So sorry for the delay. There's been crazy weather, power outages, and just a general feeling of eh.

Big thanks to Fran and Mr G and me for all of their help. And huge thanks to everyone who reads and reviews!

SM owns everything Twilight.

Their sputtering questions follow me inside as I head into the house, purposefully ignoring my parent's watchful eyes, brimming with delight.

They speak over one another, both of them pulling and grasping at my arms.

"What do you mean—?"

"How did you—When did you—"

Dad whistles, immediately shutting them up. "One at a time."

Mom looks between us worriedly, her hands wringing together tightly as her eyes flit between Dad and the three of us.

I understand her wanting to keep this a secret from him, but it's not something that can be kept under wraps for very long. I know she wants him to believe I don't know about what lives in the shadows, but that's only believable for so long—especially now that I'm dating Edward.

"How did you find out?" Rose demands, pulling my attention toward her.

Jasper doesn't seem that surprised anymore if the pensive calculating expression on his face is anything to go by.

"I—" I pause, looking at my mother, who only nods solemnly. "I've always known. I've always known they're vampires."

Looking toward Dad, I wait for any sign or shock of this knowledge, but he remains neutral as if this was common knowledge.

"How?" Rose demands. "I didn't even know until Emmett broke into Royce's house!"

"It was the legends, wasn't it?" Jasper asks, already nodding knowingly before I can reply. "You always listened to those stories with such attention … you'd even come home and draw them."

Begrudgingly, I nod, still waiting for the inevitable flip out from Dad that Mom was sure to happen … but there's nothing.

"Yeah," I start slowly, still keeping an eye on Dad. He's cool and collected, showing no signs of being upset. Neither does Mom, to be honest. In fact, she seems almost resigned … and relieved.

It's odd, and I've had enough of this strange shit to last a lifetime.

"Once I ran into Edward in Port Angeles, I had an inkling and came here to look in my old notebooks to be sure. Dad, are you okay? About me knowing?"

Nonchalantly, he shrugs. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

I simply look at Mom, who places her hand on his shoulder. "Honey, well … I didn't think you would respond well to Bella knowing. You freaked out when Rosalie and Jasper knew."

"Don't get me wrong; I freaked out when I found out Bella knew, too," Dad clarifies. "Especially after that nomad came after her. But it's kind of hard to keep her out of the middle of the supernatural when it's all around her. I figured it was going to be a possibility she knew when she spent so much time in La Push, wanting to hear Billy's stories. When the Cullen's came to town, and she started spending time with Alice and Edward the most, I knew any hope of keeping her in the dark was lost. Besides, I kind of figured she knew about it all anyway. She's not dumb."

There's nothing but silence after he speaks, with all of us staring at one another in complete bafflement and barely concealed amusement. Mom breaks the quiet by giggling, resting her forehead on Dad's shoulder.

"And here I thought I was protecting you from another bout of distressing information."

Dad chuckles along with her, pulling her into his side. "Another?"

"Well, you know … the standard childhood things."

"Oh," he says knowingly. "Yeah, I still haven't gotten over a few of those."

Rolling my eyes, I head into the living room and collapse on the couch. "Now that everything is out in the open let's discuss the serious matters."

The parents immediately sober, Dad sitting in his recliner and Mom perched on the arm, both of them looking extremely concerned.

"What is it, baby?" Mom asks. "You can come to us with anything."

Rose and Jasper, already knowing my intentions, smile and shake their heads, focusing on anything they can find.

Taking a deep breath for dramatic effect, I release it slowly, entwining my hands in front of me. "I … I was wondering … has Thanksgiving been canceled?"

Mom and Dad rapidly blink as they process my question, and once it clicks, Dad picks up the decorative pillow and chucks in my direction.

I cackle, batting it away, and lean into Rose for support.

"You're a snot," Dad grumbles, trying not to laugh.

"I'm sorry," I manage to say through my laughter. "I couldn't help myself."

"I'd say you could, but you wouldn't be my kid if you didn't."

"True."

Mom places a hand on her chest and looks upward. "Thank goodness I can't age anymore … but you're certainly trying that theory."

"You're welcome."

Once the laughter calms, Dad finally answers my question. "I'll confess, I already ate, and I'm sure you kids did too?" The three of us nod. "Okay. It's still early, so we'll consider that lunch. Later tonight, we'll have the traditional dinner. Sound good?"

Our agreements glide over one another, creating one jumble of agreement.

"All right, that's settled; now get out. I have a game to watch."

I snicker and rise, going to my room, but Rose—and surprisingly, Jasper—follow me up to my room. I eye them suspiciously, especially after they close the door and lean against it.

"What's up, guys? You know this is a small room; the oxygen won't last long, and poor Jasper already has little brain cells. We should help him out."

He sneers and flips me off, looking between his twin and me. "So, you're dating Edward. And you're dating Emmett. They're my friends."

My back straightens, and Rose merely gazes at him impassively, her eyebrow rising high on her forehead.

"Alice is my friend," I say coolly, crossing my arms over my chest. "What's your point?"

It sounds as if he's going to start something, and honestly, I'm over it.

Yes, they're his friends, and it'll suck if our relationships deteriorate and their friendships can't be recovered. I would hope we could all be mature about the aftermath if such a thing were to happen, but honestly, I can't see myself being that mature.

I'm too petty sometimes.

I would try, though.

Because Jasper is family, and I can't listen to his complaining for years on end.

"No point," Jasper says, raising his hands in the air as a sign of surrender. "I'm fully aware that I'm dating your friend. I just … it's kind of cool. With anyone else, we'd be separated, but with this … it kind of guarantees we'll stick together since they're all close-knit. At the same time, it's also really freaking weird," he ends with a laugh.

I murmur my agreement, feeling a sense of contentment in his words.

But I also have to agree; it's really weird we're all dating siblings.

I'm going to be sure to keep that out if anyone should ask how we all met.

"I still can't believe you knew all along!" Rose complains, stalking toward me and slapping my knee.

"Hey!" I smack her back with a slight scowl, arming myself with a pillow—but as I pick it up, I notice there's a long tear in it that wasn't there before.

Narrowing my eyes, I know Edward did it because I'm not remotely strong enough to tear anything like this.

However, at the same time, I'm also really proud I made him lose control like that.

At least we're even on that front.

"Gah!" Rose exclaims, throwing her hands up. "How? I mean, how did you know? I know you listened to Billy's stories, but was that it? Was that all it was? Just listening? I listened to those too, you know, and I thought they were … okay … but I thought they were legends."

"I thought so, too, at first. I wanted them to be real, and I was kind of bummed when you and Jasper told me they weren't," I add with a glare. Jasper snickers, and while Rose rolls her eyes. "But then, I found out they were real when I saw Paul transform. It kind of put everything into perspective."

"And they actually … change?" Rose questions, confusion pulling her eyebrows together. "Like into giant wolves?"

Jasper and I exchange a quick look, both of us very confused ourselves.

"You haven't seen them?" I ask.

She shakes her once. "No. Emmett told me about them when he told me about vampires, but I haven't actually seen them with my own eyes."

"Ask Paul to show you," I tell her with a smirk. "He'd love that."

"I bet," she replies dryly. "Any excuse to get naked, and that guy is all for it."

"True … but yes, they're giant dogs," I confess. "Well, wolves. About the size of a full-grown grizzly. Maybe larger."

Her blue eyes widen, and she swallows thickly. "I'm glad they're on our side."

I snort. "No, shit."

An exasperated sigh leaves her at my language, but she can't talk. I've heard her curse too.

"So, Edward snuck in, huh? What exactly was going on in here?"

Her tone is just suggestive enough to send Jasper into a frenzied mess.

"No!" He shouts, shaking his head and waving his hands about before planting them over his ears. "I don't want to hear it. Leaving now."

Fumbling with the doorknob, he stumbles out of my room, slamming the door behind him. Mom's subsequent scolding of the action followed by his apology makes me snicker.

"Well?"

I sigh, knowing she's going to want to talk about this. My gut reaction is to tell her to back off, but one look at her excited face makes me pause.

In all honesty, there's no one her age she can talk to about the things going on in our lives.

Vera is completely out of the question, considering she doesn't know anything about vampires, and she's not friendly enough with Alice to talk to either.

It's only me, and I like that we have this little bit of connection, even if we are talking about the intimate details of my personal life.

"At first, we were just talking. He took me to his apartment—"

"Wait," she interrupts. "Edward has an apartment?"

"Yeah." I continue, not wanting to spill his secrets. That's his life and his decision on who knows it … though I'm sure it won't be a secret for long once things really get serious between her and Emmett. "He kind of got pissed that Billy spilled about his family to us outsiders."

Her eyes narrow at the term. "Really?"

"Technically, no one outside of the tribe … or rather the shifters are supposed to know about vampires. It's a big no-no."

The anger is replaced by comprehension as she nods.

"He was upset that he inadvertently put us in danger, and then he was pissed at Paul for shifting in front of me."

Rose's lips pull upward in a smile. "He cares about you."

Defensively, I shrug, even though I know he does. "Yeah. It's kind of strange … but in a good way."

"How?" she questions, confused.

"I never expected it," I reply with a laugh as I shake my head in astonishment. "I mean, yeah, I thought he was attractive, but I couldn't stand him, and honestly, he couldn't stand me."

"Did he tell you that?"

I snort, remembering the glares he'd send me. There was no affection in those narrowed eyes. I'm sure of it. "No, but he didn't have to; I could tell."

She hums but says nothing more on the matter. "Continue. Why'd he come here?"

"To answer my questions. I told him I knew about vampires, and I knew the creep had been sneaking into my room." I pause, not recalling whether or not I made it clear that he's not to sneak into my room again.

Pursing my lips, I whip out my phone and shoot off a text.

Just to be clear. NO SNEAKING IN MY ROOM OR TOUCHING MY THINGS! ~B

He doesn't respond right away, which makes me wonder if he's getting his own talking to from his parents on what my mother found this afternoon. The idea makes me snicker, but at the same time, I feel bad for him.

"What did he say?"

I eye her critically, wondering why she's not flipping out over the fact that someone had been in my room when we're all asleep. I fully expected her to go bat-shit crazy, and I'd have to talk her down from attempting to kill him.

"You're not surprised?"

Her cheeks darken to dark pink, and her eyes avert to a random spot on her bed. She spots the shredded remains of my blanket and stares at it contemplatively for a moment, fingering the material before smirking at me.

I raise an eyebrow in response, taking measured breaths so I don't get embarrassed at the aftermath of my intense make-out session with Edward.

"I … kind of knew about it," she hedges, clearing her throat and tucking a random strand of hair behind her ear. It's a useless endeavor as she ducks her head, allowing her hair to fall in front of her face, but it doesn't conceal her now red cheeks.

"What? How?"

"Shh," she scolds, looking to the door before rolling her eyes.

Yeah, with a vampire Mom in the house, it's pointless to whisper.

"I knew because … well, Emmettwassneakingintoseeeme," she rushes out in one breath.

Slowly, I blink, trying to make sense of the jumble of words that just spilled forth from her. Once it clicks in my brain, I smirk and cackle as she groans, falling backward and covering her face.

I knew I had heard whispering coming from her room at times, but I thought she was talking in her sleep. It's good to know I wasn't crazy or hearing things.

"Oh-ho. Some secrets are going on in this house. And what exactly was going on behind your closed doors?"

Rose peeks through her fingers to send me a glare, but my grin stays in place because the tables have so turned, and I'm thrilled.

"I'm sure you can guess," she replies dryly.

I gape because I hadn't expected her to admit it so freely, but once she laughs, I realize she was just messing with me.

"You're a jerk. Get out of my room." I push at her leg, but she grabs hold of my hand, squeezing once.

"Oh, calm down, you dramatic brat," she jokingly scolds. "It … it wasn't—it didn't start off like that. At first, we were just talking. Especially a lot after Royce's attack. He wanted to see if I was okay; that was when I found out. Emmett heard something and mentioned Edward coming to check on you. I did tell him if he was there for any unsavory reason, he could just turn around; otherwise, I'd find a way to hurt him."

"Thanks," I sarcastically quip. "You just let him continue to sneak in?"

Softness overcomes her face, and her fingers delicately trace underneath my eyes. "I knew you weren't sleeping. You needed comfort … you needed him. Whether you knew it or not. Once he started sitting in here with you, your nightmares decreased. You weren't better, but you were getting there."

She stops there, letting the words sink in.

Despite the creepiness of his actions, I have to admit; I did sleep better when I heard that tune hummed in my dreams.

"Yeah. But still; creepy."

Firmly, she nods. "Oh, definitely." After a moment, she flicks a piece of material at me. "So. What happened in here? Were you … safe?"

I groan, shooting her glare. "If it were your business, I would tell you, no." I smirk when I see her eyes widen comically, and before she can start to berate me, I continue. "It didn't go that far. The clothes stayed on. We're close, but we're not that close yet."

Rose huffs, giving my leg a hard nudge. "You scared me half to death. I hate to think what Aunt Renee was thinking with that comment. What's your problem?"

"I don't know," I muse, tapping my chin. "The possibilities are endless."

"Clearly."

"So," I say, mimicking her previous actions by flicking a piece of my pillow at her. "Are you being safe? You know, since Emmett has been sneaking in?"

Once more, her cheeks flame with color. "That hasn't happened in a long time. Since Aunt Renee's accident."

I nod in understanding but still wait for her answers. "Uh-huh."

She clears her throat, shifting in place, her eyes glancing at the door briefly. After a moment of deliberation, she sighs heavily, shaking her head. "We haven't done anything here, but we've gotten close. And yes, when the time comes, we will use protection."

I'm honestly surprised they haven't had sex yet, considering what I saw earlier. But I guess if they were past that stage, they'd take things to a more private location.

"Good, because according to Edward, there are legends about half vampires babies out there."

Rose blanches, her eyes widening comically. "You've gotta be shitting me."

I snort a laugh at her response and shake my head. "Nope. They don't know for sure; there are just whispers, but I guess it could be possible? Maybe?" I scrunch my face in concentration as I think about it, wondering how such a thing is possible, but decide against it.

There's no way for me to figure it out, considering I don't know the first thing about how a vampire's body works.

"I don't know," I ultimately say, saving those questions for Edward.

He's going to regret this day and giving me free rein in answering my questions, I'm sure of it.

"I don't know either," Rose grumbles, whipping out her phone and texting rapidly. "How could the idiot not tell me? There's no way that's happening to me."

She finishes her statement, throwing her phone down with a look of disgust.

I'm shocked by her reaction, because even though the idea of vampire babies is scary—in more ways than one—I always thought she'd be all for having kids.

"What's the deal? I thought you wanted kids."

Pensive, she stares at me for a long moment, lost in her mind as she tries to come up with a response.

After a moment, she does. "Honestly? I'm not sure. At least not now. I'm too young to make that decision. I see everything Vera is going through, and I just … it's scary to even consider."

"But she's not alone. Her boyfriend is there with her, isn't he?" I ask, confused by her words.

"Yeah, he is … hopefully he keeps his promises to her and sticks by her." Her lips twist as she sneers at something she's thinking about, but shakes her head. "I just meant in general. Pregnancy and everything that goes with it." She shudders, shaking her head.

"At times, I think it would be nice," she says after a moment, her tone soft and reverent. "To have that with Emmett; to share that together, and in the end, we'd get a little piece of him and me in one person." Her eyes glaze over as she thinks of the possibility, but she quickly snaps out of it. "I didn't even think it was possible, really. And without Emmett … I don't want it. I want him. Besides, we don't know that it's even a possibility, and that's fine with me if it's not."

I'm blown away by her confession, not realizing her feelings were that deep for the big guy. I knew she cared for him deeply, but I hadn't realized she cared for him this much.

What was that level of emotion called, anyway?

Love?

Is that what it is?

Does she love him?

"Do you love him?"

She flushes, biting the corner of her lip and dipping her chin down toward her chest. Almost bashfully, she nods, but underneath the embarrassment, there's a sparkle in her eye.

"Yeah, I think I do. It's … it's crazy to think about. I haven't known him for that long, but I do. I think about him constantly, and I always want to be around him, even when he does something stupid. He—he makes me laugh, and he not only tells me I'm beautiful, but he also makes me feel it."

Once more, I'm taken by surprise, but this time, it's by my own thoughts.

Despite the things Edward does to piss me off, I still want to be in his company. I'm almost always thinking about him, and I not only like his company, but I enjoy it.

Am I feeling the same thing for Edward?

Do I love him?

Quickly, I shake away the thought.

It's way too early for such a thought or such a declaration, so I put it on the back burner for now, purposefully ignoring the situation.

It'll come back to bite me in the ass, but that's a problem for my future self.

"Well," I tell her, clearing my throat. "You definitely deserve to be happy."

Lightly, she sighs, the sound of it dreamy-like and reminding me of those goofy rom-coms she and Mom love to watch so much.

"Yeah. It's so different than Ro—than before," she quickly amends, swallowing thickly, as if she's nervous for some reason.

She's been afraid of him for too long, and it's obvious she's still suffering over the effects he's put her through.

I can't really talk, though. I still have the occasional nightmare about everything that happened with him and Laurent. Their snarled faces swirl around in my head, scowling at me from every dark corner.

The only solace I have is the reminder that Laurent is now dead, burning in hell, and Royce is in jail, hopefully getting his karma on the daily.

I had thought with everything put behind us, Rose would be better, but I guess I had miscalculated her strength.

"I should hope so. And saying his name won't summon him, you know. He's in jail. Hopefully, for good."

Rose shakes her head before I'm even done, her eyes wide and glassy. "You can't know that. His family has money, and I'm sure they know some shady people—"

"We know some shady people too," I interrupt with a knowing lift of my eyebrow. "And one certain shady person I know would do everything in all of his immortal power to protect you."

Slowly releasing a stuttering breath, she nods and starts to speak, but a knock at the door interrupts her.

Jasper sticks his head in, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Rose replies, plastering a smile. "It's fine."

He rolls his eyes, looking to me for a more honest answer. "Just a minor freak-out over ghosts in the past. It'll be good."

Jasper presses his lips so tightly together they nearly disappear, but he nods once, leaving us alone once more.

"I know he's gone, but I just feel like something bad is going to happen. Everything has gone so well and—"

"Take a breath," I instruct, placing a hand on her back and rubbing small circles over her shoulder blades.

She does as I suggested, scrubbing her face with her hands. "I feel like such a nutcase."

"Oh, you are. You're definitely a macadamia nut."

A broken chortle rasps from her throat, but she doesn't remove her hands from her face.

"Maybe you should talk to someone; you haven't really dealt with anything that asshole did. Maybe it would help."

"I don't know," she says, shaking her head. "How did we get on this train? We were talking about you and Edward!"

"Because you're selfish," I tease. "Everything always has to be about Rosalie Lillian Whitlock, the center of attention and Queen of the Universe."

She pushes me over, mussing my hair with her hand. "You're a brat."

"I learned it from you."

"Bitch!" She hollers, smacking me with my ripped pillow.

She cackles as bits of ruined blanket go flying everywhere, falling around us as if it's snowing.

I point a finger in her face. "You're cleaning this up."

"Your boyfriend made the mess; you clean it."

"I'm not responsible for what he does."

"No," she counters, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Just his reactions to what you do."

Unable to help myself, I loudly laugh, feeling pretty proud that he had such an intense reaction to what we were doing. I'm sure he was simply resisting the urge to tear my neck out in the heat of the moment, but still.

It's nice to know that it was me he was reacting to.

Who knew I could be possessive?

"Are you happy?" she asks, smiling softly. However, underneath the happiness, concern lingers, tightening the corners of her eyes and starting to pull down her grin. "With everything going on … are you happy that you're dating him?"

"To be fair, I didn't realize we were dating until it was pointed out."

This time, her smile is gone, replaced completely with concern. "You don't have to, you know. Date him, I mean. If all you want is friendship, then—"

"No," I interrupt. "I like it … I like him. He's a pain in the ass sometimes, but he gets me. His company is nice and easy like we've always done it." I pause, looking for the right word, but it's escaped me at the moment. "I don't know. It's just … easy. Natural."

Once more, her grin makes an appearance, along with a knowing glint in her eye that I'm not entirely sure I want to know about.

"Even when he pisses you off?"

I breathe a laugh, falling back onto my intact pillows. "Yeah. Even then."

Rose follows my example, lounging next to me with a light sigh. "And what about him? Does he feel the same?"

"You'd have to ask him."

She rolls her eyes, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth in annoyance.

"Yeah," I eventually reply. "I think it's the same for him. He's told me he likes my company; that he can't get enough of me. We're pretty much on the same page right now, I think. You know, raging hormones, constantly thinking about the other, imagining ways to get under each other's skin … that sort of thing."

"What a twisted relationship," she teases with a light laugh, nudging my arm.

Shrugging a single shoulder, I lean my head back against the wall. "Anything else, and it wouldn't be right for me."

"True." Grasping my hand, she squeezes it tightly. "I'm happy for you."

I squeeze her hand in response. "Ditto."

There's a long pause before Rose speaks again. "It is weird, you know. The three of us dating siblings."

"Not really. It's not like we're related to them."

"True," she concedes. "It's just—" she pauses, wrinkling her nose. "I don't know; I guess I'm thinking too far into the future."

I know where her mind has taken her; what will happen if we decide to become like them?

I'm sure Dad will follow Mom into immortality. I can't see them separating or Mom watching Dad grow old without her.

Plus, there are too many factors in remaining human.

Accidents and illnesses are at the top of the list.

With Dad being a cop, it puts him at an even higher risk of getting hurt, even in Forks. These past few months have proven that tenfold.

They haven't said it, but I'm sure they have something planned after we all graduate high school. It would be the best time for Dad to retire and "travel the world" with Mom when in reality, he'd be turning into a vampire.

It's a good plan, honestly. I would miss them terribly, but I don't want either one of them to hurt or be without the other.

Seeing one parent sob over the thought of losing the other is enough for my lifetime.

And I can't even imagine what Mom's reaction would be if Dad died.

I push away all thoughts of that for now, making a mental note to talk to them later, instead focusing on Rose, Jasper, and myself.

Where did it leave us?

If we asked, would Mom turn us?

Did we even want to be turned?

Rose, I'm completely positive would go for it, just to be with Emmett. With her earlier words still fresh in my mind, I have no doubt that she'd give up her humanity and the chance of having kids just to be with him.

She even said it herself; if she couldn't have kids with Emmett, what was the point?

Jasper's a little harder to wonder about; his relationship with Alice is still so tentative and new, but despite that, I can see they have a strong connection. They balance each other out perfectly, and whether they've noticed it or not, they tend to gravitate toward the other whenever they're in the same room.

It's not instant, but eventually, they end up within an arm's reach of one another.

Though I imagine, if a majority of our family is part of the undead clan, then I think Jasper would join as well, especially if Rose decides to get turned.

They're too close to have something like mortality separate them.

As for me, well, I still have time to decide.

I wouldn't change solely for Edward until I knew we were a sure thing—something I think Edward is definitely sure about.

If anything, I'd do it to be with my family.

I can't imagine being away from them.

The idea of being with Edward for a long time … I must admit, I do feel a warmth inside my chest that probably has nothing to do with heartburn.

It would be pretty incredible to be with him, longer than a human could fathom.

Realizing I'm the one taking things too far, now, I search for a distraction.

Thankfully, Rose provides it for me.

"Hey," she says, nudging my leg. "You know what we should do?"

"Steal a car and drive to Canada? Get wasted on cheap tequila and have a party?"

The responding look I receive is one I'm used to seeing her on face; it's a mixture of confusion, humor, and "what the hell is wrong with you?"

She starts to speak multiple times, but nothing escapes her, so she decides to close her eyes, shake her head, and clear her throat.

"No. Not at all. We should go on a triple date; you, me, and Jasper."

Rearing back, I raise a questioning eyebrow, wondering where this idea came from. Rose has never shown any interest in talking to the other Cullens, let alone expressing an outing of any kind. She's been cordial around me, but she was never any more polite than she had to be.

For her to suggest this is a huge shock, and she must realize it too. She shifts, smoothing her hands down her thighs nervously.

"Really?" I question.

"Yeah. I—I thought it would be nice."

"Why now?"

Shrugging a single shoulder, she keeps her eyes averted as she answers me. "Family is important to Emmett. He gives them a hard time, but he loves Alice and Edward. He'd die for them, much like I would for you and Jasper." Her face contorts into a guilty grimace. "I haven't really tried to get to know either of them, let alone say more than a few words to them."

While this is true, I wonder if she made this decision herself or Emmett influenced her to do it. Ordinarily, I would say that Rose makes up her own mind, but when it comes to certain things, I know she can feel pressured into doing something just like anyone else can.

"Are you serious? Was this your decision?"

I'd like for Rose to get along with Alice and Edward since they both seem to be sticking around for a while, but if she's being forced into this, then it shouldn't happen.

It'll just make for an awkward evening, and I can do that all by myself.

"Yeah," she replies, a little reluctant for my taste. "I mean, Em kind of off-handedly mentioned doing something as a group, but I guess I made a face or something, and he dismissed it."

"Oh, yeah, I know the face."

She ignores my remark and continues. "I could tell it made him sad, so I told him I'd try to get to know them better."

"And you're serious about it?"

Slowly, she nods. "I am. I mean, they're going to part of my life, and I can't ignore them forever, you know?"

I shake a finger in her direction. "Now, now. We can ignore Jasper pretty well."

She smirks, no doubt recalling the times we've ignored his existence because he pissed us off or just because we could.

"True, but I should try. Emmett loves them, Jasper is best friends with Edward, and he's getting pretty serious with Alice … and then there's you—best friends with Alice at the start and falling for Edward."

Shifting uncomfortably, because I don't know what the hell I'm feeling toward Edward, I clear my throat.

"Yeah, I guess. We'll see in time, won't we?"

Rose's eyes narrow, and her lips purse. I can tell she's moments away from saying something about my cagey comment, but thankfully she doesn't. "I figured this would be a good time to start. Weird feelings aside, things are good now, and I should embrace them; including new friends."

Unable to help myself, I laugh because as soon as the word friends left her mouth, she looked as if she sucked on a lemon.

"You look really excited. I wonder how Emmett saw through your façade."

Guiltily, she flushes with a wince. "I know, I know. It's just … I don't think I match with Edward or Alice. We don't have anything in common."

"You haven't spoken to them, so how can you know?"

She can't argue with my logic, and she knows it.

"Trust me," I continue. "You have things in common with them; you'd see it if you'd just try."

A nonchalant shrug is all I get in response, but one look at her face tells me it's anything but; there's fear there, and I know where it's coming from.

Those bastards Royce and Lauren.

"You should talk to someone, Rose. You never spoke about what happened with Lauren and Royce."

"This again?" she remarks with a frustrated growl, pushing herself up. "It's not entirely possible. Secrets need to be kept, or have you forgotten?"

Calmly, I meet her stare, knowing that she feels backed into a corner right now. No matter how much frustration I feel at her harsh words, it won't do either of us any good to lose our tempers and start a screaming match.

"You wouldn't tell them everything, obviously," I reply, my tone cool. "Just about what happened before we met the Cullens … and FYI, it is possible. Stick to the story; someone anonymous sent in the videos that got Royce arrested, and Lauren disappeared. That's it."

A pained expression crosses her face. I'm not sure whether it's because I've found a way around her excuse, or it's the reminder of her ex-friend, who is now dead.

My guess is it's both.

But she can't continue like this. It's not healthy for her to keep herself and her family, never letting anyone else in, and I tell her so.

"I let Emmett in."

"Only because he got through to you; if he had left you alone when you wanted it, you'd be alone."

Scowling, she crosses her arms and looks toward the door. "I don't even know where to look," she whispers after a moment.

"Ask Carlisle; I'm sure he knows someone."

"You're just full of answers, aren't you?"

I ignore her sarcastic remark, even though the snarky response is on the tip of my tongue. She's only lashing out because I called her out; once she calms down, hopefully she won't be so defensive.

"I'll think about it. I wish I had never mentioned this group thing now," she grumbles, taking a deep breath. "But I made a promise to Emmett, and I don't intend to break it. So, tell Edward about it, and we'll go sometime this weekend or the next. I'll tell Jasper."

Without another look, she rushes from the room, her feet pounding down the steps as she goes in search of her twin.

Shaking my head, I heave a sigh and fall backward, blindly reaching for my phone with my eyes closed. Just as my fingers grasp the small device, I hear Rose's irate voice filter through the house.

"You're on her side, now!"

Once more, I shake my head and unlock my phone, seeing Edward's responding message.

No problem; I'll just wait until you're preoccupied or your mother is out of the house and go through your underwear drawer … and everything else in your room. You'll have no secrets from me. ~E

Instead of responding, I dial his number, and he picks up after the second ring.

"Bella," my name is a relieved sigh on his lips and hearing it makes me smile.

I also may or may not sigh lightly as well. He hears it and laughs lightly.

"You miss me too, huh?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," I murmur. "You're the one that's co-dependent here."

"I know," he complains, but there's no force behind it. "It's a pain, but now that everything is out in the open, I can't help it; it's … bringing out certain things within me."

My curiosity piqued, I sit up against the headboard. "And what certain things are we talking about?"

"Weird, strange … new feelings for me." His words are slow and calculating as if he's being extremely careful on what he says, in fear of something.

It's definitely making me nervous and antsy; my heart gallops in my chest, and my palms become slick with sweat.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well … it's, uh—"

"Just spit it out!" I blurt, rubbing my palm over my thigh.

Lightly, he sighs, the sound cracking the speaker. Faintly, I hear the sound of a repetitive, dull knocking, but before I can question him on it, he replies.

"Okay, don't freak out, all right?"

"When has that statement made someone not freak out?"

"All right," he concedes. "I just … feel very strongly … to be by you. All the time. Like I'm being pulled toward you."

Strangely, I'm relieved, because I feel the same way. I want him to be here, within my sight, but talking to him is making it slightly better.

"This was just recently? Since today?" I tease, hoping he felt something like this before.

"No, not just since today, smartass. I've felt it before, but I always ignored it," he grumbles, sounding put out, but I know he's anything but.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. It sucks to have emotions, doesn't it?"

A short burst of laughter leaves him. "Yeah. But so far, it's pretty great."

"I'm still waiting to see how this plays out before I come to any conclusions."

"Ouch."

"You'll survive."

"Surely," he replies dryly. "If I can survive an interrogation from your parents and mine, I can survive anything."

Shifting slightly, I make myself more comfortable, lazily resting the phone between my ear and shoulder.

"How'd that go?"

He groans, and the sound of shuffling fabric follows. "They got a kick out of it, especially Esme. She'll be gloating about how right she is for decades."

I huff a laugh, thinking that statement probably applies to me, too. I'm sure my mother will take complete joy in the fact that she was right about Edward and me, holding it over my head for the rest of my life.

"We're in the same boat on that one."

He hums. "At least we'll be in good company."

"True. Is that all that happened? Your mother gloating?"

"Oh, no," he quickly defends. "Carlisle was plenty pleased to give me a stern lecture, all the while trying to keep a firm glare on his face while my siblings were in hysterics in the background."

In my mind's eye, I can picture it all perfectly.

A reluctant and mortified Edward, sitting in a chair, his eyes glued to the floor while Carlisle stands over him, an odd mixture of paternal pride, joy, and disappointment swirled on his face while he lectures him about sneaking into my room.

Meanwhile, I can see Esme perfectly, not bothering to hide her smug grin while Alice and Emmett sit on the stairs, laughing uproariously, while they make comments about the entire situation between breathless laughter.

A short burst of laughter leaves me, but I immediately muffle it, slapping a hand over my mouth.

"Go ahead and laugh," he complains. "I'll get my moment when you're in my position."

"Ha! I didn't get another parental lecture."

"Yet."

"Bite your tongue."

"I'd rather you did it."

I snort, my eyes drifting to the remnants of my tattered blanket. My cheeks heat, the fire quickly spreading down my chest and into my belly, making me squirm.

"Fat chance on that for a while. I imagine we're going to be watched like hawks from parents and siblings alike."

"I have my own place."

The possibility of having complete privacy is an intriguing idea; one part of me wants to tell him to come get me right now so we can take advantage of his own place. The other side of me is warning me against it, knowing I'm not ready for that step just yet.

Clearing my throat to dispel the thickness of lust in my throat, I speak. "Soon."

Unfortunately, it doesn't do much, and the one word comes out breathier than I'd like, but his responding choked gasp tells me he's in the same boat as I am.

"Right," he says after a moment. "I suppose we should have a first date before then … you know, actually do it correctly."

"We've had one."

"That was before either one of us realized what our label is."

"That's just an excuse to get me alone again," I tease.

"You caught me."

"Uh-huh. Well, I wouldn't be opposed to it. Spending time with you is fun." I wait a moment; sure, he's going to make a snarky, cocky comment.

He doesn't disappoint.

"I knew I'd break you down. I'm just that wonderful."

"When you keep your mouth shut, yes you are … and your silence is also what makes spending time with you so much fun. That and when you buy me things."

"So, you're just after me for my money?"

"It's a good bonus," I joke. "But in all seriousness—and don't let this go to your head—I like spending time with you."

"I do too," he softly says, his voice low and smooth. "How about this weekend? For a date? A real date that we're aware of."

Remembering Rose's idea for a group date, I wince and moan quietly, shaking my head even though he can't see me.

"I don't know. Rose wants to do a group thing; get to know you and Alice."

Faintly, I can hear Emmett's excited shouting while Alice cheers, clapping her hands.

"Mind your own business!" Edward shouts, thankfully muffling the sound. I'm not sure I would have an eardrum left if he hadn't. "You're both annoying as hell."

"Tell her yes," Alice commands. "We're going! I'm calling Jasper."

"Get that scowl off your face," Emmett says, his voice boisterous. "It'll be awesome! You'll see."

Edward mumbles something under his breath but doesn't say anything more. "You want to do this?" he asks me, disbelief coloring every word.

"Not really, but it's important to them."

Heavily, he huffs but ultimately concedes. "Fine. One night. Then no more."

"You'll get no arguments from me on that."

"That's a first."

I break out in loud laughter before suddenly stopping. "You're hysterical."

"I'm glad you agree."

This time, a real laugh leaves me. "You're a roll tonight, it seems."

"Yeah. I guess something rubbed off on me," he says, his tone full of innuendo.

My eyebrows rise high on my forehead, wondering why he's saying such a thing in a house full of vampires.

Not to mention my mother, who can probably hear every word he's saying.

I'm not embarrassed in the slightest, but I don't want our private life broadcasted to everyone in our families.

"Really? Well, you should watch you say around others; otherwise, you'll be alone the next time something rubs off on you."

"I get it, but don't worry; no one will say anything," he says, his voice serious and filled with apology. "We value privacy in the family, so we know our limits."

"Really? Everyone in your family knows their limits?"

I can think of two off the top of my head that probably don't know their limits, and I'd be surprised if they kept quiet about the double meanings being thrown around.

"Not everyone," he grudgingly admits. "But they're preoccupied talking with their partners."

Movement from the corner of my eye casts my attention to the door, where Mom steps in, a secretive smile playing on her lips.

Based on what she just heard, I know what she's here for. It's completely unnecessary, considering we've had the safe sex talk before, but that was before Edward.

Now, I suppose I'll have to do this again.

"If we could all be so lucky," I mutter, shooting Mom a pleading look to not do this, but I'm ignored.

"What do you mean?"

"My Mom is here to give me a safe sex talk."

Edward laughs. "Good luck with that."

"Yeah, yeah. Jerk."

"It won't be so bad."

I huff because he doesn't know how awkward this can get.

But he will.

It won't be the same awkwardness I'm about to go through, but I can make things difficult for him. I motion for my mom to leave, and she holds up a finger, telling me I have one minute.

That's fine. I won't need that long.

"Edward?" I purposefully make my voice breathy and low.

I smirk when I hear his breath catch. "Yes?"

"I really enjoyed this afternoon," I tell him. "I'll be thinking about it … a lot."

Lowly, he groans, and the sound of rustling fabric can be heard through the line. "Yeah? How—"

"Time's up!" My mom loudly announces, coming back in.

"Gotta go. Have fun."

He's silent for a long moment before he blows out a long, steady breath. "You're cruel."

"I can be. Bye."

I expect him to make some snarky comeback or just hang up, but he surprises me.

"Bella? I … I miss you."

"It's mutual," I admit before hanging up.

Immediately, my anxiety flares, and there's a heavy feeling of longing settling in my stomach like a lead weight. Not wanting to focus on it, I turn my attention to my wistful smiling mother, ready to endure her talk … and very much thankful for the distraction, no matter how mortifying it might be.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Stay safe!