Chapter 29

Carlisle and Esme opted out of the party that was going on behind the house. Emmett had taken the time to set up a few little yard games and brought out some golf tees and clubs so whoever wanted to could drive a few balls into the woods. From what the two of them could tell, their back yard looked like a camp ground with a badminton net set up, and volleyball.

As night drew in, they had begun lighting off fireworks. Their loud banter could surely be heard for miles if you were immortal.

"Charlie's going to have to come over for a noise complaint," Esme joked. She was cleaning up miscellaneous items that were scattered about the living room. Carlisle sat outstretched on the couch watching the local news station.

"It's a summer celebratory party according to Edward."

"I'm sure that's all it is..." Esme said.

He turned, "What do you mean?"

"It's a Peter interrogation party."

Carlisle smiled, "Smart young men we have."

Esme gave him a look and shook her head with a smile. He turned back around and changed the news to a ball game that was on.

Outside, everyone was having a good time. William was the only one a little down with the absence of Maddy. He went through the motions, though his body language showed his displeasure of the situation.

Rosalie looked over at his moody posture and grabbed Emmett by the arm as he went to walk by. "I feel bad for Will."

He looked over at his son, who sat alone on a rock by the edge of the woods, "He'll be fine." Emmett wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"I feel bad that they have to be so far apart all the time."

"I thought you said they were a little too... attached at the hip."

She shrugged, "It's almost not fair in a sense that they progress to this level so fast. I mean in every sense, they're no different from you and I. They just physically haven't been alive for as long. I couldn't imagine going from being a kid to a hormone filled twenty year old in just a couple of months."

"They see each other often. One night won't kill him."

Rosalie continued to look over at him while his thumbs worked rapidly at the keyboard of his cell phone sending a text message to, she thought for certain was, Maddy.

Alice walked over and handed Emmett a bottle of wine, "Here you go. Happy summer."

He smiled and looked at Rosalie, "Share it with me babe. How often do we do this?"

She sighed and shrugged.

Edward joined up with him and subtly told him to take a look a Peter, who was already indulging himself in a bottle on his own.

"Don't let Alex have any," Emmett said.

"I'm not," he assured him, "Masen's watching over her shoulder."

"So protective," Rosalie smiled, "I get it though." She looked over at William again, who hadn't detached his eyes from the I-phone screen.

The night carried on and everyone ended up migrating into a group by the volleyball net that Emmett and Jasper had set up earlier.

"Let's share some stories," Edward suggested. He held the volleyball in one hand and tossed it to Alice, "Share a funny moment."

"Hmm..." she said as she caught the ball. She looked down at it, "Well... I guess I'll go with a recent one," she looked at Jasper, "As much as I hated him at the time, Emmett took Jasper's clothes and mine the night of Nessy's wedding."

Emmett laughed and looked over at Rosalie, who was hearing of the event for the first time.

She smiled, "And how did he take your clothes if they were on your bodies?"

"They weren't on our bodies," Jasper said with a laugh.

Bella looked at Edward and smiled. He let out a light laugh before Alice tossed the ball in her direction.

"Bella... any embaressing moments you'd like to share?"

She grinned, "Like to share... not really.. but I guess I'll think of something in the spirit of the game."

Edward laughed and whispered something to her. She laughed for a second and shook her head, "No way."

"Bells..." Emmett taunted, "Let's go."

She made a face and looked at Edward, shaking her head, "Well.. there was a time when Edward and I were staying over in a hotel with Carlisle and Esme," she looked over at Luciana, "It was when we went cross country with you."

Luciana nodded, remembering the bittersweet memory.

Bella looked down and smiled and shook her head. Edward tried to hold back a laugh behind her. "I can't..." she said.

"Yes you can..." Emmett urged.

"She walked into the wrong hotel room and kind of saw Carlisle's-"

Bella jumped up and put a hand over his mouth before the last word could come out.

Alice and Jasper started laughing, as did Emmett and Rosalie.

"Ugh," Masen made a face and looked over at his sister who proceeded to put her hands on her ears. They both made eye contact and shared a quick laugh.

"I don't know if it was me or him that was more..."

"Scarred for life?" Emmett asked.

Bella tossed the ball over to Peter, "What's your best memory of the past year Peter?"

Edward had urged Alice to start up this game so Peter would have to think on the spot. He thought he would be able to get a better read of his true intentions this way.

"Best memory." His eyes wandered around and landed on Alexandra, "I think it's when I met all of you. I was lost for awhile. Haven't killed a human in a long time."

"Yay," Luciana clapped and Seth smiled.

Peter looked down shyly and Edward could tell from his thoughts that he was deliberately avoiding eye contact with him. He continued to stare to try to make him slip again. His thoughts did not match his answer and Edward was taking mental notes.

A few feet away, Emmett stared down Edward to try to get a read of what his brother was thinking. Michael, too, kept eyeing him and Jasper was attempting to communicate with Alice.

Peter tossed the ball to Luciana, sending everyone's eyes in her direction, aside from Edward.

"Lucy," Peter said, clearing his throat unnecessarily, "What's your favorite thing about Seth?"

Seth smiled and looked at her. She ran a quick hand through his hair, "His honesty." He grinned again and she kissed him on the cheek as he squeezed her close to him with one arm.

Luciana tossed the ball over her shoulder to William, "When was the last time you were scared?"

"Hmm..." he thought for a second, putting his phone into his pocket, "I suppose the only time I've ever really been scared was when your dad busted me and Maddy for swimming in that lake." He looked over at Rosalie, "Not to bring up bad memories."

She looked at him with a quick shrug before he tossed the ball to Emmett, "Dad.. what was the absolute best moment of your life... human or vampire years?"

"The first second I saw you," Emmett said right away.

There were a few "awws" around the group before he winked at Rosalie and tossed the ball back to Peter, "Peter... what's something that makes you very nervous?"

Edward tried to hide his wide smirk at Peter's expression.

"Uh... you do.." he stuttered.

Rosalie started cracking up and Alice let out a light laugh. Bella looked at Edward, who had a dissatisfied look on his face. Peter's answer was, indeed, honest that time. Edward had hoped he'd be able to catch him in a lie at the question Emmett had asked.

Peter tossed the ball to Michael, who looked a little off guard as he caught it. He looked at Peter and waited for his question.

"What's your biggest fear?" Peter asked him.

Michael thought for a second and let his mind wander, "Being alone... or selling myself short." His eyes scanned everyone, never landing on Alexandra as she looked toward him as he spoke, "What's yours Peter?"

"Oh, I don't have the ball," Peter said, though Edward picked up a few scattered thoughts.

Michael lofted the ball high into the air and it landed in Peter's palms, "What's your biggest fear?" he asked again.

Peter looked down and tried to study the colors of the ball, making red, white and blue his covering thoughts. He knew Edward could be onto him at any minute. "Um..." he looked around, "Losing someone I love."

Edward looked over at Emmett and gave him the most subtle of head shakes, indicating Peter was lying.

William picked up on their non verbal communication, and Michael's eyes wandered from person to person.

Peter slung an arm around Alexandra and kissed her temple, knowing she continued to eat up every word he was saying. She leaned into him and took in a deep breath.

As much as Edward wanted to call him out, he chose to keep his silence to get some better information. If Peter thought his mind tricks were working, it would be easier for Edward to find something out that perhaps Alexandra, or his family, could benefit from a little more.

"What?" Bella whispered, almost not letting the word even slip out of her mouth.

He squeezed her arm and motioned that he'd tell her later on.

Peter looked at his watch, "I should probably be heading back home. I told Garrett I'd go surfing with him tonight. Tide's supposed to be nice."

Alexandra let a look of disappointment cross her face as most of the people in their group stood up.

"Not going to say goodbye to the in-laws?" Jasper joked, eager to get a few more minutes in so Edward could continue his antics.

"Yeah," Peter said, "No. I am."

"Well which is it Pete, yes or no?" Emmett asked.

"Em..." Rosalie said, tugging on his sleeve.

He smiled and followed Peter into the house with Alexandra on his arm. Edward and Bella walked in before them and Emmett watched as Peter's eyes traveled the length of Bella's figure. As bad as he tried to fight it, his eyes won the battle. He turned to Rosalie, who hadn't been paying as much attention.

Carlisle and Esme were in front of the television and turned as everyone began to pile in.

"Shoes!" Esme called, "Don't track dirt all over my house."

"Hear that Carlisle?" Emmett said, "It's her house."

"It's always been her house, Emmett," he said with a smile.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," Peter said, "Thank you for letting us get together like this. We had a good time."

"You're welcome," Esme said, as Carlisle gave him a nod. They both stood up to escort him toward the door, as that's where he was heading.

Alexandra looked at him and waited to see if he'd initiate another plan to get together.

Carlisle held out a hand and Peter shook it, "Thanks," he said again.

"It's no problem," Carilsle told him, eager to hear if Edward had anything good to tell him.

Esme gave Peter a quick hug and Carlisle shifted his eyes to Edward for a moment. He began to look away, though realized he was trying to signal him and brought his eyes right back.

"Come back down tomorrow if you want," Edward said, "We're having a big game of capture the flag as a family."

"Capture the flag?" Peter asked, immediately regretting how his thoughts were directly thinking how dumb he thought the game was.

"That's right," Edward said, "If you'd care to join us that is. Don't feel obligated to come."

"That... sounds great," he said, looking at Alexandra. The two of them wandered outside for a moment before she quickly returned, sending all of them looks as she did.

"Bella," Edward said, "I think you and the girls should go hunt."

She recognized that he wanted them out of the house and trusted his motives, "Okay. Yeah, I definitely need to hunt."

He turned his back so Esme couldn't see him and mouthed Alexandra's name. Bella nodded and asked Renesme to join her first, then Alice and eventually Alexandra so she wouldn't think anything of it.

When they had gone, Edward turned to his parents.

"What's going on Edward?" Esme asked.

"He's a scumbag," Edward told them, flat out.

"What?" Esme asked, "Why? What happened?"

"His thoughts. We put him on the spot with some question game that Alice brilliantly came up with. He was on edge, his thoughts were coming through."

"He checked out Bella," Emmett called, joining their conversation, "I saw him."

"When?" Edward flipped around to face him.

"When you were walking into the house just now."

Edward shook his head, "When we walked in, he was repeatedly naming off colors in the order they appear in the rainbow... red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet," he continued to look baffled, "I was wondering why, but that's what he does. When he wants to block out a thought, he'll go to some safety phrase that seems like it's out of the blue."

"Saw that coming a mile away," Emmett shook his head and looked to Rosalie, who had overheard most of their conversation.

"He wasn't as successful when he gave you a hug," Edward said, looking at Esme.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Carlisle narrowed his eyebrows and looked to both of them.

"That's why I gave you a look Carlisle," he explained, "I'm not going to tell you what he was thinking."

"This guy's a player," Emmett said, "I called it from day one."

Carlisle inhaled a deep breath and looked at Esme, shaking his head.

"So, what do we do now?" Emmett asked.

"I'll talk to her," Rosalie volunteered, "I think it'll be better if it's from me."

"Why'd you invite him back tomorrow?" Esme asked Edward.

"To continue our test," he explained.

"Yeah," Emmett cracked his knuckles, "We have a plan."