Sorry…. I know this chapter is late but I wasn't in the mood to write it and I wrote an EdBella date instead. So, at some point, you'll get two chapters at once when that cute, little date fits into the narrative.

E-POV

"We need to get going." Bella yawned and stretched like a cat, accidentally knocking over her mug of coffee. I caught it, returned it to its place, and slid my arm behind her.

"Are you sure?" I purred. We were cuddled together on the sofa in my room, our legs stretched out on the ottoman. I pressed a kiss into her hair, where my cheek had been resting. "We can stay right here. Read another chapter."

She yawned again. Mistaking that for her answer, I pulled the thick, knit blanket back up to her chin and held our book back up. We began reading it that morning and were already halfway through. The fated lovers were about to reveal their true feelings, so I assumed Bella would rather continue than leave the house.

But, as it often did, Bella's silent mind conjured up a response I didn't expect. "We can't. We're expected."

I sighed, letting my arm collapse over her stomach.

"It's not going to be that bad," she patted my arm. "We'll be among friends."

You'll be among friends, I almost corrected her, but I kept my mouth shut.

Still, Bella sensed my reluctance. She turned towards me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "It'll be good for you. I know groups of people are difficult for you, but I really think once everyone is used to you, their thoughts will be easier to manage."

I could tell she'd been talking with Esme and Emmett about me—she sounded just like them. I'd been the one living with this gift for the past century, so it would seem that my personal judgment on the matter would be the deciding factor. But no. Everyone was so sure that exposure was the best solution to the problem. As if the overwhelming barrage of thought would simply fade away…

"Besides," Bella continued, "Angela and I think you and Ben will hit it off. You both need a little push. He relies too heavily on Mike to do the talking for him, while you rely too heavily on hiding from everyone and everything."

"Love, I'm the one with the mind-reading ability. I'm fairly certain I know Ben's feelings towards me a bit better than you and Angela." Like all Bella's other friends, Ben did not like me.

That did not deter Bella one bit. "Angela also spoke to Jessica on our behalf and says she's ready to accept that we're a couple!"

"Oh good. Just what I wanted. Jessica's approval."

"And I bet that small crush she had on you is gone by now."

"A small crush," I scoffed. The girl's mind was relentless. "And the Spanish Influenza was just a head cold."

"Don't be such a drama queen."

"You go," I nipped at her ear. "Have a good time without me."

"I don't want to choose between my friends and you. Because I'm going to choose you." Then, in a smaller voice, she added, "I told you how important this group is to me."

She had.

After the failed dinner with Billy and Charlie, Bella confided that she left because she ran into an old flame. Then, curled against my side, legs draped over mine, she told me about her experience growing up. Her lack of meaningful friendships and her dependence on Charlie. It was something I understood all too well. It made perfect sense for me to remain on the edge of society. Tolerating my nature and my gift depended on isolation.

But for Bella to be alone? As warm, compassionate, and charming as she was? She deserved community and all the good that came with it. If I forced Bella to give up her group of friends to remain in solitude with me, I would be more of a monster than I already was.

It was going to be loud. It was going to be overwhelming. It was going to be difficult to keep track of so many voices both thinking and saying my name. At best I would embarrass us both; at worst I would reveal my gift.

"Let's go."

She perked up. "You mean it?"

I gestured for her to go forth with a sweep of my hand. She grinned and kissed my chin.

I remained seated as Bella extracted herself from the bundle of blankets that I piled over her to protect her from my skin. I watched her wiggle into the homemade sweater Alice surprised her with and bend over to pull on her shoes.

"This isn't for your entertainment." She quirked a judgmental eyebrow in my direction.

"Oh?" I challenged. For I knew that it was. Every sway of her hips was for my pleasure. Every soft, sweet smile warmed my cold, dead heart. Every supple curve spread that warmth lower and lower.

The spark of humor in her eyes simmered when she saw the burning heat in mine.

I swallowed her small gasp of surprise as I crossed the room in the blink of an eye and caught her in my embrace. I kissed her, too deeply and too passionately for two people about to go into public. Though I would never have my fill of her taste on my lips and her warmth in my arms, we had places to be. So, I released her and concluded my earlier point, "I think I'll decide that for myself."

She smiled, dreamily. I suspected she had no recollection of what my response was to. Gauging her reaction, I could probably coax her into the bed and make her forget her own name.

Forever charmed by her, I pressed my lips to her nose, "Come on. Let's get out of here before I do something foolish."

On our way out, I checked the weather. The clouds were thinner than I would have liked them to be. The sun wouldn't come out fully, but there was the risk of a few stray rays. I pulled on my hoodie, baseball cap, and sunglasses, just to be safe. On campus, we pulled into an available spot in the parking lot next to the Freshman dormitory Bella's friends inhabited. It was the weekend, so we were free to park anywhere. Angela waited in the lobby for us so she could let us in and lead us to a communal room off to the side of the first floor that Bella's friends reserved to spend their evening in.

According to Jessica, they booked the room weeks in advance. I couldn't fathom why anyone would wait weeks to occupy the place. It was a simple room with a kitchenette, soft seating arranged around an old TV, and a conference table that could seat twelve. When we walked in, Bella's friends crowded around the table, sorting board games from someone's collection into two piles. I bit back a groan of frustration. I hoped to sit back in silence and let the conversation flow around me. With board games involved, I would have to actively participate, while trying not to cheat, while playing with enough purpose so no one suspected I was throwing the game.

Bella's friends all greeted her enthusiastically.

"Oh my god!" Jessica said. "Edward! Are you in disguise?"

She laughed, and a few others joined in. I supposed the hoodie, ball cap, and sunglasses made it seem that way. My mind sought a clever line or a simple excuse, but none came. It was filled to the brim with my name, face, and jumbled words I couldn't shape.

So, I said nothing.

And received six withering stares.

As I stood motionless, berated by my own gift, mouth slightly ajar like an idiot, Jessica launched into a story about a celebrity she saw wearing the exact ensemble I was now yanking off. Bella patted my arm adoringly and pulled me closer to the group.

Mike rubbed his hands together, "Did you bring anything?"

Bella pulled a Tupperware container out of her bag. "Lemon squares and brownies. Just for you."

Mike excitedly grabbed the container, stuffed a lemon square in his mouth, and groaned with pleasure. He took both of Bella's hands, "Run away with me."

She giggled. "I think there are a few people who would object to that idea. Unless they're interested in starting a harem."

Jessica picked through the other snacks on the table. "Fine by me."

Mike and Bella looked at me. I knew I should have played along with the bit, but Lauren's thoughts snagged my attention. The hostility she felt towards Bella's simple act of kindness was jarring.

Sheesh, is she trying to fatten up the rest of us?

Too late, I turned back to Mike and Bella. The moment had passed. Their conversation moved on to something else, but Mike still thought of me.

Freaking serial killer, he thought to himself, recalling the vitriol in my eyes as I regarded a seemingly innocent Lauren.

Ben called everyone's attention back to the table as they were still in the middle of picking out a game. Jessica made the decision easier for everyone by selecting a trivia game, knowing she would dominate. Everyone worked to clear the table, grabbed their snacks, and settled in their seats.

I placed my hand on Bella's hip as I whispered in her ear, "I'm oh for two, in case you were keeping score."

"Stop it. You're doing fine."

I wasn't doing fine, but I joined Bella at the table, nonetheless.

Throughout the game, Bella, Jessica, Ben, and Angela answered most of the questions. Their pawns were halfway around the board when I earned my first point for an answer no one else could offer. I immediately regretted it. Bringing attention to myself brought back the onslaught of thoughts directed at me. From then on, I let unanswered questions get discarded though I knew them all, and remained silent. In the end, Bella and Jessica tied for first, while I came in resounding last.

Bella patted my knee under the table. "Try," she encouraged under her breath.

I wished I could tell her just how hard I was trying. The simple truth was even in this small group of people, I was overwhelmed.

Mike wanted to know what my problem was. To him, my silence was a signal that I wished to be anywhere but with his friends. A snub he took personally. Jessica's persistent crush didn't help.

Ben suffered from secondhand embarrassment, which was a new, exciting kind of insult. That my mere presence was embarrassing enough to inspire shame from others.

Tyler wanted me to be as far away as possible. He couldn't shake the feeling of dread he felt around me—more in tune with natural instincts than most humans. He never understood how Bella could have chosen me over him. Each interaction between us exacerbated both his fear and shame.

Lauren, on the other hand, was always glad to see me. She found it amusing that I was the only boy Bella could manage to be with. Face of an angel, personality of an old sock, she thought to herself with a grin.

Angela pitied me and my obvious discomfort. She actively sought ways that she could help me out, but, since I remained silent and aloof for the most part, I never handed her an opportunity.

Jessica's mind was a warzone—not dissimilar to Rosalie's. She hated me, yet she wanted me to like her. She was venomously jealous of Bella's relationship status, yet she cherished their friendship. Much like Rosalie, she presented her best self to the group. Which, of course, said more about her character than her mind. As usual, Bella was right. Jessica's heart was in the right place, even if her mind wasn't. As much as I wanted to, I could not dislike her for thoughts she didn't act upon.

We moved on to the next game, which involved gathering resources, a hand of cards, and moving pieces around a board. I didn't quite catch all the rules because Ben kept confusing them with another game in his mind and Tyler thought about how it compared to the rules of his favorite game.

Before the game even started, I had given up. I pushed everything to the back of my mind until it became a low buzz. Bella elbowed me when it was my turn. I set a random card down, mechanically did as it said, and passed my turn. I played that way for several rounds when Jessica caught my attention by tugging on my sleeve.

"Hmmm?"

I looked at Jessica's lips to read what she said. "I played a turn that forces you to give me all your cards." She held out her hand expectedly.

"Oh," I furrowed my brow, "Okay."

Bella stopped me before I placed my entire deck in her friend's hand. "Jess!'

Jessica giggled. Then, the entire table joined her. I realized there was nothing in the game that would allow Jessica to play that turn. A human, teenage girl almost tricked an immortal telepath due to his own aloofness.

"Come on, Bella! If he's not going to pay attention, we should be able to exploit that."

"No," Bella said, firmly.

However, I respected Jessica's trick and agreed with her assessment. I handed her half of my cards, earning a laugh from Mike. Jessica and I shared a smile over our joke.

The entire interaction felt dangerously close to friendship.

A few turns later, Ben was about to secure his victory when a few people rose from the table. I was so focused on pushing back everyone's minds that I hadn't realized someone new had walked through the door.

"You came!" Mike grabbed the newcomer's hand as they drew in for a one-armed hug.

He laughed. "Got out of work earlier than I thought."

Jessica squealed with delight and let him pull her in for a hug.

From the commotion—both verbal and nonverbal—I managed to discern the boy was a transfer student, shared a major with Mike and Tyler, and was a cherished member of the group. While everyone else welcomed the boy with genuine enthusiasm, Bella froze.

"Love?" I asked, running my hand across her back.

Then, I heard it. Instead of my name, it was Bella's. Repeated dreamily with a reverence that rivaled my own feelings.

Shocked, I turned to study this unforeseen rival for Bella's affection.

He was a large, brawny guy. Almost as bulky as Emmett, but rounder. His russet skin, terracotta tattoos, and long, black hair suggested he was Native American, possibly from the nearby Quileute tribe. And he was absolutely in love with my Bella.

Her eyes were wide with worry, her lower lip tucked between her teeth. Other than me, only Angela noticed Bella's reaction toward him. "Bella, do you know Jake?"

Bella opened her mouth, but the boy took one, apathetic look in her direction, curled his lips in disgust, and said, "No."

B-POV

After only one turn into our next game, I was ready to flip the table and run. The only thing that kept me in my chair was my own stubbornness, and my refusal to give Jacob the power to drive me away from the people I wanted to be with. Aside from a few blips concerning Edward's gift, the night had been fun. Even Jessica was her best, most charming self, thanks to a bit of Angela's tough love on my behalf. She almost drew a smile from Edward, which was no small feat.

Still, I could not shake the sense of dread. Why was Jacob here? How did he find me? Was it by chance? My terrible luck? I didn't understand.

After introducing Jacob to Edward and me, we played another round of the same game. With Jacob on the other side of the table, pretending I didn't exist, I thought everything would be fine if I kept my head down, disengaged from the group, and focused on the game. I would give Jacob no attention, and offer him zero ammunition.

It was going well until Edward absentmindedly leaned over and pressed a kiss to my temple.

Then, Jacob laughed.

It was only a chuckle under his breath, but he might as well have stood up and pointed at me. The rest of the group joined tentatively, looking around to see if they were the only one who missed the joke. Except for Jessica, who outright demanded, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Jacob shook his head, still chuckling. "Thought of something from earlier."

"What was it?"

Jacob snuck a peek at me, then Edward beside me. "Have you ever seen one of those videos of unlikely animal relationships?"

"Oh! I love those!" Jessica clapped. "Was it the one about the tortoise and the golden retriever?"

Jacob tapped his chin, theatrically, "I'm actually thinking about the one of a peacock and a hippopotamus."

My face warmed.

Either the dig at my relationship soared over Jessica's head or she was a fantastic actress. "I don't think I saw that one."

However, Lauren caught on immediately. "I've seen that one. Although, my favorite is the cheetah and the elephant."

"There's just something so silly about an animal with no concept of how big they are thinking they can hang around something so much smaller without looking ridiculous."

I kept my eyes on my lap, but I didn't need to see Jacob's face to know he was glowing with pride. His joy was evident in his laughter. The others joined in, with no idea they were laughing at my expense.

"Like a swan and a pig!"

"Or a dolphin and a whale."

For a moment I thought Mike had come to my aid when he said, "No. I can totally believe that a dolphin and a whale would hang out," but he stomped that hope into dust. "It would be a whale and a small land animal. Something the whale would crush."

My cheeks burned red.

"Fox?" Ben suggested.

"Yeah!" Mike snapped his fingers, "A whale and a fox would be stupid as friends."

"Oh, I got one! A big, fat walrus and cute, little penguin." Jessica added, proudly. "Bella, you do one!"

My gaze rose automatically at the sound of my name, and I made unwanted eye contact with Jacob. His dark, black eyes sparkled with satisfaction that he managed to get my friends to mock me. He tossed me a wink, then blew me a kiss.

"Enough," Edward hissed. Everyone turned to him, appalled by the malice in his voice.

"Yeah, Jessica," Lauren said, brushing off Edward's fury with a shrug of her shoulder. "You better watch where you use that word." Her eyes flickered over to me. "Sensitive ears."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jessica sniffed, "It's not like anyone here is fat."

I knew she was trying to be nice. I knew she was trying to defend me. But at that moment, I could have throttled Jessica.

"Right, Edward?" she turned to him, handing him the opportunity to "defend" me like she had.

But Edward hadn't heard. His attention was locked on Jacob, his expression unfathomable. I had never been more grateful for his gift. I didn't know what answer I wanted to hear him say.

"Edward's right!" Ben declared, "Let's get back to the game so I can beat you bastards."

There were a few groans and taunts, and suddenly everyone's attention was back on the game. I could have sworn I saw Angela nod once in Ben's direction. Once the game got going again, I played like Edward did during the first play-through, where the only goal was to keep attention off myself as much as possible.

He, however, seemed to play with a new goal: to beat Jacob. He thwarted Jacob at every chance, even if it was detrimental to his own turn. To everyone else, it was a mere coincidence. Only I suspected that Jacob's thoughts affected Edward's actions.

Finally, the game concluded with Ben as a victor, Angela close on his tail. Thanks to Edward, Jacob lost, horribly. I smiled to myself as he and Mike reviewed his strategy, chalking it up to bad luck.

Not bad luck. Just my petty, telepathic boyfriend.

To my great relief, we didn't play another game. Ben voiced his desire, but Angela kindly reminded him that Edward and I had a long drive ahead of us. I stared at my feet on our way out, trusting Edward to guide me safely to the exit, but I still felt Jacob's eyes on me the entire time.

In the car, I turned the music loud enough to make conversation impossible. Edward let me sulk in silence, as I held one of his hands in both of mine. We pulled into my driveway, occupied only by my truck, meaning Charlie was away with Billy. I could probably spend the rest of the weekend brooding, if I wished. Edward and I shared a small, tense smile as he held the passenger door open for me. I figured he would let me go without another word.

He had every right to be upset with me. I coerced him into an uncomfortable situation, embarrassed us both, and subjected us to ridicule. I would completely understand if that strong, beautiful cheetah never wanted to speak to this elephant ever again.

But, when I entered my dark room, squeezing a towel into my hair, still damp from my shower, there was a figure perched on the edge of my bed.

Looking like an answer to a wish.

"Oh, thank god," I signed, abandoning the towel to wrap my arms around him as he stood to greet me. I pressed my nose under his arm, inhaling his sweet, butterscotch scent. "I really needed my vampire boyfriend."

He chuckled. The sound was a balm to the wounds Jacob's presence had reopened. "Good. Because I needed my human girlfriend."

As he spoke, his hands traveled around my sides and down my back. I knew I should have wished to be adorned in silk or satin rather than sweatpants and a cotton tank for our first nighttime rendezvous, but I was too delighted by his presence to care. He moved us onto the bed with an ease and speed that left me breathless. Suddenly, I was on my back, Edward hovered above me, his mouth on mine.

I let him dazzle me into oblivion.

I hadn't realized my grip was too tight until Edward tried to pull back. Had he been human, he would have yelped in pain, and I would have fistfuls of soft, bronze hair. But he was able to break my grasp effortlessly. I had a hunch he broke the kiss for another reason, but got distracted by my intense hold. He held my hand in his as he asked, "Bella, is everything alright?"

Instead of telling him he was insane for asking such a stupid question, I sat up in bed to kiss him again.

"Bella…" he murmured against my mouth, attempting to soothe. But I did not wish to be soothed. I wanted to be sent back into oblivion. He let me kiss him, but it became obvious that the flame of desire had been doused by worry.

Irritated, I fell back against the pillow, then curled onto my side. The bed shifted as Edward settled beside me.

"It's all right," he breathed.

"Why is he here? Why is he doing this to me?"

Edward immediately knew I was referring to Jacob. "So, you do know him…"

"Yes," I admitted, closing my fist around the blanket and pulling it up to my face. "I know him."

Edward waited patiently for me to continue.

"He was my boyfriend back in high school."

"The same one you ran into at the Bloated Toad?"

We never went into detail about that dinner with my father. Edward knew I saw Jacob. Not that he was Billy's son, tormented me for years, or actually hated me. I wasn't sure what Edward would think of me, after hearing Jacob's thoughts all night. There was no angle in the tale that made me look good—only gullible, pathetic, and undesirable.

"Yes," I squeaked.

"I see."

Out of all the responses he could have given me, that was probably one of the worst—right after breaking up with me for being such a loser. I buried my face further into the pillow so I didn't have to see his face when I asked, "What does that mean?"

"I'm struggling to understand, Sweetheart. Why would you pretend not to know each other? I'm sure if Angela knew of your past, she would never—,"

"Our relationship wasn't exactly public knowledge…"

"A secret tryst," he muttered, deadpan, "Wonderful."

I didn't understand his response. He sounded almost… resentful. I propped myself up on my elbow, to get a better look at his face. Sure enough, his jaw was taut, his brow was furrowed, and his honey-colored eyes refused to meet mine. "You can't be serious. Are you jealous?"

He blinked, startled by my accusation. "I don't know what to think, Bella. You run into your ex-boyfriend once and he's suddenly a member of your social circle."

"That's what you're concerned about? Not by anything else that happened this evening?"

"There wasn't much for me to focus on, other than the boy's unrelenting love for you."

I knew it was ridiculous to get upset at Edward for not knowing something I didn't tell him about, but his apathy still hurt. Even though Edward didn't know what Jacob put me through in high school, he still witnessed Jacob's casual cruelty firsthand. A single tear of frustration slipped down my cheek, and more, angrier tears threatened to follow. I shoved Edward's hand away as he tried to catch the tear and scrubbed the rest away myself. "Well, to catch you up, Jacob compared our relationship to abominations of the animal kingdom and had everyone else join in. Does that sound like the unrelenting love you're so jealous of?"

His beautiful face crumpled with confusion. "That upset you?"

"I can't believe you!" There was no space on my bed to move away from him, so I got up. His face dropped as he regarded the distance I put between us, but he did not attempt to move closer. He sat up on the bed, facing me. "Do I really have to spell his out for you? Jacob made sure I was miserable for years. Just like he made sure I was miserable tonight!"

"Typically, I would never vouch for another suitor, but you know what they say when a boy tugs on a girl's ponytail…"

"That's what you're going to say!? Jesus Christ! You care more about your misplaced jealousy than you do about my feelings."

"Obviously not, Isabella." Though he spoke with a clenched jaw, each syllable was separate and distinct.

"Then act like it."

His jaw softened first, then the gold of his eyes melted and smoldered. "I'm sorry. You're right. Just because Jacob's sense of humor is pitifully uninspired doesn't mean I should ignore it. The fact that someone's goal was to hurt you should be enough to ignite my ire because, of course, I care about your feelings."

He held out his hands for me, but I wasn't ready to take them. I was still too angry.

"Bella, I care about you more than anything else in this world. So, that means when someone shows up vying for your affection, I'm going to care about that, too."

"Vying for my affection," I echoed in disbelief.

"All Jacob wants is for you to notice him. When you regard him with horror, all he sees is that you're looking at him."

I closed my eyes. I supposed I should have been happier that Edward was more concerned with losing my love than an insult to my weight. I simply could not reassign Jacob's behavior from harassment to flirtation. "I wish he would just go away."

"I know. Would you like me to drink his blood?"

I shifted my feet, losing a battle with a smile. "Kinda."

Edward laughed, gently. Because he made me smile, I took a step closer to him. Close enough that he could touch, but he respectfully kept his hands on his knees.

"And you were worried you were going to embarrass me…"

"You have nothing to be ashamed of. Honestly, without my gift, I wouldn't have realized what had happened. None of your friends were aware, either."

"Lauren knew," I grumbled.

"I didn't think Lauren qualified to be in that group."

I was starting to enjoy this catty side of Edward. As a reward for the second smile he inspired, I coaxed him to place his hands on my hips. He rubbed his thumbs along the waistband of my pajama pants.

"Do you want to know why?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders.

He tugged me closer, inviting me to sit on his lap. I couldn't stand the thought of placing my full weight on him, so I sat next to him and draped my legs across his. He looped his arm under my knees and hugged my legs against his chest.

"Because the comparisons they were making in no way reflect our relationship. Yes, you're a bit bigger than me, but so what? You're also more beautiful, more appealing, more… everything, my love. None of your friends were thinking about our difference in size because they were too busy wondering what on Earth you're doing with an old sock like me."

The giggle bubbled out of my lips before I could stop it. "They did not think that."

He smiled at the sound of my laughter, but the joy did not touch his eyes. "It must be my nickname among your friends because every single one of them thought it."

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recalled Jessica using the phrase once before. I suppose it stuck. I rubbed his cheek with my thumb. "Don't worry—you're not an old sock. You're just old."

"I honestly wish I understood what it meant."

I laughed, then yawned. He smiled.

"I should let you sleep. It's been a long night."

I wasn't ready for him to leave. "Won't you stay the night?"

His eyes brightened for a fraction of a second before they crumpled. "I wouldn't be sleeping, Bella."

We had already gone through the strange quirks of vampirism. I once got Emmett to demonstrate what would happen if they ate human food. I knew his eyes would turn black the longer he went without blood, and I knew what would happen to Edward in the sun, I knew that he spent his nights hunting, composing, or reading instead of sleeping.

"Oh," my face fell, "I suppose it would be boring to watch me sleep all night."

"No, no! That's not it at all." He ran the back of his fingers down my calf, watching his hand so he didn't have to meet my eyes as he admitted, "In fact, I've always wanted to hold you as you fell asleep."

"Then stay," I whispered.

"It won't… weird you out? To have me lie awake while you sleep?"

My heart softened. How many insecurities piled between the two of us? His gift. My weight. His vampirism.

Suddenly, I understood why a boy with affection for me in his heart and acceptance from my friends would threaten Edward more than catty words. I regretted scolding him for his jealousy. It wasn't misplaced—it was unjust. For all the things he didn't like about himself only besotted him to me.

"I've liked all your weird so far." I watched him watch his fingers travel back up my calf, around my knee, and restart the circuit. "I like that you're the oldest, rarest, rustiest antique in my collection," I said, eyeing his rust-colored hair. "I like that you can materialize out of nowhere when I want you most. I like that you have a gift that allows you to ensure people I don't like lose board games." Though his face was turned away, I could see the smile tug at the corner of his lips. "I assume I'll like this, too."

I leaned back against the pillows and curled onto my side, leaving enough room for Edward behind me. I felt the dip in the bed, first. Then, the length of his cool, hard body curved against mine. Finally, his lips in my hair.

"I love you." His baritone was soft, its timber electing a lurch low in my body. "I love every part about you. Every gesture, every freckle, every inch."

And though I knew he was only trying to be nice; it was nice to hear all the same. I fell asleep—not to the echoes of unwelcome memories, but to the sound of Edward's gentle humming.