Yay, update! Be glad, because this one is awesome! And I'm not just saying that. There is some serious E/B action, relationship advancement. Read and enjoy!

Work at the little book shop, I learned, was very slow, no matter how many customers appeared during the day. While Charlie did his best to keep me busy, it seemed that in a small town like Forks, there was not much that one needed to do to keep up an independent book store. Most of the time, Charlie, bless his heart, allowed me to browse and read. I spent all of the day in a state of relax, mentally preparing myself for whatever Edward had planned in terms of his life's story dictation. I was looking forward to it, yet apprehensive at the same time.

Alice, bless her heart as well, had informed me early in the morning, that she and Jasper had decided that she would move in with him. The conversation went like this:

"I'm moving in with Jasper, I'll have all my stuff packed and out of your way by the time you get off work."

"Ummmm…what?"

"Good, I'm glad that you agree." End of conversation. I had still been in bed when she'd stormed into the room and roused me unceremoniously by ripping the pillow out from under my head. When she left, she threw the pillow back at me and ended up smacking me in the face. This action, of course, was reminiscent of last night's pillow fight with Edward. I groggily followed Alice into the kitchen and attempted to continue the conversation, but she skillfully avoided all of my questions about Jasper and how she had come to decide to move in with a man she had only known for 48 hours.

Part of me was happy for Alice, that she had found someone who she so obviously got along with and who could stand her. Part of me was worried that if this didn't pan out as Alice seemed to think it would and she would end up hurt. Part of me was smart enough to say don't bet against Alice because she always seemed to turn out right. That part of my brain insisted that I be happy because now I'd finally have the house all to myself…and Edward. Ah, Edward – my enigma, my mystery.

So now I found myself heading home…to Edward. I knew that once I got there, he'd be on me about writing the book. I was looking forward to it now, after a long day of nothing.

The door, unfortunately, creaked as I opened it, dashing my hopes at sneaking in without alerting Edward. For once, I'd like to have been the one to surprise him, not the other way around.

"I was expecting you – you're rather earlier than I expected, but, that just gives us more time."

"Blast you, Edward!" I shouted, clutching my chest. "Can't you ever refrain from sneaking up on me?!" Edward smirked at me and stepped away from the door, where he had obviously been lurking for quite some time.

"As you wish, Swan, but now – to work!"

And that is exactly what we did. Edward's life was, to say the least, fascinating. He dictated and I wrote – stories beginning from his childhood, into the teen years – which was where we were now and it was proving…a bit tricky.

"Now…when you say you 'hooked up' with her...you mean…you had sex right?" I mumbled, my fingers curled hesitantly over the keyboard of my laptop. I shot a glance at Edward, who was propped up along the wall of the niche in our bedroom, his legs stretched across the window seat. He looked back at me smugly, though there was a slight tinge to his cheeks that looked like a bit of a blush.

"Yes, dear, prudish Swan, I mean I had sex with her," he replied, his voice holding a bit of an edge to it. I felt my own face flush with color at the thought of him and this…leggy blonde.

"Well, is there any way that I might put that a bit…nicer? 'Hooked up' sounds so…vulgar…" I trailed off, refusing to look at him.

"Absolutely not, Swan," Edward growled, standing up and pacing about the room. "I meant what I said and there is no 'nicer' way to put it. We hooked up and that is the direct meaning and connotation that I want. I'll not compromise to your straitlaced, round-about, beat-about-the-bush approach to it. This book is going to be raunchy in all the right places, it's going to have edge, violence where there is violence, and sex appeal. That is my life and I'll not edit it," he ranted, his voice hard. I looked at him and rolled my eyes.

"Yes, that's all fine and good…but I'm the one publishing it…People are going to think I'm vulgar and…and violent…and entirely too interested in sex when I'm…fairly single," I growled, giving him my best stare-down. He looked back at me with fierce eyes.

"Fairly single? What is that? A polite way of saying you haven't had sex in years?" Edward barked. I felt my face blaze with a new blush.

"Well…No, I mean to say – Oh dang it, fine! Fine I'm writing 'hooked up'! Now let's please move on!" Edward didn't say anything, but I waited as I assumed he was composing the next part of the story of this…night out with the blonde. However, the long pause became more and more pregnant – and I finally looked up to see Edward appraising me with curious eyes.

"What!?" I demanded, defensively. Edward took a step closer and his lips parted.

"I'm trying to picture you as a young girl…What exactly did you do when you were, oh, sixteen? Hmmm? I bet you wore your hair in braids…played hard to get…and didn't snog a single man until you were married," he declared. I felt my face grow an even deeper shade of red.

"Hey! I wasn't nearly so…so…"

"Innocent?" Edward supplied, giving me a small smile.

"Yes! I went out with plenty of guys, I'll have you know. And I kissed lots of them. I even gave some of them hickeys – I certainly wasn't a tease…But I did wear my hair in braids often," I relented, standing up and going to look out the window.

"I'll bet you looked pretty, but I must say, I much prefer your hair down," Edward whispered, coming to stand behind me. I turned, not realizing he was nearly so close and we were practically face to face. I stared up into his eyes for a moment…getting lost, unfortunately. He stared back, with such an intensity that I felt such a strange sensation swoop through me…one of lightheadedness and freedom…

"You are really rather beautiful with your hair down," Edward sighed.

"Thank you," I whispered back, trying to keep down the blush that was again spreading through my cheeks.

"And I adore your blush," he added, reaching his hand up. My breath caught in my throat – I thought he was about to touch me – but at the sound he froze, his hand hanging in mid-air for a moment, before he dropped it, cleared his throat, and looked away, before moving to stand a bit further.

"Come, let us continue," he prompted. And so it went for hours…We ended up working until the middle of the night, until I could barely keep my eyes open. We had gotten through several chapters and Edward was very please. He continued his praises and exclamations of his excitement all throughout my preparation for bed. Even as I settled down and turned off the lights, he was still in the room, his eyes alight, smiling like an idiot.

"Edward," I finally sighed.

"Yes, Swan?"

"Get out of my room." I didn't even have the strength to put in an insult or threat, I was so tired. The last thing I heard was his light chuckle and the sound bounced around my head before I fell into unconsciousness.

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The week went by the same, with me setting off to work, spending a quiet day in the bookstore before returning home – to Edward, and to work. And the time flew by amazingly. Every day passed with me learning more and more about Edward – and subsequently, him learning more about me, at his insistence, and generally my reluctance – for he was absurdly interested in learning about my married life to Mike Newton, which I did not want to share with him.

And, without either of us becoming aware of it until it was too late, it seemed that we'd grown so close that we pushed passed the boundaries of friends. We were now…hanging in limbo, with our emotions spilled around us and with know idea how to move forward, or even if we should.

I knew what I felt…that Edward was something that I would never grow old of, that I'd want to stay with him for the rest of my life – I was falling for him, in a bad way, something that was so entirely different from when I'd been with Mike. And I believed that because of this new, foreign feeling, that was the reason why I was finding it so difficult to let it go. I wanted to feel this, with Edward, despite how messed up it was that he was a ghost. A ghost! I've fallen for a ghost! And so part of my body was rebelling, telling me to get out now, but the less reasonable, extremely carefree side to it to shut the hell up!

I had no idea how Edward felt about all this. He'd come increasingly close to touching me several times more as the week progressed. Each time, he'd some how come to his senses and quickly aborted the mission, leaving me breathless and hopelessly sad. From his actions, therefore, I drew that he was somewhere in the same camp as me – physically and partially mentally desiring a move forward in our relationship, but entirely to cautious and wary of the fact that we were unconventional – him being dead.

So by Friday night, both of us had been extremely awkward with each other, unwilling to go near touching the giant elephant in the room, but unable to draw away because somehow, despite him being dead and ma alive, both of us were unbelievably drawn to each other. Going to sleep that night, I thought only about how I longed to be with Edward, longed to touch him – and in my dream I did – and it was wonderful, heartbreaking, and right.

____________________

The next thing I remembered was waking up slowly to the sound of music spilling softly into my room. Pushing aside how tired I felt, I stumbled out of bed, glancing briefly at the clock – 6:00 a.m., good grief! – and following the music into the hall. It seemed to be coming from the secret stairway down to Edward's music room.

At the sliding panel, I hesitated, wondering whether or not to disturb Edward while he played. I had never been around to hear him play – though I'm sure he did while I was gone at work. I found myself itching to go down, though, curiosity burning in my stomach. I wanted to see him play, to see him in his element, doing something that was so special to him…It would be seeing him in a whole new light, and I longed for that.

Deciding to satisfy my curiosity, despite the possible wrath it might incur from Edward, I slid open the panel. Quietly as I could, I went down the stairs. When I came in sight of Edward, there at his piano, I felt my breath catch in my throat.

He was beautiful, graceful, peaceful…His fingers flew across the keys, the motion effortless. I looked at his face – such aching beauty that it made my heart reach out to him and my stomach clench…I'd only seen him look like that a few times since I met him…and all those times had been when he didn't think I was looking at him, while he was looking at me. It was now that I understood what those looks meant – the sheer and utter love that was in them. I felt totally and utterly inferior to his love…

The song ended and I had tears streaming down my face. I didn't even realize that Edward had noticed I was there until he spoke.

"Come here, Bella." I came closer to where he was sitting, trying to get rid of my tears so he wouldn't see them. He patted the bench space next to him and I sat down heavily, not looking at him. I closed my eyes, simply trying to get a hold on my breathing. And then I felt it –

Cold, ghostly, insubstantial – all these things I was afraid of – but it wasn't like that, it wasn't like that at all.

Warm, gently, tingling – a spark that set my skin alight – His hand was in mine and I felt my body react to all these things that my head had been thinking over – He was holding my hand – And I thought I could die right there and be happy.

"Bella?"

I opened my eyes to find his.

"I didn't think it would be like this." He smiled, before leaning forward.

"Are – are you doing what I think you're doing?" I asked, my voice cracking, my heart pounding in my chest. He stopped for a moment, flashing be a crooked grin.

"Are you afraid?"

"No," I told him honestly, scooting closer and clutching onto his hand. I used my other to weave through the bronze locks on the nape of his neck – silky smooth – "But I was afraid you would want to do something else…Like leave." He laughed – it sounded like bells – he was beautiful –

"Don't move, alright," he chided. I would have replied, smarmily, but then he was pressing his lips to mine. No words.

Playlist:

Sugar Never Tasted So Good - The White Stripes The Ghost of You Lingers - Spoon Transatlanticism - Death Cab For Cutie Bella's Lullaby - Carter Burwell A Comet Appears - The Shins Heart - The Pet Shop Boys

Well, I really hope you guys liked it. I'm getting to a really sticky place, now, what with Edward and Bella finally taking a step...And I'm apologizing in advace for the storm that's about to arise, but have no fear, this is an E/B story afterall. Please review, it gives me motivation! Cheers!