Hi Ladies,

Judging by the reviews, I see people were very happy about Edward finally giving up some of his wickedness. If you enjoyed the last chapter this one should warm your hearts. Thanks for reading. I will see you with a spicy chapter tomorrow:) And in response to one review I received about getting to read ghost sex, you will definitely get some ghost sex, lol.

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Chapter 19

Emmett-

Over the last week, I watched my brother disappear into the room that was once his around midnight, staying until the early morning hours. Edward could have been relishing the familiarity, but I doubted that's what kept him within those walls for so long every night.

After the first night, my curiosity got the better of me, and I followed him, my eyes rolling when I heard the insist pestering he tortured Bella with. Yet on the fourth night, as I pressed my ear to the door, I heard their conversation, smiling when Bella told him goodnight and Edward's confirmation of seeing her the next night.

I currently stood at the end of the hallway, hidden by the shadows, watching my brother silently warring with himself. Rose was asleep and while I normally rested next to her until she left for school, I did a nightly patrol, making sure everything was locked up tight during the evening hours when the women slept. Edward stood for several minutes staring at the door to his room, and then, he seeped through the barrier until he'd completely disappeared on the other side.

Amused by his blatant obsession with Bella, I quietly hurried toward Bella's room. Pressing my ear against the smooth cool surface, I waited on a second before soft murmuring slipped through the cracks.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Bella stated. I heard the springs of her bed creak and either she was sitting up to converse with Edward or he was sitting on her bed. "So, what's your favorite color?"

Edward's chuckle promptly followed and I closed my eyes at the sound. How long had it been since I heard a genuine laugh leave his lips? It had been so long, I couldn't even remember exactly when it was. Gruffly, he chided, "Are we besties now? I tell you my deepest darkest secrets and you tell me yours?"

Bella's throaty laugh followed Edward's playful remark. "Well, we've been dancing around your favorite color for the past two nights. It has kinda become our inside joke of sorts." There was a long pause and I could envision her tipping her head as she contemplated Edward, and then, playfulnesses edged her tone when she said, "What the hell do you know about besties? After driving me up a wall for the last couple of weeks, I'm surprised you have any friends."

"Emmett's my best friend and he's made it his mission in life to pester me to no end." I grinned at that. Edward was a serious soul and had always been older than his years. If anyone was to introduce happiness into Edward's life, I wanted it to be me. Hearing Edward label me his best friend instead of merely his brother was the greatest compliment a person could receive. A person didn't choose their siblings but they chose their friends. Love for the stuffy bastard welled deep in my chest, and I made a mental note to hug the fuck out of him the next time we were in the same room.

The tone changed in that room and I could feel it escaping the walls and sinking into the pit of my stomach. The springs squeaked again, and I wondered what was happening, who was moving, and where they both sat. Then, Bella's question was like a blow to the gut when the words left her lips. "What was your family like?"

I expected Edward to erupt with anger and go on a rampage. I prepared myself for having to burst into that room and interrupt their nightly meeting. When Edward grunted and his calm voice filtered out to me, the tension eased from my body, relaxation settling into my tight muscles.

"My mother was the sweetest person you could ever meet. She never had a mean word to say to anyone and she cooked like a first-class chef. We had servants to perform all the housework and cook, but she always insisted on cooking family dinners. I can't remember a time when she was alive that the aroma of some concoction didn't fill this house, and we all eagerly ate every bite. The twins, they were loud, obnoxious, and annoying as hell." Edward grunted with a humorless laugh. "I miss the fuck out of them."

I heard a sniffle and I knew firsthand the sound came from Bella. Hearing Edward's confession a pang of sadness stabbed my chest. Clenching my teeth, I pushed the sorrow deep down, swallowing the knot forming in my throat. The urge to go back to my room and wrap Rose in my arms was all-consuming but I forced myself to stay.

"God, I'm so sorry," Bella whispered, "I wish … I wish … Hell, I don't even know."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, little fox."

"I am looking into what happened, Edward but I haven't found anything substantial to link anyone to the crime." A long silence passed by, and then, she said, "I have also read a little bit about your family. There was a lot of speculation about illegal activity linked to your father's name. Is any of that true?"

"My family had their fingers in a little of everything. Whatever you've read, I don't know if any of it's true but I suppose it's possible." I thought back to my father's long disappearances. Sometimes he would be gone for a week or more at a time. Edward and I were just starting to learn the family business but because Edward was so much like Carlisle, I'd been kept out of the loop on more than one occasion. I never begrudged their bond, just happy to be left in peace to pursue my own delights.

"Hmmm," she answered, going quiet for a few minutes. Her next question had me grinning from ear to ear. "Did you have a special lady or …"

"Or," Edward promoted when she stopped talking.

"Were you a ladies man?"

That was my cue to leave. Bella might chalk her question up as curiosity but I recognized the underlying meaning. To me, it sounded like my grumpy brother was finally breaking out of his shell. With one last glance at the door, I retraced my steps to my room and slipped into bed with Rose.

As my arm wrapped around her waist, she shivered but nestled back against me. I kissed her neck and stared out the window as I held her through the night.

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