A QUICK DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Little Mermaid or Ferris Bueller's Day Off or the demon Zuul (for all you Ghost Busters fans out there).

AN: Thanks to everyone that's been reading and/or reviewing and/or recommending this story. A big thanks to Dazzle for working her magic on this chapter. I'll be starting the college soon, so if the updates slow, you can blame my need to further my education. Sowwy. :(

Enjoy!


Chapter 11: Provoking the Groom

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EPOV

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When I got on the bike, my first thought was 'this should clear my head'. What could take a man's mind off murder better than the wind in his face, the speed of his motorcycle, and the feel of his beautiful fiancé against his back? So why isn't this working? I'm starting to think that the only thing that can take my mind off of killing Phil is to actually do it. Even though the bastard deserves it, I'm more level headed than to resort to murder. I mean I could just beat the shit out of him and send him packing back to Phoenix. That wouldn't land me in jail and would get rid of this rage I have because of him.

However, Bella would get upset. I know she hates the fucker as much as I do, but she doesn't want to lose what she has left with her mother. I can understand and respect that. Regardless, if he gets close to her or says something similar to what he told her on the stairs again, I'll fucking beat the living shit out of him. I won't care about the rest.

I feel Bella take a deep breath. Here I am, stewing in my anger and not even thinking about her. "You okay?" I have to holler over the wind and the engine.

"Fucking perfect," she screams back at me and then laughs. Before I have the chance to ask her if she's telling me the truth she screams, "FUCKING PERFECT!" as loud as she can.

I can't help but laugh at the way she's acting. She's probably needed to scream like that all day today. I knew out of all the females she went to Seattle with today, Sue was more than likely the only one that wasn't overbearing… much. I haven't had the chance to ask her how it went today. My mother expressed some concern to me about Renée before we went to pick them up for the airport yesterday and I wonder if everyone got along.

Mom doesn't like Renée. Last summer was the first time she ever met her and she didn't like the way she treated me while Bella was unconscious and she didn't like the way she treated Bella when she woke up after the accident. She made Bella out to be some kind of troubled teen that had ran away from home to live with her no-good boyfriend, and that made my mother very angry.

All that aside, Mom wants this experience to be the best for Bella, so she's going along with the rest of us in trying to please her by making friends with Renée. If Bella knew we were doing this, she'd more than likely send her mother home. Even though this is supposed to be her time, she'd still do what it took to make everyone else happy.

That's my girl, the martyr…

* * *

When we get to Port Angeles, I park near the pier. I get off and swoop Bella up, causing her to laugh loudly as I set her down. She smiles up at me as she pulls her helmet off. "So what do you want to do?" She grabs my wrist and looks at my watch. "We've got a little time. Let's go window shopping."

She bends over at the waist, running her fingers through her hair and shaking it out, trying to get rid of her 'helmet hair,' as she likes to call it. "That sounds like a good plan; a little window shopping, maybe a movie, and then some dinner."

"Yes! That's perfect."

We toss our helmets and jackets in the storage compartment. I run my hands through my hair a few times and we head out to start our date. Usually a date with Bella consists of renting a movie and getting take-out. She likes the comfort of our living room as opposed to the crowds at the theater. She hates it when people talk or when cell phones start ringing. Once she got so pissed off that she turned around and hollered at the person, "Turn the fucking thing off! I didn't pay ten bucks to hear your fucking phone conversation." She got a round of applause with her rant and thoroughly fucked when she got home. I get so turned on when she gets mad; I'm surprised I don't try making her that way more often.

Bella grabs my hand as we stroll down the street. We make it about twenty yards from the bike before her stomach lets out this angry growl. She grabs her stomach and giggles. "Maybe we should eat first and save the window shopping for another time?"

I chuckle and nod. "Let's get something to go and eat on the pier. It's a full moon tonight."

She smiles brightly and nods happily. It looks like that scream did wonders for her attitude. She's acting happier and freer. I know she's having fun with this wedding thing, she's been looking forward to it ever since we decided to get married early, but it's still stressful for her with Phil around.

We walk across the street to this little Italian restaurant. The hostess looks at me and her jaw goes slack. Bella snickers and walks right up to the counter. "Hi, can we have a menu? We just want to order to go."

The hostess looks between the two of us and nods her head. "Yes… uh, here you go," she tells her as she hands her a menu. Bella grabs my hand and pulls me over to the bench by the door. We take a seat and I watch her for a moment, waiting for her to start swearing at the hostess under her breath, like she usually does when they look at me like that. However, it never happens.

"Bella?"

She looks up at me. "Edward?" she asks then smiles at me.

"What's going on with you?" I push her hair off her shoulder, rubbing my hand over her neck and back.

"I'm forgetting."

"Forgetting…?" I look at her expectantly, waiting for her to explain.

She shrugs. "Everything. You and I are the only ones here right now. There is no family, there is no hostess, there is only Zuul," she says with a giggle before getting serious again, "There is only us and that's the way it's going to stay until… well, until we get back to Forks, I suppose."

I nod. "Alright. Then I'll play along."

She bites her bottom lip, before pecking my cheek with a quick kiss. "Thank you."

I can't help but smile at her. "You're welcome."

She moves the menu to my lap. "So what do you want to eat?"

I look at the menu and smile. "Well, since you aren't on here… let me look."

She giggles, wrapping her arms around mine. "You can have me for dessert."

I toss the menu back in her lap. "Then I want to skip dinner."

She tosses her head back and laughs loudly. When she recovers, she smacks my arm playfully. "Seriously, pick something to eat."

"Fine, if I must…"

I take the menu back from her and look at what they have. "Chicken Alfredo, that sounds good."

"What do you want to drink?"

"Share a coke with me?"

She scrunches up her nose in disgust. "I want a tea."

"Then share a tea with me."

She smiles and nods, taking the menu and standing up. "Fork over the money, buddy, and no one gets hurt."

I chuckle and pull my wallet out of my back pocket, handing her the debit card. "There. Just don't take my shoes."

She winks at me, saying, "It's not your shoes I want," before walking up to the hostess. I try to listen to her order, but her body takes my attention away. I can clearly see her tattoo through her white t-shirt. Her ass looks amazing in those leather pants, as do her thighs. I bring my eyes back up, lingering on her ass again and then the tattoo before getting lost in her crazy hair. It looks like she just had the best sex of her life.

"It'll be about fifteen minutes."

"That's fine. Thanks."

She turns and catches me staring at her. She walks back up to me slowly, coming to a stop between my legs. She presses her knees against the bench as she grabs my hands and pulls me forward. "Did you get yourself an eyeful?"

I laugh as she presses my hands against her ass before moving them up to her hips. I smile up at her. "Yes, I did. I couldn't help but enjoy the view."

She giggles as she pushes me to my previous position before sitting down beside me. She drapes her legs over my knee and leans against my side. "I'm glad we did this."

"I agree. I really missed you today."

She presses a kiss to my shoulder. "I could tell by all those text messages you sent me. I bet the guys gave you hell about it."

I nod. "Yeah, they did that. I didn't mind, though."

"I missed you too, you know?"

I fiddle with her engagement ring and smile. "I could tell by all those text messages I got back."

She giggles as she pulls away to look up at me. "We're hopeless, you know that, right? I mean, we can't even be apart for more than twelve hours."

I shrug. "I don't know. I think that's a good thing. We've been together for a year and we haven't gotten tired of one another yet."

"We work well together."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. We take care of each other. We have each other's backs. This isn't a one-sided thing, we don't have defined roles. I'm not the little woman and you aren't the mighty husband. We both cook, we both clean, and we both pay attention to the other's needs."

I smile down at her. "I'm glad you feel that way. I sometimes worry that I might be smothering you."

Her expression is bemused as she frowns at me. "Smother me? How would you smother me? Well, I mean beside the obvious way…" I look at her confused. "…with a pillow."

She pokes my ribs as I laugh at her. "I'm serious. I get scared that maybe I'm too… clingy. I meant it last night when I said it's usually the other way around. I'm usually the one wrapping myself around you in bed. I've never done this before. I don't want to fuck this up."

She nods, wrapping her arms around mine a little tighter. "You won't. You aren't too clingy. I love that you can't keep your hands off me. It's a great thing. It makes me feel… wanted… beautiful. To have an attractive man want to touch you all the time is a pretty nice self-esteem booster, actually."

"You'll tell me if I get to be too much, won't you? You'll stop me before I ruin it, right?"

She laughs and rolls her eyes. "You won't ruin it, Edward, but if by some crazy chance you start smothering me, emotionally or otherwise, I'll let you know."

I chuckle and nod. "Thanks."

She kisses my cheek. "I love you."

I wrap my hand around the back of her neck, bringing her lips to mine. "I love you," I whisper against them before I kiss her.

A throat clearing breaks us apart. We look up to see the hostess placing a large bag and cup on the counter. "Here you go."

Bella hops up and grabs everything. "Thanks," she says quickly before turning back around to me and thrusting the bag in my direction. "You take this and I'll protect the drink."

I smile and grab the bag. Bella grabs my free hand and pulls me towards the door. "Come on, I think my larger intestine is about to eat the smaller one in a fight for survival!"

We hurry down to the pier and take a seat on one of the benches down here. When I open the bag I see that there's more than just dinner, there's also dessert. I give her my best pout. "I thought you said I could have you for dessert."

She giggles and rolls her eyes. "You can't have two desserts?"

I look at the cake and then back at her, blatantly checking her out. "Can I have one with the other?"

She giggles again and nudges my shoulder with her own. "Would you freaking eat already?!"

I blow a raspberry on her neck, watching her squirm and laugh before letting her eat. Once we're done with dinner and dessert, we walk over to the movie theater to see what they have playing. Bella pulls on my hand like a child. "Can we watch Johnny Depp?"

I chuckle. "You mean Public Enemies?"

"Yeah, whatever you say," she shrugs, keeping her eyes glued to the movie poster. I move behind her, breathing on her neck, causing her to shiver against me.

"Are you fantasizing about Johnny Depp?"

I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her against me as run my nose up her neck. "Not anymore," she says with a giggle.

I can't help but laugh at her again. "That's what I thought…"

She squirms out of my arms. "You're evil. I never use my womanly wiles against you like that."

I scoff. "Oh, yes, you do. You just don't know you do it."

She rolls her eyes and pulls me to stand in line. "The movie starts in ten minutes. I don't want to miss my date with Mr. Depp."

Before I can make a comment, someone calls our names. We turn and see Phil and Renée walking down the sidewalk towards us. Bella waves and then turns to me. "Follow my lead."

She grabs my hand and walks up to them. I immediately take my protective stance and keep Bella positioned behind my arm. Renée smiles brightly. "Hey, you two. I didn't expect to run into you guys."

I frown slightly at her words. We fucking told Phil we were coming here. Did he not tell her we were? Bella laughs. "Really? We told Phil we were coming out here and that's the reason we couldn't eat dinner with you guys at the diner."

Renée smiles, but it doesn't seem quite right. "Then let's watch a movie! Johnny Depp has a new movie out. I know how much you like him," she says, obviously ignoring what Bella just told her.

I chuckle, nudging Bella with my elbow. She narrows her eyes at me before turning back to her mother. "We just came out of the theater, actually. We're about to ride around a little while before heading back to Forks."

Renée looks sad but nods her head. "Oh, okay. Well, you two have fun. We'll see you in the morning."

Bella gives Renée a quick hug before taking my hand and telling them goodbye. We hurry away from them, walking briskly across the street towards the Ducati. "Bella, we don't have to go home."

She smiles up at me and shakes her head. "I don't plan on going home. We're going to ride around like I said. I know it's just Port Angeles, but it'll be fun just riding the bike around."

"We could rent a movie once we get to Forks. I brought the laptop. We could hide out in bed."

She smiles brighter and nods. "That sounds perfect. Let's do that instead."

We pull on our jackets and helmets and head back to Forks, stopping at the movie store slash pizza parlor for a movie. Bella giggles and runs over to the Disney section. She picks up The Little Mermaid and shows it to me. "If you loved me at all, you'd rent me this movie."

I chuckle, taking the box from her. "The Little Mermaid, huh? On one condition."

She leans against my chest as she looks up at me, batting her big brown eyes at me. "Name it."

"You sing for me. Every song."

She gasps, looking torn between watching the movie and my condition. She grabs the movie and flips it over, looking at the back cover. She sighs and looks at me. "Fine. I'll sing them for you."

I smile crookedly. She thinks this is some kind of punishment, but I love listening to her sing. I snatch up Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Bella giggles. "Childhood favorites night?"

I shrug. "Why not?"

We walk up to the counter and the guy standing there blatantly checks Bella out. He looks at her like he's gone brain dead. I snap my fingers in his face. "Come on, buddy!"

"Edward," I hear Bella say softly as she takes my hand.

The dude mumbles an apology and quickly starts ringing us up. Bella wraps her arm around my waist, but it's too late. I'm fucking pissed. Here I've got Phil breathing down her neck like a sick fuck and some twat behind the counter checking her out like a piece of fucking meat. I snatch the movies out of the guy's hand and pull Bella behind me as I leave the store.

I toss the movies in the storage compartment after I pull our helmets out. I turn to hand Bella's to her but she's standing behind me with her arms crossed over her chest, eyes narrowed, and her hip cocked out. This would be her I'm pissed look.

"What the fuck, Edward?"

"Exactly. What the fuck?! What is it with guys staring at you like that?"

"You didn't have to be mean to him. He didn't do anything."

"Didn't do anything? He practically eye-fucked you right in front of me. I'd say that's something, Bella."

She pulls her arms from around her chest and places her hands on her hips. "Well, guess the fuck what? You're going to have to get used to it. If you want me to look nice for you, then I'm going to be inadvertently looking nice for the rest of the male population! Everything I do is for you, so why are you getting upset when another guy appreciates the view?!"

My anger peeks. I get in her face. "Because it's my fucking view! Mine! Not theirs!"

She bites her bottom lip and moves closer to me, pressing her body against mine as she slides her hands around me underneath my jacket. "Then feel sorry for them," she whispers as she breathes heavily against my neck.

I can't help but growl at her. She fucking provoked me. "You did that on purpose."

She takes my ear lobe into her mouth, biting softly before letting it go. "You need to let that anger out, Edward. If you keep it bottled up, you're going to blow up eventually."

I wrap my arms around her, letting one hand slide down her back to grip her ass. "How about you help me release my rage?"

She shivers, nodding her head. "Let's go."

We quickly get back on the Ducati and head back to the house. Jacob and Alice try stopping us, but Bella tells them our date isn't over. I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder once we get to the second floor. She's walking way too slow.

She lets out a startled yelp, but laughs right afterwards. Once we're in the room, I slam and lock the door. I make my way quickly over to the bed, where I toss her down like a sack of potatoes. She laughs again before smiling up at me. She bites her bottom lip as she rubs her thighs together. Her hands slide up her torso coming to a stop on her breasts, squeezing them as she moans softly.

"What are you waiting for, Edward?"

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BPOV

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I knew this would be rough. I knew this would probably hurt a little. But I knew he needed this. I didn't want him to lose it and haul off and hit Phil… or some unsuspecting movie store clerk. I don't like it when men look at me like that, but it's something I've come to deal with because of Edward. I like looking nice for him, but when I do things like that, I look nice for other people too. Totally unintentional, but I can't help it.

He pulls my boots and socks off, before running his hands slowly up my legs. He unfastens my pants and pulls them and my panties off. "Sit up," he demands. I do as told and sit up. He pulls off my shirt and then my bra. All my clothes are on the floor around his feet with him standing fully dressed before me.

He gets on the bed, crawling over my body until he's face to face with me. He locks eyes with mine for a moment before looking down at my lips. He brings his hand to my face and runs his finger over my bottom lip. "Not a word," he whispers.

I nod my head. That's his way of telling me he wants full control. I love this… He moves back onto his knees and pulls his shirt off. "Get on your hands and knees facing me."

I do so quickly, bringing myself eye to eye with the bulge in the front of his pants. I lean forward and nuzzle my face against it. A quick swat to my ass makes me jump and move back. "Don't get greedy, little girl."

I look up at him and bite my bottom lip. This action always gets him. He cups the side of my face in his hand, brushing his thumb back and forth over my cheek. "So fucking beautiful…" he whispers. I press my cheek against his palm, relishing in the contact he's offering me.

"So you want my cock in your mouth, do you?" I stay quiet, just like he said. "Answer me."

"Yes, sir."

He smirks and moves off the bed. He moves around the bed and sits on the couch behind me. "Come here to me, Isabella."

Ugh… the way he says my name like that makes me a little lightheaded. His voice affects me all the time, and he knows it. Just like the other day in the airport. I would do anything he ever asked me to if he used the right tone.

I get off the bed and stand in front of him. He takes my hand and says, "On your knees. Now."

I kneel down in front of him and he places my hand on his cock. "Show me what you wanted to do to me, Isabella."

I quickly pull him out of his jeans and take him into my mouth. The action isn't really my favorite thing to do, but I love the power I have over him and how much pleasure he gets out of this. I love getting him off and this is one of his favorite ways. Watching him always gets me so aroused.

I look up at him and he groans, throwing his head back against the back of the couch. After a moment, he brings his hands up to my hair, moving it out of his line of sight. He starts moving my head to the rhythm he prefers. I massage his thighs and balls as he sets his desired pace.

"Fuck… so good… so close…"

As he pulls my head up, I gently scrap my teeth on the underside of his cock. He gasps and thrusts into my mouth, releasing. I scrunch my eyes closed as I swallow everything down. I'll never get used to this. Ever. Oh, the things I do for this man…

I smile up at him as his breathing slows back down. "Undress me."

I pull his shoes and socks off, then his jeans and underwear. I toss them to the side as he moves forward on the couch. He surprises me by reaching between my legs. I gasp and clamp onto his arms as his fingertips push into my entrance. "So wet," he whispers into my ear. "What is it that turns you on so much? Answer me."

"You," I breathe into his ear. "Watching you."

"Watching me? Watching me turns you on?"

All I can do is nod as he continues to finger me. "What do you want to watch me do, baby?"

I gasp and look up at him, seeing if he is serious or not. He looks down at me with so much desire in his eyes that I nearly attack him. "Masturbate."

He smirks. "Only if you give me something to masturbate to."

He kisses me softly, before pulling away, waiting for my answer. "What do you need?" I whisper against his lips.

He picks me up and sets me on the bed. "You're so fucking turned on right now, aren't you?"

I definitely am. My breathing is coming in heavy pants and I can feel my arousal running down my thighs. He wraps his arms around me, kissing on my neck and breathing heavy himself. I nod my answer as I rock my hips against his. I feel him hardening against my hip. He pushes me back on the bed as he gets on with me. "Touch yourself."

I lay back as he kneels between my legs. I reach down and push my fingers inside. His eyes are fixed on my hands as I watch his. It doesn't take either of us long to reach completion. He moves my hands out of the way and licks and sucks at me until I'm moaning and withering beneath him. Before I can come again, he pulls away and looks down at me, gripping my hips in his hands. His eyes are fixed on my stomach where he shot his release.

Suddenly, he lunges forward and attacks my mouth with his, holding my face firmly between his hands. He moves his hips so the tip of his erection brushes against my entrance but doesn't move inside. I dig my fingers into his back and plant my feet on the bed, giving myself leverage to thrust my hips upward, but he just moves his hips back farther.

I whimper into his mouth. I hate it when he makes me beg. It frustrates me to no end, mainly because I give into him. He smiles against my lips and I whisper, "Please? Edward—"

I gasp as he sheathes himself completely in one stroke. We cling to one another, desperately trying to get closer to each other as he starts a frenzied pace. I wrap my legs around his waist and cry out his name when he hits that sweet spot deep inside. He presses his face against my neck, grunting like some kind of wild animal. My senses feel like they're about to go into overload if I don't… yes, there, the glorious tingle. My fingers dig into his back and my hand grips the hair at the nape of his neck.

I throw my head back against the pillow and thrust my hips against his; having one of the most intense orgasms I ever remember having as I cry out his name. His grip on my shoulders tightens considerably as he thrusts into me one last time, growling out my name right against my ear.

He collapses on top of me, both of us breathing as if we just ran a fucking mile. He presses his lips to my neck, kissing from the crook all the way up to my ear and along my jaw to my lips. We kiss languidly for a moment before we both start laughing softly for no reason except we're just that happy. He pulls out of my slowly, both of us groaning softly at the loss of contact.

He rolls off of me, pulling me against him as he settles on to his side. We stay quiet, not really needing to say anything, but rather communicating with our hands as we caress each other slowly. He tilts my chin back after a moment and smiles down at me, looking me directly in the eyes. "Thank you, baby."

I shrug. "Meh, it was nothing," I tell him with a playful smile and wink.

He chuckles before kissing me so sweetly. I hum happily against his lips as he stops the kiss. "We need to get a shower," he tells me. "We're sort of… sticky."

I giggle and nod, pulling his hand as I crawl out of bed. I walk into the shower and turn it on, getting the water just right. I put my hand out to test the temperature of the water and gasp.

"Bella?"

There's blood under my fingernails. I gasp again when I realize what I've done. I turn to Edward and turn him around. There on his shoulder are four bloody crescent shaped marks. Edward turns around in the mirror and looks at his back. His worried frown turns into a shit eating grin. He looks back at me and chuckles. "Well, that's new."

I frown. "I fucking cut you!"

He chuckles. "Bella, scratch marks on a guy's back is a good thing. Trust me. If you ever feel the need to do that again, whatever you do… don't hold back."

I shake my head, frowning harder. "Edward… this isn't a good thing. I hurt you." I grab his hand and pull him into the shower. "Let me clean it up."

Edward grabs my wrists before I pour his soap onto the wash cloth, and looks me dead in the eyes. "Bella, I'm serious. I don't mind them."

My frown of anger and shame turns to confusion. "Really? But…"

"I've left plenty of bruises on you during sex. How do you feel when you look at them?" I bite my lip to try and hide my smirk. It's unsuccessful because Edward chuckles knowingly. "Exactly."

"I still feel bad, though."

He cups my face in his hands. "I feel bad seeing the bruises, but then I notice how you look at them. I see how you don't try and hide them. I don't feel so bad after that."

I sigh. "Just let me clean the cuts, okay? I'll feel better after that."

He takes a deep breath. "Okay," he says as he releases the breath slowly.

I feel so bad for marking him like that. I get that he thinks they're hot or whatever, but they could scar. The bruises I get fade after a couple of days. He could forever have four scars on his back if he doesn't take care of them. A strange since of pride washes over me that I have no idea where it comes from. I marked him… I don't feel so bad anymore, and I even smile a little. It's not like he's upset about it… I guess this is what he felt the first time he left a bruise on me. Hmmm…

After I clean his wound and we wash off, I turn to him and ask, "Did you grab the movies?"

He shakes his head. "No, I'll run down and get them. You finish washing your hair."

He kisses me for a moment before getting out and drying off quickly. I hope the sex helped his mood. He was so angry at that movie store clerk and I knew that if Phil wasn't in the picture, Edward would've handled the situation totally different. It's not like that's the first guy that's ever looked at me like that. The first time it happened, he did get angry and reacted much like tonight, but after a while he started flaunting it in the guy's face. I used to never really like to be paraded around, but with Edward doing the parading, I don't really mind.

Maybe if we do this every night until the wedding, he'll be more relaxed and able to handle Phil's disgusting looks. A little nagging voice—that sounds an awful lot like Edward's—tells me that it's all just wishful thinking and I know exactly how this is all going to end. I close my eyes and shake my head. It won't. It won't end that way.

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EPOV

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Floating on cloud nine really isn't the term I'd use for how I feel right now. It isn't sufficient enough. I need something to describe how big my ego is and how much lighter I feel. Bella always knows what I need to make me feel better. She knew that all of this Phil drama is out of my control and she knows how much I hate not being in control of a situation. So, she gave me something to control, something to help me release my anger.

Isabella Marie Swan is the fucking best woman to ever live. Hands down. No need to even have a fucking contest. She wins. Period.

I pull on a pair of pajama pants and a muscle shirt before heading down to the Ducati to get the movies. I'm probably going to be wearing a shirt like this every day until the cuts on my shoulder heal. I've never had a girl scratch my back hard enough to leave marks and I'm sort of glad that Bella is the only one that has. I've left plenty of bruises on her. Her wrists and hips are usually the worst for wear. She tells anyone that sees them that they're products of a tickle match that she lost, but I see the smirk on her face when someone asks. It's the same smirk I see when she's getting dressed. It's almost like she's proud of them. And I can totally understand that sentiment now.

I pass by my parents' room and hear girls giggling and talking. I assume it's all over dresses and makeup. When the girls got home today, Emmett, Dad, Phil, and I were sitting in the living room. I hated being that close to the slime bag, and I could tell Emmett and Dad were having some issues with it as well. Emmett told Dad and me every time he had to look at him he repeated the words 'For Bella' in his mind. We quickly picked up the mantra as well.

When the ladies walked in the house, they ignored us, talking about what they were going to wear for the wedding. Alice told me that Bella was in the SUV asleep and quickly went back to talking and planning about their outfits. I figured you could only talk so much about it before you had a plan, but apparently I was wrong.

I walk downstairs and find Emmett and Dad on the couch. Dad smirks at me. "How did tonight go?"

I narrow my eyes at him, wondering why he's looking to smug. "Good…"

I notice Em wearing the same smirk. I chose to ignore them and motion to the door. "I'm going to run out and get something from the Ducati."

I turn and head towards the door but Emmett's loud voice stops me in my tracks. "Hold. The. Phone."

I spin back around and see Dad chuckling and Emmett looking shocked. "What?"

"What, indeed, my brother. What is that on your back?" I look over my shoulder to see what he's talking about. "Other shoulder."

I look over to my other shoulder and see the scratch marks. I look up from the scratch marks to see my brother grinning from ear to ear. "We heard her holler your name, but we thought you were tickling her like you used to do…"

"Emmett, don't you fucking embarrass her," I warn him.

Emmett holds his hands up in surrender. "Wait a second. You expect me to overlook this. First of all, congratulations. I mean, I haven't even gotten Rosie to scratch my back. Not like that. Secondly, of course I'm going to embarrass her, but I promise it won't be in front of everyone."

I walk towards him, ready to beat the hell out of him in an effort to thwart any of his attacks on Bella, but this causes Dad to shoot up out of his seat. "Stop it. The both of you. Edward, you need to calm down. Emmett, you'll leave Bella alone. Everyone in this house has sex, Edward and Bella are no different. Leave them alone."

Emmett looks at Dad like he just took away his favorite toy and gave it to me. "But Dad! Seriously! This is… we can't let this go overlooked!"

Dad nods. "We can and we will."

Emmett sighs dejectedly, looks at me with his most pitiful pout, and walks upstairs. Dad turns to me and winks. "Good job, son," he says before patting my shoulder and heading off upstairs as well.

I chuckle and head outside to grab the movies. My Dad congratulating me for making Bella scream my name and claw at my back is something I never expected to happen. Then again, my relationship with my parents has never been normal. I shouldn't be surprised by his actions anymore.

As soon as I walk outside I hear a car coming down the drive. I walk on out to the Ducati since really, there's no telling who it is. It might be eleven at night, but the house has been pretty busy these last two days. I pop the seat on the Ducati as the car pulls up in front of the house. I turn and see… fuck… Phil and Renée getting out of their car.

"Hey, Edward. I think I left my wallet here," Renée explains.

I grab the movies and shut the seat. "Come on in," I tell her as I walk past her at the front of the car. "I'm pretty sure it's around here somewhere."

We walk into the house and Renée walks towards the kitchen. "I think I left it in here."

I turn to find Phil standing by the door with his hands in his pockets, bouncing on the balls of his feet. I hate it when he does this. He looks so fucking smug that I just want to beat him to death with something blunt.

"What happened to you shoulder?"

Ugh… "Nothing you need to worry about."

He chuckles and nods. "That's what I thought."

Before I can react, I hear my name being called from the staircase. I turn and see Bella walking down in a tight pink camisole and short pajama shorts. Of all the things she had to be wearing…

"Hey, Bella," Phil greets her.

"I'll be up in a second, Bella. Renée left her wallet in the kitchen."

I can tell her eyes aren't looking at me, but past me… at Phil. She gulps and nods. "Okay. I'll wait for you upstairs," she says quickly before turning and hauling ass back to our room.

Phil chuckles. I turn to him and find him shaking his head. "She's so cute when she looks like a deer caught in the headlights."

I take a step toward him, my hands like fists at my sides. "You like scaring her, don't you? You like that she's afraid of you."

He chuckles again. "I'll admit that it is interesting feeling."

I narrow my eyes, but before I can say anything more or get closer to him, Renée walks out of the kitchen. "Found it!" She laughs. "It was under the kitchen table! I have no idea how it got there."

Renée steps between us and takes her husband's hand. "Thank you, Edward. We'll see you in the morning."

"Yup," I tell her with a nod. The quicker they're gone the better. Phil bids me goodnight right before telling me. "Be sure to keep those cuts clean, man. You don't want an infection."

I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it. I slam the door in his face. "Yup."

I stand there for a moment, calming down before I head upstairs. When I turn around, I find Bella standing at the bottom of the stairs. She's ringing her hands and looking a little scared.

"He's gone," I tell her.

"Are you okay?"

I just shake my head. I don't really want to express my feelings at the moment. I walk over to her, take her hand, and lead her upstairs. I grab the laptop bag once we're back in the bedroom with the door locked, but her hand on mine stops me. "Let's just go to bed, okay? It's late and we have a busy day tomorrow."

I take a deep breath and sigh slowly. "Okay."

She takes the movies from my hand and tosses them on the desk before taking my hand and walking me over to the bed. She gets in and kneels in front of where I'm standing. She runs her hands up my torso, pushing my shirt up as she goes. I raise my arms and let her take it off of me. She moves back and pulls me onto the bed. As I get in, she sits back and pulls her shorts off, tossing them in the same haphazard direction as my shirt.

We curl up together and she sighs. "Everything was going so great…"

I kiss the top of her head. "I know. It can still go great."

She laughs softly. "For the next ten minutes before we fall asleep. What about when we wake up in the morning? You would've woken up in a good mood had it not been for Phil showing up." She pauses briefly. "Maybe I should ask them to leave…"

"No." She looks up at me, but I place my finger over her lips before she can argue. "You want your mother here. Until it's her you don't want here, then they stay. It's only for a few more days and then we'll be married and they'll be gone and we'll be happy again. Actually, we'll be even happier."

She sighs and nods, smiling behind my finger. She pushes my hand away and tells me, "You're right. We will be." She looks down and runs her fingers back and forth over my collarbone. "I just hate seeing you so… angry."

"Well, lucky for you, time with you makes me happy. So if I get angry, we can spend some time together."

"But if I just told them—"

"Bella. Stop." I press my forehead to hers. "Please, stop," I whisper. "Everything is going to be okay."

She sighs again, pressing her face against my neck as she molds her body to mine. "Okay."

I kiss her temple, cheek, and blow a raspberry on her neck. She giggles and squirms, but I hold her tight against me. She relaxes. "Please, don't tickle me. I'm so tired and I can't fight back," she pleads.

I kiss her cheek again and nod. "Okay, you'll get a reprieve this time."

I feel her smile against my chest. "I would expect nothing less."

After a moment she whispers, "Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, baby."

It only takes a few minutes before she's asleep, breathing slow and deep. I know sleep won't come as easily for me. My relaxed state waned the moment I fought with Emmett and disappeared the second Phil showed up. Bella's arm snakes around my waist, splaying her small fingers out against my back as she pulls herself tighter against me. I press my lips against the top of her head and keep them there as I entertain thoughts of beating the living hell out of Phil. He thinks its fun to provoke me. He's going to end up pushing me too far and seeing just how fun it can be.


We're getting closer and closer to the drama. Who's nervous? I know I'm nervous. Maybe for different reasons... but still nervous.

You know the drill... see ya next chapter! :D