True Love Way

Chapter 25

"Where's your car?" Bella looked around in the driveway, as if it were her first time out of the house.

"On the street – over there. We'll have to stop by the rental place and see if I need to put more down to take it out of state." I headed towards it, expecting her to follow. She didn't.

"I don't understand. Where's your car? I can't believe how self-centered I'm being. I didn't even ask how the trip down was. You drove straight through again, didn't you? Did your car break down?"

I placed our bags in the trunk and returned to her. "I didn't have time to drive. I got this at the airport. Here."

"You… flew?"

I hadn't even thought of how that news might affect her. I went into damage control to lighten the mood. "I don't know if you could call it flying, really. It didn't feel like I was in the air very long. Up and down. I did get to visit three states on my journey, so that's something. I'll tell you all about my adventure on the drive home." I followed it up with an easy grin.

She blinked at me, straight-faced. "You flew – alone."

I nodded, dropping the grin.

"How did you… why did you do that?"

Instantly I assumed this knowledge frightened her. If the plane crash kept her from flying, of course she would worry about me. I approached her carefully, tipping her chin up to look me in the eyes. "It's all good, Bella. I'm here, and that's all that matters. Nothing happened to me."

"Weren't you scared?" she asked in a whisper.

"I was too concerned with getting to you to be scared. I was scared for you, not myself."

One corner of her mouth lifted into a tiny grin. "You flew for me?"

I placed my hands on her waist as I touched my forehead to hers. "I believe I told you years ago that I'd do that for you. Only you." I brushed away the tear that streamed down her face. She was smiling – the tear was out of place. "Is there anything you want to do before we leave Phoenix?" We had already said our goodbyes to Kate, Garrett, and Tanya, with an invitation to visit us in Washington.

"Yeah. We're going to go get my car and ditch the rental."

That one little statement put a grin on my face that wouldn't stop. If Bella wanted her car, that meant she was staying in Port Angeles. She was really coming home. I let out a low whistle when she directed me towards what could only be classed as an estate at the end of a mile-long driveway. "Pretty fancy storage place. Do they charge much for keeping your car?" I teased.

"This is Marcus and Gianna's house," she informed me quietly. "Was…"

I took it all in as we drove past the sprawling house to a garage beside it. The garage alone was larger than the house I'd grown up in. "They had a bit of money, huh?" I quipped as we got out of the car.

Bella chuckled beside me. "You could say that."

"I could say that this place is bigger than some college dorms. You lived here?"

She turned towards the house. "I had the lower level in this wing. Gianna had a studio above. When I wasn't at school, I spent most of my time with her up there. I loved watching her paint."

I stood close behind her, drawing her back against me. "Have you been back inside? Could the lawyer arrange that for you?" I figured she'd want closure on this portion of her life.

"It's all been arranged. It's mine now."

I held my breath, thinking I must have heard wrong. "Pardon?"

"It's mine," she repeated in monotone.

"The house? They left you the house?"

"The house – and all its contents. The property, the vehicles, the stocks, bonds, bank accounts. I even have their subscription to National Geographic."

"Damn," I muttered quietly. "They really adored you."

She merely pressed closer to me in response.

"Can we get the subscription transferred to Port Angeles? I've always wanted one."

I felt her body tense and then shake. Just when I thought I'd chose the wrong moment to joke, she tipped her head back and laughed. A full-bodied laugh like she used to do as a teenager when we'd try to shock each other with crazy antics. It was beautiful. And it ended with quiet tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm a very rich woman, Edward. And none of it means a thing without them. They left everything they owned to me – 'The daughter they chose. Their angel.'" Her voice cracked as she repeated their words. I wondered if she recalled Emmett saying she was their angel, too. "I don't want it."

"Of course you'd rather have your friends. That's understandable."

"I really don't want it," she reiterated as she turned to face me. "Would that be a slap in the face, do you think? Am I being an ungrateful little bitch by not accepting their generosity in death?"

"I think it just means that they meant more to you than anything material. That's not a slap in the face. That's being you, and I'm sure it's one of the reasons they loved you so much. You know you don't have to make any decisions right now. It's still too fresh to not hurt."

She grinned sadly. "That's exactly what Dad said."

"Charlie's a brilliant man," I offered with a smile.

"He's always told me that himself," she said jokingly. Her eyes were still wet, but they glimmered with a hint of something other than sadness. "You're quite brilliant in your own way too, you know. I've always valued your opinion more than anyone's. Would you be upset if you didn't have a stinking rich girlfriend?"

I let out a laugh. "Bella, I can honestly say that I'd take you penniless. It's not about what you have or don't have – it's all about you."

She stared at me in deep thought. "Do you love me?"

Stunned by her blunt question for only a moment, my face lit up. "More than you could ever know."

"I think I do know," she responded softly. "You flew for me."

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Bella. I love you. With all my heart, I love you." It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders – and my heart. My eyes filled with unshed tears, mirroring hers. "It feels so fucking amazing to actually say that. You have no idea."

She chewed on her lip before breaking into her own smile. "Let me try it… I love you, Edward. So, so much. I love you. I love you. I really, honest to God, love you."

"My sentiments exactly," I whispered before claiming her lips.

~ 0 ~

While I wanted Bella to know I was there to support her in every way and take care of her, the last thing I wanted to do was crowd her. When she requested that I take the rental car back and she would meet me there, I felt like she needed some space to say her goodbyes to the memories in the grand house. The closer we got to actually leaving Phoenix, the stronger she seemed, so I obliged. That said, I was pleasantly relieved to find her already at the passenger pick-up when I arrived there. She was smiling, leaning against a silver car.

"Hey, beautiful girl," I called out as I approached her. "Seems like forever since I've seen you."

Snickering, she stood on her toes to kiss me. "See, this is how it should have been when you arrived. Every woman here is extremely jealous right now."

"I'm sure they are. That car's in high demand for moms everywhere."

"You don't like my Volvo?"

"You said Volvo, right?" I teased with a naughty smirk. "Well, it's… shiny."

She tugged on the front of my shirt with both fists. "It's safe. That's why Marcus chose it."

"Ah, of course. For the baby." I felt like an ass even joking about it now. "It's great. We'll ride home in comfort and security, I'm sure." I held the passenger door open for her.

"We can alternate driving," she suggested when I got behind the wheel and made the necessary adjustments to accommodate my long legs.

"Absolutely not. I plan to take care of you in every way, Bella. You're resting. I'm driving."

I glanced beside me when she didn't respond. She was smiling at me with affection in her eyes. "Taking care of me, huh?"

"That's right. Everyone needs taken care of at some point in their life. I've been taken care of most of mine. And I tend to think you missed out on it coming your way when you've needed it. I can't change that, but I can try to make up for it – if you'll let me."

"I think I like the idea of being taken care of by you right now. Besides, I don't have much strength to argue."

"Good. Kick back and relax and just let me drive… the Volvo. I'm driving. A Volvo."

Bella clucked her tongue at me in reproach. "Stop with the Volvo hate."

Grinning, I pulled away from the curb. "I thought we'd go northwest. Toward the coast. Sound good? Let me know when you need a pit stop, or if there's a particular place you want to stop for the night. I won't do a straight drive-through with you in the car. Too much at stake."

"Speaking of stakes, we should stop in Vegas. I could lose my new fortune and be done with it."

"We could get married in Vegas." I was only partially kidding, but I flashed a cheesy grin to put her at ease. The sound of her laughter was so sweet, I never wanted it to end.

"Without Don Everly?" Bella gasped with amusement. "He'd never forgive us. And my dad would kill me. Your parents would kill me." Bella continued laughing about it. I understood she had no clue I would honestly marry her in a flash. "Wouldn't Don look adorable in a little tux?"

"With tails?" I waggled my eyebrows, mocking my own bad joke. "Speaking of Don, I know for a fact that he doesn't give a shit if you have money or not. He's completely happy with a slightly used toy and underwear."

Bella stopped laughing. "Oh god, Edward. Don't tell me he got at them again?"

"Sorry. I know I promised to keep him away from them, but I felt so bad with both of us leaving him. They were torn anyway…"

"Please tell me they're not my pregnant fat-ass ones."

"You never had a fat ass," I countered.

"You know what I mean! There are certain ones that are strictly for comfort. I've never even let you see me in them!"

"Ohhhh, you mean the ones you would typically see hanging on a clothes line behind an old couple's house? Nah. He didn't care for those ones either."

"Shut up!" She was back to laughing.

"No, he has good taste in panties. Trust me. They're perfectly acceptable in company."

"Emmett is never going to let me live this down, is he?"

It was my turn to laugh. "Not in a thousand years."

When I looked across at her again, she was smiling with her head back and eyes closed. Perfectly content and beautiful.

"I missed all of you so much," she announced quietly. "I'll gladly take all of his ribbing."

We pulled into a motel just inside the California border. I'd had to forgo my glasses for my contact lenses since I'd forgotten to bring my clip-on sunglasses. My eyes were beyond dry and irritated. I didn't want to risk crashing the shiny Volvo. Bella looked worn-out herself, so it was better all round to have an early night. I called Rosalie and let her know our plans. Bella got on the phone with her afterwards and they talked for an hour or so while I flicked through channels on the TV. I decided to take a quick shower since they didn't seem to be ending their conversation anytime soon.

I was rinsing the shampoo from my hair when I heard the bathroom door open and close. "Hey, you," Bella called out. "I'm coming in."

"Finished your marathon call?" I teased her as I scrubbed at my scalp under the running water.

"Yeah. And I'm coming in." Even through soap and shitty eyesight, I caught the slight movement of the shower curtain.

"Uh, Bella… I'm naked."

The curtain opened halfway. "Wow. You really are."

"I do that when I'm in the shower." I didn't know whether to cover myself or do a pose-down for her. It was just awkward. Then she untied the belt of her robe. I cleared the shampoo from my eyes to watch the robe drop from her shoulders and hit the floor. I swallowed deeply, transfixed by the blurred vision in front of me.

"Hmm. I do that too. In the shower. Help me in?" She held her hand out, and I took it as she stepped into the tub with me.

"I feel like I'm supposed to avert my eyes, but damn… they don't want to look away. In fact, they're cursing me for not leaving my contacts in for this. Have you always been this bold? I mean, I know you've never climbed in the shower with me – naked or otherwise – but this is just… wow."

"Edward, sweetie, don't talk." She cupped my face and drew me down into a long, deep kiss. My hands roamed up and down her naked back, occasionally dipping past her hips to squeeze a cheek. How long I'd admired that ass… and here it was, in my hands. Naked. Wet. And full of goosebumps.

"You're cold," I murmured, breaking our kiss. "Switch with me. I'm blocking all the hot water." We traded places, our bodies brushing against each other as we did. She stood with her face in the stream, soaking her hair, and I hugged her from behind, running tender kisses along her neck.

She let out a sigh. "That feels so nice. Your first kiss was just like this, remember? Little neck kisses on your bed? These seem… slightly different. I'm pretending we're in the tropics, under a waterfall."

"Do you want to go to the tropics?" I continued my ministrations with my lips as we chattered.

She shrugged. "I don't really think it would be any better than this. Except I like the feel of sand between my toes."

"We could have brought some desert sand."

"And made mud in the tub. The maids would hate us."

"Nobody could hate you, Bella."

She turned in my arms and draped hers over my shoulders. The adoring look in her eyes melted me, yet made me shiver. "I really do love you, you know."

I nodded, staring into the deep brown pools of her soul.

"And now you're cold. You want to switch again or get out?"

My body screamed one thing, but my mind slapped it down. "We should get out," I replied with a rasp in my voice. "I'm afraid my body doesn't understand the concept of taking it slow even when you're naked and wet and pressing against me."

"Damn the post-surgical rules." Her voice was equally hoarse.

"Damn those rules," I repeated. "Okay. I'm gonna get out first. It may not be graceful. Prepare to laugh."

I had one leg over the side, preparing to lift the other out and hear her sweet laughter when another sound rang out. And a sting. A sharp sting on my right butt cheek.

"Oh! Oh my god, Edward!"

I turned my head to see Bella's hands clamped over her mouth and her eyes wide with shock.

"I'm so sorry! Did that hurt as much as it sounded? I didn't mean to slap you that hard!"

"It's wet," I retorted, still in shock. "It sounds loud." Stings like a fucking bitch too.

"I'm really, really… sorry." The laughter began. And stopped. Then started again. "I am. So. Sorry."

"You'll get yours when you're back to full speed," I promised, leaving her to laugh herself silly at my expense. I wrapped a towel around my sore ass and left her to it.

It took Bella a long time to get herself under control. It seemed to anyway. I'd turned onto my side and was flipping through the TV channels when she finally emerged from the bathroom. I was desperately trying to find something to distract me from the image of her nude body that currently ruled my mind. It didn't look promising.

"Well, my days of butt modeling are over," I called out. "There's an imprint on my ass." I turned to grin at her but stopped instantly. She'd been crying again.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Bella, don't worry about it. I'm just being an a –" I stopped short of saying it. "Bad choice of words. I was joking. It's fine, honestly." I dropped the side of my shorts to show her.

"It's red."

"Yes, well, it flushes easily." My grin still didn't win her over. Enough of the jokes.

"It's not just the slap… I was just playing around, but before that… I'm sorry about that too. I just barged in on you."

I walked over to her and placed my hands on her hips. "Barge in anytime you'd like," I suggested softly.

Her cheeks flushed as red as my ass cheek, and she scrunched up her face. "How long have you felt like this, Edward?"

And here it was. The moment of truth. I opened my mouth without knowing what would come out – a full confession or another lame joke. Before I could get anything out, she cut me off in a whispered, "I hurt you."

"Hey, Bella, we were kids. It has nothing to do with where we are now."

"Doesn't it? It has everything to do with where I am. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

I ran my hands down my face, shaking my head. "I couldn't."

"I gave you opportunities. I asked you so many times –"

"When?" Okay, I wasn't anxious to jump back into the past, but I had a feeling this needed to get out before we could fully move on.

"I gave you enough hints."

"I don't take hints very well, Bella. You knew what a social disaster I was."

"I asked you straight out after my first date with Jasper."

"You asked if I was all right with it. That's not the same thing."

She rolled her eyes at me. "I asked you to tell me the night you got suspended for beating the shit out of Mike."

"I thought you were just being my friend," I explained.

"I was! But no one goes through all of that if they're not into someone as more than a friend. Do you know how bad it felt for me to know you were hurt because of me?"

"How? Bella, you had nothing –"

"Why then? You were never aggressive like that. What happened? You didn't have any other friends, Edward. There was only me."

"It was about Rosalie," I admitted quietly. "I was defending my sister's honour."

Bella buried her face in her hands. "Oh God. Who's got the biggest ego ever? I just assumed…"

Gently, I removed her hands from her face and made her look at me. "Why did you want me to tell you how I felt? You obviously knew. What good would it have done to say it? It would've ruined everything."

"I didn't… I wasn't sure. Edward… I was so confused. In the beginning, I thought you didn't like me at all. I felt like I was intruding on you when all I wanted was to get to know you. You were so mysterious. And so different from the others. You didn't give a shit what they were doing, you just did your own thing. I envied that. When I saw what you were like at home, I really wanted to know you. It seemed like you reserved a very special part of yourself for family only, and I wanted to be part of that, y'know? I didn't even know why, I just did."

"You were part of that," I reminded her softly. "If you had stronger feelings, you could have told me, too."

"I did," she stated. "Think back about how many times I told you I liked you – that I wanted to spend time with you. You brushed me off. I thought if I had a boyfriend, I'd get over my crush on you and we could just be friends – best friends."

"So you chose my brother."

She took my hands in hers as she shook her head. "He chose me. Like I said, I was confused. I cared about you both, in different ways."

I nodded, resisting the urge to sulk over the fact that my brother turned her crank all those years ago, whereas I just intrigued her. I was a crush.

"You don't want to hear this, do you?" she asked as she stroked my palm with her thumb. "Edward, we don't have to talk about Jasper. I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have."

Truthfully, I didn't. But I knew she needed to say whatever was on her mind. "It's okay. It feels like a lifetime ago anyway."

"I liked both of you, in different ways, because you were both such different people. I loved how I always felt at ease with you. How I could be myself, no matter what. Say anything. Do anything. I never had to be someone I'm not when I was with you. With Jasper, it was… exciting, I guess. I had butterflies. Always felt on edge. I giggled too much and wanted him to notice me too much. On New Year's Eve, when he kissed me and asked me out, it felt like a dream. No one like Jasper had ever paid attention to me. He was popular. Smart. Cool. I thought I didn't have a chance with either of you – you weren't interested in me that way and Jazz was too cool for me. Suddenly, I was what he wanted, and I guess part of me believed he was everything I wanted."

"Did you love him?" That seemed important. I'd spent all these years thinking the girl I loved was in love with my brother. If I suddenly found out she never really did love him, I didn't know how I'd handle that. It would make her a completely different person than I thought she was.

She nodded slowly. "I did." One stray tear fell, and she brushed it away. "I guess I always knew it wouldn't be forever. We never fully settled into the comfort zone. It was either butterflies or drama with us. You don't remember any of the arguments? The times we didn't speak for days at a time?"

I shook my head. I'd tried my best not to watch their blossoming relationship too closely. I guess I'd succeeded.

"I didn't know how it was supposed to feel – being in love. I thought that was it. And what you and I had was this deep connection that you can only have with your best friend in the world. Gran tried to tell me. She knew… she knew."

"Gran? Bella, we never met."

"But she did meet Jasper. At Christmas, remember? She called him Edward the entire visit."

Snickering, I nodded. "Yeah. He mentioned that. She was confused – more confused than you were."

"That's what I thought. We had this talk, a few days before she died. I lost my temper with her, because she kept mixing you guys up. She fired back – apparently she had some lucid moments toward the end." A smile lit up her face as she thought of her Gran with a healthy mind. "Gran advised me to 'get my head out of my arse' – her words."

We both paused to laugh at her turn of a phrase.

"I used to talk to her. I thought she was… you know, gone… upstairs." She tapped on her forehead looking ashamed. "She was better than a diary. I could purge and not have any record of it. Except, some things she actually remembered. And other things she detected just from watching. She knew my heart was more with you than Jasper. That we shared a different love. One that was better suited for me. That's what she meant about getting my head out of my ass."

"Arse sounds much more delicate," I joked.

"She wasn't trying to be delicate – she was trying to spare me a lifetime of regrets, I think. I should have paid more attention to her at Christmas when he was here. Looking back, I think she knew what she was doing, calling him Edward. She could get away with it because she wasn't all there, right? She was though… when it counted. I knew then that it wasn't going to work between me and Jasper. I was thrilled that he was visiting, but after the first day, it just made me miss you and Rose and Emmett even more. He was trying so hard." Her voice dipped lower, coinciding with the lip quiver that normally preceded tears.

"You don't have to do this," I whispered to her. "If it's too difficult for you right now –"

She placed one finger on my lips to quiet me. "I felt like I was putting on the show of a lifetime. I didn't want to ruin the visit for him – he was so excited. He was trying to be the guy I needed. He didn't even complain about sleeping downstairs. About never really being alone the whole time he was there."

I cracked a grin. "You know he wanted to make up for lost time – nonstop romps."

"There was zero romping." She grinned back at me. "And every night, I'd go up to my room – alone – and pray that I'd get a message from you. An email. A text. Anything. Jasper was right there with me, but what I wanted most was to talk to you. Messed up, huh?"

I didn't respond either way. In truth, it killed me to know she had suffered along with me back then. Ideally, I would always have been her everything, but since my brother was involved, it hurt to know that she was torn between us too.

"And then you showed up. In fucking person, on my doorstep. Just when I needed you most. God… do you have any idea how happy you made me? Just days after Gran posed the most pertinent question: 'One boy tends to your curiosity, and the other to your heart. Which is more substantial, Isabella? Who will be your anchor when the tide rolls out?' And there you were."

"Your anchor," I whispered in awe of the woman I'd never even met. Truth be told, I was more than a little enamored with Gran.

"And my mother, the tide, was swirling around me the whole time. In her mind, nothing tops the boyfriend of the moment. You were there – my friend. Not Jazz. When you left, she suggested I go back to Forks for a visit. To let Jasper 'mend me' or whatever. The closest I'd been to being 'mended' was when you sang to me, Edward. You held me and sang one of Gran's songs, and we danced – that's what I needed. I needed you to tend to my heart, and you did just that." She peered at me sheepishly. "And then I made a fool of myself, wishing you were my everything all along. I hated that I put you in a position where you'd step in on your brother. That was so wrong. It was something my mother would do. I'm ashamed of that."

Frowning, I shook my head at her. "It was an emotional time for you. You weren't plotting – you were acting on raw emotions. I never thought you actually meant it."

"But it hurt you," she countered in a soft voice full of remorse. "I saw it in your reaction. In your eyes." She gazed directly into my eyes now, challenging me to deny it. Of course, I couldn't. "You were the only friend I ever felt I could rely on, one hundred percent." Her voice caught and she fought to control her tears before they came. "It was brought to my attention that I… toyed with you. Used you. I took advantage of your feelings for me, even when I thought you weren't interested."

"What the hell, Bella? Who told you that?" It angered me to no end, and I hoped beyond hope that it wasn't harsh ending words from my brother.

"My dear mother pointed out my errors," she replied with a wry grin. "See, it was my fault that I couldn't keep my boyfriend. My fault that he went out and found someone else. I was a flirt. And a tease. Right in front of him. With his own brother. Why would he want me?" Her words came out staccato, as she struggled to keep going. I could tell she was near another complete breakdown.

Instantly, I pulled her against my chest. Feeling her hands fist at the waist of my shorts, I pressed tender kisses along her hairline and stroked her back. Inside I was fuming. I'd never felt such an immense dislike for a human being. How could Bella's own mother put that kind of guilt on her?

"I was hoping you'd tell me that he'd cheated on me," she admitted after a long silence. "Because then we'd be even."

I was completely lost. "Wait… what are you saying? Did you…?"

"Not physically, no. But emotionally?" She nodded before pressing her forehead against my bare shoulder. "I wanted what I couldn't have. I wanted you. And I had no right to take all that you gave me. I used you, hurt you… and my heart cheated on Jasper. I don't deserve either of you."

"Jesus Christ. If we're not meant to be together, I don't know who is." I eased back to force Bella to look at me. "It's quite possible that you've topped my self-imposed guilt. Holy shit. I didn't think it was possible. Did you talk to Aro about this?"

She nodded with her eyes pinching out what had to be the very last fluids her body had left. I'd never seen someone spout so many tears. "He told me I should tell you all of this."

For the first time since this talk began, I smiled and meant it. "I bet he had a hell of a time keeping a straight face. I didn't see Aro regularly after the medication got me balanced, but every now and then, I just felt like talking to him. Like you said about Gran, Aro was like a live journal. I could get things out and not worry that someone would stumble across the evidence like Jasper did. Aro's the only person who knew the guilt I carried over my feelings for you." I couldn't resist chuckling. "He got me to let that go. I think you've got to do that too, Bella. You've nothing to forgive yourself for, but do it anyway."

Bella didn't laugh with me. Instead she looked lost in thought. "What did Jasper stumble across?"

"Huh? Oh! Right…" I dropped my arms from her waist and went over to my clothes piled on the floor. Retrieving the items from my jeans pocket, I palmed the familiar pieces and returned to her. "This is what gave me away." I held out the malachite stone for her to see.

Her hands flew to her mouth, covering a gasp of astonishment. "That's… I gave you that –"

"For my eighteenth birthday. That's right."

"You still have it," she stated redundantly. "Unbelievable."

"It's my pacifier. My mother claims I was a stubborn thumb-sucker and a real bastard to break of the habit. I guess I always felt I needed some sort of soother – this became that object for me. It's probably more polished now from all the tumbles it's taken in my palm than when you first found it. It goes everywhere with me."

And she smiled that beautiful Bella smile. Even the new tears that formed seemed less laden with ghosts. "You're incredible."

I raised an eyebrow as I turned the second object in my hand. "Want to see its companion piece? The one that let my brother know what a letch I was?"

"What is it?" Bella lifted her own brow with a laugh. "Did you take a picture of my toes wrapped around a marshmallow that day in the cafeteria?"

"Close," I retorted with a laugh of my own. I revealed the lemonade cap. "This mean anything to you?"

She studied it in my hand, frowning before she shook her head. "Should it?"

"No." I snorted out a brief laugh of embarrassment. "This is from our first lunch together. Probably the day that I fell in love with you, but definitely the day that you changed my life. Jasper found it after you'd… said goodbye. He knew what it meant by the date written inside it. It was... an interesting conversation."

"I bet," she said in a husky voice.

"The cap was me being a silly boy."

"A romantic, sweet boy," she countered.

I rolled my eyes as I chuckled. "Whatever. Aro had a theory about the stone, though, and what it was for me. Want to hear it?"

She cleared her cheeks from the remaining tears and beamed at me. "More than anything."

"He feels it was my guilt-free zone. I harboured so much guilt over my feelings for you – because I wasn't only deceiving my brother but you as well. I never thought of this gift as anything but a token of your friendship. It made me feel good that you found something so meaningful and gave it to me. I didn't ask for it or take it for myself. I didn't steal it away from anyone. It was a gift from you to me – something that was only for me. Something even I couldn't skew the meaning of and come up with some dark, deceptive thing that made me undeserving."

Blinking slowly, she took my free hand and placed the stone in it, clasping her hand on top of it. "It was only for you. I was sure you'd think it was a ridiculous thing to give you. Edward, I'm glad it's meant this much to you. Can you tell me something?"

My stomach clenched. "Yeah. Well, we're getting it all out, right? What do you want to know?"

"Do you still see yourself the way you did back then? Do you still blame yourself for everything bad in the world?"

I flashed my crooked grin. "Not everything. It's much better inside my head these days, trust me. I do have some lingering guilt…"

She narrowed her eyes at me while I continued to smile. "Over what, pray tell?"

"I never gave you anything that meant this much. I wish I'd found something that could have eased your misplaced guilt. Something that showed you mean the world to me – then, and now."

"I think you did – Don Everly."

"A long-legged mutt with a penchant for your panties shows you mean the world to me?" I teased. She nodded with a musical laugh. "Somehow that fits. Dance with me, Bella."

"What?"

"Dance." I wrapped an arm around her waist and took her hand with the stone and cap wedged between our palms. "And sing. When I feel blue… in the night…"

"And I need you… to hold me tight…"

"Whenever I want you, all I have to do...

Together we sang very badly but from the heart as we swayed in our motel room. My ass was barely tingling from the slap by then, and the awkwardness of seeing each other naked for the first time seemed to be buried. We were just Bella and Edward, doing our thing. Brutally honest and heading toward something real. It was no longer just a dream.

"Edward?" Bella murmured in my arms once our duet finished.

"Yes, my love."

"You can model your butt for me anytime."

A low chuckle formed deep in my throat. "I may just do that."

"Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?" I was foolishly thinking the storm had ended and clear skies were on the horizon.

"You should know something… Aro said I should be open about it from the start. Edward… I haven't been with anyone since Jasper."

With that confession, I shut down to prevent permanent damage. There was no telling what my mouth would mumble and spurt out. The truth was I didn't know how to feel about that, let alone how to react. The only thing I knew for certain in that moment was that I needed to stay chill about it and remain neutral until I could think. Until I could breathe. I needed to not upset Bella. And I needed my inhaler… and Aro.

A/N ~ Whew! I was so close to not making my update deadline this week. I write far ahead, but editing is always my downfall - not good during insanely busy times! Thank God for Shug making time during her own busy week to fix me up. :) msj does the same, reading ahead for me even when she's swamped with RL. I'm so grateful for these two, and for everyone still reading and waiting for more than a sippy cup of lemonade. ) What can I say? It will happen when they're ready. See you next week, hopefully Monday. This week is even crazier for me! Thanks for reading. XX ~ SR