Late Night Encounters 21 ~ Resolutions Pt. 2

Throughout the entire flight back to LA, I was mentally cursing my father. Every attempt I made at conversation with Edward, he met with a small smile and brief answers. Not quite the withdrawn man from days before, but very cautious about where and how much he touched me, as well as what he said.

So much had transpired in just a couple of days; Rose and Emmett, my first real fight with Edward, my attack, finally discovering what had become of Alice, picking away through Edward's thick exterior… just so much for such a short period of time. Alice had promised to call to explain more about why she had taken off so suddenly to Texas with a man that she barely knew once I'd healed, but I knew that both she and Rose were okay— there was nothing to worry about urgently.

My only concern at that particular moment was the—once again—silent man at my side.

Once we arrived back at my apartment and I settled onto my couch as comfortably as I could, I reached out for Edward's hand and gently tugged him down to sit beside me. "Okay, I have no idea what my father said to you, but right now, I am imagining the worst. And he was grinning like the cat who caught the canary, while you looked like you'd seen a ghost. So, the hell with his 'what happens at the station, stays at the station' bullshit, and tell me what he said to make you act this way."

"It was nothing," he replied with a slight chuckle; that same irritating, attempt at a smile gracing his lips again and really pissing me off. I sighed and gave him an intent glare, and he released his hold. His body leaned forward and he folded his hands in front of him, his gaze resting on the coffee table. "The Chicago thing really threw him, Bella. As it did me."

"God, we're not going back there again, are we?" I groaned, resting my head gently on the back of the couch. "I thought you wanted this."

Edward glanced over at me as I gestured my hand between the two of us and he quickly shook his head, turning his body to face me and tracing his fingers over my hair. "I do, baby. That's not what I mean. I just had no idea that you were even considering it. And I don't think your father believed that for a second."

Flashback in EPOV

As I walked past Chief Swan and out the door, I felt the trepidation building in my gut. I heard his footsteps following mine and the jingling of his keys, and my heart began to race, my forehead beaded with sweat. Bella's father had not gotten the best first impression of me, and the thought of being alone … in a police station with actual holding cells … with my girlfriend's father, the police chief … I didn't mind saying that made me more than a little nervous.

"I just have to clear some of my stuff out of the front seat, unless you don't mind riding in the back," he started with a straight face, and as I struggled for a response, he shook his head and laughed.

This was going to be a long afternoon.

Once he gathered the papers from the passenger seat into a pile and moved them to the middle, I lowered myself into the car beside him. Silence filled the small, confined space and I kept my gaze out the side window—if he was trying to intimidate me, it was working. Very well.

When the small diner that I was certain we'd passed three times before flashed by us again, it became obvious that he was stalling, dragging this out as long as he possibly could. There was no way that he was having trouble finding the police station that he went to every day, in such a small town where he'd spent his entire life. He kept shooting me occasional glances as if expecting me to say something, but nothing would come to me. His reaction to how we'd met – the 'appropriate for parental ears' version—was not exactly encouraging; what else could I possibly add to that?

'Your daughter is so much better in person, sir.'— that didn't even sound right to my ears.

After driving for what felt like an eternity, we pulled up to the small station, and my stomach suddenly felt as if it were in my throat. The Chief wordlessly exited the car and began walking toward the entrance, and I slowly followed suit, my nervousness reaching new limits. This had to be the worst nightmare of any man; even the small building in front of me appeared ten stories tall and intimidating as hell.

"Why don't you just wait in there, I'll only be a few minutes," he said casually, pointing toward the open room beside him as he passed.

I halted in my steps when I reached the doorway and swallowed hard. It was an interrogation room, with the long rectangular table and uncomfortable looking chairs, even the mirror along the wall – everything I'd ever seen in those reruns of Law and Order and cheesy crime movies.

Oh fuck, I thought to myself as I hesitantly stepped into the room and sat down, feeling very much like I was going to be sick. All I needed at that point were the investigators in dress shirts and ugly ties carrying the styrofoam cups of coffee.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I quickly dialed Bella, needing her now more than ever. She answered on the first ring and her voice was slightly frantic, which did nothing to reassure me. If she was nervous, I could only imagine what I was in for.

"I thought the interrogation rooms in the movies were just Hollywood hype. The two-way mirror is intimidating," I whispered into the phone, attempting to keep the conversation private with my eyes never leaving the wall in front of me. "Do you think he's watching me?"

"I'm gonna kill him. I swear to God!" she practically growled into the phone – well, irritation is better than fear, I thought.

Looking up as movement caught the corner of my eye, I spotted her father walking down the hall— with two styrofoam cups. "Oh shit, he's coming back with the coffee. I gotta go. Love you, baby."

I abruptly ended the call and shoved my phone back into my pocket, sitting up a little straighter and attempting to appear far more confident than I felt.

Bella's father set the cups on the table and went to close the door, snapping the blinds on the window shut. His eyes met mine as he walked back, taking the seat across from me and sliding the chair closer. "So, how long have you and Bella been together?"

Wow, he certainly doesn't beat around the bush, I mused silently as I cleared my throat, trying to formulate the words to reply. "A few months, sir."

"And all this online business? You can understand, in my line of work, why this makes me more than a little nervous," he continued, folding his hands in front of him on the table. "Now, I'm sure you're a good guy and all, as Bella has said. But that's my little girl, my only child. I know I can't protect her forever, but the thought of her being so far away with someone she barely knows—I'd be lying if I said that sat well with me."

My mind ran rampant and then fell completely blank, unable to think of a single way to explain everything to him. That, despite the distance between us, I knew more about Bella than I probably would if we'd met through normal means. The things we felt the freedom to discuss online, without the pretense or nervousness of being face-to-face, granted us an insight into each other that might have taken years to procure through the normal process of dating.

But how to put that into words to her father.

Another aspect that crossed my mind was that I wasn't sure if he knew about New York, or if he believed that our first meeting had resulted in her bolting from Chicago, hurt and devastated. And directly into the line of danger that had led us to the current situation. I felt more sweat beading on my forehead—there was no safe answer.

"Sir, I understand your concerns. Bella and I have gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few months, and grown to care about each other very much. Though I had no idea that she was considering moving to Chicago right after graduation," I started and he grunted in response, taking a sip of coffee.

"So you only intended to keep this online thing going? You don't think she deserved something better than that?"

The distaste in his voice was unsettling and he glared at me sternly. I took a deep breath and shook my head, glancing down at the other cup, considering taking a drink to keep my foot from finding its way further down my throat. I quickly dismissed that thought, knowing the last thing I needed was to be even more jittery.

"Not at all. I'd certainly hoped that at some point we would discuss the possibility of being closer, but as of yet, we hadn't," I said and watched him lean back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Is it actually something you want? Didn't sound like it from the way Bella described it," he replied, his lips pursing slightly in skepticism.

My hand rose to the back of my neck, rubbing it nervously and squeezing my eyes shut. I was digging myself in deeper with every word I spoke.

"Edward, I'm really not trying to be a hardass," he sighed, leaning forward on the table and I opened my eyes to find his features minutely softened while still keeping his voice firm. "I just want what's best for Bella. She has what it takes to really make something of herself, and I'd hate to see her throw it away for something that might not last."

I inhaled deeply and nodded, my hands clasping tightly in front of me. "I see what you're saying. However, I would never do anything to hinder Bella from achieving anything she wanted. She's a very headstrong and determined woman, and that's one of the many things I love about her."

Chief Swan pondered that thought for a moment, his thumb tapping lightly on the table. I swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze. He suddenly chuckled and shook his head, confusing me with his quickly shifting moods. "I've been keeping my eye on you since you first arrived in LA, more so when I learned of your association with her. The fact that you dropped everything to be there with her, despite the circumstances, says a lot. And while finding a man in bed with my daughter in the morning was not on my top ten list of anything I ever wanted to see…"

I felt all the color leave my face at that moment as his eyebrow raised and my stomach lurched into my throat. I instantly had a vision in my head of him lunging across the table and strangling me to within an inch of my life. Mentally putting myself in his shoes, I know I'd probably want to do the same. I tried to speak, but no sound would come out.

"Edward, are you okay? You look like you're gonna be sick," he asked, tilting his head slightly.

He was just noticing that? After sitting there for who knew how long by then, in that room that seemed to grow smaller by the second and sweating my ass off; only then did I appear ill?

I managed a brief nod before he continued. "I truly admire that you haven't left her side any more than you've absolutely had to. And I didn't bring you here to scare the shit out of you, just to talk to you man to man. That being said, however," he paused, standing up and resting his palms on the surface in front of him. "If anything happens to my daughter or you hurt her in any way out there in Chicago, we are going to have a problem. Nothing, not my badge, or even my wife, is more important to me than my little girl."

"Yes sir," I replied quickly, my heart pounding in my chest…

BPOV

"He threatened you?" I exclaimed through clenched teeth, my eyes widening. "That is complete abuse of power. What the hell is wrong with him? He can't do that!"

As I began reaching into my pocket for my phone, completely intent on calling my father, I felt Edward's hand rest over mine. "Bella, don't."

"No, next thing you know, he'll have a private investigator on your ass and background checks in progress, and—"

My words silenced to a muffled grunt as his lips pressed gently to mine, his arm sliding around my shoulders. He pulled away slowly and shook his head as his fingers brushed my cheek. "He was just being a dad. And even if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't be worried anyway. What is he going to find? That I had a speeding ticket ten years ago?"

"Then if it wasn't my father, why have you been acting so weird?" I asked with an exasperated sigh.

Edward's eyes held mine and I felt his hand running slowly along my arm. "Why didn't you tell me about Chicago?"

My gaze fell to his thigh where my fingertips were tracing small circles over the coarse denim of his jeans. "I was going to. I just wanted to see it first. You know, first hand, before I made any kind of firm decision. It's not just being closer to you that I had to consider, though it was definitely a factor. I was planning on talking to you about it in Chicago, before … everything."

Edward nodded solemnly and he pressed his lips to my temple. I leaned into him, wanting nothing more than to feel his arms around me at that moment. He pulled away from me long enough to shift his body and lean me back against his chest between his legs. Surprisingly, it was the most comfortable I'd been in days. I could feel his breath in my hair, smell the horrendous soap he'd had to use in Forks on his skin, combined with his familiar scent lingering in his clothes. His heart beat rhythmically beneath my back and his arms encircled my shoulders across my chest.

More than anything, I felt safe.

"That's why you were asking me all those questions that night in Vegas," he said softly and I looked up at him, and he appeared as distant as he sounded. His eyes returned to me a moment later with sudden realization in them. "About still wanting you if we were closer."

I closed my eyes and nodded slowly, resting my forehead against the side of his neck. "Yeah."

"And you still want to? Despite … everything?" he asked in a nervous tone, swallowing audibly.

"How long are we going to continue being so elusive about it?" I sighed softly, taking his hand with mine where it rested on my shoulder. The events of Chicago were going to be a source of unease between us for quite some time to come, as well as the resulting ones in LA; but only if we allowed them. Our conversations had been limited, at best, since he arrived at the hospital due to our surroundings and never truly being alone, and it was maddening. "Yes, I want to go to Chicago, and I sure as hell want to get out of LA as soon as I possibly can. But some things have changed."

"Such as?" Edward asked and I closed my eyes, running my hand along his arm. The trepidation in his voice was unmistakable, as if worried that I had changed my mind about us; which only made me more certain about my course of action.

"I want to find my own place. Still close to you, but I need to build a life for myself there as well," I replied and I felt his lips press against my collarbone, and I looked to find his eyes squeezed shut. My hand rose to rest along his jaw, tracing my fingers along it as I kissed his forehead. "We need a fresh start, Edward. To date like a regular couple. Nothing between us has ever just been normal. Not that I'm complaining, but I really think we both need that."

I felt his breath finally release from his body, cupping my hand with his, where it still rested on his cheek and kissing my palm. "And to see where things lead from there."

Edward's eyes rose to meet mine, questions residing in their depths that only time would answer. I nodded as I laced my fingers between his, relaxing more back against him. "I love you, and there's nothing I want more than to be with you. But I need to be able to stand on my own two feet as well if I have any chance of surviving in Chicago were anything to happen to us."

His chest deflated as if I'd just knocked the wind out of him with my words, his head falling back as our joined hands lowered to rest at our side. "I know."

My thumb ran along his and I turned my face to kiss along his jaw. "But I'd never give you up without a fight."

Edward's head rose to look at me again, gazing at me for a moment before releasing my hand to cup my face with his. "I love you."

His voice was a hushed whisper, yet it lost none of its meaning as his lips sealed gently over mine. I wanted him, aching to feel his touch and his body against me again. But as I shifted to melt into the kiss, my ribs reminded me sharply of their presence. I righted myself, struggling to breathe through the pain until it eventually subsided. "I can't heal fast enough."

I heard a soft chuckle in his throat as he kissed the tip of my nose and gently stroked my cheek with the backs of his fingers. "We've got time, baby."

"But you're leaving tomorrow," I replied with a slight pout.

"I swear I'll make it up to you, Bella." I opened my eyes to look at him, noting the seriousness in his gaze before he rested his forehead against mine. "Every single moment I've wasted, I'll make up to you, even if it takes forever."

x-x-x

My eyes focused on my lap, trying to hold back the tears forming as I listened to Edward's voice on his phone, requesting a cab to the airport. For all my insistence on taking him there myself, I was unable to convince him, decreasing my time with him even more. I didn't know how I was going to manage saying goodbye to him again with as emotionally taxing as the past week had been.

Yet, as turbulent as it was, I couldn't bring myself to regret it. If anything, I was sure it would be something we would eventually look back on as the kick in the ass we both needed. To force us into the reality of each other as people, rather than the fantasy we'd allowed ourselves to be immersed in.

But that didn't make it any easier to let him go.

"It'll be here in twenty minutes," his voice cut through my thoughts, and I merely nodded in response, my tears finally betraying me and slipping down my cheeks. He knelt down in front of me, his hands resting on my thighs. "Baby, don't cry. We're going to see each other again very soon."

"I know," I replied with a sniffle and a nod, my fingers tracing along his arm but I never lifted my eyes. "I just really wish you'd let me come with you."

"I'd never get on that plane," he said seriously and I finally looked at him. He pressed a gentle kiss against my lips, cradling my face between his hands as he lingered there for a few more seconds and then pulled away. "And I have to work in the morning, and you have school. Real life calls."

"I've had more than enough 'real life' in the past few days to last me a lifetime," I retorted in a huff and he emitted an uncomfortable chuckle. "The thought of three more months until I can touch you again … it's hard."

"I know. For me, too," Edward whispered and I sucked in a sudden breath, ignoring the twinge it caused. "What?"

"Hold on a second," I spoke in a rush, pushing him back gently and standing from the couch. I hardly registered his confused gaze as I made my way into my bedroom, and knelt down in front of my suitcase.

"Bella, what are you doing?" he asked from the doorway as I began tossing the garments inside to the floor haphazardly.

"Hold on!" I repeated in exclamation, continuing to shuffle through the clothing until my fingers met the soft material they were searching for.

Edward's grey t-shirt.

He raised an eyebrow at me as I stood, pressing it against his chest as I passed him on my way back out to the living room. He watched me silently as I unzipped his duffel bag and retrieved the shirt he'd worn when he arrived in LA. I held it to my face and drew in a slow breath, inhaling his scent.

My eyes opened to find his shoes directly in front of me, and then looked up to where he dangled the other shirt from his fingertips with a curious expression on his face.

"I took it out of your bag in New York while you were in the bathroom. To sleep in when I got home," I said with a hint of embarrassment in my voice. "Thought that maybe if I could smell you, I'd sleep better. And it sorta worked, until it started smelling like me instead. Stupid, I know."

"Not at all," he replied after a moment, holding his hand out for mine. I took it and rose from the floor to stand in front of him, his arms sliding around my waist. "Wish I'd thought of it myself, as a matter of fact."

Edward's lips lowered to mine again and I returned his kiss passionately until his forehead rested against mine to catch his breath.

"I love you," I whispered with closed eyes, more tears welling behind them.

"And I love you," he replied, running his hands along my back. He attempted to step away from me and I gripped his shoulder with my good hand, shaking my head. "I have to go, baby."

"Just kiss me, one more time. Please," I cried softly, my fingers slipping around his neck and he didn't hesitate in responding. His lips met mine again in a slow, passionate kiss, his tongue brushing lightly against mine before he reluctantly broke it again.

"We'll be together again before you know it, Bella. And then, I'm never leaving you again."

I nodded and hesitantly released him, watching as he hoisted his bag onto his shoulder on his way to the door. He looked back at me one last time as he opened it, holding the t-shirt I had given back to him to his face and the corners of his eyes wrinkled in a smile before disappearing into the hall.

And my heart shattered.

EPOV

Walking out that door tore me apart, watching the tears streaming down her face and her lip trembling even between her teeth. Before I'd even made it down that first step, I was already fighting the urge to turn back, and I knew I'd made the right decision in going to the airport alone.

As I sat in the back of the cab, my fingers manipulated the fabric in my hands and a half-smile came to my lips. I remembered looking for that particular t-shirt when I'd returned from New York, figuring that I must have missed it and left it behind in the room; although, I was certain I remembered packing it. The discovery that Bella had taken it from my bag while I wasn't looking, to take a part of me home with her, both amused me and made her all the more endearing.

When I arrived home hours later, I immediately retrieved it from the side pocket in which I'd secluded it and changed into it, surrounding myself in her scent. I was exhausted from the tumultuous week that had just transpired, and while I missed her dreadfully, I felt an odd sense of peace; like the serene calm after a storm. I had hope for the future with her again.

Retrieving my phone from my pocket, I opened a blank text message and began typing.

Just wanted to tell you goodnight and you smell really good. ;)

I pressed send and set my alarm, climbing into bed and closing my eyes until my phone vibrated on my bedside table. I laughed out loud as I read her reply.

You're lucky I know what you're talking about, or that would be kinda creepy. And you do too. Goodnight, love you.

Love you too. Tty tomm. Don't forget to lock up.

I could almost see the roll of her eyes and hear her groan the moment I hit send, knowing how she felt that her father's request, and mine as well, was on the verge of over-protective. Nonetheless, she replied with a simple "I won't".

x-x-x

"Okay, how about this one?" Bella's exasperated voice came through my headset as another link to an available apartment appeared in my window.

I clicked on it, noting the location and immediately began shaking my head. "No way, baby. That's way too far out and definitely not in the best of neighborhoods."

I watched her through the webcam as she threw her hands up in the air and leaned back into her chair roughly. "I give up! I'm never going to find anything. I'm beginning to think you're making this up just so I'll move in with you instead."

"The thought has crossed my mind," I teased and laughed as she narrowed her eyes at me. "But I promise, that's not it. I just want you safe and close to work."

"And to you," she replied with pursed lips, attempting to hide the hint of a smile.

I had to admit, I'd initially been a little disappointed when Bella informed me before I left LA that she wanted to have a place of her own in Chicago. And even felt a twinge of guilt when she explained why; but her reasoning was sound. She was starting a new life in Chicago, and she needed to make it for herself. With being fresh out of college, I understood her desire to prove to herself and her parents that she could do it on her own. We'd also be starting a new phase in our relationship, one that she seemed to be looking forward to, while still understandably nervous.

Dating. Dinners. Movies. Holding hands and kissing goodnight at the end of the evening. Normalcy.

As much as I knew she wanted that, it was also the aspect that scared her. "Normal" was where I had panicked and shut myself down from her. It was probably going to be a long road for us before she felt certain that I wasn't going to leave her.

We'd even talked a bit about it over the past month and a half since we'd been apartment hunting for Bella, between nightly chats and frequent text messages during the day. She'd applied for an internship at an architecture firm only a few miles from the hospital, and had been accepted; one step closer to making her move to Chicago permanent. And with that step came time for decisions, both about her apartment and us.

Bella had decided to look into six-month leases first, with the possibility to renew, as it presented her with the best options. She didn't want to be locked into a one year lease if things between us progressed as we hoped, and we were ready to move forward in our relationship in a shorter period of time. And on the flipside, if we weren't to that point in six months, she wasn't rushing to find another place to live.

"All right, this is one that I think can make us both happy," I said, copying the link into her window and tapping the enter key. "Close to work and me, and still in your price range."

Bella rested her chin on her palm as she clicked the link, her eyes flickering over the screen. "I think I may have a closet bigger than that bathroom."

"Bella," I groaned, rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms.

"I know, I know. I have less than two months to find a place before the move," Bella sighed heavily. "But who could blame me for preferring the view of my gorgeous boyfriend over a dingy apartment."

My brow tightened before lowering my hands to find her beautiful face framed by hers, and a glint in her eyes that I hadn't seen since Vegas. While we hadn't gone a single evening without hearing the other's voice after that first night home from LA, talking was as far as we'd gone. With the healing time required for her body and our relationship, we'd been slowly building the intimacy and trust back up between us, while never failing to express the love we had for each other.

However, electricity seemingly sparked in the air around me as I watched her tongue snake out to moisten her lower lip, and I couldn't help myself—I was instantly hard.

"I've missed you, Edward," Bella whispered, resting back in her chair again and trailing her fingers slowly down her neck. I cleared my throat and discreetly adjusted myself in my jeans, as they continued between her breasts, circling the right one with her index finger… over my t-shirt.

"Oh fuck," I breathed out heavily, swallowing hard but unable to take my eyes off the incredibly sexy woman on my screen.

"I've missed that, too," she said with a soft giggle and I raised my eyebrow at her. If she noticed my facial expression, she disguised it well as she took on an airy tone. "You know, I was doing a little bit of packing today, since it's never too early to start. And I came across a drawer full of some pretty interesting things."

"Oh really?" I replied, thoroughly confused by her change of topic.

Bella hummed softly with a nod, a mischievous smirk reappearing on her face. "From a certain shopping trip with Rose."

A surge rushed through my body with her words and her shift in tone. Images flashed through my mind with the results of the last "shopping trip with Rose" she'd mentioned to me; the stripper pole, her striptease … and that chair.

"I thought about just packing them away, but that would be such a waste," she spoke in a sultry tone, as she lifted a black lace bra in front of the camera, followed by the matching thong panties. Garment after garment passed over my screen, in a variety of fabrics and colors. Blue satin, lavender lace, white sheer—all of which I could envision on her beautiful body and I released a groan as my cock pressed against the front of my jeans. "It really was a tough decision as to what I should actually wear tonight. Interested?"

"You have no idea, baby," I groaned, inciting a smile from her as she stood, her fingers loosening the ties of her pants. As she began lowering them over her slender hips, I caught the hint of a black strap before the t-shirt fell to cover it. "Not fair."

"Patience, doctor," she teased as her pants fell from her body and she stepped out of them. It had been so long since I'd seen her this way, that even the view of her bare legs beneath the oversized shirt she wore was so damn sexy. And my body reacted accordingly. "Your turn. Lose the pants."

I drew in a deep breath, reaching down to unbutton my jeans when she stopped me, shaking her head and waving her finger.

"No, no. Stand up, I want to see," she said as she sat back down, bending her knee under her chin in that way she knew I couldn't resist. She was the perfect combination of sweet and sexy when she did that, and it drove me insane. "Please."

That one simple word caused me to shudder, watching her tilt her head to the side to rest her cheek on her knee. Oh, she's pulling out all the stops tonight.

I stood and pushed my chair back, bringing myself more into her view as my button came loose and I lowered my zipper. Her breath became a little heavier and her teeth dragged over her bottom lip as the denim slid over my hips and fell to the floor.

"God, have I ever told you what great thighs you have?" Bella asked in a breathless voice, her hand rising to massage her breast again.

My eyes widened in surprise, not only at her statement, but also with the increasing level of arousal in her voice. While there was no doubt that I'd missed the vixen side of Bella, I hadn't expected her to be as receptive to the level of intimacy between us at that moment for quite some time—let alone initiate it. Desire heavily laced her voice and gaze, as well as her actions, as her hand grazed over her breast and slid beneath the view of the webcam.

"Thighs, huh?" I asked curiously, fighting an amused smile while never taking my gaze off her.

Bella's eyes slipped closed and her head leaned back, nodding slowly with her bottom lips held enticingly between her teeth. Fuck, she's beautiful. "So firm and muscular. The way they fill out your jeans. The way they feel against me while you're fucking me from behind."

I lowered myself back into my chair with a deep groan, as memories flooded me. Such as the night I took her in New York, bent over the edge of the bed; in Las Vegas, with our hands gripping the headboard. Each time, there was a look of absolute rapture on her face. My cock throbbed and I gripped myself through my boxer briefs, anxious to relieve the ache she was causing in my body. "Fuck, let me see you, Bella."

Her hazy eyes opened with my desperate plea, staring straight into the camera and she finally stood. Her fingers curled around the left edge of the shirt, lifting the corner to show me a hint of the panties she wore underneath. That thin black strap on her hip that I'd caught before led to deep red satin with black lace overlay.

"More," I whispered breathlessly as her hand dropped the fabric and repeated the action on the other side, this time tracing her fingers along her bikini line. "I need to see that body."

"Your memories getting fuzzy?" Bella asked, slowly lifting the shirt to expose her lower abdomen and stopping again.

"Never. I see you every night." My eyes trained on her skin, wishing so much that I could touch and kiss it.

"Well, obviously," she said with a roll of her eyes, finally removing the garment from her body. "You'd have to be blind not to."

I shook my head, taking in the gorgeous view before me. The dark colors of the bra and panties she wore offset the paleness of her skin, causing my fingers literally to twitch with the urge to touch her. "No, baby. After the camera is off. When I'm all alone in bed, missing you. I can't help myself."

One perfect eyebrow rose as she gestured for me to stand and remove my shirt as well. "You've been getting yourself off without me?"

I nodded shamelessly and tossed my t-shirt aside. "I'd never get to sleep otherwise. You have no idea how hard you make me without even trying."

"Well, in that case," she said, pursing her lips as her thumbs hooked around the straps on her hips, lowering the skimpy underwear down her legs. "I think you owe me an orgasm or two before you get any form of relief tonight. So I'm just going to make myself comfortable."

My eyes widened slightly as a devious smile grew on her face along with her statement. The walls of her apartment passed in a blur behind her as she moved, until the familiar sight of her bed came into view. She set her laptop down on the mattress, teasing me with the last piece of clothing she wore, just as she had the very first time I actually laid eyes on her all those months before. And in the same setting as well.

"I want to see you. All of you. So I can see your hands at all times," she said in a gravelly voice, heavy with arousal as she lowered the strap of her bra torturously slow. "I want nothing obscuring my vision of your cock while I imagine it inside of me, not even those amazing fingers. So the boxers have got to go, too."

I felt my breaths leaving my body heavily, though I hardly noticed the tightness it caused in my chest. I began rolling my chair back, each movement inciting a 'more' from Bella's lips, until I was at just the right distance for her. Watching her take charge was so fucking hot, but I was also physically aching for her, and knowing that I would be watching her with no relief … it was likely to kill me.

Bella hummed contentedly, lowering one side of her bra to reveal her breast as she watched me stand to remove my boxer briefs. "That's something I'll never grow tired of. It's like hitting the jackpot every time."

I began to roll my eyes, but caught the sight of her lying back on the bed, running her fingertips over her bare breast. My hands gripped the arms of my chair firmly as I sat back down, watching her circle around her nipple and return her eyes to me.

"I really have missed you so much," she whispered, her hands rising to the front of her bra and unlatching the clasp there. The two sides fell away and her back arched as she slid it from her body, tossing it above her head. "I miss you touching me, kissing me, fucking me until nothing else in the world exists."

I watched Bella's fingers slither down her body and slip inside her with the last words to leave her lips. An audible gasp filled my ears and caused my cock to send another painful reminder to my brain that there was a beautiful, naked woman on my screen—and I was doing nothing about it. "You're killing me, baby."

A smirk tugged at her lips and she shook her head, rolling toward the camera. "I haven't even begun, baby," she replied, repeating my sentiment and then shifting her body so that the camera was directly between her legs. My grip tightened on the arms of my chair, as it became all the more difficult to restrain myself, when her fingers slid along her clit and began circling it in a tantalizing motion. "Now I've begun. And don't you dare touch that cock."

I clenched my jaw, watching her as she pleasured herself in front of me; all the while, her eyes remained focused on the screen. "And if I do?"

"There will be consequences," she replied breathlessly.

Leaning forward in my chair with my elbows on the armrests, I shook my head. "I don't think there will."

"Dare to try me?" she challenged with a calm voice, but the motion of her hand spoke in contradiction as it increased in speed against her; this was exactly what she wanted.

"I think I do," I replied, nodding as my hand loosened its grip on the chair and moved to my cock. I kept it still, torturing myself but also sparking a fire inside her, and her eyes narrowed. "Not a damn thing you can do about it, is there, sweetheart?"

"Oh … God!" she growled through clenched teeth, her eyes closing tightly. "You just wait."

Her heavy pants removed all conviction from her attempted threat, her breasts rising and falling in rhythm with each breath. "I'm trembling, Bella," I stated sarcastically with a cocky grin and my hand began its movement. "I don't think you'd want to carry it through even if you were here to stop me. Then again, I'd be buried inside you and making you come before you had a chance to give it any thought."

Bella moaned a loud "fuck!" and her half-lidded eyes pinched shut, at which my motions increased. I closed my own briefly in the sheer pleasure of the moment before returning my gaze to her. "One month … three weeks … four days … shit!"

Watching Bella in the midst of orgasm had always been a beautiful and fascinating sight to me. But hearing her count down the time we had left before we'd finally be together again at the same time … it quickly became my breaking point as well. I felt the pit of my stomach coil, the tendons in my neck flex, and the warm flush surge through my body before I released a resonating groan with my climax.

Nothing and no one could ever make me come the way Bella did; even the memories of her I'd been coaxing out of the back of my mind every single night. Nothing compared to staring into those beautiful green eyes, taking in the exact shape of those full pouty lips and every curve of her gorgeous body.

My eyes remained closed for several moments as I fought to regain myself, but I finally looked up to find her sprawled across her bed, almost appearing as if she were sleeping. "Bella?"

"You think you could call about that apartment tomorrow while I'm at school, since you're off?" she asked, yet only her lips moved and her voice was soft. "The closer I am to you, the better. This is torture."

I chuckled lightly and her eyes finally opened, a smile slowly spreading across her lips. I reached down for the clean towel I still kept in my drawer, nodding as I wiped down my chest. "Yeah, I can take care of that for you."

"Thank you," she whispered, her eyes slipping closed again.

I thought about saying goodnight right then and letting her sleep, but one thing kept nagging at my thoughts. "Baby?" I stated softly, rolling closer to the desk and she hummed in response. "Nothing? All this time?"

"I fibbed," Bella replied and her lips began twitching in restraint of a smile. My eyes widened and she laughed when she finally looked at me. "There's no way I couldn't. I see you every night, too, Edward."

I sighed, running my hand through my hair as I continued to gaze at her face. She was so much different from the girl who'd messaged me in drunken randomness months before, and I was nowhere near the same man.

I'd experienced true happiness and love, as well as heartbreak and despair; everything I'd never taken the time to experience or even acknowledge its existence. For the first time, I wasn't fitting a relationship into a career, but finding a way for the two parts of myself to co-exist.

And as for Bella—gone was the nervous, unsure girl who'd logged on that second night, finally sober. In her place was a beautiful, confident woman, taking charge of her life for the first time. Even after her attack, once she got her feet on the ground and her attacker in custody, she persevered—where six months before, she still might have crumbled.

Nothing in our lives was perfect, nor would it ever be. We'd both finally come to the realization that it didn't need to be in order for us to be perfectly content within it.

"I love you, Bella." I whispered, watching her eyes fighting to stay open. "You should get some sleep."

Bella reluctantly nodded and sat up. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. I love you, too, Edward. Goodnight."

And with one last kiss blown from her fingertips, my screen went black.

End Note: All that's left now is the epilogue, which I hope to have completed in relatively short order. Even though it will be difficult to say goodbye to this story and its characters, it's been an amazing ride to write them and watch them grow. So thank you all for riding along with me.