Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe and characters.

Thank you for reading. Work took over for awhile, but I will resume with a more regular posting schedule from here on in.

Chapter 14

EPOV

"Are you a sprawler?" she demanded.

I shook my head.

"Do you snore?"

I shook my head, vigorously.

"Me neither," she said, trying to look stern.

I opened my mouth to reassure her and she held up a finger.

"This is the clincher, Edward."

I waited and she shot me a disdainful look, "you're not a cuddler, are you?"

I laughed, "Bella, there's nothing wrong with a little body contact at night."

"I know that, but some cuddlers really annoy me. You know, the ones who have you locked in a deathgrip while at the same time drooling on your shoulder," she explained earnestly.

"How many cuddlers do you know?" I demanded, and she finally cracked a smile.

"Let's not go there," she said, cheerfully. "Besides, we're not done. What side of the bed do you sleep on?"

"The right side," I said, after taking a look at the king size bed that dominated the room.

"I sleep on the left," she mused, "Now, be honest. Are you a blanket stealer?"

"As if," I huffed, insulted.

"Finally, am I going to have to call down for more pillows, or are you satisfied with the two on your side? Because, if, if we end up sharing tonight, I want to make it clear that I do not tolerate people who wind up with an extra pillow in the middle of the night," she told me.

I couldn't take it any longer. I burst out laughing, and though she fought it, she was soon laughing, too.

"I think we'll be fine," she said, lightly, "now, do you want to have your turn in the bathroom now, or shall I go first?"

"Oh, you go," I told her, waving her off with a hand, "I've got a few things to take care of, but I should be back in an hour."

I stood up, reached for my swipe key and headed for the door.

"Okay," she smiled, waving back from the circle of shopping bags that surrounded her, "see you soon."

I don't know what did it, but at some point within the 48 hours, Bella had changed her mind about me. She never outright proclaimed this, but she was far more forthright, flirty and tender with me. I vowed to be calm, cool and collected about it, though, even though I wanted to do something lame, like call up every single family member to prove that I wasn't the forever unlucky-in-love kind of guy.

I was saved from eternal lameness when my phone rang, and it was Rosalie. I wasn't surprised, but I had expected to hear from Alice first.

"What's the deal, Edward?" she shot, disregarding pleasantries.

"Bella and I are in Seattle," I said, aiming for casualness.

She snorted, and I noted this failure for future reference.

"So, what are you plans?" she asked.

"We don't really have any," I admitted.

"Wow, Mr Itinerary is unscheduled?" she mocked.

"It appears so," I agreed, though I did feel somewhat unanchored without having a list of details to work with.

"Maybe she won't be all that bad for you, after all," Rose mused.

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded.

"Calm down, calm down. I only meant that if she could break you of some of your more annoying habits it would be a good thing."

"Just because I like to be prepared doesn't mean it's annoying."

"Please. Your Type A tendencies aren't the most attractive thing about you," she pointed out.

"Do you have a reason for calling?" I sighed.

"No. That will be all," she said, and promptly hung up on me.

I quickly finished off the rest of my errands and headed back to the hotel. I looked at my watch and decided to give Bella an extra fifteen minutes before I went back up, but was surprised to see her in the hotel lounge, playing the piano while the dinner staff set up tables. There were a few waiters who circled the piano, hooting and clapping along while she played something upbeat and jazzy. Her hair was lightly braided away from her face, and she wore a backless, filmy top with fitted jeans and sneakers. Her toes tapped along with the beat, and I could only smile as admiringly as the others as she filled the room with lightness.

She looked up at me as I walked closer to the piano and smiled warmly. I made a motion to my bags and pointed upstairs and she nodded, still pounding out a relentless beat and melody. I went upstairs, and wondered how I was ever going to get through this perfectly amazing day and night.

I showered and changed, fought with my hair, added a bit of aftershave, and stepped out into the bedroom. She lay sprawled across the bed, talking in a low voice on her cellphone. She looked up at me and smiled in delight, holding up a finger and said into the phone, "Marcus, I gotta jet. Yeah. No. Uh-huh. Yes, you jerk. Bye, now."

She ended the call, rolled over and practically leapt out of bed, and I laughed as she motioned for me to turn around in a circle. She checked me out slowly, and I could feel a slow smile creep across my face. I motioned for her to do the same, noting the silver dangly earrings that hung from her lobes, and the tiny silver bangles that decorated her wrists. A flash from her ankle showed several bands as well, and I loved the way the bodice of her top hugged her tightly.

"So, you had a telephone call from both Esme and Emmett while you were in the shower. I assume they know we skipped town."

I nodded, "I'm sure there will be a call from both Jasper and Alice, too, in a bit."

"Not Carlisle?" she teased.

"No, not Carlisle. At least, not today. He'll probably give me a bit of space and check in with me in a couple of days," I explained.

"You and your family are really close," she noted, wistful.

I agreed, "Yes, we are. We've been away from each other at one point or another for a couple of years at a time, but it doesn't take long for us all to get back together. This last move really showed how much we enjoy each other. It's nice to know that we live in such a small place by choice, rather than by necessity. Even the job offer that Alice proposed didn't matter to me. I was headed back home anyway."

"I don't think I'll ever go back again," Bella admitted quietly, "Aside to visit with Charlie, that is. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he packed everything up and headed out this way, sooner or later."

I was more than surprised and it must have shown on my face.

She walked back to the bed, patted the space beside her and I sat down, "I want to tell you something," she said, "and I don't want to ask you to keep secrets for me, but I'd like it if we could keep it between us for awhile."

"Absolutely," I told her and she continued.

"I… I left town because of my family. I… I had a daughter. She… passed away last year," she told me, looking straight at me. "I couldn't keep it together, though I tried very hard. Everything back home reminds me of her. I'm sure that Charlie feels the same way. I had to leave."

"You had…a daughter?" I questioned blankly. She looked unsettled and I held up a finger, indicating that I was considering what she had just said, but was prepared to respond.

After a few minutes, I came to the conclusion that everything was falling together. There had always been something that I couldn't put my finger on when it came to Bella. Everyone knew that she was keeping something to herself, but she had so many qualities that immediately become obvious once I knew.

I remembered a day last month when Jasper had the stomach flu and Carlisle and Esme had been out of town. The rest of us, even Alice, kept our distance from him, not wanting to go through the obvious pain and distress that he was under. Not Bella. She made sure that he was hydrated, had checked up on him continually, and finally was the one to let him know when he should try to eat again.

These instincts came out quite regularly; she was able to manage Emmett's wild streak effectively, finding better ways to express himself without being a giant pain in our asses. She knew how to set limits with girls when it came to shopping, and spending time together. It didn't happen often, but when the girls found someone they liked, they usually drove the person away because of their competitiveness with each other about who got to spend the most time with whom. Bella had clearly set times of visitations, but never seemed to push them away.

I noticed it more with how she interacted with me, often taking care of me in one way or another. It was maternal, I noted, though I knew that wasn't all that she had been feeling.

Her self-preservation was astounding. She stood there waiting for a response from me, unmoving. And though we didn't have a huge discussion about it, I knew she understood that I was there for her, from the way that she clung to me when I brought my arms around her, petting her hair as she tried not to cry. I knew that she respected the fact that I didn't press her for details, knowing that she would talk to me when she was ready, and it was good enough for me.