Hi Ladies,

Sorry about the delay, I have had some personal issues to deal with but I'm back on track. Thanks for reading, and please, drop me a line.

Edward-

She was avoiding me.

As soon as she returns home every afternoon, she is surrounded by her friends until bedtime, and she promptly chooses to sleep with Alice. Since her friend interrupted us that night, screaming like a banshee, Bella's made a conscious effort to avoid me like the plague.

At first, I thought her avoidance was just my imagination. Yet that theory was getting harder and harder to dispute with each passing day. Three days have passed without her spending one second alone in our room. She grabs her clothes and changes in Alice's bathroom, and at bedtime, she burrows under the blanket with her friend.

Perhaps I frightened her the other night when I trapped her beneath me and promised to fuck her into oblivion. The thrill and excitement in her hypnotic gaze spoke otherwise, however. Until her damn friend interrupted the encounter with that damnable nightmare, I had witnessed the fire in her eyes and smelled her musky arousal seeping from her body, and the thrill it ignited within me was too much to ignore.

Subtly was never my strong suit. I believe in saying exactly what is on my mind. I had a habit of being brutally honest. What was the point in pretending things were any different than what they were? If I wanted something I took it. If I had a craving, I said it. No sense in hiding our true wants and desires, especially considering how short life could be, and I knew that better than anyone.

Taking a deep breath, I released it, hoping to stifle the frustration welling beneath my skin. The relentless gnawing in the pit of my stomach threatened to suck the rest of my soul from this life.

I paced in front of the window overlooking the driveway, my aggravation growing with each passing minute. I've been waiting here for any sign of the minx for the last few hours, and she should be pulling in at any second.

Staring at the window, I twisted my bottom lip, as I contemplated our encounters. Bella's courage surpassed my expectations. She bravely stood up to me even before she was aware of who I was. Why all of a sudden did she want to create this space between us?

I pinched my lip to the point of pain, my hand falling to my side when a maroon car braked near the driveway, its blinker indicating it was about to turn in.

Who the fuck was this? I didn't recognize the vehicle or the person behind the wheel. I squinted to get a better look at the visitor creeping along the drive, the shade from overhanging branches obstructing my view inside the windshield before the car came to a stop next to the pathway. My knuckles turned white as I braced my weight against the window ledge when a dark-skinned woman stepped free from her car, her cocoa eyes lifting to where I stood. A small, easy smile passed across her full lips, and she raised a hand, her fingers wiggling as she waved.

Holy fuck!

Did she just see me?

The only way a person could see me is if I chose to reveal myself, and I hadn't summoned that type of energy for her. Testing the theory, I lifted my hand and waved in return. Her smile widened, showing off even white teeth, and a bright twinkle came to life in her eyes.

What the fuck was going on?

I licked my lip as I backed away from the window and out of her sight. Running my fingers through my hair, I turned toward the staircase and hurried down the steps. An electric thrill shot through my abdomen when Jess opened the front door and invited the strange woman inside. Her singsong voice filled the foyer as she greeted Jessica. "Hey, Jess, is Rose around? I'm supposed to be moving in tonight."

Her long black lashes lifted and her gaze connected with mine. "Well, damn, handsome. I didn't realize there would be this type of meat running around here or I would've been here an hour ago."

I was riveted. I blanched suddenly feeling the urge to hide. I'm not a bashful person, but I'd gone so long without people being able to see me that this woman's observation rocked me to the core.

Jess's brows drew together as she glanced over her shoulder and around the empty foyer. "Umm … Rose is up in her room." Jess's words fell away and she pinned the new arrival with a curious stare. "Who are you talking to?"

Perfectly etched eyebrows drew up tight and I swear her ebony skin flushed a few shades lighter. Her gaze never left mine as she shook her head. Clearing her throat, she hurriedly corrected herself. "I was probably daydreaming. I had a few drinks with Dre before I came over." Her slender neck moved as she swallowed hard. "You said, Rose is in her room? Which one is that?"

I moved to the side as Jess turned the woman toward the staircase. "We can run up and get her. You're moving in just in time. We're having a bash this weekend. Maybe you can get Dre to come and bring some of those hotties from the basketball team. We could certainly use some testosterone around here."

My gaze narrowed as the woman tossed a look over her shoulder at me, her long sable hair following the movement.

Yeah, she could seriously see me. "If you can see me, does that mean you can hear me too?"

"I can do a lot of things," she stated, her response meant for Jessica, but a flash of her hazel eyes hit me on a different level as she continued, "If you want the team here, we will get the team here," she stated with conviction.

So many questions hit me like a brick. How could she see me? How could she hear me? How was she different from everyone else? Did she possess skills my ancestors had hinted about? Just because I had never encountered a witch didn't mean they didn't exist.

I mean fuck until I got trapped in this house I'd never believed in ghosts either, but here I fucking was.

I trailed the women, my intrigue piqued, hanging back when they stopped in front of Rose's door. Jess knocked, calling through the barrier. "Rose, Tasha is here."

Rose pulled the door open, her skin flushed with a rosy hue, and the potent scent of sex hit my nose. Emmett appeared over her shoulder, scowling like someone pissed all over his parade, which apparently was the case, judging by the musky aroma wafting from the room. "Hey, Tash. Give me a quick second to clean up and I will be out."

The door was promptly shut firmly back in place. Jess shrugged, saying, "I have a paper I need to finish writing. If you do get the team to come Friday, let me know so I can make accommodations, and plus, I kinda wanted to hook Bella up with Trent."

"Over my dead fucking body," I growled, Tash's eyes widening at the ferocity of my bark. Her pink-painted lips pursed as she tried to focus on Jess.

Tasha made a show of straightening her blouse, a half smile playing across her lips. "I will see what I can do."

As soon as Jess disappeared from the hallway, I stepped up, backing Tasha into the wall. "How the fuck can you see me?"

The playful expression melted from her face, and steel entered her eyes. "You don't scare me, ghost. Better watch who you're trying to intimidate."

Pressure started in my shoulders, sliding down my chest, and before I knew what was happening, I was pinned to the wall behind me. "Witch!"

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