Bella glanced over at the marble statue sitting next to her. His pale skin shimmered in the summer sun. An eternity together and she would still never be accustomed to his beauty. He smiled his crooked smile at her and her stomach flipped. Bella closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nostrils. That smell, his smell, shook her body still with the hint of meadow grass.

He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to it, the gentle pressure sending shivers down her spine. "Bella," he murmured, voice all silk and gravel.

"Yes, Edward?" she breathed after a moment's delay, lost in his golden eyes. She had long since abandoned telling him to keep his eyes on the road, and instead enjoyed the heat of his gaze on her.

"Did you bring the towels?" Bella stared at him for a second before throwing her head back in laughter.

"Yes of course!" He looked surprised to see her quake with mirth.

"What's so funny?" He had released her hand and almost seemed concerned for her mental well-being,

"I had expected you to say something wildly romantic that's all." Bella looked down, batting her lashes.

"Hmm," he growled with a smirk, "I think we can save that for later…The lake house has a lovely bed, after all." Bella broke his gaze again, sure that if blood still flowed within her, it all would have rushed to her face.

Their tires rolled gently over the gravel path. The lake house gleamed in the sun as brilliantly as Edward's soft skin. The lake, too, shined with an unreal radiance. The whole place seemed to Bella to be a palace of crystal. Edward grinned at the awestruck look on her face, catching her hand in his as he led her inside.

Edward opened the door with a grand gesture, and Bella twirled under his arm pressing against him, their bodies cold as ice. Edward leaned toward her brushing his lips against her ear. "Maybe now we could…" he paused suddenly, his eyes intense and alert. He squeezed her hand once for assurance and crept into the living room. Wrapped in a deep embrace on the Italian leather couch Jacob sat with Renesmee in his arms. Edward threw his bags onto the ground. They crashed against the wooden floor causing the lovers to look up in surprise. Edward met Jacob's eyes in a steely gaze, "Sorry to interrupt," he growled, hands clenching into fists.

"Dad!" Renesmee cried, pulling quickly out of Jacob's embrace. "Mom!"

Bella matched Edward's furious posture, eyeing Jacob dangerously. "Get off my daughter!" she shrilled, marching toward the two and yanking Renesmee away, none too gently.

"You are supposed to be at Rosalie and Emmett's, young lady," Edward stated, tone softening as he addressed his daughter, but still colored with disappointment.

Renesmee scoffed. "I'm not a young lady! I'm the same age you two were when you got together! When will you realize I'm as much a grown woman as I'm ever going to be?" Huge tears flooded down her plump cheeks.

Bella and Edward glanced at each other, unsure how to respond to this uncharacteristic outburst. Edward shook his head "You're still our daughter. And you lied Nessie." His eyes betrayed how hurt he was that she had lied to him. Tears spilled from Renesmee's eyes, and Jacob reached an arm out to comfort her. "Don't touch her," Edward snarled, and Jacob recoiled innocently.

Renesmee ran out of the room, sobs racking her petite frame as she fled. "We should go talk to her," Edward suggested.

"I'll just leave you guys to it, then," Jacob muttered, inching his way toward the door. He stopped in his tracks at the look on Bella's face, however, and sank back onto the couch with a sigh. "I'll go to Renesmee," Bella decided. She looked between her husband and her best friend. "And Edward? I think you need to speak with Jacob." Bella glided after Renesmee and Edward turned on Jacob.

"We were only kissing Edward…" Jacob began, but Edward cut him off with a growl.

"At the time, maybe. But I could hear your thoughts. All I can say is we're both lucky I came in when I did."

Now Jacob started to swell with anger, "This isn't just some fling Edward! I will love her until the day I die!" He hesitated, his eyes fixed on his dirt ridden nails, "Edward, I have something I need to tell you."