Prologue

Present.

I would never tire of waking up next to him. I wonder if it like this for everyone. Maybe at the beginning. The honeymoon period. But I can't imagine a time when it wouldn't be heaven to wake up like this.

He was lying on his front, one arm slung across my naked torso. Every muscle in his back was exposed, his broad shoulders and the dip of waist. It reminds me of our first summer...

Emmett and Edward had both come home for two weeks. Emmett had brought Rosalie for the first time to meet Dr and Mrs Cullen. The weather had been scorching, we had spent most of the time at the beach. The boys had immediately stripped down to their shorts and began to toss a football around. Watching Edward's muscles as he threw or caught the ball I was mesmerized. It would be totally untrue to say that was when I first loved Edward. It started the moment I first laid eyes on him.

He was beautiful in his sleep, hair a wild disarray of red and brown as his cheek rested on his pillow. His eyelashes fluttering minutely against the top of his cheekbones. A small smile played at his lips and I wondered if he was dreaming. If he was dreaming about me.

A sudden bang echoed downstairs and a voice called out, "Edward?"

"Edward?" The voice called out again, louder this time, searching.

"Edward," I spoke quietly, shaking his shoulder.

"Bella," he mumbled, clutching me round my waist and pulling me closer into him.

"Edward?" I shook his shoulder more violently, "There's someone in the house..."

He opened his eyes and focused on me. We strained our ears against the silence; listening to the sounds of someone moving around the house.

"Where have you been? I really need to talk to you. I know you lied to Mom and Dad, I spoke to Emmett. " The accusing voice bellowed out, closing in on us now and I was able to recognize it.

I knew this moment had been coming. It had been coming for months. Years.

I had lived in constant worry as our secret weighed heavily on my conscious. But the guilt never got so bad that I would give him up. I had laid awake on lonely nights imagining scenarios of how it would happen, the possibilities... A love token's hiding place upturned. I word, a look, betraying our secret selves. In my more creative wondering we were discovered in some mildly compromising position. But I never imagined it happening like this. I had considered the possible reactions of those closest to us. Alice. Dr and Mrs. Cullen. Emmett. Hell, even Jasper and Rose. But mostly... Charlie. But in the myriad of uncertainties the only certainty was the inevitability of discovery.

I expected to feel fear; but I only felt calm.

The world stilled; silence prevailed except for the echo of footsteps on the stairs signalling our impending fate.

A brief flash of fear crossed Edward's features before they rearranged themselves again. His eyes flashed with steely determination, he pulled me quickly towards him, placing a lingering kiss on my forehead before releasing me, his eyes searching my face.

The bedroom door finally opened, as and the voice rang out again, "God, Edward...what the hell is going on?"

A loud gasp signalled that the position we had been found in was unexpected. Edward flipped over and sat up, simultaneously pulling me and the coverlet with him. "Alice."

"You...you," she stuttered, her eyes wide shock. "Your... You two. Together."

Her eyes fixed on mine, and the pain reflected in them made my heart ache and my stomach lurch.

"Oh my god!"

She paused, looking between us, "You lied to me. You both lied to me! Your...your...my brother...and...and...I thought you were my best friend, Bella."

She didn't shout or scream. There were no dramatics. She spoke in a soft quiet voice so filled with hurt.

"But it turns out I don't know who you are at all."

And then she was gone, the front door could be heard banging and the roar of a car engine. Edward was still looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

I suddenly felt bile rising in my throat and knew what was coming next.