Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I do not. I do own LEGO The Lord Of The Rings for the PS3 and a kitchen that needs a heck of a cleaning.

Chapter 21: Celebrate Me Home

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to peek around me to see for herself.

"None of you business, Ms. Nosey Pants," I replied, blocking her with my hip so she couldn't pass. The element of surprise wasn't exactly on my side, but I didn't have to make things easy for her.

"Did you break the wreath?" She kept her voice neutral, but when I looked over my shoulder, I noticed her mitten-covered hands fidgeting nervously at her hips. I was going to have fun with this.

"Define break."

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, if you damaged Gran's wreath after I so kindly asked you to be careful with it, I'll—"

"You'll what?" I asked, spinning around and pulling her to me by the waist. She fixed me with an expression that said 'you know damn well what I'll do.' I loved that she never backed down from me, that she saw us as equals in every way.

"It's important to me," she said seriously, avoiding anger in favor of the truth.

I pushed just a little bit more, because she made it too easy, and I wanted her completely distracted. "I thought I was important to you."

After a quick kiss to the tip of her nose, I walked away, leaving her to find that day's note taped to the door, right underneath Marie Higginbotham's unharmed pinecone ring.

If the third time was a charm, then you knew how much I loved you by the time Valentine's Day began. Earlier that night you intimated that sex was the only connection between us, so I wanted to show you that it was an incredibly powerful way to communicate. No one else has ever made me feel what you make me feel, or touched me so deeply that it's left a permanent mark on my heart. The slow love we made using condom number eight was nothing short of poetic. I lost track of where you ended and I began.

xxx

Bella spent every Saturday morning pampering herself. She began with an extra-long soak in the tub. When she was done, she'd wrap herself in a fluffy bath towel while she dried her hair. Then she'd slip into her bra and panties and spend an inordinate amount of time rubbing in lotion, painting her toenails, and doing God knows what else with the bevy of tools she'd compiled. I'd observed the ritual countless times with great fascination, and the lack of clothing wasn't the only reason I stared. Watching her take care of herself was incredibly sexy to me. Since I had to work that morning, I decided to tuck the ninth note into the black polka dot panties I knew she'd put on. She always wore one of two pairs, and she'd worn the purple hipsters last week. If I couldn't be a part of her morning, at least my thoughts could.

When you suggested we use condom number nine in the library, I was floored. It was so unexpected, even if it was my birthday. The intensity that resulted from having to stay silent was otherworldly. I couldn't help but hold you tighter and kiss you more passionately. It was the only way I knew to tell you without words what you were doing to me. I came so hard I saw stars.

A/N: Hi. Sorry for the delay. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

Thank you so much to all of you who wished me well. I saw the doctor on the 24th at which point my thumb had improved slightly but my palm was beginning to swell. He told me to rest the hand and thumb as much as possible, thus the lack of updates. I saw him again this morning and was given the okay to use the thumb lightly, so here I am :) The doctor suspects the lump/bump in my x-rays is a muscular calcification, and this whole ordeal is my body healing itself. I have an MRI on Monday and, barring any negative results from the scan, won't see the doctor for a couple of weeks. He'll x-ray me then to check the progress.

Again, my thanks to everyone who is reading and, most especially, reviewing.