Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise, I just use their creations to have my wicked way with them. No copyright infringement is intended.


Many thanks to Jadsmama and Ladysharkey1 for their amazing pre-reader- and beta-skills. Without those two I'd never even dare to post. Luv ya!


Some visuals for this chapter can be found on the IPoH blog. There's a link to it on my profile page.


"May I ask to what these questions tend?"
"Merely to the illustration of
your character," said she, endeavouring to shake off her gravity. "I am trying to make it out."
"And what is your success?"
She shook her head. "I do not get on at all.
I hear such different accounts of you as puzzle me exceedingly."

"I can readily believe," answered he gravely, "that reports may vary greatly with respect to me; and I could wish, Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch my character at the present moment, as there is reason to fear that the performance would reflect no credit on either."
"But if I do not take your likeness now, I may never have another opportunity."

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (1813)

3.

It was clear from the look in his eyes that he didn't understand, his expression almost hurt as he scrambled to explain himself. "We were just looking out for you…making sure the transfer would be as easy as it can be."

She ignored the flash of pain tearing though her heart, knowing that if she didn't speak up now, she never would and she would be lost forever.

"I know, Edward, and I know you love me…I know that in my heart. And I love you, too, with all my heart." She closed her eyes as she geared up to speak the words that had been dying to come out for almost twenty-four hours. She knew that if she looked at him, she'd never get them out.

"But when you make plans like that, without stopping to ask what I want…it's like I'm back with him again."

The look on his face almost broke her heart. It was like she'd just went out and slapped him right in the face. "I…I never…"

She closed her eyes, trying to get over her own pain and anger as she tiptoed and cradled his head in her hands. "I know, Edward. I know."

His arms closed around her waist as if he was afraid she was going to disappear on him as he mumbled on. "I was afraid you'd get lonely or overwhelmed, stuck in that house all day with me gone, so I…."

Once again he didn't finish his sentence, but this time she did. "So you tried to make it all easier on me."

He nodded, his eyes closed and his face averted as she chuckled bitterly. "I guess I did it all wrong, huh?"

She sighed, reluctantly sinking down on the heels of her feet again as the muscles in her toes were threatening to give out on her from standing on tiptoe for so long. "You did what you thought was right." She couldn't believe she was actually defending him but in doing so, she saw the truth in the words that had just left her mouth.

And to say it was a big relief would be the understatement of the century.

It had never been intentional. It was just…one hell of an unfortunate convergence of fears and good intentions. "I can't blame you for loving me so much that you want to protect me. I just…I don't want to be left in the dark anymore or feel like I don't have control over my own life. I've spent too long living like that."

"I've been such an idiot, Bella." His smile was faint and thin but at least it was a start… at least it was there as he fidgeted in place. "I guess this means we have a lot of shit to discuss, huh?"

She smiled, feeling strangely elated and hopeful now that the huge weight of her fear had been lifted from her shoulders. "It's a good thing we have all the time in the world then, isn't it?"

His grin was back in full force then, making her heart beat violently in her chest and all kinds of thoughts unsuitable for a public library and that was even before he spoke, the soft, liquid velvet of his voice making her have to close her eyes to let it wash over her in full effect. "How about I take you home?"

She knew his words probably didn't imply an evening spent naked and wrapped up in each other, though she held good hopes for what would happen when they were done talking, but her enthusiasm when she accepted his offer and his hand as he stretched it out towards her wasn't lessened by it in the slightest. There was something quite sexy about making plans for the future – their future together.

Though maybe that was just because with Edward, everything he did was laced with an air of understated sensuality, even heavy discussions and boring plan making.

The excitement that had been there when they had walked up to the library was gone on their way back but so was the awkward tension that had been there like an undercurrent throughout the day.

She had said it.

She'd spoken her mind.

And it felt so good.

Her fears of never being able to find out who she really was, of never being able to decide her own fate and enjoy the freedom she'd longed for so long? They were out there now, in the open, waiting to be discussed and put to bed. Forever, or so she hoped.

Though the look on his face when she'd thrown the ugly truth at him was still lodged in her brain like a splinter and she knew she was going to do her stinking best to never ever see that look on his face again, she also knew that putting it there had been the start of something good, ironic though it may have seemed. It was the start of a huge jump forward for both of them and, she had suspected, the key to making this thing between them work.

And she wanted that. God, did she want it to work out for them!

Without him, she would be lost.

Alone.

She didn't even want to think about it because even the thought made her panic. And it was all unnecessary anyway, because he was right there, next to her, as eager to be with her as she was with him.

She smiled, lacing her fingers with his as they waited for the red light to turn green, her eyes widening when they fell on one of the cars swooshing by. "That's it!" she cried, startling not just Edward but pretty much everyone waiting on the sidewalk around them. "That's the car I want!" Her excitement made her hop up and down like an idiot as the car slowly went out of view, her eyes immediately on Edward as she tried to act normal again. "Can I get one?"

He chuckled, amused by her sudden exuberance. "A Beetle, really? You don't want a bigger car?"

"Nu-uh!" she answered decidedly, shaking her head. As pretty as Edward's car was and as much as it suited him, she wanted something different and this car...it was just that. Different, cute and easy to find a parking space for. "I want that one."

"Then you'll have it," Edward grinned, kissing the crown of her head as the traffic light finally turned green and they were able to cross the road. "Do you want to swing by the dealership on our way back."

Her eyes widened, though not with panic but sheer excitement. "We can do that?"

"Sure." She hadn't even noticed they were already back to where their car was parked until Edward's hand let go of hers as he held the passenger door open for her to get in. "I'll just see if I can find one on my phone."

A few hours later, Bella had become the proud owner of a dark blue Volkswagen Beetle with all the bells and whistles that made her head spin but, as Edward had insisted, were all vital to making it a safe and fun car for her to get around the city.

She'd just have to take his word for it.

For now.

As much as Bella's head was spinning, when they walked out of the showroom afterward, her smile was beaming as she rejoiced in each and every choice she'd been able to make.

What particular model did she prefer?

Classic? Turbo?

With or without a sunroof?

Or convertible?

What color did she want her car to be?

What kind of material should the inside be? Leather or cloth?

What kind of specs did she like?

Her ass had been inside of more cars than she'd ever seen together in her life and in discussing things like air-conditioning, satellite navigation and security systems, she'd found out not only how much further technology had been pushed ever since the 1965 Chevy truck she'd been driving around in Forks in, but also how much the industry had evolved period.

Until she'd come to Chicago, Bella couldn't even remember ever being inside a room that had air-conditioning and now she had it in her car! Along with the most state of the art software and technology that Edward's money had been able to buy.

Another thing she had to get used to: the money thing.

Edward had been throwing it around like confetti, not caring about the price if it meant she could have the best. Sure, there was nothing that could be said against getting the best…only the numbers were starting to make her nervous. God knew she'd never had to worry about money when she'd been living with Aro, not like it had been with Phil or, worse, the years she's spent on the streets in LA, but even though they'd never really discussed it, she knew that whatever Aro had brought to the table probably paled in comparison to numbers on Edward's bank account.

"Talk to me sweetheart." Edward's voice pulled her out of the reverie from which the soft rumble of the engine and the course of her own thoughts had pulled her in. "Are you happy?"

"I am," she replied truthfully. "I love my car. It's so…perfect." So ideal, in fact, that she was close to inarticulate when it came to describing it. She picked that one. It was hers – her own – to do with what she wanted and drive wherever the hell she felt like driving. Well, it would be, at least, when she got to pick it up in a few days since all the added stuff Edward had insisted on would have to be installed first.

"But…" Edward insisted, obviously having learned his lesson from their heated discussion at the library.

She sighed, knowing there would be no getting out of this without a satisfying explanation. He was starting to get to know her too well, a thought that both pleased and bummed her out. No more hiding from him. "It's a lot of money to spend on a car."

"It's not a lot of money to spend on your safety and happiness," Edward countered, taking a few minutes to weave the car through a particularly busy stretch of road before he went on. "Try to think of the car as another form of freedom: the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want." Again he waited a few seconds for her to think about his words. "What is freedom worth to you?"

"Everything!" she answered without pause.

He chuckled. "Then there you have your answer. The money seems like a lot right now but when it comes to your happiness, safety, and especially your freedom to get around, it's money well spent, I believe."

Somehow she felt herself defenseless against his powers of persuasion. And he had a point. She wasn't naïve enough to think that they'd even scratched the surface where it came to getting to know the city but already she could see that a car would be vital in getting around the place. Cars and the money spent on buying them did mean freedom. "I guess when you put it like that…" she reluctantly gave in.

"I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking!" Edward grinned smugly, her heart beating irrationally fast at the sight of him, laughing and joking with her. They were free as well. "Besides, it's not like we can't afford it. You'd better get used to be spoiled, angel, because there's going to be a whole lot of more of that coming your way."

Somehow that didn't seem nearly as bad as the more conservative side of her wanted her to think. It did bring another thing to mind, though, something she'd been wondering about ever since he'd first hinted at the money he had to his name. "Just how rich is your family exactly? That's…if you don't mind me asking."

"I don't." He shrugged but she could see that her question made him slightly uncomfortable even though he'd somehow managed to plaster a rakish grin on his face. "But, babe, believe me, you don't want to know."

"I don't?" She played innocent, not wanting to press the matter if he didn't want to discuss it.

He shrugged, still uncomfortable though she could see that he was starting to ease up a little. "Let's just say that even if I quit working right now, I'd still have more money left in my trust fund than we could ever spend in a lifetime."

"Wow." Bella had a hard time even getting her mind around such a figure, though already questions were bubbling up inside of her. "Then why do you work?"

"Because I love being a doctor." His eyes were sparking with a passion she rarely ever got to see in him. It made her slightly jealous as she realized that she had a rival for his love, but also proud to be part of the life of a man so driven in what he did. "And even if I didn't, I don't want my dad's money to define who I am as a person."

"But you still took the money," she mused out loud, blushing only when she went over her words again and realized that they might be insulting. "I didn't mean…"

"No, it's alright, angel." His laughter was genuine, reassuring her that his feelings hadn't been hurt by her remark. "The money was transferred to me on my thirtieth birthday, as per instructions left when I was born. Refusing it would have been a hell of a hassle and giving it to charity…" He shrugged, a long breath leaving his mouth as he thought things over. "Call me a hypocrite but the way I see it, I've earned that money fair and square through all the days I spent as a kid being closer to my nanny than to my own parents and all the pressure that's been heaped on my ever since I was born to become someone I might not even want to be; someone I didn't want to be in the end."

"So you're seeing it as a sort of damage pay?" It made sense to her almost as much as it didn't but for the moment Bella was fine just knowing what went on in that mind of his. Understanding was something that would come later.

"Kind of," Edward nodded, grinning deviously, "and I have to say I get quite a kick out of spending Dad's money, especially on stuff I know he would think of as extravagant."

"Hey, my car is not extravagant!" Bella pouted, though she was really only acting in an attempt to lighten the mood again. "I bet yours cost a whole lot more money than mine did."

"Yep!" He chuckled. "And you should have seen the look on his face the first time I drove up in it."

"Then what did he want you to do with it?" She had a hard time painting the picture in her mind, though that might have had something to do with the fact that she hardly had any memories of what being a family was all about. Edward's family sounded scary, though. In fact, from the stories she'd heard about them, half the members of it completely terrified her. "I mean, he gave the money to you, didn't he?"

"I think he would have preferred it if I let his financial guys handle it for me…you know, invest it wisely to let my capital grow?" She had no idea of what he was saying but she nodded anyway since she knew that was what he was waiting for. "I also think that he hoped it would be the final nudge – the ultimate guilt trip – to get me to quit my foolish preoccupation with medicine – his words – and finally join the company."

"But you didn't."

"Nope!" Again with the grin. Bella had to wonder what had happened between the two of them to make him hate his father so much. Sure, she had hated Phil with the fire of a thousand suns but that was different, he wasn't blood and he was going to let her be abused by selling her to some dirtbag. "And to this day he still really hates that I turned his offer down." He waited until they were already inside the garage before he chose to drop his next bomb on her. "By the way, we've been summoned to my dad's for dinner tomorrow night."

Edward was out of the car before Bella could even blink; the empty air he'd left behind intercepting her words of shock as immediately her throat constricted with nerves. I am going to meet his father. Maybe his mother will be there too. His whole family…dear God!

Eventually she had to get out of the car, her limbs no longer paralyzed with fear as she trudged after Edward, long after he had cleared the pathway through the backyard into the house.

"I'm going to order some food since I don't want to waste time cooking when we should be talking," he announced as soon as she was through the door, phone already in hand. "Do you have anything against Pad Thai?"

She had no idea what that was but if Edward considered it food worth eating then she was willing to give it a try, so she shrugged.

"How about you take a shower while I wait for our dinner to arrive," Edward, more angelic than she'd ever seen him, suggested next.

"Anything to keep me from cussing you out over dropping yet another bomb on me, huh?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest, matching him as she stared him down.

In the end, though, the prospect of a shower after a long day on the town was too good to pass up on and by the time she came back downstairs in her pajama's - which were actually an oversized pair of Edward's sweats since she didn't own any at that moment - most of her anger had died down, the fragrant, spicy smell of food making her mouth water enough to rid it of any scathing remarks she might have otherwise made.

"This is not getting you off the hook!" she warned him as she joined him on the sofa, reaching out for the plate of food he had put together for her.

"Keep the milk within close range," he merely remarked, completely ignoring her warning as he pushed the full glass closer to her. "I ordered it mild but I figure that it may still be a little sharp for your taste."

He was right. The food tasted amazing but as soon as she'd taken the first bite an unstoppable heat started to rise inside of her and not of the kind that would end in sexy times on the couch. Coughing, and with tears pouring from her eyes, she reached for the milk, breathing a sigh of relief when it abated the worst of the fire, though her skin was still clammy with the sweat of her first Thai experience. "Dear God!"

Edward chuckled, her eyes narrowing at the pleasure he took in her discomfort. "Do you like it?"

"I like the food," she answered, her voice as sharp as the taste of it. "I don't like that it sets me on fire."

"You'll get used to it," he answered, his laughter ringing out in the silence as he grabbed the remote control, yet another thing that seemed to have evolved since the last time she'd seen one. "Do you mind if I watch the news?"

She shook her head, though truthfully it had disconcerted her ever since she'd first watched the state of the world in full color and moving image a few days ago with Esme that she knew so little of the earth she inhabited. It had been only a few years since she'd devoured every free newspaper she could get her hands on while sulking around the streets of LA, trying to come to grips again with current events she'd known so little of during her years of incarceration at Phil's. So much had happened since then, though, she felt like she knew nothing.

Like she was an alien on her own planet.

She focused mainly on her food as words and images of politics, economy and war filled the living room, trying not to feel sad or disappointed that apparently the world wasn't the beautiful place she'd been so eager to explore for so long.

She ate and drank, the glass of milk being her saving grace whenever the spices started to take over her mouth and sweat glands, only looking up when a story about the good – two people getting married – broke through the monotony of what was wrong with the world.

There was still hope, then.

It was only after they'd found out what the weather was going to be like the next day (dry but cold and windy, no surprises there) that Edward switched the television off again, knowing how tired and overwhelmed the constant abuse of vibrant images and new impressions made her. "So," he hedged, scraping his plate empty of the last remnants of food. "Let's talk?"

She nodded, putting her plate on the floor in absence of a coffee table, her feet drawn up underneath her body as she took a deep breath. "Okay."

Edward took the lead, his voice clear and decided but heavy as he spoke. "Before we start I want to say how sorry I am that you had to hear me and Tanya fighting like that. I won't say it won't happen again since, though she's one of my best friends, Tanya and I seem to be doing half our talking in the form of an argument but if only I'd just stopped to think…"

She stopped him then, his voice dying as soon as he caught her raised hand. "Edward…" She licked her lips, trying to find a way to let him know without seeing that horrible look on his face again. "It wasn't so much the fact that you and Tanya were fighting or even the fact that she was here, hating the fact that she had you first, whether she intended for that message to come through or not…"

A stern look stopped Edward from arguing as his body language screamed that God knew he wanted to.

"I may not have liked it but it's not what got me so upset. It was the fact that the two of you were making plans for me, for my life, without even so much as stopping to ask me what I wanted."

"We were making plans?" Edward frowned, scratching the back of his head as he seemed to have genuinely forgotten the things that had kept her awake all night.

He forgot. Damn him! She had been in a state of panic and he'd just forgotten all about it! She sighed, trying to lock her anger and frustration inside as she went on to explain. "You were talking – well, screaming was more like it – about how I was going to be bored out of my skull once you got back to work so then you decided to ask your stepmother to find some kind of suitable activities for me."

The word 'suitable' was perhaps spat out with a little more venom than she would have liked but – damn it – the matter was important to her. "Why didn't you ask me what I want? I mean, you of all people should have known how important it is for me to be able to decide my own future?" She sighed. Well, there went her resolve to sugarcoat her explanation. Oh, well, might as well go in feet first then.

"I was awake all night wondering what else you were planning behind my back."

"And here I go springing a shopping trip and a family get-together on you too." Edward hung his head in shame, his muttered words barely audible as she could see he was finally starting to realize just how painful the past twenty-four hours had been for her, though it was clear it had never been his intention. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I never meant to hurt you. I only ever wanted to help."

It killed her to see him like that but, at the same, time she knew she had to stand her ground. For her own sake, as well as his.

"I know." Unable to bear the separation any longer she scooted closer, bridging the distance between his body and hers. "That's what made this so hard."

The look on his face changed as he studied her, obviously thinking about something before his eyes widened as whatever thought process had been going on in his head was concluded. "You didn't really doubt my intentions, did you?" he begged, even though he must have known what her answer was going to be. "Back in the library you said…"

She averted her eyes, unable to stop the first tears from falling. "I didn't know what to think, Edward. I never wanted to believe you were that kind of guy but there are still parts of my mind that are hard to convince that not every man is like James or Phil. It's just…all mixed up in my head until there's nothing I can do but panic." Her voice trailed off into sobs as the weight of the past twenty-four sleepless hours came crashing down on her, pulling her under in a torrent of conflicting emotions.

There was a shift in the air, then, the stinger going out of their argument as Edward let out a deep sigh, the tension now gone from his shoulders as he pulled her into his arms. "Angel." His skin was moist as she rested her head against the side of his face.

They sat there for God knew how long, each holding the other up - drawing strength from the other - and both relieved now that they knew even a thing like misunderstandings couldn't destroy them.

"I guess we just had our first fight, huh?" Edward finally spoke into her hair. "Or something like it."

"Our first?" Bella snorted through the remnants of her tears. "Try fiftieth at least."

"Nope." She could feel the movement as he shook his head, his arms tightening a little around her. "Pre-Chicago fights don't count."

"And who are you? The almighty rule-maker?" Her indignation was fake and he knew it, his lips kissing her pout away as they curled up into a smug grin.

His face was all serious again as he scooted back a little, their bodies still touching though no longer depending on the other for sheer survival. "So, I guess the question we should be asking ourselves now is: what do you want to do with your life?"

She took a few minutes to think it over, though truly in her heart she'd known all along what the answer was going to be. "I think I want to go to school…if I'm not too old, that is." It had been the one thing she'd always dreamed of - getting her diploma, going to college and maybe even beyond. It had been her dream back when she was living with Phil and was yanked out of school the day after her mother had died to take care of the household but after James had taken her in her hunger for knowledge had really been kindled by his lessons and wisdom.

"You mean, like getting your GED?" Edward answered, trying to make sense of her request.

"I don't know what that is," she had to admit.

"I think it stands for General Education Development," Edward answered. "It's a test designed for people who, for whatever reason, had to drop out of school. The diploma it will get you is the equivalent of a 'regular' high school diploma."

"So I could get into college if I took that test?" Bella was finding it hard not to get her hopes up, even though the more rational side of her brain was screaming at her not to be too happy before she found out if it was really real.

Edward nodded. "If that's what you want."

"Where do I take the test? What do I need?" She had to bite her lip to keep herself from spewing out angry words when Edward laughed at her enthusiasm. Didn't the man know how much it meant to her to find out she might get to graduate after all?

"Hey!" Edward held up his hand in surrender. "I'm not laughing at the idea of you getting your diploma, all I'm laughing at is how eager you are to go to school when most teenagers would kill to get out of it."

"I'm not like those people," she snapped, impatient and still irritated. "Now tell me: what do you know about it?"

"Not much, I'm afraid." Before her face could fall into disappointment he added, "But I bet that if we got online right now, we'd be able to find out everything we need to know."

Her whole body was buzzing with excitement as her eyes followed his movements as he walked over to the kitchen to retrieve his laptop, the time it took for the blasted thing to boot up almost excruciating as she waited for him to find his way through the World Wide Web.

Here too, technology had taken quite a flight since the last time she'd spotted a computer, which had been in the window of a retail store during her LA time. She'd already seen the advertisements for new, strangely small devices and even as she peeked over Edward's shoulder she could see that things had definitely changed.

For the better, she was eager to believe, if it meant that she could find out how to make her dreams come true.

They spent the next hour going from website to website, Bella's confidence growing to the extent that after some gentle persuasion, she allowed Edward to lower the laptop onto her lap, her fingers trembling as she moved them over the touchpad, her eyes glues to the screen as she drank in one page of information after the next.

He was by her side at all times, answering her questions and thinking along with all the plans she dared to tell to him, even going as far as to utter future prospects she'd never even dared to dream about. Teaching. Writing. Having a career. Being someone.

It was the sexiest thing they'd ever done together.

Well, maybe not the sexiest thing…which brought to mind something else…

It was strange but all their research and plan making had left Bella all kinds of hot and bothered, her blood slowly simmering to a boil until finally, she was unable to resist the call of her more primal instincts as she put the laptop gently on the floor. Out of reach.

"You all done?" Edward grinned, his pride at seeing her find her way in life only stirring her passion to even greater heights. Yeah, the whole plan making? Just one big round of foreplay.

"Make love to me." She blurted the words out without ceremony or without even stopping to think if they were proper or not. Besides, it was quite enjoyable to watch as Edward went from composted to all kinds of flustered in a mere matter of seconds.

And then he was on her, pouncing like a predator as their bodies connected and fell to the leather cover of the sofa, the fabric creaking as they kissed and pawed at each other like creatures possessed.

"Fuck!" He roared, almost tearing her cardigan off her body in his rush to get her naked. "I want you so much, angel! I've been dying to get inside you all day."

"Then what the hell are you waiting for?" she hissed as his hands were doing all sorts of amazing things to her body while her own were focusing on getting him out of his pants and underwear.

Her jeans proved to be the most trying item of clothing to remove but finally they were added to the heap of clothing that was starting to accumulate as she tore his Oxford away from his muscular chest while toeing down his other clothes.

She didn't know where he got it from, but as she heard the sound of a foil packet being ripped, her heart sped up, her eyes trained to the sexy sight of Edward rolling a condom down his length. After all, even though Carlisle had helped her get some birth control, the pills she took wouldn't be completely effective until she'd have her period in a few weeks.

Better to be safe than sorry because having a kid right now…

Yeah, not a good idea.

She didn't waste much time to think about that, though, her hands reaching out to touch his erection, stroking it once, two times, three times as Edward let out a low moan that made her body sing for his, his impatience showing as he gently moved her hands away and lined himself up with her.

And then he was inside her, completing her in ways she'd dreamed of, her eyes squeezing shut as she reveled in the feeling of having him inside of her.

As close as two people could ever get.

"Please!" she didn't even know what she was begging for, the all-consuming sensations too rapid in their succession to put a name to them. All she knew was that she needed something more, something other than just the amazing feeling of having him pound into her and the sound of flesh against flesh; love against love to get her to the highest peak.

"What do you need, baby?" His voice was breathless and low with lust. "Anything you want…I'll give you everything…"

"Just…" Her nails dug into his shoulders as his hand snaked between them, finding the one spot that made her eyes widen and her heart speed up as she felt herself flying towards the high she had been chasing all along; the feeling she was starting to grow addicted to since it was the one sensation she could only experience when she was with him.

"Edward!" she called out his name as it came…as she came; her body convulsing around him as he pounded into her before he, too, succumbed to bliss with a loud groan and a distorted growl of her name.

It was one of the most satisfying experiences she'd had in her life, the fact that she had been living it out right in their living room only adding a more delightful air of illicitness to it. She'd have to clean the couch, though. Quite extensively.

"I never knew research could be so fucking sexy!" Edward spoke, finding his voice again as he lay on her naked chest slowly caressing the skin below her breast. "Is there anything else you need to know tonight?" His voice was still breathless from their activities, his chest moving up and down in rapid succession as he lifted off her, a small whimper leaving her throat at the loss as he lay back on the couch, the computer screen sending a sterile glow up from its position on the floor.

"No," she giggled, almost singing the word. "I think I'm all done for now."

"Good." Edward seemed to be rather pleased with himself as he rose up, disposing of the condom and pulling his boxers and pants back up before offering her his hand. "Then let's get to bed because, angel, I know I have a thing or two I want to get to know before the day is up."

A good kind of shiver ran down Bella's spine as she put her hand in his, allowing Edward to carry her off upstairs in the knowledge that she was in for another sleepless night.

But this time, it wasn't something she'd worry about.


Thoughts?