Disclaimer: Twilight...I still don't own it. No copyright infringement intended. Breakaway Bella? Now that $hit belongs to muah!

Previously, in Chapter Thirteen...

"Why were you following her, Jasper? Why were you following Alice Cullen?" I asked, my heart racing, my body dreading the answer, although it hit me almost immediately what that answer would be.

Jasper stared up at me for a long moment, before the words left his mouth, suddenly confirming my horrid suspicions.

"She was my target."

Chapter Fourteen: Mud Island

"Oh, my God, Jazz," I whispered, running my fingers through my long, brown hair, my fingers yanking painfully at the kinks and knots. "I don't remember us coming to Memphis for anyone named Alice Cullen," I muttered, wracking my brain as I attempted to unlock the memories of my childhood...memories that I normally kept buried deep within the recesses of my brain.

Jasper chuckled dryly, shooting me a bittersweet smile. "She wasn't a target back then, sugar," he clarified, the smile replaced by a frown. "She was a target a couple of years ago...actually, she wasn't the target per say. She was just a small part in a very large web."

This news calmed my racing heart, but only by a fraction. While I was overwhelmingly relieved that Alice hadn't been the target that I had assumed she was, knowing that she was somehow involved in Jasper's legitimate job was still very disturbing. We should have told Edward, from the beginning, about Jasper's profession. We shouldn't be in this house without him knowing, but Jasper had his reasons for not wanting Edward to know how he made his living.

Because Jasper's legitimate profession isn't exactly something that you can just blurt out to anyone.

Jasper continued confessing the sordid details of his time spent in Memphis that I knew nothing about and I eventually came to one conclusion. I knew without a doubt that I couldn't keep this information from Edward, no matter what risk to Jasper it posed.

"I'm going to bed, but I'm giving you fair warning," I told my cousin, pointing my index finger at his sad face, my other hand on my hip. "I'm telling Edward everything. You can be pissed off at me or whatever. I'm not keeping this from him. I should probably march down there now and tell him, but I'm gonna let him sleep. You need to figure out what you're gonna say to Alice when you see her, because you can't hide from her forever. We're living with her brother, for Christ's sake! How in the hell did you think you could hide from her! You're not as smart as I thought you were, Jasper Swan!"

"I know I can't hide," he explained, scrubbing his face with his hands. "I think subconsciously that's why I agreed to stay here. Because, there is no way I can live here without bumping into her. You don't understand, Bells. When I spoke to her in that diner... I'd never felt that sort of connection before, and haven't felt it since."

He looked miserable in his admission. His forehead wrinkled in worry lines and bags began to form under his eyes from the stress and lack of rest. My poor cousin. The first girl to steal his heart and he can't have her. With a heavy sigh, I told him to get some sleep, before leaving him to his thoughts, sitting in the floral chair. After shuffling to my bedroom and closing the door behind me I face planted on my new bed with a groan. The shower was calling my name, but pure exhaustion took over my body and within minutes I drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Hours later I woke up, still exhausted and disoriented to boot. Squinting around in confusion, it took me a minute to recognize the unfamiliar surroundings. Eventually, I realized I was laying in my new bedroom in Edward's house. Glancing at the clock, I gasped at how late in the day it was, at nearly one o'clock in the afternoon. Jumping up, I darted to the bathroom, stripped down and took a hot shower, mentally pumping myself for my dreaded conversation with Edward. To say the thought of telling him about Jasper was terrifying was an understatement. Edward had a tendency to lean toward anger and aggression, something that typically turned me on, but not with Jasper potentially being his object of wrath. After drying off and throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt, I opened my bedroom door, shooting out of the room with determination, immediately slamming into something warm and hard.

A giant man, equally the same size as Emmett, stood in front of me, grasping my arms to help steady me. He dressed as casually as I, with jeans and a white shirt. I glanced up and met deep, chocolate eyes and long, black eyelashes. The man had a gentle, yet no-nonsense expression on his face. His skin was lightly tanned and thick muscles covered his body.

He was a complete stranger.

"Are you alright, Ms. Swan?" he asked, his voice shockingly soft compared to his massive size. He stared at me with concern, searching my features of any signs of distress before letting go of my arms. The man stepped back slightly as he comprehended the apprehension on my face.

"I'm Sam," he clarified, holding out one large hand in greeting. "Mr. Cullen mentioned me? I'm your bodyguard."

I stared down at his hand warily before he chuckled and reached into his back pocket. He removed a folded note and held it out for me. Glancing at him cautiously, I snatched the note from his hand, slowly opening it. Gazing down, I read the most elegant, graceful scrawl and, although I'd never seen his handwriting before, I immediately knew Edward wrote the note himself.

Isabella,

I came to wake you before I left, but you looked so peaceful in your sleep, I let you be. Unfortunately, my father has requested my presence on a brief business trip that could not be postponed. I asked Sam to watch over you the next few days. He is the bodyguard that I previously mentioned to you. Sam is not only a trusted employee, but a longtime friend of mine. He has strict instructions to keep his distance while you are at work. I would prefer you didn't work at all, but I know how stubborn you are about these things. I'm so sorry I had to leave you, Isabella, but please know that you are constantly on my mind. I will call you when I get a chance.

Edward

My shoulder slumped in disappointment. I needed to talk to Edward, and he was gone. Where? I had no idea. What I needed to tell him wasn't the type of conversation one has over the phone. I would have to wait until we were face to face again before explaining everything to him. Folding the note carefully, I pushed it into the back pocket of my jeans, with full intentions of pressing it between the pages of my favorite book of poems. I glanced up at Sam shyly, and he flashed me a friendly grin, his mouth full of shiny white teeth. Apologetically, I offered my hand which he quickly enclosed with his own before pumping it enthusiastically.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Swan," he told me sincerely, in his soft voice, his dark eyes sparkling. "Mr. Cullen speaks very highly of you. It's nice to finally meet the object of his affection." I blushed profusely at his words and quietly offered to cook him a late breakfast, which he happily agreed to. He followed me down the winding stairway into the kitchen. Sam spread open a newspaper across the bar and scanned through it as I plundered around the kitchen, trying to orient myself with the placement of the various pots, pans and appliances, only feeling a little awkward cooking a meal in the presence of a stranger. Thankfully, Sam appeared to be engrossed with the newspaper, basically paying me no attention whatsoever. I began working on breakfast, glancing up curiously when Jasper and Emmett entered the room, greeting Sam casually with grins and shoulder bumps as though they were already good friends. Apparently everyone had met and bonded, as only guys can do, sometime while I was asleep, making me feel ridiculously jealous. After a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes, we lounged around the house, full and miserable, chatting with Sam who ended up being a pretty awesome guy. I tossed my cell from hand to hand, impatiently waiting on Edward's call.

He finally called me while I was getting dressed for work. I'd tracked up to my bedroom impatiently waiting on him to call, crazily unpacking everything from my apartment and carefully arranging everything in my new room. My bottom lip was pretty much ruined from the amount of time I chewed on it, waiting on him to call. When my cell began ringing, I let out a girly squeal, a sound that'd never left my mouth before, and grabbed it from its short vantage point on my dresser, giddily hitting the green button when Edward's name flashed across the screen.

"Hello?" I breathed, my voice raspy from excitement.

"Hey, baby," he replied, his voice sounding far away, strange echoes sounding in the distance.

"I miss you," I confessed immediately, sitting on the edge of my bed, staring at my reflection in an ordinate mirror that hung on the wall in front of me.

"I miss you too," he whispered, his voice sounding strained. "You don't know how hard it was to leave you sleeping in that bed. I'm not used to feeling this way. In the past I could just jump up and leave at the drop of the hat. Now I just want to be near you. I feel like part of me is missing."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back, refusing to become emotional during the time I had on the phone with him. "Where are you? When are you coming home?" I asked, hearing his sharp intake of breath at the word 'home'.

"I can't tell you where I am, Bella," he whispered, sounding regretful. "But I should be home Sunday, at the latest. That's not long, at all..." He sounded unconvinced by his own words, at the end. If he couldn't tell me where he was, that could only mean that the business he was conducting was the kind that he refused to discuss. Only slightly peeved, I understood that there were things he couldn't divulge to me, for my own good.

"Sunday needs to hurry up and get here, then," I told him lightly, trying to mask the sadness in my voice. He said nothing for a while, and we sat quietly, connected to one another without having to say a word.

Then, after the lengthy pause, I heard the undeniable sound of Carlisle Cullen in the background, his voice commanding and authoritative. Edward whispered a quiet goodbye, and the line disconnected. Throwing the phone on the bed, I stared at my reflection again, the girl in the mirror looking majorly bummed.

The next couple of days crawled by at a snail's pace. Work sucked. Emmett and Jasper sucked. Sweet little Alice? She sucked as well, with her peppiness and zest for life. And Sam, with his sweet smile and friendly disposition? He sucked too. Everything sucked in Edward's absence. I scowled at anyone who dared to make eye contact with me. I murdered everyone with my eyes. Carmen was understandably annoyed with my grumpy state, avoiding me at all costs after constantly snapping at her. Tia actually found me to be quite hilarious when depressed, which was utterly disturbing but also very non-surprising, considering this is Tia we're talking about.

I pretty much hated everyone in my general vicinity.

Jasper continued to hide out and watch for James in the bar across the street, politely declining the advances of drunken women who basically threw themselves on him. The fact that he continued to hide from Alice pissed me off worse than anything. He'd meet Emmett, Sam and I at his car, which he continued to park in front of my old apartment. Every night we met him there, leaning against his old, black muscle car, his face smudged with cheap, tacky lipstick, a sheepish expression on his face. I yelled at him a couple of times, basically for simply existing. Emmett, much like Tia, found me very entertaining.

I truly needed to re-evaluate the people in my life.

Sunday finally arrived and I was awake before the sun rose, my heart churning enthusiastically in my chest, for my Edward would soon return! He'd called a couple of times over the weekend, only speaking to me for a brief amount of time before Carlisle demanded his attention. Carlisle Cullen was a lucky man.

Because if he were here I'd have wrung his neck.

Edward was scheduled to be home by suppertime. I've never been so happy to not have to work. Before meeting Edward I would sleep all day from my late nights at work, and then clean or do some other menial task just to fill in the blanks between work. Now that Edward converted the bar to a club, it gave me even more free time. I no longer worked the same amount of days, since Fate was only open three days a week. In the past, working three days would have made me miserable, but now, only working on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, thrilled me to no end.

It was just that much more time I could spend with Edward.

Jasper, Emmett and Sam sat at the bar, watching me with wide eyes as I flew around the kitchen, muttering and complaining to myself about random things, my mind occupied with making the perfect meal for my man's return home. The kitchen soon filled with the smell of tomato sauce and sausage as I made my Mamaw Swan's spaghetti, topped with beef, sausage and pepperoni. Buttered garlic bread warmed in the oven, the smell taunting Emmett as his eyes sat mesmerized on the oven door, like a big dog waiting to be thrown a bone. I was throwing together a simple, greek salad when the unmistakable sound of Edward's voice drifted from somewhere close behind me.

"Honey, I'm home," he murmured. My eyes darted up and met the eyes of the three men watching us at the bar, dogged grins spreading across their faces. Warm arms wrapped around my waist, embracing me from behind, and I melted into him, his devil lips skimming across my cheek. He pressed his body tightly against mine, and I could feel the hardened muscles of his chest against my soft back.

"I missed you," I mumbled with a sigh, as his lips captured my own. The sound of bar stools scraping against marble rang in my ears as the boys discretely left the room. Grasping my waist with his hands, Edward turned me around in his arms and I opened my eyes, to meet his hooded green ones, which darted all over my face, searching my features. Without warning he hoisted me up on the island, a yelp of laughter and surprise leaving my lips as he pushed himself between my legs and wrapped his arms around me again. He was dressed casually in dark jeans, a white t-shirt and a chocolate-colored button-up shirt, casually left unbuttoned. He smelled like peppermint and jasmine. Edward rested his head against my heart, the scruff from his unshaven face scratching harshly against the exposed skin from my scoop neck blouse. I ran my fingers through his copper strands, his hair more disorderly than usual. In my mind I imagined him sitting on a plane, pulling at his hair as he anxiously anticipated his arrival home from the business trip.

"I missed you too," he admitted in a quiet tone, his arms tightening around my waist. We held each other for several seconds, until Emmett burst into the room.

"Don't burn the bread, Bells!" he hollered, running to the oven and throwing open the door. I ignored him as he moaned and grumbled about the slightly overcooked bread, my head resting on Edward's as I breathed in the smell of his shampoo. He turned his head, kissing the spot where his face rested, right over my heart, before pulling me down from the island and into his arms. We laughed as Emmett struggled with a butter knife to scrape the overly brown bottom of the bread.

"I'm starving," Edward admitted sheepishly, with the cutest, most bashful grin. That's all he had to say. The boys helped me move the food into the dining room, the table previously having been set by Jasper. We sat family style around the huge table, beneath a crystal chandelier that probably cost more than my parents first home, Edward sitting at one end of the table with me to his right. Sam called Liam and Ben, another one of Edward's security team members, in to dine with us. Ben lived in the guest house with Liam and Sam. He was an extremely nice, handsome man in his mid-twenties, with dark skin and shiny almond eyes. I immediately thought of Angela, when I first met him, and mused over the idea of introducing the two of them sometime soon. Edward held my hand under the table as I watched him eat with his left hand, just learning that he was left-handed.

As I listened to Edward chat and laugh with his friends and my family, my mind wandered to the conversation that would inevitably take place sometime after supper. I worried about Edward's reaction. Would he become so angry that I kept Jasper's secrets from him that he would kick us out? Hurt Jasper? I wasn't sure. Jasper met my concerned eyes across the table, his eyes darting down quickly, guiltily at the food in front of him.

"That was wonderful, baby," Edward whispered, wiping his pretty pink lips with a soft cloth napkin before setting it on his empty place. He captured my mouth with his again, and I tasted tomatoes, garlic and Edward.

It wasn't a bit unpleasant.

"We're gonna clean this stuff up and let the two of you uhh...unpack Edward's bags," Emmett smirked, wagging his eyebrows at me. I smacked him in the head as I passed by, snickering as he whimpered dramatically from the light blow. Jasper eyes were boring holes in the back of my head as I left the room, but I paid him no mind.

Edward and I grabbed his bags from the foyer and headed to his bedroom. The stupid shirt he wore covered his delicious rear, obstructing my view. I scowled to myself, vowing to rip it from his body as soon as we entered his bedroom.

Which I did.

Edward carefully set his bags on the floor and turned to stare at me. I tossed his carry-on bag carelessly on top of them, knocking them over in its wake. His eyes widened at the predatory look on my face. I flung myself the short distance between us, shoving his chiseled chest as hard as anyone my size could. The back of his knees hit the bed and he stumbled before falling over on his back, with me on top, yanking his shirts off his body and attacking him with my mouth, all thoughts of Jasper's situation momentarily forgotten.

I licked his chest, my tongue working its way to each nipple. Then I began sucking each nipple greedily between my lips, to which I was rewarded with a strangled moan. I learned a couple of things as I did this: First, Edward Cullen really, really likes having his nipples sucked. Second, Edward Cullen loves it when you stare up at him whilst performing said nipple-sucking action. Glancing up at him through my lashes as my tongue flicked against his body really set him off. His eyes were hooded, the pine-green color practically turning black as he moaned and writhed beneath me, grasping the thick comforter between his fingers. I let my tongue wander from between his nipples, down his chest, past his navel, all the way down to his waistband. Yanking at the belt, I slid it off, flinging it to the floor, unbuckling his pants and pulling the zipper down. He eagerly raised his hips as I shimmied his jeans and boxers down, and holy cow there was little Edward, standing upright, ready to greet me.

And this is where I stopped. Because I had no idea what to do past removing his jeans.

The thought of 'returning the favor' for all of his 'oral skills' had weighed in the back of my mind since the first night in the loft, but I was worried that the first time I performed said act, it wouldn't be very pleasant for Edward. I had no idea what I was doing, so I just went for it, grabbing him at the base of his cock and pumping him up and down. He hissed, shoving himself into a semi-sitting position as he stared between my pumping hand and the look of pure determination on my face. I was mentally preparing myself for wrapping my mouth around his huge cock...it wasn't going over very well in my mind.

Wetness seeped out of him and I swiped it with my thumb, using it for lubrication as I continued to pump. Still straddling him, I leaned down and very carefully, very hesitantly, gave his tip a little swipe with my tongue.

"Aghhhh!" he moaned. I looked up at the tortured expression on his face, which only encouraged me more. Taking a deep breath, I took him in my mouth, going down until his cock hit the back of my throat, lightly sucking, being careful not to scrape my teeth against him too much. There was no way I could fit the entire thing into my mouth and I practically had to wrestle him down as he began cursing and moaning. Something about him cursing just drove me freaking crazy! I bobbed my head up and down, my hand still wrapped around his base, pumping and sucking. For some reason a conversation Carmen attempted to have with me about sex crossed my mind at that moment. At the time I thought what she told me was disgusting...and disturbing, but Carmen had more experience with these types of things than I did, so I, very gently, used my free hand to cup and massage Edward's balls.

He cried out, grabbing a handful of my hair and moaning my name. I massaged more firmly, running my thumb underneath his scrotum just as Carmen had instructed.

"Get up baby!" he breathed. "I'm about to come!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. My lips left his cock with a smack, but I kept my hand where it was, pumping for him, his hips meeting my hand each time. I felt his thighs harden beneath me as he orgasmed. I watched in awe and fascination as the white liquid spurted out all over my hand, never pausing as I continued to stroke him. His chest heaved with his labored breathing and he stared up at me with only one emotion that I could read.

Love. Pure, unadulterated love.

He grabbed his white shirt, wiping the come from my hand and his body before tossing it to the floor. Edward pulled me down to him, kissing me reverently. He sucked my lip between his teeth and within a matter of minutes he was hard again. Before I knew it, he'd stripped me of my clothes and took me from behind, twisting his hands in my hair, yanking my head back, pounding into me until I came undone again and again. I fell asleep in his warm, loving arms, spooning me from behind, his manhood still deep inside me. All thoughts of sneaking back to my room were abandoned as he pulled the covers over the two of us, making me the happiest girl in the world, a world where there was no James, Jasper was a regular blue-collar worker, and Edward and I were equals on every level.

The next morning I opened my eyes, feeling more refreshed and alive than I'd felt my entire life. Turning over, I stared at Edward as he slept, his mouth slightly open as he lay on his right side, his left arm slung across my body. I ran my fingers over his lips, over the scruff on his face, through the mop of hair on his head, amazed at how beautiful he truly was. There was a slight clef in his chin that I pressed my thumb into before sliding my hands down his chest, brushing his nipples with the pads of my thumbs.

"Someone wants another round," he drawled, his voice still groggy, his eyes still shut. I giggled and turned back around, pressing my naked bottom into his groin. Neither one of us had bothered with putting any clothes on last night, and for that I'm glad. He cupped my breasts with his hands, moaning my name, whispering dirty things into my ear as he slid himself into me, grabbing one leg and pulling it up slightly. We made love slowly, cherishing every moment, the slow burn building inside us both until it was finally extinguished.

"I'm taking you out today," he whispered as we stood in his shower, the entire thing surrounded in glass, always making me feel slightly awkward and exposed, as though someone from outside were watching me. He took a loofah and poured a manly smelling body wash onto it, running it over my bare skin. Edward took his time, bathing me, the water cascading down from above our heads, like it was actually raining inside. I washed his as well, appreciating his beautiful body as I ran a washcloth over it.

"Where are you taking me?" I gasped as he landed on his knees in front of me, grabbing my thigh and tossing it over one shoulder. He didn't immediately reply as he worked his tongue around my sensitive flesh. My orgasm ended in a scream and he licked me well after, and I wondered if he truly did enjoy the taste of me in his mouth.

"Mud Island," was his reply as he stood up, holding the sides of my face and pulling my mouth to his. I wrinkled my nose at the thought of tasting myself, but it really wasn't so bad. I reached down between us and pumped his cock until he shuddered and spasmed, his hot semen mixing and disappearing with the water down the drains at our feet.

I wondered what he planned for us to do on Mud Island but didn't question it. After drying off I darted upstairs to my room, wearing my clothes from the night before. I threw on something casual, but nice; a coral colored dress with quarter sleeves and a pair of flats. After tightening a belt around my waist, applying a scant amount of makeup to my face, brushing my teeth and running a brush through my hair, I was ready to go. I darted downstairs, excited with the prospect of an outing with Edward, but also dreading the truth of the situation with Jasper. Edward had to know the truth about Jasper. This outing was the perfect opportunity.

There would be witnesses if Edward decided to murder me.

He grinned up at me as I skipped down the stairs. Edward had thrown on a deep green shirt that brought out his eyes, tight brown pants and a pair of boots. I'd never found tight pants hot on a man, thinking they always made a man look a little...fruity, if you will. But on Edward Cullen. Sweet baby Jesus, that man looked hot. I practically hopped into his arms after leaving the bottom step, causing him to duck his head and grin. We ate a late lunch of sandwiches, as it was nearing three o'clock in the afternoon. Wrapping one arm around my waist, we walked out to the garage and I stared at the most beautiful, elegant car in front of me, red luxury sedan. The interior was a deep tan and felt as soft as a feather as Edward and I slipped in the backseat, Liam and Sam sliding in up front. Their presence was slightly disappointing, not that I didn't like them, but I wanted to be alone with Edward.

Unfortunately, things aren't always that simple.

We arrived at Front Street and I practically bounced in my seat, gnawing on my stubby thumb nail as the monorail came into view. It was no secret between me and my friends that I was terrified of the monorail, after a particularly horrifying night at the Mud Island Amphitheater, where the drunken crowd whooped and hollered on the machine suspended over the Mississippi river, jumping and laughing as they purposely shook the car, terrifying me the entire time. Visions of the monorail crashing into the churning river below filled my mind and I proceeded to have a full-blown panic attack. Tia and Carmen were by my side, as I sat with my head between my knees, hunched over, panting for air. I hadn't been to Mud Island since that day, even though it was one of my favorite places in the city.

Liam parked the car and we made out way to the monorail, Edward paying our way in. Taking a deep breath and grasping his hand, we found a couple of seats near a woman and a little boy, probably about ten years old. He was holding a small football in his hands, staring down at it quietly. The woman was wearing a blue uniform that I recognized as a hotel housekeeper's outfit. She smiled at me politely as I sat near her, the little boy glancing at me, ducking his head shyly when he met my quiet smile. Edward held my hand as the red and white monstrosity made its way over the river, and I took deep, breaths, trying to hold it together.

"I don't like riding this thing either," the woman beside me confessed in a hushed whisper. "But Rommy loves to watch the pedal boats."

"Do y'all like to ride the pedal boats?" I asked the little boy, eager to strike a conversation to ignore the fear in my chest. He shook his head shyly, not meeting my eyes. I noticed the woman held a small picnic basket in her lap.

"Mama says it costs too much," he whispered, rolling the ball in his hands. I saw Edward turn his head to peer down at the little boy. The pedal boats couldn't cost more than five dollars per person.

"Hush, Rommy!" his mother scolded, looking exceedingly embarrassed. "You don't tell folks things like that! We only get to come out here every once and a while. He got all A's on his report card, so we're celebrating with a picnic!" The woman beamed at me and I smiled down at the little stranger proudly.

"Where are y'all from?" I asked her, relieved that the monorail finally met it's destination.

"Klondike," she muttered, the monorail shaking slightly before coming to a standstill.

We all stood up and I swallowed the lump in my throat, glancing down at the little boy with the football in his hands. Would he have a chance? Klondike was one of the worst areas in Memphis, and I silently prayed that this little boy would make it out alive to live a full, healthy life. I touched him gently on his shoulder, the woman staring at me strangely, and congratulated him on his academic achievements. He gave me his first real smile and the two of them exited the monorail ahead of us. The woman had an old, worn leather purse on one shoulder, slightly unzipped near the edge, and I watched in shock as Edward reached out a slipped a roll of hundred-dollar bills in her purse. As we passed them, I couldn't help but stare at her purse, as the woman gave me a confused look, glancing down at the bag that hung from her shoulder. We left the cart with Liam and Sam trailing behind us, Edward's arm wrapped protectively around my waist.

"That was very kind and thoughtful of you," I whispered, staring up at this man in wonder.

His face was blank, void of emotion, before meeting my eyes and giving me a sneaky wink. He led me to the Riverwalk where we strolled hand in hand, gazing down at the exact replica of the Mississippi river where it flowed from Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico.

"I can be a nice guy when I want to be," he grinned, pulling me down beside him on a park bench.

I leaned into him, his arm slung casually around my shoulder as Liam and Sam disappeared somewhere nearby, ever watchful of the two of us. We stared out from Mud Island, which was really a peninsula that jutted out into the Mississippi river, and stared at Downtown Memphis. We sat silently watching the hustle and bustle of traffic and pedestrians. I could hear blues music all the way from here, echoing across the water, and as I stared across at Front Street, I remembered a night, not so long ago, when two hooded figures walked along the banks of that muddy river to toss a gun deep within its depths. Shuddering, I pressed myself closer to him, opening my mouth, ready to expose some dirty little secrets.

"I brought you here to talk about our future," Edward confessed softly, pressing his lips to my forehead, my mouth hanging open from my own attempted confession. "Being away from you put things in perspective for me. I spoke at length with my father about the two of us. He doesn't agree with me spending the rest of my life with someone of a different heritage, and different faith, but he says he will accept it, because I'm his only son and he loves me."

I sat in shocked silence at his words, the very idea of the cold-hearted bastard of a man accepting me as a future daughter-in-law rendering me still. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during that conversation. Glancing up, I watched as Edward clenched and unclenched his jaw, staring out at the dirty water, his mind possibly full of memories of the conversation with Carlisle. Nevertheless, I was thrilled that Carlisle decided to stop fighting Edward on who he chose to spend his life with. Edward reached into his pocket, removing a blue, velvet box and turning slightly in his seat.

Holy crap.

He laughed nervously at the expression on my face as my mouth dropped open at the sight of the box. Surely, this box did not contain what I thought it did. It was too small to hold a bracelet or a necklace...possibly a pair of earrings? All ideas of anything besides a ring flew out the window as Edward pulled open the top of the box to reveal the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen in my life.

The ring held a large, square diamond the in center and each corner held an oval diamond, with triangular-shaped ones in between. The ring was silver in color and I wondered if it was platinum or white gold...and what in the hell was he doing getting down on one knee?

"Holy crap," I muttered, gasping as he left the bench, pressing on knee on the sidewalk.

People strolling in the park stopped what they were doing to watch us, even taking pictures of us with their phones. Glancing over his shoulder, I watched as Sam shot me a wicked grin, taking a picture of the two of us with his own phone, smirking at the look of shock on my face.

"Isabella Swan," Edward said, his voice firm and holding not a trace of nervousness or doubt. "We've only known each other a month, but in that one month you've made me feel things that I haven't felt in the twenty-nine years I've been alive. I want to spend the rest of our lives getting to know one another, if you'll have me."

He removed the ring from the box with steady fingers, pulling my cold hand into his. He slipped the ring on my ring finger, the thing looking enormous, gaudy and...perfect on my tiny finger. It felt as though it weighed about ten pounds, and all I could do was gape at it in awe.

"Isabella...Bella," he whispered, pressing his cold lips to the back of my hand before meeting my wary gaze. "Will you marry me?"

Time stood still. People stared waiting for my answer. The little voice that sometimes popped into my mind my was chanting 'Yes! Yes! Yes! Say yes, you moron!' but I couldn't give him the answer that he was waiting for without telling him the truth first.

"Edward, Jasper is an undercover FBI agent who investigated your family for two years," I blurted out.

Edward froze, staring into my guilty eyes as my stomach rolled in nervousness and anticipation. Total strangers gasped at my confession, shooting me dirty looks as they awaited Edward's response. Edward dropped my hand from his, leaving it abandoned in my trembling lap. He stood up from his knee, towering over me, his eyes glaring down as tears pooled in mine. He opened his mouth and let out a bitter laugh before responding to my tortured confession...a response that I did not anticipate.

"Well, this should make for an interesting Thanksgiving dinner."

A/N: Next up, Thanksgiving with the Cullen/Swan clan. Review and let me know what you think about Bella's revelation about Jasper's profession and Edward's reaction. Were you surprised? Can you believe Edward proposed? Is it too soon? Will it work out between these two crazy kids?