A/N: Welcome back! I'm surprised I get these out pretty much daily. I had to write this twice, my word document didn't really save when it said it did! D:

Disclaimer: I own Doug and this plot, that's about it. Edward/Bella/Alice/Emmett/Jacob - are not mine!


Chapter 7

(Bella POV)

I sat down at the table for lunch with my sandwich before me. I took a drink of my water before I pulled my turkey sandwich to my mouth. I took a small bite, chewed and swallowed. I took another bite and chewed and swallowed.

The kitchen was so silent. It was just me, myself and ... well, my sandwich.

A rather good sandwich to, if you ask me.

Edward was still asleep.

I put some coffee on before I made my lunch so that if he were to wake up, he'd have something to drink.

It's the least I could do.

I only woke up an hour ago and I spent a while in the bathroom getting ready and I put some clothes in the washing machine before I went to the kitchen to make myself lunch.

The house was so quiet, so quiet that it was almost scary.

How could Edward even cope with that?

Silence, all the time.

No one to talk to at all...

No television, no telephone.

Only go out once a week and that's just for groceries.

Having only one friend.

And the worst, having a past that haunted his every move, something that he dwells on but keeps to his thoughts alone.

That all was bugging me so I wondered how terrible it made Edward feel.

I remembered that I told myself that I didn't want to sympathize for him. But that pretty much went out the window the second I thought it.

I know so little about him and I already care.

It pissed me off. He obviously didn't care about me and I shouldn't waste my time on him. Within another 9 days I would be gone and I'd probably not see or hear from him ever again.

I was taken out of my thought process when I saw him walk into the kitchen wearing nothing but his boxers.

"I have some coffee on for you." I told him and I looked in the direction of the coffee pot. He only nodded in response. I took another bite of my lunch. Edward walked over and poured himself a glass of coffee. He went to the fridge grabbed the cream and then he grabbed the sugar and put a bit in.

He turned and came to the table and sat down in front of me.

"Morning." I said gently and I took a drink of my water afterwards.

"Morn'." He said before he took a sip of his hot coffee. He blew on it first so that it wouldn't be so hot and he only took a sip.

"How was your night?" I asked gently and he shrugged. I tried to keep my voice gentle and even. I didn't want to set him off because he seemed to easily ticked. I worried that I would get him mad and we'd be back to aruging.

I was sick and tired of that already!

"Alright." Edward replied.

Back to the quick answers. Inside I growled. Why does he have to be so easy? Why can't he explain or let me in more.

Okay, I know. I'm a hypocrite, I won't let him in all that much either.

But maybe, I would tell him more if he were nicer. I wanted to know more about him before I told him anything.

He could so easily get word back to Jacob, and if I told him everything and I pissed him off... I could be screwed.

"Will you tell me anything about Alice?" I asked testing my limits for this morning. The silence and short answers were honestly killing me.

"What do you want to know?" He replied and I was a little surprised. I had prepared myself to be yelled at or told it's none of my business.

"What does she look like?" I asked gently and I took another drink of my water. Edward's eyes were blazing into mine and he took a deep breath before he shrugged.

"Short, dark brown spiked hair. Very fashionable and as I said, short." He described his sister quickly. "Though it has been forever, she could've grown."

I nodded. "What is she like?"

"Energetic, loves to shop... She makes the best out of every situation. Even ones that are the worst and almost impossible to have a bright side with." Edward explained as he tapped his fingers along the edge of his table. I knew he wasn't very fond of telling me this.

I was surprised he even did.

"Why don't you see her?" I asked.

Edward shrugged.

Silence filled the room.

I decided not to push my luck any further.

"What does Jacob look like?" Edward asked as he made eye contact with me again.

I looked down but figured it was only fair to reply. He did answer my questions.

I took a deep breath.

"Fairly tall, not very built. Black spiked hair that's really short. Natural tan and he has a couple tattoos." I replied but I looked down at my plate. I dabbed my fingers at the crumbs from the bread.

"What is he like?" Edward asked.

Note, next time I ask Edward something, be ready for it to turn right around and bite me in the ass.

"Not the brightest crayon in the box." I replied.

"That's all you're going to tell me?" Edward assumed and I looked up at him.

"He's... possessive." I added hoping that would be an answer Edward would settle with.

"What was he to you?" Edward asked.

"A monster." I replied and I instantly regretted it.

"A brother? Friend? Enemy?" Edward urged. I shot him a look as in telling him he was pushing a little to far.

"Boyfriend." I spat through clenched teeth.

"Did you love him? Do you love him?" Edward questioned me. I stood up abruptly and grabbed my plate.

"Of course not!" I hissed and I turned to put my plate in my sink.

"Then why did you date him?" Edward asked me. Then he put his coffee cup in the sink. I turned to face him as he was standing behind me.

"Enough!" I growled out. "No more questions."

I stormed out of the room and I went straight out the front door. I ran to the stream.

It was as though it were a safe place, a place where I could calm myself down. I sat by the edge and grabbed a stick and poked at the rocks in the water with it.

"I dated a girl named Kate awhile ago. I thought I could trust her so I let her in. I told her all." I heard from behind me. "She didn't give a shit and yawned through my stories, yet I kept telling them. I thought I could at least trust her."

"But you couldn't?" I guessed but I kept looking at the stream, I refused to give Edward a glance.

"No." He said and I heard the ground crunch under him as he walked. "She told all her friends. They told their friends and word went around."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward sit down on the ground about a foot away from me. He grabbed a handful of stones near the streams edge. He through one in and then another and another.

"That's when I moved here. That's a reason why I stopped going into town." He finished explaining as he through the last stone from his hand into the stream. I didn't know what to say.

I know why Edward told me that, I knew how our conversations were going know. I asked him questions and he answered them but then he asked me the same and I answered them. He pushed for more and I refused so he let me know more.

Now he's expecting more.

I swallowed hard.

"Jacob didn't love me either." I whispered as I continued to poke at the water with the stick.

I could feel Edward's eyes on me.

"And I wasn't the only one." I continued. "We lived... together. In separate bedrooms and he'd bring women home at night. I stayed in my room."

"He always told me he was disgusted with me. When he wanted... to... He'd just go into my room do whatever he wished before he left to his room for the night. No kisses or adoration either, just him... getting off." I hated saying this aloud.

I looked and over and saw Edward staring at me. He had a confused expression.

"I don't want to get to deep into that topic." I begged, searching his eyes. He nodded.

"He sounds like a dick." Edward said as he looked away.

I chuckled. "He was far worse."

"I've only dated two girls." Edward said as he grabbed another handful of stones. "Tanya and Kate. They were best friends too..."

"I didn't really like them. I just didn't want to be alone." He continued.

"But you're... here." I whispered.

"Yes, I found out the hard way that it's best for me to be alone." Edward said in a low voice as he tossed the first few stones in the stream.

"Don't say that." I argued.

"It's true. I can't trust people." Edward growled and he threw the rest of the stones in all at once. His fists clenched I noticed.

"You just need to meet someone you can trust." I whispered softly. I watched him and he had his head hung low and he pulled at his hair.

"I just... I don't..." He was at a loss for words. "I don't want to risk meeting new people, I don't want to be hurt again."

He sounded defeated. "I don't know why I'm telling you this shit."

"I'm here to listen." I whispered and he looked up at me. "I won't tell anyone, there's no one I could tell anyways. I wouldn't though, I know what it's like to want to keep secrets... secrets."

Edward nodded and he stood up. I noticed that he put a shirt and shorts on so he wasn't just in his boxers.

"Thanks for the coffee." He said as he turned back towards the cabin and started to walk. "And thanks for... listening."

I stared at the water a bit longer.

I still continued to poke the water with the stick in my right hand even though my legs cramped and I just wanted to lay down.

...

I don't know how much longer I stayed by the stream but it had to be at least a half of an hour. I walked back slower than usual and I could hear a lawn mower. When I came into distance sure enough, Edward was cutting the grass with his lawn mower.

He had his white shirt off and it was tucked into his back pocket.

Not that I noticed.

It was hot out. Too hot.

I noticed that.

I looked up and the sun was beating down and the top of my head felt hot. I reached up and touched the top of my head and it was really hot. I was scared it might melt.

Though, I knew it wouldn't.

I walked over to the front steps and I looked over to Edward. Once he noticed me his lifted a hand and quickly waved to me before he turned and went back to work.

Again, I didn't notice how he wasn't wearing a shirt.

I also didn't notice that in all the free time he seems to have, he doesn't have noticeably been a work out kind of guy.

Yeah... Didn't notice the six pack either.

He's hot.

I meant to say... He must be hot, because it's a hot day. Again, I thought my hair might melt. What could I do to help him from the heat?

I went up the stairs of the front porch and went inside the house, closing the door behind me slowly. The house was hotter than outside.

Edward didn't seem to have air conditioning.

I already felt a bead of sweat on my forehead.

Edward must be dying out there.

I decided since it wasn't so humid out so maybe if I opened the windows, it could be nicer in the house and cool it down a bit.

I opened the windows in the living room. Then the one in the bathroom, after that I opened the windows in Edward's room and the windows in my room.

I meant to say the guest room.

Once all the windows I knew about in the house were opened I rummaged through the closet by the front door where a few pairs of shoes were and luckily I found a fan. I smiled to myself at my find and I walked over to the coffee table in the living room.

I rested the fan on the coffee table and I plugged it into the nearby outlet. I turned it on and I seemed even luckier when I found out that it swivelled, letting the airflow throughout the room.

I took my hair out of the ponytail and stood in front of the fan, letting the cool air over come me and take me in. My hair was blowing all different directions and thankfully I cooled down rather quickly.

I ran to each room and turned on all the ceiling fans I found. I walked back into the living room and noticed that the air was already cooler and that it wasn't hot so much. I smiled and went to stand back in front of the fan.

Still that was little I could do for Edward after everything he did for me.

Even though he has his attitude and his moments.

I did too, so who was I to judge?

I'm no hypocrite.

I stood in front of the fan and wondered what else I could do and then it hit me.

I walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

I peeked around until I found what I was looking for I hoped Edward had them.

Yes, he did. Lemons.

I pulled them out of the fridge and set them down on the cutting board that was resting on top of a counter top. I pulled out a big jug to put the drink in and I went around the kitchen until I found the rest of what I needed.

Which wasn't much.

I was happy that I didn't have to rummage through the cupboards this time. I knew where everything was.

I smiled to myself at that.

I was already getting used to this place. I knew I shouldn't be though because I would be gone soon and it wasn't good for me to get to be too attached.

I sighed and pulled knife out of the kitchen utensils drawer. I began to cut the lemons one by one and I plopped them into the jug when I was done cutting them. I put the jug under the sink tap and turned on the cold water.

Once it was filled I went to the fridge and opened the freezer door where I found the ice cube tray and put a whole whack of ice cubes into the jug. I added sugar and whatever the heck I did to put into the lemonade.

I had everything into the jug and I stirred it all. I hummed a random tune while I stirred and when I was done I pulled out two glasses.

One for me and one for Edward!

Of course.

I poured the lemonade and smiled to myself when I could no longer hear the lawn mower from outside. Edward must be done and packing up.

I took a sip of my drink and was surprised. It was rather good.

I kind have forgot how to make lemonade; Jacob never really let me cook. He ordered in a lot and I wasn't really … to experiment in the kitchen. I just stayed in my room most of the time.

I was going to pull out a laptop and google up some lemonade recipe but then I remembered.

Edward is not one for electronics. He surely didn't have a computer.

I picked up Edward's glass in my left hand and held my glass in my right hand and I walked into the living room where I found Edward just opening the front door. It squeaked a bit as it always did and before I knew it Edward was standing inside with his left hand in his hair pulling at it.

He still didn't have his shirt on.

Not that I noticed.

Edward eyed the two glasses in my hands and I offered him one. He grabbed it and looked at it before taking a sip.

"Thanks." He said once he swallowed his first sip. He went back and drank some more. "It's good. Real good. Haven't had lemonade for a while, actually."

"Me neither." I told him and took another drink of my glass. Edward pulled his shoes off with the back of his heel and kicked them aside. His shoes had a few grass stains on them and I noticed they weren't the same pair of shoes that were usually beside the front door.

Edward's shorts were a bit dirty and his forehead had a couple beads of sweat.

Edward walked past me and into he went further into the living room. He looked up at the ceiling fan and then to the plugged in swivel fan.

"You did this?" He asked in an obvious tone.

"Yeah. It was hot in here." I explained and I went to sit on the couch.

Much to my surprise, Edward joined me and he sat down beside me.

Not on the opposite side of the couch.

I could feel the heat radiating off of him. I sighed at his woodsy, sweet scent.

I shook my head and took a drink of the lemonade.

"It's hot out there, eh?" I asked and Edward chuckled.

He used his free hand to rub his forehead with the back of his hand. "I'd say."

He took another drink of his lemonade. I looked over and his was nearly gone.

I was grateful for making it then.

"I need to have a shower, I'm sweaty and I stink." He chuckled and he stood up. "Thanks again."

"No problem. There's more in the fridge." I called as I saw him walk to the kitchen to put his glass in the sink. A moment later he reappeared and he went into the hallway, pulling the shirt out of his back pocket on the way.

For supper we ate light, neither of us were really hungry. I offered to make some casserole that my grandmother used to make and Edward agreed.

He ate it all and said it was good. I joked saying that he seemed to be rather hungry instead of the opposite.

He laughed and told me that it was my cooking's fault.

9 days isn't a long time to figure out more about him. I sighed internally.

After supper we both went into the living room to listen to the news as we did every night. I looked at the clock and it was only 5:56 so we had some time until the news would come on.

I sat on the couch while Edward fiddled around with the radio until it came to life, already on the station where the news would play. I sighed and rested my head against the couch and sighed.

I liked how Edward and I weren't arguing. We didn't argue today, which was good – I didn't have the energy to argue with him it seemed.

I didn't want to either, I'd rather be friends with him. I didn't want him to always think of me as an intruder and I didn't want to think of him as a stranger.

I still had a lot to learn about him and he had a lot to learn about me. But we both were still closed books, diaries.

But I was trying to get the key to him.

I don't know why.

Edward came to sit beside me on the couch and this time he sat close to me, just as he did earlier. The air wasn't tense or awkward as it used to be.

That's a start.

Edward propped his feet up on the coffee table and sighed.

"It was really hot today." He said, making conversation. "I'm glad you turned on the fans and shit."

"Yeah, me too." I laughed. I looked out of the corner of my eye and Edward took in a deep breath before he released it. He sucked in another breath sharply and looked at me. He looked as though he were about to say something but instead he sucked in another breath.

He opened his mouth to speak but the news started.

And that silenced him.

"What do you have from your past?" I asked once the news was done.

Edward and I were sitting on the floor in front of the couch and both of us had a small bowl of popcorn before us. I took a couple pieces and popped them into my mouth before I looked over to him. Edward looked at me and shrugged.

"Not much. Rather then those damn memories." He chuckled. "Something I didn't want."

"I know what you mean." I said and I took another piece of popcorn.

Yes, I joked with Edward saying that to top the night off all we needed was a movie. Then I jokingly said 'But you don't have a television.'

He didn't find it completely humorous, but he did chuckle. I assumed he didn't like to be teased. Who did though?

"Really?" I said suddenly becoming serious. "You have nothing?"

He shook his head.

"No pictures… Family movies?" I pushed.

I was hoping that he would fess up on the damn box I found because I wanted to know and I did feel bad if I were to just snoop and look inside of it.

Edward and I were just finally being nice to one and other too and I didn't want to get back into the pissy stage where we both were mad at each other. We both said mean things too…

I shook my head at the thought.

"Nope, not that I recall. I took some money and the memories. I wish I could forget them though." He replied.

Liar.

Liar.

Liar, liar, pants on fire! I said that to myself of course, I wouldn't say that out loud. I did want to though.

It made me wonder about what he told me earlier at the stream. Was that a lie? Was everything about him a lie? What he told me was it all lies?

He said he practically made the house himself, so he had to know what was in it. Plus, if there are pictures that are his, he must know about them, right?

I was confused. I wished I just knew if he was lying or not.

"Nothing at all?" I made sure.

"Nothing! Don't make me repeat it." He said and shoved another fistful of popcorn into his mouth.

Welcome back Mr. Attitude.

That's sarcasm.

"Okay, fine." I grumbled and looked down at my bowl of popcorn.

How could I make him fess up about the pictures?

Then it hit me, like a cinder block.

"Edward?" I started to ask slowly.

"What?" He asked with a mouthful or popcorn.

"My clothes… Well the shirts," I began.

"What, they aren't your style?" Edward cut me off rudely. I swallowed my anger and looked at him. I set my popcorn bowl on the floor beside me.

"No they aren't! But that's not what I'm talking about." I hissed in reply.

"What do you want then?" He asked.

"The shirts get wrinkled because I fold them up and shove them into my bag." I explained. Edward narrowed his eyes at me.

"And? They're wrinkly; you're expecting me to iron them? I ain't you're damn maid." Edward shot back in reply and I almost flinched at how cold his words were.

I hated his mood swings; they honestly gave me whiplash.

"No." I started, in a rude tone. "Can I hang them up anywhere? Is there a closet in the guest room?"

I pretended that I didn't know, or that I had forgotten.

Edward nodded. "There is."

"Can I hang up my shirts there then?" I asked gently.

"Sure." Edward nodded.

"Is anything in there?" I asked, urging him to answer.

"Doubt it." Edward shrugged. "I don't know."

He doesn't know? Well then…

"Thanks, I'll do that now." I said and I was speaking gently again. I didn't want this conversation to proceed into an argument.

I was done with those. I hated arguing, it got me nowhere.

"I'll help." Edward said and he stood up, with his popcorn. He used his free hand to push him up off of the ground.

"Okay?" I said and it sounded like a question.

Maybe he did know there was something in the closet.

I got myself up - no thanks to Edward - not that I expected a hand to get help.

I followed Edward to the guest room and he opened the door and flicked on the light switch. The room lit up and Edward walked inside and I followed.

I went over to my bag that was on the ground and tossed it to the bed. Edward caught it as he was going to sit on the bed. He didn't open it or anything and I respected him giving me privacy with my very few things.

That's when I decided that if he didn't tell me about the box, I wouldn't peek.

Okay, I probably wouldn't.

"I haven't been in here in a long time." Edward stated from the edge of the bed.

"Really?" I asked. "It's your house."

"I don't use this room." Edward shrugged.

"Is there anything in the closet?" I asked again, just to see if he remembered something.

"Honestly don't know." Edward replied and stood up.

"Were about to find out." He said once he stepped before the closet. He reached for the handle to pull it open.

You mean you're about to find out Edward, I thought.

How would he react?

Does he even know about the pictures? Did he care? What were the pictures of?

And the newspaper clippings, what were those about?

I'd soon find out it seemed.


A/N: No more wrinkly clothes for Bella! How will Edward react?

Stay tuned?

Review? What did you think of this chapter?

Thanks :D