Previously:

When it was finally sunrise, Bella robotically pushed herself to a seated position. She wiped at her tear-stained cheeks and took in a shuddering breath.

Bella whispered a promise to herself. "I won't become a zombie again."


Chapter 3: Common Ground

Repeating that mantra over and over, Bella almost convinced herself it was true. She took a shower and got herself ready for the day. She tried to push off any thoughts about him and instead focused intently on her task. Shaving her armpits had never gotten so much attention. It was a solid plan, until she walked into her bedroom to find the man in question.

Edward was as beautiful as ever, sitting in the rocking chair staring at his hands.

"Edward?" Bella gazed at him hopefully. All she wanted was to hear that he still loved her.

"I apologize for my anger last night, Bella. Will you forgive me?" He gazed up at her, and his sad eyes shined with so much emotion that it took Bella's breath away.

"Of course I do. I love you, Edward." Bella took a hesitant step forward, wanting to be close to him but still wary. She thought she saw a flash of anger on Edward's face, but it was gone quickly.

Edward gave her an encouraging smile and beckoned her forward. He pulled her onto his lap, and Bella curled into his embrace. She breathed in his comforting scent and clung to him desperately.

"If you really want to cancel the wedding, that's what we'll do." Edward spoke gently and gathered Bella's hands in his. "I'm powerless against you, my sweet Bella."

Bella melted at his loving tone. "No, don't cancel it, just postpone."

Edward gave it some thought before observing, "Just think, only a few days ago your greatest wish was to be turned as soon as possible."

Bella sighed and snuggled into his cold frame. "Now you get your wish, and I stay human for longer."

"You think this is what I wanted?" Edward spoke softly but earnestly. "You're better off a vampire than a human who is friends with shape shifters. Every time you see those monsters, I'm terrified you won't return to me." Edward took a deep breath, and it fanned over Bella. He stroked her hand lightly with his thumb, and it felt heavenly. "Please don't run off with the wolves again without talking to me. I can't protect you when you're with them."

Bella let the familiar argument rush in one ear and out the other. She wanted to hold onto this moment with him forever.

"Stay away from the young one, especially," Edward quietly insisted. "He's new and dangerous."

Bella held back a sigh and lifted her head from the crook of Edward's neck. His face was carefully neutral.

"Brady imprinted on me. You must know that." Bella looked to Edward for confirmation, but his face gave away nothing. "He needs contact with me or else he'll go crazy. I can't do that to him."

"He can come see you at our house." Edward's silver voice and his stroking of her wrist intoxicated Bella. It made it hard to focus on their conversation.

"I guess that can work some of the time, but I'll have to visit him in La Push too." Bella could tell Edward was about to argue, so she rushed ahead. "He's just a kid! Wolf or not, he's still a kid who needs to go to school and get enough sleep. He'll be exhausted if he has to keep running back and forth to Forks."

Edward rolled his eyes and pulled his hand away. "He's a wolf, Bella. He can handle it."

Bella freaked out at his withdrawal. She snatched his hand back and hugged it to her chest. "I don't want to fight with you." Bella sounded pathetic to her own ears, but she couldn't stop herself.

"I don't either, love. You must see that all I want to do is protect you." Edward wrapped her back up in his arms, and Bella clung to him with all her strength.

She was torn between holding on to Edward and fighting for Brady. In the end, she didn't make any promises, and Edward didn't push her.

The next morning, Bella got a good morning text from Brady while she was eating breakfast. She responded, "Morning. What're you up to today?"

"Homework," Brady responded with a sad face.

Bella wondered why he had homework during the summer. She'd assumed school was out for him, too. It made her feel guilty that she didn't know these things about Brady. Maybe she should visit him and give them the opportunity to talk.

Once she realized what she'd done—that Alice and Edward would know her plans to go to La Push—Bella dumped her dishes in the sink.

"Want some help?" Bella sent off a quick text as she rushed to grab her purse.

"Yes! Can you come over now?" Brady responded enthusiastically.

Bella laughed out loud as she headed to her car. Brady was guileless, and it was so refreshing.

"On my way. What's your address?" Bella sent off a text as she hopped in her ridiculously ostentatious car and then threw her phone on the leather passenger seat.

As she flew down the highway, Bella pointedly kept her eyes on the road and didn't let them stray to the tree line. She didn't know if any vampires would follow her, but she made it to the town limits without incident.

Once Bella was well past the treaty line, she pulled over at a gas station to look up directions. She didn't know how to use the fancy navigation system in her car, so her phone would have to do. The address was for an apartment building in a part of town Bella had never been to. Honestly, La Push was so small, she didn't even know they had apartments.

Bella drove to the tiny town center, which was really just a restaurant and a couple of shops, and found her destination a few blocks down. The two-story apartment building was older but well maintained and located in a decent neighborhood. It took Bella back to the early days of living in the Riverside apartment with her mom. Brady's apartment was much nicer than that sketchy place.

As Bella got up the stairs up to find number six, one of the apartment doors opened and a grinning Brady popped his head out.

"Bella!" Brady rushed forward, leaving the door ajar, and pulled Bella off of her feet into a crushing hug. A tension Bella hadn't realized she was holding loosened at the contact.

He set Bella down on her feet but didn't let go.

"I missed you," Brady confessed into her hair.

"So did I," Bella came to realize. It was a surprising revelation for her. "This imprint is pretty potent stuff, huh?"

"Mhm," Brady agreed as he took in a deep breath of her scent.

Despite his young age, Brady was already taller than Bella. He was nowhere near as big and broad as his pack brothers, but he was still bigger than her. It made it awkward but not impossible for Bella to comfort him from her shorter position. She rubbed circles on his back until he was ready to go inside.

Brady's place was clean and simple, with no decorations. Someone ran it ship shape in there.

"Thanks for offering to help with my summer school homework." Brady flushed in embarrassment as they settled at the round kitchen table. "I'm really not that bad of a student, honest. I missed a lot of days last year when I first phased. The Council pulled some strings so I could make up the work and not flunk out of 7th grade."

"That sounds tough," Bella replied sympathetically. "Have people been giving you a hard time about it?"

Brady groaned exaggeratedly. "My mom was so pissed she took away my game console."

Bella winced. "Aw that sucks."

Brady leaned in conspiratorially and grinned roguishly. "She doesn't have a very good hiding spot. I stole it back, and she hasn't noticed."

Bella threw her head back and laughed at his cheeky attitude.

True to his word, Brady didn't really need any help at all. Bella spent her time reading Jane Eyre while Brady did his work. She sent off a text to Edward telling him she was in La Push.

"Come home," he replied. "Please."

Bella texted back, "I'm fine. You don't need to worry. I'll be back later."

"I worry because I love you," Edward replied.

Bella's heart melted at the sweet message. She went to put her phone down, but Edward texted again, a moment later.

"Come home," he sent.

Bella's shoulders slumped. She felt bad for worrying Edward, but he needed to accept that Brady was a part of her life too. Bolstering her courage, she told him, "I need to spend time with Brady. We talked about this. Remember?" This mediating business was harder than she thought. "I'm trying to be fair to both of you."

"Fine. I'll see you tonight." Edward messaged her.

Bella stared at the message: "Fine."

"What?" Brady lifted his head from his textbook and questioned Bella.

She hadn't even realized she'd said it out loud. Bella gave Brady a rueful smile and looked back down at the disappointing text. "Nothing, just talking to myself."

Brady looked at Bella thoughtfully as she worried her lip, but he didn't say anything.

Bella dreaded another argument like the night before, so she responded to Edward's terse message with evasion. "I'll probably be tired when I get home, so no need to come." Then she felt bad, so she added, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Bella went back to her book and didn't receive another message from Edward all day. She and Brady worked in companionable silent for several hours before stopping for lunch. They took a well-earned break to watch a rerun of The Office, before getting back into the grind.

Bella's phone rang on the table, startling both her and Brady out of their concentration.

"Sorry!" Bella quickly grabbed her phone and stepped outside to answer. "Hello?"

"Hey, Bells." It was Charlie. "Coming home anytime soon?"

Bella pulled her phone away to look at the time. 5:00pm.

"Oh shoot!" Bella exclaimed. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was getting late."

"No problem. I was just wondering about dinner. Are you eating here or…?" Charlie left the question open ended. What was Bella going to do? If she was honest with herself, she knew she didn't want to leave yet.

"I'm hanging out in La Push. Do you mind if I stay a little longer?" Bella asked hesitantly. She felt bad bailing on Charlie, knowing how cooking-challenged he was.

"No! Stay!" Charlie replied enthusiastically. "You have fun."

Bella rolled her eyes. Charlie was always supportive of her spending time with anyone that wasn't Edward. She thanked him and told him she'd see him later.

"Was that the Chief?" Brady asked as Bella returned inside.

"You know my dad?" Bella asked in surprise.

Brady shrugged. "Everyone around here knows Chief Swan."

"Huh." Bella furrowed her brow. "I guess that makes sense. Charlie has a lot of friends here."

"You call your dad Charlie?" Brady looked at her skeptically.

Bella blushed. "Uh, yeah. I think it's because my mom, Renée, always referred to him as Charlie and not your dad when I was growing up."

Brady still looked confused, so Bella told him her story about being born here and moving away with her mom.

"Anyway, I try not to call him Charlie to his face." Bella felt a little ashamed that Brady was calling him Chief Swan and his own daughter couldn't remember to call him Dad.

"My dad's not around," Brady told her. "He took off when I was little, too, but they were never married."

"I'm sorry." Bella didn't quite know what to say. She tried to think about if she didn't have Charlie in her life. "Does it bother you?"

"Nah, he was an addict." Brady's confession startled Bella, but he continued without noticing. "I used to think what if, but one time I overheard my uncles talking about him refusing to go to rehab. I figure we're better off without him."

"What does your mom say about him?" Bella asked curiously.

"She doesn't like to talk about him, and I don't want to press her. She's got enough to worry about as it is." Brady huffed and shook his head.

"Yeah, being a single mom is tough." Bella agreed, thinking of her own mom. "Does she know you're a wolf?"

Brady laughed. "No, but she's hardly ever home so she doesn't notice when I leave at odd hours."

"Oh." Bella felt a twinge of concern over the picture Brady was painting of his life. Who did he have to be there for him? "Well, the pack will certainly keep tabs on you, and you've got me, too."

Brady smiled brightly at that. "Really?"

"Of course." Bella pulled him into her side for a hug. He gazed up adoringly at her, and she chuckled at how cute he looked. "How about I whip us up something for dinner? Will your mom mind me using the kitchen?"

Brady confirmed that his mom wouldn't mind. She had the freezer stocked with frozen meals for the nights he had to eat dinner alone. Getting a home cooked meal from his imprint felt like winning the lottery to Brady.