Thanks for everyone for reviewing! I hope you continue to do so, they're fabulous. And thanks for continuing to let me use your beta skills, MC. :)

Now, who's ready for some fluff? Yeah, me too.

Enjoy.

Chapter 32: Settling In

"You never did tell me," Edward asked after we'd gotten out of the shower that morning, rubbing a towel through his hair, dark amber from the water, "How'd that second interview go?"

My whole body tightened and froze for a second before I finished wrapping the plush towel around my midsection and secured it. I felt myself make a face.

"What? It couldn't have been that bad," he insisted.

"No, it was," I said, nodding. "Worse, actually," I added with a sigh, and then gave him a rundown of my interview with Liam.

"Oh baby," Edward said and enveloped me in his arms, my cheek resting on his bare, damp chest. I held him back, feeling a tears threaten; the ecstasy that had just passed, replaced by fear of losing something I so badly wanted. "If Siobhan was so impressed with you that she immediately called you after your interview with her to have you see her boss, I don't think you should panic yet. She wouldn't have done that if she hadn't seen for herself how great you are."

I nodded against his chest, but the action was filled with doubt. Liam was right, I was lacking some key components to enhance my teaching license; things I should have had—would have had if I'd not given it up for James.

"Besides, he's a tosser if he can't see how wonderful you are and we'll just find someone who can," he added kissing the top of my head.

"A tosser?" I asked pulling my cheek from his chest, amusement effectively chasing my fears and frustrations. I looked up at him, biting my lip to hold back a giggle. It was such an odd term. Edward's English was very Americanized considering he'd spent a few year stint as a teenager "across the pond". But every once and a while he'd throw in an odd term and his ever-so-light accent would strengthen—like it had the night in New York where he was agitated and kept using the term 'lift' instead of elevator. Admittedly, I found it completely sexy when it happened.

Edward's eyebrows creased together and a reserved smirk played on his lips in confused amusement. "What's wrong with 'tosser'?" he asked cocking his head . "Would you have preferred another adjective? Jerk? Asshole?... Wanker, perhaps?"

"No," I said, a giggle escaping from a conjunction of both the term 'wanker' and the accent that grew thicker when he'd said it. "You're right. Tosser's perfect," I conceded, putting my hands on his cheeks, feeling the hard line of his jaw, and pulled him in for a kiss. "Say it again," I pleaded, giggling against his lips.

"Isabella Marie Swan, are you laughing at me?" he demanded pulling his face back to look at me sternly but the effect was lost because he was unsuccessfully trying to hold back his own laughter.

"I would never think of it," I swore, my eyes wide, feigning innocence.

"Lies, love. Pure lies." He shook his head at me in mock disappointment and then kissed me.

XXXXX

With Edward home, we began settling in to life together; learning one another's habits and routines, and spending time getting to know one another better. It was only later that first day together though, as Edward went to work on some songs, that I found I enjoyed watching him as he went through his writing process the most.

Well. Second most.

It was fascinating to me; watching him as he took a phrase, a bar of melody that popped into his head, or a beat and turned it into something more. I found that, while he rarely did use a guitar pick to play an instrument, he constantly fiddled with them, seeming completely unaware that he was doing it most of the time. But more so, the picks appeared oddly instrumental to him in his songwriting process.

Edward wandered through the house, guitar pick in hand, mindlessly tapping the rhythm or melody on any and every surface as he worked out a song out in his head. He'd hum along to the beat, setting one pick down one place, stopping to do something, and picking another up somewhere else in the house making me smile brightly, loving him all the more. But even more, it was incredibly sexy watching him and I often found I would be blatantly staring at him instead of doing whatever I'd been in the middle of. I tried to not disturb him; afraid to interrupt his creative flow process, but I simply couldn't keep my eyes off of him. I'd start doing something while he worked, but then get distracted by his mesmerizing movements. Usually he'd catch me, feeling my eyes on him. He'd look up, run his fingers through his hair, and give me that smile of his that warmed me from the inside out and had me fighting my urge to climb on top of him right then.

My phone buzzed with an incoming text, pulling me from my lascivious train of thought.

My new phone. Sigh.

I picked it up from the table next to the oversized chair I was sitting in—it was intimidatingly technical. There was just so much it could do compared to the simple one I'd had before and I had no idea what to do with it. I had tried to protest when he'd given it to me that first morning back, but Edward convinced me to accept it when he'd told me that if I had it, we could video chat whenever we had to be apart. The feeling of being apart was so fresh in my memory, the idea of being able to see him while he was away had me readily agreeing to the exorbitant gift. Next thing I knew, Edward was transferring my number to his plan and I had a new phone that was more like a computer; Edward wearing that triumphant smile I couldn't help but find endearing as he spoke on the phone to the agent. I wanted to be angry because I felt hoodwinked into him paying for my monthly bill on top of a new phone, but looking at him, practically glowing with my consent, all I wanted to do was to rip his clothes off.

It was so frustrating being unable to be mad at him.

I opened the text, amused at its conversation bubbles:

Jess: R U really coming home next weekend?
Me: That's the plan.
Jess: Just U or is Edward coming too?

I smiled both at the fact she was starting to call Edward by his real name—most of the time anyway—and the fact she was unsuccessfully trying to be sly about ferretting information about him from me.

Me: Edward too. :)

I could just about see her face splitting grin and celebration dance.

Jess: Yay! :D Thx for at least warning me this time. :( U know, I still can't wrap my head around that – my very own sister is living with Anthony Cullen. That's so crazy.
Me: I'm sure you will eventually. I'm quickly settling into the reality that I'm living with Edward.
Jess: Hey, am I ever going to get to see his place?
Me: Our place. And yes, I'm sure you'll see it sometime, but with the pregnancy I'm guessing it will be a while before you can visit.

I couldn't help but smile at my correction because it was becoming automatic now; thinking of this place as mine too.

Jess: Stupid doctor's orders. :( I'm sure I'd be fine. It's just a short flight.
Me: Stupid or not, you need to listen to them. If they say no flying, then no flying.
Jess: Whatever. They r only trying 2 scare me by throwing terms like 'high risk' around. The only actual thing at high risk w/ this pregnancy is the irrecoverable loss of my waistline.
Me: LOL – We'll see you next weekend.

I laughed setting the phone in my lap and picked up the book I'd been, unsuccessfully, trying to read in the comfy oversized chair I favored since moving in. The chair that cemented its spot as my favorite place to sit in the house when Edward came home and I realized it afforded me a direct view into the music room, allowing me to watch the enchanting creature Edward was when he worked on his music. However, the view the chair offered did mean that whenever I tried to get into a book, my eye kept wandering off the page and over to the music room where Edward was working—it'd never taken me so long to get through a chapter before in my life. But before I could finally find a way to focus on the story—or find myself distracted again by Edward—my phone buzzed with another text. I picked up my phone again, expecting it to be from Jess.

It was from Jake.

Jacob: Turn into a Hollywood snob yet?

I smiled, happy to see his humor return. He had finally returned my prior text letting him know I'd landed safely in LA hours later, but it was just a one word reply of, "good." It warmed me seeing not only an unprompted text from my big brother but one containing something actually resembling humor.

Me: I'm trying to stay grounded, but it's tough in a place like this. It's already getting hard to remember all the little people I knew, esp. when they all but stopped talking to me since I arrived.
Jacob: Not funny.
Me: Aw, come on Chief. I thought it was hilarious. You're telling me you didn't find it even a little funny?
Jacob: Maybe. A very little.
Me: Thought so. :P
Jacob: You doing alright out there? Really? You know you can always come back home. You can stay with Leah and me if you need a place to crash for a while.
Me: I'm great. Outside of all the extravagances I don't think I could ever get used to, this place already feels like my home now - especially now that Edward's back from filming.
Jacob: So I take it you two are good.
Me: We're great.

I could feel his skepticism of my reply in the seconds after I hit send and I wished I could erase it for him. Maybe after some time Jake would believe Edward isn't the kind of guy that he's worried he is.

Jacob: Are you still planning to come back soon to visit?
Me: Yep. We'll see you next weekend & a few weeks after that too b/c Edward is insisting on bringing me to see you guys for my birthday. You'll see me so much you'll be sick of me.
Jacob: Nah, it'll be good to see you, even if you have turned into an actual spoiled brat. I just had to make sure you were alright.
Me: I'm sure you'll set me in my place if I have turned snob. ;) And I'm better than alright. I've never been better or happier. But I do miss you, Chief.

Being with Edward felt better and more right than anything had in my entire life, I was fantastic. I just wished that Jacob could see that. I understood his concern, but I knew it was unwarranted. I hoped that seeing Edward and me together would help. Even just the way Edward looked at me, told me so much. I hoped that maybe Jake would see it too and let go of his lingering doubts about what had happened in Atlanta.

Jacob: Yeah, I miss you too Bells. Oh, and call Mom before she drives Dad and me up the wall with her worrying. I think if you talk to her more often it'll help.
Me: lol - K. I'll call her tonight.

I set my phone down and glanced over at Edward who was talking on the phone with someone—sitting in his chair, guitar still in his lap. He was laughing and talking animatedly with whomever was on the other end. A moment later Edward hung up the phone, reached past the guitar in his lap, leaning over the journal I'd gotten him for his birthday—already heavily utilized and set the phone down. Then he picked up his guitar pick and placed it between his fingers and tapped out a beat with it on the table he sat in front of as he studied the paper filled with lyrics and notes, nodding, ever-so-subtly, along to the music in his head. Then, he pushed the guitar pick between his lips, picked up his pencil, and wrote down an addition or amendment before he positioned the guitar in his lap and played it out—molding out a song. Once he worked out the notes, he began to hum words around the guitar pic in his mouth, his voice still beautiful, even wordless.

I smiled watching the stunning creature before me, letting out a breath of a laugh at how completely adorable and mind-blowingly sexy he was at the same time with that pick trapped between his teeth.

Then his eyes caught mine—sensing me watching him—holding me there, sending a thrill through me just as strong as the first time, but I was prepared for the feeling now.

"Entertaining, am I?" Edward challenged, pulling the guitar pick from between his lips and smirked. Then he quickly scribbled something else in his journal and met my eyes again.

"I think engrossing would be more accurate," I corrected with a smirk. "But yes, entertaining," I conceded, feeling my face flush as I kept my eyes locked in his. The flush had nothing to do with embarrassment any longer, and everything with how this man made me feel. "Why? Is my watching you distracting?" I asked, hoping it wasn't.

I watched a playful smile tug at the corners of his lips and his eyes danced with amusement as he stared back at me. Then, after a moment, his smile faded slightly. He pulled the guitar from his lap, set the pick and pencil down, got up and walked over to me, his eyes darker as he took me in. I shoved the phone, book and blanket to the floor, eager to exchange them for him.

"Yes, you're very distracting," he said as he knelt on the cushion, one knee on either side of my inner leg, and leaned over me. Looking up at him, I opened my mouth to apologize but he continued before I could. "I keep hoping I play something that gets you to react the way you had in New York. It's driving me mad because I want you to and you haven't yet. It's very frustrating. I must need to improve my writing, but I don't know what it is I need to change." His face was serious, but I could see a hint of humor in his eyes.

I felt myself blush deeply with a light twinge of chagrin, remembering how I'd thrown myself at him after practically just meeting him.

Edward pulled his fingers down my burning cheeks. "You really are especially beautiful when you're blushing," he marveled licking his lips. "But I don't know why that mention embarrasses you."

"I'm not sure exactly either," I admitted. "Maybe because it was something far bolder than I'd ever acted before," I confessed. "I still have a hard time believing I did something like that, much less with someone I'd just met."

Edward chuckled. "So that was that the flip of your switch from sweet and innocent to insatiable? The start of the first song you inspired for me?"

"No." I shook my head, considering it, trying to pinpoint when it was. "I think that 'switch' happened the first time your eyes locked with mine at The Late Show. I've been hopelessly addicted to you and what you do to me ever since and had a hard time holding myself back but you were so cryptic and mercurial, it fed my self-doubt. But then, sitting there in your hotel room, listening to you play, that was just the tipping point where I couldn't control myself any longer despite how hard you were to read that I couldn't figure out what you really thought of me."

I felt my face light on fire realizing I'd actually just admitted all that.

Maybe the drug Edward's eyes emitted contained some sort of truth serum because it was looking into them that always made me confess more than I'd meant to.

Edward stared down on me, his expression was unfathomable, and then he kissed me hungrily, sending the familiar, all-consuming current of want scorching through me.

"I'm so sorry, love," he murmured.

"For what?" I was lost, still twisting in the passion that coiled through me. My head spun trying to catch up.

"For my behavior in New York," he elaborated. "No wonder you didn't believe me when I told you I wanted to see you again. I was trying—and failing miserably—to not fall for you because I'm painfully aware my line of work destroys relationships. I didn't want to do that to you."

"Do what to me?"

"Potentially bring you into a relationship that was destined for failure before it began," he said, his eyes lined with sadness.

"You don't think we have even a chance to make it?" I asked, a sharp pain hitting my chest and I slumped down into the chair.

"I honestly didn't think it was even possible," he admitted sadly shaking his head as he slipped his hand along my face and rubbed my cheek with his thumb. "But with you? Everything changed. With you, love, I don't think failure is even possible," he confessed, marveling at me.

My eyes caught his in surprise in the change in direction his confession turned. In that second, I felt the pain in my chest turn into a soaring leap and my heart began to race.

I didn't even have to ask him to confirm his sentiment; I could see it in his eyes that he really believed it.

"I know what you mean," I nodded. "I feel the same way." The happiness running through his eyes with my words made my heart soar.

I pulled him down to me, our kisses passionate with the confession of faith in our relationship we'd both made; the air thick with our emotion. It was only moments later I pushed against Edward's leg, mine begging to be freed so I could have him settled between my mine, where I needed him to be. When I let out a frustrated whine because he didn't immediately move it out of the way for me, Edward chuckled, breaking the kiss.

"You're always so insatiable," he accused as he pulled back slightly, locking his green eyes in mine for a moment. His eyes were playful and full of love and adoration. Then he closed the distance, kissing me again with a grin still across his lips.

"Well your self-control is always so irritating," I retorted petulantly against his smile, trying futilely to hold back a grin myself—his was so contagious.

Edward chuckled again. "No love. Actually, when it comes to you, my control is all but nonexistent," he corrected and kissed me again, sliding his hand around my waist, pulling my body flush up against him soliciting a moaning sigh I couldn't help escape my lips.

"I don't believe that," I teased between kisses, feeling a thrill roll through me, knowing he was being truthful.

"That's because you, my love, are completely insatiable," he smirked, commanding hold of my eyes again as if daring me to dispute it. "But believe me. It's true—to the point of being unsettling."

"Well, you have no one to blame for my insatiability but yourself," I said feigning a haughty air, as I reached down, hooking my fingers inside the waist of his jeans, sliding them across his skin and reached for the button on his jeans.

"And I love that with every piece of me," he admitted unabashedly, tightening his hold around my waist and then began kissing my neck. "Even if I've created a monster," he added snickering against my skin.

"Hey!" I protested, abandoning his jeans, pushing his shoulder—making him look at me—my eyes narrowing and lips set pursed together, trying very hard to be mad at him and failing miserably.

"A very sexy monster," he amended, his voice dipping seductively. His eyes flashed with want, and then he slipped his outer leg between mine and pressed his hips to mine.

My breathing sped and I felt my body flame, part of me soaring wildly at the compliment, the other still unsure what to do with it. I pulled my bottom lip in, biting it, finding that the commendation made me feel uneasy—not quite disbelieving, as I knew Edward wasn't lying, but not able to really believe either.

I found myself annoyed that that was the case. But it was just still a very new thing to me.

Edward pulled the back of his fingers down the side of my cheeks and then released my lip with his thumb.

"I wish you could see yourself through my eyes" he murmured, his fingers stroking my face. "So you knew what I see when I look at you," he added as he brushed a stray hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. "Not just how beautiful you look, but how beautiful you are. All of you."

My breathing hitched.

"No baby, I think you're doing a pretty good job at painting the picture for me," I whispered back seriously, smiling softly. "I'm just not… used to it yet."

"Well, that's a new goal then," he grinned leaning down, "to get you used to hearing how wonderful you are…" Edward ran his lips along my jaw to my ear.

Mmm. My eyes closed.

"How beautiful you are…" He kissed my neck all the way down to my shoulder.

Oh God.

"And how sexy you are," he whispered roughly as he dragged his teeth back up the path on my neck he'd just kissed.

"Sounds like a plan," I laughed shakily, breathless from his ministrations. As the laugh faded I turned my face to him and added, "I only hope that I'm doing the same for you." I eyed him knowingly. "I don't think you quite realize how wonderful you are yourself—the real you." Because I really didn't think he did.

The "Anthony" persona by far and large was on the receiving end of the majority of compliments; Edward got shuffled back, unnoticed. While I knew this was what Edward wanted, I suspected that maybe it'd worn on his psyche more than he realized, and I wanted to make sure he knew how great he was.

"You know, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Edward said his voice sounding serious but then he flashed his crooked smile. "I'm not really feeling the love over here." And then he wrapped one arm around my waist, lifted me up against him, and flipped us over so I was on top, straddling him.

I squealed out in surprise.

"So get going on that," he instructed in a playfully cocky manner and lightly swatted my butt causing me to yelp again, making us both laugh as he pulled me in for a kiss.

So I, very gladly, did.

XXXX

"Hi Alice. Jasper," I greeted, answering the door Friday night.

Jasper nodded and gave me a soft but authoritative feeling Southern "hello". He was looking sharp dressed in a grey suit. Alice went in for an enthusiastic hug, wearing an elegant, but fun, strapless, light-yellow chiffon drape dress that hung just above her knees. In her hands she held a gold clutch that sparkled nearly as much as her personality and in the other, a garment bag.

Alice had stopped over earlier, insisting on getting us out of the house and go out to dinner with her and Jasper. When we tried to object—not quite ready to share one another with anyone else yet—she flashed Edward the biggest doe eyes I'd ever seen. She argued, saying it wasn't fair because she wanted to see me too, and besides he really needed to show me some of the city I was now living in. And then she added, with a scowl, that he couldn't hold me hostage in the house and have me all to himself forever. What Alice must not have yet understood about me was that I was quite content to be hold up in the house, even if it wasn't because I was happy to spend twenty-four hours a day wrapped up around Edward. I liked the quiet a home provided; I liked the solitude, listening to music, reading books. I wasn't much of a social bug; I could have taken social interaction or left it.

But Alice was determined. And while I wasn't too excited about the interruption of Edward and my catch-up time, I was looking forward to seeing Alice and, admittedly, experiencing a bit of this big city I'd seen very little of in my short habitation of it.

"I just finished it," she said excitedly, releasing me with a bounce and gestured toward the garment bag, making my head spin.

She finished what?

Wait. Another dress? I felt my eyes pop wide.

Alice had said not to worry about what to wear, that she would take care of it. I'd tried to protest, but I found arguing with Alice was useless. I'd resigned myself to the fact that Alice was going to supply yet another dress for me to wear, even if I didn't like it because I knew she'd get me one that probably cost more than my last paycheck, but another she made for me? I'd found out that any dress by MaryAlice, much less a one-of-a-kind—like the one she made for me to wear at the Premiere—was at least hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

"Alice—," I began to protest.

"I can't wait to see it on you," she interrupted. "And I have something else for you too," she sang looking like she wanted to bounce around the room. Then she turned to Jasper, whom I just realized was holding a bag himself, and took it from him. "But that's for later," she corrected as if reminding herself to hold off on whatever mention she'd begun to make. "Come on," she said, tugging me towards Edward and my bedroom. "You're going to love it!"

Edward chuckled from the kitchen, I looked back at him as I was drug to the bedroom and saw him shrug indulgently as if to say "Alice will be Alice" and pulled his fingers through his hair. So I followed Alice as she lithely crossed the house and entered the bedroom, hearing Edward offering Jasper a drink as she shut the door behind us.

The next thing I knew, Alice was opening the bedroom door, as if showcasing me to Edward and Jasper as I stepped through, made-up and in a green dress she'd made for me. It was crafted out of a dark green fabric with overlapping curvy shapes in a lighter green color—taking up more of the dress than the dark. The pattern made a haphazard design that somehow felt more romantic than chaotic—and I'd balked at Alice when she told me that she not only designed the style of the dress but the fabric pattern as well. The dress had a wide neckline that lightly curved along the collarbone. The edges of the dress were lined with a rich, dark green ribbon matching the dark color of the fabric. It hugged my body perfectly and, just like the other dress she'd made for me, it was like she'd had a mold of my body to work with when she'd made it. The short skirt of the dress puffed out flirtingly in curvy folds from the, surprisingly soft, dark green crinoline layered underneath, that hung a couple inches lower than the hem of the skirt's fabric that still only dropped to about mid-thigh. The shoes—also supplied by Alice—completed the outfit. Their exaggeratingly high heels made me feel tall and the thick strap of the shoe that slung around my ankle somehow looked both industrious and extremely feminine at the same time.

I felt beautiful in it.

But then my eyes met Edward's and I didn't feel only beautiful, I felt sexy.

Like sexpot sexy.

That was new.

There was a deep satisfaction that rolled through me as I watched his eyes pop wide and his mouth drop open, a bit of beer escaping as he tried to recover mid-drink in the process.

I couldn't help but giggle.

"You're welcome," Alice sang to her brother, wearing a knowing grin, as she walked past him to stand aside her husband.

Edward shook his head slowly. Then he set down the beer on the counter and strode towards me, closing the distance, his eyes—dark and carnal—trained in on me.

"How about we not go out tonight," Edward growled into my ear when he reached my side.

My eyes fluttered closed and my breath hitched. His suggestion hit me hard. Right. There. And I felt myself nodding in concession.

"No," Alice piped in, popping the private bubble of lust we'd shrouded around ourselves. "We're going out," she said firmly; end of discussion.

I sighed lightly.

"Later," I promised looking at him, licking my lips, my eyes intently locked in his as I dragged my fingers along the underside of his jaw hungrily. It was everything I had to not pull him into our bedroom and close the door to everything and everyone but the two of us, but somehow I managed to contain myself and instead turned to follow Alice and Jasper out of the house.

On the way to the restaurant Alice prattled on about all the different places Edward should take me or places she promised to take me herself, but honestly I couldn't say what any of them were. I was too distracted with the way Edward looked in his charcoal suit and the delicious way he looked at me that had me fervently wishing we were heading to the house instead of away from it because I wasn't hungry any longer.

Well. Not for food.

When we arrived at the restaurant, Edward groaned and I craned my head to see what for.

Paparazzi. My stomach tightened sickly.

Edward cursed under his breath and then turned to me, "Remember love, just keep walking and try not to look at them or you'll be blinded by the flashes, okay?"

I took a breath and nodded with a smile, confident. I was fine. I could do this. This was going to be a regular part of my life with Edward, and I was going to have to learn to deal with it.

"They're almost certainly going to ask about us since we're here together," he continued, eyeing me carefully. When I didn't react the way he'd been expecting, he added, "And they're going to likely prod you about why, because of what it looked like happened between Tanya and me."

My smile faltered and Edward nodded. I didn't want to think about that.

"It'll only be but a few seconds until we're inside. Just tune it all out, don't let any of it get to you. They can think whatever they want—," Edward continued taking my hand, squeezing it gently and then linking our fingers.

"And they will," Alice chimed in an irritated tone and rolled her eyes.

"It doesn't matter, as long as we know what's really going on with us," Edward said, turning my attention back to him. "Right?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

I took a deep but shaky breath, feeling a little less confident. But my eyes locked in his gaze, and then nodded my assent and I could see Edward relax slightly.

He opened the car door and it seemed as soon as he stepped one foot outside the limo, they began to fling questions at him; one person's question overlapping the other's and then flashes began to flicker.

I cringed. Edward was right; their questions were almost all angled at the assumed break-up with me, his seemingly flagrant rendezvous with Tanya and if he and Tanya were officially back together.

Edward turned back toward me, ignoring the paparazzi, offering his hand to help me out of the car. I saw his jaw clench and anger brewing in his eyes from the line of questions. It was really upsetting him regarding what was assumed had happened, and he was barely biting back what he wanted to retort, but knew it was best to say nothing.

Locking eyes with Edward, I gave him a reassuring smile—hoping it didn't betray my nerves—and winked at him. Edward's tense expression softened slightly, and an amused smile played at his lips. I could have been mistaken, but it looked like he breathed a chuckle, and then winked back.

When I stepped out of the car, there was this beat of stunned silence. It was true, I could have imagined it—I knew my imagination did have a tendency to be on the widely inventive side—but it felt very real. And then the questions came so quickly I couldn't process them much less would I have been able to answer any of them, even if I had wanted to.

Thankfully, the door was only a few steps from the car and we were greeted by several serious but pleasantly smiling uniformed men who held the door for us. The soft buzz of the patron's conversations took over my senses when the doors closed behind us. It was such a drastic difference to the barrage of questions flung at Edward and me a second before, the comparatively quiet sound felt deafeningly loud.

Edward squeezed my hand.

The concierge immediately greeted "Anthony", and escorted us to the table. Edward let go of my hand, placing his on the small of my back as we walked in that familiar gesture that always felt comfortingly protective.

I couldn't help but smile at how loved and cherished such a simple gesture made me feel.

As we made the way to our table, I looked around the restaurant that glowed in soft, low light. Music lulled quietly in the background, mingling with the sounds of conversations, clinking silverware, glasses and plates. The dark, muted colors mixed with the deep cherry stained wood made for a romantic ambience, enhanced with realizing nearly all the tables were set to seat two and four.

I noticed several conversations pause and heads turn, noticing Edward, though it wasn't as many as I would have assumed. But then, I figured, this was LA, the place Edward lived, I was sure it wasn't the first time many of the people in this elite restaurant had seen him in person.

I paused uncertainly when the host moved to pull out a chair for me at a table set for six.

Confused, I glanced at Edward, but he was looking at Alice.

Alice simply lifted her shoulders and shrugged slightly with an expression that told us she was up to something, but wasn't going to say what it was. She then sat down in the chair being held out for her without any word of explanation.

"Who's joining us, Alice?" Edward pressed; half curiosity, half older brother command as he sat down. He was handed a menu, but he didn't look away from his sister as he took it.

Alice pretended she hadn't heard him, studying the menu diligently as if there would be a quiz on it later in the evening.

"Alice," Edward prompted, lightly tugging on the corner of her menu.

"Hmm?" she asked looking up, wearing an innocent expression as if she'd not heard him before.

"Who are the other two seats for?" he asked again.

"I don't know, Anthony," Alice lied—only narrowly better than Edward—but my mind dropped that thought quickly and on to one more pressing. Anthony?

Wait. What?

It took me an embarrassing second to catch up. We were in public. Alice's transition from calling her brother Edward to Anthony was seamless and it, more importantly, reminded me to do the same.

"They must have mixed up the reservation," she concluded simply.

Jasper silently chuckled, smirking into his menu.

"You are a rotten liar," Edward laughed indulgently at his sister who smiled widely back at him. He didn't have the opportunity to press further in that moment because we were being prompted for our drink orders.

We had just received our drinks when I heard a very familiar voice in my ear. "Holy shit Bell, I hardly recognized you!"

Rose!

My head whipped around and was greeted by the sight of Rosalie in a dark blue, bandage dress, looking as stunning as ever. I practically jumped out of my chair and flung my arms around my best friend.

"Don't tell me you've finally taken to dresses just as soon as you moved away from me," she continued with a laugh, hugging me back.

"They have grown on me some," I blushed, remembering the benefits to them in the limo ride to the Premiere, something that didn't go unnoticed by Rose. "But no. Alice has taken the task of joining your efforts with dresses and shopping," I said gesturing to Alice which prompted introductions as Rosalie hadn't yet met Jasper and Alice.

"Hey there Spinner," Emmett grinned and swooped me into his arms for a hug, nearly pulling me off the ground.

"Hey Emmett," I laughed.

"So you know," he said in my ear, his voice turning serious, not yet releasing me from his hold, "Ed wouldn't ever do anything behind your back."

"I know," I told him, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I guess you do," he smiled at me, looking proud, "you're still here," he said winking at me.

I nodded.

"I knew you were a good one, spinner girl," he said kissing me on the cheek.

I laughed and we all settled into our chairs, Rosalie next to my vacant side.

"So Rose, what are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you too Bell," she snorted.

I pursed my lips and rolled my eyes and then pushed her arm lightly, making not just Rose, but everyone at the table, laugh.

"She's using me for the free flight to see you," Emmett piped in.

"Nah," Rose quickly replied, "I thought you knew that I'm using you purely for the hot sex. The trip to get to see Bell was just a nice bonus." She deadpanned.

Emmett, Edward and I erupted in laughter. Jasper tried to stifle his laughter, tipping his head to the side, shielding his face with his fist. Alice's eyes drew wide in shock for a beat, not used to Rosalie's personality, and then covered her mouth with her napkin, lightly blushing as she laughed into it.

"Yeah, okay, that makes sense," Emmett said, nodding, acting as if he was piecing it together in his head. "I'm glad we got that squared away," he added, putting his arm on the back of her chair.

Rosalie smiled playfully at him and then turned to me, "It's Royce's weekend to have Henry and Emmett asked me about spending it here with him," she shrugged nonchalantly.

Emmett shook his head at Rose's explanation, leaned in and stage whispered, "Rosie can't stand you being this far away from her—worried if you're okay. I barely suggested it and she was ready to jump on that plane."

"Shut up," Rose said, flashing the, "you're in trouble" look at him and then rolled her eyes. "He exaggerates," she explained petulantly.

The conversation flowed easily through the meal. Rosalie and Alice seemed to hit it off, finding their common love of fashion and shopping as a solid base. They quickly arranged for the three of us to go shopping the next day. Edward squeezed my leg his hand was resting on when shopping was the determined activity for the three of us to do, knowing my lack of enthusiasm for it. But I didn't mind so much given my company, eager to spend some time with Rose—and as long as they didn't force me to try on a bunch of things. I seemed to have minded the plan significantly less than Emmett did who looked positively deflated, finding out that he didn't get to keep Rosalie for himself the entire day. Edward quickly suggested they and Jasper get together and do something while we were out, succeeding in lightening Emmett's spirits slightly.

It was a great night with a fantastic surprise of getting to see Rosalie, especially since I could see the glowing possibility of my two worlds melding together in the best way I could have imagined. But by the end of it, I was ready to have Edward to myself again, even if I was so exhausted it was likely we'd just simply curl up together and fall asleep because all that really mattered was that he would be there with me.

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xo -TJE