I own nothing…this fabulous world and everything in it belongs to the very talented Stephenie Meyer…I do however, own this particular story…whatever that means!

Author's Note: Quickly - please forgive me...this chapter needed ridiculous re-writes...so sorry! Enjoy! I hope you like it...

Chapter 33: Alone?

The conversation had been surprisingly easy; nothing uncomfortable or controversial. We'd been together for only a few hours easily falling into such an entertaining discussion that I hadn't realized that time was slipping by. I didn't want them to go, but I had made such a fuss earlier in the evening that I felt if I didn't follow through, I'd look like an idiot. I glanced at my watch, hoping they'd take the hint.

Jasper did just that. "Well, we promised Bella that we wouldn't stay too long. She has plenty of work to do and it's important that we keep that promise. Alice, I'll go and retrieve your things from upstairs," he offered with a wink.

Alice whined, "I don't want to go. Come on Bella, can't we stay a bit longer? It's not like you need to get done before bed."

Edward looked at his sister reproachfully, his eyes narrowing in her direction. "Alice, we'll see her on Friday. You are still planning on coming to the house this Friday evening, correct?" Edward inquired, as he glanced in my direction. I looked at him trying to gauge the tone of his voice.

"Of course I'll be there." I tried to match my tone to his, "but I do have work this evening. I have papers piling up, and it's important that I keep Gerry off my tail, so to speak." Jasper chuckled heartily, Edward growled in my direction, and I lightly giggled as I realized how my words might have been interpreted.

From his demeanor from earlier in the evening, I hoped that this little reminder would keep Edward in check. I wasn't sure the exact thoughts going through Gerry's mind even though I could assume the general tenor of them. But from Edward's reactions, I could assume that he would be all for keeping Gerry of my tail. I couldn't begin to presume why it would matter to him so I chalked it up to a general abhorrence of gentleman in relation to smarmy men.

Alice let out a long sigh. "Fine. I'll go upstairs and help Jasper. We'll be right back," she breathed.

I watched as Alice's tiny frame gracefully skipped up my staircase as she disappeared after her husband, not so discreetly shutting the bathroom door behind them. The same soft giggles started again and I simply rolled my eyes this time.

"They never miss an opportunity, do they?" I asked, my tone sarcastic.

"No. They are very much in love. Have been, long before the day they arrived on our doorstep," Edward offered smiling fondly. His eyes slightly winced however as I am sure the visual was more than he wanted to see in his head.

My gaze was fixed on the closed bathroom door, and I murmured something before I even realized it was coming out of my mouth. "They're lucky, aren't they?" I mentioned, sadly aware that a future like that was now out of the question for me.

"Yes, they are. But Bella," Edward began softly, before the door opened, and both Alice and Jasper came out and began to descend the stairs.

"Well, we have our things. Since we have to go, may I call you tomorrow, Bella?" Alice asked in my direction, obviously annoyed that the evening was drawing to an end.

I quickly walked to the small entryway table that I had near the front door. I pulled out a pad of paper and pen, as I hurriedly wrote down my cell phone number and offered it to Alice.

She grabbed the note hungrily and tucked it into her purse before she stepped forward to kiss me once again gently on each cheek. She beamed at me, obviously pleased with how the night had progressed.

I walked them to the door and Alice and Jasper continued on ahead whispering to each other while Edward matched his stride with mine.

As we approached the car, he spoke, "Bella, thank you for indulging us this evening. I'll be sure to keep you posted about the progress of the repairs. Again, I'm sorry for overreacting. I guess it's in my nature." His face looked a bit mellow.

"I would appreciate that. It really wasn't necessary for you to do all this, well you and Rosalie. But I can say that it's the nicest thing that anyone has done for me…in quite a while. So thank you," I said softly.

"You're more than welcome." His face suddenly turned from amiable to serious. "Bella, I still need to talk to you. Can you think about a time that you and I can get together, alone and discuss a few things; a time where we won't be interrupted. If you could do this for us, I would greatly appreciate it." His eyes never left my face, his voice soft, but determined and insistent.

I sat there for a split second, trying to come up with a way to dismiss this notion of his. The thought of being alone with Edward for an extended period of time was both enticing and nauseating. I couldn't trust myself to not say or do something that I would regret, something that would clue him in as to how I really felt about him. Knowing that he would only tell me how guilty he felt for allowing things between us to get too much out of hand and having to hear once again that he had never loved me would be excruciating.

I was finally starting to realize that Jake had pulled the surface together, but the wound was as fresh as ever under the surface. I was still broken and yet, he stood there, his beautiful eyes still focused on me. I realized that he was patiently waiting for an answer.

"I'll see what I can do." I finished, lamely.

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to explaining a few things. I just need a little bit of your time." He smiled at me, and I fought to return it, my sadness welling up in my chest.

I bid them all a goodnight and watched them drive away. When the car was out of sight, I headed back toward the house…my now empty, lonelier than ever house.

I closed the door behind me, locking it, a habit I retained from my human days. I looked around the first floor, and remembered how it felt to have them here. It felt…nice. No -- it felt wonderful. To come home in the evening and have someone there with me; people who really knew me. It was so much different to have voices floating through the rooms instead of the still quiet that now enveloped me.

The ache of isolation reached out and touched me, wishing to reclaim me, as it had for so many nights. I tried to shake it off, but it was a stubborn companion. I would be with the Cullens again and with any luck, loneliness wouldn't have me in its vicious claws any longer.

I readied myself to work for the evening, heading toward my office with my bags in hand as I ran up the stairs. I quickly got through the papers I needed to grade for my elementary kids, since there weren't very many. I grabbed my planning book and wrote out enough ideas to get me through the next week, tweaking things that didn't seem quite right.

I flipped on the stereo, choosing some soft station, and setting it low. I needed some background noise, something to break up the quiet. The quiet was even more agonizing tonight. Without permission, my mind drifted back to the evenings on the reservation. Grace laughing, with Jake's deep chuckle rumbling, and the television or stereo would play, while the phone would ring off the hook, either one of the pack or Charlie…even Renee.

Quiet was something that I sometimes wished for back then. I would give anything to never have it now. It reminded me more acutely of what I lost. My child. My husband. My life.

I fought to find my way back to the present. Those things were lost to me now. Forever. I would outlive my child while I would never get to see her grow, hold her, tell her how proud I was of her. I wouldn't be there for her first dance, her graduation, her wedding, the birth of her first child. I would have to sit here and wonder if she thought about me, if she wondered what I was like, knowing that she would love me…but would she like me? Now I'd never know.

I shook my head violently, struggling to reclaim myself. I opened my laptop, and logged on, anxious to start grading papers, and thankfully, there were some in my university inbox. I hurriedly printed them, eager to have something to keep my mind occupied.

I finished and packed my things for the next day. It was just after midnight and I went through my routine. I started with the living room, dusting, vacuuming, putting everything in its place. I made my way through the rest of the house, washing, cleaning, rinsing, while I waited for the night to end. I cleaned every room, a tinge of sadness descending as I finished, knowing that I would need to find something else to keep my mind off more painful thoughts. I tried reading, but found myself to be too restless. My mind continued to wander, so I ended up doing what I always did.

I left out the backdoor, running as fast as I could toward the border of my property, into the forest beyond. I ran for over an hour, as the forest's dark cover camouflaged me. I ran, because it helped me to forget. Not forget exactly, but the running sometimes helped me clear my head. It allowed me some solace. I desperately tried to think of something else, but without warning, memories of Edward and me, in happier times, came flooding back.

The meadow. Our meadow. That day was pivotal. I knew what he was that day, in all his glory. He was so beautiful, glimmering in the sun, the sun that was so rare in Forks. We spent the entire afternoon there, careful of each other, the beginnings of a relationship that I had hoped would last forever. That was the irony. I wanted to be with him forever, to be what I was now. But that was before Grace. That was before I became a mother.

Now, I was what I had hoped to be, more than ten years ago, and the old adage of being careful what you wish for came back to bite me, literally.

I'm a…vampire. But I'm alone.

Victoria's plan for me to kill Grace had backfired, but what resulted was, in some ways, much worse. My child lived, and Jake loved and cared for her, but I was alone. By now, I was quite certain that he must be with Meghan, and this other woman was fortunate enough to have my baby call her "mommy". This punishment was infinitely worse. There were so many days that I preferred death to this permanent sentence of loneliness.

By then, I had stopped running. I lay on the floor of the forest, curled into a ball, gently rocking myself back and forth, my arms wrapped around the ever resurfacing hole inside of me, wishing for tears that refused to come. My mind flooded with memories of when Edward had left me in the forest all those years ago. The hole never healed, but now it was even bigger, knowing I had lost my old life…lost Charlie and Jake – and especially my Grace.

I forced myself off the forest floor and stretched, filling my lungs with unnecessary air. I looked at my watch, my sharp eyesight looking at the dial despite the lack of light. I had been here for hours, my mind reaching back into my past, pulling good and bad memories as my head fought to stay in the present. I forced myself to head back to the house and get ready for the new day.

I ran until I reached the backyard, recognizing the familiar trees that allowed my house some cover when the sun was out, which in this part of the country, was rare. I came back in through the same rear entrance, rushing up the stairs and robotically preparing for my daily routine.

I called into the school first, to notify them that I would be absent for the morning, realizing that the need to rent a car before heading into work. I clumsily keyed in each response to the questions the automated system asked me. Why was I calling in? How long would my absence be? I had never missed work before and the whole process took much longer that I thought it would, as I realized with sadness that I must have the most wretched life imaginable. I knew that my colleagues took sick days, personal days, family illness days…and I had never taken a single one, since I was never sick and had no family to call in for. No wonder everyone thinks I'm so odd…how pathetic.

I took a long, hot shower, staying there until the water finally ran cold. I stepped out and looked into the mirror, barely looking at my reflection, while I combed my hair, readying it for the hairdryer. I went through every part of my habitual schedule, in an almost perfunctory state when I heard it: a car, or several cars, coming down my deserted road. It was rare to hear a vehicle coming. Usually, just the mailman or someone who had lost their way. But to hear several was more than strange. I ignored it and went back to dressing, taking my time to select an appropriate outfit, complete with those accessories that I hoped would make me look older.

Suddenly, I heard those same vehicles stop in front of my house. Now I was curious. I stopped what I was doing and peered out one of my bedroom windows. What I saw nearly took my breath away.

Every member of the Cullen family was there, driving a beautiful vehicle. Each one started to step out, while Carlisle and Esme made their way to the porch. The doorbell rang, and I hurried to put on my shoes before running downstairs to answer it.

I pulled open the door to see Carlisle with his arm placed around Esme's waist as they both smiled at me warmly. "Hi." I was unsure of what else to say.

Carlisle smiled warmly at me. "Good morning, Bella. It looks to be a beautiful day," he answered.

Esme's eyes held concern, but her smile stayed securely in place. "Edward told us what happened last night, and we're here to help," Esme offered.

I felt my forehead involuntarily crease from confusion. "Help? Help with what?" I questioned.

Alice stepped forward then, her smile bright and eager. "Edward and I tried to rent you a car last night, but the only rental facilities in the area were closed. In addition, they won't open until eight this morning, which would make you late for work. So, like Esme said, we're here to help," she finished her little speech that almost sounded rehearsed, and she took my hand, leading me off the porch.

She basically dragged me toward the impressive caravan of vehicles, each one just as beautiful as the last. The owner of each car stood outside their personal vehicle, their smiles wide, willing me to do what, I wasn't sure.

"I don't understand, Alice. I mean, it's wonderful that you all want to help, but help with what?"

Alice laughed. "A vehicle, silly. You may pick any car you want and use it until Rose is done repairing yours."

I was speechless. I literally didn't know what to say. After the night I'd had, it was too much. Had some inadvertent prayer I offered last night in the depths of my grief been answered? I faced the family, unsure of what to do next.

"Bella, we were serious when we said that we were here for you and that you should let us know when you need something," Esme said with a smile.

"This is really unnecessary. I already took the morning off, and intended to rent a car, but this is truly too much," I said.

"Now Bella, are you going to tell me that you aren't going to take us up on our offer, and that we drove all the way over here for nothing?" Emmett teased.

"It's not that, Emmett. I just don't want to be a bother. It's already enough that Rosalie is repairing my car," I explained not wanting to sound ungrateful, but feeling completely overwhelmed in their generosity.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "That was Edward's fault," she interjected, her tone emphatic, "though I'm happy to do it."

"Bella, we're all here for you. Just pick one. It's not like we don't have plenty to go around," Carlisle added, his eyes bright with amusement.

I just stood there, still not sure what to do. I looked at each vehicle, while the owner stood in front of it, eager for me to select theirs.

Rosalie shyly walked toward me, a small smile on her exquisite face. "Well, let's see. You can choose Emmett's Hummer H2 Luxury, which has a Vortec 6.2 liter, V8 engine. The really great thing is the amount of torque..." she began, before I interrupted her.

"Rosalie, I'm sure that all of this 'stuff" you're talking about is really neat, but I have no clue what you're talking about."

She tapped one long elegant index finger against her lips, her eyes searching the skies, before she continued. "Emmett's truck can haul a lot, like your vehicle. It's got a lot of power when you're driving and it can go really fast, even for its size. The only downsize is finding a parking spot large enough for it." She laughed as she finished her comment.

I smiled at her, beginning to become more comfortable with her. "Now you're speaking my language. Please continue," I said, as I laughed lightly.

"Come on Bella. You know you want to pick my car…it's the biggest! And don't listen to Rose – it's not that hard to park," Emmett bellowed in our direction, with a huge grin on his face.

I smiled sweetly back at him and shrugged my shoulders, before walking forward.

Rosalie took me to her car next, the gleam in her eyes brighter. "You could choose my BMW Z4 Roadster convertible. Emmett and I painted it ourselves," her elegant hand caressing the roof of the car, painted in a beautiful shade of metallic spring green, with a beautiful tan leather interior, "since the color I wanted wasn't available. It can go really fast and even though it doesn't have lots of interior room, it's so much easier to park. Not to mention that lots of people will notice you in such a gorgeous convertible.

"Like you, it's really beautiful," I managed to say. She smiled back at me in response.

I couldn't help but smile when Rosalie led me to Jasper's car. "Jasper just got this Mustang GT Premium," she said as she rolled her eyes. The car was a beautiful dark metallic red, buffed to an incredibly high sheen. "We decked it out with spoilers and custom rims, replaced the windows with darker ones, before he insisted on that Confederate flag license plate frame. He actually stood at attention and saluted when he saw that online! This car can go really fast – well, everyone's car does, but his is really meant for high speeds," she explained.

Jasper said nothing, but leaned his arms over the roof of the car, crossing them as he rest his chin on his forearms, with a small smile on his handsome face. Typical Jasper…

Rosalie flagrantly rolled her eyes at her sister, as Alice could barely contain her enthusiasm bouncing up and down outside her giant SUV. "Well, we have Alice's Escalade," she spoke as she gracefully shoved her hands into her pockets. "As you can see it's a huge vehicle with enormous power and will go pretty fast. Plus it's really big and people tend to get out of the way when you're driving something that large," she laughed, "but parking, like with the Hummer, can be a challenge. The upside is it's really a beautiful, elegant vehicle with plenty of leg room and hatch space."

Alice demonstrated her custom installed power step that would automatically extend a small platform from the undercarriage of the vehicle when the driver's side door would open. I chuckled thinking of my tiny friend needing assistance to get in and out of her vehicle, as to not arise suspicion from any human that might witness it.

The truck had a pale gold paint job and a cashmere leather interior enhancing the beauty of her elegant SUV. It was in complete contradiction to her. Large and powerful looking, it contrasted her tiny frame and delicate features. While I could imagine her sheer joy if I happened to decide that her car was the one I would pick, I knew that even if I didn't, she would find some type of excuse to get me into it eventually. Alice put her hands together, as if in prayer, for me to choose her…I mean her car.

Reverently, Rosalie walked me toward Carlisle's vehicle. "This Mercedes CL65 AMG sedan," she said quietly, "is a king among cars. Its smooth ride is unmatched and just like the rest of our fleet of automobiles, this one is capable of very high speeds. It's probably the most expensive car in our collection, save Edward's Aston Martin. " The car had a sleek black finish with the darkest window tints I had ever seen. He had owned a car very similar to this that Alice, Jasper and I drove to Phoenix all those years ago. It was a beautiful vehicle, but knowing that this car probably cost more than my house, I quickly dismissed it. But wow was it was tempting…

Rosalie walked toward Esme, giving her mother a brief embrace. "Mom has the typical soccer mom vehicle, a Range Rover HSE. It's got plenty of room, it's very safe and doesn't go as fast as the other vehicles in our collection." Warmly, I considered driving Esme's vehicle, its color, a beautiful dark blue metallic finish, reminding me of a moonless, starry night, while its ivory leather interior spoke of Esme's never-ending elegance and taste. I smiled when I thought of her driving such a big car, her being so gentle and all.

Finally, I saw Edward, leaning casually against his shiny, silver Volvo, arms crossed, looking handsome in the early morning light. "Well, you remember Edward's Volvo. In all the years that I've known him, I've never seen him hold onto a vehicle for such duration – and I'm sure that you well remember how fast this thing can go."

It was obvious that Edward loved his car, but it was ten years old, at the very least. That he was willing to even let it be an option said volumes because Edward ALWAYS drove. All the time I spent in that car, he drove it. Yet, it looked just as beautiful as every other vehicle that now occupied my overfilled driveway. I couldn't imagine why he hadn't gotten something newer.

What was it with the Cullens and their cars?

"Well?" Edward asked, his eyes full of merriment, as he pushed off the side of his car, striding over toward me.

"I'm not sure. I'm a bit overwhelmed right now," I stammered.

Alice and Rosalie walked toward me, flanking me on either side. "Come on, Bella. You have the choice of seven beautiful pieces of machinery," Rosalie pointing out the obvious. "I would love it if you would pick mine. I can see you driving to work with the top down. The weather is perfect for that today," Rosalie offered. I smiled in spite of myself. Perfect weather to a vampire was slightly different than to the normal mortal. It was a perfectly calm, yet heavily overcast day. Perfect convertible weather.

I smiled back at her, before Alice chimed in. "Well personally, I think you'll arrive to work in style in my car, Bella. Plus, like Rosalie said, people tend to get out of your way with a vehicle that big!"

I was suddenly besieged with an unfamiliar feeling. Each family member was anxious for me to choose their car and I felt a sudden surge of happiness; thrilled that they were here. The feelings of loneliness from the night before had vanished, being replaced with something that I thought I would never feel again: a sense of family.

Esme approached me. "Bella, you said you took the morning off. I hate to seem forward, but I would love to see your home. Alice went on and on about it last night. Do you have the time?"

Grateful for the distraction, I smiled at her. "Of course. Where are my manners? Please come in." We all headed toward the front door of the house, while I held it open wide, inviting them in.

They all filed in, each of them, smiling at me as they entered. I laughed out loud when Emmett came to the door. He had to duck to fit his massive frame through the door jamb, after which he ambled inside, headed straight for Rosalie. Each person looked at me eagerly, as they took in the living and dining areas of my house.

"Well, I always knew it was small, but with all of you here, it seems tiny," I said, taking in the sight of seven lovely faces that were staring back at me, looking at me expectantly.

I repeated the same routine as I had the night before leading each member, save Edward and Jasper, who waited downstairs to allow the rest of us more room to move, to every room in my house.

Alice was still bubbling with excitement and it was infectious. The smile on my face seemed permanent and it grew wider with Esme's comments on how much she liked the little place I had put together for myself. Her taste was beyond exquisite, so her comments were high praise.

We reconvened in the living room, the ladies and I took the couch and single chair while the men retrieved my dining room chairs for extra seating and we sat around my tiny living room, laughter and easy conversation abounding.

All too soon, Edward addressed me, "So, Bella, what will it be?" He smiled at me, his crooked grin making my breath hitch in my throat.

"Well, as much as this pains me to say…none of them."

The look on Edward's face was of pure shock as he responded, "Bella you need a car. Just pick one. What's the problem?"

I giggled, unable to stop myself. "Well, the problem is if this is supposed to be a rental car, I can't think of any companies that rent the type of vehicles that your family tends to drive. I'm trying to stay under the radar here, and none of your vehicles will help me accomplish that. But I really appreciate the thought," I smiled, hoping that the family wouldn't be offended. Everyone chuckled at my insight.

"Bella, who cares? Just have a little fun for once," Rosalie tempted with a sly grin.

What is it with everyone wanting me to have a little fun?

Edward rose from his chair, and crossed the room, before he knelt in front of me. The closeness of him was overpowering. "Bella, if you're worried about drawing too much attention, then take my car. It's more than ten years old, even if it doesn't look it. You can just say that a friend let you borrow it. Please. Do this for me?" he pleaded, his eyes smoldering while he looked at me. That wasn't fair – he wasn't playing fair and he knew it.

I was dazzled for just a moment, before I could draw in a deep breath to reply. "Edward, it's really unnecessary. I'll just pick up a rental car and that will be it."

"Fine…I'll pay for it."

"No."

"Bella, I'm not about to argue with you. I told you last night that I would take care of the problem. You either take the Volvo or I'm paying for the rental. Your choice." He shot me a look, his eyebrows cocked, daring me to argue the point.

Still feeling a bit overcome by the last thirty minutes, but not wanting him to know that, I responded haughtily, "Well, this is your fault. If you hadn't gotten so carried away last night, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Since you won't let me pay for the repairs, and I don't want you spending anymore money, I'll take your car. Does that make you happy?"

"You have no idea." He smiled triumphantly as he stood, taking me by the hand. The electrical current that raced through my system was intense. He led me toward the front door of the house before I was able to partially regain my senses. "We'll be back," he tossed out casually to his family as we left the house.

"Edward, where are we going?" I spoke, finally finding my voice.

"Bella, I can't let you drive my car without showing you a thing or two. Rosalie has…adjusted the engine a bit, and it's probably more vehicle than you're used to handling. But I feel confident with a quick lesson, you'll do fine." His smile was encouraging, but I was starting to panic.

"What do you mean…adjusted?" my tone echoing the pangs in my stomach.

"Don't worry. Rose just tinkers with the engine so it'll go faster than it's supposed to. You just have to control the gas. Nothing to fret about," he answered, while he continued to keep my hand in his. I had to admit that it felt wonderful, but I tried to not read more into it than necessary. I'm sure that he was just taking precautions – to assure himself that I wouldn't damage his precious car.

We walked toward the Volvo, and he steered me toward the driver's side. He opened the door and helped me in before he purposefully walked to the passenger side and took a seat. "Edward, I can't just leave your family inside the house. They'll think I'm rude," I protested.

"They'll be fine. We won't be that long. Everyone in the family has this type of adjustment to their vehicle. Don't you remember how much we all thrive on speed?" He laughed as he looked at me.

I tried to return his smile and feel comfortable, but we were in his car and I found myself sitting in his driver's seat. This was beyond strange. I was nervous and quite sure that it was beginning to show.

He handed me the keys, and I fumbled as I attempted to put them into the ignition. He helped me and our hands made contact again. I stifled my gasp, taking small breaths to help me center myself.

"Now, just put it in reverse. When you let off the clutch, just give it a touch of gas," Edward began.

Nervous didn't begin to cover how I felt. Why hadn't I just let him pay for the damn rental? As I slowly lifted my foot upward from the clutch, I applied pressure to the gas pedal, forgetting that he had instructed me with a warning to only touch the gas and I applied more pressure than necessary, as the car lurched backwards, jerking both of us with its motion. I hit the brake, just before we missed plunging into the ditch that flanked either side of my stone driveway, Edward's hand a blur, as he grasped the steering wheel to prevent the car from flipping over. The engine stalled with my failure.

I bit my lower lip as I turned to face him. "Oops. Sorry about that…you weren't kidding when you said Rosalie tweaked this engine. I don't think my car goes that fast, forward or backwards." I gave a weak attempt at a chuckle.

Edward threw his head back and laughed, his face so beautiful from the natural reaction to my mishap. "That's alright, Bella. Let's try it again, this time just be sure to touch the gas pedal lightly," he said, while he continued to grin at me encouragingly.

I was slightly dazed from his proximity, but determined to not look like a complete fool in front of him. Focus, Bella. I turned back to the business at hand and put the car into reverse, straightening the wheel and very lightly applying pressure to the gas peddle, removing my foot in tandem from the clutch, as we quickly backed out of my driveway, onto the dirt road that led to my residence.

I slipped the car into first gear, my feet both stationed on the clutch and brake, as I innocently looked over at Edward, desperate for encouragement. His eyes were still focused in my direction and he nodded gently, his smile widening, as I lifted my foot from the brake and hit the gas, a little too hard again. I squealed as the car took off, leaving a cloud of dust behind us and I remembered back to all the times that we had driven in this very vehicle, once afraid of the sheer speed that Edward always engaged when he drove.

The speed was exhilarating, but nothing compared to being alone with him. We sped down the deserted road for several miles, his hand over mine, as he guided me from first gear to second and upward. We were racing down the back roads near my dwelling, before I saw that we had been gone for more than ten minutes and gently turned the car back around, to drive back to the house, where his family was waiting for us.

He sighed before he turned to me, "So, do you think you've got the hang of it?"

Not wanting to take my eyes off the road, fearing that if I met his gaze, I would lose complete control of the vehicle, I nodded. I took a fleeting glance in his direction before adding, "I think so. This is certainly more fun to drive than my car."

His grin was mischievous. "Well, Rose could do the same to your car while she has it," he offered.

I giggled, which was so unlike me. "No thank you. My vehicle is fine the way it is or it will be once Rosalie fixes it." I paused, not sure what to say to him next. "So, you get to help her sand it before she paints it?"

"Yes."

"I never knew that you could do things like that," I offered. Is there anything that he can't do?

I had returned to the driveway of my house, and parked the car off to the side, to allow the other Cullens to leave, when the time came. Turning off the engine, I hesitantly turned toward Edward, taking in his breathtaking appearance, before he spoke.

His eyes were serious when he looked at me, before he smiled that wonderful crooked grin of his. "Bella, there's a whole lot that you don't know about me," he teased as we both exited the car, heading back inside, where the family was waiting for us.