The pull backwards was a violent one.

When I hit the ground, it was enough to knock the wind out of me. A cloud of dirt swirled and settled on my jeans. I brushed it off and rose to my feet. Then I staggered.

It was the Hoquiam house.

The white paint was the same, and the porch. Even the swing was still there, moving gently in the breeze. But there was no sign of movement. No sign of life. The windows were boarded up and the garden was overgrown. Ivy had crept over parts of the columns, reclaiming the house in the name of nature.

My breath caught in my throat. It seems I missed them—by several months, at least.

The house was physical evidence of time passing. Of their lives moving. Sometimes it felt like I was the one standing still while everyone else sped by.

The porch steps creaked under my feet. The sun was setting and I was very much aware of being alone. I glanced over my shoulder, wondering if I was being watched. There were werewolves in these woods. Did they feast on humans, as some vampires did?

I turned the knob and stepped inside. The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming.

The sun was blood red in the window and cast everything into shadow. I kept walking until I was in the center of the living room. There, as the last of the sun's rays hit the wall, everything was illuminated. When I saw what was painted there, I froze.

It was a swan. In what appeared to be a single stroke, the painted creature had its wings spread wide across the wall. The feet were pointing directly at the floor, almost like an arrow.

Only Edward could have done it.

I fell to my knees and gripped the floorboard underneath it. Nails scattered across the floor as the wood tore away. Panting, I threw the board aside and looked into the compartment below. There was a hammer hidden there, which helped me remove three of the other floorboards. Below them, I discovered a large, blue suitcase.

Inside were several days worth of clothes, many pairs of socks and underwear, and a wallet stuffed with cash. Edward's copy of Jane Eyre was there, too. When I opened it, a photo of us fell out. I kissed it, beaming with joy. I would see him again soon. I thumbed through the novel, hoping for some sort of clue.

A letter fell into my lap. I unfolded it and began to read.

Bella,

The Quileutes noticed your absence and demanded we turn you over to them. They couldn't find you of course, and we weren't about to betray your secret. We're moving to Oregon to put some space between us and the pack.

We left these things for you in case you do return here. I've enclosed our new address in Portland and hope this letter finds you well.

I think about you all the time. The nights are strange without you by my side.

All my love,

Edward

"Love," I repeated, closing my eyes. I couldn't wait to tell him. The words would spill out of me, clumsy as usual, but he would take me in his arms and kiss me. I smiled at the thought.

There was no time to lose. I replaced the floorboards, changed my clothes, and washed up. I was truly getting into the styles here. There was something womanly and sophisticated about the clothes they left behind for me. Rosalie's work, no doubt.

I was too wired to sleep. With the suitcase in my hand, I was off.

The walk into town was about twenty minutes on foot. I hummed as I walked, picturing the reunion between us. The last time I saw him was before I went to bed, several days after the drive in. We were daring in the days following it. Now that it we knew he could control himself, Edward delighted in going down on me. Once or twice he let me do the same, but I sensed he was too old-fashioned to consider it something I really wanted to do.

The streetlamp above me went out.

Despite my better intentions, I felt my sense of unease growing. Like I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

I paused for a moment, shook my head, and kept walking. There was no need to be silly about it. A faulty bulb—no big deal. Still, I cast a wary glance along the road. I didn't want to let fear get the better of me.

I could hear the faint bustle of the town in the distance. I needed to move faster. I needed to get closer to other people.

The feeling that someone was watching me didn't go away. I walked quickly, my head held high, but inside, I was terrified. Once, when I turned back, I could have sworn I saw a shadow behind the trees. The light from the working streetlamps reflected off something, but I didn't stop to look twice.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I passed the first few buildings. The restaurants were busy tonight; every place had a line out the door. Plenty of foot traffic to calm my nerves.

The bus station was manned by a lone, sleepy employee. His eyes widened slightly as I pulled out the cash.

"One way to Portland, please," I said cheerfully. He fumbled with the large bill.

"First bus leaves tomorrow morning. Stops in Astoria and Hillsboro before Portland."

"Thank you, sir," I told him, then passed him a tip. "Have a good evening."

"Same to you, miss."

I didn't want to waste money on a room for the night, so I found a diner to pass the time. With Jane Eyre and an endless supply of coffee, the hours went by quickly. I boarded the bus at seven with far too much excitement.

There was a great deal of traffic on the road. The Fourth of July was in two days. Despite the midweek observation this year, many people were traveling for the holiday. I could hear the bus driver cursing every once and awhile. With a heaving sigh, he announced to all of us there would be delays. I was too happy to care.

Finally, we reached our last stop in Hillsboro. There was an hour before the bus departed again, so I sat outside in the sun. Jerry, a friendly old man who had been on the bus with me bought the both of us a Coke.

"Thanks, Jerry."

"No problem, honey," he smiled, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "I have a granddaughter about your age. I'd hate it if she was traveling alone."

"I'm fine being alone," I explained, pulling out the picture of me and Edward. "I'm going to see my boyfriend."

"A gentleman would drive up and get you himself."

"It's a surprise!"

He shook his head. "Then I suppose that's all right. Times are changing, I guess. You aren't listening to that Presley fellow, are you?"

"No, sir," I said, struggling to keep a straight face. "Not all at."

We sipped the rest of our Cokes in silence. While I waited, I watched Jerry read his newspaper. It suddenly occurred to me that if Edward had survived the pandemic, he and Jerry would probably be close in age.

I held back giggles. I thought they might get along well together. Both of them were crotchety.

It was a little over twenty miles to Portland. Jerry sat next to me again, regaling me with stories about his days in the military. He was headed to a reunion with his war buddies for the holiday.

Before we pulled into the station, he took my hand and pointed to his paper. His grip was almost painful. Frowning, I bent forward to read what he wrote.

There's a man in the back of the bus who's been watching you. Don't look.

I made my face as smooth as possible. "Look's like it's going to be sunny all week, Jerry."

"And warm," he agreed, scribbling again. Get off the bus before me.

I gripped his frail hand as the bus pulled into the station. There were few people left on the bus with us—I only had a small window of time. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Jerry."

"Take care, honey."

I hurried off the bus with my suitcase. I could hear Jerry exclaim that his suitcase had fallen open. Some of the older women who sat behind us were helping him gather his things. I didn't dare look back, though, fearful that I could make eye contact with the man he warned me about.

The sun was hot on my neck. I had to get out of plain sight to avoid the man. I didn't even know what he looked like. Ducking my head, I hurried to the shadows of the station. There had to be a pay phone I could use to order a taxi.

The phone booth stood alone at the back of the station, far from everything and everyone. Before I reached it, something grabbed me, pulling me into the darkness. I would have screamed, but a hand clamped over my mouth. It was freezing cold.

"Ssh, it's me!"

My shoulders relaxed at once. He turned me to face him, ocher eyes glittering in the darkness. I was caught in the comfortable cage his arms made, my head tilted back for his kisses. When I felt like I would faint, he pulled away.

"I missed you so much," I breathed, wrapping my hands around his waist. With my chin pressed to his chest, I could do nothing but stare straight up at him.

Edward traced an icy finger across my lips. "I missed you more."

"Not possible," I giggled, nibbling on that finger. "Were you on the bus with me?"

"No, why?"

"Nevermind. How did you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't," he murmured, nuzzling his face into my neck. If he wasn't supporting me, I would have slid to the ground. "I come here every day. Hoping . . . praying you'd come. And you're finally here."

Eight months passed in my absence. I was rounding out eight days at home and that was torture. I couldn't even imagine what he went through. Never knowing if I would come back.

I locked my fingers around his neck. His fell to my waist, pulling me flush against him.

"I love you," I whispered.

His answering smile was full of joy. "I love you too. I've wanted to tell you for months. Years. I love you, I love you, I love you . . . "

Then we were kissing like we never would again. In the shadows of the bus station, we looked like one body. One body, one soul, one heart. I wanted him to hold me and never let go.

I never wanted to leave him again.

"Can we go somewhere?"

"Home?"

I shook my head. "Somewhere just for us. So we can be together."

His breath was ragged. "Bella—"

"I've seen it," I said fiercely, holding his face in my hands. "I've been forward to a time after it's happened."

His eyes were wide. The doubt was there, though, and fear. He had told himself for so long that he would hurt me. I thought he believed it was inevitable. But I saw a hint of something else there—hope. We had toed the line of sexual gratification unscathed. He was bold the last time I saw him, playful, the way he touched and kissed me. Edward had a foot in the door; now he only needed a push through it.

This was the moment the future Edward spoke of. The Edward I held now needed to know his desire for me was stronger than his desire for my blood.

"You told me yourself, Edward. Years from now when I land in your bedroom," I said quietly.

His eyes flickered shut. My lips went to his throat. I had to stand on tiptoe to reach it. "The way you kissed me, the words you said . . . I've never seen you like that. You wanted me so much."

"I do want you," he groaned. "I don't know if I'm strong enough . . ."

The last shreds of his will were unraveling before my eyes. Time for the last nail on the coffin.

"He said we don't leave the room for days," I said, our lips barely touching. My hands moved to his hips, pulling them forward to mine. He didn't fight me. On the contrary, he seemed to be looking for direction.

I was full of a strange sort of courage. "He's you, Edward. You just need to let go."

At long last, he did. His answering kiss was searing and completely inappropriate for a public bus station. There was no one around, but I desperately wished we had a place to go.

Edward seemed to guess where my mind had gone. "Wait here. I'll get the car."

He took my suitcase from its place on the ground and hurried off. Belatedly, I wanted to warn him of the sun, the people, and of their eyes, but he pulled a hood over his head and disappeared around the corner.

I took a deep breath. The nerves and confusion I felt in 1962 hadn't returned. Instead I was full of anticipation. I knew sex didn't have to life-changing. It wasn't going to alter who we were. But I knew that we loved each other deeply, and that fact was going to make it special.

He seemed to know the city well. In minutes we were pulling up in front of a hotel. An honest-to-God valet appeared to take the car. I stifled a laugh as Edward opened the door for me, extending his hand in like any gentlemen in the movies. He tipped an imaginary hat to me as we walked.

I waited in the hotel bar while Edward went to get us a room. It was bustling with people coming out of work and grabbing drinks with their friends. I sat up straight and tried to look older. Most people I met in the present didn't believe I was seventeen. Without a drink in my hand, it was obvious that I was young.

As if summoned by my thoughts, the bartender appeared with a glass of red wine. "Good evening, miss."

I put my hand up to stop him. "I didn't order this."

"It's from the gentleman at the end of the bar."

I turned my head to look for Edward, but he wasn't there. There weren't any men at the end of the bar, just a group of women toasting a bride-to-be.

"Which one?"

He looked around the room and shrugged. "He must have left."

I toasted the bartender. "To you, then."

"Thank you."

I sipped my wine slowly while I waited. This hotel was beautiful. The ceilings were high and mirrored. Ornate crystal chandeliers hung over our heads. I pressed my hand to the bar, feeling the smooth finish.

"Ready, darling?"

I turned around to face him and giggled. "You've never called me that before."

"I thought the accommodations called for it."

"This place is a palace!" I burst out moments later as we came to the carpeted stairs. I felt like a princess in a fairy tale.

"You like it?"

"It's the fanciest building I've ever been in," I confessed, letting him lead me. "And I've been to several of the Cullen properties."

Edward snickered. I loved him seeing him like this. He looked so boyish and happy.

I was seized with a sudden desire to rip his clothes off.

He unlocked the double door to our suite, pushing them open wide.

Elizabeth Bennet must felt the same way I did when she first set her eyes on Pemberly. I stood there for a moment, not wanting to miss a detail. Everything was so beautiful.

He came to stand with me as the door shut behind us. We admired the room for a minute. But I couldn't fight my instincts any longer. I dashed to the bed and threw myself on it, messing up the display of piled pillows. Edward dropped my suitcase to the floor and chased after me. I grabbed his hands and made him stand up with me. At once we started jumping up and down. We kicked pillows off the bed and jumped higher and higher like a couple of kids.

It was a welcome relief from the intense emotions from before. Edward's eyes were bright with humor and happiness.

In half a second I was falling, crashing into the bed with his arms tight around me. He howled with laughter as I tried to make sense of what just happened.

I pushed at his chest. "Hey!"

His only response was to tickle me. I started squealing, grabbing pillows and hitting his face with them. They had no effect, of course.

"I can't breathe!" I gasped at last. "Edward!"

He relented, turning his face into the bedspread. He was still laughing. I swatted at his shoulder. "You're such a troublemaker."

"No more than you," he answered, moving so he leaned over me. He had one palm pressed to the bed; the other hand linked with mine.

Our smiles faded. The mirth from before quietly slipped away, molding into something heady. In an instant, we were on each other. We were both starved for affection, kissing each other in the desperate way that drowning people seek air.

Edward ripped my shirt open so fast that buttons spread over the bed. It reminded me of the nails scattering in the Hoquiam house. My jaw dropped in surprise.

"I thought that only happened in bodice rippers!"

"Bodice rippers?"

"Uh, nevermind," I said breathlessly. He tossed the ruined shirt to the side and bent to kiss my neck, nibbling here and there. It was so much like his future self that I shivered. When he pulled back to look, I pushed the hem of his shirt upwards. Understanding my meaning, he yanked it over his head and threw it on the floor.

I had seen him without a shirt on before. But this was leading somewhere and I couldn't help myself. I propped myself up on my elbows to admire him.

"Something wrong?"

"No, nothing." My eyes were greedily taking him in. "Nothing at all."

Edward ducked his head like he was shy. He helped me wriggle out of my skirt and he removed his pants with remarkable speed. Before long we were both naked and my pulse started to skyrocket.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on."

"Back at you," I said truthfully.

He grinned, then crawled down me and put his head between my legs. My hips jerked upward in anticipation. I knew how good it was and I was impatient. Smirking, Edward pressed one hand to my belly to hold me there, then pulled me forward with the other. I closed my eyes and let the sensation take me away.

His lips were parted into a lazy smile when he settled on top of me. I was still quivering.

"You're really good at that."

"I'm glad to hear it," he grinned as he looked down at me. It seemed so natural for us to be like this. As if we should been doing this all along. Without breaking eye contact, I reached out and stroked the length of him, watching the shudder that went through him at my touch.

"Just . . . tell me if I'm hurting you."

I resisted the urge to squirm when he slipped the tip inside, knowing nerves would create more discomfort. I had used tampons and my fingers before so the sensation wasn't completely unfamiliar. Just uncomfortable.

The muscles in his jaw were strained tight as he struggled to go slow. I nodded for him to continue, trying to keep my breathing even. It felt like an odd sort of stretching. Like an elastic pulled tight between your hands. I opened my legs wider to accommodate him, pressing my hands to either side of his ribs to steady myself. It was an adjustment, but it didn't feel so bad. When I was comfortable enough to move my hips along with his, it was a little better.

Edward pulled back to watch me as we moved. His eyes were darker than before, but filled with what I could only describe as adoration. I smiled up at him. He was so beautiful like this. Beautiful and powerful.

His thrusts came faster and unevenly. He was getting close. I knew I wouldn't reach orgasm this time, but it was satisfying to feel needed in this way. That I was capable of making him moan and shake like he was. I lifted my hips to match his pace. He came with a deep groan, my name on his lips, dropping his head to my shoulder. I held tight as he trembled.

He pressed his lips to my racing pulse. Then he carefully slipped out of me and pulled the sheet over us. I wriggled so I was leaning against him, my head to his chest.

"I love you."

"I love you," I said, a sleepy smile on my face. "See? Told you this could work."

"By seducing me in a bus station."

"I mean, I've wanted to jump your bones since Scotland. Gimme a break."

Edward laughed. "From now on, I won't."

He hummed a melody for me as I drifted off, letting sleep claim me.

A/N: I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving! I apologize for no Sneak Peek Monday over at ADF - it seems all my professors want the projects in this week. I will definitely send one this coming Monday.

As always, I'm grateful for your feedback and reviews. You guys make my day with them!