SM OWNS IT ALL.

"What is going on here?" A voice break the silence behind us.

Edward and I, both let go from our embrace and turn around to see Alice standing by the door. Her eyebrow is raised and looking straight at me.

"Hey, Ali." I move away from Edward. I feel like I just got caught by my parents making out with my boyfriend. "Edward and I were just—"

"I can see you were just…" She interrupts. She walks past us and says, "If this leads to you shacking up again, please make sure you don't leave me with another kid to take care of."

I gasp. "What?" She might as well slap me across the face. It's exactly how that feels. "How could you say that?"

She turns to me with a sneer. "I told you to watch yourself with him, Bella. And I walk in and you're practically all over each other."

"Alice, it wasn't even like that." Edward cuts in. I was so focused on Alice that I forgot he was even next to me.

"Then what was it?" she turns to me.

"We were talking. I told him what I want. I told him he practically has to beg on his knees to get me to really trust him again. I kind of lost it with all the emotions and I started crying. We were just hugging when you came in."

She turns to him with a pointed finger. "You've done enough damage around here. You better be for real, she's putting up a strong front right now, but I know she's scared shitless. Don't fucking ruin her." She warns.

"I'm willing to do anything it takes. I've already promised her." He says with a determined look. "I've been here for Sophia as much as I know how to…and now I just was us back. Me and Bella…and our daughter."

It makes me feel so much better. We want the same things.

And I know Alice is just looking out for me. She knows me too well and she knows that it took a lot for me to even entertain the idea of letting him in. She knows how much I've struggled these past two months with him visiting Sophia.

I've wanted to talk to him about how he left and to fill in all the blanks for me—all the why's.

We're interrupted by Sophie's yelling. She's not crying, just calling for me to get her. I let Edward go and he goes into the room to get her.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Bella." Alice says when he walks out of the room.

"I do, Alice. Don't worry. It's not like we're moving in together. I haven't even kissed him." I whisper at her. She rolls her eyes. "I'm serious, I want to take it slow, but I want us moving in the right direction too. There's nothing about him that tells me I shouldn't believe him."

"Did you honestly forgive him?"

"I didn't say those exact words. With time, I will."