Hello readers, thank you for the really interesting reviews on the last chapter. To SGK, thanks for the catch. As always, I want to thank my lovely beta for helping me make this story better.

Hopefully you'll find that this chapter was worth the wait.

Chapter 31

Bella sat on her porch in the stale summer heat. It was too hot to sit outside, but the thought of being trapped in her condo made Bella want to climb the walls. A sheen of sweat glistened on her forearms as she sat in the ninety-five degree heat. In her restless hands a plastic toy twirled between her fingers.

How different today was, she thought, from the last time she sat on this stoop staring up at the trees. On the morning of her surgery, the sunlight had glinted off golden leaves, parading their last brilliant display, as the season came to a close. Like the leaves, Isabella's season had been close to the close as she sifted through the memories of her seventy-five years.

By contrast, today the sunlight danced through bright green leaves while the hum of singing cicadas echoed in locust trees. Much had changed in the last eight months, the least of which had been Bella's outlook. Instead of recalling memories of her parents and cider on a cool fall day, Bella looked forward to the span of life that stretched out before her. She was still facing an uncertain future, but one thing was undeniably certain—she wanted Edward to be a part of it.

The roar of Edward's engine announced his arrival long before his car came into view. Though the noise seemed deafening on her quiet street, Bella didn't look up or take her eyes off the toy lying in her hands. She clasped it tightly to keep her hands from shaking. This was her small remembrance—her gift for him.

Last month Bella had decided to give Edward a small reminder of her. Ideas of buying a fancy, expensive gift were quickly discarded. Bella wanted something simple and cheap, something easily thrown out without a second thought to the expense. She wanted to make it easy for him to rid himself of the memory of her if that was what he wanted.

It was her way of coping with an inevitable future—a way of preparing for the worst. The idea still hit her like a tidal wave, making her feel alone and adrift in a swirling sea.

Bella shut her eyes once more. She couldn't dwell on those thoughts and have any hope of making it through the day. She inhaled slowly, doing her best to pull herself together.

The sound of Edward's car door slamming was her undoing. Every hair on the back of her arms stood at attention. She could feel him; the warmth of the day was nothing compared to how her skin heated when he was near. Every inch of her waited in anticipation for the moment his skin would touch hers.

"Hey," Edward called softly, laying a gentle hand over hers.

Relief, cool and welcome washed over her—his touch a balm for all her fears. The small smile in his eyes was a welcome respite.

Edward's body blocked the sunlight as he crouched before her. The light was behind him, illuminating the tips of his hair as it filtered through his auburn strands. His fingers moved from her hand and danced along Bella's forearm, further igniting her skin and making her heart beat wildly. She longed to fall into his arms and bury her head against his protective chest. It made her feel like a child wanting to crawl under the covers and remain safely hidden from her fears.

He would do it. He would protect her. He would cover her in the warmth of his embrace; she only had to ask. Unlike when she was a child, fleeing scary monsters lurking in the dark, now there was no one to run from. She was the monster. She was the nightmare that threatened to take away her future with Edward.

Bella bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood. The desire to be done with this, to tell him everything and beg his forgiveness needed to be quelled, because in spite of everything, Bella owed him this day.

"What are you doing out here?" Edward asked gently. "It's already hot. You'll be dehydrated before we even get to the track."

"It's worse inside."

Edward stood and looked toward the front door. "It is? Is your AC broken?"

"No. I mean the house feels like is suffocating me. There are lots of memories crawling all over me today. I just needed to get out."

"Okay," Edward whispered as he ran his hand gently over the back of Bella's head. Once more Bella closed her eyes, reveling in the perfect feeling of comfort he offered with the simplest touch. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Bella lifted a hand to Edward and he wrapped his fingers in hers.

"Sit with me for a minute?"

"Sure."

They sat hip-to-hip and shoulder-to-shoulder as Bella resumed twirling the toy in her hands. Though she'd had plenty of time to decide what to say and how to say it, she found herself at a complete loss. They sat there in silence, but the words wouldn't come. Finally, Bella simply took Edward's hand in hers.

The blood pounded in her ears as she gently laid the toy, her meager gift, in the palm of his hand.

"What's this?" Edward asked, leaning over her shoulder. He was so close his breath tickled her ear.

"It's a prism," Bella answered, nearly too choked to speak.

Bella pointed to the faceted clear plastic on one end and then the red eyepiece on the other.

"You hold it up to your eye and look in here," she said demonstrating for him. "I had one a lot like this when I was a kid. When you look through it, the light refracts. Some say it distorts the image, but I think of it as changing your perspective."

Edward lifted the tiny toy to his eye and began looking at the scenery around them.

"I always looked at the world head on, not bothering to see things from a different point of view. It made me lose sight of so many things. I was so self-absorbed. The truth is," Bella heaved a heavy sigh. "The truth is that I never even realized it until I met you." Finally able to look Edward in the eye, Bella asked, "Do you remember what you said the first day we met as you were leaving my hospital room?"

"I said, I see you."

Bella nodded.

"I didn't even know who I was myself and yet there you were, holding out your hand, promising to show me the way." Bella took Edward's hand in hers and turned so that they were sitting face-to-face, legs entangled, hands entwined and eyes locked. "You did. You saw me. You saw a scared and lonely woman who hadn't let anyone or anything inside her shell for far too long. You pushed me, challenged me. You made me laugh, and cry but above all you gave me yourself every day. That's what makes you so amazing at what you do." Bella nudged the prism with the tip of her finger. "I wanted to give you this to remind you not to ever lose that perspective. You see the heart of a person and how you can help them. I would have broken a long time ago if you hadn't seen me and given me the courage to try and find my way. You did this … you brought me back."

Suddenly, Edward had her in his arms. Bella's heart clenched. His touch was everything. It ignited her skin and made her heart pound. She silently begged him to hold tighter, to crush all of her fears.

"No one has ever meant to me what you do," Edward said, pulling back and wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm not as altruistic as you might think, Bella. If I'm the one who brought you back it was because I wasn't about to let you go."

Despite all her promises to keep a distance to make it easier for him to walk away, Bella threw her arms around his neck, allowing her to feel his heart beating against hers. She breathed in the scent of him, full of sunshine and soap. He was perfect, and he deserved so much more than she could ever provide.

The held each other for the the length of a few heartbeats then she let him go. "We'd better go," she said, reluctantly.

With a forced smile on her lips, Bella threaded her fingers through his hair, tousling it out of its tamed perfection before letting her hand fall dejectedly onto her lap.

"This isn't an ending, Bella," Edward said, brushing the backs of his fingers over her cheek. "It's only the beginning of something new. Remember what else I told you the first day we met. It was true then and it's true now—you're not alone."

xxxXXXxxx

"Come on, Bella," Edward teased, "I know you can do better than that."

Bella puffed like a locomotive coming around the final curve of the high school track. Her arms were pumping and her feet spun wildly as she raced to keep up with the grinning son of a bitch. Lord, how she hated running. As if Edward could read her mind he picked up the pace, barreling ahead, putting himself once again just out of her reach.

"Show me what you've got, little girl," he taunted without a backward glance.

She didn't care if her muscles were screaming. She didn't care if none of the air she was pulling was actually was making it to her lungs. Bella swore she'd either catch Edward today or die trying.

Begging her new body for a reserve of energy she wasn't sure it had, she sped up, placing her only five footfalls behind Edward's haughty jog. The sweat was streaming down her face and running into her eyes, but she was gaining. He was right there, now down to three paces beyond her reach.

Bella willed herself to go faster, spinning her feet, pumping her arms, and just as she'd narrowed the distance to within an arm's length of him, she felt her body falter. Her feet began moving too fast to keep up with her forward momentum. With a frightened lurch, she over corrected, throwing the weight of her body further forward. Her steps stuttered, but it was no good. Bella was going to hit the ground–hard.

By the sheer grace of God she managed not to land face first. Her hands came down an instant before her knee did, taking with it several layers of skin. The burning sensation ripped through her as she rolled and flipped until her forward momentum finally came to a careening halt.

"BELLA!"

She could hear Edward's cry in the distance but was too busy trying to put air back into her lungs to answer. He reached her in seconds, his eyes wild with fear.

Bella lifted up a shaking hand, bloody knuckles and all, and set it against Edward's shoulder.

"Got you," she heaved.

"What? Don't talk, just lie still," he said, his voice shaking with panic. "I'll have help here in a minute, Bella."

Bella couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped her chest.

"Don't go," she said, trying to pull herself up.

"Don't move!" he roared.

She was nearly howling now, distantly aware that the sight of her uncontrolled hysterics must be scaring the hell out of Edward. The anxious look on his face as he held her shoulders seemed to confirm his belief that she'd likely cracked her skull.

"I'm fine, Edward. Just let me up."

"You're not fine, Bella, you're a bloody mess and you'd better stay still or I'm going to wring your goddamned neck."

Edward icy green eyes bore down on her with a force that willed her to be still. His chest was rising and falling heavily with each breath, demonstrating exactly how frightened he was. Bella lifted her hand to comfort him but he quelled her with an angry look and she dropped her hand back down at her side."Edward, listen to me," Bella said calmly. "I just tripped. I'm cut up and I'll be bruised, but it's nothing so bad that an ice pack and a couple of Band-Aids can't fix."

Ignoring her, Edward dusted his hand on his shirt then pried one of her eyes open to examine her pupil. His hands moved over her determinedly, examining her as best he could until a passerby put a hand on his shoulder.

"That was quite a spill, is she hurt?"

"Yes."

"I'm fine."

Edward and Bella's words collided in mid air.

"If you'd be so kind, Mr.—"

"Yorkie," the runner said. "Eric Yorkie."

"Yes, if you'd be so kind as to help me up, Eric, I'll remove my bloody carcass from the track. I'd get up myself, but at the moment I'm being held here against my will."

Edward gave Eric a look that left no question as to what would happen should he extend a hand to Bella.

Bella cackled, making Eric look as if he was actually beginning to question her sanity.

"Um, I guess you have things under control," Eric began, looking at Edward who rolled his eyes heavenward then gave him curt a nod.

Eric took off at a jog and quickly picked up enough speed to put half a lap between them. Before he reached a safe distance Bella began howling with laughter. Edward stared at her for a moment in disbelief then quickly followed suit. When they finally caught their breath Edward passed a gentle hand over Bella's head.

"God, you scared the shit out of me," he said with a heavy sigh of relief.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just wanted to catch you and wipe the smug grin off your face."

"I'm such an idiot," he groaned. "I should never have teased you like that. The day I'm supposed to release you from therapy, I land you in a body cast."

"Stop being so dramatic, I'm fi—," she caught herself. "It's only a little road rash."

Edward helped Bella slowly get to her feet. Try as she might, she couldn't keep her face neutral as she tried to straighten her scraped knee. She was in Edward's arms before she could protest, feeling the erratic thump of his heart as he carried her away. They didn't stop to pick up their discarded bags or the water. Instead, Edward carried her all the way down the track and across the grass until he reached a group of abandoned picnic tables.

"Stay here while I go get my bag."

Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Please," he added, his voice breaking with strain.

"I'll stay put," she groused.

Edward took off at a sprint across the parking lot. Bella pursed her lips as her eyes followed him. She was mad. Not at Edward but at herself for not catching him before she her spectacular crash in front of thirty-odd witnesses. If there was one thing to ease her bruised ego and bloody skin, it was the fact that she had been running after a man who was a third of her age. Not only that, but she'd managed to take a fall that, only a year ago, would have left her in traction for months. Despite her humiliation, she had to admit that she'd come a hell of a long way.

It didn't take long for Edward to grab his bag and make it back to her. He was grumbling under his breath as he approached, saying something that sounded a lot like, should lose my damn license. His stocked medical backpack landed with a heavy thud on the bench near Bella's feet. She jumped at the sound then winced as pain shot up her leg. It was impossible to hide the reaction; Edward was watching her like a hawk.

Silently he laid item after item on the table, everything from Band-Aids and gauze, to antiseptic and an instant ice pack. Bella began to wonder if he packed her night nurse in there too. Coyly she leaned into the left and peered into the myriad of medical necessities.

"Got Leah in there with you?"

"No. I'd call her, but I think she'd kick my ass. I'm a little afraid of that woman."

"I'd protect you," Bella teased.

Edward took three gauze pads out of the wrapping and broke the seal on the instant ice pack. He placed first the gauze and then the ice against her bloody knee then lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"Hold this in place with this hand while I start on the other one."

With half the hospital pharmacy laid out on the table Edward went to work on Bella's free hand. There were a few minor cuts to take care of, but her hands hadn't taken the brunt of the fall like her knee had. Edward cleaned the cuts with antiseptic pads, applied a generous amount of antibiotic to the skin, and wrapped her palm with rolled gauze. It was a bit much, but Bella kept quiet, allowing Edward enough time to sort through his thoughts. The other hand was a little less banged up but Edward gave the hand the same treatment. Somehow she managed to keep from commenting that a little more gauze around the knuckles and she could pass for a prizefighter.

The knee was a little trickier. The oozing blood had dried making the gauze stick to the wound. Edward opened a bottle of water and doused the wound, pad and all, before attempting to pull it away. Even with water to loosen the dried blood, Bella still hissed when the gauze stuck and came away with pieces of her flesh. The wound wasn't deep but the skin was shredded. Edward groaned seeing the extent of the damage to her previously pristine skin.

"Do you think it will scar?" Bella asked with an inappropriate amount of hope in her voice.

"Uh," Edward hedged, looking over the wound. "It isn't deeper than a quarter of an inch in any section so you won't need stitches. Still," he sighed, "the skin is pretty torn up. It will be raw and pink for a while, but it should fade after that."

Edward lifted his eyes from the wound and frowned, seeing the apparent disappointment on Bella's face.

"You want it to scar?"

Bella didn't answer right away. She waited until Edward was sufficiently distracted in patching her up before she spoke.

"Not all scars bring up bad memories."

"And you crashing and tearing up your knee because I was too stupid to keep a better eye on you will put you in your happy place?" Edward snapped. "Is that something you want to remember?"

The antiseptic wash started to burn, and Bella had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out. She started to squirm, but Edward held her knee tightly and leaned down blowing his cool air against the tender skin. In that instant, with his breath fanning out over her, Bella forgot her wound. Her flesh was on fire, not because of the injury or any chemical disinfectant, but for the feel of Edward's warm body bent over hers. Had her hands not been so perfectly bandaged, Bella would have grabbed the edge of the picnic table for support.

As the last of his cooling breath expired, Edward pressed a large bandage over Bella's knee. Layers of rolled gauze and tape hid the injury from view. He dropped the roll of tape in the grass and paused for a moment, one hand still wrapped around her shin, holing it firm. Edward pursed his lips in a gentle but lingering kiss against the white bandage.

Edward dropped his head in supplication and resting his forehead gently against her shin. His hand fell, skimming down her calf as the defeat leached from his pores. The breath froze in Bella's chest.

After a beat of silence, Bella reached down and gently lifted his chin with one of her bandaged hands. "I want to remember you."

The way Edward's face suddenly crumpled made Bella wonder what she'd said wrong. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes as though cutting off a phantom pain. For a moment neither of them moved. Then slowly Edward opened his eyes and tightened his jaw. Bella could see resolve settling in his bones. He swallowed hard and cupped Bella's face in his hands. His captivating green gaze penetrated her protective veil and pierced her heart.

"I don't want to be a memory."

For the length of a heartbeat she watched indecision flicker in his eyes before he pinned his lips to hers. His hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her body tight against his. All worries about the distance of age and time were abandoned. Her body's need finally overpowering her mind's reservation. Bella's body pulsed as his grip tightened around her. His mouth roamed over her lips, her jaw. Bella gasped for air as he began a trail of hungry kisses down her neck. The intensity of how much she wanted this man set her on fire. Her bandaged hands sifted through his hair, tugging at the root until he gasped for breath. She didn't pause to let him have it; instead she brought her mouth down to meet his. The kisses weren't gentle; they were full of pent up want and need. Teeth and tongues collided, each battling to show the other that ending this thing between them would leave neither unscathed.

Edward broke the kiss with a gasp but didn't let go. He placed his forehead against Bella's as they each struggled to catch their breath. Edward traced the line of her face, first with his fingertips, then with his lips. Neither of them wanted to stop, or go back once they'd crossed that line.

His hands roamed her body as they kissed and Bella gasped as Edward's lips found the hollow behind her ear. Her useless hands went around his neck. She couldn't get close enough—the heady feel of him wanting her like this was overwhelming. Finally, with what seemed to be a monumental effort, Edward released her, trailing his hands down her back, ghosting her sides until they came to rest on the tops of her thighs.

"By the way … you're free," he breathed, taking her lips once more.

"What?" Bella managed between embraces.

Her mind spun as she wondered if she'd ever truly lived before meeting this man. She'd never felt as alive as she did at this moment. No one, not Jacob, or any other beau had ever come close to her feelings for Edward. In that moment she knew there was no going back to the safety of Isabella's shell. She wanted to break free and fall gracefully from the peak of scientific acclaim. She'd give it up without a second thought for Edward. The lab was a sterile, place, unmoving, unfeeling. Edward had taught her how to embrace life, and how to laugh. Most importantly, he taught her how to love.

"You're free," Edward said, trailing more kisses along her jaw and venturing to tender skin beneath her jawline. Bella could feel her eyes rolling toward the back of her head. "You're released from therapy," he breathed between kisses before pulling back to meet her eyes with his perfectly beautiful smile. "You are no longer my patient, Bella Dwyer."

"Oh," Bella whispered—a palpable sadness etched into that one, small word.

"Go out with me," Edward implored with such intense longing that Bella had no chance of giving him any answer other than yes. Edward's every movement beckoned her to follow him like a moth to a flame. "There's a commitment I have to keep on Saturday, but after that I'm all yours. My parents have this huge garden party for the Fourth of July every year," he continued. "Come with me. We'll make a quick appearance and then I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

Bella nodded. The breath of agreement barely crossed her lips before Edward silenced them with his mouth.

"We'll … have … to … talk," Bella breathed between each brush of his lips. "There's so much I need to tell you."

Edward pulled back, his eyes bright. "You can tell me anything."

Bella could tell him anything; Isabella was something else entirely.

"It has to be somewhere private. We can't have this conversation in a crowd."

"Anything, anywhere. Where do you want to go?"

Back to the moment you kissed me and made me forget everything else.

"My condo," she said, releasing him and cradling her injured hands in her lap.

"Don't put up your defenses, Bella. Stay with me. Believe in this," he said, taking one of her hands and placing it against his pounding chest. "Give us a chance."

Bella nodded; she would give him anything. Her only worry was how much he could take.

Any ideas on how Edward will react?

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think.

-FirstBlush