Hi guys I know that this is late but there was section that didn't work and with the help of my beta we decided to change the direction of this chapter. Unfortunately this means that the next chapter will also have sections that will need to be re-written. I will try my hardest to get that done as quick as possible.

A huge thank you to my beta Echantedbytwilight and by pre-reader Dinia steel.

Chapter 14

Momella

"If this is about that woman I heard on the phone I-"

"It's not that." Edward interrupted me and sighed before rubbing the back of his neck. I tried to hide the disappointment I suddenly felt. He didn't have to explain anything to me. He was free to be with whoever he wanted, but the ache inside still caught me by surprise. I didn't realise how much I wanted him to tell me that he wasn't with a woman last night. "Okay, what is it then?" I asked.

"I was in Phoenix this weekend," he stated. Phoenix? Why would he have gone to Phoenix?

"Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else," he added, nodding at the kids to emphasise his point.

We quietly left the bedroom and moved to the couch in the living room. There was a small cast of light from the lamp I'd left on. I noticed that he looked tired and nervous, which was making me nervous.

"Bella, sit down, please."

I sat down next to him and rubbed my hands down my jeans, trying to control the sick feeling I now had.

"Can you promise not to interrupt me?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck again. "I need to tell you everything, and I need you to wait until I'm finished before you ask questions." He sounded so formal, so clinical-so like a cop.

"I promise."

"Good." He nodded. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. By the way he was acting, I was guessing that what he had to tell me wasn't good news, so I tried to prepare myself for whatever it was.

"Emmett asked to me to join him and Jasper on a road trip. It wasn't until we had left that I found out where we were going and why," he started.

"Emmett used his siren, so we could get there that night-well, it was actually very early the next morning. Charlie is so pissed at him right now." He chuckled to himself.

"What? why? How did he pull that off?"

"Mike owed him a favor, and he was on working the on-board computer," he added.

"They could both lose their jobs. Why would they risk it?" I couldn't understand it. Being a cop was Emmett's life. He loved his job.

"Emmett was speeding because he needed to get to Rosalie." He put his finger on my lips just before I could speak. "Please, Bella, you promised."

"Sorry, I'm just confused."

"I know, but I don't know really anything about what happened with Rosalie. I just know that we went so that Emmett could pick her up and bring her here."

"Why didn't they tell me?"

"I think it was meant to be a surprise, love." He tried to reassure me, but something told me there was more going on than he was telling me.

"What are you not telling me?" He started to rub the back again. He was uncomfortable and keeping something from me.

"Edward?"

"Ah, love, I promised Rosalie that I wouldn't say anything to you. She wants to tell you everything herself."

"Tell me what? Just tell me what you know, Edward?"

"Bella, please. He stood up and moved over to the fireplace.

I could tell he was struggling with what to tell me. It couldn't be that bad. I spoke with Rose the other day and she was fine.

"I promised her, Bella. It's her story to tell you, and besides, I can't really tell you what I don't know or understand," he whispered, pleading with me to trust him.

"Emmett is with her right now. He is helping her pack her stuff and will bring her here tomorrow, I think.'

I took a deep breath. He was right. Rose doesn't know Edward. She wouldn't want him involved in whatever was going with her. What I don't understand is why she hasn't called me or why Emmett has not said anything to me.

"Bella, please trust me-" I looked at his beautiful face. He had moved to kneel in front of me. "-or at least trust your friends. They are-"

I put my hand over his mouth. " Okay, I'll wait for Rose to explain."

Relief washed over him. "But can you tell me if she's okay?" I whispered to him. I just needed him to ease my mind a little. I was still going to worry, but at least I would know that she's okay.

He moved his hand towards my face and ran the back of his fingers across my cheek leaving tingles on my skin. "Yeah, she's okay, love."

I could only nod at him.

Edward pulled me to him and sat me on his lap, comforting me, thr same way he did with Leah just moments ago.

"I need to see her." I tried to pull myself out of his arms, but he pulled me back. His body was warm, and I felt something I hadn't felt for a long time-I realized I felt safe.

My tired body gave out, and I curled into him. "I need to call her, Edward"

"It's very late, love. She'll be here tomorrow. Just wait till then." He pulled me closer to him. "Emmett will take care of her. You know he will."

I was about to protest when I realized he was right. We were quiet for a while, both of us lost in our thoughts. He just held me tightly to him. Eventually, the only sounds were our breathing and the heavy rain outside.

"Edward," I whispered, breaking the silence.

"Mmm."

"Thank you."

He didn't say anything. He just kissed my head and held me tighter, making me relax completely in his arms.

~speak~

I woke up with a heavy head and something warm against my back. I could feel something around my waist, pinning me to the warmth. A trail of warm tingles flowed up and down my body. I slowly wriggled, trying to get free, but the warmth behind me pulled me tighter. A slow groan echoed in my ears, and suddenly, everything about last night came back to me.

Edward at my door, soaked. Leah's nightmare. Rosalie.

I tugged my body free and slowly sat up, blinking myself awake. It was dark, only the dim light from the small lamp in the corner providing a glow.

Everything looked the same as it had last night, but something had changed.

I stretched my arms and yawned. My head felt groggy as if I was recovering from the flu.

I stared at my lonely guitar as it rested next to the fireplace. The dark wood stood out against the creamy walls behind it. It was Jake's guitar. He tried to teach me when I was fifteen, but I was too clumsy and my fingers were too small. Jake had long slender fingers while mine were small and chunky. He knew I was making excuses, so instead of teaching me, he used to sing to me. His voice was smooth and deep. It would flow through your body like water, leaving you desperate for more. I could listen to him for hours. Sometimes when I closed my eyes and think of him, I could still hear him singing lowly in my ear with the gentle echo of the guitar in the background. These are the memories I treasure, the ones that no one else knows about.

"It's too early. Come back to bed, Love," a warm gentle voice mumbled behind me. His arm that was still around my waist pulled me closer to him. A small smile crept my face when I realized who was beside me. I couldn't believe how comfortable I felt in such an intimate position. Jacob was the last man I had slept beside. I waited for the guilt to set in, and it did, but just a little. I tried not to think about it. I had other things to worry about today.

"I have to get ready for work," I moaned. "And I want to call Rose."

"Just five more minutes, please," he begged.

"Okay." I lay down on my back, looking for cracks in my ceiling. The sofa was comfortable. It was light and bouncy. I had no idea how two people could fit on it, and even though Edward and I were close together, I still had a small amount of space to move.

"Go to dinner with me?" Edward blurted out.

I turned my head to see him and found his beautiful face staring back at me; he was still lying on his side. His long legs dangled over the armrest, I had no idea how he was comfortable.

"What?"

"I want to take you out for dinner. We have so much to talk about, and I want to get to know you better." He rested his head on one of his arms and started playing with my hair. His eyes were serious as he spoke.

"We have had so much drama since we met. I want one night where I can get to know Isabella Swan. Not the incredible mother or amazing friend, I already adore her," he chuckled. "I want to know who you are, and I want you to know me. No drama, no kids, no third parties. Just a simple romantic date where I can make you fall in love with me."

I couldn't help but laugh at his last statement. I would normally be put off by his cockiness, but on Edward, it was more humorous. He was like a nervous teenager who was trying to make out like he was more experienced than he was.

I shook my head as my mind started to wonder how experienced Edward really was. There was one thing I needed to know before I replied.

"The woman I heard in Phoenix-" Edward's groan cut me off. He muttered something under his breath before he spoke.

"That was Jasper."

"Jasper? Really? Wow, I never knew he could sound feminine or that he was gay. Oh, if you and he are dating, you don't need to let me down gentle. I understand," I teased.

Edward let out a full-hearted chuckle, which caused my body to warm up. It was beautiful sound, and I loved this playful side of him.

"Well, I appreciate your blessing," he teased back.

"Jasper brought the girl back to the hotel," he told me, a slight bitter tone in his voice.

"So, she was with him, not you?"

"Yes, I swear I never went anywhere near her."

I looked into these green eyes and saw nothing but honestly in them.

"Okay." I smiled.

"Okay?" he questioned. Both of his eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"Okay, I'll go on a simple romantic date with you," I teased. "And your five minutes are up."

I leaped off the sofa and ran towards my bedroom. I could hear Edward's laughter behind me. I could get used to mornings like this.

~Speak~

"Hey, honey," my father answered, sounding tired.

"Hey dad. Is Leah okay?" I asked.

The rain had finally stopped, but the day was still dark and dull, making my classroom depressing.

"Yeah, she's fine honey."

I took a deep breath. I knew what I wanted to ask him but I couldn't find the words. So much has happened over the last twenty four hours, and I found myself retreating back into old habits.

I should have been working most of the day, teacher's meetings, writing class plans, but instead, I had locked myself in my darkroom, playing around with images and lights, trying to analyse every little thing that has happened.

I found this process when I realized I had feelings for Jake for the first time. I'd spent weeks locked up in the tiny shed my father built me, looking at every picture of the both of us, trying to see if there was anything in his eyes, his smile, anything that may have resembled how I felt.

Jake used to say that I see the world in different shades of grey, that I could read people through the tints of lights and the shadows of the dark in a picture. It was the only thing that was mine. No one else knew or understood what a picture held like I did. How the angle of my father's jaw with a right amount of light from the television showed how he admired the boys on football field. How Jake lying on the beach, his feet resting on a log with the dark sky behind and the moon highlighting the water beside him reflected his pride for his culture. Only pictures captured these moments. These feelings that are so rare and fleeting, we miss them with the human eye. But a picture can capture that moment where our masks are removed and our thoughts are bared on the surface for the only the camera to see. That is how I can read people in the layers of a black and white photo, that is how I knew that Jacob Black was in love in with me. That was how I knew that Leah Rosalie Black had formed an attachment with Edward Cullen.

I had stared at the same photograph all morning. I could only see Edward's back in the photo. He was standing at the stove, his shoulders hunched over as he made breakfast. Anthony was sitting at the breakfast table, his head resting on his folded arms, trying to steal a few more moments of sleep. Leah was sitting beside him, her body turned at an angle, facing the only person who had held her attention. Most of the photograph was in dark shades of grey with a few tones of black. It was so dark because of the stormy weather outside, but there was a light casting on Leah's face, creating a warm creamy tone to the picture overall. Her body was relaxed, a shade of white bouncing off her cheeks as she watched Edward from a distance. Her eyes were bright and held so much affection for the man she admired. It was crystal clear in the glow of white light that reflected from her smile that she respected and adored Edward. To a stranger, she looked like a child who worshipped her father. To me, she was a child who had found her safe haven, her saviour.

I'd spent all morning going back and forth their relationship and I can't underline where her trust in Edward had come from. Mrs. Stanley suggested that maybe it was because he was a father to a child that she had bonded with. But it still didn't make sense to me. It took Leah so long to trust her own grandfather. She'd only met Edward just over a week ago and from the photograph, I had taken this morning. I could tell she was attached and loved this man.

It had to have been their first meeting. It was the only time I hadn't been there with her. I would have to ask Edward about it on Friday. Friday… that was another thing that had been weighing on me-my date with Edward.

"Dad, do you know what's going on with Emmett and Rose? They are not answering their phones," I asked

"Well, em... "

"Dad, please," I begged.

"She's still in Phoenix with Emmett. They will be flying out either late tonight or early tomorrow. That's all I know, Bella"

I looked out of the brown-stained windows. There were teachers gathered around the main stairway, smoking and chatting about the year ahead. I knew I should have joined them, getting to know my co-workers. But I couldn't, not today anyway.

"Why didn't she call me?" I whispered. I was getting really worried now. I'd tried to call her several times, but she wouldn't answer or it was turned off. Rose's phone was never off.

"You'll have to ask her, honey."

I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. I wondered how mine must have sounded. Was it shaky from my worry over Rose or nervous from my night with Edward?

"Is Leah ready for school tomorrow?" He changed the subject with such ease.

"Yeah, I think so. I think I'm more scared than her." I laughed. I tried to sound casual but it was the truth. I was worried about how she would cope. Would she come out of her shell and enjoy what it could offer her, or would she retreat back to the empty shell she was last year? The classes there were smaller than Phoenix, and she would have Anthony with her. Even though I was pissed at Edward for going to his sister about Leah, I was thankful that Anthony would be next to her. I just hoped that their friendship blossomed and that other kids didn't destroy it. I knew how cruel kids could be, and if Leah or even Anthony was singled out, it could have caused a problem for both of them. But these were situations that I could not control. I just had to pray that they could be there for each other- the way Emmett was always there for me.

"She'll be fine," he answered.

"Dad, what are you going to with Emmett?"

I heard him take a deep sigh. "I don't have a choice but to suspend him, Bells. Hopefully I can get away with giving him a slap on the wrist, but he needs to think before he acts. He could have flown out there instead of taking the car."

"Yeah, that's what Edward said."

"Edward?" I could hear the surprise in my father voice.

"Um, yeah, he went with Emmett and Jasper, but he flew home last night instead of waiting for them," I mumbled as if I was covering up a lie. I didn't know why I was nervous. My father knew Edward and knew that Anthony had stayed at my house the other night.

"Oh, right, okay."

There was a silence for a few moments before I blurted out, "Can you watch the kids on Friday?" Shit!

"Kids?" he asked with a slight amusement in his voice.

"Um, yeah, Edward wants to go for dinner and get to know each other better," I answered and then quickly added, "It would be best since our kids want to be friends, and he is my neighbor, so it would be good to get to know each other, and he's Emmett's friend so I'll see him around, and I'm close with his parents, and he works for you so…"

I stopped when he started to laugh. It wasn't just a little laugh, it was loud and crackly.

"Dad," I shouted.

I looked back to the window again; the other teachers were gone. The rain had started again, falling on the ground creating random dark patches on the pavement.

"Oh, Bella, honey, I haven't heard you ramble like that for quite a while." He finally stopped laughing and added, "What time do you want to pick them up?"

"Six," I answered quickly before saying goodbye and hanging up. I suddenly felt like I was sixteen again when my father saw me take the valentine cards out of our mailbox. He would laugh at me and say, "Breaking another heart, eh Bells?"

~Speak~

I had managed to escape my classroom and join the other teachers for a least one of the meetings. I thought that maybe I could get in and out quickly without much notice, but I was wrong.

Everyone stopped and welcomed me back. I was asked about my old life and told how it was great to have little Bella Swan walking the corridors again.

I was just about to make an excuse to leave when Seth walked in. He looked taller than I remembered him. His black hair and tanned skin created goosebumps on my arms. It had nothing to do with Seth himself; it was the similarity between him and Jake. We used to joke around, saying that they were secretly brothers when we were kids. The main difference was Seth was lean like a swimmer while Jake was all muscles.

"Hey, Bella." He smiled when he reached the group. His smile was small and shy. I guessed he was nervous because of what happened with Leah.

"Hey." I smiled back.

Despite the weather, he was wearing a sports top and shorts. His black hair laid flat on his head, beads of water running down his face. I caught his dark eyes that looked like endless tunnels staring at me.

"So, you've sold your soul to this place, huh?" he asked, never taking his eyes off me. Normally I would feel uncomfortable, but this was Seth. I had known him almost my whole life. When he was ten, he would push me into mud puddles while laughing and taunting, "Belly Bella, why are you so clumsy?" By the time I had gotten out of the puddle, he would be running down the street with Jake and Ebony on his heels.

"I guess so. What about you?"

What about me?" He cocked his head to the side and folded his arms.

"Well, you don't have a soul, so what are you doing here?" He shrugged his shoulders and rewarded me with a full, all-teeth smile.

"I made a deal with the devil, or at least with his wife." He nodded towards Victoria.

I laughed out loud which made Seth laugh.

When I stopped, I realized that the rest of my co-workers had disappeared. I suddenly felt awkward being with Seth.

When I looked up, he was staring at me.

"I should go," I said, looking around the room. I could feel Seth's eyes still on me.

"What are you doing tonight? We could grab a few drinks, catch up?" he asked.

I could feel the heat across my face. Seth was familiar to me; he was my childhood friend. He was one of Jake's best friend. Every time I looked into his dark eyes I saw Jake staring back at me. I quickly turned my head away before he could see the tears in my eyes.

"I'm sorry I have plans tonight," I whispered.

"Hey, Bells." He took my chin in his hand and turned my eyes towards him. "Are you ok?"

The shock of how much Seth reminded me of Jake had taken me by surprise. My heart ached. Would I ever find a little peace or at least stop crying so much? I felt all I had done for the last year was cry. I didn't feel like this when I saw him in the mall. But I did have my focus on Leah that day.

"I'm sorry, Seth. It's just everything here reminds me of Jake and seeing you… well, I just miss him," I said. It felt easy to talk to Seth; it always had.

It was the truth-I did miss Jake. He was on my mind a lot, and I knew why. I was back home for the first time without him, and he was everywhere. I went to the grocery store the other night, and I had flashbacks of us shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, or I would see a motorbike outside a garage, and I would remember his face when I bought us both second-hand bikes.

It didn't help that I knew that doomsday was approaching. The anniversary of Jake's death was only a week away. I knew this year was going to be harder now that I was home. But for now, I was not going to think about it, at least I was going to try not to think about it.

"I know, Bells, I miss him too." He wrapped me in arms, and we stood there for a few moments. He smelled like wood and honey… just like Jake.

What do you think? The next chapter involves the kids first day at school. So all you mums out there, do you have any stories about your kids first day at school. see you soon bb