Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its original characters. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story.

A/N: Welcome back! If you're in America, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday. I want to take an extra second to thank all of you for reading. The feedback I've received for this story has been amazing and I'm just so thankful for each and every one of you who enjoy reading my words.

FYI: I'll be posting the EPOV's soon to my profile within their own separate story tab, but it will be one at a time with each regular update moving forward. If you're interested, be on the lookout for it.

Quick reminder to check your inbox for review replies that include EPOV outtakes. FFn is still being a be'otch about sending email alerts when I send them and a few of you have your PM's turned off, so heads up, if you haven't heard from me yet.

Much love to my beta, BPlemons. She's my copilot and I couldn't have asked for a better partner.

Music inspiration for this chapter: "Would You Be So Kind" By: Dodie

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.:(*):. Chapter 6 .:(*):.

.*. Yellow Means, Slow.*.

.*.

...Bella...

Something is vibrating.

It's stirred me awake and now I'm annoyed to discover it's morning.

When I realize it's my phone that's betrayed me and not the sun, I swiftly slide my hand under my pillow to paralyze it.

My eyes focus first on the ceiling, and then I slowly scan the rest of my surroundings.

Top to bottom, left to right, I take it all in... smiling.

Edward and I did good.

Really good.

Seeing my walls in the morning light confirms this, but anxiety sneaks back in when I remember how we ended our otherwise perfect evening, thanks to Mike and his pathetic attempt to play Romeo from the bushes below my window.

Before sitting up, I go ahead and respond to Rosalie's text since she's the reason my eyes are now open.

I send her a quick rundown of the stolen moments Edward and I had shared in secret prior to him running from my bedroom as if I'd turned into a brain eating zombie.

I do this using coordinated emojis as bullet points for added flare because I know she'll appreciate it.

Not even thirty seconds later my phone buzzes, just like I expect.

"Seriously, Rose? It's barely nine in the morning. Couldn't this wait?" I tease, stretching my legs beneath the covers.

"I've been lying here awake for the last two hours hating myself for failing you. I'm so so SO sorry I didn't give you a heads up about Mike. I didn't even realize he'd left the field until after we all started to head home and that was just before sunrise. If I'd warned you, it could have changed everything. It's absolutely my fault that your night with Stranger Danger got ruined. I take full responsibility!"

"It's fine." I grumble, "You're not Mike's keeper, but I am curious, did you talk to him before he left to harass me at my window?"

"Yeah. We talked. Actually I talked… Okay I mostly yelled while he listened. Eric later confirmed it's Jessica fucking Stanely he's been hanging out with on the DL. He couldn't tell me any details, but apparently it's been going on for months. I'm so sorry, Bella. I knew he was an ass, but I never thought he'd actually cheat on you during all of this. Not after everything you've been through."

It's nice that this news doesn't even bother me.

"Whatever. I'm not even mad. It's just too bad it took a pandemic for Jessica to finally get Mike on top of her. She's only been drooling over him since the eighth grade. Hopefully she's good at getting herself off while he cleans up in the bathroom."

"Isabella Marie Swan!" Rose's voice snickers into the air, "You've always said he's good in bed!"

"Wrong. I've said he's good at not rushing things. That doesn't exactly mean he's good at getting the job done," I quip, then gently tap my screen to pull up the photo I'd taken of Edward last night.

Without warning, I go ahead and send my friend the candid shot of my current crush in a random text message.

Three.

Two.

One.

"Holy shit... is that Stranger Danger?! BELLA! You might not survive when he takes that mask off! The way he's looking at you, there's absolute fire in his eyes!"

I stifle my laugh and casually shrug my shoulders as if she can see me, "Yeah," I whisper, "His eyes are definitely nice."

"And so is his hair! Imagine tugging on that while he's between your—"

"Stop it!" I giggle, sounding like an absolute girl, "I still need to pee, please don't make me laugh."

"Sorry, sorry. Seriously though, I can see why you've been struggling these last two nights. You're going to be screwed once your lips lose their shield. Speaking of shields, are your parents still going foraging today?"

"Yup, as far as I know. They should be gone until supper."

Once a week we're allowed to travel outside of town to pick up fresh produce and butchered meat from local farmers who have set up drive thru's to make transactions simple and ensure proper social distancing.

My parents usually take the backroads and they make an entire day of it by visiting multiple farms before sunset, which is when they have to be back home if they want to avoid a hefty fine from the local government.

Since the beginning of lockdown, Rose has been using these days to drop off 'care packages' for me and Alice.

She leaves mine in the shed by our pond under my dad's workbench while they're out and I blow her a kiss from my hand at the back porch, which is hard sometimes since I'd much rather run downstairs and hug her with my arms.

Usually it's just little things she leaves, like a magazine she's done with, a candy bar and piece of clothing she's repurposed with her sewing machine, but every once in a while she'll surprise me with something a little less House on the Prairie like.

"I'll drop off your box after I take a quick nap. I got you something special to help with your room revamp. Eric gave me the idea last week when I told him what you were up to. I was also going to leave your birthday present, but... well," She pauses and now I'm nervous. "Eh, maybe you should sit down for this, Bella Bee."

"I'm still in bed, dork. Lay it on me. I'm ready."

"Okay, don't get too excited, but there are rumors we might be going into phase two pretty soon. Sooooooo, who knows? Maybe I'll actually get to hug your ass on the day you turn eighteen!"

My eyes snap up from Edward's picture once I actually process what she's said.

"Wait, what? Says who?!"

"Well, lets just say Tyler was flying pretty high last night and didn't know when to shut up. Who knows how much was true, but apparently his dad is ready to start lifting some restrictions as long as business and churches will follow certain rules. There's supposed to be a Town Hall meeting on Zoom this weekend. They're going to announce it on the local news tonight so don't say anything to your parents yet. Better to wait and see if it actually happens."

Tyler's dad is the Mayor of our small town here in Georgia and Mike's dad happens to be his right hand man, though most people around here think he's the one who calls all the shots.

The important ones anyway. Like lockdown… and who gets a pass from it.

"Huh. So that's why Mike came back last night," I blurt out on impulse, not even realizing I'd opened my mouth.

Rose gasps through the phone and I sit up straight, "Now that you mention it, that makes a lot of sense! Knowing there's a possible reprieve on the horizon means he won't be needing Jessica Stanely's horse face sucking on his pencil peen for much longer."

"Jesus, Rose. Please don't." I grimace with a shake of my head, "Not the mental picture I need this early in the morning."

"Sorry. Too soon?" My best friend apologizes, then lets out an exasperated breath, "Okay, I'm beat. I'll text you when I'm about to head over. Sleep is waiting for me and my eyes are starting to feel like dead weight."

"Be safe. When you leave, I mean."

"Always am, Bella Bee. Love you!"

After ending our call I quickly get dressed and run my brush through my tangled hair, then apply some black eyeliner.

I'm in such a rush positioning my mask on my face that I nearly run straight into my brother when I bolt into the hallway as if my room is on fire and I'm moments away from burning.

Emmett jumps out of the way, but not without bumping into the accent table next to the linen closet, "What the hell, Bella? Do we need to put a bell on you?" He questions before glancing past me with sudden interest.

"Sa-sorry," I turn to close my door, but he stops me from making it happen.

"Holy shit! You already finished your room? Can I see?"

I hesitate because I know what will come next.

An actual conversation.

He might as well stick a knife in me since conversing would be worse than death.

Emmett's brows narrow with my awkward pause until a loud sigh spills from behind my mask. "Fine," I breathe, "Make it quick though, or I'll have to charge you an admission fee."

I've barely finished my sentence before he's moving past me to come inside for a better look.

"Jesus. You did all of this in one night?"

"Two nights. First the base... then the smaller details. Something is missing though... I haven't quite put my finger on it. The smell was pretty horrendous yesterday... which is why I parked my ass by the pond until dinner. This morning it isn't so bad… or maybe I've just gotten used to it? Who knows… I dunno… so… yeah... It's still not done yet... I guess." I stammer, feeling like a complete idiot.

My mention of our run in outside yesterday creates an instant crease on my brother's forehead, "Listen, about yesterday, I'm sorry for what I said about your boyfriend. It looked like he was harassing you, and I guess that bothered me more than it should've."

His confession is ironic since I'm not in the mood for a heart to heart this morning, least of all with him regarding Mike.

"Doesn't matter. We broke up, so he'll no longer be a problem. If you do see him again, feel free to break his jaw."

I don't wait for Emmett's response, nor do I give him the opportunity.

Instead, I point to the door and begin to shuffle him toward it. Thankfully, he takes my cue and allows me to herd him out without prolonging our exit or asking me anymore follow up questions about my breakup.

For a brief second while we're both trotting down the stairs together, I have a flashback that creates a guarded smile on my covered face.

When we were kids, Emmett and I would race down this very same staircase in cardboard boxes nearly killing ourselves, but always laughing our asses off until our parents would threaten to ground us for life if we didn't die first.

He'd pretend I beat him fair and square.

That was always nice.

Looking back though, I would've beaten him regardless of his watered down effort.

"Hell hath frozen over! Alert the presses! My sister is dressed and moving and it's not even lunch time yet!" Emmett announces to the kitchen, even though Edward is the only person standing in it.

When our eyes meet I feel my cheeks heat before I can turn on my heels to face the fridge and open it.

Yup.

This was my absolute plan all along.

Me wishing I could climb into the refrigerator has absolutely nothing to do with the sight of him causing my entire body to quake.

Cold crisp air.

This is what I need.

Crap.

Nope, I actually still need to pee.

Bolting now would seem weird though, so I do my best to not dance in place while I pretend to be down here looking for a cold bottle of water.

"Good morning, Bella," The sound of my name rolling off his tongue creates traitor-like goosebumps across my exposed arms. "I hope it wasn't me using the blender that woke you?"

I shake my head and start to open my mouth to speak, but Emmett beats me to it.

"Bro, you have to see my sister's room. She turned it into a freaking planetarium overnight! Seriously cool stuff."

"Two nights," I grumble, but Emmett doesn't seem to hear me.

Edward does.

I can tell by the way he shifts his weight and avoids my eyes when I do finally turn around to face them.

"I dunno Bella, maybe you should consider going into interior design instead of doing the whole photography thing? I really think you might have a knack for it."

"I like taking pictures," I snap back defensively.

Emmett sighs, then nods his head and slowly crosses his arms, "I know you do. And you're good at it. I'm just saying—"

"Please stop. You have no idea what I'm good at. I painted my room for fun. It's not something I want to do for a living."

His shoulders fall in real time as his eyes react to my harshly spoken words.

It's so much easier to hate him when I don't have to share the same space as him.

Stupid jerk.

He shifts his weight against the counter and I can tell he has much more to say, but he grabs my dad's laptop and heads outside without saying another word.

As soon as we're alone, Edward clears his throat before taking a careful step closer.

"You should cut him some slack. You might not see it, but he's trying."

"Aw really? How about you mind your own business?" I question with a roll of my eyes, but then instantly wish I'd opted to stay silent, "Sorry. I—" I'm having trouble finding my next words, "Well, normally I'd blame my bitch fit on PMS, but that was last week, so I'm afraid I've got nothing."

He's grinning again and the sight... for whatever reason… it relaxes me.

"There goes your filter, Sawyer," he whispers, keeping his eyes set on only me and my nervous rocking.

And that's when I see it.

He's trying to bury it, but it's there… it's the same way he was looking at me right before Mike planted himself in the bushes beneath my window.

And just like that… I can breathe.

"Who'd of thought me joking about my period would be the icebreaker we'd need this morning, Finn?"

"Look," He whispers, then grabs the tips of my fingers to hold me in place beside him, "I'm sorry for the way I bolted last night. I shouldn't have done that."

As much as I don't want to, I pull my hand back and tuck it under my arm, "It's fine. I was tired anyway."

I'm lying.

He knows this.

It's obvious, but he doesn't call me out on it.

"Wait. There's something else, I um... I kinda ran into your ex after I came downstairs."

My eyes go wide and my mouth falls open. Thankfully my mask hides my reaction, or I'd be standing here looking like a complete idiot, and not just half of one.

"You… you did what now?"

"When I left your room I went out back to have a cigarette and I saw him snooping around the shed so we shared some words and then I told him to get lost."

"Ew. You smoke?"

MASSIVE point deduction.

Edward crosses his arms and slowly shakes his head while his brows begin to furrow, "Not really. Only when I'm stressed. Last night was not the norm for me… in more ways than one."

He was stressed?

Interesting.

But I'm really going to have to work on this nasty crutch of his because… yuck. Cigarettes?

"Anyway, he said he was leaving something for you… you should probably check it out before your dad finds it."

Ugh.

Super duper.

Typical Mike, doing the typical Mike thing, leaving his mark where it's not wanted with his tail between his legs.

"My friend Rose… she drops off secret care packages for me in the shed," I begin to explain, "Mike knows about it. So, I dunno… I guess he decided to up his patheticness and do the same with his shitty flowers."

Edward laughs and I watch his eyes casually scan our surroundings before he finds me still staring at him, "An underground care package railroad? Clever idea. What does she like to leave for you?"

I'm instantly smirking.

"Oh you know, the usual teenage necessities. Magazines, makeup, junk food… liquor and drugs."

Edward blinks hard. He runs his hand anxiously through his hair. "Nice. And your parents have never found out?"

"Not yet. Rose is good at what she does. Mike? Not so much, " I snicker.

"Well, he was definitely in the shed for a few minutes."

I release a loud sigh and slowly nod my head, "Okay. I'll check it out after my parents take off. Thanks for the heads up. I appreciate it."

As if on cue, my dad enters the kitchen shaking his car keys in his right hand.

Awkward.

"Morning—" He stops dead in his tracks when he sees me standing with Edward, "Bella? What are you doing up? Are you feeling okay? Do we need to check your temperature? Can you smell the coffee brewing?"

"Yes, Dad. I'm fine. Can't a girl leave her room before noon without the entire house freaking out about it?" I grumble, then lift my body to take a seat on the counter.

Edward seems nervous.

I almost feel bad for him.

"Funny girl, my daughter is."

My shoulders shrug, "I try."

Edward grabs his breakfast smoothie from the other side of the counter and nods his head in our direction, "There's more in the fridge if anyone is interested. I used the fruit from the bowl that looked like it had passed its prime. I hope that's okay, Mr. Swan?"

"Of course. Better to get used, than tossed in the trash. That's what I always say. Thanks Edward, I'll take some with us in the car."

"The car? Oh...are you leaving the house today?" I question as I swing my legs back and forth in front of me.

I've tried my best to sound oblivious, even though I know my father knows better than to buy into my theatrics.

He laughs sarcastically and pulls a large cup down from the cabinet, "Your mom and I will be back before supper. Until then, try to stay out of trouble."

"Meh. Not much trouble to find… that hasn't already been found yet."

And now Edward looks like he's about to choke on the air inside of his mask.

Dad sighs. He slowly turns around to face me. "You know you're more than welcome to ride along with me and your mother. A change of scenery might do you good for once."

"In a car… for seven hours? Thanks but I think I'd rather be handcuffed to Emmett for the day."

"Careful what you wish for kiddo," He teases, then pauses to glance over at Edward before raising his cup in the air to thank him for his liquid breakfast "See you guys later. Let Emmett know he's in charge."

I watch my dad turn and leave the kitchen, but narrow my stare and hold my breath when he stops at the door, "Oh. One more thing. If Newton comes around again, you know where my gun is, Bella. You've got my permission to use it."

My eyes blink hard after my heart plummets into my gut in reaction to my father's seriously spoken words, "Dad!"

"What? I'm just saying, I taught you how to shoot for a reason. Don't be shy about it. He's damn lucky I didn't shoot him between the eyes myself last night."

Deep down I knew there was no way Mike's after hours visit had gone completely unnoticed by my parents.

That being said, I'm ridiculously lucky my dad hadn't felt the need to check in on me right after and I'm sure Edward is having the same exact thought.

"Goodbye, Father."

"Goodbye, baby girl. Now, please get along with your brother."

I roll my eyes and take in a deep breath, then share a look with Edward.

As soon as we hear the garage door open and close, I jump down from the counter with my bottle of water and Edward moves closer.

"So," he whispers, "what should we do today?"

"We?" I laugh.

"You're up. I'm up. Your parents are gone and your brother is out there trying to figure out which hoops we need to jump through to qualify for a small business grant, which means in twenty minutes he'll be smoking a joint to numb his brain and then passing out on the couch for a few hours."

I take a second to think over what he's said and feel a devious smile begin to form on my face after reviewing all of our options in my head.

I mean, I've never been a big TV watcher... and I've already watched almost every movie available on Netflix. All the puzzles in the house have been done, and we're missing pieces to both Monopoly and Risk.

Planning with others can be such a chore… even before the stupid pandemic.

This is why I've always preferred keeping to myself in my room doing my own thing daily, but everyone keeps pressuring me to 'get along' with my brother.

So... why the hell not?

Let's try it.

"Emmett's planning on getting high, you say? To numb his brain in twenty minutes?" I question with a playful raise of my brow.

"Um, yeah but I wasn't suggesting—"

"Okay, sounds fun! Come get me when he's ready. I'll bring down some Little Debbies as my contribution to the pow-wow party."

Without taking a breath, I leave Edward's wide eyes behind and toss my bottled water back and forth in my hands, wondering how he'll break the news to my brother… and if he'll survive it.

A/N: Andddd this is where I'll leave you this week.

Next chapter, things definitely get interesting.

***Reviews help me smile.***

As thanks for the smile, I'll pay it forward with an outtake from Edward's POV when he talks with Emmett about his sister's plans for their day, without parental supervision.

It's a fun one.

;)

Thanks for reading!