The morning after their visit to Charlie's, Edward and Bella were laying in bed. Bella had woken up only a couple minutes before Edward decided to address some of his concerns with her.

"Sweetheart, could I talk with you for a moment?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, cuddling closer to him; the heated blanket they had on the bed allowed for them to hold each other all night without having to worry about Bella becoming too chilled. "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Jacob," he began. "I wanted to make sure I was as straightforward with you as possible, especially regarding my more public behavior last night. It seems he has it in his mind that you're still human because you're in love with him, even if it's subconscious; he's determined to get you to realize that."

Bella pulled back, searching Edward's gaze. "Seriously? Ugh, I suppose I should have seen this coming. Here I was hoping we could just be friends for once!"

Edward flinched. "I'm sorry, love. Should I have kept it to myself?"

Bella sighed. "No, I'm glad you told me. I was actually just thinking about how weird it was, how much good a few months away from everything did me."

"What do you mean?" he asked, trailing a hand through her hair, mindful of the tangles.

Bella took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Well, because there was a time when I was…in love with Jake…now, though, I don't feel that. I still care, of course, but there isn't the same pull there anymore. He's just my friend."

Edward let out a deep breath, pulling her even closer. Relief flooded through his system. Logically, he knew Bella had chosen him—she was his wife, quite happily, she assured him—but there was still that small part of him that didn't know if anything changed for her now that she had decided to stay human through the rest of the school year; she may have decided a human life was one she wanted to stick with.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked him, reaching up to touch his face.

"Quite so," he assured her. "That was just…a bit of a relief to hear, truthfully. To know that you're mine, through and through, to know that my mistakes aren't pushing us away or making you decide to have a future separate from me."

Bella's eyebrows drew together, a guilty look coming over her face. "I'm so sorry I made you doubt."

"It wasn't you, love," he tried to reassure her. "No, just…sometimes, even vampires suffer self-doubt."

She smiled. "Well, my doubtful vampire, you have nothing to worry about. You are all I want, in every way." She kissed him, lips soft and mouth hot. He loved the feel of her as she pressed against him from head to toe. Which reminded him…

"He thinks we called off having sex on the honeymoon, so he is convinced he can provide you with something I cannot."

Bella stopped for a moment, mouth open in shock. "Are you serious? This is what he was thinking about last night?"

"I am," he nodded. "I figured it best for me to let you know now than for him to surprise you with that later."

"You figured correctly," she huffed; she moved to straddle Edward's hips, not quite initiating yet, but wanting to watch his responses from a good vantage point. "No wonder you kissed me like you did! And he still didn't get the message?"

Edward shrugged.

"It really does piss me off that he assumes so much, especially that he would assume so little of me as to think that I would run from our marriage, even if we couldn't have sex before I'm a vampire."

"I don't think he realizes how little he knows you now, sweetheart," Edward tried to calm her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "No one who has seen our marriage up close would ever assume as much. Trust me, I'd know," he tapped his temple, the corner of his lips pulling up in his signature crooked smile.

"I guess," Bella sighed. "But still, now I feel the need to make a few things clear."

"How will you do that?" Edward asked, fingers trailing over the sides of her breasts, down her waist to her hips, and back up; Bella shivered, pupils dilating and heart rate increasing as she watched him touch her.

"By not holding back," she murmured, her voice husky but firm. She reached behind her to grip him in her hand, finding satisfaction in his hardened flesh. "We will spend time together; I miss my friend, after all. But if he decides to push boundaries and sees or hears something he doesn't like? Well, I won't be sorry this time. If he won't respect me and my choices, I won't try to soften the blow for him."

"That seems fair," Edward nodded, hissing as she stroked him. "Are you sure though? What if he hears—"

"Edward, if he were to walk in on us right now, I wouldn't stop myself from riding you the way I intend to. Is that clear?"

Bella was blushing tremendously, but her countenance was clear.

"Crystal," he nodded. "Though…"

"Though?" she asked, stopping herself from sinking down on him.

Edward moved more quickly that her eyes could follow; one minute, she was poised to ride him, the next he had them flipped and was sinking into her heat.

"Though I would never let him see you fully," Edward growled in her ear, thrusting sharply into her. "How you look right now—cheeks flushed, eyes bright…mouth open…head back in pleasure—that's only for me to see." He pulled out slowly, thrusting in deeply, causing her to gasp. "Isn't that right, Isabella?"

"Y-yes," she moaned. It would be the last coherent thing she said for quite a while; Edward would make sure of it.