A/N: My apologizes fan reader. The truth is I save all my stories on a flash drive, but I lost my flash drive since before 4th of July weekend. I finally found it the other day and was able to finally finish this chapter. Hope you enjoy. Again, apologies. Plus I was re-watching Avatar: The last Air bender and could not pry myself away long enough to post this sooner. That's the whole truth. So there you have it.

Chapter Twenty Two

"This is my room." He stated, setting his other bag on the bed.

His room was located on the south end of the house.

I first noticed the black steel bed in the middle of the room, and the wall of glass on the far side. His view was a large back lawn that led to a even larger lake, probably one we'd passed coming in. Pass the water I could see the out line of a mountain peak, painted yellow, red and occasionally green.

Somehow the room matched him well.

I stepped in unconscious that I was actually stepping into Edward Cullen's bedroom. How many women would have killed to be me right now?

The floor was covered with thick gold carpet and the walls hung with heavy drapes in a darker shade.

On the other wall was a large case of shelves and at first I thought that it was filled with books but when I stepped closer I realized that they were all CD cases. To the left of it was an expensive looking sound system.

"Wow," my face lit up. "You have so much music."

His voice was suddenly beside me.

"What can I say? I use to spend a lot of time in here."

"Really?Why?" I glanced at him then back at the shelf trying to understand how they were arranged.

"Didn't have much friends?" I joked.

He laughed. "No, had plenty of those. This was the only place that I could find any peace. Though it was pretty hard when you had a demon for a sister. You know her, she's this tall" He held out his hand that reached the just below my shoulder. "with short black hair, with energy of the energizer bunny."

I laughed.

"How are these arranged?" I asked, unable to find any sense to the titles.

"Umm," He looked deeply at the shelf as if he'd forgotten the answer years ago.

"By year, I think. I might have changed it."

I noticed a few CD's in there that were definitely some of my favorites. So we had, almost the same taste in music.

"But come on, let my show you to your room," He touched my arm. I felt a tingle shoot down my spine. I sighed because every time it happened I felt myself slipping deeper into him than I was before. I hadn't noticed when but I was starting to give up resisting him altogether.

I shook the thought away and followed him back down a hall, not sure if it was one I'd seen before.

The guest room was larger than it really had to be, and didn't feel like a guest room at all. I guess that was the idea Esme had when she designed the room.

"Just come down stairs when you're done." Edward stated about to close the door behind him before stopping.

"Do you think you can find it?"

I flashed him a glare even though I knew that I was going to get lost.

"Alright," he sniggered closing the door.

I moved quickly. I brushed my hair before just pushing it back with a brown hair band and fixed my make up so it didn't look like I had just driven fours hours. I spent the most time seated on the edge of the bed's checkered blue and white bed spread trying to figure out if I should wear the flats or go bare. Also I could wear socks but that just looked odd. I chose to just wear the flats and ask Alice secretly about their shoe policy later.

I left the room, retracing my steps well at least I thought I had. I went back to Edwards 'room' to find out that it wasn't it at all. It was in fact the music room.

I could tell by the lone piano in the large room full of mirrors. The only light that came in, came in from the small rectangular windows above the glass.

I wondered who played. If it was Alice she had never mentioned anything to me. And I couldn't remember if I had seen a piano in Edwards penthouse. I left that room and finally found the stairs. From there the kitchen was pretty easy to find because of the voices and booming laughter from Emmett.

I stepped into a kitchen that looked like it belonged in the catalog, even the people in it fit. It was like staring at a still photo before I blinked.

"There she is," Emmett stated, standing over a counter with a knife in his hands. My face flushed. Alice waved me over to where she was sitting on a high stool next to Jasper who was silent as always. I took the seat in the middle, next to Edward. Both Carlisle and Esme where preparing something. Carlisle working on what looked like a salad and Esme was checking something in a pot.

"Where making Italiano for you," Esme smiled.

"Oh thanks," I answered quite put off by the extra attention I was getting. I was never very comfortable being in the spot light, mainly because I never believed I deserved to be.

"We hear it's your favorite." She added. I nodded wondering from whom she'd heard that.

"So did you get lost?" Edward asked.

"No," I stated not giving him the satisfaction of being right but the heat in my cheeks gave me away. I saw him smile out of the corner of my eyes.

For some reason he seemed different, more relaxed. Maybe this was one place he didn't have to be Edward Cullen, CEO of Cullen Corp. Here he was just Edward or Eddie like Emmett called him. I realized that I liked just Edward the best. I smiled quietly to myself.

Alice on the other hand was the same as ever but I also liked her this way the best. I just couldn't help wondering what she was scheming though. And she was scheming. It was so apparent that I could almost taste it coming off of her. I just didn't know what. Maybe I would get it out of her this weekend.

Edward's POV

I watched her chat with my adopted mother as she helped her wash the dishes we'd used. When Esme had heard that Bella was coming she'd asked me what she'd eat. She wanted to make her as comfortable as possible given our working relationship. Also because she knew everything.

There was hardly a secret that I could keep from Carlisle and his wife. My feelings for my assistant was no different though they were surprised to hear it. I wasn't in the business, they knew of fallen for people I worked with. I explained to them that this was different somehow and that became part of the reason they wanted to meet her so badly was so they could see it for themselves. Also maybe Alice would shut up about her now.

I hadn't gotten around to letting the cat out of the bag to Alice for the simple fact that she was Bella's friend and Alice was never very good at keeping secrets. Still I was sure that she knew something, she always did. You never could keep secrets from the little pixie, because she already knew. To be honest it still freaked me out after all these years.

However I knew she had a hidden agenda more than housing her friend for Thanksgiving. I was still grateful that she'd extended the offer to my assistant. Had it been left up to me I would have left her in the City, regretting not asking and thinking about her the entire time I was here. Had I thanked Alice for that?

"Esme likes her tremendously," Carlisle stated quietly to me. We were seated at the eight person table located on the kitchen area. Alice and Jasper were taking out the trash.

I was happy to hear that. I wanted them to like her. They hadn't been to fond of any of the other girls I had brought home. I wasn't sure I had been either.

"I like her too. I see what you were saying about her being different." He inserted.

I smiled, as I continued to watch her.

"Yeah, she's something special alright." I voiced, quite dazed by her now. Carlisle stood and patted me on my back and left without a word. I knew it was to encourage me.

I stood and walked over to the counter and leaned against it.

"Need any help?" I asked. My mother glanced at me and smiled.

"Sure, could you finish up here." she began peeling off the rubber gloves she'd worn to wash the dishes. "I have uh- something to do." I nodded and secretly smiled. Could she be more obvious? She touched Bella's shoulder.

"I won't be long," And then she was gone. I moved next to Bella who was currently scrubbing a pot. I began to roll up my sleeves, ready to get to work.

"I can do this, it's fine. You don't need to help," she stated as I picked up a soapy plate to rinse it under the hot water. Way too hot for me, maybe that was where the gloves came in. I adjusted the temperature and replied.

"I think I can handle some dishes Bells," We both froze before I turned and glanced at her. Her face had turned a dusty rose color.

"Sorry," I voiced. I was getting too use to hearing Alice call her that and maybe somewhere along the way she'd become Bells to me too. But I wasn't suppose to say that out loud. I don't think I ever remembered a time when this had happened to me. I was always in control. Words and nicknames didn't just slip out. This had to be the first time in my life.

"It's okay," she answered and I saw a small smile form on her lips. I didn't know what it meant. Was she happy? I started rinsing again and a few moments of silence passed between us before she said.

"You know it's not as odd as I would have thought seeing you do the dishes." I felt like she wanted to say more but I learned that you couldn't push the girl though it drove me crazy when she did that. I wanted to know what she was thinking and it was extremely frustrating that I couldn't when I was so good at reading other people. She was like a rubix cube.

"Really? Why is that?" I grinned.

She shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm not sure, I keep waiting for you to do something that will make me think I was right about you, but you keep on surprising me."

I didn't know how to respond to that mainly because she was the first person who had been so honest with me.

"I have to admit though," She handed me a few pieces of soapy silver ware. "I thought all you big executive types were all the same. Selfish, arrogant. Money hunger. Willing to kick anyone under the bus to get what you want."

"And I'm not like that?" I asked truly interested in her answer. I wanted to know what she really thought of me. She tilted her face up to me and I wanted to kiss her so badly. It was actually a challenge for me to not lean forward and press me lips to hers. But I couldn't, not yet. Not until she had no doubt in her mind that I could be the good guy. That I was the good guy.

"No Edward you're not. You're different." When she realized how close we were, she turned back to scrubbing. I smiled to myself. I could hear the whispers in the hallway and I was sure my entire family had heard our conversation and I was sure I had a little black haired demon to thank for that.

*END of EDWARDS POV*

It turned out that the Cullen family was actually very funny. I sat next to Alice in the family room, fire place a blaze with my feet curled beneath me as I listened to each of them tell funny stories about each other. I watched them and observed them to be a true family. Every one respected the other as their equal and loved each other unconditionally. In the mist of their conversation I found out that Edward was actually the baby of the family. I had assumed because of her height and baby face that Alice was the youngest. In fact she was older than both Edward and I by three years. When I asked her why hadn't she told me, she only replied with a wink that I real women never reveals her age. She sounded like my mom. She sent us all into a fit of laughter.

I would have been happy if that was the way things had stayed but soon the attention was turned to me. Emmett found it all to funny when my face glowed bright red every time some one asked me a question, embarrassing or not. Edward seemed to enjoy that a little too much as well. It was fun none the less and it was late before we headed off to bed. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving and we had a lot of preparation to do in order to get ready for the feast that Esme had planned.

The next morning I awoke to the sound of voices downstairs. I showered and dressed in a simple green shirt and jeans. I had to admit it was great wearing something that I had actually bought and not given to me by a certain midget designer. Not sure Alice would be too happy about that when she saw me. It was a lot easier finding the kitchen the second time around and I ran into Carlisle in the archway.

"Morning," I stated bashfully, stepping aside to let him pass.

"Good Morning Bella." He smiled. Not only was Carlisle to good looking to be a father but young as well. It was hard to believe he was he was only thirty. And he was already one the chief surgeons at Syracuse General Hospital.

He turned back around. "I'll see you later. Call me if you need anything." And then he was gone. I entered the kitchen and greeted everyone. Well it was only Edward and Esme, the others probably still asleep. Alice for one loved her beauty rest. And I was pretty sure that Emmett had left for the airport already. He was picking up his fiancé, Rosalie who had just flown in from a shoot in Milan.

"Good Morning," Esme beamed over the stove. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded, as I remembered waking up so relax and well rested.

"Yes thank you."

"Morning," Edward smiled. He wasn't dressed. Well he was but not in what I had expected. He was still in his night clothes which consisted of a white tee shirt and grey and blue striped pajama pants. His hair was still a little messy. I giggled to myself at how cute he was. Like a kid on Christmas morning.

"What?" he asked grabbing a large carton of eggs from the well stocked fridge.

"Nothing," I continued to smile as I inched closer. "I just wish I could take a picture of you right now. I'm sure everyone back at the office would pay good money to see this."

Esme grinned and glanced at him.

"I'm sure you're right," he stated running his hand through his hair.

Finished with my joke, I turned to his mother. "Do you need any help?"

"Oh no, I've got it. Plus Edwards the one making breakfast this morning." I couldn't stop from showing my surprise. He did the dishes and cooked. Edward was becoming more human to me the more I got to know him.

"Really? I didn't know you can cook?"

He cracked an egg on the side of a bowl with one hand. "I'm no Emeril or anything," He grinned. Just when I thought there was nothing left, Edward did it again. Surprised me and made me realize how wrong I was about him, how different he really was.

I watched Edward put a full breakfast on the table just as Alice and Jasper entered.

"Umm, smells good." Alice stated dancing around the table. She too was still her pajamas. That's when I remembered that this was their home, not work, not a friends house but home. I would have been the same way had I been home.

We all sat around the table ready to dig in when I noticed someone was missing.

"Isn't Carlisle going to join us," I asked as Alice handed me the basket of croissants.

"There was an emergency over at the hospital," Esme voiced placing two strips of bacon on her plate. "But he'll be back in time to eat dinner."

I nodded and began to fill my plate. Everything looked so good and I was a fan of breakfast foods. If you asked me it was the best meal out of the three. As hard as it was to admit Edwards eggs were better than mine, so fluffy. And he hadn't done anything special, I had watched him do it. So in other words perfect people made perfect eggs.

After a second round and few laughs later Esme sat back and said.

"Okay, so this what I need from you guys if today is going to run as smoothly as I've planned. Edward I need you run into town and get me some," I watched as she hesitated for moment.

"Cranberry sauce," he finished.

"Yes," I eyed him, how had he known what she was going to say.

"She forgets them every year," He answered.

"Oh," I laugh.

"No I do not," she whined playfully. "It's just tradition." she pouted.

"If you say so," Alice voiced.

"And you young lady are going to have help me keep an eye on the turkey."

"Fine, fine," Alice stated getting up from her seat. Jasper followed her.

"Bella would you mind terribly going with Edward. He may be good cook, but he's not the best shopper." Alice laughed out loud then.

I grinned and glanced over at him. His cheek were actually a pinkish color and he didn't look happy.

"No I don't mind. And I understand. My dad's that way too."

We drove into Cazenovia and immediately I could tell it was one of those small towns where every one knew every one. It was very similar to Forks but this place was designed after the New England theme. The store, Martin's was probably the only store in the town because it was packed as I knew it would be. Most of the Thanksgiving items were already sold out.

I wasn't sure how many times we were stopped in the parking lot by someone who knew Edward. I wasn't very stunned. He'd grown up here after all. And instead of being introduced as his assistant, I was Bella Swan. My heart did a few premature flips in my chest before I realized it was nothing to get worked up about. I was Bella Swan after all.

We entered into the chaos and I followed Edward around. The first isle didn't have what we were looking for, and after the three isle of disillusion I remembered what Esme had said about her son.

"Um maybe I should…" I began chasing behind him. He was so determined to find it on his own. I would have never thought that Edward would be like most men and have a problem asking for help. He asked me at work all the time. I was just worried that by the time we found the can of sauce, they would be all gone.

We both stood in the middle of isle number eight. He was staring at the shelf with confusion and disbelief. I was staring at him trying to keep from laughing.

"I'm sure it was here last time," He muttered. He began to move around to see if it was on some other part of the shelf. I was sure it wasn't even in this part of the store. I couldn't hold it anymore. I burst out into a fit of giggles. Even people around me were gazing at me strangely but I couldn't stop myself. I heard him sigh and come back towards me. I glanced up at him.

"Fine! I give up. I'll just ask someone." He turned and I walked after him, still laughing to myself. It was clear he was upset. Most men were when they couldn't have it their way, however he was just too cute when he frowned. This memory would keep me entertained for a long time.

Finally we found the cranberry sauce and what should have took us twenty minutes actually turned into a little less than an hour.

Edward didn't speak to me as we sped home mainly because I still laughing to myself.

"Was it really that funny," he snapped quietly, he was speaking more to himself.

"Oh come on," I turned my entire body towards him. "You have to admit it was a little funny," I held up my hand holding my thumb and pointing finger about an inch apart.

He frowned even more.

"How come you can laugh at me when I do silly things, but I can't laugh at you." I asked excitement in my voice.

"Because the things you do aren't on purpose," he muttered. "Besides it wasn't funny."

I didn't answer. I only turned my eyes to the ceiling and turned my head back to the window. I chuckled again at the memory and I heard him sigh.

EDWARD'S POV

I wasn't in a good mood. I didn't understand why she was still smiling. Had it really been so funny? It wasn't my fault that they had changed the store around since I was last here. I wasn't that bad of a shopper but hearing her laugh at me actually irritated me. And it was me being irritated by that, that made me so irritated. So I wasn't actually upset at her. Usually I was a lot better at hiding my emotions but I couldn't seem to get out of it. I entered the house still a little agitated with the bags of cranberry sauce in my hands.

"We're back," I called upon entering the kitchen. It smelt amazing.

"About time," Rosalie stated, standing over the counter cutting up an onion. She wasn't crying because tears could not be produced by the witch of the west. It was a joke within our house because she hardly ever smiled even if she was happy.

I dropped the bag on the counter.

"What's wrong with you?" Esme stated closing the refrigerator. I glanced down at Bella who was making an effort to not look up at me. But I could see her lips curling up ward. I'm sure if it was any other time I would have been happy to get this reaction from her because she was always so careful around me. But neither of us were ourselves today.

"Couldn't find it, could he?" Alice entered talking to Bella, Jasper on her heels. He was holding a beer. They must have been watching the game which explained why Emmett wasn't up here. She nodded her head.

I rolled my eyes and stepped around her to the fridge where I grabbed a beer for myself.

" Okay, I'll be down stairs if you need me," Hoping they wouldn't need me I made my exit. It was time for ladies to do their work. Our time would come when it was time to clean up but for now it was game time.

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