom.

Bella stood with her back to me as she chatted to them. I could see them shaking their heads then looking around the room, searching for someone. Eli then leaned forward and enveloped Bella in a hug as his mom continued to talk to her, getting more and more animated the longer she spoke. Eli then caught my eye over Bella's shoulder.

If looks could kill...

Then Bella was gone. She left without looking back as I watched her walk away, the door slowly swinging closed behind her.

I don't know what I was expecting from tonight, but that wasn't it.

I stood in a daze in the space where Bella and I had made small talk only minutes earlier.

I wasn't aware of my sister's presence until she spoke to me, placing her hand softly on my forearm in an annoyingly comforting gesture.

"Was that her?" she asked, reminding me how Bella and I hadn't even gotten very far into our relationship. She hadn't officially met my family; she'd never met my sister, which made me quite sad as I thought they had the potential to be great friends. Alice could see the best in everyone and would love Bella's caring heart and love for her family.

I shook my head clear of those thoughts. "Not now, Ali. I need some fresh air."

I left the same way Bella had and found myself on the narrow street out in front of the restaurant.

I walk aimlessly down the sidewalk concentrating only on feeling the cool air on my overheated skin and trying to block out all other thoughts.

I didn't realize how far I'd walked until I saw a familiar car.

Her car.

The car I'd kissed her against after our date when things were so simple between us.

Just like last time, she was parked under a streetlight, no doubt a result of her police chief father's advice.

The eerie yellowish glow shining down on her car meant I could see her inside. As soon as I looked at her though, I wished I couldn't see her at all. Her body was hunched over the steering wheel, her head buried in her hands, her face covered by her hair as her torso moved softly, wracked with sobs I couldn't hear, but was certain I'd caused.

Whether she felt my presence or not, I don't know, but she looked up, directly out of the window at me. Her look of surprise was quickly hidden by her hands as she wiped furiously at her makeup and looked quickly away again.

I pulled my hands from my pants pockets and approached her car.

I wasn't thinking straight, I just needed to get to her.

To comfort her.

To talk to her.

To touch her.

Before I'd realized it, I was walking around the front of her car and trying to open the passenger door.

By this time she had already started the engine and I'd realized the door was locked, another piece of fatherly advice, no doubt.

"Please."

She looked me in the eyes and hesitated.

I merely returned her gaze, watching as she bit her lip nervously before I heard the faint unlocking noise and tried the door again, feeling relieved when it opened this time.

I seemed to take her by surprise yet again, as instead of leaning in and talking, I sat in the passenger seat of her car.

"What are you doing, Edward?" She sounded exhausted as she spoke, speaking straight ahead to her windshield and not looking at me.

I, however, turned and looked at her. I knew she'd been crying but she'd now composed herself and just looked mad. Really mad.

I stuttered, not having an answer for her question so I shot her words right back at her. "What are_ you_ doing? You didn't have to leave."

"I did. I need to get home."

"Is Tyler there?"

"No. He's staying at Garrett's, ready for karate tomorrow." She sounded tired and worn out, I observed as I watched her pick at a loose stitch on her steering wheel while she still didn't look at me.

I nodded, remembering their routine, which I'd never really forgotten. I remembered how every Saturday, Tyler had karate with Garrett, and it was her only real free time of the week. I knew this because I'd tortured myself by spending last Saturday wondering what she was doing and who she was spending her time with.

My silence must have confused her as she finally looked me in the eyes before her gaze trailed down to my chest as she released a small sigh.

"I'm driving home now, Edward." Her voice was a warning.

"Okay."

I didn't move.

She paused and raised her eyebrows at me.

I still didn't move.

She silently held my gaze before she shrugged, clicked on her indicator and pulled away from the curb.

We remained silent as I watched her drive, remembering the look she got when she concentrated. I saw her wrinkle her nose in annoyance as the green lights ahead turned red and I noticed the nervous fidgeting of her hands on the steering wheel while we waited in awkward silence for the lights to change. I saw her legs jiggling which only drew my attention to the way her dress rode up to her mid-thighs in the driver's seat and I remembered how smooth and soft her legs are. _Were._ How soft they _were _because we weren't doing this again.

I shook my head, wondering what the hell I was doing, but I felt relieved once she joined the highway, because I knew then, there was no going back.

I finally turned and looked out of the window until she pulled in her driveway ten minutes later.

She stopped the engine and we sat in the car, both looking forward. The darkness of the evening was pressing upon me as neither one of us spoke.

"This is a bad idea," Bella whispered unconvincingly.

I ran my palms down my thighs as she watched me, her eyes following my hands as I remembered the ways in which she liked my body. Past tense. _Used_ to like my body. This wasn't happening again.

Was it?

"I'll go if you want me to." I meant it. I wouldn't push her.

"I never wanted you to go." The pain with which she spat her words at me made me wince.

"Bella..."

"Don't. I don't want to talk about it." She straightened her back, and drew in a deep breath, no doubt biting back many more words.

She then unclipped her seatbelt, yanked her keys out of the dashboard and left the car with an almighty slam of the door.

I exited the car in a quieter fashion and followed her up the driveway.

She unlocked her front door and turned back to me, her eyes pleading, but I didn't know what for.

To leave?

To stay?

**As mentioned there are three more chapters in this outtake.**

**Please hit review and let me know what you think. I love your feedback and want to know what people think of my writing.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and EdwardsFirstKissfor giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	41. Chapter 41 - Outtake

**This is the next outtake, carrying on from the last chapter.**

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

All it took was one step into her house for me to instantly remember every reason I believed I couldn't do this, but every reason I should fucking try harder.

Tyler's tiny Sketchers were by the welcome mat. A pile of dinosaurs were on his play table and his sippy cup was on the kitchen draining board.

All reminders of the decision I had to make.

A vase of brightly colored roses stood tall in the center of the dining table, immediately making my caveman instincts kick in. I bit back the obvious question and instead focused on the fact that _I_ was the one here with Bella now.

I watched her as she scooped up a few papers from the kitchen worktop and arranged them in a pile, and then quickly tidied away a few cups. Although her house looked pretty immaculate to me, she was busying herself by tidying things that didn't need tidying, and I knew her well enough to know she was trying to distract herself from our current unexpected situation.

"I didn't exactly think I'd have company tonight," she explained, breaking the silence we found ourselves in. "I thought I'd be spending my evening with Ben and Jerry after seeing you with some leggy blond at the restaurant..."

My hands reached out and I spun her around, making her squeal in surprise.

"Edwa..."

"I _don't want_ anyone else," I growled at her angrily.

My lips found hers even before her hands found my chest, which was pretty damn quick, I can tell you.

She muttered the rest of my name into my mouth as I felt her relent and melt into my body.

Finally, she was in my arms again.

Right where I always wanted her.

Always needed her.

Her fingertips stroked the bare skin of my chest while her soft moans made my dick instantly hard. I couldn't help it, she was so close. She smelled amazing, feminine and...just...Bella. I moaned again as her tongue found mine. Her body had been tormenting me since the second I'd seen her tonight and now I could finally touch her the way I wanted to.

She gasped when she felt what she did to me which only made my dick twitch again with desire.

She withdrew slightly from our embrace and I immediately berated myself for getting hot and heavy too quickly.

"I wish I didn't want you so much," she whispered like it was a top secret. "You can't accept Tyler so I should let you go, simple as that. Except it's not."

She closed her eyes, her expression looking pained. "This would be so much easier if I hated you."

"Please don't hate me," I whispered in reply as her forehead sunk forward and rested on my chest.

"Do you want this?" She sounded so quiet and innocent as I scoffed at her words. How could she not know how much I wanted her?

"Want this? I've never wanted anything more. You must know by now how much I want you?"

"Not enough to try." Her words were blunt but her fingers still stroked my chest, her body acting in contradiction to her mind.

"Bella, don't... "

She raised her head and looked me directly in the eyes. "Just fucking kiss me, Edward."

I didn't need to be told twice.

"Fuck...Bella. Tell me this is okay...I know it's fucked up but...Jesus...I've never wanted anyone the way I want you."

Her deep groan at my words was my final undoing.

I was beyond desperate.

I pulled her body back to mine, crashing my lips to hers as I picked her up, holding on to her ass as I lifted her feet off the floor, never taking my lips from hers.

I planned on finding her room but we only made it a few feet to the sofa before I laid her down and found myself on top of her.

Her legs spread underneath mine, making way for my center to find hers.

As much as I wanted this to be romantic I knew it wouldn't be. There was an urgency for both of us. Whether it was a need to keep going before one of us changed our minds or the tension of being apart I didn't know, but we were both frantic.

I don't remember her removing my shirt and I don't know if it was her or me who removed my pants, but I know for sure it was me who pulled the bottom of her dress up and the top part down to expose her tits. We didn't even remove her panties, merely pushing them to one side for my quick entrance.

And my entrance wasn't the only thing that was quick.

Embarrassingly, I wouldn't be winning any endurance awards for that performance. I was so desperate for her and when I felt how ready she was for me I entered her in one thrust, holding one of her knees up by her waist to change the angle at which we met. Her moans told me this was going to be quick and frantic for her, too. Thankfully, I held out long enough to hear her moan my name before I gave in and found my release.

A few seconds after we'd come down from our high she was moving beneath me in a totally different way. She scooted backwards, lowering her dress to cover herself properly as I sat up and pulled my boxers back in place.

Silence followed as Bella busied herself, re-adjusting her hair and dress and I stood to fetch my pants from the floor.

"Can I use your bathroom?" I asked, threading my legs through my pants but not buttoning them up.

"Of course, you know where it is."

Once I'd sorted myself out and I'd taken a minute to calm myself down I took a deep breath before returning to Bella's living room.

When I found her she was standing with her back to me which made it easier to say what I needed to. "Bella...I know we want things to change..."

"This doesn't change anything...I know. Now, put your damn shirt on," she grumbled, thrusting it into my chest as she walked toward the kitchen, not making eye contact with me.

"It's fine Edward. I'm not a naive girl, I knew nothing would change." She was furiously tidying again as I held on to my shirt, watching her fling around a dishcloth which I feared she might throw at me if I wasn't careful.

"I wish it would," I muttered childishly.

"I get it. Wanting me and wanting to be a role model figure to a three-year-old are two different things. Making sure he has his fruit and veggies and spending twenty minutes looking for his left shoe aren't for you. I get that, I do, and I have to deal with it. But I can't do that with you standing in my living room half-naked so you need to go." Her tone was so blunt and distant I was too shocked to move.

She must have sensed my hesitation because she continued. "I know you don't have your car but there's a car service number on the fridge. I'd drive you but I don't think that's a good idea."

"It's not that..." I was interrupted, this time by my cell phone. After fishing it out of my pants I saw it was Emmett.

"Sorry." I silenced the call, giving our situation the attention it warranted.

As I looked up from my phone Bella spoke again.

"Please, put your damn shirt on, Edward." Her voice sounded pained as I remembered the garment I was holding and threaded my arms into the sleeves and hastily buttoned it up.

"I don't know how to make this better." My voice was small as I ran my hands through my hair, reminding me of the way Bella had done the same thing mere minutes ago.

Her big brown eyes met mine in a heart-breaking expression.

"Edward," she started, twisting the dishcloth she was still holding, "I've learned over the past few years that there are some situations you can't make better. As much as you may want to, really fucking badly, you can't."

Bella was certainly talking about our situation, but her words only served to remind me of all she'd been through with Jake. I felt the pit of my stomach sink as I thought of the ways in which my attempts to comfort her today had had the opposite effect and made our situation a whole lot worse.

I remained silent, thinking about how we shouldn't have a situation at all. We weren't together. I'd made sure of that.

And now my indecision was breaking both of our hearts.

My phone ringing broke our silence. Seeing it was Emmett again and knowing he was unlikely to stop calling until I answered, I tapped the screen and grumbled a greeting.

"Yeah, I'm around I've...l just popped out, I'll be back soon. Em, you're not my damn bodyguard, I'll be back soon, okay?"

I didn't give him much time to answer before hanging up and looking apologetically at Bella.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she spoke. "This is great, Edward. I know how you and your brother are, now he's gonna know all about this. I have to see him in a few days for a damn parent-teacher conference and he knows I've been off fucking his brother tonight."

I shrugged. She was right. Em would have probably put two and two together by now and if he hadn't yet, he would soon.

"He'll be discreet," I promised. "I didn't plan this, I just saw you and...I didn't think it through. I didn't mean to do this and then just leave, I guess I wasn't thinking about afterwards."

"It wasn't all you, I wanted it too," Bella relented, "but I can't do this anymore, Edward. I can't play these games. It's best that you go."

I should have been happy that she'd admitted she wanted me, but instead I knew she now wanted me to leave.

"Shouldn't we talk about this?" I suggested, noting Bella was already shaking her head.

"Any man who can't see how amazing and special my son is doesn't deserve to know us. You can't accept him so you can leave now." Her words were harsh, her voice an angry tone I'd never heard from her before.

"I didn't say I can't accept him, I just need more time..."

"Edward, _please_, just go." She raised her voice and started flapping the dishcloth around again. "Go. Out. Leave."

"Bella..."

"Nothing's changed. You haven't accepted Tyler so there's no way this can work. Now go." Tears were forming in her eyes as she approached me and gave my chest a light shove.

I took a step back but didn't break eye contact with her. "Can I call you?"

"No. Go. Please." Her voice cracked on her last word and broke a piece of my heart with it. Her hands pushed me further towards her door as I accepted what she was asking of me.

"Okay. Okay." I reached for her hands but she pulled away.

"Okay, bye, Bella." I reluctantly turned and left her house, shutting the front door and hearing her lock it behind me.

**As mentioned there are two more chapters in this outtake.**

**Please hit review and let me know what you think. I love your feedback and want to know what people think of my writing.**

**Please****Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and EdwardsFirstKissfor giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	42. Chapter 42 - Outtake

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

I stood on Bella's porch not knowing what my next move would be. As I tried to clear my mind, I heard the sound of soft sobs coming from the inside of her house.

I closed my eyes and internally cursed myself for the upset I'd caused.

As I turned around to face the door, I raised my fist to knock but paused. What I'd said to Bella mere moments ago was still true. I didn't know how to fix this and even if Bella let me comfort her, it wouldn't mend anything. It would probably make things worse.

Reluctantly I walked down her driveway, away from her and toward the sidewalk.

"Shit. Fucking hell," I screamed as I bent my knees and crouched down. I held my head in my hands and cursed myself again. Way to go, Edward. How to make a hopeless situation even worse.

I took a few deep breaths before standing up when I heard my cell ringing.

I immediately hoped it was Bella.

It wasn't.

"Em, seriously?" I questioned him.

"Ali said she saw you leave in a car with some chick. I can guess who."

I knew Emmett should have been a detective. If our business ever folded he'd have a new career in the police force for sure. "Ed, what the hell have you done?"

I opened my mouth to talk but didn't have any words to explain.

"Where are you?"

Still I was silent. There was no way of telling him where I was without admitting I'd left with Bella.

"Ed, I can't help if you don't answer."

I knew Emmett's heavy-handedness was because he cared about me and I was pretty stuck here.

"I'm out by Ferne Point. I don't have my car."

"Stay there."

I scoffed. "I'm not really welcome here," I informed him.

"Well walk to the end of the street then, dickhead."

"Fine, I'll be on the corner of Acorn and West."

"I'll be there in fifteen." He then spoke quieter as I heard the jingle of keys. "I'll be as quick as I can, baby."

I guessed that was meant for Rosalie and not me.

True to his word, Emmett pulled up fifteen minutes later.

I flopped myself into the passenger seat of his car, hoping to play down this whole situation to Emmett as much as possible.

"What the fuck, Ed?"

No pleasantries this evening, then.

"What? I'm allowed to talk to her."

"You weren't just talking."

What the hell? Did I have 'I've just had sex' written across my forehead?

Emmett took in my confused expression and explained his words. "Your shirt's buttoned up wrong." He shook his head and tried to suppress the grin I saw forming on his face.

Oh. Shit! I looked down at my misaligned buttons and set about fixing them as I spoke. "Damn it. You're not meant to know what's just happened."

"Me? Why?" Now it was his turn to be confused.

"Because you two apparently have some PT conference soon and she wasn't pleased that you'd know she was 'off fucking your brother.' I informed him, quoting Bella's words.

Emmett laughed out loud. "I'd already guessed that's what happened, you're not too subtle, Ed. Maybe if you don't fuck her, there's nothing for me to know."

"I have enough reasons not to be with her, don't give me any more."

"Yet here you are, leaving her bed again."

"Sofa," I corrected. "But I get your point."

Emmett raised his eyebrows at me before shaking his head again. "Jesus, Ed. I don't understand what you're thinking."

"I wasn't. She left the restaurant and then I bumped into her outside and she looked so upset. I know it's my fault. I should have let her drive off but I thought I could make it better, help her..."

"So your dick is offering public service now?"

"No...fuck, did that really just happen?" I mumbled, more to myself, even though I knew the answer. I could still feel her touch on my skin, smell her perfume on my clothes, and feel the soreness in my lips from our frantic actions.

"So, what now?"

I shrugged. My brother sure had a lot of questions for me tonight.

"I don't know, just lay off me, man."

"I'm meant to just sit by and watch while you self destruct?" Emmett was mad now, raising his voice and gesticulating wildly. It took a lot to make him mad but apprantly I'd managed it tonight. "I'm meant to watch you hurt yourself over and over again? That's not how this family works, bro, you know that."

I ran my hands through my hair but didn't reply.

"It seems like you've made your decision. If you can't accept her having a son you know what you have to do. You got your fix, now move on, yeah? Tanya has some hot friends at this party, dude."

"Not interested, Em." I shot him down immediately.

He hit his steering wheel in frustration. "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

I remained silent. I couldn't explain it because even I didn't understand.

"I knew you'd fuck up tonight. Dad told me to keep an eye on you."

"Dad?" What the hell?

"Yes. You've been monosyllabic all week and moping around like you've lost a limb. Mom and Dad are gonna notice, they're not stupid."

"Is that why Ali wouldn't leave my side tonight?"

"Yeah, probably. I thought you'd see Bella and get shitfaced drunk. Not end up sleeping with her."

I scoffed loudly at Emmett. "That might have been a better plan."

"Anything's a better plan than yours."

Emmett turned off the highway and I knew we'd soon be back at the restaurant, meaning I could finally escape his questions. He took a few deep breaths and his voice was calmer when he spoke again. "So you and her...and then you left?"

"Agh, I know. But what was I meant to do, Em? Stay and make small talk? We hadn't thought it through that far but she was there and her dress was tiny and her legs, fuck... I didn't think..."

"Clearly! I don't even know why I'm surprised. Everyone felt the sexual tension in that room."

"Ugh, not helping, Em."

"I'm sorry, now you want my help?" His tone was sarcastic as he stopped the car at the lights and turned to me. "I'm not gonna sugar coat it, bro, you're in the shit."

At this point, I thought silence was my new best friend.

"I still don't quite understand why you two can't see each other without Tyler being involved for now?"

"And get more hurt further down the line?" I snapped. I'd had this conversation hundreds of times in my head; I really didn't want to have it again. "I'm not sure how to know I'm okay with Bella having a son without spending time with him, but she won't let him get hurt by allowing us to spend time together when I may leave. How can you start a relationship with one foot out the door?"

Emmett shrugged as he pulled up in the restaurant parking lot and shut off the car engine.

"Sort out your hair, bro; you look like you've been thoroughly fucked."

"I have."

"Well flatten it down or something, it's a dead giveaway."

"Whatever," I grumbled as I ran my hands through my hair, sensing from Emmett's reaction that it hadn't helped.

Of course, when we walked back into the restaurant the first person we saw was our dad.

"Where have you boys been?" He tried to sound casual but he was never very good at hiding his emotions. He looked at me suspiciously and I realized I was done with this whole evening and constantly having to explain myself and my actions. I was beyond tired of this whole situation.

"I need a drink." I turned and left my surprised looking dad with Emmett, confident in knowing Emmett wouldn't tell my dad any details.

Thankfully, my out of character behavior must have been enough for my dad to know it was a wise idea to leave me alone for the rest of the party. Unfortunately, not all the guests got the message.

A rather keen woman with extra curly hair managed to place herself close to wherever I sat. Even when I rejoined Emmett, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper, she seated herself at the next table, right in my eye line.

Thankfully, no one else at the table mentioned Bella or my eventful evening, and for once I was more than happy to hear tales of JJ's diaper rash and the cream Rosalie recommended to help with it.

Seth also sat with us, which meant the conversation was kept PG and all was well until he mentioned his 'stinky' teacher who had given the whole class a big project to do. I think the problem was more that Seth hadn't started the work and it was due soon, but the indirect mention of Bella had all heads turning to me.

Christ. I felt like I was suffocating. I pulled at my shirt collar, and wondered how soon was too soon to leave.

I knew the party was finally drawing to a close when the slow music started. Couples appeared from nowhere and filled the dance floor, including my mom and dad who could never resist the chance to dance, and Emmett and Rosalie, Alice and Jasper.

That left Seth and me at the table alone. The poor kid looked exhausted at the late hour and as I watched Em get more and more amorous with his wife, I guessed they'd want time alone later when Seth was asleep.

"Hey, buddy, you wanna stay at my house tonight? We could head off now and let your mom and dad party on?"

Seth's tired eyes lit up as he grinned. "Yeah, can we get pizza on the way?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Not tonight, I saw how much party food you ate, you're just like your dad," I told him fondly. "If you're sleeping over at mine I'm not risking your puking," I joked. "But, if you like I'll help you with that homework tomorrow. I've got a few spare boxes and paint; we'll build an awesome castle in no time."

"Can it have a drawbridge? Miss Swan said the best castle will go on display and get extra homework points."

"We'll see what we can do," I told him, glossing over the mention of Bella and being sure not to promise him anything about his chances of winning. "I'll just check with your parents."

I was Seth's early escape from this party but really he was mine and I was pleased to have his company to stop myself wallowing in my thoughts all night.

I fought my way onto the dance floor and thought Emmett had found me when I felt a tap on my shoulder. But when I turned round it was the woman from earlier.

"Would you like to dance?" She was clearly nervous asking me, and I felt like a dick turning her down but I knew at least I didn't need to lie.

"Sorry, I can't." Her face fell. "I have to get an eight-year-old to his bed before he falls asleep at the table." I nodded in Seth's direction and once she'd followed my gaze and saw Seth resting his head in his hands she nodded reluctantly.

"That's a shame." Then she was gone before I could say anything further.

My excuse was true but it was just that, an excuse. If I hadn't just offered to babysit Seth I'd still have turned her down. I wondered when it would ever feel right to be interested in another woman. I couldn't spend the rest of my life wanting Bella but not being with her.

That train of thought was too much for me after a long day so I shook my head and was relieved when I finally spotted Emmett.

He looked pleased when I told him my plan and even more so when I told him to take his time picking Seth up in the morning. He and Rosalie walked back to the table with me and said goodnight to Seth and checked he was okay with our arrangements while I looked for my dad. I didn't like leaving things so awkward between us so I interrupted his dance to say goodbye.

"I'm heading off."

"Home?"

"Yeah, of course," I shrugged. "Where else would I go?"

He looked up at my hair before looking back in my eyes. Being the cool, calculated guy he was, he didn't say anything more but after a quick raise of his eyebrows he nodded at me.

"Nowhere. Drive safely."

"I'm taking Seth, he's half asleep. That way Em and Rose can party on as long as they want."

"Good idea. 'Night, Son. Look after him."

With that, he turned back to my mom who gave me a warm smile before Seth and I finally managed to leave.

**As mentioned there's one more chapters in this outtake.**

**Please hit review and let me know what you think. I love your feedback and want to know what people think of my writing.**

**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and EdwardsFirstKissfor giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


	43. Chapter 43 - Outtake

**A/N: I don't own Twilight or its characters; they belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is just what they got up to in my mind.**

The next morning I woke before Seth did, having had a pretty shitty night's sleep.

Thankfully I had time for a coffee or three before Seth plodded into my kitchen, his hair a mess and his hands rubbing his eyes as he woke.

I made him two pieces of toast and we chatted at the breakfast bar while he borrowed my phone to text his dad.

When he hadn't received a reply fifteen minutes later, we concluded Emmett must still be asleep so we started on the homework project.

Building a model of a medieval castle was way more fun than I thought it would be. It reminded me of my childhood with Emmett and the models we used to build. It also made me sad that so much of our building design nowadays was done on a computer. I missed the days of making our designs in 3D out of MDF and craft glue.

We drove to the nearest store for art supplies, and of course, picked up a pizza and snacks while we were out.

I loved clearing my mind from my worries and only concerning myself with whether we should paint the castle or cover it in aluminum foil. The paint won out. I think Seth just wanted to get messy.

Emmett was stunned when he let himself into my house mid-afternoon.

"Surely Seth has an unfair advantage with an architect dad and uncle?" he wondered after clapping Seth on the back and making all the right noises at our combined effort.

We had gotten a bit carried away. There was a castle, a moat, a drawbridge, and half a medieval village, all glued on the one board.

"How the hell do I get that into the classroom?" Emmett wondered before turning to me. "Wanna help me deliver it?"

His voice was jovial but I didn't laugh.

"Good night?" I teased him back.

His grin told me all I needed to know.

"You're welcome," I replied.

He laughed and told me he would owe me a favor, but considering he had to get Seth and this model to school in the morning we'd call it even.

The next morning at work, I knew Emmett had taken Seth to school and I wanted to avoid questioning him, but my resolve lasted all of five minutes as I gave in on our walk to a morning meeting.

"So did you see her?"

"Yep." He took a sip of his coffee as we walked down the corridor together.

"You were nice to her, right?"

"Of course. I didn't let on that I knew she'd been off 'fucking my brother'."

I rolled my eyes but Emmett's tone changed from jovial to serious.

"She looked tired, exhausted actually. You haven't been keeping her up at night again have you?"

"Fuck off."

"Just checking." He held his hands up in surrender. "I never know with you these days."

I cursed him again under my breath and was pleased to see our clients were already in the meeting room so Emmett and I couldn't talk any further.

ooooooOOOOOOoooooo

"Please, Uncle Edward." Seth was looking up at me with pleading eyes and putting an extra dose of whininess into his voice.

I looked over at Emmett and Rosalie, who were also waiting expectantly for my answer.

Seth and Rosalie had turned up to meet Emmett at work and go to their parent-teacher conference. With Bella.

Seth was currently begging me to go with them so I could see our castle in the classroom display. He'd phoned me the evening before to scream down the phone that he'd won the best castle in the class and our effort was the center of some big display, which was apparently the best thing ever.

Ever.

He had reiterated that several times.

"Can't you take a photo and show me?"

Seth's face fell and Emmett huffed in the background letting me know I was pissing him off.

"No." Seth was adamant. "Miss Swan has made a whole display and I want you to see my model with all the others."

Damn. I was fed up with being a jerk and disappointing people I cared about, so with a small sigh and a defeated sag of my shoulders I nodded to my nephew.

"Okay, sure. I'll come to your school and see the display," I agreed.

"Yay, I can stay with you while Miss Swan tells my mom and dad how awesome I am," Seth informed me as I chuckled at him.

"Can we go for a milkshake after, Dad?"

"If you get a good report," Emmett replied.

"I will," Seth answered confidently. "Miss Swan loves us Cullen's."

Emmett scoffed at his perceptive son, but I didn't.

"Not all of us," I muttered under my breath, earning an elbow in the ribs from my brother.

"I'll meet you there, then," I arranged with Emmett.

"Yeah. His parent-teacher appointment is at 6:10, so we'll get there about 6."

"Okay, sure."

As I left work I wondered what I'd let myself in for. I wasn't up for a run in with Bella, and certainly not in front of Seth, but I reckoned I could bypass the hall that the parent teacher conference was held in and see Seth's display and leave without seeing Bella.

That was my plan anyway.

I met my brother at the school entrance, ignoring his dig at my appearance. I didn't have the time or inclination to shave the few days growth from my face. I had a small beard going on but I didn't care. What was the point anymore? It wasn't like I was trying to impress anyone.

"No time to shave, or are you hoping Bella digs the homeless look?" he teased as I shushed him. The last thing I needed was for Seth to overhear him and repeat this conversation in class.

Seth led me to his classroom while Emmett and Rosalie headed for the hall.

As soon as I stepped through the doorway I saw the imposing display. Jesus. This must have taken Bella hours. Seth was right, I could see now why he wanted me to see it in person, and not just a photograph.

A table running the length of the back of the room had been made into a medieval village with all the kids' houses and castles displayed on fake grass and mud. Seth's castle was on top of a fake hill overlooking all the others and there were small people and animal figures dotted around as well as a pretend river cutting through the village. I looked up at Seth's face and was pleased he was so proud.

"Seth, it looks amazing, you did so well."

"I know, ours is the top castle. I got ten extra homework points too!"

He pointed enthusiastically at items on the classroom walls but I was still taking in the details and downright awesomeness of the display.

"Seth, this is..." I paused when I heard heels clicking on the floor and then spun around when I heard a crash behind me.

Bella was there, stifling a curse as she bent down to pick up some books. Instinctively I walked towards her to help.

"I'm fine. I've got it." She straightened up and placed the books on her desk, using her now free hands to readjust her skirt from where she'd bent down.

"Thanks, though. Hi, Seth," she greeted as I smiled at her when she finally made eye contact with me. Her glance drifted down to my stubbled chin and jaw before she looked back up, into my eyes. "I...I didn't know you were in here. I'm just grabbing this before I see Seth's parents."

She quickly got over her surprise at seeing me and withdrew a granola bar from her desk drawer. "I don't know why I thought this parent-teacher conference would be any different from all the others. Every time I think I'll be home for dinner and I never am!"

She chuckled nervously while I remained silent, not knowing what to say to her.

She stared again at my beard but quickly looked away nervously in a way I'd come to love.

Love? What? No.

Oh, dear God.

My mind was working in overdrive. Seeing her in her work outfit, behind her desk made my mind think x-rated thoughts. About her and those legs. And that skirt. And my glasses and...I shook my head and tried desperately to clear my mind and listen to her as she started talking again.

"Well...I need to go." She gestured to the door as I realized I hadn't yet spoken to her.

She was looking at me oddly, probably questioning my silence which meant I finally managed to find my tongue.

"Seth wanted me to see the display. I can see why now. It looks great, Bella. Really great." I rubbed my stubbly beard as I was thinking about what to say. Bella watched as her face fell and she looked away.

"Thanks. His castle is amazing, I can see how hard you both worked on it." I sensed a slight bitterness to her tone but I couldn't call her on it with Seth in the same room as us. I must have looked surprised though because Bella went on to explain.

"Your brother said you had Seth for the night and spent a whole day with him, helping him..." she swallowed deeply, not finishing her sentence.

"I..." Nope. I had nothing.

No explanation for how I could spend half my weekend with my nephew but had no time for her son. She had clearly noticed and was subtlety calling me on it.

"You don't have to explain, Edward. But I do have to go. I'll send your brother down when we're done if you want."

"Okay, ummm, okay," I agreed before I watched her turn and leave. I want to say so much more, to explain, to talk, but she was gone.

I stayed in the classroom with Seth as he chatted about Matty, who he sat next to, and Chase, who was now his best friend.

I listened absentmindedly as my eyes scanned over Bella's desk. I saw her jacket hanging over the back of her seat and a mug decorated with pictures of Tyler and the words Happy Mother's Day. I saw a few 'World's Best Teacher' ornaments and magnets. I saw pots of neatly arranged pens, pencils and highlighters. In fact, the whole classroom was neat and tidy, neater and tidier than I'm sure thirty eight-year-olds would keep it. Bella's influence was all over this classroom and I felt wrong being here. Like I was in her personal space. Maybe that's why I found it so fascinating. It gave me small insights into her and her life, and although I shouldn't want to know more about her, I knew I was kidding myself by pretending I didn't.

Seth then approached me with a workbook so I focused on listening to him as he explained how each Monday morning they wrote about their weekend in the book.

I read the page he was showing me. It was all about how we had made his castle. How he'd stayed over at my house, how we'd bought supplies and fast food. How I'd helped him and how much fun he'd had.

Surely, Bella would have read this. I flicked back through the book and realized how often Seth wrote about spending time with me. I was pretty chuffed Seth had had such a good time but I couldn't help but wonder what Bella made of it all.

With my mind still engrossed in Seth's workbook I startled when I heard the clicking of heels again, but this time it was Emmett and Rosalie who appeard.

With Rosalie gushing over Seth's display, Emmett took the opportunity to clip me round the head.

"Ow," I exclaimed, holding the back of my head at the unexpected thump.

"You're such a dickhead," he whispered.

"I'm not the one going around hitting people," I replied.

"You've broken her damn heart and you're having a go at me?"

"Broken...? What?" I looked at my brother in disbelief. "Surely, neither her heart or mine were topics of Seth's education?"

"No, but I can tell."

"Oh, can you, Romeo? Well, don't be offended when I don't take your advice."

"I have no advice for you now, bro. I think you've lost your damn mind."

"Dad...look." Seth dragged Emmett away, leaving me staring at him interacting with his son and wondering why I was so damn sure I could never be like that with Tyler.

"Sorry..." Bella walked back through the doorway again. "I forgot this..." she plucked her jacket off the back of her seat and started to thread her arms through the sleeves of the garment.

I watched, desperate to talk to her but unsure what I could possibly say.

"Bonjour, beautiful…oh I didn't know you had company." A guy in a suit and tie popped his head round the doorframe. The smile fell from his face when he saw Bella wasn't alone.

He coughed, looking embarrassed as I wondered how many times I'd have to punch his face to stop that smug smile ever returning.

Jesus, where did that thought come from? I was acting all kinds of crazy since I'd met Bella.

"Umm…are you busy here or can I walk you to your car?" The guy asked her.

Bella looked at me as an uncomfortable silence enveloped the room.

She then turned to the guy and nodded.

"Sure. Thanks."

They left, walking down the corridor as I heard her ask him how his PT conferences had gone but they walked out of earshot before I heard his reply.

Emmett raised his eyebrows at me from across the room and clapped Seth on the back.

"Come on, buddy. I think you deserve that milkshake."

"Is Uncle Edward coming?"

"I don't think Miss Swan would give him a report good enough to deserve a milkshake," Emmett told his son as I scoffed from behind them.

**So, that's it for this outtake. I know it was quite angsty and Edward wasn't at his finest but this was how it played out in my mind and we know they can come back from this!**

**Sorry if your review hasn't been replied to, I am receiving them via email but I can't see, or reply to them, via this site at the moment which is super annoying.**

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**I have a great little team of a beta and pre-reader on board for the next story, but if anyone is interested in helping me, please drop me a pm. I'd like someone I can bounce ideas off and who will give me opinions on the plot and characters. You don't need to worry about the grammatical elements, that's already covered, I'd like someone who's concerned with the story itself and someone to cheerleader and champion the story, assuming they like it! I've had some great, insightful reviews in the past and regular reviewers who seem to like my writing so please, if you think this is something you could do, or have any questions about it, please pm me.**

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**Thanks to SarcasticBimbo and EdwardsFirstKissfor giving up their time to beta and pre-read for this chapter. Any mistakes are my own.**


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Twilight, Romance