I was setting dinner on the table when Charlie came in. We exchanged a few words then ate. Edward sat silently in the other room. Charlie was used to it now. Edward's excuse was that he didn't want to intrude. My mind was wondering so much that I missed that Charlie was even talking to me. He snapped his fingers a few times before I looked up.

"Everything all right Bells?"

"Yeah. Why?""I was trying to talk to you kid.""Sorry. What were you saying?""I just wanted to know how things were going for you, having Edward here.""Its great dad. He is so helpful. I think he's going to spoil me."

"Well its nice, you do so much around here. I really like him Bells, he's a good kid."

Where was he going with this?

"Look, I talked to Billy today. Actually I fought with him. He seems to think that Edward is a delinquent or something."

"Yeah Edward said that they had a problem with his family."

"Yeah none of them will go to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there."

"That's silly."

"It is. I just wanted to let you know that I approve of him. I know there's a lot going on and that might not mean much to you…"

"No dad it means a lot. I'm really happy that you like him."

I was serious. I hadn't really thought about whether or not Charlie liked Edward but now that I knew he did it really seemed to matter.

After dinner I cleaned up while Charlie and Edward watched a game. I tried to sit with them but I couldn't pay attention to the game. I was leaning against Edward and his breath was making me crazy. I couldn't focus. Finally it got to be too much so I decided to go upstairs. Edward followed me up. Charlie didn't care if we were alone upstairs but he didn't want us together when he went to bed. Edward shut the door quietly and stood there staring at me. I sat on the bed and stared back. I had no idea why he was being so tense. It made me nervous.

"Edward is something wrong?"

"Not at all.""Then why are you sitting there staring at me?""I love looking at you Bella. You're beautiful."

I should have seen that coming.

"Okay then why are you so tense?"

He didn't say any thing

"Look if its about earlier…I'm fine. You didn't hurt me or anything. It was a lot better this time."

"I'm glad it was good for you this time. I actually was afraid I had hurt your ribs more."

"Nope, they are fine. All taped up and unbroken."

He smiled and came to sit with me on the bed.

"Bella I love you."

I eyed him.

"I love you too."

"I feel somewhat bad for jumping on you in the shower like that."

Is that really what he was worried about?

"Trust me, I didn't mind."

"I…what were you doing before I came in?"

Oh no.

"Cleaning myself, that's what you do in the shower you know."

"Well yes but I was waiting for you and I…heard something."

Please let this not be happening.

"Its nothing to be embarrassed about love. Honestly it's the reason I ran in there the way I did."

"Uh…Edward I don't want to talk about this. I love that you came in and stuff but I just don't want…"

"Were you thinking of me?"

"Excuse me?"

"Were you thinking about me…while you…?"

"Edward this is so…I don't want to…"

"Please just tell me Bella."No way.

"Yes I was Edward. Happy now?""Yes very much." Edward pushed me back on the bed. He leaned over top of me and kissed along my jaw. My body heated up under his cold one. I could feel his hands moving down my body. I clawed at his back to bring him closer. He brought one of his hands up and tangled it in my hair. Then there was a knock at the door. Edward leaned up and brought me with him. He was calm and composed when the door opened. I was not. I leaned down and acted like I was looking for something under the bed. I knew Charlie was trying to catch us. He laughed. I knew it was at me.

"I'm going to bed kids, I think its about that time Edward."

"Alright, I'll just say goodnight to Bella and head down."

"Goodnight then."When I heard the door shut I sat up and sighed.

"Guess I'll see you in an hour or so."

He kissed my forehead and stood up. I hated this time every night. I didn't want him to go. I watched as he shut the door behind him.

The next few weeks were uneventful. The wolves didn't cause much more trouble. Only a few incidents occurred after our meeting. I started sleeping at home again. Bella wasn't happy that I wouldn't be there any more but I didn't want to push my presence on Charlie. He liked me and I intended to keep it that way. I spent all my time with Bella. We stayed close to her house or my own at all times. Carlisle met with the elders one more time then the attacks stopped all together. Things were going back to normal. Mostly normal.

School would be starting again in a week. I was already prepared for my senior year. Again. But Bella still had to get her school things. We went out to store together.

She sat quietly in the seat next to me as we drove. I knew she hated the idea of going back to school. She expressed that every time I brought it up. While I didn't mind going to school again, I did mind hearing the thoughts of all the young men around me. I knew it would be worse this year. Last year Bella had looked more like a girl than a woman. This time around it was a different story. I had easily seen the changes in her body. No human would have seen it happening but I certainly did. Her hips were wider, her chest filled out, and her lips were fuller. I nearly had to pull over just thinking about it.

I had to admit that I much preferred shopping with Bella to shopping with Alice. It took Alice 2 hours to pick out her notebooks. Bella simply walked down the isle and grabbed what she needed. She didn't even really look at the colors. As she was looking for a binder I heard something odd. I spun around and searched the empty isle. I could still hear the odd sound but I couldn't find the source. It started to fade then became slightly harder to hear. I continued to look around until I realized that Bella had moved to the next isle. I tried to ignore the sound for now. It was impossible. I couldn't let it go. I compared the sound to others I was hearing. The sound reminded me most of a distant memory I had. One of horses running in a field. The sound of their hooves hitting the ground. Da-da dum, da-da dum, da-da dum. Around me I could hear the thoughts of the shoppers, the scanners at the front of the store, light rain hitting the roof, and Bella's heartbeat. Da dum, da dum, da dum, da dum. Her heartbeat was closest but not enough. I continued to search for the source of the sound until we left.

It had gotten colder while we were inside. Bella pulled her coat tighter around herself. I would have wrapped my arms around her but it wouldn't have done any good. Again I cursed my cold skin. When we got to the car I turned the heater up as high as it would go. Bella put her hands in front of it and held them there. I started to pull out and onto the road when I heard the sound again. It seemed louder than before. I looked all around me but there was nothing. Bella and I were alone in the car. Maybe I was just going crazy. Too many years of voices in my head perhaps.

I dropped Bella off at home then headed straight for the hospital. The sound had gone away but I knew it would be back. I wanted to talk to Carlisle about it. He was more experienced and there was a chance he might be able to help. He was in his office. He smiled and greeted me with his thoughts.

"How nice to see you son."

"Carlisle."

"What can I do for you today? I thought you were helping Bella shop."

"I did. Something happened though and I wanted to know if you knew anything about it."

He spoke aloud this time.

"Nothing happened to Bella?"

"No Bella is fine. Its actually something I heard. It was a strange sound that I don't think I've heard before."

"Well describe it to me."

"Honestly I'm not sure how to put it. It sounded like…well…this."I tapped the rhythm on his desk with my fingers. I did it a few times then waited to see what he had to say. Carlisle stared at the desk for a few minutes. I listened to his thoughts.

'Hmm the sound is familiar but I cant place it. The beat is similar to a heartbeat but its too fast. And it has an extra beat. Of course I have heard that before with irregular heartbeats. Maybe he just heard the rain?'

"It wasn't rain. It was something I haven't heard before. I doubt it was a heartbeat either, I heard it in the store and on the drive home."

"Maybe it was Bella's heart, maybe she should come in.""No I could hear her heart separately from this other sound."

"Hmm. Well I'll think about it. Tell me if you hear it again."

A woman opened the door and leaned in.

"Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Jones is here. She is in a panic. She thinks she's in labor but she wont talk to us, she just wants to talk to you."

"Alright Amanda, thank you. Tell her I'll be out in a moment."

The woman shut the door.

"I'll meet you at home tonight Edward."

Charlie wasn't home yet when I got to Bella's house. I parked the Volvo and went in. I could hear her in the kitchen. She was pulling dishes down from the cabinet as I walked in. I waited for her to set them down before I wrapped my arms around her. No point and scaring her into dropping them. She jumped when I grabbed her but she quickly realized it was me and relaxed. She twisted in my arms and turned to face me. I kissed her gently. There was the noise again! It was loud but not so much that Bella would be able to hear it. I looked around the small kitchen. Bella grabbed my head and made me look at her.

"Edward what are you looking for?"

When she spoke the noise got faster.

"I…uh…"

"What is wrong with you?"

Again the steady beat sped up.

Maybe this sound I was hearing was coming from her mind!

I stared into her eyes and listened. The only odd thing I heard was the sound.

"Please tell me what's going on.""Nothing, I just thought I heard something. Do you have a headache?"

"Huh? No I don't."

"Hmm."

Sometimes a persons mind became harder to hear when they had a headache. It made them loose focus depending on the strength of the pain.

"Why?"

"I thought for a moment I could hear you. There's this sound I keep hearing but I cant place what it is. It seems to be around you though."

"So you cant hear…what I'm thinking right?"

"Unfortunately."

She sighed in relief.

Her heart had sped up when she thought that I could hear her mind. At the same time the sound got faster. What was going on here?