*EPOV*

"Yeah, Dad, I'm really loving Dartmouth. My professors are all really cool….. It's a lot of reading every night, but I'm such a bookworm that it's not much of a chore…..I've been too busy getting settled in to get out much, yet. But the Cullens are close by so it never gets boring, and you know me, I'm such a homebody, just like you," Bella laughed lightly into the phone.

"How are the Clearwaters? Tell Sue and Seth I said hello."

She went quiet as Charlie launched into a story about his fishing trip with Seth which apparently went so well that they've gone again since the first time.

Idly twirling a strand of hair around her finger, Bella's smile was heartwarming as she listened to Charlie talk with surprising verbosity about the boy who would be his step-son if Alice's vision held true.

"That's really great, Dad. You sound happy…" another smile."I am. On Cloud Nine. Edward is taking very, very good care of me. I'll tell him you said hello. Ok, talk to you soon...Love you, too...Bye."

After Bella told me over dinner that she was going to check in on Charlie, I had drifted over to the dining room table with my laptop to give her some space to talk to her father. I had been tooling around with some music editing software when she ended the call.

Rejoining her on the couch, I pulled her into my arms. "That sounded like a good call," I said softly, kissing her hair.

"It was," she affirmed, but there was a catch in her voice.

I moved my hand toward her chin so that I could see her face, but stopped myself, placing it on her knee instead.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.

Bella sighed. "It's just weird. I love talking to him and hearing that he's doing ok. Better than ok. But I can see what you meant, before, about the necessity of...a clean break."

I stiffened slightly, as I always did whenever the topic of my leaving her was brought up, even indirectly. Clean slate, I reminded myself. No more apologies, no more looking back.

"It's just hard, saying goodbye to him over and over again. I wanted to tell him about our trout pond because I knew he'd love that. But I didn't want to give him a reason to want to come visit, either. And I feel bad about that."

I exhaled loudly, thinking of how best to comfort her. I readjusted my position so that I was kneeling in front of her. Folding my arms over her knees, I took her fidgety hands in my own and looked up into her pained, warm brown eyes.

"My sweet Bella... It's a perfectly normal time in your life to be splitting off from your parents and asserting your independence. Charlie knows that, and he wouldn't want you to feel guilty about it either. It's only natural to miss him, but you don't need to feel bad about living the life you've chosen for yourself."

Adding with a short laugh, "Knowing Charlie, I bet it comes as a relief to him that you're an old married lady, now," I teased.

"If you'd gone off to college as a single, unattached 18- year-old, he'd probably be giving himself nightmares about all of the reckless things kids do when they finally get a taste of freedom."

Bella snorted, "Because I'm such a party animal," she rolled her eyes.

"Neither was Charlie, but you can bet he did some experimenting of his own!" I raised my eyebrows suggestively.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed. "What do you know that I don't?"

"Normally I wouldn't divulge this sort of thing, because they aren't my stories to tell. But I know for a fact that he will go to his grave before he tells you that he had a few wild nights drinking and driving with his friends when he was your age. He doesn't want you to think that sort of thing is ok just because he did it."

"Ha! You barely let me behind the wheel when I'm sober! I'm curious though…"

I bristled at the word "let," but didn't press the matter. "What are you curious about?"

"What would you do if I wanted to get drunk or experiment with recreational drugs before I'm turned. Only human once, right?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Her mouth curled into a smirk.

This was a test. She was testing me.

I blinked, trying not to show my panic. What was the right answer?

"If that is something you're interested in," I swallowed, "I...I would want to be with you. To make sure you're safe. And I'd have serious questions about the source of whatever substance you were taking. But it's your body, Bella. It's never my place to tell you what to do with it."

Bella smiled, seemingly satisfied. "Don't worry. Shooting up heroin isn't very high up on my list. But it might be fun to get a little boozy if you promised to take advantage of me afterward," she waggled her eyebrows.

I took her face between my hands and moved in so that we were just millimeters apart.

"Isabella Cullen, what am I going to do with you?" I teased, kissing her once, twice, three times.

"I can think of a few things," she whispered back with her eyes still closed. Her long, dark lashes looked even longer and darker pressed against the pale skin of her cheeks.

Bella shook her head a bit, as if clearing the fog, and then her eyes fluttered open.

"Who needs drugs when I have you? You kiss me and it's like I can't think straight and all of a sudden my clothes start falling off."

"Now that I'm happy to enable," I murmured, kissing her again.

Wrapping her arms tightly around my neck, she moaned in approval against my lips. "Edward, you're so much more fun now that you're not so…PG-13."

I threw my head back and laughed at that. "Just you wait until you're immortal and struggling to hold a pencil without breaking it, and then we can revisit how 'not fun' I was," I countered, smiling from ear to ear.

"No. Just you wait until I'm immortal and can hold my breath indefinitely," Bella dragged her hand across the bulge in my slacks.

With a growl, I sprung from my kneeling position on the floor and pounced on her, compelling her gently backward onto the couch as I held myself over her, lavishing her with a thousand different types of kisses.

When I reached for the top button of her blouse, she stopped me with a single finger on my chest.

"Nuh-uh. It's my turn." She pressed harder on my chest. I raised an eyebrow at her but was all too happy to follow her lead and let her push me back into a sitting position.

It wasn't hard to imagine that she wielded complete power over me within the tip of her finger. She did.

With as much grace as she possessed, Bella sank to her knees in between my legs. Nothing felt right about Bella being on the floor at my feet.

"Bella-"

The smoldering look she gave me dared me to stop her. "I love you. I want you. Right now."

Capitulating with a groan, I unfastened my pants and raised my hips so she could pull them off my legs by tugging at the hems. I pulled my shirt over my head but had less patience for the boxer briefs.

Bella tentatively wrapped her petite hands around my hard length. "I want to try something," she said in a husky whisper.

"You're just stealing my lines left and right, aren't you?" I teased with a hard laugh as I focused on keeping my hands on the back of the couch.

"You won't hurt me," she insisted.

But if she was wrong, if I slipped...it was unthinkable.

"Try. Just try. We can stop whenever you want."

For the love of all that was holy, how was I supposed to say no to that when her hands were wrapped around my-"Slowly, Bella," I cautioned severely. "And if I say stop-"

"I'll jump halfway across the room, Edward-style," she quipped. I narrowed my eyes at her. The sass on this one! But I sank obligingly back into the couch, giving her access.

The closer Bella's mouth came to my straining erection, the tighter my grip on the back of the couch became. The wooden frame creaked in protest.

"Relax," she urged, "And be still." Her warm breath washed over me sending a ripple of pleasure up my spine.

I nodded. Still, I could do.

Keeping her big, beautiful, brown eyes on me, her full pink lips opened to accommodate my girth. The couch creaked ever-sharper under my grip.

There weren't words for the sublime pleasure of her mouth on my body. Hot. Soft. Wet..and when she sucked…

I threw my head back over the top of the couch as a long guttural groan tore out from low in my throat.

The heat of her mouth disappeared at the same time as I felt her warm hand on my chin.

"Let me see your eyes," she breathed. I lifted my head and gazed down at her. She was right, it would be easier to stay in control if I was looking at her.

Bella put her mouth back on me, working over me in earnest now. She used one hand to stroke the base of my shaft as her other hand explored lower, tentatively cupping me. I sucked in a sharp breath at the sensation.

As her confidence grew, she got more experimental. She'd make a small flourish of her wrist or flick her tongue along the sensitive ridge underneath.

I was as enthusiastic of a guinea pig as a person could be, moaning, whining, and panting at her attentions.

When she ducked below me and licked the underside of my hard length from base to tip, swirling her tongue around the head, I was done for.

"Bella..Bella, love, you need to stop," I panted with urgency.

Her response was immediate; her mouth pulled away, but her hands continued to stroke me. "Just my hands," she insisted. "I want to make you come."

Those words from her sweet lips were my undoing. With just a few more pumps of her hand, I erupted with a loud moan spilling on my stomach and her hand.

Once I had my wits about me, I hastily dried her hand with my discarded shirt, then blotted myself dry, and pulled her up off the floor and into my arms.

I kissed her deeply, her slightly swollen lips felt even softer pressed against mine than they usually did.

"Jesus, Bella," I panted, placing a hand over my chest. "Is my heart beating again? I think you just breathed life back into me."

Bella giggled, laying her head on my chest as if to listen. "That sounds like a good thing. So that was alright then?"

"Alright?!" I gasped. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"My Amazon order arrived yesterday," she grinned wickedly. And then I remembered what book I'd seen in her online shopping cart.

I shook my head, astonished. "I think people might have been worshipping the wrong book all these years...Maybe I should have a glance at it before I return the favor, because there is no way that I'm done with you after that."

I stroked her hair and her face and could feel the blood pooling underneath, warming the surface of her skin.

"Ok, but let's find a new horizontal surface before you break our couch," she laughed, feeling the indentations left by my hands on the interior frame of the couch.

Without another word. I picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. Peeling her clothes off as quickly as I could without shredding them, I started the shower and set her down on the seat. And then it was my turn to worship at her feet.

"It's official. Definitely worse than Emmett and Rose," Bella's tone was gloating as she snuggled into my chest.

She was flushed and glowing, radiant from the effects of the oxytocin coursing through her veins. It made her smell even sweeter. I snugged the covers around her to shield her from my cold.

"They're already calling us 'Bedward' up at the house," I admitted with a grin, smoothing the damp hair away from her forehead.

"Bedward?!" she shrieked, dissolving into a fit of giggles. "I'd die of embarrassment if that wasn't so hilariously appropriate."

Her giggles tapered off, and soon the room fell quiet of all sounds except for the slow and even sounds of our breathing and the relaxed cadence of her heartbeat-the metronome of my existence.

"May I ask you something?" I whispered softly into her ear.

"Anything," she answered, turning her body so that she could look at me.

Smiling beatifically, Bella laid her upper arm across my chest and rested her chin in her palm.

The fingernails of her other hand scratched lightly over my sternum through the sparse patch of bronze hair there, drawing a purr from me. I caught her hand and held it there to my chest, fiddling somewhat anxiously with her wedding ring.

My brow furrowed. "Have I ever touched you in a way that you didn't want?"

I heard Bella's sudden intake of breath. "Where is this coming from?" Her eyes were wide and shrouded with concern.

My eyes tightened. "Just something Carlisle said. Answer the question, please."

She squinted at me, searching for something in my eyes.

Bella sighed. "I can only think of one time... when you got mad after we voted. It hurt a little when you grabbed me by the face and shouted at me."

Frowning, I reached up to trace the delicate line of her jaw from one ear to the other, apologizing to the most significant of faces with the cool gentleness of my touch.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered urgently, smoothing the worry lines between her brows. "Never again," I vowed.

"Edward...I like it when you're a little rough with me. It's pretty hot, actually. Just not so much when you're mad," she shrugged.

"Oh really? That's funny because I like it when you're rough with me especially when you're mad." I pursed my lips to keep from laughing as she smacked me playfully on the chest.

That got me thinking. "What else do you like?" I asked interest piqued.

Bella looked down, blushing fiercely. This time I didn't hesitate to nudge her chin back up.

"I want us to be able to talk about this. I want us to be able to talk about everything.

"Here, I'll go first. I really liked it when you took control in there," I pointed in the direction of the living room. "That was ridiculously sexy," I said with eyes smoldering at the memory of Bella's confidence and that finger on my chest.

"Edward, I love everything you do, but if we're talking about award-winning performances...I mean...holy crow, the meadow! That was...that was...beyond description."

As an afterthought, she added, "That's one memory I'm trying to cement into my brain so that I don't lose it afterward."

"I'm not sure how clear I've made this, but I am more than happy to remind you of the things you forget," I said huskily, my hands running along her back and lower, giving her enticingly round backside a gentle squeeze.

"Oh, you've made that perfectly clear, lover boy. Leave it to you to outdo Ryan Gosling in the notebook department," Bella teasingly accused.

I smiled winningly at her praise. I loved how easy it was to please her, inside and outside of the bedroom. (The bathroom. The living room, oh and the kitchen, too.)

Reminded of her first day of school, I asked her "So how did your first week go? You seem like you're taking to college life like a duck to water, just like I always knew you would," I beamed proudly.

Bella laughed once. "That's pretty accurate. On the surface, I'm calm and unruffled, but below the surface, I'm paddling like hell," she mused.

"Like I told Charlie, I really like my professors so far. Especially Professor Chaney. He's the one that called you Romeo. I'm pretty sure he's going to call me Juliet for the rest of the semester thanks to you," Bella laughed, partly embarrassed and partly amused.

"He thinks you have excellent taste in men and I can't say that I disagree," I chuckled.

Wanting her to make the most out of her time at Dartmouth, I asked "Do you have any interest in joining any of the campus clubs, or dare I ask, a sorority? There's a club fair on campus next week if you'd like to check any of them out-"

Bella shook her head. "I'm not trying to form any new relationships while I'm here, Edward. It's going to be hard enough to leave behind the people I already know.

"Besides," she snorted, "why would I join a sorority when Emmett already hazes me right here at home?"

I nodded in understanding, trying not to dwell on the bleakness in her voice. I reminded myself it was only natural that she'd have feelings about the people she'd leave behind, and it didn't mean that she wanted our eternity together any less.

I laughed lightly at the second part of what she'd said, wrapping my arms tightly around her.

"He does it out of love. Be worried if he doesn't mess with you."

As much joy as it gave Esme to dote on her new daughter, it gave Emmett the same amount of pleasure to tease his new little sister. While he carefully stuck to the deal that we had made, he still made it his life's mission to make her blush using any other means necessary.

I worried at first that he was taking it too far, but Bella gave as good as she got, and the two of them usually ended up howling in laughter. It warmed my heart to see...figuratively speaking.

Jasper was conflicted about Bella's increased presence around the house. He was drawn to her because she was so happy all the time and because he genuinely wanted to know her better.

Though he also felt he should continue to keep his distance until she was turned. So Jasper generally basked from a distance.

Rosalie was making small efforts to be nicer to Bella, which did not go unappreciated by either of us. Though she didn't love how much extra attention Bella was getting, especially from her mate. But at least Rosalie was self-aware enough to know when her vanity was getting the best of her.

Alice was (im)patiently waiting for Bella to get adjusted to married life so that she could have her best friend back.

Carlisle had regrettably been too busy getting established at the hospital to be around much that first week, but he had felt the shift and was filled with gratitude and a sense of paternal pride as Bella flawlessly filled the void that used to exist in our family dynamic.

"So why aren't the others enrolled at Dartmouth?" Bella's curious voice cut through my introspection.

"Carlisle gave them a pass at the human charade since we live so far from town and won't be here all that long," I explained. "They're all grateful, particularly Jasper," I chuckled.

"I'll have to remind Emmett of that next time he runs his mouth. I'm the reason he was spared from cafeteria food for the next five months," Bella cackled conspiratorially.

"That's my girl!" I encouraged, ruffling her hair. Though I didn't have the heart to tell her that cafeteria food was less of a problem in college when there were no fixed eating times. It was high school that was the real drag.

"I was thinking, you were right when you told Charlie you haven't been out much." It was pointless to pretend I hadn't heard her conversation. "How would you like to go see some city lights tomorrow?"

Bella seemed to consider this. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well I know Alice was planning a shopping trip to NYC with Rosalie. I know she'd love it if you came."

"You wouldn't come?" Bella pouted.

What I wouldn't do for that pout. It was a welcome feeling to know that even though we now spent so much time together that she still craved my presence as much as I craved hers.

"I would, but Carlisle wanted me to help him scout the mountain for safe hunting zones," I explained with a slight frown.

"Ok…" Bella relented with a yawn. "Well, it would be good to spend some time with Ali...my sisters," she amended graciously,

I smiled approvingly at her. "Yes, it would," I agreed, stroking her hair and humming her lullaby, as she snuggled into my arms, close to sleep.

"Sleep, love. You're going to need it." I laughed quietly to myself hearing Alice's distant whoops over the blaring track of Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind."

*A/N* Hi all! This chapter really kicked my ass. Apologies for the slight fade to black there when Bella was getting hers, but I wasn't trying to write a 3,000-word lemon. 😂

I love writing Edward's voice, but he always wants to pull me to the dark side, and I'm trying to get him to work on that. (But when you've been moody and alone for 80+ years, old habits are hard to break!) I really hope you liked this update and I can't wait to hear what you think. Thanks for taking the time to read and review!

Lastly, if you'd be interested in receiving email updates about my future writing projects that may or may not be posted here, click the link in my profile! I promise not to spam you!