A/N: **Peeks out head nervously** Is anyone out there? *Taps microphone, lol* I hope so! Wow, where to begin? I will start with a HUGE apology! I am so very sorry that this story hasn't been updated in months ;( I feel beyond awful and it wasn't on purpose. During that time, I received so many wonderful messages on FB, on here and Twitter, asking when Turning Page will finally update. I can't say enough how appreciative I am that many of you haven't given up on the story and miss it. Anyhow, I don't want to make this long winded, so let's get to reading! I am sure all of you are dying to know how Teenella and Grouchward are doing. I have missed them! Hope you enjoy this one, I have to say it is one of my fav chapters to date. Okay, here we go. Chat with you lovelies more at the end!

***Disclaimer: It's not mine, all things Twilight are the amazing Stephenie Meyer's! However all things associated with this story, plot, characterizations are mine. L.K. 2013.

***My beta is the great Serenshadow. Thank you babe for all of your hard work and always making my words flow much nicer! Love yah!


Chapter 8: The Mystery of Mr. Masen

*BPOV*

This has to be the longest and most tense sixty seconds of my life.

God, please tell me this is all just my imagination; that Mr. Masen did not just yell at me.

Baffled, I quirk my brow and sit up, mulling over his question. Glaring at him irritably I idiotically blurt out, "I wasn't spying on you if that's what you're wondering."

Jesus, Bella that was a dumbass thing to say!

Well, can you blame a girl for being so defensive? He already gave me an earful earlier today, so I truly don't want to deal with his bullshit again! Besides, I thought he told me to never speak to him again.

So, what gives?

With his eyes on mine, Edward slowly climbs down his porch steps and strolls across the lawn, stopping a few feet away from where I'm standing.

"That wasn't what I was accusing you of." He states in a clipped tone. "What I was asking about was what you have in your mouth. What do you think you're-"

"Uh, smoking. I'm smoking. Is that a crime?" I cut in snidely, pulling the cigarette out of my mouth and holding it between my fingers.

What's his problem? He really should have a doctor remove that stick out of his uptight ass!

Edward scrunches his nose in disgust and shakes his head, incredulous. "Yes, I can see that, but why? You are aware of all the harmful things that are in one of those, right?"

Jesus Christ, is this dude for real? He has the audacity to stand there and lecture me about all of the toxins that are in a cigarette!

Narrowing my eyes, I place the cig back in my mouth and inhale then breathe out. "Yeah, I know and your point? Who do you think you are lecturing me, my father?"

Though his expression is blank, I notice a trace of anger in his greens.

"No, but why do I have this strong suspicion that the Chief doesn't know about your life threatening habit?" His voice dripped with sarcasm and it makes my blood stew.

You know, I don't need this! I shouldn't have to deal with him scolding me like a child, screw that!

Standing up, I walk out of the porch and flick the cigarette on the lawn, then smash it down with my sneaker. Scowling, I place my hands on my hips and retort, "What business of it is yours anyway what I do with my body and whether my father knows about it? Who the hell do you think you are, Mr. Masen?"

The way I emphasized his name, as if it's a curse word, makes him cringe. As we stare each other down, a thought enters my mind and I raise my brow accusingly. "Okay, I'm confused. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you threaten me earlier to refrain from looking or speaking to you ever again?"

A hint of sadness crosses his features and he frowns. Edward takes couple of steps over in my direction and halts when we are a safe distance apart. For some peculiar reason it bothers me and I wish we were standing closer, much closer.

What are you thinking? You have lost your mind Swan, snap out of it!

"I didn't threaten you." Edward corrects in a lighter tone. "I merely gave you a warning."

"And yet here you are doing the very thing you told me not to do." I mutter dryly and shake my head in disbelief.

He truly confuses the hell out of me! Never have I encountered someone with a personality that's so hot and cold. It's infuriating!

I smirk knowingly and he sighs in defeat. "Fine. I admit, you're…right. I apologize for being out of line. It's really none of my concern what you do with your life."

Briefly, his eyes meet mine and I find myself utterly consumed by them. It's strange…it's like they're granting me a preview of his very tortured and inconsolable soul.

Edward's voice snaps me out of my stupor and my heart sinks in response to his words. "Have a good evening Isabella… and don't worry, I will keep my word this time. I won't disturb you again."

Without giving me the chance to reply, he turns around and walks away. No, he can't leave!

"Wait!" I bellow, wondering what I'm doing and what should I say next.

Taking me by complete surprise, he spins around and faces me. "Yes…what is it Isabella?"

Dear Lord, this man has the most sexist voice! Giving him a quick once over, I admire his lean physique and handsome face. However, it's difficult to see it because of that bushy beard and hair that hangs over his eyes. If only he had a nice haircut and clean-shaven face, he would be extremely gorgeous. Whoa, what made you think about that? Get back on track Bella!

A clearing of the throat pulls me back to the present and I blush when spotting an amused expression on Edward's face. Oh, that's right; I was going to say something.

"Oh, ah…I just wanted to thank you again for your help earlier."

Nice save!

Appearing modest, Edward shrugs. "It was no trouble. Anyone would have done the same thing. It was a good thing I was close by and overheard. Well, good night."

As he turns around once more, his gaze directs over to my truck with interest. Strolling towards it, Edward inspects the vehicle with wonder. "Is this a 58?"

His question throws me for a loop and I nod my head, perplexed. How did he know what year this old hunk of metal is and why is he so interested in it?

Hesitantly, I saunter over to Edward. "Ah, yeah I think so. Charlie bought it from a friend of his for me. His son is a good mechanic and fixed it all up. It runs fairly decent."

Edward looks skeptical and mutters, "Hmm, well it appears to be in good condition. But, word of advice, I don't recommend you venturing out too far in it."

There he goes again, behaving all protective and acting like he somewhat cares about my well-being! It's confusing and annoying.

Scoffing, I shake my head and disagree. "Uh, I appreciate the tip, but I think she'll be okay."

Glancing at the truck that my father thoughtfully purchased for me, I smile warmly.

Edward's laughter breaks me out of my thoughts. "She, huh? With all do respect, do you think that "she" can handle a drive over to Port Angeles. Or the very long trip over to Seattle?"

Is he joking with these ridiculous ass questions?

Dumbfounded, I glower at him crossly. "I'm sure she can handle both trips just fine, thank you!"

Yeah, at the amazing turtle like speed of under fifty miles per hour!

Edward nods stiffly and the corners of his mouth pull up into a smile. Oh, this is all just a big joke to him, is it? Why that smug, grouchy ass!

"Huh, sure, if you say so. Good luck with that Isabella."

I am really beginning to hate him calling me by my full name!

A drawn out, very uncomfortable silence passes and before thinking better of it, I snap, "Why do you care about my truck and whether I can get anywhere with it or not?"

Once again, Edward tries to conceal his emotions. Though his expression is empty, the gleam of concern in his eyes gives it all away.

"I don't. Your truck is none of my concern. I was just wondering for Chief Swan's sake."

All right, I am lost once again! Why does he even give a damn about Charlie? As far as I'm aware, they don't even know each other that well.

"Why? You're just his neighbor. You don't even know my dad really at all…do you?"

Shrugging, Edward exhales deeply and jams his hands inside his pants pockets. "No, not closely. However, we've spoken on a few occasions. He's a good man."

I nod and lower my gaze down to my shoes. "Yeah, he is."

"By the way, my condolences for your Mother. Charlie seemed very fond of her." Edward's tone was soft and held genuine remorse.

Lifting up my head, I look directly in his eyes. "How do you…know what my dad felt for her?"

Whoa Bella, chill with the attitude! I can't help it; he's the one who brought up my mother. And that bothers me; it's not his place to bring her up.

"I apologize for overstepping. It's just…The Chief, I mean your father, mentioned her to me on a couple of occasions. I suppose the subject is… something we sort of have in common."

Nodding my head in understanding, I sigh and embrace my middle tightly. The ache over my mother's death is still too fresh to discuss, and to be honest, I don't care to discuss it with him. Thinking about it, I feel a little guilty for responding so rudely to him when Edward genuinely seemed sympathetic. As he even pointed out, he understands exactly what Charlie and I are going through.

"Isabella, are you alright?" Edward's dulcet voice asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

My heartbeat accelerates rapidly as his eyes search my face intently. "Sure, I'm cool. I'm-"

"It wasn't my place at all to speak about your mother. I'm sorry."

Tentatively, Edward inches closer in my direction and my breath halts in anticipation. What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I reacting to him like this?

His brows pull together contemplatively and his expression softens. "You miss her…"

Swallowing back the sob that's wedged in the back of my throat, I exhale shakily. "Yeah, I do, more than anything. I mean you would-"

Don't say anymore Bella; just keep your mouth shut! Don't blow it just when things are finally civil between you and him.

"I would, what?" He urges and my eyes shift, training on his nice, full lips.

Oh, wake up! He is too old for you and isn't, nor will ever be, interested in you. So, do yourself a favor and forget about it!

"Um, nothing." I mutter anxiously. "What I meant to say was I am sorry for your loss as well."

As if a bolt of lighting struck him, Edward takes a huge step back and glares at me heatedly. Great, now you did it! Just can't keep your big mouth closed, can you?

"You're sorry… for my loss?" Edward chuckles and shakes his head. "What do you think you know about my loss, Isabella?" He spits angrily through clenched teeth.

As I open my mouth to answer, Edward asks, "Did your father tell you about what happened?"

I'm not sure whether I should answer that question. Hell, who am I kidding, I am scared to! I'm worried he will jump all over me again just as he did at Thriftway this morning.

When did I become such a wimp; I shouldn't be afraid of him!

Stupidly, I answer him. "No, he didn't mention anything about it…believe me."

Edward's eyes widen in shock. "Huh, well that's…unexpected. Most of the residents around here live to gossip about everyone's business. So I figured he might have mentioned it to you. Anyhow, I appreciate your father is respectful of privacy."

Of course he is; my dad is a good and honorable human being. No matter how hard I pushed him to dish out any information about Edward, Charlie wouldn't give in.

"So then how do you know about what happened to my wife?"

If you know what's good for you, don't answer that! Just excuse yourself and get back inside the house.

"I read an article about it online."

Jesus, I have a serious case of foot in the mouth disease!

"You read…y-you searched for information about me on the internet?!" His tone raised several notches and my heart hammered violently against my chest.

Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit! I'm such a damn idiot! Well, since I've dug myself deep in this hole, I might as well just continue.

I unfold my arms, drop them to my sides, and inhale sharply. "Yes, I w-was curious. Especially after… I mean, it was Jessica Stanley's suggestion."

Sure, try to blame her for your nosiness! God, how moronic am I? Now he will dislike me more than he already does.

"Jessica Stanley?" Throwing his head back, Edward snickers cynically. "Well isn't that just perfect, fucking incredible!"

Honestly, I don't understand why he is so worked up over this. The whole town already knows, so what is so terrible about me knowing?

Don't you get it; it isn't about that. It's about what you did, the snooping around. You can't blame him for being ticked off about it.

I eye Edward worriedly as he repeatedly runs his hands through his hair. Damn, he looks completely livid. I need to set things right.

Sucking in my lower lip, I take a deep breath and mumble, "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I was just-"

"Curious." Edward finishes, closing the space between us.

I wanted us standing closer together before, but now… not so much. The stormy look in his eyes is scaring me.

As his jaw clenches and a hard expression settles on his face, I swallow thickly. Why am I letting him intimidate me? I need to stand up to him! Sure, go ahead and try.

"Someday Isabella, your inappropriate sense of curiosity and perpetual habit of spying will get you in a whole lot of trouble."

Did he just threaten me? I don't believe him!

"Excuse me Mr. Masen, was that a threat?"

Edward sniggers under his breath and a hint of humor dances across his face. "No, it wasn't, just simply stating a fact."

A fact, huh? Well, here's a fact for him; he's a bitter, rude asshole! But, I won't even bother telling him that. I am finished wasting my time and breath. I tried to be civil, tried to be understanding and compassionate to him. But, I'm done, so done! I refuse to allow him to treat me as if I'm a piece of gum trapped on the bottom of his shoe!

God, I wish I never moved here!

A drop of water landing on my head grabs my attention and I glance up at the sky. Great, just in time, I've never been more relieved to see rain!

"Well, I should get back inside." I whisper and Edward hums in answer.

Ignoring his piercing gaze, I turn around and stalk towards the house.

"Wait, Isabella!"

Now, what?

Sighing irritably, I spin to face him. "Yeah?"

Grinning deliberately, Edward nods his head at the ground. "You may want to pick that up. Hide the evidence and all."

Why that smug jackass! He might be, but you should be grateful that he is helping cover your ass!

Blushing three shades of red, I bend down and snatch the cigarette butt. Then make the foolish mistake of having eye contact with him. After staring at each other for several moments, I grumble a thank you under my breath and begin to walk away.

"Oh, and one more thing Isabella…"

Oh my god, I thought we were finished here!

Annoyed, I whirl around and glare at him one last time. "What?"

"I-I'm s- I just... well, good night." He scratches the back of his neck and avoids my gaze.

Is it just my imagination or did he almost apologize to me?

The man is a complete mystery.

"Night, Mr. Masen. Oh, and just to put your mind at ease, I won't dig for information about you anymore. I'll leave you alone from now on."

I didn't even give him the opportunity to respond, just stormed inside the house, and slammed the door shut.

Okay, that went well.

Jesus, I need a cigarette!

Furious, I lock the door and dash upstairs, making a beeline for my room. Minutes later, I rid all of the evidence, throwing away the cigarette in the trashcan and then freshening up. I can't have Charlie smelling smoke on me after all.

Though I'm feeling more relaxed than I was minutes ago, I debate whether to finish the rest of pack. No, I had more than enough for the day. I really should just kick this nasty habit.

Oh, giving what Mr. Masen said some thought, are you? Hell no! I wouldn't give the asshole the satisfaction. I have to get him out of my mind! But I can't stop thinking about his stunning green eyes, his out-of-control bronze locks, and his handsome face. Call me crazy, but my heart goes out to him. It's plainly obvious that he is in such misery and torment over his deceased wife.

I need a distraction that will help rid all thoughts of him, immediately.

With that in mind, I decide to power up my laptop and check my email. The instant I double click on Internet Explorer, I have this overwhelming urge to research Edward again. Oh no, forget about it! No more snooping for you, haven't you learned your lesson yet?

Sighing in frustration, I shut off the laptop and then head downstairs. I think I'll take Charlie's suggestion and order a movie on pay-per-view. That will keep my mind off him, won't it?

About twenty minutes into the movie, I find myself dozing off on the couch. Wow, either I chose a real snoozer to watch, or I am tired. Tired, from what? It's not as if I did anything exciting or exhausting today. Maybe, but I did have quite an eventful drama filled day.

All of a sudden, Edward's face pops into my mind and I groan, shaking my head to clear it. All right, I just need to pay attention to the movie. Hmm, this seems like an interesting part.

Sitting up, I rub my eyes sleepily with my hands and stare at the screen. Soon my eyelids close and I drift off into a deep sleep.

***TP***

A/N: Still with me? Haa! First, I want to say I am sorry there was no Epov in this one :( Grouchypants wasn't speaking to me. (sigh) However, I have good news! His pov will make a comeback in chapter 10. I hope! So… that conversation with them didn't go too well, did it? I can't wait to read your thoughts about it! What did you think about Bella stupidly confessing that she Googled Edward? LOL. Oh, Bella! I don't know about you all but I feel Grouchward is so hot. And yes he is a big ahole too! Though it seemed for just a moment, they may have almost connected. He seemed genuine and sad for Bella regarding Renee's death. Do you all think Bella blew it? Will she and Edward ever have another run in and it actually go well this time? You will just have to wait and find out!

Just so you know, I have so many things planned for these two! I really hope all of you will continue to stay on this journey with me. Anyway, thank you for reading, for following and reviewing. Again, I am deeply sorry for the long delay. Most of you know my life was very hectic and stressful for a few months and I also had major writers block. But, I am back, no blockage, yea! However, I need to remind that unfortunately I am not the kind of author who updates frequently :( I really wish I can. But life comes first and always will. I just dont have the amount of time I want to write often. However, I am NOT giving up on this story! And I will try my hardest to update sooner next time.

So, that is it for now. Sorry for my rambling. A reminder, if you wish, feel free to follow me on Twitter: Vampgirl792011. I am also on FB: Vampgirl79 Fanfiction, it's a fan page. And I have a group called Vampgirl79 Fanfiction. I love to interact with my readers, so please don't be shy! Love to hear from you. Speaking of, some reviews would really make my day! Thanks for reading. Lots of love, xo Leslie