Thanks for reading, reviewing, rec'ing & adding to communities. I appreciate it more than I can say.

My sincerest apologies for the delay in this update; I had another bad stint with my ongoing health issues. The last few weeks have been difficult to manage. And creativity, at least not for me, doesn't exactly flourish when you're exhausted and in pain. Hopefully my body will behave and let me get back to my, usually manageable, biweekly update I'd been doing until this fic is done. Thanks for understanding.

Some of you voiced a note of …petulance with Edward and his anger towards Bella in the last chapter so I wanted to quickly address that:

First, let me put this in Edward's perspective; he just finished a long, tedious, aggravating day filming when he's bombarded by Charlotte and set security, whom she's wrangled up to get Bella kicked off set. Then after fighting to get agreement from Charlotte to drop it, who finally does, as long as Bella "doesn't get anywhere near Seth again", he then goes to get Bella, now in a justifiably foul mood.

Let me ask you a question. Have you never been short with or gotten angry at someone, even though they themselves really did nothing wrong and you know that they don't deserve to get snapped at, but your anger and frustration bleeds into the way you treat them? I can't say I know anyone that hasn't happened to.

It wasn't like Edward really believed that Bella was goofing off with Seth or purposely distracting him from his studies—or did anything wrong at all—because he didn't. But his day and the events that took place just spilled over and he, unintentionally, took it out on Bella. He does catch himself doing it and makes a point to wrangle his unrelated feeling of aggravation in (I think you can pick out where that is if you re-read the previous chapter).

I said it earlier, but I'll say it again; Edward isn't perfect. Yes, he's kind, caring, sweet, patient and very understanding. But he is human.

Thanks MC. XO

It's a full chapter.

Enjoy

Chapter 27: Tying Up Loose Ends

When I got home from work Monday, the day after I'd gotten back from Atlanta, I felt good.

No. I felt absolutely fantastic.

Despite the fleeting remarks that I'd received from my co-workers about being a 'big star' now because I'd been on the Première red carpet with "the Anthony Cullen", the feeling I got from giving my boss notice that I was quitting my job, that I never wanted in the first place, was completely liberating. It wasn't like I hated working at Newton's, I actually didn't mind my job—my soon to be former job. I grinned. It was more the fact that it was never something I'd wanted. It was a job I'd gone after for James and kept because I didn't loathe it and it paid the bills. And to be honest, for some reason, at the point our relationship ended, the idea of becoming a teacher, like I'd always wanted, just didn't feel like it was a possibility for me any longer. By then I just felt like I couldn't do it; I didn't feel like I could do anything.

My boss had taken it well, telling me that, while he really didn't want to lose me, he understood and was glad that I was giving a two week notice to give him a chance to get my responsibilities handed off to other employees until they could find a replacement. I blushed when he then added that he wasn't surprised, elaborating that from the moment it was confirmed about me that I was with "that actor guy", he figured I wouldn't hang around for much longer. My brother-in-law, on the other hand, didn't take the news quite as well. He seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack from the time I spoke the words, to the time I left his office. He worried out loud about the projects I was running and how they were going to manage finding someone else who could take over for me. I knew I did my job well, but I had to admit, it felt nice knowing that he felt I was so integral to keeping the company running. Mike had enough to stress out about though—Riley, the twins on the way and a pregnant wife who was putting a strain on his bank account—without my telling him I was leaving on top of it, and I couldn't help but feel bad for him.

But not bad enough to stay.

Definitely not that bad.

I threw my keys on the table, and noticed my phone was blinking when I set it down next to them, indicating I'd missed a call.

It was from Edward. My bottom lip jutted out slightly with the knowledge that I'd missed him, but then couldn't help but smile widely seeing he'd called. I realized I must have had the music volume turned up too high with my great mood I was in leaving work, celebrating a bit, to hear the song my ringtone was set to. I listened to the message.

"Hey love," he began and my stomach fluttered with the sound of his voice. "Um. Give me a call when you get this, would you? I—" He paused and my stomach dropped. He sounded …angry. No. Not quite angry. Short? Aggravated? Upset. He sighed, heavily, his voice relaxing with the action. "I really wish you were still here with me. I love you Bella," longing coloring his tone now, making the good butterflies return, fluttering around with the bad.

I swatted at the feeling in my gut that worried if something was wrong. If something was wrong, it wasn't something wrong with us. Not with the way he said he wished I was still there with him.

I called him back, but got his voicemail.

Crap.

"Hey baby," I said hearing my voice quivering; apparently my efforts to reassure myself that nothing was wrong, not quite taking. "Just returning your call. Sorry I missed you. You sounded upset… is everything okay? Call me back when you can. Love you."

I hung up the phone and set it down on the table next to my keys, staring at it for a minute, willing Edward to call me back so I could hear him tell me I was worried over nothing. Finally giving up on telepathy, I turned to the fridge and pulled out a beer. I twisted it open and let the fridge door close behind me. When I threw the cap in the trash, I jumped with the sound my phone let out with an incoming text message.

It was from Edward.

I just got back on set to do some night scenes and can't talk right now. Can I call you later, when I'm done? It might be really late, even your time but I really need to talk to you.

He needed to talk to me? My chest felt heavy. That couldn't be good.

I texted him back with shaky fingers, my stomach uneasy again, my earlier reassurance to myself no longer abating my concern.

Okay. Yes, of course you can call me. Whenever.

His reply came quickly.

I just listened to your message. I'm sorry if I frightened you. Don't worry love, everything with us is great. Alright? I'll talk to you later tonight. I miss you. X

I took a relieved breath, holding onto his words. Then I chastised myself for letting old insecurities creep up on me. They weren't warranted when it came to Edward. I knew that.

Old habits…

I miss you too baby. Talk to you tonight. xo

I just began walking away from the table when it sounded again. I smiled as I turned back anticipating it was another text from Edward. I was right.

I'll have you know, I've been smiling like a complete idiot whenever I think of you all moved in by the time I return from filming. (Which is all the time.)

Followed quickly by another:

I realize this means Dem is right, you've turned me into a "sappy little pussy" …is it terrible that I like it? X

I smiled, my worry fading away completely with his last texts. Whatever was wrong, if there was anything at all, definitely didn't have anything to do with us. I quick replied:

Only if the fact that I find it adorably sexy is terrible too. xo

Well that just makes me like it all the more. Talk to you tonight love. X

I smiled as I set my phone back down and walked through the apartment. I took a sip of my beer as I walked and turned on Edward's CD, longing to hear his voice again. I was already missing him madly, but I found it wasn't that gut wrenching, horrible feeling of loss like I'd had; the feeling that accompanied a head full of doubt and insecurities before. Insecurities I felt I was finally able to begin to shed because of Edward and how he went out of his way to prove to me he was nothing like the man in the only other real relationship I'd ever had.

Edward's voice came from the speakers; sensual without trying, velvet and masculine.

A sound of mixed pleasure and longing vibrated from my throat as I stood there in front of the speaker taking in the swell of his voice. The sound in my throat came with the light, floating feeling of blissful warmth that spread through me whenever I heard him sing. It was like a hum of half contentment, half a sigh of resignation, knowing that I was going to have to suffice myself with Edward's voice and my memories for now. Then I turned from the stereo and my eyes landed on the boxes lying on the couch, waiting to be filled.

I bit my lip and shook my head in pleasant disbelief; I was going to pack up my apartment because Edward had asked me to move in with him. I couldn't believe I found someone far more amazing than I'd ever thought I'd ever find in a man, not to mention that he thought I was pretty amazing too. So amazing, in fact, he continued to want more of me, so much more, he wanted to live with me, to be with me all the time.

The smile I already wore from thoughts of Edward grew to the point I thought my face was going to split in two.

Edward had that effect on me.

I took a deep, breath to settle my overwhelming bubble of bliss and grabbed a box, trying to focus my mind at the task of packing. But my mind rounded back, unable to let go of the thought, marveling; Edward and I were going to live together. And on top of that, I was actually going to pursue becoming a teacher, just like I always wanted to do. And, if it worked out the way I hoped, we should both be able to do what we love without sacrificing much, if any, time together to do so.

It all seemed like it was coming together, fitting perfectly, like he was the missing puzzle piece in my life I'd never known existed and I was his—like it was meant to be.

But it was so perfect I found it was difficult to wrap my head around—too good to be true, maybe.

I had never thought there was someone like Edward out there for me. I'd contented myself with the fact that I just didn't feel the connection or urges others did with the opposite sex. I'd come to the conclusion that I wasn't ever going to experience relationships like others seemed to. But then Edward came into my life and turned that theory completely upside down, being everything and more than I'd ever thought I would never have.

My phone sounded with a text, interrupting my thoughts. I left the place I stood in front of the speaker, walked over to the table and picked up my phone, hoping it was another from Edward.

It was from Rose. I couldn't help the small disappointment that it wasn't Edward, but was still excited to hear from her.

She had been the first to know about the news of me moving in with Edward, finding out while I was still in Atlanta. Well, technically Alice was the first one to know, but Rose was the first person I had told. I opened our text thread:

So, the past few days I've been wondering what the appropriate "I'm ecstatic for you but want to make it perfectly clear I'm also pissed as hell that you're leaving me" going away gift be.

I laughed and my phone sounded with another text from her:

I think I figured it out; a framed picture of the two of us.

Oh, I'd like that. I thought; touched by the sentiment. No matter how much I paled in comparison next to her, the meaning would supersede the contrast.

Wait.

How would giving me a picture of the two of us say she's pissed at me leaving her? I began replying to her with that question when my phone sounded with another text from Rose. I swiftly abandoned my text and read hers:

See, on the surface it seems sweet and sentimental. But really it's so you have to look at my face every day and feel incredibly guilty that you moved so far from me.

I was still chuckling in amusement when another text beeped in.

Which, I'm banking on will result in more frequent visits from you to come see me, because I'm going to miss you like hell, Bell.

I laughed out loud again and replied to her, telling her the gift idea was perfect, and I promised to make sure to come see her all the time, warning that it might be so much it'll be like I never left because I was going to miss her too. I also reminded her that since she was seeing Emmett now, that fact alone made me certain we'd see one another often. It seemed Edward and Emmett, despite their polar opposite personalities, were not just brothers but best friends. I doubted if too long of time went between them seeing one another, and if we were with them, naturally the assumption would prove accurate.

It had been an eventful last few days. Apparently when I went flying off to Atlanta with Edward, Emmett had flown from LA to Port Angeles to see Rose and got her to give in to what she wanted, but reluctant to give in on—to be with Emmett. Though the concession apparently came with caveats around Henry and what was best for him. Rose had told me that those stipulations included the fact that Rose wasn't going to let Emmett meet Henry until she felt certain he was going to be more of a constant presence, instead of just a few days here and there just stopping through.

I was happy for them. Rose needed to move on from Royce—no matter how much I liked him and had previously been vying for their rekindling—because their relationship was over. Besides, I really liked Emmett and I had a feeling he would be good for her.

I headed to the bedroom to slip into Edward's t-shirt I took home with me, breathing in deeply as the fabric glided across my face, humming in contentment as the smell of him filled my lungs. Then I put on some sweats and threw my hair up; deciding the job of packing would be better tackled in comfortable clothes. When I walked back out to the living room, I picked up one of the boxes off the couch that I'd snagged from work—with Mike's blessing, of course—and began putting my apartment into one of four determined categories; throw, donate, store and take to Edward's place.

No. Not Edward's. Our place. He made that very clear to me. With my agreeing to move in with him, it was no longer his place but ours.

I smiled at the memory of his aggravation over the fact that I kept referring to it as his place for the rest of my duration in Atlanta. It was a difficult thing for me to consider it as anything other than his. I figured that after I had lived there for a while, I might start feeling like it was our place, but I just didn't feel like I had any ownership of it yet.

I tried the words out in my head. Our place. My place.

I felt a thrill roll through me. Holy crow.

Then I laughed as a thought outside the fact that I was moving in with Edward came to me. I was going to live in LA with a movie star. How surreal had my life just become?

A set of knocks rapping at the door made me jump; the noise yanking me from my thoughts.

I turned the music off and checked out the window to see if I could figure out who was at my door, because I hadn't been expecting anyone. But there weren't any familiar vehicles on the street below.

I felt my eyebrows push together in confusion.

Another set of knocks sounded as I walked to the door. I rolled my eyes at the person's impatience figuring it had to have been one of my siblings. I looked out the peephole and found I was right; it was Jake.

"Hey you spoiled little brat," Jacob greeted me with one of his contagious, Jacoby grins, when I opened the door, his whole face was freshly shaved—I'd guessed he finally couldn't handle having the patch of hair on his chin. I had to say, though, he had kept that look for a lot longer than he kept most of the other variations.

"Hey you big jerk," I grinned back automatically in reply to his contagious smile, stepping aside as he walked into the apartment.

"So, the rumor's true, huh?" he asked eyeing the boxes as he walked past me, heading to the kitchen.

I closed the door, picked up a vase I had on my end table and began to wrap it in newspaper. I fervently hoped the unexplained blush I felt heat my face would fade before he looked up at me from the refrigerator where he was crouched down, grabbing a beer.

Why was I blushing?

"Yeah," I said, putting the paper covered vase in a box to take to Edward's pl—, to take to our place. "I was going to tell you tonight. I should have known that as soon as I told Mike that I was quitting my job at Newton's, he'd tell Jess," I rolled my eyes. "Though I'm surprised she hasn't called me if the word is out. I guess I figured the impossible was true and Mike hadn't said anything. Sorry Chief, I should have told you sooner."

"Yeah, you should have," he agreed opening the beer bottle, tossing the cap into the garbage and taking a drink. "Jess is pissed at you that she had to hear about all this from Mike. She was ranting something about she shouldn't have to find everything about your relationship from everyone and everywhere other than you. So she's giving you the silent treatment." He shrugged with one shoulder, giving a playful smirk.

"Doesn't she realize that's not a punishment?" I quipped with a laugh. I felt bad, but I just couldn't resist the jibe.

Jacob laughed with me and took another drink of his beer.

"So what's going on Bells?" he asked pushing the stack of empty, flattened boxes on the couch to the side, before he plopped down on the cleared space. "I knew you said you guys were serious, but moving to LA to move in with him? You've only known him for—what has it been?—a couple months? And most of that time has been spent with you two in separate states. Isn't that kind of quick to be quitting your job and moving two states away to live with a guy, no matter who he is? I mean seriously Bells, I bet he hasn't even experienced the 'joy' of what you're like PMSing."

I glared at him in warning. Jake breathed a laugh, catching that the comment bothered me, like it was designed to do, and smiled back mischievously.

"I'm serious, no guy should ever live with a chick before they know that they can handle what she's like PMSing," he continued trying to keep a straight face, as my face heated with anger. "And I can speak from years of experience, living in the same house as you, it is not pretty. He doesn't know what he's signed himself up for."

That was when I picked up the marker I was going to use to write on the boxes and chucked it at his head. Jake pulled up his arms and turned his face as it made a hard "smack" when it hit the wall, narrowly missing his head. He looked at the wall where the marker hit and laughed hardily.

"That's not funny Jacob."

"Aw, come on, not even a little bit?" he asked still laughing.

I could feel my scowl deteriorating. Jake's laughter was contagious. But I was not amused.

"No," I insisted, working hard to keep the smile from my face.

Jake laughed harder, noticing my efforts to keep my scowl. Then he took a breath and sighed.

"Okay, okay, I get it. It's not funny," he said with a grin, holding up his hands in surrender. "But if it's any consolation, Jess is way worse—poor Mike." He added shaking his head.

I shot him a look and rolled my eyes at him as I resumed packing.

"Seriously though, Bells, you really think moving in with him—moving states away from all your friends and family—and up and quitting your job is a good idea?"

"Honestly, I think it's the best idea I've ever had," I told him, grabbing my beer and taking a drink.

"How the hell do you figure that?" he asked, truly baffled by my reply.

"It's the first time in a long time that I've done something because it's purely what I want to do, not something that I think I should do or what someone else wants me to do," I told him.

"You want to quit your job to follow a guy around?" Jake asked disbelievingly. I knew it wasn't because he was trying to mock me, he was honestly trying to figure it out with the information he had because that was not me. "Jess, yeah, I'd accept that, but you...?"

"No, I want to quit the job I'd gotten for James, to pursue the job I've always wanted to have," I corrected. "And hopefully, as a bonus, it'll mean Edward and I will be able to see one another more."

"You've always wanted to work on a movie set?" Jake asked, disbelief coloring his blatant confusion.

He was so lost.

"No, a teacher."

"A teacher? I thought you changed your mind about teaching?" he asked, even more confused.

I had to remember, that to him, this was coming out of nowhere.

"No," I laughed without humor. "I didn't become a teacher because James didn't want me to be a teacher, not because I changed my mind about becoming one," I began grabbing my CDs, shoving them into a box roughly, accentuating my points with the clamoring of the plastic CD jewel cases crashing against the others, my petulance at both James and myself running into the tone of my voice. "I got a business degree because that's what he wanted me to do. I found and secured the job at Newton's because that was what James wanted. I was going to get a job at a corporation in Seattle, after being at Newton's for a few years, because that was what he wanted me to do. I never stopped wanting to be a teacher." I paused breathing another humorless laugh, holding a few CDs in my hand. Then saving them from the brutality I had just put the others through, I set them softly on top of the stack. "I guess I must be a better liar than I thought if you believed me when I told you I didn't want become a teacher anymore."

"Oh no! You suck at lying," he retorted quickly, stating what he felt was obvious. "And I didn't believe you at first. Remember?"

"Oh yeah, Chief, I remember," I told him laughing once because I did remember that—clearly. I remembered when I'd told Jake I had changed my mind about becoming a teacher and was going to go for a business degree instead, Jake had called me on it. He hadn't bought my lie. We ended up having a huge fight about it too, one that started with the abrupt change in college direction and ended with Jacob telling me what he really thought about James.

It was a horrible fight—one that haunted me after I found James cheating on me. I berated myself over it, thinking of how I should have listened to Jake when he'd told me I was making a mistake, instead of stubbornly holding my ground—something I did because I thought it was to be good for me, listening to James. And then I had worried when Jake had been proven right, that he'd tell me he told me so. He didn't though. Instead he brought over beer and a couple movies to my place in an attempt to cheer me up. Or at least just be there for me in the guy way he could.

I laughed, realizing just then that one of the movies Jake had brought over was the movie Edward and Emmett were in together, Off the Record. Jake had figured bringing an action movie about cops and a horror flick were the safest choices for things to have me watch that wouldn't make me cry even more.

It was so odd to think of that moment now, watching that movie, knowing now what I know and where I was now—emotionally, mentally and relationship wise with one of the main actors in that movie none-the-less. I never would have believed, much less would the thought have ever come to mind, that I'd be not only with Edward—or Anthony as I knew him as then—but packing up my apartment to move in with him. It would have been as unbelievable of a concept to accept as the world being flat or gravity pulls things away from the ground.

"But then you kept saying it so many times," Jake continued, breaking me from my muse, "that you wanted to get a business degree, that you wanted to get an office job—it started to sound like it was the truth."

I nodded, because I understood. I'd told Jake, and everyone else, the same lie I had told myself. And he was right, after a while, I had said it so many times that it began to sound believable; so much so that I actually, almost believed it myself.

"Hold on," Jake said. "Didn't you say becoming a teacher would mean you'd see one another more?" he asked but immediately followed it with a follow-up question, rephrasing his first before I could reply. "How is becoming a teacher going to allow you two to see each other more? It's not like you can go get teaching jobs here and there around the country for a month or two wherever he's filming," he scoffed, throwing out something he thought was a farfetched, impossible idea.

"Actually, it's exactly like that."

"You're cracked," Jake said looking at me like I'd lost my mind.

"No, I'm not," I insisted. "When child actors are on set filming, they still have school, it's law that minors have to do so much schooling each day, so they hire tutors to teach them on set between shooting scenes. I still have to figure out the details, but that's what I've decided I'm going to do. And, Edward is in full support of this for me. He knows it's what I want to do and is making some inquiries about it for me right now."

"How long is that going to take though? You don't even have your degree."

"Actually, I do."

"What?"

"It didn't take me longer to get through school because I switched majors in the middle. It took so long, because I didn't actually drop any of my classes I needed for my teaching degree. I got both degrees."

"How come I never knew that, you're my sister for God's sake? Shit Bells, I suddenly feel like I don't even know who you are anymore; you have a degree you never told anyone about, you quit your job out of the blue, you're up and moving away with some guy you barely know. None of that is the Bella I know!"

"You say it like they're bad things."

"I just don't like that he's changing you."

"Edward is not changing me," I disagreed with a shake of my head. "James changed me into someone he wanted, and even that ended up not being enough for him," my voice slipped into a resentful tone as tears burned my eyes.

Jackholeasscrack.

"Right now, what I'm doing is quitting a job and, in turn, a career path, I never wanted," I continued, "and pursuing one I always did. Edward hasn't changed me. He's helping me realize that there wasn't ever anything wrong with whom I really was—and am—in the first place, and that he loves me because of it. Not in spite of it."

Silence filled thickly through the room as Jake mulled this over.

"Why didn't you ever tell me—or anyone for that matter—that you still got your teaching degree?" Jacob asked, breaking the silence.

"I knew it would just raise questions, about me and James I didn't want to answer, and in turn persuasions from everyone that I should still go into teaching. It was hard enough as it was to give it up; trying to convince everyone else on top of myself that I could be happy with this other route would have just made it so much harder," my voice broke, but I quickly recovered. "So, I just told everyone the overview and left the rest alone; deciding that the details were best kept to myself. I'd already made up my mind on it, so I didn't want to make the decision more painful by telling everyone else things they didn't need to know.

"And as for Edward, you really shouldn't worry about me with him…" I paused, trying to figure out the best way to describe it to him. "Remember when you met Leah?"

Jake rolled his eyes at me like I'd asked him the stupidest question in the world.

"Come on, I'm serious, just answer me," I pressed.

"Yeah, of course I remember when I met Leah," he said impatiently.

"Remember how you'd told me that there was something about her that was different than everyone else; something that had you unable to think about your life without her in it from then on?"

"The way you say it, you make me sound like a ball-less pansy," he grumbled.

Men and their egos.

"Ball-less pansy aside," I said with a chuckle and rolled my eyes, shaking my head at my brother with a smile of amusement, "that's the way it is with Edward. I can't look away and I can't imagine my life without him or a future where he's not in it."

"Maybe so," Jacob conceded after a brief pause, "but I still think that it's a really bold move to leave everything you've ever known behind in a bat of an eye over a guy you barely know."

I took a beat to answer him, not because I wasn't sure about moving in with Edward, but because I wanted to word my answer in a way that said it right.

"I was with James for years and it turned out I didn't actually know him," I disagreed. Jake's eyes hardened and his jaw clenched with a fresh rush of anger at my ex rolling through him. "I didn't really know him at all. And while I haven't been with Edward for a long stretch of time, it feels like I know him and relate to him better than I ever have with anyone."

The first couple days aside. I amended with a smile, thinking back to the first couple days with Edward and how I felt like he told me nothing and was so hard to read, frustrating me to no end.

"Time does not exactly equate how well you know someone," I added.

I felt had every reason in the world to run headlong towards Edward and I couldn't think of one single reason not to.

"Apparently not," Jacob interrupted in a grumbling mumble. "I've known you your whole life, and just today found out there's a lot about you that I don't know."

"No Chief," I said, walking around to sit on the coffee table in front of him, beer in hand. "I think you knew. Maybe not a lot of the 'whys' or specific 'whats,' but you knew. I think that's why you never got over hating James. You begrudgingly held your tongue a lot because you didn't know all the details I never shared to back up your gut feeling, but I think you knew," I paused. "But the problem now is, you're taking all those feelings you didn't act on with James and taking them out on Edward. Think about it," I pleaded. "Are your issues with Edward really about him? Or left-over from James?"

Jacob's eyes tightened as he looked at me. When he didn't reply right away, I spoke again.

"I know that it's taken me quite a bit of effort these past couple months to get past it too," I nodded, taking his silence as acquiesce. "But Edward is nothing like James. Trust me on that." I laughed lightly.

A flash of the reasons why shot through me; Edward's green eyes piercing through me with want, the way his expression would change when he told me he loved me—his expression telling me his words just as easily as the words themselves now I knew what to look for. His smile that was different for me than for anyone else. The way he'd hum in content when I touched him or how every cell in my body came alive when he touched me. How sorely I missed him when he wasn't near me. The way Edward wanted in me what I was…

The differences went on and on. The only thing James and Edward had in common was they were both men. But even that wasn't really true because I wouldn't classify James as a man. For him only the loosest definition of the word applied.

"Alright," Jake conceded, sitting back, relaxing into his seat, taking a swig of his beer.

"Alright?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"Alright," he repeated. "I know you really think that. And yeah, you might have a point with the whole, 'taking out on Edward things about James,' whatever." He waved his hand in front of him accentuating the "whatever" and took another drink from his bottle.

"Something like that, yeah," I laughed. "It hurts to admit when I make good points, doesn't it?"

"I do hate it."

"You must be miserable a lot then."

"I must."

We sat in companionable silence for a couple minutes.

"Okay, I have a condition," Jacob piped up.

"A condition?" I laughed.

"Yeah, a condition."

"Okay…?"

"Can we go back to messing with one another like we used to? Ever since you met Edward, we haven't really joked around."

"That's not my fault Chief."

Jacob rolled his eyes and shook his head, taking another drink of beer, deciding my comment did not warrant a reply.

"I know that picking on me is one of your greatest joys in life, Jacob. What kind of sister would I be if I denied you that?" I smiled as I took a drink of my beer.

"Exactly."

XXXXX

A few hours later, I had finally gotten off the phone with Jessica, making up to her for neglecting my knowledge of the fact that she needed to be in the know, filling her in on every last detail of what my life with Edward was like. Including all the gory details of what happened at the movie Première, and I have to say she was very supportive and said she understood saying she didn't think she could handle it either.

Well. I didn't fill her in on every detail. Not to say she hadn't tried to get details of what it was like with Edward like that, because she did—repeatedly—I just didn't cave to her persuasion on that subject. That was private and all mine.

By the time I hung up with her, she was mostly mollified—still a bit petulant that I refused to share details about what Edward was like in bed, but mollified all the same. She would have to live vicariously through her imagination, because I was so not discussing my sex life with my gossipy, fan-girling sister.

I checked the face of my phone as I hung up to make sure that I hadn't missed a call from Edward.

Nope. He still hadn't called. He wasn't kidding when he said it would be late.

I pulled a soda out of the refrigerator, deciding another beer would only make me tired and I didn't want to miss Edward's call.

I debated on what to do while I packed up and decided to watch a movie instead of playing Edward's CD again, beginning to feel my obsessive playing of it was a little past plain "girlfriend missing him" and more like crazed teenager obsession.

How embarrassing would that be if I actually wore the CD out?

But then my eyes fell on the movie Undone a private smile spread across my face and I pulled it off the shelf, deciding to watch that one while I packed. As I popped the movie in, I couldn't help but remember Edward's playful tease and then his following confession, telling me he loved me for the first time. And then what followed…

Hmmm.

The movie started and I resumed my packing. When I walked past the box of CDs I'd already taped shut, but hadn't yet been categorized—initially planning to take them with me to Edw— to our place but then wondered if I could possibly own any CD that Edward didn't already own himself—leaving it left homeless for the time being until I decided what to do with it, curiosity struck me.

I ripped the box open with some effort and pulled out all the CDs I'd already packed away. I quickly found the handful of Rules of Caius CDs I had been searching for, putting them aside in a stack. When I had all of them, I gathered them up and took them over to the couch, not bothering to re-pack the other CDs that were now scattered all over the floor.

Edward's voice pulled me from my task. I looked up and his piercing green eyes greeted me accompanying his voice on the television screen.

I sighed with a mixture of content and longing before I returned my attention to the CDs, reluctantly pulling my eyes away from Edward's face.

I opened up the first jewel case and pulled out the jacket sleeve, unfolded it and looked at the writing credits after each listed song. I knew I wouldn't find Edward's name, but I wondered what penname he had used, and some burning curiosity had me wondering which songs he had written. I knew he'd said he had at least some part in writing most of Rules of Caius' songs, as he'd said as much, but I wondered which ones beyond the ones he'd played for me in his hotel room in New York. Part of me wanted to see if I could guess, like a self-test of how well I knew Edward, and if it was enough that I could guess if he'd been involved in the writing. Another part of me, wanted to simply unlock another piece of him, however obscurely.

There were several names on the writing credits, many of them were Rules of Caius band members, but every single one in the first CD I opened had the name, C. Ayden appended to it.

C. Ayden?

I opened the next CD and the next. Every single song, but one, had the name, C. Ayden, in the credits and the song he didn't have credit on was some non-song of the band members talking and messing around with a few bars of music. Edward was being modest. He'd written all their stuff. The second most popular name was Demetri's, and it was listed on maybe half of the songs, at most. Edward must have been the C. Ayden person.

I wondered how he had come up with that penname.

My phone sounded with a text, interrupting my quandary. I picked up my phone I'd had sitting next to me and saw Edward had sent me a text.

Everything alright there? You okay? I'm so sorry. X

I laughed.

LOL - Yes, Edward. I'm fine. I'm busy packing. :) xo

Good, keep packing. I want you moved home already. I'm sorry for this. We're very nearly done. It should be another hour at the very most and then I'll be able to call you. Okay? X

It's fine. Really.

Then I added.

Maybe you could help me with something. I came across my Rules of Caius CDs while packing. So that name I see attached to their songs, you know something about that? xo

You found me out. The mystery's gone. There's nothing left to keep your interest now.

On the contrary, there's plenty to still keep me interested about you baby. ;) But I don't get the name.

Think first and last letters of mine and I think you'll figure it out… Talk to you soon, love. X

You know where to find me—somewhere buried in this mess of boxes. Love you baby. xo

First and last letters of his name?

It took me awhile because they weren't in order, it was like a word scramble; Ed, Ay & Cn scrambled together make C. Ayden.

Clever.

A loud knock on my door gave me a start.

It couldn't have been Rose with it being her night with Henry.

Jake? Maybe, though I couldn't think of any reason he'd be back when we'd just talked hours before.

Jess? Hmm. Possibly. She would have kept asking me questions all night if I would have let her, my excuse to pack not really qualifying as a reason to stop talking to her, as far as she was concerned. But even that seemed unlikely at this time.

Out of habit, I checked the street but was too dark to see if I recognized any of the few cars that still lingered, parked along the sides when I peered out the window on my way to the door. Most businesses on the street closed for the night so there wasn't much for traffic now.

Who was I kidding? I knew it was Jessica. It had to have been.

Certain in my prediction, I opened the door without checking. To my surprise it wasn't Jess but another all too familiar face. My stomach crumpled uneasily into a heavy ball that dropped and rolled nauseously and my heart began to race making my chest burn and fingers tingle.

"Hello Bella," James greeted with a sneering smile.

Sorry for the cliffe. It wasn't intended, but just the way it worked out. :/ I'll do what I can to get the next update to you as quick as possible!

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