Starts of after Edward drops Bella of at home, after meeting his family for the first time, and Bella gets confronted by Billy about the Cullens.

"Charlie likes the Cullens a lot," I hedged. He clearly understood my evasion. His expression was unhappy, but unsurprised.

"It's not my business," he said. "But it may be Charlie's."

"Though it would be my business, again, whether or not I think that it's Charlie's business, right?"

I wondered if he even understood my confused question as I struggled not to say anything compromising. But he seemed to. He thought about it while the rain picked up against the roof, the only sound breaking the silence.

"Yes," he finally surrendered. "I guess that's your business, too."

I sighed with relief. "Thanks, Billy."

"Just think about what you're doing, Bella," he urged.

"Okay," I agreed quickly.

He frowned. "What I meant to say was, don't do what you're doing."

I looked into his eyes, filled with nothing but concern for me, and there was nothing I could say.

Just then the front door banged loudly, and I jumped at the sound.

"I couldn't find the picture, but I found Charlie!" Jacob's voice echoes through the small hall and kitchen, as my eyes widen at his statement.

Crap, crap, crap!

Charlie's back already?! I whip my head up to look at Charlie, as if needing evidence to see if he's really there - he is. I turn my head to look at Billy, again, in rapid speed and then to the floor. Was Billy going to do what he came here for? Was Billy going to warn Charlie about the Cullens – about Edward?

"Billy! What are you doin' here?" Charlie asks patting Jacob on the back as he walks past him into the kitchen, peeling of his slightly wet coat and placing it on the back of the empty table chair, as he sit down on it.

"Why? I can't come and see you now without callin', Chief?!" Billy retorts loudly, in a strangely cheerful voice considering the conversation we just had, as he spins his wheelchair and moves towards where Charlie is seated. The two fall into conversation and teasing, whilst I contemplate how my evening now looks. The correct word would be painfully bleak. I'm almost a hundred percent sure that, even though Billy doesn't know about me going out with Edward tonight, he's going to stay for dinner and make me suffer as he throws innuendos around the whole night about how dangerous the Cullens are. Or tells Charlie straight up.

"Mind if we stay for dinner?!" Billy asks Charlie but glances at me. I gulp. "There should be enough of Harry Clearwater's fish fry for all of us, since you managed to catch nothing" He continues as he lightly teases Charlie.

"Sure! It's been a while since we've had dinner together. Oh, did you say Harry's fish fry?!" Charlie exclaims happily.

"Um, Dad?" I say, clearing my throat, drawing his attention.

"Yeah, Bells?" As if just remembering I'm in the room as well.

"Um, I kinda have plans for tonight, so is it alright if I miss dinner tonight?" I ask him, deliberately missing out the part that those plans include baseball, the Cullens and oh – the love of my life. Charlie looks over at Billy, who sighs dramatically and very deliberately while staring at the ground, and then back at me.

Please say yes.Please say yes.Please say yes.Please say yes.

"Sorry, kiddo, not tonight" He says looking apologetically at me.

Nooooo!

"Please, dad" I attempt, practically begging, "It's important", but he doesn't budge.

"Sorry, kiddo…" He trails off as if it'd make everything better. I stare at him for a long minute and then huff in anger and walk over to open the stupid fish fry. I hear Charlie wheel Billy into the living room and hear the distinctive sounds of the TV. I'm weary to leave Billy alone with Charlie but have kept my fingers crossed that he won't say anything to Charlie considering how we had ended our conversation. Lost in my thoughts of Billy and his ridiculous thoughts of warning Charlie, I don't realise Jacob has moved to my side.

"Need some help?" I jump as he says so, not expecting him there since he hasn't said a word since Charlie came, "Sorry" he apologises softly. I give a strained smile in response.

No reason to take it out on him, I mentally chastise myself.

"It's okay. And yes, could you get the plates from the cabinets above the sink" I instruct and he moves almost instantly returning with four plates. We start setting up the food on the plates when Jacob clears his throat making me look over at him in response,

"so…" he, once again clears his throat, this time, a little awkwardly before continuing "I'm sorry you couldn't go out tonight because of us, whatever you had planned seemed important. You look upset," he offers an apology.

"It's alright, it's not your fault," It's your Dad's fault, I mentally add, "and yes, it was important." I finish.

"Oh, um, yeah, so, were you going out with some of your girlfriends or..?" he trails off, a faint red colour covers his tan cheeks, as he blushes.

Oh, I blush too as I remember having to flirt with him back at the beach to get him to tell me about the Cullens. A bout of guilt surges through my body as I think he may have taken my pathetic attempt at flirting too seriously. Maybe I was too convincing, I think to myself.

"Um, actually my," Vampire-Lover, Love-of-my-life, One-true-love, "my boyfriend was going to take me out tonight, so I'm a bit disappointed." I look down at the fish on my plate as I blush just thinking about Edward and how this is the first time I've addressed him as my boyfriend. To anyone.

"Oh, you're seeing someone? Of course." He keeps his eyes downcast as I look over at him, but I manage to see his cheeks fill with even more colour. All previous thoughts of Billy and his ridiculousness are halted as I become intent on making Jacob realise I'm not available; not out of malice but concern as I don't want to lead him on, I keep talking in order to make my feelings clear.

"Yeah, we go to school together, and I've been working up the nerve to tell him how I feel," keeping my eyes trained on the fish in front of me, I add softly, "I love him." A small, but not unexpected, smile and oh-so-predictable blush, follow. Suddenly a knock resonates at the door, as Jacob whispers an almost inaudible "Oh", and I jump to wipe my hand on the small wash cloth next to the sink and exclaim an "I'll get it!" for Charlie's sake, not that he'd get it anyways. I race to the door tripping only once, and yank it open with fervour, and a huge grin adorns my face.

My own Adonis stand on the other side of Charlie's old front door. "Dad, I'm stepping out for a sec!" I quickly remember to add, closing the door behind me, as I wrap my hand around Edward's waist hugging him to me. We stay like that for a few seconds, neither of us breaking the tender silence, until Edward sighs and tightens his arms around me.

"I'm sorry," I apologise softly, knowing that he knows I can't come, from both Alice and now his own gift.

"Don't be, love, it's not your own doing" he whispers quietly into my ear, and presses his cool lips onto my forehead. The simple, innocent, gesture has my heart beating a ten times faster making Edward chuckle and repeat the action, this time I shiver. With his smile in place he teases "so, boyfriend, huh?"

I jump back, mortified, "you were listening?" keeping my arms around his waist, my eyes wide,

"Couldn't help it, love," he says unapologetically, shrugging, pulling me back into his hard chest and cool embrace.

"You should tell the child that I'm your boyfriend. He won't know since he doesn't go to our school, so I suppose it's a good thing you clear up that you're not interested in him," He continues pulling me back slightly to give me a view of his honey, gold, eyes, "because his thoughts are a lot more like the ones of the boys at school than his words and actions."

Before I can react, he leans down and pecks my nose followed by my cheek, and ushers me to the door saying "I thought you should go inside now, Billy's thoughts are telling me he's about to grab your fathers gun at come out here. Can't have him shooting your boyfriend before we've even met, now, can we?" I roll my eyes playfully at his teasing and turn around to look at him before going back inside. He's looking at me with those intense, loving, golden eyes and I can't help but smile, and he does the same. I tentatively reach up to wrap my arms around his neck and he leans down, understanding what I was doing, and kisses me. In my Edward induced haze I couldn't hear anything over my rapid heartbeat and blood pounding in my ears, until I heard someone cough behind me nervously. I jumped away from Edward, thinking it was Charlie, whizzing around to see Jacob. My tense shoulders relax as I slowly go back to stand near Edward and lean into him, sighing out of relief as his arm wraps around my shoulder.

"Oh, it's just you!" I say "I thought it was Charlie, for a second," I put my thoughts into words, causing Edward to chuckle.

"No. No." Jacob says slowly and quietly "It's just me". I look behind him to see the door closed, I mentally sigh in relief again. It's safe to make introductions, I think, Yeah, because my boyfriend and the 15-year-old who has a possible crush on me really want to be introduced to each other, I again mentally and sarcastically add.

"Um, Jacob, this is my, um, boyfriend, that I was telling you about – Edward Cullen. And Edward, this is Jacob Black, my dad's best friend, Billy Black's son." God! Could this get anymore awkward!