Ok ppl seem confused bout ages. No they are not 16 or 17 that would be weird.

Carlisle - 43

Esme - 44

Emmett - 25

Rosalie - 25

Jasper - 24

Alice - 23

Edward - 22

Bella - 22

James – 26

So yeah.

Enjoy

Xx

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~ IV ~

After lunch I told the guys I still had some unpacking to do and they wanted to shop so I decided to head home.

No one was home; not even Esme. I found a note on the kitchen bench from mum saying she had taken Bella shopping and out to dinner; they'll be back later.

I decided seeing as I had already finished unpacking that I would go visit my piano. I hadn't played it in so long and yet it was still in the same condition I had left it in. I also noticed empty script pages waiting for me to write on, on my seat; mum knew me too well.

I just randomly started playing a tune I had never played before just to see if the piano was still in good condition. The tune however soon turned into a whole melody it was so beautiful and just kept going. I didn't want to forget it anytime soon so I grabbed the blank script pages and started writing the notes and melody down.

I had got up to five pages where it suddenly stopped; it wasn't the end of the tune but I just didn't know what would come next. I tried to play it again and just like when I was writing, it just stopped abruptly and I couldn't continue.

"Nice song Edward, I haven't heard you play that one before. What's it called?" Alice said sitting on the chair next to me.

"I don't know yet, it just sort of came into my head." I told her, slightly confused by the new song I had created. "It's a lullaby I think."

"Well it's beautiful. However I don't think it's complete yet." She chirped. "Here I'll sing while you play and we'll see where it leads." She said looking at the notes on the first page.

I smiled while Alice sang and I played. I knew where I had got the inspiration now; it was Bella.

"I don't know where you're heading with the song. That's a hard one but it's still beautiful. But I think we need to eat now." Alice said after we tried four times to get it right.

I hadn't even realised it was dark now. We had dinner and I headed upstairs to my room to have a shower.

When I got out of the shower I headed into my room to get changed. I had dropped my trackies and leaned over to get them when I heard someone run into something behind me.

I turned around just in time to see Bella fall down to the ground. I looked at her shocked at first to find her in my room then I couldn't help but tease her a bit with the situation and I played with the towel that was wrapped firmly around my hips.

"See something you like Bella?" I teased. "You seem to be blinded by the light or something." I chuckled as I helped her up off the ground.

"Well. I. I'm kind of out of it and I guessed I walked into the wrong room." Bella stuttered out blushing.

I couldn't help but laugh and she turned away from me to walk back out. I wasn't having her leave just yet though. I wanted to get back at her for this morning. I grabbed her around her waist and pulled her back up against me.

"I was only messing with you Bella. I don't mind if you look. I see something I like." I whispered softly in her ear pulling her closer up against me so she could feel exactly what I meant. My problem from this morning was back and even more obvious with me in nothing but a towel. I smiled when she leaned back into me.

I kissed her hair then very softly kissed the side of her neck. "Bella?" I whispered nibbling on her earlobe, teasing her and causing her to moan.

"Hmmm?" Bella mumbled as she pressed up against me.

"Though I don't want to move from this position right now, I kind of need to get changed." I whispered kissing the side of her neck again, running my hands gently up and down her sides.

Bella snapped her head up as she realised I was paying her back. I stepped back from her unwillingly and she walked through our conjoining bathroom through to her room. I couldn't help but laugh as I got changed into my trackies and ran my hand through my already messy hair.

I couldn't help myself; I had to see her reaction. I walked through to her room and leaned up against her doorframe just as she crashed down on the bed,

"Ahhh." I heard her groan. Whoa wait, I made Bella groan? "Stupid sexy, gorgeous man." She sighed frustrated. Yep paybacks a bitch baby.

"You think I'm gorgeous?" I couldn't help but smirk.

She jerked up when she heard my voice. "I. I.." she tried to say. God she was beautiful when she blushed. She seemed to be having difficulty speaking so I just laughed and walked back out. I heard her groan again as she fell back down on her bed.

I was still laughing as I tried to figure out the rest of the tune I was working on before. It couldn't have been more than half an hour when I heard Bella shout out. I ran into her room.

"James. Stop. No, James please." She shouted out as she kicked out in her sleep.

"Bella. Bella." I whispered careful not to scare her. She wasn't waking up and she started screaming. "Bella WAKE UP!" I shouted and she jolted awake and gasping for air.

"Wha.. What? Edward? What are you doing in here" She croaked; she had like no voice left.

"You were shouting out again. When I tried to wake you up you screamed." I told her, worried about how she was screaming out. What had this jerk done to her?

Bella started crying and hyperventilating then. I took her straight into my arms and lied down on the bed with her cradled to my chest.

"Bella. Bella you're ok. You're safe, I'm here. Shh Bella. Breathe" I whispered trying to soothe her as she sobbed into my chest.

"I.." Bella sobbed. "I cant be alone right now. The nightmares.." she cried out clutching to me tighter.

"Bella don't worry. It's fine. I told you I'm not going anywhere. You're not alone. I'm right here." I whispered stroking her hair and kissing her forehead.

"Thankyou, Edward. I.." She said calming down as she snuggled in closer to me.

"It's ok Bella. Just sleep now. I'll be here when you wake up." I promised her; there was no way I was leaving her now. I kissed the top of her hair then her forehead again, tucking us under the blankets together. She fell asleep in my arms after a while like last night.

I hated this James guy for what he did to her. James.. James.. Oh my god. That jerk that went nuts at me last year about being near Bella; he said something about being James' cousin? That she was his property; I remember I got pissed off that anyone would even call her such a demeaning term. God why couldn't I remember his name? I knew exactly who James was. I just couldn't think of why Bella would ever be with a guy like that; he was bad news. I swore to myself that I would never let him near Bella again. He would never touch her; I wouldn't let her be in that kind of pain ever again.

Bella started talking in her sleep again and I held her closer to let her know I was still here. It wasn't soon after that I fell asleep dreaming of Bella, here safe in my arms.

…

Yes Edward knew James. If you've read 'never let go' that end bit was the start of explaining why Edwards face is so terrified in chap 11.

So… getting there

What you think?

xx