AN: These are not our characters, but we do love them (and the things they do). Longer AN at the end.

Leaning back against my bathroom counter, I sipped my coffee and felt the faint burn on my tongue as I drank it too soon. As I waited for the water in the shower to warm, I stared ahead, my mind fuzzy while I struggled to wake up. I'd slept deeply but hardly dreamlessly last night, as half-formed images of Rosalie's exquisite form and Edward's irresistible lips had stayed with me all night.

I smiled lazily against the rim of my mug as I took another sip, slowly becoming more aware. I set my cup on the counter, about to remove my robe, when I remembered the text message I'd received yesterday evening.

"Shit." The curse was quiet, my voice thick with sleep, as I pulled my phone from the pocket of my pale blue terrycloth robe that reached just below mid-thigh.

I pressed the buttons, finding the missed text, and read it twice.

Call me when you get this please.

That was it. No explanation, no reason. Just a message from Edward asking me to call him. Given the missed phone call from yesterday as well, there was a sudden, inexplicable sinking feeling in my gut.

"Shit!" My voice was louder this time as I bit my bottom lip, my brow furrowing as my mind began racing. I read the message once more, mouthing the words as I worked to calm myself.

Frowning, I took a deep breath and then left the phone lying on the bathroom counter as I slipped out of my robe. I hung it on the hook on the back of my door and stepped into the shower, trying to let the steaming spray relax me.

It was no use. All throughout my shower, I wondered. As I put on my make-up and got dressed, I tried to ignore that little nagging voice that was throwing out possible reasons Edward would want me to call him. As I put on my right heel while juggling my purse and trying to close my door so I wouldn't be late to work again, all of the possible reasons had become the worst ones I could imagine.

And by the time I sat down in my chair, drumming my fingers on the desktop as I waited for my aging computer to boot up, there was only one thought in my mind. It was a refrain pounding against my skull, making it nearly impossible to focus on anything else.

He wants to end this. He wants to end this. He wants to end this.

I worked hard at concentrating, beating back those thoughts until they would finally break free when I found myself thinking, But why?

It made no sense to me. Everything had been amazing so far – the three Friday nights we'd spent together had been filled with erotic bliss punctuated with laughter and teasing as we learned about each other. True, our conversations were often cut short when one or the other of us began to touch another a little too suggestively…but wasn't that part of what we were about?

My mind was in such turmoil that the endless monotony of Mike Newton's drivel had no hope of distracting me. When I realized I'd read the same paragraph seven times and still had no understanding of what it said, I glanced at my clock.

9:26? You have got to be fucking kidding me.

I couldn't go on like this. I'd been at work all of an hour-and-a-half, but it felt like I'd been slaving away for days. "Fucking hell," I muttered under my breath, pushing away from my desk and standing up. I stretched with a sigh and then pulled a key from the tiny pocket of my black dress pants to unlock my filing cabinet. I retrieved my wallet from my purse, locked the cabinet back, and headed out of my office.

When I reached the elevator, I leaned back against the narrow bar, my hands wrapping around it on either side of my hips, and for the first time since I left home that day, I smiled. My mind drifted back to that first night – the night I kissed a woman for the first time. I saw myself leaning back against the bar that was very much like this one, and I could nearly smell Rose's perfume as she leaned in close and pressed her lips against my neck softly.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, and that quickly – with just a hint of an imaginary visit from my Rosalie – I was calmer. I walked into our building's coffee shop and made my way to the counter, automatically ordering my iced caramel macchiato. I stepped to the side and waited for my coffee to be ready, but my mind was someplace else.

I was in my happy place – that place where I remembered every moment I'd shared with Edward and Rosalie. I remembered the feel of Edward's strong hands and Rose's soft lips…that gentle abrasion of his stubble…the way her manicured fingernails scratched my scalp as she writhed beneath me.

By the time I was sipping my coffee on my way back up to my desk, I'd calmed considerably. I was still nervous, wondering what, exactly, Edward would say, but I finally seemed to accept what I'd kept trying to tell myself – our time together was amazing and wonderful and unbelievable. I was over-thinking things, jumping to conclusions. Maybe he just wanted to ask me something. Maybe he was calling to say he had a meeting and would be running late tomorrow night.

Or maybe he just…wanted to talk.

I considered that, feeling my forehead wrinkle as I again opened Mike Newton's latest asinine piece. So far, I had never found myself involved in a one-on-one conversation with either of them, except for those few moments when either Edward or Rosalie would disappear to take a shower or something of the kind.

So maybe this was…a good thing?

I didn't fully believe it, but it was enough to help me make it through the rest of Mike's article…and to make a dent in the six others I had waiting for me. When noon rolled around, I groaned and stood, putting my hands on my hips as I arched my back.

Retrieving my purse from the filing cabinet, I double-checked to make sure I had my phone. My stomach fluttered as I pulled it out and turned it around to look at the display, and I exhaled in relief when I saw that there were no missed calls or messages waiting. I retraced my steps from earlier, but this time, I passed by the coffee shop, making my way to the café across the parking lot.

I kept my phone in hand as I stared mindlessly at the menu on the wall above the register. At some point during the morning, my mind had apparently assigned lunch time as the appropriate time to call Edward, and I felt nearly ill now as I thought of it.

This is fucking ridiculous.

It was just Edward. It wasn't like I didn't know him intimately – I knew the salty taste of his skin, the way his exquisite fingers could leave me panting, and the low, gravelly sound of his otherwise velvet voice when he was exhausted from exertion and fully satisfied. There was no reason for me to be so nervous.

Still, my stomach said otherwise, so I ordered a simple mozzarella and tomato panini with water to drink and took a seat at one of the little bistro tables set near the glass front of the café. I tapped my phone against my palm as I waited, working up my courage.

Finally, I took a deep breath, my heel tapping on the ground when my hands stilled, and I scrolled through the numbers on my phone. When I saw "Edward Cullen," my eyes closed briefly before I hit the call button and brought the phone to my ear. My food was delivered as I waited, listening to the phone ring while I bit my bottom lip.

I heard the click of someone answering and took a breath to speak, but then I heard, "You've reached the voicemail of Edward Cullen…"

I rolled my eyes as I listened to the rest of the message, struggling to decide what to say. When the little beep signaled that I should leave my message, I froze for a moment, breathing lightly. Finally, I pried my lips apart and said, "Edward? This is Bella. Bella Swan?" I rolled my eyes again, this time at myself. Because there are so many Bella's he fucks every weekend? "I'm sorry I missed your call last night. And I didn't get your text until this morning because it came in when I was talking to my brother and I forgot to check it." I realized I was babbling and stopped myself, taking a deep breath. "Anyway, I guess just call me when you get this? I'll be home all night. I…I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."

I pulled the phone away from my ear, hitting the end button as quickly as I could. Tossing the phone onto the table, I ran my fingers through my hair.

Fuck! I'm an idiot.

No, you're not. You were just nervous.

Well, I sure as hell sound like one.

I ate half of my sandwich, barely noticing the taste as I washed it down with water. When I could stomach no more, I threw the rest away and walked back across the parking lot. I worked the rest of the afternoon on autopilot, managing to concentrate and get my work done, but my heart wasn't in it.

By the time I walked through the front door of my flat Thursday afternoon, I felt drained. I hadn't done anything more than most other days, but obviously the mental strain had been too much for me.

After having dinner and trying to settle into my normal nighttime routine, I was still feeling antsy. It was too early for bed, and I wondered if I'd be able to sleep well until I heard from Edward anyway. I'd noticed that I kept glancing at my phone surreptitiously, as if I was fooling myself by not picking it up and looking at it. I tried rationalizing with myself that if he hadn't called back, that was a good sign – it couldn't be all that important, right? – but I didn't buy it.

I needed him to call.

I considered several sources of distraction but dismissed them all.

I didn't want to watch TV. There was never anything on, and I'd just get more annoyed flipping through channels.

I didn't want to call Jessica, even though I'd been getting increasingly threatening texts and voicemails from her over the past couple of weeks. I knew she was worried and I'd have to talk to her soon, but I just wanted to keep it to myself for awhile. I didn't want to hear disapproval or morbid curiosity in her voice. My relationship with Edward and Rose was not some source of gossip – it was something that was rapidly becoming incredibly beautiful and special to me. But Jessica would not see it that way.

I didn't want to talk to Emmett. I knew he would find some way to make me laugh, and – perverse as it seemed – I didn't feel like laughing. There was only one person I wanted to talk to, and so far, he wasn't calling me back.

It was as I was moping and making my way through my list of things I didn't want to do that I suddenly struck upon one that sounded perfect.

Ten minutes later, I was stretched out in my tub, leaning back against my bath pillow. I'd turned off the lights, the only illumination in the room the dozen or so candles scattered around. My hair was piled on top of my head, and countless bubbles reached nearly to my chin as I relaxed. Normally I would've had soft music playing as well, but instead, I had my phone sitting just within reach on a little tray table I'd brought in from my living room. I'd compromised with myself, setting it to vibrate so it wouldn't disturb my attempts at serenity, but I didn't want to chance missing Edward's call again.

I had just settled in, my hair dampening from the steam as I inhaled the soft, clean fragrance of my bubble bath, when my phone shook on the table, buzzing. Immediately, I bit my bottom lip as my hand reached for it, bubbles dripping over the side of the tub. I quickly grabbed a towel, drying my hand so that I wouldn't have to pay for another new phone, and then turned the display toward me.

New Text Message
Jessica Stanley

Sighing, I deflated, letting the phone drop back onto the table as I slipped back down into my bath. She was one of the last people I felt like dealing with just then.

I was beginning to regret not turning some music on as I sat there, just watching my toes peek out of the bubbles at the end of the tub. I lifted my arms, resting them on the cool porcelain sides, and I had just let my head fall back against the rim, closing my eyes when I heard that tell-tale buzz again.

Somehow, I knew.

I sat up slowly, drying off my hand as I watched the backlight on my display flash on and off. I picked up the phone gingerly, not even really needing to see the Edward Cullen to know who it was.

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. "Hello?"

"Bella?" At the sound of his resonant voice, I felt the oddest sensation as I at once relaxed and grew inexplicably nervous.

"Hi, Edward…" You've been waiting for him to call all day, and that's what you say? Brilliant.

"I got your message," he said quietly. He sounded reluctant somehow, but there was more – some other emotion I couldn't place. "I guess you're wondering why I called."

"It did cross my mind," I answered softly, trying to smile and hoping he could hear it.

"I…I can't…" He paused, and I imagined him pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb the way he so often did. I heard him mutter, "Fuck!" under his breath.

Shit. Something is wrong.

Edward rarely cursed except in the heat of the moment. The sound was usually enough to make me moan in anticipation, but this time my stomach clenched with anxiety. There was silence for a beat as I tried to decide how to handle this, but I wasn't given the chance to say anything.

His voice was strong, intense despite being quiet, when he said, "Are you sure you want to keep doing this?"

I exhaled lightly. Those words had been my biggest fear since I first read his text this morning, so I guess my mind had been unconsciously working on how to respond.

This can't end.

It was true. I didn't quite know how to go back to my life without Rosalie and Edward. I meant for my answer to be flippant – as if he was being silly – but I couldn't control the way my heart was pounding. My voice was quiet, almost plaintive, when I spoke, but there was no doubt or hesitation. "Of course I'm sure."

Again, he stammered, and it was so unlike the Edward I knew. This Edward was uncertain and nearly timid. My Edward was always sure and confident. "I just…I…" I heard him sigh and then chuckle darkly.

I realized I was still frozen, leaning over the edge of the tub, and my hip was aching from the way it was pressing against the porcelain. As quietly as I could, I shifted, moving to sit up straighter as I bit my bottom lip. My movement displaced the water, sending waves lapping gently against my skin.

"What was that?" His voice betrayed his interest, rising slightly. His confident tone returned, that sultry quality making me smile faintly as he said, "Are you in the bath, Bella?"

"Maybe," I answered, keeping my voice playful even though I still felt as if I were walking on a razor's edge. "Care to join me?"

I heard his sharp intake of breath and knew the answer was yes. That beautiful, melodic voice was sardonic, though, when he finally spoke again. "Well, now, I don't know that there's a tub big enough for all of us."

"I'm sure we can find one…" I said and then quickly changed the subject. "So now we know I'm in the tub…naked…what are you doing?"

It wasn't graceful or subtle, but it worked.

He laughed softly, and his voice was decidedly seductive when he answered. "Do you really want to know what I'm doing? Or are you asking what I'm wearing?"

I nearly gave a girlish squeal when I heard him flirting that way. I slipped back into the bath, relaxing as we bantered. Whatever had caused his brooding seemed to melt away as we talked, and I lost track of how long we'd been on the phone.

We moved seamlessly from topic to topic, mixing in playful teasing with more serious conversations. For the first time ever, we really talked.

It began with some of our typical dialogue – Edward telling me about the projects he was working on for Cullen Properties. But this time, he went deeper as he talked about the one that excited him the most. I'd always heard it referred to as "the McIntyre project," and I'd often felt vaguely like an outsider as I listened to Rosalie ask him questions that clearly indicated that she knew all about it.

This time, talking to him one-on-one, I felt empowered, uninhibited. So when he mentioned the McIntyre project, I boldly said, "Oh, I've been meaning to ask you…what is that? I've heard you and Rose talking about it, but I still don't really know what you're doing there exactly."

Edward had immediately apologized for leaving me out, even inadvertently, and began explaining. I smiled at his obvious enthusiasm and the way his voice rose and fell as he talked. "So basically, we're taking an older building that used to be all high-end apartments. There were all sorts of problems – outdated wiring and leaky pipes and even asbestos - so the building was losing its tenants. We bought the building, and soon I'm going to be working on updating it and converting all the units into housing for low-income families."

He went on, talking about how it would help some of the lower income families to get out of the worst sections of town, and he explained that his family's company was planning to cater to families with school-age children to ensure that they attended better schools.

I hadn't realized he had such a charitable nature, and when I asked him about it, he said that he really didn't talk about it much because he knew what he did with his time and money, so it really wasn't important that anyone else knew. I kept questioning him, though, and eventually discovered that he made several sizable donations to different charities a year. I gathered that he preferred to help out families, particularly children, and I found myself smiling as this revealed just how important his own family was to him.

Soon, I was talking freely about Emmett and the time he spent volunteering as a tutor at the community center near where he lived. I was proud of my brother, and the conversation moved from what Emmett did to Emmett himself. I was surprised to realize that I'd never really talked about my family either. I guess somehow I'd assumed that Edward and Rosalie knew all about me, considering the way we knew each other physically, but when I mentioned Tyler as "my brother's ex-boyfriend" sort of off-handedly, he stopped me.

"Wait…your brother's gay?" I couldn't decipher his tone of voice, and I was frowning defensively when I answered.

"You can't seriously have a problem with that? I mean, considering…"

Edward laughed softly. "No, I have no problem with it at all. I just didn't realize it. That's all." He paused, and his voice was softer when he continued, "I just know how it is to be the umm…straight one in a close relationship like that. You know?"

"Oh yeah…I know what you mean. Sorry I almost jumped you there. I've found myself defending Emmett a lot over the years. I mean, most of the time, people are cool, but there are always those assholes…"

He sighed. "Yeah…I actually got into a fight a couple of years ago with a guy who thought Rose was hitting on his girlfriend. It was kind of surreal…" He went on to tell me about it, and I told him about the only fight I had ever been in. I'd been a senior in high school, and I'd ended up suspended from school for three days when I punched this jackass for calling Emmett a fag. Em had told me it was stupid to let an ignorant asshole get me in trouble, especially since he wasn't even living in the area anymore, but I told him I didn't care.

Nobody talked about my brother that way.

"That's pretty damn awesome, Bella."

I blushed and bit my bottom lip, a proud grin spreading on my face as I heard Edward not only praise me but curse doing it. I lifted my hand, looking at it idly, and frowned when I realized suddenly that the water was cold and I was rapidly turning into a prune. I sighed, knowing I should get off the phone and out of the bath, but I couldn't help teasing him just a bit more. "You know what it does to me when you curse like that…" I kept my voice low, hopefully sultry, and heard Edward give a playful growl in return.

"Then I guess I better let you go before you get too worked up and can't sleep tonight. You're going to need your rest, Ms. Swan."

"Mmm…I like the sound of that." I smiled as I stood, shivering as the water dripped from my body back into the tub.

"And I like the sound of that." I heard another muffled curse followed by a long pause before he said, "Hey…can you do something for me tonight?"

Curious, I immediately said, "Of course, Edward. What is it?"

He cleared his throat quietly, and that seductive, melodic voice was back when he said, "When you go to bed tonight…will you touch yourself…and think of me? Because I will be thinking of you."

It's a wonder I didn't drop the phone into the tub. As it was, I emitted a quiet, embarrassing gasp as I stepped over the edge. Edward sometimes liked to talk dirty when we were together, but this was…new. Different. And fucking hot. My own voice betrayed my arousal when I said, "Oh, I will definitely be thinking of you…"

I heard his smile when he said, "Perfect." He took a deep breath, his voice losing that bedroom quality. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Sleep well, Bella."

"You, too…good night, Edward." I pressed the button to end the call, my eyes wide as I glanced at myself in the mirror.

Well, that sure as hell went better than it could have.

Ridiculously for a woman who was participating in polyamorous trysts regularly, I was blushing at the thought of masturbating…and knowing Edward would be, too.

"Fuck me," I whispered aloud, breaking into a grin as I reached for my towel. I left the phone on the counter as I dried quickly and then pulled on my robe. The face I saw in the mirror was vastly different from the one I'd seen before I climbed into my bath. That Bella had been nervous and anxious, her face drawn and her forehead wrinkled…the Bella I saw now was smiling with excitement shining in her eyes.

Amazing what a difference once phone call from Edward could make.

I let my hair down, brushing it before I pulled it back up into a messy bun, this time near the base of my neck. As I picked up my phone again and headed toward my living room, I sighed, realizing I really needed to check Jessica's text. Once I'd pressed all the necessary buttons, I found an uncharacteristically grammatically correct message from her.

Alright, Bella. You've been dodging me for weeks now. I'm worried. If I don't hear from you by 8:00 tonight, I'm coming over.

Glancing at the clock, I saw it was 7:33.

Fuck!

Jessica was not the type to make idle threats about things like that. If I didn't talk to her soon, she would be pounding on my door in half an hour – and she'd be nearly impossible to get rid of.

My fingers moved quickly, finding Jessica's name in my phonebook. As I brought the phone to my ear, I shivered, feeling the chill in my apartment for the first time.

Really shouldn't have let the water get cold while I sat in the damn bath tub.

I'd been too enthralled with talking to Edward to notice the cold, but a few chills were a small price to pay. I walked toward my kitchen, deciding on a glass of wine to help warm me from the inside out, and I'd barely taken two steps before the click told me someone had answered the phone.

"Well, it's about damn time!" Jessica's voice was a worried grumble.

"Hi, Jess."

"Hi, Jess?" She was practically screeching. "That's all you can say after weeks of avoiding me?"

Normally when she got this way, I'd either tune her out or make up some excuse to cut the conversation short. She had a flair for the dramatic, and most of the time she was completely off-base. This time, though, I knew she was absolutely right. I had been avoiding her, and it was because something big had happened to me.

I just wasn't ready to tell her what, exactly.

So, instead, I listened, repressing my sighs while she got all the bitching out of her system. When she was met with no resistance – not even the smallest sound – she eventually tapered off.

"So what the hell is going on with you, Bella? You're being weird. You're never the first one to leave Breeze and now you have for, like, three weeks?" She gave a quiet gasp.

Here it comes, I thought.

Her voice had risen in both pitch and volume when she spoke again. "Oh my god! You met someone, didn't you? Who is he? What's he do?" She continued her stream of questions before she suddenly squealed. "Are you sleeping with him?"

"Jess, calm down…" My exasperation seeped into my tone, and I was frustrated with myself because I couldn't tell what, exactly, was pissing me off. She always irritated me when she was a gossip like this, but I didn't think that was it. I did know that, for the first time ever, I was bothered by Jessica's assumption that the person I met was a man. I was even more bothered, though, that I was going to just let her keep on believing that.

Once I was sure she was going to listen quietly, I started explaining. "Yeah, I met…someone." The lie of omission upset me more with Jessica than it had with Mike. "I haven't said anything because…well…because it's just so new, you know? I don't want to jinx it."

Jessica launched immediately into a series of too-personal questions that I did my best to dodge. I was fairly non-committal when I did answer, but it seemed to satisfy her. She finally let me go with a promise that she would "take my secret to the grave," which probably meant she was calling Ang as soon as she hung up with me.

As I pressed the button to end the call, I sighed, shaking my head and dropping my phone into my pocket. Just as quickly as Edward had improved my mood, Jessica had sent me spiraling back toward depression.

I went to take another sip of my wine, but there was nothing in the glass. Apparently Jessica was not only depressing me, she was driving me to drink. With a small smile, I poured another glass and walked into the living room, settling into the chaise lounge and turning on the lamp as I pulled my book into my lap. I wasn't in the mindset to write, but I hoped that maybe reading would keep me occupied until it was acceptable to go to bed.

I bit my bottom lip, squirming as a real smile spread across my face at the thought of what I'd be doing when I did go to bed. I indulged myself for a moment, reclining and letting my head rest against the arm of the chair as I felt the ghost of Edward's hands sliding up my thighs. I pictured the way he sometimes teased me, wearing a playful smirk and kissing just at the corner of my mouth as his fingertips barely brushed that sensitive junction between my thighs, not quite touching me. I imagined that throaty chuckle he gave when I became too impatient and lifted my hips, forcing the contact. He always attacked then, his kisses searing as his fingers finally connected with the place I needed them most.

My knees were pressed together as my hips moved slowly, and I opened my eyes, shaking myself lightly. Fuck. The things the mere memory of that man could do to me…

Clearing my throat and feeling the flush climbing my neck, I sat up a little straighter and took a breath. I placed my fingers at my bookmark and opened, finding the last passage I'd read. I turned the page to see, Once a bitch, always a bitch, what I say. I says you're lucky if her playing out of school is all…

Grimacing, I tossed the book back onto the coffee table and reached back, pulling my hair down out of its bun. I could tell right away that Jason Compson had no hope of holding my attention tonight. Running my fingers through my hair, I sighed and tried to figure out what in the world suddenly had me so melancholy. I mean, yes, Jessica had been her usual nosy self – but that's just it. She was always nosy. It usually didn't bother me.

I looked down, holding a lock of my hair between my forefinger and thumb as I idly checked for split ends and, for some reason, it hit me then.

"Rose," I said aloud.

With a smile blooming on my face, I pulled my phone from my pocket and quickly dialed her. I didn't feel right about the way I'd essentially dismissed her as unimportant when talking to Jessica – no matter that I didn't really feel that way. That, combined with the fascinating conversation I'd had with Edward earlier made me want to talk to the other person who had turned my life into something amazing.

"Bella?" she answered, sounding surprised.

My mood immediately improved, just hearing the happiness in her voice. "Hi, Rose…"

"Well, this is a nice surprise! At least…" she paused. "I think it is. Everything's okay, right?"

"Oh. Yeah, everything's fine. I just…missed you…" I blushed lightly as I admitted it, realizing at once just how true it was. Everything had changed so much for me so quickly that sometimes it felt like I was truly myself only when I was with Rose and Edward. Everywhere else, I was pretending, playing at being the old Bella.

I could hear the soft smile in her voice as she said, "I've missed you too, Bella…" I heard the rustle of fabric as she shifted. "So how have you been? Is that vile Mike Newton still checking up on your proper use of homophones?"

I laughed, and we fell into easy conversation about our work weeks. I insisted there wasn't much to tell on my end – and, really, there wasn't. There were only so many ways I could lament being forced to edit sophomoric articles while longing to write my own, so we quickly moved away from me. Rosalie had closed on a property she'd been showing for just a little longer than we'd been seeing each other. The same couple kept asking to see it, falling in love with it, and then deciding it was out of their price range. A second buyer had made an offer, forcing them to finally make a decision.

The relief in her voice was evident, and I found myself smiling at the lighthearted sound of her laughter when she said, "At least I won't have to show her the exact measurements of the pantry again." When I paused to take a sip of my wine, Rosalie became playfully petulant. "I'm tired of talking about work. Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" I asked, amused.

"Hmm…" I heard the sound of something crunching on the other end of the phone.

Before she could continue, I said, "What was that? Are you eating?"

She laughed softly. "Yes…carrots."

"That sounds…delicious?" I teased, moving so that I was leaning against the arm of the lounge while my legs were stretched out in front of me.

Her laughter grew into that seductive sound of true amusement that I loved to hear before she spoke again. "I always hated them, actually. But then when Edward and I went to Ireland, we were stuck in this little farmhouse bed and breakfast for a week longer than we planned to be…"

She continued on as I listened, fascinated, to this bit of their history I hadn't known. They'd mentioned travel before, but I had never really considered it – it was always abstract, some fact I "knew" but didn't really understand. With her telling the story, I could see it all – Edward's earnest face as he tried to convince her to try them that first day, her timid first bite with her nose wrinkled and her nostrils slightly flared. She said it had taken six days…six days for carrots to become her new favorite snack and for Edward to say he never wanted to see another carrot again.

"Why the hell were you guys eating so many carrots?" I giggled.

She explained that the family who ran the bed and breakfast were farmers who apparently had quite the carrot crop because they were everywhere at every meal – stewed, mixed with peas, baked into meat pies. Edward declared them the guerillas of the vegetable army and started picking them out of everything, trying not to offend the family as he pushed them surreptitiously around his plate.

The more she talked about their travels, the harder I found myself falling for both of them. There was something so pure and honest about their relationship that I just loved. They didn't pull punches with each other, and I hoped that – someday soon – they would be that way with me.

"We flew home from Italy just in time for the release of that horrible abomination Silent Hill. I remember passing out on my bed, and it seemed like five minutes later, the alarm on his phone was going off. His eyes were blood-shot, and he could barely walk straight he was so tired, but he insisted that we go right then." She laughed softly, and I could picture her shaking her head with that fond smile on her face. "He didn't stop fussing about what a terrible movie it was for weeks afterward."

"He likes horror movies?" I was intrigued. Subjects like this rarely came up, and I hadn't really thought about what Edward would like to watch.

Rose made a noise of disgust. "Ugh, yes. The gorier, the better. And apparently he can't go alone…I've seen enough zombies eating people to go the rest of my life without seeing another."

From there, we talked movies and music for awhile, and I realized that we were all going a bit backwards. Usually this type of getting-to-know-you conversation happened at, say, a first date, but I was just glad we were having them now. I was thoroughly enjoying really getting to know my lovers, and I found that I liked them even more.

After awhile, she said, "Oh, do you have this month's Cosmo?"

I swung my feet to the floor, sitting up as I reached over and shuffled through the magazines on my coffee table. Picking it up, I said, "Yup, got it right here…"

"I'm thinking about getting that hairstyle that's on page forty-three…what do you think?"

I cradled the phone between my shoulder and my ear as I flipped through the magazine, and then I blinked incredulously when I found the page. "Black and pink spikes…that's very…umm…punk of you?"

Her laughter was infectious as she tried to speak through it. "No, no…that's forty-two. Check the next page…"

"Oh!" I laughed and looked on the next page, where I found a stunning blond woman with lighter highlights. Her hair curled softly, framing her face, and I could just picture it on Rosalie. "Oh wow, Rose…" I breathed. "That's gorgeous! You should definitely do it!"

The rest of our conversation was filled with light-hearted chatter about hairstyles and make-up. She told me she'd found a nail polish she wanted me to try and that she'd bring it over tomorrow night. At the mention of our typical Friday night meeting, my stomach clenched in anticipation. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the two of them.

Rose gave a soft yawn and lowered her voice as she said, "Sadly, I think I better get some rest…you wouldn't want me falling asleep on you tomorrow night, would you?"

"I absolutely want you to fall asleep on me tomorrow night…only it'll be after I make sure you're completely satisfied," I teased.

"Mmm…" I loved her sultry little noises of contentment. "I'll be looking counting on that…you get some sleep too now, Bella. Promise?"

"I will," I said solemnly and then remembered what I'd promised Edward I'd do as well. I could tell she was fading fast, so I whispered my goodbye, and then we hung up. I bit my bottom lip, shaking my head as my eyes widened. I didn't know what I'd done to be so lucky as to get both of them, but damn, I was one lucky bitch.

I made short work of straightening my apartment and making sure the lights were out. When I crawled into bed, it was just after 9:00, but I was exhausted after my long, stressful day.

Still, that didn't stop my hand from trailing lightly up my thigh, fingertips ghosting but not really touching as I imagined that hand was Edward's. His mouth was at my ear, nibbling and kissing as he teased me. I wondered if he was doing the same at that exact moment, and I truly hoped he was. I couldn't imagine what he would be fantasizing about, but I had little doubt as to who as his voice came back to me…

"I will be thinking of you."

AN: Important conversations abound.

Thank you to TwiSlash Unveiled for rec'ing this story on their blog. Your kind words made us blush. Also, the lovely Naelany has started a Twilighted thread for "Exposure" – Check out the link on our profile! We tease (of course) and would love for more of you to come play.

By the way, we're convinced we have the best readers in the fandom, and continue to be astounded by your response to this story. Leave us some love.