Here's a nice, long chapter for you!

In the last chapter, Bella, deciding she'd had enough of Edward's constant self-deprecation, proposes a competition. If Edward said anything negative about himself, he would grant her one wish, and vice-versa. Later, after an exhilarating stapling showdown with Domen, Edward hears James nearby, freaks out, and proceeds to shatter the speed limit in an effort to get away. Finally calming down, they spens the rest of the day together, and part ways. That night, Bella can't sleep, and nearly jumps out of her skin when she finds Edward at her doorstep. The chapter ends with them both admitting that they feel more at peace with the other one there.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 10: Trust

The week should have gone smoothly, thanks to the carefully-arranged plans of three vegetarian vampires and one vampire-hunter. Edward, of course, had volunteered to be part of the Inpatient Medical Service night team, which meant that he was at the hospital from 8:00pm – 8:00am. With newly-engaged Angela's return, there were no more Edward sleep-overs.

For Bella, the jury was still out on whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. She'd noticed that since his last stay on Sunday night, when he admitted that he felt more at peace in her company, he'd started drawing away from her. Just when she'd thought that maybe, just maybe, he might like her a little, he pulled away. Men, she thought irritably. Of course, he probably realized that he may be unintentionally leading her on, and hence the hasty retreat.

Alice, thankfully, saw Bella's blood donation dilemma and stepped in, informing Edward that he and Jasper should go hunting on Tuesday. Edward looked at her askance, but agreed.

"That was easy," she grinned, practically skipping with Bella to her car.

"Are you sure this won't bother you?" Bella asked for the third time.

"It bothers me that you're reduced to selling your own blood. But I can see that you won't let anyone just give you the money, so as a friend the best I can do is support you in this crazy endeavor."

Bella rolled her eyes and smiled. "What would I do without you, Alice?"

"You would lead a much more boring life," her friend quipped, zipping out of the parking lot at a rate that would have sent most driving instructors into palpitations. "Although at this point I think you'd be OK with that."

"Edward would go nuts if he found out I was doing this, wouldn't he? Not that he has a say in it anyway."

Alice frowned. "No, it is your life after all. On the other hand, deliberately doing things that upset the people you love is rather selfish, don't you think?"

"I don't l...my relationship with Edward isn't like that, Alice. You know that."

"Give it a chance," her friend advised. "You underestimate yourself, and Edward as well."

Before Bella could protest further, Alice switched to a lighter topic. Well, I suppose she is the psychic, she thought wryly.

An hour later, Alice was holding a slightly light-headed Bella's arm as she led her to the yellow convertible.. "Why do you do it if the sight of blood make you dizzy?" she demanded.

"It's the smell that gets to me," explained Bella, reaching for her water bottle. "It gives me a rusty taste in my mouth. I'm glad that I gave that full blood donation, though, and not just the plasma. O-negative is hard to find."

"Only seven percent of the U.S. population." Alice agreed. At her friend's raised eyebrows, she added, "What? I happen to be interested in blood."

"Of course you are."

Alice kept up a flow of small talk while Bella munched on an apple. Soon they were at the university, and the light-headedness was gone. Alice insisted on going with her to the grad student office, declaring that she wanted to meet Domen. Thinking back, Bella realized how odd it was that they hadn't met earlier. Clearly Alice had avoided it for a reason.

Domen was the office's only occupant when they arrived. As soon as Alice introduced herself and shook his hand, his expression became wary.

"Shit, another one of you?"

Alice merely nodded, unoffended. "There is also my husband Jasper, and I suspect later you will meet Edward's family."

Domen stood and turned to Bella. She could see that he was trembling slightly. "This is your dear friend? How long have you known what she is?"

"About four years. Domen, you need to calm down. You're about to crush that wireless mouse."

Sure enough, the object in his right hand was starting to crack. He hastily dropped it on the desktop. "Sorry." He addressed Alice. "It's just that some instinct is telling me to attack you."

"She's one of the good ones, brother o' mine."

Domen snorted in disbelief. "Bella, she's a predator, and we're the prey. She's dangerous. So is that Edward guy of yours. Hell, they drink blood!"

Suppressing an exasperated sigh, Bella retorted, "So? Have looked at the ingredients of English black pudding, German blutwurst, Polish czernina or Cajun boudin noir? They're all made with blood! Alice and the others actually hunt wild animals, and only take what they need. We humans deliberately regulate hormones to over-impregnate female livestock for the express purpose of over-feeding, slaughtering and eating the offspring. I fail to see how our diet is superior to theirs."

In the face of Bella's ire, Domen hastily backpedalled. "No, no. Nothing personal. I just worry about my sister." He wrapped an arm around Bella's too-thin shoulders and gave them a quick squeeze. "How the hell does she wind up surrounded by a bunch of mythical creatures, anyway?"

Alice looked like she wanted to hug her friend. "There's something about Bella," she responded proudly. "For some reason, she doesn't react to us as most humans do. She just…accepts."

She tilted her dark head thoughtfully. "I wonder if there really is some reason behind it. It's almost as if she attracts creatures like us."

Bella remembered Edward's sardonic remark the day she met him. Actually, I suspect that you're a magnet for danger. "Perhaps," she commented, "You're all just drawn to complete nut jobs, and I happened to be in the vicinity."

The others laughed. Situation successfully defused, Bella congratulated herself. After some friendly small talk, one of Domen's students showed up, prompting Alice to declare she was late for class.

Bella's first Tuesday-Thursday Comp lecture went well. As expected, Edward was waiting for her outside the classroom, relieving her of the hefty stack of typed two-page essays she carried. Of course, the usual tingle ran up her arms when his cool fingers brushed hers. Thank God he's not an empath, she thought, grateful that her tell-tale flush wasn't evident this time.

"Hi," she greeted him. "How was the hospital last night?" Not brilliant, but at least it sounded normal.

"Peaceful," he responded with a small, crooked smile. "I have some interesting cases, including two hearing-impaired children. It seems that I'm gaining a reputation for figuring out what they want."

Bella couldn't resist smiling. She knew Edward secretly loved this aspect – knowing something that others didn't, and being able to use his insight to help his patients. He wouldn't admit that it gave his ego a much-needed boost.

They talked as they walked back to the grad student office. Manoj was there when they arrived, waggling his eyebrows comically at her when Edward's back was turned. Bella rolled her eyes at him. I bet Dr. Nosybrain is "hearing" everything. Great.

"Manoj seems very concerned about your emotional welfare," commented Dr. Nosybrain when they reached his car. Bella relaxed into the soft leather passenger seat of Edward's Volvo. Although she'd used the classroom computer and projector as much as possible, her ribs ached from twisting back and for the between the screen and the students. She didn't realize until just now how tired she was.

"Manoj just wants me to be happy. He's always on the lookout for potential prospects for me."

Her companion chuckled. "Does he bring them for you to inspect?"

"Only after he's run a background check."

She grinned at Edward's incredulous look. "What? You think I'm kidding? His detective skills rival Jasper's, and that's saying something."

Edward mock-groaned. "Good thing I had that birth certificate forged."

He could see Bella's eyelids drooping, in spite of her efforts to snap them up again. There was also a faint smell of fresh blood mixed with isopropyl alcohol. Edward made a mental note to ask her about that later. Oddly enough, his throat wasn't burning any more than usual. Good thing he'd hunted earlier today, though. There was no way that he would take any chances with Bella's safety.

Bella's tired mind flitted in and out of a dream-like state, Edward's beautiful voice speaking about general topics that only required the occasional hum in response. Sometimes she would focus on that voice without really listening to the words. So peaceful.

Tempting as it was, she refused to allow Edward to carry her up to her apartment. Instead, he had to be content with carrying her backpack and trudging slowly next to her. He was probably grateful for the elevator, she thought with amusement. The stairs would have taken forever. He would have been on pins and needles the entire time. Hmmm…perhaps she should have taken the stairs after all.

"Now what's that mischievous grin for?" teased Edward.

"Nothing you need to know," Bella countered saucily. Take that, Dr. Nosybrain.

Once inside her apartment, Edward busied himself making her tea while she went to her bedroom. Her phone beeped, and she absently picked it up to check the message.

You looked sexy for me in that dark blue shirt, and even hotter in the black lace under it. I want to peel it off you. Make sure you're ready baby. I'm coming for you.

Bella stared at the screen, her mouth going dry with shock. He was coming for her. James.

She sat abruptly on the corner of her bed. OK Bella, she admonished herself. Don't panic. Think. You already know he's out there. This is nothing new.

But this was something new. The message came from a number she didn't recognize. Was someone playing some sort of sick prank on her? She wore the blue shirt for the first time at the party. Not even Angela knew that Bella wore her black lace bra and panty set that evening. In fact, the only one who even had a chance of seeing her underwear that night was the man…the vampire …standing…in… her…kitchen…oh crap…

Now totally alert, her mind leapt down the path it was on. Edward was the only one who could have known, if he looked when he carried her to her bed that night. Suddenly his thoughtful actions took on a more ominous meaning. Were he and James together in this? Did Edward plan to rape her? Torture her? Eat her? Did James even exist, or was it all part of an elaborate scheme?

Maybe he could control minds as well as read them. That would make sense. Just as Jasper was able to both read and manipulate emotions, Edward should be able to manipulate thoughts. Was he planting false visions in Alice's mind?

"Bella, your tea is ready." Edward suddenly appeared at her bedroom door. "Bella?"

She looked up at him slowly, fighting to keep her expression normal.

"What's wrong? Your heart is beating a mile a minute."

As he moved closer to her, Bella battled the urge to scream at him to freeze. She didn't want him next to her – to touch her. Not until she'd sorted this out.

Something in her expression made him halt half-way to the bed. Edward's amber gaze moved to the cell phone in her hand, and she knew he could read the message on it. His eyes darkened in anger.

"That sick bastard," he muttered. Then he noticed that the dark-haired woman on the bed wasn't responding. She was eyeing him warily, like a rabbit watching a panther, her heart still pounding.

"Bella, what is it? He won't harm you. I'll kill him first."

Bella finally found her voice. "Is it James?" She wanted to see his reaction, to watch him figure it out.

Edward frowned. "He would have to know what you wore under…" The frown deepened to a scowl. "Could it be Mike?"

"The blouse was new. Unless he made a lucky guess, Mike wouldn't know."

Bella wanted to believe that Edward wasn't involved. You can't trust him, her logical voice insisted. Make some excuse to get him out, then call Alice…now!

She recognized the exact moment when Edward figured it out. Understanding and dismay emanated from his lightening eyes.

"Bella, it's not me. I swear it. I didn't even see...I didn't look…"

Well, if he was going to kill her anyway, she might as well get this out in the open. "Not even Angela knew what I was wearing. There's no way anyone could have caught a glimpse of black lace with that shirt." She paused. "You're the only one who had the opportunity, Edward."

He closed his eyes and expelled an unnecessary breath. This doesn't feel right, Bella thought. Logically, he was the most likely one to do this, but it didn't make sense for him to go through this whole charade. Could a vampire have Jekyll and Hyde Complex?

This is ridiculous, she thought. Whenever I go with logic over instinct, I'm wrong. My instincts tell me I can trust him. It's just circumstantial evidence. There has to be another explanation.

"There has to be another explanation," she repeated aloud. Edward's eyes snapped open, relief written large on his pallid face. She thought she heard him whisper, "Thank God."

Still, he didn't move. He was giving her a chance to change her mind, she realized. Standing up on still-shaky legs, she walked past her vampire into the living room.

"I hope my tea's still hot."

Edward's choked laugh sounded behind her. He was still keeping his distance, she noted.

"You're incredible," he commented.

A few minutes later, fortified by her first cup of tea and sipping the second, Bella sat comfortably on the sofa. She indicated for Edward to sit next to her. Based on his reaction, her conviction to trust him grew stronger. He appeared hesitant to be close to her, as if afraid to shake whatever delicate balance he imagined existed between them.

"So, how could someone have seen what I wore at the party?" she began.

"How can you be so calm about it?" her friend blurted, ignoring her question for the moment. "I'm still furious myself!"

Bella forced herself to shrug nonchalantly. "I'm trying to be calm about it. I feel violated. He was near enough to know what my underwear looked like, Edward! I'm…scared." She took a steadying breath. "But I can't let this get to me. That wouldn't be productive. He's playing mind games with us, and we can't let him win."

Edward shook his head slowly. "Amazing. Right then, let's think about this. First, it isn't necessarily James. Did you mention to anyone, even off-handedly, what you were wearing? Perhaps when you purchased the blouse?"

"No. I bought it about three weeks ago, and there was no one else with me."

"Could anyone at the party, other than me, have known? I must admit that I was…uh…admiring you in that blouse, but not even my eyes could detect lace under it."

Bella felt herself flush with pleasure. He was admiring her? "No, no one. Another telepath? Astral projection?"

Edward's lips twitched. "I don't think astral projection is possible among our kind. As for another telepath, I'd like to think that you'd block them as well."

"Then that means someone was watching me get dressed or undressed."

She swallowed quickly, willing the panic to subside. Edward's jaw clenched, but his hand was gentle as he reached for Bella's and held it. At his touch she felt herself calm.

"Could he have been hiding in the apartment?"

"I would have heard his thoughts. And smelled him."

"You mean James? What if it were Victoria? You don't know her scent."

"She would still smell like a vampire," Edward reminded her. "The only ones I detected were Alice and me."

"Human?"

Edward stiffened. "It could be." He thought back to the party. Were there any scents other than those of Bella and her friends?

"In an apartment building, there are so many humans packed close together," he voiced his thoughts out loud. "I'll need to sniff around places where someone can hide." He was about to leap up and do just that, but Bella tightened her grip on his hand.

"What if it's bugged?"

Edward paused. "Shit," he muttered. Bella looked at him in surprise. Edward rarely swore.

His phone rang. "Alice," he grimaced, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans. After speaking with her for a few seconds, he indicated for Bella to bring her head closer. "She wants us both to hear her, but doesn't want to use the speaker." He handed her the phone.

"Hi Alice."

"Bella! I'm so sorry I didn't see that message coming. Are you OK?"

"As OK as I can be under the circumstances, I guess."

Bella could almost see her friend nodding. "You were right to trust Edward. Now listen, guys. I saw your decision to ask Jasper to sweep for bugs with his equipment…"

"Jasper has bug sweepers?" whispered the man whose crazy hair was practically brushing hers.

"Shhh! Don't interrupt," admonished Bella. With her face mere inches from his, her heart was doing flip-flops.

"He will find four bugs. They are in Bella's room under the bedside table, the living room attached to the sofa leg, Angela's room under the bedside table, and the kitchen under the counter." Alice paused, as if seeing something else. "Ugh, and there are two little cameras, one in the flowers on Bella's bedside table, and the other in the flowers in the bathroom. Creepy."

By now, Edward was growling. "Any reason why we shouldn't destroy them, Alice?" he demanded between clenched teeth.

'Go ahead," she encouraged him.

"Are they anywhere else?" Bella asked, wondering if someone had got to Edward's apartment or car.

There was silence for a moment. "I don't see Jazz finding any more," her friend responded at last. "Bella, please be careful. I need to go now. Don't lose your faith in Edward."

A bronze-haired whirlwind was already flashing around the apartment, locating hidden microphones and cameras. Bella was glad that he thought to take a small trash can with him, so that when he crumbled the first into dust between his thumb and forefinger, he didn't make a powdery mess on the carpet.

"I'd like to see them," Bella commented. Abruptly the whirlwind stopped.

"Sorry." He looked abashed. "Of course. Here, let me show you."

It gave Bella great satisfaction to crush one of the tiny antennaed rectangular microphones under her heel. Take that, Jamey Boy, she mentally cackled. Edward carefully inspected each one for scent and fingerprints. There was faint human scent, but otherwise nothing. He mentally filed it away for reference.

When Bella saw the placement of the cameras, she was horrified. James could watch anyone stripping down and going into the shower. As for her bedroom, it was focused on the area where she usually changed clothes. No wonder he knew about the black lace bra and panties. She flushed bright red at the thought. The term "violated" didn't even begin to cover it.

Shortly after Edward crushed the second camera, Bella's phone beeped again.

"Let me get that Bella. Please." She nodded, afraid to look at it.

Edward was swearing under his breath, almost breaking her phone in his tightened grip.

"Is it him again?"

He hesitated briefly, not wanting her to see, but eventually showed her the text.

Your boyfriend put a stop to my little show. No matter. You and I will make our own. Be ready for me.

Bella shuddered when she read it. Even mental shields reach a limit. I've got to get out of here! I can't let Edward see how upset I am. Averting her face, she muttered something about being right back and made a couple of stumbling steps away from him.

Her friend was having none of that. He caught her wrist when she tried to twist away, and tugged her gently toward him. Instinctively she turned to Edward, who immediately dropped the phone and enfolded her into hard, comforting arms, being careful not to squeeze her injured ribs.

He rubbed very gentle circles on her back and murmured soothing words until her shaking stopped. Even after that, it seemed that he didn't want to let her go, taking deep breaths as if to assure himself that she was still with him. Or perhaps he was still trying to calm himself down. Either way, standing here is his arms, her cheek against his chest and listening to his breathing, Bella didn't mind.

Just relax and enjoy it while you can, she told herself. It's unlikely to happen again. He's only here until James and Victoria are out of the way. You're a perpetual torture for him, remember? That thought, of course, made her tense up again.

Edward released his hold enough to see her face, his expression puzzled.

"Did I hurt you? I caught just a glimmer of your thoughts, then the curtain slammed down again."

"What did you hear?" Bella asked warily. Great. All she needed was for him to feel even more sorry for her.

"They were quite blurry. You seemed calm for a moment, then all I got was something about my not wanting to be here." He frowned. "We're not going through that again, are we? I thought we were past that nonsense." Then his frown lifted and his eyes twinkled. "Does this mean I win the bet?"

Squashing her irritation at her concerns being considered "nonsense," she retorted, "No way, buster! Interpretation of blurry thoughts doesn't count!"

Edward shook his head, his mouth quirking up on one side. "You can't blame a guy for trying."

It wasn't long before Angela arrived home, Ben in tow. Bella and Edward filled the couple in on the latest developments.

"Edward, can we speak in private for a moment?" Angela wore that determined, I'm-getting-to-the-bottom-of-this expression that always made Bella nervous. By the look on her vampire's face and speaking glance he shot her, it seemed he was now the one in the hot seat.

"Good luck, Kreskin," she teased under her breath.

"Would you like me to come too, Ang?" inquired Ben. He looked torn between his desire to support his fiancée and his wish to avoid an infamous Angela Inquisition.

"Thanks, Ben, but I've got this."

Uh-oh…poor Edward.

Edward, meanwhile, carefully followed the statuesque ash-brunette's thoughts. He was impressed. She'd thoroughly researched her facts and was ready to lay them out in front of him, all for her friend.

She ushered him into her small, tidy bedroom. Unlike Bella's, Angela's bed was a queen-sized one that somehow took up most of the room without making it appear crowded. It occurred to him that his mother Esme would like the décor – light with pops of fresh greens and salmons. Angela's original photography hung on the walls, and her shelves were stocked with photographic and art supplies.

"Sit," she instructed, pointing to the white-covered bed. Edward sat.

Angela paced thoughtfully, preparing her delivery. Taking a deep breath, she began.

"Before I begin, I'd like to first say that I believe that you are a good man, Edward Cullen. The way you look at Bella…it's how my father looks at my mother, and how Ben looks at me." She paused, her appraising gaze pinning him in place. "If God forbid the situation ever came up, Ben would give his life for me, Edward. I know it's only been a few days, but I believe that time is irrelevant in these situations."

Edward nodded. There was no need for him to answer.

"Now," she continued, taking a deep breath, "I'm going to talk and you're going to listen without interrupting. "

Yes, ma'am. Never mind the centenarian vampire part. Protective Angela was scary.

"You were two years ahead of me at Forks High. I remember when you and your family came, in the middle of my freshman year. You, Emmett and Rosalie were the talk of the school for a while, just arrived from Alaska, all adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. Bella missed all of that, because she didn't arrive until junior year, and you'd already graduated."

Thank God Bella wasn't in school with me, he thought gratefully. That was nearly seven years ago. He wasn't sure that he would have been able to prevent himself from attacking her back then.

"For some reason people avoided you, thinking that you were antisocial, but what I saw was that you didn't fit in with all those petty high school dramatics."

Again, Edward nodded. She was right…and much more observant than he'd initially suspected. No wonder she and Bella were best friends. He knew what was coming next, but he still wasn't quite ready to hear it.

"I must admit that I was curious. You were all so beautiful, with such unusually pale skin. And even though none of you were actually related, you all had those strangely coloured eyes. I rationalized that you were of some obscure Alaskan ethnicity or something. But then, after Bella and I came here, she met Alice and Jasper. Same skin, same eyes."

She took a deep breath, trying to gauge his reaction, worried that he may retaliate somehow for discovering his "secret."

"Then there is how easily I recognized you when I saw you here."

She recognized him? How had he missed that?

"So when Ben and I went back to Forks we dug through our old yearbooks. None of you were ever there on Picture Days. It's as if you were deliberately avoiding being photographed. However, there was one photo from your senior year where you were in the background, opening your locker. You probably didn't even know that it was being taken."

Angela bit her lower lip, but looked straight at Edward. "You've slicked your hair down a bit on the sides, but otherwise you are exactly the same as you were then. An eighteen-year-old boy should look quite different from a twenty-five-year-old man, but you don't. You don't age."

She smiled wryly. "Ben thinks you're some sort of alien or zombie. My theories are more along the lines of angels, or aging pictures hidden away in attics."

Edward couldn't prevent the chuckle from escaping. "Dorian Gray? Really?" Oddly enough, it wasn't that far from the truth. Eternal beauty in exchange for his damned soul? Yes, quite close indeed.

Angela crossed her arms and shrugged. "It made just as much sense as anything else. Don't get me wrong, it worries me that you're not…normal. What worries me more, though, is that with your appearance in Bella's life also came a wrecked truck, damaged ribs, a psycho voyeur, and goodness knows what other turmoil. Now we're all impacted – Ben, Bella, me, Alice…and don't think I missed that exchange of yours with Domen. That's a whole other issue."

She shifted her weight to her other foot. Yup, he was in for it. "Cascade effect, Dr. Cullen. I want to know what you intend to do about it, is this voyeur creep like you, why aren't we getting the police involved, and most importantly how are you going to fix this mess without breaking my best friend's heart?"

Good questions, mocked Edward's inner voice. Got any good answers for her? She looks like she might torch you any moment now.

The good news was that, in spite of everything, Angela's thoughts were leaning toward a happy ending for himself and Bella…as a couple. That'll change if she finds out that you're one of the blood-drinking undead. But for now, yeah, let's go with that.

"Yes, he's like me, except that his eyes range from red to black. The police won't be able to do anything, so there's no point in involving them. My family and I, along with Jasper and Alice, are trying to catch James and make sure you, Bella and Ben are protected. Once he and Victoria are gone…" He hesitated, briefly caught up in Angela's image of himself with Bella.

"I'll be whatever Bella wants me to be for her." There. That was mostly accurate.

Angela's mind really was a pleasant place to be, and she said exactly what she thought.

"OK, fair enough. Let's go back to the living room."

Edward watched Bella's friend lock eyes with Ben as soon as they joined the others, silently communicating on a level that almost transcended thought. The same idea entered both Angela's and Ben's heads at the same time. Edward glanced at Angela in surprise. She trusted him that much?

Bella, meanwhile, anxiously scanned Edward's face, trying to discern what happened.

"Edward," inquired Angela, "Is it safer for us all to be in the same building, or different buildings?"

"Definitely the same. Our resources wouldn't be spread so thin that way."

Angela nodded thoughtfully, but Bella looked puzzled.

"Ang, what are you thinking we should do?"

"Well, there are two apartments here. What if Ben stayed with Edward temporarily?"

Ben wasn't happy with that idea. From his thoughts Edward knew that he really wanted to remove his fiancée from harm's way, and in his mind "harm's way" meant Bella with a psychotic freak after her. Edward couldn't blame him. If their positions were reversed, he would feel the same.

"Another option would be for Bella to be with me," he volunteered, feeling the petite dark-haired woman next to him stiffen. "When I'm at the hospital, Alice or Jasper could take my place."

Good decision, Alice's thoughts floated in. So far that seems to have the best outcome.

After some debate, it was decided that Ben would move in with Angela, and Bella would stay upstairs with him. Soon Alice and Jasper arrived, ready to take over while Edward was on duty at the hospital.

"I was right about the bed and sofa, wasn't I?" teased Alice, too low for the humans to hear. Edward responded with a grimace.

Bella followed him to the door as he was leaving.

"Are you sure you're all right with staying with me?" He had to be certain that she wasn't feeling forced.

As usual, Bella seemed to know exactly the point that bothered him. "I trust you, Edward. I'm OK with it if you are. Are you OK with it?"

He grinned in relief. "More than OK." Bella's answering smile practically lifted him off his feet. The two of them stood there for a moment, gazing happily at each other.

"Get to work, Edward," prompted Jasper good-naturedly. You look like a lovesick puppy, dude.

"Have a good night, Bella." He was reluctant to leave her.

"You too. Now go!" She gave him a gentle shove.

"Don't forget to lock…"

"Out!"

Whew, she thought. In truth, she was having mixed feelings about the new living arrangement. She'd quickly squashed her excitement at spending time alone with Edward, reminding herself that because of her he lost his peaceful refuge. On the other hand, he did admit that he felt more at peace with her than without her. Bella understood that. With him there, she felt more…complete.

Bella glanced up to find Jasper's sympathetic golden eyes on her.

"Don't overthink it," he advised in his soft drawl. "He needs you too."

The next few days passed quickly. As much as she hated mornings, Bella woke up early in anticipation of Edward coming "home." Alice, her self-appointed babysitter for nighttime, informed her that Edward's family had joined in tracking James and Victoria, but just when they thought they had them, the slippery pair seemed to evaporate into thin air.

Bella hated this waiting game, but Alice and Angela didn't seem to mind. In fact, the three women indulged more in "bonding activities," even inviting Carissa to join them for a shopping expedition.

Edward still remained reserved, although there had been that irritating gleam in his eye when he informed her that her truck wouldn't be ready for another couple of weeks. He was her chauffeur to and from the university, their time together mostly light and pleasant. Bella felt herself falling a little bit more in love with him each time, and the sight of his tall, bronze-haired figure waiting for her never failed to make her heart leap.

It was easy to fall into a false sense of security, one that shattered just after Bella's Tuesday comp class. Two male students approached Bella's desk as she logged out of the lecture hall computer and stacked the remaining handouts.

"Bella? We need to talk with you for a moment."

Somewhere in the back of her mind a red flag went up. There was something…off…about these students. She picked up the cell phone on her desk, her thumb ready to speed-dial Edward.

"Of course. I noticed that you weren't on the roster. Are you adding this class?"

One of them pulled out his phone, which he handed to Bella. "Listen." Uh-oh, this wasn't looking good.

"Hello Bella," a soft, menacing voice greeted her.

No, not good at all.

So, who do you think is on the phone? :-)

In case you're wondering, Kreskin ("The Amazing Kreskin") is a mentalist who became popular on television in the 1970's.