23

Bella had spent most of her life feeling on the edge of a nervous breakdown, and now that she had agreed to bring Felix into the mix, so to speak, that feeling had only intensified. After Edward had spent the afternoon teaching her basic self-defense skills, they'd spent the rest of day inside her bedroom. She hadn't sang for him yet, telling him that she needed to pick the right song. Truth be told, her feelings for Edward were so intense, she wasn't sure how she could find a song that didn't feel like she was confessing her love for him. Not that she was in love with him, or was she? Was that why she felt so needed, so normal when she was with him? But could she really fall in love with someone after just a week?

"Stop thinking about him," she murmured to herself as her eyes shifted to the door leading into the bathroom they shared. She could hear the sound of the shower running, which didn't help the feelings inside of her. He was naked on the other side of that door, and that both scared and thrilled her.

It was barely six in the morning and neither of them had slept in two days, not since she had found herself being led into the chapel. Instead, they'd spent the last two days alternating from each other's bedrooms, down at the creek, and avoiding the way everyone seemed to watch them. Somehow in the last two days, Edward had gone from being her bodyguard to being the most important person in her life, and that scared her more than him being naked in the room next door.

She heard the shower get turned off and scrambled to her feet, unsure why she felt the need to flee her bedroom before he came back to her. She scurried down to the first floor and into the kitchen, where she found Esme seated at the table with a book propped up in front of her and two cups sitting on the table.

"Oh, um, hey," she murmured, fiddling with the hem of her Blacktail Ranch T-shirt she had been wearing for almost two days.

"Good morning, Bella. Coffee?" she asked, gesturing to the cup across from her.

"Um, yeah, sure," she said, before she walked over and sat at the table, watching Esme lean forward and fill her cup with hot coffee. "Were you waiting for me?"

"You or Edward. Maybe both. Figured one of you would be down here sooner or later."

"Oh." Bella picked up her cup, taking a sip. "What are you reading?"

Esme looked toward the door to the kitchen before saying, "Smut."

Bella gasped. "I'm sorry. Did you say you're reading smut?"

She nodded. "I can't help it, Bella. I love a good smutty, sex filled book. The others make fun of me for it, but what can I say? The smuttier the better."

"Oh, okay," she giggled, dragging her finger around the rim of her cup. "Is there a reason you prefer books with a lot of . . . smut?"

"No, just enjoy it."

Bella nodded. "How did you and Carlisle met? If you don't mind me asking, I mean."

Esme snorted and closed her book, placing it on the table before she turned and looked at her. "We met in the F.B.I."

"You were in the F.B.I.?"

"I was. Just as an analyst, but I'd been with them for about two months when I was given the case of a serial killer for a team out of here in Seattle. I was in Portland at the time, so I boarded a plane and headed over. When I stepped off the elevator on the fifth floor, I saw him. He was standing next to the copy machine, smacking the crap out of it because it wasn't working. God help me, I thought it was cute." She sighed. "He turned and looked at me and said, 'don't just stand there, get your ass over here and fix this piece of shit.' I was shocked and pissed and ready to tell him to suck my big toe, when Charlie rushed past me and over to him, muttering some nonsense about showing the copier a little T.L.C. That's when I realized he hadn't been talking to me at all."

"What happened next?"

"Well, he realized that I was about to kick his ass, when he started stammering out a huge apology and asked if I needed help. I quickly told him I was fine and went to find my point of contact, which happened to be one Carlisle Cullen."

"No way!"

Esme nodded. "Afraid so, Bella. He and I locked ourselves into one of the interrogation rooms and started pouring through his case, but he wasn't paying much attention to me and I was getting really annoyed, because I was there to do a job, you know?"

She nodded before taking another sip of her coffee.

"Anyway, I was about to tell him to go fuck a goat when he asked me out for coffee. I was completely shook and said no, and tried to go back to work, but he asked me again and again I told him no. Then he asked why I wouldn't go out with him. I gave him a list of reasons. You know, work places romances, living in different cities, I didn't find him all that attractive. The usual bullshit, but he just smirked and asked me out again. I don't know, Bella, I found myself saying yes. We met for drinks, though, not coffee, and the rest is history."

"You just said yes? Like it was the easiest decision you ever made?"

"Well, no, of course not," Esme scoffed, turning and leaning up against the table. "He worked in the field, and I didn't. I didn't love the job, and he was all about the job. Things were hard, and sometimes they still are, Bella, but he's the love of my life, and I fight for those I love. All of them," she added, giving her a look. "There are muffins in the oven. Pull them out when the timer goes off?"

Bella nodded, and watched as Esme picked up her book, stood up, and walked out of the kitchen, leaving her alone. The door had barely swung shut when it was pushed open again and she turned, finding Edward standing there. His hair was wet and his T-shirt was clinging against his skin from where he hadn't dried off completely.

"Oh, um, hey."

"Hey," she said with a smile as she tilted her head to the side. "Did you not dry off?"

"Um, yeah, I did," he said, clearing his throat. "Just, you know, not very well."

Bella nodded. "Why not?"

"No real reason," he said, shrugging his shoulders before he shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "Um, did you want coffee?"

"I have coffee," she said, lifting her cup up in front of her. "Your mom was waiting for me. Well, for one of us. I don't think it mattered which one, either."

"I saw her on the way down," he murmured, nodding. "She told me where I could find you."

"You were looking for me?"

"I . . . Yes?"

Bella laughed. "Were you afraid I'd left or something?"

"No," he said, quickly. "I mean, yes. I don't know. I just don't like being away from you."

"I don't like being away from you, either," she confessed, feeling her cheeks warm. "I heard you turn the shower off, and I don't. . . I don't know, I just had to get out of there."

Edward grinned. "Nice to know I have the same effect on you, as you have on me, sweetheart."

She rolled her eyes as the timer on the oven went off and hurried over, pulling the door down and reaching for the muffin pan, but she'd forgotten to grab an oven mitt and screamed, "Holy fuck!" as the pan dropped from her hand, hitting the door and falling onto the floor with a loud bang.

"Jesus Christ, Bella, are you okay?" Edward hurried over to her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist as he pulled her over to the sink, turning on the cold water and shoving her hand beneath it. "It's probably going to blister."

"Probably," she whimpered, feeling her eyes fill with tears that she struggled to keep from falling. "God, I'm so fucking stupid."

"You're not stupid, sweetheart." Edward brought his other hand up to the side of her face, using his fingers to push her hair behind her ear. "Bella."

"Edward," she whispered, leaning up toward him just as the door to the kitchen swung open and Esme hurried in, pausing as her eyes widened.

"Oh, um, I heard a noise, and . . ." She trailed off and gestured toward the other room. "I'm just going to go . . . somewhere else."

"Mom!" Edward called out but Esme was already gone. He groaned and shook his head as he looked down at her. "She's not going to let this go."

"Does that really surprise you?"

"No."

"Me either, and I barely know the woman."

Edward smiled and placed his hand on the back of her head before he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Come on, sweetheart. I have some burn ointment in the bathroom. Emmett's kind of known for burns, so. . ."

She laughed, and let him keep her wrist in his hand as the two walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, finding Esme, Carlisle, and Charlie sitting on the couch. The three looked from one to the other, and while Esme and Carlisle smirked, Charlie frowned.

"First aid kit still stocked?" Edward asked.

"Yep," Carlisle and Esme replied, both of them raising an eyebrow, almost like they were silently trying to ask him his intentions with her, yet not really asking, either.

"Here, I've got her," Charlie groused, taking a step toward Bella, but stopping when she moved away from him. "Bee?"

"He knows what to do, so . . ."

"So do I," Charlie quipped, folding his arms in front of him.

"Yeah. I mean, I know, I just . . ." Bella bit the inside of her lip as she looked up at Edward before tilting her head toward the hallway leading to the downstairs restroom. "My hand hurts."

"Oh, yeah, okay."

Edward pressed his hand against her back, nudging her forward. She looked over her shoulder at her father before she let Edward lead her into the restroom. She put the lid down before sitting down and turning her hand over, with her palm up. The skin on the top part of her palm, just under the base of her fingers was red, and Bella wondered if Edward was right about it blistering.

He dug under the sink and pulled out a bottle of aloe vera gel and a couple of guaze pads and some tape. "This should help take the pain and heat away. It might still be tender, but it's a pretty minor burn."

"Guess I got lucky."

He smiled. "I think you just don't want to play your guitar when you finally sing for me."

"I told you I'm trying to decide on the right song."

"I know." Edward knelt in front of her and placed his hand under hers, squirting a small amount of the gel on her hand. He used a Q-tip to spread it around the palm of her hand. "Does that feel better?"

"Yes."

"Why did you run when you heard the shower turn off?"

Bella bit the inside of her lip before saying, "I don't know. I just . . ." She inhaled a deep breath. "I just felt . . . overwhelmed and scared and I don't know. I've never felt like this before."

He smiled, his ears turning red. "I've never felt like this before, either."

"Yeah?"

Edward nodded before he covered the burn on her hand with the gauze and tapped it down. "I've never allowed myself to feel like this, Bella. It was easier to not let myself connect with anyone. I mean, anyone other than you."

"Why do you feel so . . . connected to me still? I mean, you spent twenty years thinking I was dead, right?"

Edward nodded.

"Don't you think it's . . . weird that you feel . . . felt so strongly about me? Given what we went through together?"

"I do," he whispered, his eyes shifting up to hers. "It's not like I was obsessed with you, Bella. I just . . . You were the one and only part of that time of our lives that didn't send me into complete and utter panic attacks. When I found myself scared to the point that I felt like I was losing control, I thought about how you would hold my hand in the middle of the night, or how when you smiled, my heart would race."

Bella smiled.

"See?" he said, placing her other hand in the middle of his chest. "Can you feel how hard it's beating?"

"I can," she whispered, placing her other hand on the side of his face. "Are you real, Edward?"

"I am."

"I'm not so sure," she murmured, leaning her forehead against his. "Can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask, sweetheart."

Bella leaned toward him, but before her lips could touch his, someone knocked on the bathroom door. Edward groaned and scrambled to his feet, hurrying over and throwing it open with a snarled, "What?" that was quickly replaced with a more somber, "What is it, Dad?" when he realized his father was standing on the other side of the door.

Carlisle's eyes shifted from him to her and back before he said, "They're ten minutes out. Figured you'd want a heads up to, you know, prepare."

"Okay."

Carlisle gave Edward a look before he turned and walked away. Edward looked back at Bella, his lips curved into a heartbreaking frown.

"By they, he means . . . he means Felix?"

Edward nodded. "And his team."

"There's two of them. That's what you said, right?" she asked, replaying one of the many conversations they had had over the last two days in preparation for Felix's arrival. She was due to start her media tour to promote the release of her new album in five days, hence the urgency to beef up her security.

"Yes. Garrett Mitchell and Tyler Crowley. I've worked with them before. They're good guys."

And again, Bella nodded. "And they know everything? Like everything, everything?"

"They know enough to get the gist of what we went through, but that's about all."

"And they'll know not to touch me, won't they?"

"Yes, but I will remind them again."

Bella blew out a shaky breath as she nodded once more. "I'm trusting you, Edward, and trust isn't something I give easily."

He walked over and held his hand out to her, pulling her to her feet after she placed her hand in his. He brought his other hand up to the side of her face, causing her eyes to close.

"Edward."

"I won't let anyone hurt you, Bella. Do you hear me?"

Tears flooded her eyes as she nodded, causing them to fall down her face. "Edward, I . . ."

"Edward, son, move your ass!" Carlisle yelled, causing the two to take a step away from each other.

"Guess we'd better get out there."

"Yeah," she murmured. "I'm ready."

Edward brushed her hair behind her ear before he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Together, the two walked out of the restroom, down the hallway, and into the living room, where they found Carlisle, Charlie, and Esme waiting with Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper. While Alice and Rosalie were seated on the couch with Esme, Emmett and Jasper were next to the door, like they standing guard, which they probably were.

"How's your hand?" Esme asked, leaning forward.

"Um, it's okay," she whispered, scooting closer to Edward. "I'm sorry I dropped your muffins."

"It's okay. I can make more," Esme said before leaning backward and turning her attention back to the book she had been reading.

The sound of tires crunching to a stop trickled into the house and Bella found herself scooting toward Edward so that she was partially hidden as everyone but Esme turned and looked from her and Edward to the front door and back. Her heart was racing and her legs felt heavy and weak at the same time. Her eyes burned with tears she refused to allow to fall, not needing anyone else to see her cry. Her humiliation had been on display enough as it was, she told herself.

She had just inhaled a breath when loud, booming knocking echoed throughout the room as the newcomers announced their arrival. The urge to scream for them to stop, to barricade the door trickled to the tip of her tongue, but before she could make a sound, Emmett reached over and opened the door.

The first of the three newcomers was tall, thin and a solid five years younger than Bella and Edward, she had to guess. He had dark brown hair and when he looked around the room, his dark eyes landed where she was all but hiding before he moved out of the way and allowed the second man to enter.

Unlike his partner, he had shaggy dirty-blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was broad in the shoulders and muscular. He turned his head to look around and Bella noticed a scar stretching from behind his ear down his neck and into his shirt. He, unlike the man with him, didn't even look in her direction as he moved over and stood next to Jasper.

Finally, the last man entered, and Bella felt like someone had punched her in the throat as the air in her lungs flew out of her mouth. The man with almost jet black hair and small, dark, and beady eyes was someone she had seen before, too many times. Though she never who he was until now. The man who haunted her nightmares, whose touch had her screaming for mercy, begging for death to take her. And in that moment, Bella Swan regretted agreeing to let Felix join them.

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! Things are getting intense.