A/N: Just as clarification. Edward is 36. And Bella is...

Renee would have said her first mistake was investing any part of her heart.

"Love is boring, my dear. If you're always free, life is an adventure. Every person you meet can show you something new and exciting."

Bella's mother went where her whims and the people in her life took her. Every once in awhile, Bella could see the value in it. Whenever her mother did reappear, the stories she told painted the picture of a happy life in variegated, exciting colors.

Still, Bella could never want Renee's life. Bella was a steady creature. A life of constant change would make her more miserable than anything else. She craved consistency and dependability.

It was Renee's one regret in her decision to leave Bella mostly with her sister, Rosalie to be raised. Bella's aunt was everything Renee was not.

"I wish I'd been able to take you with me, Bella. You would see what a big world you're missing out on," she'd said over and over. But there were child welfare laws to abide by and schools to attend, so Bella only saw her mother a handful of times a year.

Renee was impressively happy, but despite her more sedate lifestyle, so was Rosalie. She'd been with the same man for twenty years, and she didn't seem bored to Bella. Then again, that might have had something to do with her husband. Bella's Uncle Emmett was hilarious. Between him and their vivacious sixteen-year-old daughter Alice, the Cullen household was far from unexciting.

Still, right about then, Bella wished she'd taken her mother's advice about dating.

Getting invested in Felix Scarpinato had never been Bella's intention. They met at Antioch University's Freshman orientation where Felix was one of the Seniors showing all the fish around. Despite the fact she was, as she had been told, very level-headed for an eighteen-year-old girl, she'd lost her wits about him.

He was charming, handsome, attentive, and hilarious. And huge. He was as big as a building... which, she had to admit, both intrigued and occasionally intimidated her, especially when they got physical. But when she asked him to stop or pulled away, he acquiesced, albeit grudgingly.

But after two months of this, he was fed up. He called her a frigid cow and dumped her at a party he'd brought her to, leaving her to find her own way home.

In all fairness, Bella was much more embarrassed than truly heartbroken. Throughout high school, she'd watched the soap opera that was her fellow students' love lives. From her vantage point on the outskirts, it was clear to see how ridiculous most unions were.

But there was the rub. In high school, Bella had existed in the mediocrity of the social sphere. She was neither an outcast nor one of the popular kids. She had plenty of friends, male and female both, but no romantic interests.

Being caught in the eye of the storm, being the one pursued, had a blinding effect. In her heart of hearts, Bella had known from day one she and Felix had nothing in common. Still, she'd been caught up in the teasing, the touching. She discovered how good being wanted could feel.

She felt pretty, oh so pretty.

Now, reality had crashed on her once again. The only thing Felix wanted was to get between her legs; he didn't care about her or appreciate her at all except for what her body could offer him.

Bella shook the heavy sense of melancholy off as she pulled into the driveway. It had been one week since Felix dumped her, and she was still chafing. It could always be worse, she thought to herself. She could have given in to his constant pushing.

That last night, he'd been downright frightening. He'd led her to an unoccupied room in the house the party was at. They'd been making out on the bed, and when he pushed her backward, she protested. She'd tried to laugh it off. This was someone else's house. There was no lock on the door. He'd dismissed her concern without a second thought, pinning her down on the bed.

His body was so massive, and he wouldn't stop. He kept telling her she needed to relax.

"You'll like it. I'm really good, baby. I'll make it good for you."

He only stopped when she started hollering loud enough for people to hear.

Bella hated remembering how helpless she'd felt, how the knowledge that he was so much stronger than she was seeped into the marrow of her bones.

As she stepped in the door, Bella saw a blur come flying at her seconds before she found herself being lifted into the air. She screamed, disoriented for a moment. She was being hoisted over someone's shoulder and carried off like a cavewoman. She began to kick.

"Whoa, whoa. Duckling. Calm down!"

"Edward?"

Edward gave her ass a playful smack as he set her down. "Who else would it be?"

Both relieved she wasn't being attacked and thrilled as always to see him, Bella flung her arms around his neck, hopping up to wrap her legs around his waist. He laughed, holding her securely. "There's my girl."

"Sorry," she said as he carried her to the living room. Once they got to the couch, he rearranged her so she was sitting on his lap. "I was thinking about something else, and you surprised me."

He smoothed the hair out of her eyes. "Ah, yes. Do tell me all about this mean boy who pulled your pigtails and made you cry."

"Ugh. Rose told you about that?" Bella was doubly glad then that she hadn't told her aunt just how pushy Felix had been. Rose would have wanted to rip his balls off. Edward probably would have wanted to beat the shit out of the rest of him. "I didn't cry."

"Good. I can guarantee you this asshole isn't worth your tears."

Bella grinned and kissed his cheek. She didn't get to see Emmett's brother Edward often - maybe once or twice every few years since she spent most holidays with her mother - but she always enjoyed his visits. "I'm glad you're here."

"Oh, for God's sake."

They both looked up as Rosalie stepped back in the room from wherever she'd been. She put her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "You are not a little girl anymore, Bella. You look ridiculous on his lap like that."

Bella tried to scoot away, but Edward held her tight. "She's my little girl, Rose. Leave her alone. She's fine where she is."

It was true, Bella thought nothing of being this way with Edward. It was was how they always were.

Rosalie just shook her head. "You're both silly."

"Well, we're allowed." Edward stuck his tongue out at his sister-in-law.

"So there," Bella added, mimicking his face as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

A/N: Many thanks to barburella and songster. And zomg, Mina made me the sexiest banner for this story. Isn't it beautiful?

So what do we think about Bella and Edward?