I think I finally got all the chapters figured out. UGH! I was ready to chuck my laptop out into the street. I had chapter 6 posted twice. GO ME!

Anywho, I wanted to wait until tomorrow night to post this one, but I'm watching 'Hours' starring Paul Walker.

All mistakes are my own. SM owns all characters.

2/4/18

Ghostly Double

Chapter 11

BPOV

I woke up feeling pretty excited. My mom and Phil were coming home and I couldn't wait to hear about their trip.

Alice left about ten o'clock. This time, I knew she didn't play any tricks.

All night, I kept having dreams of Edward. Well, I thought they were of Edward until I woke up just before Anthony sank his teeth into my neck.

He kept telling me I was his and he was coming for me. I didn't know what the hell the dream meant, but I sure as hell hoped it never came true. If I never see Anthony again, it'd be too soon.

Around twelve-thirty, mom and Phil came barreling through the door. I heard mom before I saw her. "Isabella! We're home!"

I scrambled up as fast as I could and rushed to greet them. I jumped, wrapping my arms around moms neck. "I'm so happy you're home. I missed you guys."

"We missed you, too, honey. Phil will be in, in a sec. He's grabbing the luggage," mom explained before I could ask where he was.

Phil came stumbling in, dragging two large suitcases, behind him. Mom grabbed one before they headed upstairs to unpack.

I decided to make a quick lunch with the leftovers from dinner the night before. It didn't take long to warm everything up.

Phil came sauntering into the kitchen before mom. "Hey, you," he said, walking over and grabbing me up into a hug.

"Hey, I made some lunch; hope you're hungry." I turned toward the breakfast bar, waving my hand across the food I spread out to eat. "Dig in. It's leftovers from dinner last night."

"I'm starving. We didn't have time for breakfast this morning and the food on the plane wasn't fit for a dog." Phil sat down and grabbed one of the plates that I had set out. He started piling on the food. I had completely removed the rest of the chicken from the bone, making it easier and faster to serve.

I grabbed a plate also, but I wasn't quite as hungry as Phil.

Mom joined us about ten minutes later. "Wow. You made all this?"

"It's leftovers from dinner last night," I said, handing her a plate.

"Did you cook like this the whole time we were gone?" Mom asked as she grabbed a few chunks of the chicken.

I shook my head. "We went out a few times and ordered in. Edward was here a lot too, so we weren't always by ourselves," I explained, not making eye contact because I knew the questions were coming and I didn't want to give anything away from the embarrassed flush that crossed my cheeks.

"Edward?" Phil asked and I nodded. "Should we ask?"

"If you want. I don't have anything to hide," I said, smiling down toward my plate.

Mom sat down next to me. "I'm assuming you're okay with being around him?"

I nodded. "Yes, more than okay," I said quietly. "We're sorta seeing each other."

Phil choked on his food and mom spewed her drink across the counter. I chuckled at them. "What? You two are acting like you didn't expect it."

"Actually, we didn't. After the way you treated him at the reception, we thought he had a death wish," Phil said, raising his eyebrows at me.

I went on to explain everything that happened over the last three weeks. I told them how I made the decision to give Edward a chance. Of course I couldn't leave out the part where Alice kept butting in, pushing for Edward and me to spend time together, and I wasn't gonna volunteer the information about Edward and I swapping spit as Alice described it.

They told me I was old enough to make my own decisions as far as relationships, but to please be careful.

For the rest of the day, we lounged around. Phil walked around outside to make sure the landscapers did their job correctly. I didn't pay attention whether or not they did. My mind was on other things. Like a tall, tanned, sexy man.

That night, when I climbed into bed, I sent Alice a quick text, saying good night. She sent a text back telling me 'sweet dreams'.

Edward was next. I couldn't stop thinking about him.

You tucked into bed yet? -B

In bed but not asleep. -E

I wanted to say goodnight. -B

You happy that your mom and Phil are home? -E

Yes. Very. I told them we were seeing each other. My mom spit her drink all over and Phil choked on his food. -B

Really? LMFAO! That's priceless. Wish I could have seen that. -E

It was pretty funny. They told me to be careful. -B

I will definitely be very careful with you. I don't want my ass kicked. -E

Ha Ha. Do you have plans tomorrow? -B

Nope -E

Wanna come over? -B

I thought you'd never ask. What time? -E

How about lunch time. I'll cook. -B

You had me at LUNCH! – E

I see how you are. You only like me for my cooking. - B

Not on your life. That's only the bonus. Excellent food. -E

~Blushes~ B

Glad to see I have that effect of you. -E

You affect me in more ways than one. -B

After pressing send, I couldn't believe I just admitted that to him. If he saw me now, my face would be as red as.

Nice to know. –E

Okay. I'm gonna go to sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't be late. -B

Not a chance. Goodnight Bella. See you tomorrow. -E

Nite Edward. -B

I put my cell phone down on the nightstand, then snuggled down into bed. I had a huge smile on my face. Then out of nowhere, Anthony's face popped into my head. My heart sank, thinking about how I would ever get over them looking identical to each other. I'd have to find a way to convince myself that Anthony never existed. Edward needed to be the only face I saw in my mind.

I woke up bright and early the next morning. I was lucky to have a dreamless sleep.

I was a little anxious for Edward to come over. Alice had sent me a text, telling me she was taking my advice and visiting another friend. That made me happy. I didn't want her to feel like she had to devote all her free time to me.

I walked into the kitchen and mom was mixing a fruit smoothie in the blender. It looked delicious. "Good morning, sweetie. Want some?"

"Morning." I nodded. "Yes, I want some. That looks good."

"It is. We drank a lot of them while we were in Barbados," she said before getting a glass and pouring me some.

I glanced up at her after taking my first sip. "Gosh, that's good."

"Mmhmm...Phil loves 'em too," she said before she took a huge gulp of her smoothie.

"Where's Phil, anyway?" I hadn't seen him since I came downstairs.

She sat her glass down and turned toward the fridge. "Oh, he's out meeting up with Carlisle." She waved her hand, rolling her eyes. "Something about golf." She chuckled. "Boys and their balls."

I nearly choked on my smoothie when she said that. "Mom!"

"What? It's true," she giggled. She pulled some fresh fruit from the fridge and started cutting it up, making a fruit salad. "If it isn't baseball, it's golf."

I giggled at her. "Hey, you don't mind if Edward comes over to hang out, do you? I told him I'd make lunch." I knew she wouldn't mind, but I wanted to make sure she didn't have any other plans for us.

She smiled. "I don't mind. What's for lunch?"

"I haven't decided yet. I thought fajitas, maybe. I'm not sure if Edward even likes them. So far he eats anything I make," I said, getting up from my seat and walking to the fridge. I needed to make sure I had all the ingredients to make our lunch.

After looking to see what I needed, I had to take a trip to the grocery store. I didn't have any onions or small tortillas, and I wanted to make sure I got a desert for us, as well.

"I need to run to the store. "Was there anything you wanted me to get while I was there?" I asked, grabbing a pen and piece of paper to make a quick list.

"No, but what's on the menu for dinner? I'm sure Edward will still be around then," she said, smiling at me teasingly. I smiled back, knowing she's probably right. "How're you coping with that anyway? You seem like you're pretty okay."

I nodded. "It's getting better. I think the more I'm around him, the easier it is for me. I'm trying my hardest to ignore my past." I knew she understood who I was talking about. That's why I wasn't using any names, and I was starting to feel like I was repeating myself.

I sighed. Before I knew what I was doing, my mouth started a verbal vomit. "He sure does know how to kiss, that's for sure," I whispered.

Moms eyebrows rose up. "Oh, really?" She asked, sounding enthused about my admittance.

"Yeah," I said, closing my eyes, remembering the way his lips felt on mine. How warm they feel and when he pushed his tongue inside my mouth...

Mom giggled, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Look at you," she exclaimed. "You're all dreamy. Love does that to you."

I shook my head. "I wouldn't call it love, mom. We just started seeing each other. We're taking things slow." I shook my head, disagreeing with her even though the topic of Love at First Sight was brought up, already. "I definitely feel something for him, though." I slumped back in the chair to write out my list. "Do you think maybe I'm rushing into things with him? I mean, do you think it might be too soon for another relationship for me?"

Mom walked over and sat down next to me. She grabbed both of my hands. "Oh, honey. You're young. Love comes and goes throughout your life. A lot of girls your age, are from one boy to the next in a matter of days. You'll know if you're making the right decision. You'll know it here," she said, pointing toward my heart. "...but if you keep questioning yourself about your relationship with Edward, then maybe you shouldn't even give it a shot. You're supposed to fall in love more than once and every time you'll absorb new feelings, but when it comes to your one true love, you may never know at first. He could be someone that you see every day and never talk to. Anthony was just an obstacle on your way to your one true love."

She was right and I couldn't deny that. If I continued to question myself about my relationship with Edward, then I needed to back off before it really gets started. I needed to pull my head out of my ass and look at the bigger picture. If Alice was right by telling me that she saw Edward and I together, then I needed to let the chips lie where they fall.

It was time for me to put my head up and go with the flow. If Edward wanted to hold my hand at school, I'll let him. If he wanted to kiss me in front of the whole world to see, I'll let him. I have to stop shying away. I needed to stop acting like it was all about me. It's been more than six months since he walked out of my life. It's time for me to start living like he doesn't affect me anymore. My feelings towards Edward are a sure sign that good or even perfect things are worth the wait.

"You're right. I do need to stop questioning everything so much." I got up from my chair, leaned over and hugged my mom. "Thank you for helping me see things the way I should."

"That's what I'm here for, sweetie. You can come to me about anything. Phil and I are both here for you," she informed me. "Now get to the store and get some food for that guy of yours."

I grabbed my grocery list, car keys and headed for the door.

I felt so much lighter after talking to my mom. I had a little pep to my step as I walked out to my car. The smile on my face felt permanent.

I made it to the store and started throwing stuff in my cart. List be damned.

I was headed down the freezer aisle when I heard someone call my name. I turned to find Esme walking towards me. "Esme, hi," I said, excitedly.

"Bella, it's so good to see you," she said, pulling me into a tight hug.

"It's good to see you, too. You here by yourself?"

She giggled. "You think I can get any of them to come with me? My son and daughter are sleeping the day away and Carlisle's off playing golf with Phil."

"That's right, mom told me Phil was with Carlisle. Did they drag Evan along, too?" I asked, smiling at her.

"Yeah, they're getting caught up on guy stuff. I guess they decided to torture poor Evan. Carlisle couldn't get Edward up to go." She smiled up at me. "So, are you here by yourself?"

"Yup. Just grabbing some stuff for lunch and dinner. Edward's coming over for lunch. He only likes me for my cooking," I said, jokingly.

Esme gave me a megawatt smile. "He's a growing boy, after all." She draped her arm across my shoulders. "Alice tells me that you and him are seeing each other, now." She queried, with a huge toothy grin. "I did notice him walking around with a smile on his face."

"Yeah, mom said something similar about me."

"Well, regardless of any vision that Alice has had, I think you two will be good together," she conveyed, placing her hand on my forearm after she removed it from my shoulder, she smiled slightly at me. "You're making him happy."

I smiled at her. "Thank you. It took him a couple of weeks to convince me to give him a chance, and today, my mom helped me see that I was questioning stuff too much. You know all the gory details and what I went through, but mom made me see that I can't compare the two situations. She made me realize that if I keep questioning what Edward and I have, then it would be pointless to even try. She was right, of course."

"Yes, we mothers tend to know these things." Esme smiled and rubbed my arm.

I reached out and hugged her, again. "Well, I need to get my stuff so I can feed your son. It was really great seeing you."

"Okay, sweetie. You be careful and we'll see you soon." She said as we hugged one more time. Shepulled back from the hug. "Tell your mom hello for me."

"I will; see ya later," I said, turning and walking back over to look at the frozen fruit. I couldn't be any more grateful for how much better my life has become since I decided to stay in Florida. Esme's so nice and lovable.

I finished up my shopping and hurried back home. I had an hour before Edward was due to show up.

I quickly got the onions and peppers all cut up. I then moved on to get the chicken cut into strips. It was an easy meal and quick to put together.

The doorbell rang about thirty minutes into my preparations. Mom and Edward appeared through the kitchen archway, moments later.

"Your company's here," mom sing-songed.

"Will you be joining us for lunch, mom?"

"Nope. I'm heading out to have lunch with a colleague," she said, smiling mischievously.

"Okay, have fun. We're just hangin' out here. We'll probably go swimming and watch a movie after lunch," I said, returning her smile.

Mom walked over and gave me a hug. She whispered in my ear. "You two behave."

"Mom!" I whisper-yelled.

She moved as quick as she could, away from me. "Bye, you two."

Edward walked over and sat at the breakfast bar. He was smiling like he knew something that I didn't, but I played stupid and didn't say anything.

"I ran into your mom at the store this morning," I told him, turning to retrieve a skillet to start cooking.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, she told me. She really does like you, you know."

"That's nice. I really like your mom, too. She strikes me as a really down to earth person," I replied back, pouring a little canola oil into the hot pan.

"Yeah, she is. She's really great," he said, smiling. He stood up from his seat. "Can I grab a drink?"

I waved my hand toward the fridge. "Sure; help yourself."

Edward walked to the fridge and before I knew what was happening, he had his arms wrapped around me, pulling me back as he placed an open-mouth kiss on my neck. "I thought she'd never leave."

I could barely breathe. My heart rate was skyrocketing, practically cracking my sternum. If my heart was reacting this viciously over a kiss to my neck, I'd be afraid I'd have a heart attack if he kissed me anywhere else.

"I uh...I uh..." I stammered. I couldn't even get a coherent sentence from my mouth.

He started kissing my neck and along my jaw. Goosebumps swept over the entire right side of my body until he traveled back to my ear. That made my nipples harden into stiff peaks.

I turned to face him and placed my hands on his chest. He reached behind me and turned off the heat to the burner. "Lunch can wait for a few more minutes." He then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me more firmly against him. I could feel that he was excited to be this close to me. I couldn't fault him for that, though. I was getting worked up myself, but that wouldn't be happening for a little while longer.

I could feel myself begin to shake from nervousness. I was loving the closeness, but I was still a little skittish where intimacy was concerned. I was sure Edward could feel it, too, especially when he pulled back to look down at me. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I just...I don't know. You caught me off guard; I'm sorry." I tried to explain, but honestly, I didn't have a solid explanation. Stupid, I know. I had never had affection like that before. Anthony was always so serious and right to the point. All talk and very little joking, was our forte. We never played around for fun, although, that was more on Emmett's side. He was more of the jokester. I was surprised, on the very rare occasions, that he could actually live a little and make me laugh.

"No, no." He shook his head and stepped back a little. "I'm the one who should be sorry. You're not ready for something like that, right now. It's okay. We're supposed to be taking things slow and I got carried away. We can pretend I didn't do that and I'll..." He pointed toward the chair. "...go sit down and watch you cook."

He moved back from me to go sit down and on instinct, I reached out and grabbed his hand. "No." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Neither one of us said anything for a long minute, so I pulled him toward me and wrapped my arms around him. I placed my head on his chest, hearing his heart pounding furiously. "I'm not used to attention like that," I said, squeezing him slightly. "I really liked it. You may have to do it more often so I could get used to it."

"I'll definitely keep that in mind." We were quiet for a few minutes, just hugging each other. He pulled back and smiled. "How 'bout that lunch? What'cha makin'?"

"Fajitas. Hope you like 'em," I said, stepping over to the stove to turn it back on. "Have a seat. Watch and learn."

Edward grabbed a drink from the fridge and sat down. He seemed very interested in watching me cook. I kept stealing glances at him and each time, it was like my heart skipped a beat. I wasn't sure if it were a medical problem or not, but the boy sure had my heart doing some crazy shit.

When I finished the fajita mixture, I popped the tortillas in the microwave to warm them up. Edward looked anxious to start eating.

I placed the platter of food in front of our plates and grabbed the tortillas. "You want some sour cream and guacamole?"

"Sure, whatever you got; It all looks great." He started loading up a couple of tortillas with the mixture. "Have you ever thought of going to culinary school?"

I shrugged my shoulders as I sat down next to him. "No, I haven't really thought much about college, but I've got time, right?"

"I suppose," He paused for a few seconds. "So, you don't have a career choice in mind? A lifelong dream job?"

"Nah, not really. I do enjoy to cook, and photography. That's the only thing I've actually thought about going to school for, but my interest in it has somewhat disappeared. I'll have to think about culinary school, though. You might be on to something, there," I said, reaching across his plate to grab the salsa I had sat closer to him. My hand brushed his arm in the process and I smiled because I didn't cringe away.

I guess it all really was just a mental thing.

During our lunch, we talked more about college. I knew Edward wanted to be a professional baseball player, but I also learned that he wanted to major in business just in case his baseball career didn't pan out the way he was planning it to

"What kind of business are you interested in?" I asked as we stood by the sink, cleaning up our dishes from lunch. I was rinsing while he loaded them into the dishwasher.

"I really haven't thought about it, but I wouldn't mind being in something that involves baseball. A manager maybe. I'll have to think more about it. There's always my dad's company that I could use a business degree for," he replied as he loaded the last dish. He motioned for me to move away from the sink so he could get the dishwasher soap from underneath it. He explained that his dad owns his own freight company and he may be the one taking it over once his dad retires. He said Evan shows no interest, whatsoever, in the trucking business.

I moved out of the way and smiled down at him. "I think you'd make a great businessman."

He chuckled at me. "Businessman? That just sounds so cliché."

"Yeah, well, you haven't exactly thought about what line of business, so businessman it is until then," I said as I turned to drape the dish towel over the handle of the stove.

Edward caught me off guard by wrapping his arms around me from behind. "I think I can handle doing this more often."

I placed my hands on top of his. "Yeah, I kinda like it." I turned in his arms and looked up at him. "Actually, I really like it."

"Good because I'll be doing it a lot." He leaned down and placed a light kiss on my lips, but I felt a sudden urge to deepen it.

I snaked my arms up around his neck, sliding my fingers through his hair at the back of his head, pulling him closer.

He took my subtle hint and we deepened our kiss.

I felt him open his mouth, easing his tongue inside mine . It was soft and slow to start, but turned into frantic and wanting as he eased me back until my ass hit the counter.

I moaned when he pushed his hardness into my stomach. The butterflies that occupied it, multiplied by the thousands.

Without breaking our kiss, he lifted me up and placed me on the counter. I opened my legs further as he eased himself between them.

In the background, 'Thinking Out Loud' from Ed Sheeran started playing on the radio I had turned on earlier while I was cutting up all the stuff to make our lunch. "I love this song," I whispered to him. He was still taller than me as I sat on the counter. Not by much, though.

He smoothed his hands over the top of my thighs until he reached my hips, pulling me until I could feel where my body was wanting him most.

I was definitely not ready to go that far...just yet.

He pushed his pelvis into me and my whole body caught fire. A moan, from deep within me, released itself from my throat.

Edward pushed into me, again; my resolve completely shattering.

I pulled away from our kiss. "Oh, God." He started traveling kisses along my jaw and down my neck. I could feel him licking and lightly sucking at my skin.

I moved my head to the side to give him better access. "We need to stop."

"I know, but I don't want to," he whispered into my throat.

"We have to. What if my mom or Phil comes home?"

"Let them," he retorted.

I pushed him away from me. "Edward," I scolded.

He chuckled at me. "I know; I'm sorry. We'll stop." I eye-balled him. "I'll stop." He held his hands up in surrender. "Look, I know we're not ready for that yet and I'm sorry. I got a little carried away," he expressed, reaching up and placing both of his hands on each side of my neck. "Don't get me wrong..." He nodded his head. "I definitely want to, but I promise we'll take it slow. I just..." He trailed off and stepped away from me, leaning up against the island and clasping his hands together in front of the bulge in his shorts.

"Just what?" I asked, not really knowing which way our conversation was going. We were embraced with each other one minute and the next, we're diving head first into a serious talk.

He shook his head. "I want you to know that I've only ever been with one person."

I hopped down off the counter and stood in front of him. I reached out to take his hands and accidentally grazed his erection with my fingers. He hissed, squeezing his eyes shut and growling at me. "I'm sorry."

"I'm fine," he whispered, his eyes still shut.

I quietly giggled. I laced our fingers together and stepped closer to him, staying a few inches away so I didn't touch his hard situation.

He opened his eyes and looked down at me. I tilted my head to the side, giving him a small smile. "So...just one?"

He nodded his head at me, feigning embarrassment. "Yes."

"Same with me," I admitted.

His eyes grew wide. "Did you? With him?"

I, reluctantly nodded. "Yes."

He let out a deep sigh. "I'm really trying not to picture you with him...a vampire of all things."

I looked at him quizzically. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath when I stepped away from him. When his hands dropped from mine, they immediately went into fists. "I just...I'm sorry. I got an image in my head that I'd prefer to never think of again. You being with someone else is just something I don't wanna think about...ever."

"Don't you think that's being a bit hypocritical?"

He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I guess I am."

I stepped back in front of him, closer this time, not caring if his dick was hard or not. "Look, when that time comes for us, then it'll be the first for us, okay? Can we look at it that way? We can't change our pasts and as far as I'm concerned, you will be my first. If I could take it all back, I would in a heartbeat, but I can't and you can't change anything either."

"The only thing I got out of that was me being your first. Does that mean that we're together? I'm your baby and you're mine?"

I smiled up at him. "As much as I didn't want a new relationship, you've made me think more than twice about it. I can't help but think about you all the time and I'm always excited to see you."

I wasn't expecting what he did next. He grabbed my hand and put it over the large bulge in his shorts. "I'm pretty excited to see you, too."

"Edward," I chastised as I smacked his arm. "Pervert."

"You haven't seen the half of it," he joked and pulled me back into him where is happiness was pressed into my stomach, again.

"I have a lot to look forward to, then." I moved my stomach from side to side, rubbing up against him.

He growled at me. "Can we talk about this some other time? I really need to get my mind off sex."

I giggled. "Yeah." I rose up on my tip toes and kissed him. "Let's go take a walk on the beach."

My mom came walking in when we came around the corner from the kitchen. "Hey kids."

"Hey, mom. We were about to head down to the beach. How was lunch?"

"It was good. How was yours?" She eyed me suspiciously.

I smiled. "It was great, actually. The left overs are in the fridge and we cleaned up our mess." I walked over and kissed her cheek. "We're headed out. I have my cell if you need me."

"Okay, see you two in a bit," she said as she headed into the kitchen.

I grabbed Edwards hand. "C'mon."

When we made it down to the beach, I stopped and slipped my flip-flops off.

Our walk along the warmed sand was completely clichéd. We carried our shoes and held hands as we strolled along. We would catch side glances of each other as we walked, enjoying each other's presence.

We made it about a mile down the beach and decided to stop at one of the vendors for a drink.

"We'll have two bottled waters, please," Edward requested from the very, overly tanned, woman behind the cart. He pulled his wallet out and handed the lady a ten dollar bill. "Keep the change."

We walked away after we took our waters and I couldn't get the smile off my face. "What's got you so smiley?"

"You."

"What about me?"

I stopped and turned, standing right in front of him. "You amaze me."

He placed his free hand on my hip. "How so?"

"In the short time I've known you, I've noticed how unselfish you are." I smiled. "Like what you just did; you gave that woman a seven dollar tip on a three dollar order."

He chuckled. "Yeah, well, some people are actually trying to make an honest living. She could have charged us three dollars per bottle, but she didn't and I could tell she's just trying to be fair. She probably just made a fifty cent profit on both bottles."

"See, there's the businessman in you, coming out," I said, teasingly.

"C'mon, let's head back." He leaned down and gave me a small peck on my lips. "I'm ready to jump in the pool."

Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think.

RTB