Wow, lots of questions and just a ton of differing opinions. I think instead of answering all the questions right now, you should read this chapter first and then we'll see what questions you have.

***Read through to the bottom, even if you get upset about something in the beginning or middle, it will be worth finishing, we promise.***

Chapter 7

I jump, startled by the pounding on the door. I look to my computer clock and see it's been less than five minutes since Edward said he was on his way. I just know it can't be him.

"Bello, it's Edward, open up."

I run to the door pulling it open and throw myself into his arms.

"Hush, I've got you," he says softly. "The police are on their way."

I nod pulling back and he helps me to the couch. The next few hours go by with the police coming in and out. They take pictures of my room, dust for prints, and go over everything in the apartment. There is no sign anywhere of forced entry and that means whoever did this has a key. Nothing I own clothing wise is left, except the stuff at the cleaners. Every piece of clothing in my room has been destroyed.

"I would recommend that you stay at a friend's house for the next few days," the officer in charge tells me.

I rub my head not knowing where to go. "She can stay with me," Edward says quickly and I look at him.

I'm too emotionally exhausted to argue, so I just nod. I go into Angela's room, which was completely untouched and find some of her clothing that I can wear tomorrow.

Edward allows me to take a shower when we get to his house and he shows me to his guest room. I'm unable to sleep as my brain refuses to shut down. I walk down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I pick up my handbag taking out some pain killers and take them. Looking back at the sink, I see the dishes have been stacked up needing to be washed. I shake my head knowing my father is really bad at doing the dishes, too, even worse since my mother died. I roll up my sleeves and start to wash them. When they're all clean and in the dish drainer, I walk over to get a dish cloth to dry them. I frown looking at the basket of dirty laundry. I see his shirt that he wore when he was out with us tonight on the top. It puzzles me that there's a splash of blood on it.

I shake my head and walk back out deciding to let the dishes air dry. I walk back upstairs heading to the room I was sleeping in.

"Trouble sleeping?"

I jump turning to see Edward standing there.

"Yeah, sorry, I just took some pain killers hoping that my brain will shut down long enough for me to sleep."

He nods and smiles at me. "If you need me, I'm just right next door to you."

I nod before walking into the room I'm using.

I seem to stay in the sleeping-but-not-sleeping state for hours. I get up a little earlier than normal and get washed up and dressed. I'm surprised to find Edward already awake making breakfast.

"What would you like to do tonight?" Edward asks softly.

"I need to go over and speak with Sam," I say and I watch his face fall.

"Oh," is all he says.

"What about you, any plans?"

"No, just working on my book."

I nod and finish eating in silence. After I wash off my dish, I turn to Edward. "I should go call Angela and my dad."

"Okay," he says quietly.

I make the call to Angela who goes into full panic mode. I'm able to calm her and Ben ensures me that she can stay with him for however long she needs to. The next call was the worst. My father was ranting and raving and insisting for me to come home. I tell him I can't and swear to him I'll be fine. In the end he begs me to stay with Sam, saying he would feel better knowing there's a man in the house. I tell him I'll let him know where I'll be.

I talk to the police again, and get a locksmith. All too soon, I've run out of things to do.

"I'll be back later, if that's okay?"

Edward just smiles and nods at me.

I sigh as I leave and walk over to Sam's.

"Hey," he says before I even get to his door. "You were just at Edward's?"

"Yeah, something happened last night," I say softly watching his face fall. Suddenly, I realize how my words may have sounded and what he's assuming.

"Someone broke into my apartment," I say quickly, and he tilts his head looking at me.

I take him through what has happened from when I walked out of his home to this morning. I can feel him becoming angry when I tell him what I came home to last night. I'm happy that he's able to control his anger this time.

"Bella, baby, I think I know who's doing this."

"Who?" I ask right away and he looks at me worried.

"Edward," he huffs out.

I chuckle and he just keeps looking at me. "He wouldn't do something like this," I say.

"Bella, he has drawings of you all over his house. He watches you nonstop and there are these." Sam gets up and gets a box bringing it back to me. I look through the box seeing there are notes and photos of me. The notes are all the same, telling Sam he's losing me. Saying I'm seeing another guy. Demanding Sam break up with me, or he'll lose me anyway.

"This doesn't prove that it's Edward," I say my voice shaking a little.

"Bella, he was at your house last night, really fast. He must have been close by. How else could he have been the one to reply and get there that quickly?"

I shrug at him.

"Was he wearing different clothes when he showed up at your apartment last night?"

I nod knowing that Edward did change.

"Why was he changed?"

"Because he got blood on ..." I stop talking looking at Sam. "It can't be him," I say starting to cry.

"Come on, baby, think about it."

I shake my head walking out. I walk until I get to the school. I sigh walking around to the flower garden. As I open the gate, I see Edward kneeling on the ground. His head snaps up and he turns looking at me, but all I can see is that he's kneeling in blood. Lying on the ground is Tia, who looks to be dead.

"I didn't do this, I just found her," Edward says holding up his hands. In his left hand is a knife.

My eyes seem to go between the knife and his eyes.

"Shit, Bello, I was carving some wood when I heard a noise. I came out here and found her like this. See," he says showing me the knife, "no blood."

I look at the knife seeing he's right there is no blood on it. "Is ... is she dead?"

"I'm afraid so," Edward says sadly.

"Have you called the police?"

"No, I just found her as you came out. I'll do it now," he says placing the knife down and taking his cell from his pocket.

As he talks to the police dispatcher, his eyes stay on me. "They're on their way," he says after a few minutes.

I step forward and Edward steps toward me.

"This is not good, Bello, you don't want to see what has been done."

I move a little back not saying anything.

"I swear to you, I didn't do this. I would never hurt anyone like that."

The quiet area is quickly filled with police sirens. "Bella, Edward," Jasper says as he walks toward us.

"Bella, can you come and talk to me?" Emmett says softly. He walks me away from Tia and Edward. "So, can you tell me what happened?"

I shake my head and go through what went down last night: my talk with Sam, and walking here today and finding Edward kneeling over Tia's body with a knife in his hand.

"Do you think Edward is your stalker?" Emmett asks sounding a little off.

"No, I really don't," I scoff – but my eyes land on Edward, who is pulling at his hair looking at me.

"He wouldn't hurt me; I just don't believe he would hurt me," I say knowing that this time I'm trying to convince myself, but I have some doubts now.

The questions seem to keep coming and I answer each of them the best I can.

"I'm sorry, Edward." I hear and I turn seeing Jasper arrest Edward. I feel my mouth slowly opens in shock.

"Bello, please be careful. I have a feeling that you and your stalker are a connection to all of this. Remember, more often than not, people are hurt by people they know. Trust no one and watch out for yourself," Edward says before Jasper walks him over and puts him in the back of the police car.

"Bella," Emmett says softly and I turn to look at him, "I've known Edward all my life. Sure, there are times when he becomes obsessed with things being a certain way, or even when he locks himself in his own world, but I've never known him to hurt anyone male or female."

I nod at him knowing this is his way of saying he doesn't believe Edward to be a part of this.

Emmett gets a couple of cops to drive me back to Sam's. As we pull up, Sam comes running out.

"What happened?" he says in a panic.

"I'll tell you when we get inside," I say getting out of the car.

The police follow us in and then ask Sam for everything that my stalker has sent him. Sam hands them over the stuff clearly unhappy about me telling them everything.

I go over quickly what happened today, and what I found when I arrived at school.

"It's him, Bella, can't you see that?"

I shake my head still not wanting to believe it.

"I think you should stay with me for the time being."

I sigh and he gives me a pleading look.

"I am not saying you have to forgive me, and you can stay here as a friend, just until we get this sorted out, please, baby."

Before I can open my mouth, my cell is ringing – I pick it up seeing that it's my dad. "Hey, Dad," I say trying to keep my voice light.

"Tell me you're moving in with Sam? Angela and Jessica are moving in with Ben and Mike. I've checked them both out already."

I close my eyes rubbing my head. "I am sure there—"

I'm cut off when my dad yells down the phone. "Yes, there is a need! Someone is killing people—girls that you have come in contact with. You are linked to each of them."

I swallow my words and frown. "Wait, what?" I say sounding shocked.

"So far out of the nine girls, you are linked to five of them in some way, and they're still checking on the other four."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he says with a sigh.

"Lauren: you knew her most of your life; Tia: you worked with her; Leah was Sam's ex-wife. The one before Lauren banged into you. The victim before that was the library assistant at the library you go to."

I rub my neck not liking what I'm hearing.

"Stay with Sam, just until we figure out if the killer is your stalker, too."

I nod even if he can't see me.

"I don't want to lose you, Bells." I close my eyes hearing my father's faint sob.

"Okay, Daddy, I'll stay with Sam, for now."

"Good girl and we'll make it through this."

"You're really going to stay?" Sam asks when I hang up.

"If you don't mind?"

"No, no, I don't mind," he says with a large smile.

"I have Seth today, is that okay?"

I sigh but nod at him, unsure if I can keep myself together for the little guy. "Yeah, that's fine."

"Baby, why don't you go for a shower and relax for a little while."

"That would be nice," I say heading for his shower room.

I find it hard to believe that it has been a month since Tia was found dead. Things have changed so much. My car broke down, so now Sam gives me a ride to and from work. Sam has Seth Friday through to Monday now as well. Sam likes things to be on a solid routine with Seth, so he has some stability. Sam is also having some issues with relating to him, and right now I'm the middle man. All of this means that I haven't been able to spend any time with Angela, apart from at work. When I have seen Jessica, she has been acting weird and has been keeping her distance from me.

Edward was let go the day after his arrest, but he has remained a prime suspect in the killings. I hate how the media has played him out to be this cold unfeeling man.

I still see him all the time, and the pull that I've been feeling is very much still there. I want to go and talk to him when I see him outside, only Sam quickly pulls me away.

My stalker is still going strong as well, but at least it has now been proven that my stalker and the Brunette Butcher are in fact two separate people. The police have evidence that the stalker had been calling me when Tia was killed, from miles away. The stalker is using prepaid disposable cell phones to call me, but they still ping off towers where the stalker is at when they call.

The whole timeframe almost got Edward off as well, because at Tia's estimated time of death, Edward was on Skype with me and then at my apartment with me and the police. Aro, the head of the police department, has not fully cleared Edward, as he believes that even with the tight time scale, there's still the small chance he could have had just enough time to get cleaned up and make it to my place when he did.

It sounds too far-fetched for me, but Sam, of course, is eating up that idea with a fork. He still strongly believes that Edward is the killer. When I point out that means he couldn't be my stalker; it led to our first really huge fight since I started staying with him.

"Bella!" Seth yells running into my open arms.

"Hey, Seth, how's my favorite little guy?"

"I'm okay; are we still going make cupcakes today?"

I nod.

"Seth, I asked you to take your shoes off at the door," Sam says with a sigh.

"Sorry, Sam," Seth says lowly.

"Come on, sit here and take them off," I say patting the floor. Seth quickly takes them off and hands them to me.

"You need to stop babying him," Sam says as I walk past him.

"I'm not babying him," I say with a roll of my eyes.

Sam shakes his head walking away. "I'll make a start on lunch," I say walking into the kitchen, while Sam goes after Seth, who has walked to his room.

As soon as I have the soup cooking away, I walk upstairs to Seth's room. I stand at the door smiling as I watch him playing building bricks. Sam is next to him, but they still seem to be worlds apart.

"Bella, is it time to make the cupcakes?"

I look at Sam who shrugs, but doesn't look happy.

"Yeah, come on," I say and Seth runs to me.

Seth and I have a great time making the cupcakes. Once they are cooling, I put the soup out so we can have lunch. Throughout eating our family-type dinner, I feel as if Sam's not fully with us.

I'm cleaning up downstairs, while Sam puts Seth to bed. I just finish everything when Sam comes back downstairs.

"How about we watch a movie and have a glass of wine?" Sam asks when he sits down beside me on the coach.

"That does sound good," I say.

Sam gets the wine and pours me a glass. He sits down next to me as the movie starts. As it goes on he seems to get closer to me and all too soon he places his hand on my leg.

"Sam?" I say as he moves it up under my skirt and to my panties.

I stop his hand before he touches me. "Sam," I say more sternly.

"Come on, baby, I've done everything you've asked of me and more, I deserve a second chance." Sam pushes me down and I try to push him off.

"Sam, NO!" I yell.

"Please, baby, it's been too long for me, I need to hear you call out my name while I'm buried inside you. It's been entirely too long, I love you." Sam gives me his sad eyes, but my feelings for Edward are still messing with my head. I think it would be unfair for Sam as well as me, to just jump into the deep end when I am unsure what I truly want.

"Bella," Seth says with a little sob and Sam groans moving off me. "I had a bad dream; will you lie down with me?"

"No, Seth, you're too big for that shit," Sam sneers and I glare at Sam.

"Come on, Seth, I'll take you back up and sit with you until you fall asleep," I say walking out, not giving Sam another look.

"What happened in your dream, little guy?"

"The boogieman killed my mommy and I couldn't stop it. When's she coming back – when's my mommy coming back?"

I pull him to me and hug him close. "Seth, your mommy is up in heaven now and she can't come back. I'm sure she's still watching over you."

Seth cries for over two hours, and my heart goes out to the little guy. He's had so much to deal with over the past two months, and it's really not getting any easier on him.

I sit with Seth for most of the night not really wanting to go back down to Sam. I sigh when I see that it's after midnight. I know I will need to go to my own bed. I gently get up walking out the door. I close it – following Sam's strict orders of the routine we must keep and turn to go to my room.

"He is my son!" I jump when I hear Sam's harsh voice.

"I know," I say switching on the hall light.

"He doesn't talk to me and he's always asking for his mommy or you."

"It will take time, Sam; he needs to get to know you."

"He doesn't know you and he's all over you."

"Maybe he adapts to me so well, because I work with children? Just give him some time."

"It's not my fault," Sam says still glaring at me.

"It's no one's but the killer's fault, Sam," I tell him placing my hand gently on his shoulder.

"It's her fault not the killer."

"Whose?"

"Leah's. She's the one who kept him from me. I'm not allowing you to do the same. He is my son and what I say goes – so no more of this babying him or lying with until he's asleep."

"Sam, he had a nightmare."

"I don't give two shits. I did not ask for or care about your opinion. I make the choice, and since he will be moving in here permanently on the first of November, that's the way it will be."

I frown tilting my head. "I thought Rose had guardianship of him?"

"He's mine, not hers, and she's lucky I'm giving her two and a half weeks' notice to get used to the idea. While were talking about deadlines, you have until then to decide if we're getting back together or not. If not, I need you out of here and out of my life as well as Seth's."

"Sam," I say shocked.

"No! I can't deal with you only giving me some, and then snapping it away from me. You're playing with my feelings and I can't allow you to do that to Seth."

"I wouldn't," I say holding back my sob.

"You may not mean to, but you are trying to act like his mother, and if you have no plans on being with me, you can't be that. It's unfair to me and whomever it is that does want me as their husband." Sam walks away, leaving me in the hall crying.

I walk to my bedroom and get changed. I move to my window and open it. My eyes seem to spring over to Edward's house and I see him sitting there, writing while sitting in his bed. He must feel my eyes because he looks over at me. I wave giving him a sad smile.

I watch as he frowns and moves closer to his window. I carry on opening my window and move my blinds down. I get into my bed and hug the extra pillow close to me as I start crying.

"Bello?"

I jump into a sitting position in my bed seeing Edward is climbing through my window.

"Edward, what the hell are you doing?" I say as lowly as I can.

"You were crying, and I was worried."

"Edward, you can't do stuff like this, this is the reason Sam thinks you're my stalker."

Edward frowns looking down. "I will admit that I have watched you closely, and sometimes, I have watched and followed you as you walked around. It's just because you seem to pull me in, you're my muse, and you make me a better writer." I start to feel a little panicky about what Edward is saying.

"But, Bello, I would never call you, threaten to hurt you, send you crazy shit or do anything to make you feel unsafe. I'm in love with you, and for me that means making sure no harm comes to you. It means making sure that you're happy even if that means you are with someone else."

I go to tell him I'm sorry but he waves me off. "I'm just an old man with a crush on a beautiful woman. I'm next door if you need someone to talk to, and I promise to give you good, truthful advice, even if it's to advise you to end our friendship. Goodnight, Bello."

I move to my window as he climbs back out. I watch him walk all the way back to his house feeling even worse than I was.

I wake up feeling unrested. I walk into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror seeing that I look like death.

"Shit," I say shocked at just how mad I look.

I wash up, trying hard to ignore my image in the mirror. I get dressed and sigh, hating the stupid clothes Sam got me. I have yet to go out and do some proper clothes shopping.

"Hi," Sam says not looking at me.

"Sam's taking me to the football game, are you coming, Bella?" Seth asks.

"No, she's not coming; it's just us two," Sam says right away.

"But, I want Bella to come."

"She can't," Sam says.

"Why not."

"Because she's busy."

I frown at Sam and he looks at me showing me he's still upset with me.

"Please come, Bella."

"I said she was not coming and that's the end of it, Seth! Now go to your room and stay there until I tell you to come out." Seth runs off and I look at Sam.

"Come on, Sam."

"Enjoy your night time visitor?"

I swallow unsure how he knew about that.

"This is my home and you're trying to fuck around with him behind my back?"

"No, he climbed in the window – I was surprised and he left right away."

"But you didn't ask him to leave, Bella."

"That's not a reason to be mad at Seth," I say hating that Seth got the brunt force of Sam's anger because of me.

"Bella, he's five. I have no idea what I'm doing, but he needs to stop trying to get me to do things his way." Sam walks out of the kitchen leaving me alone. It's only a short time later he walks out with Seth without saying goodbye to me.

I clean up the house again, and I am surprised when my cell rings with Angela's ringtone.

"Hi?" I say.

"Hi Bella, Jessica and I have just decided to go shopping, are you coming?"

"Yes, that sounds great."

"Okay, we'll be there in ten."

I walk out the door locking up and my smile gets even bigger when Angela pulls up.

"Come on, girl," she says and I slide into the front seat next to Jess. I love the fact all three of us can get in the front of Angela's car together.

"Hey, Jessica," I say softly. She smiles back at me, but it doesn't reach her eyes, which are oddly blue. I can see she's lost weight, and she's even dyed her hair blonde.

"Hi," she says coldly back to me. I look around her at Angela who's also giving Jessica a 'what the hell' look.

We arrive at the mall to start our "shopping extravaganza" as Angela calls it exiting the car. I really let loose spending a lot of my savings, knowing that I can put it back in once my insurance pays for the damages.

"Oh my God, look at this," I say holding up a very sexy and sultry dress.

"That will look real good on you," Angela says with a nod, and I look to Jessica who's still being rather quiet and reserved.

"Yeah, it will look amazing on you," she huffs.

"Jess, is there something wrong?"

She shakes her head at me and turns away. I go back to picking out clothes, while wondering why my friend is acting so weird. In the end I spend fifteen hundred dollars, but I also bought Seth some new clothes, shoes, and things for when he goes back to school.

We all head for the food court to eat. "Can I borrow your red dress and the cute black leather jacket you have? Ben's taking me out to meet some of his family and friends."

I nod at her. "Sure, the dress and jacket were at the cleaners during the break in, so they are at the apartment now. We can head there and I'll give them to you."

Angela bounces on her seat and I chuckle.

"So are things going well with Benny?"

"Yes, and I can tell you now I am going to marry that man."

I look at her in shock. "Oh wow, so things are going really well then."

Angela nods with a big smile and I turn to Jess. "What about you, Jess, how are things with Mike?"

"Good," is all she says.

"You know we're here if you need to talk?"

Jess nods at me, but I can see she's worried about something.

"What about you and Sam?" Jess asks after a few minutes.

"Not sure, I think we're at the end of whatever it was we had."

Angela pats my hand in sympathy, but the look on Jess's face turns into a sneer. "Is this because of that freaky, evil man?"

"Who are you talking about?" I gasp at the venom in her voice.

Jess glares at me and shakes her head ending whatever it was she was saying.

The rest of the day is filled with Jess making strange comments, but never explaining them.

We arrive at the apartment that Angela and I have shared for what seems like forever. As we walk inside, I'm filled with worry.

"I'll just grab the dress and jacket for you," I say running to the hall closet, where I was told it was put when it was delivered by the cleaners. I glance in what was my bedroom, it's been cleaned, but I still hate being near the room now. I open the storage closet and grab the dress and jacket. They are still in the protective wrap, so it's perfect for Angela to transport them in. When I walk back into the living room, I see Jessica and Angela are talking in hushed voices.

"What's going on?" I ask and they both turn and look at me.

"Nothing," Angela says smiling and I look to Jessica.

"How's Edward?" she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

"He's fine, as far as I know."

"See, she's friends with him," Jessica says in a hurt yell.

"Why would that be a problem?" I ask.

"He killed Lauren, our friend."

"He didn't kill Lauren, Jess."

"Yes, he did, he told me."

I swallow – look at Angela then to Jessica.

"Who told you?"

Jess shrugs her shoulders. "I've been getting letters and calls. The man tells me that he's watching you, and that Edward is the killer. He said that Edward killed all those girls, and you know everything about it and are covering for him."

"Jessica, I would never do something like that!" I yell angry that she thinks I would cover up for someone murdering someone else.

"You are – look!" She shoves her cell into my hand and I click through the pictures that are there. They are all of me—there are some with me talking to Edward, there's even ones from when I found Edward over Tia's body. The last one I come to is me viewing Lauren's dead body.

"Why have you not gone to the police?" I yell at her.

"And what, become his next victim? No thanks."

Before I can say another word she storms out after grabbing the cell from me.

I sit down finding it hard to breathe.

"What if this all has something to do with me?" I ask Angela and she rubs my back.

"Bella, I'm not sure, but Jessica needs to take that to the police. For what it's worth, I don't think Edward is your stalker or the killer."

I look at her and she shrugs.

"I watched you, on your birthday interact with him. He was so gentle and caring with you. Ben and Mike went to school with him and said that he's a stand-up guy. He has a lot of odd habits and can come off very creepy, but I think he's an all right guy. Just be careful and stay safe. If you need a place to stay, we have another room at Ben and Mike's. It's not very big, but you're welcome to it if things become too hard for you at Sam's."

I nod at my best friend and wipe the tears off my face.

"Come on, let's go and get you home."

Angela pulls up outside of Sam's and then helps me get my stuff inside.

"Ah shit," she says and I turn looking at her. "I forgot the dress and the jacket." She sighs and I chuckle. "I'll need to head back there after I get my hair done. I'll see you later, and I will speak to Jessica, too."

"Love you, Ang, have a great night."

I watch as my friend leaves. I place the bags for Seth down and take the rest of the bags upstairs. I quickly change into a pair of skinny jeans and a nice top and head back downstairs to make dinner. I feel great to be wearing something that actually fits me for once.

A/N: So, what are your thoughts now?