A/N: Hi and welcome back to chapter 4. Thanks to everyone who shared their guesses with me. Right now, the "Sethley-surrogate-theory" seems to be the most popular one. I can't wait to see if your opinion changes after this chapter.

I have a wonderful team of people without whom this wouldn't be possible. LaPumuckl, NKubie and Midnight Cougar, thank you so much for your time and support.

I don't own Twilight …

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It Takes a Village – Chapter 4

After a restless night, I woke early Thursday morning with my mind still swirling with thoughts of Bella. As it turned out, giving up on my blossoming feelings for her was harder than I'd hoped. All night, I'd seen her kiss first Seth then the stranger, acting as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Those dreams were unsettling. There had to be a reason for the stranger staying so late with the Clearwaters. Maybe he was a friend? Or Bella's brother — even though they didn't look the least bit alike.

I decided to start my day and jumped in the shower, attempting to relieve some of the tension in me by jerking off without thinking of Bella. Again, I was unsuccessful. After that, I got dressed and was surprised to find Esme already whirling around in the kitchen.

"Morning, sweetie," she greeted me, placing a mug of steaming coffee in front of me. "You look tired."

I murmured a quiet "Thanks," then took a big sip, burning my tongue in the process. "I didn't sleep well. Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for your and Carlisle's hospitality, but I can't wait to be in my own house."

"Speaking of which, I had a look at the measurements you did last night, and I noticed there's important information missing. I need to know the exact height of the wall under the sloped ceiling so I can order your bed; otherwise, the headboard might not fit."

Esme shrugged apologetically, but I knew it was my fault. My mind had been elsewhere while I worked on my measuring task the previous night.

Taking another big sip from my cup, I got up to leave. "It's a good thing I'm up early then. I should have time to get you the information before I need to be at work."

I kissed my aunt on the cheek, thanking her once more for her help, got in my car, and made the drive to Port Angeles.

About forty minutes later, I pulled up in front of my house, frowning at the silver car still parked in front of Bella's home. So, the guy had stayed overnight.

Ignoring the feelings of bewilderment and irritation bubbling up inside me, I got out and hurried to get the numbers Esme needed. It only took me a few minutes to take the measurement and send the numbers to her via text message so she could go ahead and order the furniture we had talked about.

On my way out, I spotted a pile of stuff Esme had selected from the couple odd pieces the Hansons had left behind that she found useful for whatever reason. She'd asked me to eventually bring them with me, and since I had a bit of time left, I began to pick up as much as I could carry in one go, balancing my load in my arms as I walked to my car. To my chagrin, I hadn't considered the fact I actually needed to open my trunk so I could drop my baggage.

Stepping back and forth, trying to bend my knees so my hand could reach the button I needed to push, I almost dropped everything, when in my peripheral vision, I saw someone approaching.

"Wait a second," a man's voice called out as he reached for the lid of my trunk to open it.

With a groan, I unloaded everything into my car, turning to find the stranger from last night standing beside me with a friendly smile on his face.

"Thanks for your help," I said uneasily, assessing the guy for any clue as to who he could be.

"You're welcome. It's a good thing I left the house at the right time. You must be Dr. Edward from what I heard." He held out his hand for me to shake, his expression open and inviting.

"Kind of. I'm Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you …" I let the sentence hang, fishing for information about his identity.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Riley Biers. I live across the street." He pointed toward the yellow house I'd been spying on last night. "You could call me 'the third parent' if you want. But, I'm sure you already heard about our … unorthodox arrangement."

I couldn't say I had, but the way he phrased it made my stomach churn a little. Not wanting to discuss it further, I nodded, staying silent, trying to put on a good poker face.

He smiled. "I'm sorry, I have to hurry, but I'm sure we'll see a lot more of each other soon. Bye, Edward."

With that, Riley returned to his car and drove off. I remained standing there, staring after him, then at the house he'd just vacated.

So, he actually lived there. And what did being "the third parent" mean? The only explanation I could come up with was one I absolutely didn't like. Could they really be … would they … were they … in a three-way relationship?

I shuddered at the thought, pulling myself together so neither Bella nor Maddie could spot me standing there. I rushed back to close the front door, then made my way to the practice.

With a heavy heart, I decided to forgo my daily coffee fix, and therefore, my daily date with Bella. I wasn't sure how to act around her, and until I figured that out — and maybe made a few inquiries about their "unorthodox arrangement" — I'd try to avoid running into her.

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I enjoyed my work in general, and most of the time, I was grateful for the distraction, but every now and then, my thoughts returned to Bella. Was I completely off base? Was there an innocent explanation for not only her husband but also another guy living with them? Was she genuinely interested in me? Could that be even possible?

What had she thought this morning when I hadn't shown up at the coffee shop? Had she been sad? Hurt? Or indifferent? I couldn't even decide which option was the hardest to take.

Around eleven, Esme called to let me know the first pieces of furniture would be delivered that afternoon, and if I were free for lunch, we could meet, so I could give her the keys and she could handle everything.

I jumped at the opportunity. For one, I was glad things were moving along, and I'd be sleeping under my own roof soon. As well, I could use the lunch with Esme to get her to tell me a thing or two about the Clearwaters. If their family situation were that unusual, surely the town's rumor mill would be running wild. Esme, being a doctor's wife, would be in on the gossip, even though she didn't care much for tattle.

I met her at a little Italian place at twelve-thirty, thanking her profusely for her help with my house. She wouldn't have been Esme, though, if she hadn't waved me off, insisting it was nothing. She brought me up to speed about the handymen coming in the next day to repaint and repair the couple spots that weren't in pristine condition, and reminded me I still needed to pick out drapes and a few rugs to put on the hardwood floors.

When we'd ordered, and she was through with her report on the progress of our project, I figured if I wanted to find out details about Bella, it was now or never.

"So, I already met the neighbors across the street." I threw it out there, waiting for Esme to make something of it.

After setting down her glass of wine, she smiled at me. "Oh, the Clearwaters are really nice people. And Maddie's a little ray of sunshine."

That wasn't much to go on. Apparently, I needed to add a little more detail. "Yeah, Bella and Seth seem friendly. And this morning, I met the third parent."

Esme's smile held a hint of sadness. "I guess you were shocked. I know their arrangement can look strange at first glance, but the three of them are great together. I'm sure you'll agree once you get to know them better. I've known Bella and Seth forever. In fact, I'm surprised you hadn't met her when you were kids. Then again, she's a bit younger than you and Emmett. Plus, she lived in Forks while the two of you have always leaned more toward Port Angeles than Forks."

After my aunt confirmed my suspicions about Bella's little love triangle, my heart fell once more, and I didn't listen to the rest she told me about Seth's family, Forks' Chief of Police, and whomever else I might or might not have known.

I was relieved when, around two, I was on my way back to the office, burying myself in work so I didn't have to picture the woman of my dreams with not only one but two men.

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I managed to avoid Bella for the next several days. I hadn't gone back to the coffee shop, Esme had overseen the work at the house, and I'd spent my weekend organizing the transportation of my boxes from Seattle to Port Angeles on Monday.

However, that didn't mean I wasn't constantly thinking about her. It was unusual how she'd managed to get under my skin in less than two weeks. Never in my life had I reacted so intensely to a woman. Yet, I dreamed about her every night, and thought about her many times throughout the day.

Esme offered to be at the house to accept my things when they arrived, stating she could use the time to arrange the furniture and decorations she'd bought for me. When she told me Monday evening that everything was set up and I only had to unpack, I knew Monday night would be the last spent at their house — ergo: my time of hiding was coming to an end.

I packed my clothes and the few things I'd taken with me to Carlisle and Esme's, and after crawling into bed, tossed and turned for hours until I finally fell into a light sleep with dreams of long, brown hair and chocolate eyes.

After loading everything into my car on Tuesday morning, I was, for once, truly too late to get my coffee fix. I was ecstatic that Esme had gotten my house ready so quickly, but at the same time, I dreaded running into Bella.

Since my luck was just the worst, she and Maddie were unloading groceries from their car when I

parked mine in my driveway after work. I took a deep breath, painted a smile on my face, and waved at them as I exited. While Maddie jumped up and down, whirling her hand through the air emphatically, Bella looked apprehensive and mouthed a cautious "Hello," then went into the house.

Even though I had given up hope of ever being anything more than friends with her, I didn't like the way she reacted to my presence. Her face appeared sad and insecure. It was as though she wasn't sure how to act around me because I stood her up or something, when she was the one very much taken.

I tried to shake it off and spent the next hours carrying my stuff from the car into the house, putting things away. It was dark out before I knew it. When I went into the bathroom to set up my razor, toothbrush, and the like, as soon as I flipped on the light switch, there was a flash and a simultaneous bang, then a clatter of the fixture, and it was dark again.

"Fuck!" I cursed under my breath, tiptoeing into the room to place my load on the vanity without stepping on the shards that were sure to be lying around from the bulb.

Just as carefully, I went back out, scratching my neck in contemplation. I had no idea where to get a new light bulb easily at that time of night.

As my gaze went to my bedroom window, I noticed the downstairs windows of the house across the street still illuminated. I contemplated traipsing around my dark bathroom, so I wouldn't have to go over there, but then decided I was an adult and would act like one.

So, I put on a pair of sneakers, made my way across the street, and up the Clearwater's porch where I knocked on the door. A moment later, I heard footsteps, then was greeted by a stunned Bella.

"Hey," she mumbled, confused.

"Hi," I replied, running a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry to trouble you this late, but my light bulb in the bathroom exploded, and I don't have a replacement. Is there any chance you might have one?"

Bella bit her lip, turning toward the inside of the house, calling out, "Seth, Edward's here. Do we have a spare light bulb?"

The reply sounded out from inside. "Sure, I'll go get one."

Facing me again, Bella asked if I wanted to come in, but I declined, stating I didn't want to interrupt their evening. After an awkward silence, Bella started up a conversation.

"So, you moved in today?"

Happy for the innocuous topic, I answered. "Yeah. My aunt helped, and we got everything done and delivered so I could move out of their guest room as soon as possible."

"I guess you've been pretty busy then." Bella's expression was hopeful, all of a sudden, and I couldn't help but smile.

"For the past week, I didn't do much apart from work, organize, and pack."

At that, she beamed. "Then that's why you didn't show up for coffee." Turning bashful, she continued. "I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

My eyes met hers, and I was a goner. Drawing me back to the present, Bella asked, "About that mural, if you still want it, I'm between projects right now. If you'd like, I could start this week."

Even in the dim light from the hallway, I could see her cheeks pink up, and in that moment, I didn't have it in me to turn her down.

"Of course, I still want that. Why don't you come by the practice sometime this week and we can talk about it."

Bella didn't get the chance to reply when Seth showed up beside her, holding a light bulb out to me as his other arm wrapped around his wife's waist.

"Here you go. Stupid things always break in the worst moments."

I thanked him, then fidgeted around, searching for a way to make my exit. "Um, I better go. I still have to pick up the broken glass. Thanks again."

As I started to walk away, Bella called out to me. "See you at the coffee shop tomorrow?"

Not wanting to disappoint her, I replied noncommittally. "I'm not sure I'll make it tomorrow, but I'll see you when you come by for the mural."

With a half-smile, Bella waved me off as Seth closed the door.

I wasn't sure if I was happy or sad about the upcoming mural project. Sure, a week ago, I wanted to jump three feet high in excitement about it, but with the things I knew now, having her close by for days on end would be hard on me. However, I promised myself, I'd keep my distance as best I could. I wasn't willing to break up a family — as dysfunctional as it might seem.

If only it were that easy.

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A/N: Who else feels sad for Edward? His lunch with Esme didn't do much to clear things up. Maybe next chapter will give you a bit more insight:

… "Hi, Dr. Edward," she greeted me sweetly. "I'm your ten o'clock appointment. And since you didn't get your coffee this morning, I thought I'd bring you one." She held out the paper cup to me, motioning toward the waiting room. "Shall we?" …

A visitor bringing coffee. Now who could that be? Tell me what you think here or on Facebook in my group Payton79's Fanfiction.

I'm sorry to say I can't promise you to update on schedule next Tuesday. My hubby ordered me a new laptop, and I have no idea how long it will take him to set it up for me. So I might be a few days late. However, I promise to give you the next chapter as soon as possible.

Until then,

xo Payton