Hello everyone,

We have exactly 4 chapters left of the story. I had few requests from reviewers, and I decided to give some of y'all what you wanted.

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Bella held Lucas to her side as she wandered through the house Lester left to her in his will. Honestly, the place was far from extraordinary, and she realized several improvements could be made as she moved from room to room. The carpets needed updating, Bella thought, estimating this one had been laid in the late '70s, and the wallpaper could be stripped and replaced with a new coat of paint.

"Dad," Bella called from the master bedroom as she explored what would become her new room. As Charlie came to stand at the threshold, she pointed at the adjacent wall. "Do you think you could possibly build a shelving unit along this wall? I want to put a TV there and have some space for knickknacks and photos."

"I don't see why not," Charlie shrugged as he examined the wall Bella indicated. With a light chuckle, he glanced over his shoulder and down the long narrow hallway. "I believe your new boyfriend has found the love of his life. He hasn't gotten out of that Mustang since we got here."

A smile tipped Bella's lips as she digested Charlie's statement. She supposed her father knew her and Edward's relationship had progressed to more than just a friendship, but hearing him state it without annoyance filled her with pride. Could it be that Charlie approved of Edward? A warm fuzzy feeling engulfed her unexpectedly at the possibility. For once, she'd managed to make a decision he semi-approved of. Biting her lip as she studied her dad, Bella said, "I'm surprised you aren't in the passenger seat right next to him. Why don't you two take it for a spin? I think the keys are in Lester's study in the drawer. Least that's what the lawyer said."

"You really wouldn't mind?" Charlie asked with a giddy rush. Despite his downplaying how excited he was, Charlie couldn't deny the urge to jump right in that sweet car.

"Of course not," Bella laughed as Charlie nearly ran down the hallway.

"I'm driving first, lover boy, can just wait his turn."

Seconds later, Bella heard the roar of the engine and the garage door lifting. Hugging Luke close, Bella kissed his cheek. "I think it's just you and me." Bella slipped out of the bedroom and wandered down the hallway to Lester's study—well, her study. She walked from picture to picture, smiling when she came to one of a guy about her age. She assumed it was Lester's son, being that he was dressed in fatigues and was saluting the flag.

Sadness threatened to steal through Bella as she roamed the room, picking up random memorabilia and placing it back down. It was all hers to do what she wanted with, yet she couldn't envision packing up all his belongings as if he hadn't existed—as if he hadn't meant something to her. Bella supposed she could keep random things—like the picture of his son, and dedicate a few shelves to Lester.

Which meant she would be moving soon. While the idea was exciting and new, she couldn't help but feel little remorse at the thought.

If she moved in here, that meant Bella would no longer hear the roar of Edward's bike when he came home from work. She would no longer get to spy on him sitting on his porch, gazing wantonly at her house. She'd no longer be able to trot over to his house and spend a few minutes before responsibilities called her back home.

With these thoughts plaguing her mind, she roamed toward the kitchen and slipped into the backyard. She would love to build a deck on the back of the house, maybe put a pool back here for Luke considering how much he loved to swim, perhaps grow a garden in the back corner. Bella supposed while she made some alterations to the house, she could stay at the place in the neighborhood.

With everything changing in warp speed, Bella fought to keep up with it all. Suddenly, she didn't just have a new house; she had a home to raise Luke in, she had substantial savings to do whatever she chose, and she no longer would face the hardships of being a single parent. Of course, even while the knowledge was exhilarating on so many different levels, old fears came swiftly back to haunt her.

James came to mind threatening her newfound joy. How befitting, Bella mused. She was positive she hadn't heard the last of her soon-to-be ex-husband, and she had this sudden need to know what the hell was going on with that. Right now, she had too much to lose, and the thought of fucking James stealing a cent had worry coursing through her.

Edward made his way through Bella's house with almost precisely the same thoughts troubling Bella. One, he didn't want to lose her presence in his life, and this house would undoubtedly change their living arrangements—their closeness. Two, James could potentially take half of whatever Bella had upon their divorce.

Somehow, bad guys seemed to always win, he thought, remembering his stint in prison. Even while Jason laid beneath piles of dirt, Edward had lost ten years of his life, proving his theory. The last thing he wanted to watch was this incredible woman and her son lose what was rightfully theirs.

Slowly, he came to stand in the doorway, his shoulder propping against the frame as he watched her casually walk the yard, pointing at random things here and there for Luke. Her sweet son chattered back as he held onto her fingertips, and a vision stole through him. He wanted this exact picture with a few minor adjustments.

He wanted to be beside her; his fingers wound through Bella's and perhaps a few babies in tow. Yeah—okay, the thought of babies was very premature, yet so much time had been stolen from him. Edward couldn't stand the idea of letting someone so special slip through his fingers. The whole concept was staggering, considering their relationship hadn't even moved past a few kisses and caresses, and Edward had to wonder at what point someone knew of their love for another person.

Edward wasn't exactly sure of that question, but he knew it to be true. His heart pounded in his chest, skipping several beats as his gaze followed Bella through the yard. When her head turned in his direction, and a beautiful smile slipped across her face, Edward returned the simplicity of her greeting, jogging down the stairs, and he headed towards her, unable to keep his distance a second longer.

Bella's cheek tipped as he brushed his lips across her skin. "Have fun on your ride?"

"Yes, definitely," Edward grinned back, pulling her against his chest; he propped his chin on the crown of her head. "I was dying to take it out on the highway, but Charlie got a call and had me turn around."

"What kind of call?" Bella glanced toward the house when Charlie never appeared. Now she was very curious about what could've been so important to pull her father away from car candy.

"I don't know, but he's still on the phone." Edward broke away from Bella's embrace and bent down to pick Luke up. "You can go check it out if you want. I got Luke."

"Yeah, I think I will. Thanks," Bella murmured as she crossed the lawn to the house. Squinting as her eyes adjusted to the darkened house, she navigated the living room to find Charlie standing on the front porch, silently listening to whoever was on the line. "Who's on the phone?"

Charlie looked over with grimace as he spied Bella. He was still trying to digest the call he was on. "Uh-huh," he murmured, holding a finger up, indicating for her to wait. Listened intently as Sam, his old partner, finished talking. Finally, he gulped, "Thanks for letting me know. I should get off of here."

Bella didn't like the look on Charlie's face. Something significant had happened, and Bella's chest seized. If that call involved James at all, she might have a panic attack. "Who was that?"

"Sam," Charlie replied with a sniff. Considering how Bella felt about death and everything that had recently transpired, he wasn't sure how she would take this information. Turning toward the door, he led her into the house and urged her to sit on the couch. "He was calling with some news. Ahhh—-it was-it was about James …"

"Don't tell me that rat bastard found a way out of that cell," Bella fumed as her fingers fisted. She could seriously plant a blow right in his manipulative mouth. "He always does this. How can he get so many people to fall for his crap? Who'd he pay off? And with what?"

Charlie's black brow lifted as he listened to Bella rant. When she fell silent, he said, "Are you done?"

"I can't help it. James always manages to ruin a good day." Bella would have continued her rant, yet the look on her father's face had the words dissipating on her tongue. Her brow wrinkled, and her lips thinned. "What?"

"Sam," Charlie started, clearing his throat as his fingers itched over his mustache. "He was calling—calling to give me the update back home. S-said … he said …"

Now, Bella felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles as she watched Charlie's face twist with emotion. Alarm stole through her, and her stomach somersaulted. "Dad! Just tell me what's going on. James didn't escape, did he?"

Charlie was already shaking his head before she finished speaking. "No—no, he didn't escape. He died last night. Someone shanked him in the bathroom while he was taking a shower."

The color left Bella's face, and suddenly she felt extremely lightheaded. She had to have misheard him. Swallowing tightly, she felt as though a massive weight was shifting off her chest, and then, she felt horrible for this incorrigible relief. "W-what? J-James is dead?"

Charlie waited for an onslaught of emotion from Bella, yet he watched the clouds that repressed his daughter for the last several years swirl around her before they disappeared. The shadows twinging her eyes, slowly faded and new life seemed to have breathed into her. As relieved as she appeared, a smidge of remorse still hovered close by. "Are you going to be okay, kiddo?"

Bella heard Charlie speaking, but the words sound surreal. Like they were in two other dimensions, and everything going on was a blur. When Edward came to stand in the living room holding Luke, they were so close, yet so far away. Meeting her son's bright blue eyes, that's when Charlie's words impacted her.

Lucas, while saved from a life of tug of war, would never know his father. Even though James had been a complete asshole, he hadn't always been that way, and James would never get the chance to realize what was truly important in life. Suddenly, Bella felt incredibly selfish for her initial relief upon hearing the news, and remorse filled her for the relationship Luke would never have with his father.

Edward's thick brow rose, his silver gaze darting between Charlie and Bella. "What happened?"

Bella silently raged war with herself and found an inability to speak. Luckily, Charlie filled in the blanks, leaving her a chance to digest the information and the mixture of emotions she was experiencing, or actually, not feeling. There was this numbness taking over her rational thought--she wanted to be sad, yet as hard as she tried, there was nothing.

Instantly, Edward's attention returned to the woman sitting unmoving on the couch. "Babe, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Bella gave a slight nod before standing up. "Why don't we get home and have some dinner?"

Two hours later, Bella rummaged around the kitchen preparing a pot of spaghetti. She'd just put the noodles into boiling water when Edward came into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, studying her silently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Bella asked, busying herself cooking the hamburger. Obviously, Bella knew exactly what he was referring to, and she was just at a loss as to what to say. How could she admit her relief and this fucking guilty gnawing her soul?

Edward shifted closer to her, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "You know, what, Bella. James? Do you want to talk about what happened to him?"

"There isn't anything to talk about." She wanted to add, he was a problem, but now he's not. That sounded so fucking cold, and she couldn't bring herself to voice the words. Of course, that reaction was battling with the guilt of actually not fucking caring. She was a nurse—a person responsible for caring for people and making them better when she could. Yet here she stood, almost not caring that her husband of all people had been murdered in his cell.

"It's okay to be upset," Edward encouraged, sidling closer. "You haven't even cried."

Bella's hand stilled while stirring the noodles. "Why would I cry? Huh? That man was hell for ten years. Every single day, he took extreme pleasure in telling me what kind of loser I was. That's kind of the problem, Edward. I—I feel relieved, and this huge block of shame for the thought. All I feel is--is free. How awful is that?"

"I don't think it's awful," Edward stated with a shake of his head. "I think it is extremely human to have a mixture of feelings, and especially with what the guy put you through. I want you to know; I am a safe person to talk to about whatever you feel comfortable telling me. I don't want you hiding it from yourself or me."

"I'm not talking about it because I don't have anything to say," Bella admitted with a shrug. Tapping the ladle off on the pan, she picked the pot up and hurried to the sink. "Edward, I don't care. And now, I have to live with the thought of being okay with James's death. I feel like a huge dick. And that's the thing. When Lester is buried, I will be there, and I will make sure his burial is a celebration of life—for a guy I barely knew. Then, there's James whom I was married to, and I won't go back when he is buried, and I won't be celebrating his life."

As Bella poured the scalding hot water into the strainer, the steam curled up, wrapping around her wrist. Yelping, she nearly dropped the pan into the sink. "Shoot, oooow that fucking hurt."

With Bella's cry of pain, Edward immediately jumped to attention; crossing the kitchen, he took the pan from her hands. Examining the reddened flesh where the steam had burned her, he pulled her arm toward the faucet. "Let's cool it down for you, baby," he murmured, turning the cold water on full blast. Kissing her temple, he whispered, "Keep it under the water, and I will finish getting this spaghetti ready."

"Okay," Bella nodded, turning to watch as Edward worked around the kitchen like an old pro. Diligently, he took control, stunning Bella. Everything about the man screamed confidence and sexiness. Her husband wasn't even six feet under, and here she was enjoying the sight—loving the image of having Edward in her home. Fuck. What kind of person was she? Even as she asked this question, her heart tripped in its beat, the organ squeezing tight.

Turning off the water, she dried the semi-stinging flesh and crossed to where Edward set the table. Unable to resist, she wrapped her arms around his waist, sighing when his movement stilled, and he leaned back into her embrace. Bella rested her cheek against his back; her hands found the hem of his shirt and delved inside to caress his belly. "I don't know why you are so wonderful, but you are. Everything about you is so comforting, and you have been so supportive over the last few weeks. I don't know how I would've made it through all this without you."

Edward set the plates aside and turned toward Bella. Pulling her tight into his embrace, he dropped a kiss to her forehead, yet Bella squirmed closer, her fingers twisting in his hair. With little urging, Edward let her direct his mouth to hers.

Mindful of Lucas and Charlie a room away, Edward forced himself to keep things calm. All he wanted to do was sit her on the countertop and feast on her tender skin. Anticipation tingled down his spine, and Edward drew her closer. Ever since that first night together, they'd maintained a distance, knowing withholding their desire would become increasingly difficult. Now there was absolutely nothing standing in their way, and Edward was fighting to remember her husband's death and he was struggling to give a shit.

Bella absorbed the warmth and comfort this man offered, soaking it all up like a fucking sponge. When her body began to sing the familiar melody of arousal Edward seemed to be able to inspire, she whimpered as his lips played over hers, drawing her into a deeper kiss, and she happily dived in.

The pleasure they started to experience was put on hold as the patter of little feet came running into the kitchen. "Kiss, 'Ward? Kiss."

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