This chapter is shorter than I had hoped due to the issue of not knowing when I'd have another chance to post.

Characters belong to SM

Bella and I took Melody out the next day to the local park so she could play with Aaron. The mother beamed when Melody pulled out the finished picture.

"Ashley!" Aaron called from the swings. Melody gave her mother a quick hug before running towards the direction of his voice.

Bella sighed contently as she watched her little girl be pushed gingerly on the swings by Aaron. Beside Melody, what did she honestly have to be content about?

There were people watching, so I lounged my arm casually over her shoulders, and her body automatically leaned in to rest against mine.

"How are you feeling?" I asked attempting to surround us with a laidback atmosphere. Her body felt relaxed, but her hands were clenched at her sides.

She released her breath as if she had been holding it in for a period of time. "I'm tired."

That was a surprise. Whenever I had checked on her after working of papers, she was asleep like the dead. "Has something been troubling you?"

She trembled a quick shiver, and I knew that something important was about to be said. "I can feel him," she whispered. Her eyes were closed, and she turned her head into my side.

I wondered for a brief moment how close she was and how I was reacting to her sudden nearness. Obviously, she didn't.

"I can feel him watching my every move. Those cold eyes which burn with hate and the need for revenge. It's all so overwhelming for me to handle. Melody is the only one who holds me together at times; she brings out the best in everyone.

Everyone? I allowed my mind to wonder for a brief amount of time over the matter while Bella collected her to continue telling me of her woes.

"I can't live in fear like this anymore." She concluded. "It's not healthy for me or my daughter to have the constant fear that he could strike at any moment."

She sucked in a quick breath of air, and for a split second, I though she was about to start hyperventilating. But when I looked down at her huddled into my side, she looked calm.

Bella looked up, finding my gaze. Her melting chocolate eyes shimmered in the sun, and a smile tedious smile brightened her face until a leaf smacked her in the face.

"Ouch," she grumbled, swatting the leaf away.

I looked away before our intense gaze at one another became deeper. The trees were several colors of yellow, red, and orange, and many had already made their journey to the ground.

"Now I'm cold," Bella said quietly shivering. She pulled away from me slightly, probably finally figuring out she was extremely close. I missed her warmth instantly when my left side was no longer heated by her small body.

When she shivered again, I shrugged out of my jacket and handed it to her. She took it mumbling a shy "thank you."

The sleeves were much too long for her thin arms, but she curled down into the heat the jacket provided. Bella returned her attention to the children. Aaron had joined Melody on the swing next to her.

"Aren't they cute?" she asked sending a smile their way.

I nodded absently unable to bring myself to tell her how much young children got on my nerves. An argument would probably cause a scene if Bella was to bring up the question of why Melody never seemed to get on my nerves. The answer would be simple enough. The young girl had outgrown her childish ways to protect and care for her mother.

A sneeze was heard half way across the park, and I looked over to see Aaron rubbing his nose. Melody rubbed his back soothingly.

"I wonder what my father is doing." Bella's comment caught me off-guard.

"He knows about what has happened, correct?" She nodded. "He mustn't come here, Bella. It's too dangerous to over expose our place of hiding."

She dipped her head down in disappointment. Guilt washed over me when I realized I was the bringer of bad news, but she had to be aware of the facts.

"Bella?"

"What?" She sniffled.

Crap, she's crying…"Crap, are you crying?" I mentally smacked myself on the forehead. Apparently, my brain had no sensor today.

"No, my allergies are all worked up from being cooped up in that house."

Her answer was believable and could have been very true but she was a horrid lair. Her face flushed red and mahogany tresses attempted to hide the blush from me.

Her sudden emotional change caught me off guard and made me rather uncomfortable. So, I leaned back and sighed. "I'm sorry, Bella, it's just the way it must be. There is no other option that will preserve your safety."

Bella nodded knowingly.

Aaron and Melody appeared in sight, and he wore a tiny frown as he watched Melody follow Bella and me to the car.

"Next Thursday?" she asked after Bella was already in the house.

I nodded knowing what she was referring to.

After an hour of working on paperwork, I smelled roasting chicken waft up to my office. Glancing at the clock, the hands showed that it was already fifteen till six. I tried returning to my work, but the second hand ticked ominously. So, in defeat, I rose from my seat and found Bella in the kitchen.

An apron was tied around her waist, and her long locks were fixed back in a bun….so cute…

"Hungry, Edward?" she asked breaking my daze.

Bella was smiling at my while waving her spatula. I peeked into the pan and saw a delicious looking sauce.

"Starving," I mumbled back. I dipped my finger in the sauce only to have it smacked by Bella.

"Geez, you're almost as bad as bad as Melody."

Bella called for her daughter, and she came bolting down the stairs. Dinner was excellent as usually.

"I'd really like to go for a swim tonight, Edward," Bella commented while we cleared the table.

I agreed, and she left to retrieve her bikini. That little bikini…

"Momma really liked the drawing I made for her."

I jumped for I hadn't heard the child enter the room. She smiled up at me, and I returned the grin.

I treaded water and watched Bella take a few jumps off the diving board. She got out of the water for a brief time to tie her hair back. Running towards the side of the pool to jump, I saw her foot with the hurt ankle hit a puddle. Her panicked eyes met mine before her body was thrown into the water. Instantly, I left my arms up, and she ended up in them.

The impact pushed the two of us under the water. I felt her lips brush my ear when her head whipped forward. When we emerged, her face was flush.

"Um, Edward," she looked away embarrassed, "you can let go now."

But for some reason, I didn't. Bella appeared so adorable, but she squirmed uncomfortable in my arms. My lips pressed themselves to hers.

A small gasp left her, but I kept my eyes close and my lips on hers. Determined to make her react before releasing her, I ran my tongue along her plush bottom lip. Surpirsingly, she opened her lips hesitantly. I dove in between them before I lost my chance.

Her arms wrapped around me, and I threw my arm out in front of me in search for something to hold us over the surface of the water.

We must have floated toward the side because I found the pool's wall and grabbed it for support.

She tastes like strawberries and chocolate…chocolate covered strawberries…

"Mommy!" Melody called from upstairs.

Bella was gone from grip before I had the option of reacting. I saw her worried conflicted eyes when she looked back down at me still in the pool from where she stood above. The little girl called again, and Bella ran from the room for her daughter and left me, the pathetic security guard sent to protect her, alone in the pool with a raging hard on.

Avoiding Bella and her daughter, I took a long cold shower. Once the girls had gone to bed, I snuck down stairs for a glass of water. I looked on the fridge and saw that Melody's picture of her mother and herself was missing.

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