Hello, dear readers. I'm delighted to offer you this chapter, and I do hope you enjoy it. Let's hear from Bella.

The alarm on Edward's phone was an unwelcome intrusion into my sleep, and I blearily opened my eyes as he swiped it from the nightstand to turn it off. Oh, how lovely it would be to simply curl up against his warm body and go right back to dreaming. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen because he had to go to work, but I was happy he'd stayed with me last night. His presence in my bed was natural and right.

Edward rose and headed towards the bathroom and I must have dozed back off, because the next thing I became aware of was his lips on my forehead as he sat on the edge of the bed, fully dressed and smelling like toothpaste.

"Mmm," I sighed, snuggling down into the pillow.

"Much as I wish you could stay all sleepy and perfect right now, you need to turn the alarm off," he said apologetically, his hand rubbing circles across my back.

"Seven-one-five-five-pound," I mumbled. "Turn it off yourself."

His hand stilled, and I opened my eyes to look at him.

"What?" I asked.

"You just gave me your alarm code?"

"And?"

He smiled slowly, one eye brow raised.

"Well, that's kind of a big deal."

"Is it?"

Edward nodded, still smiling.

"I trust you, Detective," I assured him. "Now, you can let yourself out and I can go back to sleep. We both win."

"But, I want you to come and re-lock the door behind me."

"Aw, man," I groaned.

"Please, Bella. I'd feel much better if you did."

His concern for me was so very sweet and I couldn't fault him for it, so I threw back the blankets, shivering as the a/c encountered my naked skin. The room was dim with just the nightlight on, but I made my way to my closet and grabbed a robe, shrugging it on and following Edward to the front door.

"I'm gonna get you a key, too," I grumbled as I punched in the alarm code. "So I can stay nice and cozy in bed the next time you have to leave at the ass crack of dawn."

"Do you see that happening often?" he asked, amused. "Me sneaking out at the ass crack of dawn?"

"As often as possible, to tell you the truth," I answered with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah?" His voice was light and teasing, but his gaze was intense, full of unasked questions.

I really hadn't put any thought into it until that moment, but I trusted Edward. I wished I were brave enough to openly hand him my heart, but I couldn't just yet, despite knowing I was very much in love with him. I would tell him soon, though, because the emotion I sometimes saw in his eyes made the hope inside me grow stronger every day. The hope that he felt the same.

Until I was confident enough to say the words, I could at least let him see that I trusted him by allowing him to be in my life in a way that no man had ever been before.

"Next time you come back, I'll have your prints uploaded for the elevator," I told him softly. "I want you to be able to come here, to feel like you can come here, any time you want to. I will always want you here, no matter how early in the morning, or late at night. Whenever."

"You humble me," he said tenderly. "By trusting me with this."

"I trust you with everything." I hoped he knew the truth behind my words, the declaration I couldn't voice yet. The tenderness in his gaze made me think that maybe he did.

Edward wrapped his arms around me and I snuggled against his chest.

"Call me later?" I requested.

"Absolutely. I have the interview with Luis scheduled for three, so I'll definitely let you know how that goes, but you'll probably hear from me before then. Unfortunately, I'm on call tonight and tomorrow night, and those nights always have the chance of being unpredictable."

"I meant it, Edward. Any time at all. Come to me."

He nodded.

"I'll try."

I lifted my face and he dropped a series of sweet kisses to my lips.

"Have a good day, Detective."

"Go back to bed, angel."

One more kiss, and then he was gone. I locked the door behind him, re-set the alarm, and did exactly as he said, snuggling down into the blankets and wrapping my arms around the pillow he'd slept with. His familiar scent made me smile, made me miss him already. It soothed me back to sleep.

The next time I woke up, it was more than an hour later. The clock told me it was a quarter past seven. I stretched lazily, a giant yawn escaping. My muscles were definitely feeling the strenuous activity of the night before. Edward had completely succeeded in making it 'our' bed. He'd been pretty much insatiable, using his hands, his mouth, and his body to bring me insane pleasure. Our connection was indescribable, and I knew it was because, for the first time in my life, I was in love. We were truly making love.

I would talk with Jake and tell him I wanted an extra key made.

I rose and began to get ready for the day, deciding on my favorite yellow wrap dress. The sunny hue reflected the happiness I was feeling on the inside, and I paired it with a pearl headband, leaving my hair down. After tidying up, feeding the girls, and a breakfast of avocado toast for me, I filled my insulated coffee mug and went downstairs. The familiar morning bustle of my hotel made me smile and I greeted several of the staff as I made my way to the front desk where Jake was.

"Ahhh, wearing the happy dress today," he said teasingly. "Someone's in a good mood."

"I'm in a perfectly wonderful mood, thank you. I need to talk to you about something."

"I'm all ears."

"Last night I got another weird text. But, there's more."

First, I told him about Carmen's visit to my office, and everything she'd told me. He was as shocked as I was. Then I showed him the picture of the shovel and the text that followed, filling him in on the details.

"I don't like it, Bells," he said with a frown. "First the cats, then two suspicious texts. They've gotta be connected."

"That's what Edward thinks too, but it's impossible to prove anything at this point since they're apparently using burner phones."

"Extra security might be a good idea. Here, at the hotel, but maybe also if you go out by yourself?"

I mulled over his suggestion. There was a security firm I'd used a few times in the past for high profile functions at Luxe. Perhaps Jake was right. Maybe until we got to the bottom of the strange things happening it might be beneficial to have extra people, in addition to our own security. As for me going out by myself, well I wasn't sure about that. I didn't want a bodyguard, had never had the need for one before, really. Still, I was unsettled enough by everything that had occurred lately that I had to at least consider it.

"Call Denali. Set up extra security for the hotel," I finally told Jake. "I'm not sure I need an escort when I go out, but I'll talk it over with Edward. And Emmett. Shit, I gotta call Emmett and tell him about the text from last night and now the extra security."

"Did you tell him about what Carmen said?"

"Yeah, we talked last night, before Edward came over. Hey, before I forget, I want an extra key to my apartment. For Edward. And I want his prints uploaded for the elevator."

"Okay." His tone was questioning, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, I know, Jakey. But. . . he's important. Really important."

Jake's eyebrows rose, his dark eyes regarding me silently. Then he smiled.

"Well, well, well. Miss Isabella Swan has finally found herself head over heels in love, it seems."

"What?" came a somewhat high pitched squeal from behind me, and I turned around to find Seth standing there with a giant grin on his face, practically bouncing in excitement. "Is it true? That handsome thing with the green eyes? Ooh la la!"

"She's giving him a key," Jake informed him and Seth's eyes widened.

"That's a serious step."

"And she's putting his prints in the elevator system."

"She is standing right here!" I said, waving my hand at them. I looked around to make sure we were not going to be overheard, and lowered my voice. "You guys are worse than old gossiping ladies at the beauty salon, I swear. Yes, I'm giving him a key and giving him elevator access. His hours can be so crazy sometimes, and I want him to be able to come and go whenever he wants to."

"Because you love him!" Seth whispered loudly, pointing his finger at me triumphantly. "Wait, how long have you guys known each other, again?"

"Over a month," I replied. "Though, we've technically only been dating for, um, nine days? Wow, that doesn't seem very long when I say it out loud. But, I trust him completely."

"Have you told him yet? That you love him?"

"No, I-"

"Bella!" I heard my name being called and turned around to find Alice hurrying towards me.

"I did it!" she declared, slightly breathlessly, with a big smile. "I've finally got everyone's schedules together and the stars somehow aligned, because this Sunday is the night! We gotta start planning dinner!"

Before I could say anything, Seth jumped in.

"Did you hear, Ali? Our Bella's in love!"

"Well, duh," she answered. "Didn't you know that already?"

"She's giving him a key!" Jake chimed in.

"And elevator access!" Seth added.

"Ooh, I did NOT know that!" Alice exclaimed, and I threw my hands up in exasperation.

"Would you guys please keep your voices down!" I hissed. "I don't need the entire hotel to know the details of my love life!"

"Sorry Bells," Alice said apologetically, her voice much quieter. "But it's true?"

"Yes," I told her simply. "Now, getting back to Sunday night. I know you've got some ideas up your sleeve, Ali, so come meet up with me in a bit and we'll go over everything. In the meantime, I've gotta call Emmett and get him up to date."

"On what?" Alice and Seth asked in unison, and I looked to Jake for help.

"I'll fill them in, you go call Emmett," he waved me off and I headed to my office.

Emmett's voice was raspy with sleep when he answered, and I was surprised.

"Are you still in bed?" I asked with a laugh. "It's almost nine. Why aren't you at work?"

"I'm taking a personal day," he replied and his words might have worried me, except I heard the undertone of laughter in his sleepy voice.

"Playing hooky, huh? Must be nice."

"Oh, it is. It's very nice."

I heard some sort of muffled talking in the background and at that point realized my brother was not alone.

"Emmett," I said slowly.

"Yes?"

"Is someone there with you?"

"You know, there very well might be. Now, was there a reason you were calling, or was it just to find out who's in my bed?" he asked with a touch of exasperation and I giggled.

"Er, sorry. Um, yes there was a reason, but I don't want to-"

"Just spit it out, sis. What's up?" he asked with a loud yawn.

I was sorry that my call wasn't for a more light-hearted reason, but knew I had to fill him in. So I explained as quickly and simply as possible about the texts and the decision to beef up the security at Luxe. He listened, let loose with a couple of colorful curses, and in the end agreed with Jake.

"Absolutely, Bells. The extra security at the hotel is a good idea, but I'd feel better if someone were with you when you went out, too. There's some weirdo out there, getting their kicks by taunting you with this shit, and until we find out who it is, I don't think you should go anywhere alone."

"I know, and I'm going to talk to Edward about it, too," I promised him. "Oh, by the way, Sunday night is gonna work out for all of us to have dinner at my place. In Alice's words, 'the stars aligned'."

"Hey, Rose, you're invited to dinner at Bella's on Sunday. Alice has already checked your schedule, it's what she does, just go with it," I heard my brother say to someone else, and his voice was followed by a decidedly female laugh.

Well, that explained the mystery person in Emmett's bed. It was the lovely Rosalie Whitlock.

"Uh, so I'm gonna hang up now, see ya later," I told Emmett with a laugh.

Alice arrived and we went over her ideas for the dinner party. I couldn't wait; it had been ages since I'd planned a fun dinner. After she left, I spent some time catching up on emails and phone calls. The vintage jewelry convention began at eleven, and I definitely wanted to check it out, so I wrapped up everything I could by five minutes till, and then made my way to the multipurpose room, pleased to see a sizable crowd entering.

Wandering leisurely from table to table, I chatted with the vendors and admired all of the beautiful and unique items. There were rings and earrings, bracelets and necklaces, jeweled hair accessories, watches, and much more. I fell in love with a beautiful pair of drop earrings that featured bright emeralds and tiny seed pearls, buying them on the spot.

At one of the last tables I visited, another offering immediately caught my eye. It was a small, square music box, only about six inches wide. The box itself was wood with an enamel overlay and featured a hand-painted ocean of waves, all blue and gray and foamy whitecaps, and I could see a small drawer in the front with a little gold knob. On the top of the box sat a mermaid figurine, unpainted, and made of silver. She sat with her face tilted upwards, eyes closed, as if she were soaking up the warm rays of the sun, her tail fanned out to the side. On her head was a little gold crown, with a tiny diamond embedded in the center. The intricate details of the petite figure were amazing, from the long strands of wavy hair modestly obscuring her breasts, to the rows of rounded scales adorning her lower half. She was enchanting. I turned the ornate key in the back, and a sweet, haunting melody filled the air.

"I found her in an antique shop in Boston," a voice spoke up when the music wound down, and I turned my attention to the vendor, an older gentleman with a kind smile. "From the research I've managed to do, she dates back to the late nineteen-twenties. There's a bit of a story attached to her."

"A story?" I asked, instantly curious.

"Indeed. Would you like to hear it?"

"Very much."

"Well, the tale goes that there was once a wealthy young ship merchant who lived in New York. He fell in love with a beautiful girl, but his family didn't approve because she was not a member of the upper class, merely the daughter of a bookkeeper, so they kept their romance a secret. She loved the ocean and he called her his mermaid. They eventually planned to run away together, away from his disapproving family, and he commissioned a local artist to have this music box made for her, to gift her with on the day that they would finally wed."

I found myself practically holding my breath, waiting to hear what happened next.

"Unbeknownst to them, the young man's family found out about their plan. Just two days before they were to make their escape, his family offered the girl's parents a large sum of money to leave town and disappear, and never allow their daughter to return. They accepted, and took the girl away in the middle of the night. When the young man found out, he nearly went insane with rage and grief. His parents finally admitted what they had done and he disowned them on the spot. He immediately began to search for his love, exhausting every effort, only to fail in finding her. He refused to see any of his family, and instead made his own way in the world, eventually ending up a very rich oil baron in Texas. He built a mansion right on the Gulf, always yearning for his mermaid. Twenty years passed, and he never married."

"That's terribly sad, yet very beautiful, too," I said softly, as my storyteller paused to take a sip from a water bottle.

"But, the it doesn't end there! No, indeed!"

"What happened next?"

"After twenty years, he decided it was time to finally settle down and get married, having lost all hope of ever seeing his true love again. So, he invited all the local families to a big fancy Christmas party at his estate, hoping there would be someone among them that might suit him as a bride. He was the most sought after bachelor of the time, after all, handsome and rich, so there would be no shortage of ladies to choose from. But what happened was, the day before the big party, he was involved in an automobile accident and was rushed to the hospital, unconscious and bleeding. When he finally woke up the next day, it was to find that the nurse tending to him was none other than his lost love! She had only began working at the hospital two days prior and had recognized him right away when he was brought in. She never left his side! She had been searching for him too, had never married either. They were wed five days later and he was finally able to give her the music box. They lived the rest of their lives together, in the mansion by the ocean."

I actually found myself blinking back tears as the story came to a close. I hoped at least some of it was true, even if perhaps it had been a tad embellished. The happy ending did make me smile, and then I felt sad as I thought of another beautiful mermaid that didn't get the happy ending she deserved.

"I'll take it," I told the storytelling vendor, nodding to the music box.

"Don't you want to know the price?"

I shook my head with a smile.

"Whatever it is, I'll take it."

I hoped you liked the tale of the mermaid music box. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the whole chapter.