What – sorry, what was that? It's been almost two months since the last update? Pfft, sure, okay.

. . . really though, sorry. I've got this huge excuse made up about how I think my assessments and essays conspired against me with pitch forks made out of sharpened biros and kept me prisoner, but um, yeah . . .

(Sorry if you're reading this for a second time, had to re-upload this chapter to fix some minor errors that I found)

Previously:
"And she could see that even though I only knew you for a night, and that night was almost a year ago, you mean a lot to me, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to someday, mean a lot to both you and Jackson. I went home and I did a lot of thinking last night. I thought about if I was ready for a kid, and in the end I came to the conclusion that it didn't matter if I was ready or not, because he's here, and I'm not about to just let you both walk away simply because I'm scared. And I am scared, and a little confused, still really shocked," he paused and swallowed, and then looked straight at me, "But I would really like it if I could get to know every little thing about . . . my son, and you."

And now, Chapter eleven

Can you honestly tell me that you could resist that? A man telling you with such conviction, that he wanted to know you? And your son, that just so happened to be his as well? Cause I couldn't.

"I'd really like that too, Edward." I said softly.

A huge grin spread across his face and he said this with pure simple relief, "Good."

A comfortable silence covered us for a minute before I leant up next to him, and nudged his arm with my shoulder, cause that's all I can reach.

"So, where're you taking us, dude?" I asked, grinning.

His head lolled lazily in my direction and he grinned, "You'll see when we get there, I was hoping you'd take a ride with me?"

Already been there, done that.

Shhh.

I looked at the back seat of his car, only to find the windows tinted.

I turned towards Edward again, "Um, sure, but Jackson's gonna need a seat, and I take forever to remove the one in my car."

I'd had that particular car seat since Jackson was first born; safest thing around, but the most temperamental piece of shit when you wanted to take it out. It was going to be hell doing it once when I handed the rental car back in, and my lazy ass didn't want to do it twice.

Edward didn't seem too worried though, in fact he almost looked sheepish, and I think I sorta clicked when he pushed himself away from the side of the car, walked around me and opened the passenger door.

He swung his arms in 'ta da' gesture, his face still sheepish, though a slight grin was starting to curve his lips.

Moving over to see what I knew would be there.

A car seat. An expensive looking one. Perfect for Baby boy.

And you were worried.

Did he buy that last night? Having looked around, I'm not too sure that there are any places to buy that sort of thing here; in forks, that has all of like, ten profitable businesses.

I glanced up at Edward and he was looking down at me, waiting for my reaction I guess.

I smiled slightly and then turned back to the seat.

"Um, when did you get that?"

"This morning?" he was grimacing slightly.

"You went to Port Angeles at like what? Seven o'clock in the morning for a car seat?" I was incredulous.

"Yes?"

I nodded, "Alright, take us to this place then."

X

10 minutes later, a sleeping Jackson, a tensed up Edward and a confused me, we're driving down a narrow road with towering trees either side of us. It'd look kind of magical if I wasn't concerned with the fact that I knew nothing of where we were going.

Charlie would kill me if he found out that I was going to an unknown place with someone who, despite what my heart felt, I barely knew from Adam.

Clearing my throat, I lean forward while asking, "You mind?" indicating to the radio.

I see him flicker his eyes from the road to the radio and nod. "Go ahead."

Deciding to take a chance, I press play, hoping that there's a CD in there.

And there is. James . . . fucking . . . Brown.

And I'm laughing as "I feel nice . . . like sugar and spice" sounds through the car. The sound so high, that I can see Jackson in my periphery vision startle awake.

Quickly adjusting the sound, I watch as Jackson closes his eyes again, huffing cutely.

I turn back to Edward, whose looking rather intently at the road in front of him.

Leaning over the console with enthusiasm, I basically whisper yell in his ear, "You never told me you liked James Brown!"

Edward jumps slightly, "Jesus woman, get back in your seat," he snapped.

"Sorry" retreating to my seat. I'm still staring at him, because I love that song. It's my cleaning song. Everyone has a cleaning song. One that makes them feel so ridiculously happy, that even cleaning feels good. Feels niiiiice.

I start humming, and I see the side of his mouth lift up in a small tentative smile.

"You like James Brown?" he asks, his voice controlled, careful.

I grin and nod, "I love him, or I guess, I love this song," I shrug," to be honest, I've never heard any of his other songs."

He chuckles finally, "Me too, on both accounts."

I nod, both to him and to the beat of the song.

"Sorry about that there, I just – I really love this song." I do a little jig in my seat, "It's my jam, and I'm hoping to make it Jackson's too. I play it every Sunday for like, the whole day."

He shakes his head, "No need to apologize, I can understand your enthusiasm. If I remember correctly, you also like Frank Sinatra, Eminem and some new singer called Birdy?"

I stared at him for a second, 'cause he remembered all that.

I hummed, "Yeah, my tastes are pretty eclectic aren't they? How 'bout yours?"

He shrugged, "I'm open to just about anything, as long as it's good."

Sex is good, really good; think he'd be open to that again?

I squirmed a little in my seat, frowning at myself.

And I was about to partake in some more of that small talk to distract myself when suddenly, he indicated and turned off the road onto a dirt one, and I'm gonna admit that it made me panic a little.

But then I noticed that we were pulling into something that looked like a car park. In other words, a really small, unofficial, dirt space that might fit a couple of cars.

And there was a river, or a lake, whatever. And park benches . . . and yes, thank the lord, there were people. Not many though; looked to be a family of three and a lone girl with a book on one of the benches closest to the lake. Or river.

As Edward parked the car, I began to remember the exact moment he told me of this place.

"So, Edward, tell me, what's your favourite place in the world?" I asked, reaching for my glass, the bartender had just filled it again. No longer half empty.

He turned to me and smiled, and it was gorgeous.

"You wanna know my favourite place in the world?" he looked around, and with a sarcastic bravado said, "other than right here in this lovely establishment with an even lovelier lady?"

I laughed, almost snorted, but I held it back, just.

You keep telling yourself that.

"Yes, I wanna know."

He fiddled with a bear cap, and seemed to think about it for a second.

Then he angled his body towards me and spoke, "My favourite place in the world would have to be about a five minute walk from my backyard. It's got park benches, and people, and a really awesome lake. And really green grass. Must be the other side of somewhere with really bad grass.

"And you know when no one else is around, it's so quite, and you could almost pretend that you were the only one on earth."

"A really awesome lake."

He laughed at my mumbled statement and unbuckled himself.

"That it is."

Sorry, again.

Thank you for reading, and you know that thing that I love. The one thing that's so delicious, enticing and wonderful? Do it. Review, do it. Go on, please.