Hello again!

Here is the other half of the chapter I split in half to stop it being unnaturally long and taking an extremely long time to finish!

Remember that if you notice any changes in the house/garden to previous chapters (besides last chapter), chalk it up to Bella being a lot more observant than Edward.

I really hope you like the chapter! :D

BPOV

The rest of the Cullen's home was just as beautiful as what I'd seen of it so far. Moving back the way we had come, then up the grand staircase, we started the tour in a converted attic with a similar glass wall at the back, looking high out over the sprawling lawn to the lake beyond. Edward explained that it used the 'playroom', but Esme now used it as a design space, and proclaimed it was his favorite view in the house.

I couldn't blame him, it was spectacular. You could see almost clear across the lake, the shore on the other side a little hazy, though fairly clear for Seattle's usually misty weather. The panorama painted a magnificent and calming picture, bordered by pine trees and other greenery that faded in the cool, shimmering surface of Lake Washington, which lapped against the small pier that stuck out from the shoreline at the edge of the property.

Next, Edward led the way back down to the second floor, where there were five bedrooms and a small sitting room he called the 'pajama lounge'. When I asked what exactly one does in a pajama lounge, he said it was where a comfortable place they had gathered as a family- reading books at night before their parents tucked them in as children, or where you could wait for everyone else to wake up on Sunday morning. Tittering, I teased him once again for being a rich kid.

Edward also showed me his bedroom on the second floor. I was momentarily struck with an odd feeling as I looked around like I was observing a part of him that he hadn't shown before. Like many of the rooms on the second floor, the windows were large, but not floor to ceiling like downstairs or in the attic, and flanked by rich blue, heavy-looking curtains that would block out almost all light from coming in when they were drawn. The walls were a steely gray, reminding me of the rain-laden storm clouds that we would watch roll in from the ocean as we stood on La Push beach.

The decor was fairly minimalist, a large bed in the middle of the room with low bedside tables on either side, a desk on the wall next to the door with a computer set up connected to a piano keyboard. Photos from his teenage years were pinned to a bulletin board above the desk, giving me glimpses of his perfect life. Countless pictures of him and Maria, some that had been included in the album he'd given me and some that hadn't; photos of a much younger Edward at a birthday, dressed up as Captain Hook, hugging a little girl with strawberry blonde hair dressed up as a Tinkerbell; a few team photos from various little league and high school baseball teams.

The most cluttered part of the room was a large built-in bookcase opposite the foot of the bed, a flat-screen tv mounted in the middle. Filling the shelves were what looked like hundreds of CDs, cassette tapes, and vinyl records. It looked like Edward had raided a music store, or was set up to run one of his own. I couldn't fathom how one person could own, let alone listen to so much music as I looked through the extensive collection of genres and artists. Set into the lower shelves, underneath where the television hung, was an impressive-looking sound system with an intimidating number of dials.

The room wasn't flashy and it suited Edward.

"I want to show you something," Edward interrupted my snooping.

"Okay," I responded. I could see many photos around the room, many of Maria. One on his nightstand caught my eye. They looked young and extremely happy.

My throat tightened at the thought of listening to Edward recount a memory of my sister. Edward had promised to try and help me feel comfortable before the evening, and I felt anything but.

"Well, play you something," continued Edward, as he walked towards the built-in unit and squatted down to look through a few records before he found what he was looking for. My discomfort turned to confusion as I watched him lift the lid of a record player, pulling the large black disc out of its sleeve and placing it on the turntable.

When the pin touched the vinyl and a scratchy sound emanated from several points around the room, my confusion soon turned to delight. The cheerful steel guitar and the rhythmic beat of the drum and snare of Patsy Cline's I Go Out Walkin After Midnight started to fill the air around me, making me smile.

"You said you particularly liked Patsy Cline and when I remembered I had this record, I thought you'd get a kick out of it." The lopsided grin was back on Edward's face, making him seem charming and confident, even when he was rubbing the back of his neck like an unsure teenager.

"I love it," I assured him with a laugh. I closed my eyes and bopped my head along to the beat. "I stop to see a weepin' willow, cryin' on his pillow. Maybe he's cryin' for me. And as the skies turn gloomy, night winds whisper to me. I'm lonesome as I can be," I sang softly, unconscious of my actions.

"You have a lovely voice," Edward's voice shocked me from my reverie.

My face flushed bright red. I could feel the heat that radiated from my cheeks. "Oh, um… Thank you," I mumbled, completely embarrassed. Singing wasn't something I usually did in front of people.

Edward picked up on my mortification and directed the conversation back to more neutral territory. "I remembered you said country music was a guilty pleasure and guilty pleasure music always puts me in a good mood." He added a cheeky wink, which did nothing to help reduce my blush.

"How is that possible? You said yours was My Chemical Romance," I asked with a chortle. "They aren't exactly known for their chipper tunes."

Edward's hearty guffaw was almost as loud as the song that was almost over. "No, but their disillusionment with the world makes me realize how good I have it, and that always makes me feel better."

We hung out in Edward's room for a little while longer, talking about this and that while listening to the rest of the record. I found myself wanting to spend hours studying each and every item he had put out on display, so I could unpuzzle the man who puzzled me often. I asked him about a few of the photographs and knick-knacks, though nowhere near enough to satiate my curiosity.

While each of the rooms were tastefully decorated and had lovely views, my favorite room in the house by far was the library. The complete left side and the wall at the end of the room were glass, just like the rest of the back wall of the ground floor. The corner looked down the lawn to the water and showed just a glimpse of the vine-covered, arched brick walls that fenced the meticulously manicured flower garden. The opposite wall and completely around the door frame were covered in light wooden bookshelves, all the way to the ceiling. There was even an old-fashioned ladder with wheels to help you reach the books at the top. A comfortable-looking, sage green loveseat and two wingback armchairs in a similar color took up the majority of the floor space, and in the corner made by the two glass walls was a white baby grand piano.

An image popped into my head unbidden - sitting curled up in one of the chairs by the window for hours, watching as the light changed across the water, getting lost in the pages of one of my favorite novels, while Edward worked on whatever piece he was writing.

"Wow," I drew out in admiration. "This room is just… wow."

Edward chuckled. "You like?"

"Ah, yeah," I said emphatically with a small laugh. "I thought that was obvious. This is, like, my dream room."

"Your dream room, huh?" he asked, one eyebrow raised and his grin lopsided.

I chuckled along with him. "Yup. If someone asked me to picture my happy place, I'm pretty sure this is what I'd imagine. Maybe with a few more sunny days to make the view a little more diverse, but yeah."

"I would probably have to agree with you," Edward said with a smile. "I actually spend most of my time in here these days."

"I thought upstairs was your favorite room?" I raised an eyebrow in query.

"That's my favorite view. This is my favorite room. It has the piano, and the close proximity to the kitchen is a definite win."

Feeling like I had an in to something I had been insatiably curious about for weeks, I mounted my courage. "Speaking of the piano," I trailed off suggestively, flashing him a shy smile so he would know there wasn't actually any pressure for him to play if he didn't want to.

Thankfully Edward's response was a deep, rapturous laugh that instantly drew a smile to my face. "I suppose I did promise and you have been patient." He walked over to the impressive instrument in the corner, pulled out the bench, sat, and then turned back to face me.

"Any requests?" He asked with a smirk.

Shaking my head in amusement, I walked over to him but sat in an occasional chair next to the piano. "How can I request something when I haven't heard enough of your stuff to ask for anything specific?"

"Touche." Edward flashed me his lopsided grin, dazzling me momentarily. "Well, what would you like to hear?"

"I don't know. Something you think I would like," I deflected with a small shrug of my shoulders.

Smiling slightly, Edward stared at me for a moment without responding before he turned back to the piano and a severe look overtook his face. "This one I've been working on," he said in a low voice as he brought his hands to the keys.

The music was soft and dreamy, but the low notes Edward was playing made it sadder. Mournful. It was almost haunting, but the melancholic tones made it more haunted. It evoked memories of waking up from dreams after my son died, in which I'd held him, alive and well, only to remember that that was not reality. I'd relived that heartbreak a thousand times over. My eyes welled with emotion, so I closed them to try and dispel the tears.

Suddenly the music shifted. The key was higher, though the tune sounded the same as it had in the lower notes. It sounded, somehow, more optimistic now. Still sad, but there was a buoyancy to it now, which made it hopeful. Like a bittersweet dream that you wish you could sink back in when you wake.

The unexpected change was surprising and my eyes popped open. Watching Edward as his elegant hands moved expertly over the keys, I couldn't help but notice how relaxed he looked right then. It wasn't only that he was a skilled pianist in his element. It was as if the tension that had been practically everpresent since I'd met him had suddenly melted away. It made my heart warm to know he had an outlet for his feelings, but at the same time, my heart broke because he carried so much strain on his shoulders all the time. Seeing him so unburdened, I couldn't take my eyes off him.

I wished I knew what it was that made Edward so high-strung. I wanted to be able to help him, as he'd helped me in Forks. I wondered what he was like when he was completely at ease. I'd seen glimpses of that man, but even when we'd been talking or joking about something light, there had always been a hint of reservation in his eyes.

Once again the music shifted, Edward now playing the lower and higher keys together. Now that the two had been combined, the music became full and rich. The slow pace made the notes feel like they were swirling around the room, like a warm breeze as it blew through trees on a summer evening. I felt my body relax, and the smile returned to my face. There was a small smile on Edward's lips as well, and his eyes were closed like he was lost in a good dream.

Abruptly, Edward stopped playing, though his hands stayed on the keys so the last notes gently faded, softening the return to silence. The atmosphere between us was warm, almost intimate, as he turned on the bench to face me directly.

"I haven't quite figured out how to finish it yet," Edward said, a bashful blush blooming on his cheeks.

"It was beautiful," I whispered, almost reverently. I cleared my throat a little to shake off the bewilderment that had settled over me as he had been playing. "Seriously, Edward. That was… that was amazing. What are you writing it for?"

"It's not… It's just something I've been writing lately, it's not for anything." Edward blushed again, but his gaze intensified.

"Oh," was all I could say. I felt like I was caught in a snare and I didn't entirely know why. As we stared at each other, the world around us began to fade away. I could feel my own blush rise as Edward's verdant green eyes regarded me, traveled over my face and settled back as our eyes locked once more. As unsure as I was about what was currently happening between us, it didn't feel uncomfortable. Or unpleasant. Whatever it was made my heart thump rapidly in my chest.

A light knock from the doorway broke the spell that had overtaken Edward and me, our heads whipped towards the sounds in unison. Esme stood by the door with a pensive expression. She looked between the two of us before settling on Edward and studying him for a moment longer as if she was searching for an answer to a question she hadn't asked out loud.

"Your father just called to let me know he was running late. He won't be getting home until just before the Di Nali's will get here."

"Okay," Edward replied with a nod.

"Do you know if Alice is coming?"

Edward scowled. "Not unless you told her. I certainly didn't mention it to her." It seemed Edward still found ways to compartmentalize his life.

Esme sighed. "I thought you two had sorted out your issues?"

"We have. It's just…" Edward paused and shot me an apprehensive look. "I just didn't want tonight to be too crowded or overwhelming, you know."

My heart melted a little more at Edwards' consideration and protection of me. It seemed he was compartmentalizing his life to shield me.

Esme's eyes softened and slid back to me. Her face was filled with compassion and, if I wasn't mistaken, a little regret. "Well," she said after a moment. Her voice was light, though it didn't sound effortless. "There's something to be said about birds and stones, isn't there."

Neither Edward nor I responded. I tried to give Esme a reassuring smile, but the tension had returned to Edward's face and shoulders and he barely even attempted to acknowledge what his mother had said.

Esme sighed. "Maybe you and Bella could take a tour of the garden?" she directed to her son. "Get some fresh air before everyone arrives."

Edward turned to me with a questioning brow raised. "That sound okay?"

"Sure," I said timidly, feeling unsure thanks to the changing mood in the room.

Clapping his hands against his thighs, Edward stood from the piano bench. "Let's take a turn about the garden, shall we?" he asked in a mock British voice, holding his elbow out to me.

I chuckled as I stood, then slipped my hand into the crock of his arm. "Let's."

Edward led me past the kitchen, along the glass wall, and down a very short hallway to a door, which led to the backyard. Though it seemed more like a lawn than a yard, the extensive green sloped gradually for at least a hundred feet before the grass met the lake's shoreline. We headed off on a stroll toward the lake.

When my eyes landed on Edward again, the tension was still there in his posture and the deep furrow between his brows, even though we were alone again. Edward's moods were giving me whiplash. At times it seemed like we were here to just hang out as he'd actually just invited me over to meet his mother and see his house. But then something would happen and the look in his eyes said that my being here was the last thing he wanted; like he was trying to figure out a way to abort the entire plan or turn back time to before Esme ever told Carmen.

"EDWARD!" Esme's voice called out to us when we were nearly halfway. We looked back to see her standing by the back door we had just come through, waving a closed umbrella over her head, communicating that we should take it with us.

At a jog, Edward headed back to his mother. Once he reached her they exchanged a few words and he kissed her on the cheek before Esme turned back into the house and Edward started back towards me.

I was suddenly overwhelmed with an intense sense of déjà vu. An image from the dream I'd had the night after I'd first met Edward at our counselling group popped unbidden into my head. He had been walking towards me across a lush green lawn, then came to stand before me as he whispered in my ear. My body erupted in gooseflesh and my blush returned full force. My heart began to race and it seriously felt like I went weak at the knees. I'd never experienced the same sort of full-body attraction to anyone before. The closest I'd ever come to it was probably the first time Edward and I saw each other back in June.

Before Edward could reach me, I ducked my face behind the thick curtain of my hair.

"Why don't we go through the rose garden first?" he asked. Peeking up at him, I saw him pointing back over his shoulder towards the side of the house. "We can start there and do a big loop."

We started off towards the brick arches that led through to the rose garden at the side of the house, both of us deep in thought. I wondered if the obvious discomfort that shrouded Edward stemmed from seeing me here, where he and Maria had spent so much time. If being reminded of a dream evoked such visceral feelings in me, what must Edward be feeling seeing me here?

I could understand his discomfort, but I didn't think that was the root of the tension that rolled off him in waves. From the moment he'd come to see me at school on Thursday, it seemed like Edward was drowning in guilt. He's apologized countless times, and the fact that Esme had apologized too makes me think he'd been vocal about his guilt at home as well.

Before I could think through what I wanted to say, words had begun to slip from my mouth. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Edward hummed. "You just did," he added with a smirk and a raised brow.

I chuckled lightly before I turned serious once more. "No, I was wondering… why do you feel so guilty about tonight?"

Edwards' face sobered completely. "What makes you think I feel guilty?" he deflected, his voice dull.

"Come on, Edward," I scoffed, trying not to roll my eyes as well. "Not only have you apologized a million times, even though I said I didn't blame you, then your mom also apologized, and I don't know… The look on your face sometimes is like you're waiting for me to blow up at you, or serve you with a restraining order, or something."

Edward stared straight ahead, seriously thinking about what he wanted to say. "I just… None of this has gone down in the right way. And I hate that you're always the one that ends up with the short straw."

"Tonight might not be exactly ideal, but it's not that bad," I tried to assuage him. "This meeting was always going to have to happen, you know that. You can't let your expectations and wants overpower reality, because you'll only ever be frustrated and angry at the world when they don't match up."

"I know," Edward said defensively. Though he sounded annoyed, it wasn't heated, so it didn't feel like it was directed toward me.

"Then why do you continue to beat yourself up over it?" I asked, getting frustrated.

"Because it's," he stated in a rush, before stopping and second-guessing himself. Then in a hesitant voice, Edward muttered, "It's not just about today."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not… I mean, it's all of it," he stammered, waving his hands about in an attempt to explain. When that obviously failed him, his hands flew to his head; one tugging at his hair, the other tugging on his neck. "God, I'm fucking this up."

Concerned, I reached out a hand to try and reassure him, laying it on his arm. "Take a deep breath. It's okay."

Meeting my eyes again, I could see the worry swirling in Edward's. "If I tell you, you're going to hate me."

"I doubt that," I said, trying not to make it sound kind and not like a scoff.

Edward still cringed. "Fine. But you probably won't look at me the same way. Or maybe you won't even want to hang out with me anymore."

"Edward!" I interrupted him. "Seriously. Just tell me." He was as bad as my dad, always making the suspense worse than the actual conversation.

Then he seemed to deflate, like a balloon that was suddenly released. He blew out a long breath as he turned to me, nervousness evident on his face. "I guess, I've always felt like I've… manipulated you a little bit." I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but Edward's hand flew up to halt me. "Please, just let me get it out, or I'll lose my nerve. When we first met, at the first session, it wasn't… it wasn't a coincidence that I was there. I saw you crossing the parking lot with Angela and, without even thinking, I stopped and followed you."

"Oh. Well, that…"

"That's not all. I'd only been driving past because I was on my way to L(art)te after Alice told me she'd seen you post a picture on Instagram there. I don't even really know why I'd been going there; maybe to just see you in person again, to make sure I wasn't crazy. I certainly wasn't planning on going up to you. But when I did see you, instinct took over and then I found myself standing outside the meeting room and Angela was inviting me in."

I knew I should be troubled by Edward's confession, maybe even wary. He had followed me into the building and joined the meeting, sitting across from me for an hour before leaving, without saying a word about the ticking time bomb he had in his possession.

But what I actually felt was vindication. It sounded like he was as drawn to me as I was to him, even if he wasn't ready to admit it or didn't truly understand it yet. Without thinking, he had found himself in front of me, the connection between us stronger than either of us could have ever thought.

Remorse filled me once again for thinking of my sister's widower like that. I had to beat the warm, tingly feeling back down into the pit of my stomach. Feeling anything for Edward was pointless and I would only end up hurting myself. Maria was the woman he loved, and I would only ever be a copy to him. Even if he could ever reciprocate my secret longing, to everyone else I would just look like the creepy twin that took over her sister's life.

But still, the flame pulsed inside me, warming me gently from my core.

I stayed quiet for a few minutes, digesting what he said while he watched me. I wanted Edward to know that I took him seriously and that I meant what I was telling him. Hopefully, he would finally listen to me.

"It seems like you want me to say that you're a terrible person and I won't forgive you," I sighed. "But you're not, and I do forgive you."

"Why?" he asked abruptly. "How could you excuse my behavior?"

How could I tell him that I would probably forgive him anything because I'd developed an unhealthy attachment to him? Edward would never feel for me the way he felt for my sister and he would probably be disgusted knowing that I wanted him to anyway. How, if I'd seen him walking on the street, I would have followed him too.

Trying to think of anything else that would explain my blind faith in him, I settled for the major thing Edward and I had in common. "I know what grief can do to a person. How it can cloud your judgement and you find yourself acting irrationally. You've told me how hard this all was for you to process at the beginning and, well, I know that you're a good person, Edward. You've never done anything to make me think otherwise." Trying to lighten the mood, with a laugh I added, "And it makes a lot more sense why you ran away when I joked about you being a stalker."

Edward's face darkened and his jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything.

My heart thumped heavily. "What?"

Instead of responding, he looked away and then started walking towards the rose garden again. With hurried steps, I followed after him and grabbed at his arm, stopping him and turning him back to face me. "Edward, what is it?" My voice had a frantic edge.

Edward didn't look me in the eye, but I saw his resolve crack. "I didn't leave because your joke made me feel guilty about what I'd done that night." His words were harsh, though his ire was directed inward. "I left because it was the third time I'd done it, and I was disgusted with myself."

With his head hung, Edward run his hands roughly through his hair. His shoulders sagged and I could see his chest shuddering as he tried to draw deeper breaths.

It seemed we had finally come to the root of Edward's guilt.

My whole body froze. The third time? My heart was pounding in my chest and my ears rang for a second. I could hear Emmett's voice in the back of my head "...what you're saying is a guy saw you at the hospital, then tracked you down months later… this guy sounds like a psycho stalker!"

"You followed me three times?" I heard myself asking. My ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton wool. I began to feel light-headed due to my shallow breathing.

"No, I…" Edward caught a look at my face then. His expression turned worried and his voice softened. "Not like that, Bella. No. I…" His hands disappeared into his hair again. "When I first started trying to find you, all I knew about you was that your first name was Bella and you had a friend named Rose who worked at the hospital. I didn't know how to find you with just that, so I went back to the hospital around the same time on a Wednesday, in the hopes of seeing either of you again, and sat in the lobby for a few hours. I left feeling like a reprobate.

"When I eventually went back a second time, I went to the maternity ward because I remembered Rose had been wearing pink scrubs and those are frequently worn by the staff there. It was just my luck that my sister was visiting a coworker who'd just had a baby and caught me." Edward laughed humorlessly. "She tore into me for being a creepy asshole, then proceeded to find you on Facebook in under ten minutes."

For a few moments, I didn't know how to react. Then a laugh bubbled out of me and before I knew it I was doubled over in a fit of giggles. Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I saw Edward's face turn horrified. That only sent me into another round of laughter.

"Jesus, Bella. What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry," I wheezed. "I know that that wasn't funny, but I think that was more of a tension release. I seriously thought you were going to say that you had been following me around, watching me."

Edward looked at me, gobsmacked. "How is what I did any different?" he asked sharply. "I went looking for you, waited around for you, looked for people who knew you!"

"It's completely different!" I yelled in exasperation. "You weren't outside my house at night, trying to watch me sleep, or waiting around every corner trying to bump into me. Sure, the way you went about it wasn't really the most practical. But you looked for me with the only information you had. And while Alice might have berated you for doing it in person, she did the exact same thing virtually - she used what small information you had to search through my friend's workplace and find her, then use Rose to get to me."

Edward's expression had turned to one of complete shock. His mouth kept opening and closing like a fish, but I was on a ranting roll and powered right through any chance he had to say anything. "And furthermore, if you had actually found Rose and been able to convince her of the truth, I would have believed you no questions asked. Rose has a knack for spotting a liar and she wouldn't stand for anyone peddling bullshit."

For the longest time, Edward said nothing. He just watched me. Usually, I broke eye contact, but this time I continued to look into his keen green orbs. Eventually, the intensity in his eyes waned and the corner of his lip turned up, though he still looked very tense.

"You never say or do what I think you will," he said, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on," I tried to tease. "I can't be that surprising. You were married to my identical twin, after all."

Edward studied me for a second, then said in a soft voice, "You and Maria are more different than you'd think."

Before I could say anything or ask him what he meant, Edward ushered me on to our destination, saying that we should get going before there was a chance of rain.

We were fairly silent as we made our way through the charming flower garden, which looked like a much more orderly version of the English country gardens I'd seen online.

Edward then led me down a leveled garden, cut into the slope of the lawn, that had previously been hidden by tall manicured hedges. It amazed me how large the property was.

By the time we came to the end of the walkway through the leveled garden, we seemed to have settled back into our comfortable rhythm, the banter we had developed over the weeks we'd been getting to know each other returned. Edward actually even seemed lighter and more relaxed than I'd ever seen him. It was obvious to me now how much his guilt had been weighing him down.

On the shoreline of the lake there was a smaller building, though it looked more like a small house. The only thing that made it look not like a house was the fact that there was a massive deck attached to it.

"This is the boathouse," Edward explained, as he led me out onto the deck and leaned against the railing.

The back wall of the 'boathouse' was made of folding glass doors, which could be opened up to gain access to the beautiful white marble kitchen inside. The kitchen extended outside, with a grill that would make Emmett's heart stop and what looked to be a pizza oven. There were different configurations of outdoor furniture, from a large dining table, sun loungers, and cushy-looking seating under a standing heater.

"Where are the boats?" I asked facetiously. It was the only thing the 'boathouse' didn't have.

Edward laughed heartily, the sparkle finally returning to his emerald eyes. "We don't actually have one. I think we just call it that because it's on the water. Our neighbours have a boat though, and if we ever want to go out on the water, they're happy for us to borrow it."

"Oh my god, you are such a rich kid," I laughed. This time Edward laughed along with me.

As we made our way along the shoreline and up the lawn toward the main house, I saw another structure I hadn't noticed before, as it too was hidden from view of the building by a large trimmed hedge. It glittered in the afternoon light, like the back wall of the house, but it was completely made of glass.

"What is that?" I asked, pointing up at it.

Edward followed my gaze. "That's my mom's greenhouse," he explained, walking us in its direction. "It's how she used the windows she took out to make the glass wall."

As we drew closer, I could indeed see it was made up of many smaller windows that looked like they belonged in a wall, painted white to tie them all together. A foundation wall made of bare red brick came up to around waist height and two large wooden doors that could be opened up to allow a breeze to blow through. It looked rustic, made from recycled materials, yet incredible chic, due to its high peaked roof. It was incongruous, yet incredibly beautiful.

"It looks kind of familiar," I said rhetorically. I had another strange feeling of déjà vu, though nowhere near like the one I'd experienced earlier.

"A friend of mom's photographed it for a magazine about twenty years ago. Alice says a lot of the photos still get 'repinned', whatever that means," Edward shrugged.

I laughed at him and his ignorance. He really was completely clueless and inept when it came to social media. The fact that he never even thought about finding me on Facebook first made a little more sense, too.

"You can't say you're not rich when Better Homes Gardens have photographed your house, Edward," I continued to tease as we walked around the hedges and back toward the house.

"Actually, I think it was called House Beautiful," he replied with a straight face. It only held for a few seconds before the corner of his lip began to lift into a smirk.

"God, you're such an ass," I chuckled, hitting him on the chest with the back of my hand as he opened the door, laughing back at me.

As Edward walked through the doorway, his laughter cut off. He stopped abruptly before I could register what was happening, so I walked straight into his back.

"What the hell, dude?" I complained as I stepped back. But then I saw what had caused him to stand still.

Standing around the breakfast table by the glass wall, mugs of coffee at each of the vacated seats, was Esme and three other people. One was a tall man with gray-blonde hair and striking blue eye, who looked like an older version of Edward he was undoubtedly his father, Carlisle Cullen. The other man was tall and thin, with graying dark hair and a neatly shaped beard. He was dressed in an expensive looked suit, a bright pocket square pocking out. Lastly was a beautiful older Hispanic woman, her jet black hair falling loosely to her shoulders which were draped in a soft-looking shawl.

I recognized them from the photo album. I'd studied each picture so carefully that I'd probably be able to pick them out in a huge crowd of people.

"Bella," Esme beckoned encouragingly when it was obvious Edward wasn't going to move. "I'd like to introduce you to Maria's parents, Carmen and Eleazar Di Nali."

Welp! There you go. Edward finally got his worst fears out on the table and Bella still likes him.

Next up is finally going to be meeting the Di Nali's! Sorry it's taken so long. Let me know if you liked the last two chapters as I've posted them, or if you think I should have left them as one big-ass chapter.

The dialogue in this was hard to get to right, and I kind of suspect the next chapter will be the same. So don't freak out if the next one takes a few weeks. I'm a perfectionist, Virgo and sometimes I need to have the conversations in my head a few times before they sounds right. Wish me luck!

Untill next time,

Thanks Lovelies!