A/N: You guys wow me every chapter with all your love. Your support astounds me. This one will be a quickie but a goodie. ;)

This chapter is dedicated to Twilightnaley19 who has been so patient (I use that word loosely) in regards to the "juicy stuff" since chapter 2! How do you like me now, girl? :-D

Thanks to Softragoo who is so much more than a prereader; she's my dear friend who has a collection of RPatz pics and doesn't hesitate to send a few my way when I need to smile. I love you, girl.

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight

Twenty five

I held him for what seemed like hours; until my hips started aching from the position. Then I slowly released him and subconsciously ran my hands over his head, my fingers aching to tug at those long gone strands. My bare breasts clung to his moistened skin, telling me in their own way where they really wanted to be: Pressed up against his naked chest. He closed his eyes and sighed as the palms of his hands rubbed comforting circles on my back. The tension had dissipated but there was still a cackling of energy between us; things left unsaid.

"It's getting late," he whispered. "We should get some sleep if we're going to leave in the morning."

I kissed him on the forehead. My body ached but the feel of him so close was exhilarating. I couldn't stop touching. My lips wanted to taste every inch of him, my hands wanted to explore all the places that I'd failed to touch when we'd been intimate before. Being in his arms seemed so much more meaningful now than it ever had been and I didn't want to move.

"You're going back to Chicago?" I asked, my voice rough with emotion. It was overwhelming, what I felt for this man who was holding me. The strength of his embrace was enough to ignore the pain that was forming in the muscles of my thighs.

"I'm going back for now. I can't just leave my job without giving two weeks notice. It's all I really have for my resume and I can't burn that bridge. There's a possibility that the state could transfer me somewhere close to here so that I could keep my job, at least." I let my fingertips roam down his chest, over the wolf. "What do you think I should do?"

I licked my lips for moisture and his eyes were drawn to the movement, the expression on his face darkened slightly. "I think it would be good for you if you got to know your grandma better but you shouldn't feel obligated just because she asked. Do you think there's a chance to, I don't know, get to know your dad before he passes away?"

He shook his head. "I really don't know. Betsy says that the doctors don't really know how much time he has but he could go while I'm still in Chicago, settling things there, even if it is just a couple of weeks."

"You should talk to your boss and tell them the situation. There are laws that protect you when it comes to family leave and stuff like that." He nodded as one of his hands roamed from my back to my hip. "I'm here for you, Edward, no matter what you decide. You'll stay in contact, right?"

His eyes shifted around my face and then traveled down over my naked chest. I itched to cover myself up with my hands, embarrassed that he'd suddenly noticed my nudity but I wanted him to know how much I trusted him.

"You should get a shirt on before you get chilled. The air conditioner is cranked in here." I opened my mouth to argue that he didn't answer my question but he stopped me with a soft kiss. "We'll continue this conversation after you're warm."

But I was warm. I was so warm. His skin reverberated heat against every inch of skin that he touched. "I'm warm enough."

I slid off his lap and pulled him under the covers with me. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to his side. We laid there for several minutes, enjoying the feel of our body heat melding us into one.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he finally said. "I'm sorry that I told you to leave. I never should have told you that I didn't want you because it was a lie."

My leg entwined with his and I squeezed myself closer to him. I wanted more; more touching, more contact, more Edward.

"I know," I whispered. "I knew then that you were just trying to protect me."

"I felt like shit every time you would call and I wouldn't answer. At the time, I thought it was better that way. You needed to be close to your dad and I thought that if you stayed, I'd only set you back. I'm sorry."

I leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You're forgiven."

A pregnant pause filled the room as I tried to form the offer in my head. "You are welcome to come to Forks with me, you know that right?"

He swallowed against my forehead. "Your dad would be thrilled."

"My dad would love you once he got to know you," I told him.

The chuckle that he released was laced with doubt. "Oh, yeah, I'm an ex-con and I barely have a cent to my name. I'm the perfect guy to bring home to your father."

I sat up on my elbow and looked down at him. "You are the perfect guy and one day I will bring you home to my father." I loved him and I wanted to tell him that but the words got tangled with my tongue. "Besides, my dad is being very supportive. He's the one that drove me to the airport and he knew that you were the reason I was coming back."

"How supportive would he be if he knew where you were right now?"

I furrowed my brow. "He knows where I am; I just called him a couple hours ago."

He grinned cheekily. "I was talking about your exact location in this instance, beside me in bed…"—Slowly, he ran a thumb over one of my exposed nipples and his expression sobered—"Topless and beautiful."

An effort to hold back a moan at the feel of him touching me proved fruitless. I closed my eyes as his hand cupped me and the rough skin of his fingers moved gently over my chest. "God, Edward…I didn't know it could feel like this."

He paused but only for a moment before pushing me onto my back and turning onto his side so that he hovered over me, looking powerful and dominant. Not only did I have no fear but the sight of him made me ache, made me sweat, made me want.

"Can I ask you something?" He leaned down and kissed the soft skin below my ear.

I moaned and shivered as his hand continued making gentle passes over my breasts. "Anything."

"Will you promise to answer honestly?"

His hand swept lower, over my stomach and under the sheet; his movements slow and deliberate. God, the ache was deliciously painful. I wrapped my hand around his neck and gripped his flesh.

"Yes," I hissed, unsure if my response was for his question or the way his hand moved dangerously close to the elastic of my panties.

"That night, when we made love, how did you…what did you feel?" His teeth latched onto my earlobe and I inched my body closer to him.

My eyes opened when his words registered in my foggy brain. "I…can't…"

The rough skin of his hand moved lower, passing over my hip and down my thigh. I spread my legs, requesting and offering at the same time. I wanted to burn my pants or tear them to shreds because they were the only thing keeping his fingers from brushing against the bare skin of my leg.

"Please, Bella…the truth, please."

"You'll be mad," I whispered, closing my eyes at the sensation of his tongue dipping out and tasting the skin of my neck.

"I need to know, baby."

I groaned out of frustration and annoyance but my body squirmed out of desire.

"I was…I wanted to make you happy," I sighed.

There was a slight stiffness to the muscles in his back but his hand kept traveling up my thigh, inches away from my center, and then back down to my knee. It was sweet, sweet agony.

His lips moved down, kissing my collar bone and I cursed the razor he's used that morning to shave that tantalizing scruff off his chin. Groping for his touch, I threw my knee over his leg, opening myself up to him. Even though I still had on my thin pajama pants, it was still a brave move, especially for me—someone who'd sworn off sex less than a year ago. Nothing about this situation was deplorable; in fact it was the opposite. His powerful form hovering over me, his strong hands moving on my body, and his obvious arousal that was pressed against my hip were all things that I never imagined I'd find pleasure in. As in control of me as he was, I felt powerful. My inner strength was palpable even as I sighed out a moan and dug my fingernails into the skin of his neck in a silent plea to go further, go deeper, just go…

"And now?" Edward's voice was husky and deep, sending a shiver down my entire body. "How do you feel now?"

I gasped as his hand passed over my sex. "I feel like I'm on fire," I hissed. "I feel like I'm going to combust if you don't touch me."

"I am touching you." I could hear the smile in his voice but I wasn't amused. "Where should I touch you, Bella?"

Internally, I cringed because as desperate and needy as I was, I wasn't about to start spouting off sex parts. Instead, I reached down and took hold of his hand, leading me to where I wanted him. When he made contact, I sucked in a breath and I felt him smile against the swell of my breast.

"Is this what you want, baby?" he asked, moving his fingers over my sensitive nub.

I bucked my hips slightly in response and moaned. The movement gave friction to the hardness that was pressed up against me and he released a grunt. Feeling selfish, I took my hand from his neck and slid it between us, searching for him. He chuckled darkly and pressed closer to me, blocking my exploration.

"Oh, no you don't," he whispered in my ear. "You need to know how good I can make you feel."

Those words were like fire. The heat raced through my body, carried by the erratic pulse of my heart. I closed my eyes and just let myself feel. His fingers were playing me like a musical instrument and the chorus was erupting from my mouth. If I let myself think, I'd grow embarrassed and flustered. If I opened my eyes, I'd see Edward and the questions would flood through my mind—questions about the past and our future. So, I didn't think; I just felt.

And begged.

"Please…" I whispered, moving my hips into his palm. His lips left my collarbone long enough to question my plea. "Please, I need to feel you, Edward."

The strangled breath he released could be translated into frustration or anticipation but I didn't read into it. I didn't feel like translating Edward's sighs. I just wanted to feel more and more and more…

"Sweet, sweet Bella, you have no idea how much I've thought about this," he whispered against my skin. The movement of his hand came to a screeching halt and I whimpered. Then I was rejuvenated when the tips of his fingers slid past the waistband of my pants, under the elastic of my panties, through the soft curls above my sex. I moaned and twitched; the muscles of my thighs tightened as his fingers reached their destination. "Oh, God, Bella, you're so soft and warm. I didn't do it right the first time, did I?"

I grunted and groaned in response, unable to think about anything except for how my body was reacting to him. My sexuality had never ruled my thoughts or made decisions for me, even as a growing teenage girl. I'd never fantasized about anyone. There were never nights when I'd lay frustrated in my bed at night as a hormonal young girl, and wondered what it would feel like to have rough, strong hands touching me. But now, as his long fingers moved in circles on my sensitive flesh, I couldn't imagine thinking of anything else for the rest of my life. My body seemed to be fighting something as the muscles in my stomach tightened and released with each heavy breath that left my lips. The burning was controlling me, making me cry out and making me yearn for more. I wanted to be naked with him. I wanted to be on top of him. I wanted him inside of me.

His lips caressed the swell of my breast, his tongue tasting me and teasing the sensitive nerves around my nipple. "I want to make you shiver. I want to make you scream. I want to taste you." His voice was like a magical ointment on the old invisible wounds that lay just beneath my skin. The wounds that had been created by hate were being mended with his touch, his lips and his words. "Will you let me do that for you, Bella?"

"Please," was my response; breathy and pleading.

As his finger entered me, I moaned and my back arched with greed. It wasn't enough and I ached for more.

"You feel so good…so, so good." His finger curled and he slowly added a second one. I dug my heel into the back of his thigh and opened my legs wider for him, inviting him in and giving him whatever he wanted to take. The tip of his tongue moved teasingly across my nipple and the ache seemed to triple. My whole body shuddered and I arched my back, his mouth enveloping my nipple.

As I came down from my orgasm, he slid his fingers out of me and rubbed along my thigh. Gently, he grazed his teeth against my nipple and he moaned, seeming to enjoy what he was doing as much as I had enjoyed it. Again, I tried to maneuver my hand toward his erection but he blocked my attempt.

He made a disapproving grunt against my breast and I whimpered.

"Let me touch you," I said with rich sex in my voice.

"Not tonight," he said against my goose-pimpled flesh.

"But—"

With a sigh, he looked up at me with dark eyes. "I need to do this for you."

I shook my head. "Why?"

Licking his lips, he raised his head and kissed me gently. "Because I fucked up the first time and I'm not going to do that again. This is what you deserve, not what happened in my apartment months ago. I was an idiot and I need to show you—"

"You've shown me and I'm sure you'll show me again. Probably sooner rather than later, I imagine." The corners of his mouth twitched. "Please, don't deny me this because you weren't Don Juan the first time you had sex."

He narrowed an eye playfully. "So, I wasn't Don Juan…"

I slapped him on the arm, unwrapping my leg from around his hip. With my hand on his chest, I pushed him gently onto his back and propped myself up with my elbow. I wanted to look at him like he'd looked at me; explore all parts of him with my fingertips.

"Where'd you get this scar?" I asked him, running my finger up the long scar on his side.

"Pekin."

"What happened?" I asked.

He cleared his throat. "Fight."

I rolled my eyes. "I figured that, smartass. Why were you in a fight?"

"It was prison, Bella," he said with a raised eyebrow. "Fights in prison don't necessarily have to be meaningful. Sometimes, shit just starts because turf gets stepped on or just plain boredom."

Frowning, I glided my finger over to the scar on his shoulder—the one that made my insides tighten. It was pink and formed in circle; its twin rested just below his shoulder blade. Entry wound and exit wound. "Was your recovery horrible?"

The fingers of his hand glided easily through my hair as he shook his head at me. "No, it wasn't too bad and don't think like that—it wasn't your fault."

I leaned down and kissed the scar, letting my tongue taste his salty skin. All the while I was well aware of my nipples barely brushing the skin of his ribcage.

Next, I moved over the wolf—over its thick black neck, pointed snout and pinned back ears. It was such a part of him and I hoped that one day he'd see it reflecting back at him in a mirror and be able to smile. I wanted him to remember the good times he'd had with his sister and not the way she was taken out of this world.

"The day after I got released," he whispered. "I got it the day after I got released. Even before I had an apartment, I got half of this. Then I came back two weeks later and got the rest."

"It's beautiful," I said.

He shrugged.

My fingers moved down his shoulder to the tattoo that circled his bicep. It resembled a tribal tattoo; I looked up at him questioningly.

"That one, I got in high school—my senior year. Jasper told me that if I had the balls to get a tattoo that he'd pay for it." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Tribal tattoos were the thing at the time."

I smiled. "It's sexy."

Opening his eyes, he smirked at me and ran his finger down my cheek. "It's meaningless."

"No, it's not when there's a memory attached to it." My fingers moved lightly over his stomach, grazing through the trail of hair that let down into his boxers. "Were you and Jasper close in high school?"

"We were," he replied. "I didn't like it that Alice was dating him but he was good to her."

"You would have preferred she joined a convent," I laughed.

His smile didn't reach his eyes but at least he didn't look like I was trying to pry his fingernails off with a pair of pliers.

"I was thinking about getting a tattoo," I announced, wanting to change the subject since I really did want to touch him and talking about his sister wasn't going to get me far.

His expression lightened. "Where at?"

"On my back; do you think they could cover up my scars?"

"It would have to be a big tattoo and you'd have to go to someone who knew what they were doing but yeah, they could do it." He ran his hand through my hair and down my shoulder. "It would hurt like a bitch."

I giggled at his bluntness. "I figured that much."

"What would you get?"

"I don't know, something beautiful."

The smile that spread across his face was brilliant. "I could sit for a portrait if you want."

My fingers prodded his ribs and he flinched. "Ticklish, are we?"

He grabbed my hands to still them before he could let out any girlish giggles. "No, you just took me by surprise."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're ticklish."

"I am not."

"Let go of my hands, then."

He hesitated but released them, his muscles tensing as I ran a hand over his stomach.

"Don't try and find my sensitive spots…" He sucked in a breath as my fingers ghosted over his ribcage again. "Payback is a bitch."

My breast pressed into him as I leaned over him and kissed him while my fingertips brushed under the hem of his boxers. His body shivered and I smiled against his lips.

"You don't have to," he murmured.

"That's the beauty of it, Edward," I replied as my hand disappeared under the fabric.

He groaned as I wrapped my fingers around him; the weight of him pressed down into my palm. It was so significant—the fact that I wasn't repulsed by his cock in my hand. I refused to let memories destroy this moment. As I looked down at Edward, his chest heaving with breath and his eyes closed, I realized that he was my mine. His pleasure was at my mercy while he fisted his hands in the sheets beside his hips. I stroked him slowly, using his facial expressions and groans to gauge how fast to go.

"Faster, Bella…"

Before I could stop myself, I rose and kneeled beside him on the bed. Using my free hand, I gently pulled his boxers down so that I could see all of him. My eyes roamed over his body as the muscles in his abdomen tensed and his chest rose and fell rapidly with his deep, rapid breaths. His face contorted as I pumped him faster.

It was a beautiful thing.

I climbed over him and straddled his thigh; the friction on my center was delicious. With a groan and a hushed whisper of my name, he came on my hand and I smiled down at him. His eyes opened slowly, burdened with exhaustion and the after-effects of his orgasm, and he offered me a slight grin.

"You look awful proud of yourself," he remarked.

My smile grew as I readjusted his boxers and cleaned my hand off with my discarded shirt. I crawled up him, kissing his stomach and not caring as my lips traveled over the salty release that my hand had brought about. My lips moved up his chest, brushed the skin of his neck and I kissed him hard on the mouth. When I released, he cringed and lifted me with a hand on each of my hips so that I was sitting on his stomach instead of his cock.

"I'm sensitive…sorry." He nodded downward.

"Thank you," I told him, kissing him again. "Thank you."

"You're always thanking me," he said, his words muffled against my mouth. "You just gave me the best hand job of my life and you're thanking me." He shook his head. "You're incredible."

I giggled. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," he said, kissing me again.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to but…"

His eyebrow rose. "Just ask me, Bella."

"Have you, um, been with anyone since…"

He brushed my hair out of my face and tenderly stroked my cheek with his thumb. "Only you, Bella; it's always been only you."

Throughout the night, we talked about everything. He told me everything his father had told him when he was with him that day: The apologies, the forgiveness, the tears. It was heartbreaking but relief flooded through me with each word that he said. He even talked about Alice's grave, the pink marble in the shape of a heart and the white roses that he took her. The words came easy to him and I wondered where they came from when just hours ago they had gotten caught in his throat and were accompanied by tears.

"Does your dad know where your mom is? Does she still live in town?"

He shook his head. "After they got divorced, she moved somewhere down south. From what he told me, she was a mess—drinking and getting involved with the wrong people."

His expression grew hard as he talked about her. I knew he was blaming himself but we'd already discussed the blame game. I didn't want to go back there while we were wrapped around each other, tenderly stroking each other's skin.

"When do you go back to Forks?" he asked.

"I'm due to leave on Wednesday. It'll be good to see Esme again before I go back."

He smiled. "She'll be happy to see you."

My eyebrows rose. "Have you met her?"

"Once, when she was watching the kids for Emmett and Rose; I'm afraid I didn't make a very good impression."

"What happened?"

"I may have snapped at her and stormed out of their apartment." He made a face. "I haven't been the most pleasant person to be around lately."

"So I've heard."

With the same care that you'd give to a newborn, he brushed his fingers over my temple. "I didn't realize how much I cared for you until you were gone. Every time my phone would ring, every time I'd hear about you from Rose, I fell apart. Then you stopped calling and I thought…"

"You thought what?"

He rolled his eyes. "It's ridiculously selfish."

I smirked. "Now, I have to know!"

With a sigh, he gave in. "I thought that you'd forgotten about all of us and it pissed me off." I opened my mouth to respond but he cut me off. "I know that I was the one who told you to go. I was pissed that it made me feel so, I dunno, empty."

"You felt empty when I didn't call even though you never answered your phone?"

"Yes, okay, I'm a total douche," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Where do we go from here? I mean, I'm going back to Forks and you're…where are you going?"

"I think….I think I'm going to come back here to spend time with Betsy and…"—he sighed and ran his hand over his short hair—"My dad."

"So…"

"I'll answer when you call," he promised.

"Every time?" I asked.

"Every fucking time."

XxXxXx

I wasn't even sure when I fell asleep and I wouldn't have been certain I had if the pounding on the door wasn't so jarring. My entire body jerked with the sound and I peeked up at Edward with one squinted eye. I was lying on top of him, my leg entwined with his and my bare breasts melded into his side. The smile on his face was spectacular as he ran his fingers through the net of hair on my head. I offered him a shy grin in return as the air around us grew thick with the new bond we'd created just hours before.

"Edward!" Jasper's voice made me groan as I let my head plop back down on his chest. "Check out is in twenty minutes!"

"Fuck," Edward muttered. "Maybe we should just stay another day."

I tried to pull away and roll over so that I could see his face but the arm he had wrapped around my waist kept me pinned against him. Biting my lip, I grinned against the soft skin of his pectoral.

"Did you want to go see your dad again? Or maybe Betsy?" I asked.

His hand rubbed up my bare back and then down, stopping only when his fingertips slid underneath the hem of my thin cotton pajama pants. The tips of his fingers brushed over my naked rear and I wiggled out of uncomfortable need.

"No, I want to stay in bed all day," he said huskily and then added, "with you."

I nibbled on his flesh before saying, "That sounds good but we can do that in Chicago tonight when we get home."

"You anxious to get back?" he asked.

I pulled away from him and this time he let me. "I want to see Esme, maybe Carlisle; spend a little more time with Rose and the kids." He pouted dramatically. I giggled. "And you, of course."

Jasper knocked again and Edward cursed softly as he got out of bed. I watched the muscles of his back flex like waves on a restless body of water. The wolf seemed angry and possessive as its black eyes stared out at me. Already he was out of my arms and my fingers dug into my palms at the loss of him.

Before he opened the door he glanced back at me and winked. "You better cover yourself or one of Jasper's dreams is going to come true."

Blushing, I pulled the sheet up to my neck as he opened the door a crack.

"Thanks, Jasper, we'll be ready in a few minutes," he mumbled.

Jasper stood on his tip toes to see over Edward's head and he spotted me.

"Are you and Bella…?" He trailed off with a frown on his face.

"Yeah, we always have been," Edward replied.

Jasper was quiet for a moment before he spoke, "Does she have a sister?"

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

"Uh, no, she doesn't."

Jasper sighed and shrugged. "What's for breakfast?"

"I'll be out in ten minutes, okay? Stay out of trouble."

After Edward closed the door, he looked at me and shook his head. "He worries me."

I giggled and leaned over the side of the bed for my shirt. "Why?"

"I want to help him but if I move back down here…" He yanked on his jeans as his face pinched up in thought. "I'd ask Betsy if he could stay there but it's going to be hard enough for her to feed one extra mouth."

As I pulled on my shirt, I mustered up the courage to tell him about my conversation that I'd had with my dad over the phone the night before. "I was thinking about inviting Jasper back to Washington with me."

He froze with one arm stuffed into a white t-shirt and one out. His glare was not good.

"You don't even know him, Bella. Hell, I don't even really know him. You can't just invite him to live with you."

"I asked my dad about it on the phone last night and he agreed to meet him."

The stun was so great that apparently getting his other arm through the sleeve was too much for him. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at me like I was insane when he was the one who was half-dressed and wild eyed.

"Jasper is unstable," he murmured.

"He needs help and I won't feel good just leaving him to fend for himself, Edward. Jasper is harmless."

He shook his head. "You don't know that."

I leaned up on my knees and grabbed Edward's arm, my body subconsciously pleading with him. "I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of looking at every man and expecting the worst out of them. This would help me just as much as it would help Jasper."

"I doubt that," he said, looking at the floor. "There's a difference between being brave and being stupid, Bella."

"I'm not that girl anymore, Edward. I'm not that scared little girl who showed up in Chicago who was afraid of her own shadow. You taught me how to take care of myself and you taught me to believe in myself. Have a little faith in me, okay?"

He looked at me, his gaze piercing into my soul, as he turned sideways on the bed. "I have more faith in you than you will ever know but the thought of you on the other side of the country, in trouble…"

"I'm going to be fine," I assured him.

The defeated sigh he released made me grin. "You have a lock on your bedroom door, right?"

"Of course and I have always used it, even before Oklahoma."

"You have to promise me that the first sign of any trouble from him, you'll kick him out."

My smile grew. "You know, Edward, I care about you and I respect our relationship but I wasn't asking for your permission on this. I want this to be okay with you but this is something that I really want to do. Jasper needs help and I can give it to him."

His eyebrows popped up at my declaration. "So, if I told you that I wasn't okay with this, you'd still do it?"

"Well, I'd have to hear you out and I'd have to make a pro's and con's list and then I've had to call—"

The feel of his lips crashing into mine cut me off. The kiss was short but passionate and we were both panting when he pulled away. I itched to crawl into his lap and continue the kiss but our twenty minutes has just turned into fifteen.

"So, you're okay with this?"

"I can't say that I'm okay with this but I have faith in you…" He gave me a pointed look. "And if you feel this strongly about it then I'm going to support you. Your dad is going to continue those shooting lessons, right?"

I slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Completely different topic, smartass."

One of his eyebrows rose. "Not entirely."

We got dressed and packed up the car in record time. Edward went to the office to check out while Jasper and I got into the car. I pulled my sunglasses on over my burning, tired eyes and rested my head against the seat.

"Are we heading back to Chicago?" Jasper asked.

It was like traveling with a kid. "Yeah, but I think Edward wants to stop at The Hospice before we leave so he can see his dad again."

He made a noise. "I'll be staying in the car. His dad hates me."

My eyes squinted open. "Because of Alice?"

"He never really liked me in the first place because I was always getting Edward in trouble in high school. Then I started dating Alice and then the man couldn't stand me." I peeked in the rear view mirror and caught him grinning a little. "Alice tried to get me to come over all the time for dinner because she was certain that they would love me if they got to know me; just like she did."

"You didn't go?"

"Oh, I went but it turns out, I'm not a very likable guy if I'm dating your sweet, innocent little daughter."

I laughed. "I think it's that way for every guy, no matter who the girl is, Jasper. I'm sure it wasn't personal."

"Yeah, but then I dragged her to that party and she never came home."

Feeling a pang of sadness, I twisted in my seat to look at him. "Why did you take her to that party, Jasper?"

He shrugged. "Because she asked me to."

"That's it? Because she asked you to?"

His fingers pulled at his beard. "I would have done anything Alice asked me to back then. I thought I was going to go to college, come back home and marry that girl." He put down his window a little and sighed. "There will never be another girl like Alice."

As painful as it was, I pushed my sunglasses on top of my head. "You loved her, didn't you?"

Another shrug. "Like I said, I was young and stupid; I'm almost nine years older and I still don't know what love is."

"You're a good person, Jasper," I assured him.

He pressed his lips together. "You know what sounds good?"

"What?"

"Beef Jerky. Teriyaki beef jerky."

And that was the end of serious, no-nonsense Jasper.

Edward got in and he told me which directions to go and on what street. I obeyed and we ended up back at the little diner we'd eaten at the night before.

"Would you mind if I took your car? I wanted to go back to see my dad before we headed home."

"I can go with you," I offered.

He smiled. "Got a hankering to hear more Betsy stories?"

"Maybe I do," I replied.

"I'll only be an hour or so." He dug into his wallet to fish out some money. "You guys go in and eat breakfast and I'll be back to pick you up."

While I was slightly perturbed that Edward didn't want me going with him to see his dad, I wondered if he was afraid I would get too protective of him again. Having another screaming match with a dying man didn't seem to be a good start to the beginning of my day so I didn't argue with him.

I shoved the money away with a smile. "I'll buy; go on and see your dad."

He leaned over and kissed me on the mouth.

"Gross! Get a room!" Jasper grumbled out from the back.

Edward rolled his eyes as we all got out of the car. I handed him the keys as we met at the hood and he kissed me again, this time meaningful and tinged with passion.

"I'll see you in a bit," he said against my lips.

"Be careful."

"Can we sit at the counter?" Jasper asked, grinning.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not."

The waitress' eyes widened at Jasper's appearance but she rambled out the specials like a pro. He only ordered some toast and water and I gave him a look.

"I thought you said you were starving," I accused.

"I'm okay."

Mimicking Edward, I puffed my cheeks out with a sigh. "Jasper, you can get whatever you want. Just because I'm paying, doesn't mean that you have to eat toast."

He picked at his beard nervously and I tried to not think about what he was digging out of it. "I feel like a kid—having to be taken care of. It makes me feel…bad."

"I want to buy you breakfast," I told him.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do. Please, Jasper, can I buy you breakfast?" I chewed on my lip to keep from laughing because the fact that I was actually begging him to allow me to buy him a meal was absurd.

With a smile, he said, "Okay."

"And get real food this time."

Oh, boy, did he get real food. Jasper got several eggs made in three different ways, a stack of pancakes, two orders of bacon and a Coke. He ate like Edward.

We ate breakfast before Edward got back so we went outside and sat down on a bench in front of the restaurant. I pulled out my phone and called my dad who was in the middle of his work day so he didn't have a ton of time to talk. As usual, I took the picture in front of the restaurant and I sent it to him. He returned a text that told me he loved me and I smiled. I had always known my dad loved me but it was just a given as I grew up. He never really told me. It hit me then how much good had come from the situation and it made my throat close with emotion.

James had been a sick bastard. He'd used me, beat me, held me hostage, and killed at least one person. I wouldn't wish my worst enemy (except for maybe him) to go through what I went through and if I'd known what I know now, I certainly wouldn't have put that ring on my finger or got on that bus.

But without that experience, I never would have met Rose. I never would have met Esme. I never would have met Edward. Imagining my life without them made me feel hollow and achy and angry.

While I would never be the same person I had been before I met James, I liked to see myself as not better, but different: Stronger but more emotional; less naïve but not hardened; different but the same. How could I come to terms with being someone I like when the result was because of those months I spent in Oklahoma?

Jasper's voice broke me from my thoughts. "You know something, Bella?"

"What's that?"

"You're a good person too."

Tears filled my eyes; such simple words with astound meaning.

"Thank you, Jasper."

A horn honked and we both turned, expecting to see Edward pulling up in his car but it was a pickup truck instead. A rough looking man pulled in and got out of his car and walked toward another car, supposedly the person he was honking at. They embraced, laughed and walked into the diner.

"Damn, look at that dog!"

I followed Jasper's gaze to the back of the pickup truck where I saw the most beautiful animal I'd ever laid eyes on. Its eyes glowed yellow and its ears moved frantically around, trying to pick up on any threats. The slow, graceful movements as it paced calmly in the bed of the truck were raw and animalistic. The thick silver fur on its back moved as it walked, like snow coming down a mountain in the middle of an avalanche—breathtaking but dangerous.

"That's not a dog," I whispered. "That's a wolf."

He made an excited noise. "That's fucking awesome! I want a pet wolf."

I blinked as an idea came to me. It would either make things worse or make things better but I was willing to take the chance. Edward could see it as a way to make his peace with Alice or it could conjure up memories that he wasn't ready to face. All I knew is that I wasn't sure we would get another opportunity to go there for a long time. Turning to Jasper, I took in his keyed-up expression and smiled. "Jasper, do you remember how far away that Wolf Habitat is in Indiana?"

A/N: So, how did you like the heavy petting? Too much? Too little? Well, "little" as in detail, not in body part size, I mean... I think it's always a given that Edward has a penis the size of a tree trunk, right? Don't get me started...

What do you think of Bella trying to help Jasper? Is she nuts or do you think it will benefit both of them? Do you think visiting the wolf habitat will send Edward over the edge or do you think it will be a healing experience for him? Tell me!

Okay, so I've been waiting for the right moment to do this and I can't hold back any longer. My dear friend and mentor, Softragoo, is posting a new story called "True Love Way". It's amazing. She might kill me for saying this but I'm prereading for her and I cry, laugh, and root for her Edward and Bella every damn chapter. If you like a fucking amazing plot, a slow burn and the sweetest damn Edward in the whole fucking world, go read it! She just posted chapter 11 but she posts religiously every Monday. If she gets enough love, maybe she'll post more than once a week. Who knows? Leave her some reviews and tell her that I sent you! She's listed under my 'favorite authors' (Of fucking course!)

Thanks again for all the amazing support! I appreciate it so very much. It never ceases to make me smile :) See y'all next Tuesday!